Am I dreaming? Who are these Tigers? We had dug ourselves into such a deep hole at the beginning of the season that it seemed like we'd never escape and now there is a glimmer of hope. We haven't had more than a 4-game win streak all year but we've had several 5-game losing streaks and one awful 7-game losing streak. There are surprises in every area of this team and they are exceeding all expectations and hopes.
The Veterans and the Rookies
Robbie Grossman is the best free-agent signing the Tigers have had in many years. From the beginning of the season he has been an infusion. He walks like there is no tomorrow and he is one of our home run leaders! His defense is nothing to sneeze at either. He's not overrated or flashy but he's so solid and dependable and I am just thrilled with what he's brought to this team.
Jonathan Schoop has also been a nice surprise. Despite never playing first base until joining us, he's been really good there and his bat, especially lately, has been huge in the middle of the lineup. Having these veterans, along with Cabrera (obviously), has been a major blessing for a team that is so young and inexperienced.
When it comes to rookies, no one is more green than Akil Baddoo. Our Rule 5 pick has barely played above Low-A ball before this year but you'd never be able to tell based on how he's done this year. Yes, he's cooled off from the torrid start, but what he's doing is, frankly, insane. He's even knocked Grossman out of the lead-off spot!
Our starting rotation is now our top three rookie prospects, a guy who is starting for the first time in many years, and a bullpen guy who being stretched out to start. And yet, we are pitching amazingly well. Losing Turnbull and Boyd (for the season and a long stretch, respectively) could have dealt us a death blow but somehow they have soldiered on and you almost forget that you're missing two of your best pitchers.
Everything Is Clicking
Pitching, both starters and relievers, is humming. Defense is flashing. The bats are spraying all over the field. Our running game is a level that I don't think I've seen in 10+ years of following Tigers baseball. I was just thinking the other day about how we have been thrown out at the plate a lot more this year. You'd think you would be losing runs and I don't have hard data but I think we probably are scoring more than in the past because we are forcing the issue. We are taking the extra base more and that will mean getting thrown out more. We also have a lot of young players who are still learning the finer points of running the bases but it's been impressive to watch.
There have been so many times over the years when it seems like our pitching is on point but the bats can't hit anything. Then our bats heat up and the pitching slumps. We never could get multiple things going at the same time but that's not been the case much this year, especially right now.
This Is Fun
Maybe this is just a fluke but maybe it isn't. May and June showed a team that had promise. We never put a huge win streak together but the signs were there that things were different. The end of the first half was a deflating loss of momentum but the break seemed to bring out the best in everyone. Whatever happens in the rest of the season, this is a really fun moment and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.