Detroit Tigers: And the Oscar Goes To

Today is the last day of practice before the Detroit Tigers start putting their skills on paper to the test on the field with a game against the Florida Southern Mocs.  It also happens to be the day film industry celebrates the 88th Academy Awards.

While the world watches to see if Leonardo DiCaprio will win his first Oscar, if The Martian will be named Best Picture, or if Jennifer Lawrence trips on her way to the stage to get another award, Tigers fans are anticipating what the Tigers will actually do when things get real. In the spirit of the special day in Hollywood, here are a few of the Oscar-worthy moment from 2015:

Best actor: Miguel Cabrera against the Royals.

While this may not have been Cabrera’s best moment as a batter, what happened later was unforgettable. The amazing Miggy puts on a display of emotions that are rarely seen on the field. His disappointment in the pitch is impossible to miss and his frustration with being ejected is perfectly executed.

His teammates J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez help him avoid completely losing his mind on the crew chief that removed him from the game. As Brad Ausmus looks on from the dugout, he notices the severity of the moment and acts appropriately to temper the emotions of Cabrera which ran the gamut from complete frustration to calmly rational – all in the span of two minutes.

Best actor in a supporting position: Daniel Norris home runs.

In a moment usually reserved for big hitters like Cabrera or the Martinez bros., the pitcher was the one who set the stage for an unforgettable series against the North Siders at Wrigley. Not only was it his first at-bat in the Major Leagues, but the home run went straight-away center field. The entire ballpark was shocked by his performance and the team made sure to take good care of him after the unbelievable hit. As a show of respect, Victor Martinez gingerly removed the young pitcher’s batting gloves. Unfortunately,  Norris injured his oblique muscle during the same game.

As an added bonus to this performance, Norris damaged the shiny new video board at Wrigley Field.

Best costume design: Anibal Sanchez.

In a moment filled with hilarity, Sanchez and Price poked fun at former teammate Torii Hunter for his ejection and subsequent undressing. Sanchez decided to reenact the moment during the Minnesota Twins batting practice. He and Price walked out to the cage, had a faux argument, and Sanchez stripped down to his compression shorts and a Nike tank. Hunter fell to the ground in a bout of laughter.

Best music: J.D. Martinez “Hustlin'” by Rick Ross.

Martinez did not just use this as his walk-up song, but as his way of playing. As the Tiger of the Year and the Tiger with the most home runs in 2015, he defined “hustlin'” at Comerica Park. The song is a perfect walk-up song with its bold opening and powerful beat. Despite Martinez’s award for his 2015 song choice, he will have some competition from fellow outfielder Justin Upton who prefers Young Jeezy’s “Lose My Mind.”

Best Picture: Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Angels 8/26.

Other than the plethora of wins at the beginning of the season and the home run derbies against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley, this single game was the best game of the season. This was the game that showed the world that Justin Verlander was back. After his worst outings in his career, many thought that JV was done. But, this game proved otherwise. Going into the 9th inning, no Angels had gotten on base, until the moment when Chris Iannetta (the Angel’s worst hitter) hit a double that bounced on the left-field line, sending white paint into the air and JV into the backbend of disbelief.

While the hit was disappointing for Verlander, the fans rewarded him with a standing ovation at the end of the game. The performance of Verlander was notable, but the rest of the team stepped it up that day. Cabrera and J.D. Martinez both homered in that game. The catcher than night, James McCann summed up Verlander’s experience perfectly: “It was heartbreaking. That’s literally as close as you can get: One hit, and it lands on the foul line.”

Next: Never Ban the Beard in Detroit

In the 162 games and iconic moments from the 2015 season, what moments are the most Oscar-worthy?