Must See TV: Intriguing 2015 Games for Detroit Tigers

Mar 31, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; General view during the national anthem before an opening day baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

OPENING DAY APRIL 6, 2015: TIGERS VS TWINS

Opening Day in Detroit is always an event. This year’s Opening Day is intriguing for a number of reasons.

In the years in which the Tigers were bad throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, it was an excuse to drink and party–sort of like a second St. Patrick’s Day. It was more about the event than the game.

Since Detroit has become relevant in baseball, the party aspect is still there, but fans are even more hopeful of a win to get a fast start on the season in the pursuit of another playoff berth and that ever elusive World Series title.

Upon first glance, fans may think the Tigers got an “easy” Opening Day opponent and a guaranteed 1-0 start. While on the surface this might appear to be solid logic, and the Twins will be almost certainly the only AL Central team to not have a legitimate shot at winning the division this year, fans may forget the problems Minnesota caused for the Tigers last year.

The Twinkies were the only AL Central foes that were able to beat the Tigers in the season series. Detroit went 9-11 against them and allowed an astonishing 119 runs. This was 39 more runs allowed than against the White Sox and Indians. and 53 more runs allowed against the Royals.

The last-place Twins simply wore out Tigers’ pitching and twice prevented them from clinching the AL Central in a four-game series to end the regular season, requiring Detroit to win on the last day of the season.

Minnesota has a new manager for the first time since 2002 and a new/old rightfielder who is familiar with Detroit, Torii Hunter.

On the Detroit end of things there will be questions galore. Will Miguel Cabrera be healthy and appear in the game? Will Justin Verlander get his eighth straight Opening Day start? How will the new look Tigers’ lineup fare likely against the only Twins’ starting pitcher to have success against Detroit last year, Phil Hughes?

April 6 has the makings of being one of the most exciting games of the year, and not just because it is Opening Day.

Sep 20, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) can

APRIL 30, 2015: TIGERS AT ROYALS

For the second year in a row, the Detroit Tigers won the AL Central by just one game. Though they clinched each year in the final week of the season, there wasn’t much drama that they would, eventually, clinch for one reason: dominance over the second-place team.

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In 2013, Detroit tormented Cleveland to a shocking 15-4 record. They were almost as dominant over the rising 2014 Royals, winning 13 of 19 games played. Even worse for KC is that Detroit just steamrolled at Kauffman Stadium. While the Tigers held a slim 5-4 edge over the Royals at Comerica Park, they won 8 of the 10 games played in Kansas City.

Unlike the Indians in 2013, the Royals did not bungle their Wild-Card Game appearance and got incredibly hot until falling in Game 7 of the World Series to the San Francisco Giants.

Kansas City won’t take anyone by surprise in 2015, but they may not be as good as they were a year ago.

Nonetheless they will understand and remember what happened against Detroit last year and will be ready to re-establish home field advantage against their rivals. They could have an advantage as the Tigers will enter this series in Kansas City after playing 10 game straight against tough opponents in the White Sox, Yankees and Indians.

May 8, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder (84) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 20, 2015: TIGERS VS RANGERS

The Tigers sold an unusual amount of tickets to a mid-May series against the Texas Rangers. Aside from meeting in the 2011 ALCS, the Tigers and Rangers have never had a rivalry. This all changed last offseason when the Tigers cast aside Prince Fielder and brought in Ian Kinsler.

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While Kinsler faced and fared well against his former mates, including homering in his first at-bat back in Arlington last June, Detroit never got the chance to have a

heartwarming

reunion with Prince.

This was because after a very slow start with an average near .200 and just three homers, Prince’s consecutive games streak ended and his season ended in mid-May with neck surgery. There is no guarantee that Prince will be back for the start of the season, but its a safe bet he’ll be back when the Tigers and Rangers meet up for the first time in 2015 in August at Comerica Park.

With one full year removed from Prince being in Detroit, perhaps it will diminish the negative reception he will receive. Prince was someone who came to the team with such fanfare and joy received a similar level of fanfare and joy when he was shipped out not two years later. A lot of that had to do with his poor postseason play in 2012 and 2013.

A lot of that had to do with his careless attitude after losing the 2013 ALCS (the infamous “I have kids” statement).

It will be interesting to see the reception he will receive. Former Rangers’ players Kinsler, Joe Nathan and Joakim Soria will also be facing their former team, Soria for the first time since the July trade. 

Sep 20, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) scores a run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

REGULAR SEASON FINALE OCTOBER 4: TIGERS AT WHITE SOX

The Chicago White Sox made a splash in the offseason in an attempt to regain relevance and compete for the playoffs for the first time in a half decade. Melky Cabrera, Emilio Bonifacio, Jeff Samardzija, Zach Duke were among the main acquisitions in a busy offseason for the 73-89 White Sox.

Chicago held its own for much of the season. They would have their hot and cold spells, but slumped down the stretch to make their record look a little worse than how the team had played much of the year. Chris Sale and Jose Abreu had great years and now that each have a little protection around them, the White Sox are a team destined for at least .500.

Many pundits feel the White Sox are better than .500 and will compete for a division title with the Tigers. If that is true, this final game of the regular season could be a divisional championship game.

We are a long way from October, but if the White Sox are competitive again, it always makes their tangles with the Tigers more interesting.

On a personal note, I understand more fans feel the Indians are a bigger rival for the Tigers, but for me I’ve always had an intense hatred for the White Sox, so if that rivalry is ratcheted up again, it will make for a much more exciting summer.