Aug 6, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) receives congratulations from teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Detroit won 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Tigers are finishing the season out of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and will finish with a losing record (and probably a last place finish) for the first time since 2008.
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A lot of us expected the Tigers to take a step back this season. I personally felt that this team would finish in third place in the AL Central, missing the postseason but would finish above .500 with about 85 wins.
Throughout 2015, as we all witnessed the team falling further and further out of contention, we thought that they would reboot, sign free agents and hire a new manager. Now one of those things is not going to happen.
The second half of the season has shown that the Tigers have a lot of work to do to get back into the ranks of the elite teams of the American League, perhaps more than we anticipated. Then again, the Tigers shipped away three pieces of their Opening Day lineup in David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria at the trading deadline and the results from July 31 on were predictably bad.
If all goes well, we will be looking for the Tigers to go from first to worst in one year and then come back to contend for a World Series the next. But, looking at recent disappointing seasons–it does not seem that the Tigers have always been able to bounce back quickly.
Let’s take a look and see for ourselves…
Next: The Beginning of the Dark Era