MLB's Deep State Tarik Skubal All-Star stunt was clearly revenge for Tigers' troll

Ahead of the start of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, the Tigers' social media admin — who's established themselves as a wily one this season — posted a picture of Detroit's six All-Stars with the caption "big MLB doesn't want you to know we have six all-stars."

The admin has been taking shots at MLB's posts about the Tigers all season, usually pointedly replying with an exclamation point whenever the league fails to hype up the team after a victory. Even though the Tigers have the most All-Stars in baseball this year and have the best record in baseball, there's somehow still been more attention paid to players from the bigger market teams.

Maybe "big MLB" saw the post and took exception to it, because FOX completely sabotaged American League starter Tarik Skubal during his first inning against the top of the National League's order. With hitters Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña, and Ketel Marte at the very top of the lineup, the powers that be mistakenly believed that mic'ing up both Skubal and Mariners starter (and Home Run Derby champion) Cal Raleigh was a good idea.

Skubal gave up two runs in his start, while Tigers fans were all but yelling at Joe Davis and John Smoltz, on the call for FOX, to stop talking so Skubal could pitch.

This had to be an act of sabotage.

Tigers fans hated FOX mic'ing up Tarik Skubal during All-Star Game start

Ohtani and Acuña went back-to-back with singles while Davis and Smoltz continued to chatter in Skubal and Raleigh's ears — even after Davis said that they would just sit back and turn into spectators so Skubal could do his job. Marte followed to shoot an RBI double to right field, allowing two runs to score on Skubal's watch. He got his three outs easily after that, with a ground out for Freddie Freeman and strikeouts on Manny Machado and Will Smith, but the damage was done.

Meanwhile, the AL's hitters (including Tigers Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene) struggled against Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, and Clayton Kershaw got his "Legend Pick" appearance in the second, inducing two outs before Padres reliever Jason Adam came in to finish things off without allowing a baserunner.

You'd be hard-pressed to find any baseball fan who likes when players are mic'ed up, but it feels safe to say that Tigers fans will be against them on principle forever now.