No Big Hits

The Tigers lost last night in about the most frustrating fashion in which they could: in 12 innings, after having opportunities in the 9th and twelfth innings to blow the game part. With runners on third in each frame and only one out, no one could come up with the hit, or even the fly ball, which might have changed the outcome.

Fernando Rodney never should have pitched in the last inning either, but who knows what Manager Jim Leyland thinks? All we really can count on is that this will go down as one of the lousiest seasons in team history. How can you let a seven game lead in early September slip away? The word choke comes quickly to mind, but I doubt that explains it fully. The Minnesota Twins put on one tremendous late season charge, at one point winning 11 out of 12; that's hard to defense.

A lot of questions remain to be addressed: does Leyland overmanage? Do we give up too much offense with Laird, Everett, and Inge at the bottom of the order despite their good to great defense? Where will we find the rest of the starting rotation next year?

Sadly, we have all winter now to contemplate them. Baseball breaks your heart...