Not much of a Tigers fan, but there was some genuine emotion in that on-field celebration. I think it speaks to the collapses down the stretch of 2006 and 2009 that I'm still having trouble processing that this is the first division title for the Tigers in my lifetime (sort of; I was 2 in 1987).

I hate the fact that all of the major sports news websites have the Sox beating the Rays as the headline tonight. The Tigers haven't won a title in 24 years! They're the first team to clinch a division. That should clearly be the lede.

I'm not even a Detroit fan and I'm appalled.

Has Leyland talked about what Verlander's work load will be like from here on out? Obviously you don't want to have him work too hard, but you could probably go too far in the other direction too.

I didn't think Doug Fister would be the best midseason acquisition made by a contender this year, but it's sure looking that way. Bourn and Pence have been very good as well for their new clubs.

Congrats to Detroit!

@3

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110916&content_id=24787580¬ebook_id=24796066&vkey=notebook_det&c_id=det#disqus_thread

"Manager Jim Leyland said Friday that his rotation would not stay in its current order through the end of the regular season. He would not say, however, what would change. ...Justin Verlander, who faces the A's on Sunday, would be in line to make his regular season finale Saturday against the Orioles. He would then be able to start a Division Series opener Sept. 30 on five days' rest.

After that, it gets interesting. Max Scherzer, who makes his next start Wednesday at Kansas City, would be lined up to start Game 2 of a Division Series on his regular rest if the Tigers rotation order doesn't change. Doug Fister, on the other hand, would need to be shuffled or skipped to start Game 2, though he could start Game 3."

Good on you, Detroit. I'll be pulling for them in the AL half of the bracket.

I hate the fact that all of the major sports news websites have the Sox beating the Rays as the headline tonight. The Tigers haven't won a title in 24 years! They're the first team to clinch a division. That should clearly be the lede.

I'm not even a Detroit fan and I'm appalled.

I had totally blanked that they were the WC team in 2006. I had thought they won the division that year, and of course they beat the Yankees and A's to get to the World Series.

That explains part of the issue with the divisional title. It's become of reduced importance. Winning the division for the first time in 24 years is a hell of a feat, but 2006 was such a great year it seems to make it of lesser importance.

Yeah for me 2006 was the "Tigers are Back!" season. As the years go by I think the majority of people (aside from the fan's of the individual team or hardcore Wild Card system haters) don't remember how teams got into the playoffs, just that they did.

On a personal note I just assumed the Tigers DID win the division in 2006. Though I probably could have reasoned it out. I seem to recall one of those "you never know how it's going to work out" moments when the Tigers threw Kenny Rogers in the last game of the season in a bid to get the division rather than the wildcard while the Twins threw Carlos Silva (he of the 5.94 ERA) because they were setting up their rotation for the playoffs. Of course the Twins won the game, Tigers lost, and Tigers won their playoff series, Twins lost theirs.

Of course Rogers was far from the Tigers one ace up their sleeve. They did have Nate "Game One Starter" Robertson and future perennial All-Star Jeremy Bonderman too. Not to mention that rookie sensation...Zach Miner.

It's the lede around here. The other question for Jim Leyland is keeping ahead of Texas & getting to start at home vs. Boston (or Tampa) rather than on the road in NYC. I really like that right now the Tigers have the 2nd best record in the League, & are tied for the 3rd best record in baseball. Yes, I know they've done it by beating the other teams in their own less-than-legendary division, but it still makes them seem like a legitimate force.

It's the lede around here. The other question for Jim Leyland is keeping ahead of Texas & getting to start at home vs. Boston (or Tampa) rather than on the road in NYC.

With Fister pitching the way he has, coupled with two starts from Verlander, I think the Tigers have become the team the others would most like to avoid in the first round (though I tend to think that particular mindset rarely seems to be borne out by the playoff results).

I really like that right now the Tigers have the 2nd best record in the League, & are tied for the 3rd best record in baseball. Yes, I know they've done it by beating the other teams in their own less-than-legendary division, but it still makes them seem like a legitimate force.

I don't think they (or any other team) should apologize for their record or opposition. They are having a tremendous season. Period.

Dombroski made some great moves this year, well actually since last year when he traded for Jhonny Peralta. But Delmon Young has played well (especially because we lost Brennan Boesch for the season), Fister was a great pick-up and under the Tiger's control for the next couple of years. Wilson Betemit was also a nice little pick-up during the season.

I am excited for the playoffs. We have a pretty good line-up, a nice 1-2 punch with the starters (and whichever Scherzer and Porcello decide to show up), and our core of our bullpen is pretty good (Coke, Benoit, Alburqueque, Valverde).

Certainly an improvement on the last time the Tigers traded for a Mariners starting pitcher midseason. Jarrod Washburn gave up 35 runs and 12 HR in 43 innings with the Tigers, after giving up only 42 runs and 11 HR in 133 innings with the Mariners. The Tigers finished one game away from clinching the division, lost Game 163 to the Twins, and then Washburn retired.

Fisted!

Man, B-Pro was way off on projecting Fister to crater this year-- 3.65 K:BB, 1.10 WHIP and an ERA+ of 131. He's probably have close to 16 wins if he were on any other team but the M's for the first half...

Fisted!

Fister? I don't even know 'er!

Thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your servers.

Oh, and I was also going to say pretty much the same things that have already been said in #7 & #8.

Certainly an improvement on the last time the Tigers traded for a Mariners starting pitcher midseason. Jarrod Washburn gave up 35 runs and 12 HR in 43 innings with the Tigers, after giving up only 42 runs and 11 HR in 133 innings with the Mariners. The Tigers finished one game away from clinching the division, lost Game 163 to the Twins, and then Washburn retired

Yeah we traded for 2 pumpkins that year, Washburn and Aubrey Huff (who hit .189 with the Tigers in 40 games).

Congrats to the Tigers

Great season

The Tigers finished one game away from clinching the division, lost Game 163 to the Twins, and then Washburn retired

did he actually retire? i thought he just couldn't find anyone to give him a guaranteed contract, so he just kind of faded away.

I really like that right now the Tigers have the 2nd best record in the League, & are tied for the 3rd best record in baseball. Yes, I know they've done it by beating the other teams in their own less-than-legendary division, but it still makes them seem like a legitimate force.

It should be noted, though, that they're doing this by converting runs into wins at a rate much better than the other top teams. Best Pyth records in baseball:

PHL 98-51
NYY 96-53
TEX 91-60
BOS 90-60
TBR 85-65
ATL 82-69
DET 82-69
MIL 82-69
STL 81-69
ARI 81-70

This is my team for October, I hope they get Boston to open. Great job by Dombrowski adding pieces at the deadline, that's how it should be done.

Reading in squeaky, sarcastic voice: "Fister leads way as Tigers clinch Central."
/crankyA'sfan

Anybody know if Lt. Peterson finished his marathon at the game last night?

Doug Fister—who came to Detroit from Seattle in a July 30 trade—turned in another brilliant start, winning his fifth straight game.

So are we to assume from this that Chance Ruffin is going to blossom into a Cy Young winner and possible Hall of Famer, being helped by turning in a few years as a closer late in his career?

While the Tigers have mopped up against the Central, they are 18-14 against the East and 17-17 against the West. It is not like they have laid eggs against the rest of the AL.

I'm strangely subdued about all this, remembering where I was in October 1987.

I was 22, still in college. I audio-taped the Tigers clincher over Toronto and played the last out on my college radio show. (Yes, even then.) I lived in a basement apartment in a building that's been torn down for over ten years.

Tiger Stadium was still standing, and it would host baseball for another thirteen years.

Ronald Reagan was still president.

My wife, who I've seemingly known forever, wouldn't meet me for another seven years.

Whitesnake had the #1 song in the country ("Here I Go Again"). And MTV was still worth watching.

And everyone in Michigan knew that the Twins, who had won all of 85 games, didn't stand a chance against our invincible Tigers.

Sigh.

It's funny, but this doesn't seem like a big deal to me, because of 2006 and being in contention in other seasons since then. Of course it's great to win the division, but 2006 really felt like that season, wild card or not.

And one more time, THANK YOU, KENNY ROGERS!

And everyone in Michigan knew that the Twins, who had won all of 85 games, didn't stand a chance against our invincible Tigers.

I couldn't believe that ALCS, either, especially since Alexander had been so great down the stretch and Morris had pitched so well in the key Saturday game against Toronto. But when the Twins then went on to stick it to Whitey Herzog and the ####### Cardinals, I could almost half forgive them.