Thoughts running through my mind as Casey Blake's home run ball carried over the wall...

I hate Casey Blake.

I hate the Cleveland Indians.

I hate that Indians' shortstop with the goofily misspelled first name.

Kenny Rogers did not deserve to lose this game.

Joel Zumaya is not ready to be the Tigers' closer in 2008.

What was Cameron Maybin thinking? You NEVER run on a ball hit in front of you. NEVER!

It'll take a biblical style miracle for the Tigers to win the Central division.

Their wild card chances took a huge hit too.

This might be it. Yankees are winning big. Season over?

SHITSHITSHIT!

I hate Casey Blake.

Random thoughts after a Tigers split

1. The Tigers leave Cleveland with a split, losing 5-2 tonight. I'm perfectly fine with that result. Sometimes the other guy pitches his ass off, and Fausto Carmona did so tonight. It happens. Move on, be happy with a split, and get ready for the Evil Empire.

On the bright side, Jair Jurrjens pitched pretty damn well for a rookie making his 1st big league start, let alone in on the road in the middle of a pennant race. He was composed, and pitching well, even in giving up 4 runs. I'll take 5 hits in 7 full innings from your starter every day of the week. I expect we'll see JJ again next week when those damn Indians come to Comerica.

2. Considering all the gloom and doom over the past few weeks, the Tigers are still in 1st place. Tied with the Tribe, but in 1st place all the same. And I'm sure Indians fans are saying the exact same thing.

We have a couple of very similar, and very flawed, teams tied for the central lead. I'm warning you now, this divisional race is going down to the wire. The way it's currently shaking out, I think we can say the same goes for the wild card.

For those of you who haven't been lucky enough to have lived through an honest to God, down to the final weekend pennant race (We haven''t had one in the D since 1987. I'm not counting last season, as the Tigers clinched a playoff spot with a little more than a week to go), you are in for some big scary excitement.

I never had more fun as a fan than during those final weeks of the 1987 season. Every game, every at bat, every pitch will have you literally on the edge of your seat. Be prepared for emotional swings that would knock Sybil for a loop.

3. I'm losing valuable brain cells listening to the stupidity on the Tigers radio postgame. Caller 1 says the Tigers swung "At too many outside pitches." Caller 2 says Jim Leyland doesn't have the Tigers "Mentally prepared," and aren't "Playing hard enough." Some deep ass analysis from Tigers fans, eh?

That's one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate it when fans say a player or team isn't trying, doesn't have heart, or doesn't care, in any sport. You honestly think Jason Grilli isn't trying, and likes being raked over the coals? You don't get to the major leagues, let alone stay there, without busting ass. Players that don't give a shit aren't around very long.

You can say that they aren't talented enough, or aren't playing well. But to claim you can see inside a player, and thusly claim they don't have "Heart?' That's absolutelyand utterly, idiotic.

No one likes to lose, so I think it's safe to say the players on the Tigers roster do care, are trying, and do have whatever the unmeasurable that "Heart" is...

Now that was a God damn baseball game!

Once Charter tired of pissing me off, and decided to flip the switch at 7:40, finally showing Tigers - Indians, I was able to settle in and watch one Hell of a ballgame.

Marcus Thames wasn't the only person celebrating Curtis Granderson's miraculous catch.
So was every panicked Detroit Tigers fan...

It's about time the Tigers played some real "Baseball," rather than the ugly, bastardized version of the game they have been playing for the past 3+ weeks. Tonight, we saw the team that we've grown to expect to see every time out. Well, before their brutal slump reared it's gruesome head, anyway...

Tonight's 6-2 win was textbook Tigers. Excellent starting pitching, good defense, and an offense that's never out of a game. It was also quite refreshing to watch someone else's bullpen implode for a change.

It was also a pleasure to see a Tigers relief pitcher get strike outs when they were desperately needed. Fernando Rodney scared me damn near shitless, giving up a double to Chris Gomez (Gomez is still in the majors? Who knew?) off the 9th. But then striking out the side? When was the last time we witnessed such a thing from the Tigers' relief corps?

In the battle of closers, talk about mirror images. Joe Borowski is Todd Jones, Todd Jones is Joe Borowski. At least Jones didn't let the 10th inning get totally out of control, unlike Borowski, even though he did nearly cross that fine line between closing out a game, and soul crushing disaster.

With Jones finding himself with men on 2nd and 3rd, with only 1 out, in bottom of the 10th, I was girding myself for the worst. Even with a 4 run lead. But Jones found his command, and finished off the Tribe in typical Rollercoaster fashion.

TWFE kudos also go to the following... Jeremy Bonderman, for his best pitched game in a month, despite another awful 1st inning. Curtis Granderson, for one of the best catches you'll see. (I found myself yelling "Get there!," then holding my arms in the air, just like a visibly relieved Tim Byrdak.) Last, but not least, Magglio Ordonez for another monster game, with 3 hits, 1 home run, and 4 RBI. He deserves more than just a little AL MVP love, you think?

At least for one night, we can put the Tigers slump behind us. Even better, we get to do this all over again tomorrow. Expect another E-ticket, white knuckle ride. Aren't pennant races fun?

The next 13 games won't break the Tigers' season, but it damn sure could make it

The Tigers run through the AL gauntlet begins tonight in Cleveland. 13 consecutive games against the Indians and Yankees could make, but not necessarily break, Detroit's 2007 season.

When it comes down to it, the Tigers could take a stranglehold upon the central division, if they win the next 4 series. But I honestly think that splitting, or even losing, those series won't break their season. Obviously, it won't make it any easier, but the season isn't over if Detroit ends up struggling against Cleveland and New York.

I'm not going to make predictions, claim their season is riding on the next 2 weeks, or say they have to win "X" amount of games. I'm not getting my Jockey's in a bunch if the Tigers end up losing more than they win, which is entirely possible, considering the competition. I plan to keep an even keel, and stay far away from the panic button. It's going under wraps.

No matter what happens against the Tribe and the Yanks, I'm only asking for one thing, and one thing only.

All I want for Christmas Labor Day is that the Tigers are still in the central division race on September 1st. That's it. That's all I want. Nothing more. Be it a game or 2 down, a game or 2 up, that's fine by me. I'm not greedy. Just be in the thick of the playoff hunt.

As long as they don't fall flat on their collective faces, go 2-11, or some such, and suddenly find themselves 4-5 games out come September, the Tigers should be OK. And in a pennant race, OK is good!

I'm targeting September 1 for a couple of reasons.

By that time, the Tigers should be as healthy as they are ever going to get this season, knock on wood. Joel Zumaya, Andrew Miller, and Kenny Rogers should all be back. Zumaya and Miller will be at full strength, and The Gambler is claiming that he'll pitch, elbow be damned. They'll also be able to bring up a few healthy reinforcements from the minors when the rosters expand.

There's also the fact that the Tigers' final 15 games are all against central division teams, including 6 with Minnesota, and 3 more with Cleveland. As important as the next 2 weeks are, it's in those final 15 games where the division title will be won or lost.

No matter what the results are over the next 13 games, the season isn't going to be over. In fact, you could realistically say the Tigers' season will just be starting. They play 5 months to just be in position to compete in the final month, and trust me, the Tigers will be in position to compete in September. Isn't that all we fans can really ask for, a team that's playing like Hell to make the postseason, rather than one playing out the string?

Instead of stressing yourself out over the next 2 weeks, you should appreciate the fact the the Tigers are playing meaningful games late in the season for the 2nd consecutive year, after 2 awful decades of suckage. It's better than the alternative, watching the stumblebums that play next door...

EVERYBODY PANIC!!! - It was only one loss, get over it

Tuesday's 5-4 extra innings loss to the Tribe was a gut punch sort of game, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I sure as Hell won't push the panic button, unlike some freaked out Tigers fans. (Just check any Tigers message board after a game like this to see fans literally go off the deep end)

Even though the Tigers lost, it was a well played game. Unfortunately, the Tigers failed to capitalize on their chances, and despite what many fans might believe, you can't win them all.

MLB has just reached the halfway mark, and the Tigers are deep in a playoff race. One loss doesn't change that at all. Avoid a sweep, and the Tigers will be fine. Get swept by the Tribe? It wouldn't be pretty, but it won't knock them out of contention. It wouldn't change the fact that the Tigers will be in the thick of a pennant race when September rolls around.

Of course, it isn't all peaches and Herb cream with the Tigers.

Would I like to see the Tigers playing better at home? Sure. Would I like to see the Marlboro Man sit Craig Monroe for a few days, in an attempt to do something, anything, to get him out of his horrendous funk? Damn straight. Is the bullpen still a work in progress? Yes, and I'm sure the Tigers are far from being done with their bullpen tinkering.

But for the most part, there really isn't all that much to bitch about.

The bullpen has been better recently. Not great, unlike 2006, but better than a month ago. You really can't complain one bit about the starting pitching, defense, or offense. The Tigers are a very good team. Don't forget they had a massively successful 8-1 road trip before stumbling on this home stand.

The Tigers will turn things around. Maybe not by the end of this home stand, but soon. They are too good not to.

So enjoy the holiday. It's Independence Day! Blow up some M-80's, shoot off some roman candles, eat hot dogs like Joey Chestnut, drink beer like Norm Peterson, and for Christ's sake, chill! This loss was not the end of the world.

The Tigers will be just fine. Remember, it's a long season, and the season far from over. FAR from over.

It's all about the Rust Belt

The time has come.

This weekend, it's a battle royal for bragging rights...

DETROIT

VS

CLEVELAND

The Tigers take on the Indians for the top of the American League central division, and the Pistons are up against the Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

May the best pair of teams win.

These are two old school, rust belt, mostly ignored, thought to be downtrodden cities. Both areas are considered bad jokes by the rest of a very smug nation. They are continually described as the worst of large US cities. In the rest of the country, the only Midwest city that exists their minds is Chicago.

As someone who lived quite safely for several years in Detroit, and also spent quite a bit of enjoyable time in Cleveland, the rest of the nation doesn't know what they are missing.

You hear the same old cliches. Detroit is the "Murder Capital of the World." Cleveland is "The Mistake on the Lake." Neither is true, not that the rest of the country cares. Because (Sarcasm on) there is nothing at all wrong, bad, silly, old, awful, funny, strange or scary with other areas of our country. (Sarcasm off)

It's much easier to just keep Detroit and Cleveland as the butt of jokes.

For the next few days, Detroit and Cleveland are the epicenter of the sporting universe. But will the media treat it as such? Probably not.

What is going on between these two forgotten cities should be treated with the reverence that the worldwide leader in sports did the recent Red Sox - Yankees series, which was not nearly as compelling. The Yankees are 9.5 games out, for chrissakes! That series didn't mean much of anything in the big scheme of things, other than to rile up the constantly on the verge of hysterics, always wanting the center of attention, Red Sox Nation. Because, as you know, (Sarcasm on) Boston fans are the best in all sports. (Sarcasm off) They'll even tell you as much!

The big story in sports is what will be going on at Comerica Park starting tomorrow, and continuing at Jacobs Field next weekend. That battle will be going along with the high stakes action at the Palace tonight, and the Quicken Loans arena Sunday. (I do have to say that "Quicken Loans arena" doesn't roll off the tongue nearly as well as "The Gund.")

It doesn't get better than that, especially for two similarly thought of rust belt cities. Not that the MSM cares.

In hoops, the story won't be about Detroit vs. Cleveland. The story the MSM will prefer to push is LeBron James vs. the world. "OH MY GOD, WHAT WILL LEBRON DO?! Will he pass or shoot? He'll pass! No, King James will shoot!"

Christ almighty, it's more about the Pistons forcing LeBron into making those decisions, and what the Cavs will do to counter. But that's not nearly as compelling in their small MSM minds. The NBA is about stars, and how boring eastern conference basketball is when compared to the west. (Even though those high flying west teams never win in the playoffs. Look at the recent NBA title winners. The Spurs, who play in more of an east style, and 2 eastern teams, the Pistons and Heat. But that's another post...)

As for baseball, next weekend the Yankees will once again find themselves being pounded by the Red Sox on the same weekend the Tigers visit the Indians. Which series do you think will be the better story? On the field, it's easily the Tigers and Indians, but in the MSM? It's all about their east coast bias, so screw the flyover cities. You know all media eyes will be on Fenway.

That's a damn shame, as the more compelling season long race will be in the Central, not the East. Just as the more compelling NBA playoff series is in the east, especially when compared to the Spurs methodological destruction of the Jazz.

But it's the Western conference, just as it's the Eastern division, so they must be more entertaining, right?

Even if the rest of the country has no clue, the next two weeks should be a first class, white knuckle, E-ticket ride for both Detroit and Cleveland.