Rank Detroit's Collapse
So, it really happened: The Detroit Tigers played their way right out of the playoffs. Holding a whopping seven-game lead in the month of September, the Tigers eventually capitulated to a Twins surge in the 12th inning on Tuesday night, despite a series of gut-wrenchingly close plays at the plate and some mishaps -- including an umpire miscall -- that might have earned them a spot in the ALDS against the Yankees.
Instead, they're heading back home, becoming the first team in MLB history to not win a division when holding a three-game lead with only four games remaining.
There are going to be immediate comparisons with the 2007 Mets, the recent kings of chokestown, who also held a seven-game division lead in September only to watch it fade away. My question is this: Where do the Tigers rank in terms of all-time choke jobs? First? Second? A distant fourth? Does the fact they made it to Game No. 163 -- a one-game playoff for the divisional crown -- make their story more or less heartbreaking? More or less defensible? What do you think?
By Cameron Smith |
October 7, 2009; 11:42 AM ET
| Category:
Tigers
,
Twins
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Posted by: dirtball | October 7, 2009 1:40 PM
Whoops, that is the 69 Cubs. Still can't type after all these years.
Posted by: dirtball | October 7, 2009 1:41 PM
I think the fact that they had a 163rd game and still couldn't get it done makes their collapse even worse. Their star slugger goes 0-8 in a crucial series on the final weekend b/c he was out getting wasted. They had 1st and 3rd with no outs in extra innings vs the Twins and couldn't score! They were destined to lose.
Posted by: PhilliesPhan | October 7, 2009 2:20 PM
Correctly you omitted the '78 Red Sox. 'Twas only a 5 game lead in September (14 in july). The curse is truly over.
Posted by: jca-CrystalCity | October 8, 2009 11:49 AM
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You totally forgot the 60 Cubs led by Leo the Lip.