Deee-Troit Baaaaase-Ballllllll!!!!

1984 was a big year for me. I turned 9 that year, not long after my lil' brother Greg was born, but more importantly (sorry Greg), not long after the Detroit Tigers won the World Series. That's a real impressionable age, and that victory still stands as one of the most significant non-religious and non-family-related events of my life. I checked the box scores in the paper everyday, and Kirk Gibson was my favorite player.

Since then, the Tigers have only made the playoffs once, in 1987, and haven't had a winning record since 1993. BUT NOW, in 2006, after a quarter of the season has gone, the Tigers have the best record in baseball, at 31-14. Are they for real? We'll see! If the Tigers made the playoffs and the Yankees didn't, I couldn't be happier.

I'll be wearing my Tigers hat a bit more proudly this summer. If you see me wearing it, though, notice how grimy and gross it is - that's a result of wearing it a lot before this spring, even when Detroit was stinking up the ballpark. Go Tigers!