I wish we were the underdogs again.

[FloridaTigers]

I really liked that. I don't know, its something I always enjoy. Now we're heavily favored. Pressure is on the Tigers to beat the 82 win team.

[Domino]

I totally agree with you ...

[dt35456884]

Knobler's column today:

"Oh, we can make ourselves the underdog in our minds,'' third baseman Brandon Inge insisted Wednesday. "I'm dumb enough to convince myself of it.''

[tiger337]

I like the fact that they are a better team than the Cardinals. It gives them a better chance to win!

[T.O. Tiger Fan]

The underdog rallying cry may work in early rounds, but when you get to the World Series, both teams have earned it by winning two straight series. I don't think it matters at this point in time.

[Domino]

I really don't like this. Nobody is even giving the Cardinals a shot. NOBODY. It's no chance. Jeepers... I don't like it at all talk about setting the stage for a perfect upset.

[JonBenke]

Wow - cold pizza just showed the graphic of states .. and who they think will win the WORLD SERIES, and we have 49/50 states.

I think the one state we did not get .. is pretty obvious, but I bet it was still close.

I like being the favorites. We have the better team, a manager that will keep us focused, so what's the harm in that?

[Domino]

I guess my concern is that we have thrived in the "underdog" role all season long, and when we were heavily favored (e.g. vs. KC to win the divison), we couldn't get it done. I just hope we can play the same kind of ball being heavy favorites.

[estrepe1]

I really don't like this. Nobody is even giving the Cardinals a shot. NOBODY. It's no chance. Jeepers... I don't like it at all talk about setting the stage for a perfect upset.

I think the Cards have a shot. But I think at the same time that if both teams play their best baseball the Tigers would win.

If the Tigers pitch like they did in the ALDS/ALCS it won't even be close honestly. But who knows if that will happen.

I guess my concern is that we have thrived in the "underdog" role all season long, and when we were heavily favored (e.g. vs. KC to win the divison), we couldn't get it done. I just hope we can play the same kind of ball being heavy favorites.

If the Tigers need to be the underdogs to motivate them in the WS than they shouldn't even be in the WS. I wouldn't worry about the team being able to get up for these games emotionally, which is what playing in the underdog role kind of helps with.

[JonBenke]

If the Tigers need to be the underdogs to motivate them in the WS than they shouldn't even be in the WS.
AS ALWAYS .. well said, easy.

[tiger337]

The Tigers were heavily favored to beat the Padres in 1984. Nobody gave the Padres a chance.

[Shinma]

After going 7-1 in the first two rounds, and a 7 game win streak pretty much make sure you get labeled with the "favorite" tag.

[Oblong]

I feel a little uneasy about this too. I can just see the quotes from teh Cardinals if they end up winning 3 of the first 4 about how "nobody gave us a chance" and blah blah blah....

[djhutch]

When you look at the way things were at the beginning of the season, & at the beginning of the playoffs, we're still the underdogs. Make you feel better?

[estrepe1]

Verlander said that the fact that people have doubted them all year still makes them feel like underdogs.

[Beantown Marty]

The thing that gives the Cards a chance is their pitching. It has been hot this postseason. Their staff has a combined ERA of 2.97. (For reference, the Tigers' staff has had a postseason ERA of 2.92.)

I guess my concern is that we have thrived in the "underdog" role all season long, and when we were heavily favored (e.g. vs. KC to win the divison), we couldn't get it done. I just hope we can play the same kind of ball being heavy favorites.
To me, that's a rather over-simplistic way of looking at it.

[FloridaTigers]

Verlander said that the fact that people have doubted them all year still makes them feel like underdogs.

I liked that press conference.

[Oblong]

I just keep thinking of the 88 Dodgers and 90 Reds.

[estrepe1]

The thing that gives the Cards a chance is their pitching. It has been hot this postseason. Their staff has a combined ERA of 2.97. (For reference, the Tigers' staff has had a postseason ERA of 2.92.)


Part of that was the fact that they faced a really weak Padres lineup in the first series.

However that is just part of the reason. Weaver and Suppan have both been excellent and so have the Cardinal relievers. Carpenter hasn't been at his best but that could mean he is due for a good start.

Overall I think that is the factor that could keep this one a close series without a lot of blow outs for either side.

I just keep thinking of the 88 Dodgers and 90 Reds.

Well that is pretty pessimistic. I think it will be a close series, but at the same time both of those teams you mention had amazing pitching. I think the Cardinals have good pitching but I wouldn't classify it at the level of the 88 Dodgers or the 90 Reds.


For comparisons sake (all three played 162 games):

88 Dodgers - 628 runs scored 544 runs allowed
2nd in the NL in pitching
6th in offense

90 Reds - 693 runs scored 597 runs allowed
Tied for 1st in the NL in pitching
5th in the NL in offense

06 Cardinals - 781 runs scored 762 runs allowed
9th in the NL in pitching
6th in the NL in offense

That isn't to say that the Cardinals can't win this thing. I believe they have a shot and I give them a better chance than most on this board. However I don't think they compare very well with those teams. Perhaps both of those teams were underdogs. But at the same time both of those teams had much better pitching staffs than what the Cardinals will send out there against the Tigers. This Cardinals team has won this year due to its offense.

[sc]

Surprising just like the ALCS when the Tigers were the so-called favorites and then every prediciton had the A's winning, this series the is the same, for a week all we heard was the Tigs were the favorites now that Stl finally won many pundits are picking the Cardinals.

[FloridaTigers]

I just keep thinking of the 88 Dodgers and 90 Reds.

What role are we in? I thought of us as the 88 Dodgers and 90 Reds in the first two rounds, but now it looks like we're as favored as the Atheltics of those years were.

[tiger337]

For comparisons sake (all three played 162 games):

88 Dodgers - 628 runs scored 544 runs allowed
2nd in the NL in pitching
6th in offense

90 Reds - 693 runs scored 597 runs allowed
Tied for 1st in the NL in pitching
5th in the NL in offense




Just based on those stats (the ranks), those teams actually look very similar to this year's Tigers.

[tiger337]

My feeling is that the favorite team usually has a better chance to win because they are a better team. Plus, I doubt the Tigers would get overconfident after everything that has happened this year and previous years. I think people are worrying too much.

[IdahoBert]

My feeling is that the favorite team usually has a better chance to win because they are a better team. Plus, I doubt the Tigers would get overconfident after everything that has happened this year and previous years. I think people are worrying too much.

I completely agree. These guys have known real adversity this year. They know what it's like to come back to a plastic-wrapped clubhouse three times in which no celebration takes place because they couldn't beat the lowly Kansas City Royals. That clubhouse must have been a grim reminder of their failure each and every game.

They will not take the Cardinals lightly.

[tiger337]

I guess my concern is that we have thrived in the "underdog" role all season long, and when we were heavily favored (e.g. vs. KC to win the divison), we couldn't get it done. I just hope we can play the same kind of ball being heavy favorites.

They beat up all the teams they were supposed to beat most of the year. That's why they made the playoffs. For most of the year, it was the good teams they couldn't beat.

[One Man's Fool]

Wow - cold pizza just showed the graphic of states .. and who they think will win the WORLD SERIES, and we have 49/50 states.

I think the one state we did not get .. is pretty obvious, but I bet it was still close.

Minnesota went for Mondale again?

[dt35456884]

Lee is right on the mark here. The reason a lot of people are favoring us heavily is because we have a much better team than the Cardinals. Having a better team is a good thing, not a bad thing.

And I think people are overstating our underdog role in the Yankees series. We entered the series after a sluggish week, and even I didn't think we had much of a chance, but we did finish with just two fewer wins than New York, and did so in a tougher division. As for the A's, we had a better record than they did, in a better division, plus we scored more runs than they did and allowed fewer over the course of the season. With that said, were we really an underdog in the ALCS? I'm not sure we actually were. And we swept them.

And lastly, Leyland will have this team prepared. Nobody in that clubhouse is resting on their laurels and expecting the Cardinals to roll over.

[Oblong]

Minnesota went for Mondale again?

When he ran for the senate after Wellstone died he became the first politician to lose an election in all 50 states. Just some useless trivia next time you need to be a Cliff Clavin.

[Tyrus]

The fat Mike from Mike & Mike in the Morning picked St. Louis. So not everyone is picking the Tigers.

[Casimir]

To heck with the underdog/favorite role. I just want the Tigers to continue winning series.

[Just Some Dude]

Hey the way I look at it is JV made a few bad pitches, and the layoff effected our bats. Tonight they will come out and be much more ready to go and I expect them to play a much better game. They need to win tonight, they know that.

I am an *** for calling for a sweep before I even knew who the opponent was, and before I knew we would have a week layoff. All of us that thought they would sweep, suck! If the Tigers end up getting swept we all should.. hmm I guess we all should prolly all go get Olde English D's tattooed on our who who's. A not so gentle reminder to maybe shut up now and then.

[Casimir]

Hey the way I look at it is JV made a few bad pitches, and the layoff effected our bats.

Was it the layoff or the early deficit that encouraged them to hack and hack and hack? Reyes threw only 91 pitches in 8 innings of work.

[cruzer1]

The Tigers are the underdog now.

[DaYooperASBDT]

I would have started Kenny in game one! But at least he can stop them in game two.

[tiger337]

The Tigers are the underdog now.

That's right and according to a lot of people here, that means they will win tonight.

[Just Some Dude]

Was it the layoff or the early deficit that encouraged them to hack and hack and hack? Reyes threw only 91 pitches in 8 innings of work.

Looked to me that they lost what they had found during the first 2 series. They reverted to what they know best, hacking.

[Tyrus]

Historically, the team that wins Game One of the World Series has a 60-40 chance of winning the series. So we can once again wear the "U" on our chests proudly, and go about rescuing Sweet Polly Purebred.

[Casimir]

Looked to me that they lost what they had found during the first 2 series. They reverted to what they know best, hacking.

But was it because of the rust or because they got uptight about the early deficit? We really don't know.

[FloridaTigers]

Or the Tigers were really just looking for Reyes off-speed stuff and didn't adjust when he did.

[DaYooperASBDT]

I thought Reyes pitched very well. He kept the ball down and hit his spots much better than JV did.