THE SLIDE STOPS

Long-suffering fans of certain sports teams have in their vocabulary phrases like "the curse," "choke-artists," "breaking my heart," "here we go again," and "maybe next year." For years the Phillies shared those laments until the arrival of people like Utley, Howard, and Hamels. The Red Sox had a very special extra set of negatives "the curse of the Babe" and "those d---- Yankees." From 1984 until 2006, those of us who root for the Detroit Tigers used most of first set of negatives. Then in 2007 and 2008, years of great promise--the frustrations returned.

Jim Leyland has skippered the Tigers through those years and I suspect he has gotten grayer because of them. A few weeks ago the Tigers seemed cruising for their first division title in years, with a 7 game lead. At one point a couple of weeks ago, the Twins were rushing away from playoff contention. So much so that the Minneapolis papers were begging the Tigers just to go on a winning streak and put the Twins out of their misery. But silenced bats and Kansas City Royals pitching began putting them into a slide. They entered this weekend with a four game lead over the Twins and their two best pitchers slated to open the series. Both pitchers lost without run support. Sunday Nate Robertson, who lost his starting job early this year, being sent down to the AAA Toledo Mudhens and then to the disabled list, was scheduled to pitch. A 3-game sweep by the Twins seemed imminent.

But Robertson stopped the Twins at the plate and the Tiger bats came alive. 6-2 the Tigers won and are again three games up. I suspect the curmudgeonly Leyland had some choices words in the clubhouse Saturday night. Whatever happened, the slide has ended for now. No more Kansas City Royals pitchers to face. Four games left at the end of the season with the Twins. Will Leyland rejoice? Will the Tigers fans stop saying "choke artists?" Will the Tigers win the division and the "honor" of facing the Yankees? We'll know two weeks from tonight.