The argument could be made that the Twins and the Tigers played one of the most scintillating games ever in a meaningless circumstance, and there was nowhere for the post-season games to go but down so they did.
That is not to say there weren’t any exciting games in the abbreviated division series phase of the post-season (three sweeps and a four-gamer, matching 2007 for the fewest division series games):
Bobby Valentine is on the loose, which means any manager who is not firmly entrenched in his job as the result of a rousing resume or a lucrative contract could suddenly find the ground beneath him quickly turning to quicksand.
News of Valentine’s desire to return to the major leagues was still fresh when rumors began circulating that he was talking to the Florida Marlins, whose manager, Fredi Gonzalez, did a terrific job managing the underpaid Marlins into contention for a playoff spot.
Early this year Gonzalez signed a contract extension for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins’ owner, doesn’t like to pay anyone, especially for not working, so it seemed unlikely that he would fire Gonzalez. Then again, Loria and other club executives appeared to be disappointed that the team didn’t make the playoffs.
The New York Mets probably never imagined that they would have company so soon, but if misery loves company, the Detroit Tigers have provided it. The Mets, for sure, have been miserable since they squandered a 7-game lead with 17 games to play in 2007. They apparently liked their misery so much that they repeated their act of misery in 2008, losing a 3-game lead with 17 games to play.
Now the 2009 Tigers can join together in a rousing chorus of “Meet the Mets.” They followed the Mets’ pattern of collapse perfectly; only some of the numbers were different. The Tigers’ collapse began a little earlier, and it contained more games than the Mets’ crash.
