2012: The Year Of The Tigers

Hello fellow Tigers fans. This is my first real fanpost here on Bless You Boys, so I'd like to introduce myself a little bit. I'm from Kentucky, but I've been a huge Detroit Tigers fan for my entire life. My uncle has lived in Michigan as far back as I can remember, and I go up to Michigan at least once a year. I went to a Tigers-White Sox game 2 years ago, which was the second Tigers game of my life. I believe that I could possibly be the youngest contributor here on BYB, since I'm only 15. Even though I'm young, I still have way more baseball knowledege than your average high school sophomore. Anyway, enough about me. It's time to talk baseball.

Last year was incredible. I've basically been following the Tigers religiously since 2006, when they went to the World Series (also when I became a fan of the team), and last year was the most magical year that I've ever experianced. From Opening Day until the last agonizing pitch of Game 6 of the ALCS, I followed this team closely. I remember where I was when I heard about Justin Verlander's no-hitter, and also where I was when I heard he had another opportunity for a no-hitter against the Angels later in the year. I remember sitting there, watching Game 6, speachless. I truly believed that last year was the year that we all had been waiting for; Another World Series championship. When it came to a brutal end in Texas, I didn't want to believe that it was over. However, I was still very hopeful for 2012.

The offeason came. Over this winter, I personally have been training and getting ready for my own high school season, but I have also been watching Bless You Boys very closely. The offseason was very quiet; however, everything changed on January 17th. The news of Victor Martinez's injury shocked our world. I hadn't felt a more hopeless feeling about the Tigers in my entire life. Who would replace him? Was our season going down the drain before it even started? Why did it have to happen to us?

I was not a Tigers fan back in the 90's, only because I wasn't born until 1996, so I did not have the opportunity to watch Cecil Fielder suit up for the Tigers. However, I have heard that he did a lot for the team and the city. I had also heard of the relationship between Cecil and his son, so I pretty much crossed Prince off of the list of available free agents to replace Martinez. Plus, how could we afford to pay Prince?

Then, on January 24th, a week after the news of the Victor Martinez injury, Prince Fielder became a Tiger. The news of the Prince Fielder signing shocked our world once again. When I heard the news of the signing, I started jumping up and down uncontrollably. I even hugged one of my best friends because I was so happy. The Prince Fielder news made me want to drive up to Michigan to personally thank Mr. Ilitch. I even went out and got a $5 Little Caesar's pizza that night. Then, the figures started to hit me a few days later. How could we afford to pay him 214 million dollars? Will Prince be worth it 9 years from now? What becomes of Miguel Cabrera? How can we pay Cabrera, Verlander, and Fielder?

When it comes down to it, who cares what happens a decade down the road? If we bring home a title this year, or more than that in the years to come, I'll take those extra years of Prince that aren't worth the money. World Series championships last a lifetime. Hopefully, in 2070, when I'm 74 years of age, I'll be able to sit with my grandchildren and tell them all about how I got to watch the 2012 Tigers win the World Series. That, my friends, is my dream.