As the magic number goes down, the confidence poll sky rockets

I had a pretty good feeling a 9-game winning streak -- where the Tigers stood when our weekly confidence poll opened -- would have the fans in a pretty good mood. The streak kept growing until it reached 12 around the time the poll closed.

If you're a Tigers fan old enough to remember the last 12-game streak, raise your hand. I have to guess there's going to be relatively few hands raised, because the last time that happened was 1934.

So it doesn't take a squirrel to predict the confidence poll was going to make a pretty big jump. Even then, wow. When results were totaled, the average vote was 94. Just shy of 100% of folks voted 70 or higher. Our weekly 0 and 10 showed up, of course, to throw things off a bit. But that's OK. I'm so happy with baseball right now that I don't even care!

I don't have to give this speech any more, I don't think. But I'm going to anyway. Enjoy this. Seriously. Enjoy this. When years like 2006, 1984, 1968 and 1934 are being thrown around, as a Tigers fan you have to be happy. I don't have to tell you that 2011 is one of those years now. This is a team you're going to remember, you're going to talk about years from now. (For good reasons, unlike, er, you know.)

Every spring, the beginning of the baseball season is exciting because of the potential. Anything can happen. Most of the teams enter the year feeling like they have a shot at the playoffs -- whether it's true or not. In March and April, you don't know what's going to happen. But you know there's potential something could happen.

Often times it doesn't, but this year it is. Something rare and good is happening. Cherish that. Enjoy it.

We received a question for the podcast this week asking if there's going to be a let down when the streak ends.

Is there any fear of a letdown? That is, are we going to get really angry now when the Tigers start doing thing like leaving RISP, or just failing to come up in the clutch, since we’ve come to expect it these past two weeks?

I hope not. I truly hope not. I'm not saying you have to agree with every move Jim Leyland makes or grin and bare it if they ground into a double play or find a way to lose a game. Arguing with the manager and enjoying the highs and lows of a particular game are what makes us fans. You can't change that, and you shouldn't want to.

But you know what? This Tigers team has been incredible. It's given a lot of great memories so far and will add more before the final pitch of the year is thrown. We're watching history here.

Just keep that perspective as you gnash your teeth, that's all I ask.