Where did I go wrong?

Just eleven days ago I thought the Tigers had a chance. I was so confident, I posted this treatise on what it would take for the Tigers to contend. I consider myself a rational individual, no drinker of the Kool-Aid. I wrote, "We could be in for a very enjoyable ride." That statement is about as fallacious as the unsinkable Titanic.

In the past eleven days, the Tigers have won three and lost 9. They averaged a woeful 2.8 runs/game during that stretch, and, worst of all, suffered an embarrassing no-hit game last night at the hands of Matt Garza (career record: 38-39). The Tigers will not contend this season. They will take a sub-.500 record into the month of September and likely finish double-digit games behind first. This is a far cry from where I thought they'd be. Where did it all go wrong?

From an offensive standpoint, I stated:

"With Damon, Cabrera, Maggs, Boesch, and Guillen hitting 2-6, that's the most dangerous lineup in the Central."

Whoops. Last night, the 2-6 batters were Will Rhymes, Damon, Cabrera, Boesch, and Raburn. The day before was Santiago, Raburn, Cabrera, Boesch, and Sizemore.

I wrote:

"For the Tigers to win the Central, they'll need continued production from the 2-6 hitters."

I should've wrote, "For the Tigers to win the Central, they'll need to friggin' stay healthy! And continued production from the 2-6 hitters." Neither of which actually happened. Maggs broke his ankle. Guillen strained his calf. And Inge broke his hand. The Tigers are now Miggy and the Mud Hens - the LEAST dangerous lineup in the Central.

In addition to the injuries, healthy Brennan Boesch cooled off dramatically. Since the All-star break, Boesch is hitting a woeful .102. His four hits? All singles. The baseball experts who picked this kid to be a middling major leaguer are breathing a collective sigh of relief. His glorious 1st half may just be a fluke. That would be devastating for the Tigers and their fans, who've waited a generation for that big left-handed bat.

The pain doesn't stop there. I also wrote:

"For the Tigers to win the Central, they'll need... continued dominance from the bullpen."

Since the All-star break, the once-stingy pen has posted a 5.1 ERA. Jose Valverde went 0-1 with a 7.9 ERA. Things are not good.

Surprisingly, the one aspect of the game that hasn't totally abandoned the Tigers is starting pitching. In the past twelve games, the starters posted a not-horrible 4.46 ERA. It's not their fault the Tigers continue to lose. It's the bats and the bullpen - the two things that carried the team to 49 wins in the first half.

So, we're looking at a long, painful end of the season. The Tigers will struggle. Even before the injuries, the bats were slumping. Now, with that massive hole where Maggs and 1st-half-Boesch once stood, the Tigers strike fear in no man.

Yesterday, radio personality Mike Valenti said it was a good thing Maggs was gone 6-8 weeks. The Tigers won't be on the hook for his $15million salary next year. I suppose from a purely financial standpoint, the injury is a good thing, but Valenti is certainly no Tiger fan. He follows the Yankees, and that's painfully obvious. The Maggs' injury was the final nail in the 2010 Tiger season. Tiger fans now have to suffer through the final two months. The games will have no entertainment value. This current squad is reminiscent of 2003, with all the Mud Hens in the lineup. It's no fun. No, Mr. Valenti, as a Tiger fan, Maggs' injury totally sucks.