Carsley: The last night of the Tigers dynasty that wasn’t
From Ben Carsley at Baseball Prospectus on September 13, 2017:
The Detroit Tigers won 366 games between 2011 and 2014, which is 91.5 wins per season and a .565 winning percentage. They won four consecutive AL Central crowns.
They never won it all, of course. The 2014 Tigers lost in the ALDS, the 2011 and 2013 Tigers lost in the ALCS, and the 2012 Tigers lost the World Series. But they were formidable. They were talented. They were scary. And while it may seem like a distant memory now, they came about as close to a dynasty as any team without a single ring to show for their troubles can get.
The 2017 Tigers serve as further proof that nothing lasts forever, that all good things must come to an end. Their only legacy will be shaking off the last vestiges of those near-championship years. Once among the game’s most notorious deadline buyers, this year the Tigers decided to sell. From mid-July through late August, they traded J.D. Martinez to the Diamondbacks, Alex Avila and Justin Wilson to the Cubs, and Justin Upton to the Angels.
But the real move that signified the end of the Tigers as we knew them came late on August 31, right at the waiver trade deadline buzzer. Detroit sent longtime face of the franchise Justin Verlander to Houston for some prospects and a whole lot of financial relief. They ripped the Band-Aid off, they did what needed to be done, and now the rebuild is on.
Read the full article here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=32753
Originally published: September 13, 2017. Last Updated: September 13, 2017.