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Originally Posted by jacknastyspartan
I disagree. The Tigers problem isn't that they don't bunt. The issue is that pitching has imploded every time they reach the World Series. I can't tell you why it happens, but it does.
The Tigers of the last 5 years have been built on powerful star hitters and dominant starting pitching. By the time you get to the World Series, or even the Championship Series, you can't rely necessarily on tremendous offensive production, because you are facing good teams with good pitchers consistently. The fact that the Tigers previously outstanding rotation has imploded is the reason they lose. That, and their god awful method of bullpen building. The stars and scrubs approach doesn't work to build a bullpen, as the Tigers have shown by having a highly paid and effective closer and occasionally set up man but still never having a good relief core.
I want to see the Tigers win as much as anyone, but I acknowledge that postseason baseball is a total crap shoot. It just is. The Atlanta Braves won a single title during their dominant run. The Cleveland Indians didn't win any in their 90's heyday. The best you can do is create the best odds you can. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes, frustratingly so, it doesn't.
The reason this years team didn't work was that the formerly vaunted starting rotation has been gutted over the last couple years. I think there are some valid criticisms over how the Tigers have been constructed over the last 10 years, but I don't think it's a lack of baseball fundamentals, and I certainly don't think questioning the heart of the players an appropriate exercise in it.
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There's a lot of truth in what you say. But I mostly remember the lost opportunities we've had. Getting outplayed by the Giants is one thing, maybe just the better team. You mentioned pitching... our starting pitching was top notch. We didn't lose either World Series because our pen couldn't hold it down. But in all honesty, for the last 10 years at least, "small ball" or "fundamentals" has not been our strong point.