Wow.

That one word pretty much says it all if you're talking about the Detroit Tigers ALDS win over the New York Yankees. Sure you could classify it as an upset any time a wild card team beats the top team in its league, but you need to remember a couple of things first:

1. The Minnesota Twins didn't really win the Central Division; the Tigers lost it. As great as the Twins played (and they were unbelievable for a lot of the year) they would not have been anywhere near first in the Central if Detroit hadn't gone 19-31 in their last 50 games. Detroit handed the division to Minnesota and look what they went and did with it.

2. The Tigers also handed the Yankees the best record in the AL. Once again it comes back to that 19-31 stretch in which the Tigers gave up the major league's best record that they had held onto since about May 18th. New York only had two more wins than Detroit at the end of the season. Detroit only needed to play .500 baseball to beat that.

But that's why they were seen as such underdogs, right? Going 19-31 and then 0-5 to end the season (including that horrific sweep by the Kansas City Royals) doesn't look too impressive when you're going into the postseason for the first time since 1987. Especially when you have to face "the greatest lineup ever assembled". I guess the fact that Detroit had led the majors in ERA and that they had, arguably, the best bullpen in the majors wasn't going to account for much.

I'm not completely shocked the Tigers pulled it out. In fact, I entered a friend's playoff pool and had picked them to go all the way. I knew that if they could get back into the form of the first half of the season that they could do it. What did surprise me was how easily they beat the Yankees. This was supposed to be the greatest collection of superstars ever and in the end they were dominated in the last two games by a 41-year-old who had never won a playoff game and a 23-year-old who had never even been to the playoffs.

Game 1 was a disppointing loss but not entirely unexpected. Nate Robertson pitched well but the third inning did him in. Still, the Tigers showed a lot of fight and proved that they weren't in the playoffs by some fluke. I would have been a little nervous going back to Robertson in a Game 5, but despite his 13-13 record in the regular season he was one of Detroit's best starters (some extra run support would have helped that record).

Early on in Game 2 Justin Verlander was definitley showing a little rust after his nine days of rust. In each of the first two innings he got himself into jams but then pitched himself right out of them. A great effort by him and after losing the lead we got to see the Tigers fight back again, this time successfully, and then close out the win.

Games 3 and 4 were basically the same story: pitcher isn't expected to win, instead pitcher dominates, and the hitting comes through for big runs. Kenny Rogers was phenomenal in outdueling the injured Randy Johnson, and Jeremy Bonderman had a perfect game through five innings. Pudge Rodriguez finally came through with some hits and the entire team just rolled. Bye bye New York.

From 2001-2006, what does $978.1 million spent in payroll get you? Zero World Series titles. Have fun with all your excuses New York, but the bottom line is that once again you couldn't deliver.

October 17, 1984 was my second birthday. That's also the last year that the Tigers have won the World Series. October 17, 1987 was my fifth birthday and also the last year the Tigers had made the playoffs. I turned 11 in 1993 after the Tigers ended their last winning season. And in all the years between I watched them get smoked night after night, occasionally offering hope only to have it squashed, and I kept score along with the games. October 17, 2006 will be my 24th birthday and I am in the midst of what could finally be another Detroit Tigers World Series title.