Prince Fielder got two hits and a walk, Hinge made all the plays at second, Tiger pitchers held the Braves to one hit, and Tiger fans who still have jobs are blocking out the second and third weeks of October in their day planners.
Optimism flows like beer in the sports bars for a team playing last year's batting champ out of position to make room for this year's MVP (sorry, it's contagious), that's committed to starting at second base a guy who'll be 35 in May and has never played a major league game at second base.
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March baseball is part of the serious fan's spring training, but for different reasons.
The serious fan must re-learn how to get up before noon, to prepare for day baseball (bleepers oughta go out and get a real job!), and make sure the radios are in working order (mine were still on 1120, where I left them last fall, and play just fine). And to check out the commercials on the radio broadcasts. One bad commercial, heard several times a game, can ruin a whole season.
Again this season, Tigers broadcasts have great bumper music ("Jamie's Cryin,'" WILD THING!) but some of the most patronizing commercials of any major league team. It's always been that way. Maybe it's the sponsors' and ad agencies' perception of what works in Detroit. They apparently think people listening to Tiger games are idiots who need to be screamed at. A cultural and intellectual fountainhead the place isn't; but whatever the reason, the dumbing down even in spring compels the fan to finish the game on the other team's Gameday feed.
