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	The View A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Detroit Tigers definitely a team of Destiny

By Dave Wak, Special Writer

PUBLISHED: October 19, 2006

(Editor's note: Freelance writer Dave Wak lends us an up close and personal account of the Tigers' dramatic win over the Athletics on Saturday.)

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"Awesome" was how Stan Sobota of Walker, Michigan described the Tiger's dramatic 6-3 win over the Oakland A's.

With the win the Tigers sweep the best of seven series and will now head to the World Series for the first time since 1984.

The icing on the cake came when Tigers second baseman Placado Polanco walked away with the series MVP trophy. Polanco was a big contributor the season's success, but a late season injury left him questionable for the playoffs. However, he came back in a big fashion, and now seems more than healthy enough to contribute through the World Series.

The victory came in classic fashion. It was the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and the score tied 3-3. That's when Tiger outfielder Magglio Ordonez hit a three-run homer over the left field fence to end what might have been an extra inning game.

That was just one more step in what has been a truly magical season for the Tigers. For nearly 20 years the Tiger's had been a bad joke, including the 2003 season when they had the second worst record in the history of baseball. Then they brought in Manager Jim Leyland, who led them from worst to first in one season.

The crusty, chain smoking Leyland was a former minor league catcher for the Tigers organization in the 60s, but he never made it in the big leagues.

The team is an interesting mix of seasoned veteran's like catcher Pudge Rodriguez, and eager rookies like outfielder Curtis Granderson; This mix of young and old guys seem to have found a formula for winning.

There's one word circling around this team right now. Destiny, spelled with the old English "D."

It was a cool but sunny day, much better than the cold blustery weather that hit the state midweek. Some fans seemed equally sunny in their outlook.

"I think we're going to win today. I think we're going to sweep them," Jamie Bender of Beverly Hills said.

While the day started out sunny, the game seemed less so, at least the beginning. The A's rattled pitcher Jeremy Bonderman early with two runs in the first. After three innings they led 3-0 and the Tigers didn't seem their winning selves. Then the Tigers got back in the fifth when Granderson drove two runs in. Then Ordonez tied the score with a homer in the bottom of the sixth. The crowd came alive during the rally, cheering wildly. Then there were three more scoreless, nail biting innings. The crowd got nervous and frustrated.

Finally it was the bottom of the ninth when Ordonez drove out the winning home run. The park exploded with jumping, hysterical fans who gave each other, and even some friendly police officers, high fives.