One hundred years ago today, the Detroit Tigers staged baseball's very first players' strike, and if things continue to slide downhill for today's Tigers, perhaps they should borrow a page out of Detroit baseball history.
Take a few days off to clear their heads, do a little team bonding by relaxing and getting away from the lofty expectations surrounding this year's team.
Outlandish, you say, improbable because the Tigers, MLB and even the players' union would object to such a harebrained idea?
Maybe so, but I'm not advocating a prolonged walkout by the Motor City Kitties, just long enough to figure out what's going on with this inconsistent team.
Playing right around .500 for this team is unacceptable. There's something missing from a team that (on paper) appears to have everything to walk away with another division title and contend for a World Series championship.
Theories abound as to why the Tigers are an early season disappointment. Everything from managerial decisions to not having a major-league caliber second baseman to a roller-coaster starting rotation, a lack of depth in middle relief, defensive lapses and a nonexistent offense have all been singled out as the culprit for Detroit's lackadaisical performance.
Essentially, every aspect of the team has been a letdown, which leads us to the phrase "a lack of leadership."
That's it! The Tigers don't have a leader to guide them through these turbulent times.
A player who will stand up and publicly call out teammates, the manager, the media, the fans, the governor, the mayor, the president and anybody else that is standing in the way of the Tigers' success. A player who puts the team on his back and through resolve, talent and determination leads the Tigers to victory upon victory upon victory, zapping energy into a lifeless clubhouse.
We're all frustrated by the Tigers' inability to consistently win, but there's not an elixir. Virtually every player needs to be better. How that happens is really up to them.
On second thought, maybe a strike isn't the answer, but the problem.
It isn't much of a stretch to conclude that the Tigers have been on strike all season long.
