Detroit Tigers Playoff Push Could Bring Intriguing Wild Card Matchup For Hinch
When it comes to the Detroit Tigers and the playoffs, it’s been 10 years since they were acquainted. In less than a week they’ll know if they’ll be playing October baseball.
Entering Monday’s action, the Tigers (82-74) were tied with the Kansas City Royals for the final two American League Wild Card berths. Each is a game ahead of Minnesota, so nothing is assured.
With the Baltimore Orioles four games ahead of both the Tigers and the Royals, Detroit realistically can’t do better than the No. 5 seed. But a quick look at MLB.com reveals that the Tigers don’t have the tiebreaker over the Royals. So, unless Detroit pulls ahead of Kansas City, the Tigers will be relegated to the sixth seed.
That’s assuming, of course, Detroit stays ahead of Minnesota. By the way, Detroit loses that tiebreaker, too.
So, with a half-dozen games left, the Tigers appear pointed toward the No. 6 seed, which would take them on the road to face the presumed No. 3 seed, which would be the Houston Astros, as they appear on course to win the AL West.
Detroit hasn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years. Its skipper, A.J. Hinch, hasn’t been in five years.
His last trip? With the 2019 Houston Astros.
So, yes, a Houston-Detroit best-of-three Wild Card matchup would be quite relevant to Hinch.
Hinch led the Astros from 2015-19 and took the franchise to its first World Series title in 2017. He led Houston to three straight division titles and a berth in the 2019 World Series, where they lost in seven games to the Washington Nationals.
During the series, the franchise became engulfed in a sign-stealing scandal tied to their 2017 championship. MLB charged that the franchise used an elaborate system of high-tech and low-tech methods to steal pitching signs and convey them to hitters.
Hinch admitted to knowing about the system and, while he didn’t approve of it and actually destroyed replay monitors on two occasions, he admitted he didn’t stop it from happening.
That led to a one-year MLB suspension and his firing from the Astros. His suspension was the second-most severe punishment in baseball history given to a manager for in-game misconduct.
Detroit hired him to take over the team in 2021 and he’s slowly helped the franchise turn things around. The Tigers won 78 games last season and finished second in the AL Central. This year, the Tigers have executed one of the most remarkable in-season turnaround in Major League history to play their way into postseason contention.
While the Tigers and Astros meet every year, a postseason matchup between Hinch’s current and former employers may take on added significance given how he left Houston.
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