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Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

Michigan State University Student Radio

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

Michigan State University Student Radio

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

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Impact Sports Daily – 3/28/24 – Opening Day
Impact Sports Daily – 3/28/24 – Opening Day
Jack David and Matt CouryMarch 28, 2024
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March Sadness
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Three wishes for the 2018 Tigers season

The start of the 2017 season for the Tigers was hit or miss.

A hit would have been a potential Wild Card team capable of 85 or more wins, but miss in terms of a complete collapse, leading to a shred of the payroll and trading as many players as possible.

Well, we all know what the outcome of that was.

The 2018 season is expected to be relatively brutal. But you know what? There may just be some hope. I’m not saying the Tigers are going to win 85 games, but there will definitely be things to look forward to. Let’s just hope the fans have a little something to cheer about this season.

Miguel Cabrera returns to typical “Miguel Cabrera” form

Don’t get me wrong, great players aren’t going to be great until the day they retire. Miguel Cabrera will more than likely be voted into the Hall of Fame when he retires from the game, but keep in mind: he’s only getting older.

He’ll be 35 in April, and in case you forgot what happened last season, he was purely awful. Something just seemed off with Cabrera. He batted under .300 for the first time in nearly eight seasons, his 16 home runs last season were the fewest he’s hit in any full season he’s played and his 60 RBIs were the fewest he’s had his entire career.

Okay, enough about criticizing Miggy. But a healthy Miggy is just what the doctor ordered for the Tigers. 90 RBIs? Sounds great. 25 home runs? Better than 16! A .299 batting average? They’ll take it. The Tigers won’t win a whole lot of games in 2018, but a Miguel Cabrera resurgence will definitely fill the stands up.

Jordan Zimmerman lives up to his contract

Did you know Zimmerman threw a no-hitter in 2014 with the Nationals? No kidding. He signed a 5-year contract with Detroit worth $110 million, but his numbers haven’t stacked up to that contract for the last two seasons.

The Tigers traded away long-time beloved ace Justin Verlander, and with him long gone, Michael Fulmer slides into the ace role for Detroit. But this could very well change. If Zimmermann can stay healthy all season, he can easily compete for the top spot in the rotation with Fulmer.

In his final two seasons with Washington, Zimmermann won 27 games. In his first two seasons with the Tigers, he has won 17 games. Granted, he has missed several months due to injuries and he’s clearly not the pitcher he used to be. But if Zimmermann can stay healthy, who knows what he’s capable of doing?

Tigers fans stay loyal

Since 2005, Comerica Park has averaged between 2-3 million fans per year. When the best teams come into town, people want to watch them play.

The team isn’t going to get any better, and they won’t be making any huge splashes into the free agent market for at least a year or two. Take a look at the Detroit Pistons. They haven’t had great attendance over the years, but they just got a brand-new arena AND added all-star Blake Griffin, but they’re still struggling to fill the stands.

Yes, the Tigers aren’t going to be good this season, or for the next few seasons to come. But, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get tickets because J.D Martinez, Verlander, and Upton are all gone.

Don’t count out the boys of summer just yet.

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