Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Nothing comes easy for fans of the Detroit Tigers. As I write this, the Tigers trail the Chicago White Sox, 6-0, and the Minnesota Twins lead the Kansas City Royals, 5-0. Assuming these leads hold, the gap between Detroit and Minnesota closes to one game, with two to play. I fully expect Minnesota to sweep the Royals. That means the Tigers must win both Saturday and Sunday to take the Central Division title. Am I optimistic? No. The Tigers found a way to lose in 2006 and they will find a way to lose in 2009. If the Twins and Tigers tie, there isn't a doubt in my mind that the Twins will win the one-game playoff in their home park. Please note that if the Tigers had defeated the Twins yesterday, this weekend's games would be meaningless. The Tigers would be playing scrubs this evening and setting their rotation for the playoffs.