Nothing like the airborne acrobatic method of making the last out in a nail biter can be as exciting as “a Granderson.” Funny thing is, it became as normal for Curtis Granderson to make a flying Walenda move to steal away a hit from a batter, as having beer sellers in the stands. So normal in fact, that any time anyone else made a spectacular catch, my wife and I would look at each other and say in unison: “Granderson Catch” and laugh..
He himself a catch. A tiger from the ground up, now traded to pay off a gambling debt. A debt caused by earlier successes and parlayed into hopefully future wins for the Tigers:
It’s sad, really. The Tigers were doomed by their own generosity. They won a pennant in 2006, traded for Cabrera and Willis in 2007, and made a habit of rewarding players based on past accomplishments or the expectation of same.
Baseball teams do not win championships because of benevolence. They must make cold, calculating decisions about when to hold onto veteran players and when to let them go.
Time after time, the Tigers made the wrong choice. And now they have determined that the best way to atone for those errors is to trade away a pair of All-Stars before they make big money.
It is sad, and the loss of this great player and remarkably good sport and upbeat kid will not go unnoticed by this Tiger fan.
The game won’t likely be the same for us anymore..
