Bitter Sweet Season

As the All-Star game approaches in two weeks, I have to say that this baseball season has a bitter sweet feeling for me. First, I have to establish that I have two favorite baseball teams. One my lifetime favorite, the Chicago Cubs and the other, the Detroit Tigers, evolved out of the failure of the Chicago Cubs. In 1984, when the Cubs completely blew it to the San Diego Padres in the NL championship series, I swore that if the American League team that played the Padres in the World Series won, I would be a fan of that team. So, since 1984, I have been a Detroit Tigers fan along with the Cubs.
But now, with interleague play, the Cubs have played the Tigers in two seasons. The first time they faced off I was really excited and enjoyed the games. But this season, as my "life sentence" as a Cubs fan is wearing a bit thin, I watched the three game series with weary eyes, as the Tigers completely dominated a Cubs team that in pre-season was clearly the favorite to win the NL Central.
Now, I don't want any confusion, I am not a fair weather fan. I still cheer for the Cubs. I do love the fact that Lou has called up all sorts of rookies like Jake Fox and Sam Fuld. But, after the drubbing the Tigers laid upon the Cubs in June, I have to say for the first time in many years, the Tigers are first in my heart this year. The Tigers have figured out that it doesn't take an all-star line-up; it takes solid clutch hitting and timely, effective pitching. I wish the Cubs could figure that out. They have had "great" pitching, but hitting that leaves runners on base seemingly every inning. I will enjoy watching the Cubs' young players, and hope for a solid winning streak. But this summer, I am really watching the Tigers!