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Tigers vs. White Sox October 3, 2021 Game 162 3:00 Start

When A.J. Hinch met with the media on the final day of the regular season, I asked him about something he said in April. Responding to my suggestion that his young team was better than its projections, the Detroit Tigers manager had told me that it wasn?t important to him ?what people think we are.?

On May 7, what people thought about the Tigers was anything but positive. The club had staggered to a 9-24 start and was looking every bit a team whose rebuild was going nowhere fast. Then things turned around. From that point forward, they went 68-61, finishing the season a respectable 77-85.

What do people think about Hinch?s team now? Are the Tigers viewed in a more favorable light than they were going into the season?

?I would think so,? Hinch told me on October 3rd. ?Number one, the emergence of our young pitching has really earned respect. When you faced us, we were throwing a pretty good starting pitcher at you virtually every day. [They] didn?t always go five, six, or seven innings, but stuff-wise you?d hear managers, coaches, and players [talk] about how our rotation was pretty good. And when you go out and beat teams you?re not supposed to beat ? we swept Houston in April; we ended up sweeping the Yankees at home; we split season series with playoff-caliber teams ? I think that has to garner a little bit of respect.

?We?re not where we need to be yet,? added Hinch. ?But I hope the view is that our arrow is pointing in the right direction? We?re about to have an emergence of some pretty good young talent that hopefully that leads to more wins. We?re not a winning team yet ? we?re under .500 ? but we are a team that?s making progres. That leads to hope for the future.?

As for that future, count me among those who believe that bringing back Justin Verlander would be a prudent move. The future Hall of Famer is unlikely to return to his once-lofty levels ? not with his 39th birthday right around the corner ? but there is reason to believe that he can still be a productive pitcher. Moreover, he?d be both a gate-attraction and a fantastic mentor to the likes of Matt Manning, Casey Mize, and Tarik Skubal. Returning to full health as he recovers from October 2020 Tommy John surgery, Verlander ? a free agent at the conclusion of the World Series ? profiles as a perfect fit for Hinch?s Tigers.

Fangraphs
 
https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/jeimer-candelario-wins-2021-tiger-of-the-year
Jeimer Candelario repeats as Tiger of the Year.
Tigers official site

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...o-repeat-winner-tiger-year-honors/6350835001/
Jeimer Candelario a repeat winner of Tiger of the Year honors.
Detnews

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...r-candelario-wins-2021-tiger-year/6344303001/
Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario wins 2021 Tiger of the Year.
Freep

https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2021/11/jeimer-candelario-named-tiger-of-the-year.html
Jeimer Candelario named 2021 Tiger of the Year.
Mlive

Candelario is the first back-to-back winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013, the same years he won American League MVP honors. Candelario is the seventh back-to-back winner since the award began in 1965, a list that includes:

Miguel Cabrera, 2012-13
Travis Fryman, 1995-96
Cecil Fielder, 1990-92
Alan Trammell, 1987-88
Ron LeFlore, 1977-78
Denny McLain, 1968-69

Candelario joins Fryman, Fielder and McLain as the only members on the list to win back-to-back Tiger of the Year awards before his age-28 season. Candelario turns 28 on Nov. 24.
 
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