Detroit Tigers start the 2012 World Series

The 2012 MLB World Series starts today with the Detroit Tigers playing at the San Francisco Giants in Game #1 at 8:07p.m.   The Tigers have been at home for the past five days waiting for the winner of the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.  A number of people in this area were pulling for the Cardinals to win the National League.  The Cardinals defeated the Tigers in their most recent World Series visit in 2006 4 games to 1 game.   The Cardinals had a 3 to 1 lead in the NLCS but dropped the final three games to the red hot Giants.  The National League host the first two games of the Series by virtue of winning the 2012 MLB All-Star game. 

The Tigers have stayed busy during these past five days and included a couple of games against some of their players from the Minors.  This team should be well rested and have no major injuries to contend with.  The Tigers will have the hottest pitcher on the planet going tonight in Game One in Justin Verlander.  San Francisco will counter with what I still believe a very dominating pitcher in his own right in lefthander Barry Zito.   Remember that pitchers have to bat in the National League cities starting tonight. 

Doug Fister will be starting game #2 for the Tigers at A.T.T. Park  in the City by the Bay.  I feel that the Tiger bats will really come alive in the two games there.   If the Tigers can win one of the two games in San Francisco the home field advantage really falls in the Tigers favor.  2012 has been a remarkable season already to this point with the Tigers reaching the World Series.  It was the day in late January that the Tigers held a press conference at Comerica Park to introduce Prince Fielder.  Owner Mike Illitch made it clear that he wanted the Tigers to contend and even win the World Series.

Personally, I will be covering the Tigers from home with an old fashioned scorebook for the first 2 games.  I will be at Comerica Park for Games 3-5 if needed to report on the action and take photo's of the 2012 World Series.  This would be my first World Series reporting and I'm looking forward to it.  It will be only greater than the ALDS and ALCS Series that the Tigers have already won.  Maybe this could be the year that the Tigers will win it all.   Then it will be a year remembered by many as was in 1968 and 1984.    And yes for the older readers 1935 and 1945 when the Tigers won World Series.