DETROIT – Yankees fans, consider these numbers as you sit around this winter:
In their previous six postseason games, the Tigers’ ERA was 2.20. Detroit won all six of those games. Overall for the playoffs, the Tigers’ ERA was 2.90. Opponents’ ERA was 5.55. That’s how you win championships.
The Tigers were trying to wrap up their first American League pennant since 1984 yesterday with Jeremy Bonderman on the mound against his old team, the A’s, at sunny but cold Comerica Park in ALCS Game 4.
Bonderman is all of 23. Jim Leyland knew the Tigers had something special when they first got together.
“I knew what I was looking at when I saw these kids in spring training,” Leyland said yesterday before the game. “And I’ve always been a talent guy.”
These Tigers have talent.
“I’ve always felt like sometimes,” Leyland added, “organizations can say, ‘Oh, he’s only 21. He’s too young.’ And my philosophy has been, well, is he good? Has he got great stuff? Yeah, he’s got great stuff.”
Then in typical Leyland fashion, he put it all in perspective with his final common-sense comment.
“When you call the bullpen,” the manager said, “you don’t ask how old he is.”
No, you don’t.
Age, young or old, is part of the Tigers’ story. Kenny Rogers, 41, has stabilized this staff. Rogers was dazzling again, pitching 71/3 scoreless innings in Detroit’s 3-0 victory Friday.
In 1984, when the Tigers won their last World Series, Rogers had spent two years in the Rangers’ organization. Now, 3,066 major-league innings later, Rogers has found October happiness.
The left-hander bedeviled the A’s just like he shut down the Yankees in the ALDS. Rogers has not allowed a run this postseason over 15 innings.
Yes, it is the same Kenny Rogers who once wore Yankees and Mets uniforms. A baseball life can have its rewards if you persevere. Rogers talked in emotional terms about what this postseason has meant to him.
“It’s like a big reward for hanging in there and persevering through all the things that go on in a big-league career, with last year and all that,” Rogers said in a humble voice. “It’s rewarding to be able to say you withstood all that and you’ve come out of that tunnel and you’re better for it.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Rogers added. “I was supposed to come to Detroit. I’m in a city that appreciates what I do, playing with teammates I can’t say enough about.”
This series unofficially ended when the A’s lost two games in Oakland. No team in LCS history had lost the first two games at home and bounced back to win the series.
Tigers pitchers have kept the A’s bats from heating up all series. The Tigers pitchers had posted a 2.00 ERA – that’s 1968-like. Of the 81 outs recorded this series by Tigers pitchers, 24 had been strikeouts. The A’s barely could put the ball in play against this spectacular staff.
Leyland, who had seen his share of postseason pitching greatness, said of Rogers’ performance this October: “Nobody could have pitched better than what Kenny has pitched the last two outings, including John Smoltz, who is the best postseason pitcher I’ve ever seen.”
Pitching wins in October, and Rogers is leading the way for the Tigers.
All of Leyland’s pitchers are important, though.
“I’ve emphasized from spring training on that I don’t have a 12th pitcher or an 11th pitcher,” Leyland said. “I’ve got 12 pitchers that are going to get a big out at some point during the season.”
