The Tigers’ dramatic comeback win today over the White Sox for their fourth straight series sweep put their magic number to clinch at three. The Indians’ blowout loss on Wednesday night on ESPN moves the Tigers’ magic number to two and within clinching distance for Thursday.
↵Typically, I’ve been going with somewhat obscure former Tigers for this, but I’m going to go with Charlie Gehringer here. Gehringer, of course, is a Hall of Famer, who gave the Tigers 19 marvelous seasons as their second baseman.
↵Gehringer was a big reason the Tigers won 12 straight in 1934 and ultimately made it to the World Series. As you know, 12 straight wins is the Tigers’ current win streak and Gehringer’s Tigers was the last Tigers team to do that.
↵Gehringer was known as “The Mechanical Man” and I’d have to say that’s fitting for how the 2011 Tigers are methodically picking teams apart during their current win streak.
↵Gehringer was a career .320/.404/.884 with 2,839 hits, 184 home runs, and 1427 RBI in his career. He won an MVP in 1937 and his No. 2 is retired and on the bricks in left center at Comerica Park.
↵The Tigers can clinch tomorrow with a win and an Indians loss. The Tigers play in Oakland while the Indians finish their series in Texas.