Torii Hunter is MY TIGER

August 11, 2013
By: O. J. Cunningham

If you were too busy this weekend to see any of the late-inning drama connected to the Yankees-Tigers three-game series in New York . . .

Sucks to be you . . .

Take the time to chase down the video of "Miggy" -- both on Friday and Sunday -- out-dueling Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning and clubbing ridiculous HR's off the greatest closer in baseball history.

Victor Martinez (later in the inning) matched Cabrera's blast on Sunday to knot the game in come-from-behind fashion that left Mariano "The Sandman" Rivera shaking his head in disbelief.

The only televised images that were more fun to see other than the stunned expression on Rivera's face was the joyous disbelief on the face of Torii Hunter as he celebrated as each weekend homer rocketed toward the seats.

Remember the Tiger advertising blitz . . . "Who's Your Tiger?"

I havn't had a Tiger in quite a few years.

But I do NOW!

My Tiger is Torii Hunter.

Hunter is a gamer.

A player's player.

He's a battler and teammate any ball player should be fortunate to have on his team.

Hunter loves the game.

Hunter loves his team.

Hunter loves his city and his teammates.

My Tiger is Torii Hunter.

A few games back, Hunter had already homered, singled and doubled in a game against the Indians. The Tigers were cruising -- ahead by 6 or 7 runs in the late innings.

Hunter came to the plate -- needing a triple for the once in a career "CYCLE."

WIKIPEDIA -- In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball (MLB), and have occurred 303 times since the first by Curry Foley in 1882.

The cycle is roughly as common as a no-hitter (281 occurrences in MLB history); it has been called "one of the rarest" and "most difficult feats" in baseball.

Based on 2009 offensive levels, the probability of an average MLB player hitting for a cycle against an average team in a game is approximately 0.00590%; this corresponds to about 2.5 cycles in a 162-game season with 30 teams.[8]

To get right to the point . . . Hunter rifles a line drive into the right field corner . . . the hit has triple written all over it . . . Hunter is off like a rabbit and headed for third and his first-ever CYCLE.

But there's a runner on first who is (for some idiotic reason) held at third by Tom Brookens (3rd base coach) and Hunter has to stop at second -- deprived of his once-in-a-career "cycle" -- by Brookens' nonsensical decision to hold the runner in front of Hunter.

Note: If Hunter continues to third, he gets the triple (and the cycle) since the arriving runner forces the lead runner off the base . . . so . . . Hunter knew he could have got the triple.

After the game, Hunter was all about the Tiger win, and literally brushed off the idea that he could have taken the triple (and the cycle) if he had continued onto third base.

"No way," Hunter said sincerely. "No way I'm gonna push a teammate off the base like that."

That's why he's My Tiger. If you're not watching the Detroit Tiger baseball machine . . . You're missing out.

It's time to get on the bandwagon, people.

And while you're cheering the Tiges, keep you're eyes on MY TIGER -- the ever-grinning, ever-hustling, bright-eyed and wide-smiling team player -- Torii Hunter.

You could learn a lot about life from watching Torii Hunter (My Tiger) play baseball.

In the last week . . . I did.