This time of year is always tough for me as a baseball fan. The past two years the Tigers have kept things interesting in January with the signings of Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez. Miguel Tejada rumors were about the closest that Detroit fans have come to excitement since the winter meetings. Given that, I was trying to muster up some baseball enthusiasm by looking back on my favorite Tiger memories from 2005.

Opening Day

This is an easy one. Opening Day, by virtue of it’s embodiment of the beginning of summer always receives consideration. Even a bad Opening Day is still Opening Day. This year however was a whole lot of fun. On an unseasonably warm day, Dmitri Young went yard 3 times, and Jeremy Bonderman effortlessly demolished the Royals en route to a 11-2 thrashing of the Royals.

Five K’s and a debut

Now this game might not be as well remembered. On June 1st Jeremy Bonderman took on the Texas Rangers, who were playing some pretty good ball at the time. Bonderman was good enough to get a 6-4 win, but that wasn’t the main story. Tony Giarratano made his Major League debut and picked up an RBI when he hit a tweener to right field. What was most impressive though was the performance from the pen. After Bonderman retired the first hitter he faced in the 8th, he was chased by a single. Kyle Farnsworth came in and struck out the next two hitters. In the ninth Ugueth Urbina came in an K’d the side to end the game with 5 straight strike outs.

Oh yeah, and I caught a foul ball.

Father’s Day Delight

After Troy Percival gave up a 3 run homer in the top of the 9th to break a 5-5 tie against the San Francisco Giants, things looked bleak. However, a sacrifice fly by Craig Monroe and a two-run opposite field shot by Chris Shelton in the bottom of the ninth sent the game to extra innings. Placido Polanco sent all the dads home happy with a walk off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Bombing the Bronx Bombers

So the Yankees pretty much owned the Tigers this year, except for July 1st. Jeremy Bonderman took on Randy Johnson on a Friday night in Comerica. Things started off good for Detroit when Chris Shelton hit a bomb to centerfield, and got better as Johnson was chased after 5 innings. Magglio Ordonez came back from the disabled list and poked his first homer as a Tiger as Detroit rolled to a 10-2 win.

Fenway Fun

After giving up 6 runs in the 3rd inning, Detroit got 5 right back on a grand slam from Dmitri Young in the 4th. Brandon Inge and Omar Infante peppered the Green Monster for several extra base hits as the Tigers came back from a 6 run deficit to claim a 12-8 victory. In an ironic twist, Alan Trammell who had never won in Fenway as a manager was ejected early. As it turns out that would be Trammell’s only win in Boston as a Tiger manager.
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