Customer Service

January 2021

Question

Get your popcorn ready – it’s showtime! What baseball/softball story, team, or personality has not yet made it to the screen, but should? What should the series or movie be called?  Who should star in it? Let us know the plot, main characters, supporting roles, as well as other details. …We can’t wait to see your creativity!

Winner

Josh Leko of Knoxville, TN is our January Contest Winner! Josh plays outfield, and roots for the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings.

Winning Answer

In 2006, the Detroit Tigers made the World Series. It was the first time since 1984 they made it to the World Series. Growing up in Detroit in the 1990’s, I grew accustomed to the Tigers losing 100+ games each season. Sometimes it was too sad to even watch the games. But then, in 2006, the owner, Mike Ilitch put together a great team that made it to the World Series!

It is a story of an underdog who rebuilds and once again becomes relevant. The team had many good players who worked together to rejuvenate the Tigers and the city of Detroit.. Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Ivan Rodriguez, and Jeremy Bonderman. The manager was Jim Leyland. The owner was Mike Ilitch, who also owns the Detroit Red Wings and Little Casears.

It was Mr. Ilitch’s dream to see the Detroit Tigers win the World Series. In 2006, he was able to see the Tigers make the World Series. Unfortunately, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. But, they proved that when a team works together, they can accomplish anything. Going from a team that lost 100+ games on a regular basis to a team that made the World Series was a tremendous accomplishment!

If they were to make a movie about this, I think it should be called “Resiliency! A Tiger Tale.” Jim Leyland would be played by Tim Allen. Mike Ilitch would be played by Michael Caine. Magglio Ordonez would be played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Justin Verlander would be played by Ben Affleck.

The plot of the story would revolve around the awful 20 years the Tigers organization had. How they would always lose 100+ games and how the other organizations would laugh at them. It would detail an old grizzly man (Jim Leyland – played by Tim Allen) who was on a journey to bring home a championship to Detroit before drifting off into retirement. It would also focus on an aging Mike Ilitch, played by Micael Caine. Ilitch would have one last life goal, to bring a World Series trophy home to the struggling city of Detroit. The main characters would be the team members and more specifically, Verlander and Ordonez (played by The Rock and Ben Affleck). Verlander and Ordonez played huge roles in getting the Tigers to the World Series. Ordonez hit a grand slam in game 4 of the ALCS vs. the Oakland A’s that helped secure a huge win for the Tigers. The stadium went wild!

Ultimately, the team would fail to win the World Series. But, just by making it to the championship, they showed the entire city of Detroit that they were winners. The city rallied around the team and the team rallied around the city. People were excited to have a team they could be proud of. It is a movie about baseball. But, more than that, it is a movie about the city of Detroit. My hometown has had many ups and downs over the past few decades. The fall and rise of the Detroit Tigers is a story that shows what the city of Detroit is all about… Resiliency.

Your comment has been submitted for approval.