Subscribe
Follow Us
In what was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season, the Detroit Tigers clinched a Wild Card spot with a 4-1 win on Friday and will be playing in the 2024 postseason. One of the biggest reasons why the Tigers were able to shock the baseball world: their manager, A.J. Hinch.
Hinch spoke about what getting back to the postseason means to him with Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic after Friday's clinch.
“When I came to Detroit, one, I didn’t know if I was gonna manage again,” Hinch said. ‘It means a lot to me to be a leader of this team and for an organization to take a chance on me. I don’t know the emotion, I don’t know the word … I’m just so proud of this group.”
“I’ll be emotional in my own way, probably behind closed doors,” Hinch continued. “I’ll hide it from you guys, on what getting back to October truly means to me.”
The reason that Hinch did not know whether or not he was going to manage again was because of his involvement in the infamous Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. After Hinch was fired from the Astros following the 2019 season and had finished serving his one-year suspension, the Tigers gave him another chance in 2021 when many around the league would not.
For Hinch to lead the Tigers back to the postseason for the first time since 2014 in such dramatic fashion is one of the best redemption stories in the sport.
How A.J. Hinch led the Detroit Tigers back to the postseason
The Tigers sold at the trade deadline, sending away veterans Jack Flaherty, Mark Canha, Andrew Chafin, appearing to signal a commitment to focusing on developing their young core. On Aug. 10, the Tigers were 55-63 and 10 games out of the last American League Wild Card spot. Since then, the went on a 31-11 run to catapult themselves into the postseason with one of the most unlikely comebacks in baseball history.
One of the main reason the Tigers have been able to be so successful is the way that Hinch has empowered his young players. Led by AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal, one of the best bullpens in baseball and a group of players 24-and-under like outfielders Riley Greene and Parker Meadows first baseman Spencer Torkelson and second baseman Colt Keith, the Tigers have officially shocked Major League Baseball.
The Tigers are not just a feel-good story though, they have shown that they can be a legitimate World Series contender with they way they have dominated down the stretch. Led by Hinch, who managed the Astros to a World Series victory in 2017 and another World Series appearance in 2019, the sky is the limit in Detroit.
