Riding the roller coaster is a game

When I was a teenager, I rode a roller coaster at Cedar Point Amusement Park. Scared the H-E-Double hockey sticks out of me. Most people were holding their arms up in the air and laughing uproariously. I was tight-lipped and hanging on for dear life. Never again. Not fun.

But, in a sense, I’ve been riding roller coasters for years. I refer to the seasons my favorite sports teams have had. Up and down like a yo-yo. Win some, lose some. Up one week, down the next. It’s all part of the game. Operative word there is GAME. More on that later.

This year my beloved Detroit Tigers illustrate my point. Last year, they came from nowhere to make the playoffs. All young guys with a small payroll. We couldn’t wait for next season.

After putting the first three games in the “L” column against the Dodgers in 2025, my guys took off. Game after game one of the guys would step up and get a key hit with runners on or make a great defensive play to save a run. Pitching was lights-out. In April they were 19 – 9 after that first series and perched in first place. It was fun watching. It was worth the extra money I paid for various streaming services to be able to watch every game.

They were also 19-9 for the month of May. In June they won 15 and lost 11. A full 21 games over .500 and the best record in all of baseball. October, here we come.

July began with the Tigers winning six of the first eight games of the month. Twenty-five games over .500. They led the American League Central by 13 games over Minnesota. That was the upside of the roller coaster.

The down slide started July 9, and the team lost 12 of the next 13 games. Why it happened is still a mystery. Same guys, same game but couldn’t buy a key hit. After July 9 the record was 28 wins, 41 losses.

The once promising and exciting season slipped away. The division lead dwindled and dwindled. The rival Cleveland Guardians caught fire and played like the Tigers had before. On the last day of the season, the Guardians vaulted past the Tigers and secured first place. With the expanded playoff scenario, the Tigers managed to qualify as the final – sixth – seed.

The roller coaster briefly took an upturn as the team was able to win two of three from the Guardians, in Cleveland, to move to round two of the playoffs. But the coaster took a dive as the Seattle Mariners won the division series three games to two. Seattle moved on while the Tigers’ players made tee times at their favorite golf courses.

For us fans, another “wait ‘til next year.”

Disappointing, yes, but important? No. I must keep reminding myself it’s a GAME! Young men, making goo-gobs of money to play a game. Not just Major League Baseball, but all sports, men’s and women’s, pro and amateur, are games. Competition. Entertainment.

No matter what the outcome of a game, the earth will still rotate. Daylight will come again. People will move on with their lives. Wars will not be fought over game results. What happens in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan or even Oshkosh will be not affected by game scores.

I grant you that with sports betting on the increase, and lots of money changing hands, there are some who take game outcomes a lot more seriously.

But let’s keep everything in perspective. While the Tigers will not make the World Series, we can move on. Enjoy the day. Have fun. And get ready to ride the roller coaster again. It’s a GAME!

Contact Rick at tct@pageone-inc.com