I think there are so many parallels between the '06 Tigers and the '05 White Sox it's almost eerie.

1. They both throw a solid pitcher at you every night.
2. They both came out of nowhere to dominate the AL Central.
3. They both stumbled late in the season although the White Sox held on to the division.
4. They both have power all the way through the lineup with middle of the lineup guy being probably their best hitter, but not a superstar/alpha dog. (Konerko, Magglio)
5. Both had a bust on the scene power arm out of the bullpen (Jenks, Zumaya) with a revival year guy (Jones, Hermanson) and similar supporting bullpen cast.
6. Their managers are more newsworthy than their players.

It seems like the list could go on forever.

1 major difference. '06 Tigers are a feel good story, and very likeable. The '05 White Sox, were, um, nevermind.

A couple of random notes/opinions.

The best division in baseball was the AL Central.

The most overrated division in baseball is definitely the AL East.

The most underrated division in baseball is the AL West.

NL pitching is horrendous!!!

"Yankees fans would probably echo that it was the worst team they have had since Joe Torre had taken over for Buck Showalter."

2000, anyone?

I love how people will make claims off the top of their head. That's why I can't take this section of Baseball Toaster seriously.

How are the Mets and Tigers not great teams?

"How are the Mets and Tigers not great teams?"

Regarding the Mets anyhow, a few words: "Game four starter Oliver Perez."

As much as it pains me to say this, the Mets were a great team, but injuries have turned them into a very good team---at least right now, this minute.

I would further submit that ANY team starting either Neifi Perez or Endy Chavez in a playoff game is automatically not great.

Speaking as a Yankee fan, I don't think there would be more than a handful of very uneducated Yankee fans who would think that this was the weakest Yankee team since Torre took over. That's absolute nonsense.

Yanks had a weak rotation this year to be sure, but the lineup was killer. And the bullpen was pretty decent.

Let me begin my rebuttal by saying "who took my wallet?" Now after that kind of beginning, you have to take me seriously!

OK, now that I've got that out of my way, let me state that this year's Yankees were not only flawed in the starting rotation, but their defense was very spotty as well.

The 2000 team had Clemens, Pettite, and El Duque starting for them, who all have been excellent in the post-season. The Big Unit doesn't have it anymore, while Wang was in his first season on this stage. While the bullpen is always going to be solid when it begins with Mariano, 2000 had an extremely nasty Jeff Nelson and playoff stud Mike Stanton.

Yes, the Yankees 2006 offensive lineup was spectacular, but in the playoffs, I will generally put my money on the team with the superior pitching and defense, which the Tigers had. Now, I was still stuck on picking the Yankees since I chose them at the beginning of the year. I definitely deserve a slapdown for that.

The Mets have a dismal starting pitching staff. This is the worst starting pitching I've ever seen in a League Championship. Please someone enlighten me on a worse group.

In regards to the Tigers, I realize that I'm on shakier ground saying they are not a great team. I guess I just can't see them beating any of the past World Champions over the past 15 years, except for maybe the 2003 Marlins. This year's Tigers, if they win it all will be like Larry Holmes. Champion, but their competition will take away some of the lustre.

The Yankees defense turned a higher percentage of balls in play into outs than all AL teams but the Tigers, and this was far and away their best defensive team of the last 5 years

I was comparing the 2006 Yankees to the 2006 Tigers, defensively. The difference between 1 and 2 in this category was huge, as I think the Tigers were vastly superior in this category.

As I've proven in the past, I'm not someone who goes beyond the basic numbers, but I have to think that the Yankees pitching stat, especially Wang, helped New York greatly on this staff. I look at their lineup and I just don't see any superior fielding types on this team. Defensively, I would take the White Sox over the Yankees at almost every postion, no matter what this stat tells us. Ballpark and pitching effects have a lot to do with this stat.

8

... and they had that improved defense through the SUBTRACTION of Matsui and Sheffield for most of the year, and in SPITE of A-Rod's troubles at third.

If A-Rod goes, I'm still in favor of a "defense-first" 3B manning the position, especially if they build their staff around Wang and the lessening-strikeout rates of Mussina and Wright.

Actually before you compared the defenses, you described the defense as "very spotty as well." Not a big point, but in terms of defensive efficiency being pitching and ballpark related, true, but in this case, misapplied; the outfield defense was actually better than the infield, so there goes much of your Wang argument. Further, when you say you don't see any superior fielding types, I think you overlook Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, who both had great range numbers in 2006 using just about every defensive system. Combined with Johnny Damon providing average defense in center, and Jeter continuing to act as a league average ss after his troubles as a young ss, they actually became fairly strong up the middle. In terms of your park effects/white sox argument, I'd ask if you may not overate this year's white sox defense due to its 2005 success. They suffered an overwhelming 2 percent drop in defensive efficienc while the Yankees improved 1 percent, actually very large and statistically iimportant numbers. They both played in the same ballparks as 2005. To say the defense wasn't pretty/very good this year would have to be false

Alarsky,

I can't argue most of your points. I still think the A's, Twins, White Sox, and of course, Tigers have better defenses, but I don't have the stats to back it up. While I'm generally on the Stats side, I guess on this one I would go with the scouts.

Almost every team had glaring weaknesses. I thought le Tigre had the best all around team, with the fewest weaknesses.

I like John Maine as a pitcher. It's starting stiffs and frauds like Traschel and Perez and possibly Darren Oliver that is the issue for the Mets.

As for the Cards - feh.