Pat Caputo: It's Going To Take Time To Figure Out These Tigers
When he managed the Tigers, Sparky Anderson had two sayings he repeated over and over about mileposts in a given season.
One was about the 40-game mark each year. Sparky didn't think there was a need to react to anything until 40 games.
The other was "162 games," as he put it, "don't lie."
The first statement I always found to be curious, considering the Tigers' 35-5 start in 1984 is one of the most epic in baseball history. It certainly had a huge bearing on that season, and baseball history in this town.
But Sparky's 40-game statement did gain credence in 1987. The Tigers began that season 11-19, while Milwaukee, which won its first 13 games, jumped out to a huge lead in the American League East, Detroit's division at the time. The Tigers ended up winning a major league-best 98 games that year, nipping Toronto in a thrilling pennant race on the final day. The Brewers? They faded and were not a factor.
Still, I think the concept of "162 games don't lie," is better and more accurate anything to do with 40 games.
