Time To Do A Load Of Whites After Tigers' Streak Ends

At least Tigers manager Jim Leyland can now put on fresh socks and underwear.

Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, too.

Detroit's 12-game winning streak came to a 6-1 end at Oakland on Thursday, although the Tigers need to win just one more game this season, or see Cleveland lose again, to officially clinch their first AL Central title. The White Sox were eliminated with their loss Thursday.

"Bad news is we lost," Leyland said, "the good news is I can change my underwear after 12 days."

McClendon also confessed before the game he's worn the same unwashed set of undies and socks during the entire streak.

Leyland noted at some point early in the streak he began wearing his without benefit of cleaning, threatening anyone who dared to change or clean them.

"That'll be a celebration," the manager said of wearing fresh undergarments.

Superstitions are a big part of baseball tradition. They clearly are thriving in Detroit.

Some players don't like to talk about them, another superstition.

The big factor keeping Detroit from winning its 13th game in a row was chasing too many high fastballs.

From time to time, opposing pitchers have been able to get away with reaching two strikes on a Tigers hitter, then getting him to swing at a high fastball. This was one of those games.

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