How the Tigers scrapped a World Series team into a rebuild with no clear end

[@michaelsmith3533]

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the title. This team was so much fun, but at times so frustrating. Great memories, and a wonderful time to be a Tigers fan.

[@reintaler6355]

Especially at a time when the other teams and city itself were at rock bottom

[@Karmy.]

If we had an even remotely decent bullpen things might've gone differently

[@joro808]

Very disappointing

[@MAWA-Vik19]

Try being a Twins fan once. It's not fun.

[@joro808]

@@MAWA-Vik19 I'd chopper my own member off before I became a twins fan

[@AndThatsBaseball]

They had an elite lineup in 2012-13, and even after the Fielder trade, they added JD and Castellanos. It should've been a longer window to win with all the talent they had. They're finally building towards something, I hope Miggy gets another chance even if he's basically a player-coach.

[@warlordofbritannia]

Nah, that team was built to win that window, they simply, tragically didn’t Plus, swapping Fielder for Ian Kinsler was a *steal*

[@Nem1606]

Castellanos was regularly just above or just below average in OPS+ all but like one year with the Tigers (his final year). You're giving him way too much credit.

[@alexjones3511]

The mistake was trading Fister.

[@AndThatsBaseball]

@@Nem1606 I’m saying in terms of elongating their window of contention, they had talent to retool rather than rebuild if they played their cards right

[@Nem1606]

@@AndThatsBaseball Adding a league average hitter does not extend your contending window

[@downrighttt]

Therapist: “It was a baseball team ten years ago Ethan” Me: “THEY WERE *THIS* CLOSE DAMN IT!”

[@WHADDDD]

As a Detroit Sports Fan, Mike Illitch always made every effort possible to help our teams win. Including going for broke and breaking the bank. We have been spoiled in Hockey Town and I hope to witness the Tigers win one day. R.I.P Mr. I. Detroit vs Everybody

[@jlaw7670]

Consider this, though: Illitch bought the team from Tom Monaghan in the early 1990s. What happened between then and 2006? Pretty much nothing, as Illitch was enjoying his Red Wings success. So, for over a decade, Illitch was a decently negligent Tigers owner, presiding over the '03 debacle. I'm not going to say it wasn't fun watching him spend all that cash in the early '10s, but there was a good long while in which he didn't seem to care much at all.

[@WHADDDD]

@@jlaw7670 I can’t disagree with that, I was certainly enjoying the Red Wings success but you are right the early illitch years were a tough go for the tigers.

[@redlion45]

It'll be a while for you guys. In the meantime the wings are back on the upswing, you'll at least maybe get another redwings cup while you wait.

[@goblue193]

@@jlaw7670 Bad management overall. Ex. trading a bunch of prospects for a one year rental of Juan Gonzalez who had no interest playing in Detroit to begin with

[@truthtella1641]

@@goblue193 Exactly. Trading away top prospects for a rental player only worked once, Smoltz for Alexander (?). They held on to Victor Martinez with a 4 year deal at 17 million per instead of getting a decent closer. Instead of playing Castellanos at first base because Cabrera was at 1st and Victor was the dh, Nick was stuck playing at positions he couldn't play, so of course he didn't want to stay. Thete are many instances where terrible decisions were made either by Dombrowski or Illich that ruined a good thing. Not sure Avila is the right guy for the job, but I do like the pitchers he's been drafting, but they were very high draft picks so it's kind of hard to screw those up. Overall, I thought after 2014 it was time to add more youth while Verlander, Cabrera, and a few others still had what it took to lead what could have been an up and coming team with an injection of youth instead of a bunch of guys that regularly turned doubles into singles, and some retread relief pitchers.

[@TheJkisboss]

It’s unreal how good that 2012 team was and says a lot that the giants BODIED them in the World Series. That 2012 giants team was nuts

[@Scheboygan8767]

Ruined my childhood that series

[@JustWinBabee]

A big part of the problem was that the umpires compressed the strike zone in the 2012 World Series. The Giants hitters adjusted, the Tigers didn't. The Detroit pitchers found that pitches that had been strikes throughout the year were balls in the World Series. The Giant hitters laid off these pitches, forcing Verlander, Scherzer, Fister and Sanchez to throw hittable strikes. That's why Pedro Sandoval, who had done nothing before or since, feasted on the Tigers. The Detroit hitters, on the other hand, swang at everything. The Giant pitchers knew they didn't have to throw them strikes so they didn't. It was no accident that Jhonny Peralta was the most productive hitter. He was far and away the most patient Tiger hitter and didn't chase bad pitches like the rest of his teammates did. The presence of Victor Martinez would have helped, but the Tigers likely would have still lost that series.

[@dantedlane2]

@@JustWinBabeeking fu panda was a solid 270ba hitter

[@Keith_McDaniel]

The '12 WS was over before it started...literally

[@sammysabo6777]

I was at game 3 as a 13 year old Detroit fan it was so so so cold that night and to have to sit there and watch them get shut out was so brutal

[@lebutzki]

I have been waiting a long time for this one, it is amazing just how many Tigers from 2006-2012 won a World Series when they left Detroit with us getting a demoralizing rebuild in the process.

[@owengordon4452]

October here we are baby!!! Some of the best memories of my life watching this old team. But finally happy to see these new gritty tigs winning!

[@georgepress1261]

The 2011-2014 tigers is the greatest disappointment in baseball history. All that talent. Verlander, Cabrera, schzer, . All first ballot hall of famers. And didn’t even win a single World Series game.

[@masonseymour2455]

*laughs in Barry Zito*

[@warlordofbritannia]

*laughs in 2011 Red Sox*

[@georgepress1261]

@@warlordofbritannia 2013 Red Sox?

[@abridge2]

@@masonseymour2455 ✔️✔️ Starting Pitching

[@markgurnsey6228]

the other teams had a secret weapon......Leyland.

[@alexl6556]

Collapse is becoming a neglected gem on the channel, please bring them back more consistently! Great job guys!

[@skippythealien9627]

it's actually my favorite series on this channel since it debuted in 2019

[@freeguy3751]

I'd like to see Collapse get it's own KZbin channel

[@ianwellhousen8213]

Still can’t believe my Tigers never got a World Series win during these years. Elite starting pitching and lineups year after year but the bullpen or untimely hitting in the playoffs always let them down.

[@zacary6991]

welcome to the curse of michigan many sad sad days

[@henny6566]

@@zacary6991 You have the Pistons and Red Wings, you're fine and not cursed.

[@zacary6991]

@@henny6566 what? Wings haven’t won since 08 Pistons 04 granted the wings dynasty is one like the patriots but the tigers lost 2 WS 2 ALCS they prolly shoulda won Michigan basketball has lost 2 National championship games as well as a final 4 game they also prolly shoulda won on top of all the other little things that seem to go wrong for us but you don’t really get to see all that unless you follow the teams closely just the outcomes

[@Mark55204]

Zacary Lol 14 years isn’t a curse

[@zacary6991]

@@Mark55204 a curse isn’t defined by any length of time simply by how they lose devastating loss after devastating loss so yeah

[@austinemms9772]

They spent a billion dollars on contracts for almost 15 years and all they got was a 1-8 record in the World Series if you count the 2006 World Series. The Detroit Tigers are the embodiment of “Money can’t buy happiness.”

[@SkidMan_Jurej]

UrinatingTree did a video on those same Tigers, mainly focusing in Mike Illich pouring as much money into the team to try to achieve his dream of a World Series championship, a dream that sadly would remain unfulfilled

[@bootitup6927]

Yes, we know you watched the urinating tree video.

[@ThisisFerrariKhan]

I see someone doesn’t understand how sports business works, it’s about making a profit off of ticket sales, media, and merchandising/branding - everything else comes second. Pro-sports are rigged anyways. So it’s actually the opposite of what you said - Money DOES buy happiness. Otherwise the owners would be bankrupt or would have sold the team by now.

[@jasongabor3018]

@@ThisisFerrariKhan if pro sports are rigged, why do you watch them? Why the hell are you on a sports channel if everything they discuss here is premeditated by the people with money?

[@ThisisFerrariKhan]

@@jasongabor3018 I don’t watch them and YT spams your feed with community posts from channels that you aren’t subscribed to in case you haven’t noticed. Anymore questions.

[@MilestheSquirrel]

Had the Tigers won the title in 2013 as projected, that team would be forever in the history books as one of the single greatest of all time. And damn, they were FUN to watch. I remember being at a barbecue and everyone stopping what they were doing to run in and watch Anibal Sanchez strike out 17 in a row. It felt like every game there was something new that amazed me about the team. And the boys were having a good time playing all through the summer. I miss it and I hope we get it back.

[@matthewforbes2969]

Now we need a collapse of how the Texas rangers blew their chances in their World Series appearances and how that team went up in smoke Or how my NY Mets failed to become a dynasty after 86

[@M_11_m41n]

Wilpons: Because LOLMets is eternal 🤑🤑!!!!

[@arizonawrestlinginterviews1040]

As far as the Rangers go, Urinatingtree did a video about them that's still pretty relevant today

[@yankees2864]

@@arizonawrestlinginterviews1040 one of his legacies of failures who haven’t won a championship right after he posted it (nationals, blues, capitals)

[@warlordofbritannia]

The Mets relied on veterans like Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez, when those guys aged they didn’t have adequate replacements Also, canning Davey Johnson after he revived the franchise…how many teams have fired Johnson only to immediately decline? Mets, Reds, Orioles…

[@MichaelMartin-qe5ye]

"Once Upon a Time in Queens" is a four part 30 for 30 documentary about the 86 Mets and Jeff Pearlman wrote a book called, "The Bad Guys Won." The collapse of those Mets teams has definitely been examined.

[@UHOH_415]

That 2012 Tigers team was STACKED man. Miggy in Triple Crown form Prince Fielder in his first year Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, Fister, Anibal Sanchez They just ran into… a GIANT problem.

[@dawg7846]

🐼

[@johncooper7663]

Prince Fielder was such a bad signing.

[@stevep2380]

Sitting for 10 days between series didn't help. You can't sit that long in baseball without losing some timing and game rhythm.

[@unclechesterthepester787]

Can’t forget about Vmart , Ajax and Carlos Guillen!!!

[@ryanpalmer4806]

@@stevep2380 I definitely think too much time off is a factor but it doesn’t justify losing games

[@TheUnnamedAssailant]

And I thought the Wings collapse hurt to watch, THEY WERE SOOO CLOSE. Good Lord the pitching on that team was filthy, too bad the bullpen was inconsistent 😔

[@JWex-jy7sk]

How about the fact that last postseason appearance in the 2014 ALDS against the Orioles they had Scherzer in Game 1, Verlander in Game 2, David Price in Game 3, and still managed to get themselves swept! That to me was 100% the first warning sign that Brad Ausmus was the not the guy to lead this team for the future and that they were going to decline.

[@henny6566]

@@JWex-jy7sk That O's team was pretty good and they also had a way better manager in Buck.

[@JWex-jy7sk]

@@henny6566 My dad’s an Orioles fan and agrees to this day about that, Tigers were out-managed throughout that entire series

[@kingsally2864]

When you consider what the Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons of the late 90s early 2000s where and where they are now you can really feel for Detroit fans

[@Rodanguirus]

@@kingsally2864 Yep, we're literally living in the worst era for Detroit sports since the early '80s. A few more years without any playoff appearances/wins, and you could reasonably make a case for it being the worst stretch in Detroit sports history. I had it nice for most of my life: from the mid-'80s into the early 2010s, SOME Detroit team gave you SOMETHING to get excited about at least every couple years. But yeah, things are tough in the Detroit sports world nowadays.

[@OfBronzeandBlaze]

As a Detroit sports fan, I feel like my teams have been repeatedly attacked by this channel over the last year. But I know that it’s all just the cold reality of how high all of our teams were in the last decade plus (minus the Lions, of course) without ever reaching the pinnacle.

[@OfBronzeandBlaze]

@Fries Red Wings in 08

[@uncreative5766]

If you feel that SB Nation is "attacking" Detroit, then you should under no circumstances, go to Urinatingtree.

[@waidwml2166]

@Fries he has done one for the Tigers Wings and Lions

[@griffyboi7079]

The only good news is we are now finally emerging from the darkness in the sports that all collapsed. The Wings are a year or two away from making the playoffs, Tigers have some very exciting young players we'll (hopefully) see this year, and the Pistons have Cade. We're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel

[@mohammedkhaleel7542]

They need to do the lions next…a full deep dive from 1957 on …

[@Gitfiddle]

As Detroiter those years were interesting. The games were usually well in hand. Then the relievers would go in and it was a crap shoot from game to game. Everyone was nervous because we knew we didn’t have a deep dugout and when bats go quiet in October we were all collectively holding our breath.

[@csnide6702]

we also had AUSMUS - who couldn't manage a Dairy Queen.

[@csnide6702]

@DEZZNUTZ 1001 true that

[@Ofallthings089]

David Ortiz’s grand slam could warrant a Rewinder itself. Also, why didn’t you mention that in addition to all those pitchers, Dave Dombrowski went to the Red Sox and won a World Series with them?

[@SmoothCriminal12]

With a bunch of former Tigers on the roster (Price, Porcello, JD, Kinsler).

[@joelrichardson8674]

I will never forgive Benoit for giving up the grand slam to big papi

[@jack90054]

@@SmoothCriminal12 AND Porcello went on to win a goddamn Cy Young, giving that 2014 starting rotation FOUR Cy Young award winners (Two of which, Verlander and Scherzer, will be shoe-in first ballot HoF guys)

[@bosoxfan131]

@@joelrichardson8674 blame Joe Buck, he literally said seconds before Papi hit it, that Ortiz had never homered off Benoit 🤣

[@wilbert3842]

As a depressed tigers fan who couldn’t watch this video til months after it released there’s a few things not mentioned in this video: There’s no denying the bullpen ruined the 2012-2014 teams but while the bullpen was bad, Ausmus’ managing was somehow worse. The beginning of Avilas tenure still had a high payroll and tons of all star talent derailed by an incompetent manager who was put in place because he was a former player meant the look good on TV, which obviously doesn’t work with a team full of talent and that lead to the rebuild more than the bullpen did. Secondly, pointing out the tigers drop by 100M dollars in payroll leaves out the fact that Cabrera was making nearly 1/3 of that roughly 70M payroll in the last few seasons. It’s one thing to lower payroll and rely on young talent, but Donbrowski traded away all the young talent to acquire a loaded roster. When they finally decided to rebuild not only were there no good players left in the minors but they prospects Avila traded for all flopped. Aside from Fulmer, who just got traded in 2022 for a 25 yo starter with a 7.17 ERA in AA, not one player panned out for all of the talent traded away in this video (multiple cy young winners, JD Martinez, etc) Speaking of the roster, Guys like Dixon Machado and Warwick suppold were decent roll players, but got paid league minimum on the worse team in the MLB. Both chose to play in Korea to make more money and have a chance to play meaningful baseball that could further their careers instead of losing 100+ games a year with no end in sight. The 2022 tigers finally spent money, not that Avila knows where to spend it. Chris Ilitch is fed up with the tigers, so they did sign or trade for respectable players in Baez, Meadows, and Rodriguez. While Baez has turned his season around after starting out hitting barely .150 and at least looks like a respectable player the later two big signing have been injured or sick 95% of the season, along with the entire young promising pitch staff being hurt. In some cruel joke the baseball gods smited all but Tarik Skubal, and the tigers have started 15 pitchers going all the way to the fifth starter in AA getting unexpected big league time that you probably remember (the player who Jomboy broke down how he was ripping pitches). With all this being said, there is a small chance the Tigers can send Cabrera out with a post season appearance. Turnbull, Mize, and Manning will be healthy with other young staters Skubal and Brieske, Erod could be back but that’s quality 6 MLB starters. The bullpen has quietly been top 5 in all of baseball, ironically, with an all star closer. Riley Greene looks like a bright young star, and since he and Victor Reyes became healthy the tigers have been playing just under .500 and are no longer on pace for the worst offense since integration. Factor in the better offense when healthy, a healthy starting rotation to being next season, a randomly top 5 bullpen, the AL central being laughably bad, and the chance for other young players to step up (Haase has been surprising in limited time, Torkelson can improve, Baddoo has value) there’s a chance 2023 could be the tigers year. While 2022 has gone wrong at every turn, there’s still hope. There’d be even more excited if Avila was exiled to a remote island like Napoleon so he can never ruin a baseball team ever again, but there is actually signs of improvement since Hinch arrived. If you read all of this thank you, hopefully it helps further illustrate just how sad the collapse of the tigers was. Also being a Detroit sports fan in the 2010s is laughably painful, the four major sports teams had a win percentage combined under .300 in 2019 with probably deserves its own video but not even the dorktown guys deserve to watch any of those games back

[@dogshxtgames3257]

cabrera won't make the postseason with this team lol, detroit will stay in sports poverty for another decade.

[@draheim90]

I had just started grad school and was driving back to Atlanta from Baton Rouge after visiting my gf for the weekend during that Game 2 of the Red Sox series. Listened to the game on the radio and have a pretty vivid memory of bring on top of the world thinking Detroit wad again World Series bound thanks to Scherzer’s start and having a 5-1 lead pretty late in the game. Then being absolutely gutted by the grand slam/loss yet still feeling like we were in good shape. Little did I know then that the 2013 ALDS would be their last playoff series win and 2014 the last playoff appearance for at least a decade.

[@limitless_pulls]

I feel like the rebuild has a clear ending currently. Probably in a year or two they will be good.

[@yankees2864]

I would hope. I don’t think you’ll be at the top because the White Sox are too good. The team you have to worry about beating is still the twins, I still think last year was a fluke for them.

[@CAPDude44]

They gotta cut miggy loose though

[@warlordofbritannia]

I agree; Avila has made mistakes with the rebuild but the results are finally starting to appear

[@limitless_pulls]

@@CAPDude44 he is playing through the rest of his contract and then retiring. He is still a average batter. You don't just cut the guy who gave so much to the tigers franchise.

[@noahb2804]

@@yankees2864 white sox are overrated

[@chrisodonnell4650]

As a tigers fan & beer vendor from 11-14 those tigers teams were so incredibly fun to watch. A healthy Vmart was a game changer in the line up but once that 2012 season was over most knowledgable fans knew it was over. We had already sold out the minor league and had nothing in the bullpen other than porcello. What a heart break of an era.

[@TheJ7103]

It’s nice to know that Cabrera stayed with us all this time, despite all of our problems, he is loyal, and I hope he can continue his batting strength into his last few seasons

[@felix200601]

I don’t think loyalty plays much here. He’s paid like MVP but closer to LVP

[@stevenwoods5787]

he didnt have much of a choice in the matter

[@angrygrandpa2.08]

He's done after this year, shouldn't even be in the majors at this point. it's sad to see one of the best hitters turn into LVP.

[@WinWin-cv5us]

Just look up his contract

[@TecMatt]

That 2013 ALCS loss hurts more than the World Series from the year before. The Ortiz grand slam, complete with the shot of the cop celebrating while Hunter falls over the wall, and letting the Red Sox feel like a team of destiny, letting the city of Boston win another championship. That Tigers team would've beaten the Cardinals in the World Series

[@bosoxfan131]

As a Sox fan I though the Tigers were a better team, but I'll never forget that feeling after Ortiz grand slam, team of destiny for sure.

[@agmapleleaf93]

Beat the red sox FIRST before you write off the cardinals !

[@eamonkelley3811]

As a Red Sox fan game 3 of that series. 1-0 pitching duel between Lackey and Verlander was my favorite game of that series. Sox were playing with house money and were able to get it done.

[@roygoodhand1301]

That "team of destiny" thing is what has made me a Yankees fan.

[@MikeJr9284]

Wait, the Tigers clinched the AL pennant a decade ago. Man, time flies.

[@BrandonToy]

Ain’t that the truth. Remember when they swept the Yankees at home and the dugout girls got out the brooms and started dancing to Don’t Stop Believing? What a great night.

[@AlejandroRamirez-rx1py]

Man, this rips open the wound that was left by the sweep at the 2012 WS. And, then, the fallout afterwards. Nice video.

[@gomer921]

It's been a long past few years but the future looks bright for the Tigers. Actually excited for their season for the first time in quite some time. Just hope the lockdown doesn't drag on too long.

[@marsgordeuk]

Who’s here after Tigers are now POSTSEASON BOUND?????!!!!!! Go Tigers!!!

[@Karmy.]

The wait for a winner to be decided in the 2012 NLCS really killed their momentum imo

[@harbour08]

Yeah it was some record going around at that time that said teams usually win the world series if they go 7 games in the NLCS/ALCS when their world series opponent swept their opponent

[@ripulisipulit]

Thanks!

[@belacickekl7579]

Ouch. As a Tigers fan, I still remember cheering for them as a juggernaut favored to win the WS. I think they're approaching contention this year since they signed one of the best short stops in the league, and they have a lot of really good pieces coming up through the system.

[@kpro9560]

Another Tigers fan here. Yes their future looks great, but as of now, they still haven't addressed the Bullpen. My God, you would think that they would've learned by now. This is a great example of the need for a reliable BP

[@belacickekl7579]

@@kpro9560 It's tough to draft for a bullpen, honestly. Their bp was pretty good last year, though, and I think a lot of it comes down to pitching coaching and scouting younger, reliable arms.

[@angrygrandpa2.08]

Baez really isn't that good due to his strikeout ratio. That's a big downside. They did nab chaffin & added pineda, yanks fan here but seems the tigers added more than us.

[@csnide6702]

and still have a lousy manager.

[@kpro9560]

@@angrygrandpa2.08 Yes they went out and got Chaffin (who is yet to pitch due to injury) and Pineda ( who started one game, and looks pretty good). But the Yankees have Chapman. The Tigers need a "shut down" Closer like him in their BP. Wow you guys have good one in Chapman.

[@Twitchems]

This team was special man. 2011-2013 was the most amazing and most heart breaking. I miss Mr. I. He wasn't perfect, no one is. But he cared about the teams and wanted them to win more than most owners.

[@Copit89]

I'll always have the memory of watching the 2012 ALDS from the fences at Comerica and watching the Yankees crumble. That was great for me.

[@wugglebee9522]

I always enjoy Seth's scripts and voice over. Top work as usual

[@coruscant100]

Ideas for future Collapse videos: How the Seattle Seahawks went from the Legion of Boom to the Legion of Gloom How the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl team imploded instantly afterward How the Denver Broncos went from an AFC powerhouse to an endless cycle of rebuilding How the Houston Rockets went from an NBA West contender to one of the worst teams in the NBA How the Buffalo Bills (90s) went from Super Bowl contenders to years of depression and heartbreak

[@nolankane6704]

The video I've been waiting for for years 🥲🥲 many tears shed over these squads

[@GuruFromEHRPG]

Urinatingtree did a great video on the tigers The fact that this team didn't win a world series is just insane. The pitching was brilliant, the hitting was insane. They just never had the bullpen X_X

[@mrpopsful]

I was so.confident in the 2014 roster at the start of the season, but for how the world series turned out and compared to how weak both the royals and giants rosters seemed, it was so heartbreaking

[@tmoore4075]

"That's quite a successful season with quite a painful conclusion." That sums up the Tigers during that window.

[@deankowalewsky1712]

You have no idea how long tigers fans have been Waiting for a video like this. Thankyou

[@GoombaGuy1996]

What's even crazier, is that Detroit had five current and future Cy Young winners on the team at one point (Porcello, Price, Ray, Scherzer, Verlander).

[@BrianGarcia711NY]

That Porcello CY was an absolute joke though, just a throwback to the days of handing it to the starter with the most wins.

[@MazeDaGr8]

And funny enough all of those guys would end up winning World Series with other teams

[@GoombaGuy1996]

@@MazeDaGr8 the 2010's Detroit Tigers have to be on of the biggest missed opportunities in recent sports history.

[@SmoothCriminal12]

@@BrianGarcia711NY as a red Sox fan, I agree.

[@jimcoleman598]

@@BrianGarcia711NY Exactly, Porcello averaged 6.8 runs support per game he pitched in 2016 with the Red Sox, Verlander 3.2 runs per game with Detroit. What a Cy Young ripoff! Porcello was ok in 2009, but basically sucked 2010-2014! Career 4.40 ERA - Horseshit!

[@charliep123]

10 years give or take later the number of these guys that are not only still active but still good is insane.

[@mpaulm]

One of the best starting rotations of all time.👌

[@jwanie366]

I noticed that after the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series, they temporarily fell into a huge slump that felt like it would take years to get out of. I don't think it was coincidence that Dave Dombrowski was their head of baseball operations during that time. Fortunately for Boston, they rebounded a lot quicker than many people predicted, and I'd say it's mainly thanks to Chaim Bloom replacing Dombrowski in 2020

[@roljamas]

That 2014 year in particular was wild, because the AL was wide open. They owned the Royals that year (13-6 vs KC in 2014), and if they would have gotten past Baltimore, they would have gone to the World Series.

[@vinceniederman]

As a Phillies Fan I Remember That Year For The AL!

[@UniformPoet2303]

2021 gave many of us Tigers fans a new hope, as we had 4 winning months (and finished overall far better than from 2017 to 2020), new capable management, a roster chock full of young, incredible talent, and the fact that some of our best minor league players will play in the big leagues this season. With that said, it is safe to say that things are looking up as bright as 10 years ago, and that I am confident that my Tigers will be playoff contenders hopefully this year and will finally win it all soon enough.

[@carsonkahla9162]

Weird to end it like that when they signed two big name free agents(Javy Baez and E-Rod) this off-season after their young core showed progress.

[@nicksheehan8777]

This video brought back so many emotional flashbacks having lived out this entire drama over years… It covers a lot of the lows but there were also a lot of highs in those years. There were big disappointments, but honestly it was still a great time to be a Tigers fan. I could probably still name the entire rosters from 2010-2015. Looking forward to another team like that one day.

[@OUOSHAsianSensation]

What’s more heartbreaking is the number of former Tigers that have gone on to win a World Series with different teams

[@EdSmith313]

Heartbreaking AND infuriating.

[@MDogman5]

I'm happy to see this comment lol I think about this all the time that whole rotation has rings now!!!

[@mhskingtanner6310]

The only thing more depressing is how the owner never got what he dreamed of. Ilitch even did everything he was supposed to. He was hands off, let his executives make moves, and unlike some owners, he wasn't a cheapskate. In a sport with no salary cap, he told his front office to spend all the money needed to make a championship contender. Unfortunately, despite that, he never saw his dream come true.

[@unclechesterthepester787]

Austin Jackson getting traded was some of the most heartbreaking things I’ve experienced as a Tigers fan (besides the 06& 12 WS lol). I still have that #14 jersey, although it don’t fit me anymore. Ajax was suppose to be a tiger for life😢. Him and Miggy were my favorite players growing up.

[@MyTeamsKeepLettingMeDown]

It is absolutely insane to me that the entire starting pitching staff have ALL won a World Series since leaving Detroit

[@arizonawrestlinginterviews1040]

This was an awesome Collapse! Keep it up Secret Base!

[@weightsandreptiles7932]

Man, watching this broke my heart. Still can’t believe the Tigers didn’t get at least 1 WS title out of those teams. It’s been dark days with all of our Detroit teams ever since really

[@jamesrobertsonrobertson5690]

Same here!!

[@samsellon6304]

October of 2012 was an amazing time to be in Windsor, Ontario. We thought it would be a sinch. Thanks for breaking my heart all over again!

[@hostiletoxictomdowneyburne6469]

As an Orioles fan, it's honor to be on a collapse video and not be the victim 🥲

[@Doggzilla29]

I second this!

[@joesakic91]

One decision and one pitch in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game decided the fate of the Buck Showalter era Baltimore Orioles.

[@hostiletoxictomdowneyburne6469]

@@joesakic91 brutal decision that made 0 sense

[@AlligatorArms]

It’s worth mentioning that in that 2012 series with the Yankees, Derek Jeter’s knee gave out in extra innings of game 1. A game that had no business being in extra innings but Jose Valverde blew like a 70-run lead and then Drew Smyly pulled an absolute Houdini act to keep the game tied. But Jeter was lost for the rest of the postseason and most of 2013. The Yankees’ season long musical chairs project of replacement level shortstops left them a non-factor in the AL East, and that’s how Boston was able to come out of there to begin with. The Tigers had no trouble at all getting past the Yankees in the postseason throughout their entire era of contention. Perhaps they needed them to remain in the picture.

[@M_11_m41n]

Future Collapse episodes: 1998-99 Dallas Stars 2005-06 San Diego Chargers 1988-89/2003-04 Calgary Flames 1987-88/2005-06 Edmonton Oilers 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes 1993-94 Houston Oilers 2011-12 New Jersey Devils 1993-94/2010-11 Vancouver Canucks 1991-92 Washington Redskins 1990-91 New York Giants 2005 White Sox and Astros 1993-94 New York Rangers 2011 Texas Rangers 2014 Orioles 2015 Royals and Mets 1990 Reds 1993/2016 Blue Jays 1999 Jaguars, Titans 90s Bills 2000-01 Milwaukee Bucks 1995-96 Supersonics 2008-09/2015-16 Arizona Cardinals 2015-16 Broncos 2005-06/2014-15 Colts 2005-06/2018-19 Bears 2013-14 Spurs 2003-04 Arsenal FC

[@Corninthesky]

The 50’s Lions lol

[@M_11_m41n]

@@Corninthesky I would actually go to 1991-92 for a Lion Collapse episode.

[@Spiral87]

Spurs collapse is nowhere near Arsenal’s lol, you usually have to actually achieve something for the collapse to be damning

[@M_11_m41n]

@@Spiral87 2003-04 became the first team since 1988-89 Preston North End to win the Premier League Championship as an undefeated team. And they were a really good, consistent team; until, Stan Kroenke came around to start using the team as a cash cow for the Rams and paying off personal debt.

[@ivaneurope]

@@Spiral87 He means the more successful Spurs - the San Antonio Spurs.

[@acetrainerjlowe]

These videos bring back so many memories. Keep up the work!!

[@Poisonjam7]

Absolutely insane they had Verlander AND Scherzer on the SAME TEAM, and still couldn’t win the big one. 🤯

[@cody6am]

I was at Game 4 of the 2012 ALCS when the Tigers finished the sweep of the Yankees. What came next just didn't seem possible. I bought the Tigers ALCS Championship t-shirt after they lost the WS and I still wear it proudly to this day.

[@jimjuly6074]

As a Nationals fan Id love to see the rise and fall of the 2019 Nationals

[@Electronic424]

Nobody talks about teams that collapse right after they've won it all, it's quite normal. Excitement drops and the owners are trying to build for an economical future within their budget.

[@seanb2596]

Yes! I love this series! Please keep making episodes!

[@lonewolfx499]

Looking back at our 2010's history, we have had a long list of brilliant talent that we weren't able to keep. Once we dug ourselves into a hole, we haven't gotten anything done. Injuries upon injuries yield no success.

[@ryangale3757]

Back throughout that whole timespan when the Tigers were dang good (so 2011-2014), my two best friends were both Tigers fans and so I mercilessly rooted against Detroit just to mess with them. Now though, I kinda wish they HAD won that World Series in 2012 (or preferably beaten the Sox in 2013), if for no other reason than to give Miggy and Mr. I that World Series championship they came so close to and tried so hard to get.

[@ryanc4209]

Best game I’ve ever been to was game 2 of the 2014 ALDS. The former Tiger Deleon Young’s double was the loudest moment of my life.

[@warlordofbritannia]

“Former Tiger Delmon Young” is such a blursed phrase lmao

[@noahkessler5500]

I’ve always been a sox fan and being from pittsburgh I’ve liked the pirates too but man the early 2010s tigers were so fun to watch. Miggy is still one of my favorite baseball players of all team and that batting lineup/rotation was crazy I can’t believe they didn’t win

[@erics.czernecki7333]

To be fair, the Braves had plenty of reasons to win besides beating the Tigers that day in 2016. That was also their last game at Turner Field, and after the game, the plates were dug up from each of the bases and moved to their new stadium. TF's still around- it's just now a college football stadium for Georgia State.

[@erics.czernecki7333]

Hell, it STARTED OFF repurposed. It was originally built for track-and-field events during the '96 Olympics as Centennial Olympic Stadium. Atlanta wouldn't really need one after that, the Braves wanted to replace Fulton County Stadium, it was basically 2 birds 1 stone. They're also planning to build a new baseball stadium there, too, in their current parking lot, where the field of AFCS used to be.

[@fraserbuchanan1083]

I'm a Detroit Tigers fan. My entire family has been fans of the Detroit Tigers for decades. I was in the stadium when Magglio hit the walk-off homer to send the Tigers to what Secret Base has called "the Worst World Series Ever". In spite of this, I keep forgetting that the 2012 World Series happened and can remember absolutely nothing from it. I'm not the only one in my family either. It's weird.

[@trush0t1]

As a Giants fan I like this story. =)

[@fallen4life080]

As a White Sox fan that follows other AL Central teams closely I immediately knew he was going to talk about the 2012 Tigers and the lack of a bullpen. That was always their achilles heel. When they failed to add BP help in 2014 I figured well maybe theyll get lucky...but valverde kept blowing saves. When the 2014 season started and they STILL hadnt added BP help I knew their window was about to close.

[@chriskauffman9901]

All while the Tigers’ bullpen routinely blew up, a team within their own division went on a WS run that netted them a trophy on 2015 built mainly on the backs on their dominate bullpen. Must’ve been hell for Tigers fans. Also Forever Royal!

[@jmdcomplexity1034]

Grew up watching every possible Tigers game i could. My life at that young age basically revolved around the Tigers. That RedSox series was truly unbearable. I love the Tigers, always will, but 2 world series losses, the waste of incredible talent across the lineup, the absolutely unreal starting rotation, all led up to one of the biggest sports disappointments of my life up to that point. Being apart of the Tigers fanbase at that time was soooo goddamn fun i cant put it into words. Going to these games were some of the most enjoyable sports memories i have. We were given everything, except a championship. Doesnt help that the Lions are well - the Lions, RedWings after 25 seasons fell into rebuild, & the Pistons have given us little to be proud of since The Going To Work - Pistons. The city of Detroit is starving for a championship.. one day man, one day.

[@marclaporte3710]

They have a plethora of talented young players now. Look out for the Motor City Bengals going forward. However, their " create a team video game roster " of 2011-16 was unbeatable on paper. But not a balanced team. They had holes. defense, speed and bullpen. You need all three of those to win in October.

[@AB-ph5yf]

100%

[@ATFprdepartment]

I remember being younger and associating the name Joe Nathan with the phrase “oh god please no” It was hard growing up a Tigers fan when all you had to show for it was broken dreams and a team that was a shadow of what it could’ve been

[@joejudge1193]

As a Mets fan, I miss that team. Very fun to watch. But it all led to us getting Max Scherzer, so it’s all good in the end

[@jok3r906]

SRS sent me. Two video's about the same team on the same day... I like it, and... Well I'm a new subscriber

[@phoodiegames]

*Collapse:* - Arizona Diamondbacks (post-2001) - Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (post-2002) - Colorado Avalanche (post-2001) - Los Angeles Kings (post-2014) - New Jersey Devils (post-2003) - Texas Rangers (post-2011) *Beef History:* - Battle of Ontario - Battle of Alberta - Battle of California *Rewinder:* - Patrick Kane’s 2010 Cup-winning goal - Frenzy on Figueroa (Kings-Red Wings 2001) - Paul Kariya’s goal (2003 SCF) *Untitled:* - Daniel Alfredsson - Patrick Marleau - Sedin twins

[@M_11_m41n]

As a Diamondbacks fan, we don't talk about 2007. The wound is still fresh. #FuckTheRockiesAndAvalanche

[@warlordofbritannia]

The D-Backs were always going to collapse, they went all-win on 2001 The Angels didn’t really collapse, they just kinda tapered off, especially after Scioscia retired Same thing kinda happened with the Rangers, the team just aged and declined gradually

[@JWex-jy7sk]

@@M_11_m41n Now that team was fun to watch! Brandon Webb, Orlando Hudson, Mark Reynolds, Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Chris Synder, Justin Upton, Micah Owings. Had solid veterans like Eric Byrnes, Tony Clark, Livan Hernandez, Doug Davis. Augie Ojeda was decent, but man losing O-Dog’s in the lineup was a terrible blow come the postseason.

[@brucedillon8358]

Future Untitled Chris Paul Miggy Trout Shohei Westbrook Carmelo Anthony

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@JWex-jy7sk So much young talent, it’s remarkable how few of those guys panned out: Webb’s career ended in a sudden injury, Connor Jackson failed to develop, Chris Young never became more than a raw talent…the best were somehow Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew and Justin Upton-or rather, Adam Dunn-lite, Stephen Drew, and the living embodiment of being blue balled

[@gavinwarner3480]

As a Tigers fan I know our run to the ALDS (and maybe farther????) this year wasn’t expected at all, but it’s hard not to think we’re kind of back. Hinch and the young guys are changing the culture, which (as we saw with the Lions) is almost as important as the players themselves. I hope ownership follows the success and makes some big moves to turn the team into contenders again, preferably with a ring this time. I grew up watching the Tigers when they were good, but got used to the 90-loss seasons way too quickly, so even if completely unanticipated it’s just great to see the team have some success.

[@UbiqMan]

The Tigers had no reason to have a high payroll in 2019-2021. They have started to pay free agents this year, as expected, as they end their rebuild. Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez coming in with their young pitching staff and elite prospects could lead to a very good team.

[@buchaneb]

Good luck with Javy Baez. Flip flops from an mvp candidate to a replacement level player at any given moment.

[@angrygrandpa2.08]

@@buchaneb had the most strikeouts in the NL not worth the price of admission.

[@LukeBCtown]

As a tribe fan this was one of the best rivalries I've seen in the AL Central. Miggy literally was in the entire city's head back then. Yeah we hated them all but boy did i respect them

[@jacobboaden2213]

Dave committed the greatest sin in Mike’s eyes - he told him the truth. Detroit was clinging to hope but by then it was too late.

[@LEEBY_YT]

As a Redsox fan I still can’t believe we got past them in 2013. Fenway magic was the only thing that got us by!

[@stevey297]

💪🏽😁

[@alecosfan]

Lets Go Orioles! That sweep was one of the best moments of my Baltimore sports fandom.

[@Passinoutsticks]

This was a great video to walk down memory lane to. The World Series in 06 hurt just as much as the one in 2012. Tigers only won one game out of both series which still hurts to this day. Only thing that bothers me about the video is not much was said about the Tigers today. Whilst being over $100 million under the cap from where we were 10 years ago it would have been nice to hear about our amazing prospects and the moves the tigers made at low cost, which could very well put them back into contention by the end of this year… that’s right, I said it. Tigers finished 74-87 in 2015 with contracts the likes of Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez, Victor Martinez, David Price, Rajai Davis, Justin Verlander, Miggy, and company. Tigers finished in 2021 with a record of 77-85 and boasted their second best season since 2016 when they went 86-75. They managed to do this with the stellar rebuilding of a completely depleted farm system that ranked worst in the league for a number of years. Now you have Javier Baez and E-Rod coming in to back a young squad of Casey Mize, Akil Badoo, Spencer Torkelson, Eric Haas, Jackson Jobe, and Riley Riley Greene. Not to mention you still have Jonathan Schoop, Miggy, and AJ Hinch at the helm. With still plenty more young prospects with high upside still to come. With the right pieces, anything can happen. In my opinion this video is potentially just the beginning and middle of the story. The rest of it will get written within the next few years… at least I hope!

[@deathboy126]

Some more collapse video ideas 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers 2008 Arizona Cardinals 2015 Denver Broncos 2014 San Antonio Spurs

[@M_11_m41n]

I would actually go 2015 for the Arizona Cardinals.

[@marky4291]

Happy Days as a Tigers fan. Shows how much success is tied into an owners interest in winning (spending) or losing. They haven't lost this fan but idk when a meaningful game will be played in Detroit again... It's been awhile.

[@rjtavares1480]

As a Red Sox fan, watching Big Papi and the Flying Hawaiian grand slams in the ALCS are 2 memories that will last a long time

[@angc214]

My wife and I were a house divided in 2012. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area so I love the Giants. I moved to Detroit when I was in high school and live there now. My wife (God rest her soul) was a huge Tigers fan. I loved the Tigers except when they played the Giants. Such happy gloating over that World Series.

[@ThatOneGuyEef]

This tigers team was good back when life was simple

[@crush4063]

Being a Detroit fan you brought back happy yet terrible memories

[@naswii4360]

I’ve been waiting for a while for a new collapse episode and I love seeing a new one. Here’s potential ideas for new ones after this one 2011 Texas Rangers 1995 Cleveland Indians 2015 Kansas City Royals 2014 New York Rangers

[@thejmc4074]

The Indians went to the WS two years later and didn’t fall off for a few years

[@naswii4360]

@@thejmc4074 well, it takes time for a collapse to really take off sometimes. It would be very similar to the one on here about the OKC Thunder probably, where it took a few years for the collapse to really happen

[@itsallenwow]

I feel like okc was a lot more sudden than and easy than anything in baseball. You lose Kevin Durant and your chances are done

[@SomeSportsFan37]

These collapse videos are easily my favorite on the channel, just wish they were more common. I would love to see a Mariners collapse video, but not from 2001, but from 2014. We never made the playoffs, but in '14, '16, and '18, it was right there, then we traded it all away after 2018. Would love that for a video, despite the pain.

[@BallCDO]

Y'all back on track finally

[@SomeSportsFan37]

@@BallCDO been waiting my whole life for it

[@BallCDO]

@@SomeSportsFan37 ima Braves fan. Be patient. It will be worth it at the end

[@SomeSportsFan37]

@@BallCDO well the Rangers and Astros won't stop spending so I'm a bit worried lol

[@AndrooTheNerd]

I was wondering when someone would cover this team.

[@johnbauer7658]

The urinatingtree video was pretty good too

[@williampilling6576]

I've been waiting for a video on this team! Such a shame this team never got a title.

[@Anno023]

So we have collapses on The Red Wings The Pistons The Tigers see the Lions are playing the smart game, cant have a collapse if you never had a good team

[@alexjones3511]

They were fairly competitive in the 90s. Made the NFC championship in 91-92 season but got blown out.

[@jerryjanik480]

This was such a great team I remember going to a game in Cleveland with my father see them that year was my nephew got to meet Justin Verlander and it was amazing

[@alexjones3511]

Dave Dombrowski destroying the Tigers’ farm system and trading away Fister, Cespedes and Price hurt this team more than anything. His habit for destroying farm systems is what got him fired in Boston.

[@MazeDaGr8]

At least he got Boston a world series though

[@ezio_Winchester]

The prospects he got rid of never really accomplished much . Is there anyone in particular you are referring to?

[@alexwei2573]

In retrospect, what a stacked Tigers team that was.

[@uncreative5766]

Even in the moment, that team was loaded.

[@aXbyers]

Hey, thanks for the stroll down memory lane. We all screamed about the bullpen since Todd Jones was closing and they never get just get it on track. Sad.

[@macnsteez3938]

There's now a Collapse episode for every Detroit sports team except the Lions and they are not exactly successful.. not to mention the city itself has had economic collapse to deal with too 🤦‍♂️ poor Detroit

[@jlaw7670]

Regarding the Lions... "collapse" implies that it was once good. So you're going to have to wait a while for that episode, I'm afraid.