Hollywood star Jeff Daniels implores fans to return to Detroit Tigers: "You can jump off the bandwagon if you want, but this is a good time to get on"
The Detroit Tigers started the season slowly, as has become the norm in recent years, but Jeff Daniels can see this young team is special. Daniels, star of films like Dumb and Dumber, is a lifelong fan of the Tigers and has seen them rise and fall up the rankings. He grew up idolizing Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline, and even got to share a few moments with him.
Now, he sees something in this team that has him excited once again. The Tigers are likely to end the season with a losing record, but for the first time, they have something to cheer about. Players like Eduardo Rodriguez and Spencer Torkelson have been revelations, and could be cornerstone players. They haven't made the playoffs since 2014, but seem poised to turn that around in a few years.
Jeff Daniels, star of the simultaneously under and overrated show The Newsroom, joined the Tigers broadcast on Bally Sports Detroit.
"You can see that there's telent here now, we've got our own little murderers row in Green, Carpenter and Tork[elson]. If you just close your eyes, you can see to next year. You can jump off the bandwagon if you want, but this is a good time to get on, because I think there's talent here" - Jeff Daniels
Not since the days of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and, well still Miguel Cabrera, has there been this excitement around the Tigers. Daniels may be a actor, but he has seen more Detroit Tigers baseball than most, so his appraisal carries weight.
Jeff Daniels is right, the Detroit Tigers could be in playoff contention as soon as 2024
The Tigers came into this season with little to no expectations, and are playing well as of late. Almost more importantly, their young players are showing development and look like they could be stars. It can take a long time to rebuild in the modern MLB, but the Tigers seem to be approaching the end of that long road.
Spencer Torkelson has been one such player, leading the team in home runs in just his second major league season.
"The first home run of the day belongs to Spencer Torkelson!" - Fox Sports
Jeff Daniels, like all Detroit Tigers fans, must have loved their recent blowout victory over the New York Yankees. Both teams were playing for pride, and the Tigers never showed anything less than full effort. This is a great indication of the culture of the team being in the right place for years to come.