I am a professional wrestling fan. Have been for almost my whole life. Over the weekend I watched a segment with a manager talking about his tag team and he said this line….
“When my guys are good, they are very good. But when my guys are bad, they’re VERRRRRY Bad.”
Immediately, I thought of the Tigers.
Now of course, the wrestling manager was referring to a good kind of bad.
There’s nothing good about the bad the Tigers have been.
This goes beyond a losing streak.
This goes beyond a slump.
This once again is the catastrophic collapse that we fan’s unfortunately have grown accustomed to.
The calendar has officially flipped to September, and the Tigers are limping into the final month of the season with a 63-74 record.
They are six games out of the final American League Wild Card spot.
They are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
This last week is the perfect snapshot of this 2026 campaign for the Tigers.
We’re close. There is hope.
Then there isn’t.
Then out pitching turns out.
Then our offense collapses.
Then a dramatic victory that gives us hope that maybe this season is still salvageable.
Then a brutal reminder that no it probably is not.
You know? I just realized. This season is like dealing with Grief.
So? Let’s break it down. (Lord, beer me the strength…)
STAGE ONE- Denial
Tuesday, August 25 — Tigers 4, Rays 1
It started innocently enough.
Detroit beat Tampa Bay 4-1 and snapped a six-game losing streak.
Max Clark hit his first home run in Comerica Park.
Kenley Jansen closed the door in a close game.
For a moment it looked like the Tiger’s could actually play some meaningful baseball in September.
And for one beautiful evening, Tigers fans were allowed to pretend that everything was going to be okay.
STAGE TWO-Anger
Wednesday, August 26 — Rays 3, Tigers 0
Twenty-Four Hours later, those hopes seem to have faded away.
Actually, scratch that.
They just up and left.
Zero runs.
Against Tampa Bay.
After scoring four runs the night before.
This is where denial gives way to anger.
Because Tigers fans have seen this movie before.
Every time this team appears ready to put together a little momentum, it immediately finds a way to slam the brakes.
You start asking questions.
Why can’t this offense score?
Why can’t they string together wins?
Why does every good performance seem to be followed by a complete disappearance?
And then you remember…
We’re Detroit Tigers fans.
STAGE THREE-Bargaining
Friday, August 28 — Dodgers 2, Tigers 1
Then in drama that even Hollywood could not write, Tarik Skubal came back.
Not in the orange and navy blue. But Dodgers Blue.
I heard a fan say they had hoped the Tigers would light Skubal up.
Some fans went in this series with the mindset of hopefully we will not get demolished by the best pitcher in baseball in the last 4 years.
You know. The guy we used to have on our team?
Now, he was wearing a Dodgers uniform.
That alone was enough to make Tigers fans question every decision that led to this point.
But then Skubal went out and pitched six innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven.
The Tigers lost 2-1.
Then the bargaining began.
“Okay, but if the Tigers had just gotten one more hit…”
“If they can keep pitching like this…”
“Maybe Riley Greene’s return will help.”
“Maybe this team can still make a run.”
“There’s still time.”
There is always a sentence that begins with “Maybe.”
That’s bargaining.
STAGE FOUR-Depress…
NOPE!
The Tigers won!
Kevin McGonigle delivered a walk-off hit.
Javier Báez scored.
The Dodgers lost.
Fans were happy. But again? Still bargaining.
Maybe the Dodgers series could be the turning point.
Maybe Detroit could beat good teams.
Maybe this team wasn’t dead after all.
STAGE FOUR-Depression
Ah there it is.
Sunday, August 30 — Dodgers 6, Tigers 1
Tyler Glasnow shut down the offense.
The Dodgers won the series.
Detroit scored one run.
And just like that, we were back where we started.
Hope had left the building.
Depression had returned.
And Monday was waiting.
STAGE FIVE-Acceptance
Monday, August 31 — Twins 11, Tigers 1
There are losses.
And then there are games that make you stare at the television for a few seconds after the final out (if you even made it that far into the game) and simply say:
“…Okay.”
That was Monday.
The Twins scored 11 runs.
The Tigers scored one.
Ryan Jeffers hit two home runs.
Kody Clemens hit another.
Walker Jenkins hit his first major league home run.
And eventually, the Tigers were so far behind that Zach McKinstry took the mound.
At that point, there was no anger left.
No bargaining.
No denial.
Just acceptance.
This is who we are right now.
The Tigers finished the week 2-5.
They are 63-74.
They have lost 10 of their last 12 games.
September has arrived.
And the playoff chase is looking more and more like a distant memory.
But? Have Tigers fans reached acceptance?
Not completely.
Riley Greene is on his way back. Let’s face it. This offense needs all the help it can get.
Clark, McGonigle, plenty of young talent still showing flashed of brilliance.
There are still enough games remaining for something completely ridiculous to happen.
And because we’re baseball fans, we’re contractually obligated to believe that something completely ridiculous could happen.
So maybe we’re not at acceptance after all.
Maybe we’re back at denial.
Because that’s what baseball does.
It gives you just enough hope to make you believe.
Then it takes it away.
Then it gives it back.
Then it hits you over the head with an 11-1 loss.
And somehow, the next morning, you still check the standings.
You still look at the schedule.
You still wonder when Riley Greene is coming back.
You still calculate how many games Detroit needs to win.
You still believe.
Because that’s what being a Tigers fan is.
It’s denial.
It’s anger.
It’s bargaining.
It’s depression.
It’s acceptance.
The Five Stages of Grief?
Or The Five Stages of being a Tigers fan?
Is there a difference?
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