Detroit Tigers: Who is the Archrival? (POLL)
By Matt Pelc
Poll
There are intriguing cases for other rivals as well. The Toronto Blue Jays, for instance, were a huge rivalry for the Tigers in the 1980’s, with the high point of 1987 when the Tigers stormed back to steal the division. This once white-hot rivalry, however, has been dormant since the mid-1990’s.
Like the New York Yankees, fans of the Oakland Athletics must loathe the Tigers for putting them out of the postseason three times in the last decade, the last two of which have come in their own ballpark. The remnants of this rivalry stuck around until 2014 when people believed the Tigers and A’s were bound to meet in the ALCS that year. It wasn’t meant to be as the A’s slumped and lost in the wild-card game and the Tigers were swept in the ALDS. One would like to think that Rajai Davis’ grand slam helped to seal Oakland’s fate.
Finally, MLB has anointed the Pittsburgh Pirates as the natural interleague rival of the Tigers. Because the Pirates were so bad for so long, this led to much grumbling from Detroit fans. Games in recent years have been pretty tight, chippy, and entertaining. Although they only play four times per year, this is a rivalry that could be on the rise.
So now it is your turn! Who do you think is the Tigers’ archrival? If you don’t see your choice listed, vote “Other” and list your choice in the comments.
[Editor’s note: The poll embed isn’t cooperating right now, but you can visit this page to vote or simply write your choice in the comment section below.]