After defeating Kansas City Royals 6-3, the celebrations started in the Detroit Tigers camp, with the win giving them the AL Central title. The Tigers had been waiting for this title since 1934-35, when they had won it for the first time.
The Tigers chose Fre Brut, an alcohol removed wine, for their post-match celebrations. All this was in deference to Miguel Cabrera; who had to face quite a few problems recently for alcohol abuse.
"We wanted to win this game," Miguel Cabrera said. "That was our goal, to win this one. We did it."
Cabrera had four hits which included a solo homer during a five-run sixth inning.
"It feels really good. I mean, it wasn't easy, but we got it done," Prince Fielder added.
Detroit (87-73), who have the most unimpressive record among AL division champions, will start the playoffs on Saturday against the division winner with the second-best mark at home.
But the Tigers don't bother much about teams and venues. They're just happy about making it to the playoffs.
Jim Leyland, the Tigers' manager said: "It was a rocky road, it was a tough season, but in this business, you have to be able to take some hits. This isn't a place for the faint-hearted. Hell, we took a lot of punches, a lot of them justified, some of them maybe not. But hey, we can take a punch."
The Royals manager Ned Yost was all praises for the Tigers and said: "You've got to take your hat off to them. They're the champs. They've got the starting pitching, the power, a great bullpen. They've got a chance to go deep."
Anibal Sanchez, right-hander, has displayed some terrific performances down the stretch, while Fielder and Austin Jackson are also making significant contributions. Even the sloppy fielding that was a cause for concern has improved greatly.
Mike Ilitch, who has spent a lot chasing their first World Series title since 1984, said: "You get that kind of momentum; usually it ends up very well. I wasn't nervous about it at all. We didn't fall apart. We just had the bottom part of the batting order that wasn't contributing, and at the end, we got a little bit out of them."
Out of their last eight games, Detroit has won seven to win the AL Central title. It included five consecutive wins against the Royals who have lost eight of their last nine games.
David Dombrowski, CEO, and general manager of the Detroit Tigers, said about Cabrera: "He's a once-in-a-lifetime player. I talked to him and he said, 'The Triple Crown is important, but it's not the most important thing. I want to win a championship'."
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