It's happening!

It's been a difficult month or so. You sit in amazement, but simply can't grasp the reality of what you're witnessing. Can it really be true? You tell yourself to calm down and check back in a few days. So you do just that and when you come back the butterflies begin to flutter a little more. It's almost as if you feel you're being jobbed by a used car salesman. It sounds and looks good, but where's the catch?

A couple more days pass and you begin to see what you originally feared. You say to yourself, well it was fun while it lasted and this was one of the longest stretches of pleasure in quite awhile. Time to move on with Summer.

But wait, it's back once again. This time it's a motor running full speed and the momentum is picking up at a rapid pace. There appears to be no slow down. Where you thought you were being fooled with success was just the opposite, it was the short period of failure that was the joke this time. Can it be right you ask yourself? Hard to tell since you have to conjure up childhood memories just to answer the question.

Slowly but surely you allow yourself to believe, similar to slow cooking ribs on the grill. You know they look so good, but patience is the key virtue. Pull to early and experience a major let down. But if cooked just right, the satisfaction is unmatched.

Right now, that's just where we stand. But something tells me its time to pull those babies and enjoy them. They appear for all intents and purposes to be ready!

Of course we're not really talking food right now. Nope, it's much better than that.

The Tigers are back. They stormed the Windy City this weekend with mobs of fans. Wrigley Field was turned into Comerica West. They bombed balls out of the ballpark all weekend and were rewarded with cheers from rabid fans who seemingly took over the ballpark.

Can this really be happening? Tiger fans roaming the streets of Chicago in masses. Conjuring up boisterous 'Let's go Tigers' chants that even the hometown fans couldn't drown out. Gaining such respect from Cubs fans saying no other team, aside from the Sox, has brought this much excitement and fans into Wrigley Field.

Yes, I must be dreaming but it's soon time for me to wake up. The Tigers are the best and hottest team in baseball and we are nearing July. Buckle in Motor City, we have a new team in town. Throw out the Hockey and Basketball Town slogans because Detroit is about to become a Baseball Town, again.

Baseball was always my favorite sport growing up. I still remember watching games with both grandpas. It was a ritual in our house to have George Kell and Al Kaline on each Sunday as we watched the Tigers on TV. And when the games were on at night, I'd sneak my transistor radio into my room and listen to Ernie Harwell. Times were great then.

Who could forget the 1984 or 1987 seasons? That '84 team will always be my favorite. It was the first of many Detroit sports championships that I experienced. But just the love of going outside and playing baseball with my friends while the Tigers tore up the league was special. The 'Bless You Boys' song used to give me chills as a kid. And, I'll never forgot my grandpa calling me after Larry Herndon staggered and caught the final out down the left field line and wishing me a 'Happy World Series'.

Those were the days, but we lost them many, many years ago. Finally they appear to be back. So much time has passed. I went from a boy, to a man, to a father. Yet, the love for the Tigers never left, it was simply buried in years of heartache. But now it's slowing beginning to blossom with hope.

In a few short years I'll be able to share my childhood experience with my son. Hopefully his goes much smoother.

The boys of summer have made a return appearance that nobody expected . After all these years they are finally back. Don't let it slip by. Enjoy it. Because we all know how fast it can be taken away from us.

DP