The Journeyman Cometh
By Jack Jablin
When the cards are on the table is when the souls of men are tested.
In 2005, Kenny Rogers made all the wrong moves; a year in which he would go from creating controversy when he assaulted a camera crew at his then-home field in Arlington, to verbally accosting a reporter at the police station where he was being booked for the Arlington incident. During the 2005 season, Kenny seemed to make headlines every other day.
Rogers, then the left-handed ace for the Texas Rangers, had never been a true standout pitcher, but his defensive prowess and a few bright seasons (like his 16-8, 3.17 ERA season with Oakland in '98) gave fans hope that perhaps "The Gambler" would one day take a Texas team to a World Series.
Despite Rogers' best work as a Ranger in 2005 (a 14-8 season, 3.46 ERA and 87 K's), he would never move beyond the controversy, and he would eventually become a free agent in the following off-season. It was at this time that the Detroit Tigers began making waves.
The Tigers would upgrade their pitching staff monumentally; adding Kenny Rogers, Todd Jones and the young duo of Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya from their farm system. These men would become the central focus of Detroit's 2006 season, and controversy would take a backseat to the potential of a dynasty. Kenny Rogers may have continued to make headlines in 2006, but this time around it would be because of his talent, and not his anger.
At the age of 41, Kenny Rogers (and prospect Justin Verlander) would shock the world of baseball, pitching an April to be remembered. However, he would falter in May, and continue to be as steady as a knuckleball until August rolled around - it should be noted that even through his on-again off-again pitching, Kenny Rogers was the starting pitcher for the 2006 AL All-Star team.
In August, Kenny Rogers turned his season into overdrive; he threw 33 innings and posted an ERA of 1.64, one of the lowest in the league. Rogers would post an equally impressive September, racking up 12 K's in 382 innings, and posting a 3-1 record, with a 2.79 ERA. These months would be the defining stroke that placed Detroit into the 2006 playoffs.
However, let's disregard all of that nonsense. Now it is October, and as the Minnesota Twins have proven, the regular season means nothing once the playoffs begin. Kenny Rogers' comeback year (17-8, with a 3.84 ERA and 99 K's) has given Detroit fans quite a high standard for greatness, and Kenny Rogers, a 17-year veteran, stepped onto the mound on October 6th knowing that he would soon pitch the defining game of his career. Would Rogers fail, and lose his 8th straight decision to the Yankees (the team with which he won a World Series ring in 1996), and worsen his career postseason record to 0-4? Or would Kenny pitch the gem to once and for all prove that he belongs in his spot as the crown jewel of a Detroit team that hasn't had a reliable pitching staff since the days of Willie Hernandez? This night, this game, this one chance to turn the tides of the American League Division Series, was a night that truly gave validity to Kenny Rogers' moniker: The Gambler.
Kenny Rogers would enter Comerica Park on October 6th as "Kenny Rogers", and he would carry the weight of all the aforementioned controversy, the weight of a city's dreams and an array of poor ESPN jokes relating his name to the singing legend of the same name. Perhaps it ran through Kenny's mind, prior to the game, that he had stood on that very mound just one year ago - during the 2005 All-Star game - and was booed viciously by the Detroit fans who took exception to his controversial stunts in Texas. Perhaps it ran through Kenny's mind that a win tonight would solidify him as one of this era's greatest pitchers... Or perhaps all that ran through Kenny's mind was "clear the mechanism", because just like Detroit Ace Billy Chapel in "For The Love of the Game," Kenny Rogers pitched a game worthy of a high spot in baseball lore.
With six-runs of support behind him, Rogers would strike out 8 Yankee batters in his 7 2/3 innings of pitching, allowing only 7 baserunners and 3 extra-base hits. ""He was on a roll tonight. He moved the ball around and kept us off balance. You could see the fire at the end. He wanted to finish it himself." said Yankee skipper Joe Torre. "He's pitched a long time and there's a reason for it."
Despite facing the overwhelming odds of today's greatest modern offense, today's greatest coaching mind in Joe Torre, and today's potential MVP winner in Derek Jeter, Kenny Rogers made the Yankees look like children playing at the adult table, and he solidified himself as a playoff-caliber pitcher. Joel Zumaya would relief Kenny with 2 outs in the 8th, before zipping a 102 MPH fastball past Alex Rodriguez, and forcing him to pop out to right-center field. Todd Jones would come in, in the 9th and pitch a donut to end the game. As one of Rogers' biggest critics, I was proud to watch him mature as a pitcher this late in his career. Furthermore, while I have been very negative of Kenny's attitude, and I am very glad to see that he has turned his life around. He may not have completely redeemed himself just yet, but he is well on his way.
The Yankees are now down 2-games-to-1, with one more game in Detroit, and a potential Game 5 set in the Bronx. Will the Yankees survive the oncoming threat of Jeremy Bonderman? Or will the Detroit Tigers send Jaret Wright packing, and move on to their first ALCS since 1987? I assure you, I don't have the answer to that question. However, the momentum is unquestionably now with the Detroit Tigers.
Cheers,
Jack Jablin
