Tigers Are Reaching Their Most Desperate Hour

After watching the Tigers, during stretches of their recent series with the still-hot Tampa Bay Devil Rays, it's becoming clearer that the clock is beginning to tick toward the end of Detroit's realistic chances of making the playoffs. Of course, the deal that shipped Pudge Rodriguez to the New York Yankees was not in fact a case of waving the proverbial white flag and call it a season. But, the deal does show that the franchise was a little late to the party in realizing the need for bullpen help was far more serious than originally thought. Kyle Farnsworth is a nice arm, but does anyone think he is the answer for what ails these Tigers? Perhaps if Detroit had acquired Farnsworth or someone of that caliber earlier in the season (when the team was off to its horrific start in the first couple of months) it might have meant a little more. Now, however, it's almost akin to putting a Bandaid on a gunshot wound. Detroit has made some progress in the season's second half, but it's reasonable to fear that the late surge is too little and too late. Chicago and Minnesota continue to stand atop the division and Detroit is struggling with those two teams as well as Cleveland within the division. The Tigers are running out of time to make a real push.