Live From Detroit...

The following words are from Ray Wert, associate editor with our homeboys Jalopnik. He likes Detroit, cars, and the Tigers... maybe even some combination of Eminem, Kid Rock, and Aretha Franklin. He was fortunate enough to be at the Tigers/A's game yesterday this photo gallery.

It was frickin' freezin' in Detroit last night. The in-stadium thermometer said it was 41 degrees, but we'd heard earlier in the day it was closer to 22 degrees with the wind chill. Those reports were all accurate, because it was cold in Comerica Park last night for Game 3 of the ALCS. Compounding the cold was the tv-courtin' decision by the folks with Major League Baseball to change the start time of the game from 8 PM to 4:30 PM — no less than 24 hours before the start of the game. Brilliant decision guys, let's start the game before the work day's even finished AND let's change up everyone's plans at the same time.

Although MLB claims it was due to "inclement weather conditions," we're not so sure what was less inclement about a 4:30 start time — it was still ass-numbingly cold. But whatevs, even with only 3/4 of the stadium filled — the energy was still electric in CoPa. And the fans were, too; electric and stupid. We saw more idiot frat-boys in body paint yesterday than ever before, again proving that age-old truism — the dumber it is, the more people will do it. But even frat-boy silliness couldn't keep us from enjoying the game, because the gambler was taking the mound today.

That's right, Kenny Rogers, continuing his quest to prove to the world that 8.5+ ERA in the playoffs prior to this year was a fluke, was going to be showing the world and the A's what heat a 41-year-old man's gonna be able to slide across home plate tonight. And you know what, the man didn't disappoint. Almost every time the man took the mound, the crowd began the Ke-nny, Ke-nny, Ke-nny chants (despite Drew Sharp thinking it was Ken-ny today in the Freep/Detroit News — he wasn't in the outfield, so what the hell does he know — he's putting the wrong emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble). Which, when you think about it is pretty amazing — considering this guy was the goat at last year's All-Star game here in Detroit because he took Jeremy Bonderman's spot on the AL team — but boy, we've embraced the man now. Forgive and forget, that's the Detroit way — unless you're the Colorado Avalanche, then you can go and fuck yourselves. But on a day and in a series where the A's two biggest guns, Frank "The Tank" Thomas and Nick Swisher "Sweets" are now looking at a combined 0-17 in this series, it's got to be the pitching. Anyway, here's the pictures of flora and fauna from Game 3.

Tigers ALCS Game 3 [Jalopnik] Jalopnik