You know you stink when.....

You're the Detroit Tigers.

If it wasn't already obvious, now even the ever-politically correct pundits are piling on. No, they won't come right out and say it like yours truly just did, but it's clear enough.

Consider the playoff chase in the American League. Houston and Cleveland are locks. Barring a monumental collapse, so is Boston. The NY Yankees appear to have all but nailed down one of the wild card spots. Yet the Tigers were mentioned regarding the second, and final wild card spot.

No, they don't have a prayer, having been eliminated long ago. Did I mention they stink?

Yet the Motown puddy-tats have a role to play. It's called patsies, whipping boys, baseball's version of the Washington Generals -- like that.

The final playoff berth is currently occupied by the Minnesota Twins. But only a few games behind lurk the LA Angels, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Texas, KC, and Seattle. They're all still theoretically in the hunt should the Twins falter.

But the usual gang of idiots, excuse me, experts, have proclaimed the Twins will indeed capture the coveted post-season spot.

Why? Because of their remaining dozen games or so, seven of them are against, yup, you guess it, the lowly Tigers. It's like these games are walk-overs -- automatic Ws.

[BTW, in the opener, the Twins pummeled the Tigers 12-1.]

Detroit has gotten so bad as to be embarrassing. If thirty games under .500 (it might be 40 before the season is over) and apparently dead set on finishing last in the American League (if not the entire majors) isn't bad enough, consider what they've put on the field in recent times.

Of their starting pitchers, NONE has more wins than losses. When the bullpen inevitably is called into action after the starter has been rocked, things get even worse. It's little exaggeration to say they're throwing batting practice to the opposing teams.

They dumped their top pitcher for "prospects", and the other half-way decent one (though he was under .500 as well) is lost for the season with arm problems. Possibly of the Tommy John variety. If so, he'll likely be lost for next year as well.

Also shipped out were their three best hitters this year. More of the dreaded prospects came in return.

They have a couple aging players that were once very good, even excellent. Alas, they've zoomed onto the back sides of their bell curves of late. These guys are grossly overpaid and underperforming to the point where no other team will touch them, even without having to give any players or prospects in return. So the Tigers are stuck with them.

Manager Brad Ausmus, who once used to spit through his teeth every five seconds or so for no apparent reason, appears to be appalled to the point where his mouth has gone dry. Poor Brad knows he's gone after this season mercifully ends. But it doesn't matter who the Tigers bring in to replace him. Short of deity -- see miracles -- a mere mortal will be inheriting the same rag-tag bunch.

Add it all up and what do you have?

Not sure, but it ain't pretty, which brings me back to the title (and first sentence) of this post. See above.