High N Tight Sunday!

🧨 FIRST PITCH — Motor City Meltdown

Happy Sunday!

I gotta say, I nearly spilled my coffee this morning — reading the AL Central standings. The Cleveland Guardians are now just a game out.

What the hell is happening in Detroit???

A week and a half ago, the Tigers were cruising with a 9-game cushion. Then the Guardians lit the afterburners, ripping off 10 straight. Meanwhile, Detroit coughed up 8 of 10. That comfy lead? Gone.

Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch called Saturday’s loss a “punch to the face.”

And with a massive series against Cleveland on deck, Detroit’s not coasting anymore — they’re fighting to keep the wheels from coming off.

And with the Guardians closing fast, October suddenly feels a lot less certain in Motown.

41 Years Later, A World Series Ring

Better late than never.

While today’s Tigers are spiraling, one former Tiger received some long awaited jewelry. Last week, former Tigers pitcher Randy O’Neal finally got the 1984 World Series ring he’d been waiting on for 41 years.

O’Neal was called up late in that magical season. He struck out Hall of Famer Robin Yount in his first start and helped the Tigers clinch the division.

He suited up for the postseason run, part of the bullpen. But when the rings were handed out, O’Neal’s name somehow got lost in the shuffle. No ring. No explanation.

To this day, nobody has a good answer.

Fast forward 41 years. The Tigers made it right. At age 65, O’Neal slipped on his long-overdue ring, joined by teammates Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish, and Dan Petry.

“Validation,” O’Neal said. “I earned it.”

A rookie who carried 1984 in his heart now has the hardware to show for it.

Fan Interference… AND a Home Run?

This one will make your head hurt.

Rays vs. Blue Jays. Brandon Lowe drives one to right, Nathan Lukes leaps at the wall… but a fan leans over the fence and snatches it. Clear interference, right?

The umps huddled, replay rolled. Verdict: fan interference.

Then came the twist: they still gave Lowe a home run.

Wait. What? It can’t be both. The Replay Center ruled it “would’ve been a homer anyway.”

Umpire Laz Díaz and his crew were roasted online:

“Laz Diaz making rules up on the go?? #BlueJays”

So which was it? Nobody — not even Laz — seems to know.

Watch the video

Ken vs. The Camera Guy

Fox Sports MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal stands all of 5-foot-4. Last week, after a Brewers walk-off win, he was on the field for the postgame interview when the Gatorade shower came flying.

Rosenthal bolted to safety — and instead steamrolled a Brewers cameraman.

Laid him out. Rosenthal froze, his look priceless as he stood over the fallen cameraman. Obviously an accident, and he apologized right after.

The clip? Brutal. Hilarious. Pure internet gold.

Watch the video

⚡️ Wonderboy

With Robert Redford’s passing this week, it feels right to revisit The Natural. Released in 1984, it gave us Roy Hobbs and his bat “Wonderboy,” carved from a lightning-struck tree.

The movie was a favorite in the Brannon household.

Five years later, in 1989, North Carolina high schooler Paul Brannon was given a gold lightning-bolt chain by his father. That spring, he smashed 20 home runs and carried his team to a state title.

Three decades later, his son Brooks — now a Red Sox prospect — received the same gold chain from his grandfather. Lightning struck again: Brooks belted 20 homers, tying his dad’s record.

Maybe it was genetics. Maybe it was grit. Or maybe — just maybe — Wonderboy’s spark jumped from the big screen into a family heirloom.

Lightning doesn’t strike twice? Tell that to the Brannons.

Two generations, two lightning bolts, one perfect symmetry. Redford would’ve loved it.