HOUSTON -- The beer and champagne were still flowing in the Tigers¡¯ clubhouse, the celebration of the team¡¯s first postseason berth in a decade, when manager A.J. Hinch allowed himself to get introspective about what this meant for him.
¡°When I came here to Detroit, I didn't know if I was going to manage again,¡± he said Friday night. ¡°And so it means a lot to me to be the leader of this team and for an organization to take a chance on me, to put me back in this chair, and bring my experience and see the good that I've done before.
¡°I didn't plan on talking about it, but it matters a lot to me to see a team respond the way they have and get to October as a winner. It's about the players. It's about the work that they put in and the things that they're doing, and I have a tremendous coaching staff. But I'll be emotional in my own way, probably behind closed doors. I'll hide it from you guys of what getting back to October truly means to me.¡±
At that moment, the Tigers were positioned to face the Orioles as the American League¡¯s No. 2 Wild Card seed, with Kansas City lined up to visit the Astros. But the baseball gods couldn¡¯t have that.
Two days and two Tigers losses to the White Sox later, the man relishing his chance to manage in the playoffs again will do so against the team he managed to the playoffs before, a team led by several key players who blossomed under his watch.
¡°Baseball, I¡¯ll tell you, it¡¯s going to take you places,¡± Hinch said Sunday night, ¡°and sometimes it¡¯s going to take you places where you¡¯ve been.¡±
But with Hinch and the Astros, it¡¯s more complicated.
As Hinch talked Monday afternoon in the press conference room at Minute Maid Park, he was surrounded by reminders of the Astros¡¯ postseason glory. The room features dozens of photos of great Astros players and moments, several from postseasons past, including their World Series title in 2017. None feature Hinch, nor do the photos lining the hallways of the press box.
Yet the images remain fresh in the words and memories of players, coaches, officials and fans.
¡°He meant a lot to me,¡± Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said. ¡°I learned a lot from him, and we spent time together. He¡¯s a great manager, a great human being. We¡¯re happy for him, and we know we have to go out there and play hard against this team. They have a lot of talent.¡±
¡°He¡¯s a good friend,¡± said Astros manager Joe Espada, whom Hinch hired as a coach in 2018. ¡°We have spent a lot of time together. I¡¯ve learned a ton from A.J., but I think this series is about the Astros against the Tigers. They¡¯re playing really good baseball, and I¡¯m actually looking forward to a really good series.¡±
Hinch still makes his offseason home in Houston, and is often seen around town. When former Astros shortstop Carlos Correa first hit free agency three years ago, he and Hinch were spotted together at a popular local breakfast place.
Hinch has been cheered at Minute Maid Park whenever the Tigers have come to town. He got a tribute video and a standing ovation when he first led the Tigers into Minute Maid Park in 2021; he might have been slightly less popular after Detroit swept the series.
Those were the plucky Tigers, still reloading with young talent. Now, they¡¯ve arrived, and they stand in the Astros¡¯ path to another October run.
¡°If you really watch their games, they have matured a lot as a club,¡± Espada said. ¡°They¡¯re swinging the bats really well, making fewer mistakes than you saw with a younger club early in the season. And they¡¯re playing with a lot of energy. They¡¯re playing good baseball.¡±
In that sense, there¡¯s a comparison to Hinch¡¯s first postseason team in Houston in 2015, featuring a 20-year-old rookie in Correa, a 25-year-old George Springer in his first full Major League season, and a 25-year-old Altuve. That team won its winner-take-all Wild Card Game over the Yankees before losing to the eventual World Series champion Royals.
¡°I can see the parallels,¡± Hinch said. ¡°But I love this team. I love the energy that we bring and the matchup problems that we bring and some unique characteristics about the Detroit Tigers that make this a special run.¡±
The man leading the charge, and where he¡¯s leading them, is unique, even though Hinch doesn¡¯t want to be the center of attention.
¡°This is not about me,¡± he said. ¡°This is not about a redemption story. It's not about trying to prove anything. I just love leading a team. I love being in the position I'm in. I'm very fortunate, I'm very thankful the Tigers brought me here. And obviously, after a couple of tough seasons, here we are, and I'm proud.¡±