Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, coming off the golf course after a relaxing day Thursday, tried not to think about what was ahead, but the wave of emotions was already starting to hit him.
Not only for himself, but his players, the Tigers organization and the entire fanbase.
Tarik Skubal, who was traded away just 27 days ago, is coming back to Detroit.
Only this time, wearing a different uniform, as the enemy.
Skubal is pitching Friday night at Comerica Park for the first time since the Tigers waved the white flag Aug. 1, sending him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three of their prospects.
The man who was supposed to lead the Tigers to their first World Series title since 1984, now will be trying to be part of baseball history with the Dodgers
vying to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles.
“I wish it was next year," Hinch told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t really want to go through the emotions again. It kind of puts a pit in your stomach. It was just so public."
The Tigers weren’t planning to keep Skubal past this season, knowing that once he hit free agency, he could be in line for the richest pitching contract in baseball history, perhaps approaching $400 million.
Still, the idea was to keep him into October, with visions of a World Series parade.
Those plans were shredded the afternoon of July 29 when the Tigers, with Skubal on the mound, blew a 7-0 seventh-inning lead, and lost 10-9 in 12 innings to the Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers fell to 51-58, six games behind the Chicago White Sox, and that evening the Tigers front office decided to trade Skubal.
“That was one of the most devastating losses for all of us,’’ Hinch said.
Three days later, he was gone.
And now, Skubal is back.
“I think it’s really going to be emotional for him, and really weird," Hinch says, “facing a guy right after the trade deadline."
While the Tigers’ playoff hopes now are on life support – 62-71 and 9-12 since the trade – the Tigers still expect a huge crowd Friday..
Will the two-time Cy Young winner receive a rousing welcome as if he were still wearing the Old English “D" or will he hear a mixture of boos and cheers?
“I think he’ll get a welcoming ovation,’’ Hinch said. “What he did for this city, and for this fan base and organization merits a ton of respect.
“It’s just how soon he’s coming back that makes it a difficult topic for everybody."
Skubal, 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in his first four starts with the Dodgers, believes it could be the most emotional game of his career. This is the team that gave him a chance, drafting him in the ninth round of the 2018 Draft out of Seattle University.
They were the ones who helped develop him into the finest pitcher in baseball, winning back-to-back Cy Young awards. The Tigers meant everything to him.
He wasn’t sure what would happen this winter, with no talks about an extension in two years, but he never wanted to be traded. He wanted to stay the entire season. He and teammate Casey Mize, his closest friend, even bought a luxurious espresso machine for the clubhouse with plans to stick around.
Skubal and Mize left, and so did the espresso.
“He also took his fastball-changeup combo," Hinch said. “He took it all."
Skubal didn’t bring his espresso machine on the trip, but he is bringing back his talent, which will be on full display one last time this season at Comerica Park.
“I’m sure it will be emotional there just because of the history …” Skubal told reporters Wednesday. “The whole process was emotional. I’m telling you, man, I’m really close with all those guys. That environment over there, everyone was together always."
Now, he’ll be facing some of his closest friends, knowing that he can’t let emotions get in the way when he’s standing 60 feet, 6 inches away.
“At the end of the day,’’ he said, “I’ve got to go play baseball. I’ve got to compete and do what I do well, what makes me a good pitcher. I’ll probably handle the emotions after.’’
Skubal, who is organizing a team dinner for his new teammates Saturday in suburban Detroit, knows that the Dodgers uniform could be the last one he wears. He grew up a five-hour drive from Los Angeles in Kingman, Arizona, lives in the Phoenix area, and the Dodgers spend the most on players in baseball.
It’s the perfect match.
The Tigers fans realistically know he’s never coming back, but why not thank Skubal one last time? Why not give him an ovation that will let the Tigers ownership and front office know that he’d be embraced with no questions asked if they ever wanted to link up again?
“I think it’ll be a lot of gratitude, a lot of people that are cheering him on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday. “Obviously, this is something that was not his doing. He did a lot of good things for the city of Detroit. And his best friends are still on that ball club, self-admitted.
“I hope they do the festivities the night after we win on Friday so the emotion doesn’t get to him and he can just kind of enjoy the welcome back.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal’s emotional Detroit return gives Tigers pit in their stomach
