Prince Fielder: It's Not Really Tough For Me, It's Over [VIDEO]
By: Jeff Riger
@riger1984
With the 2013 ALCS over and the Tigers having lost in 6 games, fans will no doubt have their thoughts and theories as to why Detroit is not heading back to the World Series.
People will blame Jose Veras for giving up a grand slam to Shane Victorino on an 0-2 hanger.
People will blame Jose Iglesias for committing an error in the bottom of the 7th inning that loaded the bases instead of turning a potential double play that would have allowed Detroit to move to the 8th with a 2-1 lead.
And, of course people will blame Prince Fielder!
Fielder has taken heat all of the playoffs and for good reason. He failed to produce a home run or even a RBI in 11 playoff games this season and to make matters worse he was thrown out on a bad base running play in the 6th inning. The Tigers had just taken the lead over the Red Sox on a Victor Martinez 2 RBI single when Jhonny Peralta hit a routine ball to 2nd base. Martinez was tagged out by Dustin Pedroia who then threw the ball home where an indecisive Fielder was frozen on the 3rd baseline. Fielder was eventually tagged out after trying to dive back to 3rd base.
"Well I was trying to keep us out of a double play and once I saw Pedroia tag him (Martinez) I kind of got stuck there and (it would have been) a double play anyway," Fielder said. When asked if Fielder should have just continued to run home and try to score, he responded: "Yeah probably, but it's over bro."
Fielder didn't seem phased by his struggles in the postseason saying, "it was frustrating just because we lost I mean if we would have won, it would have been alright, but we lost so its definitely frustrating."
The veteran first baseman also made it quite clear that he is already over the playoffs saying, "Yeah, you got to be a man about it you know. I got kids, like I said, if I'm sitting around pouting how am I going to tell them to keep their chins up or keep their heads up when something doesn't go their way? So, yeah, definitely it's over."
When told, that fans might not be able to understand how Fielder can get over a playoff loss so easily he responded, "'Cuz they don't play, I mean if you have responsibilities ... it should be, you know, you shouldn't take your work home with you, you know. I still have to be a father and take care of my kids, so you have to move on."
Despite what Fielder says, it should be known that he was the last player to take his uniform off. In fact he was still in full jersey and pants when the media left the clubhouse, indicating this postseason loss might hurt more than he is letting on.
