DETROIT (AP) - When the Detroit Tigers clinched their first playoff berth in 19 years, they celebrated as if they'd just won the World Series. The Tigers popped, sprayed, poured and drank champagne in the clubhouse Sunday at Kansas City and continued to enjoy their accomplishment on the flight home and in an airport hangar with family, friends and employees of the proud-again organization well into the night.
Even though the Tigers were happy about a feat that no one—including themselves—envisioned back in spring training, manager Jim Leyland and his players insisted they want to accomplish more.
"Something has happened, we've taken a few steps, but we're not satisfied. We're trying to bring this home for Mr. (Mike) Ilitch," said Leyland, referring to the team owner. "We've taken the first leg of it, but we've got a long way to go."
Detroit, which had the day off Monday, has wrapped up at least a wild- card spot. The Tigers also began the final week of the regular season with a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central. And they were a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees and Mets for baseball's best record.
The Tigers (94-62) seem to have a good shot at maintaining their position during their upcoming homestand.
They begin a three-game series Tuesday night with Toronto before closing with a three-game set against the Royals, who own baseball's worst record. Detroit is 2-1 against Toronto this season and 14-1 against Kansas City.
Reporters from around the country might make their way to Comerica Park this week, just as they did three years ago for a much different story.
Detroit won five of its last six games in 2003—their best six-game stretch of that embarrassing season—to avoid the 1962 New York Mets' modern-day record for losses. The Tigers still were saddled with an AL-record 119 losses and finished 47 games out of first place.
"It's unbelievable that we've gone from being the worst team to get to where we are right now in just three years," said third baseman Brandon Inge, one of 10 players still around from the infamous 2003 team.
Seconds after Inge marveled at the turnaround, he echoed Leyland's comments.
"We're very happy and excited about making the playoffs, but come Tuesday, it's time to get to business because we're not satisfied," Inge said. "We want to win the division and we want to keep winning in the playoffs."
The Tigers started winning, as they did for much of the season, just in time to avoid the largest flop entering the final month of the season in more than a decade.
Detroit had a 10-game lead in the division at the end of play on Aug. 7, with a 76-36 record. Then, a slump shrunk the Tigers' lead to a half-game heading into last week's series in Kansas City.
A swift sweep later, the Tigers were able to exhale.
"It's real special," said Leyland, who choked up often on Sunday. "It's all about hard work, dedication and believing in yourself. These guys didn't believe in themselves. They had never won anything.
"They were always winners, they just didn't know it. Now, they know it."
Starting pitcher Nate Robertson has been awed by the turnaround he has been a part of since joining the Tigers in 2003.
"There can't be many teams in the history of baseball that lost as many games as we did, then turned it around well enough to make the playoffs three years later," Robertson said.
He's right.
Since 1900, 15 teams have lost at least 110 games, and the Tigers are the only club to advance to the postseason within three years of such futility, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"When I look back, I say, 'Wow, look at what we've done,'" Robertson said. "But there will be time for that kind of reflecting later on. Right now, we're focused on finishing this regular season strong and going into the playoffs to make some noise."
