If there was ever a doubt as to whether professional sports can lift the spirit of a city, check out Detroit.  With Chrysler in bankruptcy[1] and General Motors on the verge, the city’s economic prospects, not particularly rosy to begin with, are teetering.  But the defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings hold a three-games-to-one edge over the Blackhawks in the Western Division finals[2], and the Tigers show surprising life, leading the American League’s Central Division about a third of the way into the season.  All of this is subject to change, of course, on a moment’s notice.  Until Sunday’s 6-1 blowout, almost all of the Red Wings’ victories had been in tight contests; games two and three against Chicago, one a win, the other a loss, were both decided in sudden-death overtime, with identical 4-3 scores.  The Wings’ second win against Chicago was capped by a beautiful three-way pass sequence.  Different players take turns playing the hero on this mature, balanced, hard-working team.  But the overtime loss in game three (and the seemingly effortless victories by a young Pittsburgh team in the Eastern Division) demonstrated how tenuous Detroit’s hold on the Stanley Cup might be.

The Tigers are a little more surprising, and therefore more of a delight.  Last year was supposed to be their year, but the pitching was horrible, and the team never recovered from an embarrassing 0-7 start.  This year a resurgent Justin Verlander, a reconstituted Dontrelle Willis, a newly-acquired Edwin Jackson and the young Rick Porcello seem to have established a solid starting rotation[3] to complement a potent offense.  (Quick: who is second in extra base hits in the American League since 2007?  Answer below.[4])  The season is long, and I am not yet convinced that Fernando Rodney is a bona fide closer, but right now, the Tigers are fun to watch.[5]

Even in more serious matters, Detroit’s sports heroes bring cause for hope.  The new mayor, Dave Bing (yes, that Dave Bing, the former steel company CEO with the good jump shot) brings maturity and business sense to City Hall.  His first accomplishment may be resurrecting an intergovernmental agreement to renovate Cobo Hall, so that it may remain home to the North American Auto Show.  Histrionics in City Council derailed the deal, but Bing appears on his way to coaxing things back together and reassuring both inner-city and suburban stakeholders.  I am old enough to remember a younger Bing playing for the Pistons in Cobo Arena; it would be especially sweet to see him put this accord in place.  As Rochelle Riley, my favorite local columnist, has pointed out, a Cobo pact may signal a new era of cooperation in Metro Detroit, something we very much need.