Okay, so we're stretching on the topic with this post a bit, but bear with us for a minute. There was a story in today's Tri-Cities Business Review that really caught our eye:

The bulked up Tigers lost 5-4 in 11 innings to the Kansas City Royals in a chilly pre-April affair, and although the outcome was disappointing, the victorious and joyous atmosphere was a polar opposite of the gloomy mood throughout the state about, it seems at times, virtually everything else.

Can the optimism and positivity emanating from Woodward Avenue reverberate throughout the state? Or is it not relevant to the economic struggles the state is going through and the political troubles in Detroit?

We think it's relevant...

Michigan, and certainly Detroit, are by some accounts in the same place the Tigers were during their losing stretch. Unemployment levels are high, automotive jobs are evaporating, and the public perception of the economic circumstances is low.

Can Michigan and Detroit come back like the Tigers? Rothwell says yes.

"It really is a metaphor in many cases for the rebirth of Detroit," he said. "It's a great morale boost for the people in the community. I think they're very symbolic of the comeback in the community."

Some of the most negative and pessimistic attitudes about Detroit and the State of Michigan usually come from... Michiganders. But hopefully the Tigers can, in some small way, give us all a much-needed attitude adjustment.

Oh, and having a successful baseball team isn't so bad for the area's economy either...

The Tigers expect to sell out many games this season, en route to likely breaking the team's all-time attendance record and topping 3 million in total attendance, Matwick said.

Meanwhile, two unrelated reports pinpoint the economic impact of Opening Day and the Tigers' season:

• The East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group estimates spending by fans attending Tigers games this year will generate a net economic impact on the metro Detroit area of $117.3 million. That figure - which doesn't account for some activity, such as Tigers jersey sales - is nearly 2-1/2 times bigger than the estimated economic impact of the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit, estimated at $49.3 million.

• The Detroit Regional Chamber, which used different methodology than the Anderson Economic Group, estimated that the season would have an economic impact of more than $277 million.

So for all the hype we heard about the economic impact of the 2006 Super Bowl –– which wasn't completely unjustified –– our baseball team will bring in at least 2.5 times as much economic activity for the region this year?

It's enough to make you root, root-root for the Ti-gers!