The door cracked open and screaming, celebrating fans could be heard in the hallway in T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

A few seconds later, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stepped onto a platform and sat behind a microphone. He took off his Tigers cap and paused, looking down at the table, trying to gather his thoughts. He scratched his forehead, straightened his cap, cleared his throat and began: “Let me start by saying congrats to Seattle,” he said.

Hinch looked exhausted and empty after the Mariners won Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers on Oct. 10 – a 3-2, 15-inning marathon. He looked like his heart had been ripped out of his body; and in some ways, it had been.

Here was a guy who had spent nearly every waking hour since February, trying to get this team to this game. No, actua

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