Outside the Detroit clubhouse, inside a yellow van parked in a loading area, a few boxes labeled "Dom Perignon" provided a reminder of an opportunity missed -- but not lost. The Tigers fell short in their effort to clinch the AL Central title during the final homestand of the season, losing 6-3 to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. There would be no champagne-soaked celebration -- only a resolute belief that postseason baseball will be back in Motown this year anyway.
