Top stories during a down season from the Detroit Tigers

The regular season ends Sunday

For being 63-93, you would think the Detroit Tigers were in last place in the division.

But for a division as bad as the American League Central, the Tigers are actually in third place, with the Chicago White Sox just two games behind, and the Kansas City Royals nine games behind.

The Tigers weren't expected to compete this year. With a new manager, injuries and inconsistencies, the team struggled for most of the 2018 season. This week is the final week of the regular season, so the pain will soon be over for the players, coaches and fans alike.

Despite the struggles, there were still some compelling storylines that kept the Tigers in the news. Here are those top stories.

Miguel Cabrera goes down early

A bad season was already inevitable, but when the Tigers' star player suffered a season-ending injury in June, the bad season was written in stone.

Cabrera ruptured a tendon in his bicep during an at-bat against the Minnesota Twins in June. At the time, he was hitting .301 with three home runs and 11 doubles.

The 35-year-old from Venezuela is arguably the greatest player in Tigers history, so seeing him go down so early was a sign of things to come.

In the meantime, at least we have highlights to watch from his triple-crown season.

Rally Goose

Whether you liked it or not, the rally goose was a fan favorite early on.

It really says something when one of the major storylines of the season happens, but here you go.

2 players sworn in as U.S. citizens

On June 25 during a home game, shortstop Jose Iglesias and outfield Leonys Martin officially became citizens of the United States. 

Both players are from Cuba and were sworn in by judge Marianne Batanni prior to their game against the Oakland Athletics.

Of course, Martin was traded at the deadline this year and is no longer a Tiger, but this was definitely one of the cooler moments of the season that had nothing to do with baseball. 

V-Mart's farewell

Just over the weekend, designated hitter Victor Martinez officially played his final game in the MLB.

He is hanging up his cleats after a 16-year career as a major leaguer. 

He will retire a career .295 hitter with 246 home runs, 1,178 RBIs, and 2,153 hits in 7,297 at-bats.

From the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers, Martinez is one of the more iconic hitters in his generation. He will certainly be missed by Tigers fans everywhere.