Happy Halloween!

I had a fun idea for a costume today.

I was going to wear my Tigers jersey and official World Series Tigers cap, then put some brown gunk on my hand and pretend to be Kenny Rogers.

Or I thought I could wear the same outfit and carry a ball, and when people asked who I was, I could throw the ball over their head and they’d say, “Oh, you’re a Tigers pitcher.”

Then I thought better of the plan. Ever since my infamous “JFK in Dallas” costume in 1991, I’ve sworn off costumes that really tick people off.

Some older people at that party were really upset. Apparently some things are off-limits.

And around here this week, the Tigers are most definitely not to be joked about.

Not only were Tigers fans happy to be at the big dance, but they bought into the pundit-speak that the Series was over before it even started.

Clearly, they thought, the team that rolled through the Evil Empire and spanked the A’s would have no trouble dispensing with a team that barely held on to its division title.

One could point out that the Tigers in fact were the ones who did not hold on to a division title, falling into second place on the last day of the season.

But count me among the people who didn’t expect to see the Cardinals running off with the trophy.

I wasn’t stunned they got past the Padres, since everybody gets past the Padres in the postseason. But I gave them no chance to get through our Mets, and we know how that happened.

So Tigers in the office were still walking around like zombies. They were so excited about this team, and rightly so. And to lose it because they threw the ball around – a lot – really hurt.

One reporter summed it up pretty well: “It’s like Cinderella going to the ball then falling down the steps on the way in.”

I can’t argue with that. I’m confident the Mets will return next year. But I can just as easily see this Tigers team finishing in third place in that division.

So we’ll keep the Tigers jersey on the shelf tonight, and go around wearing the black cat ears my daughter picked out for me to wear, a walking prop to her witch costume.