NEW YORK -- The Tigers had just won a big playoff game.
They'd survived another awful Jose Valverde ninth inning. They had survived another Raul Ibanez home run.
They had beaten the Yankees 6-4 in 12 innings in Game 1 of the ALCS.
And some of them stood watching Yankee manager Joe Girardi's postgame press conference, listening as Girardi announced that Derek Jeter has a broken ankle and is done for the year.
"We couldn't believe it," Gerald Laird said. "We just kind of stared at the TV."
The Tiger players have huge respect for Jeter, as players on every major-league team do.
"He's the ideal major leaguer," Laird said.
They watched as Jeter went to the ground in the 12th inning, just after the Tigers had taken the lead. He was trying to field a Jhonny Peralta ground ball, but his leg gave way, and when he went down, he couldn't get up.
The Yankees held their breath. But so did the Tigers.
"You know, when you think of postseason, you think of Derek Jeter," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm very sorry about it, and very sorry to hear about it."
Leyland on Jeter: 'When you think of postseason, you think of Derek Jeter'
The Tigers won a big game Saturday, beating the Yankees 6-4 in 12 innings in Game 1 of the ALCS. But the Tigers felt for Derek Jeter, who broke his left ankle trying to field a ground ball in the 12th.
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