Apparently, the Tigers have had a long tradition of sucking. But this year, they are more than 15 games or so ahead of the 2nd place team (currently the hated Giants), and their 'magic number' is less than 10.
When crazy Osaka people (and Tiger's fans are considered crazy - I've actually seen old footage of huge brawls in stadiums between Tiger's fans and others, something you associate with Eurpoean soccer hooligans, not polite Japanese!), they often jump into the Dotonburi River (a filthy canal in the heart of downtown Osaka!). I saw this myself when the Japanese soccer team did fairly well during the last World Cup. I expect it will be a nasty human soup in the Dotonburi if the Tigers win the series.
There's also a legend regarding the recent suckyness of the Tigers, since their last and only championship in the mid-80s. The rumor is that some drunken fans stole a plastic Colonel Sanders statue from in front of a KFC, and tossed it into the river, where it sank to the slimy bottom and dissappeared. Supposedly the Colonel (the statue, not the real one, I guess)was not happy with this, and placed a curse on the team, that the Tigers would never win the J-Series unless he was found. Well, maybe he has decided to forgive them, as I haven't heard anything about a Cl. Sanders statue having been dregged up (it has to be wedged under a mountain of stolen bycicles and other garbage at the bottom of the Dotonburi!).
Well, there's my story!