I was just turning this possibility over in my mind - is the bullpen possibly not as bad as previously thought? Maybe it's just because the Tigers are putting up high run totals and hitting the shit out of the ball on a daily basis, but I haven't wanted to cry when Jim Leyland walks to the mound to pull the starter in quite a few games.
Without Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya, it was widely assumed that the pen would struggle until they returned. For the beginning of the year, they weren't exactly perfect but they didn't really get helped out by the starters at all either. The pitching was just all around awful. Of course, there were a few outings that were just absolutely abysmal (see: Grilli, Jason) but that is to be expected with a team that was playing the way the Tigers were playing a few weeks ago.
But, the emergence of Aquilino Lopez, Denny Bautista, and Clay Rapada has given the pen a new core of guys to rely on. Add that to the consistent performance of Bobby Seay and Todd Jones (consistently getting the job done in frightening fashion, in Jonesy's case) and that leaves five guys pulling their weight in the bullpen. That's a pretty solid number considering the last two guys are Jason Grilli and Zach Miner-Grilli, who have morphed into one massive gas can to incite massive explosions from small fires left by the starters.
But, even Miner had a good outing yesterday with three innings of hitless ball. And Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth on Tuesday, punctuated with a strike out. Is it possible that the momentum generated by the bats is contagious and is spreading competence among the most gassiest of gas cans?
If this team ever gets healthy (probably not) and keeps the bats going as hot as they are right now (probably will), the winning will keep coming. Four games in a row right now, blasting opposing pitchers out of the park and holding onto leads that are given - these are things that good ball teams do. It still isn't May yet and the Tigers are sitting just three games below .500. Crazy things are possibly with this team, and if they can put more stretches like this together, things just might be OK.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Defensive Shakeups And Hot Bats
Well, the Tigers poured that glass of cold water all over Vicente Padilla, didn't they? For the first time this season, and probably not the last, Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera hit back-to-back
homers and Jacque Jones almost made it three when he tripled to deep centerfield. Hell, even Ramon Santiago hit a home run. Maybe it was fortune, maybe it was Padilla, but the worm is starting to turn for the Tigers - especially with the impending return of Curtis Granderson, which is like the wait for a newborn baby at this point.
Jones' big night was especially encouraging, adding a double in the fifth inning to his triple. The guy has been mired in a slump this whole month, but the way he was swinging the bat tonight has to make me believe that he's turning it around. Jim Leyland should be rewarded for his faith in the guy.
Justin Verlander pitched pretty well in his six innings of work, allowing just the one run on a homer by Frank Catalanotto in the first. Good to see JV get his first win of the year and also put some velocity back on his fastball - he was consistently in the mid-90s tonight and dialed it up a few times when he had to.
Now, on to some surprising news. Leyland announced after the game that Carlos Guillen will be moving to third base and Miguel Cabrera will take over at first. Cabrera's quote on the matter was "It's cool", which is just awesome, but I'm not sure how Guillen will take it. He's struggled with footwork at first base, but that's natural with a position switch like that. There's no real reason to doubt Jim on this one, but I just kind of find it odd - having Guillen be a mediocre defensive first baseman wasn't really causing that much of a problem, at least for me. Maybe Carlos had voiced some opinions about playing there to Leyland in the clubhouse, I don't know, but if it makes the Tigers a better team as Leyland says, I'm all for it.
Back to tonight's game. The old Gas Can, Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth - getting a strike out for the third out and pumping his fist for good measure - while the new Gas Can Zach Miner struggled. Again. Is it possible that Zach Miner has become the new Jason Grilli while the Tigers still have Jason Grilli? Can our hearts really take having two Jason Grillis in the bullpen? Doubtful. At best. Meanwhile, Bobby Seay looked pretty good, Denny Bautista did his job even though he looked less than fantastic in the process. In all honesty, outside of the Gas Cans, the rest of the Tigers pen looks (dare I say it?) adequate. That's frightening.
Also, the Potential Bullpen Savior, Francisco Cruceta pitched three hitless and scoreless innings for Toledo tonight. Looks like we might not have to deal with the multiple Jason Grillis problem for all that long. The question is, which Grilli leaves the team and when?
As Tom Gage points out, the Tigs haven't exactly fared well after blowing teams out this season. Just last week, there was the 13-2 hammering of Cleveland and then the 11-1 hammering by Cleveland. Can the bats stay hot for two nights in a row? Remains to be seen.
homers and Jacque Jones almost made it three when he tripled to deep centerfield. Hell, even Ramon Santiago hit a home run. Maybe it was fortune, maybe it was Padilla, but the worm is starting to turn for the Tigers - especially with the impending return of Curtis Granderson, which is like the wait for a newborn baby at this point.
Jones' big night was especially encouraging, adding a double in the fifth inning to his triple. The guy has been mired in a slump this whole month, but the way he was swinging the bat tonight has to make me believe that he's turning it around. Jim Leyland should be rewarded for his faith in the guy.
Justin Verlander pitched pretty well in his six innings of work, allowing just the one run on a homer by Frank Catalanotto in the first. Good to see JV get his first win of the year and also put some velocity back on his fastball - he was consistently in the mid-90s tonight and dialed it up a few times when he had to.
Now, on to some surprising news. Leyland announced after the game that Carlos Guillen will be moving to third base and Miguel Cabrera will take over at first. Cabrera's quote on the matter was "It's cool", which is just awesome, but I'm not sure how Guillen will take it. He's struggled with footwork at first base, but that's natural with a position switch like that. There's no real reason to doubt Jim on this one, but I just kind of find it odd - having Guillen be a mediocre defensive first baseman wasn't really causing that much of a problem, at least for me. Maybe Carlos had voiced some opinions about playing there to Leyland in the clubhouse, I don't know, but if it makes the Tigers a better team as Leyland says, I'm all for it.
Back to tonight's game. The old Gas Can, Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth - getting a strike out for the third out and pumping his fist for good measure - while the new Gas Can Zach Miner struggled. Again. Is it possible that Zach Miner has become the new Jason Grilli while the Tigers still have Jason Grilli? Can our hearts really take having two Jason Grillis in the bullpen? Doubtful. At best. Meanwhile, Bobby Seay looked pretty good, Denny Bautista did his job even though he looked less than fantastic in the process. In all honesty, outside of the Gas Cans, the rest of the Tigers pen looks (dare I say it?) adequate. That's frightening.
Also, the Potential Bullpen Savior, Francisco Cruceta pitched three hitless and scoreless innings for Toledo tonight. Looks like we might not have to deal with the multiple Jason Grillis problem for all that long. The question is, which Grilli leaves the team and when?
As Tom Gage points out, the Tigs haven't exactly fared well after blowing teams out this season. Just last week, there was the 13-2 hammering of Cleveland and then the 11-1 hammering by Cleveland. Can the bats stay hot for two nights in a row? Remains to be seen.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Back Home
Returning home against the Texas Rangers for a three game series, fresh off of a .500 road trip, Justin Verlander will be toeing the rubber for the Tigers tonight.
Interestingly enough, the Tigers have lost the last six Verlander starts, dating back to last season. J.V. hasn't necessarily pitched badly this year, but he has looked out of sorts a bit. He's not coming any where close to his upper-90s velocity of last year, but has been "pitching" more this year than he has been just "throwing". It's really strange to see someone who was favored to win the Cy Young at the beginning of the season sitting at 0-3 to being the year.
It's going to be a beautiful night in Detroit tonight, hopefully the ball will be carrying and the Tigs can light up Vicente Padilla. Padilla is 3-0 against the Tigs lifetime with a 2.08 ERA and has had a really hot start this season. It'd be nice for the Tigers to throw some cold water on the fireballer, huh?
Interestingly enough, the Tigers have lost the last six Verlander starts, dating back to last season. J.V. hasn't necessarily pitched badly this year, but he has looked out of sorts a bit. He's not coming any where close to his upper-90s velocity of last year, but has been "pitching" more this year than he has been just "throwing". It's really strange to see someone who was favored to win the Cy Young at the beginning of the season sitting at 0-3 to being the year.
It's going to be a beautiful night in Detroit tonight, hopefully the ball will be carrying and the Tigs can light up Vicente Padilla. Padilla is 3-0 against the Tigs lifetime with a 2.08 ERA and has had a really hot start this season. It'd be nice for the Tigers to throw some cold water on the fireballer, huh?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Solid.
That's pretty much all that needs to be said about today's game - solid. Armando Galarraga pitched solidly, not quite as spectacularly as he did in his last game against Cleveland, and got his second win in as many starts with the Tigers. He had to pitch his way out of two bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth, but escaped without allowing a run.
The bullpen - also solid. Clay Rapada did half of his job in retiring one of the two lefties he faced, Aquilino Lopez continued his terrific start, and Denny Bautista pitched a scoreless eighth. And then Todd Jones gave up a home run to Greg Zaun to start off the ninth. After that, he was fine though. If these guys keep it up, they might actually be adequate this season.
And the bats actually took advantage of the walks allowed by Toronto's staff. Lots of baserunners got left on base this whole series, and it took until today for the Tigers to move them across home in their big second inning that essentially decided the game.
.500 for the road trip, you can't really ask for more than that, right?
The bullpen - also solid. Clay Rapada did half of his job in retiring one of the two lefties he faced, Aquilino Lopez continued his terrific start, and Denny Bautista pitched a scoreless eighth. And then Todd Jones gave up a home run to Greg Zaun to start off the ninth. After that, he was fine though. If these guys keep it up, they might actually be adequate this season.
And the bats actually took advantage of the walks allowed by Toronto's staff. Lots of baserunners got left on base this whole series, and it took until today for the Tigers to move them across home in their big second inning that essentially decided the game.
.500 for the road trip, you can't really ask for more than that, right?
Back To You In The Studio
Just wanted to drop in and apologize for the weekend-long break. It was my birthday yesterday, so I was a tad bit busy for the last four days or so. I promise I'll check back in later when I'm hopefully discussing a Tigers victory.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Well, Well, Well
There we go. Fifteen games into the season and the Tigers offense full on blew up for the first real time. The game on Monday was a nice 10 spot, but going for 13 tonight, including nine against C.C. Sabathia? Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
Miguel Cabrera seems to have finally come out of his "Everybody is laughing at me" thought process - five RBIs and another home run, his second in two days. Between Miggy and Edgar Renteria, new Tigers drove in all of the nine runs that Sabathia allowed. Renteria's grand slam might be the most unexpected thing that has happened this year in a pleasant way.
Well, aside from Armando Galarraga. I know that this Cleveland lineup has been struggling this year, but damn. After he allowed a home run to David Dellucci, he retired the next 16 batters before allowing some base runners in the seventh and ending his night. He basically baffled the Indians lineup for 6 and 1/3 and got his first win in a Tiger uniform in his first appearance wearing the Old English D. I think I'll be OK watching this kid pitch another game before Dontrelle can come back.
In other good news, Curtis Granderson might be heading to Toledo this weekend to begin a rehab stint with the Mud Hens. It seems like the team might have turned a corner since Jim Leyland's "Fire and Brimstone" speech, and with Grandy rejoining the team in the next week or so, maybe this team can get hot for the rest of the month and finish .500? Or better? Dare to dream right? In the same article as above, Leyland says Nate Robertson feels pretty good after leaving Tuesday's game with a lat injury and probably won't miss a start. It's like spring has finally come around and everything is right with the world.
Miguel Cabrera seems to have finally come out of his "Everybody is laughing at me" thought process - five RBIs and another home run, his second in two days. Between Miggy and Edgar Renteria, new Tigers drove in all of the nine runs that Sabathia allowed. Renteria's grand slam might be the most unexpected thing that has happened this year in a pleasant way.
Well, aside from Armando Galarraga. I know that this Cleveland lineup has been struggling this year, but damn. After he allowed a home run to David Dellucci, he retired the next 16 batters before allowing some base runners in the seventh and ending his night. He basically baffled the Indians lineup for 6 and 1/3 and got his first win in a Tiger uniform in his first appearance wearing the Old English D. I think I'll be OK watching this kid pitch another game before Dontrelle can come back.
In other good news, Curtis Granderson might be heading to Toledo this weekend to begin a rehab stint with the Mud Hens. It seems like the team might have turned a corner since Jim Leyland's "Fire and Brimstone" speech, and with Grandy rejoining the team in the next week or so, maybe this team can get hot for the rest of the month and finish .500? Or better? Dare to dream right? In the same article as above, Leyland says Nate Robertson feels pretty good after leaving Tuesday's game with a lat injury and probably won't miss a start. It's like spring has finally come around and everything is right with the world.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
My Version of the "What's Wrong With the Tigers" Post
After writing last night, I kind of had this strange feeling that I should have done my own piece on what I think is wrong with the Tigs thus far. It's kind of a glaring necessity once things start going wrong to voice what you think is going on, right?
The only problem is that I don't really have anything new to add. I feel like every recap says exactly the same thing - the bats weren't going, the starter couldn't put together a complete performance, bullpen couldn't keep the team in the game, and total collapse near the end. The last two wins have kind of shown that when these things go right, the team wins. What else is there to add?
I just find that the best thing about this season so far is that our friends in Cleveland are faring just as terribly as we are. Indians fans have a team that is just one game above the Tigers in the standings, completely unable to take advantage of the slow start. C.C. Sabathia has been faring as bad, or worse, than any Tigers starter, even though he's going into a contract year, as ESPN waxed so poetically.
Needless to say, this series is a big gut check. For the first time this season, the Tigs travel to Cleveland and have a chance to get out of last place. The sleeping Tigers offense awoke in the last two games in the late innings and hopefully, it will wake up a bit earlier tonight. Sabathia only had a 5.29 ERA against the Tigers and the Tigs were able to beat him up a few times. It's a great night for a rising offense to take advantage of a struggling pitcher.
Looks like another long night of following the game on the web for me, but hopefully I'll have something to say afterwards.
The only problem is that I don't really have anything new to add. I feel like every recap says exactly the same thing - the bats weren't going, the starter couldn't put together a complete performance, bullpen couldn't keep the team in the game, and total collapse near the end. The last two wins have kind of shown that when these things go right, the team wins. What else is there to add?
I just find that the best thing about this season so far is that our friends in Cleveland are faring just as terribly as we are. Indians fans have a team that is just one game above the Tigers in the standings, completely unable to take advantage of the slow start. C.C. Sabathia has been faring as bad, or worse, than any Tigers starter, even though he's going into a contract year, as ESPN waxed so poetically.
Needless to say, this series is a big gut check. For the first time this season, the Tigs travel to Cleveland and have a chance to get out of last place. The sleeping Tigers offense awoke in the last two games in the late innings and hopefully, it will wake up a bit earlier tonight. Sabathia only had a 5.29 ERA against the Tigers and the Tigs were able to beat him up a few times. It's a great night for a rising offense to take advantage of a struggling pitcher.
Looks like another long night of following the game on the web for me, but hopefully I'll have something to say afterwards.
Injuries Update
What's better than winning a ballgame? Having your star leadoff man be pain-free after taking his first batting practice since breaking his hand. It's been a long three weeks without Curtis, but if he can come back and be effective quickly, this team could simply take off.
On the dark side, Nate Robertson just left my tape-delayed version of tonight's game with an injury. According to Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers, it's a case of soreness on his left side. Here's hoping it's nothing serious, because the Tigers really can't afford anyone else on the staff getting hurt with Fernando Rodney being apparently far from coming back and Dontrelle out for a couple starts with his knee problem.
On the dark side, Nate Robertson just left my tape-delayed version of tonight's game with an injury. According to Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers, it's a case of soreness on his left side. Here's hoping it's nothing serious, because the Tigers really can't afford anyone else on the staff getting hurt with Fernando Rodney being apparently far from coming back and Dontrelle out for a couple starts with his knee problem.
OK, So Maybe I'm Warming Up To This FSN+ Idea
Well, it's 12:30 in the morning and I'm just now watching the bottom of the fifth inning of tonight's game. Sure, I know how it ends but that makes it worthwhile - a series win (sweep even), back-to-back wins for the first time this year, and the promise of a late-inning comeback in just two innings.
Of course, this brings me back to the one topic that has consumed Tigers fans in Case Hall at Michigan State University for the past week - I hate not watching the game live. But, you know what, seeing the game on tape delay has brought us all four wins this season. Every game on FSN proper has resulted in (mostly) terrible losses. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd rather watch the game live but a win is a win and maybe something is clicking here. We'll see tomorrow when the Tigs play Cleveland on FSN+ again.
Thankfully, the middle three Tiger hitters are starting to turn it around. Sheff, Mags, and Miggy all went yard today, Cabrera's eventually being the game winner. Rod Allen mentioned that he was taking extra batting practice yesterday and today, so hopefully him and Lloyd McClendon have finally started to fix the problems he's having. He said in the paper he felt like "everybody is sitting behind me and laughing," and I'm praying that feeling is finally gone.
I am very glad that I didn't have to watch the Todd Jones Rollercoaster today. Typical Jonesy, in all honesty - can't do anything easily, just haaaas to push the limit. I guess as long as the Tigers win, nothing really matters all that much, right?
Believe it or not, Tiger fans, the two-game series against Cleveland could pull the Tigs out of last place. Yes, Cleveland is dwelling in the cellar just as much as the Tigers are, sitting pretty at 5-9 and just lost both games against Boston. Typical "two teams going opposite ways" storyline. The only thing that would make beating Cleveland sweeter would be beating Cleveland to put them totally down into last and get all the "What's Wrong With The Tigers?" stories changed to "What's Wrong With The Indians?"
One more game, and that's a winning streak. Thank God.
Of course, this brings me back to the one topic that has consumed Tigers fans in Case Hall at Michigan State University for the past week - I hate not watching the game live. But, you know what, seeing the game on tape delay has brought us all four wins this season. Every game on FSN proper has resulted in (mostly) terrible losses. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd rather watch the game live but a win is a win and maybe something is clicking here. We'll see tomorrow when the Tigs play Cleveland on FSN+ again.
Thankfully, the middle three Tiger hitters are starting to turn it around. Sheff, Mags, and Miggy all went yard today, Cabrera's eventually being the game winner. Rod Allen mentioned that he was taking extra batting practice yesterday and today, so hopefully him and Lloyd McClendon have finally started to fix the problems he's having. He said in the paper he felt like "everybody is sitting behind me and laughing," and I'm praying that feeling is finally gone.
I am very glad that I didn't have to watch the Todd Jones Rollercoaster today. Typical Jonesy, in all honesty - can't do anything easily, just haaaas to push the limit. I guess as long as the Tigers win, nothing really matters all that much, right?
Believe it or not, Tiger fans, the two-game series against Cleveland could pull the Tigs out of last place. Yes, Cleveland is dwelling in the cellar just as much as the Tigers are, sitting pretty at 5-9 and just lost both games against Boston. Typical "two teams going opposite ways" storyline. The only thing that would make beating Cleveland sweeter would be beating Cleveland to put them totally down into last and get all the "What's Wrong With The Tigers?" stories changed to "What's Wrong With The Indians?"
One more game, and that's a winning streak. Thank God.
Monday, April 14, 2008
I HATE FSN+ And Jim Leyland Owns
It's the magic of the Jim Leyland "Fire and Brimstone" speech, I swear to God. Nothing is scarier than a old man in spikes who will beat your ass while he smokes a cigarette and talks like Barry White. Is it really any surprise the Tigers came back and took the game in the eighth with the prospect of coming back into the clubhouse to face him? Not to me, at least.
But, tonight is reason number 63567365 why I hate "April in the D." FSN's cockeyed attempt to show every Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons game is killing me. Lord knows, I would have watched this game if I had the opportunity. Did I? Nooooo.
Why not direct people who want to watch the Red Wings to CBC, since everyone in the Metro Detroit area gets that channel on basic cable anyway? Or, why not use a local channel that everyone gets but no one usually watches instead? I just don't understand it. Especially since every time the Tigs are on FSN, they get the shit beat out of them.
So, if you're looking for commentary about how the Tigers looked, I'm sorry. Or maybe you want me to talk about about how awesome it was getting that feeling where the Tigers start rolling and cannot be stopped again. But, I couldn't get that feeling because I watched the Wings self-destruct instead.
I am totally thrilled that Jimmy gave the "Fire and Brimstone" speech on Sunday though, as the guys pretty much earned it after that epic fail. The only other one that he's given here was the famous one in 2006, and that pretty much turned around the entire franchise. All I'm asking for is back-to-back wins.
To quote Major League - "If we win tomorrow, that's called two in a row. If we win the next day, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."
But, tonight is reason number 63567365 why I hate "April in the D." FSN's cockeyed attempt to show every Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons game is killing me. Lord knows, I would have watched this game if I had the opportunity. Did I? Nooooo.
Why not direct people who want to watch the Red Wings to CBC, since everyone in the Metro Detroit area gets that channel on basic cable anyway? Or, why not use a local channel that everyone gets but no one usually watches instead? I just don't understand it. Especially since every time the Tigs are on FSN, they get the shit beat out of them.
So, if you're looking for commentary about how the Tigers looked, I'm sorry. Or maybe you want me to talk about about how awesome it was getting that feeling where the Tigers start rolling and cannot be stopped again. But, I couldn't get that feeling because I watched the Wings self-destruct instead.
I am totally thrilled that Jimmy gave the "Fire and Brimstone" speech on Sunday though, as the guys pretty much earned it after that epic fail. The only other one that he's given here was the famous one in 2006, and that pretty much turned around the entire franchise. All I'm asking for is back-to-back wins.
To quote Major League - "If we win tomorrow, that's called two in a row. If we win the next day, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Good God
It's really not fair for this lineup to ever have a game like this. Nearly get no-hit by a guy named Gavin and waste a perfectly good outing by Justin Verlander, who would have not allowed more than one run if the umpires had made the correct call in stopping the game in the eighth inning. Fucking ridiculous game. Thank God for the Red Wings being on at the same time, I don't think I would have been able to just watch this the whole way through.
In my own opinion, it's absurd that the umpires didn't stop the game in the eighth. There were puddles, PUDDLES, on the infield. If the home team is in the field and the Tigers are up, is it more likely the game gets stopped? Probably. If only because there's a full two innings left instead of just a few outs away from the ninth. Instead, Verlander is forced to stand around in the pouring rain and pitch with a soaked ball. How telling was it about the conditions when Verlander's fastball got up and away from him and struck Orlando Cabrera in the back of the head? Or on the next batter when Jim Thome's bat went sailing into the stands? Simply ridiculous.
Other than that, what is there to say other than everything that's been written already this year? The bats got left at the hotel, and they wasted another good start. Verlander is going to get a loss that he really didn't deserve. Anytime this lineup gets shut down by Gavin Fucking Floyd and is no-hit through 7 and 1/3, there's a big problem. Winning every other game isn't going to get this team any closer to .500. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's just a early season lull, but one thing is certain - it's getting pretty fucking difficult to watch this team.
In my own opinion, it's absurd that the umpires didn't stop the game in the eighth. There were puddles, PUDDLES, on the infield. If the home team is in the field and the Tigers are up, is it more likely the game gets stopped? Probably. If only because there's a full two innings left instead of just a few outs away from the ninth. Instead, Verlander is forced to stand around in the pouring rain and pitch with a soaked ball. How telling was it about the conditions when Verlander's fastball got up and away from him and struck Orlando Cabrera in the back of the head? Or on the next batter when Jim Thome's bat went sailing into the stands? Simply ridiculous.
Other than that, what is there to say other than everything that's been written already this year? The bats got left at the hotel, and they wasted another good start. Verlander is going to get a loss that he really didn't deserve. Anytime this lineup gets shut down by Gavin Fucking Floyd and is no-hit through 7 and 1/3, there's a big problem. Winning every other game isn't going to get this team any closer to .500. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's just a early season lull, but one thing is certain - it's getting pretty fucking difficult to watch this team.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Why Fox Sports Net Is Ruining April
It's getting pretty frustrating watching FSN Detroit these days. Living in Case Hall at MSU leaves me with Residence Hall Cable, which does not have FSN+. That means for the past two days, I've been waiting for Pistons and Red Wings games to end before getting about three innings of Tiger baseball.
Now, this wouldn't be a bad thing if it was just Wings playoff games. But, not showing Wednesday's or tonight's games because of the Pistons at this point is just ridiculous. The Stones have nothing to play for right now, except to not get injured. So, instead of watching the Tigers try and jump start their season, I'm forced to watch the Pistons play meaningless games that even they aren't interested in. Why not put these passionless games on FSN+ and throw the baseball fans in the viewing area a bone?
And there's the song.
I. Hate. This. Song. I don't know why Tommy Lee is fronting a crappy band that apparently only does commercials, but I definitely don't want "APRIL IN THE D APRIL IN THE D" repeating in my head ever freaking day. Also, I really hate whenever I hear people refer to Detroit as "The D." No, it is not The D, it is Detroit. It's really not that difficult to say all the way. Give it a shot, go ahead.
Anyway, I'm blaming FSN for the lack of a blog last night after the game. That and the fact that I was, shall we say, out. There's a good chance I won't see the majority of tonight's game either, but if you want to know about how the Pistons' scrubs look when they get a majority of the minutes, I will probably be able to tell you. Hopefully, we'll get a bit more than two innings of televised baseball tonight.
Either way, FSN is ruining April. That's all you need to know.
Now, this wouldn't be a bad thing if it was just Wings playoff games. But, not showing Wednesday's or tonight's games because of the Pistons at this point is just ridiculous. The Stones have nothing to play for right now, except to not get injured. So, instead of watching the Tigers try and jump start their season, I'm forced to watch the Pistons play meaningless games that even they aren't interested in. Why not put these passionless games on FSN+ and throw the baseball fans in the viewing area a bone?
And there's the song.
I. Hate. This. Song. I don't know why Tommy Lee is fronting a crappy band that apparently only does commercials, but I definitely don't want "APRIL IN THE D APRIL IN THE D" repeating in my head ever freaking day. Also, I really hate whenever I hear people refer to Detroit as "The D." No, it is not The D, it is Detroit. It's really not that difficult to say all the way. Give it a shot, go ahead.
Anyway, I'm blaming FSN for the lack of a blog last night after the game. That and the fact that I was, shall we say, out. There's a good chance I won't see the majority of tonight's game either, but if you want to know about how the Pistons' scrubs look when they get a majority of the minutes, I will probably be able to tell you. Hopefully, we'll get a bit more than two innings of televised baseball tonight.
Either way, FSN is ruining April. That's all you need to know.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
1-7 Never Felt So Good
Who cares about the record? Who cares about the standings? Who cares about anything right now?
The Tigers have finally won a game. And that, my friends, is all that matters.
Oddly enough, it was the exact opposite of every other game played this year. The Tigs fought back from a 2-0 deficit, they got clutch hitting, they got a great bullpen performance and, wouldn't you know it, they held on at the end. Is this a new beginning? Who knows. But, it definitely isn't another loss.
I don't think I've ever been quite has happy to put up with another Todd Jones rollercoaster ride either. Right when he started throwing, the prediction went out - "Loads the bases, gives up a grand slam, and then strikes out three." He came pretty close as well, but I'll take a rollercoaster Jonesy appearance that ends in a win over not seeing him at all in another demoralizing loss. The best thing is the punctuation that came with it - the camera panning over to Todd grimacing as the final out was made. Perfect.
It was definitely nice to see some smiles on the Tigers' faces. Miguel Cabrera went so far as to do a double fist pump, and since he's been playing like the weight of the world has been on his shoulders, hopefully he'll loosen up and play his game a bit more now.
Big players today - Bobby Seay, Francisco Beltran, Denny Bautista, Marcus Thames, Carlos Guillen, and last but certainly not least, Edgar Renteria. The first three guys put the game in lock-down mode after Bondo left the game, who got the win and pitched pretty well, and the bullpen actually looked serviceable. Not something I will probably be saying that often this season. Thames and Carlos hit gigantic home runs that got the Tigers back in the game (the former) and put the icing on the cake (the latter). Edgar went 3-4 and scored two of the Tigers' runs and is going to be a force in the back-end of the Tigers lineup this year.
Listen, as a Michigan State Spartan, I know the importance of moral victories. It's really rare that a moral victory and an actual victory coincide. But, getting that "1" in the win column is huge for this team. Now, if the Tigs can go out behind Nate Robertson and steal another one in Boston, they can get out of Dodge with a series win. Who would have thought that about, say, six hours ago?
1-7. As long as there's something on the left side of that ratio, I feel infinitely better about life.
Edit: Potential bullpen savior Francisco Cruceta, who you might remember was stuck in the Dominican Republic with visa issues, will pick up his visa in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo and can finally ship off to Lakeland to get in shape to join the team. Coincidence that this news was released right before the first Tigers victory? I think not. All hail the newborn savior!
The Tigers have finally won a game. And that, my friends, is all that matters.
Oddly enough, it was the exact opposite of every other game played this year. The Tigs fought back from a 2-0 deficit, they got clutch hitting, they got a great bullpen performance and, wouldn't you know it, they held on at the end. Is this a new beginning? Who knows. But, it definitely isn't another loss.
I don't think I've ever been quite has happy to put up with another Todd Jones rollercoaster ride either. Right when he started throwing, the prediction went out - "Loads the bases, gives up a grand slam, and then strikes out three." He came pretty close as well, but I'll take a rollercoaster Jonesy appearance that ends in a win over not seeing him at all in another demoralizing loss. The best thing is the punctuation that came with it - the camera panning over to Todd grimacing as the final out was made. Perfect.
It was definitely nice to see some smiles on the Tigers' faces. Miguel Cabrera went so far as to do a double fist pump, and since he's been playing like the weight of the world has been on his shoulders, hopefully he'll loosen up and play his game a bit more now.
Big players today - Bobby Seay, Francisco Beltran, Denny Bautista, Marcus Thames, Carlos Guillen, and last but certainly not least, Edgar Renteria. The first three guys put the game in lock-down mode after Bondo left the game, who got the win and pitched pretty well, and the bullpen actually looked serviceable. Not something I will probably be saying that often this season. Thames and Carlos hit gigantic home runs that got the Tigers back in the game (the former) and put the icing on the cake (the latter). Edgar went 3-4 and scored two of the Tigers' runs and is going to be a force in the back-end of the Tigers lineup this year.
Listen, as a Michigan State Spartan, I know the importance of moral victories. It's really rare that a moral victory and an actual victory coincide. But, getting that "1" in the win column is huge for this team. Now, if the Tigs can go out behind Nate Robertson and steal another one in Boston, they can get out of Dodge with a series win. Who would have thought that about, say, six hours ago?
1-7. As long as there's something on the left side of that ratio, I feel infinitely better about life.
Edit: Potential bullpen savior Francisco Cruceta, who you might remember was stuck in the Dominican Republic with visa issues, will pick up his visa in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo and can finally ship off to Lakeland to get in shape to join the team. Coincidence that this news was released right before the first Tigers victory? I think not. All hail the newborn savior!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Okay, Back To Baseball
Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the day off yesterday. I knew it was good for me because I think I would have broken my window in my room if I was forced to sit and watch another poor performance on the scale of Sunday. Unfortunately, that type of result feels more and more likely as time rolls on.
But, today is a new day, and it begins in Boston. I'm actually hopeful for this series, whether or not that is intelligent. The thing is, the Tigers have played pretty well in Boston the past two years, and there's no reason to not expect that trend to continue. I mean, except the whole "scoring 15 runs in six games this year and losing all of them" thing.
One thing I am glad to see is that Jim Leyland, true to himself, is pretty much even keel about the whole thing. There really is no reason to start changing things up right now - the guys in this line-up are proven even if they've had slow starts to being the year. With Curtis Granderson possibly a week from coming back, there's light at the end of the tunnel as well. Of course, the Tigers might have to start scoring 15 runs per game in order to win in spite of the bullpen, but it's possible that they can do it. I mean, hopefully.
So, let's see what Kenny Rogers can do today against this fearsome Boston line-up (who just got swept). Let's see if getting their rings today will affect the Bosox at all. Let's see if Dice-K can be the dominant force he was in Japan or the human that he was for the vast majority of last season. Let's just see if we Tiger fans can simply enjoy watching baseball again.
But, today is a new day, and it begins in Boston. I'm actually hopeful for this series, whether or not that is intelligent. The thing is, the Tigers have played pretty well in Boston the past two years, and there's no reason to not expect that trend to continue. I mean, except the whole "scoring 15 runs in six games this year and losing all of them" thing.
One thing I am glad to see is that Jim Leyland, true to himself, is pretty much even keel about the whole thing. There really is no reason to start changing things up right now - the guys in this line-up are proven even if they've had slow starts to being the year. With Curtis Granderson possibly a week from coming back, there's light at the end of the tunnel as well. Of course, the Tigers might have to start scoring 15 runs per game in order to win in spite of the bullpen, but it's possible that they can do it. I mean, hopefully.
So, let's see what Kenny Rogers can do today against this fearsome Boston line-up (who just got swept). Let's see if getting their rings today will affect the Bosox at all. Let's see if Dice-K can be the dominant force he was in Japan or the human that he was for the vast majority of last season. Let's just see if we Tiger fans can simply enjoy watching baseball again.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Embarrassing, Really.
There's nothing like watching your team tank on national TV. I had that feeling when MSU lost to Notre Dame in football in 2006, when the basketball team got blown out last week by Memphis, and now the Tigers on ESPN 2 show up and lose 13-2. Just another loss in a terrible start to the season, but it really was a terrible showing for the entire team.
Two errors by Carlos Guillen at first base, possibly because Joe Morgan hexed him by predicting a Gold Glove season over there this year. Justin Verlander got run off the mound letting a close, 3-1 game devolve into a situation that resulted in a 9-1 blow out. Miguel Cabrera had about every one of his at-bats end in a double play that would kill any type of rally. There were four hit by the Tigers in the whole game. The bullpen couldn't put out Verlander's fire. And Mark Buerhle basically just pitched the Tigers out of the park. The boo birds came out, and they had good reason.
This isn't a bad ball club, but they are playing like one. With ESPN's shots of the White Sox looking far too happy in their dugout and fans behind home plate chanting "Let's Go Red Wings", I really just feel sick.
Two sweeps. At home. Starting the season. Let's just say, I wouldn't really have picked that storyline for the Tigers to start the season with. It's like a Murphy's Law over a full homestand.
I'm just going to do my best to forget these games even happened and simply look ahead to the Boston series as a new season. Getting on the road should be good for these guys, as Miller and Morgan talked about, and I really hope that it's just a losing streak and they'll recover but damn, come on.
For once in my life, I'm actually looking to the Yankees as a beacon of hope. The past two seasons they've had slow starts to begin the year and ended up making the playoffs in both of them. God willing, maybe we can be like the Yanks in more ways than just payroll.
Two errors by Carlos Guillen at first base, possibly because Joe Morgan hexed him by predicting a Gold Glove season over there this year. Justin Verlander got run off the mound letting a close, 3-1 game devolve into a situation that resulted in a 9-1 blow out. Miguel Cabrera had about every one of his at-bats end in a double play that would kill any type of rally. There were four hit by the Tigers in the whole game. The bullpen couldn't put out Verlander's fire. And Mark Buerhle basically just pitched the Tigers out of the park. The boo birds came out, and they had good reason.
This isn't a bad ball club, but they are playing like one. With ESPN's shots of the White Sox looking far too happy in their dugout and fans behind home plate chanting "Let's Go Red Wings", I really just feel sick.
Two sweeps. At home. Starting the season. Let's just say, I wouldn't really have picked that storyline for the Tigers to start the season with. It's like a Murphy's Law over a full homestand.
I'm just going to do my best to forget these games even happened and simply look ahead to the Boston series as a new season. Getting on the road should be good for these guys, as Miller and Morgan talked about, and I really hope that it's just a losing streak and they'll recover but damn, come on.
For once in my life, I'm actually looking to the Yankees as a beacon of hope. The past two seasons they've had slow starts to begin the year and ended up making the playoffs in both of them. God willing, maybe we can be like the Yanks in more ways than just payroll.
Ugh.
Maybe because it's a abnormally beautiful weekend in East Lansing, but I couldn't find it within myself to actually write about these past two games. Maybe that was another reason - it was physically painful to endure those types of losses back-to-back.
As the title of the last post says, watching this team is growing increasingly frustrating. From the fact that the bullpen can't get a good situation to come into from the starters, then can't put the fire out and hold the lead (as expected), to the fact that seemingly this group of 'professional hitters' decided to forget how to hit effectively for the first week of the year, it's getting to get regoddamndiculous.
Tonight's game is the first one under the lights at Comerica Park for this season. It's also the last chance the Tigers have to get their first win during a week-long homestand. It is going to be downright embarrassing if this Tiger team goes 0-6 to start the season against KC and Chicago, at home, and losing the last game on national TV. Going into Boston on this kind of run is going to be like running into a band saw.
Luckily, the right guy is on the mound to fix these problems. Justin Verlander pitched well enough to win on Monday, much like Dontrelle did last night, and usually has good showings against Chicago. If he pitches like he did on Monday and manages to avoid leaving the game with guys on base, and if the bullpen pitches effectively, then there's a chance that the Tigers can save a bit of face from the start of this season.
Personally, my theory right now is that this team just needs to get out of Comerica Park and get thrown into a rough situation in Boston. Maybe that will bring them together a little bit and will allow us to start seeing what this team is really capable of. But, until then, let's just hope we can steal one from the White Sox. God, I hope I never have to say that again.
As the title of the last post says, watching this team is growing increasingly frustrating. From the fact that the bullpen can't get a good situation to come into from the starters, then can't put the fire out and hold the lead (as expected), to the fact that seemingly this group of 'professional hitters' decided to forget how to hit effectively for the first week of the year, it's getting to get regoddamndiculous.
Tonight's game is the first one under the lights at Comerica Park for this season. It's also the last chance the Tigers have to get their first win during a week-long homestand. It is going to be downright embarrassing if this Tiger team goes 0-6 to start the season against KC and Chicago, at home, and losing the last game on national TV. Going into Boston on this kind of run is going to be like running into a band saw.
Luckily, the right guy is on the mound to fix these problems. Justin Verlander pitched well enough to win on Monday, much like Dontrelle did last night, and usually has good showings against Chicago. If he pitches like he did on Monday and manages to avoid leaving the game with guys on base, and if the bullpen pitches effectively, then there's a chance that the Tigers can save a bit of face from the start of this season.
Personally, my theory right now is that this team just needs to get out of Comerica Park and get thrown into a rough situation in Boston. Maybe that will bring them together a little bit and will allow us to start seeing what this team is really capable of. But, until then, let's just hope we can steal one from the White Sox. God, I hope I never have to say that again.
Friday, April 4, 2008
This Team Is Becoming Increasingly Frustrating
Yeah. I don't even know. I'm not sure if I have any opinions on today's game other than I hate Jason Grilli. Yep. I hate Jason Grilli, that's about it.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Swept Away
Hopefully this will be the last time I have to write about a sweep of the Tigers this year, but there's a chance it isn't. This is by far the most unexpected start to the way this season was supposed to go, and it might be possible that the weight of preseason expectations are catching up with the squad, even though I didn't think that was possible.
The sad thing is how simple the problems this team has revealed in the past four days. Clutch hitting isn't there yet, three or four bad pitches are costing starters the lead and the patience hasn't come at the plate. It's strange because on a team full of professional hitters, clutch hitting and patience seem like the last things we Tiger fans would have to worry about. But, so far the season is playing a lot like last September - nothing has gone the Tigers way at all.
Aside from two pitches, Jeremy Bonderman was lights out today. A change-up that stayed elevated against Alex Gordon and a missed location against Mark Teahan, and boom - three runs. He looked good after being sent home yesterday and the change-up is becoming more apart of his arsenal, but he simply missed with the pitch Gordon put over the Royals bullpen in left-center. Only allowing three runs should be good enough to get a win with this team, so Bondo probably pitched well enough to get a victory.
Here's the stat of the day for me, and probably the stat that told the whole story of this series - 17 men left on base by the Tigers. Yesterday when the Tigers managed just three hits, they left seven men on base. On Monday, the Tigers left a staggering 18 men on base. The more that Tiger hitters leave guys standing on first and second or standing on third, which must have happened two or three times each today, it's going to be hard to win. Guys on base have to score in order to count - leaving them out there doesn't count guys, OK?
Things have to change soon before Buster Olney starts bragging about how he told us so on ESPN. I'd really rather not give Cleveland a head start on the division race in April, so this Chicago series coming up tomorrow ought to tell us a lot about the backbone of this team.
By the way, the division standings to the right look eerily similar with Detroit already in last place, don't they? It's like being home, in a way.
The sad thing is how simple the problems this team has revealed in the past four days. Clutch hitting isn't there yet, three or four bad pitches are costing starters the lead and the patience hasn't come at the plate. It's strange because on a team full of professional hitters, clutch hitting and patience seem like the last things we Tiger fans would have to worry about. But, so far the season is playing a lot like last September - nothing has gone the Tigers way at all.
Aside from two pitches, Jeremy Bonderman was lights out today. A change-up that stayed elevated against Alex Gordon and a missed location against Mark Teahan, and boom - three runs. He looked good after being sent home yesterday and the change-up is becoming more apart of his arsenal, but he simply missed with the pitch Gordon put over the Royals bullpen in left-center. Only allowing three runs should be good enough to get a win with this team, so Bondo probably pitched well enough to get a victory.
Here's the stat of the day for me, and probably the stat that told the whole story of this series - 17 men left on base by the Tigers. Yesterday when the Tigers managed just three hits, they left seven men on base. On Monday, the Tigers left a staggering 18 men on base. The more that Tiger hitters leave guys standing on first and second or standing on third, which must have happened two or three times each today, it's going to be hard to win. Guys on base have to score in order to count - leaving them out there doesn't count guys, OK?
Things have to change soon before Buster Olney starts bragging about how he told us so on ESPN. I'd really rather not give Cleveland a head start on the division race in April, so this Chicago series coming up tomorrow ought to tell us a lot about the backbone of this team.
By the way, the division standings to the right look eerily similar with Detroit already in last place, don't they? It's like being home, in a way.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Strange Days
We've heard Mario Impemba and Rod Allen say "It's not everyday you see Placido Polanco go 0fer in a game, let's see if he gets a hit here" literally hundreds of times. Most times, Polly comes through with a hit and proves them right or something like that.
Well, now, maybe the guys are going to have to change their tune to "It's not every season you see Polly go 0-10 to start off" or something. Even rarer is going to be the "It's not everyday you see the Tigers get three hits and one guy has all of them." I think you're catching my drift.
This isn't quite what we've come to expect from the Tigers in the past two seasons, when they've had hot Aprils at the plate. But the reality is, the lack of offensive production we've seen from both the Royals and the Tigers the past two games is the far likelier result of playing baseball in Detroit April. As nice as it looked outside today, it was still bitterly cold by baseball standards and pitchers most certainly have the advantage on days like today. Yes, I'm making excuses because I really don't have any other solutions to why the 2008 Tigers couldn't score more than four runs against Gil Meche and Brian Bannister, combined. Both are good pitchers, but they aren't that good.
Going 0-2 was certainly not the type of start expected from this Tiger team, especially not against the Royals. But through all the gloom that the lineup has cast over the passed two games, there have been some encouraging signs coming from the Tigers pitching staff. Literally, if Justin Verlander gets pulled before the 7th inning on Monday and if Kenny Rogers doesn't go out to start the 6th today, the Tigers bullpen might not have allowed any runs this season so far. Even though they have been thrust into tough situations, they've performed adequately enough. Zach Miner pitched pretty well today for the first inning and two-thirds he was in until allowing a couple of runs in the eighth.
The Tigs really need to get a strong performance from Jeremy Bonderman tomorrow afternoon - a complete performance too, not one like Kenny's and Justin's where they faded near the end of their outing - to get a victory. Getting swept by Kansas City would be probably the absolute worst way to start the new campaign. Personally, I'd really really really like to see the Tigers score like, I don't know, five runs tomorrow and have more than three hits by Edgar Renteria (who looked good today). If Bondo can get through the first inning, then that might be the first sign that a new season is finally ready to start going the right way.
Well, now, maybe the guys are going to have to change their tune to "It's not every season you see Polly go 0-10 to start off" or something. Even rarer is going to be the "It's not everyday you see the Tigers get three hits and one guy has all of them." I think you're catching my drift.
This isn't quite what we've come to expect from the Tigers in the past two seasons, when they've had hot Aprils at the plate. But the reality is, the lack of offensive production we've seen from both the Royals and the Tigers the past two games is the far likelier result of playing baseball in Detroit April. As nice as it looked outside today, it was still bitterly cold by baseball standards and pitchers most certainly have the advantage on days like today. Yes, I'm making excuses because I really don't have any other solutions to why the 2008 Tigers couldn't score more than four runs against Gil Meche and Brian Bannister, combined. Both are good pitchers, but they aren't that good.
Going 0-2 was certainly not the type of start expected from this Tiger team, especially not against the Royals. But through all the gloom that the lineup has cast over the passed two games, there have been some encouraging signs coming from the Tigers pitching staff. Literally, if Justin Verlander gets pulled before the 7th inning on Monday and if Kenny Rogers doesn't go out to start the 6th today, the Tigers bullpen might not have allowed any runs this season so far. Even though they have been thrust into tough situations, they've performed adequately enough. Zach Miner pitched pretty well today for the first inning and two-thirds he was in until allowing a couple of runs in the eighth.
The Tigs really need to get a strong performance from Jeremy Bonderman tomorrow afternoon - a complete performance too, not one like Kenny's and Justin's where they faded near the end of their outing - to get a victory. Getting swept by Kansas City would be probably the absolute worst way to start the new campaign. Personally, I'd really really really like to see the Tigers score like, I don't know, five runs tomorrow and have more than three hits by Edgar Renteria (who looked good today). If Bondo can get through the first inning, then that might be the first sign that a new season is finally ready to start going the right way.
Let's Get Rolling
We're about 10 minutes away from the second game of the season, and with Opening Day's festivities over, it is time to get serious. Well, as serious as it gets this early in the season anyway.
Kenny Rogers is taking the hill and prepares to answer some of the doubters. It's hard to say whether or not a 43-year-old man can be a major contributor for a MLB team, but the fact that he's pitching second in the rotation shows how much Jim Leyland thinks of him. Rogers entire season is based off of the outside fastball and whether or not he's getting that call will say a lot about how he pitches in each start.
It's hard to imagine the Royals keeping the Tiger bats as quiet as they were on Monday, and it's even harder to see Placido Polanco having another 0-5 day. Brian Bannister takes the mound for the Royals and fared well against the Tigers in his rookie season last year. Hopefully, the Opening Day jitters have faded for Edgar Renteria, Jacque Jones, and Miguel Cabrera and we'll get a taste of what we expect from these three today.
It's a beautiful day in Detroit. It is most certainly time for some April baseball.
Kenny Rogers is taking the hill and prepares to answer some of the doubters. It's hard to say whether or not a 43-year-old man can be a major contributor for a MLB team, but the fact that he's pitching second in the rotation shows how much Jim Leyland thinks of him. Rogers entire season is based off of the outside fastball and whether or not he's getting that call will say a lot about how he pitches in each start.
It's hard to imagine the Royals keeping the Tiger bats as quiet as they were on Monday, and it's even harder to see Placido Polanco having another 0-5 day. Brian Bannister takes the mound for the Royals and fared well against the Tigers in his rookie season last year. Hopefully, the Opening Day jitters have faded for Edgar Renteria, Jacque Jones, and Miguel Cabrera and we'll get a taste of what we expect from these three today.
It's a beautiful day in Detroit. It is most certainly time for some April baseball.
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