The View From The Light Tower

Homerdome Hell

2008-05-04T20:33:00.003-04:00

I do not like the Metrodome. In fact, I hate the Metrodome. It's a) a dome b) dominated by the Twins c) a ground that seemingly brings out the worst in the Tigers.

And so, after a convincing sweep of the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, the Tigers choked away today's game to finish off getting swept by the Twins. I was at work today, wasn't able to watch the majority of the game, but I could watch the scores periodically. It kind of went like this:

Tigers- 6 Twins- 0: "Fuck yes guys! We need this bad, thank god."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 4: "Aw, c'mon seriously? Nothing's ever easy with this team, I guess. Eh, it'll be OK."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 6: "You gotta be fucking joking me! What the hell guys, don't do this today."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 7: "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. AH. AH. AH. AH. AH."

I am thoroughly convinced that the Tigers are going to keep us throughly frustrated until they "Pistons" us. "Pistoning" us would be when they all collectively decide "We're so much better than everyone else, maybe we should play a tad bit harder to prove it." The Pistons have made a almost-annoying habit out of this and it seems liek the Tigers may have that same mentality - "We have the ability to turn it on and blow away anyone we want, but we just don't feel like it tonight."

So, after getting within a game and a half of Chicago on Thursday, three nights later the Tigers slip back into last place in the Central. Four games under .500, three games back, and Boston and New York are rolling into Detroit this week. Fantastic. It's amazing how in just one weekend, the Tigers can go from "unbeatable machine" to "mental nutcases that can't keep it together." And I blame this drastic change on what? That fucking un-American Metrodome.

Dear Blogosphere

2008-05-02T00:48:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - finals week tends to cause that sort of thing. However, I'm back home now and I'll be posting daily again starting before tonight's game against the Twins.

Is It Possible That The Bullpen Isn't Really That Bad?

2008-04-25T13:23:00.005-04:00

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.

No Review Necessary.

2008-04-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

19 runs. On 14 hits. What more is there to say?

Defensive Shakeups And Hot Bats

2008-04-23T00:25:00.002-04:00

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.

Back Home

2008-04-22T16:30:00.002-04:00

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?

Solid.

2008-04-21T21:11:00.003-04:00

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?

Back To You In The Studio

2008-04-21T14:22:00.002-04:00

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.

Well, Well, Well

2008-04-17T01:02:00.002-04:00

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.

My Version of the "What's Wrong With the Tigers" Post

2008-04-16T16:08:00.002-04:00

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.

Injuries Update

2008-04-16T00:49:00.003-04:00

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.

OK, So Maybe I'm Warming Up To This FSN+ Idea

2008-04-16T00:26:00.002-04:00

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.

I HATE FSN+ And Jim Leyland Owns

2008-04-14T23:18:00.002-04:00

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."

Today's Game In One Picture Part II

2008-04-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

Good God

2008-04-12T15:27:00.002-04:00

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.

Why Fox Sports Net Is Ruining April

2008-04-11T12:54:00.002-04:00

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.

1-7 Never Felt So Good

2008-04-09T22:54:00.003-04:00

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!

Today's Game In One Picture

2008-04-08T18:16:00.004-04:00

Okay, Back To Baseball

2008-04-08T13:14:00.003-04:00

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.

Embarrassing, Really.

2008-04-06T22:30:00.002-04:00

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.

Ugh.

2008-04-06T13:34:00.003-04:00

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.

This Team Is Becoming Increasingly Frustrating

2008-04-04T19:30:00.003-04:00

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.

Swept Away

2008-04-03T16:01:00.003-04:00

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.

Strange Days

2008-04-02T23:16:00.002-04:00

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.

Let's Get Rolling

2008-04-02T12:54:00.002-04:00

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.

Opening Day and Why People Are Idiots

2008-03-31T23:14:00.002-04:00

I heard Mike Valenti say on the radio on the way back up to MSU after the game "On Opening Day, the last thing I'm worried about is the game." Honestly, this really can't be more true. The mood in Comerica Park wasn't really focused on how these guys were going to start competing with Jason Grilli being the top option out of the pen, or what was happening in Cleveland at the same time.

Instead, more important issues like where the planes were during the fly-over, where the quickest bathroom line was, and who the hell is Clete Thomas were on the minds of Tiger fans. In other words, the kind of issues that usually follow 45,000 drunken people gathered together in one area.

Downtown Detroit was crawling with people, the rain was holding off, there was baseball being played, and the excitement of a winning season was palpable in the air. It was great to be in attendance for those first six innings that the Tigers held the lead. But, when Verlander left the game with two runners on and Grilli coming in, no one really minded. When those runs scored and the Tigers fell behind, everyone kind of shrugged (exception: when Guillen tied things up in the eighth, the place went nuts). And when the lead was gone for good and the game was over, everyone kind of shrugged and smiled because baseball had started again.

However, the type of fan that the Tigers are attracting now are truly baffling me. People were shocked, SHOCKED, that Granderson was not starting. Edgar Renteria was drawing the ire of the fans near me for not getting a home run or something equally impressive during his first at-bat. Brandon Inge got the loudest ovation of the Tiger starters (read that sentence over again).

Listening to the post-game radio show, people started questioning Jim Leyland's tactics in the final few innings. Why put in Thomas? Why make Inge bunt? Why bat Renteria lead off? What was he thinking, what was going on, oh God, the season is over already.

Here are the answers- Thomas was in because Leyland trusts him, and that should be all the reason we need. Look at his plays in the field and the double he hit as proof. Inge bunting with Thomas on second was the savviest call to make - guy on third, one out instead of the (especially with Inge) more probable runner on second, one out. Oh, and Renteria is batting lead-off because he's a proven professional hitter that today's 1-5 performance doesn't reflect at all.

(Rant beginning)
The on-going obsession with Brandon Inge among the casual fanbase stuns me as well. Through the whole ordeal of looking to move him, he's been bitching that he won't do certain things and that he wants out. If he wasn't being paid so much money to do such a shitty job (major leaguers making Inge's money don't hit .250), then maybe you'd be starting at third base some where, Brandon. Instead, do your job and shut up and enjoy that fat wad of cash in your wallet. Miguel Cabrera has something Inge doesn't - a Gold Glove. However, when he makes an error on his first play, the cries of "Inge would have made that play!" suddenly start coming out of the woodwork.
(Rant Over. To Inge's credit, his throw from centerfield to nail a runner at the plate in the 11th was awesome.)

The only downside of today's game for me was the realization of the team's worst fears - late game collapses. Only one earned run for the pen today, but Grilli did a great job of serving up a fat pitch to John Buck to score the tying run and Bobby Seay allowed the run to make it 4-3. Neither was earned, but those are the runs the bullpen has to prevent. Denny Bautista looked a bit shaky at times, but for the most part looked good. The hit to score the winning run was off an at-bat that he battled and battled and got a good pitch hit. Nothing he can do there.

Just one game out of 162. No reason to worry yet, just be happy to have baseball back.

Opening Day! Opening Day! Opening Day!

2008-03-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

Today is by far the greatest day of the sports calendar for every baseball fan. The Boys of Summer pull out of their winter habitats and report back home to begin the process of welcoming back everything that is right with the world. Frankly, there is nothing like putting on three or four layers of clothing, shaking from the cold, and watching your breath hover above your head while watching a baseball game. For years and years, we Tiger fans only experienced this sensation in the spring - now it's just going to be six months until we have the chance to do it all again in October.

If the weather holds up, then there will be baseball down at the CoPa today. Yours truly will be in attendance and after the culmination of the Spartan basketball and hockey seasons this weekend, it's going to be good to have a different obsession in my life.

But outside of the personal stake that each of us has in the beginning of baseball season, all of the questions that have been asked since the end of last season will start to be answered. Can the Tigers stay healthy? How will Dontrelle pitch? How will the bullpen hold up? Can the Tigers get rid of Brandon Inge? Will Rodney and Zumaya get back to pre-injury form?

No more speculation. No more questions. Finally, this team will start playing real games that count and will dole out answers in immense servings.

Frankly, I'm just excited to feel that feeling that goes through Comerica Park when the team starts rolling. It's a special type of electricity where 40,000 people have no doubt about what they're about to see - a complete ass kicking at the hands of the Tiger bats. The second half of last season had this feeling suspiciously absent, but a few million dollars from Mike Illitch's wallet may have fixed that problem.

Today, the sun rises anew. Today, there is abundant hope. Today ... it's fucking baseball season.

For The Love Of God, Don't Rain

2008-03-30T12:50:00.003-04:00

For the first time since 1999, I'm in line to go to Opening Day with my dad. And wouldn't you know it, the forecast calls for thunderstorms all day.

We'll see how this plays out, but don't be surprised if we're waiting a few more days for baseball in Detroit.

ESPN's First Take Shows No Love

2008-03-29T17:42:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, it's just amazing how little respect Detroit gets nationally. Even the Detroit News' Rob Parker said on ESPN's First Take that the Indians will win the Central, and Skip Bayless said that the Indians would take the division "going away".

My response?

Fuck you guys.

Bayless said the Tigers have enough lineup power to win the wild-card. No shit, Sherlock. I'm not sure who these guys think we have starting games this year, but last I checked Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, and Dontrelle Willis aren't exactly slouches.

Keep thinking that the whole team is based on the bullpen, national media, please. This team could use some motivation.

Lynn Henning Gives You Reasons To Not Believe

2008-03-29T13:12:00.002-04:00

In his column for the Detroit News today, Lynn Henning explored four reasons for Tigers' fans to worry about the upcoming season. It kind of disappoints me that I'm already reading negative things about this season when it hasn't even started yet. It's a tad bit irresponsible for Henning to come out of Spring Training preaching doom and stuff when none of the games that were played in the past month and a half counted. Anyway, I'll respond with my thoughts about each of Lynn's concerns and we'll see if hope matters.

An impressive team's weak link: the relievers- Well, no shit. I've been saying since November that the area that had to be improved the most was the bullpen and very little was done. The Tigs have Fransisco Cruceta, the hard throwing Dominican acquired in the off-season, stuck in his homeland with visa problems. Zoomer and Rodney are hurt. Jason Grilli still exists. All of that. The only positive I can bring out of the pen is that there is no way it can be as bad as last year. Everything that went right in 2006 went wrong in 2007 - and things seem to be shifting that way again. But I believe in karma, and the Tigers are owed some good outings from the bullpen this season since they blew enough games last year.

Another positive- Denny Bautista pitched well enough in Spring Training to take over Fernando's set-up role. He's a fireballer and, provided he controls himself and limits the walks he's noted for, should fill in admirably.

April's schedule is as frightening as the weather- Unless the White Sox, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees have all been playing competitive games for a month and a half and the Tigers are just getting started, I don't see much of a problem here. All the other teams that the Tigers play during this stretch are going to be facing the same problems- cold weather, cold arms, cold bats. As the Yanks have shown us the past two years, having a shitty April doesn't necessarily count you out of anything - they've made the playoffs both years. Henning may be worried about facing the big bats on each of those team with the bullpen in its current form, but guess what? All of their pitchers have to face off against the fucking stacked lineup wearing the Ol' English D.

Getting by without Granderson, and trading Inge- Personally, I don't see Inge leaving until at least May now. With Grandy out, Inge's athleticism is going to be needed in the outfield. Losing Granderson most certainly sucks - his defensive prowess in center and explosive capabilities coming out of the lead-off spot are unmatched on this team. But with Renteria filling in at the lead-off spot (a guy with nearly half as many strikeouts, a 30 point better average, and a 50 point better on-base percentage last year) the Tigers should be OK for a few weeks. Inge almost certainly has to go, and he'll be great trade bait later on in the year for a fill-in reliever - an almost certain necessity.

Handling the scrutiny - and the pressure- Used to be one of my few worries about the Tigers. But, let's look at the guys they've added - Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, and Edgar Renteria. Willis was used as a relief pitcher in the 2003 World Series and did an admirable job, Cabrera was the best hitter on that 2003 squad, and Renteria singled in the winning run in the 1997 World Series for the Marlins. All of these guys are battled tested and will most certainly lend a steadying hand to the younger guys on the team who haven't been part of something as strong as the Tigers are this year. Something tells me that with the good mix between veteran and young players - young players that have been to a World Series and been through a heated pennant race - there will not be that much crumbling under the weight of the world. I don't think Jim Leyland would let that happen anyway.

So there, Lynn. Take it for what it's worth. It's March 29th- there's no reason for doom and gloom yet. Opening Day isn't for another two days.

25-Man Roster Announced

2008-03-29T12:51:00.002-04:00

The Tigers have announced their roster for Opening Day, and it looks as though there is only one surprise on it - Clete Thomas, a non-roster invitee and someone who has never gotten above Double-A will be on the team. It's true that the reason he's on the team is simply because of Granderson's injury, but congratulations to him nonetheless. The final two bullpen spots, opened because of Byrdak's release and Rodney's injury, will go to Yorman Barzado and Aquilano Lopez, as was expected.

So here is the Tigers' 25-man roster (copy and pasted from Mack Avenue Tigers. Sorry, Kurt, I just didn't feel like redoing it)

Catcher

Pudge Rodriguez

Infield

Carlos Guillen (1st)
Placido Polanco (2nd)
Miguel Cabrera (3rd)
Edgar Renteria (shortstop)

Outfield

Jacque Jones (LF)
Brandon Inge (CF)
Magglio Ordonz (RF)

Designated hitter

Gary Sheffield

Bench

Ramon Santiago (utility infield)
Ryan Raburn (utility everywhere)
Marcus Thames (LF platoon/1st base)
Clete Thomas (OF)

Starting pitchers

Justin Verlander (RHP)
Kenny Rogers (LHP)
Jeremy Bonderman (RHP
Nate Robertson (LHP)
Dontrelle Willis (LHP)

Relief pitchers

Todd Jones (RH closer)
Denny Bautista (RH setup)
Yorman Bazardo (RH)
Aqualino Lopez (RH)
Jason Grilli (RH)
Zach Miner (RH)
Bobby Seay (LH)

Disabled list

Curtis Granderson (CF, 2 to 4 weeks)
Vance Wilson (backup C, ?? weeks)
Fernando Rodney (RH setup, ?? weeks)
Joel Zumaya (RH setup, 12-16 weeks?)

Why I'm Not Worried About Dontrelle Willis

2008-03-27T12:38:00.002-04:00

By all accounts, Dontrelle Willis hasn't had the best spring training in history. In fact, it might not even be the best spring training during this season. The natural inclination is to consider how Dontrelle messing up during February and March will affect his pitching in April and beyond. My theory: it won't.

Willis is just 26, not quite in the prime of his career, but definitely getting close. As I said in my preview of the rotation, he's been up and down for the past few years - winning 22 games three years ago and hovering at about .500 for the past two. At the moment, he's penciled in as the fifth starter by Jim Leyland. Considering his place on the staff, is being at .500 and pitching effectively every two or three starts going to be a disappointment from a fifth starter? I say no. If D-Train pitched as he has in spring training, 8.64 ERA and all, as a trend in his career then I would probably feel differently. However, this seems to simply be an aberration.

It's important to remember what Tiger fans should expect from Dontrelle this season - he probably won't win 20 games, won't be the ace of the staff, and will not be forced to carry the team on the nights he pitches. In other words, Dontrelle isn't in Miami any more. My own personal theory is that Willis is still adjusting to the feeling of not having to be "The Man" on a team that has about 12 or 13 "The Man"s. He's pitching like he's still in a pressurized situation where he has to be at his best on a nightly basis - in reality, he only has to be good enough.

Things should settle down pretty quickly for the D-Train when the team goes up north and the regular season begins. Pitching in the cold Detroit weather that's waiting for him, he will have a natural advantage over the hitters, since making contact with the ball in and of itself is a chore when it's 40 degrees out. Once he becomes really accustomed to his new surroundings at Comerica Park and becomes comfortable with the run support he's sure to get from the bats coming to support him, Dontrelle will do just fine.

Let's just say that hitting the panic button on a guy before April seems a tad ridiculous, does it not?

Tim Byrdak Peaces Out

2008-03-26T12:19:00.002-04:00

After Tuesday night's terrible performance, the Tigers have released Tim Byrdak. GM Dave Dombrowski said that it was a simple matter of "not being able to help the team at a big-league level", even though Tim was thought to be a lock for the bullpen.

As Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers points out, it's hard to say what the Tigers are going to do now or what they have in mind. Obviously there has to be another lefty in the pen other than Bobby Seay, but saying who at this point is anybody's guess. I have to imagine that Dombrowski has a deal in the works or something up his sleeve, but at this point, I really have no idea.

I guess this is a solid reflection of the mentality of the organization at the moment. It's definitely a "win NOW" team and, with Byrdak's terrible spring as evidence, players who aren't going to help the Tigers in that cause are definitely in trouble. The only problem with this move for me is that there is no immediate replacement on hand- something is going to have to be done either in the minor league affiliates or going outside the organization. It may just be time to fire up those Marcus Thames trade rumors that have been going around recently.

Also, good stuff on the Tiger page of the Freep.com: the second story's headline says "Bydrak secure despite shaky 13.50 ERA" and then the next one is "Tigers release Byrdak." Good work there.

Renteria To Lead Off, Cabrera's Deal Officially Signed

2008-03-25T14:58:00.002-04:00

In the absence of Curtis Granderson, Edgar Renteria has been handed the lead off spot by Jim Leyland. Definitely a solid choice by Leyland - Edgar has a career on-base percentage just below .350, is a .291 hitter, and is pretty much a professional hitter much in the same mold as Placido Polanco. Renteria has typically been a two-hole hitter in his career, and having him hitting higher in the order probably won't cause the Tigers to lose too much in the absence of Granderson.

Plus, since Brandon Inge has been penciled in to take Grandy's spot in center, he can report right back to his spot hitting ninth. Gotta have one automatic out in the lineup, right?

Elsewhere in the Tigers' clubhouse, after playing dumb yesterday about his contract, Miguel Cabrera signed his record contract today. It's a seven year deal worth$152.3 million, which is a bit lower price than ESPN Deportes orginally reported and a year shorted. I like what Dombrowski said about the signing, which was in essence "It's cheaper to get him now until he gets even better and costs even more." Dombrowski has made a lot of shrewd moves as GM and the trade, and now signing, of Cabrera might go down as the best one of all. I look forward to watching this guy hit during the best years of his career, not to mention showing off his arm from third base which is one of his most underrated qualities.

Rounding out the day thus far, former Tiger Cameron Maybin has been sent to the minors by the Florida Marlins. Probably the right decision since the guy shouldn't have even been brought up at all last year and considering the poor spring he was having, batting just .190, he needs a bit more time in the oven. From the looks of things, Andrew Miller is pitching pretty well and is making a bid to be Florida's Opening Day starter. He was one part of the Cabrera/Willis deal that I really didn't like seeing leave, but if he can go to a place like Florida and find some success

Yeah... The Bullpen Preview

2008-03-24T14:58:00.003-04:00

Amid all the trade rumors, here's the official View From The Light Tower preview for the bullpen. All in all, the season is dependent on these guys. And that scares the living shit out of me. Here's the problem I've found- for all the improvements elsewhere on the field, the bullpen went basically untouched in the off-season as far as improvements go. If anything, the loss of Joel Zumaya for at least half the season has made it considerably worse, especially with Fernando Rodney now missing for the opening of the season.

So here it goes, player-by-player, the keys to the Tigers' 2008.

Todd Jones- Probably the single-handedly most frightening player on the Detroit roster. He's consistent in the fact that he's so inconsistent, everyone expects it by now. Jonesy will have his good days, his bad days, and his roller coaster days, and there's not that much new that can be said about him. I just hope that I can make it through the year.

Jason Grilli- Probably the favorite target of the boo-birds last year (myself included), and he truly deserved it most nights. One of my personal favorite Grilli nights was when Nate Robertson left the game with a 4-0 lead and Jason came in, gave up a hit and two walks, and then a game-tying grand slam. Typical. At best, he's as up and down as Jones. At worst, he's batting practice. Which Grilli will show up this year? We can only guess.

Tim Byrdak- Timmy has had a rough spring and has gotten shelled quite a few times. When he first got brought up to the big leagues last year, he was probably the best lefty we had coming out of the pen. But, he faded quickly coming down the stretch and was just another liability coming out of the pen. It's rough because he's probably one of the few guys that the Tigers really need - a situational lefty - and he's got to be able to get guys like Jim Thome and Travis Hafner out on a regular basis.

Bobby Seay- He's the other Tigers lefty who's going to be called on regularly to be the situational guy. He was probably the Tigs best reliever for the first few months of the year, but he, like Byrdak, was eventually figured out. He needs to turn into someone that can come out of the bullpen in the seventh or eighth and get a big out once every few games. Without Seay pitching well, the whole bullpen is going to suffer.

Zach Miner- Zach is a tricky guy (then again, who isn't in this bullpen, right?). Back in 2006, he started off his Major League career with a six game winning streak and then went dead cold until he was moved into the bullpen as a long relief kind of guy. He's now more of a seventh inning/eighth inning kind of guy, but, as of last year, he was still adjusting to the job. Miner has a bunch of promise and it isn't hard to imagine him figuring it out and having a good year.

Denny Bautista- This guy will be the main set-up man in the absence of Rodney and Zumaya. The knock on him is his control but he's in the mid-90s consistently with his fastball, and watching him pitch the other day against Cleveland, I was very impressed. If he can throw strikes, the sting of the duel injuries to Fernando and Joel might be soothed just a bit. Hopefully, he can be the surprise coming out of the Tiger pen.

Like I said earlier, these guys are the key to the Tigers succeeding this year. The order might score 10 runs a game, but that won't mean a damn thing if the pitching staff gives up 11. As we found out last year, the bats can't carry the team the whole season and at some point, guys are going to go through slumps. It's during times like those when the pitching has to be really on. The rotation will probably be able to handle the pressure, but the key moment will be when there's a one-run game in the late innings and the starter will be getting pulled, and no one will be worried about the guy coming in to keep the lead.

God, that sounds like wishful thinking, huh?

Grandy Starts Season On The DL

2008-03-23T11:33:00.003-04:00

In Saturday's rained out game against the Phillies, Curtis Granderson took a pitch off of the hand and that has led to a broken finger. Meaning that another key Tiger will be starting the season on the DL. So now that's Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney, and Grandy that will all be starting the season hurt.

The two main guys who could be set to replace Granderson are Ryan Raburn and Brandon Inge. Personally, I'd love to see Brandon start off there, if only because the guy will get to be doing something other than catching and we won't have to hear about how much he hates catching. Raburn really impressed last year in his time up in the bigs, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the nod either. The Freep's Jon Paul Morosi also mentioned Freddy Guzman as a possible replacement.

It just sucks that on a day like today, when we should be celebrating Cabrera's massive signing, there's another injury to talk about. April might not shape up to be the greatest month this team will have all season, but hopefully this injury bug passes quickly and doesn't get anybody else.

Tigers Locking Up Miggy?

2008-03-23T00:16:00.003-04:00

According to ESPN.com the Tigs have come to terms on the largest deal in Detroit history with Miguel Cabrera- eight years, $153 million, pending a physical on Monday. And I say that is money spent terrifically. I reallllly don't care about the money- a) it isn't mine and b) Mike Illitch has it coming out of his ass. Also, there's a solid chance that the money from ticket sales this year may pay all of that salary off, straight up.

Eight years of Miguel Cabrera. Wow. I'm just scared I'm going to wake up and realize it's still 2003.

"Eh" News on Fernando Rodney

2008-03-21T15:01:00.002-04:00

As has been well-documented thus far in Spring Training, Fernando Rodney will not be ready for Opening Day. According to Fernando though, he'll be there some time in April.

There's a good chance, at least in my mind, that as good as Fernando feels, he's going hurt a bit more pitching in the cold Detroit April. Tendinitis sucks as it is, but when I had it in my heel it hurt about five times more when it was cold. I had it in my heel and that wasn't nearly as important to baseball as throwing is, especially for a pitcher.

The arm issues happening with Zumaya and Rodney are both really going to hurt this team. As many improvements as the lineup and starting rotation have had, the fucking bullpen has stayed stagnant and maybe even gotten worse with the loss of Rodney. We really might need to take 10 run leads in the early innings of every game just in case the fucking bullpen can't hold the lead. It's a legit worry of mine.

More Fun Quotes From Jim Leyland

2008-03-21T14:46:00.002-04:00

Prior to the game today, Jim Leyland told the Detroit News that the Tigers aren't ready for the regular season yet.

There's only six games left in Florida and a little over a week until Opening Day. Leyland has to make decisions regarding the bullpen still and isn't that pleased with the way the Tigers are doing the little things.

Well, Jim, if it makes you feel any better, Detroit isn't ready for you either. It's 29 here. It's gray. It's disgusting. Not quite baseball weather. So, by all means, use this last week and savor it because you're not exactly going to be that happy to be home when you step off that plane.

If the Tigers' bats start hitting well in that first week of the season, I will be downright shocked, if only because playing baseball in a Michigan April is hell. Playing in high school, the bat felt heavier and when you make contact, it stays with you the whole way around the bases, back into the dugout, and back into the field. If the sting is gone by the time the next time you're up to bat, it's lucky.

I'll tell you what though- the Tigers might not be ready, but I definitely am.

Tigs vs. The Jays

2008-03-21T11:50:00.002-04:00

Small reminder to everyone with access to FSN Detroit- the Tigers will be playing the Blue Jays at 1 p.m. So, if you can find time to peel your eyes from CBS and the NCAA Tournament, turn it over to FSN and take in that beautiful Florida sunshine and green grass. Check back here later, maybe I'll offer up some opinions or something on the game.

Inge to the Dodgers?

2008-03-20T15:34:00.002-04:00

According to the Detroit News, the LA Dodgers may have renewed interest in Brandon Inge after Nomar garciaparra came down with a hand injury. Poor Nomar seems to break something every year and he really is the Fredo Corleone of the of the A-Rod, Jeter, Nomar Shortstop Family from back in the late 1990s. But this might be the opportunity that Inge needs to get his shot to play every day.

I'm not the biggest Inge fan, but I respect what he's done for the organization and for the team. I can't remember how many times I've watched him strike out to end innings or hit a home run that completely shocks me- and the problem seems it never seems to be anything in between. I don't think that Brandon would allow himself to become a cancer on the team this year, but it would simply help everyone involved to get him out of Detroit to some place that he can play and be happy.

I know every female Tigers fan would be sad to see Inge go. As I type this, my friend Lindsay is nodding her head in agreement. Then again, this is the same girl who is in love with Huston Street because he is "so hot". I just love him because he let Magglio hit that homer in the ALCS. But, back to baseball. I would gladly trade the quality of women that has been coming down to Comerica Park in the past two years for a third basemen that hits above .250. Call me crazy.

We'll see how this plays out, but the rumor is out there.

The Arms Dealers

2008-03-20T12:38:00.002-04:00

At this point last year, the Tigers were staring down the fact that Mike Maroth and Chad Durbin were the back end of the rotation. How things have changed. Maroth has morphed into Dontrelle Willis and Durbin changes into Nate Robertson. That's what the addition of Willis and the health of Kenny Rogers has done for a rotation that, at times last year, really struggled (aside from the consistency of Justin Verlander).

In 2006, the strength of the team was definitely the pitching staff. In 2007, the lineup was probably the best one in baseball. 2008? Both are looking extremely formidable. The ace of the staff is once again Justin Verlander, who has quickly developed into one of the best young arms in the MLB. Following him is Jeremy Bonderman, who is probably the biggest headache for Detroit fans. After those two come Rogers, Willis, and Roberston. Let's give them all a look, shall we?

Justin Verlander- Justin made the leap last year, going from Rookie of the Year to top-of-the-line ace. He's one of those guys that you do your best to get down to the park or to the TV to watch pitch because anything is possible. He no-hit the Brewers last year and ended up racking up 18 wins. With a solid pen backing him up, there's no doubt he would have had 20 wins. I'm fully expecting him to reach that milestone this year- it may be a high expectation but this kid deserves it.

Jeremy Bonderman-Bondo literally gives me headaches. If he could start the game in the second inning, he might not allow a run all season. If he would sit when he was hurt instead of doing his best to pitch through it, he might have won more than one game after the All-Star break. Jeremy might be the key to the whole pitching staff- he can develop his change-up, push away the mental block that he has in the first inning, and stay healthy for a full season, he could follow in Verlander's footsteps to making the leap. Of course, everyone needs to remember that he is still a kid: he's been around forever but he's only 25. The key for Bonderman is simply staying healthy. Like Leyland says, he could go from being simply a good major league pitcher to a great one if he can just produce consistently for a full season.

Kenny Rogers- Kenny is healthy, determined, and ready to go by all accounts. I read an article in the News a few weeks ago about how after missing a line drive in a game, Rogers went to one of the practice fields in Lakeland and worked on fielding from the mound until he was satisfied. That's what I love about the guy- he demands perfection from himself and instills that same need in his teammates. With all the young guys in this rotation, he really is one of the best guys to possibly have around to nurture them. It'd be great if Kenny could win upwards of 15 games this year (and he could), but what he gives the team off the field makes his on-field contributions simply an added bonus.

Dontrelle Willis- I honestly cannot believe that I'm writing him into the Tigers' rotation. Here's one of my favorite players in the league, if only because of the way he seems to play the game with such love and passion. To have a guy like this on the roster of the team I watch every day? It's a dream come true. Dontrelle had a down year last year and had been up and down periodically with the Marlins, but something tells me that coming to Detroit will take a lot of the pressure off of him and allow him to loosen up and just pitch. Not to mention the bats he's going to have scoring runs for him. I just love that this team is deep enough that someone who could be an ace or a two starter any where else in the league, and won 22 games just three seasons ago, is in the fourth spot here in Detroit. I'm not saying that the Tigers are stacked, but I'm just saying ...

Nate Robertson- Everyone's favorite gum chewer gets stuck with the five spot in the rotation, which is amazing considering that (like Willis) any where else in the league, he's definitely a top three starter. Last year, I really felt bad for Nate because, other than Verlander, he was probably the most consistent pitcher for the Tigers down the stretch. However, his record won't reflect that because, not only did he not get the run support that other Tiger starters enjoyed, but he probably had the bullpen blow more of his games than anybody else. If Nate stays healthy and doesn't have the rough time that he had in the middle of the season last year, he's probably going to be the best fifth starter in the league, hands down.

An argument could be made that this is the best rotation in the league on paper. I'd be in support of that, if a few conditionals go the Tigers way. Barring injury, the pitching dominance that we watched two seasons ago from the starting rotation has a very good chance of making itself seen again. I think a really big part of the potential for these guys is the fact that there was no World Series run last year- everyone has another month of rest under their belts. I really think that this could be the difference between missing the playoffs and another deep playoff run, and hopefully it is.

Sheffield, Ordonez, Cabrera, Oh My!

2008-03-19T17:41:00.002-04:00

The thing about the 2008 Detroit Tigers is that any sort of off-night will be considered unacceptable. Watching the game on ESPN yesterday, Jim Leyland set the lineup at Granderson, Polanco, Sheff, Mags, Cabrera, Guillen, Renteria, Pudge, and Jacque Jones (oh yeahhhh, him). One through eight, every one of those guys can (and probably should) hit above .300. Anybody else's mouth watering?

Let's go guy by guy in this lineup, set the expectations and such. We'll see where we go.

Curtis Granderson- There's no way that Curtis will go 20 homers, 20 triples, 20 steals, and 20+ doubles like he did last year. And he's coming off signing a massive contract in the off-season. All signs point to him having a down year, but if the strike outs keep going down and the batting average goes up, I think I'll be happy.

Placido Polanco- We all pretty much know what we're going to get from Polly by now- he'll hit .330+ and just be a professional in all senses of the word at the plate. He rivals Jeter for the best two-hole hitter in the league.

Gary Sheffield- During May, June, and early July, we got a taste of what Sheff can do. He'll say stupid things, but he will hit the ball, and he will hit it hard. His massive slump in April and injuries in August and September brought his numbers down and may have ultimately cost the Tigers a playoff spot. If Sheff stays healthy, the Tigers will be in good shape. Crazy understatement, I know.

Magglio Ordonez- There's no way Mags will have a year like last year. No way he'll come close. He's a career .312 hitter that hit .363 last year, good enough for AL Batting Champion, who was up around .390 at one point. If he stays around .300, keeps healthy, and doesn't screw up too much in right field, I'll keep my promise to make my first son's middle name Magglio.

Miguel Cabrera- Oh god, this makes me so happy. Going from Brandon Inge at the plate to Miggy is like going from driving a Volkswagen Beetle to a Ferrari. Cabrera has something no one else in this lineup has- a World Series MVP trophy. And he got that when he was 20. I just don't think it was the greatest idea to send a guy who has weight problems to one of the fattest cities in America. Stay away from American Coney Island, Miggy, and you'll be fine.

Carlos Guillen- Another guy that we know what we're getting with. I wouldn't be surprised to see Carlos' power numbers go up a bit now that he's at first base instead of shortstop, if only because it's more of a power position. The rap on Guillen has always been if he's healthy, he'll be great. On the bright side, if he's hurt, his back up is now Marcus Thames and not Ramon Santiago.

Edgar Renteria- I remember thinking before we got him that if the Tigers traded for Renteria, there was a good chance the Tigers would win the division. Looks like he was just the first piece. I'm a bit worried about the adjustment to the AL, since his one year with Boston was, shall we say, not so great. If he comes close to the numbers he had last year (when he hit .332 with Atlanta), that would be pretty good production from the seven spot. Also an understatement.

Pudge Rodriguez- Can't believe that this guy is really in the eight spot. The great thing about Pudge is that he wants to win so badly, he really doesn't care where he hits. That's the great thing about Leyland- he could tell Pudge to dive from the Goodyear blimp into the Fountain in centerfield, and he'd probably do it. I just pray Rodriguez stays healthy so the Brandon Inge, Disgruntled Catcher show doesn't make an appearance in Detroit. (Inge deserves his own post, by the by)

Jacque Jones- Honestly, I don't know that much about Jacque. I watched him for years in Minnesota and he was a pretty solid hitter, but never really scared me. He's a career .280 hitter coming off of back-to-back years of hitting .285 in the NL with the Cubbies. He's hitting about 20 homers per year, except last year when he had a down power year with just five. He's not in the Friendly Confines any more, so the homers might stay where they're at, but something tells me the Tigers won't really be hurting for those this year.

Quite simply, from one to nine, the Tigers have the best lineup in Major League Baseball. On paper. Always have to say on paper, of course. Tomorrow I'll go over the rotation. Welcome back to The Light Tower, it's finally baseball season.

Hi, I'm Back

2008-03-19T17:23:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes, yes, it's about that time again. Baseball season is swiftly closing in and at the behest of my father, I've decided to start this puppy back up again. I'd like to apologize for suddenly disappearing last year and this time things will be different. I know it'll be hard to trust me, baby, but I know we can make it, don't worry.

I'll start previewing shit later tonight, maybe I'll do the lineup or the rotation or the fucking bullpen (which is on the fast track to become the new Neifi Fucking Perez). We'll see.

I've got the baseball bug. Do you?

The Kid Can Fucking Pitch. And The Bats Are Still Working

2007-07-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

My mouth literally waters at the thought of Andrew Miller improving to the point where he can match Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander for class in this rotation. Just think- Verlander, Miller, and then Bondo back-to-back-to-back in about two years. Two legitimate Cy Young candidates and one who could get to that point as well. It's stunning to think about.

Miller was awesome tonight. Even with David Ortiz missing from the Boston lineup, it's pretty potent. Final line against Miller- 1 run, 3 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts. Advantage Miller.

I had the distinct pleasure of sitting behind and next to several Boston fans making the trip to watch the series. Even they stood and applauded Miller with me when he left the mound after single-handedly decimating their team, making at least three different players look like complete idiots on strike outs. It says something about your talent when people from the other team are clapping for you.

Funniest moment of the game for yours truly- Once Tavarez gave up Granderson's homer, Polanco's single, hit Sheffield, and struck out Magglio, everyone decided Terry Francona would make the trip out to the mound to pull Tavarez. No dice. He did do a nice job on Carlos Guillen, but surely with a lefty warming up in the bullpen, Tavarez wouldn't be facing Sean Casey.

So, with Sully The Boston Fan screaming "GO GET HIM TERRY!" Francona loads the bases by intentionally walking Casey. My dad and I and the Tiger fan he was with both look at Sully The Boston Fan and say "Marcus Thames is going yard here" and "Tavarez should be pissed right now" and "Julian might murder Terry Francona when he gets back to the dugout". Five pitches later, we're screaming and laughing as Thames rounds the bases and Tavarez tries not to lose his mind in front of almost 44,000 people. Once Francona actually goes to get him, Sully The Boston Fan lets loose on him and screams every name he can think of at Francona. The crowd felt it coming, we expected Marcus to hit it out, because we knew. Terry Francona? Terry doesn't know.

One more win for the goal for this week (4 out of 6), and the Tigs are tied for first place. Gotta love this game some times.

NFP Strikes Back!

2007-07-06T11:34:00.001-04:00

Welcome back, Neifi Fucking Perez. Or should I say, good-bye Neifi Fucking Perez.

Neifi Fucking Perez tested positive for a banned stimulant and starting today, he is starting to serve a 25 game suspension. Sure, in reality this means he'll miss four to five actual appearances, but nonetheless, this is what it took to get Fucking back to his middle name.

Ryan Raburn was called up from Triple-A Toledo yesterday, breaking the news himself since the Tigers organization still hasn't said anything about it. There were questions, certainly in my mind, if Craig Monroe had finally earned his trip 45 minutes south to figure himself out, but NOPE. Raburn must be Neifi Fucking Perez's replacement on the roster, which explains why the Tigers haven't discussed the move yet- their worst player just tested positive for a stimulant.

All right, everyone together now- goddammit Neifi Fucking Perez, you fucking suck.

Another 180 Degrees

2007-07-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

The emotional roller coaster that is the Detroit Tigers is climbing upwards once again.

Last night's win was the kind of grind-it-out-and-hold-on-for-dear-life type of game that the Tigs don't win very often. After being victimized by poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor defense in the first game of this series, the Tigs got a solid performance out of Kenny Rogers and the bullpen. However, it was a performance that would have been much less solid without spectacular plays from Carlos Guillen, Marcus Thames, and Magglio Ordonez.

Needless to say, it was the type of game that would set the stage for what would seem to be a amazing pitcher's duel between C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander. In the words of Lee Corso, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!

THESE are the type of games were used to seeing the Tigers have. Justin was shutdown, showing more and more that he is rapidly becoming one of the top pitchers in the big leagues. Seven strikeouts and just three runs allowed over seven innings, not to mention a little shake after striking out his final batter to end the seventh. The kid just exudes confidence when he's on.

Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the innings, the Tiger bats finally woke up on this homestand. 17 hits, 12 runs, three homers, and driving out the arguably best pitcher in the bigs after just 4 innings. This was an exclamation point, a statement that no matter what, this team won't be held down for too long.

The only thing that saddens me is that this easily, easily could have been a sweep for the Tigers. If Pudge Rodriguez sends his 10th inning foul ball three feet to the left on Tuesday, the Tigers are up by a game in the division right now. Instead, they are a game back and greeting the best team in baseball to Comerica tomorrow night.

Thank god this is the last series before the All-Star break- I don't know how much more of this up and down emotional swinging I can take. I need a break.

Instant (Bad) Karma!

2007-07-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

John Lennon's principle of "instant karma" is understood to violate fundamental rules of Buddhist understanding of karma. The Tigers may have disproved over 2,000 years of that way of thinking tonight.

Bases loaded, bottom of the tenth inning, 40,000 screaming people, a .320 hitter up, two opportunities to win the game. A pop out and a ground out later, the score remains tied and the winning run is still ninety feet away. Carlos Guillen and, to a lesser extent, Pudge Rodriguez dropped the ball when it could least afford to be dropped and that right there sealed the Tigers fate. Casey Blake's monstrous home run to put the Tribe up 5-4 seemed like a mere formality, as did the Tigers' automatic 1-2-3 plate appearances in the bottom of the 11th.

The bad karma from having the bases loading and not being able to knock in the winning run with just one out is overwhelming. There was no way the Tigers were going to win after that, the Baseball Gods simply do not let teams have third chances. The Tigs wasted their first two in fabulous fashion, why would they deserve a third?

This game was the closest thing to a playoff game the Tigers have seen in early July in a longtime. Fans of both teams screaming at each other, at the players, at the umpires. The atmosphere was electric and each pitch seemed like a big time play. And the Tigers choked. Badly.

The tone was set early when Nate Roberston allowed Casey Blake to get a base hit when he had him down 0-2 with Grady Sizemore on first with the fourth pitch of the game. It's a stupid mistake that led to an early Indians lead.

Nate worked his ass off tonight to leave the game with a lead, and he did that. It was a questionable decision by Leyland, in my mind, to even put Nate out for the fifth inning after he had already thrown over 100 pitches. Luckily, he didn't make my fears warranted. Zach Miner pitched well in two innings of scoreless relief, even though the guy gives me a fucking heart attack some times.

Indians fans should be thankful that the world's worst umpire, Darryl Cousin, even allowed their third run to be on base. Travis Hafner nearly stands directly behind home plate when he bats. He rubs out the back of the batter's box and is about a full-step towards the catcher. Now there's a weak ground ball to first and, SURPRISE, Cousin rules it Catcher Interference, when the runner at third was tagged out on the play trying to score. So, instead of runners on first and second with two outs, Hafner singles in the runner and the game is tied. Bullshit.

In Part Two of the "Darryl Cousin Is The World's Worst Umpire" series, comes the third out of hte bottom of the fifth. The Tigs take the lead on Guillen's single to left that scores Polanco, but Gary Sheffield is called out at home plate when he slides into Kelly "I have a girl's name" Slobbach or whatever the fuck his name was. I'm pretty sure WTFHNW (Whatever The Fuck His Name Was) dropped the ball, but that's without seeing a replay yet seeing as I just got back from the game, so correct me if I'm wrong. But, Sheff slid over the plate. Without a doubt. And was called out. And then he and Placido nearly murdered Cousin. So I'm thinking I'm justified in my belief that he was safe.

In episode nine million and thirty-three of the Tiger bullpen blowing a game, the 4-3 that the Tigers had was blown on the very first pitch from Chad Durbin in the eighth. Seriously, one pitch. Durbs has now ruined my trust in him, running the count of Tiger Relievers I Believe In to a grand total of 1. Number of healthy Tiger relievers I trust- 0. Zoom Zoom come back soon.

Finally, part three of "Darryl Cousin Is The World's Worst Umpire"- WGAFWHNI (Who Gives A Fuck What His Name Is) Betancourt's repeated balks in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. When he came set, Betancourt's leg would have a seizure. This is a balk. Cousin WARNED Cleveland manager Eric Wedge about it. What is this, fucking Little League? IT'S THE DAMN BIG LEAGUES! IF HE BALKS, CALL IT. But does Cousin ever call the balk on Betancourt? No, the second base umpire does, WHO CAN'T EVEN SEE THE LEG FROM WHERE HE IS! He just knew it was going on! Why isn't Cousin making that call?

So after all that, what else are we left with for me to bitch about?

Oh yes, Jose Capellan will fit right in with the Tigers' bullpen. One very, very impressive inning and then two thirds of a good inning, and then one HUGE mistake. Sounds about par for the course. I think that bullpen is just fucking cursed.

Craig Monroe is becoming the equivalent of Chris Shelton. He needs to go down to Toledo and figure out what the hell is wrong with him. He looks awful. Butt Fucking Awful. I love C-Mo as much as any Tiger fan, but he's killing the team right now. The bottom part of that order was always, always a strength last year. Now, not so much. Craig needs to get right, and needs it in the worst way.

Speaking of Monroe, is Marcus Thames dead? Did he leave the team between Sunday and tonight? Does Marcus just not pinch hit late in ball games? Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but he did hit the winning home run in the eighth inning on Sunday right? Now, you're Jim Leyland and you've got a guy who hasn't hit jack shit in a month or a guy who's coming off one of the biggest home runs of his life and also happens to play the same position. WHY, WHY, WHY DON'T YOU PINCH HIT THAMES FOR MONROE? Is there not a spot on this team for Marcus?!

Brandon Inge continues to cause me to loathe his existence. What other Tiger looks at a called third strike fastball that's knee-high and over the plate and then argues with the home plate umpire about it? Seriously, what the fuck Inge.

Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, and Gary Sheffield might be the only hitters worth having on this team in a clutch situation. Why? They aren't trying to hit home runs. Every other Tiger was looking to smack the ball out of the park to get that walk-off, whereas Polanco and Sheff started the should-have-been-game-winning rally in the tenth by hitting the ball on the ground and taking what they were given. Mags was walked, but he was putting good swings on the ball as well. Everyone else looked like shit.

This loss hurts way more than it should. It's going to take a while before I can speak sanely about this team again.

This Is The Big Time

2007-07-02T12:10:00.000-04:00

Usually teams are worried about when they play heavy hitters on the road out of their ballpark. However, for our Detroit Tigers it's quite the opposite.

Baseball's two best teams come to town this weekend, with Cleveland coming in tomorrow for a three game set and then Boston on Friday for another three game series. Cleveland is 1.5 games up on the Tigers right now and Boston is running away with AL East again after getting the shit scared out of them by the Yankees a few weeks ago.

From all appearances, the Tigs and the Indians are two teams headed in different directions right now. The Indians are coming off of a sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays and retaking the lead in the Central. Meanwhile, the Tigers just salvaged a win in a series loss to Minnesota after dropping two of three to the Texas Rangers. This series has nearly the same look as the one last season when the White Sox came to town in July shortly after the All-Star Break. That's the series when Craig Monroe hit a monster grand slam in the second game to turn the tide in two different teams' seasons, spurring the Tigers on to playoff glory and the White Sox to third place in the Central.

It might take some of the same types of heroics if the Tigers are going to survive the Tribe. Not to put a reverse jinx on Cleveland or anything (I would NEVER do that), but the Indians have the look of a team right now that's going to roll through the rest of the schedule. C.C. Sabathia is pitching like a man on fire and the line-up that hits for him is putting up runs like it's nobody's business. It's really unfair for a struggling team like the Tigers to run into such a buzzsaw at this point in the year. One can only hope that they take it easy on our boys.

Boston meanwhile, is 10.5 games up in the AL East and has the makings of a World Series contender. They are in the midst of a rough road trip right now, having been swept by Seattle last week and had two of three taken from them against the Rangers in Arlington. However, they still are the best team in baseball with a 49-31 record and are going to be a rough, rough test for our Tigs going into the Break.

These are going to be six excruciating games in a ballpark where the Tigs have not played all that great this season, just 20-18 at the CoPa this year. Winning each series should be the goal for the Tigers, but going .500 for this week would be a big, big step. This is going to show us a lot about the resolve of our boys heading into the All-Star Break next week- let's just hope that it's not in the negative.

All-Star Trips And Division Slips

2007-07-02T11:54:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the five Detroit Tigers who, as of right now, will be making the trip to San Fransisco for the All-Star Game. Magglio Ordonez, Pudge Rodriguez, and Placido Polanco will all be in the starting line-up for the American League and Justin Verlander and Carlos Guillen will be coming off of the bench. While Pudge may not exactly be deserving of an All-Star spot, reputation certainly worked for him this year as he and the other Tigers get some much deserved recognition.

Jeremy Bonderman has a chance to become the sixth Tiger if he is voted in by the fans over the next week or so. After last night's performance on national TV, he definitely should be picking up some extra votes.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Tigs had yet another rough series against the Twins that culminated in a 1-0 victory last night on Sunday Night Baseball. Last night was the kind of grind-it-out pitching performance that a pitcher like Jeremy Bonderman, the staff's ace, is supposed to throw- eight innings of shut-out ball even when through the first three he had already thrown 50 pitches. Every now and then these Tiger starters can turn into bona fide stoppers, it's just too bad that both Justin Verlander and Andrew Miller allowed 14 runs between the two in their two starts to begin the series.

What we're seeing right now is another example of how long a baseball season really is. Just a week ago, we were all praising the Tigers for taking a two-game lead in the AL Central and the fact that they were hitting the shit out of the ball and shutting teams down on the mound. Today, the bats have gone nearly silent and the pitching as become suspect once again, only now it's from the starters on down. And as far as the standings go, the Tigs are right back to 1.5 games behind Cleveland again.

Maybe that's why I'm not really all that worried. It's the beginning of July and the Tigers are only 1.5 out of first and switching between first and second on a almost weekly basis. There's still three full months left of baseball to be played and there are a lot of scores still to be settled. So no, I'm not ready to throw in the towel or to claim victory. But this week ought to say a lot about what's going to happen after the All-Star Break.

Everything You Thought You Knew...

2007-06-27T17:04:00.000-04:00

So after and encouraging series against Atlanta, three close ballgames that were well-pitched, the Tigs return home aaaaand get the old pitching back.

Out of all the Tiger pitchers in this series against Texas, the returning Nate Robertson was the only one who did not make me shake my head in anguish. Jeremy Bonderman looked shut down for points on Monday, but then fell apart spectacularly to allow a bunch of Rangers to cross the plate and put the Tigs out of it early. The same old bullpen got off the plane from the Dirty-Dirty and has allowed over ten runs in the past two games.

The Texas Rangers are a bad team. They have improved since the Tigers played them last month, but they are still not good. Yet they have waltzed into Comerica Park and beaten the Tigers once and let them beat themselves yesterday. It's disheartening coming off such a successful road trip.

With the game today being rained out, the Tigs are almost certain to be relegated back into second place in the division tonight. We all knew that at some point the bats would go quiet, and then that's when this team would get into trouble. Well, for three games prior the bats were quiet and the pitching held it together, but now the trouble begins. There are three pitchers I trust coming out of the Tiger bullpen- Durbin, DLC, and Zumaya. Zoomer is hurt and DLC just had a shithole outing on Monday, so that limits me to Chad Durbin.

Par for the course at this point, right?

Too Classy To Start Verlander?

2007-06-25T13:44:00.000-04:00

The All-Star Game is fast approaching and it looks like there will be quite a few Tigers making an appearance at this year's game in San Fransisco. Pudge Rodriguez and Placido Polanco are looking as if they will be voted in by the fans, while Magglio Ordonez is fourth in AL Outfielder balloting (because fans are idiots) and will almost certainly be named to the team by Jim Leyland.

Of course, there are cases that can be made for at least three other Tiger position players who aren't even close to being voted in. Carlos Guillen is batting .324 and having yet another outstanding season at shortstop for the Tigs. Gary Sheffield leads the team in stolen bases and has raised his average to .295 after an incredibly rough April, while Curtis Granderson didn't even make the ballot, yet is batting .284 and looking like a Gold Glove candidate in centerfield.

The pitching staffs are named by the managers and coaching staffs of each league, and with Jim Leyland leading the AL, it seems as if at least one Tiger pitcher will make the team. Justin Verlander looks to be that guy, dominating with a 9-2 record, a 2.78 ERA, 85 strikeouts and a no-hitter to boot. Jeremy Bonderman might also be thrown into the game, based on his 9-0 record and 4.01 ERA.

Since Verlander is becoming one of the stand out pitchers in the American League, it begs the question: should he start the All-Star game? John Loe of the Free Press certainly thinks so, but this calls in a question of morality- is it wrong for Jim Leyland to name one of his own pitchers the starter in the All-Star game?

Anyone who has remotely followed the Tigers' during Leyland's tenure knows that he is one classy individual. The man is basically a god. While Verlander definitely makes a solid candidate for that starting role, Kenny Rogers started the game for the AL last year and having two Tigers start the All Star game in a row might take away from other pitchers, such as, and mainly, Josh Beckett, from having the sort of spot light they deserve for their performances.

Beckett has been having a great year, no doubt about it. He's 11-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 79 strikeouts. Verlander might edge him out on ERA and strikeout numbers, but Beckett's performance this year shows a marked improvement from where he was last year in his first year with Boston. What we're seeing from Justin is pretty much what we expected, while Beckett has been exceeding expectations that pretty much put him down as a failed trade for the BoSox after last season's disappointing finish. Usually the role of starting the game comes down to how much rest each pitcher has had coming into the game, and Beckett and Verlander should off-set with plenty of rest for each.

As great as Justin has been, and as great as he's going to be, this year should be Beckett's to start. The last thing the Tigers' need is a ton of national attention for Jim Leyland supposedly playing favorites, even if Verlander might come through as the starter on a subjective basis as well. Plus, if it means tiring out Beckett a little bit more for that wild-card spot, I'm all for it. If Justin gets the nod, I won't be complaining, but Beckett probably should, if only because Leyland is that kind of guy.

A Sweep From Last Year

2007-06-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

One run allowed, two shutouts, three wins. This weekend's series was something straight out of last year's playbook, what with all the bullpen dominance and brilliant starting pitching. It's the type of thing that us Tiger fans had come to expect from this team, but hadn't really gotten at all until this weekend.

True enough, this turn of form was against a struggling National League side in the Braves that had been shut out in two or three consecutive games prior to Friday night. A bigger test will be the series that begins tonight against Texas- a ball club that can hit and is more of a prototypical American League team. As nice as this weekend was, it's still a bit much to rejoice at the return of the 2006 Detroit Tigers. I'd like to see a series victory in the same type of fashion over these Texas Rangers.

More questions were answered this weekend on the subject of the Tigers' pitching situations. Between the trades of Wil Ledezma and Mike Maroth, two, and possibly even three depending on what management decides to do with Macay McBride, roster spots opened. The two spots will be manned by Euglio De La Cruz, who continues to impress, and Andrew Miller. Miller seems to be the guy taking over the fifth spot in the rotation, as Chad Durbin is moved to the pen.

It hurts to see Durbs moved out of the rotation, but with last night's shut down performance upon entering the game, the will of the kid shines bright. He fought and fought and fought for the past three months for a major league spot, and now he's going to get it and fight harder to keep it. 2 and 2/3 innings of shut-out baseball for his first career save and perhaps provided even firmer ground for the shaky bullpen to stand on. It seems that solutions to the bullpen problem are beginning to take hold.

I'd still like to see Andrew Miller moved down to Erie. My own personal opinion is that he still has a few things to work on that would be better served be observed by people who have experience molding major leaguers. But you know what? There are four potential aces in the Tigers' rotation now. Bonderman, Verlander, and Miller are all power pitchers who can completely shut down a line up and Kenny Rogers is THE MAN who can out-pitch a good hitting team. All Nate Robertson has to do is go out and do what he does best- bulldog his way through games and keep the Tigs in the game. Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson, and Andrew Miller. Incredible.

It's late-June and the boys are heating up. Coming into this long homestand, they complete a 8-1 trip, complete with two sweeps and seven consecutive wins. Watching the way they're playing right now, two games up on the Indians at the moment, is it feasible to see anything other than injuries that can slow this team down?

Magglio Doing Fine/Nice Work By The Pen

2007-06-23T02:09:00.000-04:00

I was ready to kill someone when I saw Magglio cringe in pain after being hit on the hand with a pitch in the eighth inning of this game. Although Mags didn't look to be in too much pain, he was pulled from the game which only added to my racing heartbeat and worries.

Fortunately, Ordonez is okay. It's simply a bruised hand and all X-rays came back negative. He's expected to be back in the line-up for tomorrow's game.

I figure I give the bullpen enough hell when they do something wrong, it's about high time I acknowledge what they do right. Jason Grilli, Bobby Seay, and DLC were all fantastic tonight. Three innings of shut down relief which is exactly what this team needs to get on a night in and night out basis. Hopefully this becomes a trend.

That Would Be 29 Straight Scoreless

2007-06-23T01:52:00.001-04:00

Six innings, no runs, two hits, five strike outs, no walks. There's Kenny Rogers' line from tonight, his first start this season and one of the more impressive in his long career.

It's always impressive when you shut a team down. It's better when you shut a team out. But when you shut a team out during your first start of the season after missing two and a half months because you had a blood clot in your shoulder and you only had 8 and 2/3 innings of rehab work in the minor leagues before said start? Well, then you're just fucking amazing

Rogers looked better than sharp, he looked incredible. He had no hit ball through 3 and 2/3 and allowed just one more hit after that. Of course, he started a bit rocky- a hit batsmen with his first pitch of the night. But after that, 10 Atlanta Braves in a row were set down. For a team that has been winning a lot of games 12-4 and 9-5 recently, getting a pitching performance that was as dominant as this one reminds one a lot of last year. It's the same formula.

And yes, dating back to last season now, Rogers has thrown 29 straight scoreless innings. Sorry, thrown isn't the proper term- he's pitched those innings. The Gambler knows himself better than anyone: he knew that he was able to return after so few innings in the minors, he knew when to drop down and throw side arm on a few sliders, and he knew exactly how to roll through a young Braves team.

While Kenny's return was sweet, you know what's even sweeter, Tiger fans? Cleveland lost to the Nationals 4-1, marking the Tigers' return to first place in the AL Central.

KENNY!

2007-06-22T18:18:00.000-04:00

There are few moments in sports that I have experienced that match what happened during Game 3 of the ALDS last year.

Kenny Rogers held 43,000 Tiger fans' hearts in his hands with every pitch, and he delivered. He was as desperate as we were to shake the image of "losers"- ready to taste glory for the first time in his career. And because of Kenny Rogers, we did.

Steve Yzerman with the Red Wings in 1997. Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammel, and Jack Morris in 1984. Al Kaline and Mickey Lolich in 1968. Gordie Howe roughly forever. Isaiah Thomas in 1989. Kenny Rogers' performance that night and throughout the 2006 post-season ranks right up there with those as far as an athlete making a special connection with the city of Detroit. It doesn't matter that the Tigers are the umpteenth team that Rogers has pitched for: he's one of us now. The emotion he showed on the mound, the appreciation he showed for the ovation, the strikes he threw, the batters he struck out, all of it bridged that gap between athlete and fan. He let us know he wanted it as bad as we did. It was beyond special.

That chilly Friday in October, followed by the next Friday and the next Sunday are the three biggest reasons why my first male child is going to be named Kenny. 23 scoreless innings in the post-season for the team that I have loved since birth. The man deserves a ring on his finger and it's for him, for Kenny Rogers, that I want the Tigers to take the Series this year over any other.

Starting tonight, this might be his final run. The guy is 41 and there's a lot of miles on that arm. It might be one of the shortest love affairs a city will have had with an athlete, but nothing will ever take away from those three starts. So when FSN Detroit starts showing highlights of last year's playoffs when 43,000 Tiger fans screamed "KEN-NY KEN-NY!" at the top of their lungs, just let the goosebumps come and then take a deep breath.

Welcome back Kenny, you were missed.

Kicking Out The Kitten

2007-06-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

The deal was made today as Mike Maroth is sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player-to-be-named-later. Mike was one of the few Tigers left over from the glory-less years and he always came to play no matter what the team was doing. His style of pitching will be better suited for the National League anyway, where a soft-tossing lefty won't get absolutely destroyed if he misses his spots badly. Take care Mike and good luck in St. Louis, we'll check up on you from time to time.

Back to the Tigs. What this deal does is free up two roster spots, since the player-to-be-named-later has not been named yet. Chad Durbin is likely to keep his spot in the rotation, which is great because the guy has truly earned it with a 3.36 ERA in his last 10 starts. When Nate Robertson returns, probably some time next week, it's more than likely that Andrew Miller will be earmarked for Erie again. As good as the kid is, he still needs to work on a good off-speed pitch, and Double-A is the place to do that.

Bonderman, Rogers, Verlander, Roberston, and Durbin. It seems that the one, two, three, and four guys are going to be stoppers no matter what, and having Durbs around to solidify that fifth guy role is going to be really nice. As long as Nate comes back from injury looking like he's healthy again, then things will really get clicking in the rotation.

There are obviously still decisions to be made in the bullpen. Fernando Rodney, Todd Jones, DLC, Macay McBride, Bobby Seay, Tim Byrdak, and Jason Grilli are your current hurlers out there. DLC has been impressive, Jones isn't going any where, neither is Rodney, McBride deserves a chance and Byrdak has been solid most of the time. It's unlikely that Andrew Miller will get moved to the pen, but it worked in September of last year and no one really complained. I'd rather see him down, but if he stays up, Seay will probably be the odd man out.

There's also the chance that Zach Miner will come up to the big league club when he recovers from injury and is activated from the DL, which should also be next week. Seay is again probably the odd man out if Miller is sent down. I wouldn't mind seeing Miner getting sent to Toledo- he killed a lot of the trust I had in him with a lot of his starts down the stretch in August and September last year.

The picture is becoming ever clearer, yet there are still plenty of decisions left to be made.

Apparently, Roman Colon Is Fucking Crazy, and Nate Robertson Is Okay

2007-06-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

I'm sure most of you have run across this story by now, but it seems that last week, rehabbing Tigers' reliever Roman Colon punched a Toledo teammate in the face and caused enough damage to require four hours of reconstructive surgery.

Jason Karnuth, the punchee, has filed a police report over the incident. The two players were locked in an argument over what should be playing over the clubhouse iPod. That's right- Colon broke a guy's face over some damn music. Did anyone alert Dave Dombrowski and Tigers' management that this guy was completely insane when they traded for him? Or was that just an added bonus?

Colon has since been reassigned to Double-A Erie to continue his rehabbing assignment. Which is probably a good idea, considering he already conquered Toledo. All he needs to do now is kick someone on Erie in the shins hard enough to require surgery and then he will have complete ownership over the top two teams in the Tigers' minor league system.

In all seriousness though, the Tigers have seen what can happen when the show Relievers Gone Wrong comes to town. After Ugie Urbina fought someone on the charter plane a few years ago, Dombrowski rightly dumped his ass. The Tigers only gave Colon a seven day suspension for the incident, when in reality, they should have straight up cut him loose. Imagine if he got back to the bigs and Pudge called a pitch that he didn't like and it went for a home run? He might murder the entire team! How long would that get him, two weeks? Colon's gotta go.

In a related story, all players that wish to listen to music in the Tigers' minor league system must listen to it through headphones. Yeah, probably a good idea. Or else Roman Colon punch you in the face.

In other news from Double-A Erie, Nate Robertson made his first rehab start and it was a beauty. Nate no-hit Altoona (Texas Rangers' system) through six innings and struck out six before leaving after the sixth. Hopefully, this means he's fully recovered from that tired arm and he can be the pitcher he was back in April and early May.

Let's just get Nate out of Erie before he's the next victim of Roman Colon.

A Look At the Central

2007-06-21T18:50:00.000-04:00

Before the start of the season, it was expected that there would be four outstanding teams fighting it out for first place in the AL Central and that the Wild Card winner was almost certainly going to be coming out of the division as well. While the latter is still true, the former is starting to look more and more unlikely as time goes by.

The one-two combination of Cleveland and Detroit is going to be real close the entire season. Neither team is weak enough to let the other pull away and each team is very similar- high powered offense and strong starting pitching. The only difference is that the Tigers somehow got the Indians bullpen from last year while the Indians' pen somehow turned into the Bullpen Bengals of yesteryear.

Outside of these two teams though, the rest of the division is coming up short. Minnesota is winning games as always, yet they're just two games above .500 and 5.5 games out of the division lead. As we were shown last year, even when the Twinkies seem like they're out of it, they are a true second half team. After the All-Start break, these guys will probably be right back in the thick of things.

On the other hand, the Chicago White Sox are nearly dead already. They sit 11.5 games out and have just 29 wins. They're only three games up on the Royals for fourth place in the division. What is happening in the Windy City is really unexplainable, considering the quality of the rotation and the ability in the line up. The ChiSox have to be the most underachieving team in MLB this year, no doubt about it. The Royals are doing exactly what is expected of them (being doormats for the rest of the division), and they are just barely hanging on above them.

There are rumors circulating that Ozzie Guillen might find himself out of a job if this trend continues. While Ozzie is a great quote, there's nothing incredible about him as a manager- he's benefited from good personnel moves and great pitching for the last two seasons. Needless to say, he won't be missed in this neck of the woods.

This division is still the strongest in baseball, if only because of the quality of the top two teams. Cleveland and Detroit should, should, have enough to outclass Minny down the stretch, but like I said, there's no counting out that Twins team. As of right now, it's a two-horse race to the finish, even though we're not even at the halfway point yet. The real question is what's going to be more exciting- watching the Tigers and Indians fight it out for the division crown, with the loser still nearly guaranteed to own a playoff spot, or the Battle For Fourth between the Royals and the White Sox?

A Trade and A Sweep

2007-06-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I did not foresee Wilfredo Ledezma being the odd man out. Wil has been with the Tigers for a long time and was projected to be a starter, which really is his best role. Here's wishing him luck in the future and that he finally gets the chance he deserves in Atlanta. In my heart, he'll always be the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the 2006 ALCS.

That being said, the Tigers traded a lefty for a lefty. Macay McBride will join the team tomorrow in Atlanta after being solid for the Braves after returning to the big league club. McBride was sent down to Triple-A earlier this year with control issues, but since returning he has been very good, holding lefties to a .160 average. Either McBride could become the new lefty specialist, or he could be sent down to Toledo, on account of the fact that he is not out of options, as Ledezma was.

In reality, the fact that McBride has options may be the reason Dombrowski pulled the trigger on this deal. Had Ledezma been sent down, and with the way he's been performing this year he would have deserved it, he could have been picked up by another club for free. Now, McBride can be sent down and pave the way for either Mike Maroth or Chad Durbin to be sent to the pen until Maroth is dealt, which seems to be an almost certainty now.

At the moment, the situation seems to be this- Bondo, Rogers, Verlander, Miller, and Durbin in the starting rotation. Coming out of the pen will be McBride, Jones, Rodney, DLC, Seay, Byrdak, and Maroth. The most likely scenario when Robertson comes back sometime in the next two weeks is that Miller will be sent back down to Double-A Erie. The real tricky part is what will happen when Zach Miner returns. It seems that DLC, in the two appearances he's made, has become the answer to the Tigs' eighth inning woes, so he'll probably be staying. If McBride impresses, either Bobby Seay or Tim Byrdak will be the ones heading down to Toledo, with Seay being the more likely choice as of right now.

As the Maroth situation slowly plays out, the Tigers are riding high after sweeping the Nationals with an 8-4 victory. As amazing as Jeremy Bonderman pitched earlier in the season, he's letting in more runs now than pretty much all of April, yet he just keeps on winning games. 8-0 this season and hasn't lost a start in his last 16 dating back to last year. Of course, getting eight runs of support doesn't hurt him at all either. The Tigs even got a decent performance out of the bullpen last night, since it seems that now everyone is pitching for their livelihoods.

Is it possible that if the Tigers brass just keep holding the "We might be sending you anywhere else but here if you fuck up" card over every pitcher in the pen, the entire bullpen problem might fix itself? It worked last night and two nights ago. Maybe Dombrowski should have a little talk with Todd Jones too.

CELEBRATING THE 100th POST! With A 15-1 Win To Boot

2007-06-19T22:17:00.000-04:00

Yep, this is the 100th post. Fantastic.

More importantly, the Tigs got a real laugher tonight. No late inning drama, no bullpen miscues, no injuries, nothing bad at all.

This team is just getting really, really fun to watch. With Chad Durbin on the mound looking like he was pitching for his roster spot (and he probably was), the bats came out in force. Last night, the Tigs had their big inning and then nothing else the whole game. This time there was a big inning, and then just steady run production after that.

Magglio Ordonez is doing something special this year. He raised his average to .377 and went 3-3 with yet another double and drove in a couple runs as well. It's June 19th and there's no way that Magglio Ordonez isn't the leader in the AL MVP race at the moment. Alex Rodriguez is playing his ass off in New York, but I hate him and the Yankees and therefore choose to ignore everything he's doing positively. If Maggs keeps going at the clip he's at right now, he might be chasing the .400 batting average mark come July or August.

How about Sean Casey getting that first home run of the year? He hit the living fuck out of the ball and it was nice to see him flying around the bases like a little kid. Adding to the fun of that moment was the silent treatment that Casey got when he came back to the dugout and the look on his face when he realized what was going on. This team is winning but more importantly, they're having fun and it's simply a joy to be watching and writing about.

How about Dmitri Young, by the way? Another couple of hits today and he's got his average into the .330s. DY was the only bright spot on the Tigers for a couple years, and it's really nice to see a person of that caliber bounce back from all the troubles that he went through last year. Hopefully he can get out of the cellar there in Washington and get traded to a contender- he's been outstanding on too many bad teams over the years.

Oh, and one more thing to celebrate on this 100th post? Cleveland lost to the Phillies, pulling the Tigers into a tie for first place in the AL Central. Getting the hold with 1/3 of an inning pitched? Jose Fucking Mesa. Good job, friend.

What To Do With Durbin?

2007-06-19T21:56:00.001-04:00

Chad Durbin has done his part. After tonight's shut-down performance, he will end his stint as "Kenny Rogers' Replacement" with a 6-3 record and having made a definitive impression on Tiger supporters.

But now the dilemma begins. With Kenny returning Friday, taking back Durbin's spot in the rotation, where does that leave Chad? Chad is out of options, which means that if he is sent back to Toledo, any team can sign him away from the Tiger organization. There is very little chance that the personnel people will allow him to leave Detroit for free, so that scenario is pretty much ruled out.

The most likely scenario is that Durbin will be moved to the bullpen and someone will be optioned to Toledo, most likely Eulogio De La Cruz. DLC looked good last night and tonight, but Andrew Miller will be needed on the big league roster until Nate Robertson returns from the DL. That leaves the Tigers' rotation with Bondo, Verlander, Rogers, Maroth, and Robertson (Miller for the time being).

However, this may not necessarily be the best possible rotation. As long as Mikey has been here, he's becoming a liability. He left the gate open last night when he left the bases loaded with no outs and allowed two runs to come in before that. He looks like a third starter on the Tiger teams of four or five years ago- which makes him long relief now.

Chad Durbin has been pitching since mid-May like his career depended on every start. Mike Maroth has been pitching since mid-May like a career minor leaguer. In my mind, several Durbin appearances (at Chicago in April, against the Mets two Fridays ago, tonight) have outweighed nearly everything Mike has done, which is basically benefit from great run support. This team's one weakness is glaring and obvious in the bullpen. Maroth is a veteran lefty with good stuff (not great, but good) who could probably help a few teams. It's about time to shop him around to get some help in the pen and to free up a spot in the rotation.

Getting rid of Maroth and having Robertson back from injury would send Miller back to Double-A Erie and, depending on how many players the trade would consist of, would free up at least one roster spot. Durbin has earned Maroth's spot in the rotation and DLC deserves a solid chance at making an impact coming out of the bullpen. Zack Miner coming back from injury would create yet another issue. I'm not a huge Miner fan though, so I'm pretty okay with him going back to Toledo and waiting for September to make an impact up on the big club again. That would leave the Tiger rotation with three bona-fide aces, one very good number two guy (when he's on, obviously), and a solid number four starter. Isn't that better than three aces, one very good number two guy, and a giant liability?

It's going to be an interesting couple days in Tigerville as these personnel moves play out. No matter what, there's going to be an odd man out. I just don't think Durbs has pitched like he deserves to be that guy.

FUCKING A TODD.

2007-06-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

JESUS CHRIST WHAT HAPPENED?!

I seriously stopped watching the game at the end of the top half of the ninth to take a shower. I look at the final online and what happens? Three runs score and bang, we have a one run game on our hands.

DOES ANYONE ELSE REALIZE THAT THE TIGERS ALLOWED A 9-1 LEAD BECOME A 9-8 NAIL-BITER?! TODD JONES/MIKE MAROTH ALL MUST GO.

Mikey, the hitters got you an 8 run lead. And you let that go all the way to 9-3 before getting yanked and then left Bobby Seay to collect the last two earned runs you left on base. You're the odd man out, pal. We'll miss you here in the D but you need to get out of here before you cost us a pennant.

As for Jonesy, the guy should not get used to that closer role. He has about one month before the massive cry for Joel Zumaya to move into that spot begins. What we saw in the eighth inning tonight, Eulogio De La Cruz (or DLC as he will now be known (thanks Mack Avenue Kurt)) as the set up man in the eighth inning and Zoomer should take over the ninth. I love Todd Jones as a person. I hate him as a closer. He'll do well in that eighth inning role to set up Zumaya and DLC or Rodney can take over the seventh inning role. Either way, NO MORE TODD JONES TO CLOSE GAMES.

GOD I AM SO SICK OF THIS SHIT.

Good News

2007-06-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

Kenny Rogers will be making his first start of the year in Atlanta on Friday. Kenny originally expected back until after the All-Star Break, but the man seems like he's simply raring to go.

As exciting as it will be to see Rogers come back to the mound in Hotlanta, I really, really wish that Leyland would have started him at Comerica in his first game back. The man just won't get the proper greeting he deserves. Plus my dad and I have the Friday season ticket package, so if the Tigs were at home, I'd get to stand and applaud the guy. Which is all I really want.

Either way, it'll be nice to get Andrew Miller and Justin Verlander an extra day of rest and to see Rogers back in the Old English D.

Bullpen Issues Part 193546546

2007-06-16T01:08:00.000-04:00

It's not that close games scare me. There are enough games in a season that some bounce one way, some bounce another. No, it's more the total blowouts that turn into close games that worry me.

This is a new addition to the "Detroit Tigers' Bullpen Manual To Scaring The Shit Out Of All Tiger Fans": take a game that you inherit at 12-4 and let it get all the way to 12-8 before the door is shut.

This time the culprit was Tim Byrdak, who had been steady in his first stint as a Tiger up until this point. Balls were flying left and right out of Generic Corporate Company Ballpark tonight against both Bonderman and Byrdak, but it's more of a problem for Tim. He's a reliever and his job is to come in and shut the door. Slam it fucking shut. Instead, he left it wiiiide open for the remainder of the game.

Fernando Rodney looked scary as hell in relief of Byrdak, but he got the job done, even though I could have done without the drama of two men on and the possibility of the new worst collapse of the year. Bobby Seay looked fine, and Todd Jones looked decent. Facing two batters and walking one isn't usually acceptable, but whatever.

I like entertaining baseball. But, I'd rather have a entertaining game where the Tigers AREN'T nearly blowing it all to Hell. 12-4 blowouts are quite okay with me, I'll go on the record with that. Jim Price said it best today on the radio when he remarked "Championship teams shouldn't have to score 12 runs every game in order to win games." This team does. The pen needs help, and it needs it now.

Same Shit, New Night

2007-06-13T22:10:00.001-04:00

Nothing to bring us Tiger fans back down to earth quicker than another bullpen bust. One night a no-hitter, the next one a no-doubter puts the Brewers ahead of the Tigs for good when Fernando Rodney gave up and coming pitchers a perfect example of what happens when you miss your spot.

Seriously, it seems like this bullpen is required to blow a game at least once a week. Either it takes 10 runs or a no-hitter to get my heartbeat calmed in the late innings. Granted, Fernando probably should have gotten the called third strike on Bill Hall at least twice prior to Hall taking him really deep to left field for the go-ahead two run homer, but still Pudge called for an outside fastball. That was NOT an outside fastball. A guy on my high school baseball team used to throw that type of pitch, we called it a hanging fastball. That's right, Fernando Rodney lost the game on what I consider a hanging fastball. Fantastic.

The one thing that really worries me is that Rodney has the stuff to be a shut down set up guy. However, he just doesn't have the mental make up right now. The one guy who had the stuff and the mental make up, Joel Zumaya, isn't coming back for at least another six weeks. Other than Zoom Zoom, who in the bullpen has the complete confidence of Tiger fans for shutting down the opposition? No one.

These are the types of games that this team would win last year. As good as the starting pitching has been, as great as the offense has been, this team won't win jack shit without a bullpen that can hold leads in crunch time. That's not an overreaction, that's a fact. It's the chink in the armor, it's Cindy Crawford's mole, it's the Neifi Perez in the batting order (after his double play last night and the bare handed ground ball tonight, he has earned the right to not have "Fucking" in the middle of his name. For now.).

The way it looks right now, the Tigs are going to fall one full game back of the Indians. See you at the ball park tomorrow afternoon.

Time To Play Again

2007-06-13T18:34:00.000-04:00

One last chance to revel in the glory of last night. Now back to the rest of the season. Believe it or not, the Tigs are tied for first place now with Cleveland.

History is nice. Winning the division would be nicer.

Justin Verlander, Welcome To The Big Stage

2007-06-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here in Detroit, it is well known what Justin Verlander can do. However, last night's performance essentially thrust him into the national limelight and has most baseball analysts preparing for a run of greatness from the kid.

What we Tiger fans are seeing from Justin on a start to start basis is something that comes along once every decade or two in a team's history. This kid is a genuine ace, a true superstar, who (now officially) has unhittable stuff and can infuse a ballpark like the CoPa with his performances. Last night was pure magic. And it's not the first time that dedicated Tiger fans have seen Justin come to the mound with poise and intensity that don't match his young age of 24. Chicago in September last year? New York in Game 2 of the ALDS? At Fenway Park just about a month ago? There's a trend.

Verlander is giving a giant middle finger to the notion of the sophomore slump. He's 7-2 this season, and his ERA is at a pristine 2.67, sixth in the bigs. Tiger fans, with those types of numbers and the type of stuff Justin brought to the mound yesterday, we can prepare ourselves for a stretch of pitching that we haven't seen since the days of Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain. Jack Morris was good, no doubt, but he never completely dominated a team like Verlander did to Milwaukee last night. The no-hitter in 1984 is up there with the greatest pitching performances in Tiger history, but last night we might have seen the greatest.

I'd like to give a big shout out to Mario Impemba and Rod Allen for how they handled last night's game. Not once did they mention that Justin had a no-hitter going. FSN Detroit cameras focused in on the big scoreboard in left that said "0 0 0" next the Milwaukee's name, but that's the extent of it. Great work on not jinxing the kid, guys. Same to Dan Dickerson and Jim Price on the radio. I didn't listen to the game from them, but all reports I've heard have said they too didn't say a word. Good job respecting superstition from the Tiger broadcasters.

Well, now Justin Verlander becomes a superstar on the national scene. It's almost like a coronation of sorts. When there's a nobody that comes from no where to pitch a no-hitter, it's an aberration. But when a kid of Verlander's quality who has been slowly building up to this point for two years reaches it, it's an anointment.

Enjoy the ride Tiger fans, this doesn't happen too often. It's Justin's world- we're all just living in it.

NO HITTER! NO HITTER! NO HITTER!

2007-06-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

Justin Verlander has no hit the Milwaukee Brewers. He hit 102 mph on the gun. In the ninth inning. And then dropped a backdoor breaking ball. 12 strikeouts. 4 walks. No coherent thoughts from yours truly.

After the euphoria clears, I'll post something cohesive.

Rogers Looking Good, But Who's Spot Should He Take?

2007-06-11T15:45:00.001-04:00

Kenny Rogers went 3 and 2/3 for Toledo yesterday, marking a solid return to the mound. Kenny allowed just three hits and no runs, and made a typically stunning defensive play for the final out of his appearance. Rogers struck out two and walked none, throwing 51 pitches.

Rogers hopes to be rejoining the rotation some time in June. The only problem is exactly whose spot he's going to take. There's no question that Kenny deserves to come right back into a rotation spot, the only problem is that his replacement, Chad Durbin, has been out pitching both Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth as of late.

I know that at the start of the year I was calling for Durbs' head. I wanted him out, Andrew Miller in, and then Miller to the minors when Kenny came back from injury. So far though, Durbs has proved me totally wrong, with a solid 5-2 record (should be 6-1 after an undeserved loss on Friday) and has looked completely unhittable in several of his starts. Durbin may not be the prettiest pitcher- he lets in runs, walks a few, and looks shaky every now and again- but he gives the team a chance to win pretty much every time he comes out nowadays.

If I were Jim Leyland, this is what I would do- let Durbin keep his well-earned spot, and have Kenny take over Mike Maroth's position in the line-up and either trade Mikey or move him to the pen. As rough as that is for Mike, he often looks like the odd man out in a otherwise solid pitching rotation. If it came down to playoff time, Mike Maroth might be the last Tiger pitcher I want to see on the mound. Maroth has been here through the bad times and now the good, but it might be time to see him off. The Tigs need another reliever at the moment to shore up the bullpen, and Maroth might be enough bait to lure someone into sending over a half-decent set up guy.

Magglio Named Best Player In The League- ESPN.com

2007-06-11T15:30:00.000-04:00

According to ESPN.com's scientific Player Ratings, Magglio Ordonez is the league's best player by a whopping 9 points over New York's Alex Rodriguez. In the Top 100, Detroit owns six spots, second only to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who have seven players, for most in the MLB.

Instead of rehashing Magglio's incredible season thus far, marked by an 87.3 rating, it would be more productive to name the other Tigers listed in the Top 100. They are, in order, Gary Sheffield (8), Placido Polanco (25), Curtis Granderson (60), Carlos Guillen (69), and Justin Verlander (92). It's an impressive list and it's good to see that there is a way of showing just how good this team is without having to go through the media's talking heads to hear some acknowledgement.

Other notables outside of the Top 100- Jeremy Bonderman is just six points below Verlander with a rating of 22.2. Chad Durbin is the only other Tigers' starter with a rating, coming in at a mighty 5.2. Craig Monroe is the highest non-Top 100 Tigers' hitter, coming in at 15.2.

Many thanks to Jeff Bennett of ESPN.com for coming up with this formula. To what criteria Jeff used to rank players, click here.

Para-Durbs: Lost

2007-06-08T22:04:00.000-04:00

The long and short of this game is that Chad Durbin pitched well enough to win, but made two bad pitches that cost him. Well, that and that the Tiger bats apparently haven't arrived from Arlington yet. I'm not sure if Jorge Sosa had some crazy shit out there or what, but he took the Tigers' offense out of the game early and often.

A lot of Tigers watching strikeouts today, the main offender being Carlos Guillen. Coming up in the sixth inning with Magglio on second and a chance to get the Tigs on the board, he was called out for the second time. Where I'm from, you just don't go down looking when your team is being dominated by a superior pitcher and you have a chance to tie the game. But maybe that's just me.

Big crowd today, but a lackluster cheering effort, in my humble opinion, on our part. Durbin should have been getting standing ovations every time he left the field for the work he was doing, but no one really seemed to notice or care all that much. When Durbs finally did leave the game in the ninth, there was a smattering of people standing, but not quite the show that he deserved after the way he pitched. This kind of thing would have never happened in Boston or New York.

Torii Hunter- The Whiter, Less Threatening Gary Sheffield

2007-06-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

Not sure if you saw this yesterday or not, but the Twins' Torii Hunter weighed in on Gary Sheffield's comments and may have even presented a more controversial view.

"You can go to Latin America and get that same talent as a black player in Compton and if he's in Compton he gets drafted in the first round he's going to get two million dollars," Hunter said on Fox Sports Radio. "If he doesn't pan out, you're out two million dollars but if you go to the Domincan, Cuba, or whatever and you can get a guy for two thousand dollars and he doesn't pan out you're only down two thousand dollars. I do agree that, you know 10 years from now you'll see no blacks, at all." (ESPN.com)

So let's see, basically Torii is saying that Latino players are worth .001% of black players economically. First that, and then that there will be no African-American players in the game at all in ten years. Not only is that a brash prediction, but it's a stark look from one of the games more premier African-American players.

Yet, where is the national uproar about this comment? No one writing a Page 2 column calling Hunter "moron"? Why? Because Torii Hunter has a good reputation in the media: he's the typical non-threatening black man. He plays hard and loves his job and doesn't speak his mind on controversial topics often, and therefore has a good rep that won't be tarnished by what some people called "racist" views when Sheffield expressed them.

This is called a double-standard folks. The media is out to get Gary Sheffield, but all Sheff wants to do is hit home runs. And I'm down with that. But, being a blogger, I'm a part of the media by default, so I'll do what I think is right then.

TORII HUNTER, IN ADDITION TO HAVING A STUPID FIRST NAME, IS A GRADE A RACIST.

Tiger Stadium's Date With Destiny

2007-06-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

It seems that next year will officially be Tiger Stadium's last, as a plan was approved today for the Old Lady to be razed by September 2008. Most of the playing surface will be preserved and seats and other stadium memorabilia will be sold off.

It's been completely disgusting what the city of Detroit has allowed to happen to the old ballpark over the last seven years. However, times are tough and perhaps with a different economic situation in this town, the park could have some cash put into it and be turned into a museum or something or other. It seems that instead the wrecking ball will come down on her and bring the Old Lady to the earth.

Tiger Stadium was one of the last few straight-up ballparks in the majors. It was all about baseball there- no carousel, no ferris wheel, no restaurants, no bullshit. There was a game and that was it. Fuck the skyline, there was baseball. There were bad sightlines, cramped seats, and peeling paint, but more importantly there was character. There was history. When that stadium goes down, down with it will go the memories of a city reunited in 1968 after the race riots had torn it apart a year earlier. Gone will be the magic of 1984.

Instead, all that will be left will be the reminder of what has happened to the infrastructure of our great city- it is celebrated and then forgotten and slowly decays away. I cried like a baby the last time I left that place. I wouldn't be surprised if I did the same next September.

Oh, What Could Have Been

2007-06-08T14:49:00.001-04:00

I will always firmly believe that had the Tigers played the Mets in the World Series last year instead of the Cardinals, I would be writing about the World Champion Detroit Tigers right now. It could have been a match made in pitcher's heaven- your typical good pitching always beats good hitting type of series. The Mets had approximately one solid starting pitcher, Tom Glavine, and no one coming out of the bullpen that would strike fear into Tigers fans' hearts. Although, they do have Endy Chavez, who has the best first name in baseball.

But here I am, eight months later fantasizing about what might have been.

The Mets come to town for the first time in three years tonight, bringing with them a four game losing streak. They're pretty much tearing up the NL East again this year, up 3.5 games over Atlanta. They send Jorge Sosa, the New York equivalent of Chad Durbin, to the mound tonight with his 5-1 record.

It really snuck up on me that Durbs is 5-1 so far this year. It seems as if it were just yesterday that I would have rather seen him anywhere else but on the mound in a Tigers' uniform. But, he's been getting the job done, so he's okay with me.

What's huge is the way the line-up is starting to come around. After giving up six runs in the first inning of the Texas series, the Tigs outscored the Rangers 24-5 over the next 26 innings. Gary Sheffield is on fire. Curtis Granderson is on fire. Magglio Ordonez is consistent. Sean Casey is on fire (it's nice to see it too, he's batting around .340 during this recent hot streak). Placido Polanco is on fire. Pudge Rodriguez is on fire.

As bad as the road trip started out, the Tigers ended up .500 for the ten game swing through Tampa, Cleveland, and Arlington. They've run off four of their last five and have scored 9 or more runs in all of those wins. Basically, the way the Tigs are hitting, all a starter needs to do is show up and keep the opposition under five runs and he'll probably get out with a win.

It'll be nice to get back down to Comerica Park tonight after being away for a couple weeks. More blabbering after the game.

"That Boy's Bad"- Rod Allen

2007-06-07T21:20:00.001-04:00

I love Gary Sheffield. That's three homers in two games for those of you keeping track, 16 on the year.

More on this man after the game. Much later.

Update- Curtis Granderson hits his second triple of the game, causing Rod Allen to say "Mommy make him stop!" I love Rod Allen.

Update Part Two- I would have updated after the game, but an 11-4 victory kind of speaks for itself. Look at the report from yesterday's game and you'll see pretty much the same thing as today's. It'll be good to get home tomorrow

A Series What?

2007-06-07T19:53:00.000-04:00

Well, if the Tigs can pull one out and keep a little resemblance of the team that showed up to play last night, then they can get their first series win in two weeks. It seems like forever ago that the Angels were in town and the Tigers were showing them to the airport with a 12-0 victory. On Tuesday the boys fell behind early and looked like they were about to get back in the game before the offense stalled. Even though the bullpen pitched well in nine innings of work, they didn't get enough support.

Yesterday, they jumped on top early and stayed that was behind a dominating performance from Justin Verlander and Gary Sheffield. Now that we've experienced the extremes of Tiger baseball, something in the more moderate range that results in a win would be nice.

Mike Maroth needs a good start after his last one against Cleveland, which the Tigers blew in the ninth inning against Cleveland. He pitched "eh" basically, and was helped out by some large run support. Mikey needs to prove that he's worth of a spot on a championship-calibre team, because so far this year, he's been pitching "eh". There was a point where the Tigs didn't lose a game he pitched, but that was long ago. Less "eh", less runs, more wins, Mike

Kenny!

2007-06-07T02:41:00.000-04:00

The namesake of my first child keeps on improving, pitching a two inning simulated game two days ago. Kenny Rogers seems to be getting ever nearer to returning, with the next step in his return possibly being a minor league start.

Judging by his comments, Rogers is itching to return.

"I'm trying to rush the process," he said. "The trainers and the team are trying to slow me down a little bit -- which is good. They are equilibrium for me. I want to get back as soon as possible. That's the way I've always worked. You try to get back as soon as possible so you can get out and do your job. I feel comfortable where I am right now, and as long as things keep progressing, I don't see it being that much longer before I can get back out here and help these guys." (Courtesy: Detroit Free Press)

Kenny bonded with us Detroiters last year in the playoffs during his three starts where he was dominant. I'll never, ever forget chanting his name on every two-strike count and when he walked off the field against the Yankees in the ALDS. Or when he poured champagne on a cop's head. I loved that.

Other than the obvious emotional attachments, Rogers will also add another stopper to the rotation. It seems like when things start going wrong, the Tigers only have one guy that they can count on some of the time to get the ship back on track (Justin Verlander. I say sometimes because of last Thursday's Cleveland start. Ugly.), although Jeremy Bonderman is not far away from becoming another one of those guys. Kenny was the rock of the rotation last year, the one we Tiger fans could count on during losing streaks. It'll be nice to have that kind of security back on the team.

Nate? Oh....

2007-06-07T02:30:00.000-04:00

The Tigers placed Nate Robertson on the DL today and recalled Andrew Miller from AA Erie. The official reason for the move is a "tired arm", although Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers suspects something worse, as in the case of Kenny Rogers' "tired arm", which in fact turned out to be a life-threatening blood clot.

From all impressions coming from Nate, he had been feeling fine even yesterday. He said that he felt strong, but there was just something missing. Watching the game yesterday, it wasn't so much his velocity that was off- just his locations. The lethal 90-mph fastball that comes in on righties' hands was right at 90, but just missing his spots. When he was throwing strikes, they were ending up all over the plate and all over the ball park.

Whatever this turns out to be, here's hoping that it's nothing serious at all. The last thing the Tigs need is another lefty out of the rotation, even though Kenny Rogers looks prime to return (more on this later). Watching Miller should be fun though and he makes Sunday's series finale against the Mets a must-see game. I'm even thinking of heading down to the CoPa to take it in, seeing as the last time I watched Miller pitch the Tigs won 14-4 over the Cardinals. I like those odds.

Up and Down, Up and Down

2007-06-07T02:16:00.000-04:00

I see a developing trend- bad loss, good win, bad loss, good win, etc. with this Tigers' team. It's one thing to get a read on a team, quite another to see the same type of disturbing pattern happening against all sorts of teams, good and bad.

Just last week, the Tigs dropped two of three games in Tampa against a lowly Devil Ray team, sandwiching two bad losses around a dominating win. There was a victory in Boston by five runs in between three losses. There was the 12-0 stomping of the Angels that was immediately followed by a three game sweep by the Cleveland Indians in Comerica Park. And, most recently, there is tonight's win after yesterday's poor showing.

I like what I saw from the boys tonight- Verlander was shut down and improved to 6-2 over 10 starts, Gary Sheffield shut people the hell up with two homers, and everyone else hit as well. This what good teams, teams supposed to go to the World Series again, are supposed to do to bad teams- pummel them into submission.

It's the type of punch that this team can throw, beating teams with pitching and their bats. It's a punch that they need to throw more consistently than once every couple of games. Watching a 10-0 game is a lot more relaxing and comforting than a roller coaster game that ends up as a 7-6 win.

One thing I will add- on Sheff's second homer, I've never heard a crowd totally just go "Ahhhh" when a guy swang. Gary's swing was so strong on that pitch that he nearly killed someone out in left field. He had something to prove tonight- it doesn't matter what he says off the field, just what he does on it. Point taken, Sheff.

Guillen Agrees With Sheff

2007-06-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

It's one thing when some older Latin former players disagree with your opinion. And then all the national columnists can start getting in on the issue and call you a "moron". Or completely disregards your comments because they rock the boat too much.

But let's take a look at what Gary Sheffield said to ESPN.com today about the comments, elaborating on what he said in GQ.

"They have more to lose than we do. You can send them back across the island. You can't send us back. We're already here."

Okay, not exactly elegant. Now let's see what Tiger of the Year last year and undisputed captain of this team Carlos Guillen has to say about the same issue.

"Latin players, if they get released go back to their country with nothing," Guillen said. "Where are you going to work if you don't have baseball? You lose everything. You lose your life. You're done. I've known a lot of players like that. They're doing nothing. They don't have good jobs.(American players) are already here. They just go home. But I also agree because how many Japanese players are there? For each one there is an interpreter and someone to give them a massage. How many Latin players are there? Thirty percent? But how many interpreters? You see any(masseurs) for Dominicans? No, you just have to play baseball. They have control over us. Easy. I'm happy to say that."

HEY LOOK AT THAT. It's a Latino TEAMMATE that COMPLETELY AGREES with Sheffield. He almost says the exact same thing. You know what, read the whole damn article because it's a great read. Listen to what Carlos has to say and then reconsider about how outraged you might be about how much of an ignorant idiot Gary Sheffield is. Let the damn dude hit.

My Mom Literally Laughed When She Saw The Score After The First Inning

2007-06-05T21:51:00.000-04:00

A collection of thoughts from last night's game

Is there a more perplexing member of the Tigers' roster right now than Jason Grilli? In his first outings of this year, he looked terrible and got rocked repeatedly. Then he looked decent for a few appearances. Then he looked awful again. And now in his last four outings, as Mario pointed out, he's looked terrific. As I write this, he's popping out Gerald Laird to end the third and he looks great. He would be the immediate replacement for Jose Fucking Mesa's old role of my least favorite member of the Tigers' bullpen, but he saved the Saturday and Sunday games of the Cleveland series from becoming too close and is keeping the Tigs in the game right now, so he's safe. Todd Jones, look out.
As we all thought, the beard was Nate Robertson's source of power. It's like taking Birdman out of the sun or making Superman sleep in a kryptonite bed. He looked completely off today on every single pitch. He threw 17 pitches to the first two hitters. That's a big sign for trouble. I'm confident it's only an aberration, but Nate has some issues with his game right now that he has to work on. Five out of his last six starts have been bad, a far cry from April and early May when Nate was arguably the ace of the staff.
Omar Infante might be one of the more valuable members of the Tigers' defense and offense right now. He started the whole series at third base in Cleveland and looked completely at home and was anything but a liability at the plate, a la Neifi Fucking Perez. But tonight, on a night when Curtis Granderson is getting a rest against a lefty, he's playing centerfield and, surprise, he looks right at home. He's also getting on base, reaching on all three of his first three at bats.
Brandon Inge looked good coming back from injury, with Brandon hitting a solo shot for the Tigers' last run of the game in the fourth. He's playing at less than 100% right now, and it's pretty obvious that he's doing so, so I'm going to lay off him until I hear the report that he's feeling better, but his power stroke apparently doesn't need a big left toe to be useful. There were a few scary moments though when he decided to hit two foul balls off of his left ankle in the same at-bat as the home run though.
Carlos Guillen did not impress in his first game back as Inge did. Kind of a rough game for Carlos, but I'm more than willing to chalk that up to rust and hope that in tonight's game he'll be doing much better.
The game last night was the kind that the Tigs should be a shoo in to win every time. It's the worst team in baseball and they loaded the bases in the first- unfortunately, they left them loaded too. Nate Robertson's outing did not help at all, but hopefully Mr. Verlander will have better results on the mound today and can get the Tigers back on the same track they seemed to be veering onto in Cleveland. Don't tease us boys.

The Sheffield Stink

2007-06-05T17:03:00.000-04:00

Over the past two days or so, the entire "Gary Sheffield Hates Latin Players" angle is being played up all over talk radio and in the papers around the country, etc. So, Sheff might be a racist. Whatever.

When the Tigs got Sheffield, they knew what they were getting into. He's a baseball player that happens to have many, many different opinions and enjoys voicing them often. It just so happens that the product he puts forth on the field is more significant than the controversy he stirs up off it. One of the reasons that this has become such a huge issue is that since the story broke after Sunday's game, Sheffield hasn't been on a field to get a story such as "Sheff quiets critics with big game" or something like that.

The point of what I'm saying is that I don't give two shits about what Gary Sheffield says. It's not that i disregard all his comments or whatever, it's that they don't bother me. As long as his words don't affect what he does on the field, I really don't care about them. It's like when he said "I don't enjoy playing baseball, it's my job" or something earlier in the year. Hit 30 home runs and I won't care what you like, what you don't like, etc.

The last thing that Tiger fans should get about this whole thing is pissed off. The Polanco-Sheff-Mags-Guillen stretch in the line-up is what is driving this team right now and the last thing that needs to happen is for the most experienced hitter in that group to get pissed at the fan base.

To hate Gary Sheffield, or to root against Gary Sheffield, from the fans of this organization would be so hypocritical it's not even funny. We are a people who recognize Ty Cobb (one of the biggest racist bastards ever to live) as one of the best players of all time. He's a Tiger legend. But not because of his attitude towards people or towards race- because he hit well and played hard. Well, Gary Sheffield hits well and plays hard. If we can cut a break for a white guy who wasn't afraid to speak his mind, then why can't we do it for a black man too?

It's a fucking game, guys. Chill.

He's Gone From Here! The Evil Is Gone!

2007-06-03T19:30:00.000-04:00

Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released! Jose Fucking Mesa is released!

With Fernando Rodney set to rejoin the roster for the series coming up against the Texas Rangers, a roster spot was needed to get him back in. With Jose Mesa destroying the team at every chance he got, it was time for him to go. Add the two together and you've got a great personnel decision.

It's very rare that a team straight up listens to common sense and its fanbase. How many times have us sports fans seen a organization go against what seems to be the right call and keep on doing exactly what they're doing, no matter what the consequence (examples- Matt Millen and the Lions, Isaiah Thomas and the Knicks)? It's refreshing to see.

So the final line on Joe Fucking Table and his time with the Tigers- 1-1 with a 12.34 ERA in 16 appearances, six walks, nine strikeouts, and at least one million fans that wanted to kill themselves when he entered games.

One thing I will say to compliment Jose Fucking Mesa- he knows why this is happening. His quote from the ESPN.com article-"They gave me a chance and I didn't do my job." Damn straight my friend, damn straight.

This is the prototypical addition by subtraction maneuver. Jose Fucking Mesa Syndrome will be taken away from this bullpen. Will the Bullpen Bengals of last year return? That remains to be seen. But, as my Cleveland Loving Friend put it "You can officially pencil me in as worried."

The only thing about the Jose Fucking Mesa Era in Detroit that I'll regret is that we Tiger fans never got the chance to boo him off the mound. That would have been very cathartic.

What a great day in Tigerville.

Take Your Drum And Shove It Up Your Ass

2007-06-03T17:39:00.001-04:00

Dear Cleveland Drum Guy,

Shut the fuck up.

Love,
The Detroit Tigers

It is quite possible that the last two games may have just saved the Tigers' season. After falling down and busting up their knees on Friday, choking away a 11-7 lead, the Tigs came right back and showed the Indians exactly what they'll have to go through if they want to win this division.

Today's game was beautiful because everyone at Jacob's Field was quiet from the second inning on. Jeremy Bonderman pitched one helluva game, at one point putting down 11 straight Indians' batters. Another non-blown performance by the bullpen as Wil Ledezma and Jason Grilli held down the fort for a second night in a row, pitching out of some rough jams in the seventh and eighth innings and polishing off the game in the ninth.

Bondo is now 5-0 on the season, winning his last five games after not getting a decision in his first four starts. Today's performance was the type of thing we saw from Kenny Rogers a ton of times last year- when the team needed a win, he went out there and shut down Cleveland and got it for us. Bondo's change up keeps on improving, and he's is definitely starting to get the look of a potential Cy Young candidate.

Speaking of post-season awards, how about Magglio Ordonez? Even when he went hitless today, his worth was proven by drawing two walks and scoring a couple of runs. The fact that he is seventh in the AL All-Star outfield voting shows how idiotic fans can be sometimes as this guy is truly an MVP candidate. Oh, and he's leading the league in batting average and RBIs. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Winning today to earn a split was even beyond the best case scenario for this series after Friday's game. The past two performances revealed so much resolve in this team- how easy would it have been to simply buckle after Friday's crushing loss and to take two more losses and start all over again in Texas on Tuesday?

Instead, we're right back to where we started on Thursday afternoon- 2.5 games out but with a shit-ton more confidence. And the fact that it happened in Cleveland makes it all that much more worthwhile.

So, Cleveland Drum Guy, your team had a chance to get the Tigers buried 6.5 games out by early and put some distance between your team and the rest of the Central. But now you're riding two straight losses and are showing a bunch of weaknesses- shitty back of the rotation, superficial bullpen (looks good on the surface, but get into a few more guys and you can put nine up on the board two days in a row) and a lack of a killer instinct.

And because of all this, Drum Guy, you may now shut the hell up.

My Official Response To Gary Sheffield's Comments

2007-06-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard them, here's the story.

And my response?

I love Gary Sheffield. I just hope this wasn't the big conspiracy he was talking about breaking.

Changing Of The Guard

2007-06-03T01:04:00.000-04:00

One night in Cleveland may just reflect what is about to happen in Detroit sports over the next few years. The Pistons' playoff run came to a depressing halt with another loss in the Mistake By The Lake, finally taken over by a younger Cavalier team and the NBA's Great Marketable Hope LeBron James. Meanwhile, across the street, the Tigers defeated the Indians for the first time all season and showed what kind of ballclub they're supposed to be- a big hitting, solid pitching, and intense baseball team.

Over the past five years, the Pistons have been the main focus in this town. Their hard-working, blue-collar attitude won them fans and games over and over, becoming one of the premier franchises in the NBA. Their rise helped to cushion the decline of the Detroit Red Wings, who after their last Stanley Cup in 2002 have been steadily declining in importance in this town, to the point that it took the Wings a full playoff round before they were selling out the Joe Louis Arena.

With this playoff defeat, the Pistons' run of excellence may be over. Five straight Eastern Conference Finals, five straight division titles, one NBA Championship, and numerous All-Stars over the past five seasons are a level that few teams get to and stay at over a period of time. However, this season felt like the last big rush for a championship for many of the team's players. The young guns that were once there have aged into veterans. The veterans that held the team together are gone. Frustration seized the team over the past three games and, instead of channeling the anger into their games like they would have in the past, the Pistons took it out on each other and their coaches. They looked dysfunctional.

But, in the same town, on the same night, the Tigers took control over their main rivals in Ohio. On all levels, tonight's game was a beat down. It may have been the first time the Tigers have stood up to the Tribe all year, but it can't be the last if this year will be a success.

It seems like it is time for the cycle to come around again. All of the periods of excellence for Detroit sport teams seem to overlap for about one year- the Red Wings were from about 1995-2002, the Pistons from 2002-2007, and the Tigers got it started last year. Look back at the 1980s and early 1990s- the Tigers had from 1983-1987, the Pistons went from 1987-1991, and then the Red Wings started coming out of the cellar in 1991 and got back near the pinnacle in 1994 and 1995.

So fear not, Detroit sports fans. The Red Wings might be too young and too old at the same time. The Pistons might be falling apart at the seams. The Lions are... the Lions. But, if cycles hold true, the Tigers will be the main focus of this town in the immediate years to come. There was once a wise man that said "Every new beginning comes from some other weakening's end." Well, the Tigers have control of the spotlight and now is their time to shine. As one team loses, another wins across the street. Sometimes, it's just funny how the world works.

What Has Two Thumbs And Doesn't Give A Crap?

2007-06-02T18:30:00.000-04:00

I'm being told by my Cleveland loving friend that tonight is the make-or-break night for Detroit sports this year. To which I say "Listen to Bob Kelso".

As bad as losing last night's game was, it is still JUNE 2. Which means we can all take our fingers off the panic buttons and nothing is quite settled yet. Other than the bullpen sucks balls. That has been settled.

So here's the deal Tigers- go out and win tonight so at least one Detroit team will be smiling tonight and the other one might even get out of Ohio with their season intact. The last thing I want is to fielding phone calls from my Ohioan friends telling me about how their hick ass state is going to kill ours in every sport.

God, I hate Ohio so much.

Five Reasons Why Gary Sheffield's Suspension Is Complete Bullshit

2007-06-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

#5 His reputation was more of a factor than the actual bat-throwing I'm a big believer in umpires and referees making many decisions based on reputations instead of actual events. An example would be when a ref calls a technical on Rasheed Wallace for yelling at him but letting another player, such as LeBron James, get away with it for an entire game. Sheff has a bad rep as a angry, angry guy among MLB umpires and after he had his little discussion with the home plate ump, the tide was already turned against him.

#4 He didn't throw the bat anywhere near the umpire The bat was thrown by Sheffield directly behind him. Even though Sheff is a major league ball player, there's a good chance that if he wanted to hit someone with an object, he'd have to turn to look and see where they were at first. The bat may have gone in the general direction of the umpire, but if it didn't hit him, then what's the big deal? No harm no foul.

#3 The piece of bat was like yay big It was the handle man. The handle of a bat. Man up and get over it blue, that thing is not going to hurt you unless it is hurled from a cannon at top speed. I don't know what model bat Sheffield uses, but I guarantee it's not some sort of metal that is really going to injure you that badly. Grow some cojones.

#2 Sheff was right. Those pitches sucked balls. One was high, the other was inside. The umpire was WRONG. Unfortunately, unlike in other sports, MLB umpires seem to have complete reign over their domain and have no one really checking their decisions other than players and managers on the field, but even they won't win arguments that they start. Gary had a right to be disagreeing with that ump because those were shit calls, and they ruined Gary's at-bat by forcing him to swing at a pitch he otherwise wouldn't have- hence why he broke his bat.

#1 If Gary Sheffield wanted to hurt someone, by God he would hurt someone Gary Sheffield is one big, scary man. If he had wanted to hurt that umpire, he would have turned around and clocked him and then beat him down with his bare hands. There would be none of this bat throwing- just a pure beat down. After the ump kicked him out of the game was when Gary decided to go after the guy, and it took three teammates to hold him back. You know why? Because he is a big, scary man. Sheff didn't want to hurt this umpire. If he had wanted to hurt this umpire, we would probably be checking for hospital updates on the guy that Gary beat into a pulp because he didn't like a call.

This suspension had better get overturned.

Hitman's Guide To Fixing The Problem

2007-06-02T02:23:00.001-04:00

On the heels of Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett slugging it out in the Cubs' bullpen tonight, I think it's time to figure out what the best fighting match-ups would be on the Tigers. The goal for this is to get the best match-ups that would potentially help the team by either injuring a player or getting him removed from the team.

The Ultimate Solution- Gary Sheffield vs. The Entire Bullpen
As evidenced by his explosion the other night at the home plate umpire, Sheff is one temperamental dude. And you know what? I've always figured that if someone in the majors was going to up and kill seven guys, it would be Gary Sheffield. So let's let him go at it. He'd roll through Jose Mesa, Todd Jones, Jason Grilli, and Fernando Rondey in an instant. I'd miss Rodney, but he's playing as shitty as anyone right now, even if he is hurt. Bobby Seay and Tim Byrdak might give Sheff a few problems since they're lefties, but they'd go next. I like Wil Ledezma, but he'd be right behind those two. Who does that leave us with? Joel Zumaya. Obviously, this fight is postponed until late-July.

The Next Best Thing- Jose Fucking Mesa vs. Neifi Fucking Perez
Definitely a fight to the death. Hopefully it's a tie and they both end up not able to play any more. Who wins then? THE FANS! To be held immediately.

Offense and Defense- Marcus Thames vs. Sean Casey
The only way Casey comes out on top in this fight is if he swings his fists more accurately than he swings his bat. Marcus may not know first base all that well, but I'm sure he knows how to fight. The man is gigantic. I'm taking Thames. On the line is the first baseman's job.

Old Guard, New Guard- Todd Jones vs. Joel Zumaya
Another fight that is being delayed until late July. Zoom Zoom is the scariest man on the team and would probably beat Jonesy over the head with a Guitar Hero controller, which is legal, of course. All that Todd has going for him is that murderer mustache. Unfortunately, if got a lead in the fight he'd probably just blow it anyway.

Would Have Been Great Three Years Ago, But Not Any More (Tag Team)- Mike Maroth and Chad Durbin vs. Andrew Miller and Jorge De La Cruz
The weakest links in the Tigers' starting rotation going up against their eventual replacements. I'm sure it's much more entertaining to watch these guys throw punches than it is to watch them throw baseballs anyway, something neither has been doing all that well recently.

Where The Hell Did April Go? Nate Robertson (First Four Starts) vs. Nate Robertson (Last Five Starts)
A shut down lefty or a piece of shit gopher ball pitcher? A guy who could shut down anyone or a guy getting lit up by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and getting knocked out of the game in the fifth? A bulldog or a poodle? Who do you think is going to win, come on.

Hopefully, these matches will go exactly as planned and this damned slide can end right now. I'm ready to see a few W's back up on the board guys.

Pull the Fucker!

2007-06-02T02:07:00.000-04:00

I love Jim Leyland. Always will. But decision's like tonight's idea to go ahead and let Todd Jones let in five fucking runs make me question him some times.

I realize that sometime you have to try and gut it out with your players to show you have confidence in them and all that. But when that player is given a four run lead and only has to get four outs, then you know what? Go ahead and take the ball from him Jimmy when the score gets to be 11-10. Or better yet, don't call an intentional walk to put the winning run on.

There are losses that are really moral victories. There are losses that hurt. There are losses that are just plain bad. And then there are losses that really should have been wins, but instead they're a soul-crushing defeat against a inter-division rival that you're trying to catch up on. So, with the 12-11 loss tonight, the Tigers are now 4.5 games back in the Central instead of 2.5.

I hate the Tigers' bullpen. Jose Fucking Mesa Syndrome has infected everyone associated with that part of the team and it's killing the ball club. This was Jones' 11th blown save! 11! WHAT THE HELL! That leads the majors. Guess how many wins that is if he converts them all? 11 more! When Joel Zumaya returns from the DL in July, he should be moved to the closer spot pronto. Of course, at the rate the pen is going now, the Tigers will have dropped close to 6,000 one-run games and be so far out of contention it won't even be funny. God I hate that bullpen right now.

If you're keeping track, the Tigs have now lost 7 of 8 and are dipping ever closer to .500. Back in the days of losing 119 games in a season that wouldn't be as big of a deal. But this streak is immediately following a stretch where the Tigs played some of their best ball all season and won eight straight games.

Is anyone else not quite ready to play the game "Which Tiger Team Will Show Up For Tomorrow's Game?" yet?

And Now Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Tigers Blog

2007-06-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the extended break everyone. Busy, busy end of the month that kind of resembled exactly how up and down the Tigs have been since I last caught up with you. But regardless, I am back and here with you now.

I'm not going to rehash the last two weeks of Tiger baseball for you. Doing so would require about 1,500 words and I would become so angry by the end of it that I wouldn't have enough willpower to do a preview of tonight's game. That being said- here's a quick recap:

Loss. Win. Bad Loss. Loss. Win. Big Win. Loss. Loss. Loss. Big Win. Loss. Awful Loss.

Okay good, we're up to speed.

So the Tigs enter tonight's game against Cleveland 3.5 games back in a division race that's becoming more and more of a two horse show. In fact, it might even be decided at this point already. The way the Indians have dominated the Tigers in the past two series has been disheartening at best. True the Tigs are suffering from some injuries right now, but it's like watching Indiana Jones run away from the Giant Rolling Rock, only not quite making it.

Mike Maroth takes the mound tonight, in a rematch of Saturday's pitching match up with Fausto (Stupid First Name) Carmona. Carmona is apparently not nearly as shitty as he was as a closer, since he is 6-1 this year and stayed in just long enough for the Tiger bullpen to collapse last Saturday and get the win. Kind of makes you wish for last year when he was giving up walk-offs night after night to Tiger batters at Comerica Park in July. Oh, the good ol days.

On the brightside for the Tigers, Carlos Guillen may be making his return to the line-up tonight. This would be great because we wouldn't have to watch Neifi Fucking Perez play shortstop any more. At least I pray to God that we won't have to.

I swear to God, by the way, that if Jose Mesa makes another appearance as a Tiger, I'm going to throw a small, breakable object against the wall and watch it shatter. I hate that guy so much. In fact, after last night's performance, he is now officially Jose Fucking Mesa.

Keys to the Game-

Stop pitching to Travis Hafner. He might be coming out of the slump he was in last weekend against the Tigs, since he completely destroyed Justin Verlander yesterday. Looks like Jim Thome Reincarnate has come back to Cleveland. Fantastic.
Don't let Gary Sheffield break his bat and get kicked out of the game. Channel your anger into crushing the ball Sheff- not trying to murder the umpire.
Don't let Jose Fucking Mesa pitch.
Don't let Neifi Fucking Perez hit.
Or play the field
Keep Cleveland under five runs. Either they're going to be held down at that point, or they're exploding for over 10 runs. There's no real median with this team.

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Lukewarm

2007-05-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

As I was standing and applauding for the majority of the fifth inning yesterday at Comerica Park, the magnitude of what was happening really hit me. This Detroit Tiger team had always played, for the past year or so, like a happy ball club that was ready to go out and enjoy the game. The Tiger team we saw yesterday was an angry team- they were looking to kick some ass. And that they did.

Before I get to the performances at the plate, I'm going to take a look at the giant kid on the mound. Andrew Miller truly impressed with his first major league start yesterday, going six strong innings, allowing four hits, no runs, and striking out two. Miller was rolling through everyone in the St. Louis line up except for the Pujols, Encarnacion, and Rolen trio. Other than those three, it was one-two-three. Between his stuff and his intimidating presence on the mound (the dude looks like he's standing on stilts! He's huge!), Miller is going to be a force in this league.

The moment that turned the tide of the entire game was Gary Sheffield's eighth home run of the year in the bottom of the first. He hit that ball like a man possessed- it would still be going if the left-field seats didn't get in the way. Fast forward to the fifth inning and it became a waterfall of hits and runs.

Sean Casey had one helluva game yesterday, going 4-5 with two RBIs. Placido Polanco had one helluva game yesterday going 3-4 with three RBIs. Magglio Ordonez had one helluva game going 3-4 with an RBI (and a great shot the other way for a homer. The man is on.) These three sparked the line up to totally beat the Cardinals into submission. Sure, it looks like beating up on a bad team, but you know what? These guys deserve it after the way they played in the World Series.

Just a fun game to watch. Except for Jason Grilli coming in and promptly giving up two runs. Way to work. But then again, what do we expect from this guy at this point?

One Loss and One More

2007-05-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

Obviously, last night's game got rained out leading to a day-night doubleheader today, which the Tigs dropped the first leg of 2-1. The next game is roughly in an hour as Curt Schilling takes on Chad Durbin (talk about a mismatch).

Julian Tavarez was completely on today, allowing just one run over seven innings. The Tiger bats were silenced as Tavarez won his first game in his last four tries. Tavarez's ERA dropped a full run in the game from 6.60 to 5.59.

Zach Miner was the surprise starter for the Tigs, since Mike Maroth was apparently sick. Miner got up at 4:15 for a flight into Boston and was told he was starting as he got to the ballpark. All things considered, he pitched well, only allowing two runs and six hits.

Kevin Youkilis stayed hot for the BoSox, as he drove in the winning run to continue a 10 game hitting streak. Manny Ramirez singled to make it 1-0 in the first.

The story of the game for the Tigs would be missed opportunities. After Placido Polanco drove in the only run for the Tigers in the fifth, Tavarez walked Gary Sheffield to load the bases for Magglio Ordonez. Mags promptly flied out to end the inning and the Tigers' chances for victory. Between Tavarez and the Boston bullpen, no more Tigers were allowed to reach base after that missed chance.

The Kid's A Stopper

2007-05-16T02:02:00.000-04:00

Justin Verlander stole the show in today's 7-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox to even the series at a game a piece and stop the Tigers two game losing skid. Verlander improved to 4-1, going 7 and 2/3 allowing just two runs and allowed just six hits on his way to the victory.

The best part about the game for me was Verlander's exit. On his 120th pitch (a little much for this early in the year, don't you think Leyland?), Kevin Youkilis took Justin deep over the center field wall. Leyland went out and made the change immediately afterwards, and as Justin strode off the field, he was given a standing ovation from the Red Sox faithful. This is why Boston is a great sports town- though their team was just shut down for the better part of eight innings, they still appreciated the job he did and congratulated him on it. Classy move by the spectators at Fenway.

Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge went deep for the Tigs today. Magglio extended his dominance over Tim Wakefield, now batting 15-33 against him for his career. When Mags and Gary Sheffield (1-4 with two runs scored tonight) started to get hot, this batting line up really seemed to turn around. Pudge Rodriguez also had another strong game, going 3-4 and scoring from second on a Craig Monroe single and being genuinely fired up after sliding in safe. So fired up that he let loose a giant scream and a fist pump that got him boos from the Fenway faithful. Gotta love it.

Big big game from Verlander tonight though, and it shows a lot about him. He went into one of the best hitter's parks in the majors and completely shut down one of hte league's best hitting teams for nearly eight full innings. It's the type of thing that a true ace does. From the looks of things, Jeremy Bonderman has been marked as the ace of the future. But if Verlander stays on the same learning curve that he's on now-- and stays healthy, knock on wood-- then does he become the ace of the present? Certainly performed like one today.

The Tigs seem to be doing okay on this big test in the schedule. Goal- 8-8. Currently- 3-2.

(The picture is the view from my dad's seats in the lower deck of Fenway, since he attended tonight's game and not last night's, as I incorrectly stated yesterday.)

Two Days, Two Lopsided Losses

2007-05-15T01:45:00.000-04:00

After keeping the game close for the better part of 7 innings tonight, the Tigers let the Red Sox line up explode for four runs in the eighth inning, sealing a 7-1 loss. Daisuke Matsuzaka went the distance for his first complete game in a Boston uniform, looking like he was worth all of $103 million dollars.

Nate Robertson was once again beaten up as he allowed 11 hits for his highest total so far this year. The loss drops him to 3-3. With a run in the third, fourth, and fifth, the Sawx got all they needed from their offense to win the game since Dice-K managed to baffle the batting order enough so that, other than Curtis Granderson's solo homer in the 3rd, there were no runs to be had in support of Nate.

Bobby Seay had his first real bad appearance of the year, allowing four runs in the eighth. There was always a chance for the Tigers to get into this game until that point, but that sealed the game.

The real story of the game is Matsuzaka though. He allowed just six hits and made really only one bad pitch on the Granderson homer. He induced 16 ground balls, which is really just a formula for victory in and of itself and had five strike outs.

Something that may be of concern is how many hits the rotation and bullpen have been giving up in the past few games. In three of the last six games now, there have been over 15 hits for the opposition, with Boston putting up 16 tonight. There's no hope for victory getting that kind of production out of your starters and relievers.

Big ups to newcomer Tim Byrdak, a lefty who seems to be coming up to take Joel Zumaya's spot in the bullpen for this series due to Boston's reliance on left-handed hitting. Byrdy had two innings of scoreless relief and kept the Tigs in the game until Bobby Seay crapped the bed in the eighth.

Thankfully, the Tigers have Justin Verlander taking the mound tomorrow, so maybe there won't be as much of a problem with hits as there was tonight. Tim Wakefield gets the start for the Sox.

No Dice-K

2007-05-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight marks the first time the Tigers will get a look at the incredibly expensive Daisuke Matsuzaka in the opening game of a four game set at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.

The Sawx are eight games up in their division over the New York Yankees, after coming from five runs down yesterday to beat Baltimore 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth. The Tigs meanwhile, look to recover from the shellacking they received yesterday at the hands of the Minnesota Twins, 16-4.

The Tigers send Nate Robertson to the mound, hoping to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since April 27th and 28th against the Twins. Nate had a rough start last time out against Seattle, losing to drop his record to 3-2.

Matsuzaka is 4-2 this season with a 4.80 ERA and has shown flashes of the pitcher the Red Sox are paying him to be. However, he's running into a buzzsaw of a line up that's looking for redemption after yesterday's dismal performance. In the past nine games, Gary Sheffield has led the charge batting .361 with four homers and nine RBIs. At Fenway Park, he's batting .325 for his career and has six homers and 26 RBIs.

Keys to the Game-

Figure out Dice K and make him work. This is the first time any of these guys will have faced Matsuzaka, so knocking him around a bit would be nice.
Keep the Sox off the board early. Manny Ramirez has been going insane recently, so it's important to keep him quiet and the rest of the Red Sox so the Fenway faithful don't get behind their boys too quickly.
My dad makes it out alive. My dad is going to be at the game tonight in all his Tigers gear, so if he makes it out without getting a beer poured on him or anything then things should be all right.

A Series Win Tempered

2007-05-14T14:56:00.000-04:00

Even though the Tigs took 2 of 3 from the Twins over the weekend, yesterday's game was an absolute embarrassment. In front of a national TV audience, the Tigers got totally shelled by Minnesota and Torii Hunter in particular, who went for a homer and 7 RBIs.

The first two games of this series were just fantastic, as the Tigs took it to the Twins early and often. Mike Maroth and Chad Durbin both pitched outstanding in their respective appearances, which means more good things for the rotation. If the last two starters can keep winning ball games, then there really won't be too many games where the boys have no chance to win because of a crappy starter on the mound.

Virgil Vasquez looked like he was pitching scared yesterday, which is understandable. He left the ball up too much and got rocked all the way back to Toledo. This was just a spot start for him, which gives a little bit of hope that it won't be quite as bad if he gets called up in September or something.

This series was the start of the first real nitty gritty part of the season. In the next few series they are away at Boston (starting a four game set tonight), home for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States, etc, and then home for a set with Cleveland. Including this weekend's series, that's 16 games against the top caliber talent in the American League. My Cleveland Friend and I discussed this stretch and we both agreed that if the Tigs come out of these 16 games with an 8-8 record or above, then only good things can happen for them.

Taking two of three at the HHHomerdome is never a bad thing, especially taking a game against Johan Santana, which rarely happens. It's a good start to this stretch of games, but there are other tests still looming.

Homerdome Hop

2007-05-11T16:04:00.000-04:00

The Tigers travel to Minnesota tonight to take on the slumping Twins, who have lost 3 of their last 5. The Twins lost last year's AL batting champion Joe Mauer to the DL, and have been slipping ever since.

However, if someone is going to stop that type of slid, it's Johan Santana, who the Twinkies send to the mound against Mike Maroth tonight. He won 2-1 over Boston on Saturday, and has won four of his last six starts. However, one of those two non-wins were against the Tigers, when the Tigs used a combination of long balls and tough at-bats to get the win over the Twins on a Brandon Inge walk-off.

Mike Maroth, the Tigers' good luck charm apparently, takes the mound tonight looking for his first victory in a month. He's 2-0 right now, but has not figured in a decision since winning April 12. But, the Tigs are still 6-0 when Maroth takes the mound this season.

Yesterday's win was a good one to show some testicular fortitude for this team, after being handled totally the night before, 9-2. To bounce back the way they did showed a lot of heart and drive, and they're going to need all of those qualities to win at the Metrodome, consistently one of the loudest and toughest parks to play in in the bigs.

Keys to the Game-

Contain Torrii Hunter. Although he went 0-4 yesterday, Hunter just finished a 23 game hit streak, which is the longest in the majors this year. With Mauer out of the line up, the Twins need a big bat to come and fill that spot, and Hunter looks ready to do just that.
Get out in front early. When the Twins are winning, the Metrodome can become a loud and rowdy place. Silencing that crowd and taking them out of the game early will be a huge boost.
Make Santana work. Gotta make Johan throw a bunch of pitches, or else he's going to just eat the Tigers alive. He's 10-2 lifetime against our boys with a sub 3.00 ERA. Making him work, getting him tired, and getting to the bullpen early is going to be completely key to getting out of this game with the W.

A Break In The Delay

2007-05-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the break in posts, just a couple of days of busyness and exhaustion.

Wednesday's game was shit. Nothing went right, the pitching was bad, the hitting went away, the defense sucked. About everything that could go wrong did go wrong. All good things come to an end, but you know what? Winning eight straight games is pretty damn good still. Baek just came out and shut the Tigers down for his first win of the year, so a belated congratulations to him.

Now yesterday's game- that was a ball game. A day game with 37,000 people in attendance and a former Tiger on the mound. And the best part? The Tigs beat the living hell out of Jeff Weaver. Wasn't even close, the guy didn't stand a chance. Magglio's home run in the first was a straight moon shot, gone from the second he hit it. Mike Rabelo, after I got on his ass during introductions talking about how much he sucked, had a great game going 3-4 with a triple. Kid had the best day of his career and now can go back down to Toledo with some hope for the future when Vance Wilson comes back up.

Not such great news after the game when word came out that Jeremy Bonderman will miss his next start with a cut on his right index finger. Like I said on Tuesday, the impression I got from the one look at the TV when I was buying food was that his finger was definitely bothering him. According to Mack Avenue Tigers, Virgil Vasquez will be getting the call up to take Bondo's spot in the rotation on Sunday night in Minnesota. It really sucks for Virgil that his first major league start comes in the Homerdome in front of a national TV audience.

Vasquez has been very good in Toledo this year, going 4-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 40 strike outs in 50 innings. So at the very least he'll be entertaining to watch.

Joel Zumaya's surgery went, reportedly, very well yesterday.

And that gets us to today's game against the Twins, which gets its post.