THE 2007 Detroit Tigers thread

RevLimiter · Post by **RevLimiter** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:50 am

War Wagon wrote:I may have to go to Tuesday nights game and see if I can score one of the powder blue George Brett 'pine tar' commemorative T-shirts they're handing out to the first 20,000 fans who show up. Better get there early, I have a feeling this puppy is going to be sold out, if it isn't already.

It's actually fun to be a Royals fan these days.

I've already got the ducats for Tuesday's game Wags....unfortunately Mark Redman is penciled in to pitch that night. :x

Having said that, the Evil Empire has a WORSE road record than the Boys In Blue, so that bodes well for the good guys.

And you're right- it IS fun to be a Royals fan these days. If you've followed this team with ANY regularity at all you can see the improvement across the board as the season moves along. This team would be VERY dangerous if they just had another impact bat in their lineup, but I think Billy Butler's going to fill that bill next year.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:29 pm

RevLimiter wrote:Royals just sealed the deal against the Tiggers today 5-2.

For those of you scoring at home that two out of three from the Kittens at Comerica this weekend.

We're getting better and better, AL Central and quickly becoming a team you don't want to run into if YOU'RE team is in the thick of a pennant race....deal with it.

That reminded me a lot of that final series of the regular season last year when the Royals swept the Tigers at the Copa and caused them to fall to the wild card instead of winning the Central. The Royals hit the ball all over and the pitching was quite impressive as well. I don't see them making some monumental rally to get in the playoff chase but it's an encouraging sign for them going forward. I don't know what the future holds for the White Sox so perhaps the Royals can leapfrog them at some point in the pecking order and eventually join the top three. The Tigers have 5 games with the Sox starting tonight...I wouldn't be shocked if they take out some frustration on them and take at least 4 of the 5 games.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:13 pm

Even with this "vast improvement" the Royals have embarked upon, the best they can hope for is still to play the role of spoiler. Congrats on your newfound success Royal fan, but get back to me when your wins actually get your team somewhere.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:45 pm

RevLimiter wrote:
War Wagon wrote:I may have to go to Tuesday nights game and see if I can score one of the powder blue George Brett 'pine tar' commemorative T-shirts they're handing out to the first 20,000 fans who show up. Better get there early, I have a feeling this puppy is going to be sold out, if it isn't already.

It's actually fun to be a Royals fan these days.
I've already got the ducats for Tuesday's game Wags....unfortunately Mark Redman is penciled in to pitch that night. :x

I wonder how many of those commemorative shirts come in XXXXXL?

RevLimiter · Post by **RevLimiter** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:23 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Even with this "vast improvement" the Royals have embarked upon, the best they can hope for is still to play the role of spoiler. Congrats on your newfound success Royal fan, but get back to me when your wins actually get your team somewhere.

Tell us something we DON'T know, Magoo.

The Royals are certainly too far out to contend THIS YEAR, but they're going to make it difficult for the contending AL teams when they face them.

Bring on the Yanks.

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 · Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:46 pm

War Wagon wrote:George Brett 'pine tar' commemorative T-shirts they're handing out to "the first 20,000 fans who show up."

Will they be giving away the unclaimed 13K shirts for games 3 and 4?

Please tell me someone gave you these tickets. You don't pay to see the Royals, do you?

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:05 pm

Of course not. He pays to see the Yankees.

RevLimiter · Post by **RevLimiter** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:39 pm

I KNOW I can speak for Wags when I say that there's NO WAY IN HELL that he (or I) would pay to go see the Evil Empire instead of the good guys....EVER.

BTW, how do our ankles taste, Goobs?

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:09 pm

I really wouldn't know how your ankles taste. No more than you would know what they look like.

It's really funny how the most smackless tards on the internet (KFC Paul, TiC, Whitey, etc.) always go to the "ankle-biting" card when they're getting bashed around. Do you really think anyone's buying that?

RevLimiter · Post by **RevLimiter** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:25 pm

Yeah, one-liner drive-bys NEVER qualify as "ankle-biting"....

Do me a huge favor Goobus....BE ORIGINAL for once. Fat smack is fucking stupid (particularly when I'm NOT). You're not getting over on ANYBODY in this bitch, especially ME. I can see my ankles just fine, tardo.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:26 pm

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 wrote:
War Wagon wrote:George Brett 'pine tar' commemorative T-shirts they're handing out to "the first 20,000 fans who show up."
Will they be giving away the unclaimed 13K shirts for games 3 and 4?

I guess you missed the part where I said it would probably be a sellout.

Please tell me someone gave you these tickets. You don't pay to see the Royals, do you?

True enough. I haven't paid to go to a Royals game since before the strike.

But the way they've been playing lately, that may change.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:31 pm

RevLimiter wrote: You're not getting over on ANYBODY in this bitch, especially ME.

Oh, I can get over on you pretty much any time I want. It's getting around you that may cause me to consult my day-planner.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:05 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:Oh, I can get over on you pretty much any time I want.

True dat. You can just borrow Whitey's forklift.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:08 pm

RevLimiter wrote:The Royals are certainly too far out to contend THIS YEAR, but they're going to make it difficult for the contending AL teams when they face them.

Heh. So that's what you're thumping your chesticles about? That your team might compete with the big boys?

Cute.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:16 pm

No might about it, Magoo. This team has now won series against all the AL big boys, and since May 12th are 28-24. No, not world beating numbers, but give 'em some credit where it's due. They're certainly a far cry from the teams that have lost 100 plus games the past few years, and heading in the right direction.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:04 am

War Wagon wrote:No, not world beating numbers, but give 'em some credit where it's due.

Give credit? Nahhh, they haven't earned that yet.

What I will do though is toss a few healthy barbs their way. With "success," or whatever you wanna call it, usually comes smack talk. You should feel priveleged your team is playing well enough right now to have earned such recognition, even if it's in the form of insult. Baby steps, Wags. First earn your way into the freaking conversation before you start demanding credit.

They're certainly a far cry from the teams that have lost 100 plus games the past few years, and heading in the right direction.

Ahhh yes, the ever-so-dangerous "we're heading in the right direction" line of optimism. Yeah, it's funny how teams that are buried in the standings, and can string off a few eye-catching victories when the pressure is off are suddenly "heading in the right direction." Nah, not really. What the Royals are doing right now indicates no particular direction whatsoever. We've seen plenty of teams do exactly what the Royals are doing right now at this point in the season. We'll know exactly what direction they're headed when 2008 is underway.

Don't get me wrong though Whitey. I absolutely do not cheer on any continued failure for that Royal ballclub. I'm all for the little guy. I love looking at the standings and seeing teams like the Indians and the Brew Crew near the top, while The Team Constructed By Green struggles to play .500 ball. Sweet, sweet irony that is.

Even though those bastards are starting to make their routine ascent back to the top...

RevLimiter · Post by **RevLimiter** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:40 am

Goober McTuber wrote:
RevLimiter wrote: You're not getting over on ANYBODY in this bitch, especially ME.
Oh, I can get over on you pretty much any time I want. It's getting around you that may cause me to consult my day-planner.

The next time you do will be the 1st, but I have to give you credit for trying.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:59 am

Some "I'm rubber, you're glue".. from Fatso?

No way.

Adelpiero · Post by **Adelpiero** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:43 am

so you might spend $$ on royals tickets, cause they are starting to win?

wow, what a fucking fan you are.

some might want to spend some jack on some games to see alex gordon, teahan, and some of the young kids go out and play ball. Some don't

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:36 pm

Back to the topic at hand...

NIIIICE tank job by the bullpen last night. Vazquez throws five decent innings in a spot start and then three of the more reliable middle relievers proceed to choke a 7-2 lead away. Thankfully the Red Sox are helping out by beating up on the Tribe...at least the lead is a game and a half for now. Hopefully Kenny and JV can help them salvage 3 out of 5 for the series as they have a big three game set in Anaheim this weekend.

Looking at the matchups for this weekend...

Friday: Robertson vs. Weaver
Saturday: Miller vs. Saunders (FOX)
Sunday: Bonderman vs. Escobar (ESPN?)

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:09 am

What a shitty week for the Tigers...assuming the Angels hold on and win tonight. 2-6 against the Sox and Halos with a trip up to Oakland coming up. Rogers goes on the DL and they call up Jordan Tata from Toledo to make the start in Kenny's place.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/arti ... p&c_id=det

This week has to scream out loud and clear to Dombrowski that the bullpen (sans Rodney and Zumaya) isn't doing them any favors as they are in a dogfight with the Indians for the division lead and the wild card won't exactly be a sure thing either. They're lucky the Tribe has had as rough of a week as the Tigers have had and they didn't give up first place but still, even with both of those guys coming back in August most likely, you need another arm in the pen for depth. The idea of bringing back Kyle Farnsworth is intriguing from the standpoint it won't cost them an arm and a leg but he's been very inconsistent with the Yankees.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:14 pm

Rodney is now back in the fold but with Miller on the DL, there are 2/5 of the rotation out of action. I was assuming it was going to happen...Durbin returns to the rotation. Tata has been solid in his two starts filling in for Rogers.

This is by far the worst stretch this team has ran into this season. With this weekend's sweep, the White Sox are creeping back into the Central race...just 10 games back of Cleveland with a little less than two months to go. The Twins took 2 of 3 from the Tribe and are only 4 games behind the Tigers and 4-1/2 games out of first. This is not the time to hit the skids when you have 4 teams in the hunt for the division and you have 7 teams within 9-1/2 games of the wild card, currently held by the Tigers but for how much longer?

4 games with lowly Tampa Bay starting tonight and three with the light-hitting Athletics this week...7 games the Tigers need to win. This team needs to pull out of this tailspin quickly because those objects in the rear-view mirror aren't closer than they appear because they are right on their tail. 4-13 since July 20 and this was against opponents under .500, with exception of three games against the Angels. Championship teams need to beat up on the teams they are better than and right now, this team is vulnerable against any opponent. This four game set against Tampa is vital because losing 2 or 3 against the worst team in baseball, the Tigers could begin playing their way out of a playoff spot similar to what Chicago did last year.

Injuries hit every team during the season but its how you get through the adversity determines if you're a contender or a pretender. This is where the young power arms of this rotation need to pitch like veterans, Ordonez needs to legitimize himself as a true MVP candidate and whomever is in the lineup on a given day needs to carry their weight. Sheffield is banged up, Casey left the game yesterday and Guillen is nursing a bad knee that will probably linger the rest of the season. It's time for those who are healthy to step up and keep this team from falling out of a playoff position. A two week stretch in the middle of this month is looming large with 8 games against the red hot Yankees and 5 against first place Cleveland. These are must-win games.

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 · Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:36 pm

RevLimiter wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:It's getting around you that may cause me to consult my day-planner.
The next time you do will be the 1st, but I have to give you credit for trying.

Paul, just how strong is your gravitational pull?

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:58 pm

2-8 in their last 10 games
3-12 in their last 15 games
6-16 in their last 22 games

They're now tied for 5th in allowing the most runs in baseball and they've allowed the most runs among teams over .500. The pitching staff is in complete freefall...starters and middle relief. Only one win by a starting pitcher since July 18...Jordan Tata vs. Oakland on July 30.

They've been leap-frogged by the Yankees as the best offensive team in the league but it's mostly a product of the Yankees posting one of the most impressive months offensively that we've seen in years. The one thing I would consider disturbing is seeing teams with mediocre or under-achieving offenses like Chicago, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland light up the pitching staff while the Tigers' bats cooled off in July and the first part of this month. This was a team capable of outslugging pretty much any team but seeing them drop games to those 4 clubs is a cause for some concern.

This team was streaky last year...9 losing streaks of at least 3 games including the final 5 games of the season, which lead to them giving the division to the Twins. They never dropped more than 5 games in row though. They now have 6 such streaks this season including a current three game slide.

Through it all, they're only 1-1/2 out of first place in the division and 1 game out of the wild card. I once again point towards the gigantic stretch coming up next week with 2 games in Cleveland, 4 in the Bronx, and then 3 games with the Indians and 4 with the Yankees at Comerica the following week. I think by August 28, we'll know whether or not this team is truly a contender or if they're just a team that ran out of gas. I'll reserve hitting the panic button until we reach that date on the calendar and if this team has played its way out of a playoff spot. If they're still within 3 or 4 games of the division or the wild card, I still give them a chance to make a late push in September.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:37 pm

And so begins the most important stretch of games for this team...

Probable starters for mini-series in Cleveland:
Tonight--Bonderman vs. Sabathia
Wednesday--Jair Jurrjens (ML debut) vs. Carmona

The Tigers and Indians are deadlocked for first place in the Central after the Tigers dropped the finale with the A's last night to finish 4-7 in their last big homestand of the season. With combination of the Tigers and Indians simultaneous slumping and the Yankees and Mariners simultaneous hot streak, the second place team in the Central is no longer a sure thing for the wild card. The AL wild card is now a legitimate three team race. The Yankees and Mariners hold a two game lead over the Indians and Tigers which makes these head-to-head games with Cleveland and Detroit coming up even more important. You can't take winning the division for granted...the race for the wild card is now a dog fight. Having to face the Indians top two starters against an inconsistent Bonderman and an AA pitcher making his debut...major edge for Cleveland. I'd be very happy with a split.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:11 pm

The start of four with the Bombers at THE Stadium tonight...still even with the Indians for the division lead and just a single game behind Yankees and Mariners for the wild card. The Indians have the night off and play three games in Tampa against the pitiful Devil Rays and the Mariners host three games with the White Sox starting Friday. While the Tigers and Yankees beat on each other, can Seattle and Cleveland take advantage of their perceived easier competition?

Probables for the series...
Tonight: Verlander vs. Mussina
Friday: Robertson vs. Pettitte
Saturday: Durbin vs. Clemens
Sunday: Bonderman vs. Wang

The Yankees top 4 against the Tigers top 4 (sans Rogers/Miller)...it's pretty much all you can ask for in key series at this point in the season. This team plays four times next week in Detroit so this is each team's opponent to send a message to the other prior to facing each other again at Comerica Park. I'd take a split but I'd love 3 out of 4 consider Cleveland has three "gimmes" this weekend with Tampa, although the Tigers could only manage a 2-2 split with them back in Detroit last week.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:37 pm

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/arti ... p&c_id=det

C-Mo...thanks for the memories but something had to be done about his absolutely hideous play. I'm excited to see Maybin up with the big club after he tore up AA during his brief stay. He isn't going to be expected to be a savior but he'll have opportunities to play...including being in the lineup last night in the Bronx. I hope this quick promotion won't be too much for him...he's got a very bright future and this is a great chance for him to play some very meaningful games down the stretch.

I'm disappointed to see Infante sent down and lose his versatility in favor of Ramon Santiago, who is just a middle infielder by trade. Raburn has certainly earned a spot on this team as a utility player but demoting Infante is a very curious move.

Frank Rizzo · Post by **Frank Rizzo** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:19 pm

Shoalzie wrote: I'd take a split but I'd love 3 out of 4

WE ROELLED AYOU UP 3 OUTA OF 4 !!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:38 pm

Frank Rizzo wrote:
Shoalzie wrote: I'd take a split but I'd love 3 out of 4
WE ROELLED AYOU UP 3 OUTA OF 4 !!

Yup, guilty as charged...props on the series win, YankeeFan.

Zumaya and Polanco return to the lineup starting tonight...these three games with Cleveland become more critical with the wild card slowly slipping away from the grasp of whomever finishes second in the Central. Only 6 head-to-head matchups remaining between Cleveland and Detroit...you have to looking at either slipping or taking 4 of those 6 and the roll the dice with the rest of the remaining games. The schedule is somewhat favorable for the Tigers in September but they've not been beating the teams they're supposedly better than in these last two months. It's a put up or shut up week for these guys.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:47 pm

Huuuuge series on tap. As poorly as the Tigers have played to be within 1.5 of the Central lead is fine with me. With Polanco coming back we'll have the top five in the order intact for the first time in quite a while, very imposing as a unit, but when Shef, or Polanco go down Thames and Raburn are too big of dropoff.

Zoom's back, Rodney's looked good since his return. The starters need to string together some quality starts. Their inconsistancies have strained a weak and depleted pen. We need seven strong innings to have a chance. Miner, Grili, and Durbin will hopefully see less innings as they've all struggled. Boy I miss Jamie Walker.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:45 am

A very quick but satisfying way to start the series. They've won their last three series openers but failed to win the previous two series...to be fair, the series with the Indians was a two game set so they at least split. With Verlander going tomorrow, they can look at regaining first place in the division...which to me is way more important than worrying about the wild card. The division is much more winnable at this point. The Yankees series this weekend is important but the games with the Indians are the one they need to worry about winning more.

Jurrjens was excellent but I still have to tip my hat to Carmona...he's been nasty the last two times the Tigers have ran into him. I consider this a major coup to win a game when the pitching matchup heavily favors the other team. With the news that Miller is returning to the rotation on Friday in Durbin's place, it makes me think that Jurrjens could be in Rogers spot until he comes back (if he comes back). I'm going to the game on Sunday against the Yankees...that's Jurrjens next scheduled start. I certainly think he's earned another start.

Great to see the old law firm of Zumaya, Rodney and Jones back in business in the 7th, 8th and 9th. Things could get back to what we were used to earlier in the season...at least one would hope.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:46 pm

Team Schizo strikes again...great pitching one night, crap pitching the next. Add to that, Sheff is out for the rest of the homestand and maybe more. His shoulder really is bothering him and it'll probably require offseason surgery. Need to salvage the series with a win this afternoon. This is a huge start for Robertson today...can't go down 2-1/2 games with the Yankees coming to down and the Tribe facing the Royals this weekend. They face each other one last time in mid-September...three at the Jake.

Much like when they entered the Yankees series last weekend, the Bombers are going to be plenty pissed about getting beat up prior to facing the Tigers...the Angels took two of three from them and they get today off before starting the series in Detroit tomorrow. Thankfully they don't run into the front of the Yankees rotation this time around. Clemens and Wang should be tough to start out but they close out with Hughes and Mussina in the final two games.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:29 pm

Well Leyland held this team together as long as he could given the rash of injuries this season. Props to him.

It was alot of fun again to cheer for a team that was in the hunt all year, something I could get used to.

This off-season is important. I would like to see bullpen help (who wouldn't), a starting outfielder, a firstbaseman (unless Guillen moves over there, then we need a SS). The starters may be set. Verlander, Bonderman, Robertson, Miller, Jurjjens... perhaps Rogers, when this group is healthy they are formidable, but as we saw this year injuries eat away at percieved depth in a hurry.

Next years lineup....

Granderson
Polanco
Sheffield
Maggs
Guillen
New Outfielder
Pudge
New 1st baseman
Inge

Tigerfan is in love with Cameron Maybin, and rightfully so. I'd love for him to sharpen it up at Toledo for one more year. Pushing him to the majors right now leaves too many holes in the bottom third of the lineup. With Inge more cold than hot this year he really needs to work on shortening his swing., waaay too many K's.

All and all a nice year by the Tigers all things considered.

Props to Cleveland on winning the central.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:21 pm

I too commend the Tigers for hanging around with the likes of Sheffield, Rogers, Rodney and Zumaya out for significant amounts of time. The thing I'm most excited about is the breakout year from Granderson...he's become one of the best leadoff men in the game and he's got the power to hit further down in the order and that'll give him opportunities to drive in 90-100 runs a year. He's been a tremendous weapon for this team.

I also love seeing the re-emergence of Maggs as one of the best all-around hitters in the game...props to him on the impending batting title. Polanco is one of the most underrated players in the game...he's on the verge of an errorless season at second and he's going to finish third most likely in the AL in hitting. With a healthy Sheffield next season and hopefully moving Guillen to first will keep his knees and hamstrings from acting up...this team will once again boast the best 1-2-3-4-5 in all of baseball.

The three free agent question marks for the offseason are Jones, Pudge and Rogers. I guess you can throw in Casey if you want since he's a free agent but I doubt he comes back.

I don't know who would be a better option at closer than Jones in the free agent market...he did save 38 games with a week to go, two more saves for his third career 40 save season and second as a Tiger. Zumaya isn't quite ready so I'd stick with him in the 7th/8th inning setup role with Rodney. If both guys don't get hurt, I feel good about that combo for another season.

With Pudge, I'd tell him to hit the road. We've got to lose this romanticism with him and his career milestones he's approaching. He's a mediocre bat right now and has lost his ability to come through in key late inning moments. I would like to see them spend that $13 million on another catcher and another starting pitcher. Which leads to Rogers...

I really don't know what to think of him at this point. He was out for two significant periods of time and he's going to be 44 come spring time. He's kind of the Chris Chelios of this team...he's a great leader for the younger players and does contribute at his at advanced age. I guess I would keep him for the right price because it's not like this season warrants him a raise. If you can get him to a series of one-year deals...I'd love him in the 4th spot in the rotation.

I want them to get another arm for the rotation in addition to what they have. They need a guy who can throw 200 innings without breaking down. The Cubs are doing nice things with a couple of those guys they added in the offseason, Lilly and Marquis. If the Tigers can find a guy with some good experience to go in the middle of the rotation, I think that would be as big for this team as adding a power bat at first or left. I would start Miller and Jurjjens in AAA or AA and have them on the call-up list if another injury comes up. I want to see a more veteran rotation next year to take pressure off Verlander and mainly Bonderman.

I totally agree about Maybin...start him in Toledo to start the season and if he rips it up down there, try him again up here midway through the season. I say trade Thames and hang onto Timo Perez to be the left fielder and the 6th or 7th hitter. Perez will be a nice cheap option and he'll fit nicely after the thunder in the first 5 of the order.

This would be my 25-man roster for next year:

Rotation: Verlander, Bonderman, Rogers, FA Addition, Robertson
Bullpen: Miner, Grilli, Seay, Byrdak, Rodney, Zumaya, Jones/FA Addition

Catchers: FA Addition, Wilson
Infielders: Guillen (1B/SS), Inge (3B), Polanco (2B), Rayburn (Util), Santiago (backup SS), FA Addition (SS or 1B)
Outfielders: Granderson (CF), Ordonez (RF), Perez (LF), FA Addition or Thames (if he's not traded...play spot duty at 1B or OF)
DH: Sheffield

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:36 pm

One final post in here this season...finishing the season with a 13-3 win and 88-74 record to close things out. Props to Magglio on winning the AL batting title...a .363 average, a career best as well as a new career high in RBI with 139, doubles with 54, runs with 117, OPS at 1.029 and this was his first season over 200 hits and his OBP was over .400 for the first time. This year was his second highest slugging percentage of his career. A remarkable season for him and I hope this isn't the last great year of his career.

Also, Polanco reaches 200 hits and Granderson finishes his historic season over .300 to go with his 20 HR/20 2B/20 3B/20 SB.

Disappointed this team missed the postseason, obviously...but I think I can feel confident this team will contend again next season with a couple of changes needing to be made here and there. Cleveland has become the best team in the division with their strong lineup and two great front of the rotation starters. The Twins next season could be interesting with the return of Liriano and what happens to Hunter this winter. The White Sox should be better next year if they keep their lineup in tact and add another starting pitcher. The Royals are improving but still have a ways to go to play with the best of this division. Looking forward to next spring already...

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:36 pm

Just so I don't offend the almighty Todd, I'll post this little item about my insignificant team in here and not create a new thread and I'll keep my thoughts relatively brief...

The Tigers have acquired Edgar Renteria from the Braves for pitcher Jair Jurjjens and highly-touted outfield prospect Gorkys Hernandez.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3085675

You can definitely scratch the Tigers off the list for the A-Rod sweepstakes. They were in the market for a shortstop and get one of the better veteran guys available at that position. Guillen becomes the full-time first baseman and they get a much better glove at short as well as a solid veteran bat that will mesh well with this current mix of hitters.

The lineup as it stands now...
Granderson CF
Polanco 2B
Sheffield DH
Ordonez RF
Guillen 1B
Renteria SS
Rodriguez C
Thames LF
Inge 3B

It's possible Granderson could move out of that leadoff spot and Renteria could lead-off.