Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Kid · Post by **Kansas City Kid** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 5:13 am

You won't take too much crap from Cub fan - mostly good-natured barbs. Hell, most of the bleachers and a lot of the stands are filled with people not from Chicago anyway. I'm hoping for good weather!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:40 pm

Kansas City Kid wrote:I'm hoping for good weather!

I'll drink to that...but I'll drink to bad weather too.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:58 pm

2-5 against New York and Boston but they retain a 2-1/2 game lead going into the Sox series starting tomorrow. I'll take it but they very easily could've had a third win on Friday. The bullpen as a whole has been dependable but you can't give up games when Chicago is in the rear view mirror and the Indians are bound to catch fire. I'm curious to see what comes of the third spot in the rotation with Maroth out. Do they stick with young Zack Miner, the other guy from the Farnsworth trade, or do they make a splash a pick up another arm? Unless Miner pitches like Verlander, I think they need another starter to match up with the Sox and their balanced rotation.

Tuesday: Robertson vs. Garcia
Wednesday: Verlander vs. Contreras
Thursday: Rogers vs. Garland

As much as I wanted 3 or 4 wins against the Yankees and Red Sox but this is a series they need to win...no less than 2 wins. They've got their three best starters going and the Sox have 2 of their 3 best. Should be a great series...

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:47 pm

Alex Cintron victimizes the Tigers for the second straight game. I thought Crede was giving the Tigers a gift by the throwing that ball away that he should've held onto. He just turns around and gets on base the next inning and scores the winning run. The struggles against the big dogs continues. These games are showing this team still has weaknesses and Dombrowski seriously needs to consider making some moves to keep them up near the top of the division. A win tonight puts the lead back to a game and a half but it's the thinnest game and a half lead I've ever seen. It's just a matter of time before the Sox regain first place.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:15 am

dear tigers: it's best not to let the jays bat around in the eighth and score nine runs when you're up by three. just sayin'.

i still think the tigers are a somewhat-serious contender, but i know i wasn't the only one who said "are you fucking kidding?" when the tigers brought todd jones back. waht a fucking trainwreck he's been. dude always had the excuse of getting the job done when he used to load up the bases in the past. now, he just gets blasted every night.

someone tell fernando rodney to make the hitters guess. they sit on the fastball and blow his ass up.

i like jim leyland. and he's done a lot for the club so far, but the way the fans and local media have been sucking the dude's dick lately is preposterous. great coach, but he won't win a world series for them. only jack mckeon (with a lot of help) can pull that shit off.

fix · Post by **fix** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:18 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:dear tigers: it's best not to let the jays bat around in the eighth and score nine runs when you're up by three. just sayin'.

I turned the game off in the 7th inning because with the number of runners the Jays were leaving on base, I figured it was going to be one of those games that they threw away.
But that's the one solid thing the Jays have going for them this season, it's never over until the last pitch is thrown. They might not have a 'murderers row' but that lineup from top to bottom will lay some beatings on a team.

i still think the tigers are a somewhat-serious contender, but i know i wasn't the only one who said "are you fucking kidding?" when the tigers brought todd jones back. waht a fucking trainwreck he's been. dude always had the excuse of getting the job done when he used to load up the bases in the past. now, he just gets blasted every night.

With Leyland as skip, if they stay healthy I can see them being there in September.. challenging for the wildcard.

i like jim leyland. and he's done a lot for the club so far, but the way the fans and local media have been sucking the dude's dick lately is preposterous. great coach, but he won't win a world series for them. only jack mckeon (with a lot of help) can pull that shit off.

Leyland did a radio interview with one of the guys from Toronto yesterday. Leyland's a straight shooter who knows what he's talking about. His interview was nails.. I looked for a link to it but they haven't uploaded it onto their website.. Too bad really because it was one of the best, no punches pulled interviews I've heard a manager in a long long time.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 4:28 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:dear tigers: it's best not to let the jays bat around in the eighth and score nine runs when you're up by three. just sayin'.

i still think the tigers are a somewhat-serious contender, but i know i wasn't the only one who said "are you fucking kidding?" when the tigers brought todd jones back. waht a fucking trainwreck he's been. dude always had the excuse of getting the job done when he used to load up the bases in the past. now, he just gets blasted every night.

someone tell fernando rodney to make the hitters guess. they sit on the fastball and blow his ass up.

i like jim leyland. and he's done a lot for the club so far, but the way the fans and local media have been sucking the dude's dick lately is preposterous. great coach, but he won't win a world series for them. only jack mckeon (with a lot of help) can pull that shit off.

I'm with you on all of those takes. The Tigers are through their toughest stretch of the season and somehow they remain on top of the division and are still a half-game ahead of the Mets for the best record overall. I highlighted the last 23 games as being crucial stretch in the season. This stretch did include a 4 game series with the Royals but the Tigers went 13-10 in this 4-week span. The bullpen took some lumps...I've said my peace on Jones. Surprisingly, they are still second in save conversion percentage after the last couple of weeks of blowing leads and giving up late inning rallies. Marcus Thames has been a pleasant surprise...they still need to find a left handed hitter for the lineup since Young is washed up and often injured. They've lost Maroth from the rotation for a couple months but Miner has throw two solid games so far...the jury is out on if he's the long-term answer.

Another interesting stretch coming up....they have 4 with the D'Rays at Comerica starting tonight and then the next wave of interleague play begins with roadies at Wrigley and Miller Park. I'm pumped for the game on Friday...I'll get to see a very good matchup, Robertson vs. Zambrano. Then they have the Cardinals and Astros visit Comerica. It's very likely the Tigers will get to face Clemens in his second start of the season. After the Astros series, they finish the first half of the season with nine straight on the road...Pittsburgh and then out west to Oakland and Seattle. This team still has the best road record in the league...ideally, I'd like to see 5 or 6 wins on the road trip. That takes them to the All-Star break and hopefully they'll continue to either lead the division are be neck-and-neck with the White Sox. By then, I'd hope they'll know whether or not they'll be buyers in the trade market.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:39 pm

54-25

Tiger Starters are a combined 15-2 in June.

Team era is at 3.50 with 11 shutouts.

Verlander and Rogers are tied for the AL lead with 10 wins apiece.

Bonderman,Robertson,Maroth, and Miner are a combined 24-10.

Pitching wins championships.

Anybody doubt that the Tigers are for real?

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:50 pm

RACK Verlander...Liriano and Papelbon probably will get the most attention for AL rookie of the year but JV deserves some notice. Dare I say it...his rookie season is almost Fidrych-esqe!?! On that same token, I hope that doesn't mean he's only going to be a one year wonder. He's got tremendous stuff...I think he and Bonderman will anchor this staff for a long time.

A perfect 6-0 in this mini-homestand...20 innings since they last yielded a run. Now they go to PNC Park to face the woeful Pirates...is it too early to put three more in the wins column? They might struggle against Chicago, New York and Boston but they sure beat the hell out of the rest of the teams. 12-2 in interleague play and the Pirates series coming up. I think an underrated thing about having Leyland is his experience in the NL and he knows how to manage a game using pinch hitters and double switches.

This season is off the charts...I've never experienced anything like this as a TigerFan. The longer they play well, the more upset I'd be if they fall apart at the end. The great thing right now is that are 9 games ahead of the Yankees...the second place team in the Wild Card. The (White) Sox are 6-1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the Wild Card.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:00 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:i like jim leyland. and he's done a lot for the club so far, but the way the fans and local media have been sucking the dude's dick lately is preposterous. great coach, but he won't win a world series for them. only jack mckeon (with a lot of help) can pull that shit off.

Why not? The NL hasn't been this weak in years.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 8:52 pm

Rack the Bucs for stealing a game away from the Southsiders

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:02 am

30 games over .500

That is all...

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:29 am

...and they taketh away. That was a 7th inning from hell.

Racer X · Post by **Racer X** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:15 pm

Still 2.5 up on the W Sox. My sifu is going to make me do more push-ups. :)

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 11:30 pm

RACK the baby bears for beating the Sox in a slugfest...back to where they stood going into the weekend. Tigers finish 15-3 in interleague play, the Sox were 14-4. The Twins edged them both out...16-2?!? The Twins are playing out of their minds...the Sox and Tigers can't slip up now or they might let them back into the race. They're still 10 games out after today.

Racer X · Post by **Racer X** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:19 pm

On an unrelated note, (and posted in the wrong forum), Yzerman is going to retire today? RACK that dude for a great career.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:33 pm

Racer X wrote:On an unrelated note, (and posted in the wrong forum), Yzerman is going to retire today? RACK that dude for a great career.

Check the hockey forum...

go get your knife · Post by **go get your knife** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:27 am

Zumaya clocked at 103 today.
MLB doesnt keep official statistics for this, but according to my research this is the fastest pitch in a regular season game ever.

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 6:42 am

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/article ... ball.shtml

Looks like it is.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:30 pm

That couldn't possibly be right...I saw that and said, no way is that speed correct. I noticed the pitches he throws right into the dirt are probably his fastest. He hit 101 on another low pitch. I bet it has to do with him just overthrowing. That 100 MPH fastball he threw to Thomas that sawed him off was great.

Sucks for J.V...threw a really good game but didn't get a win. I read that he's currently fourth in the last man voting.

Racer X · Post by **Racer X** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:31 am

Home field to the AL for the WS.

Go ahead and choose your seats now.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:34 am

Racer X wrote:Home field to the AL for the WS.

Go ahead and choose your seats now.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:27 pm

Great take, Screw.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:03 pm

First big series of the second half begins Tuesday...the Tigers' lead is up 4-1/2 over the Sox after the Yankees put a whooping on them and they're now only 3 games back in the wild card race. Loss #30 and the first loss of the year for the Tigers against the Royals today after winning the first 11 meetings...sloppy effort and with the 'B' team in there. Three games at home against the defending champs...monster series for sure. Take two of three and it'll be a 5-1/2 game lead going into next weekend's series against the A's. Many still believe the Sox will eventually over take the Tigers but to win 2 or 3 games could shut some people up. There will still be 10 head-to-head games remaining after this upcoming series so by no means will either team win or lose the division now.

The Tigers have 70 games to go...they can go .500 and still win 97 games.

Remaining schedule...

vs. Division (38 games - 16 home/22 away - record against: 26-11)
Chicago (13 games - 7 home/6 away - record against: 1-5)
Minnesota (10 games - 3 home/7 away - record against: 7-2)
Cleveland (9 games - 3 home/6 away - record against: 7-3)
Kansas City (6 games - 3 home/3 away - record against: 11-1)

vs. Rest of AL (32 games - 21 home/11 away - record against: 21-16)
Baltimore (4 games - 3 home/1 away - record against: 1-1)
Boston (3 games - 0 home/3 away - record against: 1-2)
Los Angeles (3 games - 3 home/0 away - record against: 2-3)
New York (3 games - 0 home/3 away - record against: 1-3)
Oakland (3 games - 3 home/0 away - record against: 3-3)
Seattle (3 games - 3 home/0 away - record against: 5-1)
Tampa Bay (4 games - 0 home/4 away - record against: 3-1)
Texas (6 games - 6 home/0 away - record against: 3-1)
Toronto (3 games - 3 home/0 away - record against: 2-1)

Rough projection: 102-60 (Record in remaining games: 40-30)

Probables for the upcoming series:
Tuesday: Robertson vs. Garland
Wednesday: Bonderman vs. Vazquez
Thursday: Rogers vs. Contreras

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:52 pm

Great post shoalzie.

I don't like our record against the teams we would most likely face in the post season (3-10 vs. NYY, Bos, Chi) a 2 of 3 series would help, but a sweep would be just what the doctor ordered. I'd like to get the runs against back down. KC scoring 22 runs in 3 games (the 4th was a shutout) was way too much. Was it a trend? We shall see. All Tiger fans are nervously hoping to avoid a prolonged losing period. I think with the starting pitching a streak longer than once through the rotation is unlikely.

It's strange territory for Tigerfan. The view from the top is wonderful. The expectations have changed dramatically since April. No longer is .500 the goal. I think I heard where since the wild card was introduced, all teams winning 95 games have made the playoffs. The AL East is going to be a meat grinder with the Sox, Yanks, and Jays trading wins and losses. I don't know if the division champ will get to the 95 number.

I like the way Leyland manages to win series after series. He is getting so much out of these guys. I'm almost hoping we don't get too crazy during the last few weeks until the trade deadline. I would rather see another live arm than the oft rumored left-handed bat.

Go get 'em Tigers!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:37 pm

I too agree that a bat shouldn't be the #1 priority but I wouldn't say that getting another quality hitter, lefty or righty, wouldn't hurt. Most know about how good the pitching staff is but the offense is also near the top in the majors in most major statistical categories...7th in runs scored, 9th in hits, 9th in doubles, 7th in triples, 5th in home runs, 10th in batting average, 4th in slugging. One weakness they have from an offensive standpoint is OBP. They also don't draw walks and they strike out way too much, plus they don't have many stolen bases either. They're decent with RISP...tied for 14th at .275 but the White Sox lead the majors in that category at .308.

Of all the names being thrown around, I think Abreu is the best option for the Tigers. He's left handed, he's got a high OBP, draws walks, can steal bases, and he's a former gold glove-winner in the outfield. His price tag is very steep but he's got some of the qualities the Tigers' lineup is missing. Soriano would provide speed and extra pop with but where does he go in the lineup...outfield? DH? 2B? He's made 8 errors in LF but has 12 assists. He's got a decent OBP but it's nearly 100 points lower than Abreu. He's cheaper than Abreu but he's also going to be a free agent after the season is over. Would he fit into the Tigers' long term plans? To me, Aubrey Huff would've been a reasonable pickup being a lefty and he can play multiple positions.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:55 am

FSN gave a telling stat about this season that I think explains a lot about where the Tigers and the White Sox are right now...

The Tigers have the best record in the majors against sub-.500 teams.
The White Sox have the best record in the majors against teams above .500.

Garland threw a great game tonight and the Sox boppers showed up while the Tigers' didn't. If you're going to lose and lose badly, have it be the first game of the series. Two games still to go but that was a loud message the Sox sent tonight. 6-1 against the Tigers...Detroit is only in first place based on record, not because they are the better team. It's still too early to throw out the f-word...fraud...but the Tigers play against the White Sox, Yankees and Red Sox shouldn't sell anyone that this is the best team in the American League right now. They're beating the teams they are supposed to but you have to beat the other clubs on your level or above you.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:54 pm

Heard a rumor that the Tigers have interest in Abreu and the Phillies want Thames and Miner. I have not followed the Tigers or their players too much but Thames looks like a nice young player.

Any possibility of that happening? The Tigers would have to pick up the $16m option on his contract in order for him to waive his no trade clause.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:03 pm

This has been a topic around Tigerdom for a couple months now...

I love Thames, he can rake. Miner is 6-2 stepping in for the injured Maroth. Trading Miner would hurt our depth at SP. Abreu is an attractive LH bat with a solid on-base percentage number. Many in Motown are sure we need a lefty to bolster the lineup. As a Tiger Fan I'd rather part with Monroe and a top pitching prospect...only if Abreu stays a Tiger for several years, or brings a nice return in a future trade. Tiger brass may be counting on one of our top arms in the minors to replace Miner on the roster. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:01 pm

Abreu and Soriano seem to be the two names most linked to the Tigers. I too have heard the Abreu for Thames and Miner rumor. I'd do that trade in a second. Thames isn't much of a glove but the guy can hit. He's arguably the second or third best hitter on the team right now behind Ordonez and maybe Pudge. As for Miner, the throw-in from the Farnsworth trade...the Tigers have several young arms in their system. He would be expendable from the standpoint he's not the top young arm in the system and Maroth should return by August. The hottest names in the farm system are the two guys who played in the Futures game...Humberto Sanchez and Cameron Maybin. The Nationals are asking for Sanchez as part of a deal to get Soriano. Nook Logan could be part of the package as well...a very expendable piece considering Granderson pretty much took his spot on the roster and Maybin is the centerfielder of the future and last year's #1 pick. Of the two guys, I'd prefer Abreu because Soriano is going to be a free agent after the season is over and the Nationals want more for him than the Phillies want for Abreu...plus, Abreu's left-handed.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:50 pm

This article supports the rumor.

*Rob Parker is a hack*

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 004/SPORTS

Kansas City Kid · Post by **Kansas City Kid** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:08 am

Shoalzie wrote:FSN gave a telling stat about this season that I think explains a lot about where the Tigers and the White Sox are right now...

The Tigers have the best record in the majors against sub-.500 teams.
The White Sox have the best record in the majors against teams above .500.

It's like 1984 when the Tigers played the Mariners like 35 times to start the season 35-5 or some ungodly crap...........

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:53 am

It's just one win but the way they won was big. The Sox were getting another well pitched game and the Tigers were the ones getting the huge hitting the middle to late innings. Usually when the roles are reversed, the Sox are the money team and get the big hit or home run to go ahead or tie a game. That was a clutch home run given the way this head-to-head series has gone. To get back that bad game yesterday was important and go into the game tomorrow with momentum against the damn-near unbeatable Contreras. Huge start for Rogers, he's got to prove he's not going to wilt in the second half like he has in the past.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:07 am

my boy called the "shellshock" of monroe, we were listening to new order at the time.

big win for the tigs, i can't argue. note to vasquez, when you're 14, they teach you not to throw breaking balls in the strike zone on 0-2. FYI to him. what the fuck he was thinking, i don't know.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:09 pm

Big victory today to take the series and open up a 5.5 game lead. This was gritty. Rogers pitched well, Zumaya was awesome, and Jones held on. Huge take out slide by Thames to keep the inning alive for Big Red who delivered in the clutch. Hopefully the nation tuned in last night and today and starts to believe in this team.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:36 pm

WolverineSteve wrote:Big victory today to take the series and open up a 5.5 game lead. This was gritty. Rogers pitched well, Zumaya was awesome, and Jones held on. Huge take out slide by Thames to keep the inning alive for Big Red who delivered in the clutch. Hopefully the nation tuned in last night and today and starts to believe in this team.

Were you able to see it on ESPN last night? It must've been blacked out over here because they had NEWS on ESPN during the game. At least FSN had it on as well. I see that FOX is showing the A's game on Saturday. It's been a while since the Cats have been on FOX Saturday baseball. I'm sure they won't get the 'A' broadcast team.

Another big win...Rogers hung in with Contreras and once again, they get the clutch hit late in the game. I don't care how big this lead is in the division, the Sox still scare the hell out of me.

An interesting stretch ahead for the Tigers...3 against the A's at the Copa this weekend and then home-and-home series with the banged up Twins (3 home/3 away) and the disappointing Indians (3 home/3 away) and 4 games in Tampa Bay before the Tigers and Sox meet up again at the Cell on August 11-13. August is going to be a meat-grinder...7 games against Chicago (4 home/3 away), 3 at Boston and 3 at New York plus 4 with the Rangers.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:53 pm

I did see last night's game. I like the announcing team. Herchiser is really informative, he's got great insight to the little things throughout the game.

.500 ball the rest of the way would all but sew up a spot in the playoffs. Winning the division would be awesome, but reverting back to my pre-season hopes, a wild card is far better than I could've imagined.

P.S. I'll be in Tampa for all 4 games, and in Detroit for the stretch run in September...hopefully the division clincher.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:09 pm

D.Y. is expected to rejoin the team sometime this weekend. I think Dombrowski would probably like to see if Young has his crap together and if he can be a positive contributor on the team before he makes a deal. There is still 10 days until the deadline. If think this is a good opportunity for them give him about a week to try to earn back his spot in the lineup. It would be ideal if he does return and play well, he can spot Shelton at 1B occasionally and mostly see time at DH. He's a good bat when he's right mentally and physically but this has been a trying year for him with his own incident off the field, the incident with his little brother and his stint in rehab. I really hope Dombrowski isn't considering Hillenbrand as an option considering he's left three team all on bad terms. I'd much rather see them stick with a guy like Young who has something to prove. If the Tigers make a deal, it might be until around the 11th hour because I bet they want to know for sure Young will or won't be a key player for this team down the stretch.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:36 pm

RACK the Tigers. Hope that shuts Ozzie the fuck up for a couple of weeks.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:11 pm

The only problem I have with DY is with him taking ab's away from Monroe and Thames. Thames is having a solid year, and Monroe usually heats up in the second half. I would love for him to take over first, and somehow work a platoon situation with Shelton. I think a lesser role would help Shelton out of his prolonged funk. But With the four of them vying for pt at three spots, it'll be tough to keep everyone happy. Best case scenario would be for Young to come back with the positive spirit he used to have and be the spark plug. But if Dombrowski could swing a deal for Abreau...I'd do it.