Detroit Tigers --Another Year, More of the Same

[softailrider]

Went to the Monday June 6th game. Kind of surprising, but the stadium was about 2/3 full. A lot of Blue Jay fans. I know the kids are still in school but they don't seem to be drawing as well as previous years. We got 1st base line, 2nd tier tickets for 6 dollars. That's pretty cheap.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I'd tend to think, the weekend crowds are bigger, [[ no work, or school) but maybe not. Kids being in school may have something to do with it, to your point. School will soon be out, and parents will be looking for something to keep them entertained, so the crowds may grow.

[emu steve]

Went to the Monday June 6th game. Kind of surprising, but the stadium was about 2/3 full. A lot of Blue Jay fans. I know the kids are still in school but they don't seem to be drawing as well as previous years. We got 1st base line, 2nd tier tickets for 6 dollars. That's pretty cheap.

Seems to be the case.

It will take a while this season for fans to determine, in their minds, if the team is a playoff contender.

Fans this year have seemed more of 'wait and see...'

[emu steve]

Just a question on tonight's Miggy moon shot:

Is the area where the ball landed [[where fans stand) is that inside the stadium [[standing room) or it outside the stadium [[sidewalk)?

I want to say it is outside the stadium but not sure.

EDIT: I think it is standing room inside the stadium, but the ball left the park.

[Maof]

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/06/...ca-park-video/

[emu steve]

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/06/...ca-park-video/

Thanks.

Am I right that there is a SRO crowd there and then behind them those outside the fence, on the Adams' sidewalk, looking in?

This ball went through the concourse level, over the sidewalk and into the street. Correct?

[emu steve]

What a game tonight. J Up wins it with a walk off HR in 12.

4:29 for those keeping track.

[Maof]

i believe your right steve.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

What a game tonight. J Up wins it with a walk off HR in 12.

4:29 for those keeping track.

Maybe he's coming out of his prolonged slump. Would be nice if he did....

[401don]

Maybe he's coming out of his prolonged slump. Would be nice if he did....

I think the past couple of weeks we've finally seen the real Upton. Problem is, the real Upton is not very good - swing out of his pants and connect for 20 home runs, hit about .250, tons of strikeouts and below average defense.

[emu steve]

I'm finally giddy hopeful on the Tigs pitching w/out having to trade the farm for July help.

Beside Fulmer, we have prospects like Norris, Boyd, Rondon [[please this be the year), high ceiling reliever in the minors, Jimenez, and hopes for comebacks by Sanchez and Greene.

If say two of Norris, Boyd, Rondon and Jimenez come through big we'll be okay. That would be the one starter and one reliever we need without going out on the trade market and deplete the minor league prospects

Also have a very good prospect, JaCoby Jones, in the minors who can play IF and OF.

Again, we need Moya or Jones to become a major league player as we attempt to develop pitchers and position players for 2016 and beyond.

[401don]

I'm finally giddy hopeful on the Tigs pitching w/out having to trade the farm for July help.

Beside Fulmer, we have prospects like Norris, Boyd, Rondon [[please this be the year), high ceiling reliever in the minors, Jimenez, and hopes for comebacks by Sanchez and Greene.

If say two of Norris, Boyd, Rondon and Jimenez come through big we'll be okay. That would be the one starter and one reliever we need without going out on the trade market and deplete the minor league prospects

Also have a very good prospect, JaCoby Jones, in the minors who can play IF and OF.

Again, we need Moya or Jones to become a major league player as we attempt to develop pitchers and position players for 2016 and beyond.

Not sure how you figure we only need one starter. Right now we have 3, including Fulmer, whose innings will be limited this year. We are paying Sanchez and Pelfrey 24 million combined this yr. and next. Neither can pitch. Boyd has shown nothing so far, typical soft tossing lefty. If Norris sticks, which is a big if since he hasn't pitched well at Toledo, that still leaves us at 4 starters.

[emu steve]

Not sure how you figure we only need one starter. Right now we have 3, including Fulmer, whose innings will be limited this year. We are paying Sanchez and Pelfrey 24 million combined this yr. and next. Neither can pitch. Boyd has shown nothing so far, typical soft tossing lefty. If Norris sticks, which is a big if since he hasn't pitched well at Toledo, that still leaves us at 4 starters.

I assume Norris will be a #4 or 5. I believe Detroit thinks he is ready to show what he has.

I'm hoping, and I'm being an optimist, that Sanchez is ready to contribute as a starter again. I don't believe he is washed up.

Pelfrey will be the #5 if Norris or Sanchez bomb as starters.

I have Greene remaining in the 'pen and I expect that Jimenez a minor leaguer who just might be what we hoped Rodon would have become by now.

What I'm getting at is that we have MANY pitchers who have MLB potential to be starters or relievers and just need a few to come through.

It could be Norris, Sanchez, Boyd, or Pelfrey as starters.

It could be Greene, Rondon, Jimenez, etc. as relievers.

[401don]

It did look like we were going to be in better shape after the trades last year and, yes, we would be in even worse shape without them. But the fact that Sanchez has proven he is over the hill, not just injured, as well as going out and signing Pelfrey, which shocked everybody, especially the Twins, who wouldn't have had him back for free, has left us still very thin. The good news is after 2017 we will hopefully have Fulmer and Burroughs or Norris in the rotation at a much cheaper price.

[emu steve]

It did look like we were going to be in better shape after the trades last year and, yes, we would be in even worse shape without them. But the fact that Sanchez has proven he is over the hill, not just injured, as well as going out and signing Pelfrey, which shocked everybody, especially the Twins, who wouldn't have had him back for free, has left us still very thin. The good news is after 2017 we will hopefully have Fulmer and Burroughs or Norris in the rotation at a much cheaper price.

I'm hopeful the Tigs can get younger and lower their salary load based on the youth they have [[largely obtained in trades).

I agree that Fulmer and Norris can hold down two slots as reasonable salaries. I think Burroughs is say two or three years away.

Rondon or Jimenez have a chance to make it as a reliever and replace Lowe. Jimenez just might have a really high ceiling.

Moya might some day replace V-Mart as a DH and maybe back up to Miggy at 1B. I just don't see a player as tall as him being an agile defender in the OF.

Jones has a chance to make a significant contribution as a good hitting utility player in both the OF and IF.

I tend to withhold judgement on prospects like Burroughs, Stewart, and Manning who are all at least two or three years away [[Manning could be four).

If I were Avila I wouldn't trade any prospects next month. Go with what we have and add free agents during the off season.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Moya might some day replace V-Mart as a DH and maybe back up to Miggy at 1B. I just don't see a player as tall as him being an agile defender in the OF.

Moya reminds me of former Tiger Tony Clark. He is big, 6'7 240 lbs, but he made a nice running catch towards the stands, in tonight's game, as well as hitting 2 homers. I bet he's faster than Miggy though.

[erikd]

Not sure how you figure we only need one starter. Right now we have 3, including Fulmer, whose innings will be limited this year. We are paying Sanchez and Pelfrey 24 million combined this yr. and next. Neither can pitch. Boyd has shown nothing so far, typical soft tossing lefty. If Norris sticks, which is a big if since he hasn't pitched well at Toledo, that still leaves us at 4 starters.

I don't think that the Tigers need to replace Pelfrey. He is an average serviceable 4/5 starter who usually gives us a chance to win. His W/L record looks bad, but that has a lot to do with the incredible lack of run support in his starts.

He had a bad game on Monday, where he gave up 6 earned runs in 5 innings, but he had been decent in his previous 7 starts:
6 IP - 4 ER
6.2 IP - 3 ER
6 IP - 2 ER
5.2 IP - 0 ER
6 IP - 4 ER
5.1 IP - 2 ER
5.1 IP - 2 ER

That is a pretty decent string of games for a 4th/5th starter. You can't expect a team to have 5 dominant starters with sub- 4 ERAs. It's just not something that happens often, especially in the AL.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Cleveland isn't the Tigers "Whipping Boys" this year. They've beat Detroit 8 straight times. Might be the city of Cleveland year, Cavaliers win the NBA title, now the Indians have the 2nd best record in the AL, behind Texas, who's also a surprise.

[emu steve]

Cleveland isn't the Tigers "Whipping Boys" this year. They've beat Detroit 8 straight times. Might be the city of Cleveland year, Cavaliers win the NBA title, now the Indians have the 2nd best record in the AL, behind Texas, who's also a surprise.

Crazy season for Tigers. And crazier for CLE. I can't believe any team beating any .500 team 9 out of 9 [[I'm assuming a loss today). CLE aren't exactly the NYY of old.

Lose 3 straight to K.C., beat SEA 4 straight, and then lose 3 straight to CLE.

Sweeps are not common [[the K.C. games weren't a sweep, though).

[Cincinnati_Kid]

9 straight losses now. Cleveland is getting great pitching and timely hitting. Because frankly, that lineup doesn't put fear in anybody, except maybe Lindor, Napoli and Santana. But that rotation, is probably the best in the AL. And they are doing it without possibly their best player, Micheal Brantley on IR.

[401don]

The White Sox hit 7 homers yesterday, a team record, and lost. Verlander tried to top that by giving up 4 in one inning, also a team record. Sanchez and Zimmerman were almost as bad the other games. Still giddy about our starting pitching emu steve?

[emu steve]

The White Sox hit 7 homers yesterday, a team record, and lost. Verlander tried to top that by giving up 4 in one inning, also a team record. Sanchez and Zimmerman were almost as bad the other games. Still giddy about our starting pitching emu steve?

I don't think sports folks should be providing expert commentary on the Tigers.

Maybe we can get some help from the psychiatric community. Think bipolar [[fmr. known as manic-depressive).

This team lost 3 straight. Won 4 straight. Lost 3 straight.

I don't know what to make of this team... What I think today is not the same as what I thought Thursday and may not be what I think say this coming Thursday...

[401don]

This team is exactly where it should be - at .500. It's a good example of why you can't buy a championship. You can add a couple of key pieces to a contending team through free agency but you can't buy a contender. A championship team is usually young, athletic players who are peaking at the same time. i.e. Morris, Petry, Trammell, Whittaker, Gibson, Parrish. The current team is a bunch of non-athletic everyday players who can't steal a base, can't go 1st to 3rd, hit into tons of double plays and therefore can't scratch out a couple of runs against a good pitcher. How many series have they put up 10 runs against the no. 5 starter and lost the other 2 games without scoring more than 1 or 2 runs?
Verlander & Zimmerman are both solid no. 2 & 3 starters but the Tigers no longer have an ace who can go deep every 5 days. The bench is a complete joke. VMart is a DH only and yet we still carry 13 pitchers and have no 4th outfielder on the roster! Instead we have 2 utility infielders who are exactly the same player. Your bench should be made up of a mix of players - a guy who can hit the odd home run, a guy who can steal a base, etc. We basically traded Rajai Davis to Cleveland for Mike Aviles. Davis, playing part-time, has about the same homers and rbi as Upton and has 21 stolen bases. In summary, there are better ways to spend 200 million dollars because this group is going nowhere.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Spoken like a true fan...... I agree, this team has more holes than swiss cheese. Sanchez and Pelfrey, might as well be DFA'd for what they are contributing to the team. I'll give JV a pass for today. He just couldn't locate his pitches, it happens as he had been pitching pretty well. As said earlier, AS and MP are just taking up roster spots at this stage. Call up some young pitchers, they surely can't be any worse.

[Midnight Rambler]

Ausmus sucks! No other team would've hired him, and any team would have canned him by now.