2010 Detroit Tigers

[kenp]

Galarraga has to keep pitching well as does Scherzer. If we cant hit at the bottom we need to compensate with pitching.
I hope Avila heats up, or anyone in spots 6,7,8 & 9.

[smogboy]

Galarraga has to keep pitching well as does Scherzer. If we cant hit at the bottom we need to compensate with pitching.
I hope Avila heats up, or anyone in spots 6,7,8 & 9.

Alas none of that happened tonight.

Scherzer gave up a hefty five runs in five innings to a pesky Royals team. And dare we pull up some numbers from the bottom of the line up?

-Raburn 0-3, 1 K and 1 LOB, batting .176
-Santiago [[ph for Raburn) 0-1, batting .237
-Inge 1-4, 1 K and 1 LOB, batting .237
-Laird 0-3, 2K and LOB, batting .154
-Everett 0-2, 1 K and 1 LOB, batting .185
-Kelly [[ph for Everett) 0-1, batting .271

Seriously the bottom of the line-up can even bat their own weight in average much less the bat-boy's weight. If this team has ANY chance of contending with Minnesota for the lead, Lloyd McLendon had better get these guys in order and get them through this slump, which is starting to look more like a slouch.

[smogboy]

Sorry Adam Everett, but when your stick is about as potent as me swatting at a 90MPH fastball barehanded, it's time to go.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...h-Adam-Everett

I feel for the guy because he does have some family ties to the area. He seems more than personable and actually had some decent range for a SS in the twilight of his career. Alas I doubt if anyone in the league is going to give him much of a shake at this time of the year unless a quirky injury hits.

I was really kinda pulling for the guy to anchor the SS position until we had a suitable replacement coming up from Toledo. Maybe Danny Worth is it, but it's always a crap shoot. It's times like this that I really miss the likes of Trammell and know in my heart of hearts that he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for his efforts at that position. Tram set the bar high and until we get someone who can hit and field like that, it's gonna be a sore spot on our team.

[GOAT]

Laird is a bum through and through. How he collects a pay-cheque I'll never know?
Oh yeah Dumbroski is the head guy, I forgot.

[smogboy]

Laird is a bum through and through. How he collects a pay-cheque I'll never know?

If Avila as so much catches any fire within the next few weeks, I can see Laird getting the broom too ala Everett. If nothing else, he's gonna get shelved for the bigger bat too. Like I've ranted before, some of these guys can't even hit their own weight in batting averages- it's pathetic! Bring up the likes of Robinson Diaz, Jeff Kunkel, Mike Rabelo, or Max St. Pierre from Toledo if you need to. I'm sure these guys would kill to be behind the dish and have an opportunity in the bigs. I can't imagine they'd hit any worse than Laird right about now.

Heck, we all saw the Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard catching some heat from Justin Verlander for kicks the other day. Sign him up and make him our version of Bo Jackson- play two sports!

I think the only thing about Laird that's even keeping him on the roster right now is that he does have a decent arm, has some experience with the battery and is alright defensively. But eventually one does have to reach into the barrel and pull out the lumber and perform. If not, it's the bus ride down I-75 to Toledo or out altogether.

[smogboy]

Saturday night I actually went to the game. I probably sweated off more weight than I care to talk about just sitting there but it's all a part of the attraction of seeing a liv baseball game. I'm just thankful it didn't rain although I wonder if I would've been any less wet.

But alas the game- against a lowly Pittsburgh team, we should've beat them into submission early, fast and often. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we won the game, but not how we won it. Jeremy Bonderman pitched a pretty darn good game by just giving up two runs in seven innings. He's starting to show that he's more than capable of being one of the top starters for this team. As of now, some could contend that he's the number two behind Verlander. He's lost a little zip from his fastball but seems to have made up for it with location. I still wish he'd have a little more in his arsenal than his fastball and curve. I honestly thought he was working on a splitter at one point and would love to see him have the confidence to toss it. C'mon Rick Knapp- work with him!

But within regards to pitching, I thought the team did well. Zumaya did give up the tying run, but that was also due to some serious aggressive base running on Tabata's part. He stretched what looked like a very very routine single up the middle no less, to a double. I think everyone in the ballpark [[Austin Jackson especially) was shocked that he rounded 1st and slid into second like that. Valverde and Coke were routinely solid. And just seeing Valverde pitch ANOTHER scoreless inning was a gem. He's got some of that Lima Time swagger [[God rest his soul) and does it in a very calm way. Gone are the days of us having palpitations from watching Todd Jones or Fernando Rodney load the bases up or just bring us to that edge, only to barely squeze it out at the end in a collective gasp.

My biggest frustration of the evening [[besides the woolen blanket heat) was watching how many of our guys were stranded on base. I couldn't barely contain myself watching guys in scoring position only to have the batter choke. Routinely were batting helmets tossed on the base paths only to have team mates bring out their gloves and hats to play defense. We had numerous opportunities to blow the game wide open. It should've never gone to a walk-off homerun by Carlos Guillen in the tenth inning.

We stranded 23 on the bases. TWENTY THREE!

Thank goodness Guillen's fragile self did win it because he had the lion's share by leaving SIX all by his lonesome. And we also had to count on two major errors to help us win the game.

Again, I'm thankful we won but against a feeble opponent like Pittsburgh- we should've had more timely hitting. We should've chased their starter by the fourth inning. Our hitting needs to improve ten fold if we are going to stand ANY chance of winning this Central title.

Leyland- I loved the way you managed the pitching with Bondo going solid, Zumaya, Valverde and Coke during the game; they were masterful and you didn't over tax them. But seriously what were you thinking when you had Ryan Raburn batting third? Wasn't this the guy who was sent to the minors earlier in the season? He's only hitting a miserable .173 and stranded four on the bags. He struck out twice and went 0-3. We could've had GENE Rayburn [[of Match Game fame) hit just as well. Yes, I know Magglio is still ailing and you don't want to upset the line-up, but why not start Don Kelly in that slot? He came in the game later anyway. Let Kelly start for now until Maggs comes back.

Lest I forget, thanks to Atlanta for disposing of the Twins organization tonight. Every little bit helps.

And the post game fireworks were dandy. I only wish we had some more at the plate during the game. So tonight, thank you for the victory, thanks to the Braves, and thank you for having central AC in my humble space.

[ggores]

We stranded 23 on the bases. TWENTY THREE!

I've often wondered if this is unique to the Tigers, having grown up with a steady stream of a bemoaning George Kell during the after-game show "and the Tiggy's left eighteen men on base. EIGHTEEN!"

Do other teams have this same problem, year after year? Long, long time ago, I was blessed to watch a game at Cominskey {sp?}, and Lou and Tramm tearing it up in the short field. Chicago left somethinG like 20 men on base. TWENTY! A damn riot almost broke out.

But you are right, Smog, it's always frustrating to see them ducks out there, just waiting to bring it home, only ending up to make a run back towards the dugout.

Bonderman, jeez, who would've EVER thought he'd be a saving grace. If it weren't for him, and this is really a demean on Porcello [[who really needs to find his slice), we'd really be in the proverbial tank.

The equation is simple - when playing against an opponent that is less talented, then you should win 80 percent of the time. Hopefully, over the next 13 games, the Tigers will do just that. And if they do, in fact, do just that.... then we might have a sinner's chance of creeping up on the Twins. Now THAT's a problem. I just don't think the Twins are going to give up first place easily. And come September, a wild card placement just isn't going to work. Take the pennant!

[Ravine]

Comiskey.
And, I sure do agree: this year, even more so than in years past, the Wild Card spot is absolutely 100% out of the question.
Hell, Sunday morning, I put the AL teams in Winning Percentage order. Here's what it was:
1. Rays
2. Yankees
3. Twins
4. Red Sox
5. Rangers
6. Blue Jays
7. Angels
8. Tigers
9. Athletics
10. White Sox
11. Royals
12. Indians
13. Mariners
14. Orioles
I was disturbed by the result. I knew the Tigers wouldn't place real high, but 8th!!

[jefferson78]

The frustrating thing about following this version of the Tigers is that they have way too many holes in their lineup. Yes, Cabrera, Maggs, Damon, Guillen and Brennan can provide some punch, but beyond that it's a crapshoot. Good pitchers can learn to pitch around the dangerous hitters. It also relies way too much on rookies. Now I love Ajax and Brennan, plus Kelly and Worth look to be decent players, but depending on this many rookies all season long will get you into trouble. When Maggs went out, the offense stalled. Playing Rayburn in the third spot is a ridiculous move.
Is there a reliable defensive catcher out there who can hit better than .270? Christ, I'd be happy with .250! Laird is awesome defensively and he handles pitchers well but cmon' what is he batting, .170? That's horrible. Avila needs to be more consistent.
One player who's anemic average is acceptable is Inge. A good defensive third baseman is like gold, he can save you runs even if he has trouble driving them in. Bottom line is DD has to make a move for more offense or we can forget about passing Minnesota.
As for the pithcing staff, I like how Bonderman and Galaragga have come back, Justin and Scherzer should be able to hold their own and the bullpen looks solid. It would be nice to have one more reiable starter due to the fact that it is a long season and if the offense does not take off it'll place even more importance on starting pitching.

[smogboy]

Alright, credit where credit is due time. We've bagged on the likes of Inge and Laird for the longest time but let's give it up to these two for the last few games where they've actually done dome good with the stick.

Inge's ten game hitting streak ended last night but at least prior to that, his batting average was climbing up impressively. And Gerald Laird even went an impressive 3 for 4 the other night. Last night's two run single was mighty timely as well against a struggling Levan Hernandez.

Now that we lavished them with the due praise, it's time they keep up this improvement. We can't have folks on this boat not carrying their own weight now; there's that magical Mendoza Line number and these two mainstays of the team need to bat at least up to that level. No one doubts their defensive capabilities but once we get the other team's offense off the diamond, we need to get some points too.

We've been feasting on the lowly Pirates and the pathetic Nationals now. With another bottom feeder like the DiamondBacks on the docket, we need to make up some ground on the Twins before we meet up with them at the end of this month.

[smogboy]

Sure the Tigers are a half game out of first place and could conceivably be in first within the next few days. One should HOPE so considering we're taking on some patsy National League teams right now. Hopefully it's building into this delightful little drama versus the Twins at the end of this month to really see what we're made of.

[ggores]

Well, let's see how they fare on this road-trip. Defense I think will be the key if they have a shot at catching the Twins on their homefield. Leyland remarked a couple weeks back that his ball club was a "nice team". Well, I think that was a jab. I can't remember the last time a "nice team" won the pennant in the A.L East, or what is now called the "Central Division". Enough of the quotated cliches. Win some meaningful games, Tigers.

[smogboy]

Well, here it comes. It's the big series against the Twins ON THE ROAD where the Tigers have seemed relatively toothless.

The last week or so worth of games haven't had much to speak about of note. Beating Washington was expected. Going 2-1 against the DBacks wasn't bad and the only major recollection there was the return of Dontrelle Willis & Edwin Jackson. Going 2-4 against better competition like the Mets and Braves showed how anemic and sporadic our offense can be. The one saving grace that I am happy to see as of late has been the starting pitching; they've performed pretty well as of late- but the bullpen's faltered a little bit but that could also be because we've been doing this Inter-League stuff.

Probably the biggest surprise over the last week hasn't been the fumbling & stumbling of the Tigers and Twins but the resurgence of the White Sox. A month ago, they weren't even in the equation and were on the verge of a fire sale. Now damn, if they're not suddenly in the mix and hogging some of the pyramid top. There's still plenty of baseball to be played and we'll see in a few more months whether we're leading, contending or flailing away to even see the leaders of this race.

[ggores]

Austin Jackson just reached first on a bunt. Santiago just caught first base on a bad fielding play.

Ahhh, and so we now have our game, our MEANingful game. Bonderman, though just removed, looked OK. Or I should say, "sounded" OK. I have no cable t.v.

Now, as I listen, and contemplate all of the possibilities that the month of July holds, I'm still not completely convinced about the oh-10 Tigers.

For some reason, I like Gerald Laird. {Rayburn just clutch hit a single}.

Thome, what can you say about this guy? He really has a repertoire of clutch hits.

Tiger's were looking dead and uninspired for a few of those crazy-assed inter-league games. Now they are back and playing within the Division.

Of course, that thicket of a team, known as the Chi-Sox, are going to be heavy on our schedule, and ya'll know that we're gonna get to see some ugly, nasty, brawlball.

There are some bright-spots in the Oh-Ten Tigers. No drama to speak of. That's good. As we gear up for the second-half of the season, it is a good thing to have no dissenters. The pitching? Eh, I dunno. The pitching has kept the Tiger's just above .500, but, I'm sorry, it's going to have to pick up really good.

So, that's my take on a beautiful summer's eve.

One thing, I've noticed, and something that has been largely overlooked, is that, Leyland has these guys playing on a short field. That would be called the infield. Contact, run, stop, catch, throw, hustle.

Catch a pennant.

[Ravine]

Oh, shit...

[GOAT]

Can they please get rid of this glass figurine now?

http://www.freep.com/article/2010062...rs-recall-Fien

I mean he is always hurt. While the Tigers are at it get rid of the useless Dumbrowski as well. He is a complete failure.

[smogboy]

Can they please get rid of this glass figurine now?

http://www.freep.com/article/2010062...rs-recall-Fien

I mean he is always hurt. While the Tigers are at it get rid of the useless Dumbrowski as well. He is a complete failure.

Sure sure, when he's pitching fine he's electrifying and adored. But now that he's hurt, one has to call him a glass figurine? Did we suddenly forget that up until this point, he's pretty much been lights out on the mound? His 2.58 ERA was more than respectable and there was even talk about him going to the All-Star Game. He had been the primary set-up man for Valverde in the 9th and pretty much untouchable when he was on the mound.

Now if one would've called for getting rid of him prior to or even during the season, it'd be a different story. Trading a player for value is smart. Shipping a player out now is insipid at best. Calling to get rid of Zumaya now is ridiculous because obviously he has no value to anyone and you only made it after he got hurt. Now mind you, I'm fully aware that he is injury prone but there's a time and place to move players along; this isn't one of them.

[fanniemae]

I feel bad for Zoom. He might have had some faults, but he had heart. He must be wondering if he can come back. He sure will try.

[smogboy]

Back to a half game out.

I guess the Twins just had their rage on with the bats today. They collectively smacked Galaragga around pretty well and Denard Span singlehandedly made Detroit pitching look feeble. His three trips were things of beauty and a thing of disgust for us Tiger faithful. Prior to the game, I actually had faith that we were going to be able to get to Blackburn but that went up in smoke by the fifth inning or so.

This game really made it pretty evident to me that neither one of these teams is that good. Whichever team wants to show up and play can win it; neither of them seem to be consistent. On any given night, either team can be going yard only to have their bats go silent on us. Even though some people want to make this game out to be a preview of what's to come at the end of the season or the stretch run, I'm not so sure just yet.

For the Tigers, they need the top third of their line-up to get on base and let their middle three meat & potatoes guys do their dirty work. Any sort of production we can get from the bottom third will be a blessing; this group by far has been the most disappointing and inconsistent. They top 2/3 of this line-up has been the backbone of this team so far.

And as far as the Carlos Guillen experiment at second base has gone, he's still awkward and gangly out there. He turned what should've been a routine double play into a fielder's choice earlier when he bobbled the ball. I know the scorers technically had their hands tied when it came to scoring the play because we did erase the lead runner, but it should've been an inning ending DP. Instead, the Twins kept a runner alive and ended up scoring him. I know he's a Leyland favorite and possibly a Cabrera mentor, but I really wish he'd start heating it up and playing some better defense. The last few games his throws have been awful and his footwork to the position needed has been awfully suspect. I know he still needs some transition time and he's still supposedly a power hitting switch hitter, and maybe it's just me lamenting the loss of Polanco in the off-season, but Guillen really needs to step his game up several notches if this team has a chance.

[GOAT]

I never liked Zumaya because of his injuries. I could care less if his ERA was 1.00. If he is on teh bench due to injury he is useless. To me he is a glass figurine.

I agree that he can't really be shipped out now but I thought he should have been gone after last year at the latest.

Heart don't mean shit and at a professional level it doesn't mean wins.

Now can we get rid of dumbrowski? Any time would be a good time for him. ; )

[fanniemae]

Wish the Tigers would stop running their pitching experiments. It is ok to pitch newbies when we are ahead and the game not on the line. These new ones do need some exposure to the big league. I am sure they are trying to showcase their talent for future trades. This Cleveland series shows that the Tiger management could blow another playoff bid with foolish lineups.

[jefferson78]

So after yesterdays debacle, is the Tigers season "officially" over?
I really thought Sherzer was still pitching OK before he gave up that homer to Joyce [[ugh, another Joyce!). Yes, he was a bit wild walking 2 batters, the other was Laird's fault. But he still had that look in his eye and just missed with some pitches even though his pitch count was up. He basically served up the same pitch twice in a row, the first sawing Joyces bat in half. Personally, I would have not given in to a .219 hitter, even if you walk him you're just giving up one run, your team is still in it and you keep the no-no going. How cool would that have been if both teams were to go into the 9th with 2 no-hitters going?
As it is, I believe this loss was the most disheartening this season. Because it exposed the current lineup as unfit for the major leagues, maybe OK for AA ball. The injuries and stack of rookies will doom this team from going to the post season. It's really unfortunate that Boesch picked this time of the season to have his slump. Even though it was expected he would eventually cool off, the extent of his slump has been alarming and Leyland has to move him somewhere else in the lineup because he is hurting the team by batting after Miggy. Getting no production from the catchers spot is aggravating. Christ, Pudge would be preferable than what we have.
Don't get me wrong, I like the rookies we have, but do they all need to play at the same time?
There is now way in heck we can compete day in and day out with this lineup.
The pitchers have not been that bad lately, we just can't get clutch hits to put us over the hump.
I know some may be against this but I honestly think Dombrowski needs to obtain some talent to get us through the rest of the season. If not for the team, at least for the fans who have supported them. If we can still be in the race for the division in late August it would at least provide some excitement going down the stretch. As for having a realistic shot at making the postseason, with the current lineup it is not realistic. A few crucial tweaks here and there and you never know. I don't want to throw in the towel just yet, but more losses like this latest one and my enthusiasm for this season may be long gone.

[smogboy]

As much as I adore the Tigers, even through the really lean years [[at times they made the Dead Wings/ Ned Harkness era of the Wings look good)- I still supported them as they're still our team. I'll still support and cheer for this team to do well. The likelihood of them making any sort of post season play is slipping away fast. The only reason this team is still even in the mix [[3.0 games out) isn't because we're so mighty, it's more about the mediocrity of our division; neither Chicago nor Minnesota is that blessed either. What is appalling is the amount of salary that we've dumped and we're no better than those two teams. Sure, it's not my money and Ilitch has to dig deeper or sell a few more $5 Hot-N-Readys to make ends meet, but as a fan I still want this team better.

Is it going to happen THIS season? I'm seriously doubting it because of all of the injuries and our total reliance on the rookies. The thought that we could still be buyers at the trade deadline is absurd. If Dombrowski thinks that this team has a chance to compete for a shot at the title, it shouldn't be this year. Do NOT mortgage any more of our future for the likes of older stop gap players like Guillen, Ordonez, Damon, and other players that are nearing or at the twilights of their careers. This team does have a pretty good nucleus of decent talent with the likes of Cabrera, Verlander, and Valverde with the likes of Boesch, Jackson, Porcello, and Perry possibly taking it one level higher soon.

I never want to raise the white flag but one also has to be responsible for this team's health in being a contender. And from the looks of it, this season isn't going to be one where we should be making the earnest attempt at the pennant. We should circle the wagons, re-assess and start looking at what will do it for us next year and possibly 2012, if we're to be somewhat realistic.

[jtf1972]

I'm wondering why the Tigers are supposedly buyers, looking to send what little farm talent is left for guys that may not be around past this September anyway?

There would be a possibility that Damon could bring a prospect [[not a good one, but someone.) But what about feeling to see what kind of haul Cabrerra might pull in? I think a 3-way trade that could bring in Prince Fielder and a couple nice prospects would be possible. Or a couple good players & a "Hershell Walker" amount of prospects. The price for him may never be greater. And he is one slip off the wagon from being worthless...

[jiminnm]

As much as I adore the Tigers, even through the really lean years [[at times they made the Dead Wings/ Ned Harkness era of the Wings look good)- I still supported them as they're still our team.

smogboy, I laughed when I read your comment. Permanently etched in my mind is a doubleheader I sat all the way through in 1975, when the Tigers lost 16-4 and 11-0 to Oakland [[just 2 of their 102 losses that year under the late Ralph Houk). It was very hard to believe that only 3 years earlier 1-2 key hits would have sent the Tigers to the World Series instead of Oakland.