Just days ago, the word out of Detroit was selling.Today being one game behind Cleveland, and only 4 games back in the wild card race the word has changed. The word should now be waiting. By waiting I mean waiting about a week, and seeing if the Tigers can pass the Indians. If they have passed the Tribe, then Dave D should switch modes to buying. If they are still in 4th I say stand pat. The Tigers don’t need to get rid of their foundation. Remember how Dave D said he wants to win “now”? If he really wants to win now, he won’t sell this year. If the management decides to sell, it just proves to me that they have been lying all along. I still don’t think Bonderman is ready to take on the roll of an ace. He is so young, and I just don’t know if he can handle that pressure. If the Tigers management was smart they would enter the A.J Burnett chase. He would be the perfect fit here in Detroit.
Will the Tigers pass the Indians? Most definitely they will. I am tired of hearing all of this stuff about Tiger pitching failing us. Sure the pitching staff isn’t top of the line, but has it really been that bad? No. The Tigers have the 6th best pitching staff in the A.L with an E.R.A of 3.99. That’s ahead of the Yankees and Red Sox. Now how is our pitching staff bad? Farnsworth has proven to be a great addition. Kyle has a 2.32 ERA and 6 saves on his record. That’s the best on our staff. Another surprise has been Sean Douglass. Sean was with the mud hens for awhile, and the Tigers finally called him up and he has impressed. Racking up three wins in five games, way to go to Sean! Jeremy Bonderman has shown stellar stuff on most nights. However, some games he just doesn’t have it. Bondy has had a very good season with 13 wins and 6 losses so far. An ERA of 3.95 isn’t too bad. I just question Jeremy’s stability. He needs to work his stuff every night, which hasn’t happened yet.
Last but certainly not least, the one and only proven Tigers hitting! Not much to say regarding hitting, except we are third in the A.L with a team overall 2.75 average which rocks! And lets hope D young gets his swing back. Polanco has just been activated from the DL hopefully he can stay healthy! One more, Maggs keep it UP!
Here’s to passing the Indians.
GOOO TIGERS
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Tigers show their mettle
The Detroit Tigers have shown the best of the AL Central that they are no longer the division easy-beats. They took 2 of 3 from the division leading White Sox and then took 3 of 5 from the 2nd place Twins. There were many good things to come from this 8 game stretch, including the 3-4 punch of Shelton & Ordonez and the emergence of Curtis Granderson.
Chris Shelton, a much-maligned player of 2004, has come so far in one year that he will be pushing for selection of July’s player of the month. He, along with Magglio Ordonez were a formidable and feared back-to-back combination for both Chicago & Minnesota during their respective series. Shelton’s numbers speak for themselves, including 14 hits in the past 8 games. He has been able to fill the void that Carlos Pena was supposed to fill and enabled the Tigers much freedom in their lineup.
Ordonez is a class act, a professional hitter that makes plays. He moves runners when needed, he gets on base when needed and his clutch hitting is outstanding. He is showing Tigers fans what they were missing during the first half of the season, and why the Tigers organization paid big money for him to join Detroit.
There is quite the dogfight for rights to the CF position between Nook Logan & Curtis Granderson after this weekend, and it isn’t a bad problem to have. These two budding prospects both bring unique qualities to the position.
Nook Logan might just be watching a few more games from the dugout if Curtis continues to show the power he displayed over the weekend. Curtis hit 2 home runs in 3 games. Nook has only been able to hit 1 home run in 89 games this season. Granderson is quick around the bags, but nobody can replace Nook Logan’s base running, rivaled by very few in the league. Trammell may platoon both players through the CF position, but whichever player sits will be a valuable commodity late in games.
To take 5 of 8 from the top two teams in the AL Central is no easy feat. Hopefully the Tigers can continue to swing the bat and lay an exciting foundation for seasons to come.
Chris Shelton, a much-maligned player of 2004, has come so far in one year that he will be pushing for selection of July’s player of the month. He, along with Magglio Ordonez were a formidable and feared back-to-back combination for both Chicago & Minnesota during their respective series. Shelton’s numbers speak for themselves, including 14 hits in the past 8 games. He has been able to fill the void that Carlos Pena was supposed to fill and enabled the Tigers much freedom in their lineup.
Ordonez is a class act, a professional hitter that makes plays. He moves runners when needed, he gets on base when needed and his clutch hitting is outstanding. He is showing Tigers fans what they were missing during the first half of the season, and why the Tigers organization paid big money for him to join Detroit.
There is quite the dogfight for rights to the CF position between Nook Logan & Curtis Granderson after this weekend, and it isn’t a bad problem to have. These two budding prospects both bring unique qualities to the position.
Nook Logan might just be watching a few more games from the dugout if Curtis continues to show the power he displayed over the weekend. Curtis hit 2 home runs in 3 games. Nook has only been able to hit 1 home run in 89 games this season. Granderson is quick around the bags, but nobody can replace Nook Logan’s base running, rivaled by very few in the league. Trammell may platoon both players through the CF position, but whichever player sits will be a valuable commodity late in games.
To take 5 of 8 from the top two teams in the AL Central is no easy feat. Hopefully the Tigers can continue to swing the bat and lay an exciting foundation for seasons to come.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
ThE yEaR!
Everything seems to be in place. This year seems to be the year.
Who can deliver for the Honolulu blue and silver this year? Can Joey be this year's Drew Brees? I sure the heck hope so. This playoff withdrawal is taking it's toll on Detroit fans, it needs to end. The Detroit Lions need to produce, now.
The talent is in place for sure. New offensive editions Marcus Pollard, Mike Williams, Kevin Johnson and Rick Demulling should be just what the doc ordered. This gives the Lions 4 "solid" receivers to work with and a proven tight end. Streets and Hakim were a joke last year. I 'm not laughing either.
The running back position has some depth with Bryson and Pinner/Jamel White backing up Kevin Jones. Jones is a stud and if the o- line plays like it's capable of playing, Jones could be a pro-bowler for sure.
I'm hoping Jeff Garcia will stay as the backup and nothing more. I really believe Joey will come through and "get it". However, if Jeff is called upon because of Joey's poor play, I think Jeff will be sound in his decision making and really help us out. What!?, he does have 3 pro-bowls under his belt.
The special teams was a little down last year if your name wasn't Eddie Drummond or Jason Hanson. I don't have much to say or report.
I don't know much about predicting whether a defense will be any good, but I'm going to try. For one thing, the secondary will be much more physical and will have depth like it has never had. This Terrence Holt should have a breakout year, he just needs to be given more of a chance.
Who can deliver for the Honolulu blue and silver this year? Can Joey be this year's Drew Brees? I sure the heck hope so. This playoff withdrawal is taking it's toll on Detroit fans, it needs to end. The Detroit Lions need to produce, now.
The talent is in place for sure. New offensive editions Marcus Pollard, Mike Williams, Kevin Johnson and Rick Demulling should be just what the doc ordered. This gives the Lions 4 "solid" receivers to work with and a proven tight end. Streets and Hakim were a joke last year. I 'm not laughing either.
The running back position has some depth with Bryson and Pinner/Jamel White backing up Kevin Jones. Jones is a stud and if the o- line plays like it's capable of playing, Jones could be a pro-bowler for sure.
I'm hoping Jeff Garcia will stay as the backup and nothing more. I really believe Joey will come through and "get it". However, if Jeff is called upon because of Joey's poor play, I think Jeff will be sound in his decision making and really help us out. What!?, he does have 3 pro-bowls under his belt.
The special teams was a little down last year if your name wasn't Eddie Drummond or Jason Hanson. I don't have much to say or report.
I don't know much about predicting whether a defense will be any good, but I'm going to try. For one thing, the secondary will be much more physical and will have depth like it has never had. This Terrence Holt should have a breakout year, he just needs to be given more of a chance.
The D-line is alright, I think. I thought they underachieved last year, but Cody should help them out with his speed, maybe shifty Swancutt too.
As for the linebackers, it all starts with Boss. If he's healthy, they got a chance to be something. Lehman, Dirty Davis and those other fillers need to take his lead if they want to form a good unit. As a whole, the D looks to be better, but it's the Lions we're talking about. Maybe a 10-6 record in the weak NFC north will be good enough to take the division outright. I can dream can't I?
Friday, July 22, 2005
Season can not come soon enough
In February, I was ready for football to be over. Now I can not wait for it to start. It has been a pretty bland summer in terms of sports. Sure the Pistons went to the Finals, but it was not like the year before. Not because we won last year, but because the whole Larry Brown drama. I am glad Flip is in and now Larry can get his "dream job" in New York and watch the suck it up in Madison Squar Garden. No Hockey this season was a big disapointed. I really missed that, especially come playoff time. Nothing is more exciting then playoff hockey. Now the NHL is back and with new rules, which should make the game more enjoyable others. The All Star game was great and Detroit came out as a winner, which we really needed, but the Tigers are still the Tigers. I love them and will always root for them, but they are still the Tigers.
Football season is now apon us, both for college and pro. I am not sure what I like better but I love watching the Lions. I got to see Barry Sanders play for 10 years. I was at the game when he got 2000 yards and a few other black and blue division games. I miss the Silverdome. There was just something about it that brings fear into oposing teams heads.
This season should be fun to watch. KJ, R. Williams, BMW, and Chuck are a great young tandom of WRs and RB. I just hope Joey or Jeff can get the job done. I really do not care who it is and long has we have a good year. If we do not make the playoffs..........
Now onto my Spartans.............Well, I know for a fact we will have a great offense with Stanton at the helm and we have some good fast RB and John L. will open up the offense with some good WRs as well. Brown and Trannon are both good WR. It will come down to the defense doing what it takes not to lose games for this team. Expect high scoring games.
UofScum will be a top 10 team. They will lose a game they should win on the road and win the rest of there games. I hope it is to MSU this year!!! Mike Hart is the man and Chad Henne is also strong. With some good WR, UofScum will have a good offense, and there defense is always good. Expect them to win the big 10 again this year. OSU and Iowa will not be able to do it.
Bring on the season!!!
Football season is now apon us, both for college and pro. I am not sure what I like better but I love watching the Lions. I got to see Barry Sanders play for 10 years. I was at the game when he got 2000 yards and a few other black and blue division games. I miss the Silverdome. There was just something about it that brings fear into oposing teams heads.
This season should be fun to watch. KJ, R. Williams, BMW, and Chuck are a great young tandom of WRs and RB. I just hope Joey or Jeff can get the job done. I really do not care who it is and long has we have a good year. If we do not make the playoffs..........
Now onto my Spartans.............Well, I know for a fact we will have a great offense with Stanton at the helm and we have some good fast RB and John L. will open up the offense with some good WRs as well. Brown and Trannon are both good WR. It will come down to the defense doing what it takes not to lose games for this team. Expect high scoring games.
UofScum will be a top 10 team. They will lose a game they should win on the road and win the rest of there games. I hope it is to MSU this year!!! Mike Hart is the man and Chad Henne is also strong. With some good WR, UofScum will have a good offense, and there defense is always good. Expect them to win the big 10 again this year. OSU and Iowa will not be able to do it.
Bring on the season!!!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
The state of the league
edited to appease the critics
This year's off season activities stand out from the past off seasons in the NFL to me. The players seem to be acting only on self-interest. Players are demanding new contracts or trades. The word "team" no longer has meaning.
This year's off season activities stand out from the past off seasons in the NFL to me. The players seem to be acting only on self-interest. Players are demanding new contracts or trades. The word "team" no longer has meaning.
What does team mean though? According to dictionary.com
A group on the same side, as in a game; a group organized to work together.
Regardless when a team comes so close to repeating as NBA champions, there should be focus on: How the team plays as a unit.
But even if your agent is Drew Rosenhaus, (and no I still don'’t like him even if he saved a child from the water), you have to play for the TEAM concept.
"At the end of the day, I don't have to worry about what people think of me, whether they hate me or not. People hated on Jesus. They threw stones at him and tried to kill him, so how can I complain or worry about what people think?"
Flip Saunders to coach Pistons
The Pistons choice to replace Larry Brown as head coach is Flip Saunders. Detroit is not an easy place for Flip to come into. Piston fans expect no less then another trip to the NBA finals next season. Flip's easy choice was to go to the Bucks. The Bucks are a team that doesnt expect much, all they want is to develop their players further and contend for a playoff spot. Why didn't Flip go to Milwaukee? I think he wanted all of the "Flip Saunders can't coach a team in the playoffs, he has Garnett, Cassell. And he still can't get it done". Flip wants to come to Detroit and win a championship to silence that criticism and become a truly elite coach. The Timberwolves are a very diffrent team than the Pistons. The Timberwolves rely on star power, and the Pistons rely on team work. Hopefully Flip is more of a team work kind of coach. Say Phil Jackson, he can make stars perform at their best game. I dont think Flip has that, but I think he can make the whole team perform. With good scheme's etc. Another major task for Saunders is developing Darko, something Brown was having a hard time with. Flip will probably play Darko more then Brown did. I think thats one of the reasons Dumars wanted Saunders, was the developing of Darko. We'll see how this all turns out. I wish Flip Saunders luck.
Catch you on the flip side.
Catch you on the flip side.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Vegas Summer League
The Detroit Pistons just concluded their summer league play in Vegas on July 15. They finished with a respectable 3-2 record and quite frankly, learned a lot about their young talent, or lack of.
Though I wasn't fortunate enough to watch any of the games, I have followed closely through the internet and newspaper. People hoping to see Delfino return to his old self before his injury during last year should be quite disappointed. Carlos only played in 3 games and averaged just 7 points/game. 5.3 turnovers/game won't help your image either. For good measure however, Carlos did average 2 steals/game, ranking second of all the players on all 16 teams that participated.
Seen Darko play? Well, his numbers weren't astounding, neither were they bad. He averaged 9.8 points/game and 5.8 rebounds/game. But the downside is the field goal shooting he displayed, a mind boggling 36.7%. Shake it off Darko, you tied for 5th in blocks at 1.4/game.
"How well did the rookies play," you are screaming at the computer hysterically, "Who cares about these foreigners." Well I do, considering Brown never gave them the light of day to display their skills. Did I mention Brown is out? Amen.
Rookies, yes the rookies. I now know why the Pistons drafted Alex Acker. He's got mad skills, mad ones. Alex averaged 14.4 points/game, second best on the team only to Maxiell. Alex also drained 46% of his 3 balls. This kid definitely kicked Ricky Paulding out of the mix for another year. Ricky only averaged 4.2 points/game. Ouch, see ya back in Israel Ricky.
Jason Maxiell was the main man in Vegas for the Pistons. His 15 points/game and 52% field goal shooting really surprised a lot of people. Although Jason only averaged 3.8 rebounds/game, he blocked 9 shots during the 5 games. His performance considered by many team analysts and reporters was really exceptional. His stats proved it, so I'll have to agree. He better be ready for a nice role off the bench this year. I can't wait to see the day where there's 3 and 4, maybe even 5 guys coming off the bench for the Pistons, yes. Have fun in New York Larry!
Don't sleep on this youngster by the name of Amir Johnson. He showed glimpses of great talent during the majority of the 5 games. He averaged 8.8 points/game and shot a solid 18-26 from the field, giving him a 69% field goal shooting effort. Not bad I say, not shabby at all. I really doubt whether the Pistons will keep him on the roster, they will probably send him to the NBDL for a year and bring him back for 06/07. But that all depends what changes are made to the NBDL.
I'm not saying that Alex Acker will be on the team this next year, but he sure didn't hurt his chances in anyway. Every team needs some off the bench shooters and Acker would be just the guy to help out. Though if the Pistons sign Rose or Finley or whoever, there's not much room for Acker, but if the NBDL turns out sort of like the minor league baseball system, Acker would be a great choice for that. A guard gets hurt, bring Acker up, we know he can shoot.
If you want to see a sweet dunk by Gerald Green of the Celtics, here's the link
http://www.nba.com/media/celtics/green_dunk_320.mpg
BTW- Good job by Sean Douglass last night- and what was Trammell thinking, leaving Spurling out there after the first homer and the next hit?
Though I wasn't fortunate enough to watch any of the games, I have followed closely through the internet and newspaper. People hoping to see Delfino return to his old self before his injury during last year should be quite disappointed. Carlos only played in 3 games and averaged just 7 points/game. 5.3 turnovers/game won't help your image either. For good measure however, Carlos did average 2 steals/game, ranking second of all the players on all 16 teams that participated.
Seen Darko play? Well, his numbers weren't astounding, neither were they bad. He averaged 9.8 points/game and 5.8 rebounds/game. But the downside is the field goal shooting he displayed, a mind boggling 36.7%. Shake it off Darko, you tied for 5th in blocks at 1.4/game.
"How well did the rookies play," you are screaming at the computer hysterically, "Who cares about these foreigners." Well I do, considering Brown never gave them the light of day to display their skills. Did I mention Brown is out? Amen.
Rookies, yes the rookies. I now know why the Pistons drafted Alex Acker. He's got mad skills, mad ones. Alex averaged 14.4 points/game, second best on the team only to Maxiell. Alex also drained 46% of his 3 balls. This kid definitely kicked Ricky Paulding out of the mix for another year. Ricky only averaged 4.2 points/game. Ouch, see ya back in Israel Ricky.
Jason Maxiell was the main man in Vegas for the Pistons. His 15 points/game and 52% field goal shooting really surprised a lot of people. Although Jason only averaged 3.8 rebounds/game, he blocked 9 shots during the 5 games. His performance considered by many team analysts and reporters was really exceptional. His stats proved it, so I'll have to agree. He better be ready for a nice role off the bench this year. I can't wait to see the day where there's 3 and 4, maybe even 5 guys coming off the bench for the Pistons, yes. Have fun in New York Larry!
Don't sleep on this youngster by the name of Amir Johnson. He showed glimpses of great talent during the majority of the 5 games. He averaged 8.8 points/game and shot a solid 18-26 from the field, giving him a 69% field goal shooting effort. Not bad I say, not shabby at all. I really doubt whether the Pistons will keep him on the roster, they will probably send him to the NBDL for a year and bring him back for 06/07. But that all depends what changes are made to the NBDL.
I'm not saying that Alex Acker will be on the team this next year, but he sure didn't hurt his chances in anyway. Every team needs some off the bench shooters and Acker would be just the guy to help out. Though if the Pistons sign Rose or Finley or whoever, there's not much room for Acker, but if the NBDL turns out sort of like the minor league baseball system, Acker would be a great choice for that. A guard gets hurt, bring Acker up, we know he can shoot.
If you want to see a sweet dunk by Gerald Green of the Celtics, here's the link
http://www.nba.com/media/celtics/green_dunk_320.mpg
BTW- Good job by Sean Douglass last night- and what was Trammell thinking, leaving Spurling out there after the first homer and the next hit?
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Pudge Power!!
Well, well, well. Maybe it wasn’t the juice after all. The artist formerly known as Pudge more than tripled his home run tally from the regular season in a little under 3 hours at the Home Run Derby. Personally I would have taken the under on a bet of 5 homers, yet Pudge astonished the crowd with 20 total homers. Of course that was less than half of the eventual winner, Bobby Abreu.
The display of power hitting by Pudge raised the eyebrows of the entire All Star crowd and many Detroit fans watching the Home Run Derby at home. What caused this sudden influx of power? We have seen it from Pudge in the past, but The artist formerly known as Pudge has shown very little power all season.
Was Pudge driven by the All Stars watching him intently, keen on ensuring his peers continued to think highly of him? Was it the electrifying atmosphere and the entire home crowd singing his tune? Has Pudge been facing Nolan Ryan and Cy Young all season? Do the Tigers need to trade Samuel to the Royals, so he can pitch to Pudge. Pudge proved he can wallop 3rd base coach pitching.
Perhaps Pudge was focusing his power all season for this very night, siphoning it deep into his bowels, so on that one night in July he could explode in a flourish of home run hitting. Or maybe he has been hitting intelligently all season, not trying to hit the ball out of Comerica Park every at bat, instead just trying to get on base…??…nah.
Ivan Rodriguez was far from a sucker bet for the All Star team. He definitely wasn’t a Fuentes style All Star, the type that was only selected because everybody else on his team was less worthy than him and the team needed a representative. The Tigers had Jeremy Bonderman and to a lesser extent Brandon Inge, that had a look in at the All Star team. Whatever it was that possessed Pudge on Monday night, I for one wouldn’t mind seeing a little bit more of it for the remainder of the season.
The display of power hitting by Pudge raised the eyebrows of the entire All Star crowd and many Detroit fans watching the Home Run Derby at home. What caused this sudden influx of power? We have seen it from Pudge in the past, but The artist formerly known as Pudge has shown very little power all season.
Was Pudge driven by the All Stars watching him intently, keen on ensuring his peers continued to think highly of him? Was it the electrifying atmosphere and the entire home crowd singing his tune? Has Pudge been facing Nolan Ryan and Cy Young all season? Do the Tigers need to trade Samuel to the Royals, so he can pitch to Pudge. Pudge proved he can wallop 3rd base coach pitching.
Perhaps Pudge was focusing his power all season for this very night, siphoning it deep into his bowels, so on that one night in July he could explode in a flourish of home run hitting. Or maybe he has been hitting intelligently all season, not trying to hit the ball out of Comerica Park every at bat, instead just trying to get on base…??…nah.
Ivan Rodriguez was far from a sucker bet for the All Star team. He definitely wasn’t a Fuentes style All Star, the type that was only selected because everybody else on his team was less worthy than him and the team needed a representative. The Tigers had Jeremy Bonderman and to a lesser extent Brandon Inge, that had a look in at the All Star team. Whatever it was that possessed Pudge on Monday night, I for one wouldn’t mind seeing a little bit more of it for the remainder of the season.
Friday, July 08, 2005
A Picture of Inconsistency
What the heck? I finally take my rose colored glasses off to view the Tigers for the mediocre team that they are, and they roll off 3 straight. Two of those wins came against a red hot Cleveland Indians team.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Tigers are mediocre, not close the upper echelon of teams. It’s time for me and all those overly optimistic Tigers fans out there to admit, this team just isn’t good enough to make the playoffs. You take a glance at the standings and the Tigers are only 6 games out of the wild card. Take a closer look and there are 7 teams ahead of Detroit in the race. In fact, the only teams below Detroit in the wild card race are Seattle, Kansas City & Tampa Bay. Those 3 teams would not exactly be classified as illustrious company.
Teams that make the playoffs find a way to get the tying run home from third base with 0 out. Teams that make the playoffs find ways to win despite having a slumping player or two, not use the slumping player as a scapegoat for losing streaks. Teams that make the playoffs make plays when they need to, win games when they need to, and when they make it they deserve it.
For the Tigers to make the playoffs, they would need to have a better record than those 7 teams above them. That is not just improbable; it is nigh on impossible for a mediocre team. There is no doubt in my mind the Tigers have a highly talented team and there are teams in the AL with better records and less talent. Until the day when the Tigers can showcase that talent night in and night out, they will be mediocre.
Tigers fans, it is that time once again to look forward to Lions training camp, discuss prospects and discuss trades. I will still sit down most nights and watch my beloved Tigers, but with adjusted hopes. To finish with a winning record would be a step up from last year, but a step down in my expectations from the start of the year. The Tigers are 4th in the AL Central and for good reason; they are the 4th best team in the AL Central. Maybe the Tigers can do the improbable, but I won’t be holding my breath.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Tigers are mediocre, not close the upper echelon of teams. It’s time for me and all those overly optimistic Tigers fans out there to admit, this team just isn’t good enough to make the playoffs. You take a glance at the standings and the Tigers are only 6 games out of the wild card. Take a closer look and there are 7 teams ahead of Detroit in the race. In fact, the only teams below Detroit in the wild card race are Seattle, Kansas City & Tampa Bay. Those 3 teams would not exactly be classified as illustrious company.
Teams that make the playoffs find a way to get the tying run home from third base with 0 out. Teams that make the playoffs find ways to win despite having a slumping player or two, not use the slumping player as a scapegoat for losing streaks. Teams that make the playoffs make plays when they need to, win games when they need to, and when they make it they deserve it.
For the Tigers to make the playoffs, they would need to have a better record than those 7 teams above them. That is not just improbable; it is nigh on impossible for a mediocre team. There is no doubt in my mind the Tigers have a highly talented team and there are teams in the AL with better records and less talent. Until the day when the Tigers can showcase that talent night in and night out, they will be mediocre.
Tigers fans, it is that time once again to look forward to Lions training camp, discuss prospects and discuss trades. I will still sit down most nights and watch my beloved Tigers, but with adjusted hopes. To finish with a winning record would be a step up from last year, but a step down in my expectations from the start of the year. The Tigers are 4th in the AL Central and for good reason; they are the 4th best team in the AL Central. Maybe the Tigers can do the improbable, but I won’t be holding my breath.
Monday, July 04, 2005
South
The Tiger's are back! Their old tricks are reappearing and the team is heading south really quick, similar to the new show "Stella" on Comedy Central. Anyways, the Tigers failed to score any important runs today as they get outscored 15-3 to the Indians during the day/night doubleheader.
The lack of spirit and excitement can't all be put on the back of Alan Trammell. The players have to take some responsibility for their lack luster performances lately. I'm tired of hearing it's all Tram's fault, the players play and they have to perform. The last game of the Yankees series they got a tremendous pitching performance by Nate Robertson and end up losing the game. Robertson went 9 innings and gave up 1 run and has nothing to show for it(ERA lowered though). That's quite unacceptable. If you're wondering, I'm not going to elaborate in the inability to get a guy in from 3rd with 0 outs(Pudge triples to lead off 9th inning in Sundays loss to Yanks). I'd be here all night.
The Tigers have a recurring habit of making average at best pitchers look like 20 game winners. Prime examples are Davis and Wang over the last few games. Wang will probably turn out to be a pretty darn good pitcher, but he's a rookie, score some runs off of him for crying out loud! The situational hitting and lack of defense are eye popping right now. Hint, look at the National's roster. Their offense is not a high powered one, but the great situational hitting that they display is a sight to behold. They don't kick the ball around too much either and that always helps. The Nationals roster, talent wise, is definitely not too much better. But they do the little things very well and their ability to win close games is a direct result. If the Tigers want to turn it around this year and finish with 80 -85 wins, they need to wake up and make good baseball plays they haven't been making. Playoffs is out of the question right now, well duh.
This team is just too inconsistent. This team, if anything, should be 6 games over .500 instead of 6 under. If this keeps up, expect the Tigers to make more changes than expected at the deadline. I would like to see Dmitri unloaded. I really think he has worn out his welcome and I would rather have Rondell on the team. Then next year Shelton can be the first baseman and Rondell can DH. Sounds good to me.
Hopefully you didn't keep the neighborhood up by playing with fireworks all night. My neighbors definitely missed the memo.
The lack of spirit and excitement can't all be put on the back of Alan Trammell. The players have to take some responsibility for their lack luster performances lately. I'm tired of hearing it's all Tram's fault, the players play and they have to perform. The last game of the Yankees series they got a tremendous pitching performance by Nate Robertson and end up losing the game. Robertson went 9 innings and gave up 1 run and has nothing to show for it(ERA lowered though). That's quite unacceptable. If you're wondering, I'm not going to elaborate in the inability to get a guy in from 3rd with 0 outs(Pudge triples to lead off 9th inning in Sundays loss to Yanks). I'd be here all night.
The Tigers have a recurring habit of making average at best pitchers look like 20 game winners. Prime examples are Davis and Wang over the last few games. Wang will probably turn out to be a pretty darn good pitcher, but he's a rookie, score some runs off of him for crying out loud! The situational hitting and lack of defense are eye popping right now. Hint, look at the National's roster. Their offense is not a high powered one, but the great situational hitting that they display is a sight to behold. They don't kick the ball around too much either and that always helps. The Nationals roster, talent wise, is definitely not too much better. But they do the little things very well and their ability to win close games is a direct result. If the Tigers want to turn it around this year and finish with 80 -85 wins, they need to wake up and make good baseball plays they haven't been making. Playoffs is out of the question right now, well duh.
This team is just too inconsistent. This team, if anything, should be 6 games over .500 instead of 6 under. If this keeps up, expect the Tigers to make more changes than expected at the deadline. I would like to see Dmitri unloaded. I really think he has worn out his welcome and I would rather have Rondell on the team. Then next year Shelton can be the first baseman and Rondell can DH. Sounds good to me.
Hopefully you didn't keep the neighborhood up by playing with fireworks all night. My neighbors definitely missed the memo.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Verlander to start
Justin Verlander has received the call. After dominating Division A, and doing likewise in Division AA, Alan Trammell has decided to give Justin a chance in the big leagues. On Fox Sports Net Detroit last night Trammell insisted this was a one game trial.
Trammell exclaimed that Justin had earned the chance at a major league start and all Detroit baseball fans will be watching closely to see how Justin compares against major league hitting. Verlander is scheduled to pitch aginst the Cleveland Indians in the evening game of a double header on July 4th.
Many people, including myself, blame the often insipid play of the hitters during the course of the season for the Tigers mediocre record. This was exemplified during the horror series against the Chicago White Sox. Anybody who watched the games saw that Detroit could have and perhaps should have won the first two games.
Dmitri Young, who many point at as one of the main culprits, failing in many key situations, has sat on the bench the past two games. This decision to sit Young has been made easier with the return of Ordonez and the fantastic play of Shelton. Trammell also named Kirk Gibson as the new hitting coach, citing that he believes the hitting woes are all mental. Bruce Fields, who coaches the hitters from a more technical aspect, has been moved into the bench coach role.
Trammell exclaimed that Justin had earned the chance at a major league start and all Detroit baseball fans will be watching closely to see how Justin compares against major league hitting. Verlander is scheduled to pitch aginst the Cleveland Indians in the evening game of a double header on July 4th.
Many people, including myself, blame the often insipid play of the hitters during the course of the season for the Tigers mediocre record. This was exemplified during the horror series against the Chicago White Sox. Anybody who watched the games saw that Detroit could have and perhaps should have won the first two games.
Dmitri Young, who many point at as one of the main culprits, failing in many key situations, has sat on the bench the past two games. This decision to sit Young has been made easier with the return of Ordonez and the fantastic play of Shelton. Trammell also named Kirk Gibson as the new hitting coach, citing that he believes the hitting woes are all mental. Bruce Fields, who coaches the hitters from a more technical aspect, has been moved into the bench coach role.
Tigers get back on track
The Tigers recoverd from being swept by the Chigaco White Sox, by beating the Yankees 10-2. Bonderman pitched yet another gem. But I still dont think Bondy is ready to be the #1 starter. I would be rather happy if Dombrowski went out and got a guy like Burnett or better Schmidt! I like Bonderman alot, but I dont think he has that leadership yet. Maybe in 2-3 years he will be cy young caditate, he's got the stuff for it for sure. Lets see if we can sweep the Yanks!
Note: I will be gone for two weeks begining sunday.I wont be able to post because there is no comp connection. Hopefully Alex,MSUSpartan, Nick, and Ryan will keep you informed until then.
ps. they do a better job then me.lol.
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