ALCS Game 5 - Tigers Turn The Tide

Justin Verlander waves as he leaves game 5

This 2011 ALCS is the most exciting series I have ever been truly emotionally invested in.

Every game has been right to the wire – regardless of the final score.

Every game has tested every facet of each component of both teams.

And as this ALCS series between the Tigers and the Texas Rangers sits 2-3 in favor of the lone star men, I think it interesting that Justin Verlander pitches a good game, but there were other heros that changed the momentum of the series back to the favor of the Tigers.

Yep.

So far, the two biggest key points that have allowed Texas to squeak out one win more than the Detroiters has been one extra hit and a bit more depth in the bullpen.

Unfortunately that one extra bat of Texas has only recently been countered by Alex Avila – at when Alex hit a two run shot in Game 5 last night.

But not by Austin Jackson who just seems overwhelmed by the whole experience.

Jackson has just had a horrible series to date – with two errors that were costly fumbles on what seemed to be very makeable plays – standard fare for a major league centerfielder and surely for a player like Jackson who stunned us over and over again this season with over the shoulder basket catches at the wall time and time again.

As for Alex Avila, who continues to catch with excellence and throwing darts to second base to catch almost all runners – Alex is just plain wore out. Alex caught 141 regular season games this year, and the all star game, as well as a brutally tough ALDS series with the Yankees.

There was no break for Avila. He has been our iron horse.

Avila is spent and battered and bruised, like no other player on the squad.

Clearly the public perception is that Saturday night’s game 6 back in Arlington will be no more than a formality to usher the Rangers into the World Series at home.

But I have this feeling.

I have this feeling that during the course of the Tigers win in Game five, that the tides of momentum switched to our favor.

A natural cycle in the same inning – the sixth inning – the score then tied 2-2. The single by Raburn. The Double by Cabrera. The triple by Martinez. And the home run by Delmon Young.

Young raked two dingers for the night despite suffering an injury to his right oblique.

Cabrera’s shot hit third base on the second bounce to skip ever so prettily over Texas three bagger Adrian Beltre and gingerly rolling around in the left field corner. Beltre had shown up Cabrera in Game four by moonwalking his way backwards to third base for force on Cabrera as Miguel stood there stunned watching the idiocy.

And Martinez’s triple down the right field line was just as beautiful seeing the Texan right fielder Nelson Cruz – who had been knighted “Tiger Killer” in the ALCS so far - dive only to miss the ball which disappeared in the right field corner.

Each hit in the cycle was as meaningful as it was memorable.

Meaningful as life filled what was looking to be a dead dugout.

Meanwhile Texas looked … surprised … and worried.

So Tigers winning game six – Max Scherzer starting for the Tigers – winning is not unreasonable. Certainly it’s feasible.

It’s do or die and the rest of the baseball world has counted the Tigers out. So there is no pressure on the Tigers. Instead the pressure is now on Texas, who needs that one final win to seal this deal. The last win can be the hardest. And Texas knows that if they let this series get to a game seven – all bets are off.

Fister would then be on the mound for Detroit.

Texas would then press. Press at the plate. Press on the mound. Press in the field.

And the mere fact that Texas feels that pressure will indeed relax the Tigers.

Anything can still happen. This series is far from over. This series is not a done deal. Do not stick a fork in the Tigers, they aren’t done yet.

As I watched that third base shot hit by Miguel Cabrera bounce over the head of Beltre and into the left field corner, I felt reassured – like a signal that the storm beating down on the Tigers in this ALCS was now over.

I heard a voice in my head say “It will be alright”.

And you know what? I believe it.

ALCS Game 1 - Up To The Eye Of The Beholder

It is the best of times, and the worst of times.

Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, it’s really only the best of times for Detroit Tiger fans this postseason.

But these close postseason games are killer on the emotional psyche.  We’re not even halfway through this run to winning the World Series and this fan is emotionally drained.

It’s easy to think that everyone is against us.

The weather.

The umpires.

The national media.

But it’s not really the case.

Weather does what weather does – seemingly following the Tigers from stadium to park to stadium.

Umpires simply do what umpires do. Their human eyes make mistakes.

And the National Media has been pretty kind to the Detroiters – despite the fact it’s a no-brainer that Fox television ratings would be higher if the Yankees were still in the postseason.

That’s why suddenly you see Terry Francona in the Fox Sports broadcaster’s box next to Joe Buck.

But the cards are not falling in perfect position for the Tiger’s “perfect storm” scenario this year.

Rain totally messed up the rotation of the ALDS with New York, cancelling out Verlander’s first appearance and leaving the weight of the series on Scherzer and Fister who both tackled the daunting challenge by holding off the Bronx Bombers with nail biting victories.

Home plate umpire Tim Welke seemingly having some yet undiagnosed issue with his right eye’s ability to judge a ball against the right side border of the strike zone – which seemingly cleared up between innings when the J.C. Wilson took the mound and pounded the same spot against Tiger batters. It kept coming back though as the Tigers took the field.

Perhaps it’s payback of some sort.

But that’s not really the case. I’m sure Welke was convinced at the time he made all those bad calls that they were pin point accurate.

But when Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck makes a point over and over again to point out that the little graphic of squares they show in the bottom corner of the screen charting where the pitch was in relation to the strike zone is only a best approximation – even though it uses the same technology of trianglulation from three different points to determine where the ball crosses the front of the plate exactly as is used in tennis to determine where the the ball lands on the base line down to the most minute speck of fibre spinning off the felted cover.

It would have been interesting to have heard Bud Selig’s call to the director of Major League Baseball’s broadcasting team.

“Uhh … you know that little pitch-tracker square you guys show on TV?”

“Yeah, it’s accurate to within a millimeter – amazing eh?”

“Yeah, right – shut that thing off”

“We paid a lot of money for that thinga-ma-jiggy, Bud!” would say the director. “We got advertisers tag lines and everything for it – it makes us big money”

“Well, the umpires are complaining it’s showing them up”

“Oh yeah? Well we have contractual commitments to use it”.

“Okay – then just say it’s unreliable”.

“Like a human is actually pointing to where the ball lands?”

“Yeah, like that – say it’s just an approximation”

“Like an umpires vision?”

“Yeah, like that”.

“Okay, you’re the boss, Bud. You got it”.

And the email was then sent to all broadcasters.

Did you notice how I digressed? I think I am suffering some post traumatic stress disorder after that amazing Game 5 of the ALDS. My right eyelid won’t stop twitching.

Add to this the offensive lack of confidence flaring out of control in both catcher Alex Avila’s and center fielder Austin Jackson. Avila is still catching a great game behind the plate. But Jackson’s now dropping easy catches in centerfield. Both are in need a good Dr. Phil session in the clubhouse to talk about their feelings and get their head straight at the plate. Both are great players who were huge parts of the Tigers getting to the post season. And both need to get it back into their heads that they are still great.

And it goes without saying this Tigers batting order only lines up well with Delmon Young in the two hole of the order.

The Tigers are limping a bit now. And down 0-1 to Texas after losing THE game that they were supposed to win on the road with Verlander pitching.

But for some reason I still feel good about our chances. I know we have at least four more games to be played. At least two in Detroit at Comerica.

It is indeed the best of times for Tigers fans. But the thought of the heartbreak to be felt should we not get to the World Series seems to cancel out all the enjoyment. The frustration of the bad breaks.

But I for one have to take a deep breath – and not wish this experience away.

We have to savor every moment of this great post season.

Because really, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Not Good Enough - Not Yet

AP Photo: Cabrera and Verlander

It’s September 10^th and the boys of the Old English D are 20 games over .500.

The Tigers are 9.5 games up on the dastardly bastardly White Sox, 10 up on the Indians, and 23 games up on the Twins – the team that in past years (2006 and 2009) made the Tigers look foolish by sliding by on the last pitch of those seasons to swipe the AL Central Division Title.

The magic number this morning is 10. There are 18 games left to play. The Tigers have won their last 7.

I think now we can all take a deep breath and realize the Tigers will get to the post season.

Those last seven games have been against Chicago, Cleveland, and Minnesota. They have been beating up on weak pitching. Justin Verlander’s Cy Young bid has been secondary talk to the debate over whether a pitcher can be the AL MVP.

The additions since the All Star to the Tiger’s roster have been key. Wilson Betimit at third, Delmon Young and Doug Fister have each contributed significantly to help stretch the lead by adding power at the plate and solid pitching into a weak rotation.

But in the words of Yogi Berra – it ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

Yeah, I know. That’s not a great attitude. But I still have that horrific taste of 2009’s game 163 in my mouth – the last game ever played in the dome from hell in Minnesota – next to the Twin Cities airport – the one that brought my last feelings of Tiger’s jubilation crashing to the ground like the meteor that slammed into the Earth millions of years ago and ended the reign of the dinosaurs.

But it doesn’t smell like that this year. 2011 smells much sweeter, more so than 2006 when the Tiger’s lucked out by having the AL wildcard slot to fall back into after being swept by Kansas City in the final three games to watch Minnesota tip-toe past them to back into the AL Central Division title.

It smells a lot better this year. The air is sweetened by power appearing up and down the line up scoring 73 runs in their last 8 games – averaging a hair more than nine runs a game, and outscoring their opponents by an average of more than six runs a game.

Yes, it’s true this streak has taken place against AL Central rivals – the Tigers haven’t played outside their division since their last game in Tampa Bay August 25^th, but that’s what they needed to do to pull away from Chicago and Cleveland – beat the snot out of them.

And they have.

So now the talk turns instead to looking forward to the post season, and where will they finish in the bigger picture of the four post season contenders. The wildcard will be in the East, that’s a lock, so you know both the Yankees and the Red Sox will be in but the Yankees are not a lock with only a 2.5 game lead, and many conceding the Red Sox are actually the better team of the two. In the West, Texas and Los Angeles are also battling with the Rangers up by 2.5 – but the loser of this race can only sit and watch.

If the playoffs were to start today, the Tigers who are a single loss better than Texas – would be playing wildcard entry Boston in the ALDS – not the best match up for the Tigers. But the Tigers would have the opportunity to throw Verlander at them twice and Fister once in a short five game series – so they do have a fighting chance.

The post season is the big unknown. To me it’s a really big black hole where anything could happen once the Tigers get there. Notice I said when?

Listening to the sports radio this morning, the eminent Pat Caputo hosting his Saturday morning show – one caller in particular spoke vehemently that Tiger fans should not be satisfied unless they win the World Series. The good sport side of my brain - the dominant side I’m afraid – thinks that’s the wrong attitude. But deep in my heart – and in that tiny suppressed side of my psyche – agrees that this year just getting to the playoffs is not good enough.

Not after 2006 when the Tigers folded in the World Series against a much inferior Cardinals team, folding and freezing up offensively – and defensively with pitcher fielding errors in damned near every game – choking like they did against Kansas City in the final three games of the regular season .

No, the playoffs are not good enough.

This newly expanded explosive offense needs to be fully loaded and ready to go off like crazed madmen satisfied with nothing less than World Series rings at the end of October. No standing at the plate with men in scoring position watching strike three go by.

No Brandon Inge on this post season roster. As you can tell by my last post some two months ago now, I thought we put that enigma to rest. Instead we need to see a lineup of hot Cabrera’s, Martinez’s, Young’s, Avila’s and even Santiago’s and Guillen’s hit line shots with power all over and out of the park. We need Verlander’s and Fister’s and Scherzer’s nailing the corners with 95-100 mph stuff and wicked-ass breaking stuff leaving Bo-Sox batters standing at the plate whimpering like little girls not invited to the Halloween dance at the local elementary school.

Is that too much to ask?

Baseball – it has been said – is a game of losing. You lose more than you win. If you get on base just once in three times at bat, your succeeding even though you failing two thirds of the time.

We’ve seen the Tigers lose before. They used to be pretty damn good at it.

Should these Detroiter boys of summer not continue deep into fall and win this whole thing, Tiger fans will feel heartbreak. Tiger fans will see 2011 as another missed opportunity. Tiger fans will find it even harder to get emotionally steady to go through it all over again in 2012.

Mr. Illitch isn’t getting any younger. His recent spending will attest to it.

Mr. Leyland isn’t getting any more cleverer. His recent decision making will attest to it.

Mr. Dombrowski won’t get any more insightful, his recent off season acquisitions will attest to it.

2011 has to be the year. Anything less won’t be enough.

The cards are all on that table. And the Tiger’s Leyland holds a pretty decent hand. But baseball, like poker, has eight strong contenders sitting at the same table, betting and bluffing and pulling out straights and royal flushes and full hoses and royal straights. This is the big boy’s table.

The way I see it, the rest of this season depends as much on Leyland’s ability to play his cards right, lining up his starting rotation and picking the right hot hitter in the two hole in the lineup, and managing his bullpen.

I can tell you for sure that Leyland will be second guessed by Tiger fans at every move he makes.

I can’t wait.

But I’m not wearing my heart on my sleeve this year. It hurts too much.

Brandon Inge - The End Of An Enigma

Well, this is likely the end of the Brandon Inge era in Detroit.


Inge has accepted an assignment to Toledo … to take one final shot at continuing his professional career in the bigs. An assignment he is unlikely to return to Detroit from.

I am an Inge fan.

I would have rather he retired.

I would have rather on the return from the All Star break, that Brandon just step up to the microphone and said:

“Thanks guys, it’s been great. Baseball has been very very good to me. I will miss the game and the fans and wearing the Old English D, but it’s time I move on. I have purchased a ranch and my family and I will now enjoys a comfortable life raising llamas and camels we will donate to underdeveloped nations”

A couple of tears, a couple of hugs from teammates and managers and executives … a wave … and … goodbye.

That would have been classier. And it probably would have been added to the list recent Tiger emotional moments.

And he would have gained the a little bit of that respect back from those fans that are gladly holding the door open now for Inge to walk out.

But that opportunity is gone, and Brandon will likely fade away – out of sight and out of mind of Tiger fans. Back to riding team buses and carrying his own bags in hopes of creeping his average back up to .240 and that a call may one day come saying “The team needs you Brandon, you’re the only guy that can help us now …”

Of course, by accepting the Toledo assignment, Brandon still has a chance to return to Detroit. Should Inge go to Toledo and suddenly hit .310 off of Triple A pitching. And Wilson Betemit gets hurt. And Kelly gets hit by lightning.

And the Tigers are by then past the July 31 trade deadline.

But Inge is now hitting .177.

It’s almost impossible to hit .177. A check swing single now and then should at least get you to .180.

And he does average twenty or so errors a season. Inge was not a golden glover by any means. But he did come through with some of the best highlight reel plays of the last ten years. Diving catches behind third – throwing on his knees – before they were broken – to first – to nab a speedy runner just before their foot came down on the base.

Great stuff – the kind of plays we watch baseball to see.

I can’t think of another player who inspired such fan loyalty with such unimpressive numbers – the kind of loyalty that had fans voting him the player of the game when he didn’t really do anything but maybe bare hand a bunt down the third baseline and toss out the runner.

Love him or hate him, Inge is an enigma in Detroit. I looked it up:

e•nig•ma  [uh-nig-muh]


1. a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation


2. a person of puzzling or contradictory character

There was a picture of Brandon next to the definition. Okay, I made that up – but there should be.

Brandon is like the kid down the street that you hope does well, and because the fans liked him so much and seemed to identify with him so much – a really good play by Inge was interpreted to be an amazing play that human beings can’t make. Add to that – a batter hitting .240 who steps up in the ninth inning once or twice and hits a game winning homer or drives in a game winning run.

But he didn’t get those kinds of hits very often. But Inge fans might tell you he did it all the time. Inge might tell you so as well.

Then there was Brandon’s appearance in the 2009 All Star Home Run Derby – after being voted in by fans like me typing crazy codes into a computer screen for several days in a row – often neglecting family and personal hygiene in the process – only to cringe to hear Inge was going to participate in the homer bashing contest meant for names like Pujols and Cabrera and the likes – then to shrink into utter embarrassment for Inge as he barely hits a softly tossed pitch out of the infield.

Remember that? I know you do. That action right there redefined Inge to me.

The guy does have an ego … as well as an undeniable case of the “delusions of grandeur”.

And you know – Brandon was never the same after that. And then the knee surgeries that he never quite recovered from

But ya still liked the guy.

Anytime I went to Comerica Park, I always saw Inge signing autographs along the field line – or after a game through the security bars on the other side of the street as the other Tiger players hopped in their Maseratis or Lamborghinis and pulled out of the player’s parking lot – leaving the day’s game behind them.

And then there was his involvement in the community – visiting sick kids in hospitals – a truly heart wrenching activity to be sure – and lending his face, name, and presence to various charitable foundations and organizations in the area.

Of course fans love him.

They rooted harder for Inge than any other Tiger in the last twenty years.

And I for one do not want to take that part of Brandon Inge’s legacy away.

It’s one thing to be the greatest third baseman of all time like Brooks Robinson, An achievement that Inge never came close to.

But it’s another to be ranked up there with the most loved players possibly in Tigers history – with names like Kaline , Horton, Fidrych, Trammel and Gibson – a goal Inge reached in some inexplicable manner seemingly with ease.

And in the long run – which is more important – even in the game of baseball?

And by indicators shown by Inge – that love was mutual.

Hang On Baby, Here Comes Part Two

While we are slightly more than half way through this 2011 season, the All Star Break is pretty much viewed as the mid season intermission in Major League Baseball.

And if you thought the first half of 2011 was a roller coaster, well brace yourself my friend – because you ain’t seen nothing yet.

In a nutshell, the first half unfolded something like this.

The Tiger’s stunk, then they were great, then they stunk again, and then they were great again, and closing into the end they stunk and were just on the brink of being great aagian.

Did ya get all that?

The difference between this Tigers team and that of 2006 is that we have more great players, and we have more not-so-great players.

On the great side – we lead off with a powerfiul 1-2-3 combination of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila along with Jhonny Peralata and Victor Matinez. And Brennan Boesch’s name should be added to this list as well.

Man, that does sound pretty good, don’t it?

And even though Jose “Papa Grande” Valverde has scared the bejesus out of Tiger Fans with ninth inning walks and hits – he hasn’t blown a save yet. He’s got the best stats in the American Leagues.

Really? Let me check that again … yup – son of a gun he does so.

Counter that with Old Man Maglio Ordenez, and his checkers partner Brandon Inge – along with decent bat but no glove Ryan Raburn, I just don’t seem to have it because I’m in my sophomore slum Austin Jackson, and Brad Penny and Phil “hey I’m not in the starting rotation no more” Coke throwing 4th and 5th in the rotation.

We are watching the changing of the guard right now as we witness the final games of Ordonez, Inge, and Carlos Guillen – should he ever come back up from Toledo.

Let me put it this way. Cleveland was supposed to be in a rebuilding year (exactly like our Tigers of 2006 were), and this was supposed to be the do-or-die season for our Detroiters.

But right now our Tigers are in more of a transition state than probably any other team in the Major Leagues. Manager Jim Leyland and and President / GM Dave Dombrowski are struggling to find answers for second, third, and the last two spots in the rotation.

And our bull pen has not been … stellar.

But there is hope Tiger fans. Indeed, there is always hope. But this hope is not so far removed.

We have some good players who slumped in the second quarter . Guys like Max Scherzer – who in the opening weeks was challenging Verlander for the title of Ace. And Rick Porcello has started picking up his end of the slack in his last two starts. Austin Jackson is much better than he has shown in the first half and hopefully he will rebound and return to his stellar “Curtis Granderson who?” form. Danny Worth and Don Kelly could both start to grow from their current 4A status into major leaguers.

And then there is the looming July 31 trade deadline. What the heck is going to happen there? A second baseman? A thirdbaseman? Reyes of the Mets? Baker of Chicago? If so, who do the Tigers sacrifice? Boesch?

As I sit here and type this now, the dastardly bastards that are the Chicago White Sox are about to start play here at Comerica Park. Verlander is to kick off the second half against Gavin Floyd. Miguel Cabrera is in the line up – although Austin Jackson is not.

And we always count on Verlander for a win. But now we are into the second half?

The Tigers have not played the second half of a season above .500 for the last ten years. The last five since we have called Jim Leyland “Skip”.

So all statistics from April until now go right out the window. The Tigers are starting fresh with a clean slate and a tie for first place with Cleveland.

And Chicago and Minnesota are not to be counted out just yet – not by a longshot.

Man, this is gonna be good.

Let’s just hope for a happier ending in 2011.

The Biggest Blowout I Ever Almost Saw

This Tigers fan went to the ball game yesterday.

For the sake of my own historical archives, it was San Francisco’s second game in the D after a great close game the night before blown by Papa Grande in the top of the ninth.

But last night’s game was a blowout.

In more ways than one. And it was not that great of an experience from start to end.

But I can only blame the Tigers for the end.

It was parrot-head day at Comerica Park. It was Jimmy Buffet day – complete with flip flops and margaritas and flowery shirts … and a typhoon.

But no Jimmy Buffet.

I thought he was going to sing the national anthem and perhaps sing at the seventh inning stretch.

The game sold out and we missed getting a free hat by twenty minutes. My lovely wife Darlene was very disappointed. We were trying the day before to get tickets on line – and the seats kept evaporating leaving us to the very top row in the bleachers directly behind home plate.

We marched all the way up there – stopping several times so that Dar could recuperate her back and legs to continue the journey up – we let the sherpas go at the final flight, radioed to base camp our status and plugged in our oxygen masks to reach the summit.

Our tickets said section 329 row 20 seats 24 and 25. The very last row at the top and our seats weren’t on the isle – they were in the isle. If people were walking up and down the isle – you couldn’t see the plate.

“I think we’re in section 328 not 329”, said Dar pointing over her shoulder.

She was right. We were one section off. We both leaned forward to look down the row to our seats in 329 and came to the conclusion that two college kids were busy drinking beer and eating pizza in our seats.

“Let’s stay here until someone comes to claim these”, I said.

“What if they do? Do we go kick those guys out of our seats?”

I looked down the aisle again. “I don’t think those seats are worth fighting for”, I said.

The game started with Scherzer on the mound. It was great … until he threw the first pitch.

The inning consisted of a bloop shot over second into right for a runner, then a line drive shot a Cabrera which he dove for and knocked down, but Scherzer couldn’t beat the runner to first.

Then a home run. A three run shot to left just over the Tigers bullpen.

Then a bobbled ball behind first by Raburn for a safe call as Ryan couldn’t pick it up and throw it in time.

Then another home run – this time to right field.

The score was now five to nothing.

That’s when the nice couple with tickets for our seats appeared – having just radioed base camp and releasing their sherpa’s from duty.

I explained our situation as we moved out of their way, and they were nice enough.

“It’s pretty pathetic when you get kicked out of the worst seats in the stadium”, I laughed to the fellow as they settled into our spots.

Dar and I ventured down from the top of Comerica Park. The game was out of hand already. So we would walk around the stadium and peek in here and there. Darlene wanted some souvenirs.

I just wanted a shirt – a pair of sleeves with the old English D on the breast. No such shirt could be found. Shortly after – we found ourselves standing in front of and leaning on the marble base that supports the bronze statue of Willie Horton in center field. Darlene had come to know Mr. Horton – who is an incredibly nice and generous man – in her course of professional duties. In fact he even signed my daughter Alannah’s very first little league baseball card of herself – which caught Darlene by surprise as she only meant to show it to him … “What are you doing?” she gasped as he ran his pen across Alannah’s face” … one of my all time favorite stories.

The feeble Tigers defense continued – as we watched two innings finish by Giant double plays.

That’s when we noticed the monstrous sky appearing over the horizon behind the first base line side of the stadium. Lightning crackling across the sky – and we headed for the main concourse behind home plate for coverage.

The storm hit fast and the storm hit hard …. And the field was cleared and covered within moments.

The winds whipped – and we found ourselves standing between a young family, the father sitting with a baby curled under him the mother to one side, and Dar and I on the other to protect the infant from flying debris.

Everything was flying around and the people in the crowd stayed calm but you could feel the concern – which outweighed the feeling of inconvenience of a rain delay.

That lasted for nearly two hours of standing there.

We walked more around the concourse trying to read the skies. It was an ugly green then an orange. It looked like there was no way they could finish this game – now only three and a half innings completed.

I was praying for a rainout.

We finally decided it was safe to head for the car – parked four blocks away. The rain had stopped – but it was going to start again. And once in the car, it did indeed again start to pour.

We made our way back to the tunnel to cross back to the other Land of the Free and just as reached the hole under the river – the radio crackled that the tarp was coming off the field.

The storm really hit Windsor hard – downing power wires and trees and flooding. The power was out for more than two hours. We reached our Legion to check out a new band when we saw the score read 15-1.

“I’m glad we left now”, I said to my lovely wife as I finished a game of 8-ball.

In this one evening of baseball, a couple of truths became clear. Our pitching is suffering, second base is clearly a weakness, and there just might be something to this global warming concern!

It was indeed a blowout – in more ways than one.

What's On Second?

Jim Leyland explains infield
changes to 1st baseman
Miguel Cabrera

Okay, I know. The old Abbot and Costello bit right?

Well given the fact I have worked with guys named Hu and Watt – that bit has made for hours of stupid rehashed jokes when figuring project work assignments.

But now I’m serious.

Who’s on first? Why Miguel Cabrera – no issue there – hitting nicely over .300 and playing a solid one bag. No problems.

But what’s on second? That’s the question.

This season started with Will Rhymes, who could barely hit the ball past the grass line of the infield – despite some really nice defensive plays.

But the Tigers need offense.

So Scott Sizemore – hitting .400 or so in Toledo comes back up and Will goes back down. Sizemore starts hot but fizzles to the two hundred range. A month later and Sizemore is traded to Oakland for a nice reliever. Oakland sent Sizemore back down to Triple A.

And we all miss Placido Polanco. He’s on second.

In Philadelphia.

So what’s on second?

Well, Jim Leyland came out and told us it was going to be Ryan Raburn. Raburn is to be our everyday second baseman.

Raburn? Left fielder 4A player Ryan Raburn? The star of many outfield highlight reel bloopers like the fly ball that bounces off him and over the fence for a home run Ryan Raburn?

What?

Okay, so What’s on second. But not all the time – because also playing second is Ramon “I’ve been trying to be an everyday player with this team for five years now” Santiago. And that just ain’t happening because Santiago apparently isn’t good enough to play every day.

I never really understood the concept of a Major League ball player who can field and hit being considered not to be good enough to play every day? Did he sleep with the wrong guy’s wife?

Well, if he plays everyday his numbers go down.

Okay – play him every other day. Then Raburn won’t be your everyday second baseman. Right?

Well, there’s also Danny Worth – who’s also listed on the official roster as an infielder like Santiago. Play him too? Raburn is after all listed on that same roster as an outfielder.

Maybe he plays a deep second base. Chatting with Boesch and Jackson in right and center between pitches?

I dunno.

Third base.

Well that’s Brandon Inge, has been for a decade now – great defense – no bat. He’s floating around the .200 mark right now.

What? Inge has mononucleosis? Really? He must have caught it when diving into the stands for a foul ball.

Well then who play’s third?

I don’t know.

No questions about the Tigers’ shortstop though – Jhonny Peralta is hitting great – although some may critique his range. I love the guy myself.

Our starting pitching is pretty solid right now. Sure the fourth and fifth spot guys might show up and might not – but so far pretty good. And we finally seem to have our bull pen tightened up, And Alex Avila has proved me so wrong about being our everyday catcher I feel I need to send him flowers for what I wrote here about him at the start of the season. Now he’s on the All Star ballot – and he deserves to be there.

And I really like that Andy Dirks kid – I think he is going to grow into our everyday left fielder – every day with Casper Wells and Don Kelly – oh yeah – and Ryan Raburn.

No Raburn’s on second.

Right.

No that’s Brennan Boesch.

Okay, okay I get it.

There has to be a deal brewing. There has to be something happening out in the trade waters that GM Dave Dombrowski is scheming up – perhaps building a deal to acquire Jose Reyes from the Mets?

Wouldn’t that be sweet? The Mets are struggling to keep the team afloat and Reyes is hitting .285 ish. And he plays a great second base.

Could be?

I don’t know.

What I do know is that until all this nonsense get’s straightened out – the Tigers will likely be no better than a .500 team. And that Cinderella mistake by the lake Cleveland no longer looks like a fluke – this first half of the season looks like the Tigers in 2006 and 2009 – blowing the AL Central away before the All Star break – a month away now.

Can Cleveland keep this pace up?

Are the dastardly bastardly Chicago White Sox starting to put it together to make a run after the Tigers? Will the Tigers – currently in second – four and a half behind the Indians and three games up on Chicago as June starts – will they even be in the race come mid July?

What a strange season.

It’s like a bad Vaudeville skit, for sure.

At the 40 Game Mark

Sparky Anderson passed away in November of last year. The boys of the Old English D are sporting crests on their sleeves to commemorate his passing.

One of the Sparky traditions that continues on is his concept that after 40 games you should have a good idea of what type of team you have.

Now’s a great time to do so – if you’re the Director of Marketing for the Tigers.

The boys are hot. The hottest team in baseball – enjoying a 7 game winning streak. They have won 10 of their last 11.

Justin Verlander pitched a no hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays – then followed it up by pitching his next game against the Kansas City Royals with no hits into the sixth inning.

The whole starting rotation has actually been great through all forty games to date - Max Scherzer leading the way with only having no losses to his credit. And now Phil Coke is also starting to get into the rythm of the new role of starting pitcher.
Victor Martinez is hot – and taking advantage of opposing pitchers fear to pitch to Miguel Cabrera.

Austin Jackson has rebounded and is backing his strong defense up with great hitting in these last 15 games.

Alex Avilla – a player I berated heartlessly at the beginning of this season as one of the worst decisions made to allow him catch every day despite poor hitting in the preseason and opening games of 2011 has proven me to be … well … dead smack wrong and clueless.

I say that proudly by the way.

But the first 25 games of this season – save one series with Chicago – stunk.

There was the kerfuffle deciding who would play second base – Tiger veteran Carlos Guillen injured (and still recovering) and Scott Sizmore not yet ready to come back up – second base was plattooned by Will Rhymes and Ramone Santiago.

Not a long term solution.

I remember when Will Rhymes was sent back down to Toledo to bring Scott Sizemore up. Pat Caputo – Sports writer and columnist for the Detroit area’s Oakland Press, and host of the blog Open Book, wrote a post titled “Change at second base could just be the start for slumping Tigers”.

The Book on Sports was right – that was indeed the when the turning of the tide began. After that the Tigers took on and won series against the Yankees, Twins, Blue Jays, and AL Central second place Royals.

But we still have 122 games left to play – almost two thirds of the season.

And we do have to expect this hot streak will slow after a bit – although I hope it’s not too soon.

But at this point of the season, with the bats hitting and the pitching strong, I think indeed the Tigers are the best team in the Central division.

I think Cleveland has already started to slow – and perhaps as early as next weekend our beloved Detroit baseballers will indeed be in first place.

And will remain there until the All Star break.

Sound familiar? We’ve danced to this song several times before in recent seasons.

It’s not the first 80 games you have to worry about. It’s the second eighty.

And if Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski want to keep their jobs – there can be no second half rapid decline of lethargic play and continual losing streaks busted up by the odd win here and there.

So I can’t tell you with any confidence today just what this means to the Tigers final standings in the opening days of October.

We all have our hopes and we all have our opinions.

What do you think?

Will the Tigers lead the pack until the All Star Break – then sputter in the second half?

Will there be a trade of significance? Will we get a left or right fielder? Will Brandon Inge be replaced – his average is below his career level – which is not a lofty bar to shoot for.

What do you think?

Leave a comment below and let’s talk this season out.

Verlander Tosses His Second No Hitter

Justin Verlander faced 27 batters on his way to pitching a no hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Verlander was perfect through seven and a third innings when he gave up a close outside call for ball four and walked Arencibia to wreck the perfect game.


Arencibia doesn't bite on ball 4



But you know – you might ask yourself – if you’re pitching a perfect game, and find yourself 5 outs away from being perfect – and you have a 3-2 full count, do you throw just off the plate to get the hitter to swing?

That was the pitch to make – and Justin had the guts to make it.

Arencibia didn’t bite. And he got first base.

And Verlander’s bid for perfection ended. But not the no hitter.

The last time we saw a 28 batter no hitter by a Tiger pitcher was of course Armando Gallaraga’s perfect game spoiled by Umpire Jim Joyce’s bad call.

But no such call came today.

Last week at this time, Brad Penny was working on a no hitter when a hard hit ball behind third snagged by Brandon Inge resulted in a not so perfect throw right of the first base bag and in the dirt that Miguel Cabrera could not hang onto to tag the runner. The dispute was that Inge was not given an error for the poor throw, and it stood as the hit the broke up Penny’s no-hit bid.

But Penny was noticeably getting weaker – and his control was getting away from him. Watching the game, you really didn’t think Penny was going to last the rest of the game.

But we never got a chance to find out.

But Justin Verlander left us no doubt – from the third inning through the ninth.

In fact he was breaching the 100 MPH threshold throughout all nine innings.

This was Verlander’s second no hitter – the first in 2007 against Milwaukee.

And the Toronto fans, the same fans that threw garbage at the Tigers in last year’s opening series, well, this time they all stood up and cheered Verlander on.

And they cheered when he beat their Blue Jays.

He stepped off the mound – subtly pumping a fist – and unless you knew what was happening - Verlander’s reaction might suggest he won the game. Nothing more.

Now that’s command.

The Tigers Threaten But Don't Score

I am so sick of hearing Dan Dickerson say “and the Tiger’s threaten, but don’t score”.

Yesterday I threw a beer bottle at the radio.

Sorry Dan, I wasn’t aiming at you.

Luckily tonight I was out of beer.

This is the theme of the 2011 Detroit Tigers – who after 29 games now sit with 12 wins and 17 losses. 8 games back of Cleveland.

Yeah, Cleveland. What the hell’s going on in Cleveland?

And Kansas City? They sit 4½ games up on the Detroit baseballers.

The Tigers can get men on base. But at the end of most innings, those same base runners trot into the dugout from the base they were standing on to get their gloves.

As a fan, this is maddening.

But even more maddening are the errors that are plaguing this defensive squad.

Short hop grounders through Inge’s legs, and bad throws to first. Pitchers tossing the ball into the outfield or foul territory trying to pick off runners. Balls that bounce off the outfielders or over their heads – one bouncing off Ryan into the stands for a dinger. Passed pitches on Avila – pitches he should be catching – bouncing back to the wall as opposing base runners trot home from third.

On the topic of Avila, his bat has been incredibly hot hitting in the .340s. But I do not see the same quality defense that the announcers and sports talk radio seem to say. He looks to me to be hard to pitch to.

Our starting rotation, for the most part, has had quality starts, but the bullpen – supposedly hoped to be the strength of this club in the spring, has seen both Benoit and Valverde fail in Grande style.

This line up has some power – sporadic and dispersed throughout – with not enough hitters batting over .240 to string together a big inning.

You can count the number of big inning this season on one hand. And you can’t use your thumb.

In fact, the way this squad plays defense, you wonder if these boys have thumbs to put in these gloves.

But this news just in. Will Rhymes, the Cinderella second baseman who hasn’t hit over .200 has just been sent down to Toledo, and Scott Sizemore is coming back up to challenge once again for the two-bagger spot.

Will that help? I don’t really consider Scott Sizemore to be a sparkplug.

But Miguel Cabrera plays on. Solid defense and powerful consistent offense.

Cabrera has picked this team up and is carrying them all on his shoulders. But for the most part, the rest of this squad is just dead weight. Aside from Peralta and Avila, and Ramón Santiago (when they let him play) – this squad is just dragging every positive thing done by the starting rotation and Miggy down like an anchor in deep still seas.

So close. So far away.

These current wearers of the old English D aren’t bums. But it’s hard to defend the brand of baseball that they have played in these first 29 games.

But some - if not more than some – of this blame lies on the shoulders of Manager Jim Leyland – who insists all his ball players are professionals. Perhaps. But professionals earn their pay checks. This squad – save a few – are really just enjoying playing in the big league parks with big buildings in the back drop.

Some of Leyland’s decisions are hard to defend – leaving struggling pitchers in – pulling strong releiver’s too early – sending runners at the wrong times – and trying to play small ball to move runners into scoring position with the players not executing.

Good grief.

I love my Tigers. And I haven’t missed following a game somehow yet this season. And this is just frustrating. Exhausting. Humbling. And humiliating.

Because night after night it’s just the same old story.

The Tiger’s just threaten, but they just don’t score.

Cabrera Adds Yet Another If For 2011 Tigers

As Yogi Berra would have said, "It's like deja vu all over again".

You remember the story, about how in 2009, Miguel Cabrera was arrested as the Tigers played their final series of the season against the Chicago White Sox to fight off a charging Minnesota Twins from overtaking them for the American League Central division title and a berth in the play offs.



About how Miguel spent the night before a key game out drinking with members of White Sox and then returned home to only to fight with the missus and land himself in jail. About how Dave Dombrowski bailed him out and drove him home – and how Miguel played the next day so hung over that he was less effective than a mannequin on the field and at the plate that game – a key game that the Tigers lost – only to be forced to an epic game 163 against the Twins – who won and stole the 2009 AL Central title – and then lost in a sweep by the Yankees of New York in the first round of the play offs ALDS.

You know that story.


2010 season of redemption

 And you know about how contrite Cabrera was in the aftermath – and how brilliant he played last year – a career best season leaving him a close runner up for American League MVP. And you probably remember his famous quote from the middle of last season:


“Drinking was a problem. Right now I feel really good. What happened last year is not gonna happen again. I feel like a new man. : It’s a beautiful life right now.”

And you, like me, completely forgot about the 2009 debacle – and were so very proud of Miggy for getting his life back in order and demonstrating to the world just how truly great a ball player he was.


2011 Mug shot

 And then today you most certainly have heard the news … from a small town in Florida .. St. Lucy … about his arrest for DUI and non-violently  resistance of arrest. About how he took a swig from a bottle of scotch while asking the officer “Don’t you know who I am?”.

And like me, if you’re a Tigers fan who had forgiven Cabrera for his earlier failure at such a critical time, your heart probably sank in your throat.

Position players have not even thrown a ball yet.

And thoughts of tossing what hoped to be a contending season for the AL Central title seemed to evaporate like Windex on a summer hot windshield.

Well, that was the first thought I had, but I think I overreacted.

The latest news from minutes ago was that Miggy indeed was going to be at the Lakeland diamond Saturday after all – practice duds on – batting glove and first baseman mitt in hand – ready to start 2011.

But who knows.

Some are already calling for his trade – or his release. I’m not.

But he did – in my personal opinion – erase all of his hard work from last summer – all the great numbers he posted – and more importantly all of the faith and trust of Tiger fans he worked so hard to regain.

And now he is reduced to another if in the Tigers 2011 pre-season speculation.

Who will start at second base?

Who will win the fourth and fifth starting rotation spots?

Who will earn the everyday catching position?

How will the Tigers shore up their defense down the middle?

Who will bat second in the line up?

Will Scherzer and Porcello start 2011 as hot as they ended 2010?

Which Brenan Boesch will show up – the amazing homer king of the first half of the season or the house by the side of the road Boesch of the last half of 2010?

How long can Carlos Guillen play before being put on the Disable List?

Will Maglio Ordonez be the Same Maggs of greatness of years gone by?

Will Ryan Raburn prove to be a solid left fielder?

Is Scott Sizemore's ankle healed and will he show us how good at second base he really is?

Can Leyland avoid the post-All Star break slump trend of his past four years?

And now – the one name that was not on that list of questions – Miguel Cabrera – may prove to be the biggest question mark of them all.

Now, let’s put this in perspective.

They did not cancel spring – the season will come and the weather will get warm.

The Tigers are not calling off the season – and still should be considered a contender for the AL Central.

And Cabrera is not going to be sold, traded, dismissed, fired, or let go. But he likely will face some suspension – and perhaps some jail time. But he will wear the old English D.

But how long will it take us to forget this digression. This set back. This backslide.

It’s not up to us. In fact we are not even a part of the equation. It’s up to Miguel. He showed us last year. Can he pull through again this year?

Carlos Guillen – a fellow Venezuelan who likely has some insight to the social circles Miggy moves in - did make an interesting comment this morning:

"Sometimes you have people around you that are not good for you. You think they're your friends, but they're not really friends."

And you know, maybe Carlos knows something. Maybe the this is the heart of the matter.

If it is – I hope Miguel can make a change.

I really hope this is all it really is.

Good luck Miguel. Your chances are running out.