A Picture Can Say A Thousand Words!

This is very funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

Questions & Answers

"Why are the Tigers 4-12 in May?"

"Since July of 2007, Gary Sheffield is hitting .179 with 4 HR and 18 RBI in 74 games. Why is he still in the lineup?"

"Why is Miguel Cabrera hitting .182 with runners in scoring position this season?"

"How has a team that was supposed to score close to a 1,000 runs this season already been shut out 7 times?"

"Why do the Tigers have the worst record in the American League?"

Jim Leyland's answer to the questions posed to him, "I'm totally out of answers. I don't know what to tell you."

Jim the answer is this: the Detroit Tigers have stopped responding to you. You need to find a way to make them respond to you. If that means, acting like Larry "Mt. Bowa" Bowa, then that is what you have to do. If that means getting rid of your pitching coach, who only once in his career had a team ERA below 4.00 then that is what you need to do. If that means, taking the high road out and quitting (remember Colorado) then that is what you need to do. Whatever the answer is, you must figure this out and figure it out fast, before Dave Dombrowski makes a decision. If fact it may already be too late. Mr. D may already be making some decisions for you at your meeting today. Yes, you are a 3 time Manager of the Year, but you own a career winning percentage of .496. Please do something fast.

Is it time for instant replay in Major League Baseball?

Yes and no. In no way shape or form, do I what instant replay calling balls and strikes. Out or safe would be an "I do not know". In the case of fair or foul, something needs to be done. In the world of incentive laden contracts, the difference between an umpires call of fair or foul may cost a player tens of thousands of dollars if not more at the end of the season.

If you were watching the Mets and Yankees on ESPN last evening, you witnessed first hand what replay could do for the game. Carlos Delgado of the Mets hit a ball down the left field line with runners on first and third. The ball carried down the line and hit the bottom of the "fair pole" (more on this below)and landed in foul territory. The third base umpire called the play a home run, but after conferring with the other umpires who were farther away the decision was made to call the ball foul. Delgado ended up singling in a run, but the point is the umpire did not make the correct call as replay ended up showing. If the point of conferring is to make the correct call, then replay would work in this instance.

Two pet peeves I have with baseball announcers or just people in genreal. Why do people say "pickle" or "foul line/pole"?

The proper term for both is "run down" and "fair line/pole". The first one is just laziness and not learning proper baseball lexicon, and the second one is just plain stupidity. When the ball hits the line or pole it is FAIR! Joe Morgan are you listening. Hence it is called a FAIR LINE/POLE.

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyrannosaurus

Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Pete Alexander, Christy Mathewson, Pud Galvin, Warren Spahn, Kid Nichols, and Roger Clemens are names of pitchers in a very exclusive club. The "350 Win Club" has recently added another member, perhaps the last ever. The 4-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux picked up his 350th win on May 10th with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies. In classic Maddux fashion, his stat line read like this: 6 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 9 GB, and 6 FB. In his illustrious 23 year career he has a 3.12 ERA, 350 wins vs. 217 losses, 109 complete games, and 35 shutouts. He also has a knack for flashing the leather. Maddux has won the Gold Glove Award for pitchers every year since 1990 except 2003. Yes, that is 17 Gold Gloves, the most ever by any position player.

Like the King of the North American dinosaur in the picture, has North America seen the "350 Win Club" become extinct. I think we have seen the last member enter this club. In order to win 350 games, a pitcher has to average 17.5 wins over 20 years. That is a lot of wins per season by today's standards. With the advent of the 5 man pitching staff, and only throwing 6-7 innings per start, most pitchers would have to be on the mound 25 years to pick up number 350. Maybe the most compelling thing about this club is most of the members are extinct. Only 3 of the 9 members have pitched in the "modern era" of baseball. I consider the "modern era" to be post-Jackie Robinson. Following I will give a synopsis of each member of the club, and then mention some long-shots at the club.

Cy Young pitched from 1890 to 1911 for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Americans, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Naps. In his 22 year career, the right-hander compiled 511 wins, an average of 23.2 wins per year. Cy was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937. The best pitcher in the American League and National League is presented annually with the "Cy Young Award".

Walter Johnson pitched from 1907 to 1927 for the Washington Senators. The 2-time MVP picked up 417 wins in his 21 year career, an average of 19.9 per year. The right-hander still holds the record for most career shutouts with 110. "The Big Train" was an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched from 1911 to 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. In 20 years, "Old Pete" picked up 373 wins, averaging 18.7 per year. The right-hander is 2nd on the all-time list of shutouts with 90. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1938.

Christy Mathewson is tied for 3rd on the the all-time win list with Alexander at 373. "The Christian Gentleman" pitched from 1900 to 1916 for the New York Giants. "Big Six" averaged 21.9 wins per year. "Matty" was an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame in 1936.

"Pud" Galvin pitched from 1875 to 1892 for the St. Louis Brown Stock, Buffalo Bisons, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Pittsburgh Burghers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Browns. The right-hander won 364 games in his 15 year career, an amazing average of 24.3 per year. The right has something in common with Roger Clemens besides each being a member of the club - performance enhancing drugs. In 1889 Pud Galvin openly used the performance enhancing drug Brown-Séquard elixir, which contained monkey testosterone. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1965.

Warren Spahn pitched from 1942 to 1965 for the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants. The "Thinking Man's Pitcher" won 363 games in his 21 year career for an average of 17.3 per year. The only south-paw in the club won 1 Cy Young Award and was elected to 14 All Star games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Charles Nichols pitched from 1890 to 1906 for the Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies. "Kid Nichols" won 361 games in his 15 year career for an outstanding average of 24.1 per year. He has the distinction of being the youngest person to the 300 win level. He was only 30 years old upon hitting that plateau. Kid was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1949.

Roger Clemens pitched from 1984 to 2007 for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. "The Rocket" won 354 games in his 24 years, for an average of 14.8 per year. The 7-time Cy Young Award winner has 1 MVP and 11 All Star Game elections on his award mantle. Time will only tell if he is elected to the Hall of Fame.

Following are active pitchers who have at least 7 years of major league experience, at least 90 wins, and are 30 years old or younger. By contrast, through 8 years Greg Maddux was 27 years old with 115 wins for an average of 14.4 per year. Through 8 years, Roger Clemens was 28 years old with 134 wins for an average of 16.8 per year.

Roy Oswalt (4-3 5.05 ERA) may have the best chance of reaching 300 wins, but 350 seems very steep since he already is 30 years old. The Houston Astro righty has 112 wins in his first 7 years for an average of 16 per year. Oswalt has been selected to three All Star Games.

Barry Zito (0-7 6.58 ERA) has 113 wins in his first 8 years for an average of 14.1 per year. The 30 year old south paw has 1 Cy Young Award and is a 3 time All Star.

Mark Buehrle (1-5 5.81 ERA) has 107 wins in his first 8 years for an average of 13.4 per year. The 29 year old lefty is a 3 time All Star.

C.C. Sabathia (2-5 6.55) could have an outside chance at 300 as well, considering his age (27), but he lacks the consistency to join the club. The Cleveland Indian lefty has 100 wins in his first 7 years for an average of 14.3 per year. C.C. has 1 Cy Young Award and been elected to the All Star Game 3 times.

Johan Santana (4-2 3.10 ERA) has posted 93 victories in his first 8 years for an average of 11.6 per year. The 29 year old south paw has 2 Cy Young Awards and made 3 All Star game appearances.

Jon Garland (4-3 4.30 ERA) has 92 wins in his first 8 years for an average of 11.5 per year. The 28 year old Angel right-hander has made 1 All Star appearance.

As you can see, the preceding pitchers are very long shots to join the 350 Club let alone reach the 300 milestone. I think my extinction claim of the 350 Club will last for quite some time.

Somebody get the duct tape!

The first time Agent Smith has Thomas Anderson detained, Agent Smith says, "Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call when you are unable to speak?" Following the line, Anderson's mouth is covered up with skin and he is unable to speak. Imagine the saying reworded this way, Coach Marinelli says, "Tell me, Mr. Kitna, what good is a press conference when you are unable to speak?" Yes, the "best quarterback" in the NFC North ran his mouth again about 10 wins. He did not guarantee 10 wins this year. He just stated that he would be disappointed if the Lions did not win 10 this year. Jon, I would be happy with 8 wins. Hell, I would be happy with a competitive football team week in and week out. I love the fact that you are confidence in your team (God only knows how). After being embarrassed last year, I would think that you would keep you bold predictions in the locker room. So yes, Coach Marinelli you have my permission to duct tape his mouth shut.

Come on Ozzie, did you not realize before you took over in Chicago that the city is a Cubs city. With the way that he went off, he will not endear himself to many more fans either. It is hard to believe that GM Ken Williams has much patience left for this hot head. Kenny it is time to get the duct tape or else let this guy go. Players and fans start to get numb to this kind of coach very quickly. The team has been under performing since their World Series title in 2005. He may not be getting through to his players anymore.

Actually, I do not think the world makes enough duct tape for PETA. The more appropriate action would to be probably put all of them in a lions cage and laugh at the dismemberment of their bodies. It was an unfortunate accident that happened this past Saturday in Kentucky, and nothing more. I do not think this is a cause they want to latch onto. In case anyone missed it, check out the Mike Tirico show podcast where he interviewed a PETA spokesperson. They did nothing but read from a card. Kudos to Tirico for really giving to her. And, no I do not want to see anyone dismembered by a lion.

I love three college football teams: whoever is playing Ohio State, whoever is playing Notre Dame, and the UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. The fat bastard Charlie Weis needs duct tape on his mouth, but then again their is probably not enough tape to go around his body. Man do I despise that university. This coming from a man who is trying to stay relevant, following his 3-11 record during the Irish's last 14 games dating back to 2006.

Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I usually try to write about local teams and players on this blog, but I thought this person deserved a thumbs up for the month of April. In case you have not noticied, Larry (Chipper) Wayne Jones had an incredible month offensively for the Atlanta Braves. The 1999 National League MVP, has hit a very respectable 8 home runs and driven in 21 runs. Translation would be 40 home runs and 105 RBI's for the season. Excellent numbers, but the truly outstanding part of his April was his .410 batting average and 1.145 OPS. Chipper has a lifetime .308 average and .952 OPS. If the 5-time all-star even comes close to his April numbers, he may be adding a 2nd MVP to his trophy case. Tune into TBS to watch one of the truly great modern day ball players.

I have not written about the current Tigers team because they were not playing with the whole team. They should not have struggled as much as they did, but that is why 162 games are played. After going 2-8 through the 1st two weeks of the season and scoring a paltry 2.9 runs per game, the Tigers have rebounded to play .633 ball since while averaging 5.9 runs per game. They now have their table setter back in uniform. Curtis Granderson is probably the most important offensive player on the Tigers. He is the only 5-tool player on the Tigers. At stat to help that is, Granderson has scored 11 runs in the leadoff spot in 8 games. The Tigers scored 2 runs from the leadoff spot in the first 21 games of the season. With better hitting, the pitchers will gain confidence. The recent 3 games sweep of the Yankees produced 3 wins by the starting pitchers. A good way to start the month of May.

Congratulations to the Red Wings with their 2nd round sweep of the Avalanche. Johan Franzen hit the back of the net 9 times in this quick series. What a diamond in the rough this guy has turned out to be.

The Pistons finally started to play Piston basketball after being down 2 games to 1 to the Sixers. Bring on the Magic.

I do not have anything nice to say about the Lions draft so I am going to sum up the draft like this. It says alot when the ESPN hosts have to go to break while the Lions are announcing their pick. Anything else I say is not very clean.

Finally, I am a big fan of fire. I love camp fires, and I heat my home with a fire place. This is why I am picking Pyro to win tomorrow's Kentuck Derby. He is a 6:1 favorite to win. I am sure I will just burn my money with him, but hey I only bet on horses once a year.

Nostalgic

Yes, I have been feeling nostalgic about the Tigers lately. It is partly because they were mired in a horrible losing streak that I did not want to believe was happening, and partly because I am in love with baseball history and the Tigers. So, here is what happened on April 17th in Detroit Tiger history.

April 17, 1955 - In his 2nd full season in the big leagues, Al Kaline established himself as a full fledged star to reckoned with for the next 19 seasons. In 1955, Kaline won the American League batting title hitting .340 while knocking out 27 home runs and driving in 102 runs. Kaline finished 2nd in the AL MVP race to Yogi Berra despite having a superior batting average and 53 more hits. Kaline finished the year with 200 hits, the only year he would reach that plateau.

On this day though, Mr. Tiger would have one of the best games of his career. Kaline would hit 3 home runs in Briggs Stadium that day, including 2 in the 6th inning. He finished the incredible day with 6 RBI's. Steve Gromek from Hamtramck, MI would pitch the shut out that day as the Tigers beat the Kansas City Athletics 16-0. Gromek would finish the year with a 13-10 record and an ERA of 3.98.

April 17, 1960 - In one of the most controversial trades the Cleveland Indians have ever made, the Tigers acquired American League home run champ Rocky Colavito from The Tribe for American League batting champ Harvey Kuehn. The Indian fans thought of Colavito as the best player on their club and did not like the trade at all. Kuehn would only play the 1960 campaign in Cleveland, batting .308, before being traded out west to the San Franciso Giants. Colavito, a 2-time All-Star in Detroit, would play 4 seasons while hitting 139 dingers as a Tiger. The 1961 season would be Colvatio's best in the Olde English D. In that season he hit, .290, 45 home runs, 140 RBI's, and 113 walks.

April 17, 1993 - In the Tigers last winning season for 13 years, they scored 20 runs in a game for the 2nd time in a week. In this game they defeated Seattle 20-3.

April 17, 1981 - Happy Birthday to current Tiger, Ryan Raburn.

April 18, 1871 - Happy Birthday to former owner, Frank Navin

April 18, 1880 - Happy Birthday to former Tiger, Sam Crawford

April 18, 1983 - Happy Birthday to current Tiger, Miguel Cabrera

Tax Day Tiger History

April 15, 1983 - On a 43 degree day in Chicago, Milt Wilcox made the White Sox bats feel much colder. The 19,483 White Sox faithful at Comiskey Park (the first one), saw their team send 26 batters to the plate, and saw 26 batters retired. With two outs in the 9th inning, in stepped pinch hitter Jerry Hairston. Hairston was pinch hitting for short stop Jerry Dybzinski, who was 0-2 with a strike out on the day. Hairston would eventually single to center fielder Chet Lemon (3-4 3 RBI) and ruin any chance for a perfect game or a no-hitter. Wilcox (8 K) would get the next hitter Rudy Law (0-4) to groundout to first baseman Rick Leach (1-4) to preserve the complete game shut out. This was only the 3rd time in history a pitcher had a perfect game stopped with one out to go. The win moved Milt's record for the season to 1-1 and moved the Tigers to 5-4 on top of the American League East. Wilcox finished the season with a 11-10 record and an ERA of 3.97. He would pitch 2 more years in Detroit before moving to Seattle for his last season in 1986. The Tigers finished 1983 with record of 92-70, 6 games behind Baltimore in the race for the American League pennant.

April 15, 1993 - On a beautiful spring day at Tiger Stadium, George "Sparky" Anderson would make 3 substitutions that would let him enter the door of an elite managerial club. Tony LaRussa replaced Rich Gossage in the 9th inning with closer Dennis Eckersly to close out a 2-1 game. On the 3rd pitch from Eckersly, Rob Deer (2-4 1 RBI) would line a single to left field. Gary Thurman (1) would pinch run for Deer. Switch hitter Mickey Tettelton (0-3) stepped to the plate. After a called strike on Tettelton, LaRussa called for a pitchout on the 2nd pitch. LaRussa guessed correctly, Thurman was off trying to steal 2nd on the pitch. Thurman was safe at 2nd, and the Tigers had the tying run in scoring position. Tettleton hit the next pitch to on the ground to the second baseman, moving Thurman to 3rd, for the first out of the inning. Without Thurman's swipe, the ground ball would have been the start of a double play. Scott Livingstone (1-4 1 RBI) would then line a single to right field scoring Thurman to tie the game at 2. Sparky would now make the final two moves. He pinch ran for Livingstone with the speedy Skeeter Barnes, and pinch hit Chad Krueter for Milt Cuyler (0-3). On a 1-2 count, Krueter would drive a ball deep into left-center field to score Barnes from 1st base and secure the 2,000th win in Sparky Anderson's career. Sparky would coach through the 1995 season winning another 194 games. His 2,194 wins rank 4th on the all-time list. The Tigers would finish with season with a 85-77 record. This was the last season the Tigers had a winning record until the 2006 campaign.

More Tiger History

April 12, 1960 - Forty-eight years ago today, the Tigers acquired Norm Cash from the Cleveland Indians for 3B Steve Demeter. Stormin' Norman was a fixture at first base for the Bengals for the next 14 years, including the World Series year of 1968.

The 4-time all-star made himself a household name in his second season wearing the Old English D. In 1961, Cash hit an incredible .361, belting 41 home runs, and driving in 132 runs. Ironically, 1961 would be the only time Cash would ever hit .300 during a season or drive in 100 runs in a season. The year of 1961 would also be the last time a Tiger won the AL batting title until Maggilo Ordonez in 2007. Cash would go on to belt 373 home runs in his 14-year Tiger career.

The trade was quite a steal for the Tigers, as Cash retired from baseball in 1972, and Steve Demeter would finish the 1960 season playing in only 4 games with a .000 batting average. Demeter would not play another season in the big leagues.

April 12, 2003 - Shane Halter would hit a home run to give the Tigers their first win of the season. The Tigers record would stand at 1-9. A bad record yes, but better than 2002 when the Tigers started 0-11. The 2003 Tigers start of 0-9 would set a record of the only team since 1900 to start back to back seasons with a 0-9 record. The rest of 2003 did not get any better for 1st year skipper Alan Trammell, as the Tigers would try to match the futile 1962 Mets lose record of 120 games. The Tigers would win in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season to only finish with 119 losses.

Today in History

On April 8, 1963, the Detroit Tigers claimed on waivers little-known pitcher Denny McLain away from the Chicago White Sox. During the minor league draft the White Sox decided to instead protect Hall of Famer (not baseball) and current Top 30 all-time Piston Dave Debusschere. Oops, the South-Siders made a mistake there. After a less than fulfilling 1963 and 1964 (121 innings pitched and 6 wins) seasons with the Tigers, McLain went on to a stellar 6 year run as the Bengals ace.

McLain would go on to win 108 games in the 6 year span all culminated by the 1968 run to the World Series Championship. In the championship campaign of 1968, McLain would put together one of the greatest seasons ever by a pitcher. Along with wining the AL-MVP and AL-Cy Young, he posted a record of 31-6 (the last pitcher to win 30 games). He also posted a 1.96 ERA in 336 innings pitched. Remember, we now rave over a pitcher that is able to pitch a 200 inning season. He also had 28 complete games and 6 shutouts, two stats that would be great career numbers for today's great pitchers.

Here's to the great season of 1968.

Update - Arrested again

New Beer's Eve

Happy Anniversary to the end of Prohibition. Here's hoping for another great 75 years.

All is well with the Tigers

All is well with the Tigers, but they are 0-2 you say. Yes, they are 0-2, but Jeremy Bonderman has a 0.00 ERA in the 1st inning. :)

Wistful on a Wednesday

Some thoughts today while I watch the Tigers at work:

• Alex Rodriguez of the New York Suckees err Yankees will earn more money this year than the combined 33 man roster of the Floriday Marlins. Is any one person really worth (monetarilly) more to his franchise than another whole franchise? In the greater scheme of things probably not, but I say h-e-double hockey stick yes. I had this argument the other day with my godmother. I told her a person is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay them. The Steinbrenners think A-Rod is worth that much, so I guess he is. "But why does he get paid that much money, while doctors and teachers do not earn nearly as much money as a professional athlete" she replied. Well, the last time I checked there were 3 doctors and about 50+ teachers in my town. There are only 33 mlb'ers in the state, besides how many people do you know who would pay to go watch a doctor operate or a teacher teach. None that I know of. She changed the conversation to NASCAR, and I walked away, bacause I know nothing about stock car racing.
• Moises Alou finally put the hole Steve Bartman thing to bed. He has admitted that he would not have caught the ball anyway. The whole "blowup" was silly anyway, but that is the Cub franchise. They rank right up there with the Lions.
• "It has been a very frustrating time." Ya think Bill Jr. Your dad has not won anything in the 40+ years he has owned the franchise. Quit sticking up for him, and just ask him to step down. Enough said, I do not want to spoil the Tiger game by thinking about their neighbors.
• Isn't there a decent living caporegime in the USA who can direct his soldiers to deal with Jose Canseco. I am so sick and tired of this washed up ballplayer trying to make money from smearing people. Really, some capos out there have to read this blog.
• I had a chance to win my bracket this year. I had 7 out 8 teams going into last weekend. Well, things did not turn our very good for me, I only have 2 out of 4. UNC (national champion) is still alive, but it will be a long shot for me to win anything this year.
• This has nothing to do with sports, but this kid is a hero. Read it here.

Tigers Preview

A good Tigers preview from Fox Sports:

The Tigers had the best record in baseball on July 21 — the night one outfield collision changed their season.
Gary Sheffield, who was playing right field that night against Kansas City, tumbled into second baseman Placido Polanco as he pursued a fly ball. Sheffield injured his right shoulder on the play and did not return to full strength for the rest of the year.
Detroit went 30-37 in its remaining games. Sheffield did not play in 25 of them and batted an uncharacteristic .172 when he was in the lineup.
With a healthy Sheffield, it's quite possible that the Tigers would have reached the postseason for the second consecutive season. Instead, both Sheffield and the roster needed off-season repairs. Sheffield underwent arthroscopic surgery soon after the season. After that, president/general manager Dave Dombrowski went to work on the rest of the team.
Dombrowski was one of the most active GMs in baseball over the offseason, as he acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria and outfielder Jacque Jones from the Braves and Cubs, respectively. Then he landed All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in an eight-player blockbuster with the Florida Marlins. "We made this trade to win now," Dombrowski said, when the Cabrera-Willis deal was announced at the winter meetings. "It's obvious. We built our club to win."
Detroit's everyday lineup now boasts seven All-Stars — not including centerfielder Curtis Granderson, who could have easily made the American League team last year. Rightfielder Magglio Ordonez posted MVP-caliber numbers and won the batting title.
The Tigers will score enough runs, but they need to pitch, too. Willis will help the rotation, but veteran starters Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson will need to improve upon their 2007 performances in order for Detroit to unseat Cleveland atop the AL Central. The staff went from having the best ERA in baseball (3.84) in 2006 to the 18th-best last year, at 4.57.
Pitching
Justin Verlander cemented his place as the franchise's present and future ace with an 18-win season and a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12. A strict adherence to shoulder exercises enabled him to remain strong throughout the second half, in contrast to his rookie year. The other three returning starters — Rogers, Bonderman and Robertson — all spent time on the disabled list in 2007, so their collective health will be crucial this year. Bonderman had a 5.01 ERA, his highest since 2003. Willis has thrown 200 or more innings in each of the past three seasons but is coming off his worst year as a bigleaguer. The bullpen has question marks, with Joel Zumaya (shoulder surgery) out for at least half the season. Todd Jones is back as the closer.
Justin Verlander — RHP 2007 line: 18-6, 3.66 ERA, 32 GS, 201.2 IP, 181 H, 67 BB, 183 SO, .233 BAA, 8.08 H/9, 2.99 BB/9, 8.17 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Went 8-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 12 daytime starts. His 35 victories are the most by a Tigers pitcher in his first two seasons since Frank Lary's 35 in 1955-56. Scouting report: Electric stuff. Long three-quarters arm angle. Adds and subtracts from an overpowering fastball (93-98 mph) with explosive late life; pitches inside with his fastball. Varies the speed and break on his plus curveball. Shorter to lefthanded hitters, bigger to righties. Displays excellent arm speed with a hard changeup that runs and sinks from lefthanders. Athletic. Grade: 4.0.
Jeremy Bonderman — RHP 2007 line: 11-9, 5.01 ERA, 28 GS, 174.1 IP, 193 H, 48 BB, 145 SO, .278 BAA, 9.96 H/9, 2.48 BB/9, 7.49 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Was shut down Sept. 5 with pinched cartilage in his right elbow. Had an 11.57 ERA in the first inning (36 ER in 28 IP). Scouting report: Power pitcher. Slinging three-quarters arm action. Features a fastball (90-95 mph) with good life down in the strike zone. Pushes hitters off the plate with his fastball. Gets sharp late bite and tilt with a deluxe slider; induces righthanders to chase it off the plate and breaks it in on lefthanded hitters' back foot. Keeps lefties off balance with a changeup that fades away. Tends to lose command and confidence in his change. Extremely competitive. Grade: 3.5.
Kenny Rogers — LHP 2007 line: 3-4, 4.43 ERA, 11 GS, 63.0 IP, 65 H, 25 BB, 36 SO, .264 BAA, 9.29 H/9, 3.57 BB/9, 5.14 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Limited to 11 starts by elbow and shoulder (blood clot) injuries. Had a 3.34 ERA at home compared to 5.79 on the road. Scouting report: Veteran lefty. Knows how to pitch. Tails his fastball (85-88 mph) away from righthanded hitters; cuts it in on them and away from lefties. Throws a plus changeup that looks like a fastball out of his hand; doubles up on it. Changes speeds on a big-breaking curveball. Pitches effectively to both lefthanded and righthanded hitters. Athletic fifth infielder. Grade: 3.0.
Dontrelle Willis — LHP 2007 line: 10-15, 5.17 ERA, 35 GS, 205.1 IP, 241 H, 87 BB, 146 SO, .294 BAA, 10.56 H/9, 3.81 BB/9, 6.40 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Was the first Marlin with three consecutive seasons with at least 200 IP. Is Florida's all-time leader with 757 Ks. Scouting report: Funky high leg kick. All arms and legs delivery. Low three-quarters arm slot. Adds and subtracts with his fastball (86-94 mph); rides it; sinks it; cuts it occasionally. Supplements his fastball with a big, sweeping slurve that he struggled to command last season and a changeup that looks like a BP fastball with light sink. Lacks a pitch to consistently get out righthanders. Outstanding athlete. Grade: 3.0.
Nate Robertson — LHP 2007 line: 9-13, 4.76 ERA, 30 GS, 177.2 IP, 199 H, 63 BB, 119 SO, .283 BAA, 10.08 H/9, 3.19 BB/9, 6.03 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Had a 4.25 ERA at home and 5.38 on the road. Had a 3.69 ERA during day games and 5.60 at night. Scouting report: Flyball pitcher. Quick worker. Throws his fastball (87-91 mph) with good tailing life down in the strike zone, a tight, late-breaking slider he uses to both sides of the plate and a changeup that fades away from right-handed bats. Inclined to have bouts of wildness. Can be distracted by base runners. Slow to the plate. Grade: 2.5.
Relievers
Todd Jones — RHP 2007 line: 1-4, 4.26 ERA, 63 G, 61.1 IP, 38 SV, 64 H, 23 BB, 33 SO, .267 BAA. Significant stats/injuries: Ranks 20th all-time with 301 career saves. Had a 2.88 ERA with 16 saves in 18 chances after the All-Star break. Scouting report: Ground-ball pitcher. Pounds his fastball (89-92 mph) down in the strike zone. Moves it side to side; cuts it to create late movement. Mixes in a soft, looping curveball and an occasional early-in-the-count changeup. Gets hurt up in the strike zone. Fearless competitor. Grade: 3.7.
Joel Zumaya — RHP 2007 line: 2-3, 4.28 ERA, 0 GS, 33.2 IP, 23 H, 17 BB, 27 SO, .189 BAA, 6.15 H/9, 4.54 BB/9, 7.22 SO/9. Significant stats/injuries: Underwent AC joint reconstruction surgery Oct. 31 following an Oct. 27 accident while moving boxes at his home. Missed May 2-Aug. 20 because of an injured middle finger. Scouting report: Herky-jerky delivery. Three-quarters arm slot. Jumps at hitters with a four-seam fastball (95-99 mph) that explodes late. Complements his fastball with a tight-biting curveball that buckles hitters' knees. Shows a rare changeup. Will eventually close. Grade: 3.5.
Fernando Rodney — RHP 2007 line: 2-6, 4.26 ERA, 48 G, 50.2 IP, 1 SV, 46 H, 21 BB, 54 SO, .238 BAA. Significant stats/injuries: Missed June 24-Aug. 4 with shoulder and forearm tendinitis and had another DL stint because of biceps tendinitis. Scouting report: Setup reliever. High three-quarters arm angle. Has excellent arm speed with a plus fastball (92-95 mph) that rides up in the strike zone. Complements his fastball with an outstanding changeup that drops off the table. Shows great motion with his change and throws it to both sides of the plate. Injury prone. Grade: 3.3.
Catching
Nine years removed from his AL Most Valuable Player season, Pudge Rodriguez is still one of the better catchers in baseball. The Tigers, at least, did not see many appealing alternatives on the market before picking up his $13-million contract option for this year. He has been an All-Star in each of his four seasons with the club. Vance Wilson, who missed all of last year while undergoing Tommy John surgery, will return as the backup if healthy.
Ivan Rodriguez — C 2007 line: .281 BA, 502 AB, 50 R, 141 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 9 BB, 96 SO, .294 OBP, .714 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Threw out 30.9 percent of baserunners en route to extending his record to 13 Gold Gloves for a catcher. Third all-time with 2,061 games caught. Scouting report: Aggressive line-drive hitter. Uses the whole field. Lacks the bat speed and power of a few years back. Remarkably gifted receiver. Remains very agile behind the plate. Retains the quick setup and release to go with his rocket arm. Works well with the young pitchers. Gets a little lazy at times. Grade: 3.3.
Infield
The left side of the infield will be entirely new this year with Cabrera at third base and Renteria at shortstop. Last year's shortstop, the underrated Carlos Guillen, will shift to first base as he begins a four-year, $48-million contract extension. Placido Polanco, who did not commit an error all season and won the AL Gold Glove at second base, is the only player unaffected by the movement. All four have made at least one All-Star team in the last two seasons. Manager Jim Leyland has said that Cabrera, who has had more than 110 RBIs in each of the previous four seasons, will bat third, fourth or fifth.
Carlos Guillen — 1B 2007 line: .296 BA, 564 AB, 86 R, 167 H, 35 2B, 9 3B, 21 HR, 102 RBI, 55 BB, 93 SO, .357 OBP, .859 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Broke Alan Trammell's (97) record for RBIs by a Tigers shortstop with 102. Hit .325 before the All-Star break, .267 after. Scouting report: Productive switchhitter. Quick, strong hands. Likes the ball down lefthanded, up righthanded. Stays back and causes damage all over the field from both sides. Converted SS. Moves to first base because of continuing knee problems. Shows soft hands at first, quick feet and excellent range, especially to the line. Very steady player. Grade: 3.5.
Placido Polanco — 2B 2007 line: .341 BA, 587 AB, 105 R, 200 H, 36 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 67 RBI, 37 BB, 30 SO, .388 OBP, .846 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Has a streak of 181 errorless games, making him the first MLB 2B to go an entire season without an error. Scouting report: Prototypical No. 2 hitter. Short, inside-out stroke. Excellent bat handler. Consistently gets the fat part of the bat to the ball and uses the whole field. Can spin on the ball for power if he's looking inside. Runs the bases intelligently. Quality 2B. Has quick feet to go with soft hands. Always seems to be in position to catch the ball and make the throw. Turns the double play very well. Grade: 3.8.
Miguel Cabrera — 3B 2007 line: .320 BA, 588 AB, 91 R, 188 H, 38 2B, 2 3B, 34 HR, 119 RBI, 79 BB, 127 SO, .401 OBP, .965 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Was second among MLB 3B with 23 errors with the Marlins. Had 34 HRs, second in Marlins franchise history for a single season (Gary Sheffield; 42, 1996). Scouting report: Middle-of-the-order bat. Short, quick stroke. Recognizes pitches early. Stays inside the ball and drives it to all fields. Shows serious power from right center on around. Can go in hard above his hands. Chases sliders with two strikes. Below-average 3B. Possesses a cannon for an arm, but moved sluggishly last year because of the extra weight he was carrying around. Can be difficult to handle. Grade: 4.0.
Edgar Renteria — SS 2007 line: .332 BA, 494 AB, 87 R, 164 H, 30 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 46 BB, 77 SO, .390 OBP, .860 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Went on the DL twice with an ankle sprain. Hit .333 (18-for-54) against the AL in '07 with Atlanta. Scouting report: Inside-out approach. Very good bat handler. Likes the ball up and shoots line drives to right, right center. Pulls for power if he's looking for the ball in or gets a mistake breaking ball. Delivers with runners in scoring position. Smooth SS. Has very good hands and instincts. Masks declining range with good jumps, especially to his left. Still shows a plus arm from the hole. Grade: 3.5.
Outfield
Ordonez was even better in 2007 than during his run-producing heyday with the Chicago White Sox. He batted .363 — becoming the first Tiger to win the batting title since Norm Cash in 1961 — and drove in 139 runs. Were it not for Alex Rodriguez, he would have been the AL MVP. Granderson, a budding star, was impressive in his own right. He became only the second player in big-league history to finish a season with 30 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. In many ways, though, the key to the offense is Sheffield, who seems likely to get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter.
Jacque Jones — LF 2007 line: .285 BA, 453 AB, 52 R, 129 H, 33 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 66 RBI, 34 BB, 70 SO, .335 OBP, .735 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Hit .424 with 34 RBIs in 66 ABs with runners in scoring position and two out (with the Cubs). Hit .332 after the All-Star break. Scouting report: Big uppercut swing. Very aggressive. Gears up for fastballs and lets the bat fly. Hits the ball with authority to all fields. Suffered through a power outage last summer, but made more consistent contact. Tends to be streaky. Athletic OF. Shows good range side to side. Comes in better than he goes back. Throws fine in left, but takes a long time to get rid of the ball. Grade: 2.5.
Curtis Granderson — CF 2007 line: .302 BA, 612 AB, 122 R, 185 H, 38 2B, 23 3B, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 52 BB, 141 SO, .361 OBP, .913 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Became the third MLB player with at least 20 HRs, 20 2Bs, 20 3Bs and 20 SBs in a season. His 23 3Bs were the most since Dale Mitchell's 23 for the Indians in 1949. Scouting report: Short, quick stroke. Aggressive line-drive hitter. Will shoot the pitch away to left, left center, but causes most of his damage to his pull side. Struggles against lefthanded pitching. Runs very well. Above-average CF. Continues to upgrade his jumps and routes. Accelerates to balls in the gaps and goes back with confidence. Displays a strong, accurate arm. Excellent makeup. Grade: 3.7.
Magglio Ordonez — RF 2007 line: .363 BA, 595 AB, 117 R, 216 H, 54 2B, 0 3B, 28 HR, 139 RBI, 76 BB, 79 SO, .434 OBP, 1.029 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Led MLB with .363 BA and hit .429 with runners in scoring position. His 354 total bases were the most for a Tigers player since Norm Cash's 354 in 1961. Scouting report: Quick, strong hands. Excellent pitch recognition. Has the bat speed to turn on fastballs, yet trusts his hands enough to wait on breaking pitches. Hits the ball with authority to all fields. Makes quick adjustments at the plate. Comes through in the clutch. Sound RF. Doesn't run that well anymore, but gets quick jumps and takes good angles to the ball. Throws accurately. Grade: 4.2.
Gary Sheffield — DH/OF 2007 line: .265 BA, 494 AB, 107 R, 131 H, 20 2B, 1 3B, 25 HR, 75 RBI, 84 BB, 71 SO, .378 OBP, .839 OPS. Significant stats/injuries: Limited to 133 games by a torn labrum in his shoulder that required postseason surgery. Had more BBs (84) than Ks (71) for the 16th time in his career. Scouting report: Outstanding eye/hand coordination. Rare bat speed. Controls the strike zone and lets the bat fly when he gets a pitch he can drive. Hits fastballs, breaking balls; makes pitch-to-pitch adjustments. Looks to turn on the ball, but will give in and go the other way with two strikes. Capable RF. Lacks consistency with his jumps, but takes good angles to the ball. Still throws well. Grade: 3.5.
Organization/management
Afterthoughts no more, the Tigers are now one of the strongest organizations in baseball. Dombrowski is well-respected in the game, enjoys great authority in owner Mike Ilitch's leadership structure, and works with a payroll that could top $125 million this year. In addition to superstars, Ilitch has shown a recent willingness to spend big on the amateur draft. The team's current ace (Verlander), a future top-of-the-rotation starter (Rick Porcello) and the big-name prospects integral to the Florida trade (outfielder Cameron Maybin and lefthander Andrew Miller) represent Detroit's last four first-round picks. Leyland, meanwhile, is one of the best managers in baseball. He keptlast year's team afloat despite all the injuries and seemed reinvigorated by the big acquisitions over the winter. Leyland, who will be 63 on Opening Day, is under contract through 2009. He enjoys such strong support among the players, organization and community that he may manage the Tigers as long as he wishes.

A Tiger for a few Years

The Cubs of the NFL

The state's lovable losers are back in the news. It is not really anything big this time. Just a simple article I read or tried to read today in the Detroit Free Press. Read the interview with running back Tatum Bell here. Let's just say that I am not very impressed with the English Departments at DeSoto High School in Texas and Oklahoma State University. Bell graduated from both schools and still can not speak intelligible English. As Jules from Pulp Fiction would say, "ENGLISH, MOTHER******! DO-YOU-SPEAK-IT?" Just another disgrace for this pathetic franchise.

On a lighter note, my sons took me to a charity basketball game for an early father's day present. We were present at Caro High School for the contest involving some of The Cubs of the NFL. The Tuscola County 4-H All Stars lost to a group of six active and former Lions. Dan Orlovsky, Sean McHugh, Casey Fitzsimmons, Rob Rubick, Luther Ellis, and Cory Schlesinger treated the crowd to a Harlem Globetrotteresque type game. My oldest son was on the floor for awhile playing for the Lions, and he scored a basket. Funny thing is, the 2 points he scored may be more points than the 3 active Lions will score in 2008.

It was the first time I have been to one of the Lions charity basketball games. It was a nice relaxing family atmosphere. The boys had a wonderful time getting autographs and pictures. Since they had a wonderful time, so did I. Thank you boys for the present.

This just in -- Lions interested in Pacman Jones? --- and the hits keep coming for the Lions

How does a Grapefuit become a Cactus?

This is a good article from The Ledger in Lakeland, FL regarding the recent exodus of teams from the Grapefruit League to the Cactus League.


Arizona Is Luring Teams Out of Florida

Once upon a time, a grapefruit tree and a cactus were planted within sight of each other. For a while, the grapefruit tree prospered thanks to the tender care of its owners. People came from miles around to admire it. The cactus received scant attention but set deep roots against the drought and waited.Then the owners of the grapefruit tree became distracted. Money got tighter. The grapefruit tree was watered and fertilized less and less. And the cactus? It began to grow. And as its owners began to admire it, the cactus blossomed, drawing folks from all around.Is this the emerging economic fable of baseball spring training between Florida's Grapefruit League and Arizona's Cactus League?Lately, the "big mo" in recruiting spring training baseball franchises belongs overwhelmingly to the Cactus League. Multiple teams have recently left Florida in favor of nicer, newer stadiums and stronger financial incentives in Arizona.Whether it is from Florida fatigue, financial stress or just arrogance, the Grapefruit League and its remarkable 100-year history of spring training history - not to mention an estimated $450-million annual boost and some 800,000 out-of-state visitors to the Sunshine State each spring - is showing signs of trouble.And we may be approaching a tipping point. If once dominant Florida boasted 20 spring training teams 10 years ago, that number will dwindle to 16 next year when the Los Angeles Dodgers, who played their final game at Dodgertown on Monday, leave Vero Beach after 60 years, and the Cleveland Indians exit Winter Haven for Arizona.Now come the Cincinnati Reds of Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium, a team that is on the verge of exiting Florida after nearly 90 years after being wooed aggressively by a Phoenix suburb called Goodyear. The Reds would share a new stadium with the Indians.If that happens, here's the score: Grapefruit League 15, Cactus League 15. An even split of teams.Nor is that the end of it. If the Chicago White Sox can lure a Florida team to replace them in Tucson, so they can move north to join the Dodgers in Glendale outside of Phoenix, Arizona will have one-upped Florida for the first time.And it leaves Florida with an increasing number of spring training stadiums from the Indians' fading Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven and the Reds' Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to the Orioles' Fort Lauderdale Park and, yes, even Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg in search of a replacement team or a reason to exist.This is not just about ego. We might want to be less cavalier in watching teams migrate west.Spring training is an important slice of Florida's tourism industry.There's another reason. Florida's two Major League Baseball franchises - the Tampa Bay Rays and the Florida Marlins - remain young and relatively fragile businesses whose regular season attendances rank near the bottom of Major League Baseball. They, too, would benefit from a state that scraps harder to keep its baseball traditions.It's not that people are not watching the games.The Grapefruit League drew a record 1,716,840 fans last year, an average of 6,243 per game, according to the Florida Sports Foundation.It's not that true fans dislike Florida."To me, the ark of the covenant, the holiest of holy places is wherever the Chicago Cubs are, yet I prefer spring training in Florida," actor and Cubs fan Bill Murray said after this year's governor's dinner saluting spring season in Florida. "I'm more familiar with the critters that you have down here in Florida. Out in the desert, who knows what things are? And nobody knows the antidote."Funny, but fair warning. Arizona has no intention of halting its vigorous recruiting tactics.Maybe the experts have an answer for Florida."In Florida, you get a better read on your players," said Andy MacPhail, the former CEO of the Cubs, in the 2003 book Spring Training: Baseball's Early Season."You don't have the high sky and hard infields that you have in Arizona," he said. "The ball doesn't carry as well. Sometimes in Arizona you get a little bit of a deceptive read."Obviously we're looking at Arizona all things being equal, we're an East Coast team. But we have a business to run. At the end of the day baseball is a business."[ Robert Trigaux writes for the St. Petersburg Times. ]

20 Somethings

Usually associated with very attractive females, the term "20 Somethings" has a few new meanings for me today.

24.55 - The Grapefruit League earned run average of Todd Barton Jones. Are you kidding me? He has pitched 3.2 innings of relief work. If that does not worry everyone in the Tiger organization as much as it worries me, then we may have major problems. I sort of expect GM Dombrowski to use Brandon Inge in a trade to acquire a reliever (especially if Zumaya and Rodney do not heal quickly).

June 21, 1985 - Will "The Thrill" Clark smacks a homerun off no-hit king Nolan Ryan in his first major league at-bat, not to mention his first major league swing. Why do I bring this up, today (03/13) is The Thrill's birthday.

20 - The Houston Rockets just won their 20th consecutive game last night. They have now joined the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks as the only teams in NBA history to win 20 in a row. The Lakers and Bucks each won championships. The Rockets have a long road ahead of them. No more Ming, will spell dome in the playoffs. By the way, with the Spurs losing last night, the Rockets and Spurs are now tied for first place in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.

$14,500,000 - Yes, I know this has nothing to do with 20 Something, but for this discussion it is close enough. Who can really tell the difference between 14 mill and 20 mill except for the math. Seriously, how does Major League Baseball get away with paying Bud Selig (interesting fact origanally my last name before the trip over to America by my ancesters was spelled Selig, thank goodness no relation) this kind of money. He has done nothing but embarrass the league. Yes he added the wild card. That was nothing more than jumping on the bandwagon. He has had the fortune of residing as commish in a very prosperous time. The game primarily came back from the brink of diaster after 1994 because he closed his eyes to the use of performance enhaning drugs.

Hunting from a Helicopter

I like to hunt. I like to fish. While I cannot imagine hunting from a helicopter (where is the fun), does that give someone (enviormentalist) the right to tell someone they can not do it. Especially if it does not break any laws. Well, that is what is happening in Florida.

Logan Kensing, a relief pitcher for the Florida Marlins, has come under attack from the Palm Beach County Enviormental Coalition (PBCEC). The PBCEC wants the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria to make Kensing stop hunting from helicopters. Kensing is engaging in a legal activity (no Michael Vick here), and no one or group has the right to tell him he can not do this activity. The PBCEC has every right to tell him what they think of hunting in general (not just from copters). I am sure no of them have ever been in the woods with a firearm or bow. They have every right to protest or picket or whatever they do. But do not tell him he can not do it. If you want to law changed, go through the correct channels and stop acting like a foolish environmental group!

Curtis Granderson

This is the face of the Detroit Tigers. I believe whatever talent the Tigers have, this is the person everyone knows and seeks out. I like the national exposure he gets (see video below). He is a heck of a ballplayer, and seems like just as good of a person.