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.

Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers won their Grapefruit League opener against the New York Mets 4-2. One quick observation from the game (from www.detroittigers.com)

"Tigers on the mound: Jeremy Bonderman, pitching without his breaking ball to focus on his other pitches early, allowed two runs on four hits in two innings. Jason Grilli and Zach Miner each pitched two innings of scoreless relief."

Let's hope the Bonderman thing does not continue through the rest of the spring and the regular season. Someone has to get in this guys head and talk him out of his early game struggles.

Grapefruit League Baseball

Hail To The Victors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In early action, the University of Michigan Wolverines are defeating the New York Mets 4-2 in the top of the 9th. Looks like UM will have another good baseball team this year.

The Mets tied the score in the bottom of the 9th. The game ended in a tie.

Bless You Boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the top of the 5th inning, the Tigers are defeating Florida Southern College 12-4. Newly acquired third baseman Miguel Cabrera homered in his first at bat of the spring, a two-run shot with one out in the first inning. Polanco (1st) and Inge (2nd) homered in the game as well.

Detroit ended up winning 17-4.

It's a results-oriented business

I am not quite sure why I allow myself to get so upset over the Lions, when I have stated before on this blog that the problem lies with the owner and not the GM, but Millen did state that "It's a results-oriented business".

Take a quick look at the RESULTS that other general managers in the Detroit sports scene have put together.

1. Ken Holland-Detroit Red Wings - In his 11th year (10th season thanks NHLPA), Holland has amassed a winning percentage of .663. Throw in 2 Stanley Cups (1998, 2002), and I would say the old goalie knows something about results.
2. Joe Dumars-Detroit Pistons - In his 8th season playing chess with the Detroit roundballers, Joe D has put together a winning percentage of .631. With one championship under his belt, Dumars seems poised to change to address at The Palace of Auburn Hills to 6 Championship Drive. He can produce results.
3. Bill Laimbeer-Detroit Shock - In 5 seasons as the main man, the former grumpy Piston as been to the finals 3 times and has 2 championships. Throw in a .618 winning percentage, and you have results.
4. Dave Dombrowski-Detroit Tigers - Through 5 seasons with the GM hat (he was only President in 2002 - remember Randy Smith), the three time GM has accumalted a winning percentage of .456, not bad considering he had a winning percentage of .265 in his first year as GM. Throw in a trip to the World Series in 2006, his results are starting to show.

A pretty impressive resume for our hometown GMs, so one would conclude that the man who stated in a recent interview "It's a reults-oriented business" or "Things have been defined" was none other than Scott Pioli, the GM for the New England Patroits. As everyone could guess, it was not Pioli, but the Detroit Lions very own Matt Millen

The same Matt Millen who in 7 seasons charge has amassed a whopping winning percentage of .277 (just a hare better than the Tigers in 2003). So if that is results to Matt Millen, I would hate to see how he defines losing. Mr. Millen you have not produced results. You have not even show progress towards results. In fact the only thing that has been defined is, you are a failure as a GM. Please resign, and save whatever face you have remaining.

Enough football, until fall. (I hope)

Other Musings

1. Is anyone really surprised by what is happening down in Bloomington, Indiana? Hoosier fans have a right to be upset, but should be more upset with the administration of IU than with Sampson. When you make deals with the devil, when you play with matches, you usually get burned. Kelvin Sampson is a great basketball coach, but does not like to follow the rules that the NCAA has put forth.
2. The Pistons should start to worry about their nemisis on Lake Erie. The proposed trade bringing help to King James, will make them a very solid team.
3. Scott Boras is having a tuff few months. First A-Rod drops him, then Kenny Rogers, and now Sheffield has Boras in his sights again. I guess everyone gets their comeupance.
4. A generational divide when it comes to the DH. Click on the link. A very good blog. I just wish the NL would get over themselves already and move to the DH.

Trivia Question

What Detroit Tiger pitcher, has the best single-season hits allowed per 9IP ratio? Answer will come on Monday.

In 1998, Jeff Robinson had his best year in the major leagues posting a 13-6 record with a 2.98 ERA. In doing so, Jeff also has the Tiger single season record for hits allowed per 9IP - 6.33

Spring is Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

What, you say spring does not begin until March 20th. Well, I say you are wrong. Spring starts today, February 14th. Baseball season officially starts today, as the Detroit Tiger's pitchers and catchers report to spring training. It is ironic how I have to share St. Valentine's Day with both loves of my life - my lovely wife and the game of baseball. She should be used to it be now, we did visit Cooperstown on our honeymoon.

I want to dedicate this begining of spring 2008 to the three men who helped shape my love of the game. First and foremost, I want to thank my father, Alfred Henry Selich. His love for the game was deep and passionate. He was my first coach. He preached fundamentals, and was always thinking ahead to the next play. He hated to lose, but always won or lose with integrity. He passed his love and passion for the game to his three sons, and we still carry that love and passion today. He has since passed to a better place. This is the time of the year that I think about him the most.

Secondly, I want to thank my great uncle and long time Mt. Pleasant JV Baseball coach, Frank Demski. Uncle Frank, my mother's uncle, is a person that I always wanted to see when we went to Mt. Pleasant to visity my grandfather. He was always willing to play catch or throw BP. Even now, I can go to Frank Demski Field in Mt. Pleasant and tell my kids who he was and what he meant to me and my love of the game.

Lastly, I want to thank Mr. Harry Kern, the long time baseball coach at Millington High School. I first remember meeting Mr. Kern in the spring of 1985 at baseball tryouts. I could not believe that I had finally met someone outside of my family that loved the game as much as we did. It was amazing. The spring seemed to fly by, as I sat and listened and loved all the stories and phliosophies that this man had to share. It was like I had a front row seat with Ernie Harwell. To this day, whenever I see Mr. Kern, I just love to talk baseball with him.

To all three men, thank you. Happy spring to all, and Go Tigerssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yzerman Inducted

"The Captain" has defined the Detroit Red Wings my entire adult life. He was the person the Red Wings looked to lead them to Lord Stanley's cup. He was the person they looked to for the big goal. He was the person they looked to for the great pass. He was the person they looked to for the inspirational speach. For 20+ years he was the Red Wings. He has now taken his place among the great sports figures from Michigan.

Last evening, Steve Yzerman was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. A recogintion well deserved.

Yzerman is one the those throw back athletes. He is loyal to the team that drafted him number 4 overall in the 1983 draft, spending his in entire career in Hockeytown. He is the silent leader who avoided trouble. He is a role model for kids. He is the person hockey players should aspire to be.

Steve Yzerman is arguably the greatest sports figure in Michigan sports history. In my opinion, he is the greatest. Yes, bigger than Gordie Howe, Al Kaline, Joe Dumars, Alan Trammell, etc. Congrats!!!!!!!!!

Chris Berman exposed
Boomer has a potty mouth. Beware of explicit, but funny lanugage. I had one of those days last week:) Smile Chris, and have a cold pint.

Quitting

Let me start this by saying, that if I ever had the chance to send my kids to college to play basketball I would have sent them anywhere Bob Knight was the head coach. I believe that he took boys and made men out of them. He may not have always acted like a gentlemen or a scholar, but he always turned out men.

That said, why in the world is he quitting on his team? The man who always pushed his team to the limits. Never say never. Do not quit. He is quitting. By all accounts coming out of Texas it is not for health reasons, but because he is tired. What he was not tired in September when he signed a contract extension? Was he not tired before he won his 900th career game?

I am sure a lot of people will be reaping praise on this man (even the ones who tried to hang him years ago), but this was nothing but a cowardly, hypocritical decision. He is quitting on his team.