Month: October 2013

Tigers 1 Red Sox 0

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Nebraskaknows hit it right on the head when he said he “feels like a thief in the night” after the Tigers 1-0 win in game 1 of the 2013 American League Championship Series.

The Tigers pitching staff was fabulous again tonight.  As a staff they allowed only one hit and no runs.  It would be hard to ask much more from a pitching staff.

The Tigers offense strove for an unprecedented level of ineptitude.  The Boston pitchers were good but the Tigers offense was an abomination.  They managed only 1 run on 9 hits.

Without an extra base hit it takes the Tigers 4 hits in an inning to score a single run. The likely hood of that scenario playing out is not very good and this pathetic excuse for an offense is living proof.

Miguel Cabrera hit a ball in the corner tonight.  It bounced around, the outfielder bobbled it and still Cabrera could only get to first base.

Austin Jackson is on the verge of becoming un-playable.  He is doing absolutely nothing.  He did have a single tonight but struck out 2 more times.  In six postseason games this year he is hitting .200 with 15 strikeouts.  The Tigers may not have another center fielder but Austin needs to be moved out of the lead off spot. No matter how much I like him he has become an embarrassment at the plate.

In the top of the 9th he had a chance to make up for some of his struggles by doing something useful at the plate.  Iggy lead off with a single.  The Tigers needed Jackson to move him over.  AJax tried twice to bunt him over but couldn’t get the job done.  He ended up striking out.  What made matters worse was the Torii Hunter followed Jackson with a double to left field moving Iggy to third.

At this point all the Tigers needed was a fly ball to push across a second run and give Benoit some breathing room.  Unfortunately, as a result of substitutions, Don Kelly was now hitting in Cabrera’s spot.  DK struck out on 3 pitches.

I thought Leyland managed masterfully in the last game against Oakland.  But today’s moves leave me almost in shock.  With a one run lead Leyland had Cabrera and Peralta on the bench for the remainder of the game.  He got away with it today but for me these types of moves are asking for trouble.

Back at it tomorrow.

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Mitch Albom “Winds blow. Things change.”

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Here is a nice game four article from Mitch Albom, H/T Alice.

From the freep dot com:

How fast was Austin Jackson’s heart beating? All his failures were around him. The only way out was in front of him. Ten times he had struck out in this series — three times in this game already! — and there were two strikes on him again, in the bottom of the seventh, with two out and the bases loaded and the score tied in what could be the last game of the year in Detroit.

How fast was he breathing? How heavy was that bat? “I was screaming at him from the on-deck circle, ‘Dig in! Dominate!’ ” Torii Hunter would say. “Anything to put something positive in his head.” The pitch came in hard from Oakland left-hander Sean Doolittle, and Jackson swung and made contact, hearing the “thwack” of cracking wood.

His bat was dead.

But the ball was alive.

Keep reading here.

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Tigers Game 5 Pre-Game Speech

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This speech is courtesy of TigerSnark, H/T Nebraskaknows:

DAVE DOMBROWSKI: Gentlemen, congratulations on rebounding in Game Four and getting to this point. But you all know that the ultimate goal this season is a World Series championship. We in the organization are proud of you, as is the city of Detroit. But you all will be remembered for what happens on this field tonight. We need to win this game and move on to Boston in the ALCS. Now Jim here isn’t the kind of guy that believes in pregame speeches.

JIM LEYLAND: (Grumble)Horseshit(Mumble)…

DOMBROWSKI: That’s why we’ve flown in someone who is. I want you all to feel the gravity of the situation. Please pay attention to everything he has to say. This man is a winner and has been in your shoes before. He is…

(clubhouse doors kicked open)

Click here to read the rest of the speech.  You’ll love it.

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Generations

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Gene Strenzel was born in 1935 and remembers attending the 1951 All Star Game with his grandfather at Briggs Stadium.  He saw “The Georgia Peach”, Tyrus Raymond Cobb, throw out the first pitch and he saw George Kell and Stan Musial hit home runs.

For most Americans the love of baseball is something you’re born with.  It is passed down from generation to generation.  For me, baseball was passed down to me from my Mother.

It all started with game 6 of the 1977 World Series.  I was watching the game with my Mom.  I watched Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on his last three swings.

I was hooked.

Reggie was my man.

Baseball was my game.

Baseball had been passed down to another generation.

On October 7th, 2013, Gene Strenzel attended game four of the American League Division Series with his daughter Jill and Jill’s daughters Elli and Jodi.  Three generations of one family taking in an important baseball game.

Baseball is passed down to another generation.

Here are some photos of their experience.

Jill_daughtersJill_family Jill_family_1 Jill_sign

Gene Strenzel Jill_family2

“It isn’t heaven but it’s pretty darn close.” -Ray Liota

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Tigers 3 A’s 0

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The Tigers are moving on to the ALCS starting in Boston on Saturday night.

The game five win over the A’s was delivered by Justin Verlander who was the JV vintage 2011/2012.

He was, to steal another line, this time from The Game, By Neil Strauss, “smokin balls!”.  He was almost un-hittable.  He pitched 8 complete, threw 111 pitches, struck out 10 and walked one.  In fact, he had a perfect game before walking Reddick in the 6th, and a no hitter that was broken up by a Cespedes single in the 7th.

Miggy provided most of the offense with a two run shot in fourth.

At first I was livid that Jim Leyland didn’t send JV out for the 9th.  But in a post game interview Verlander said that he told Leyland he was running on fumes.

In came Benoit for the 9th.  After getting the first two hitters, Joaquin put the tying runners on base, but got Seth Smith to hit a fly ball to Hunter to end the game.

Benoit seems to be continuing the tradition set by previous Tigers’ closers, Todd Jones and Jose Valverde, he makes it interesting but gets the job done most of the time.  Joaquin scares me but I hope he can get it done.

I could bitch about the offense like I always do but there’s nothing more to say.  They had plenty of chances to blow this game wide open but couldn’t get the big hit.  Not much new here.

That being said, Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta deserve credit for their offense.  Martinez hit .450 and Peralta .417.  Nobody else in the lineup is close to .300.

Austin Jacskon has become a problem at the worst time.  He has been HORRIBLE to put it mildly.  He struck out 3 more times today.  I think that makes 12 times this series.  It’s hard to generate offense when your lead hitter isn’t even making contact.  But at this point, I’m not sure if there is anything to do except hope.

I’m hoping for the best in Boston but I’m done with predictions.  I’m just enjoying (sort of) the ride.  I hope it ends with a World Series Championship!

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

Tigers 8 A’s 6

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Finally, the bats came to life and bailed out the pitching staff which, for the second straight game, was less than stellar.

Doug Fister put in a quality start but I thought it was going to take something spectacular to win this game.

The offense continued its ineptitude through four innings.  However, in the bottom of the 5th and trailing 3-0, the Tigers bats showed signs of life and tied it up on a three run homer from Jhonny Peralta.

After the 5th, the Tigers bats did something they haven’t done in a long time, score in another inning.  In fact the Tigers continued to score with two in the 7tth and three more in the 8th,.  And they needed them.

Max Scherzer relieved Fister in the 7th and got the win.  Max has to get a lot of credit for pitching out of a bases loaded, no out, jam in the 8th to preserve a one run Tiger lead but the jam was his own making.  He walked the lead-off man in the 8th, a no-no in any situation, but even a bigger problem late in an elimination game.

Peralta and Martinez each had big home runs but the biggest hits came from Austin Jackson and Omar Infante.

Jackson, who is in one of the worst funks I’ve ever seen big league hitter in, came through with a single in the 7th to drive in a run and give the Tigers a 5-4 lead.  Prior to his single, Jackson had struck out three more times making it 9 Ks in his last 10 at bats.  Jackson didn’t hit a rocket but it was a much needed hit both personally and for the Tigers as a team.

The Tigers scored their 6th run on a wild pitch in the 8th then Omar delivered a two run double extending the Tigers lead to 8-4.

Joaquin Benoit came in to pitch the 9th and didn’t have his A game.  He made it interesting.  He allowed two runs and stranded the tying runs on base.

I’m a little worried about Joaquin.

I know Miggy is hurt but I’m disappointed in his at bat to lead off the bottom of the 8th.  Miggy swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out to third.  I know he can’t run but I was hoping he’d take a pitch or two to see if he could get a free pass.  With the way the Tigers offense has been struggling they can use all of the base runners they can get.

There were a few substitutions that worried me.  In the bottom of the 7th Peralta doubled but was pinch run for by Andy Dirks.  In bottom of the 8th Victor singled and went to second when Andy Dirks walked.  Hernan Perez then pinch ran for Victor.  At this point the Tigers were only up 5-4 and with the substitutions, their two hottest hitters would not bat again if the game went to extra innings.

The moves ended up working out OK.  Perez scored the 6th run on a wild pitch and it is doubtful if Victor would have scored in that situation.

In any case, everything worked out today and game five is Thursday with JV on the mound.  I’m done with predictions, I’ll just have to wait and see.

It’s still “F*** or walk”.

I’m hoping for the best.

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

A’s 6 Tigers 3

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Well it all comes down to tomorrow’s game.

The Tigers have scored a combined 6 runs in the first 3 games of this series.  If the offense is ever going to do something tomorrow would be a good day to start.

Anibal Sanchez was not good today and the offense couldn’t bail him out.

Austin Jacskson struck out 2 more times today making it 6 Ks in 2 games.  I hate to pick on AJax because he has plenty of company but he’s the lead-off man.  He’s supposed to be the offensive catalyst and he’s not even having good at bats.  But again, nobody else is doing anything either.

I hate to even think this but does anybody think putting Dirks in the lead-off spot might help?  He batted lead-off around 6 week ago and went 4-4.  I know this is a stretch but I’m looking for anything at this point.  The offense has to start earning its keep.  This is ridiculous!

This is what I’m thinking, have Dirks bat lead-off and play left. Have Peralta DH and have Victor catch.  Alex will have to sit.

This lineup might seem like a drastic change but tomorrow is time to “F*** or walk” to steal a line from Glengarry Glen Ross.

The only starter in today’s lineup batting .300 or better is Omar Infante.

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural

A’s 1 Tigers 0

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The A’s tied the series tonight courtesy of a 1-0 win handing the Tigers their 13th shutout of the season.

There was nothing new to see here.  The Tigers got tremendous pitching and no offense.

I was listening to the post game show on the radio and Dan Dickerson said that the Tigers have scored in only 5 of their last 54 innings going back to the last week of the season.

Miguel Cabrera has carried this team for years.  Now he’s hurt and there is nobody there to pick him up.

Austin Jackson was embarrassing. He went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts.  He took fast balls down the middle and then swung at every other piece of garbage Sonny Gray threw to him.

Torii Hunter was 0-4 with 2 Ks.

Prince Fielder was 0-4.

In fact, the Tigers only managed 4 hits.  Cabrera had one, DK had 2 and Iggy had the other one.

Speaking of DK, he got the start in left tonight.  I wonder if Puppet Master, Jim Leyland, read last night’s game post. 🙂

The pitching left nothing to complain about.  The only thing I might have done differently would have been to bring Ricky in after the lead off hit by Cespedes in the 9th.  But really, how can I complain about a game where the pitching staff surrendered 1 run and lost.  Everything can be second guessed.

Monday is a 1:00 pm start at Comerica Park.  The Tigers will need a big start from Sanchez.  What’s new?

“God I love baseball.” -Roy Hobbs | The Natural