Month: March 2014

Tigers open 2014 with a win

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It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.  The Tigers prevailed 4-3, over the Royals in the 2014 season opener.

JV looked pretty good.  He gave up only 2 earned runs and lasted  six innings.  He could have lasted longer but the defense behind him was, not good.  Torii Hunter dropped a routine fly ball in the second, shortstop Alex Gonzalez made an error in the fourth and Nick Castellanos, although he wasn’t charged with an error, failed to catch a ball in foul territory.

I was very pleased with the way the Tigers battled back in the late innings after trailing 3-1.

Also notable: A Squared money was 1 for 2 with 2 BB.  Victor hit a solo shot.  Castellanos and Gonzalez each had two hits.

 

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

 

I don’t like it!

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The Miguel Cabrera contract, that is.  By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard that the Tigers and Cabrera have agreed to a 10 year $292 million contract extension.

That being said, Cabrera is the best hitter in baseball and one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen.  But 10 years for a guy that is already 30 years old?  I think it will work out fine for four or five years but will then hang upon the neck of the Tigers organizations like a South African necklace.

Oh well, it is not my money.  All I want is a World Series.  It has been 30 years.

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

End nearing for Ichiro?

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It looks like it.  According to this report, Ichiro is the Yankees’ 5th outfielder.

The time comes for all of them, no matter their former greatness. And so it has come for Ichiro Suzuki.

No longer a slap-hitting machine at 40, Ichiro has an uncertain role on the New York Yankees roster. Actually, maybe it is quite certain, just not very vital. As the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes:

“[The Yankees] have a four-man outfield/DH rotation with Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Alfonso Soriano. That makes Ichiro the majors’ most-famous fifth outfielder.”

Should he stick with the Yankees, Sherman estimates he’ll start weekly, be inserted for late-inning defense, pinch hit and pinch run. At the end of the year, he might total 200 plate appearances.

Hat Tip: Nebraska

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

“Like a Ferrari is a car.”

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said Paul Reid of the Palm Beach Post.

Reid was interviewing Teddy Ballgame late in Ted’s life.

Sliding a baseball across his kitchen table Ted Williams told Reid, “I was a ballplayer.”  Reid’s reply was, ” like a Ferrari is a car.”

Any baseball fan should consider reading , The Kid –  The Immortal Life of Ted Williams, by Ben Bradley. It’s long but fantastic.

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

 

Nice article about Iggy…

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From SportsOnEarth, Motown Motivation by Matt Crossman:

Iglesias’ hands are so fast, and his range so vast, that when second baseman Ian Kinsler was traded to the Tigers in the offseason, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia sent Kinsler a warning via text: “Hey, man, you’re going to love Iggy. But keep your glove up. You’ll get hit right in the teeth, look like a hockey player.”

Iglesias’ defensive reputation has preceded him since he learned to field grounders hit by his dad on a diamond near their house in Cuba. The better Iglesias got at catching them, the more he scooted in, and the harder his dad hit them.

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

Ian Kinsler Glad To Leave Rangers…

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In a candid interview with ESPN, Kinsler calls Texas GM, Jon Daniels, a “sleazeball” and says he hopes the Rangers go 0-162.

Here is a link to the interview.

Ian Kinsler and Family
(Kinsler, along with wife Tess, Jack and Rien, is signed through 2017 — long enough, he hopes, for his kids to remember seeing him play.)

Interestingly, Kinsler says that after the Rangers made it to the world series everybody got a big ego, except, Nolan Ryan.

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