Month: May 2014

Don’t look now…

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but the Tigers have lost four in a row and that vaunted pitching staff is getting beaten into a conniption by teams that were struggling offensively.  What is it with Tigers pitching that allows struggling offensive teams to get healthy?  Remember the San Diego series in April?

Here’s another astute observation, the Tigers don’t have a shortstop.

The only highlight of this afternoons 9-2 loss to the Rangers was that Danny Worth may have found a way to stay in the big leagues.  He can throw a knuckle ball and pitched a scoreless ninth inning and struck out two.

There’s not much more to say.  The Rangers took the Tigers out behind the woodshed.

Let’s hope the losing streak stops at four.

 

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

Sweep Complete…

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Indians 11 Tigers 10.

The Tigers lost this game because their entire pitching staff was abominable today with one exception.

For regular readers you know that I recently read Bob Feller’s Little Black Book of Baseball.  The thing I found most interesting in the book was that Rapid Robert said the only pitching statistic that mattered was WINS.

When you look at baseball, or any other sport, The Heater From Van Meter is spot on.  At the end of the year the only thing most fans care about is did their team win.

Applying that thought pattern to today’s game my abominable exception from today’s Tigers pitching performance is Max Scherzer.  His line looks horrible.  He gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits, two walks and five strikeouts.  But he found a way to last seven complete and when he left the game he and the Tigers had a chance to win.  If he had any help from his friends in the pen, the sweep would have been avoided.

After the game Mickey sent me a text asking why Phil Coke is still on the team.  I don’t have an answer.  Can anybody help me out?

Tomorrow is a new day.  The game is another afternoon start at home against the Rangers.

 

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

 

Indians 6 Tigers 2

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Ok, so, that 1984 euphoric feeling is fading just a little.  What bothered me most about tonight’s game was JV.  He’s the Tigers Ace.  And we needed him to be a stopper tonight.  After a rough outing from Smyly last night, the Tigers needed seven strong innings from JV but didn’t even get a quality start.

What makes this more troubling is this is JV’s third non-quality start in a row.

The offense doesn’t get a free pass for tonight either.  They squandered chances to cash in runs mostly by grounding into three double plays.

So, eight games in to the road trip, the Tigers are 6-2, not bad, but avoiding a sweep tomorrow afternoon would go a long way to regaining the warm and fuzzies.

Also, I thought the strike zone was an abomination for both pitchers.  Before Verlander even took the mound I was complaining to Nebraska that home plate umpire, Gabe Morales, was squeezing Trevor Bauer.

Let’s hope Max can be the stopper.

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

Indians 5 Tigers 4

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Well,  I guess the Tigers can’t win them all and truthfully, last night, the Tigers didn’t pitch well enough to win.  I know they only gave up five runs but that was mostly due to the Indian’s inept hitting. (Sound eerily familiar?)

Between a combined six base on balls, five by starter Drew Smyly, and 14 Indians hits there was traffic on the base paths all night and it seemed like the Tigers were pitching out of trouble all night.

When J.D. Martinez hit the game tying shot in the bottom of the ninth, visions of 1984 raced through my brain.  However, when Rod Allen said, in the bottom of the 10th, that The Amazing Al couldn’t let Michael Brantley beat them, I knew it was over.  And it was.

Let’s hope for a good outing from JV tonight.

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

 

TIGERS COMPLETE SWEEP…

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Thrash Red Sox 6-2.

Other than the two errors, one by Avila and one by DK, that should have been charged to Avila, this was a thorough ass kicking.  The Tigers strolled into Fenway Park and beat the Sox into a conniption in every facet of each game.

The beating couldn’t have been administered to a nicer bunch of shit dogs.

Off to Cleveland tomorrow with Smyly against Kluber.

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

Freeway Rick does it again…

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he beat the Red Sox into a conniption one more time. Behind eight masterful innings from Tigers’ Ace, and AL Cy Young leader, the Tigers took the Red Sox out behind the woodshed and put the boots to them, but good, thoroughly thrashing them 6-1.

Ricky’s performance harkens me back to a gray, rainy day at Fenway Park in 2009. The shit birds from Boston decided to play tough guy and threw at Tigers hitters, Miggy, if my memory serves me correctly.  When it was the Sox turn to bat, a 20 year old rookie took to the hill.  He knocked down then Red Sox tough guy, Kevin Youkilis and showed the league that a crime against the Detroit Tigers would not go unpunished.  The bald, portly Red Sox hitter charged the mound.  When he arrived, he was in for a big surprise.  The fresh faced, 20 year old, rookie, Tigers, pitcher tossed Youk to the ground like a pile of trash.  And if not for outside intervention and Christian Grace, Youk would have been handed a beating he would not soon forget.

The young Tigers pitcher that day, the 20 year old from New Jersey, was non other than Frederick Alfred Porcello, aka Freeway Ricky.

Five years later, Freeway Rick put it to the Sox again in Fenway.  He threw eight complete, struck out four, walked one and allowed a lucky earned run.

Freeway Ricky was dominant.  The Red Sox didn’t belong on the same field.

If it wasn’t for Porcello’s mastery, I’d be talking about Phil Coke’s nice ninth inning or Miggy’s 3-5 day at the plate.

With no disrespect to the rest of the Tigers team, this was Freeway Ricky’s day. He reached back like a pimp and gave the Red Sox an 18th of May they will never, ever, forget.

Sanchez on the hill tomorrow for the sweep.

Has anybody noticed Miggy is 3rd in the AL in RBIs?

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

Jason Grilli, A Jackass, In his own words

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For those of us that remember Jason Grilli as a Tiger, a few things come to mind:

  1. First, how did he stick around for so long:
  2. Second, despite his recent success, is his career worthy of an autobiography?

I can’t answer the first one but the answer to question two is, apparently Grilli thinks it is. He’s written one, “Just My Game”.

I always had the feeling that Grilli was a bad guy but didn’t really care after the Tigers sent him out of town.  However, Charlie Wilmoth, at SB Nation wrote a review of ‘Just My Game’ and confirms my suspicions.

If you needed any more evidence of what a Shit Bird Grilli is, apparently, his agent is non other than Gary Sheffield.  While Grilli could be classified as a shit bird, Sheffield would have to be included among the ranks of Shit Dogs.

I’ll never forget the conversation that took place when the Tigers told Grilli he was done with the Tigers.

Dave Dombrowski: Jason we’ve decided to go move our club in a different direction and you don’t fit into our plans.

Jason Grilli: What are you talking about?

DD: (Giggling under his breath.) We somehow convinced Colorado to take you off of our hands.

JG: What are you talking about?

DD: Here’s your bus ticket, report to the Rockies tomorrow.

JG: What are you talking about?

DD: You blow! You’re out of here.  You’re uncle in Colorado has agreed to take you off of our hands.

JG: (Furious, confused, slamming his glove on desk.) Who are you getting in return.

DD: (Giggling.) Well, here’s the thing Jason, sometimes deals add to a ball club by subtraction.  Colorado isn’t sending anybody here.  Mr. I owes your Dad a favor and got Colorado to give you a shot so we wouldn’t have to send you to the Mongolian Pygmy league.  See, it is addition by subtraction.  The Tigers get rid of you and are automatically a better team.

JG: I don’t understand?

DD: What’s not to understand?  You have a 4.31 ERA and there is no situation we can bring you into where we have any hope of success.

JG: This is bullshit.

DD: So is your pitching.

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

Tigers Sweep Orioles with 7-5 Victory,,,

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which is a good thing.  I’ve been delinquent with my game analysis because I’m suffering from debilitating back pain. It makes it very hard for me to sit behind my computer for more than a few minutes at a time.  In fact, I had a major ordeal just getting back home so I can see a doctor..

That being said,  I have been able to listen to the games on my iPhone, my third favorite gadget behind my iPad and satellites radio, and JV is starting to piss me off.  He gave up five runs today and from what I can tell the majority of the runs came off of hanging breaking balls.  If he can’t throw that pitch decently, perhaps he needs to scrap it or throw it less; MUCH LESS.

On another note, JV’s real trouble started with two out in the fifth.  With David Lough at first it looked, and sounded like, Verlander struck out Machado and the inning should have been over. Unfortunately, home plate umpire, John Tumpane, decided to change the strike zone.  JV walked Machado on what had been a strike all day long, and before we knew it, the O’s had put five on the board.

OK, I’m in a pissy mood but if a pitch is getting hammered why keep throwing it?  Is it just hubris?  It didn’t cost the Tigers today but JV better get his head out of his ass before it becomes costly.

Like I said, I’m in pain and in a mood but I’m happy for the win!

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