Year: 2015

Tigers 2 Royals 1

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The bi-polar Tigers, behind new acquisition Matt Boyd, put in a masterful performance tonight and downed the Kansas City Royals 2-1 tonight at Comerica Park.

This game was the complete opposite of last night’s game. They got great starting pitching, executed on offense and flashed leather on defense.

Speaking of Flashin’ Leather, J.D. Martinez doesn’t get enough credit for the way he plays right field.  He made a catch in the ninth inning that looked like it was headed for the gap.  Physically, he doesn’t look like he should be a good fielder but he always seems to make nice, if not incredible, catches.

http://m.mlb.com/det/video/topic/8877502/v336051883/?c_id=det

It’s either J.D. or Alex Wilson for team M.V.P. (Blaine Hardy could be a close third.)

How about Matt Boyd?  He out duels Johnny Cueto in his third career start going seven innings allowing only one run and walking ZERO!  Walking ZERO is the most impressive stat in my humble opinion.

Anthony Gose gets an honorable Flashin Leather mention for his catch in the ninth as well.

Two of the last three games the Tigers have sent rookies to the hill and they’ve delivered gems.  Let’s hope they can continue because I’m not sure what to expect from Sanchez, Simon, and Verlander.

I can’t say BIG win any more so I’ll say NICE win.

What do you think about the new site theme?

Royals 5 Tigers 1

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Well this game was a cacophony of nonsense.  Verlander was just short of terrible.  The hitting was horrible. The fielding was sub-par and the base running was embarrassing.  The Tigers, tonight, were hard to watch.

The big news, however, was the release of general manager Dave Dombrowski.  I wasn’t completely surprised.  I figured that since he hadn’t been extended he was probably gone.  I just didn’t expect it to be now.

I don’t know much about Al Avila but I was hoping Dombrowski’s replacement would be an advanced metrics person. Perhaps the former Angels’ GM?  I’m sick and tired of the same old thing. I want to see something new; a change of direction. I want to see new ideas.  I’m afraid we are going to get more of the same.

Or perhaps the Tigers could get a real old school GM that believes in good base running, moving runners over, scoring runners at third with less than two outs, not bouncing into five double plays a game. I want to see something other than the garbage I’ve watched this season.  I want to see another World Series champion.

Miracle On Ice, Newly Discovered Original Live Call

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Check out this incredible, newly discovered, original play-by-play call of The Miracle On Ice, perhaps the greatest upset in the history of team sports. When the USA shocked Russia, 4-3, at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Curt Chaplin was covering the game as a sports reporter for the ABC Radio Network. Standing on a camera platform in the crowd, he did play-by-play of the entire game into his tape recorder, capturing the event on tape forever. Now, after 25 years, these tapes have been rediscovered and matched to the video. The result is a dramatic, stirring and completely original experience for sports fans all over the world. Now you can relive the #1 sports upset of the 20th Century in a whole new way, through new eyes and a new voice. Still as fresh and exciting as the day it happened. Curt’s call has been accepted as an exhibit by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. If you know any hockey players, fans or anyone who loves sports, send them the link. They should all see it.

Baseball or Hockey for Kivett

Crippy Baseball

Ross Kivett plays baseball like a hockey player…

Minoring In Baseball's avatarMinoring In Baseball

19202505339_f28164d0d8_zMiLB.com did a great story on West Michigan Whitecaps outfielder Ross Kivett. Growing up on Ohio, Kivett started playing hockey at an early age, and only started baseball when he was 12. He’s having a nice season in West Michigan, so it looks like he made the right decision, and that’s not taking anything away from the great sport of hockey. I know for me living here in Michigan, hockey is huge (especially the town I’m living in right now). For me as a kid, the only two sports were baseball and hockey. It made sense, too, playing baseball all summer and hockey all winter, and they continue to be the true sport loves of my life. I really don’t think that kids play multiple sports like I did as a kid, and it’s too bad. You can read the full article on Ross HERE.

Photo property of Minoring…

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Tigers 6 O’s1

Crippy Baseball

In his Tigers debut, Rookie Daniel Norris, spoiled Sark’s prediction. It looked like the Tigers were on their way to dropping the last three games or their four game series with Baltimore after squeaking out the first game 9-8 but Daniel Norris had other ideas. He pitched a gem.

Norris lasted 7.1 innings allowing only one earned run, a solo home run, off the bat of Chris Davis.

The Tigers ended their 10 game road trip 4-6. All things considered, not that bad of a road trip. It’s amazing what good pitching will do.

“It’s not how fast you skate, it’s how fast you think.”

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Here is a fascinating article from former Red Wing Igor Larionov from The Players’ Tribune:

I roll my eyes whenever I hear people talk about how fast the game is now and how sophisticated the systems have become. Watching the game, does it really seem much faster? Does it really seem more advanced? We had a saying in the Soviet days that I wish more coaches and scouts would adopt today: It’s not how fast you skate, it’s how fast you think.

For those not familiar with Igor and his early years, before he came to the NHL he centered one of the best lines in the history of hockey, the KLM line. The KLM line was the top line of the Soviet Red Army team that dominated international hockey in the the eighties, their only blemish being “The Miracle on Ice. The KLM line featured Igor Larionov centering Vladimir “The Tank” Krutov and Sergei Makarov.  They were truly a joy to watch a moving concerto; everything working in perfect harmony.  I liken them to a fine Swiss watch with all the parts moving but each performing their function flawlessly.

(Note: Igor Larionov didn’t join the Red Army until 1981. Additionally, the Soviets liked to keep five man units together.  Joining the KLM line were defenseman Slava Fetisov, Red Wings fans will remember him, and Alexei Kasatonov.  This five man unit was known as the Green Unit, named for the green jerseys they wore in practice.  An interesting aside, all five members of the Green Unit were left handed.)

Green Unit

Check out Igor’s article as he shares a little insight on what it was like to play for the Soviet Red Army.  It wasn’t fun but it was beautifully to watch.

Tigers 9 Orioles 8

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With the Tigers leading the O’s 9-2 I said to sometimes contributor inlovewithbaseball, ‘what if the Tigers make a run? What if all these moves change the chemistry?  What if JV keeps pitching they way he has in three out if his last four starts and Sanchez pitches well, and Lobstein comes back? That gives the Tigers three quality starters and hey, the offense is showing signs of life’.

What an idiot!!

All it took was a nine run outburst for me to lose my head and forget what I’ve watched for 100 games.  I forgot how many times the offense has tricked me with one game explosions.  And how could I forget what was lurking in the bullpen.  I think the Shane Greene bullpen experiment needs to be over although I’m not sure there are anymore options.

Where would the 2015 Tigers be without Alex Wilson, 20 games under .500?  He has to be the team.

The ball hit in the seventh or eighth inning that ate up Nick The Quick, does anyone think that should have been an error? Would an average third basemen have made he play?  I’m not sure?  It was a shot.

Oh well, I’ll take a W anyway they can get them.  Wins are hard to come by.

Tigers Lose Another Series..To Rays

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The bright side of this series is that JV had is second excellent start in a row. Other than that, there was nothing to like. Look back at the first two games. Even if the Tigers had gotten good pitching, did they hit enough to win?

The first few months they pitched but didn’t hit. The last month they hit but didn’t pitch. The last week, they haven’t done either.

I just received a phone updated that said the Tigers have informed other clubs that they are looking to the future. I hope I so. I can’t see the salvaging much from this season.

Tigers Drop Two Out of Three in Boston

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The only pitching staff in the American League worse than the Tigers’ is Boston’s and the Tigers still couldn’t win a series.  Yet, I’m listening to MLB Radio and the hosts are still expecting the Tigers to acquire a pitcher and make a playoff run.  Here’s the problem; on the statistical anomalous occasion when they do get good pitching their offense decides not to score runs. There is an almost perfect discordant balance with this team that is hard to explain if you don’t watch them every game.

Rod Allen was on MLB Radio last week and he was asked if he thought the Tigers had a run in them.  He said he didn’t see it.  I agree.

I’ll be interested in seeing how Castellanos, Iglesias, and Verlander finish the season.