Month: May 2016

Here we go again…

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Just when I thought the Tigers may turn this season around, they’re at it again.  With yesterday’s loss to the Angels, they have now lost 4 of 5 after a nice home stand.

The problem hasn’t really been pitching, it is the damn offense, which refuses to hit.  Everyone, including Miggy has SUCKED on this trip and I’m growing tired of it.

What is the problem and how much longer can they run Upton out there?

Also, BA needs to go.  A neophyte baseball fan could see that JV was out of gas in the 8th.  He was missing high in the strike zone and let the bottom of the Angels’ lineup hang a 4 spot on him.

It isn’t even June and I’m finding this team hard to watch this team.

The Miguel Cabrera Show

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Jose Miguel Cabrera put the Tigers on his back and carried the them to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia.

Miggy was 3 for 3 with two more Conniption Shots, a double, a walk, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Perhaps the Phillies should have considered walking him after his second conniption shot?

Honorable mentions got to J.D. Martinez and Nick “The Quick” Castellanos for chipping in with home runs; Victor Martinez for going 3-4 and driving in Miggy with the winning run and Mark Lowe and K-Rod for pitching clean 8th and 9th innings.

Speaking of Francisco Rodriguez, perhaps reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated.  If I’m not mistaken, this is his 6th save conversion in a row.

FYI: Jose Miguel Cabrera is that damn good!

Kold in Kentucky

Crippy Baseball

Check out this post from Minoring in Baseball.

Minoring In Baseball

Louisville Cardinals vs North Carolina State Wolfpack (NCAA/ACC)

26949360061_f7db084c0a_zJim Patterson Stadium-Louisville, KY:  Well, I thought it would be a little bit warmer here in Kentucky, but last weekend was a little bit cool.  With cold, nasty, rainy weather blasting the Midwest lately, I guess I can’t complain too much, as I’m sure we have it better than others.  While the temp was a little on the cold side, the Louisville Cardinals baseball team stayed hot.  Hosting ACC rival North Carolina State, we were able to get downtown and see the middle game of the series.  I brought the boys with, and as usual Brian decided to head to the playground.

26923501582_497fb20fd1_zSo, we’re back in the outfield, and that’s where we watched most of the game from.  The first half of the game was definitely a pitchers’ duel.  On the bump for the Cards, Drew Harrington picked up the win to…

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Detroit 9 Rays 4

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Well, it appears that Miggy’s demise was greatly exaggerated. The Mighty Miggy has four homers in the last three games, including two conniption shots, and has his batting average up to .315 with an OBS of .925.

More importantly, after losing 11 of 13, the Tigers have now won 6 of their last 7 and are within a game of the .500 mark.

I am concerned with the injuries to Zimmerman and Miggy.  If either one misses an extended period of time, the Tigers could be in a lot of trouble.

Tigers 10 Twins 8

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It wasn’t pretty.  It wasn’t easy. It was, however, a win.

This team is in a lot of trouble if they can’t field better than what they displayed on Monday night.  Three errors almost cost the Tigers a game in which they lead 8-0 after the first inning.

The pitching is what it is but the Tigers can’t afford to give any team extra outs.

One good sign is that K-Rod pitched another clean 9th inning for the save.  Perhaps he’s getting on track?

I’m not overly excited about the 10 run outburst.  I hope you’ll excuse me, but I’ve seen the show before.  Let’s see what they do the next 5-6 games.

A win is a win and I’ll take it.

Cheap Shot?

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Can someone explain how this is a “cheap shot”?

APTOPIX Blue Jays Rangers Baseball
Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista (19) gets hit by Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (12) after Bautista slid into second in the eighth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, Sunday May 15, 2016. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Star-Telegram via AP)

I’m watching ESPN and they are showing the fight.  I believe Eduardo Perez said, the Blue Jays feel that Odor’s punch was a “cheap shot”.  I’m sorry, WTF, Odor’s right cross was anything but “cheap”. Is any punch that connects, “cheap”.

Addendum: May 16th, 2016.  

Now I’ve heard everything. Christopher Russo of MLB Network has been screaming that Rougy’s bomb on Bautista was a “sucker punch”.  What universe is he living in?  He then proceeds to say that Odor was running away after the punch.  Are we watching the same video?  Actually, I saw it live as well.  Bautista has to be given credit for not being KO’d but Rougy wasn’t running away from anything.  In fact, it looks like he was moving forward, going in for the finish, when Beltre broke it up.  Also, it looks like Rougy was throwing rights at Pillar as well.  I thought these hosts were supposed to be “unbiased”, like the news. 🙂

Rougned Odor | Conniption Shot

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this is a different type of  conniption shot. This one was off of the chin of Jose Bautista.

 

Rougned connected with a right cross the likes of which you rarely see outside of boxing and MMA. The analysis of the situation on MLB Network, mainly by Eric Burns, is embarrassing.

Burns is clearly a personal friend of Bautista and has tried to make every excuse for his buddy having to eat a solid right cross that buckled his knees.  The punch didn’t put him away, but if Beltre didn’t get in to break it up, it might have been a lot uglier.

Here’s my analysis:

  • Bush hit Bautista on purpose.
  • Bautista went in hard on Odor although I didn’t think the slide was that egregious.
  • Odor may have tried to throw low to give Bautista a haircut as he went into the slide; although I’m not as sure about this as Eric Burns who has done nothing but complain about it for the last half hour.
  • Odor didn’t like Bautista’s slide.
  • Odor was clearly willing and able to fight.  And his definition of fight is not pushing and shoving.  Odor was only too glad to “trade hands”.
  • Odor can definitely handle himself.
  • Bautista wasn’t out but was wobbly.
  • Beltre did Bautista a solid by breaking it up.  He was clearly shaken and Odor looked like he was going in for the knock out, although he never dropped his glove which is a little odd.  In fact, if he had dropped his glove, his follow up left might have put Joey Bats away.
  • Bautista didn’t try to get away from Beltre because he was trying to regain his wits.
  • Someone from the Blue Jays bench came flying in really trying to get at Odor, perhaps Pillar? Whoever it was, it wasn’t for show, he definitely wanted to avenge Bautista.

Apparently, a scout that followed Rougned Odor, wrote in his analysis, “You don’t want to F**K with him.” Perhaps other people in MLB should heed this warning?  Odor definitely looks like he is a wiling combatant.