Curtis Granderson

Royals Back to the Series

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With Toronto’s loss I’m out of my pool but I don’t care.  This is the match up I wanted to see.  Although Granderson is my favorite player and I’d like to see him get a ring, I like the Royals too, so I don’t really care who wins this series.  I’m just looking forward to watching it.

What about this game winning run by Lorenzo Cain?  He scores from first, on a single, with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth.

Is Curtis Granderson the Mets MVP?

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Perhaps, says USA Today.

Hat Tip: William Wallace

NEW YORK –  The Terry Collins press conference has been a highlight of this 2015 postseason, the Mets manager presiding over a realm that so often in the club’s past has been little more than strategically explaining futility.

But even within this new world, Collins visibly brightens when Curtis Granderson comes up. It happens infrequently, and Collins appreciates the chance to sing the virtues of a steady performer often overshadowed by the powerful Yoenis Cespedes or folk hero Wilmer Flores or all those Mets pitchers with their flying fastballs.

“Curtis Granderson, he’s just one of those quiet guys that goes about his job,” Collins said Sunday, prior to Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. “I tell all the young players that come up here: ‘If you handle the game like Curtis Granderson does because you’re talented, you’re going to be successful, because he never has a bad day.’

Sark, I hope you’re wrong about he Mets’ long layoff but I was thinking the same thing.  This looks a lot like what happened to the Tigers in 2006 and 2012, as you said in your comment.

We shall see.

Tigers 6 White Sox 0

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The Tigers ended a miserable season on a positive note by taking the season finale 6-0 over the White Sox. Daniel Norris and the much maligned bullpen combined on a three hit shutout.

The 74th win of the 2015 campaign was good for a last place Central Division finish and will provide the Tigers with a top 10 draft pick next season.

Here is my Good, Bad and Ugly for the 2015 season:

The Good:

  • James McCann finishes the year without making an error.  He has taken over the #1 catcher position
  • J.D. Martinez followed up last year’s impressive year with another one finishing with 102 RBIs, not bad for a guy the Tigers got for virtually nothing.
  • Justin Verlander looks like he will come back and be the Ace of Tigers staff in 2016
  • Nick Castellanos had a good year at the plate.  Remember this was only his second year.
  • Drew VerHagen, Alex Wilson, and Blaine Hardy look like they will be competent arms out the pen
  • Miggy won is fourth batting title

The Bad:

  • Victor Martinez’s injury riddled season
  • Miggy’s injury ridden power numbers
  • Castellanos’s play at third base
  • The inability to play as a team.  No part of the team “picked up” the other
  • Finishing in last place in the AL Central

The Ugly:

  • The base running – leading baseball in runners thrown out at home plate and just the overall incompetence on the base paths.
  • Hitting into the most double plays in baseball
  • Pitching – 28th in ERA 4.64
  • Bruce Rondon being sent home

The season in over for the Tigers but I’ll still be posting throughout the post season.  I’m predicting a Mets | Blue Jays World Series.  I’d like to see Granderson get a WS ring.

A big Flashin’ Leather Thank You to everyone that reads and comments!  I really appreciate your support!

The Incredible Iggy

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OK, I know it is a small sample, but Jose Iglesias has become my favorite Tigers player.  In fact, he is officially my second favorite active player behind former Tiger Curtis Granderson.  (I can’t help it.  I’ll always like Curtis and I hope to see him back in a Tigers uniform next year.)

But I digress. Besides Iggy’s glove, he has hit a lot better than I was told to expect.  Also, he brings dimensions to the game the Tigers are lacking, spark and speed.  Both of these attributes were displayed in yesterday’s game, before the pitching staff started throwing batting practice,

In the top of the 3rd, with one out, and Tigers offense pretty much silent for the first few innings, Iggy laid down a bunt single.  Austin Jackson followed with a single and Iggy did what the Tigers as a team have a hard time doing, he went from first to third on a base hit and came around to score on Prince’s homer.

In the top of the 4th with the game tied at 3, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out.  Iggy hit a double play ball to third baseman Will Middlebrooks but was able to beat the relay.  Iggy’s hustle allowed Don Kelly to score the go ahead run.  These are two plays that the rest of team just doesn’t make.

So as a little tribute to Iggy, I found this highlight video from 2012.

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

Another reason to hate the Red Sox!

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Except for Ted Williams, I’ve always hated the Red Sox, and now I have another reason to hate them even more.  Look, I’m not fan of ARod but what he did or didn’t do is between him, the Yankees, and MLB.

The Yankees and Red Sox are on Sunday night baseball.  ARod just came to bat and Demptser threw three inside pitches, one behind him, and hit him on the 4th pitch.  He clearly hit him intentionally.

For some reason, home plate umpire Brian O’Nora, did not toss Dempster. Instead he tossed Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was rightfully livid, and he warned both benches.  This was an abomination of baseball justice.  Dempster got away with his petty little vendetta and now Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia can’t throw inside because if he happens to hit a Red Sox player, he’ll probably get tossed.

On queue, true to their despicable nature, the Red Sox fans cheered Alex Rodriquez getting hit.

Like I said, I’m not fan of Alex Rodriguez, and if the allegations are true that his “camp”, snitched on other players, I have even less respect for him.  But, at least for this game, I’m on ARod’s side.

I wish ARod had charged the mound and he and Dempster may have settled this issue man to man, but he didn’t.

If your not tuned in, this one could get interesting.

If I were the Yankees, Pedroia or Ortiz would get it!

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

Granderson Robs Sizemore!

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I just had to post this video.  As most of you know, Curtis Granderson is my favorite player.  And while I think the trade that sent him to the Yankees has worked out well for the Tigers, he’s still my man.  It is sort of the same thing as growing up a Tiger fan but have Reggie Jackson as my favorite player.

The video below is of Curtis Granderson robbing Grady Sizemore of a home run in Cleveland with Justin Verlander on the mound.  I’m pretty sure this was in 2009 but I could be mistaken.

Curtis is still recovering from surgery on his pinky.  Hopefully, for the Yankees, he’ll return after the All Star break.

Just a little note.  The first time I remember watching baseball was during the 1977 World Series.  My Mom was a baseball fanatic.  My Dad was working nights and my brothers and sister were already in bed.  My Mom let me stay up with her and watch.  It was game six, October 18th, 1977.  I watched Reggie hit three home runs on three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers.  After that, I was hooked and Reggie was my man.

Anyway, I can’t sleep and I have a cold so felt like sharing this.

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