Dirksies

Tigers Sign Rajai Davis…

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Forgive me for not immediately ordering a Davis home jersey.

The detnews is reporting, hat tip Nebaraska, that the Tigers have signed, former Athletics and Blue Jays outfielder, Rajai Davis, to a two year contract.

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — The Tigers have struck — they just haven’t struck gold. (UNDERSTATEMENT)

According to a report from Sportsnet.ca’s Ben-Nicholson Smith, speedy outfielder Rajai Davis and the Tigers have come to an agreement on a two-year contract. The Tigers have yet to confirm the move, but The News learned late Monday night that the Tigers were zeroing in on adding offense, and were likely to strike soon — and perhaps at the winter meetings.

Davis is a right-handed hitter who is in line to be in a left-field platoon with the left-handed-hitting Andy Dirks.

Keep reading here.

I don’t get it. Another platoon player? Great, he has speed but his on-base percentage is .312.  It is still impossible to steal first base, isn’t it?

This makes the Fister trade look even worse. What are the Tigers going to do with Lombardozzi?  A three way platoon with nobody that can hit.

All this wheeling and dealing and the Tigers still don’t have anybody to play left field.

And, they’re down a pitcher.

I feel another Dirksburger episode flaring up.

Should this be posted under WTF?  It seems that category is getting flooded this off season.

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

The Streak Ends At 12…

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as the Tigers fell to the Yankees tonight, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Rick Porcello started the game and only lasted 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits.  He struck out six and walked 2.  Ricky didn’t pitch poorly but I knew he was in trouble from the very first batter.  The umpire, Will Little, was not calling the inside pitch to left handers a strike.  Brett Gardner led off the game with a walk and the replay showed that Ricky had struck him out twice but couldn’t get the inside strike called.  In fact, the Yankees first 5 hits were all from left handers and all to left or left center.  The only hard hit ball was Robinson Cano’s double that drove in 2 runs in the third.

In fact, this was one of the worst umpired games I’ve seen in a long time at home plate.  I couldn’t tell what was a strike and neither could anybody else.  Most of the time replays show that umpires get the calls right but not tonight.  I’m not sure what Little was looking at.

That being said, the Tigers had plenty of chances to score but the offense basically consisted of Autsin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera.  Jackson was 4-6 and Miggy was 2-5 and drove in all three Tigers runs.  The big hit was Miggy’s two run bomb in the 9th inning off of Mariano Rivera to send the game into extra innings.  It looked like the Tigers might go ahead in the 9th.  After Miggy’s homer, Fielder followed with a double.  The Yankees then walked Martinez putting runners at first and second with 2 out.  Andy Dirks stepped to the plate and completed his 0-5 night by grounding out to 2nd base.  Between Torii Hunter and Andy Dirks, they left 15 men on base.  Hunter stranded 8 while Dirksies chipped in with 7.

Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter and Jose Iglesias all flashed leather tonight.  Ichiro was first when he made a nice running grab in right field, crashing into the wall and robbing Miggy of extra bases in the 3rd.  Torii Hunter made a fine sliding catch in foul territory on a ball hit by Alfonso Soriano to end the 7th and Jose Iglesias, smooth as silk, started a 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the 8th to bail Bruce Rondon out of a jam and keep the Tigers within striking distance.

With the run the Tigers have been on it is hard to complain.  Hopefully, they can regroup and start another streak tomorrow afternoon.

Looking at the big picture, the most important thing is that Jimmy Leyland got Andy Dirks a start and kept him in for the whole game.

Here’s a thought, Don Kelly was brought in to pinch hit for Jose Iglesias to lead off the 9th.  I know there’s no way of knowing Miggy would tie the score but perhaps it would have been a good idea to keep your best defensive player in the game in a tight game on the road.  It might have been a better idea to have Kelly pinch hit for Dirksy to lead off the top of the 8th.  Kelly could then have played left field instead of shortstop.  But, I guess at that point, Dirksy was only 0-3 with only 5 left on base.  But, what do I know.

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

12 IN A ROW! TIGERS SWEEP TRIBE 10-3!

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Max Scherzer improved his record to 17-1 as the Tigers pounded the Indians and swept the 4 games series.  Max pitched 7 innings, allowed 2 earned runs, struck out 5 and walked on to earn his 17th win of the season.

The Tigers offense exploded in the 3rd when Indians starter Zach McAllister couldn’t throw strikes.  They scored six runs, 4 on back to back doubles by Fielder and Martinez.  They added 2 runs in the both the 4th and 5th innings and cruised to their 12 consecutive victory.

After 5 innings, the Tigers led 10-1.  I was expecting Miguel Cabrera, and possibly Prince Fielder, to come out of the game for some rest with the game well in hand but that didn’t happen.  Both Fielder and Cabrera played the entire game.

I’m a little confused.  Last night in a one run game, Jim Leyland pull Miggy out of the game for a defensive replacement and to rest his ailing hip.  Tonight, with a 9 run lead, he’s left in to play the whole game.  Perhaps, the thinking was that a defensive replacement in yesterday’s game might help preserve the lead and avoid extra innings?  I’m not sure.  But as it turned out, the Indians tied the game and Miggy missed at least 2 more at bats.  If that is the thinking, I can understand not pulling Miggy for defensive purposes, but how about to rest his injury.  Nothing seems to make sense but it’s hard to complain with the role the Tigers are on.

I guess the Important thing is that Andy Dirks started and played the whole game.  I’m not sure if the Tigers could have survived if Dirksy didn’t play.  He did have two hits and an RBI but they came when the game was well in hand.  In the third inning, with no score, Dirksy came up with the bases loaded and nobody out and promptly struck out on three pitches, all fast balls, up in the zone.

I think I’ve diagnosed a new illness.  It is very rare and only known to affect one person to date,  The illness is Dirksburger syndrome.  Similar to Assburger syndrome when the sufferer sees everybody’s behind as a cheeseburger, Dirksburger syndrome is more concentrated.  Those inflicted have this nagging neuroses that requires them to insert Andy Dirks into the lineup of a baseball game no matter what the circumstances are.  It is rare, never fatal, but could prevent the Tigers from ending their 29 year World Series drought.

In the 9th inning, Indians manager, Terry Francona, brought our old friend Ryan Rayburn in to pitch, and he looked pretty good, actually.  He retired the Tigers 1-2-3 and got Tui for a swinging K.

On to New York City, the city so nice they named it twice.  Hopefully Ricky can keep the wagon rolling.

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