Tigers-Yankees Preview

I hate….oh, covered that. This will count as my “legit” series preview. In typical SEMS style, I will do a positional breakdown. This will be easier since it’s only a 5 game series.

CATCHER

Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that the Tigers would hold such an advantage behind the plate? The Yankees have Russell Martin who had a good start, but wound up hitting .239, Hip, Hip, Jorge Posada who played in the first World Series, and Jesus Montero who is a young phenom. The Tigers have the All-Star starting, Silver Slugger winning (most likely), alliterative Alex Avila. He came into the season a question mark, and finished it as an exclamation point. If Avila needs a rest, the Tigers will turn to Victor Martinez. Yikes.

ADVANTAGE-DETROIT

FIRST BASE

Mark Teixeira joins Carl Crawford as most disappointing player in the AL East for 2010. He hit his typical 39 homers with 111 RBI, but his average was .248. His career average is .281. He can get hot and turn a series on its head, so don’t dismiss him yet.

Miguel Cabrera led the majors in average and OBP. He also threw in 30 homers and 105 RBI. He will get MVP consideration, but will probably finish second….on his own team. Still only 28, he is just now entering his prime.

ADVANTAGE-DETROIT

SECOND BASE

Here’s New York’s biggest advantage. Robinson Cano is a great, great player. He won the HR derby, hit .302, added 28 homers during the regular season, and plays aboverage defense. He is very good, obviously.

Detroit will counter with Raburn and Santiago. That is what Webster’s calls a drop off. You know the story. Raburn has pop, and is a streaky hitter. Razor Ramon plays solid defense, and has a little speed.

ADVANTAGE-NEW YORK

THIRD BASE

With mandatory steroid testing, Detroit wins in a landslide. Unfortunately Bud Selig cares more about money than silly things like integrity, historical context, and the health of his players.

Even with AROID, Betemit keeps this position close. He hit a 423 foot homer when Leyland was concerned about his knee. He has been a huge upgrade since he came from the Royals, and is on fire.

AROD has been injured most of the year, and hit .276 with 16 homers in 99 games. He is reportedly healthy, so who knows. He also is a known playoff-choker, so there’s that.

ADVANTAGE-NEW YORK (SLIGHTLY)

SHORTSTOP

Derek Jeter is a first ballot hall of famer. He is “The Captain” and has more World Series rings than Magic Johnson has white blood cells. I get it. I don’t get why he’s hitting second on a playoff team. Reputations can be a dangerous thing in sports. He hit ok this year, but has been declining since the Clinton administration.

Jhonny Peralta has been the opposite. He has gotten better the last year and a half since arriving in Detroit. He beats Jetah in every important hitting statistic, and his range is twice as large as Jeter’s at this point. It isn’t even close at this point.

ADVANTAGE-DETROIT

OUTFIELD

The Yankees have Gardner, Granderson, and Swisher. The Tigers have Young, AJAX, and Magglio. Uh oh…

Gardner is the leadoff hitter, who led the AL in steals and plays an incredible left field. He can change the complexion of a game with his speed in many ways.

Curtis Granderson is yet another MVP candidate playing in this series. I have been told, but cannot confirm, that he used to be a Tiger as well. 2011 was Grandy’s best season hitting .262 with 41 homers and 25 steals.

Swisher is an obnoxious Ohio State alum that once appeared on How I Met Your Mother. Strike Three! He is who he always has been. Middling average, good pop, horrendous defense. His teammates love his clubhouse demeanor which makes everyone else hate him. It’s the AJ Pierzinski syndrome.

The Tigers have another AL Central reclamation project in left. Delmon Young was once the top prospect in baseball. He was traded to Minnesota for Matt Garza, and never clicked up there. He has been a monster in Detroit however. He gives you Swisher production, except in left. He will smack a homer and allow a 

groundball triple.

Austin Jackson is enigmatic like a virgin cheerleader. He hit waaaaaay above his head last year, started slow this year, and picked it up in the second half. Who knows how he’ll hit in the playoffs. He plays the best defensive CF that I have seen this year, which is important at home.

Magglio, well he has come on lately. He too can carry a team when he’s on, but can also tweak a hammy putting his chapstick back in his pocket. Let’s hope for 2 more months of healthy-o.

ADVANTAGE-NEW YORK

STARTING PITCHERS

NY will go with a 3 man rotation against Detroit. CC, Nova, and Freddy Garcia.

Detroit will counter that with Verlander, Fister, Scherzer, and Porcello.

Nuff Said. Verlander>Sabathia. Fister>Nova. Scherzer=Garcia (worst case due to his inconsistency.) Porcello=?. Verlander>anyone else.

Verlander twice and Fister once can get the 3 wins you need to advance. It really is that simple. Will the Yankees win a game or two. Yes. Will they beat Verlander twice? No. Will Nova outduel Fister? Doubtful.

ADVANTAGE-DETROIT

BULLPEN

The bullpens match up fairly evenly. Valverde and Benoit are equivalent to Rivera and Robertson. They both have decent mop up guys, and both can get left handers out. I am leaning towards giving NY the edge due to their playoff experience, but Valverde has been lights out this year. Hey, I haven’t copped out yet…

ADVANTAGE-EVEN

MANAGER

Joe Girardi is a player’s manager. He is one of the best managers in baseball. He uses his bullpen well, and lets his players play.

Jim Leyland finally found a lineup that works, so hopefully he doesn’t try to get too creative. He leaves his starters in too long on occasion, but with JV and Fister it may be a good strategy. He has shown a knack for making good decisions on pinch hitters late in the season, so hopefully that continues. He also has a ton of playoff experience with Pittsburgh, Florida, and Detroit.

Sorry, it’s a wash. I can’t find any discernible reason to favor one over the other.

ADVANTAGE-EVEN

INTANGIBLES

New York is the team everyone thinks has a shot to win it all every year. Detroit had question marks up until August. New York has the biggest payroll in baseball. Detroit is 10^th. The Yanks seem to choke at inopportune times. Detroit does also. Sigh…

I have to like Detroit’s chances. There is something to be said about having the best pitcher in baseball in a 5 game series. I like the Tigers. Wait…

ADVANTAGE-DETROIT

PREDICTION

I will take the Tigers in 5 games. JV wins twice, and Fister once. The Tigers will take on Texas in the ALCS.

The Tigers will play the Yankees

I'm sorry. What I meant to say is FUCK NEW YORK.

 While it isn't exactly an earth shattering stance to take, I hate the Yankees. I hate AROID. I hate CC Sabathia. CC? More like PeePee, amirite? I hate Nick Swisher. I hate Cano, who won the HR Derby by having his dad pitch to him. He'd still be hitting homers if he had his teammate AJ Burnett pitch to him instead. Yes, I hate Burnett too.

I hate Rivera for still wearing Jackie Robinson's number. I hate Jesus Montero for having the same name as many people's lord and savior. I hate Bartolo Colon because:

1. He's old and fat
2. His name is colon, which is where poop is stored, and we all know Bartolo is full of shit
3. Dr. Bartolo is a character in The Barber of Seville, and I hate that fucking FIGARO, FIGARO, FIGARRROOO SONG
4. He's still old and fat

I hate setup man David Robertson for having a name that sounds like Nate Robertson. I hate Freddy Garcia because he's almost as old and fat as Bartolo Large Intestine. I hope Freddy gets fingered.

I hate Ivan Nova because my mom used to drive a lemon yellow Chevy Nova, and it always smelled like exhaust. I hate Brett Gardner for having so many stolen bases. At he reinforces the stereotype that everyone in New York steals. I hate Brandon Laird because his brother, Gerald, hit like Brandon Inge in his tenure in Detroit.

I hate Rafael Soriano because Michaelangelo was the better Ninja Turtle. I hate Dellin Betances because both of his names have red squigglies under them when I typed it. I hate Phil Hughes because he just sounds like he'd be a total cock-master, personality wise.

I hate Jeter. Yep, I said it. Fuck you, he got to bang Minka Kelly. (Who pales in comparison to my wife, if she's reading this. Hiya Sweetie) He also left Michigan to sign with the Yankees. I also hate George Steinbrenner(RIP, though) for signing Drew Henson away from the Wolverines. Jeter has been an over rated player for 5 years, and held his team hostage last winter. WAHH...I want to make eleventy-billion dollars for hitting .288 hit diminished speed/power/range. WAHHH...I wanna hit leadoff with my .710 OPS. Eat a shit sandwich on herpes bread.

Sigh.......Here's where it gets bad. I don't wanna do it.

I hate Curtis Granderson. I really don't, but I do. I hate that he hit leadoff when it was apparent that he was a 3-hitter. I hate that my wife (hi again, pumpkin) would leave me for him faster than Snooki's morals leave her on Thirsty Thursday. I hate that he became half the player when he went to NY. He wore 28 here, 14 there. (See what I did there?) I hate that he was everything the city of Detroit needed, but got traded away.

I hate him for reasons beyond his control, but hate him all the same. I don't hate him. I hate him. I don't..

I'd hate Luis Ayala, Boone Logan, Eric Chavez, and the rest but outside of their families, no one knows they play for the Yankees.

Oh yeah....Tigers in 4. More informative preview to come, unless guys named Vinny, Saul, and The other Vinny make me sleep with the fishes.

EDIT-I hate that I just now thought of Fister-Colon...

On 3-0, 4-0, and 92-67

On this date, September 26, 2011, the Detroit Lions are 3-0. This isn’t some weird situation where the preseason started late, so the games don’t count. They are 3-0 in the regular season. Of the NFL.

…

By now I’m sure you’ve seen all the stats about the last time they were 3-0. How Jimmy Carter was president, and gas cost $1.22 /gallon, and the number one song in America was Diana Ross’ “Upside Down”. Shit, I wasn’t even born yet. But there are other fun facts. For instance, only 8 players from the 53 man roster were actually alive the last time they were 3-0. In 1980, the Kansas City Royals played in the World Series. I will stop there.

But is all the celebration a case of a starved fan base grasping onto the first glimmer of positivity they have seen in what seems like forever? Maybe. Is this a mirage; a team playing way above their head that will struggle to win another game this season? I say no. This is a team that blew out Tampa Bay (10-6 last year, and 2-1 so far this year), Kansas City (which isn’t that impressive given their struggles this year, but they were 10-6 last season), and then rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to beat the Vikings in Minnesota for the first time since 1997.

I am trying so hard not to overreact. I truly am, but I’m not sure I have the self-control. This is obviously one of the 5 best teams in the NFL right now. Key word being now. Will they keep this up? Hopefully.

Up next is Dallas. Dallas is one of the more wounded teams going right now. Tony Romo is playing tonight with a broken rib, and is one hit away from starting Jon Kitna again. Miles “gums” Austin is out, Felix Jones and Dez Bryant are hobbled, and they have 2 injured kickers. Ouch….literally. This could be a completely different looking team on Sunday. They will also have a short week after playing on MNF.

Also, check out my predictions so far….Not too shabby.

As for the Wolverines, it is a similar story. They are 4-0, when I expected 3-1. It took the comeback of all comebacks in the greatest football game I have ever witnessed to beat Notre Dame to get there, but there they are.

Many thought that with “Gorgeous” AL Borges coming on as the offensive coordinator, that Denard Robinson’s rushing production would be limited. Wrong-o. Wrong,wrong,wrong. Denard is currently leading the NCAA in rushing yards per game since they didn’t count the Western Game. His passing game has regressed (save for the heaves in the 4^th quarter of the Irish game) but his legs still need to be game planned against.

The defense is a toss-up from week to week. They gave up 207 yards on the ground to Eastern, but held Ronnie Hillman to his worst game so far. No one knows which defense will show up. They have only given up 12.8 ppg, good for 11^th in the country, a far cry from last year when they gave up 7349 points a game.

There is more good news. They play Minnesota next. Yay! Minnesota is 1-3, and just lost to Div I-AA North Dakota State by 13. I would talk more shit about them, but their coach has medical concerns, and I’m better than that. Shut up cocksucker, I am.

So, it’s a pretty good time to be a Lions/Wolverines fan right about now. 7-0, with postseason aspirations, and Denard Robinson and Calvin Johnson are two of the most impressive athletes in their respective sports.  Of course, it could all come tumbling down like it usually does. I don’t care, I’m getting naked and dancing in the streets. Wanna stop me? Donate money to a charity. BOOM.

Also, as I am preparing to go to the monsoon turned game tonight, the Tigers are heading to the postseason. I have a future post planned, but I wanted to give you a heads up that I will be in the front row above the bullpen for tonight’s game at Comerica. If the Tigers start losing, I will be the guy drunkingly stumbling around in left-center before getting tased by a 73 year old lady security guard.

Fister-Furbush is done

And now I need a cigarette. The Tigers acquired pitchers Doug Fister and David Pauley for Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, minor leage 3B Francisco Martinez, and a PTBNL. On the surface it looks like a wash, but I'm actually getting excited about it. Fister's stats are misleading, especially his 3-12 record. His era, whip, and BB/9 are outstanding. He was the victim of Seattles horrendous offense.

Fister figures to be a 4/5 starter for the foreseeable future. He is under team control until 2015. He isn't the flashy pick like Ubaldo or James Shields, but he didn't cost us Jacob Turner (who looked great yesterday, btw), Nick Castellanos, or a MLB starter like Scherzer or Boesch.

David Pauley is a reliever with starting experience. He is having a great year with a .99 WHIP and 2.15 era. He can hopefully do what David Purcey has been unable to do, which is not suck. He should slot in before Benoit and Valverde, which is a nice back end of the bullpen.

As for who Detroit gave up, the only pieces of note are Martinez and the PTBNL. Casper and Furbush are nice pieces, but figured to top out as AAAA players. Wells provides good defense and a little pop, but didn't get on base enough. Furbush is a swingman, which is easily replaceable right now with guys like Below and Pauley.

Martinez has a chance to be very good. He was 20 years old, and holding his own in AA. But he was blocked in the organization by Castellanos. He is a toolsy boom/bust player, that can blow up in our faces in 7 years. The PTBNL is rumored to be a top 3 pick from 2010. Those players are Castellanos (not happening), Chance Ruffin ( hopefully), or Drew Smyly (most likely). I like Smyly more than Ruffin, which means Seattle probably does too.

All in all, it was a solid move. I don't trust Penny to stay healthy, so depth was needed after Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello. Below, Fister, and Penny should be able to handle the last two spots. The rotation goes down to 4 in the playoffs, so the odd men out can move to the 'pen.

Also, Fister.....heh heh.

Tigers acquire Wilson Betemit

A look at the Tigers-Offensive Edition

So we’re 91 games into the season. If in April, someone had told me that Detroit would be .5 games behind Cleveland, I would have been fucking pissed. If they would have told me that we were behind Cleveland by .5 games, and were in second place? I would have offered to chip in on whatever it was you were on. Seriously, I got five on it. Add to that the fact that we are 4.5 up on the White Sox and 7 up on Minnesota, and….well, I dunno. I don’t think anyone knows what to think of the AL Central right now.

So how did we get 5 games over .500, and still have so much uncertainty? Let’s start with the offense. Seeing Miguel Cabrera and Verlander in the All Star game is pretty unspectacular. They are perennial All Stars, so it’s not that big a deal. I mean, congrats for sure, but hardly earth shattering news.

Well, the Tigers have 2 other All Stars on offense. Whoever had Jhohhnyh Peralta and Alex Avila playing or starting in the All Star game back in March, please raise your hands. Put your fucking hands down, liars. Granted it took a Twitter campaign from Verlander and an injury to Jeter, but here we are. Martin and Jeter did not deserve to be there, much less starting. Avila, Matt Weiters, AJ Pierzinski, Mike Napoli, and Carlos Santana are more deserving than Martin. And I won’t get into how over rater Jeter is now-a-days. But as long as MLB lets fans decide the home field advantage in the WORLD SERIES!!!!! and lets fans vote in guys like this, then I can’t take MLB serious. But anyway… Let’s take a look at the Tigers position by position.

CATCHER

Detroit easily has the best catching combination in baseball. How easily? Avila is  headed to Arizona for the All Star game. Martinez is hitting .316. Granted, Martinez is mostly a DH, but still. Avila has shut me up. I didn’t think he was an everyday catcher. Mea Culpa.

FIRST BASE

Another position of strength, as Cabrera joins Adrian Gonzalez and Mark Teixeira as the big three. This year, Teixeira drew the short straw. This also brings up another stupid fucking rule I hate about the All Star Game. The “Hippy, everyone gets a representative, as long as we all tried hard nobody loses “rule. Also known as the HEGARALAWATHNL. Teixeira is easily more deserving than….I just can’t do it anymore.

SECOND BASE

The positivity train has derailed. The Detroit second basemen are awful. How awful? I miss Scott Sizemore horrible. Raburn, Santiago, Rhymes, and Worth just aren’t viable major leaguers at this point. Whether it’s due to a down year (Raburn), youth/talent (Rhymes and Worth) or talent (Santiago) they have to have more production out of this position. This statement will become a disturbing trend in the coming positions. A trade has to be made. Soon.

THIRD BASE

Inge and Kelly have played like Inge and Kelly. Great defense and putrid offense. Binge is hitting .186, which is less than such stalwarts as Omir Santos, and well everyone really. No, I really mean really. He is last on the team among non-pitchers in batting average. He has hit one home run. Kelly is Ruthian by comparison. He is batting .247 with 3 bombs. But they at least provide plus defense. The offensive output can only go up, so the defense saves them. For now….

LEFT FIELD

I will list Boesch here, since he has the second most starts in LF behind Raburn.  Boesch is having another impressive 1^st half offensively. He killed it in the first half last year before going all Inge on us. (Too soon?) .306 average with 12 jacks and 43 RsBI. (I hate when people say RBIs. Runs batted ins? Run batted ins? No. It’s Runs batted in. /Rant over) Let’s just hope he keeps it moderately up after the All Star break. Fingers crossed. Breath not held.

CENTER FIELD

Austin Jackson is playing like Willy “Mays” Hayes. Unfortunately it’s the Omar Epps/Major League 2 version, and not the Wesley Snipes. If there was a WMH in Major League 3, I have no idea. I went through years of therapy to suppress any memories of that movie. He just isn’t hitting. At least not like a leadoff hitter. He has 15 steals which ranks 13^th is the AL, and is ironically tied with Granderson. Not bad. His OBP ranks 9^th. Not in the AL, but on the Tigers. Not good enough for a leadoff hitter at any level. Add in his 100 strikeouts (2^nd in the AL) and you are taking RsBI opportunities away from Cabrera, Boesch, and Martinez.

RIGHT FIELD

Boesch was covered earlier. Obviously his bat plays well in RF as well. I’m guessing, if Leyland had his druthers, Magglio would be the everyday right fielder, so I will focus on him. Fuck. He deserved the one year, $10,000,000 contract they gave him. He has done a ton for the Tigers. But he is no better than a pinch hitter right now. Why not let him rest until the playoff push?  Casper Wells can handle it defensively, and Andy Dirks deserves a shot. I would start Dirks 5 times a week until Maggs is ready or he proves he can’t handle the job full time. I am a big fan of Dirks if I wasn’t being clear.

BENCH

I covered almost everyone. Dirks, Kelly, Raburn, Wells…yep. They have a typical bench. Good defensive replacements, few good pinch hitters.

MINORS

Will Rhymes must have killed Dombrowski’s dog or something. He is hitting .321 with a .381 OBP in Toledo. He isn’t worth a shot at 2^nd? That’s about it. There are a few 1B/DH candidates, but those positions are manned and manned well. At AA, Francisco Martinez is raking. Well, close. He is batting .286 with 7 HR, and plays third. That sounds so-so until you realize he is only 20 years old. It’s too soon to call him up, but he’s one to watch.

MANAGEMENT

Here’s where it gets fishy. I love Leyland. I love his arguments. I love his smoking habit. I hate his batting orders. He continues to bat AJAX leadoff for some reason. I never got the fastest guy has to leadoff. I am a big “put a guy with a propensity to get on base in front of the sluggers” guy. So who would I bat leadoff? I figured you would ask. I would bat Boesch at leadoff. He has a .362 OBP and can run a little bit. He could set the table for the Big Guns. In fact, my everyday lineup would be…

1.       Boesch-7

2.       Avila-2

3.       Peralta-6

4.       Cabrera-3

5.       Martinez-DH

6.       Ordonez-9

7.       Raburn-4

8.       Inge-5

9.       Jackson-8

It puts the best hitters in a position to get the most at bats. And it puts Jackson 9^th, so his speed will be on the base paths in front of the sluggers.

OVERVIEW

There is a lot to like about this lineup. Cabrera is a Top-5 hitter in baseball. Martinez is a great hitter. Peralta and Avila are the best hitters at their position in the AL right now. Boesch is off to a great start again. Raburn and Inge have to hit better, right? Right? Please tell me I’m right. Ordonez, when healthy, is at the very least average. I’m Mr. Brightside.

But there is also a lot to not like. Jackson couldn’t hit a bad driver with a fire hose on an Ohio freeway. He strikes out too much to use his speed.  Inge and Raburn have done nothing to show signs of turning it around. Avila and Peralta are playing out of their minds. Can they keep it up? I am Jack’s pessimistic gall bladder.

I think come September, this team will fall short as it stands. Chicago and Minnesota had horrible starts, and they didn’t take advantage. And they also have those pesky Injuns to contend with. They should be leading the Central by 8 games right now.

SOLUTION

Well, trades have to be made. 2^nd, 3^rd, and CF are gaping holes. (Don’t Google image search that at work. Trust.) The defense at 3^rd and in Center is enough to deal with the production. Second base is my bugaboo. If they don’t think Rhymes can do it, make a trade. Some candidates that may be available are…

(Note- I am listing good players on bad teams. I would love Rickie Weeks or Robinson Cano, but it ain’t happening.)

Ben Zobrist-Tampa Bay-Tampa is still in contention, but they are broke, and should lose ground on the Yankees and Red Sox fairly soon. He’s hitting .271 with 10 steals and 10 HR.

Neil Walker-Pittsburgh-The Pirates are surprisingly in the hunt, but it can’t last. Walker is young (25) and hitting .258 with 8 HR. Not great, but an upgrade.

Danny Espinosa-Washington-A leading ROY candidate in the NL, he probably isn’t available. But he has 14 HR. It would take a ransom, but I would consider it.

Ugh…That’s about it. But it proves my point. The good teams get good production at second base. So should we.

I will look at the pitchers soon, along with a look at the most valuable trade chips in the organization. So long.

EDIT-I for some reason had Martinez as an All Star. My bad. Fixed.

JV throws a no-no

As I was dicking around the internet waiting to hear some Michigan recruiting news, I had the Tigers' game on in the background. I was barely paying attention until I heard Rod Allen mention the unmentionable. So I turn the volume up, and check the ESPN gamecast. Perfect through 4. Alright, sweet.

A few innings go be with only a minor scare (The Edwin Encarnacion comebacker) and I am on the edge of my seat. Then the Michigan stuff starts happening. One commitment, then another. Cool, what a day. Then J.P. Arencibia works a 12 pitch walk. Motherfucker. Then Encarnacion grounds into the DP. Boom.

I get the feeling its gonna happen, and I remember that the Kentucky Derby is about to start. Meh. I'm not a Kentucky Derby guy. I just don't get it, maybe. A bunch of midets beating the shit out of horses just doesn't do it for me. I could see the same scenario in Tijuana for less money....And a happier outcome for everyone.

So the 9th starts, and Cooper swings first pitch, and "Uh-oh Rexy. I don't think this one's got the distance." 1 out.

John McDonald puts a minor scare into me as he grounds past a diving Verlander to Sizemore who throws to Miggy to beat him by 4 steps. 2 outs.

Up steps Rajai Davis. Normally this wouldn't scare me, but he played for Oakland. And Oakland has pissed me off all season. He works a 2-2 count before flailing at a pitch a foot outside. 3 outs. Holy Shi....sh-kabob. He did it. He pitched his 2nd no-hitter. He was one walk away from a perfect game. Wow.

Way to show Francisco Liriano how to do it...

The Tigers never cease to amaze me

I am holding off on a Tigers status report because the season is so young. There are a few things we can be certain of to this point. Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in the AL. The rotation has a few question marks. The bullpen is fine once you get to Benoit and Valverde. But there are some things that are up in the air. Is Al Alburquerque as good as his debut? Will Magglio play more than 100 games?  Beats the heck outta me. What do I look like, Miss Cleo? Call me nowww.

But no matter what happens this season, there are going to be moments that will be hard to forget. The back-to-back walkoff wins. Brayan Villareal's game from April 12th. 0.1 innings pitched. No pitches thrown. One pickoff. One hold. But last night tops them all... Verlander gave us this beauty.



I see you Verlander.

You take our MVP Award, we break your arm!!!!!!!!11!

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton beat out Miggy Cabrera for the AL MVP last year. This despite only playing in  133 games last year. He led the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor. But that was last year. This year you try to score on a pop-foul? In Detroit? Child Please. Be thankful you only got a broken arm. Marcus Thames would have shanked you for less. And let's not think about what Ugeth Urbina would have done. Joel Zumaya would have rushed the field from the 'pen, but tear an ACL and miss 8 more months.

So thank your lucky stars Hamilton. We don't have much in Detroit at the moment. The Wings don't play til 7:30, the Lions are locked out, and the Pistons....are a "professional" basketball team.

Aww...Youtube can't post the video because the MLB sucks. Imagine the video here. If you haven't seen it yet, imagine a duck riding a unicycle. That sounds almost as cool.

I watched the game, and saw the play. I didn't realize he was hurt until Mario and Rod mentioned it. In closing, Neftali Feliz better watch his P's and Q's. He edged out Austin Jackson for ROY last year. He had a front row seat to what we do when that happens. I won't argue who should have won what, because it is over and done with. But remember, you take our MVP Award, we break your arm.QED

Water....Still Wet

What a week for unsurprising news. The Tigers recently announced that Joel Zumaya and Carlos Guillen would not be ready for Opening Day. I don't know how they Tigers will make it through without them. Oh, wait, like they do every year when these guys are injured.

I was shocked when he was given a raise over the winter. See? And I still am. Why don't they sign these guys for $17 and throw in a bunch of incentives? Like "You earn $75,000 for tying your shoes for 3 consecutive days without getting injured" and "Player will earn $40,000 for successfully completing a crossword puzzle without getting a papercut."

I hate to sound like a bitter, untalented, wanna-be athlete when I complain about these things. But, I'm really good at it.

Random 2011 Tiger Predictions

Before I attempt any preview type things, I will throw out some predictions to review at the end of the season. If I haven't proven it by now, I love opportunities to look stupid, so here we go...

Miguel Cabrera has MVP type stats-I know, I know, way to go out on a limb. But with his off field "distractions", people are starting to dismiss Miggy as a top-5 player in baseball. With Victor Martinez protecting him in the lineup, and a hopefully healthy Maggs in front of him, we may witness his true potential. I will say .327 with 43 HR and 134 RBI. I won't predict an actual MVP award, since the Tigers have enough question marks to make me doubt their postseason potential.

Verlander and Scherzer both reach 200 strikeouts-Again, not too much of a stretch. Verlander is almost a lock, and Scherzer had 184 last year. But with Scherzer's early season troubles, it is certainly not a given.

Phil Coke gets replaced in the rotation-This is not so much a knock on Coke, but optimism in guys like Andy Oliver. I think Coke gets 10-15 starts and moves back to the bullpen before Oliver or another youngster takes his spot.

Brandon Inge hits above .250-He hasn't done it since 2006. I just have a feeling he will be a pleasant surprise and provide more than stellar defense this year.

Austin Jackson's power is still MIA-When Jackson was a prospect in the Yankee organization, he was billed as a 5-tool player. He certainly showed four of those tools last year, but the power was lacking. I think he becomes a 15-20 HR guy eventually, just not this year. I will set the over/under at 7 and take the under.

The Benoit signing looks horrible through June, brilliant in September-When a player has a year like Joaquin had last year and cashes in, there is a microscope on him. Tiger fans expecting a repeat of his brilliant 2010 season will be disappointed early. But if the Tigers are in contention late in the season, I can see him becoming  a fan favorite.

The Tigers are in the playoff picture all season, miss playoffs-I hate to say this. I do. But Chicago looks scary good this year. And there's the Twins. It should be a good 3-team race all season, but I think the Sox take it. The Wild Card should come out of the AL East as always. I want to be wrong on this one.

Leyland manages his final game on September 28th-I can't see him back next season, barring a miracle.

The AL playoffs include Boston, Chicago, Texas, and New York (Wild Card). Boston beats Chicago to advance to the World Series.

The NL playoffs include Philadelphia, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Atlanta (Wild Card). Philly beats Atlanta to reach the World Series.

Boston beats Philadelphia to win the WS.

American League Awards

Cy Young-

1. Jon Lester-BOS
2. Felix Hernandez-SEA
3. David Price-TB

Rookie of the Year

1. Mike Moustakas-KC
2. Dustin Ackley-SEA
3. Desmond Jennings-TB

MVP

1. Adrian Gonzalez-BOS
2. Miguel Cabrera-DET
3. Mark Teixeira-NY

National League Awards

Cy Young

1. Roy Halladay-PHI
2. Tim Lincecum-SF
3. Zack Greinke-MIL

Rookie of the Year

1. Freddie Freeman-ATL
2. Craig Kimbrel-ATL
3. Brandon Belt-SF

MVP

1. Ryan Braun-MIL
2. Albert Pujols-STL
3. Roy Halladay-PHI

So there we have it. I will check back around the All-Star break, and again at the end of the season to see how close I was.

Miguel Cabrera Arrested for DUI

The SEMS curse continues. ladies and gentlemen. Less than a week after making him the top overall draft choice, Miggy was arrested for DUI in Sarasota, FL. I don't get it, I really don't. He's making 153.3 million dollars over 8 years. You can't afford a cab? There are no Metro Cars down there? You didn't learn your lesson last time?

I understand alcoholism is a disease. I get that he will have setbacks once in a while. But to pull out a bottle of Scotch right in front of a police officer? Really?

Did he really pull out the "Do you know who I am?" line? Sigh. Let's hope this is finally a wake up call for Cabrera. He is far too talented to waste his talents. If Cabrera is going to be a distraction, the Tigers' season is over before it starts. Shit.

More Site News

I am still working on the new site, so regular posting will be on hold for a bit longer. A few things happened this weekend that warrant posts, so I will quickly touch on them...

Armando Galaragga was traded to Arizona for two low-ceiling prospects. I hate to see him go, but I touched on this briefly. To get anything for him was a good move.

Green Bay and Pittsburgh will be in the Super Bowl, which is the match-up I was hoping for considering the four teams left. Go Pack. I want the Lions to be able to say they at least beat the Champs. What's that? Rodgers didn't play? Thanks Buzz Killington.

And on to the site news. I have signed on to be a weekly contributor to michigansportsguy.com . I will be writing a weekly feature on the Wolverines once the transition to the new site. Make sure you check it out, and while you are at it, check out the other sites I follow. I wouldn't recommend them if they weren't great.

He's Just Not That Into You

The Tigers recently signed Armando Galaragga to a one year deal, avoiding arbitration. They did this right after signing Brad Penny. Ok, maybe Galaragga would slide to the bullpen, or pitch in Toledo, and lay in waiting until someone got injured. Well, he's been designated for assignment. As in, we are going to try to trade you, or just let you go. Or something. Either way, it seems fishy/sketchy. Kurt at Bless You Boys has a great wrap up. Go read that. Go ahead, I'll wait.
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My biggest question is did Mando know he would be DFA'd when he signed the deal, or did he blind-sided? I also believe Dombrowski when he says he wants Galaragga to start and will do his best to put him in that situation. It just seems like this could have been handled better. Maybe delay the announcement until a trade was in place? I dunno, man. I feel for him.

Tigers sign Galarraga

The Tigers have reached a one year deal to avoid arbitration with Perfecto* Galarraga. Armando was the last remaining arbitration eligible player the Tigers had to deal with, so those headaches have been avoided.

Baseball wise, I guess this makes sense. The rotation is far from set, so Galarraga still has a chance to beat out Penny or Coke. A MLB team can also always use a swing guy that can pitch in long relief, and start in a pinch without a month of being stretched out.

Sentimentally, this was a great signing. After the perfect game* and way he handled everything...

he should be a fan favorite for as long as he wears the Olde English D, and longer. And besides, at least they didn't sign Andres Galarraga.

Tigers sign Joel Zumaya

According to Yahoo, the Tigers have resigned relief pitcher Joel Zumaya to a one year, 1.4 million dollar deal. That is a $485,000 raise. For Joel Zumaya. The oft-injured Joel Zumaya. The 101mph throwing Joel Zumaya. The victim of a Guitar Hero incident, Joel Zumaya. The pitcher who hasn't reached 40 innings since 2006.

The pitcher that....ok, i digress. But he's a hometown guy, so I gotta hope he overcomes the insurmountable almost insurmountable odds, and becomes the flame-thrower we all remember from the World Series run in '06.

Why can't I throw 100? I can barely hit 70 at Cedar Point, and those things are rigged. FML

Tigers sign Brad Penny

The Detroit Tigers have signed pitcher Brad Penny to a one year deal worth 3 million dollars. He was 3-4 last year with a 3.23 ERA with the Cardinals.  He then missed time with a shoulder injury, and will turn 33 in May. Thats pretty intriguing for a possible 5th starter. He doesn't have a high k/9 rate at 6.3, but he has the potential to be a top 3 pitcher in a good rotation when healthy. Assuming he beats out Galarraga for the 5th spot, the Detroit rotation will look something like this....

1. Justin Verlander, RHP-18-9, 3.37 ERA, 8.8 k/9
2. Max Scherzer, RHP-12-11, 3.5 ERA, 8.5 k/9
3. Rick Porcello, RHP-10-12, 4.92 ERA, 4.6 k/9
4. Phil Coke, LHP-7-5, 3.76 ERA, 7.4 k/9
5. Brad Penny, RHP-3-4, 3.23 ERA, 6.3 k/9
6. Armando Galarraga, 4-9, 4.49 ERA, 4.6 k/9

When you take into account how good Scherzer was after his trip to Toledo, Porcello's age, and Armando's flirt with perfection, this could be a great rotation. Or Scherzer could revert back to his beginning of 2009, Porcello could not take the expected leap forward, Coke can crack under the pressure of starting, and Penny could deal with injury issues or continue his struggles in the AL.

So basically, who knows? With this much uncertainty at the end of a rotation, its best to have as many wild card options as you can gather. Every year there are surprises both good and bad, so backup options are nice to have.

Penny is also engaged to Dancing With the Stars star, Karina Smirnoff. Any semi-legit reason to post half nekkid ladies is fine with me...

She also dated Mario Lopez, so an Albert Clifford Slater-Brad Penny confrontation is an intriguing option.

Remember Me? Dan Gladden

Dan Gladden was an outfielder for the Tigers during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. He came over from the Minnesota Twins where he was a decent threat to steal 20 bases. He averaged 6 in his two seasons on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. He did hit a career high 13 homers in 1993, before winning a championship with the Giants in 1994. The Yomiuri Giants.

He scuffled around as a scout until 2000, when he became an analyst for the Twins, where he still works today. He will always be remembered for this play in the 1991 World Series...

A quick recap

There have been a few interesting tidbits the last few days, but nothing really worth its own post, so I will lump them all together here:

The Michigan coaching search is still a circus with Jim Harbaugh going to the 49ers. The latest rumors have them linked to Les Miles. He's batshit crazy, but has a better track record than Hoke, so I would be ok with that.

Speaking of Michigan, the first and certainly not last signs that the coaching situation is going to affect the long term success were announced on National TV yesterday at the Army All American Bowl. Three players, who were at one time thought to be Michigan leans committed elsewhere. Kris Frost, a WR/LB from NC committed to Auburn. FL S/OLB/Valedictorian Wayne Lyons declared for Stanford. Previously committed Army Player of the Year RB Dee Hart officially announced his intentions to go to Alabama. Rivals.com calls Michigan the "biggest loser" of the Army Bowl. Add to that the wavering commitments of other recruits, and, well, fuck....

On to brighter news. Lions Rookie of the Year candidate Ndamukong Suh (Vote for him here) will not be playing in the Pro Bowl due to a shoulder injury. It sucks, but I'd rather him be healthy for next season.

The Pistons are starting to get included in trade scenarios, citing their desire to shed salary. This one has Rip leaving, and Troy Murphy's expiring contract coming. I would jump on that. And if you think Detroit is giving up too much talent, add in Chris Wilcox or Jason Maxiell. ZING!!!

The Tigers are still being linked to Starting Pitchers. The most intriguing option I have heard is Brad Penny.
Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer,Penny, and Coke/Galarraga is a strong rotation. With Matt Garza going to the Cubs for a huge prospect package...umm....package of prospects, the trade market is looking expensive.

The Michigan Basketball team takes on the Semi-pro team, the Kansas Jayhawks today at 4:30 on CBS. I am receiving word that despite the recent transgressions, Kansas is still considered an NCAA team. My bad. They feature the Morris twins, Marcus and Markief, freshman guard, Josh Selby, who missed nine games for violating NCAA rules, and freshman guard Royce Woolridge. Woolridge is only averaging 3.9 minutes per game, but is the son of former NBA player and Detroit Piston, Orlando Woolridge. He was on the receiving end of a nasty posterization by Michael Jordan in 1990...



In non local news, what a crazy day in the NFL yesterday. I will sum it up with Marshawn Lynch's run...

Merry Christmas

I got one thing I asked for, a Michigan kicker commitment. Rich Rod pulled out the "snake oil" and stole K Matt Goudis from Boise State. Take that, smurf turfers.

As for my readers, I leave you with this classic video of Tigers announcer, Rod Allen from his playing days abroad. Be safe and have fun this weekend!