My Season of Discontent

Ridiculous.

I've upgraded my Indians season ticket package from 20 games (of which I actually saw 15) to 27 this year, splitting a full season three ways with a couple of friends.

Sure, we upgraded our seats -- we're sitting on the left field foul line in the angled-seat section.

Sure, we have more games.

Sure, the Tribe's got to better than last year (don't EVEN get me started).

But there is a distinct possibility that if the Indians make a run deep into the 2007 playoffs, I'll be sipping the High Life out in Kauai.

Yes. That's right. I'm going to Hawaii for two weeks in October. The very same two weeks the American League Championship Series and World Series take place.

Of course, if the Tribe makes it that far, I'll be more than happy to drink myself into a stupor at 3 in the afternoon on a beach somewhere on southern Kauai. But damnit! I missed the last two World Series because of stupid college. And if those jackasses decide to get their acts together this year, I could very well miss this one.

I hate the Indians.

Get To Know Your Newest Dodger

Sure, we think we know all about Jason Schmidt from watching him pitch for the Giants, but I think this penetrating cartoon provides a unique insight.

Cubs sign Soriano; a 'Nation' yawns

CHICAGO - You know a fan base is jaded when its team signs the top free agent on the market and people are angry. And I can see why. Soriano is a magnificent player when motivated, but he's 31 and the terms (8 years, a trillion dollars) make him virtually untradeable.

Health permitting, their lineup actually kind of borders on awesome. But until their pitching improves, I can't be bothered.

Tigers trade for Sheffield

My take: They get 5 percent better, 100 percent less likable. In the end they will regret this trade I feel. Although if anybody can tame Barry Bonds-lite, I suppose it's Leyland.

Umm are we going to hug this out. . . or just move on to hot stove league?

Flashback to Game 1: A PictoPhoto Tour

ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- Sure we're losing. Sure we look unprepared. Sure we're blowing it. But dammmmmm. We're having fun.

@ the airport.

With the Bro-in-law @ 10a @ the park

Down Brush Street toward RenCen

Pregame Skip

Game time from seat location #2
The town is smiling...smiling for the Magical Season to continue...

Back! Back to the '80s!

The Detroit News (interns, probably) put together a 33-image retrospective on the 1984 World Series. There's surprisingly little action in these photos. And I love the fact that the away game is in black and white.

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Ughh

CHICAGO - Out of respect for what's happening in the D, I've been waiting to comment on the patently bizarre offseason the Chicago baseball clubs have thus far endured.

I don't really have anything to say about this either. Other then, 'sheeeeeit.'

World Series Blockbuster!

If Todd Jones blows a save . . .




. . . we'll know he's been secretly replaced by Morgan Spurlock, taping an episode of "30 Days" in which he finds out what it's like to spend one full baseball postseason hanging out with Fernando Rodney.

A World Series Gift For My Detroit Homies

I hope this resonates for you all on this Game One Day. Only one more week of baseball; enjoy every minute . . .

Manager Watch: In With the Old!

Meet your new hero. But now that Jimmy Ley-best is at the helm, what's the famous starting point for our 1984 6-4-3 doing? Turns out, Tram is throwing out the first pitch tomorrow...USA Today gets the skinny on the guy we all knew shouldn't have taken the job in 2003.

Worst. Game. Ever

I love Rob Neyer's column on ESPN. He's always posting something statistical about baseball that proves "gut feelings" about the grand old sport belong somewhere between hearsay and conjecture in the "admissible evidence" pantheon.

Today's column is about the worst-ever game-seven pitcher. It's Oliver Perez for the Mets.

Perez boasts the fewest number of wins in a season in which he's pitching a game seven, lowest winning percentage in a season, lowest career winning percentage and second-worst career ERA. Guess who's got the worst career ERA for a game-seven starter?

Jeff Suppan. Tonight's starter for the Cards.

Ugh. We're in for a real pitcher's duel tonight.

Eekgads! It's Fernandomania, Jr.!

Check this link from sportsline. Fernando Valenzuela Jr. joins pop in Mexican League.

What's next? The return of Jerry Hairston Sr.?

Breaking News: Jeff Weaver Smiled (Years Ago)

LOS ANGELES -- At some point during his time as a Dodger, Jeff Weaver smiled.

It wasn't on the field, of course, where he exuded a pure, focused sense of self-loathing or hatred for "this sh*t" as he no doubt has said thousands of times in his life. This smile was instead captured during a visit to Children's Hospital -- just south of a particularly famous Los Feliz home.

He didn't even smile when contacted via shout from an old party buddy when pitching for the Dodgers in San Diego. The dumpy looking fellow who contacted him through the fence near the sandbox and Weaver shared mutual smirks of understood camaraderie -- the kind that comes from sharing bushels of illicit drugs while skipping class.

"Is he smiling now?" asked Mike Hudson, a fan from Weaver's early stint with the Detroit Tigers. "He's the hottest pitcher in the National League. But I bet he's still just staring off into space more often than not in his hotel, picking out patterns in the carpet."

Developing...

Breaking News: Detroit Goes Towel-less

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers will not hand out rally towels for at least the first two games of the World Series at Comerica Park, team officials said.

The hanky-sized towels are a popular playoff accessory that fans whirl in the air to cheer on their team. Fans attending the opening games in Detroit will get some sort of World Series souvenir, but officials haven't said what it will be.

"The in-park giveaway for the World Series is determined by Major League Baseball," said Joel Scott, a Tigers spokesman. "They (league officials) have items that were going to be distributed no matter where the World Series was at."


Plus...this wiki on Jay Mariotti is funny.

This Is Sharp

Comment from a post about the Tigers on Deadspin:

Wow, that's almost a brilliant way of making the Lions look like a winning franchise. I heard that if the Tigers win the WS, Jon Kitna will be the first thing torched.

A Few Notes on Losing My Mind

It seems like Maggs' shot took minutes to reach the outfield. Mike and I didn't want to lose it until we had empirical evidence that it was a homer. There was jumping and hugging and running around the apartment. The pets scattered to avoid being trampled. I got down on the ground and slapped the floor with my hand. I was shaking and sweating and my voice was wavering. I had three sticks of gum in my mouth -- Gum Time to end all Gum Times! -- and I nearly choked on the chew, not to mention spitting up everywhere. Mike reinjured his heel from jumping up and down. I pulled something in my ribcage from shouting so loudly.

We instantly started calling or got calls from everyone in the Michigan Diaspora -- our dads, Steve Davis, Jon Brunt, Pat Muir, Jake Cooley, Scott W. Baird, Eric Lacey, Brian Shiels, Chris Solari ...

For the rest of the night (as I will for the rest of my life), I replayed the shot in my head and shook my head and laughed.

That feeling, friends, is why we watch.

Tigers Move On To The World Series . . .

. . . and guess what they have . . .

2006: A New Hope

THE TIGERS WIN THE PENNANT!

Tigs/A's 2-0, Mets/Cards ?-?

More History

From the Freep.

A's-Tigs History

Seems the 1972 ALCS got pretty nasty between these two. Let's hope we can leave out the extracurriculars this time, boys. We want a nice, clean fight.

On the plus side . . .

The Dodger team might have proved itself an inconsistent mediocrity, but, having attended NLDS games in the mid '90s that felt like June games against Milwaukee, it was exciting to see the Stadium packed with intense, excited, dedicated Dodger fans, dressed in blue and hanging on every pitch. Biggest Dodger crowd I've ever been a part of. The weather was gorgeous and the stadium looked as beautiful as it ever has.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...

Live...from Detroit...

It's a Saturday Night for the ages...

Show 'Em Off, Boys

Tigers -- 2
Yankees -- 1

Exit Stage North

Was that Torii's last play as a Twin in Minnesota? Could be...enjoy the Division Title, Twin Cities...you earned it. OAK looks on-time.

This Isn't the Postseason I'd Envisioned

Big Apple: Didn't See That One Coming

Baby, Where You Been?

Classic Tigers baseball! Great quality start by J.V., who continually got out of jams. Bullpen was a phenom, including the Laser Man Zumaya. The offense did what it did when it was humming earlier in the season: A homer here, a manufactured run there, just enough. Then Jonesy made it a bit fun in the ninth.

This is Tigers baseball! On to Detroit!

Atta Boy, Nate

If Gum Time is still feeling good, then so am I.

J.V. pitching a day game in the Bronx tomorrow. Do it up, baby!

Roar Restored: 2006 is a Magical Year

Before Game 1 Tigs v. Yanks gets going...
Before we get all caught up in who will win this or that or the whole thing...
Before we dissect the performances...
Before we judge even one pitch...

I'd like to say, "Thank You" to the Detroit Tigers organization for fielding a wonderful team this year after 13 years of losing and only 3 years after the 119-loss debacle that I sat through 25+ games of with Devil Ray.

Seeing the Tigers lineup on GameDay and announced by Bob Sheppard in the House Ruth Built in a playoff game against the Mighty Yanks in October is really all I could have asked for. While we might have choked a bit toward the end of the 162-game stretch, we much closer to the top of the game than we are from the bottom of it...and that's where the proud Detroit Tigers of Cobb, Greenberg, Kaline, Lolitch, Trammell, Gibson and Anderson would want it. Soon we'll be putting a name like Verlander, Granderson, Miller (or hopefully Robertson!) up there with them.

Two reasons Why America is the Land of Opportunity.

Who's Hot? Who's Not?

So the Tigs absolutely quit playing after clinching the Wild Card and dropped three to the Royals of all teams. Meanwhile the Dodgers are smoking along winning, I believe, seven straight. Cardinals are playing really poorly. Mets are injured. Padres look pretty good. Yankees are the Yankees and got some bats back just in time to dominate in October. Twins look decent, but a bit shaky here and there. Oakland has a history of blowing it in the postseason.

So...the question is...who you got?

The Final Week of the Regular Season

With the Dodgers locked in a dramatic chase for the playoffs, let's talk about a REAL baseball story! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your National Lunatic!

DEEE-TROIT BAAASE-BAAALLL!

It's like I'm 10 all over again...

Memo

To: All 90 Percent Mental contributors
From: somebodytogobackintimewith
Re: Organizational meeting(s)

Dear Contributors:
Another regular season has come and (nearly) passed; where does the time go?

I'm flying into LA next week and I would like to schedule some time to meet with you all, either individually or as a group, to go over some things. Nothing terribly specific; I just want to get everybody's thoughts about how the year went, and what our goals for the future should be.

My plane lands at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday. Hud and I will be making straight for Ye Olde Rustic, so if you want to discuss things in a relaxed, informal setting that would be an ideal time. Otherwise I'll be contacting you individually.

It's been a great season, folks. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best,
Somebody

Vital Post-Dodger Win Hangover Wisdom from Earl Weaver

"Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher."

For real, peoples, for real.

Why I Love This Town, This Game, Life In General

And just like that...a team, a hero and some freakin' history are made. Do yourself a favor and check out the video highlights of the Sept. 18 Padres v. Dodgers game on MLB.com.

Commonwealth Avenue was blowin' up. The lights of the stadium are still lit at this hour, visible from the balcony of this very room.

Confusing Times: Dodgers & Tigers

This should be an exciting time for folks like me, with both my teams knee deep in the hunt. But frankly, I enjoyed the mid-season of both these teams better...like around May.

At that time, the Dodgers had scores of young talent shining and an exciting game every other day. Meanwhile, the Tigers were firing on all cylinders and stunning the Majors with the best record in baseball.

Now, the Dodgers are a confusing mishmash of talent...I can't get a read on these guys to this day. I don't get the feeling they like each other. And no one is really very consistent. Incredibly, LA isn't all that interested in this team, either. It's just another thing happening around here, but casual fans are likely to not even know the Dodgers are close to a playoff berth. My guess would be because they don't know/care about any of the players. The run in 2004, by a much less talented team, seemed to be more compelling.

The Tigers are developing major holes in their game. With a stiff base formed by championship calibre starting pitching, the deterioration begins with a severe lack of hitting. And now you can add a lack of middle relief. It's looking like a Wild Card is the best we can hope for in Motown because the Twins are easily the most complete team in the Central at this point. Fortunately, we don't play them again this year. Maybe the Tigs will snap out of it...they still seem loose and fun-loving...not the sort of behavior from a bunch of chokers. It's hard to be lucky for two-thirds of a season, but it's looking more and more like this team was exactly that.

WHAT THE HELL ARE THE TWINS DOING?

This real time rundown from baseballmusings.com is like watching a car wreck - horrifying, but you can't look away:

Liriano Returns
Francisco Liriano shows no sign of injury in the first inning, retiring the Athletics in order on nine pitches, striking out one.
Update: Two innings, 22 pitches, 17 strikesouts, six up and six down for Liriano. Haren also retired the side in order in the first. He threw 17 pitches, 12 for strikes.
Update: Liriano injures himself on a pitch to Bobby Kielty. According to the radio broadcast, it looks like his arm. He bounced a pitch, and the announcers thought he caught a spike. He's out of the game. A big blow for the Twins.
Update: Liriano threw the pitch, fell off the mound, then came up with his arm hanging. With luck my Tivo caught it and I'll watch it when I get home.
Update: The radio reports that Liriano is suffering from left elbow pain.
Update: I just watched it via Tivo. He didn't fall off the mound. When he completed the delivery, it's obvious that he hurt his arm as he jerks it up like he felt pain. That left the end of his motion unbalanced, but he didn't fall. It was immediately obvious to Redmond and Castillo that he was hurt, as they made their way out to the mound to check him. What was clear is that whatever happened to his arm, it hurt enough to throw off his delivery and send him out of balance.

I'm not a Twins fan of course. But this is very scary, and very sad.

Not to mention extremely irresponsible.

I understand the division is there for the taking, but what the Twins are doing to this kid is downright criminal. Hopefully this will prove to be some sort of psychological blow to the Minnies, though I doubt it.

Tigers: Dmitri Scandal

So Dmitri Young is gone...for good.

He was released unconditionally after the third game of the Seattle series, where he was -- I believe -- 0 for 3.

I knew something was up when he was pulled for a guy with no MLB at-bats...something Hooper...to lay down a sac-bunt. But I had no idea.

Everyone is officially saying it was for baseball reasons, which is obvious bullcrap because he was slotted #3 in his last game, was batting .290 with 18 RBIs in 30 games since returning from detox. DetNews sources say he was released because he was a problem in the clubhouse.

Hmmm.

Whither Jeff Kent?

So then there's the issue of Jeff Kent. As a fan, I've had troubles with the guy over the years. He's never been lovable. He's prickly and seems to be self-satisfied, arrogant and way too convinced that his redneck wisdom is infallible (remember, he was kicked off his high-school baseball team for thinking he knew more than the manager and he publicly feuded with coaches at Cal--his "veteran attitude" has apprently been in place at least since puberty). Where's the joy in the game? Who told him baseball needed a new Ty Cobb? A new Ty Cobb is the last thing baseball ever needs. Plus he's not my kind of middle infielder (range? sweet hands? quickness? anything?!).

That said, I believe he plays the game the right way. He's in to win, he's passionate about team first and there are some values, between the lines and in the clubhouse, that I think he's a good exemplar of, not least hard work and hard-nosed play every single day. I never actually believed he was a racist (though I think flaunting your motocross magazines in Milton Bradley's face is asking for disharmony). And his power numbers, particularly for a second baseman, will hold up for a long time (provided Alfonso Soriano and Robinson Cano suffer career-ending injuries in the next couple years).

I'll always be ambivalent about the fact that far and away the greatest major leaguer ever produced by my beloved Cal Bears baseball program is a self-styled law-and-order cowboy poseur (he's from Bellflower, after all--it's the suburbs, not the old west) who drives trucks and motorcycles and doesn't seem to embody any of the values I admire (excepting, again, his rather famed work ethic). But there you are.

Wait, why was I writing this . . . ? Oh yeah, this link. There was a really interesting interview on the L.A. Times baseball blog with Kent. A bunch of honest, insightful stuff in here, but especially the moment when he gets flummoxed by the question of who's the best baseball player he's ever seen. Check out how tangled up he gets: obviously his answer is Bonds, but he clearly knows (not thinks, knows) Bonds is guilty on the steroids thing so he can't commit in any direction. Anyway, it's a good read.

Our 100th Post: The Tigers Stink!

Poor plate discipline is quickly sinking the S.S. Leyland, just as it was about to pull into port.

If Vin were broadcasting the Tigs for the past 25 games, he might say:

"Now you kids watching at home, don't swing at the first pitch after the two guys in front of you drew walks. Make that pitcher prove he can hit the plate."

Get Scared!

The L.A. Times' estimable baseball writer Tim Brown used his Sunday column today to float a couple scenarios in which A-Rod, MLB's most self-absorbed dandy, would come to either the Dodgers or the Angels. Get scared!!! (free subscription req'd.)

Just a Perfect Day

--Dodgies win their sixth straight
--Tigs win in impressive fashion 9-nil over the Angels
--Sox lose to KC
--Twins lose to NYY

Gentlemen...it just doesn't get any better than this.

Or not...Yanks Win Series, Expose Tigs Flaws

The Yanks may be playing as well as anyone in baseball at the moment, still high on whooping the Red Sox in the fiver. The Tigs are obviously struggling to score runs, but it remains to be seen whether this is temporary or a fatal flaw in the lineup.

On the bright side, the Tigs ditch their itchy-trigger-finger strategy come the 9th Inning, take pitches and make people pay. Too bad they can't be more patient in the preceding eight frames.

Pitching is very strong, howevs. So it's a matter of just putting it all together and that slump will be gone. Perhaps better to struggle in early Sept than breeze into October. Learn the lessons of the Mariners.

Anyway you look at it, this man is worth his money.

Slump Buster?

The Magic of 2006 Continues

Tigs Last 20: (6-14)

Not a bad Game #1 of the day night. Tigs had a lack of hitting, but had chances and rallied late...plus great job by Nate Robertson getting outs with guys in scoring position.

Howevs,

SLUMP! It's a slump! Jump on the slump bandwagon, cuz this is it! But the key to a slump, as we learned from Gracie, is to enjoy it. Treat it like a hitting streak and get excited for every at-bat! The slump ends here!

Let's get that slump! And if not, I want to see the Tigs out after Game 2 in every dive bar of the Bronx trolling...

Stop Clogging Up the Bases!

If you want your kids to learn the fundamentals, better not send 'em to Dusty's baseball camp . . .

I've defended Johnny B. Baker in the past. He was a great Dodger player and a great fit as manager for the Gigantes, navigating some fairly treacherous interpersonal waters (see CA Supreme Court Case Kent v. Bonds) and almost winning a World Series ("You're doing a heckuva job, Ortizy--here, take the game ball!"). Also, without Dusty Baker there would have been no Darren Baker, Dusty's cute son who, as an overeager junior-junior batboy, was saved by JT Snow in one of my favorite baseball moments.

But something--either too much losing or those hateful racist Chicago death threats or maybe all those toothpicks--has scrambled his brains. This quote, from a Cubs News & Notes type column, right there on the team's homepage, is one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever seen from a manager.

Do the Cubs need to improve their on-base percentage next year? They currently rank last in the National League with a .318 OBP.

"On-base percentage is great if you can score runs and do something with that on-base percentage," Baker said. "Clogging up the bases isn't that great to me. The problem we have to address more than anything is the home run problem."

Sorry, but you don't have to be a Bill James reader or a Moneyball fan to think that getting guys on base might eventually lead to scoring runs. Maybe Dusty is saying that his first concern is adding power to his lineup, but if so, it's the most poorly articulated thought in history. Since the guy is clearly done in Chicago, he probably ought to take some time off. Do a little fishing and that. Clear his head. When a baseball manager decides that "clogging up the bases" isn't such a good idea, it's time for a break.

Big Tymers: The Tigs Take Manhattan!

Good luck, boys. Go get 'em!

Sox Stadium Show: Whaa?

After the game, the White Sox postgame show began with this phrase:

"The World Champs put the 'D' into Detroit in the final game of a four game..."


Am I forgetting some other 'D'?

Messy Success

It's hard to think the Tigers are a decent team after watching yesterday's slop fest and this 10-0 destruction at the hands of the Sox -- a team desperate for a win.

The same can be said of the Dodgers, who are getting sliced and diced by the Padres, yet won so many in a row this month it doesn't matter.

I can't make heads or tails out of the NL West. Anyone care to guess?

But as far as the AL Central, nothing (same 5.5 lead, same strong top pitching, same ability to hang around games, AJP still a weannie) has changed after this series -- a great result for a slumping Tiger team. It's up to the Sox and Twins to grind out a heck of a lot of wins to catch the Tigs. And even if one of them does, it probably leaves the Tigs in the Wild Card.

So we'll see. But I know this much -- Miner and Nate "Hang Another for Dye" Robertson won't be in the playoff rotation at this rate.

The Tigs needs a little Leyland in their ears.

Rhymes with Hunt

I wonder the next time AJ stands in Craig Monroe's way at home plate after hitting a G-Slam (like he did in July at Comerica) if one of these gentlemen will toss a 94mph at his chinny chin chin. Inquiring minds want to know. Ty Cobb would have slid spike high and took out the pistol from his back pocket and whipped him. Greatest ball player ever !

Tigers 2006: A Milestone

CONGRATS DETROIT!

Hard to believe, but this is the first time the Tigers have been .500 for a season since 1993. (81-45 at the moment*)

That's 13 years.

More amazing is that we haven't even sniffed the concept of .500 since 2000, when I was a lowly intern at The Detroit News. So many Halters and Higgies and JuanGons.**

Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that I just downed a celebratory "Strawberry Blonde" at Cold Stone Creamery (Gotta Have It-sized, obvs) while eating half off the Beckster's "Birthday Cake Remix" (Love It-sized in waffle bowl).

*I've waited my entire adult life to say this: "The Detroit Tigers' Magic Number is..."

**---2003---

If Hud ran baseball. . .

This is how short Guillen's leash would be.
*
For real, this is what he had to say before Saturday's game. It's real, and it's spectacular.
*
Damn you, Tigers, for taking Neifi Perez off the Cubs' hands. He's 33, going to cost you $3 million next year, and Pudge probably fields 2nd base better. Although if everything follows form he will probably hit 25 homers and lead the league in steals once he peels off the Cubbie blue.

Denis Leary v. Mel Gibson

I was watching the Tigers-Red Sox last week, and on the MLB pakcage we got the NESN broadcast from New England. Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke (also on "Rescue Me") visited the booth to do a little "commentary" and to raise money for Leary's foundations for firefighters. Informed that Kevin Youkilis is Jewish, Leary went to town; it was really wonderful and now it's turned up on YouTube. Watch it quick, because apparently NESN keeps taking it down. If you want to hear audio of the entire inning they were in the booth, here's the link.

Sox Last Stand, or Tigers In Trubba?

The Sox that are Red have already fallen into crisis mode after being humiliated at Fenway in four straight. Hard to picture a win today significantly improving morale after last night's disasterous, spirit crushing loss...one of the best games of the season so far, at that.

The Sox that are White are also in peril. But given the Tigers' current problems with scoring more than their opponents (3-9 in the last 12), anything can happen.


As if by magic, there will be four games this week to determine the answer to that question. Here is the legend to the AL Central.


Sox is Done
--Sweep by Tigers
--3-1 Series Win by Tigers

Sox in Trubba
--Split

Tigers in Serious Slump
--3-1 Series Win by Sox

"Playoffs? We're not gonna make the (stinkin') playoffs!"
--Sweep by Sox

Shifting Gears (to a sport that is 97% mental)

At this point, you might want to take a break from the one-sided who's-your-daddy shellacking that the big Sox-Yanks series is turning out to be . . .

If any of you have an interest in learning more about my favorite athlete, Roger Federer, or about why he matters—or about how I see sports, how I see writing, how I see art, how I see spirituality, and how those various things collide; in some sense how I see the world—check out one of my favorite writers, David Foster Wallace, on Federer in the special section of tomorrow’s NY Times, “Play,” a quarterly magazine the Times does about sports. (If you haven’t read DFW before, understand that the footnotes are as important as the text and you’ll want to find yourself a rhythm for going between them that ensures you read everything.) You might decide the article isn't about tennis at all . . .