Tigers: Chew On This

If the Tigers win today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, they will be 55-25 after 80 games.

The 1984 Tigers were also 55-25 after 80 games.

Bafflingly Disitressing? Distressingly Baffling?

The Dodgers have announced their plans regarding how Cesar Izturis and Rafael Furcal will share the infield. I'll put this as clearly as possible: this is a remarkably bad baseball decision. Using Izturis at third and Furcal at short, rather than the other way around, is as clear an example of cutting off your nose to spite your face as I can imagine. Only a team committed to something other than winning—both in the short and in the long term—would make such a choice. We can't yet know if this is coming from Little, Colletti or McCourt (or some unholy combination), but it is a shifty, political move designed to keep an overpaid "star" happy at the expense of winning baseball games. If they think showing off Izturis at another position will increase his trade value, they're wrong; Izturis's trade value is as a defensive genius, and if they want to get any value for him, they have to show him off as such.

Just in case my affection for Izturis's defense was causing me to be biased, I checked in with J.T., the ne plus ultra of unflinchingly loyal and, more ot the point, clear-eyed and unsentimental Dodger fans. Here is his comment:

"I had the exact same thought. Completely baffling. If you’re going to get stuck with Izturis’ offense in your lineup, you’d sure as heck better get a good defensive shortstop out of it. Aybar is twice the offensive player Izturis is. This is just a really, really bad move, the worst that Coletti’s made so far (yes, even worse than Sanchez for Seo)."

I Just Have to Ask

Did Ron Santo suffer a brain injury? He's the worst radio color commentator of all time. Fitting, though, seeing as he works for the Cubs.

Also, why can't I find the old cartoon of the roaring tiger they used to show after Detroit victories? Why isn't this on YouTube?

Goodbye, friend: Tiger Stadium Gets Sent Down

The Corner

• 440 to Center.
• 3 hours from Greenville.
• 11 wins.
• No losses.
• First MLB game (Gibby GW HR in 12th v. TEX in 1986)
• First dog with spicy mustard.
• $1 Bleacher Seats with Coke Summer Fun Card
• $10 32 oz. beer/hot dog combo
• Ernie, George and Al

Cubs Update from Craig!

Detroit got to the Cubs' (pathed) bullpen after only 1.2 innings, and the Tigers won't see Zambrano or Maddux. I know it's only Friday afternoon, but I daresay anything less than a sweep this weekend is a failure.

Baseball, Rock 'n' Roll, and America

So I e-mailed some dudes:

I'm going to have this quote framed:

"I'm not going to go on this emotional roller-coaster that people around here want to go on," Leyland said. "Win two or three in a row, we're the greatest thing since Post Toasties. Lose one, and everybody is like, 'Oh, my God, what are we going to do?'"

After a few more rounds, Deuce made a crack about this Post Toasties kid looking like Brandon Inge.


I shot back he looked more like Jim Walewander, which led Hud to interject that he saw Walewander's only Major League homer in 1987 (which I submit is an obscure but important little slice of American history). With apologies to Walewander, an obvious but crucial Dead Milkmen reference was made.

A few rounds later, Walt Whitman was introduced into the conversation, Schmidt threw in Zach Braff and then I raised him a Frank Tanana. (On my own tonight, Frank T. led me to Matt Nokes, my all-time favorite Tiger, and then Scott Lusader. Scott Lusader for the love of God.)


So where does this all lead? Just back down the road a bit. But as I wrote Hud at one point, "I love baseball, rock 'n' roll, and America."

2 Great Tiger Traditions

Uniforms and beating the Cubs. 1935, 1945. . . and beyond

AJP and Ozzie Strike Again

A Quick Reading List for the A.J.P./Ozzie/Rook Tracey/Blalock beanball fiasco.

--SI.com (A history of Ozzie and Buck Showalter)
--SouthSideSox.com (A White Sox fan gives his city, station, catcher, manager AND broadcaster the thumbs down)

Ozzie appears to maybe just be crazy.

An Open Letter From MLB

There's a letter for you. It's from Bud Selig. It looks important.

Story so Far/Getting Waaaay Ahead of Selves

CHICAGO - The White Sox are the defending World Champions. They currently have the second best record in baseball. Attendance is up 20 percent. And nobody's happy.

Some of the fans' and pundits' concerns are legitimate (no stick at all in center field, instability in the bullpen) some are not (mediocre road record, moderate difficulty with left handers). People, it seems, have forgotten the struggles the White Sox endured last year (Konerko, Crede and Dye through May, the whole team in August).

Let me remind these people of the facts:
1. Every pitcher on the staff has struggled at some point this year except the top starter (Contreras) and the closer (Jenks). But the team ERA has gone done a full run each of the last 2 months. The bullpen features two increasingly reliable left-handers and a righty who would be a third starter anywhere else in the league. And there is hope that Dustin Hermanson - who was having an All Star caliber season last year before back trouble felled him - could return after the All Star break.

2. All their games with New York and Boston are upcoming (a reality that cuts both ways, natch), but the White Sox are in fine position almost halfway through the toughest month of their schedule. And while it certainly seems Detroit has enough pitching to hang in all year, the playoff possibilities in the AL Central are seeming less like an either/or proposition every day.

So yeah taking into account the returning talent and the influx of good players over the offseason it is fair to say maybe the White Sox have not played as well as they're capable yet this year. The scary thing is it's possible they could win it all playing less than their best. As a White Sox fan though, um, I'd rather they not go that route.
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I went to see the White Sox play the Tigers twice last week and agree with esteemed colleague Hud that Detroit very well could represent the American League in the World Series, especially if they win the Central and were to start the playoffs at home.

Moving on down Speculation Road, it is hard to imagine the current Tiger lineup getting past the Sox if they pitch like they did in last year's Championship Series. Then again they haven't done anything this year to make me think that we'll happen. So yeah, ROAR!!!
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Lest we forget, J-Grim has a long history of practicing the nefarious arts.

Holy K-Rap! Dodgies/Tigers both in 1st

The Dodgers appear to be on a roll, despite hitting a relatively rough 5-5 patch in the past 10 games. The rookies are shining, led by Matt Kemp -- the Manny "Without Being" Manny. Read all about it in this great MLB piece. He said back in spring he was going Major straight from 'A'. Shot caller! Even when the team isn't blazing the wins (Tomko!) the Dodgers are an interesting lot. Lotsa story lines.

Dodgers/Tigers in the fall classic? You betcha I just said that. I parlayed that baby at the beginning of the year so come November I'll be buying everyone a Mercedes.

World Cup Update: the U.S. still stinks. I gotta admit, the Cup has inspired some serious interest from me. (I enjoyed a 0-0 tie game. Do I lose my right to Social Security for that?)

Baseball still is more interesting, let there be no doubt. And the WBC will one day be a national holiday for previously soccer crazed nations.

Now that Dodgers/Tigers take sounds pretty sensible in comparison, eh?

Check the Grand Cyn for 'Roids

So now we turn our attentions to Phoenix, where it seems if The Great One's wife isn't gambling her azz off, ol' Grimey (as he liked to be called) is hiding greenies in the breakfast blend.

Ugh. Baseball really needs to just hit rock bottom. Maybe the NFL will trick MLB into meeting for dinner at the house, but when the lights go on the NHL, NBA, NFL-E, ABA, USFL, And-1 Tour and NBADL are waiting.

"We don't want to lose you, buddy."

Forget that. This is the best season in memory. Lotsa story lines. Please post about your favorites (and Fybel has a heartwarmer if he'd open up about it.) Until then...if this doesn't make you love baseball, nothing will:

Tigs v. Yanks: Back to Earth, Kitties

The red-hot Tigers have been tamed in three straight by the Bronx Bombers, putting a massive crimp in Detroit's claims to "best team in the league." And while listening to Game 4 on MLB.com radio, it appears the Yanks have a good chance of sweeping this little beauty -- the first quad-set sweep for the Pinstripes in Detroit since 1920.

Here's some thoughts:

--The Tigs are actually playing pretty well, but not hot

--The Yanks are playing out of their minds with increds pitching and clutch hitting

--I'd be more worried as a BoSox fan than a Tigers fan watching this.

--CWS hasn't made the most of this slide, but frankly, they eventually will. This is wild-card year at best for the Tigs. Hopefully, this hot start will help them keep in the hunt until September when the big boys come out to play.