  _sj_ Member Username: _sj_ Post Number: 2400 Registered: 12-2003 |
Like I said last night, it wouldn't have mattered because Zumaya would blow the game in the 9th anyways and low and behold his first save opportunity is a disaster. Just play out the last 50 games, this season has been over for about two weeks as the bullpen is not playoff caliber. It is not Leyland's fault he can only play who he has and it is time for those players to step up and deliver. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 706 Registered: 11-2007 |
Even though they're throwing the ball down broadway, I don't think I've ever seen so many home runs hit in such a short span off hard throwers as the last few days. It would be nice if Zumaya and Rodney could learn a cutter so the hitters couldn't center everything so well. How bad does Farnsworth pitch when he's not playing for a new contract? | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 447 Registered: 03-2007 |
Before tonites game, the Tiges are 7.5 games out of first place and 9 games out of a wild card berth. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1969 Registered: 02-2006 |
In my own personal opinion, I said to myself that if the Tigers didn't sweep this series, they are toast for this season. Mathematically, that's not true. But I'm just not feeling it right now. They're a decent team, but not good enough to put together a run to erase that bad start. They've played fine since they woke up. But starting, what, 2-10(?) really puts you in a whole. And then when you can't beat the guys ahead of you... | ||
Flanders_field Member Username: Flanders_field Post Number: 829 Registered: 01-2008 |
Tigers lose 5-1 vs the Sox, and narrowly avoid being SO for the 13th time managing a total of 5 hits, one being a double by Maggs. The last three in the lineup were Thames .242 Renteria .255, and Sardinha .120 Tigers slide to 8.5 GB the Sox, have lost 6 straight, and are now 3 games under .500 Their record is misleading though, they actually are 42-53 vs the AL minus their interleague record in the 1st half. oh...and they are now a nice round 20-30 in the CD!! (Message edited by Flanders_field on August 07, 2008) | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 691 Registered: 11-2006 |
Freep says it best: "The Tigers have lost 19 games in which they led or were tied entering the seventh inning. If nine of those games had ended differently, the Tigers would be in first place in the American League Central. Instead, they entered Wednesday 7 1/2 games behind." | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 8518 Registered: 11-2004 |
Emu_steve, it was those 19 games they so narrowly won a few years back too that propelled us to the World Series too. I'm not sure if people remember back then but we snuck out a handful of games that we really shouldn't have won. By the grace of the baseball gods or whatever, we had the confidence or the mojo that year. It just goes to show you how close this game can be and actually how talented this team is. Some of the glaring issues/ missing pieces that we have are the same ones other teams have and then some. Not that it makes us Tigers fans any happier about the situation but it's the truth. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 692 Registered: 11-2006 |
Smogboy: You said it all and said it extremely well. All I can add is that the baseball gods shine in different years on different teams be it Sox, Tigers, Twins, or Indians. I believe Lynn Henning wouldn't be surprised if '09 the gods shined on the Tigs again. (I believe he touched on this subject very recently) | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 713 Registered: 11-2007 |
I agree the Tigers can contend next yr. and should have enough payroll freed up to fill their few holes. 2 solid set-up men and a closer should be our top priority, but it's such a crapshoot. Farnsworth gave up as many runs in the past 2 games as he gave up the previous 10 with the Yankees. Rodney is horrible one night and throws 3 shutout innings the next. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 693 Registered: 11-2006 |
Any Joe Nathan, Frankie Rodriquez, etc. type closers to become free agents this fall???? Ilitch and Dombrowski have gotten the Pudges, Maggs, Maquels, etc. now it is time for a big star closer. Take Pudge's salary, etc. and go for it.  | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 694 Registered: 11-2006 |
Just checked The Sporting News (print copy, page 23). Suggests like my post above the Tigs toss big money around and won't stop now. "Who can afford to spend on save?" | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 8537 Registered: 11-2004 |
I'd say it's going to be a good summer to be a solid closer. Money's coming- whether it's from the Tigers (hopefully) or a handful of other teams. Not a bad gig if one can perform. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1972 Registered: 02-2006 |
Good to see Farnsworth struggle early, get booed (he's thinking "Hmm, expectations here these days...not much unlike NY"), then knuckle down and get out of the inning to cheers. | ||
Knocturnal Member Username: Knocturnal Post Number: 254 Registered: 10-2004 |
K-Rod will be a free agent this winter, and with the current year he is having, he will likely sign the most lucrative deal ever for a closer. Wonder if the Tigers will attempt to take the plunge... | ||
Ggores Member Username: Ggores Post Number: 260 Registered: 10-2007 |
Yay, the Tiggers won a game. Last night I was flipping thru all 12 channels on the tellie, and on PAX was being shown "A League of Their Own". Not a bad movie, and this station is commercial-free during shows, but I wasn't in the mood for it. Anyways, flipped back over to PAX a couple hours later, and "Eight Men Out" was playing. Now THAT, for whatever reason, I was really into. What a good b'ball flick, and such an interesting story. And after watching, you can really understand why Charly Hustle will never be inducted to Cooperstown. I especially found Shoeless Joe's character fascinatin'. But the funny thought that went thru my noggin' was that, well, maybe something's going on with Detroit's ball club, somethin' sorta fishy, somethin' not quite on the up and up. Kinda cracked myself up with that one. Welp, nice slaughter last night from them meathounds we call "duh Tigers". | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 695 Registered: 11-2006 |
Curious what K-Rod and Mark Texeria will do. Two big cogs with LAA. The LAA owner will need really open the wallet to get those two signed. Here is an interesting Boston Globe article about Sheff. What you think????? http://www.boston.com/sports/b aseball/articles/2008/08/10/he _feels_like_a_caged_tiger?mode =PF Will DET try to save $ on Sheff and redeploy those bucks elsewhere?? Doesn't this sound similar to Pudge?? (does/did Ilitch want both Pudge and Sheff back next year?) (Message edited by emu steve on August 10, 2008) | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 696 Registered: 11-2006 |
One thing about the '08 Tigs was the issues with off season injuries and surgeries such as Sheff, Zumaya, etc. (and Vance Wilson who didn't make it back). Dombrowski and fans need to assess the seasons of a lot of players in terms of their injuries. Cabrera appears to be 100% and now playing like a Babe Ruth. I saw some Tigs who could hardly make it down the first base line. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 721 Registered: 11-2007 |
"Sheffield feels like a caged Tiger" What a bunch of crap. More like a caged pussycat. He doesn't want to DH but he was more than happy to take the extra 2 yrs. and 28 million on his contract knowing full well he would be the DH. Maybe he'd feel better if he tried running out a ground ball. | ||
Zitro Member Username: Zitro Post Number: 1566 Registered: 04-2008 |
Sheffield can take his paltry.222 BA, his meager 10 hr's (7 of which meant nothing) and his embarrassing 33 RBI's along with his churlish, immature attitude and hit the pavement. Good luck finding a team that wants those stats along with the demand for playing left field for his salary when there a at least a dozen minor leaguers who can do exactly the same for a team and not cause teammates and managers to tip toe around his fragile psyche. | ||
Rob_in_warren Member Username: Rob_in_warren Post Number: 133 Registered: 11-2007 |
emu_steve, Cabrera is the Bambiño. He seems to enjoy playing, he's got tons of power, and he's a bit hefty like Babe Ruth. And look out for Guillermo Moscoso in September. He's striking out everyone at high-A and AA. | ||
Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 2547 Registered: 01-2006 |
I have admired, from afar (in the sense that we don't have an NL team and do not play against the Marlins,) Cabrera's accomplishments since the time when he broke in as an everyday player. Nobody hits like that, for four years in a row, just because pitchers haven't yet "figured him out." I am convinced that he is The Real Thing, but there is something about him that elicits, in me, the sense that he is actually capable of more. I could be wrong. I wonder if he is a guy who is so good at hitting (.310 career BA!,) and so naturally physically powerful, that he can pound the crap out of the ball even while half-awake and thinking about girls. I am not panning him; I'm just wondering if, were he to be in a situation that excited him (which I would have to guess that he, so far, has not been,) he might even be capable of more, which would mean that we could have, let's say, a young "Manny 1.5" model. But, on the other hand, he might just be one of those young guys whose face & body language reveal nothing. Still, I can't shake the feeling that sometimes he's locked in, and sometimes he's not. I almost hope I'm correct. If a guy can have a .310 career BA even without being totally locked in, that's a pretty special guy. Too bad, that this year's model of the Detroit Tigers is so drifty and devoid of passion. Again with my "if they don't care, I don't either" remark. Sorry, Smogboy; there just isn't much to talk about, this season. It's not that I'm a "bandwagon" guy; hell, I've faithfully followed the Tigers through plenty of losing, no-hope seasons. The fact is, though, that some of those "losing, no-hope" teams, while not having the kind of talent the 2008 team has, played like they were, at least, trying, and this team, the so-called "New Murderers' Row," plays like they wouldn't mind winning, but it's no big deal. When my co-workers bring up the subject, I've taken to commenting that this year's team is "very professional," by which I mean to imply that they show up, hit the clock, do their hours, hit the clock again, and go home. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 697 Registered: 11-2006 |
Hey, Rob, Nice post. I like Maquel's new nickname and this kid at Erie escaped me: http://web.minorleaguebaseball .com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Gu illermo%20Moscoso&pos=P&sid=mi lb&t=p_pbp&pid=446861 | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 8550 Registered: 11-2004 |
Ravine, no need to apologize ever. This Tigers season has been rather a bit disappointing in the sense that I think we all fell for some of the hype early on. But even beyond that, this season just doesn't have the emotional spark that others have had- which even includes some of the horrific losing ones. Simply put... this season's been pretty beige at best. I'm sure there will be more Tigers games for us to comment upon soon. No bandwagon here either. I'm still a staunch Tigers fan right there with ya. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 8551 Registered: 11-2004 |
ESPN just reported that Sheff got tossed on waivers. Ordinarily I'd be agog, shocked, elated or pissed off... and maybe it's the end of a long day, but it doesn't shock me at all. | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 453 Registered: 03-2007 |
Maybe you are finally catching on. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 8554 Registered: 11-2004 |
Maybe stotter will finally have something of significance to say beyond his usual sentence & a half. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1974 Registered: 02-2006 |
No one is going to claim him, so it doesn't really matter, except to make him eligible for later trade. We may still trade him, but if we do, we'll almost certainly need to eat part of his salary. | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 456 Registered: 03-2007 |
It's ironic that he hit's 2 home runs and is immediately waived. He is having a bad season and is at the end. | ||
Emu_steve Member Username: Emu_steve Post Number: 701 Registered: 11-2006 |
quote: "this year's team is "very professional," by which I mean to imply that they show up, hit the clock, do their hours, hit the clock again, and go home." Could Keith Olbermann do a "Worst Player in the World?" (or maybe the "Worst Worker in the World"?). | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 724 Registered: 11-2007 |
How dumb are guys like Zumaya that think it's smart to pitch in pain "for the good of the team"? This isn't the first time either. Do they have a clue how much organizations have invested in them or is it just an excuse for poor performance to say they've been toughing it out. |
