Sam at Roar of the Tigers is liveblogging the Korea/China losers' bracket World Baseball Classic game here right now! Come on over and say hi!
That is, if there's anyone reading this blog.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Dave Dombrowski's record is still in tact, among other things
The Tigers resigned Justin Verlander to a one-year, $3.675 million deal, thus continuing Dave Dombrowski's impressive streak of avoiding arbitration. I'm starting to think D2 has arbitratiophobia or something. Not complaining though. The deal is the average between the $4.15 mil Verlander was asking for and the $3.2 mil the Tigers were offering. I like it.
In other news, Hueytaxi at Motownsports posted some awesome shots at the pre-Spring Training photo thread. Check 'em out! They're great.
In other news, Hueytaxi at Motownsports posted some awesome shots at the pre-Spring Training photo thread. Check 'em out! They're great.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Adopt-a-Tiger '09: Drumroll please.
Cats With Bats proudly announces that, with the 78th pick overall in the Motownsports Adopt-a-Tiger draft, she (I? It? We? Should I be talking about myself in the third person if I'm not Gary Sheffield?) has adopted:
Jordan Arthur Tata
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Reading between the lines with Cats With Bats:
Jason Grilli speaks:
“I’m arbitration-eligible,” Grilli said. “There’s several guys here who pretty much can do the same thing as me. Miner’s got a year and a half of doing the same kind of role (and he sucks just as bad as me). Galarraga’s doing a heck of a job. He’s got options. I know this business. With Cruceta and all the hype and talk about him, they’re trying to create a roster spot (He took my job! Rarrrgh!). There’s things happening around here. It’s been on the tip of the tongue since Spring Training, even this offseason.
“I won’t be the last. When one move gets made, there’s usually several others that follow.”
“I think I did a good job for what my role was (if my role was to blow easily winnable games and mop up in embarrassing double-digit losses.) I know there’s a lot of people who probably would think differently. But to those people, I’m going to say thank you, because I’m a bigger person than people who don’t like the way my eyebrows are, my face, or the way I pitch (Or not).
“We’re criticized. We’re in the limelight. We’re public figures. The one thing I had against some Tigers’ fans is that they should be pulling for their team, no matter what (I can hear them during my sleep! Booooooo! Stop booing me! Aaaarrrgh!). I didn’t think that was always there, but I definitely enjoyed pitching for the Tigers, whether I got cheered or booed (And I was usually resoundly booed. Sniff).
“Maybe I was the lightning rod for that on this team. But I surely didn’t get cheered as much for the role that I was given, I thought (I feel so unloved. SOBS!)”
Basically: Whine whine whine I have thin skin whine whine poopypants.
“I’m arbitration-eligible,” Grilli said. “There’s several guys here who pretty much can do the same thing as me. Miner’s got a year and a half of doing the same kind of role (and he sucks just as bad as me). Galarraga’s doing a heck of a job. He’s got options. I know this business. With Cruceta and all the hype and talk about him, they’re trying to create a roster spot (He took my job! Rarrrgh!). There’s things happening around here. It’s been on the tip of the tongue since Spring Training, even this offseason.
“I won’t be the last. When one move gets made, there’s usually several others that follow.”
“I think I did a good job for what my role was (if my role was to blow easily winnable games and mop up in embarrassing double-digit losses.) I know there’s a lot of people who probably would think differently. But to those people, I’m going to say thank you, because I’m a bigger person than people who don’t like the way my eyebrows are, my face, or the way I pitch (Or not).
“We’re criticized. We’re in the limelight. We’re public figures. The one thing I had against some Tigers’ fans is that they should be pulling for their team, no matter what (I can hear them during my sleep! Booooooo! Stop booing me! Aaaarrrgh!). I didn’t think that was always there, but I definitely enjoyed pitching for the Tigers, whether I got cheered or booed (And I was usually resoundly booed. Sniff).
“Maybe I was the lightning rod for that on this team. But I surely didn’t get cheered as much for the role that I was given, I thought (I feel so unloved. SOBS!)”
Basically: Whine whine whine I have thin skin whine whine poopypants.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Brandon and the Angry Inge
Brandon Inge, you are not a victim. You did not have your starting third base position yanked out from under your feet by the Tigers' devious, mustache-twirling front office. You are whining. You've shown an incredible lack of perspective and an inability to accept responsibility for your part in this media shitstorm. Thus far, you've blamed everyone but yourself. According to you, this is a situation that's been forced on you, not one that you contributed to. (Just look at those numbers for the 2007 season.) Not only that, you've given yourself an easy excuse for a bad season, by declaring that you can't hit as a catcher after two at bats. Talk about small sample size. You want playing time and then bitch when you get it because it's not at the position you want. Is this surprising coming from the guy who had to see a kid in a wheelchair to remember, oh yeah, I'm making $6 million a year to play a game for a living?
Brandon Inge, it's time for a clue-by-four upside the head. You are the one -- the only one -- who put yourself in this position by swinging like Hugh Hefner and a cadre of Playboy Bunnies at a key party. Maybe if you'd managed some consistency you wouldn't constantly be fielding media questions left and right. Maybe you wouldn't be portrayed as a whiny, spoiled brat who's pissed off because you've lost your job to someone else (who happens to be a far superior player).
Brandon Inge, it's time for a clue-by-four upside the head. You are the one -- the only one -- who put yourself in this position by swinging like Hugh Hefner and a cadre of Playboy Bunnies at a key party. Maybe if you'd managed some consistency you wouldn't constantly be fielding media questions left and right. Maybe you wouldn't be portrayed as a whiny, spoiled brat who's pissed off because you've lost your job to someone else (who happens to be a far superior player).
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Barbecued Grilli?
After a season of inconsistency, Jason Grilli finally seems to have found a groove. I decided to calculate some stats and crunch some numbers to see how Grilli has fared in allowing inherited runners to score.
Via Billfer: Stat of the Day » Best & Worst Inherited Runner Scoring Percentage
Bobby Seay is amongst the best at stranding runners and Tim Byrdak is amongst the worst.
I went and calculated Grilli's inherited runners v. inherited runners scored. He has inherited 50 runners, and allowed 14 of them to score. This means 28% of the runners Grilli has inherited have scored. What this says is that Grilli is jushttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7004180488361536292&postID=2199810234458422369t outside the top 25 in stranding inherited runners; Gary Glover is number 25 at 21%. Santiago Casilla is the best at 5%, while Ruddy Lugo is the worst at 59%.
So this means Grilli is not terrible at keeping inherited runners from scoring. One less reason to rag on the guy, perhaps?
Via Billfer: Stat of the Day » Best & Worst Inherited Runner Scoring Percentage
Bobby Seay is amongst the best at stranding runners and Tim Byrdak is amongst the worst.
I went and calculated Grilli's inherited runners v. inherited runners scored. He has inherited 50 runners, and allowed 14 of them to score. This means 28% of the runners Grilli has inherited have scored. What this says is that Grilli is jushttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7004180488361536292&postID=2199810234458422369t outside the top 25 in stranding inherited runners; Gary Glover is number 25 at 21%. Santiago Casilla is the best at 5%, while Ruddy Lugo is the worst at 59%.
So this means Grilli is not terrible at keeping inherited runners from scoring. One less reason to rag on the guy, perhaps?
Friday, August 10, 2007
No. 756
You know, I can't really say I didn't want him to do it or that I did want him to do it. I guess I really just don't care. Baseball has a new homerun record, okay. I'm not celebrating Barry Bonds, and I'm not tearing him down either. I have no feelings for or against him. I'm mostly glad we can put this behind us and just move on. I was starting to get tired of ESPN forcing Bonds down our throats 24/7. "Will he hit it? When will he hit it? Will Hank be there?" It's over and done with, and now we can move on. I think I was suffering from Barry Bonds Burnout at that point. :P
There's always going to be a "shadow" following Bonds and his pursuit of the record, because of what he allegedly did. In some ways that saddens me and in some ways I just don't care. That's a by-product of the steroids era, and that's just how it is. No matter how many players actually did steroids or HGH or whatever, nearly every player who played in this era will have that shadow following him around simply because he played during this era. That saddens me too, a little.
But anyway. I hope A-Rod is the next to chase the homerun record. I could actually see myself getting into that homerun race. It would be fun to be invested in that kind of record chase, on either side of the fence.
There's always going to be a "shadow" following Bonds and his pursuit of the record, because of what he allegedly did. In some ways that saddens me and in some ways I just don't care. That's a by-product of the steroids era, and that's just how it is. No matter how many players actually did steroids or HGH or whatever, nearly every player who played in this era will have that shadow following him around simply because he played during this era. That saddens me too, a little.
But anyway. I hope A-Rod is the next to chase the homerun record. I could actually see myself getting into that homerun race. It would be fun to be invested in that kind of record chase, on either side of the fence.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Entrance music.
So I've been working on a mix for the 2006 Detroit Tigers team. Real highbrow stuff, I know. Anyway, I got distracted by the 2007 team's entrance music, so I went and compiled this list:
Curtis Granderson - Nothin' But a G Thang, Dr. Dre
Placido Polanco - Lamento Boliviano, Amarfis y La Banda de Atake
Gary Sheffield - This Is Why I'm Hot, MIMS
Magglio Ordonez -
Carlos Guillen - U Don't Know, T.I.
Pudge Rodriguez - Latino Heat, WWE Forceable Entry
Sean Casey - Evenflow, Pearl Jam
Craig Monroe - Walk It Out, UNK
Brandon Inge - Come Undone, Korn
Omar Infante - Alegria, Tono Rosario
Neifi Perez -
Vance Wilson - Something By Tool is a pretty safe bet.
Marcus Thames -
Mike Rabelo - I'm pretty sure it's Sweet Home Alabama. What?
Jeremy Bonderman -
Justin Verlander -
Nate Robertson -
Mike Maroth -
Chad Durbin -
Kenny Rogers -
Bobby Seay -
Tim Byrdak -
Wilfredo Ledezma -
Jose Mesa -
Zach Miner - Numb/Encore - Jay-Z/Linkin Park (ca. Oct. 2006)
Jason Grilli - Welcome to the Jungle, Guns 'n Roses (ca. Oct. 2006)
Fernando Rodney - Ven Bailando, Angel y Khriz (ca. Oct. 2006)
Joel Zumaya - Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Jimi Hendrix
Todd Jones - Last One Standing, MercyMe
I think this is the 25 man roster, plus who's on the DL. If anyone knows the music for Magglio Ordonez, the starting pitchers, Bobby Seay, Tim Byrdak, Jose Mesa, Neifi Perez (gag) and Vance Wilson, please drop a comment.
Maybe I'll make a real baseball post sometime soon.
Curtis Granderson - Nothin' But a G Thang, Dr. Dre
Placido Polanco - Lamento Boliviano, Amarfis y La Banda de Atake
Gary Sheffield - This Is Why I'm Hot, MIMS
Magglio Ordonez -
Carlos Guillen - U Don't Know, T.I.
Pudge Rodriguez - Latino Heat, WWE Forceable Entry
Sean Casey - Evenflow, Pearl Jam
Craig Monroe - Walk It Out, UNK
Brandon Inge - Come Undone, Korn
Omar Infante - Alegria, Tono Rosario
Neifi Perez -
Vance Wilson - Something By Tool is a pretty safe bet.
Marcus Thames -
Mike Rabelo - I'm pretty sure it's Sweet Home Alabama. What?
Jeremy Bonderman -
Justin Verlander -
Nate Robertson -
Mike Maroth -
Chad Durbin -
Kenny Rogers -
Bobby Seay -
Tim Byrdak -
Wilfredo Ledezma -
Jose Mesa -
Zach Miner - Numb/Encore - Jay-Z/Linkin Park (ca. Oct. 2006)
Jason Grilli - Welcome to the Jungle, Guns 'n Roses (ca. Oct. 2006)
Fernando Rodney - Ven Bailando, Angel y Khriz (ca. Oct. 2006)
Joel Zumaya - Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Jimi Hendrix
Todd Jones - Last One Standing, MercyMe
I think this is the 25 man roster, plus who's on the DL. If anyone knows the music for Magglio Ordonez, the starting pitchers, Bobby Seay, Tim Byrdak, Jose Mesa, Neifi Perez (gag) and Vance Wilson, please drop a comment.
Maybe I'll make a real baseball post sometime soon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Keep doubting us. We'll just continue to prove you wrong.
[I originally wrote this back in 2006 after the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in th ALDS. I had noticed a lot of similarities with the Tigers of '06 and the Pistons of '04.]
In 2004, the Detroit Pistons met the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. No one gave the scrappy, underdog Pistons a snowball's chance in hell against the heavily, heavily favored Lakers. Pundits the world over pontificated that the Lakers would close the Pistons out in an easy four game sweep. The Lakers had Shaq and Kobe, as well as a supporting cast that belonged in the NBA Hall of Fame. They had the zenmaster, Phil Jackson. The Lakers had the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles, and the celebrity fans on their side. Detroit had a group of castoffs from other teams and good-but-not-great role players. Detroit had to contend with an inferiority complex and a reputation as a "bad" city. Everyone expected the Pistons to be a mere roadblock on the Lakers' path to yet another Larry O'Brien trophy.
The Pistons shocked the world of sports by beating the Lakers in five games; they could have swept the series, were it not for a Kobe Bryant hail mary three with seconds to go in game two. Once the series was over, the pundits refused to admit that they'd been wrong. The Lakers' loss (or Pistons' victory, even though few acknowledged it as so) was blamed on tension in the Lakers' clubhouse. The mighty Lakers lineup just didn't show up. The Pistons were getting favorable calls. It wasn't anything the Pistons did; it was a Lakers' collapse, not a Pistons' victory. Pundits immediately began wondering what would happen to the Lakers' lineup: would Shaq and Kobe return? What would happen to the supporting players? Would they be jettisoned? Would Phil Jackson come back?
In 2006, the Detroit Tigers met the New York Yankees in the ALDS. No one gave the scrappy, hard-nosed Tigers a snowball's chance in hell against the star-studded Yankees' lineup. "Murderer's Row and Cano" boasted thirteen All Stars, several future Hall of Famers, and a potential MVP in Derek Jeter and the previous year's MVP in Alex Rodriguez. They were quickly annointed the best lineup in the history of baseball after their 8-4 victory in game one. Pundits once again wondered if the Yankees could be stopped, or even slowed down. The Detroit Tigers were viewed as a mere roadside attraction on the path to the World Series, for the Yankees. The Yankees had Joe Torre at the helm, a one-two punch of leadoff man Johnny Damon and number two hitter, Derek Jeter. Their ninth place hitter was a candidate for the batting average title going to the final game of the season. Even beleaguered Alex Rodriguez had an exceptional season, although by his lofty standards, his season was considered merely "human." The Tigers boasted no thirty homerun hitters, and had only one player with one hundred RBIs. They struck out too much and walked too little. Their leadoff man led the league in strikeouts with 174. They wouldn't be as patient as the Yankees' loaded lineup; during the regular season, the Yankees saw the second most pitches per at bat. The Tigers ranked twenty-two out of thirty teams in that regard.
The Yankees' lineup did tear through the Tigers' starting pitching in game one. Nate Robertson was jumped upon early, giving up five runs. The Tigers did mount a respectable comeback before the Yankees pressed their collective foot down on the Tigers' jugular, and put the game away. Experts began to wonder about a sweep.
And by the middle of game two, it looked like it might go the Yankees' way. The Tigers were down 3-1 to the Yankees, with arguably the second best Yankees pitcher on the mound. Yet the Tigers kept fighting back. All season, their mantra was, "Nine innings." A game was never over until all nine innings had been played. The Tigers were a perfect example of this. Down 6-0 to the Kansas City Royals after one inning, the Tigers tore through the Royals' relief pitching corps, and eventually won the game 13-6. Players could be heard chanting, "Nine innings, nine innings," in the dugout, even while they were down by six runs in the early going. This is a team that refused to quit.
This is a team that refused to bow to expectations - the expectation that they would lay down for the unbeatable Yankees. They did not accept that they were to be New York's welcoming mat to the ALCS. Experts told them, "You aren't supposed to be here. You don't belong here. You are only here because the White Sox faded down the stretch. You choked the division away." Jim Leyland would not allow his players to buy into that. While declaring his team an underdog to the baseball world, Leyland went behind the scenes, instilling confidence in his players that they could get the job done. While everyone counted the Tigers out, the Tigers were the only ones who believed, and that is what counted in the end.
Kenny Rogers grabbed the ball in game three and dazzled the Comerica crowd, drawing comparisons to Mark Fidrych as he talked to himself on the mound, shutting down the Yankees' heavy hitters in 7 2/3 innings, before turning it over to Joel Zumaya, and Todd Jones. Kenny Rogers then passed the ball to young Jeremy Bonderman, the oft overlooked member of Detroit's stable of young pitching talent. Rogers couldn't win the big game. He couldn't beat the Yankees, and hadn't in thirteen years. He'd lost his last seven decisions to them. Boasted an ERA of almost nine in the postseason. Kenny Rogers shut the experts up, if only for one night, and then it was Bonderman's turn.
Bonderman, in 2003, lost 19 games. Like Kenny Rogers, many doubted Bonderman. They doubted his mental makeup; some wondered if he had what it took, wondered if he had that killer instinct. Some wondered about the inconsistency he displayed during the season. Some wondered about his problem holding a large lead in the final game of the season, and whether or not that would carry over.
Bonderman carried a perfect game into six innings, the longest a Yankees team had ever been no-hit in the postseason. Bonderman rarely missed a spot, and at one point, had a 5-to-1 strikes to balls ratio. Bonderman set the tone, and the Tigers' offense jumped on Jaret Wright, and never looked back.
As they did back in 2004, when the workhorse, workmanlike Pistons beat the shiny, glitzy Lakers, experts are asking, "What's wrong with the Yankees? Maybe we vastly overestimated their lineup. Maybe they're not the best lineup in the history of the game."
Maybe you underestimated the Tigers. Maybe you underestimated their guts, grit, fortitude and skill as you underestimated the Pistons. The Tigers won't get the credit they deserve, as the Pistons didn't in 2004. The series will be labeled a Yankees' loss, not a Tigers' victory. The tension in the clubhouse, described by Alex Rodriguez, will be to blame. Alex Rodriguez' own inability to get key hits when it mattered the most will be put under the microscope. Torre's lineup shuffling will be blamed. The Yankees' inability to get runners on base and move them along will be targeted as the reason they lost the series. No one will give the Tigers the credit they deserve for dismantling the "best team in the history of baseball." And these Detroit Tigers could care less. They thrive on the "us against the world" mentality, just as the '04 Pistons did. Like the Pistons of '04, these Tigers are perpetual underdogs. Oakland has homefield, Oakland embarrassed the Division champion Twins, Oakland has Barry Zito - and so on and so forth. These Tigers are, to some, still the underdogs, but they wouldn't have it any other way.
"We shocked the world."
"Nobody gave us a shot."
"We came out with everything we had."
"I hope in my heart everybody realizes we are a playoff team. I'm not sure everybody believed that."
Do you believe now?
In 2004, the Detroit Pistons met the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. No one gave the scrappy, underdog Pistons a snowball's chance in hell against the heavily, heavily favored Lakers. Pundits the world over pontificated that the Lakers would close the Pistons out in an easy four game sweep. The Lakers had Shaq and Kobe, as well as a supporting cast that belonged in the NBA Hall of Fame. They had the zenmaster, Phil Jackson. The Lakers had the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles, and the celebrity fans on their side. Detroit had a group of castoffs from other teams and good-but-not-great role players. Detroit had to contend with an inferiority complex and a reputation as a "bad" city. Everyone expected the Pistons to be a mere roadblock on the Lakers' path to yet another Larry O'Brien trophy.
The Pistons shocked the world of sports by beating the Lakers in five games; they could have swept the series, were it not for a Kobe Bryant hail mary three with seconds to go in game two. Once the series was over, the pundits refused to admit that they'd been wrong. The Lakers' loss (or Pistons' victory, even though few acknowledged it as so) was blamed on tension in the Lakers' clubhouse. The mighty Lakers lineup just didn't show up. The Pistons were getting favorable calls. It wasn't anything the Pistons did; it was a Lakers' collapse, not a Pistons' victory. Pundits immediately began wondering what would happen to the Lakers' lineup: would Shaq and Kobe return? What would happen to the supporting players? Would they be jettisoned? Would Phil Jackson come back?
In 2006, the Detroit Tigers met the New York Yankees in the ALDS. No one gave the scrappy, hard-nosed Tigers a snowball's chance in hell against the star-studded Yankees' lineup. "Murderer's Row and Cano" boasted thirteen All Stars, several future Hall of Famers, and a potential MVP in Derek Jeter and the previous year's MVP in Alex Rodriguez. They were quickly annointed the best lineup in the history of baseball after their 8-4 victory in game one. Pundits once again wondered if the Yankees could be stopped, or even slowed down. The Detroit Tigers were viewed as a mere roadside attraction on the path to the World Series, for the Yankees. The Yankees had Joe Torre at the helm, a one-two punch of leadoff man Johnny Damon and number two hitter, Derek Jeter. Their ninth place hitter was a candidate for the batting average title going to the final game of the season. Even beleaguered Alex Rodriguez had an exceptional season, although by his lofty standards, his season was considered merely "human." The Tigers boasted no thirty homerun hitters, and had only one player with one hundred RBIs. They struck out too much and walked too little. Their leadoff man led the league in strikeouts with 174. They wouldn't be as patient as the Yankees' loaded lineup; during the regular season, the Yankees saw the second most pitches per at bat. The Tigers ranked twenty-two out of thirty teams in that regard.
The Yankees' lineup did tear through the Tigers' starting pitching in game one. Nate Robertson was jumped upon early, giving up five runs. The Tigers did mount a respectable comeback before the Yankees pressed their collective foot down on the Tigers' jugular, and put the game away. Experts began to wonder about a sweep.
And by the middle of game two, it looked like it might go the Yankees' way. The Tigers were down 3-1 to the Yankees, with arguably the second best Yankees pitcher on the mound. Yet the Tigers kept fighting back. All season, their mantra was, "Nine innings." A game was never over until all nine innings had been played. The Tigers were a perfect example of this. Down 6-0 to the Kansas City Royals after one inning, the Tigers tore through the Royals' relief pitching corps, and eventually won the game 13-6. Players could be heard chanting, "Nine innings, nine innings," in the dugout, even while they were down by six runs in the early going. This is a team that refused to quit.
This is a team that refused to bow to expectations - the expectation that they would lay down for the unbeatable Yankees. They did not accept that they were to be New York's welcoming mat to the ALCS. Experts told them, "You aren't supposed to be here. You don't belong here. You are only here because the White Sox faded down the stretch. You choked the division away." Jim Leyland would not allow his players to buy into that. While declaring his team an underdog to the baseball world, Leyland went behind the scenes, instilling confidence in his players that they could get the job done. While everyone counted the Tigers out, the Tigers were the only ones who believed, and that is what counted in the end.
Kenny Rogers grabbed the ball in game three and dazzled the Comerica crowd, drawing comparisons to Mark Fidrych as he talked to himself on the mound, shutting down the Yankees' heavy hitters in 7 2/3 innings, before turning it over to Joel Zumaya, and Todd Jones. Kenny Rogers then passed the ball to young Jeremy Bonderman, the oft overlooked member of Detroit's stable of young pitching talent. Rogers couldn't win the big game. He couldn't beat the Yankees, and hadn't in thirteen years. He'd lost his last seven decisions to them. Boasted an ERA of almost nine in the postseason. Kenny Rogers shut the experts up, if only for one night, and then it was Bonderman's turn.
Bonderman, in 2003, lost 19 games. Like Kenny Rogers, many doubted Bonderman. They doubted his mental makeup; some wondered if he had what it took, wondered if he had that killer instinct. Some wondered about the inconsistency he displayed during the season. Some wondered about his problem holding a large lead in the final game of the season, and whether or not that would carry over.
Bonderman carried a perfect game into six innings, the longest a Yankees team had ever been no-hit in the postseason. Bonderman rarely missed a spot, and at one point, had a 5-to-1 strikes to balls ratio. Bonderman set the tone, and the Tigers' offense jumped on Jaret Wright, and never looked back.
As they did back in 2004, when the workhorse, workmanlike Pistons beat the shiny, glitzy Lakers, experts are asking, "What's wrong with the Yankees? Maybe we vastly overestimated their lineup. Maybe they're not the best lineup in the history of the game."
Maybe you underestimated the Tigers. Maybe you underestimated their guts, grit, fortitude and skill as you underestimated the Pistons. The Tigers won't get the credit they deserve, as the Pistons didn't in 2004. The series will be labeled a Yankees' loss, not a Tigers' victory. The tension in the clubhouse, described by Alex Rodriguez, will be to blame. Alex Rodriguez' own inability to get key hits when it mattered the most will be put under the microscope. Torre's lineup shuffling will be blamed. The Yankees' inability to get runners on base and move them along will be targeted as the reason they lost the series. No one will give the Tigers the credit they deserve for dismantling the "best team in the history of baseball." And these Detroit Tigers could care less. They thrive on the "us against the world" mentality, just as the '04 Pistons did. Like the Pistons of '04, these Tigers are perpetual underdogs. Oakland has homefield, Oakland embarrassed the Division champion Twins, Oakland has Barry Zito - and so on and so forth. These Tigers are, to some, still the underdogs, but they wouldn't have it any other way.
"We shocked the world."
"Nobody gave us a shot."
"We came out with everything we had."
"I hope in my heart everybody realizes we are a playoff team. I'm not sure everybody believed that."
Do you believe now?
Inaugural post, part deux.
Welp, looks like this is my new blog home. Looking For October, I suppose, is no more. I'll kick this off with a brief recap of last night's game as I'm tired.
Maroth was shaky. Four runs in 5 2/3 with three Ks. Pudge had three hits. Polanco had a homer and a triple. Sheffield had an RBI double. Evening was capped off with Magglio's impressive catch and Granderson sealing the come from behind win with a deep fly to center field. Overall a decent game. A moment of silence was observed before the game for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings.
More later, once I get my pictures from the game back. Also coming: Alex brushes elbows with Vance Wilson - again! and makes eye contact with Justin Verlander!
Maroth was shaky. Four runs in 5 2/3 with three Ks. Pudge had three hits. Polanco had a homer and a triple. Sheffield had an RBI double. Evening was capped off with Magglio's impressive catch and Granderson sealing the come from behind win with a deep fly to center field. Overall a decent game. A moment of silence was observed before the game for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings.
More later, once I get my pictures from the game back. Also coming: Alex brushes elbows with Vance Wilson - again! and makes eye contact with Justin Verlander!
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