6/30/08

It's Go Time


Now that the Tigers are done beating up on the National league for a while, they need to show that they can beat up on the AL Central. With 9 of the last 13 games before the All-Star Game against ALC teams, including 7 against 2nd place Minnesota, we will get to see whether this team can make a run, or just teased us against a group of weak opponents. Leyland needs to get over this 1 run bullshit and let the players play, because the Twins can hit, but are struggling on the bump. Don't help them by giving them easy outs to get one runner over to second, and dont start big innings by bringing the infield in in a 0-0 game in the 3rd inning. Minnesota will make you pay for giving them extra outs.

And for the love of God, do NOT use Todd Jones. Ever. Not even if the team is up 45-2.

6/29/08

Dude. Just...... Dude.

F-U Jim Leyland.


F-U Todd Jones.


Miguel Cabrera, Placido Polanco, Ryan Raburn, Tigers fans thank you.


FIRE.LEYLAND.NOW

6/27/08

Clete Thomas. My New Hero.

Clete showed his impressive power by not taking the bat off his shoulder last night, driving in two runs by walking with the bases loaded, which along with Sheffield's game tying 9th inning home run gave the Tigers a 3-2 win.



Pudge, Mags, and everybody else hopefully saw that it's OK to look at a few pitches. Pudge I have noticed this season hasn't swung at too many first pitches, but after that he'll swing at anything. I dont think Magglio has seen a third pitch in any at bat this century.

6/25/08

Ugh. This is horrible.

When does football start? Pudge running into outs at third, Thames dropping routine pop flies, Leyland managing Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker. I cant take any more.

GO BLUE!

6/24/08

Jim Leyland. Idiot.

Top 6.

Against St. Louis.

2-2 tie.

Runner on third, one out.

AND YOU PULL THE INFIELD IN? SERIOUSLY? TO SAVE 1 FRIGGIN RUN?!?!?!?

An easy ground ball that would have been out #2, ends up being a base hit. Instead of being down 3-2, with 2 out and nobody on, it's now 3-2, with a guy on first and one out, which of course leads to a big inning.

F-U Jim Leyland and you're shitty dead ball era one run plays. Save it for when you have no offense and good pitching, not when you have the second best lineup in all of baseball.

FIRE. HIM. NOW.

6/17/08

EJ, I dont know a lot about bringing up kids, yet....

...but I know enough to have you avoid taking them here:

Just because...

...it's a long way to August 30.


Conspiracy?


Hey, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin', you know...

There is a rumor floating around that the USGA helped Tiger Woods to his 14th major victory in the playoff at Torrey Pines. It goes something like this: already, the USGA uses an archaic playoff system, where people who drop tons of hard earned scrilla to see the trophy on Sunday, are stripped of the opportunity so the tied players can come back on Monday and play the full 18. All three of the other majors use either sudden death, or a three or four-hole playoff that can be completed that day in front of the fans. Here is where it gets interesting: Every time the US Open has gone to sudden death, after 18 playoff holes still weren't enough to choose the Champion, they have started over at hole 1, and gone from there until they get a winner.

For some reason, they didn't do that this year. They started at hole 7, then the plan was to go to 17 and 18. Why? Why not start back at 1? Out of 5 rounds, Tiger had double-bogeyed #1 3 times. Out of 5 rounds on #7, Rocco Mediate, who naturally plays a draw, put his drive in the left hand bunker of the long dog-leg right 3 times. Tiger, on the other hand, has the best cut-fade of anyone on the tour, and better than anyone in history, a shot that is made for that hole.

There are two major questions: Why did the USGA decide to go with a 7-17-18 rotation for the sudden death, and when was the decision made? If it was made after the playoff participants were known, there are some more questions to be answered. I scoured the websites of the USGA and the US Open for rules pertaining to sudden death playoff hole order, and found nothing.

Now, I hate conspiracy theories, and I'm not going to point at this screaming about how the USGA rigged this playoff for Tiger, but it brings up some interesting questions. Of course, all Rocco Mediate had to do was sink a 12-20 foot makeable putt on any of the last three holes played, and we wouldnt even be talking about this.

Welcome Back, Jason Grilli Fernando Rodney

F Rodney, BS (1) 0.1 3 3 3 1 0 1 81.00

Nice work. Let's see if we can get that ERA down below, oh, let's be realistic. How about we try for below 50.00? That sound ok?

6/16/08

Pitchers duel tonight


Tim Lincecum


Justin Verlander

Verlander vs. Lincecum.

San Fran is not a good baseball team right now, but their one shining bright spot is on the mound. 8-1 with an ERA less just under 2, Tim Lincecum is the ace in just his second year. He has given up some hits, but they stay in the yard, and he doesnt walk many guys. Verlander has looked tough in 5 of his last 6 starts, including a complete game in only 101 pitches his last time out. What should make it even more interesting is that according to Baseball Reference, only Aaron Rowand has faced Verlander. He walked, doubled and struck out in his one game. No Tigers have faced Lincecum.

Too bad its on at 10:15. Maybe I'll Tivo it tonight. This could be a great game.

6/15/08

Why I hate ESPN, Reasons 314-316

I turn to SportsCenter, and they are doing a piece on the Celtics owner. Who cares?

I turn back in about 5 minutes, and they are doing a Fathers Day thing- Gordie Howe playing with his sons in Houston; Griffeys Sr. and Jr. going yard back to back in Seattle; Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. racing with Jr. winning and getting congrats from Sr.; Tiger hugging his Dad after a win? What? Why not show Mickelson winning and hugging his daughters? Same thing.

I turn to Baseball Tonight and they are playing videos? MTV doesnt even play videos!!!

Nice to know you still can't find highights on tWWL.

Idiots.

6/13/08

Looks like the Tigers drafted for the next Randy Johnson. A lot.

From Baseball Prospectus

Detroit Tigers
Draft Philosophy: As usual, take a big guy who throws hard with the first pick. After that, take more big guys who throw hard, and find someone to catch them.
First Pick: Ryan Perry, RHP, Arizona (21st overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: Before Texas thought one of the big names would get to them at 11, they were looking at a number of college closers, including Perry. The Cardinals at 13, Dodgers at 15, Cubs at 19, and Mariners at 20 also had him more realistically in their mix.
Path To The Big Leagues: It depends on what role Detroit chooses for him. He often throws three innings a game as a long set-up man, but he’s maintained his velocity deep into outings and also throws a plus slider and decent changeup, leaving many to believe his best value would be as a starter. If Detroit keeps him in the bullpen, his triple-digit velocity will get him out of the minors quickly, no matter how straight it is.
Rest of the First Day:
2. Cody Satterwhite, RHP, Mississippi: Guess what? He’s big , and he throws hard.
3. Scott Green, RHP, Kentucky: He's even bigger (6'8"), and throws hard.
4. Brett Jacobsen, RHP, Vanderbilt: Six-foot-six, has velocity, see a trend yet?
5. Alex Avila, C, Alabama: A decent college catcher with solid tools across the board.
6. Tyler Stohr, RHP, North Florida: I guess once they got to the sixth round, 6'2" with a good fastball seemed like enough.
Best Second-Day Selections:
8. Andrew Dirks, OF, Wichita State: Big-time makeup pick, a grinder type who should be a fourth outfielder at the very least.
11. Brandon Douglass, ss, Northern Iowa: Pretty much Dirks, but with infield skills.
13. Jared Gayhart, RHP, Rice: Mostly an outfielder in college, but in a few relief outings he threw hard... and he’s pretty big.



It's not surprising they went this way. They way DD has been trading away the Tigers farm for the last three years, they have no pitching in the system. And very little up with the big club. Bonderman is done for the year, Jones is, well, he's Jones, and Zumaya and Rodney are not pitchers you can hang your hat on any more. We'll see if Galarraga can keep up his current pitching, although history is not on his side. Robertson has been dreadful, Rogers has been a has been, Valenzuela Willis's best days are behind him, and Verlander has been spotty.

For all its struggles, the offense has been OK. The Tigers are scoring runs. They need pitching help, and they need it now. it's nice to see them backfill the farm, but I want to see if DD can get some help to Detroit before the All-Star break, or they will be selling on August 31st.

6/12/08

Walk it Off, Big Boy

A sweep of the ChiSux, and the Tiger are now 8 games behind Chicago 2 games behind Cleveland. These are the games the Tigers need to win to get back into the season. Great pitching performance by the Gambler, solid defense for the third straight game, and a home sweep to gain three games.

Baby Steps

Justin Verlander threw a complete-game four-hitter last night. It is the first Tigers complete game since Verlander's no-hitter last June 12 (kinda eery). I'm not ready to put the Tigers back in the World Series yet, but it shows a nice step back to respectability. Tigers bats got enough to keep it an uninteresting game, the defense played well (and got a bit of luck on a ninth inning play at second base), with one really nice catch from Clevlen, and they are showing the signs of becoming a pretty good team once again.

Oh and they have beaten the White Sucks twice in a row.

WOO HOO!

6/10/08

Leafs continue tradition of early playoff exits

The Leafs hired perennial early round playoff exit great Doug Wilson.

There are a lot of guys out there they could have put behind the bench. They chose the guy with the team with the second most talent the league, who failed to make even the conference finals?

The AHL has about 12 head coaches who I would consider a better pick than Wilson. Nice work, Leafs. Cub-dome, here you come!

6/7/08

My new desktop background

I believe I have reached uber-nerd status...

6/4/08

Karma is my bee-otch!

First off, let's give a big ovation to Pittsburgh and their fans. Classy bunch (except maybe the coach), great fans, and the beginnings of a great team. They will be back, more than once.

That said,

2007-08 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION DETROIT RED WINGS






Ozzie was great. Very deserving of the three-time (two as a starter) Cup Champion.

Mexican Standoff


DB is staring karma in the eyes, and slapping it in the face with his glove. "I demand satisfaction!" says DB with his six-shooter holstered on his belt. Karma looks up from pummeling some nameless Red Wings fan, and with a sly grin, brushes the dust off his assless (of course they are, they ALL are) chaps, and says with the quiet confidence of Frank Sinatra wooing some dame back in his hey-day, "OK. When and where?"

DB replies, "Tonight. 8 O'clock, at the Igloo."

DB guarantees a Red Wing victory tonight, 5-1. Datsyuk scores 3.

Karma, you must now suck my balls.

That is all.

6/3/08

I'm tired

The best part of last night. 12am, in the second OT, and The Joe is still selling beer.



6:30 came early this morning...