close to 50 pitches so far in the top of the fifth and the Tigers still haven't gotten an out. It's just sick. Can't wait to see us beat up on the Jays. Luckily I hear there is no Halladay for us. Weeee. Though we just lit up CC. How long till CC goes on the DL?


lol @ Martinez

Except for Litsch, there's no soft touches on the Jays staff right now. McGowan is the No. 2 and Marcum's as good as Barnett in the 3/4

DOESN'T MATTER WE HAVE BATS OF STEEL!

I thought that was illegal

AJ Burnett is starting against ya'll on Friday. He was just brought into relief in the top of the 14th...if he goes more than 1 or 2 IP, there might a minor leaguer starting in his stead.

I figured it out.

Day games.


That is the problem with this team.

0-10 when it's a day game.


Stop playing day games.

Finally win a day game.

This Galarraga kid is the best pitcher in our rotation so far. I like what I have seen and don't mind if Dontrelle stays out for another 15 days or so.

Hitting has been okay, still can get a lot better but it's progressing. Getting Grandi back tomorrow is great news. He has had a couple good games in AA and AAA. Can't fault Thomas and Inge though for covering for him, they did great.

Bullpen is not doing that badly lately. I was looking at the numbers...

Bautista 9IP 1.00ERA
Rapada 3.2IP 0.00 ERA
Lopez 14.1IP 0.63 ERA 10K 1BB
Jones 8IP 2.25ERA 3SV 3SVO

Then it gets a bit uglier
Miner 10IP 12.60ERA
Grilli 9.2IP 4.66ERA
Seay 5.2IP 4.76ERA

Those top 4 guys have done really well, especially Lopez who has been a big surprise. I know people are saying to wait on Denny as he will get ugly but so far so good, he has given up a walk here and there but overall has looked pretty good and not giving up many runs at all.

Now the rotation is a joke...that's just plain obvious except for Galaragga. We have only 2 quality starts this year out of what 20 games? Sick. I heard sometime this weekend that a team will win 2/3rds of games where their pitcher has a quality start. Well when you only get 2 out of 20 that is not going to cut it. Don't know what is going on with them right now, Verlander is looking horrid, Bondo is the best of the 4, Rogers is okay, and Nate is just struggling. I am starting to think Hernandez the pitching coach might be an issue. Supposedly they have been trying to change Nate, Justin, and Jeremy. They want Jeremy to learn a new pitch or two, they want Verlander to slow his fastball down and they are messing with Nate. I think they need less coaching and go back to what they do. Bondo already seemed to be a fragile guy, why mess with it. A new pitch is not his problem, it's playing a full season. Verlander seems to be trying to hard and they just aren't letting him do his thing and I think it has proven to be a bad idea. We'll see, the rotation begins again tomorrow. Let's get 4 wins.

so yea just found out that guillen is playing 3rd now and cabrera is playing first now

What a game. One of the funnest games I have attended (nothing will top the 6-0 win against the Yankees in the 06 ALDS).

Had good seats, RF 5th row. Poor David Murphy was taking a beating from us during that 11 run inning. Oddly the next inning they him and CF Duran switched and I have to believe it was because of us. At least his parents who were two rows ahead of us didn't take offense to our taunting.

I will try and post some pics I took tomorrow, right now I have to go to sleep.

And yes, Leyland announced that Guillen will move to 3rd and Cabby to 1st last night. Yet tonight guillen played 1st and cabby was the DH. Looks like the minor injury to Shef is worse and I suspect in a week tops he will be on the DL. He had cortozone shots in BOTH shoulders yesterday.

Picture time. These are off my junky nokia but they came out better than I thought...

Settling in before the game:




Maggs


Thames after the 11 run inning


Scoreboard shot that would have shown the 11 run 6th inning if my phone camera was better


Shot from SRO in center


and a random shot taken at the 11-9 game on 4/14

Another good game so far today. 7-2 in the bottom of the 7th. Watching Maggs right now hoping to hit his third HR of the game.

So Tuesday Maggs and Cabby hit back to back and today already Inge and Rayburn hit back to back jacks. Good thing because Kenny and Bondo looked HORRIBLE. BP has done great though.

The offense has truly arrived. That pitching is still pretty rough though.....I'd say they could try and trade for someone later, but what trading chips are there?? Any word on Willis??

Been pretty quiet around here on Willis. Last I heard was that he was not badly injured and they put him on the 15 day DL to work on his pitching some more. They want o work on muscle memory.

But to be honest, I think the first thing this teams need to do is get rid of he pitching coach. Every pitcher that has been with this team last year has only gotten worse each year, whereas the best pitchers on this club (minus Willis) has been from toledo or another club and has not spent much time being coached by Hernandez. Something is wrong. I just can;t believe Verlander was a complete fluke the last 2 years.

Verlander will be fine, though if he "struggled" a little bit and only had an ERA in the low 4s or so this year it wouldn't be surprising...sometimes that just happens, but overall he'll be fine. Bonderman and Willis and Rogers and Robertson, on the other hand....meh. It is nothing short of amazing that Bonderman has given up 21 walks in 27 innings (along with 28 hits) and has an ERA of 4.28.......he's extremely lucky to not have a much much much uglier ERA right now....his control is pretty alarming right now. I don't know what to make of Willis either, I mean.....he might need to go to the minors just to figure out how to repeat his delivery..if he doens't change something, he will never be a big league pitcher again.....

The bullpen's not great, but during the recent stretch of success they've held it together pretty well. I've always liked Bobby Seay quite a bit.

Verlander's awesome/fine. Bonderman's never going to be anything more than a solid #3. Galaraga (??) looks pretty good so far, but Robertson and Rogers are dreadful, and Willis is done. He's been done for quite some time, I believe. I was never happy with his acquisition, his contract, or any of that (though the Cabrera pickup was the nuts). The other problem is Sheffield. He should be retiring, I think. His shoulder looks like it's pretty fucked up. BONDS.

Tigers are roughing up Dustin Mosely. Soft-liner into center, jam-shot double, flare into right that scores two, runner advances when Guerrerro overthrows the cutoff man.

I don't see that bullpen putting together too many good stretches, but you never know with bullpens.....get the right guys together to have career years and it could all work out.

As long as they only pitch Latin guys I've never heard of, they'll be fine. It's the Jason Grillis of the world that scare me

qft

It's nice that you both are confident in JV but I just can't. He doesn't look like last years JV or 06. I still blame Hernandez. Good to get a day off here in Detroit in general for all 3 teams. I need a break. Start up again tomorrow with the Pistons in game 5 (which I don't really care about), Tigers at the Yankees, and then the Wings in Colorado for game 3.

Verlander will be fine. That doesn't mean he'll post stellar numbers every single year...off years do happen, but he'll be fine.

His command looks kinda bad right now. Hopefully it's just a blip.

He looked really good early Sunday and then it seemed like anytime he gets some runs scored on him he looks to go downhill. He has just had way too many 20+ pitch innings this year and I hope it gets better but I don't think he is all there right now.

This Crucetta(?) kid is looking pretty good. Heard on the radio that he has pitched 7+ innings, 2 hits, 3 walks and 15 K's. Bring him up, and lets send down Grilli or Miner. Screw the whiteys except for Seay and Jones.

Colorado Rockies

Placed pitcher Kip Wells on the 15-day disabled list; recalled infielders Omar Quintanilla and Jonathan Herrera from Colorado Springs of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); optioned pitcher Franklin Morales to Colorado Springs, acquired pitcher Jorge De La Rosa and cash from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named and assigned him to Colorado Springs; acquired pitcher Jason Grilli from the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Zach Simons.

Apparently, prayer DOES work

I was listening to sports radio on the way home when the news dropped. It was hilarious.

I think the talent gap between the AL and the NL is so clear from these transactions.....Jorge De La Rosa couldn't even break camp with the Royals, one of the lesser teams in the AL...yet will immediately be in the rotation of the defending NL champs.

Man, the NL is SOOOOO weak compared to the AL right now...the gap will narrow over the years...but it's a joke right now.

It's weird, though. In fantasy, the consensus top 10 was A-Rod, Hanley, Reyes, Rollins, Utley, Howard, Pujols, Miggy, Santana...then guys like Prince and Braun...Only A-Rod and Miggy are ALers...

And Peavy/Webb joined Johan in the top-5 pitchers

I don't disagree with you overall with talent, but some of the better individual players are in the NL.

You do realize there's another side to this coin, correct? Maybe the Hanley, Reyes, Rollins, Utley, Howard, Pujols, Prince, and Braun are elite fantasy players BECAUSE they play in the NL. If the talent pool is shallower and the pitching is worse, wouldn't they be expected to put up better numbers? I don't particularly know if this is true, but a few things do merit mentioning:

1) National Leaguers are more valuable because, in general, the NL is going to steal more bases. I have not looked this up, nor have I bothered to do even the most cursory of research. But my instinct is, NLers steal more bases, because of the small-ball phenomenon that accompanies the pitcher hitting, and the need to cycle in bench players more regularly.

2) NL pitchers are always more valuable in roto leagues because ERA, WHIP, and K are going to be better in the NL, due to the pitcher hitting. (Also, the argument could also be made that the quality of hitters in the NL is, in general, poorer than that of the AL, so... etc. etc.)


Wang

Like I said, i think the talent pool is deeper in the AL as well, AINEC.

However, you said the hitters are better because the pitching is worse and the pitching is better because the hitters are worse.

The pitchers are slightly more valuable because of the no-DH thing.

Well, that IS kinda what I said, and it seems mutually exclusive, but it's not.

Imagine two ten-team leagues, one made up of 12 year olds, the other made up of 16 year olds. Fifteen of the 16 year-olds move to the 12 year old league. That league still has worse pitching AND worse hitting, but the handful of 16 year olds in the 12yr.old league are the most valuable players in the game.

The average hitter/pitcher in the NL, as well as the replacement level player, is worse than his AL counterpart. Which means it's easier for a great player to put up better numbers in the NL than the AL, even though the average output is going to be worse. Deviation from the mean will be more extreme if average quality is deflated.

Wang

Here are the numbers for the "aces" of each team in the AL Central (at least those who were considered to be the aces in ST or to start the year)

Verlander 1-5, 6.28 ERA
Sabathia 1-5, 7.51 ERA
Meche 1-4, 7.22 ERA
Liriano 0-3, 11.32 ERA
Buehrle 1-3, 4.42 ERA

WOW.

My hubby's buddy got me a ticket to Friday's game with the yankees. He's got a connection with someone who has these awesome season tix and the seats are right on field level, right beside the tiger dugout on the 3rd base line. Last time we had these seats, the tigers sucked, and my hubby literally stuck his head in the dugout to "discuss" a failed attempt at a bunt. I'm so excited, i love these seats!!! I'm just a little disappointed that A-Rod will still be on the DL and i won't be able to heckle him.

Denny Bautista on the DL?? Boy...couldn't see that coming......who would've thought that a malnourished, 6-5 160 lb pitcher would get injured.....

I feel bad for any team trying to use him on their major league roster...always going to get hurt b/c he's so damn skinny (I've seen his legs when he was wearing shorts once..EXTREMELY skinny) and now he's losing control....13 walks in 13 innings of relief so far. He's done for the year.

Well not to nitpick but I doubt tendinitis is a season ending injury. Plus his last 12 or 11 outings he had only had 2 ER's. I don't care about walks as long as they don't score.

With him, it very likely is. TRUST me. It'll linger on.....then it'll be announced that b/c of the injury he has changed his mechanics just a little bit to make up for it....which will cause him to hurt something else....stretch it out until July....then he'll come back and have even worse control.

..and those walks will burn him eventually..just like always. Relying on Denny Bautista is a bad, bad thing, there must be other options.

at the time there was not...

Lopez was our 7th, Denny our setup. There really was nothing else. Rapada and Seay were our guys to bring in for lefties, we got rid of half the cancerous tumor on our team, Grilli, and still have the other half, Miner. So, really, there was no one to fill in at that spot and he was doing it really well. Now we have Cruceta and so we should be okay...to a point since there are other areas that need help...blerg.


Can't wait to see the drastic changes to our lineup tonight.

Oh and Willis got hurt again. LOL.

Jaque Jones was just released and we are bringing up a guy from Toledo.


I am getting a bit frustrated with some of the decisions as of late. But I would hold off until I see the lineup tonight. Hate to rant about something that I am completely wrong about.

Never stopped you before, has it?


If Jacque Jones is the key to your successful season, you have bigger problems sir. I'm surprised they haven't just let Inge play 9 days out of 10 somewhere.

Hey, at least Dombrowki understands the concept of a sunk cost. Jones looks terrible, so they're taking his ABs away and giving them to somebody who might produce.

My idea lineup looks something like:

Brandon Inge at 3B
Guillen DHing
Thames/Raburn/C.Tomas/G-Kwon the Sheff in LeftField


Really gotta try to get Bingo in the field, somehow

That is what I wanted to see. I want/need/desire/ Carlos off the infield and Inge back at 3rd. I don't care having a guy hitting .250 in the 9th spot because he doesn't do what Carlos did yesterday.

But I waited and I see Carlos at 3rd and Inge sitting on the bench and Joyce called up and playing right.

and down 4-0 and no hits.

If Inge plays 3rd, can't Guillen play LF? Kind of a a Yount/Biggio transition.

Let's put it this way...

I don't know why they had to put Eight Belles to death, she still had two good legs which is 2 more than Guillen. You put Carlos in LF then poor Curtis is going to have to cover 75% of the outfield each game. Plus we have an enough LF'ers in Thames, Sheff, and Rayburn.

Sheff is now the LF because he asked to be. He thinks that his batting struggles might be a result of not being a full part of the game. I understand that I guess, the two years he is a DH and his numbers drop off a bit so maybe playing LF will spark something in him, who knows. Last night we called up Joyce from AAA and put him in RF and made Maggie the DH. I don't know how I feel about this one. I think Guillen is better served as a DH. He has no range, he can't run, and he can't play 1st base. Cabby looks pretty comfortable at 1B and should (fingers crossed) only get better there.

We lost Sundays game for the most part because of Guillens terrible glove. We lost a few close ones last year because of his outstanding fielding plays last year as well. I remember them distinctly. I really believed he could stay out of trouble at 1st but as you say I do a lot, I was clearly wrong. I am surprised that he never broke a leg since he always had one leg in the base path.

People around here are anti-Inge because he bats .250. This city believes that each batter should be batting .300. They don't care about defense ability at all. Inge is a career .250 hitter, plain and simple, but he is a strong 3rd baseman, better than Cabby and Guillen combined. He is and always will be a number 9 hitter so I don't think you can expect a regular #9 hit .290+ all year. How many teams have a #9 who bats .290+ for a season and 25+ HR and 80+ RBI's? I haven't looked but I am going to assume not that many. But people have come to demand that this team field an all .300 20HR 100RBI lineup from top to bottom. My fellow Tiger fans are terribly spoiled and unrealistic. Keep in mind this is the same fanbase that at the start of the season said that Inge should move to the bullpen and be out setup guy because he was a closer in college. Seriously. That is no joke.

1B- Cabby
2B- Polanco
SS-Renteria
3B-Inge
LF-Sheff
CF-Grandy
RF-Maggie
C-Pudge

When Inge needs to rest Pudge then Guillen can play 3rd. When Sheff needs a break because he is old then Rayburn or Thames can cover. Santiago can cover days off for Polanco and Renteria, Inge or Thomas can give Granderson a break, thus Guillen can come off the DH and play 3rd. I just think in the long run, Guillen off the field, Inge on, and a switch hitter like Carlos in the DH is better than what we are doing right now....

Sorry for my long rant.

Wakefield (W, 3-1) 8.0 2 0 0 0 6 0




Shipit

We make everyone look good right now...at least I have Tim on 2 fantasy teams

Something is clearly wrong with Verlander. It was painful to watch him last night.

Will you guys fuckin hit please??!??!

I have Cabrera, Renteria, Granderson, and Pudge all on my fantasy team and they're killing me.

I got to drop Renteria today because Jimmy Rollins is back but Miggy, Grandy, and Pudgy are a combined 31/134 for a solid .232 in the past 2 weeks. I thought you all would be money on O this year, what is wrong?

funny how no one wants to talk about the tigers anymore.

What is there to talk about? They are playing uninspired baseball. No matter what they do they seem to find a way to lose. Last night was a great example. I am taking a break from watching them right now as it has me on tilt. Doesn't help also when the manager says, "I have no idea what is going on" Not a great answer. Hopefully that is what he is telling the media and then running off and telling the coaches and GM and such something different.

I just hold on the the idea that in baseball the numbers almost always correct themselves.

Big meeting today. Leyland and Dambrowski are getting together to figure out what is going on I guess. Noone right now really knows what it is all about.

I love radio talk shows. A woman named Betty calls up Foster and Valenti and says that Dambrowski is the one that needs to be fired as this is all his fault. She said that bringing in these over priced players has ruined the morale of the whole team. She said that he was not being fair by benching Inge and that he treats Jones really bad. Jonesy was her guy. Valenti made the point that Dave is being nice to Jonesy by signing him after it was clear he was a bum and continues to give Jones a paycheck. Her reply: "He only lets him pitch one inning a game!"

l


o


l

Wow the shit is hitting the fan all over the place.

If you didn't see it, this was an article on usatoday yesterday that sparked a great pregame press conference with Leyland which then was followed by some good hitting (BP didn't get the memo I guess).

Article: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al...er-tigers_N.htm

Leyland Presser: http://www.wxyt.com/ (It will be on the front page, just click play. If it shows the Wings Pens thing, just wait a sec and it switches to Leyland) 48 bleep outs by the way lol

Well after the explosion we are now 2-0 and the offense is firing on all cylinders. How long will it last? Who knows.