Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
JD, dude.

Like I've said all along, it takes a few years to evaluate a manager and his effectiveness. I think Jim Leyland talking to me and telling me Brad is ok reinforced that we have a guy that is probably an average MLB manager. Not everyone can be Bochy, Showalter, and Maddon. Those guys are elite, no question. The rest of the guys are ok, and you have to look around the league to see what you have. I don't like Brad playing Aviles more than he should, but I love him going to McCann while other fans hate that. His bullpen use has been fine, tonight he used Wilson in the 7th and Greene in the 8th. Perfect. Play match-ups, both those dudes can do the work.For most of the year this team has only had 2 consistent starting pitchers...Verlander and Fulmer. Zimmermann had a great start but has been hurt and/or ineffective since. The rest of the starters have been inconsistent for most of the year.
K Rod has been money since opening day. Justin Wilson had one bad week but has been great otherwise. Shayne Greene saved the back end of the bullpen. The others have all been up and down for most of the year but showing signs of improvement lately.
Given all that (especially having only 2 consistent starting pitchers for most of the year), if anyone had told me this team would be contending with all those pitching problems, I would have called them crazy.
I have been as critical as anyone of Ausmus. I thought he should have been fired last year and earlier this year. But its time to give credit where credit is due and Ausmus deserves a ton of credit for having a team with the above serious pitching flaws contending for a playoff spot and the division. He kept them together earlier in the year when they easily could have fallen apart.
If this team makes the playoffs (and especially if they win the division), Ausmus should get strong consideration for manager of the year. I never thought I would ever think such a thing but he has done a great overall job this year.
Pretty much every manager in baseball uses their closer in the top of the 9th in a tie game. If you don't use him there, you don't use him at all.I really don't get bringing in K-Rod in a tie game for his 3rd game in 3 nights. Should have went with Rondon.
Even if he is on the team, there is ZERO excuse to use him in a 2 run game. Period.Why is Mark Lowe still on this team? If they DFA'd him no one would take him. See if he accepts an assignment to Toledo to work on his issues down there. No damn reason he's still on the active roster.
It's already a sunk cost. Not too worried about it moving forward. They've won that deal in a lot of different ways.So lets start with the obvious - its horrible that Prince Fielder is retiring due to injuries. Totally sucks.
BUT, what does this mean for the Tigers? Will the money they owe now be covered by insurance? Thus freeing up a little more for them?
ETA: Crap.
Tony Paul @TonyPaul1984
#Tigers had insurance on Prince Fielder when he was here. Not anymore. So they're still on hook for about $26M more.
It is worrisome when his fastball is now slower than his change up.K-Rod had been kind of not good lately
Kinsler has a higher WAR in three years (16.3) than Chet had in nine years (15.5) with the team. Also Steve Kemp never did this.In memory of the previous thread title, what do Tigers homers think was the better trade: Fielder for Kinsler or Steve Kemp for Chet Lemon?
And they aren't gonna do well in Texas either, that team has a four leaf clover, a pot of gold, and a winning lottery ticket shoved up their asses.
I'm hoping so. No offense to yinz.The Tigers have wasted a lot of very good performances by their starters in this 4-game skid. Very frustrating. I am not even sure they can steal a game in the Texas series. This is not a championship team.
this shouldn't take longI noticed Jon mx doesn't like anyone's posts. Unlike all Jon mx posts stat!
The more I watch that the worse it looks. What if the catcher was a few more steps behind Fielder...he would have dove and been embedded in the dirt 5 feet short of third base waiting to be tagged out.Kinsler has a higher WAR in three years (16.3) than Chet had in nine years (15.5) with the team. Also Steve Kemp never did this.
You think Anibal could have held them to 40? After two decent outings which provided a glimmer of hope that maybe he is useable, he proves those were a fluke.Leave Anibal out there for all 9. Don't care how many pitches or if the Rangers have 40.![]()
Trying to fix one hole by creating another isn't it. Greene has been solid in the pen. Leave him there.The Tigers would have had zero chance this season without the emergence of Fulmer and Boyd. Really amazing how those two have been pitching. The Tigers need to find a way so Anibal never pitches again as a Tiger, and if that mean promoting a few Mud Hens, so be it Give Shane Greene a couple of starts. Do something. You can not continue to roll a guy out there that consistently loses the game in the first friggin inning.
There is no doubt he would be a temporary loss to the pen. But as it is now, we are forfeiting any chance to win every fifth game. That is a bigger hole than finding a 7th inning guy for a few weeks.Trying to fix one hole by creating another isn't it. Greene has been solid in the pen. Leave him there.
Given Greene's history how will this help? A couple good games then a couple bad games, then injured and of no use in the 7th inning anymore.There is no doubt he would be a temporary loss to the pen. But as it is now, we are forfeiting any chance to win every fifth game. That is a bigger hole than finding a 7th inning guy for a few weeks.
We knew coming into the season they had no chance unless at least one of the rookies was really good. I must have said ten times in this thread.The Tigers would have had zero chance this season without the emergence of Fulmer and Boyd. Really amazing how those two have been pitching. The Tigers need to find a way so Anibal never pitches again as a Tiger, and if that mean promoting a few Mud Hens, so be it Give Shane Greene a couple of starts.