***Officialish Detroit Tigers Thread*** (6 Viewers)

[Doctor Detroit]

Verlander stinks again but he isn't getting any help either.

Pedroia: ground ball to short, Peralta doesn't field it cleanly and a low throw. Runner on first

Ortiz: Runner goes and he hits a ground ball under VMARTs glove, called a hit but should have been an error. Runners on first and third

Napoli: ground ball to SS, flip to Infante who air mails Martinez.

Free run, terrible.

 

[Michael Brown]

Verlander stinks again but he isn't getting any help either.

Haven't been following this thread, and just seeing the stat lines he's putting up week after week. Any clues as to what's going on? I remember reading earlier in the year that the velo was down a bit, that still the case? He miss Kate's jugs? It's not like a slight drop-off, the guy is getting to be borderline unusable for someone like me who is struggling in WHIP

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Verlander stinks again but he isn't getting any help either.

Haven't been following this thread, and just seeing the stat lines he's putting up week after week. Any clues as to what's going on? I remember reading earlier in the year that the velo was down a bit, that still the case? He miss Kate's jugs? It's not like a slight drop-off, the guy is getting to be borderline unusable for someone like me who is struggling in WHIP

No feel for his pitches. Most speculation is his release point is changing from pitch to pitch. Curve ball which is his out pitch, not being thrown for strikes. Fastball low a lot, too many change-ups, fastball and change-up not far enough apart on the radar gun. Leaving stuff up, walking ####ty hitters like Stephen Drew, etc. Whatever ails him is fixable but everyone seems to just be blowing it off within the organization.

When he was struggling last month he wasn't even looking at the tape of the game, so he doesn't seem to have any interest in fixing the problem and the Tigers coaches don't seem to be pressing him. Another reason to hate this team as a fan.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

What a bunch of bull#### that was. It had been raining throughout the game and then they stop it with bases loaded and two outs? I can never remember a game ending like that in my life. #### those umpires, terrible.

This is officially forgiven.

 

[tri-man 47]

Thanks for the sloppy play, Boston ...though a clutch hit by Prince was helpful as well.

That Smyly/Benoit combo is doin' a nice job!!

 

[Leroy Hoard]

free press article:

If you film it, he will come.

Or something like that.

In Cleveland filming a football movie, actor and baseball fanatic Kevin Costner took some cuts during batting practice Sunday at Progressive Field.

“I was actually glad I made contact because I haven’t swung in a couple years,” he told the Associated Press. “I thought my chances of swinging through the ball were just as good as fouling it off.

Costner, 58, was most recently in “Man of Steel” but most notably played Ray Kinsella in the 1989 hit “Field of Dreams.”

He also has starred in a number of baseball films, including “Bull Durham” and “For the Love of the Game,” in which he plays a Tigers starting pitcher.

Speaking of the Tigers, Costner said he thought the Tribe — four games behind Detroit in the American League Central — can catch up. “I think they can run Detroit down,” he said. “I think they pose a lot of problems.”

This, based on attending a few Indians games in Cleveland.

“I’ve been to about three or four games and they’ve won every one of them,” he said. “I really think this team could win the division. I’ve watched a lot of baseball and they have a couple of good pieces of DNA, and one of them is they come from behind. ... They’ve got the right amount of athletic arrogance to do that.”

Alas, the Tribe could’ve used that athletic arrogance Sunday. Cleveland lost to the Twins, 5-3.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Outside of Smyly and Benoit and maybe Al Al...take this bullpen and put them on the space mission to Mars knowing they'll never come back. Downs, Reed, Valverde, Putkonen, etc. wHorrendous.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Brandon Lyon and Latroy hawkins are both available, get them both.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

 

[jon_mx]

For being a lock to win the division, I can see this team losing it. This is setting up like last year. Maybe the Tigers will get hot at the end and win it, but then again maybe their rival will not have a complete end of season meltdown. The starting picting is now showing signs of cracking and the bulk of the bullpen continues to be a distaster.

 

[Da Guru]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called start power but not much grit.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called start power but not much grit.

I agree with the first part to some degree but don't think the second part is important at all. I don't even know what grit is and if it's David Eckstein or Quentin Berry, you can have it.

 

[igbomb]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called start power but not much grit.

I agree with the first part to some degree but don't think the second part is important at all. I don't even know what grit is and if it's David Eckstein or Quentin Berry, you can have it.

I don't even get the first part. What does a team built to be a champion look like?

Terrific starting pitching? Check.

Great hitting team? Check. (First in AVG and OBP, 4th in SLG)

Character guys? Check. (More Torii, less Delmon)

The only thing anyone can point to as a flaw in the construction of the team is the bullpen. And take a look at the last ten champions. Many of them have cobbled together bullpens or no-names leading the way.

Making the playoffs is the goal. After that it is more or less a crapshoot.

Grit.

 

[Da Guru]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called star power but not much grit.

I agree with the first part to some degree but don't think the second part is important at all. I don't even know what grit is and if it's David Eckstein or Quentin Berry, you can have it.

I loved the way Berry played but he just did not have enough to give....you do need a little talent to go along with that. The Tigers do have the big Ace in the hole though.."The Central Division" Am I wrong in thinking this team is lacking something? Maybe grit is the wrong word.

 

[igbomb]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called star power but not much grit.

I agree with the first part to some degree but don't think the second part is important at all. I don't even know what grit is and if it's David Eckstein or Quentin Berry, you can have it.

I loved the way Berry played but he just did not have enough to give....you do need a little talent to go along with that. The Tigers do have the big Ace in the hole though.."The Central Division" Am I wrong in thinking this team is lacking something? Maybe grit is the wrong word.

I, for one, think the whole character/grit issue is pretty much bunk.

Leyland, as always, puts it best:

“Take all that clubhouse [stuff] and all that, throw it out the window.

Every writer in the country has been writing about that [nonsense] for

years. Chemistry don’t mean [anything]." - June 15, 2010

The only teams I worry about from a playoff perspective are those that live and die by the long ball. I don't have any evidence, but they feel more prone to hot and dry spells. But the Tigers aren't built like that. They have a high AVG and high OBP team with great pitching. They even have good relievers. It just isn't coming together yet.

I still have the mindset that they just need to get to the playoffs, shorten the rotation, and ride their horses and hope the offense keeps up. There is nothing wrong with the construction of this team.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Someone to help anchor the back of the BP with Benoit & Smyly would be a huge help imo. Less of the close games would get away from them. Sanchez coming back 100% would be nice too.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Consistently

Unwatchable

Nonsensical

Team

This team is built to sell tickets..not win Championships...lots of so called start power but not much grit.

I agree with the first part to some degree but don't think the second part is important at all. I don't even know what grit is and if it's David Eckstein or Quentin Berry, you can have it.

marco scuturo?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Prince just struck out on a ball that was helmet high, he's really struggling...

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Dirks starting every day is really pissing me off, he's terrible. Play Tuiasasopo or Garcia, ridiculous.

 

[igbomb]

Dirks starting every day is really pissing me off, he's terrible. Play Tuiasasopo or Garcia, ridiculous.

In June:

Dirks - .273/.324/.318

Garcia - .239/.280/.304

Tui - DL

Pick your poison.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Dirks starting every day is really pissing me off, he's terrible. Play Tuiasasopo or Garcia, ridiculous.

In June:

Dirks - .273/.324/.318

Garcia - .239/.280/.304

Tui - DL

Pick your poison.

Dirks just k'd on a 3-2 hit and run ball, he should not be playing at all.

Jim said Al Kaline said there is something missing from this team, a "spark." You know what's missing? Any kind of coaching. the personnel outside the bullpen is among the best if not the best in baseball, so it's easy to see the problem.

Regardless of how this season ends, it needs to be Leyland's last.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

This morning's stats in the paper showed the data for starting pitchers/relief pitchers. I was interested to see that while our starters have the fourth best ERA (and a 31-16 record), the bullpen is actually middle of the pack with ERA ...but virtually the worst record (4-11). Does that mean the pen has been a bit unlucky? They don't give up a lot of runs ...just enough to lose games. It gets back to the team's poor record in close games. We find a way to clean that up and we'll be in great shape.

It often means the Tigers aren't scoring enough ####### runs IMO. Fister is completely getting screwed over this year, not sure what else he can do.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Coke in, game over.

 

[Limp Ditka]

Coke in, game over.

you're pretty good at this

 

[Bogart]

Coke in, game over.

Uncanny.

 

[jon_mx]

bullpen has a pretty impressive W-L record.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Swept by the Angels, 4-6 home stand, 2-8 in extra innings and an 11 game road trip starting tomorrow. Shut it down and get ready for next year.

 

[Da Guru]

Swept by the Angels, 4-6 home stand, 2-8 in extra innings and an 11 game road trip starting tomorrow. Shut it down and get ready for next year.

Time to get gritty! : ) Too many Country Clubbers on this team.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Swept by the Angels, 4-6 home stand, 2-8 in extra innings and an 11 game road trip starting tomorrow. Shut it down and get ready for next year.

Time to get gritty! : ) Too many Country Clubbers on this team.

This team is like family, I love them but I don't have to like them.

 

[Da Guru]

Swept by the Angels, 4-6 home stand, 2-8 in extra innings and an 11 game road trip starting tomorrow. Shut it down and get ready for next year.

Time to get gritty! : ) Too many Country Clubbers on this team.

This team is like family, I love them but I don't have to like them.

I love them too..they are difficult to watch at times. Seems like a replay of last season. Just heard a stat yesterdat that blew me away. Fielder is on his second 20 game homerless streak of the season. I know his RBIs are up there but it is hard to imagine the Prince going 20 games twice without a HR.

 

[jon_mx]

I hope this team figures out how to peak. The hitting has disappeared at times. All of the starters have been had their bad outings (Max has been bailed out by incredible run production behind him). But the bullpen is still the reason with why this team is not 10 games up. It has been horrible in key situations. We need at least two new pieces in our bullpen.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Rondon called up

 

[igbomb]

Rondon called up

I bet Coke goes down. He still has options for about two more weeks.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Rondon called up

I bet Coke goes down. He still has options for about two more weeks.

22 July is the cutoff

They can send him down, Reed down and Downs down as far as I'm concerned. I guess this means Potato is closing in Toledo? Just when you think you've seen the last of that guy he resurfaces, like an STD.

 

[igbomb]

Reed down. Should have been Coke

 

[tri-man 47]

Reed down. Should have been Coke

Coke has certainly proven his ineptitude over an extended period.

Good to see Rondon up ..now let's see what he can do.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Once again, IMO if Leyland used Coke as Coke was intended he would be fine. If you have back to back lefties in the middle of an order Coke is the best option we have, but he isn't use that way. Leyland runs him out there intending to get a full inning out of him and it's just stupid, has been for the past two years. He can face a lefty and maybe a switch hitter, but he should not be facing a RH hitter unless it's a light hitting guy with three lefties behind him. But even in those cases Coke stinks (I remember some crappy Twins righties torching him earlier this year).

RH hitters have a 900 OPS vs him this year, had a 1050 OPS against him last year

LH hitters have a .540 OPS vs him this year with no power, had a .690 OPS against him last year

Coke is the guy with "grit" that Leyland loves. Problem is grit doesn't get out right-handed hitters and he's an auto loss when he's brought in in high leverage situations in a close game (I think they said Tigers were 2-9 this year when he pitched in these scenarios and a lot of those losses are his fault).

 

[Doctor Detroit]

You will not see two balls hit harder back to back than what Miggy and Prince just did. If Tampa was an open stadium that Prince shot would have landed in Texas.

 

[rascal]

How does Leyland have a job? I thought he was awful in Colorado.

 

[whoknew]

How does Leyland have a job? I thought he was awful in Colorado.

Leyland is not a great in game manager - he bunts way too much, hit and runs, etc.

Having said that, from everything I've read, Leyland is outstanding at managing people. Which in baseball, seems like a huge part of being a good manager. He generally puts his players in an excellent position to succeed, knows when to use them for an inning vs 3 innings, etc. He's an outstanding manager of people. Just not a great in-game manager.

 

[jon_mx]

How does Leyland have a job? I thought he was awful in Colorado.

It helps when you have the last two MVP's, a triple crown and Cy Young winner. Plus another guy going 12-0. Players like him because he is super loyal. Fans hate him because he is super loyal. I love VMart, but he should have dropped him a few spots in the order a long time ago. Peralta is have a fantastic year and should be batting in the 5 spot. Leyland always manages in the past.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

He's taken the Tigers to two World Series and three ALCSs, he's done a fine job. My problem is really less with his in game managing than it is with his unwillingness to part with guys like Lloyd McClendon, and his loyalty to players like Inge, Coke, Valverde and Santiago who are terrible. I mean how long did he run Boesch out there last year until he figured out Boesch could no longer hit? It was about 30 games too many. How long did he bat the 2B position #2 regardless of who are 2Bman was? Stuff like that...

 

[gump]

You will not see two balls hit harder back to back than what Miggy and Prince just did. If Tampa was an open stadium that Prince shot would have landed in Texas.

I was there....and while Prince hit a bomb....the ball just sounds different coming off Miggys bat. The first one he hit was ridiculous.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

2-9 in extra innings, congrats.

Leyland's a moron for taking out Smyly after he struck out the side in the 9th.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

2nd place! No issue losing 2 of 3 to the Rays but they gave that game away last night and had plenty of opportunities today. 8 more games on the road trip, this might get ugly.

 

[Premier]

This team should be way better. Kind of ridiculous really with all that talent.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

This team should be way better. Kind of ridiculous really with all that talent.

It's the same #### every year. They usually start playing in August or so, but one of these years it'll be too late. Is this that year?

 

[Da Guru]

This team should be way better. Kind of ridiculous really with all that talent.

It's the same #### every year. They usually start playing in August or so, but one of these years it'll be too late. Is this that year?

What exactly does Santiago bring to the team? Can`t hit, no range, and is slow as molasses.

 

[jon_mx]

This team should be way better. Kind of ridiculous really with all that talent.

It's the same #### every year. They usually start playing in August or so, but one of these years it'll be too late. Is this that year?

What exactly does Santiago bring to the team? Can`t hit, no range, and is slow as molassis.

The biggest waste of a roster spot. He gives them some depth in the infield if a couple people were injuried. But still who really wants him in the lineup?

 

[Dan Lambskin]

This team should be way better. Kind of ridiculous really with all that talent.

It's the same #### every year. They usually start playing in August or so, but one of these years it'll be too late. Is this that year?

What exactly does Santiago bring to the team? Can`t hit, no range, and is slow as molasses.

I believe he's the only player on the roster with a successful sacrifice bunt in his career, but other than that he's useless