PREGAME: So Jim Leyland announced that Magglio Ordonez wouldn’t be playing tonight taking away the most compelling story line for the Tigers. I guess we’ll just have to settle for seeing if the Tigers can solve the riddle that is Gavin Floyd. Floyd has allowed 1 run in his last 2 starts combined against Detroit. Floyd has a 5.71 ERA overall.
For the Tigers it will be Justin Verlander. Verlander struggled with the White Sox last year, but allowed 3 runs in 7 innings in each of his 2 starts against the Sox this year.
DET @ CHW, Saturday, September 29, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
POSTGAME: Justin Verlander had a solid night with the only blemish coming on a Thome-esque 2 run homer. It did take him 117 pitches to get through 6 innings, but he picked up 7 strike outs along the way.
For the Tigers the offense came via solo homers by Carlos Guillen and Marcus Thames, and that was it for the good guys scoring.
Doug Eddings had a poor game umping at second base, taking down Jermaine Dye and blowing a call in the 9th inning that ultimately hurt the Tigers. Eddings is famous/infamous for hit controversial call in the 2005 World Series. He’s also the ump who had the stopwatch on Rafael Betancourt.
That said, if Rodney hadn’t walked Darin Erstad, or if Ryan Raburn picks up the ball in right field, maybe we’re still playing.
I hope the Indians beat the Yankees in the ALDS
I’m neutral. I hate them both.
I am a Cubs fan for October.
I’d like to see the Yankees put down the Indians, then go down to the Angels in the ALCS. Mainly, because the Angels are the only team I have no despising for. Perhaps due to distance.. 😛
Is this boring or what? Just waiting for Poly to get his 2 hits.
I’m rooting for the Indians to go all the way
Me too, Kathy! 199!!!!!
If Maggs goes 0 for 5 tomorrow, Ichiro would have to go 9 for 10 over the next two nights to finish ahead of him. This one will be over about when Ichiro makes his second out.
It’s unfortunate that we’re reduced to talking about individual accomplishments over the last weekend, but the Tigers haven’t had a batting champion in 46 years, so we may as well appreciate it.
I’m thrilled for Magglio but I hope next year we won’t be looking at individual records so much. Like I said before, I’d throw them all in a garbage can, if we could go to the postseason, the Fall Classic, the only One October!!!!
First batting title since 1961. And unlike Norm Cash, I’m pretty sure Maggs isn’t corking his bat.
lol Stephen. Irreverent.
Right when Carlos was at bat before he hit the HR I was admiring him for wearing his pockets out.
Do these guys just pack up after tomorrow’s game and go home?
Awwww, Marcus!
Kathy, that HR was for you!!
I know it. He’s such a cute guy.
I’m starting to panic. What am I going to do after approx. 5 PM tomorrow??
You and me both, cib. It’s very depressing thinking ahead to the long winter. I’ll probably watch the playoffs and World Series…all the time wanting to really see the Tigers. Absolutely miserable.
I wonder if the Tiger organization is going to make any offers before the players leave. Mario said the Sox just extended A.J.’s contract. Just wondering if any of the Tigers have been offered extensions yet.
You go Jim Leyland. That was bullsh**. (I like to be nice on Billfer’s site).
Fun to watch Leyland get tossed one last time.
Well, maybe they won’t extend Jim’s contract on Monday.
As Kathy would say, Oh, Poo.
Why don’t they just lift the umpire up on the team’s shoulders? That’s who won it for them.
What a joke!
I’ll be at Sunday’s game..I’ll take my slingshot and keep an eye on that so-called “umpire”…
Season finale tomorrow. Thank God. Bring on ’08. This year is killin me.
This is at least the 4th game this season, that I can recall that the ump lost the game for the Tigers, honestly can’t remember one that went the other way and led to a Tiger victory. This one was a little easier to take because it was close and I can see with the element of human error how he could miss this one.
The worst one was the phantom obstruction call on Ledezma early in the season. No way an honest ump makes that call. Either something fishy was going on that game, or the ump was just one of those that likes attention and thus likes to make calls. First time I felt like running on to the field and getting in the ump’s face….don’t worry, I wouldn’t really do it, I’m not from Chicago…..
But it was tempting…..Leyland got thrown out that game.
Yeah we can complain about the call, but if Pudge threw a better ball we would not be in the situation. Bad throws have bad results.
Shane – agreed, it doesn’t excuse the blown call, but champions must prepare for the possibility, that on any given night, you just might have to beat the umps too. Unfortunate that Raburn blew the play too, he has a rifle for an arm, but you can’t throw it if you don’t catch it.
But at the same time champions do not throw balls where the receiver has to jump out of the way to make an easy out. It just seems so similar to most of the throws Pudge has made trying to throw runners out stealing second.
Sure, it may have been a blown call, but they should have not been in the situation in the first place with a decent throw in the first place.
There has been too many of these sort of situations this season and one of the reasons why the Tigers season ends tomorrow.
Guillen’s dinger gives us another 20hr guy, too…(although Thames would’ve easily reached 20 with a few more AB’s.)
Now, it’d be nice for Polly to get a hit for 200 and Carlos to earn 2 rbi for 100 tomorrow.
Extend Leyland’s contract? Yeh, if you want another under achieving team.