2013 Season, Game Post

Game 2013.5: Yankees at Tigers

48 Comments

Now that was a Hope Opener.

Like most of you, I surmise, I came into baseball consciousness well before the internet, streaming scores and instant updates. Growing up in Arlington, the only way I could get Tigers scores was to maybe catch a glimpse on the evening news (if I was allowed to stay up that late), or hopefully catch the “out of town scores” during the Rangers radio broadcast. I didn’t understand how they got those scores, but I wasn’t complaining. I don’t remember the TV guys being too concerned with the AL East back in the day (or AL Central post 1994). Typically, I did not get the Tigers score until the next morning when it was a race against my brother downstairs to grab the sports page and dive into the box scores. I used to stare at them for what seemed like an hour a day.

Then, however, there was the magic of the ballpark – and the out of town scoreboard. I didn’t quite understand how, but ballparks had mystical powers which allowed them to get updated scores every inning! And they would even let you know who was pitching (if you knew their numbers)! I yearned to see the wormhole in time which allowed the scoreboard guy at Arlington Stadium to get instant score updates; but I was content to just watch the numbers roll over.

Well, I went out to the Ballpark yesterday, and thanks to cell phone connectivity issues in crowded places, I was transported back to my childhood and found myself scoreboard watching. And it was fantastic.

2-0. Nice start.

2-3!?! I hate the Yankees!

5-3!!! There must have been a home run, right? 5th inning – I wonder if one of the big boys hit one out? Did Cabrera get another RBI?

6-3! That was fast. Maybe a solo shot? A double then single? Not enough time to load the bases and WP one in. When did I last check the scoreboard?

8-3. Final. I couldn’t wait to get home and read about it.

Just like I had hoped.

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Remember that today’s game is the Fox Game of the Week.

1. Jackson, CF
2. Hunter, RF
3. Cabrera, 3B
4. Fielder, 1B
5. Martinez, DH
6. Dirks, LF
7. Peralta, SS
8. Avila, C
9. Santiago, 2B

48 thoughts on “Game 2013.5: Yankees at Tigers”

  1. It looks like Smokey is still senile … look at the numbers Infante has put up so far this year … and Smokey puts Santiago in instead … what an idiot!!! He costs the Tigers at least 5 games a year with his incompetent management.

    1. And the Yankees will use a Catcher as a backup infielder due to a depleted bench with Nunez out a couple games from bruised biceps.

    2. He wants to get them all playing time early. Whether that is necessary by game 5 is open for debate. I’m guessing Pena starts tomorrow.

        1. Leyland’s players love him b/c he plays everyone. I don’t agree with it, but I get it. And it seems to work. I’d bet money that Pena starts tomorrow.

          2. Avila’s wife is going to give birth any minute now. 100% chance Pena starts tomorrow.

          3. Leyland said today during an interview that Pena is playing tomorrow.

  2. Have the Cards v. Giants on the local Fox channel so I am going solo with Dan and Jim.

    1. Same here…after cursing MLB for a while for their stupid MLB.TV game blackouts.

        1. Doesn’t help with the “Nationally Televised” game, does it? Or does it? (foreign country IP).

          1. Good point. Never tried it on a national game. Foreign might work. Try Canadian or Caribbean.

  5. How do you not swing at a pitch right down the heart of the plate with 2 strikes?

    1. By not being a good hitter and/or also not being coached well.

      Leyland did an interview pre-game and said Santiago is a “big part of this team” however. I would like to know who else is a big part and which players aren’t a big part. This is a player who would be a full-time starter for us if he could only run, according to Leyland.

      Not sure how a guy who can’t hit and can’t run is such a big part of our team, I find that to be pretty sad. Not to mention being overpaid to perform horribly.

  6. The bottom of the order is slowing rounding into midseason form…good thing the top is on this weekend

  8. Side note. Here’s how the Indians are so much smarter than the Tigers…they have Rayburn on their roster but the don’t play him!y

  9. I’m surprised Leyland didn’t go with Downs to face Overbay there. That’s what I would have done anyway. On the other hand, maybe AlAl is the long man for today.

  11. Good for Dirks. Sometimes a little luck is what it takes to get a guy going.

  15. Given Santiago’s proficiency with the stick, I would have had him bunting there. A hit and run with Avila on first just never would have occurred to me.

  16. Anybody know what the record is for consecutive games with an RBI? Miggy has one in each of the first 5 games is what made me think of it.

    1. I think it is 17 by Oscar Grimes in 1922.

      Speaking of stats, I really liked the time they spent on the air today doing a basic overview of what OPS is and how it works, and then they spent a little bit of time talking about WAR. It’s about time that they start trying to talk about the stats a little bit more.

      1. Even though there is some question of the viability of some of the sabermetric formulas, they do seem to be getting more accurate and they definitely have opened up different ways to look at the game, which certainly makes for more interesting discussions than just using the old traditional measures. It’s kind of funny though, as lately OPS and WAR especially have come under some scrutiny for not being accurate enough measures. It’s possible that by the time they become part of the day to day conversation, they could be as obsolete as some of the older ones are looking to be now.

      2. Oscar Grimes in ’22. If so, that would be even more amazing, being the dead ball era.

  17. Leyland to Lamont strategy discussion: “Let’s surprise them and have Prince steal third”.

    1. It was one of those instinctual moments. Leyland had a visit from an old baseball ghost last night that told him to keep an eye out for an opportunity like that. It was only a foot or two short of being amazing and graceful. Maybe next time.

    2. I think Prince did that on his own. Something about making it home in time for the Michigan-Syracuse game.

  18. That throw out at the plate by Hunter helped turn things around. Al would be proud!

  19. Thumped ’em good the first two games. This is the kind of offense we have been expecting to see. Hope they can keep it up and do it again tomorrow.

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