Thank you to coleman for filling in on short notice yesterday. Checked with Dr. Andrews, MRI was negative. Back at it today.
In all honesty, getting swept at home in late June isn’t going to really affect our chances of competing in a mediocre division. But there are two things at play today which are much more serious.
1) If Ausmus intended to stir up his team through his comments about “getting angry” to the media, or in the clubhouse, it certainly didn’t work. There’s not a person reading this who isn’t surprised. But it brings Ausmus’ (in)ability as a leader to the forefront once again. This team has rolled over the last two nights, and just about every game of the 8 so far vs. Cleveland. The team is good enough to win a few on its own; I stand by that the team is competing in spite of Ausmus. A Avila and Mr. I and their consiglieres certainly know more about baseball than I do. I would love to figure out what I’m missing regarding Ausmus. It’s something. Perhaps there is a manager arc…imagine a baseball reference closest comps for managers – and he’s on the Tom Kelly/Tony LaRussa/Joe Torre arc, but with an Ivy League education. Let’s hope.
2) If Verlander wants to show that he’s an ace again (I read one Detroit columnist who said that JV could be in Cy Young conversations…tap the brakes on that) he needs to put an end to the losing streak, right now.
As far as Sanchez goes…I have no idea what to do with him. I’m sure he’ll get another start. It’s an ironic consequence of high paying contracts. He’s too expensive to bench or send down. So we’ll just continue to get kicked in the nuts every 5 days b/c he had a great year a few years ago and DD overpaid him.
Don’t get too down. It’s an average team in an average division. It could still be a fun summer.
Moya day to day with a sore knee. Numbers below off of Josh Tomlin.
- Ian Kinsler, 2B (8-for-20, 2 doubles, HR, walk, K)
- Cameron Maybin, CF
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B (7-for-18, double, HR, 4 walks, K)
- Victor Martinez, DH (3-for-19, double, HR, 3 walks, 2 K’s)
- Nick Castellanos, 3B (4-for-17, 2 doubles, 5 K’s)
- Justin Upton, LF (2-for-9, double, K)
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C (4-for-5, double, HR, walk, K)
- Mike Aviles, RF (2-for-14, double, HR, walk, 3 K’s)
- Jose Iglesias, SS (1-for-4)
Kevin, missed the part about your MRI. Glad it was negative. Mine is always positive but at my age, I’m not letting them put an 18” gash in my back. I agree that getting swept is not the end of the season in our division, but if we keep losing to the Indians it means they will have to collapse for us to gain ground. I look for JV to have a good outing but worry that between our hitters and Brad’s management skills we may still lose. I would still play Moya and his bat instead of Aviles. Has anyone considered Bernard or someone else from Toledo? Does Aviles have some frat pictures of Brad? Without more starting pitchers, our chances are slim.
Aviles!
Aviles!! Brad is a genius.
That lead didn’t last long. So 1/2 inning is all the lead the Tigers have had over Cleveland THIS SEASON. Remarkable.
It’s almost like when I think I’ve gotten something over on Teresa, I’m always wrong! Last time I bad mouthed him he got the game winning hit!
Luckily the Indians ran like Tigers and V-mart comes through.
Well they have outscored us 51-7 in the previous 8 games.
Hat trick. It could be worse, after all Brantly is on the DL.
Gotta pull JV. Off day tomorrow. Bullpen should be fine.
JV let us all down today.
JV was awful, but the series has been a team effort.
4 HRs in an inning. Wow. That stinks.
What channel are those Perry Mason re-runs on again?
ME-TV but not on the weekends. DECADES does have a Superman marathon today.
Looks like Victor showed up. So I guess it’s all Indians and ex-Indians today.
This just in..Brad whose “ANGRY” Tigers took on the Red hot Indians is waving the white flag!…
Can’t wait for JV and Brad to whine after the game
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird.
It’s a plane
It’s Super-manager!
Yes, it’s Super-manager, strange visitor with no experience from another college, who came to baseball with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Super-manager, who can change the course of winning efforts, bend ball pens in his bare hands. And who, disguised as Brad Ausmus, mild-mannered manager for what used to be a great metropolitan baseball team, fights a never ending battle for trying to figure out what it’s all about, and stumbling into the American winning ways. And now, another exciting episode in the adventures of Super-manager.
Brad sent a memo to the Indians asking them to send a Little League team for the next scheduled games. Brad says I think I might be able to have my team ready to play against them!….
After 9 rounds, the score is Indians 60. Tigers 10.
i believe they call that a “TKO”
i haven’t been following the CLE series much (…fortunately for me), but i just checked the box score and saw where JV gave up 4 HR’s…in 1 inning?!? how does a MLB Mgr allow that to happen… that is just wrong on a number of levels, i don’t care if its a rookie or a veteran pitcher – that should just not be allowed to occur
the “2 steps forward, 3 steps back” DET Tigers contain their journey down mediocrity lane. CLE has a very good pitching staff and a respectable lineup, but c’mon!
As I look at this Tiger’s team, I can not “visualize” a playoff spot for them, even in our mediocre division. Nor, can I see any moves they could make at the trade deadline that would change things very much. Players that I would offer up, but I can’t imagine too many takers, would be V-Mart, Sanchez and even Miggy in a blockbuster type exchange. As much as I like poking fun at Brad, he is not the problem although we certainly need to find a better motivator, manager at the end of the year. Al Avila has tried but the real problems were caused by DD trying to buy a championship for Mr. I by mortgaging the team future. Now it will take at least 3 years to hopefully get us back into respectability. After all, it’s only been 32 years since our last championship.
4 HRs in an inning is a first in Tigers history.
JV wasn’t at the Brad Ausmus 100 mandatory pitch limit. Therefore even if he would have given up 10 home runs…he stays in there…Brads rules say so!
against teams above .500, the Tigers are 16-28 – and that’s after sweeping SEA (who was above .500)
Verlander’s game score was 3.
Ugly weekend for the boys, and I must give Coleman a-1 for mentioning Heidi’s name in a post Saturday. As we all should know, she has the weekends off to run a fantasy camp. There is only 1 camper, an older retired grunt/smoke eater from the Inland Northwest. He is very grateful his REAL wife does not read this blog.
http://www.freep.com/longform/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/06/27/detroit-tigers-mark-bird-fidrych/86420334/
…40 yrs ago
I don’t watch these videos that often, but Anthony Fenech from the Freep mentions that there is no urgency or drive on the field or in the clubhouse.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/drew-sharp/2016/06/26/detroit-tigers-mediocre-cleveland-indians-sweep/86420076/
…that “chill” approach is perfectly OK if your team is 20 or more games over .500, and is not making many mental errors to cost them ballgames; but if the team (w/a $200M payroll, 4th largest in MLB) is underperforming and hovering around .500, some may not agree w/that type of attitude.
DET has 13 games left before AS game – if they go 5-8 or 4-9 and lose 2 or 3 against CLE, I’d seriously consider becoming ‘sellers’ at the trade deadline if the right trade packages are offered. There are contending teams w/deep farm systems and young talented MLB players that desperately needs some pieces.
…for the record, CLE’s ’16 payroll is half of DET’s
Based on what we’ve seen I’d say we will (or should) be sellers. The trick will be to try to unload some of our fat, long term contracts which doesn’t seem likely. If I were to have any “untouchables” besides some of our younger pitchers, they would be Iggy, McCann, JD, Kinsler, and yes, even Casty. Everyone else would be available depending on value offered.
I AGREE!…I’d put Mabin and Casty on the list also …anyone else can go. We actually came out of last year with some very good youth…lets do it again…
http://www.blessyouboys.com/2016/6/27/12034376/detroit-tigers-mike-aviles-how-bad-can-he-get
In spite of what this article says, I know our genius manager will continue to put Aviles in the lineup every chance he gets. He’ll sit Moya tomorrow against the lefthander and the next day he will play for someone who just has to be rested. By season’s end we will be the freshest 4th place club in baseball. Sheer genius since being rested may well come in handy, especially if the Twinkies get hot and make a run for the 4th spot.
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good one Coleman… Chris Farley was one funny guy
…and speaking of comedies, the DET Tiger sitcom may need to bring in some new actors…and maybe a new director