Miguel Cabrera had a pretty crappy Friday night, and it just isn’t ending – nor should it. Cabrera screwed up big time and is deserving of the bulk of the criticism that he is receiving today. Whether it was a lapse of judgment or a habitual problem remains to be seen but getting drunk enough to blow a .26 at 6 a.m. on the morning of one of the biggest games in his Tigers career is a huge problem. The problem has since been compounded by errors in judgment by Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski.
Category Archives: 2009 Season
Miguel Cabrera and speculation
Miguel Cabrera had an awful night at the plate on Friday. Miguel Cabrera had an awful night at the plate on Saturday. The difference between the two nights is that his face was cut and bruised on Saturday. This was quite noticeable to the media before the game and it elicited questions from Jon Paul Morosi and other media. The answer that Morosi got was that Cabrera’s dog was the culprit. It is a story that is hard to believe which has just led to more speculation.
The speculation will continue until actual information comes out. Dave Dombrowski acknowledged speaking to Cabrera about the situation but wouldn’t delve into it. Jim Leyland said he hadn’t noticed. Continue reading Miguel Cabrera and speculation
Game 2009.162: White Sox at Tigers
PREGAME: Well here we are. Game 162. Will there be an ALDS Game 1 or a Game 163 or is this it? We all know the deal, the Tigers haven’t been out of first place since May 9th. Yet way too eerily much like 2006 the Tigers could find themselves looking up at the Twins for the first time on the last day.
The Tigers do have some things working for them today. Justin Verlander is pretty good and he’s been very good when the Tigers have most needed him. It’s a matter of whether or not there is a limit on how many times the Tigers can go to the well.
John Danks is going for the the White Sox. The Tigers have only faced Danks once this season and could only muster 2 runs. The Twins faced the Danks 2 weeks ago and rocked him for 7 runs and it was the only time he had allowed more than 3 runs since August 6th.
Finally, I thought it was a waste when I heard that Amber Grand would be singing the National Anthem today. It turns out that this may be the Tigers best move with Grand posting a 6-1 record this year.
Chi White Sox vs. Detroit – October 4, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME
[audio:http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/onemoretime1.mp3]The Tigers finally played the game that fans had been looking for. Too bad it took them 4 tries to get it right, but they got it right just in time to extend the season.
Justin Verlander came up big. He was unusually efficient. Whether that was Verlander or a White Sox lineup that saw Scott Podsednik DH’ing remains to be seen. Regardless, and despite the fact that Jim Leyland left him in a couple batters too long, Verlander only enhanced his status as a staff ace and an elite arm in the American League.
The offense was led by the corner outfielders with Ryan Raburn and Magglio Ordonez both having big games and big hits. Raburn homered twice, walked, and singled. After his second homer he trotted out to left field and received a standing ovation.
Ordonez came up his 4th time needing a triple for the cycle. That was going to be highly unlikely so he settled for a single and took his 4 hit day.
If the pitching and hitting weren’t enough, the Tigers even played some of their old fashioned solid defense. Curtis Granderson made a game-saving catch in the 8th inning laying out to catch a shallow pop-fly. Adam Everett looked exactly like the elite defender the Tigers thought they were getting. Everything was good.
Even Fernando Rodney, asked to get 4 outs actually got 5. And he did so efficiently not allowing a ball out of the infield in the 9th inning and only the bloop that Grandy snagged in the 8th.
And Amber Grand raised her record to 7-1.
Below are a couple shots from the game today (click for bigger images).
Junkballing: Pitchers, Playoffs, Plunkings
Debating Saturday’s starter, some news on a tiebreaker playoff game, and more from MLB’s punishment roulette wheel.
Figaro?
Alfredo Figaro has been tabbed for the start in a very key game on Saturday. This is the product of a rainout on Monday and a very young starter who’s arm warrants careful protection.
Rick Porcello simply isn’t an option for this game. Nick Blackburn, also bumped by Monday’s postponement is going on 3 days rest. Quite frankly the Twins don’t have the same type of investment in Blackburn’s future that the Tigers do in Porcello’s. This isn’t a matter of saving Porcello for the rest of the season, it is a matter of not being foolish with an elite talent.
Now Rob Neyer has suggested that the Tigers would be better served by pitching Verlander on short rest on Saturday and giving Porcello the start on Sunday. This is much more palatable from a workload perspective. Verlander looks to be a freak in terms of his ability to handle high pitch counts…so far. We’ll know more by how he responds next year. Continue reading Junkballing: Pitchers, Playoffs, Plunkings
Game 2009.160: White Sox at Tigers
PREGAME: Edwin Jackson and Jake Peavy is the first pitching match-up Tigers fans care about tonight. The second one is Lenny DiNardo and Francisco Liriano Jeff Manship.
Peavy outdueled Eddie Bonine last time out despite Bonine’s fantastic outing. The Tigers fanned 8 times in 7 innings and could only muster 6 hits and 2 walks.
Jackson on the other hand was dinged for 5 runs in 7 innings when he faced the White Sox last time. He did only walk 1 batter though so the improved control was a good sign.
I wish I had something light and pithy or at least moderately insightful to add. Maybe I’m tense. Maybe the pressure is getting to me.
Chi White Sox vs. Detroit – October 2, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
Kansas City vs. Minnesota – October 2, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME: My friends and I decided to splurge a little since this was the last game in our season ticket package and have dinner in the Tiger Club. For those who haven’t been, that is the glassed in area that hangs from the uper deck in right field. They have a buffet with a 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. seating. We took in the 5 p.m. option so we could be in our seats in time for the game.
The buffet featured prime rib which delicious and marbled beautifully. Next to the prime rib was a personal favorite of mine, chicken oscar. You put asparagus and crab with anything and I’ll try it. Unfortunately the first batch was a little dry, I think it had been sitting under the lamp too long and the crab dried out. Fortunately they put out more that was delicious.
Around the corner from the chicken was ravioli florentine which was good enough to warrant a corner of each plate I prepared. There were green beans and sauteed vidalia onions as well as red skin mashed potatoes. The highlight for me though was a scallop and risotto dish.
There were cheeses and relish and salad options as well. I didn’t delve into those areas greatly. And for those who enjoy more traditional ball park food there were nachos and hot dog stations as well. Again, I passed.
I was already uncomfortably full though when I went for dessert. It was a monstrous Sanders hot fudge cream puff. It was huge and wonderful and worth having to loosen my belt.
After paying our bill we went out to watch the game. Casey Fien and Clay Rapada did a nice job.
I love this game
Baseball is a wonderful game. No, it really is. It gets criticized for being boring and too slow moving. But the speed of the game allows for a chess match like no other and with a code that most outsiders aren’t privy too. The Twins and Tigers series had some of the typically hidden aspects at its best.
Sign Stealing
The video below came out and it shows what is believed to be Joe Mauer signaling pitch calls to batter Jason Kubel. The Twins of course deny this and laugh it off. If you haven’t seen the video, watch it and draw your own conclusions.
I think it’s great. Sign stealing happens all the time. There is nothing wrong with it and if the opposing team down’t sniff it out and stop them, that’s too bad. In this case we see Gerald Laird picking up on it and changing the signs.
This isn’t the first time signs have been stolen against the Tigers. I saw it against the Royals on the night of the Ernie Harwell game. Another friend saw it against the Indians and it resulted in Shin Soo Choo lacing a double. I’d guess and hope that the Tigers had done this at some point as well.
The Twins have nothing to apologize for (or even deny it if true). It’s baseball.
The Code
Yesterday there was a brouhaha where things got a little chippy. Denard Span got hit with a breaking ball that slipped. Marcus Thames got hit with a breaking ball that slipped. Both were most likely unintentional. Thames also got buzzed later on by a breaking ball, and he took exception to the height of the pitch…then some other stuff happened.
In a situation I misread, Jose Mijares threw the ball behind Adam Everett. I couldn’t understand a reason why Mijares would throw at Everett so I figured he just lost control of the pitch. It turns out though that Mijares went after Everett because the Tigers ran to get guys in scoring position through “defensive indifference.” I’ve never heard of someone taking such exception to this, but the Twins and Tigers players knew exactly what was going on. The fact that the Tigers bench got warned rightly set Leyland off.
What I really respect about the Twins here is how they handled the situation afterward. They apologized for Mijares. They called him out. Gardenhire called Leyland and said Jeremy Bonderman did the right thing in plunking Delmon Young didn’t get pissed at Bonderman, he got mad at his own guy. Joe Mauer even said Bonderman did it the right way (I don’t agree with the Twinkie Town blog who said Bonderman was going after Young’s knees, I think he was trying to keep the ball down and Bondo’s control hasn’t been good enough since coming off the DL to go after his knees).
The code may be stupid and barbaric. I can’t really argue against it. What I love though is the complex game-within-the-game that takes place night in and night out that we as fans typically don’t even see or only know a part of the story.
Game 2009.159: Twins at Tigers
PREGAME: So, what will everybody be doing this afternoon? If you’re at work do you listen on the radio, or follow along with gameday, or do you stream mlb.tv, or do you leave work completely and head to the park (or a bar)? Or does your day not change and you’ll just wait to get home to see who had the better day, Scott Baker or Nate Robertson.
Robertson wasn’t good his last time out. Alfredo Figaro and the offense had to bail him out against the White Sox. But prior to that he was put into a must-win situation in Minnesota and he came up big. For a player looking to be relevant, this game today is dripping with relevance-inducing moments.
Scott Baker comes in with the crazy reverse platoon split homer numbers (21 of the 27 homers allowed this year have been hit by righties) so if you see Marcus Thames penciled in you now know why.
Oh yeah, one more thing, if the Tigers win today they clinch the division…
Minnesota vs. Detroit – October 1, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME: Well, that was at least entertaining as far as frustrating blow outs go.
Those gritty Twins who play the game the right way made 4 errors, walked 6, and hit a guy…and still won easily. That’s in large part due to the fact that the Tigers were once again left longing for that big hit.
Nate Robertson got through 6 innings and allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, which is a perfectly acceptable performance. Meanwhile Scott Baker labored and he broke the 100 pitch mark in the 5th inning. The Tigers worked the count, saw lots of pitches, did everything right essentially except for getting hits at the end of those at-bats.
So the celebration is on hold. The magic number is still 2. But I’m not worried…yet.
- Angel Hernandez always feels the need to make his presence known. This time he did it by blowing a tag-up call on Ramon Santiago saying he left early when replays show he didn’t. That got Leyland irritated. When Bobby Seay didn’t get a called third strike on a borderline pitch to Denard Span, that probably got things simmering. When a pitch went behind Adam Everett and Marcus Thames had already been hit and knocked down (and Span had been hit earlier) Hernandez warned both benches which set Leyland off.
- Bonderman came out and promptly plunked Delmon Young, which was clearly retaliation and Bondo didn’t really care. The trouble is the Tigers are going to need some long relievers on Saturday. Bondo will get suspended.
- I don’t think anybody was throwing at anybody (except for Bonderman) but Thames was certainly peeved the second time he got buzzed. Both were breaking balls, but I think Thames took issue with the fact that they came in high.
- And when the ball went behind Everett, Mike Redmond didn’t catch. He didn’t make an attempt to catch it. Or to retrieve the ball. Yet Gerald Laird stayed on second base. I don’t know why he didn’t advance. I don’t know why Hernandez called time when nobody had the ball.
- I don’t know why Polanco didn’t play and didn’t pinch hit in several big situations. This is concerning and not because I think it is managerial malpractice, but because I think it was something other than Leyland keeping him out of the game. Polanco missed 2 ground balls this week which just isn’t him. I wonder if his back problems have flared up with the cold weather and the doubleheader.
- One very bright spot was the job that Ryan Perry and Fu-Te Ni did coming into a 2nd and 3rd no out situation and getting out of the inning unscathed.
The fans, they do care
Drew Sharp was disappointed in the turnout for last night’s game with “only” 30,000 fans in attendance. But it appears that everyone who wasn’t at the game was watching the game on television as last night’s Tigers game was the highest rated one ever on Fox Sports Detroit. Ever. More than the excitement of 2006. More than the expectations of 2008. Ever.
Last night’s broadcast brought in a 13.6 rating topping the 13.5 that last year’s Opening Day received and the 13.4 that the final game in 2006 mustered. Last night’s game peaked at 18.6 for the final half hour.
Now I’m a little disappointed that the park wasn’t full last night, just as I was disappointed when there were only 25,000 for Ernie’s farewell. But I can’t necessarily call the fans out and I certainly can’t say that they don’t care.
The Tigers have never drawn well when the kids go back to school. Often times it is because the team is out of it, but there are just additional pressures on people’s schedules where a last minute decision to go to a game isn’t feasible. I make it down to about 20 games a year and try as I might I can’t make it down for any of these 4 – and it’s not that I don’t want to. And I’m probably not alone.
So people watch on TV. Sharp says it is “embarrassing” that a town that provides itself on sports passion didn’t fill the park. But the passion is still there. The Tigers game last night was the highest rated show in Detroit. That’s not just among cable outlets. No, it was the highest rated show in Detroit, beating out NCIS which drew a 10.6.
Yeah, I wish the park was full but to call it is embarrassing isn’t accurate. There are pressures in people’s lives that kept them from the park. A lack of passion isn’t one of them.
Game 2009.158: Twins at Tigers
PREGAME: Let’s do this again. After a very long day of baseball, it’s just a regular night at the ballpark. Except that it is the immovable force named Carl Pavano that the Tigers will be going up against.
Pavano’s mastery of all things Tigers and few things not-Tigers is one of those epic mysteries. It’s the stuff of a Time-Life book series (Coincidence? Read the book!). The last time out the Tigers got to Pavano for a ga-jillion baserunners but not so many runs.
In a similar vein, we’ll see of Eddie Bonine’s powers of seduction (I’m for sure going to be the number 1 Google hit for “eddie bonine power of seduction) extend beyond the Chicago White Sox. Bonine faced the Twins once last year and it resulted in a 7-0 loss. Here’s hoping for a better outcome.
Minnesota vs. Detroit – September 30, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME
[audio:http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/onemoretime1.mp3]
I’m in Alexandria, Virginia but it was easy to find Tigers fans. And even fans without a rooting interest were pulling for the Tigers tonight. Pirates fans, and Red Sox fans, and pretty much everyone I ran into was on the Tigers bandwagon tonight. It was awesome. And there was beer.
But meanwhile, those in Detroit took care of business. The boys gave us all reason to be proud. Eddie Bonine was shaky to start, but after allowing 2 runs in the first that would be it for the Twins.
Now we’ve seen before what happens when Carl Pavano pitches and it is mostly frustration and angst for Tigers fans. But tonight the Tigers got him. They got him good. They got him real good.
Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez. Two Tigers who have had their highs and lows this season both delivered bases loaded doubles. Both came up huge. Both should be celebrated.
- I don’t get using Miner in 3 innings and I don’t get using Lyon with a 5 run lead and I don’t get using Rodney with a 5 run lead. But only Miner is likely unavailable tomorrow. And really, tonight is much more important than tomorrow…until tomorrow.
- Twice the Tigers splashed a Brett Favre graphic over the Tigers game. Yeah, I don’t get it either.
- Little has been easy for the Tigers this year, but this was as close to an easy win as the Tigers have had in a while.
- Ramon Santiago has driven in runs in his last 2 starts. Kudos Ramon.
- Yeah, I’m pretty giddy right now.
- Oh yeah, 34K in attendance tonight. Way to go Detroit.
Game 2009.157: Twins at Tigers
PREGAME: So….are you freaking out a little? Do you have chills? Are you sweating? Me, not yet. I’m a little grumpy but panic won’t set in until the Tigers are looking up at the Twins. Then I’ll be shriveling lump of despair. Until then, let us cast our gaze upon one Justin Verlander.
It’s probably unfair. How many times has Verlander been put in this position and come through this year? There was the White Sox game when Chicago had tied things up. And the Red Sox game where they were on the brink of being swept.
Of course Verlander doesn’t hit. He could pitch damn near a no-hitter (just ask Eddie Bonine) and it won’t make a difference if the Tigers can’t generate some offense against Brian Duensing. Do you know how many times Duensing has allowed more than 3 runs in a start? Once. July 7th. He shut the Tigers out for 6.1 innings on September 18th and limited them to 5 base runners.
Your, “huh, Gerald Laird again?” lineup is:
- Raburn, LF (aka Little Jimmy Jackson)
- Polanco, 2B
- Ordonez, RF
- Cabrera, 1B
- Thames, DH
- Inge, 3B
- Granderson, CF
- Laird, C
- Everett, SS
So, my buddies and I usually pick a Tiger each game we attend. A simple guess as to who will have the best game. Who is going to come through for the Tigers tonight. Dare I say, “Who’s your Tiger?”
Minnesota vs. Detroit – September 29, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME:
[audio:http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/onemoretime1.mp3]Game 2009.156: Twins at Tigers
PREGAME: The Twins and Tigers lock up in what has been dubbed the Tigers biggest series since 1987. That dubber is Lee Panas, man of metrics and not a purveyor of hyperbole so I tend to agree with him.
By now you know the drill. If the Tigers take 3 (or better) the division is theirs. If the teams split then the Tigers need 2 wins against the Sox or 2 Twins losses against the Royals, or some combination thereof. If the Twins take 3 things are deadlocked going into the final 3 games. If the Twins sweep, well, that would really suck.
The Twins, winners of 5 of their last 7 send out Nick Blackburn. Blackburn pitched 7 shutout innings his last time out. He also pitched a complete game against the Tigers back in July. In 98 plate appearances where the first pitch has been put in play, hitters are OPSing 1.021.
The Tigers, winners of 5 of their last 7, send out Rick Porcello. Porcello got the win in Cleveland limiting them to 1 run in 5 innings. He lost in a quality start against the Twins on September 18th.
The weather is wet and windy and generally yucky so hopefully they play this one.
Yeah, there was a lineup posted here before, but it will likely change with the doubleheader today. So I deleted it. The rest of the post stands though because the pitching match-up is the same. We’ll have a separate post for the nightcap. Oh yeah, and the weather is cold and rainy today also.
Minnesota vs. Detroit – September 28, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
Game 2009.155: Tigers at White Sox
PREGAME: It’s Daniel Hudson and Edwin Jackson doing battle in the rubber game of the series.
Hudson has 4 appearances this season, but he made his first start on Monday against the Twins. He went 5 innings and held the Twins to 3 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits with 4 K’s. He also walked 4. Considering what the Twins have been doing to everybody else lately (they smoked Buehrle and Danks following the Hudson start) that was pretty impressive.
Scouting Hudson’s last outing, it looks like he throws a fastball at about 93-94mph, a change-up, and a slider. The change-up was his best swing-and-miss pitch but also the one he had the least control of.
Jackson will make his 3rd start of the year against Chicago. Despite walking 8 and only striking out 6 in 12 innings only 5 runs have crossed the plate
Detroit vs. Chi White Sox – September 27, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday
POSTGAME: What started out so promising sure did spin out of control by the end of the game. Curtis Granderson got things started with a leadoff homer. That was it for the offense until 1 run in the 6th inning and a couple of “let’s not make this so look so bad” runs in the 9th inning.
Edwin Jackson didn’t seem to enjoy pitching with a lead. He gave back 1 run in the 2nd and then he got down to business retiring 10 in a row. Until the Tigers got him that lead in the 6th and Jackson promptly got XBH’d to death for 3 runs and that was it for his chance at a win.
- Brandon Inge’s series could only be described as miserable. He was 0 for the series with 8 K’s, 2 E’s, and though it wasn’t an error, he failed to make a play on Alex Rios’ double leading off the 6th.The play wasn’t routine, but it wasn’t exactly web-gemmy either.
- Curtis Granderson picked up 5 hits in a row between last night and today, and it would have been 7 except for a nice running play by Alex Rios. And these weren’t bloops. Grandy was hitting bullets all over the park.
- Fernando Rodney…not so much.
- At least Trey Hillman managed aggressively with a Zach Greinke Cy Young Award in mind and he put in Joakim Soria for a 2 inning save, which he recorded successfully despite some tension.
- Though Jackson got the loss, I thought he looked better today than in Cleveland. He had better command and his slider seemed to have more bite. The difference in results was that the Indians hit their hard hit balls at people, plus the White Sox have more firepower.