Category Archives: 2015 Season

2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2016.31: Tigers at Nationals

47 Comments

The Tigers are playing like an un-oiled machine, misfiring on all cylinders.

Starting pitching, bullpen, hitting, those funny noises are coming from every part of the engine.

Well here we are with another interleague road series, against 5-0 Strasburg and the 19-12 Nationals. Let’s see what the Tigers have got.

When a team is playing badly, talk turns to the manager of course. Heck, even when a team is playing well, nobody is happy with how the manager uses his bullpen. Ever. That’s one of the advantages of moving around; you soon realize every fan base in every city thinks their manager is the one manager that doesn’t know how to use his bullpen. I’m not sure why this is, but it’s definitely a thing.

There is an old saying though that organizations, of any kind, take on the personality of their managers. Does ours have one? (I mean a personality). When Ausmus was first hired, everyone talked about how smart and good-looking he was, but the Tigers aren’t looking particularly smart (I’ll pass on the good-looking part).

Right now there are two guys on the team that have any kind of edge. Cabrera is Cabrera, and hopefully will be for a while, but right now it’s Ian Kinsler (who is producing), and James McCann (who isn’t, but he has gone into the dugout after balls twice already after coming back, which would inspire a team more inspiration-ready). Remember when your grandmother would say if you keep making that face, it will get stuck like that? They both have permanent Game Face.

There will be typical flimflammery with the National League lineup, involving Cabrera / Martinez / Castellanos. Anibal Sanchez will move a runner over and they will call time so he can save the ball. Bryce Harper will start me on a new Beat the Streak Streak. Great fun will be had, by somebody.

Today’s No Rain in the Forecast So They Have to Play Lineup:

  1. Kinsler, 2B
  2. JD Martinez, LF
  3. Cabrera, 1B
  4. Castellanos, 3B
  5. Upton, LF
  6. McCann, C
  7. Gose, CF
  8. Iglesias, SS
  9. Sanchez, P

Eight-Inning Nick moves up to 4th in the lineup. He will probably sit tomorrow, with Cabrera at 3rd. Buck Farmer back to AAA, and and Tyler Collins back to the bigs (hopefully with middle finger in check), drawing oohs and ahs from Tigers fans. Check that, those were yawns, my bad.

2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2016.5: Pirates at Tigers

10 Comments

Well, the Tigers find themselves 8 days into the regular season with only 4 games played, due to some scheduling quirks and a rain-out (cold-out) last night. But that just means lots more baseball to come. Three other teams have only managed 4 games played thus far as well. If you can’t tell, I hate it when we don’t get a full slate the first week of the season.

Anyway, first pitch for the Pirates series is just about 30 minutes away. Verlander gets his second start after a so-so first start. JV was dominant through 5 innings last week, and really pitched better than the final box score demonstrated, but last week’s 6th inning was all too reminiscent of last year’s struggles.

Two game set in Detroit followed by two more in Pittsburgh.

Today’s lineup:

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B

2. Justin Upton, LF

3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B

4. Victor Martinez, DH

5. J.D. Martinez, RF

6. Nick Castellanos, 3B

7. James McCann, C

8. Tyler Collins, CF

9. Jose Iglesias, SS

2015 Season, Game Post, Roster Management

Your 2016 Detroit Tigers

8 Comments

Here is a look of the team the Tigers will be sending out on Opening Day tomorrow:

Detroit Tigers 2016 Opening Day Roster

Pitchers:

Starters:

  • Justin Verlander (R)
  • Jordan Zimmerman (R)
  • Anibal Sanchez (R)
  • Mike Pelfrey (R)
  • Shane Greene (R)

Relief Pitchers:

  • Buck Farmer (R)
  • Logan Kensing (R)
  • Mark Lowe (R)
  • Drew Verhagen (R)
  • Francisco Rodriguez (R)
  • Kyle Ryan (L)
  • Justin Wilson (L)

In the starting rotation, Zimmerman and Sanchez replace Price and Simon from last year’s Opening Day roster, but it’s the relief corp where the greatest turnover has happened; in fact the entire bullpen has turned over. It’s hard to imagine this group not being able to improve on what Alburquerque, Chamberlain, Gorzelanny, Krol, Nathan, Nesbitt, Rondon and Soria provided last season, but then again things didn’t look as bad at the start of last season as they turned out to be, so keep the seat belts fastened and trays in an upright position. The starting rotation looks solid, or maybe solid-ish, and should at least be able to burn a lot of innings. Sanchez’ health is suspect, as usual, but the Tigers have Daniel Norris parked on the DL as another starter.

Other pitchers on the 15-Day DL: Jeff Ferrell, Blaine Hardy, Angel Nesbitt, and Alex Wilson.

Position Players:

Starters:

  • C James McCann
  • 1B Miguel Cabrera
  • 2B Ian Kinsler
  • 3B Nick Castellanos
  • SS Jose Iglesias
  • LF Justin Upton
  • CF Anthony Gose
  • RF JD Martinez
  • DH Victor Martinez

Bench

  • C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
  • INF/OF Andrew Romine
  • INF/OF Mike Aviles
  • OF Tyler Collins

There has been less turnover on the position player side, with the most noticeable difference from last season being Justin Upton in left field instead of Cespedes. McCann should be a big upgrade from Avila offensively, with a solid backup in Saltalamacchia, who can also spell Cabrera at first. The CF position looks very week, with only Anthony Gose—who thinks analytic stats are a scam—and some non-CF-type backups. Goes had a good spring training at the plate, but then again he started well last season also. Cameron Maybin is on the DL for a bit, and will probably bump Collins then. As usual the key to the lineup will be the health of Victor Martinez.

One other big change between the 2015 and 2016 Tigers is the man putting the roster together. It will be interesting to see how Avila handles in-season roster changes. His acquisitions of Upton and Zimmerman were very Dombrowski-esque.

2015 Season, Game Post, Hot Stove

Offseason News

102 Comments

With the big news coming out today, it seemed as good a time as any to get a new post up here where we can discuss offseason moves and the like.

In case you haven’t heard yet, the Tigers have signed 29-year old starter Jordan Zimmerman to a deal reported to be for 5 years at 110 million. I had heard a rumor on Saturday that the Tigers were talking to Zimmerman; today it’s supposedly a done deal. That was quick.

2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015: 159-161

203 Comments

Well, here we are, the last handful of games.  This season certainly didn’t turn out the way anyone expected, but that’s baseball.

In other parts of the baseball universe, there is still a playoff race going on. Houston has pulled back into the 2nd wild card spot, and still has an outside chance at the division. And the Angels and Twins (Twins!) are both within one game of Houston. I may have to tune in that Rangers-Angels series this weekend.

 

 

 

2015 Season, Game Post

Game 2015.156-158: Tigers at Rangers

28 Comments

If you need a reminder of how a manager can galvanize a team and what that can mean to a W-L record, look no further that the Texas Rangers. This team was written off by everyone, trust me, everyone, in May.

Now the Rangers are strong favorites to win the division.

And on the other side of the diamond the Tigers are bringing back Brad Ausmus.

Goodness.

Here’s a picture of Verlander in a Rangers hat.

Also, has anyone noticed what a slump Miggy is in? .202 with 0 HR and 8 RBI over the last month. This has been a trend…last few years it was the injuries. Hopefully he will still win the batting title.

2015 Season, Game Post

Games 2015.143-145: Tigers at Twins

76 Comments

Key Series for the Twins as they are 1 game behind Texas for the 2nd wild card spot. Texas starts a 4 game set with the Astros, only 2 games behind the ‘Stros for the division. September baseball is fun for other teams.

Tonight’s lineup:

1. CF Anthony Gose

2. 2B Ian Kinsler

3. 1B Miguel Cabrera

4. RF J.D. Martinez

5. DH Victor Martinez

6. 3B Nick Castellanos

7. LF Steven Moya

8. C James McCann

9. SS Andrew Romine