Sheff Appreciation Night
By Mike McClary in Fungoes | 2 comments
Despite his game-tying double in the fifth, I was going to spare you the tired yet 100-percent justified ripping of Craig Monroe for his bush league plate appearance in the 11th.
Four straight balls to Marcus Thames. First-pitch swinging and Monroe… oh, you know the rest.
But how about that Gary Sheffield? This guy continues to amaze me. Before he came to Detroit, I knew from his numbers that he was a great player. I just didn’t realize the countless dimensions of his game. Take tonight for example.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Bottom of the 13th, he takes one for the team, steals a base and ends up scoring the winning run. That’s the type of stuff I just never saw — or paid attention to — in all his other stops.
After the Tigers blew the chance to win Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland with the bases loaded in the 9th, it was great to see them pull this one out.
Huzzahs for Sheff, Pudge, Jason Grilli and Jeremy Bonderman.
Quick note: I’ll be on the road heading back to Phoenix on Sunday so posts may not materialize until later, if at all.
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Ian C. | Jul 8, 2007 | Reply
I’m right there with you, Mike. I didn’t realize just how versatile Sheffield’s game could be, having not watched him everyday before. But it’s been a pleasant surprise seeing how many different ways he can beat a team. He’s not just a guy trying to collect the “money” stats; he’s trying to win ballgames.
Doug | Jul 10, 2007 | Reply
Certainly a gamer, no doubt.
It’ll be interesting to see how long he stays in good graces in Detroit. The over-under on his stay was a year and a half, right?