Archive for May, 2008

May 31, 2008

Game 55: Los Marineros Extend Tigers’ Pathetic Blowout/Shutout Trend

ESPN highlights available here.

The Gist: Mariners 5, Tigers 0, the ninth shutout of the year for Detroit. Sometimes you’ve got to tip the cap to the other team’s pitcher. How else can you explain the Tigers inability to score gobs of runs on consecutive days — against Seattle, of all teams. Today we choose to [...]

May 31, 2008

“Rick Porcello is a problem.”

That’s a ridiculous quote by Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president for labor relations in a piece in The Wall Street Journal about Rick Porcello, the Tigers’ number-one pick in 2007.
The Tigers signing of an 18-year-old high school pitcher to a $10 million contract — and the previous signings of Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin [...]

May 31, 2008

Willis to Start on Tuesday; Guillen to Left?

Jim Leyland announced that Dontrelle Willis will start Tuesday in Oakland — instead of Armando Galarraga.
Leyland said after Friday night’s game that Willis will start for the Tigers on Tuesday in Oakland, with right-hander Armando Galarraga following Willis after about four innings.
Leyland was quick to point out, though, that this is not an indication that [...]

May 30, 2008

Game 54: Mariners Set Out the Welcome Mat

The Gist: The Tigers scored seven first-inning runs — but couldn’t pile on — but Nate Robertson pitched good enough to beat the Mariners 7-4. Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera each has three hits, Granderson had two in the first inning along, and Brandon Inge drove in a pair of runs.
The Quote: “So I’m going [...]

May 29, 2008

Nate Robertson is Still My Tiger, But Pehaps Not for Long

In the Jayson Stark’s latest edition of Rumblings and Grumblings he reports:
Catch a Tiger: Here’s another pitching name to file away for your pre-deadline rumor mill: Nate Robertson. The Tigers have told clubs they might have a left-hander available in a few weeks. And it certainly wouldn’t be Kenny Rogers or Dontrelle Willis. So that [...]

May 29, 2008

Game 53: Galarraga Goes Zoom, Bats Go Boom

Sorry for the delay in getting this one posted…
The Gist: Armando Galarraga was all that again and the Tigers bats awoke in time to avoid a sweep in Anaheim. The 6-2 win gives the 4-2 Galarraga four more wins than Dontrelle Willis, double the win total of Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson, and one more [...]

May 28, 2008

Wednesday Walewanders

If any day of the week has been good to the Tigers this year, it’s Wednesday. The boys have a 6-2 record on Hump Day. Still winless on Sunday though.

Today is Kirk Gibson’s 51st birthday. Have you seen the man lately? I hope I look that good when I’m 41 much less 51.

I’ve always wondered [...]

May 27, 2008

Game 52: Tigers Find Innovative New Ways to Lose Every Day

The Gist: Let’s see, Jeremy Bonderman pitched an outstanding game and Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer — enough to win the game. Monday’s game. Neither performance was good enough to fuel a Tigers win in Anaheim because, stop me if you’ve heard this one, Detroit could muster only two other hits and the bullpen [...]

May 27, 2008

May 27, 1980: The Day the Tigers Traded Jason Thompson

Twenty-eight years ago today, Tigers GM Jim Campbell broke my heart.
On May 27, 1980, he traded my favorite Tigers player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens. (For more on Cowens, check out this post from the archives.)
The Hollywood native joined the Tigers full time in 1976 and played [...]

May 27, 2008

Artifacts from the Late ’80s: Edwin Nunez

Edwin Nunez turns 45 today.
Remember him?
He pitched in 69 games for the Tigers in 1988 and ‘89, earning a 6-5 record with seven saves.
Looking back on it, I would’ve guessed he’d pitched in a lot more games than that.