Archive for May, 2008

ESPN highlights available here.

The Gist: Kenny Rogers was outstanding — seven innings, five hits, one walk, no runs. But, of course, the Tigers can’t hit when it counts nor can Bobby Seay throw a single strike when it counts and they lose 1-0 to the Angels. I was tempted to call this a heartbreaker but [...]

Happy 61st (?!) Birthday to ol’ #41 Darrell Evans.
Before Pudge Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers’ big splash in the free agent market came on Dec. 17, 1983, when they signed the 36-year-old slugger.
As most seasoned Tigers fans remember, the free agency was anathema to the club’s leadership. Former Tigers GM Jim Campbell hated [...]

The Gist: The real Justin Verlander returned but the real Francisco Cruceta undid all of Verlander’s stellar work in the Tigers’ 6-1 loss to the Twins on Sunday. Verlander’s line: seven innings of work, one run, five hits, three strikeouts and four walks. Carlos Guillen was three for four with a double and his fifth [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

The Gist: Magglio Ordonez drove in six runs on a three-for-three, two-homer night and Nate Robertson struck out four and allowed all three runs in 6-1/3 innings in the Tigers’ 19-3 blowout of the Twins. Placido Polanco inched closer to the .300 mark with four hits in five at bats, and Gary [...]

For your consideration…

On the Fox Game of the Week pre-game show for the Diamondbacks/Braves game, Kevin Kennedy said he was not ready to change his prediction that the Tigers will win the A.L. Central.

Happy 57th Birthday to cup-of-coffee Tigers infielder and Central Michigan alum Dave Machemer. The St. Joseph native played in 19 games for [...]

The Gist: Armando Galarraga walked five, struck out five, gave up five earned runs and seven hits in six innings pitched. Not a Quality Start. Dontrelle Willis replaced Galarraga and in one inning game up four ones: hit, run, earned run, and a balk. And, of course, he walked a pair. Of his 28 pitches, [...]

… At Anaheim Stadium, the Tigers won their 16th consecutive road game, 4 - 2 over the California Angels, tying an American League record.

Today, Sports Illustrated.com’s Jon Heyman ranks the 10 big off-season trades and, surprise, he ranks the Tigers-Marlins trade from December at the bottom of the heap. He grades the Tigers a D and the Marlins an Incomplete and says:
Everyone loved the Tigers’ end of this deal at first. But Cabrera has been moved from third [...]

Memorial Day Weekend is here and the Tigers are in last place. A year ago, they entered the Memorial Day weekend at a much more delectable 29-18.
Bygones.
While we hope for a strong finish to May, let’s wind down the week with some Friday Fungoes:

If you’re looking for some Memorial Day Weekend baseball entertainment outside the [...]

…When, on May 14, we failed to acknowledge the 57th birthday of former Tigers infielder Stan Papi.
The Tigers purchased Papi’s contract from the Phillies on May 29, 1980 and he made an immediate splash in Detroit.
On Friday, May 30 against the Angels, Papi started at second base and batted ninth (behind the number-eight hitter, Kirk [...]