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2010: The Year in Lists

Mike McClary — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 06:59:28 +0000

A year ago, we were still stinging from Game 163 and not certain how the Tigers would respond to a crushing end to the 2009 season. Would they regress to 2008′s disappointment or regroup to erase the memory of the ’09 collapse?

The answer was: they’d be relevant. And that, ladies in gentlemen, is the extent of the analysis in this post. Instead of a deep dive into 2010, let’s look at the year in the form of randomly selected lists:

2010 At A Glance*

Record: 81-81, 3rd in American League Central, 13 games back of Minnesota
Days in First: 13, the last on July 10
Biggest Lead: 1, last on July 7
Farthest Behind: 15.5 on Sept. 15
Most Games over .500: 11, last on July 10
Most Games under .500: 5, last on Aug. 19
Longest Winning Streak: 7, June 11-18
Longest Losing Streak: 7, July 11-20
Most Runs Allowed: 15, June 9
Most Runs Scored: 13, Aug. 15
Longest Game (innings): 14, July 19
Times Shutout by Opponent: 10
Times Opponent Shutout: 5

Month-by-Month Records

April: 14-10
May: 12-14
June: 15-12
July: 11-15
August: 13-16
September: 15-11
October: 1-3

Top 11 Stories, Loosely Ranked

Armando Galarraga’s Near-Perfect Game
The death of Ernie Harwell
The death of Sparky Anderson
Miguel Cabrera’s MVP-caliber Season
Austin Jackson’s Rookie Year
The Post-All-Star Game Collapse
Magglio Ordonez Season-ending Injury
Max Scherzer’s Rebound
The Other Rookies: Brennan Boesch, Casper Wells, Danny Worth
Phil Coke’s Reliability
Jose Valverde’s Outstanding First-Half

Day-by-Day Records

Monday: 8-9
Tuesday: 7-16
Wednesday: 11-16
Thursday: 12-4
Friday: 11-14
Saturday: 14-13
Sunday: 18-9

Random Nuggets of Uselessness

Number of games without an extra-base hit: 11
Max St. Pierre’s caught-stealing percentage: 0 percent
The Tigers’ record when Jeff Larish was in the starting lineup: 1-2
The Tigers’ record in Dontrelle Willis’ starts: 4-4
Most runners left on base in a game: 18, April 11 versus the Indians
Offensive production from Tigers designated hitters: 8 home runs, 67 RBI

And with that, I wish you a safe, healthy and happy new year.

*Courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

Good Decisions by the Tigers? Huzzah!

Mike McClary — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:40:36 +0000

On Monday, Sports Illustrated‘s Jon Heyman wrote a column in which he highlights the top-20 decisions made by MLB teams in the past year. In Heyman’s view, the Tigers made two of the top decisions:

3. The Tigers’ acquisition of Austin Jackson, Max Scherzer and Phil Coke in the three-team trade with the Yankees and Diamondbacks for Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.
This was the most unpopular of moves at the time in Detroit. It’s way early to say for sure, but as of today it looks boffo, with Granderson starting slowly (.240 average) in New York and Jackson (4-6, 5.05 ERA) doing the same in Arizona. Austin Jackson is a Rookie of the Year candidate, providing Gold Glove-type defense, perhaps the most valuable piece in the deal that saved the Tigers beaucoup bucks. Scherzer has shown only flashes of greatness, and Coke is a middle reliever. But the Tigers look like they received a star, while setting themselves up to improve their offense (by getting Johnny Damon) and bullpen (Jose Valverde) with the money that was saved.

And, here’s the other:

11. The Tigers’ decision to let Magglio Ordonez’s contract vest.
They could easily have not played Ordonez to save themselves a lot of money, but they did the proper thing by fielding their best lineup, which included Ordonez, as they tried, ultimately without success, to secure a playoff spot.

[snip]

His wife was going through a cancer battle last year, so Ordonez understandably underperformed. And the Tigers did the right thing by standing by him.

Rob Neyer takes a closer look at this one today.

I wonder if the Tigers releasing Gary Sheffield last spring training and DFA’ing Dontrelle Willis last month were anywhere on Heyman’s list.

What do you think about Heyman’s assessment — and Neyer’s?

Series Preview: Tigers vs. Diamondbacks

Mike McClary — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:00:21 +0000

The Tigers welcome the Diamondbacks to town this weekend and it will be a series dripping with irony and plot lines.

Some will focus on the return of Dontrelle Willis and Edwin Jackson. Others will welcome back D-backs’ bench coach and Tigers legend (at least in my mind) Kirk Gibson.

Still others may peer at Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew and imagine him alongside Carlos Guillen in the Tigers infield.

No matter what your perspective this weekend, the Tigers are entering another series that is winnable, if not sweepable. (Hint: The D-backs are 9-25 on the road this season.)

Series Pitching Matchups

Friday

Armando Galarraga (2-1, 2.67) vs.
LHP Dontrelle Willis (1-0, 1.80)

Saturday

Rick Porcello (4-6, 6.09) vs.
RHP Edwin Jackson (3-6, 5.18)

Sunday

Max Scherzer (3-6, 6.14) vs.
RHP Ian Kennedy (3-4, 3.57)

The D-backs enter this three-game series at 26-41 comfortably in last place in the N.L. West, 12.5 games back of the Dodgers and Padres. They were swept in Boston after winning their previous three series against good clubs: the Cardinals, Braves and Rockies.

If you’ve read anything about the D-backs this season you know that their bullpen has been abysmal and they recently replaced closer Chad Qualls (four blown saves and countless other bad outings) with Aaron Heilman.

Despite a minor resurgence — and it’s all relative — the D-backs are largely a lifeless club that’s in the early stages of a dismantling. (If you want to read a good assessment of the club’s situation, read this and this.)

Tigers’ All-Time Record vs Diamondbacks: 8-13
All-Time at Home: 4-5
All-Time at Comerica Park: 4-5
All-Time at Arizona: 4-8

Batting Leaders
- Average: Chris Young – .284
- Home Runs: Mark Reynolds – 15
- RBI: Young – 46
- Runs: Kelly Johnson – 45
- OPS: Johnson – .894
Pitching Leaders
- Wins: Dan Haren – 7
- Strikeouts: Haren – 101
- Save: Chadd Qualls – 12
- WHIP: Ian Kennedy – 1.20
Who’s Hot (Past 7 Days)
- Chris Young – .400
- Stephen Drew – .375
- Miguel Montero – .353
Who’s Not (Past 7 Days)
- Kelly Johnson – .200
- Mark Reynolds – .208
- Justin Upton – .222

Tigers Today: June 18, 2010

Mike McClary — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:34:40 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

36-29, 2nd place; 1.5 GB Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. Diamondbacks | 7:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup
Armando Galarraga (2-1, 2.67 ERA) vs. Dontrelle Willis (1-0, 1.80 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 8 – Nationals 3 | Fungo Recap

W: Jeremy Bonderman (3-4)

L: Luis Atilano (5-4)

Tigers History Lesson

On this Date in Tigers History

1996 — The Tigers acquired RHP Russ Spear, catcher Brad Ausmus and infielder Andujar Cedeno from the Padres for catcher John Flaherty and infielder Chris Gomez
1990 — The Tigers acquired OF Darnell Coles from the Mariners for OF Tracy Jones
1975 — Fred Lynn collects 10 runs batted in with three home runs, a triple and a single in a 15-1 win by the Red Sox over the Tigers in Detroit. Lynn’s 16 total bases tie an American League record.
1953 – At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert’s home run highlights a 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Red Sox beat the Tigers 23-3.

Friday Freehans: Interleague Gumbo

Mike McClary — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:45:12 +0000

Interleague play is back! What’s that? You haven’t missed it?

As the Pirates come to town let’s do an interleague reset: Since interleague play started in 1997, the Tigers have compiled a 124-108 record, 57-33 in interleague games at Comerica Park. This year they’re 1-2.
In a related note, here’s the good news coming into this weekend: The Tigers’ next three series are against teams that are an average of nine games under .500. Then again, their last three series were against teams that are an average of 10 games under so draw whatever conclusions you will.
I forgot to mention that we’ve got a new Pulse Check this week. Take a nanosecond and vote, won’t you?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The other day I was thinking about what a shame it was that Jim Leyland never got to manage the Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Then I got to wondering if he ever managed at all at the old ballpark — and he did.

In June 1997 Leyland brought his Florida Marlins to Detroit and, of course, took two of three.
- June 16: Marlins 7 – Tigers 3 — W: Kevin Brown; L: Willie Blair
- June 17: Marlins 3 – Tigers 2 — W: Antonio Alfonseca L: Todd Jones
- June 18: Tigers 3 – Marlins 2 — W: Omar Olivares L: Al Leiter
And now you know.

I thought I was done linking to articles about Armando Galarraga but apparently I’m not. Here’s a nice story by Jon Paul Morosi on FoxSports.com.

If you’ve lost track, stopped caring or both, here’s a look at Dontrelle Willis‘ stats in two starts for the Diamondbacks: 1-0, 10 IP, 8 hits, 2 R/ER, 10 walks, 5 strikeouts, 1.80 WHIP.

Meanwhile, Billy Buckner has been abysmal in Toledo: 1-1, 7.15 ERA, 11.1 IP, 20 hits, 9 R/ER, 6 strikeouts, 1.94 WHIP.

Finally, today’s the birthday of former Tiger Adam Pettyjohn. A couple of years ago he returned to the majors briefly after some serious health issues. Here’s a link from the Fungo archives on him. Give it a look.

Have a great weekend.

Wednesday Walewanders: D-Train/D-Backs Debrief, Photoshop Magic and Whatnot

Mike McClary — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:06:28 +0000

Oh so much to talk about on a searing Wednesday afternoon in the desert as I watch Edwin Jackson toss a masterful game only to (assuredly) endure another Diamondbacks bullpen self-immolation.

Speaking of the D-backs, the excitement is palpable in Phoenix. Dontrelle Willis will start on Saturday for the Arizona against the Rockies. Poor Dontrelle; he gets dealt to a club with an offense even worse than the one he leaves behind in Detroit. Manager A.J. Hinch may look to him to pitch well and hit for average. Plenty of tickets available at Chase Field. You first.
You have to appreciate the Photoshop skills of the folks at ESPN.com — and the speed at which they deploy them. When I posted about Billy Buckner this afternoon, the photo I used showed him in his Arizona colors. Moments later I hit refresh — presto — he’s sporting the old English D.
In case you were wondering, Carlos Guillen has played 45 innings at second base since his return from the disabled list and fielded all 22 chances without an error. He certainly looks comfortable — and smooth — at second. Would you agree?
We got only a tasting of interleague play last month and the price we pay is a heaping helping of it in June. But according to the results of last week’s Pulse Check Poll, many of you will be delighted:
What’s your feeling on Interleague Play?
- Keep it. (59%, 67 Votes)
- End it. (21%, 24 Votes)
- Keep it, but reduce the number of games. (20%, 23 Votes)
- Total Voters: 114
If you can, take a moment and click your vote in this week’s poll –>
I promise this the last Willis reference I’ll make…at least in this post. In doing the every-five-days math starting with his Saturday start against Colorado, there’s a chance that he could start against the Tigers at Comerica Park on June 20. Imagine that scenario.

Finally, remember Colby Lewis? He pitched three innings for the 2006 Tigers (0-0, 3.00 ERA) but is now major part of the Rangers’ rotation. Here’s a nice story by Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan on how Lewis resurrected his career.

So Who Is Billy Buckner?

Mike McClary — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:00:41 +0000

It’s pretty clear that the Tigers don’t have big plans for newly acquired Billy Buckner.

Yesterday Dave Dombrowski described the right hander’s role in the organization thusly:

“He gives us depth at Toledo.”

Didn’t they say the same thing about poor Mike Hessman?

Given Buckner’s numbers — a 6.56 ERA for the Diamondbacks in 29 games (16 starts) in parts of three seasons — and a 0-3, 11.08 ERA record this season, you can’t argue with the Tigers doing nothing more than simply plugging a roster opening at Toledo with Buckner. And, because tonight’s starter, Armando Galarraga, appears set to stay in Detroit for a while the Mud Hens needed a body.

So, play along as we noodle the idea of Buckner arriving in Detroit some time this summer. Is he as bad as his stats would indicate?

Pretty much. Sorta. I think so.

Here’s what Baseball Prospectus 2010 says about him:

Buckner’s past two seasons can make your head spin. In 10 appearances during the 2008 campaign, he induced batters to swing at pitches out of the strike zone at a below-average clip, allowing more contact than the league average on those pitches to boot. His ERA? 3.21. In 16 more games in 2009, hitters chased 30 percent of those pitches in a league where batters chased only 25 percent, and he allowed far less contact, a stat amplified by the fact that he threw more pitches out of the zone than in. His ERA? 6.40.

(snip)

…Buckner’s true talent level likely lies somewhere in between those two extremes, but a ground-baller with a decent repertoire and the ability to get hitters to chase is a ground-baller who deserves another chance.

Maybe a change of scenery will do Buckner, the Royals’ second-round pick in 2004, some good. He’s two years younger than Dontrelle Willis, so he might emerge as a serviceable major-league pitcher and get the chance that BP mentions.

I’ll be curious to see whether Buckner or Jay Voss, whom the Tigers received in the trade for Nate Robertson, amount to anything for the big club. Time will tell.

And I’m guessing it won’t tell us much about Buckner. Or Voss for that matter.

D-Train DFA’d: The D Stands for Disappointing

Mike McClary — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:08:44 +0000

Wow.

So that’s how the Dontrelle Willis Era ends in Detroit? With him being designated for assignment? Who thought he’d be the Tigers’ version of Brian Glynn*?

In my post from Saturday in which a I speculated about the fallout from Max Scherzer‘s recall, an anonymous commenter was stunned — to the point of calling me a dufus! — that I didn’t include Dontrelle in the list of possible roster moves. I suppose that’s fair.

But here are the two reasons why I thought the Tigers would stick with Willis come hell or high water:

His contract. The Tigers played all kinds of shenanigans with the roster over the past two seasons to make sense of Dontrelle and I thought that after Mike Ilitch ate the contracts of Damion Easley and Gary Sheffield, he wouldn’t have the stomach for Willis’s $12 million deal.
The Nate Robertson trade. This one still puzzles me. Tell me again what the Tigers got in that deal? A fringe minor leaguer and the honor of paying virtually all of Nate’s contract. Did the Tigers honestly believe that Willis would be a more solid bet for this season over Robertson? Don’t you think they’re wishing they had that one back?

The Tigers are now on the hook for about $22 million to pay two left-handed pitchers that aren’t even in their organization.

At the risk of sounding like Jim Price, I’ll say it again: Wow. In all, the Tigers got a pair of wins from Dontrelle Willis in his three-ish seasons in Detroit.

I’m drawing a blank about another high-profile Tigers acquisition that flamed out as badly as Willis. Sure, Juan Gonzalez didn’t put up MVP numbers in his one season but he hit .289 with 22 homers, and is hardly in the class of the D-Train.

Nope. This has got to be the worst.

What’s next for Willis? It’s tough to see there being much of a market for him. The only scenario that makes sense is that he goes to a club that has a pitching coach with reputation for reclamation projects. Perhaps the Cardinals’ Dave Duncan.

Or maybe he goes to a team that’s so awful — Houston? Arizona? Milwaukee? Pittsburgh? — that they can afford to take a risk. Or maybe he signs with his hometown Oakland A’s for a chance to put it together in front of friends and family.

Or, as the Free Press‘ John Lowe writes, “there’s bound to be talk now that Willis — a talented hitter — should start over somewhere as an outfielder.”

I guess.

If he’d even been only half as good as his best seasons with the Marlins, Dontrelle Willis could’ve owned the City of Detroit.

Instead, we’re left to think about what could’ve been and hope that a man who’s still only 28 can put it together again.

*You don’t remember Brian Glynn? He was the Hartford Whalers’ throw-in in the trade that brought Brendan Shanahan to the Red Wings. Glynn had about as much an impact on the Wings (zero games played) as Willis had on the Tigers.

Tigers Today: May 19, 2010

Mike McClary — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:22:52 +0000

Tigers’ Record: 22-17, 2nd place; 2 GB Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers @ A’s | 10:07 p.m. ET – Oakland Coliseum | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 & 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup
Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.88 ERA) vs. Dallas Braden (4-3, 3.50 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 6 – White Sox 2

W: Freddy Garcia (3-2)
L: Rick Porcello (3-4)
HR: Johnny Damon (3)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Brandon Inge, 33
Alan Zinter, 42
Luis Salazar, 54

On this Date in Tigers History

1963 — Bill Bruton of the Tigers ties a major league record by collecting four doubles in one game — and will total only 21 doubles on the season.
2009 — At Comerica Park Dontrelle Willis won his first game in 20 months and his first in a Tigers uniform as the Tigers shut out the Rangers 4-0. At one point, D-Train retired 17 batters in a row.

Weekend Wrap: Where to Begin?

Mike McClary — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:13:37 +0000

After the Tigers took three of four from the Yankees, the three-game weekend set with the Red Sox had all the makings of a classic letdown.

Max Scherzer certainly did his part on Friday night by serving up five runs in the first inning which fueled Boston’s 7-2 win.

What happened on Saturday was the stuff that magical seasons can be built on. An overstatement? Maybe. But when Dontrelle Willis plays the role of Scherzer by yielding four runs and seven walks in just 3.1 innings, you could almost expect the Tigers to mail it in. Except they didn’t. Instead, they chipped away at Jon Lester and the Red Sox bullpen and mounted a thrilling comeback behind Brennan Boesch‘s four-hit game — and near cycle.

Another letdown appeared imminent with John Lackey starting for the Sox on Sunday but that wasn’t meant to be either. The Tigers wore down Lackey with nine hits and four walks and Ramon Santiago went deep in the fourth for his first homer of the year.

Meanwhile, Armando Galarraga made a triumphant return to the majors and was superb (despite walking two of the first three hitters): 5.2 IP, three hits, one run, three walks and five strikeouts. And what about Jim Leyland bringing in Jeremy Bonderman for an inning of flawless relief? Whatever works.

For me, the most interesting part of an exciting week were the roster moves made after Saturday night’s game. Scherzer being sent down came as no surprise after he showed on Friday how truly out of sync he is. With Galarraga seemingly ready to resume his big-league career, this makes sense.

Demoting Scott Sizemore jolted me a little. Based on everything we heard since spring training — and that they let Placido Polanco walk — I expected the Tigers to ride it out with Sizemore. Then again, when your keystone combination is hitting a combined .399, you’ve gotta do something.

I’ll say this about Dave Dombrowski, he’s certainly not afraid to bring up the kids. Right now, the Tigers have five rookies on their roster. And good ones. Who knows how long Danny Worth and Casper Wells will stick in Detroit, but it certainly is fun to watch it all play out.

The stunner in all this was the announcement of Carlos Guillen becoming the Tigers’ starting second baseman when he returns from the disabled list. Tell me how this can possibly end well? One wrong twist trying to turn a double play and Guillen could be on the shelf again. Then again, this is a player — a favorite of mine, actually — who landed on the DL running the bases. Add the more demanding defensive requirements of the middle infield and, well, yeah. This can’t end well. (Of course this isn’t saying much, but I’d certainly rather have him at second than in left.)

In his career, Guillen has played a dozen games at second base, all with the Mariners in 1998 and ’99 and he had 56 error-free chances. He’ll have to make quite a few to catch up with Sizemore’s six errors so far this year.

A weekend that started out poorly — and could’ve gotten a lot worse without much effort — certainly turned around in a hurry and featured lots for Tigers fans to chew on as the dreaded White Sox come to town on Monday.

The Non-Sequiturs: Nixing the ESPN Jinx, Poll Results and Poetry

Mike McClary — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:52:27 +0000

For several reasons, I had an uneasy feeling during last night’s win over the Yankees, not the least of which was Brad Thomas getting the emergency start.

But the more I watched and considered the situation, the better I felt. After all, the Tigers only needed three to four innings out of Thomas and they could hand it over to Eddie Bonine, then the back end of the ‘pen.

Both guys were solid and showed a national TV audience why the Tigers are hanging around the upper floors of the A.L. Central: the relief corps, of course. This is a much more preferable scenario than the tension that normally accompanies a Dontrelle Willis start.

Other thoughts rattling around my brain:

While it wasn’t ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, it was an ESPN national broadcast, and it sure was nice to see the Tigers perform capably. In case you hadn’t noticed, they’ve stunk up the airwaves during their ESPN appearances since 2008.
Speaking of pitching, the Thomas experience has worked out twice this season, but I think we’d all agree that we’d rather see a bona fide starter. And who would Fungo readers like to see in that rotation, if given the choice? Here are the results of last week’s Fungo Pulse Check:
Who Would You Rather See Join the Tigers Rotation?
- Armando Galarraga (49%, 119 Votes)
- Eddie Bonine (23%, 56 Votes)
- Someone Else — Anyone Else! (20%, 48 Votes)
- Zach Miner (8%, 20 Votes)
- Total Voters: 243
Be sure to vote in this week’s poll –>
I posted this on Twitter last week but it’s worth mentioning again: James Finn Garner crafted a nice poem on Ernie Harwell at Bardball.com. As usual, it’s great. Check it out here.
With the win Monday night, the Tigers are now 508-470-6 all-time at home against the Yankees, and 20-20 all-time at Comerica Park.

That’s all I got.

Game 19: Rangers 8 – Tigers 4

Mike McClary — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:58:53 +0000

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Rangers 8 – Tigers 4

The Gist: Jekyll and Hyde. Rick Porcello‘s sophomore tumble continues and Dontrelle Willis can’t seem to decide whether or not he wants to stick in the rotation this season. Porcello lasted only four innings, surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits; his ERA plumped to 7.91 Willis? Well, one inning, 28 pitches…11 for strikes.

Austin Jackson hit a leadoff homer — his first in the bigs — and the Tigers looked like they were off to the races, scoring three more times in the first two innings. But it was the Rangers that poured it on: a half-dozen runs in the first and second. On the bright side, Fu-Te Ni pitched a near-flawless pair of innings — 0 hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

The Quote: “I’m giving up way too many belt-high fastballs.” — Porcello

The Stat: 61 — The percentage of pitches Willis threw for balls.

Up Next: Tonight: Tigers @ Rangers | 8:05 p.m. ET

Jeremy Bonderman (1-1, 7.20) vs. LHP Matt Harrison (0-1, 4.24)

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Game 9: Royals 7 – Tigers 3

Mike McClary — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:51:02 +0000

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Royals 7 – Tigers 3

The Gist: Rick Porcello allowed 10 hits in six innings (a Dontrelle Willis-like pace) and Royals’ starter Kyle Davies stymied the Tigers over 6.2 innings. Jose Guillen remained in the zone launching another home run. Kansas City’s bullpen showed up to ensure the Tigers wouldn’t have yet another comeback win.

The Quote: “I’m gonna do fine.” – Gerald Laird on his prospects for 2010 after a slow start.

The Stat: 1,202 – The combined number of feet Guillen’s homers traveled during the three-game series.

Up Next:

Friday: Tigers @ Seattle | 10:10 p.m. ET – Safeco Field, Seattle | On the air: FSD PLUS/1270 AM

Jeremy Bonderman (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (0-0, 3.29 ERA)

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Game 8: Same Old, Same Old

Mike McClary — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:22:43 +0000

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Tigers 6 – Royals 5

The Gist: Dontrelle Willis‘s second start was a lot uglier than his first (5 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 104 pitches) but he managed to escape again with a no decision. The Tigers’ lineup again could not solve Brian Bannister — no surprise there; he’s 4-2 against Detroit in nine career starts. But they waited around for Roman Colon and the Royals’ bullpen and mounted a six-run seventh-inning charge. Four doubles and a Miguel Cabrera walk later — the Tigers had another comeback win.

The Quote: “I think we knew that, with the way Bannister was pitching, our best chance was probably to get to their bullpen.” — Austin Jackson

The Stat: 6 – The number of pitches Scott Sizemore saw in his 2-for-3 day.

Up Next: Rick Porcello (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Kyle Davies (0-0, 4.50 ERA) — 1:05 p.m. ET | FSD/1270 & 97.1

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The Non Sequiturs: D-Train Edition

Mike McClary — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:16:11 +0000

Just how bad was the first 20 minutes of the movie “Funny People”? Bad enough for me to turn it off and look closer at Dontrelle Willis‘s stats since coming to Detroit. Here’s what I found, along with some random tidbits to consider over breakfast:

Would you have guessed that one week into the season that Justin Verlander‘s ERA would be three-times higher than Willis’s?

Go ahead and poke all the holes in that question. I’ll wait.
If you had to guess which lefty trade acquisition has a better ERA during his time in Detroit, who would you guess: Willis or Jarrod Washburn? The answer? Washburn by an eyelash — 7.73 vs. 7.77.

Take Dontrelle’s first start of the year out of the equation and Washburn wins running away, though hardly worth bragging about. Willis’s Detroit ERA coming into the year was: 8.34.

By the way, both pitchers have a single win to show for their respective time with the Tigers.

Discuss.
Speaking of ill-fated 2009 Tigers trades, Aubrey Huff‘s hitting .280 for the Giants.
How’s this for depressing? With the loss on Monday, the Tigers are 45-46 all-time against the Royals at Comerica Park. The Royals have an overall 674-952 record since the Tigers’ ballpark opened 10 years ago this week.
One last Dontrelle item. In last week’s Fungo Pulse Check we asked: How many games will Dontrelle Willis win this year? And here’s what you said:
- 6-10 (45%, 80 Votes)
- 0-5 (30%, 52 Votes)
- 10+ (25%, 44 Votes)
- Total Voters: 176
Take our new poll, won’t you? –>

That’s all I got.

Game 3: Heart of the Order Keeps Pumping

Mike McClary — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:12:13 +0000

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Tigers 7 – Royals 3

The Gist: Dontrelle Willis‘s much-anticipated 2010 debut arrived and he was … fine. In the first inning he threw just eight strikes versus 13 balls. He walked his first hitter on four straight. But after allowing another first-inning walk, he didn’t yield another one. In six innings he allowed seven hits and struck out four.

Seven hits between Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera alone paced the offense, each hitting a homer; Cabrera’s three-run shot in the eighth gave the Tigers their first lead and the bullpen made it hold up. Austin Jackson stroked two doubles.

The Quote: “They had me on the ropes. But with the encouragement of my team I was able to battle, make some good pitches and get us back in the dugout.” — Willis, on his shaky first inning.

The Stat: 61 – The percentage of Willis’ 88 pitches thrown for strikes.

Up Next: Tigers vs. Indians – Rick Porcello vs LHP David Huff | 1:05 p.m ET | FSD & WJBK/1270 & 97.1

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

Tigers Today: April 8, 2010

Mike McClary — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:00:33 +0000

Tigers Record: 1-1

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Royals | 2:10 p.m. ET – Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City | On the air: FSD/1270-AM

Pitching Matchup

Dontrelle Willis, 0-0 0.00 ERA vs. Brian Bannister, 0-0 0.00 ERA

Yesterday’s Results

Royals 3 – Tigers 2

W: Kyle Farnsworth, 1-0 | L: Jose Valverde, 0-1

HR: Miguel Cabrera (1)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

John Hiller, 67

Dane Sardinha, 31

Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell, 83

On this Date in Tigers History

1963 – The Tigers claim Denny McLain off waivers from the White Sox.

2002 – After opening their season with six straight losses, the Tigers fire manager Phil Garner and general manager Randy Smith. The unfortunate Luis Pujols takes over the reins on an interim basis and sleeps through a record 156 games. Dave Dombrowski added the GM’s duties to his president and CEO title.

2008 – Placido Polanco‘s MLB record run of 186 consecutive errorless games and 911 consecutive errorless chances at second base ends. He commits a throwing error that allows Manny Ramirez to score on what would have been a triple otherwise.

Tigers Today: April 7, 2010

Mike McClary — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:02:13 +0000

5:44 p.m. ET: Updated with Tigers lineup

Tigers’ Record: 1-0; Tied for 1st

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Royals | 8:10 ET — Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City | On the air: FSD (Joined in Progress at 10 p.m.)/AM 1270

Pitching Matchup
Max Scherzer, 0-0 0.00 ERA vs. Luke Hochevar, 0-0 0.00 ERA

From the Game Notes: Tonight Scherzer is making his second career start at Kauffman Stadium. He earned the win in his previous outing, limiting the Royals to two runs in six innings of work.

Tonight’s Lineup

Austin Jackson, CF
Johnny Damon, LF
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Carlos Guillen, DH
Brandon Inge, 3B
Alex Avila, C
Scott Sizemore, 2B
Ramon Santiago, SS

Yesterday’s Results

Off day

Tomorrow’s Game

Tigers @ Royals | 2:10 p.m. ET — Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City | On the air: FSD/1270 & 97.1

Pitching Matchup
Dontrelle Willis, 0-0 0.00 ERA vs. Brian Bannister, 0-0 0.00 ERA

Tigers History Lesson

On this Date in Tigers History

1984 – Jack Morris pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox; the Tigers win 4-0. He strikes out eight and walks six in shutting down the Sox at Comiskey Park. Morris becomes the first Tiger since Jim Bunning, in 1958, to toss a no-
hitter.

1986 – At Tiger Stadium, Boston Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans becomes the first player to hit the first pitch on Opening Day for a home run. Morris surrenders it but gets the win as Detroit edges Boston, 6-5, behind two home runs by Kirk Gibson. (I was at that game but left in the sixth to be back in time for baseball practice; it was my senior year in high school.)
2004 – Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed House Bill 5200 permanently designating Willie Horton‘s birthday, October 18, as “Willie Horton Day” in the state of Michigan.

Tigers Today: April 4, 2010

Mike McClary — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 07:00:10 +0000

Tigers’ Final Spring Training Record: 18-12-2

Today’s Game

Off Day in Kansas City

The Tigers will conduct a 1 p.m. workout on Sunday at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium in preparation for Opening Day.

Jeremy Bonderman remained behind in Lakeland and will pitch in a minor league game on Sunday before joining the club in Kansas City.

Yesterday’s Results

Brewers 13 – Tigers 12

The Tigers rocked Brewers pitchers for five homers (Austin Jackson, Magglio Ordonez, Ryan Raburn, Danny Worth and Jeff Larish) but the bullpen obliterated another sterling performance by Rick Porcello (4.1 innings of two-hit, walk-less pitching).

Of particular wretchedness was Joel Zumaya who surrendered five runs without registering an out. Phil Coke didn’t fare much better: three earned runs in just a third of an inning.

Oh, and in his final spring tuneup, Dontrelle Willis gave up five hits in his three scoreless innings. Keep those fingers crossed.

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Cameron Maybin, 23

On this Date in Tigers History

2005 – Dmitri Young hits three home runs to lead his team to an 11 – 2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Tigers Today: April 3, 2010

Mike McClary — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 07:00:19 +0000

Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 18-11-2

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Brewers | 2:10 p.m ET – Miller Park, Milwaukee | On the air: None

Pitching Matchup Rick Porcello, 1-1, 1.50 ERA vs. Dave Bush, 1-1, 4.34 ERA

Also scheduled to pitch: Dontrelle Willis

Yesterday’s Results

Brewers 3 – Tigers 2

Austin Jackson led off the game with a home run off Brewers starter Doug Davis and Brandon Inge followed suit in the second. In the second inning, Max Scherzer allowed five straight batters to reach base and gave up all three runs. He gave up six hits, a pair of walks and struck out three over his six innings. Inge and Jackson both had two hits.

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Doug Baker, 49

Gary Pettis, 52

Alex Grammas, 84

On this Date in Tigers History

1968 – Acquired INF Fred Moulder from the Dodgers for LHP Hank Aguirre