Leading Off: The Tigers enter tonight’s game against the Twins having won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to Aug. 19, an .800 winning percentage – which leads the majors during that stretch … Detroit’s hitting .333 with runners in scoring position dating back to Aug. 11, second-best in the A.L. clubs over that period. The Tigers lead all clubs with a .284 batting average with RISP this season.

Around the Central: The White Sox and Indians are, theoretically, beating each other up this weekend in a four-game series in Chicago. The Sox took the first game last night, 8-1. The Royals are in Seattle this weekend, in a battle of clubs churning toward 90 losses. The M’s won last night, 4-1.

With a win tonight, Penny would join Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello to become the first quartet of Tigers pitchers with 10-or-more wins in the club’s first 144 games of the season since Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman did so in the first 144 games of 2006.

Keeping that thought for a moment, right now Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello and Penny have combined for 58 wins. (Trust me, I’d much rather include Doug Fister in this year’s numbers, but Penny’s been around for the whole year.) In 2006, Verlander (17), Rogers (17), Bonderman (14) and Robertson (13) combined for 61. And in 1984, Jack Morris (19), Dan Petry (18), Milt Wilcox (17) and Juan Berenguer combined for 65. Does the ’11 foursome have enough wins in them between now and Sept. 28 to meet or pass the ’84 rotation?

On this date in 1970, commissioner Bowie Kuhn handed Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ended McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

Happy 28th Birthday to Edwin Jackson, and a Happy 41st to Dan Miceli.

Finally, happy birthdays to Adam Sandler (45), Cliff Robertson (88) and Topol (76).

Have a great weekend.

Leading Off: What’s the worst part of the Tigers two-game skid?

A) It smells like last year when they were swept by the Indians to start the second half.

B) They’ve lost six of their last eight series.

C) It comes at the hands of the White Sox.

D) A two-game losing streak is cause for concern?

Yeah, it could be all the above. Let’s add another one: they were blanked by Edwin Jackson. Jeez … On the bright side, Carlos Guillen returned to the lineup after 11 months and went one for three … From the AP story: “It’s a tough injury,” Guillen said. “Sometimes you feel good for one week, and the next day you’re sore. Right now, I’m at the point where I’ve been playing 15, 20 days in a row, and I feel good every day.” … Hey, speaking of second baseman, look who broke out of an 0-for-18 slump with a game-winning hit.

Around the Central: The Orioles did their best to blow it but somehow they held on to beat the Indians, 6-5 and end their eight-game losing streak. In Minneapolis, the Twins beat the Royals, 4-3.

A-Jax Still Hurting: Austin Jackson has missed the past five games with a sore wrist and seems likely to miss today’s game too. Speculation here is that if Jackson goes on the disabled list, Clete Thomas might be first in line for a call up. It sure would be nice to see ol’ Clete back in Detroit.

For Me, It was the Jason Thompson Trade: This blog post in the New York Times asks a terrific question: When Did You Lose Your Fan ‘Innocence’?

As we are constantly reminded, major league sports are, at heart, a business. Many personnel decisions are based on dollars and cents, not legacies and fan favorites, and it is often the fans who take these decisions the hardest.

What about you? What trade hurt you the most (and it doesn’t have to be a Tigers player)? Or maybe it was a work stoppage or something else.

Finally, Happy 94st Birthday to Phyllis Diller. Yes, she’s still alive.

• The Tigers’ collection of All Stars is the largest since 1985 when the club sent six players to the Metrodome for the game managed by Sparky Anderson. Here’s a look at the largest classes of Tigers All Stars since 1984 and the team’s record that season:

1984 (104-58)
Willie Hernandez
Chet Lemon
Jack Morris
Lance Parrish
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker

1985 (84-77)
Willie Hernandez
Jack Morris
Lance Parrish
Dan Petry
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker

2007 (88-74)
Carlos Guillen
Magglio Ordonez
Placido Polanco
Ivan Rodriguez
Justin Verlander

2009 (86-77)
Curtis Granderson
Brandon Inge
Edwin Jackson
Justin Verlander

Clearly, the better the Tigers were, the more players they sent to the All-Star Game. For a long time though, the Tigers were a team that had little to offer the American League manager. From 1996 through 2003, Detroit sent a single player to the game. In some cases the pickings were particularly slim (see 2002).

1996 (53-109)
Travis Fryman

1997 (79-83)
Justin Thompson

1998 (65-97)
Damion Easley

1999 (69-92)
Brad Ausmus

2000 (79-83)
Todd Jones

2001 (66-96)
Tony Clark

2002 (55-106)
Robert Fick

2003 (43-119)
Dmitri Young

Ugly, no?

• I still think it’s remarkable that Alex Avila is the starting catcher in tonight’s game. Whoda thunk it, especially after a dreadful Opening Day series against the Yankees when Avila looked about as lost as a player can look. I guess that’s why, as Rod Allen says, you play the games. Jason Beck has a nice piece recapping the Tigers’ All Stars’ respective experiences in Phoenix.

• The water is so far past being under the bridge, but isn’t it still a bit weird to see Curtis Granderson starting in the All-Star Game … as a Yankee?

• Six years ago today in the Home Run Derby at Comerica Park, Bobby Abreu destroyed the records for a single round, the championship round and the grand total for all three rounds of the derby by hitting 41 homers into every part of yard. The Phillies outfielder went deep 24 times in the first round, tacks on six more in the second round and finishes with 11 more in the championship round.

• Looking ahead to the pitching matchups for this weekend’s series against the White Sox:

Friday | 7:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.15 ERA) vs. Gavin Floyd (6-9, 4.59 ERA)

Saturday | 4:10 p.m. FOX/1270 & 97.1
Max Scherzer (10-4, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson (5-7, 4.30 ERA)

Sunday | 1:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Brad Penny (6-6, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (4-2, 4.83 ERA)

• Hey, look who’s available: The Dodgers designated Marcus Thames for assignment today.

• Happy Birthday to Mike Schwabe (47) and Mike Munoz (46).

Finally, on this date in 1979 the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game of twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers when more tha5,000 fans refuse to leave the field during Disco Demolition Night. I wrote about it on the 30th anniversary.

80-80, 3rd Place; 13.5 GB

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Orioles | 7:05 p.m. ET – Oriole Park at Camden Yards | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Armando Galarraga (4-8, 4.58 ERA) vs. Brian Matusz (9-12, 4.30 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Game 1: Orioles 10 – Tigers 6

• W: Chris Tillman (2-5)
• L: Jeremy Bonderman
• HR: Don Kelly (8)

Game 2: Orioles 2 – Tigers 1

• W: Jeremy Guthrie (11-14)
• L: Rick Porcello (10-12)
• HR: Don Kelly (9)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Matt Walbeck, 41

• Dave Beard, 51

• Earl Wilson (1934-2005)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2009 — The Tigers lost to Jake Peavy and the White Sox 8-0, leaving them just one game ahead of the Twins with two to play. Edwin Jackson took the loss for the Tigers.

• 1974 — Al Kaline announces his retirement. During his 22-year career with the Tigers, Kaline compiled 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. He also batted .379 in the 1968 World Series.

• 1968 — Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals strikes out 17 Tigers. Gibson sets the World Series record for most strikeouts in a single game, set on this day in 1963 by Sandy Koufax, and leads the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory over Tigers ace and Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain.

72-74, 3rd place – 15.5 games

Today’s Game

Tigers @ White Sox | 8:10 p.m. ET – US Cellular Field | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Max Scherzer (10-10, 3.60 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson (3-1, 2.94 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Off Day

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Wayne Krenchicki, 56

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1968 — The Tigers clinch the American League pennant with a 2-1 win over the Yankees. Detroit is ahead 1-0 when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey phones Tiger general manager Jim Campbell with the news that the Sox have beaten the Orioles, clinching the pennant for the Tigers. Campbell keeps the score off the radio and the scoreboard, fearing the news will send fans rampaging onto the field. Don Wert singles home the winner in the ninth and the fans tear down the left field screen.

• 1920 — The Tigers’ Bobby Veach and the Giants’ George Burns hit for the cycle, the first time it has happened
  twice on the same day; Veach is the first Tiger to hit for the cycle. It will be 88 years until the feat is duplicated by
  Adrián Beltre and Stephen Drew. The Giants beat Pittsburgh in 10 innings, 4-3, as Burns adds a second double to his
  cycle. Detroit, behind Veach’s 6 for 6, outlasts Boston in 12 innings, despite 20 Red Sox batters receiving walks. Eight
  Tigers walk.

• 1910 — Tigers pitcher Ed Summers, a notoriously poor hitter, bounces two home runs into the stands in a 10-3 victory over the A’s. The two homers, both off Harry Krause, will comprise his career total.

71-70, 3rd Place; 12.5 GB

Today’s Results

Tigers 6 – White Sox 3

• W: Rick Porcello (9-11)
• L: Gavin Floyd (10-12)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 5 – White Sox 1

• W: Jeremy Bonderman (8-9)
• L: John Danks (13-10)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Edwin Jackson, 27

• Dan Miceli, 40

• Reggie Sanders (1949-2002)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1997 — Scott Sanders hurls a one-hit, 4-0 shutout over the Rangers. Domingo Cedeno’s single is the only Rangers hit.

• 1990 — Right fielder Scott Lusader loses the battle to bright sun and soggy turf and makes three errors (two fielding and one throwing) in the first inning against the White Sox. It’s a first in the American League since 1925. The Sox score seven runs in the inning and coast home 13-3, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak.

• 1977 — In the second game of a doubleheader loss at Fenway Park, Tigers rookies Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the second base and shortstop jobs in Detroit for a record 19 years. Boston wins both games, 5-1 and 8-6, respectively.

• 1970 — Bowie Kuhn hands Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ends McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

• 1932 — The Tigers beat the Yankees 14- 13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and
  drives in eight runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before. Frankie Crosetti strikes out four times in the game, including twice in one inning.

  Detroit also tops the Yanks, 4-1, in five innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1, and the tie of yesterday. The Yankees score their lone run in the third inning off Buck Marrow with their only two hits of the game.

• Placido Polanco, Phillies: .314 avg., 6 HR, 42 RBI, .348 OBP. Currently fifth in the N.L. in hitting, which is just another reason the Tigers (and fans) are regretting his departure.
  

• Omar Infante, Braves: .347 avg., 7 HR, 37 RBI, .837 OPS From Rob Neyer: “At the moment, he doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify [for the batting title]. To reach 502, he needs another 169 in the Braves’ 38 remaining games.”

• Andres Torres, Giants: .287 avg., 13 HR, 57 RBI, .869 OPS. Torres is the embodiment of stick-to-itiveness. Nearly a decade after he was touted as a centerpiece of the Tigers new wave of young talent, he’s downright essential to the Giants offense. Good for him.

• Aubrey Huff, Giants: .300 avg., 22 HR, 75 RBI, .922 OPS. Infuriating.

• Curtis Granderson, Yankees: .249 avg., 14 HR, 41 RBI, .761 OPS. I haven’t followed Granderson closely this year but it seems that his best series of the year came agains the Tigers last week. Still, it looks like he’s got a great chance of winning a World Series ring.

• Edwin Jackson, White Sox: 8-10, 4.44 ERA, 1.42 WHIP. Jackson’s back in the A.L. Central after half a season languishing in Arizona — his 149-pitch no-hitter notwithstanding. He was 6-8 with a 5.16 ERA for the Diamondbacks. With the Sox, he’s 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA.

• Brandon Lyon, Astros: 6-5, 3.34 ERA, 8 saves, 19 holds, 1.35 WHIP. Think the Tigers could’ve used Lyon in the bullpen this season? Me too.

• Pudge Rodriguez, Nationals: .270 avg., 2 HR, 35 RBI, .637 OPS. Pudge has gotten lots of praise this year for his mentorship of the Nationals’ young pitchers, including the now-shelved Stephen Strasburg. The question is, can Pudge squeeze one more season out of his aging body. He’ll need more than one year, though, to collect the 201 hits he needs to reach 3,000.

• Fernando Rodney, Angels: 4-1, 3.83 ERA, 6 saves, 21 holds, 1.45 WHIP. Angels’ closer Brian Fuentes‘ roller coaster, injury-plagued season created an opening for Rodney. He hasn’t exactly seized the opportunity.

• Cameron Maybin, Marlins: .235 avg., 5 HR, 21 RBI, .636 OPS. Sure-thing Maybin appears anything but at this point. He’s spent parts of this season in Triple-A New Orleans (in fact he was again recalled earlier this week). The kid is still just 23, so he’s got time and upside. Given how Miguel Cabrera‘s worked out for the Tigers, Maybin is but a distant memory for Tigers fans.

• Jair Jurrjens, Braves: 5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.29 WHIP. Imagine Jurrjens in the Tigers’ rotation last season or this season or next season. You already have? Never mind.

• Edgar Renteria, Giants: .278 avg., 2 HR, 21 RBI, .706 OPS. For $10 million, the Giants have in return received just 58 games from Renteria this year. Lucky them.

• Jeff Weaver, Dodgers: 5-1, 5.21 ERA, 4 holds, 1.42 WHIP. Yes, he’s still in the majors and is only 34. Weave is currently on the disabled list.

I’m sure there are others I’ve missed, but these were the biggest names that I could think of. Who did I miss?

Saturday night’s game was so disappointing that yesterday’s seemed more like a scrimmage … A scrimmage that counts.

But a new week is here and the Tigers are at home, where they excel. Instead of focusing on this homestand’s tough opponents, let’s walk on the sunny side of the street:

• Baseball Prospectus maintains its Playoff Odds Report and over the past two weeks the Tigers have taken the fifth-deepest plunge in terms of percentage: from a 33.9 percent on July 4 to 22.1 percent yesterday. As far as I’m concerned, it feels like 1 percent today. Wait, didn’t I just say something about the sunny side? Well then, let’s savor the Twins’ 17.4-percent drop in that same time period.

• Jayson Stark says…
  

  The Tigers have “inquired” about Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly, according to a source familiar with those discussions. But the clubs haven’t reached the “let’s-get-moving” stage, the source said.

  A second source told ESPN the Magazine’s Buster Olney that the two teams haven’t spoken about Lilly in over a week.

  So what do we make of it? Nothing.

• After watching Ryan Raburn butcher the first ball hit to him yesterday in Cleveland, would you believe he has the second-longest errorless-game streak on the club? True story. His 25-game streak is behind only Alex Avila and Danny Worth who each have 27. Also, Worth hasn’t committed an error since being promoted to the majors.

• We’ve heard about Lilly, we hope for Dan Haren, we expect neither. But would the Tigers be crazy to at least inquire about Edwin Jackson? While he might have thrown his arm out of socket with his gruesome, 149-pitch no-hitter, the Tigers certainly would know what they’re getting in E-Jax. Just sayin’.

• He might never become a Tiger, but I still track Stephen Drew. Nick Piecoro writes today about Drew’s luck — or lack thereof.
  

  [D-backs interim manager Kirk] Gibson believes what several with the club have said for years about Drew – that he is unusually unlucky.

  “Of all the guy’s I’ve been around, (Drew) is probably the most unlucky hitter I’ve ever seen,” Gibson said. “If you look throughout this year, the balls that he’s hit, guys have made great plays or balls for whatever reason have got caught.”

  It might be true, but that’s a tough claim to back up with hard evidence. At least one metric doesn’t support it. Drew’s batting average on balls in play this season is .320. League average typically is around .300. Drew’s career mark is .306.

  Discuss.

Finally, wish a Happy 64th Birthday to tennis legend Ilie Nastase — and throw in a few curse words. You know he would.

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?

37-30, 2nd place; 1.5 GB Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. Diamondbacks | 1:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

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

Yesterday’s Results

Diamondbacks 6 – Tigers 5 | Fungo Recap

• W: Edwin Jackson (4-6)
• L: Rick Porcello (4-7)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Bobby Seay, 32

• Paul Bako, 38

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1994 — In a 7-1 loss to the Indians, the Tigers’ string of 25 straight games of hitting a home run ends. The streak tied the major-league record set by the 1941 Yankees.

• 1985 — The Tigers acquired LHP Frank Tanana from the Rangers for RHP Duane James.

• 1984 — At Detroit, Yankee reliever Jose Rijo falls to 1-7 when he serves up a two-out, three-run homer to Howard Johnson in the 13th inning. The Tigers win, 9-6. Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon also hit homers for the Tigers, who draw their third-straight 40,000+ crowd.

• 1980 — White Sox reliever Ed Farmer swears he will take criminal action against Detroit’s Al Cowens following an on-field brawl at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.Cowens hit a grounder to short, and then charged the mound instead of running to first. He wanted to deliver justice for an incident a year earlier when a Farmer pitch shattered Cowens’ jaw.

  American League President Lee MacPhail suspends Cowens for seven games. The Tigers win 5-3 in 11 innings. (Read more on Cowens in this Fungo Flashback.)

• 1961 – Al Kaline plays third base for the first time in his career. His two hits and two RBIs lead the Tigers to a 5-4 win over the Senators. Kaline will return to the outfield and play third just once more in his career, in 1965.

• 1914 — The Tigers lose the services of Ty Cobb when he breaks his thumb in a fight with a butcher’s clerk. Cobb will be out until August 13.

• 1911 — Ty Cobb breaks the American League hitting streak record with an infield single against Cleveland’s Willie Mitchell. It is Cobb’s 30th straight game with a hit. He adds two stolen bases to help the Tigers win, 8-3.

AP

The Tigers went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position, and fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 tonight at Comerica.

The loss ended the Tigers’ season high 7-game win streak, and snapped a 14-game road losing streak for the D’Backs.  The last road win for Arizona came on May 17th in Florida.

In his return to Detroit, former Tiger Edwin Jackson was strong, pitching into the eighth inning.  Jackson allowed three earned on nine hits and four strikeouts.  He was very effective at mixing his pitches, throwing far less fastballs than we had grown accostumed to in the Motor City.

Although the Tigers did manage to score five times tonight, two of which can be attributed directly to errors, they were unable to find hits with runners on base.  There’s no where to place blame either, as all nine hitters in the lineup contributed to the 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

One bright spot was Tiger catcher Alex Avila, who went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.  The RBI came on singles in the second and sixth innings.

Rick Porcello struggled again this evening, as he threw just 5.1 innings, allowing four earned runs, two of which came from the long ball.  Porcello missed his previous start to work on mechanics, however, the rest period did not prove productive.  Porcello left his fastball over the hard of the plate often, and his slider was basically non-existent.

Following a Magglio Ordonez two-out RBI double, Miguel Cabrera was the last hope for the Tigers to tie the ball game in the ninth.  Cabrera struck out on a Aaron Heilman changeup to end the game.

Twins Watch:

In the miracle game of the evening, the Twins came back from 8-3 and 9-4 deficits to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 13-10 in 11 innings. Joe Mauer capped a five run ninth inning with a 2-run jack to right-center.  The Tigers are now 1.5 games behind the Twinkies.

Next Up:

The Tigers will wrap up the series and homestand tomorrow afternoon at Comerica.  Scheduled to start are Ian Kennedy for Arizona and Max Scherzer for Detroit.  First pitch 1:05p.m.

Happy Father’s Day, Dads!

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.)

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
  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/06/18/series-preview-in-a-nutshell-tigers-vs-diamondbacks/feed/ 1 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/06/02/wednesday-walewanders-d-traind-backs-debrief-photoshop-magic-and-whatnot/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/06/02/wednesday-walewanders-d-traind-backs-debrief-photoshop-magic-and-whatnot/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:06:28 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3846 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.

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/06/02/wednesday-walewanders-d-traind-backs-debrief-photoshop-magic-and-whatnot/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/04/23/friday-freehans-juan-cruz-bill-james-and-andres-torres/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/04/23/friday-freehans-juan-cruz-bill-james-and-andres-torres/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:14:23 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3533 The other night I saw Edwin Jackson pitch for the Diamondbacks against the Cardinals and he looked sharp (eight innings, 0 walks). I sat behind home plate and couldn’t get over how hard he threw — consistently. He still would like nice in the Tigers’ rotation, wouldn’t he?

  Bygones. Here are some Tigers morsels for your consideration:

  • Before the 2009 season I had begged and pleaded with the Tigers to sign free-agent reliever Juan Cruz despite his Type-A free-agent status.

    I’d watched him throw bullets for the Diamondbacks over a few seasons and thought he’d be a perfect fit in Detroit. Instead, they signed Brandon Lyon and Cruz signed with the Royals, handing the D-backs a prime draft choice.

    Today the Royals released him.

    [H]e labored through the 2009 season, blowing three straight saves during one stretch on his way to a 5.72 ERA. Cruz wasn’t much better this year, allowing all six inherited runners to score and a .391 batting average against in 5 1-3 innings.

    Just another example of why I write this blog and don’t work in a front office.

  • Years ago Bill James posited that managers should use their closer at key moments in the game and not reserving them purely for the ninth inning. Last night in Anaheim, Jim Leyland took the Jamesian approach and inserted Joel Zumaya into the game when Justin Verlander‘s pitch count sailed north of 120.

    Zumaya threw 1.2 one-hit innings, striking out a pair and was all but untouchable. With Zumaya and Ryan Perry in the pen, Leyland can essentially call on three closers during any game. Nice.

  • Late last month I went to a Cactus League game between the A’s and Giants and was stunned to see Andres Torres enter the game for San Fran. I was certain he was getting garbage time at bats. Wrong! He was preparing for the big-league season.

    Case in point: He’s starting in center field for the Giants tonight and batting leadoff. In nine games for the Giants he’s hitting a feathery .111, as you might imagine.

    Meanwhile, on the other coast another one-time Tigers prospect of Torres’ era is starting at short for the Braves: Omar Infante.

    No word if Justin Thompson or Raul Casanova are playing in the bigs tonight.

  • Here’s a little tidbit for your cocktail party conversation this weekend: Since the start of the 2006 season, the Tigers are batting .298 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 26 home runs and 110 RBI in 16 games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

  • With his double last night, Miguel Cabrera has hit one in five consecutive games. The last Tigers player to collect a double in five-or-more consecutive games since Frank Catalanotto from April 25 – May 2, 1999.

  Have a great weekend and go Wings.

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/04/23/friday-freehans-juan-cruz-bill-james-and-andres-torres/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/17/one-more-from-arizona/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/17/one-more-from-arizona/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:51:25 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3049 The Diamondbacks this week introduced Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to the Phoenix media.

  Here’s a priceless photo for you of Jackson and Saint Nick. For more pics from the media session, click here.

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/17/one-more-from-arizona/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/09/how-its-playing-in-arizona/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/09/how-its-playing-in-arizona/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:34:32 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3046
  Here’s how the Tigers-Yankees-Diamondbacks trade is covered in today’s edition of the Arizona Republic. The story appears above the fold but, not surprisingly, below the Suns-Mavericks game story. Here are some other Phoenix-focused opinions on the deal:
  • The Republic‘s Nick Piecoro (who, by the by, has one of the best team blogs out there): A long, hard look at The Big Deal. A snippet:
    

    Before we go any further: I’m not crazy about this deal, either. I’m not sure I hate it as much as some people; I’m just not entirely on board.

  • Long-time Valley sports-radio guy Dave Burns: Breaking down the trade with pros and cons.
    

    Pro: You just added starting pitching to your rotation without having to pay a lot for it.

    Con: Of the four guys the D-backs have just added or subtracted, none of them have as high a ceiling as Max Scherzer does. And it ain’t even close.

  • D’backs.com/MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert: Analyzing the Jackson Deal:
    

    [Scherzer] still needs to improve his pitch efficiency so that he can pitch deeper in games, needs to further develop his secondary pitches and also needs to show that he can cross the 200-inning barrier.

    The D-backs must have felt that the above were real challenges for him and felt more comfortable with the combination of Edwin Jackson and Kennedy.

    As for Schlereth, the potential is there, but there have always been concerns about his command.

  As for yours truly, I got over the Jason Thompson trade. I survived Kirk Gibson‘s departure. And I guess I’ll eventually move past Curtis Granderson in pinstripes.

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/09/how-its-playing-in-arizona/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/04/friday-freehans-trades-memories-and-salt-for-your-game-163-wound/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/04/friday-freehans-trades-memories-and-salt-for-your-game-163-wound/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:48:53 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3034 This, that and the other after a long blogging layoff:
  • So where were you two years ago today? You were probably glued to ESPN or the Web reading all you could about the eight-player deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit. Time flies. (And just a year ago today Edgar Renteria spared Tigers fans a second season of his mediocrity by signing with the Giants.)
  • I’ll miss Placido Polanco more than I’ll potentially miss Curtis Granderson but I still don’t want the Tigers to deal him – or Edwin Jackson. (For what it’s worth, I own the bobblehead shown here. Guess I’ll have to store it alongside my Pudge bobblehead.)

  • On Dec. 4, 1952 the Tigers traded Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the year, along with P Hal White and outfielder Johnny Groth, to the Browns in exchange for second baseman Owen Friend, outfielder Bob Nieman, and outfielder/ catcher J.W. Porter. How could they trade a pitcher good enough to throw a pair of no-no’s? Easily it turns out. Apart from his no-hitters, Trucks won only three other games that year — against 19 defeats. Somehow he kept his ERA below four (3.97).
  • On this date in 1976, Aurelio Rodriguez became the first American League third baseman since 1959 to beat out Brooks Robinson for the Gold Glove Award.
  • Yesterday you might have seen him on C-SPAN railing on Fed chief Ben Bernanke, but on this date in 1963 you would’ve seen Jim Bunning pack his bags as the Tigers traded him to the Phillies for catcher Gus Triandos, pitcher Jack Hamilton and outfielder Don Demeter.
  • About a year late, MLB Network will be broadcasting from the Winter Meetings next week in Indianapolis. (Why they didn’t launch the network at last year’s meetings is still a mystery. No, go ahead and launch on January 1. Nothing else is on TV that day…) Anyway, here’s a preview of the network’s “Hot Stove at the Winter Meetings” program. And be sure to weigh in on the latest Fungo Pulse Check poll in the sidebar –>
  • Here’s a question: When are we going to find out which member of the White Sox was in the bar with Cabrera during that dreadful last weekend of the year?
  • Speaking of a year too late, I’m glad that Chip Caray will no longer be allowed to butcher baseball games for TBS. However, if you are a glutton for punishment you can relive Game 163 from the Metrodome by purchasing it for $1.99 on iTunes.

  We’ll be back with more on the Winter Meetings next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend.

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/12/04/friday-freehans-trades-memories-and-salt-for-your-game-163-wound/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/02/game-160-silence-and-rage/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/02/game-160-silence-and-rage/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:58:09 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2848 ESPN highlights available here.
  

  The Score: White Sox 8 – Tigers 0

  The Gist: The Tigers didn’t show up to play Friday night, but that didn’t stop the White Sox’ Jake Peavy from dicing them like ripe tomatoes. Three hits for Detroit. Three. And Edwin Jackson was awful.

  The View: One of my top-three movies of all time is Midnight Run. In one scene, bounty hunter Robert DeNiro complains of an ulcer. In his custody is Charles Grodin who tells DeNiro that he has an ulcer “because you have two forms of expression: silence and rage.” That’s how I feel about the Tigers…but without the ulcers.

  The Quote: “You’re not going to get any help. Don’t expect it. If you want to win the division, you have to win two games.” – Jim Leyland via MLB.com’s Jason Beck on Twitter.

  The Stat: 0 – As in 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

  Magic Number: 2

  Up Next: White Sox @ Tigers

  Alfredo Figaro (2-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (2-4, 4.78)

  Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/02/game-160-silence-and-rage/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/27/game-155-disappointed/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/27/game-155-disappointed/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:12:41 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2763 ESPN highlights available here.
  

  The Score: White Sox 8 – Tigers 4

  The Gist: Curtis Granderson hit the second pitch of the game out of the park and…game over. Edwin Jackson got his usual pittance of support but unlike most of the year he allowed quite a few runs himself. Then the offense went back to sleep, apparently assuming that some of the 20 hits from Saturday night could be used kind of like, I don’t know, rollover minutes.

  The View: As Ian says, nothing’s been easy all year for this Tigers team, so why start now? Still, I mean, you know, it’s just, couldn’t they…ah, forget it.

  The Quote: “Today was pretty much our offense, which has been mind-boggling.” – Jim Leyland

  The Stat: 2 – The number of Brandon Inge errors in this series.

  Magic Number: 6

  Up Next: Twins @ Tigers

  Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.14 ERA) vs. Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.18)

  Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/27/game-155-disappointed/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/22/game-150-back-in-bidness-for-one-game-anyway/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/22/game-150-back-in-bidness-for-one-game-anyway/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:44:28 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2725 ESPN highlights available here.
  
  The Score: Tigers 3 – Indians 1

  The Gist: Two things returned to form on Monday night in Cleveland: Edwin Jackson (13-7) pitching deep into the game holding the Indians at bay, and the Tigers’ offense oversleeping as it usually does when Jackson starts. Ryan Raburn flashed leather and lumber with a homer (number 14) and a key assist, nailing Matt LaPorta at the plate. Magglio Ordonez went 3 for 3 raising his September average to .417 — !!

  The Quote: “We got a good effort from our starting pitcher. We were one base hit away from that being a different ballgame. We were one play early from that being a different ballgame.” — Indians Manager Eric Wedge, reminding Tigers fans what they feared most as the game stayed 1-0 for too long.

  The Stat: 6 – The number of first-pitch strikes Jackson made through the first seven innings, according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck on Twitter.

  Magic Number: 10

  Up Next: Tigers @ Indians

  Rick Porcello (13-9, 4.22 ERA) vs. Justin Masterson (4-8, 4.49 ERA)

  Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

  ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/22/game-150-back-in-bidness-for-one-game-anyway/feed/ 0