June 28, 2008

Game 80: Breaking Even, Straining Latissimus Dorsi

The Score: Tigers 7 - Rockies 6
The Gist: Ryan Raburn hit his first career grand slam and Miguel Cabrera’s bottom-of-the-ninth laser to right center drove in the tying and winning runs to save Todd Jones’s neck. Saved, that is, from the choking hands of Justin Verlander or, quite possibly, Jim Leyland. Verlander allowed two runs [...]

April 27, 2008

Game 26: Thud

The Gist: The anticipation of seeing the Tigers’ complete lineup for the first time all year was squashed and the Detroit Momentum Train was derailed by a stellar pitching performance. This time by the Angels’ Jered Weaver: two runs, four hits and four walks and struck out five over 6.1 innings. The result? A 6-2 [...]

April 22, 2008

Game 21: Home Cooking Tastes Good

ESPN highlights available here.

The Gist: When Ramon Santiago goes yard, that’s gotta be a good sign for the Tigers, right? It certainly was on Tuesday night when the Tigers’ second baseman drove in three runs and Justin Verlander finally put together the start we’d been waiting for: six innings pitched, six hits, one earned run. [...]

April 18, 2008

Game 16: Tribe Returns the Favor

ESPN highlights available here.
The Gist: Justin Verlander got lit up. Again. This time the Tigers’ 0-3 ace allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings to take the loss. The 11-1 loss to the Indians, leaves the Tigers with a Lions-esque record of 5 and 11. The Tigers had Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona on [...]

April 14, 2008

Game 13: Everybody Hits, Everybody Hits, Everybody Hits Right Now

ESPN highlights available here.
The Gist: The Tigers scratched back twice against the Twins bullpen — and twice ignited by the slumping Gary Sheffield — to win for the first time at Comerica Park in 2008, 11-9. (In a span of three at bats, Sheff went from being greeted with boos to hearing his name chanted. [...]

April 12, 2008

Game 11: Looking for Signs of Hope? Keep Looking.

ESPN highlights available here.
The Gist: Justin Verlander allows 6 earned runs and the Tigers muster only a pair of hits off three White Sox pitchers. Yadda, yadda, yadda. You’ve heard it all before.
The Quote: “Hey, the Diamondbacks have won eight in a row.” — Mike McClary, Phoenix-area resident.
The Stat: 39. The game-time temperature in Chicago…freakin’ [...]

April 6, 2008

Game 6: Time for the Chicken-Bone Cross

The Gist: The White Sox tagged Justin Verlander for nine runs (five earned) and seven hits in 5 2/3 forgettable innings. Nick Swisher went yard to leadoff the game. The Tigers haven’t won a game in more than a week — and that was in the Grapefruit League.
The Quote: “If you can play shortstop in [...]

March 21, 2008

Three Reasons Not to Worry About the Tigers Bullpen

Okay, we get it. The Tigers bullpen is to the team’s championship aspirations as an anvil is to a skydiver.
But what, pray tell, if it’s not?
I, for one, refuse to buy into the bullpen as Achilles’ heel conspiracy theory, and here are three reasons why:

Healthy starters
Dave Dombrowski
Zach Miner

1. Healthy starters. Among the many problems last [...]

March 17, 2008

Vance Wilson’s St. Patrick’s (Birth)Day Celebration

Three quick hits:

This past weekend my wife and I traveled to Indian Wells, Calif., to watch the second round of the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament.

When you take away the two-hour line to park and the gale-force winds, we had a great time watching some big-name players including Lindsay Davenport, Ana Ivanovic, Carlos Moya and [...]

December 16, 2007

Emptying Out the Mental Notebook

There have been lots of thoughts percolating around my head lately. Now that I’ve cleared my driveway of snow for the third time today, it’s time to get those thoughts out to the masses.
Brandon Inge
If you recall prior to the 2004 season Mr. Inge acted like a petulant little child when the Tigers signed Pudge [...]