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.

Of particular note:

5. Mike Maroth, Tigers, 2003

As a rookie in 2002, Maroth had posted a 4.48 ERA in 21 starts and struck out an uninspiring 58 hitters in 128.2 innings. Among pitchers with at least 75 innings, that was the second-lowest strikeout rate in the American League. However, considering the ’02 Tigers had lost 106 games, that was good enough to draw the opener. The Tigers lost that game 3-1 on their way to a 1-17 start and 119 losses — 21 of them by Maroth.

I don’t know, on Opening Day 1996 Tigers fans were treated to the stylings of Felipe Lira. Against the Twins in Minneapolis, he lasted only three innings, surrendered eight hits and six earned runs. The Tigers lost 8-6 in Buddy Bell’s managerial debut. Lira finished that awful season at 6-14 with a 5.22 ERA.

***

The past couple of years the Tigers swung some last-minute trades.

On March 30, 1991 the Tigers acquired catcher Andy Allanson from the Royals for catcher Jim Baxter. In 2009, they picked up outfielder Josh Anderson from the Braves for righty Rudy Darrow. And last year they dealt Nate Robertson to the Marlins for lefty Jay Voss — who hasn’t been heard of since.

***

Happy 55th Birthday to Jack Lazorko, who appeared in three games for the 1986 Tigers.

For all intents and purposes, there’s no drama to speak of with most of the coverage focusing on the prospects that are shining in Lakeland.

But here are some of the things that stand out for yours truly:

• If there’s one player that makes me uneasy heading into the regular season, it’s Alex Avila. In reading Lynn Henning’s Sunday’s A-to-Z review of Tigers so far this spring, he says this:
  

  He’ll hit. But it’s OK to wonder when he’ll drive the ball the way he did during his 2009 cameo.

  This is the first time since, when?, 2003 that the Tigers have a question mark — or something close to it — at catcher. Once Pudge Rodriguez left town, the club brought in Gerald Laird and he was, well, not the answer. But we all thought he’d start hitting somewhere close to where he did in Texas (at least against the Tigers, that is.)

  Certainly having Victor Martinez around will make the catching corps dramatically less frightful, but still, aren’t the Tigers placing an awful lot of faith in a guy who isn’t long out of college? What do you think?

• I forgot to mention, or at least I think I did, when I went to watch the Diamondbacks train a couple of weeks ago, I got to see Armando Galarraga get racked in batting practice. Moments before that, I got close enough to talk to him through the fence and told him that we love him in Detroit. He said, “Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” He may not be the most devastating pitcher in the bigs, but a nice guy? That, he is.

• On March 7, 1965, Tigers manager Chuck Dressen suffered a mild coronary occlusion. He was sidelined until May 19. Coach Bob Swift served as acting manager in the meantime, And on this date in 2000, the Tigers acquired cash from the Royals for catcher Gregg Zaun. Opting instead to go with the stud backup catcher that was Javier Cardona. Zaun hit .274 in K.C. — 99 points higher than Cardona.

  Another Randy Smith gem.

• One of the reasons I like Jim Leyland so much is his deep history with the Tigers organization. He was the first manager of many players that were on the 1984 championship team. In this piece in Sunday’s Freep, we learn a bit about his relationship with one of my favorites, Jack Morris:
  

  [Leyland] said Jack Morris was as temperamental as they come.

  “You’ve got to be careful that you don’t take something away that’s a strong suit,” Leyland said. “But you can’t let a pitcher continue like a bull in a china shop.”

  Leyland managed Morris in the minors.

  “I stayed on top of Jack pretty good,” Leyland said. “He handled it well. We have a great relationship even today. I’m proud of that.

• How’s Nate Robertson doing with the Mariners, you ask? Check out this headline to uncover the answer.

Finally, my apologies for the long stretch without a post. I’ve never wanted to post just for the sake of posting — you deserve better than that.

More to come this week.

66-68, 3rd Place; 11 GB

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Royals | 8:10 p.m. ET – Kauffman Stadium | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Jeremy Bonderman (7-9, 5.27 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (8-11, 3.81 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Twins 9 (13 innings)

• W: Jose Valverde (2-3)
• L: Nick Blackburn (8-9)
• HR: Don Kelly (5), Jhonny Peralta (14), Ryan Raburn (11), Casper Wells (1), Gerald Laird (5)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Nate Robertson, 33

• Luis Gonzalez, 43

• Steve Boros, 74

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2002 — Andy Van Hekken, with a fastball topping out in the mid-80s, becomes the first American Leaguer to throw a complete game shutout in his debut since Mike Norris in 1975, and the first Tigers pitcher since Schoolboy Rowe in 1933. He stops Cleveland 4-0. The Holland, Mich., native was 5-0 at Toledo before his promotion. (Care to guess who the Tigers’ leadoff hitter was that night? How about Hiram Bocachica.)

• 1967 — Before a Twins crowd of 43,494, Earl Wilson pitches a 5-0 shutout for his 19th win to narrow the Twins’ lead to half a game over the Tigers.

• 1938 — Rudy York hits his fourth grand slam, tying the major-league season record.

• 1906 — Ty Cobb is back in the Tigers lineup for the first time in six weeks. He has a single and steal, but he misplays a Charlie Hemphill fly ball into a home run, and the Tigers lose 1-0 to the Browns’ Barney Pelty. Rain stops the game after seven innings.

• 1903 — Cleveland’s Jesse Stovall throws an 11-inning shutout in his first major-league start, defeating Detroit 1-0. It’s the longest shutout ever in a pitching debut.

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.

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’ Spring Training Record: 15-10-1

Today’s Game:

Tigers vs. Pirates | 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland | On the air: MLB Gameday Audio (Pirates’ broadcast)

Pitching Matchup: Justin Verlander (1-3, 5.63 ERA) vs. Zach Duke, (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Phil Coke and Brad Thomas

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Orioles 9 | Box Score

Mere moments after the Nate Robertson trade was announced — which secured Dontrelle Willis‘ rotation spot — D-Train celebrated by surrendering five earned runs in 4.1 innings — his worst outing of the spring.

Offensively, Miguel Cabrera hit about 1,000 feet worth of homers with one in the first and another in the fifth. Scott Sizemore and Don Kelly also went yard.

Tigers History Lesson

Birthdays

• Tracy Jones, 49. Sparky Anderson once said that Jones had intensity on the field that reminded him of Kirk Gibson. Jones hit .246 for the Tigers in 96 games for the Tigers in 1989-90.

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1994 – Acquired C Alan Zinter from the Mets for 1B Rico Brogna

• 1998 – The Tigers defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in their first-ever game 11-6 at Tropicana Field. Justin Thompson got the win.

• 2003 – The Tigers opened their worst season ever with a 3-1 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park. Get a load of this star-studded lineup:
  

  Gene Kingsale, CF
  Omar Infante, SS
  Dmitri Young, LF
  Bobby Higginson, RF
  Dean Palmer, DH
  Carlos Pena, 1B
  Eric Munson, 3B
  Brandon Inge, C
  Ramon Santiago, 2B
  Mike Maroth, P

• 2009 – The Tigers stunned just about everyone when they released DH Gary Sheffield — who was one homer shy of 500 — and ate his $14 million contract.

Here’s what Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez had to say about his new starter:

“I know that he’s a pretty good pitcher. … “There were a couple of years that he threw right around 200 innings. He’s a workhorse. Coming to the National League, where teams haven’t had a chance to see him much, maybe he can help us out.”

Nate will join former Tigers Cameron Maybin, Burke Badenhop and Cody Ross on Florida’s Opening Day roster. Andrew Miller was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans last week.

Interestingly, the votes were roughly even before the Nate Robertson trade was announced. After that, Willis took a leap forward in votes. (Curious, no?)

Here are the final votes:

• Yes (60%, 21 Votes)
• No (40%, 14 Votes)

Total Voters: 35

Take a moment to vote in our latest poll, won’t you?

According to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro:

Before being finalized on Tuesday, the Robertson deal first had to receive the approval of the commissioner’s office, because more than $1 million was being exchanged.

At $10 million this year, Robertson immediately becomes the Marlins’ highest-paid player.

For the Tigers’ rotation, it means that Dontrelle Willis and Jeremy Bonderman, both of whom are making final tune-up starts today, are the fourth and fifth starters — but not necessarily in that order. And that Eddie Bonine, another member of the Opening Day roster, will be Jim Leyland‘s safety net should either falter.

As for Voss, well, Frisaro tagged him as a “prospect” but he must not be a highly regarded one. In this piece on the Marlins’ top 10 prospects Voss is nowhere to be found. But the Freep‘s John Lowe reports:

Voss, 22, split the 2009 season between Class A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville. In 10 games with Jupiter, he compiled a 2.03 ERA and 10 strikeouts. Voss had a 3-0 record, 2.97 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 30 appearances with Jacksonville.

Selected by the Marlins in the eighth round of the 2007 draft, Voss saw action in 11 games with Mesa in the Arizona Fall League following last season. He fanned 12 batters in posting a 1-0 record and 4.91 ERA.

What cannot be minimized is Willis’ resurgence. If four weeks ago you had to guess which lefty had the best chance to make the Tigers rotation, you would’ve selected Robertson, right? I would have. And only because he was building on a strong finish to the 2009 season.

And, while Nate was having a nice, if not overwhelming spring, everyone was busy tip-toeing around the subject of D-Train. Sure, they were quick to point out his solid statistical spring camp but it seemed like the club was giving Willis a dignified exit from the organization.

Bottom line? The Tigers were going to get bubkus in a trade for Dontrelle Willis so they moved the most marketable major-league pitcher they had. In that regard, this trade makes sense.

Of course, now the question is: Will the 2010 model of the D-Train be a local or an express?

In this episode we discuss:

• Is Nate Robertson on the trading block?
• Bobby Seay‘s torn rotator cuff
• The Tigers’ batting order
• Last man on the roster: Don Kelly, Jeff Larish or Clete Thomas?
• The Sporting News pre-season predictions
• Did anti-Semitism cost Hank Greenberg a shot at 60 homers in 1938?

…and much more.

Show Notes

Links to articles and items referenced in this episode:

• Fox Sports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi tweets that the Tigers are shopping Robertson.
• ESPN’s Jayson Stark starts a Scott Sizemore rumor and identifies Tigers pitchers that might be on the trading block. [$ubscription required.]
• The Tigers’ Opening Day lineup
• The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo ranks MLB managers.
• The Globe also ranks the MLB teams for 2010. The Tigers are number eight.
• Anti-Semitism and Hank Greenberg’s run at 60 homers From The New York Times.
• “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” — The movie.

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

•••Comments? Leave a message on the listener line: (602) 903-5174. Or, reach us on Twitter: @TigersPodcast or Facebook @ www.facebook.com/tigerspodcast

Reach the hosts via:

• Mike: @DailyFungo, @MikeMcClary and www.DailyFungo.com
• Ian: @IanCass and MLive’s Cutoff Man Blog

Theme music for the podcast produced by Paul Minshall.

Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 14-10-1

Today’s Game: Tigers @ Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET – Legends Field, Tampa | On the Air: 97.1 FM/1270 AM and MLB.TV

Pitching Matchup

Max Scherzer (1-1, 7.15 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Fu-Te Ni, Phil Coke, Joel Zumaya and Jose Valverde.

Yesterday’s Results

The Tigers suffered a 2-1 loss to the New York Yankees yesterday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium. Nate Robertson (2-1) took the loss for Detroit after allowing two runs in five innings of work. Magglio Ordonez singled and drove in Detroit’s lone run.

Tomorrow’s Game

Tigers @ Blue Jays | 1:05 p.m. ET – Dunedin Stadium, Dunedin, Fla. | On the Air: None

Pitching Matchup

Rick Porcello (1-1, 0.75 ERA) vs. Dana Eveland (0-1, 1.69 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Eddie Bonine, Brad Thomas, Phil Coke and Ryan Perry

Tigers History Lesson

Birthdays

• Steve Sparks, 35

• Craig Paquette, 41

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1971 – The Tigers acquired RHP Bill Zepp from the Twins for INF Bob Adams and P Art Clifford
• 1972 – Long-time Tigers shortstop (1908-21) Donie Bush passes away at 84.
• 1975 – Detroit picked up INF Jack Pierce from the Braves for INF Reggie Sanders
• 1988 – The Tigers acquired RHP Don Schulze from the Twins for RHP Karl Best.

]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/03/28/tigers-today-march-29-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/03/27/tigers-today-march-27-2010/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/03/27/tigers-today-march-27-2010/#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:01:24 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3233 Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 14-9-1

Today’s Game:

Tigers vs. Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland | On the air: 97.1 FM/1270 AM

Pitching Matchup: Nate Robertson (2-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Joel Zumaya, Ryan Perry, Phil Coke, Robbie Weinhardt and Daniel Schlereth

Yesterday’s Results

Braves 5 - Tigers 3

The Braves’ Derek Lowe outdueled Justin Verlander (1-3), who gave up three runs and six hits in 5-2/3 innings. The Opening Day starter also struck out three, walked one and committed a balk. Brandon Inge and Gerald Laird both stroked a pair of hits.

Former Tiger Omar Infante started at shortstop for the Braves going 1 for 3. He’s batting .395 this spring.

Tomorrow’s Game

Tigers @ Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET – Legends Field, Tampa | On the Air: 97.1 FM/1270 AM

Max Scherzer (1-1, 7.15 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

Tigers History Lesson

On this Date in Tigers History

• In 1948, Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck hired former Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg as the Tribe’s farm club director.

• In 2008, former major league infielder and Tigers bench coach under Sparky Anderson, Billy Consolo died at 74.

]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/03/27/tigers-today-march-27-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/02/04/three-for-thursday-verlander-branyan-and-birthdays/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/02/04/three-for-thursday-verlander-branyan-and-birthdays/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:59:11 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=3122 Who needs a groundhog? Two weeks until pitchers and catchers arrive in Lakeland for Spring Training.

1. I never doubted for a minute that the Tigers would sign Justin Verlander to a long-term contact, did you? Given the questionable extensions of recent years — Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson to name two — the Tigers were due for a wise contractual decision.

2. Last year at the trading deadline I thought the Tigers might make a move for the Mariners’ Russell Branyan. Instead they went after Aubrey Huff. Bygones. Today, Branyan is still looking for work. Should the Tigers be interested? Not at the three years, $20 million he had in mind, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. ESPN Rumor Central spells out the risks of Branyan for any team:
   

   Branyan hit 22 homers and posted a .956 OPS before the All-Star break last season, but his OPS dipped to .688 after the break and he was forced to shut it down in late August with a herniated disc in his back.

   So, the question then is, “Is Branyan essentially Carlos Guillen?” Probably.

3. Happy Birthday today to: Stan Papi (59), Rusty Kuntz (55), Chris Bando (54) and the late Joe Sparma. If you want to hear an interview I did with Rusty Kuntz, you can find it here.
   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2010/02/04/three-for-thursday-verlander-branyan-and-birthdays/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/01/game-158-fail-ebration/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/01/game-158-fail-ebration/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:57:19 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2830 ESPN highlights available here…eventually.

   The Score: Twins 8 – Tigers 3

   The Gist: Wasted opportunities. Sure, the usual ones — stranded runners, untimely hitting — but also new and exciting storylines. Like, four errors by the Twins, a bizarrely mediocre Joe Nathan and…oh, what’s the difference? Nate Robertson pitched well enough to not lose but not much better. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez overreacted again, issued warnings, ejected Jim Leyland, Jeremy Bonderman and Gerald Laird, watched benches clear. You know, the usual playoff atmosphere.

   The Quote: “Really, what is there to say?” — Yours truly.

   The Stat: 0 – As in 0 for 5 for Ramon Santiago on the day, suggesting that perhaps Leyland chose the wrong day to give Placido Polanco a breather. Santiago was 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded chance in the fourth when he popped out to the catcher. The catcher.

   Magic/Tragic Number: 2 – Still two.

   Up Next: White Sox @ Tigers

   Edwin Jackson (13-8, 3.36 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (8-6, 3.75; 2-0 with the Sox)

   Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/10/01/game-158-fail-ebration/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/26/game-154-it-was-a-hell-of-a-comeback/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/26/game-154-it-was-a-hell-of-a-comeback/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:01:48 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2750 ESPN highlights available here.
   

   The Score: Tigers 12 – White Sox 5

   The Gist: The Tigers swatted 20 hits — four from Miguel Cabrera, and three each from Curtis Granderson and, of course, Placido Polanco — scoring 12 runs after being down 5-0 in the fourth. Cabrera also had a homer and four RBI, giving him 100 for the year.

   The View: For a while it looked like two pitchers falling into old (and opposing) habits: Freddy Garcia looked like the front-line starter he was from 2001-05 and Nate Robertson, well, looked like more like ’08 Nate: a bullpen mop-up guy. Ultimately, both guys cratered but Nate just left earlier in the game. Thankfully.

   *The Quote: from Jim Leyland.

   The Quote II: “And I’m going to make it clear. It’s a bunch of [expletive] out there watching football games like a piece of [expletive] with no pride the way they play the [expletive] game, and that’s embarrassing. If you don’t have pride to play this game and you don’t care about it, get another job because I know I’m going to be all over the stinking place when I talk about this.” — Ozzie Guillen, showing all class once again.

   The Stat: 5 — The number of double plays turned by the Tigers.

   Magic Number: 7

   Up Next: Tigers @ White Sox

   Edwin Jackson (13-7, 3.25 ERA) vs. Daniel Hudson (0-1. 3.38)

   Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/26/game-154-it-was-a-hell-of-a-comeback/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/20/the-game-recaps-return-game-149-tigers-6-twins-2/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/20/the-game-recaps-return-game-149-tigers-6-twins-2/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:34:24 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2712 *In 2008 we posted a recap after every game. We’ll resurrect them for the stretch run and, if necessary, the postseason.

   ESPN highlights available here.
   
   The Score: Tigers 6 – Twins 2

   The Gist: The Tigers showed the doubters among us (including yours truly) that they can win when it counts. Fungo Favorite Nate Robertson was outstanding over five innings of work, striking out six.

   The Quote: “I guess we’ll have to take two out of three and now go on a long road trip.” – Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire

   The Stat: 6 – The number of hits by Placido Polanco on Saturday and Sunday.

   The Stat II: 83-113 – The Tigers’ all-time record at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

   Up Next: Tigers @ Indians, Tuesday Night

   Edwin Jackson (12-7, 3.37) vs LHP Aaron Laffey (7-6, 4.09)

   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/20/the-game-recaps-return-game-149-tigers-6-twins-2/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/03/three-for-thursday-birthdays-playoff-odds-and-rob-deer/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/03/three-for-thursday-birthdays-playoff-odds-and-rob-deer/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:23:27 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2663
   1. Happy Birthday, Nate. Today’s starter is 32. Other notable Tigers birthdays today: Luis Gonzalez (42) and Steve Boros (73). (It’s also the birthday of my little boy!)

   2. Catching up on Tigers Playoff Odds from Baseball Prospectus: We’re now looking at 68.86481 percent for a playoff spot. Inching up.

   3. Here’s a piece I enjoyed. Titled “What The World Needs Now is Rob Deer”, Clayton Trutor at American Polymath.com explains why the good old-fashioned slugger needs a comeback. Here’s a hilarious nugget:
      

      In 1992, Deer put together the most outlandish home run to RBI ratio ever: 32 home runs, 64 runs batted in. Even on a bad team, like the ’92 Tigers, this shouldn’t be possible.

      He might not have Deer’s bulk, but perhaps Marcus Thames is this generation’s all-or-nothing guy?

   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/09/03/three-for-thursday-birthdays-playoff-odds-and-rob-deer/feed/ 1 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/17/friday-freehans/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/17/friday-freehans/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:21:55 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2523 I didn’t realize how much I needed an All-Star Break of my own. It’s nice that the Tigers start the downward portion of the schedule with a marquee matchup and not a snoozer in Oakland.
   • The Tigers have done reasonably well out of the shoot in the second half recently. Here’s how the club has fared in the first 10 games after the All-Star Game in:
     • 2008: 6-4
     • 2007: 6-4
     • 2006: 7-3

     Two out of three in New York would be outstanding.

   • Yesterday Rob Neyer suggested that the Giants cut loose southpaw Barry Zito. If the Giants can swallow Zito’s remaining $90 million or whatever it is, how can the Tigers not absorb their two problem lefties, Mssrs. Robertson and Willis? I’m wondering what would happen if the Tigers traded their lefties for Zito. Crazy-talk to be sure, but you wonder if Zito would get some kind of “new environment” boost coming back to the A.L. (Did I mention that it’s 115° here?)

   • I’ll be darned if I can find the link to Ken Rosenthal‘s article a week or so ago that noted — deep in the story — that the Tigers might be a landing spot for the Royals’ Mark Teahen. I’d love to see him patrolling left or right fields for the Tigers, wouldn’t you? I just don’t see a intra-divisional trade working out.

   • Today marks the birthday in 1889 of Guy “King Tut” Tutwiler who played alongside Ty Cobb in 1911 and 1913, his only two major league seasons, according to Baseball-Reference.com. The infielder/outfielder hit .203 in just 86 career plate appearances for the Tigers. He would’ve been a spry 120 today.

   Have a great weekend and enjoy the baseball.

   ]]> http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/17/friday-freehans/feed/ 0 http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/01/wednesday-walewanders-9/ http://www.dailyfungo.com/2009/07/01/wednesday-walewanders-9/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:23:27 +0000 Mike McClary http://www.dailyfungo.com/?p=2489 These Walenwanders come to you with visions of a Chipotle burrito dancing in my head. Meanwhile, the mercury rises in the desert.
   • Despite MLB’s efforts, I realized that I still hadn’t cast my All-Star ballot. Voting ends tomorrow night, so vote late and often.

   • As we watch Magglio Ordonez‘s swing atrophy, I’m thinking that he might personify the 2008 Tigers team. That is, we all kept thinking that this game or this series would be the one that got Detroit on the path to its rightful place in the postseason. And we waited and waited… Now it’s Maybe this at bat will get Maggs going…. Alas, it ain’t looking good.

   • Speaking of Ordonez, in the recent Fungo Pulse Check poll, only one voter out of 36 would choose to release him over Dontrelle Willis (53 percent) or Nate Robertson (44 percent). Tigers fans sure love their Magglio. [Take our latest poll -->]

   • My fandom for (of?) Nate Robertson is well documented here. Over the past two seasons I think I’ve been tainted by Ian‘s anti-Nate sentiment and find myself — at best — Nate Neutral. But, ever the quasi-optimist, I’m wondering if this week’s elbow surgery could inject some zip into the left wing. What do you think?

   • Speaking of being a fan boy, last week I was out of town and without my MLB Extra Innings package — thus, no Tigers games on TV. I have to say, the Tigers blogosphere can make a guy feel right at home. BlessYouBoys.com and MackAvenueTigers.com alone made it so I didn’t miss a beat.

   Finally, on this date in 1915 right-hander Cletus Elwood “Boots” Poffenberger was born in Williamsport, Md. Ol’ Boots pitched two of his three big-league seasons, 1937 and ’38, for the Tigers posting a 16-12 record and a 4.75 ERA. He died in 1999 in Williamsport, Va. A search of Google Maps doesn’t bring up a Williamsport, Va., but it does show Williamsport, Md., where he was born, which is across the Potomac River from West Virginia — but there’s no Williamsport, W. Va.

   If you’re still reading at this point, bless you.

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