Remember when Scott Sizemore was the answer to the Tigers’ second base question? After nearly five seasons of Placido Polanco’s wizardry at second, and in the number-two slot of the lineup, the Tigers tried to convince fans – and maybe themselves – that Sizemore could take over with gusto. After 65 games spread across two seasons, Sizemore was dealt to Oakland and suddenly second base became a giant black hole. Again. In 2010, Carlos Guillen and Will Rhymes both played more games at second than Sizemore, fully cementing the second-base-by-committee approach. Last season, Ryan Raburn made his play for the job, appearing in 56 games at second and committing 10 errors in 201 chances. Backed by his usual second-half surge, he convinced the Tigers…
With the Tigers marching toward three million in attendance for 2012, this might seem more than borderline preposterous. But stick with me. I lobbed a tweet last week about how Tigers fans are coming unglued online and on the air. I could even take it a step further and suggest the faithful are assuming the personality traits – obsession, paranoia, rage – of Yankees fans. Last Thursday morning, listening to Power Alley on MLB Network Radio, a Tigers fan called in to rail on Joaquin Benoit and how he just can’t be trusted, Leyland shouldn’t use him in the 8th inning anymore. Why? Well, he allowed four runs to score in an 8-6 win over the White Sox. And, well, because. Hosts Mike Ferrin…
White Sox third basemen are hitting something like .180 this season with a single home run. As usual, Ken Williams does his thing and plugs in Kevin Youkilis to anchor the hot corner. Tigers second basemen are hitting .196 (.192 if you include 20 at bats from Brandon Inge and a pair from Hernan Perez) with three* home runs – two from Ramon Santiago and one from Ryan Raburn). Dave Dombrowski is looking to plug this hole with … Matt Garza. Wha-? *It’s four if you add Inge’s one homer. I get why DD is looking for a dependable arm in the fourth spot; Rick Porcello‘s days in the Tigers rotation should be drawing to a close and who wants to see two rookies…
Six months ago I turned out the lights on The Fungo. The other day, I changed my mind. I know you’ve got lots of great Tigers blog choices so I hope you’ll work this site into your rotation. Allow me, if you will, to catch up on the past half-year: Victor Martinez out. I think this injury, like few others that I can remember, showed how close to the edge a Tigers offense was treading. Suddenly the club had no designated hitter, no number-two catcher (though who expected him to catch more than a handful games – at most – in 2012?) and no one to hit behind Miguel Cabrera. And, with Magglio Ordonez not coming back, who else would be a reliable middle-of-the-order…
Saturday evening, Tigers utility man and fan base lightning rod Ryan Raburn helped almost mathematically eliminate the vaunted preseason AL Central favorite Chicago White Sox and did it in spectacularly dramatic fashion. It’s been quite some time (about four months) since anyone thought the White Sox were poised to make a run at taking this division and now that the team is seven and a half games back of the Tigers with just four games left against their rival, the Sox chances have gone from slim to extremely slim to not even the Mets could blow this lead. Raburn, who entered the game in the 7th to face Jesse Crain because he was 5-for-10 career against him, stepped up to the plate with a…
