Video: Raburn’s Web Gem
Mike McClary
Posted on July 4, 2011
Does commentator Barry Larkin really call Raburn “an exciting player”?
Mike McClary's Detroit Tigers blog featuring analysis, commentary and history | Est. 2006 — And don't be fooled; this site is not updated daily.
Posts tagged “Ryan Raburn”
Avila at Third? Not All That Uncommon in Tigers History
Mike McClary
Posted on June 17, 2011
Tonight Alex Avila is the Tigers’ starting third baseman in the opener of a three-game series in Denver against the Rockies. Avila’s never played third in the majors but he’s not the first Tigers player to be pressed into action there. Did you know that Al Kaline appeared in two games at third during his career? In 1961, he played a full nine innings at third, fielding a pair of chances cleanly, with a putout and an assist. Four years later he played 5.1 innings of a game with three chances, two putouts and an assist. Johnny Wockenfuss, who played mostly at first, catcher and in the outfield, became even more of a utility man for Sparky Anderson when he played … parts of two games – all of 2.1 innings –…
Friday Freehans, Link Style
Mike McClary
Posted on June 3, 2011
The Tigers make their first visit of the year to Chicago which typically means nothing but anguish. Not this weekend. Detroit’s recent good fortune against the Sox continues. (Right?) Here’s a terrific piece about Sparky Anderson from someone who knew him in his southern California community for 40 years. Out here in Phoenix, there’s some noise about the Diamondbacks pursuing the Mets’ David Wright. All things being equal — and Brandon Inge’s mono notwithstanding — I’d sure rather see him in Detroit. What about you? The Tigers’ all-time record against the White Sox heading into play tonight is 1,012-996-1. Why does it seem as if half those losses have come since 2004? Two tidbits about tonight’s starter Andy Oliver: 1. He was selected to…
Monday Mankowskis: Optimism, Jackson’s Woes and Bonus Baseball Cards
Mike McClary
Posted on April 18, 2011
This is one of those rare and delightful days of spring in which I get to flip back and forth between a Tigers West Coast game and a Wings playoff game. April in the D, indeed. It’s always interesting to see how even a small winning streak can stir optimism among Tigers faithful. To wit: this past weekend’s series in Oakland. Buoyed by wins in the first two games, I was completely confident the Tigers could — would! — come back in Saturday night and Sunday games. A week prior (against the Royals at home) I had no such optimism. All in all I’m feeling good about their chances in Seattle, and not just because they’ll miss Felix Hernandez.
Sunday Snacks: April in the D Edition
Mike McClary
Posted on April 10, 2011
A few overdue thoughts as I work the previous-channel button on my remote, switching between the Tigers and Wings games. When a few specific things occur, I know for certain the baseball season is in full bloom — eight games in or not. Two of these things have already taken place in the past 24 hours: the Tigers lose to the Royals and Ryan Raburn makes at least one bone-headed play in the field. Speaking of the Wings, if they end up playing the Coyotes in the first round, I’ll have to endure lame Detroit jokes in the media out here. Did the Tigers really lose to Bruce Chen? Bruce Chen? Slowly — very slowly — I’m gaining confidence in Alex Avila. He was…