OT: Tigers v. Indians - 8/10
Funky lineup for Leyland was the big talk on the radio today.
No Jackson (whatever, he's struggling).
No Guillen (meh... whatever, he's hitting .220)
No Jhonny (le sigh. This is the second start against a big, hard throwing righty that Jhonny has sat. Says a little bit, but I'd rather have Peralta out there over Santiago (2 for 3 vs. Jimenez, but that's a HALOL of a sample size.)
The only thing that really annoys me is Ordonez batting third. Really, how bad does Singlio have to be to move down to 7th-ish?
1-0 Tribe after 1. A couple bloop singles helped the tribe put one across the board.
August 10th, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
Well the way Porcello is pitching the lineup isn't really going to matter. 4-0. Ubaldo looking good. This one is ugly to start and doesn't look like it'll get any better.
August 10th, 2011 at 7:42 PM ^
Jim Leyland. Treating every series like it's against the Orioles in April. Since 2006.
What else can be said that hasn't been at this point about the lack of importance he puts on late season games critical in the pennant race? We are talking about a man who actually started Alfredo Figaro on the final weekend of the season when he was trying (I think...) to close out his first division title as Tigers manager.
Go ahead and defend him, everybody. But when a manager needs defending on a seemingly nightly basis, it says something.
August 10th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
Not a defense but, what exactly were you referring to tonight? Or was this more of a generalized statement?
August 10th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
Referring to the lineup (resting Peralta tonight is insane, Guillen is questionable considering it's a right-hander on the mound, Maggs continuing to hit third is just wrong).
But it is somewhat general because you could make that statement several times a week and it might fit a current story. Only difference is tonight is not a getaway game, which is when he usually trots out his featherweight squads.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:25 PM ^
I didn't down vote you but: Do remember they played 14 innings last night. If we had a back up catcher (doubt you want V-mart catching after tweeking his knee) Avila would and probably should have sat tonight. As for Maggs, yes him hitting third is not ideal, but Dirks (usualy 3rd hitter) is batting lead off while Jackson gets a night off after going 0-6 last night.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:39 PM ^
Dirks is not even a regular player, let alone the usual third hitter. He hit third last night because Leyland makes a habit out of bench players replacing regulars in the field AND in their normal hitting spot (which for Ordonez is third). Peralta, Boesch, even Avila would make much more sense in that spot, but Leyland is scared to make that move, likely worrying about player superstition and perhaps his own.
I don't know if Victor is still feeling the effects of the tweak or not, but the lack of a real back-up catcher is a problem. I would gladly send Don Kelly down for someone who can give Avila a break while V-Mart just acts as DH and backup to Cabrera at first. Avila is young, but they are going to kill him with this workload.
As for Peralta, he is the second or third most dependable hitter on this team. They can't afford to go without his bat in a series this important. Even with the 14 innings, the team just had the day off Monday.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:32 PM ^
That this is a playoff push? Against at the moment our biggest competition/rival. It seems like Leyland makes his job harder than it is. Magglio at 3 is a freaking joke, and dirks should never bat 3rd, that should be Miggs spot every night. Best hitter bats 3rd, id like to see this team with a top heavy lineup and you get what you can with maggs and raburn towards the bottom.
August 10th, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
ballpark? They have lost 12 straight in this ballpark and number 13 looks highly likely. I just don't understand why they can't play good baseball at Progressive Field.
August 10th, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
Ugh... Boesch out of the game for some undiscolsed injury. Kelley in LF.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
it's the thumb he hurt last night
August 10th, 2011 at 8:08 PM ^
Thanks, I'm stuck watching the Cleveland broadcast on MLB.tv. Uninformed would be a good word to describe the CLE announcers.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
They're amongst the worst I've heard. Can't stand the radio guys either.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^
Let me preface this by saying I hate all forms of baseball and have lived in the greater Cleveland area all my life, but of course am a M fan.
1) The CLE radio announcer is awesome and that cannot be denied. For as boring as baseball is, he is able to get the listeners excited about the game
2) What is so bad about the TV announcers? I am just curious.
3) Let me remind you that it's BASEBALL and that alone is enough to bore people. It's hard to commentate such an awful activity as baseball.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^
Tom Hamilton on Tribe radio is a very good announcer. Go Tribe.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:11 PM ^
One of "Leyland's scrubs" with a big 2-out RBI triple. Raburn keeps swinging the hot bat.
Now Avila with a walk. Suddenly Ubaldo's pitch count has risen and the tigers have a chance to cut the lead to 2 with a big 2-out hit from Betemit. If he can get the job done it's a new game.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
Wooo!!! 2-out 2 RBI double from Betemit!
Talk about a big two out rally from the bottom of the order.
Santiago flys out. Nice inning though.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
is your back sore from the monkey?
Glad you decided to join us. Season started in April
August 10th, 2011 at 8:21 PM ^
Ugly baseball. After a big three run rally we're gonna give it right back.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:22 PM ^
back in the game give a couple a back. Porcello doesn't have it tonight, getting hammered.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:28 PM ^
Well, we've got JV tomorrow, right? Right?
August 10th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^
why can't the tigers beat the indians our lineup is ten times better
August 10th, 2011 at 8:42 PM ^
The one we could have or the one we actually field? There's a difference.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:37 PM ^
As soon as we extend Leyland and Dombrowski we proceed to lose 2 games to our immediate competitor in the Central Divison. Figures....
August 10th, 2011 at 8:50 PM ^
And Fat Cabby nearly got thrown out at 2nd base, dicking around on the basepaths.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:53 PM ^
It's called rope a dope. Cabby knew he had it, he's a smart baserunner, which is why he runs through Gene Lamont's stop signs
August 10th, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^
That's probably also why he tried to steal 2nd with the ball still in the pitcher's hand earlier this season.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:59 PM ^
If he was a smart baserunner he'd run Gene Lamont over, and put us all out of our misery.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
about Cabby? Seriously? Lol guy has been nothing but gold for us this season. Drop that bull
August 10th, 2011 at 8:58 PM ^
I think Kipnis has about 41 total bases tonight.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^
I believe he has 9 actually
August 10th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
10 now
August 10th, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^
Eh, the hell with it. Let's get beat 15-3 and get it all out of our system.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:10 PM ^
point. It's imperative that JV salvage one game tommorow. The cushion the Tigers had entering this series would be completely gone with a sweep. Chicago is starting to heat up as well.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
They just showed a stat somethin like that record. Its just unbelievable to me how stubborn Leyland has been this season. Never see any small ball with this team, im sick of this gut feeling managing, its terrible. This team should have 10 more wins than they do. Its basically the players playing.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
a lineup that is conducive to playing a lot of small ball. Jackson is really the only guy with good speed in the lineup. The Tigers still sac bunt and hit and run in the appropriate situations, I am not sure what more you expect from Leyland in terms of small ball. He has to play the hand he is dealt, he has a lineup that doesn't have a lot speed. Would you prefer that he sent more runners and got guys thrown out left and right trying to steal, because they aren't base stealers.
And this game has jack to do with not playing small ball, last I checked the Indians have 10 runs on the scoreboard. And losing 13 games row in this ballpark is not something that can be lumped on Leyland. The players have not played good baseball in this ballpark recently, for whatever reason. A good example is last night in extra innings when Leyland did try to play small ball to get a run, when he had Santiago attempt a sac bunt. Santiago popped up the bunt and got the runner doubled off 1st, explain to me how that lack of execution is Leyland''s fault?
August 10th, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
Hand he was dealt? Jackson Peralta Boesch Cabrera Martinez Avila thats a DAMN good hand right there. It shouldnt matter what lineup you have, when you need to sac a guy over you sac a guy over so the next guy can hit him in. Tigers hitters hit the fastball, but nope hit and runs rarely happen even in fast ball counts..Every major league baseball player should be able to SAC Bunt. I never said anything about stealing bases. But hit and runs and sac bunts you rarely see in a tigers game. I expect Leyland to win his ball club some games, and you cant even count those on 1 hand this season.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
in terms of good hitters, I was refering to the fact that the lineup has a lot of sluggers and not guys who are small ball type of players. And clearly you don't watch any games if you think the Tigers never sacrifice bunt. They actually have the third most sacrifice bunts in the AL. But hey keep on bashing Leyland for "never sacrificing bunting" despite what the stats say.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
A lot of Leyland's decisions grind my gears this team should be a lot better record wise. Now Im asking for your opinion here, how many games should a MLB manager win for his team? And how many has Leyland won for this team?
August 10th, 2011 at 10:23 PM ^
A lot of Leyland's decisions grind my gears this team should be a lot better record wise. Now Im asking for your opinion here, how many games should a MLB manager win for his team? And how many has Leyland won for this team?So you got completely called out for incorrectly complaining about the Tigers lack of sacrifices (they have the third most in the AL) and then resort to "how many games has Leyland won?" Well, you tell me, how many has he lost? He didn't lose tonight - that's on Porcello and the defense falling apart. Last night Santiago failed to execute a bunt. If the Tigers won last night I would have said Leyland played a huge part for his role in managing the bullpen brilliantly until Pauley blew up. I'm all for criticizing baseball decisions, but you better know what you're talking about. I'm sick of Magglio batting third. I'd like to hear Leyland's reasoning behind that. But when you ignorantly complain about small ball and are called out on it, you should come up with your own reasons for why Leyland is failing instead of asking others why he isn't.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:49 PM ^
Post
August 10th, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^
The Tribe always finds a way to blow 5+ run leads late in games.
Anyways, Go Tribe!
August 10th, 2011 at 9:33 PM ^
Kind of like how the Tigers blow late leads in the division? Yea i know thats a lot harder but yeap it still happens.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
The Tigers are third in the AL in sacrifice hits. But hey, lets not let facts get in the way of a chance to bash Leyland for never playing small ball.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
blow the lead and finish in third. Illitch cares not about winning, but turn stiles.So long as people trek down to CoPa to see a mediocre club(which is better than what he gave us the first 15 years he had the club) Dumbroski and Leyland will have jobs. This team is going nowhere. Illitch is a terrible baseball owner.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:24 PM ^
Yeah, what a terrible owner. He won't outspend the Red Sox and Yankees, only everyone else.
August 10th, 2011 at 11:10 PM ^
Purely speculative
but do you think the Sox or Yanks would have given Nate Robertson 21 million? What about 29 million for D-train (before he saw an AL lineup)? The only major market we have to really outspend is Chicago. It's not like we're competing with an LA or a Boston or NYC. Spend smart, not reckless.
Edit: Shit, did not realize the Twins were at $113 million.
August 11th, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^
How is he in anyway a good owner? Sure, they made the World Series, but then Bill Bidwell's Cardinals made a Super Bowl.
Spending money does not equal good ownership.
The Tigers are an average team and have been so for 3 years now.. Dumbroski's moves have not made this team appreciably better.
August 11th, 2011 at 1:02 AM ^
"Dumbroski's moves have not made this team appreciably better."
I wouldn't go that far. He's made some bad moves to be sure but he also traded Grandy, got Miggy, got V-Mart, extended Verlander, drafted Avila, got Scherzer in the Grandy deal, drafted Porcello. I know people will point to Jurjjens but there's always the chance he wouldn't have developed the way he has.
Oh yeah, Boesch and Valverde.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
Also, this "sky is falling" act is hilarious.
The Tigers are two games up in August. If this was September 25th, I might be worried. Actually, I wouldn't be that worried.