OT: Tigers vs. Rays July 3 open thread
The Tigers are teeing off. It's 5-1 Tigers in the first inning and we already have free curly fries with Tori's home run.
Fun stuff! Keep teeing off!
Welcome back Victor. Jeez, man.
Erik Bedard is really getting up there. He used to be a really good pitcher, but he just doesn't have it anymore. Obviously this is an especially bad game even for him, but it isn't that surprising. His fastballs are all in the 80s, some of them low 80s.
were just talking about a post-game fireworks spectacle.
IMO, it would take something really special to top the Tiger firewooks their bats have provided so far---Tigers just scored another to make it 6-1, now at the end of 2.
of a defensive play by Castellanos at 3rd, followed by huge defensive fireworks at shortstop by Suarez!
Tigers still leading 6-1, heading to the bottom of 3.
Its been really fun to watch the Tigers these last couple of weeks. Hopefully they've figured things out.
7-1!
I hope they keep it together this time or at a minimum don't have everything fall apart at once like earlier this year.
Give some credit to Ausmus for keeping it all together during that 9-20 stretch they went through, they're playing some good baseball right now but really it all comes down to starting pitching.
a little credit, too---thought still shaky at times, it's no longer the chamber of horrors it was for the first two months of the season. The kids they've brought up out of the minors have, for the most part, done a solid job in middle relief, Nathan has been able to get some key outs as the closer, Jaba has been consistantly good, and Coke? I really can't believe the turnaround he's made. I was readyand willing to lead the screaming mob, with torches and pitchforks, on a march directly to Dombrowski's office all season long until the last 2 weeks.
Now, I have to admit, it's fun to watch Coke as he sprints in, grabs the ball, and battles away. Even if he falls apart again (which is more than likely to happen at some point), he's at least earned my admiration for battling thru the tough times to be a factor again. You gotta love his enthusiasm and determination!
They could still use help there but it's been much better.
fun to watch this team when its rolling. hopefully may/june was just a freak. outside of that streak, i think the club is like 38-13 (.745), which is unheard of.
from Wikipedia:
| Season | Franchise | League | Wins | Losses | Pct. | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | Chicago Cubs | NL | 116 | 36 | .763 | Lost 1906 World Series |
| 1902 | Pittsburgh Pirates | NL | 103 | 36 | .741 | National League Champions |
| 1886 | Chicago White Stockings | NL | 90 | 34 | .726 | Lost 1886 World Series |
| 1909 | Pittsburgh Pirates | NL | 110 | 42 | .724 | Won 1909 World Series |
| 1954 | Cleveland Indians | AL | 111 | 43 | .721 | Lost 1954 World Series |
| 2001 | Seattle Mariners | AL | 116 | 46 | .716 | Lost 2001 ALCS |
| 1927 | New York Yankees | AL | 110 | 44 | .714 | Won 1927 World Series |
| 1886 | Detroit Wolverines | NL | 87 | 36 | .707 | 2nd place in National League |
| 1897 | Boston Beaneaters | NL | 93 | 39 | .705 | Lost 1897 Temple Cup |
| 1998 | New York Yankees | AL | 114 | 48 | .704 | Won 1998 World Series |
| 1907 | Chicago Cubs | NL | 107 | 45 | .704 | Won 1907 World Series |
| 1931 | Philadelphia Athletics | AL | 107 | 45 | .704 | Lost 1931 World Series |
| 1887 | St. Louis Browns | AA | 95 | 40 | .704 | Lost 1887 World Series |
| 1939 | New York Yankees | AL | 106 | 45 | .702 | Won 1939 World Series |
at the 1/2 mark, 47-34, 100 wins is still doable.
crazy that it's entirely possible this team has just one all-star (i expect 3-4, personally).
especially if he continues to pitch well and get the win this Sunday---that would give him his league-leading 12th of the season. I think this 25+ inning scoreless streak he's currently on has lowered his ERA to 3.2something.
victor would be an unbelievable snub, but he wont catch cruz and ferrell could easilly take ortiz. it would be BS but it's possible. could still go as a catcher, as well.
i think porcello is no means a lock. he's outside looking in, imo. the field is crowded and while rick is having a great year for him, he is only have a good year by top calibre pitching standards. since rick isnt an established name, i think he's an easy snub in a crowded field.
scherzer, for one, could steal his spot. i think thats ok, being the reigning cy young.
Ferrell may have some bias towards his guy (Ortiz), but I don't think it is enough to turn him into a complete idiot.
Man, this rollercoaster of a season is fun with games like this.
Some of you might occasionally use StatSheet and hopefully you find some of the current numbers interesting. The Tigers summary is here - LINK
They do a quick comparison of various stats against the MLB average, and as of end of business yesterday, the Tigers are:
- #2 in batting average (.276)
- #3 in hits (789)
- #6 in runs (378)
- #8 in home runs (87)
- #5 in RBIs (370)
- #9 in stolen bases (56)
That last one is a stat I really find refreshing for this team.
7 innings, 86 pitches. with a huge lead i think the smart move is to let him have an easy night, but i think they'll let him go for the cg if the 8th goes well.
when this team is on they are tough to beat, and intimidating.
jdon
However, I don't quite understand the positivity regarding Nathan and the closer spot. Even in saves Nathan still looks far from dominant and is hanging on by the skin of his teeth most of the time. Simply put, he couldn't be trusted in a key playoff situation with the way he has pitched this season.
The rest of the team is really coming together, but the closer spot is the sticking point. Either Nathan needs to start looking like vintage Nathan more frequently or the Tigers are going to have to find a better option, because you can't win a WS without somebody closing games at a high level.
someone they let get away after last season: Joaquin Benoit. According to USA Today, the Tigers have been talking to the Padres about a trade to reacquire Benoit, who's got a 1.30 ERA as a set-up man for San Diego.
TIGERS WIN!!!
nice to see they hopefully have shaken off that horrible 4-16 slump.
a bit OT:
Some of you---at least the bigger baseball fans among you---may already be aware of the significance of today's date. For those who aren't, July 4th is the 75th anniversary of the most memorable speech in baseball history, Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech. Here it is:
I'm not at all a fan of the Yankees, but I am a big fan of baseball, of baseball history, and of Gehrig. I just got done watching Keith Olbermann and was stirred by what Olbermann had to say about this speech and of Gehrig. Wanted to make mention of it, especially after reading Gehrig's full speech and then watching the video of a small portion of it embedded in the link. Got goosebumps from doing so...
original 'pride of the yankees' movie, with gary cooper as lou gehrig, for the kids. we don't have regular t.v. so the kids appreciate movies like this alot.