A Detroit Tigers Blog with a Feminine Touch

Friday, August 31, 2012

You Drive Me Crazy: A Rant

Are you F***ING kidding us?

What was that series? No, really, what was it? Our offense shows up for one night, and not only do we lose by one run, it's the one night that Verlander pitches like a middle schooler? The next two nights our team loses AGAIN by one run (!) after Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello give up 1 and 2 runs, respectively(!!!)???

Kansas City has definitely played the roll of spoiler before. Why should now be any different? We'll tell you why. Because our team is BETTER THAN THIS. They do not suck. They can still win it. But that was the worst series of the year, by far BAR NONE. Offense, get yo shit together. We have Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera (albeit injured) on the SAME TEAM. COME ON. Justin Verlander: hello?!? Is precious Kate Upton distracting you or are you just being severely un-clutch? This is the playoff push, guys. This is where we go hard or go home.

Please be advised: we are not panicking. We can still do this. Please--we have seven games head-to-head against the White Sox. Anything can happen. Props to them, by the way, for TRYING to at least let us get within a game of them. It seems like our last open plea worked! Unfortunately, our boys didn't listen. And that is the heart of this post. Pure, unbridled frustration. Seeing all this potential and skill and AWESOMENESS all on one team go to waste with bullshit games like that. If we want to make it to the playoffs, we are going to have to collect our shit, take the series from the White Sox this weekend, and play like we know we can play.

But really. The goddamn Royals? Swept?? Is this real life???

If the Tigers are anywhere near as pissed and mad and fired up as we are right now (we guarantee that they are) then they need to take out all that rage on those idiots from Chicago. With Fister, Scherzer, and Verlander taking the mound, we can smell a series win. If our boys play like we know they can.

Monday, August 27, 2012

An Open Letter to the Chicago White Sox


Dear Chicago White Sox Players, Coaches, and Staff,

Hello there! We know you don't know us, and we don't know you, but we certainly know of you. How are you guys? Enjoying first place? It must be nice at the top with a somewhat-cozy 2.5 game lead over the Detroit Tigers. Yeah, if you couldn't tell by now, we'r pretty big Tigers fans. And we actually have a favor to ask of you guys. A proposition, if you will.

Please. Stop. Winning. It's not fair and it doesn't make sense. Seriously, just look at you guys on paper! Let us tell you something that we're not sure you're completely aware of: you're playing way better than anyone ever expected. Call us naive, call us stupid, but we think we weren't the only ones that predicted you White Sox to be a big pile of dog crap this year. 

Even after you guys had a pretty great first half, the three of us thought that it wasn't going to get much better than that. Just like the Cleveland Indians of last year, your team was supposed to fade as our Tigers came roaring into the lead, a lead which they would never relinquish. Except things didn't go quite as planned. Our boys emerged from their first half woes to become somewhat respectable. That was all we thought we needed, right? Wrong. Your team hasn't done the whole showing-your-true-colors-and-fading-into-the-background. Oh, no. You are just as pesky as ever.

The Tigers are doing (mostly) everything they can. Shoddy defense and sporadic hitting aside, Miggy Poco & Co. have been doing their level best to take names and win (most) series. Admittedly, they could be playing better. They actually could be dominating right about now. But whatever! That's not the point. YOU, Chicago White Sox organization, need to work a little harder at losing. We don't like this whole "five game win streak" thing. Cut it out.

Even if you fools do something stupid like win tonight and put yourselves 3 games up on our boys, it won't matter in the end. Because STILL, after ALL THIS TIME we are confident that our Tigs will take the Central. Even it if it means a dramatic end-of-season finish. Sure, we'll need our defibrillators at the ready, but whatever. The Tigers have traveled this cardiac-inducing road recently (2009, anyone?) and learned from our mistakes (Game 163, anyone?). They'll be ready for you, not only in head-to-head combat but also the gradual grinding out wins over the next month. THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU, CHICAGO.

In the mean time, please, please, please do us a favor, and roll over and die. Really. We'd appreciate it. Stick to trying to get the Wild Card, or something. Because this division title? Yeah. It's staying in Detroit.

You Have Been Warned.

Love,

April in the D

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

It's Go Time

We're not so big on finality here. Now or never? Not really our thing. It's never over until it really actually is over in our minds.

So when people say that the Tigers need to make the playoff push NOW, we technically should just roll our eyes and scoff. But these Debbie Downers are actually right. The Tigers have been basically playing it safe and just kind of "hanging in there" instead of really pushing forward like last year and seizing the AL Central. To be blunt, it's time for our boys to stop dicking around and start winning consistently. It's GO TIME.

Looking at our remaining schedule, it is apparent that with all of our games against the Indians, Twins, and Royals, there should be a lot of series wins over the next month and a half. Besides two series against the Angels and one against the Athletics (featuring the return of Brandon Inge) it looks like our boys should have a fairly easy schedule. Emphasis on 'should.' Oh, and of course we have seven games  against the White Sox, three of which are at home. Bring. It. Awn.

It's never exactly heartening to see our boys lose 2 of 3 to the Orioles. At home. Not the best time for a Doug Fister pitching meltdown, either. Even though this is no time to panic, there still needs to be a sense of urgency around our team. We have faith that out resident MVP of the world, Miguel Cabrera, and his resident sidekick Prince Fielder will help save the day in any way they can.

Our boys are ready. They had an off day. They're well-rested. They can handle the Blue Jays, and all the other teams they face. It's our jobs as fans to root them on to overcome this 2-game deficit and overtake the White Sox. It's go time.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Tigers Giveth, Tigers Taketh Away

What gives???

Seriously, though. What the hell is up, guys? First our boys give us a beautiful, merciless sweep against the hated Tribe that included not only the best game of the year but one of the best games we've ever seen. Then, we take two straight from the Yankees and seem to be on a mini-roll. That is, until we lose two-straight (one in heartbreaking fashion) and lose 2 out of 3 against Texas, including a game in which Verlander pitched magnificently. Finally, and most annoyingly of all, our boys lost last night in a 9-3 debacle against the freaking Minnesota Twins, falling two games behind the White Sox. Christ.

And then.

And then, of course, we have two very good games against a pretty shitty team. Fister and Scherzer looked like the #2 and #3 pitchers that they are, and the offense (especially RBI leader Miguel Cabrera) was poppin' off. And yet, we're still 2 games back from the White Sox. 2 freakin' games.

We know we've been pretty positive in terms of our team this year. And by George, we know this group of idiots can get it together and still win this division. But everyone, fan and player alike, can admit that this season has been frustrating. As soon as we get it together--BLAM! It falls to pieces just as we're about to overtake that icky team from Chicago. Would it kill our boys to strive for a little consistency?

We as fans must be patient and vigilant. Our boys have crawled back from the abyss and are now waiting to overtake the top spot. Perhaps they're just saving their best for the playoffs? That would be interesting, but first we would have to make it there.

In conclusion--sorry we haven't been around much. Work/school consume us! But we will post much more, especially as the regular season winds down. WE. PROMISE.


Monday, August 6, 2012

Sweep That Dirt Off Yo Shoulder

Wow. Wow. WOW.

There is not much to say that hasn't already been said about yesterday's game. At the very least, it was the best game of the year for our boys. At the very most, it was one of the best comeback wins in the MLB for the entire season and the catalyst that will give the team the final push they need to surge ahead in the division for good.

Can we just talk for a second about the Indians? Sure, they were on a downward spiral anyways, they're no where near as good as the White Sox, and we'd already won the series. Whatever. That win was not only an amazing, 2-out comeback against a good closer, but the Tigers also basically slammed the door shut on the Tribe's playoff hopes in demoralizing, heart-breaking fashion.

Not surprisingly, this ridiculous win reminds us of a game the Tigers won last year, albeit a little differently: our boys came back from seven runs down to hit a walk-off (courtesy of Miguel Cabrera) against the White Sox. Our boys later went on to clobber them the next day and eventually sweep the team basically out of playoff contention. Sound familiar at all? Sure, we still have to deal with the Sox, but we can--and will!--get to them.

This win, and subsequent sweep, was also glorious redemption for the way the Tigers have been playing as of late. Series losses against Toronto and Boston aren't exactly encouraging signs, but the Tigers are playing magnificently at home, which bodes well for the four-gamer against New York.

Now it's time to just geek out over that win--and can we just talk about all the friendship/camaraderie/LOVE that was on display???

First--Miguel Cabrera. Unbelievable. He's not even at full health and he's hitting walk-offs like it's just another day. Well, for him we guess it is just another day. And of course, being the super awesome Super Teammate Miggy Poco that he is, he tries to give Austin Jackson all the credit and make it not about himself. Yes, Miggy, we know that Austin and Omar Infante started the rally and went 4-6 and was incredible, but YOU, good sir, finished that game for us. So clutch. And who could not have cracked a smile over the Best Bromance Ever that was on display immediately after the walk-off? We're talking, of course, about Miggy + Prince Fo Eva. So adorable. So much win!

This team is set to make a run for AL Central Champion. If we keep playing like this, no one is going to stop us.