Baseball is back, and so are we! As the regular season has finally gotten underway, the three of us think it's high time to resume writing on this blog regularly. With the added stress of school, work, family, and other stressors, we haven't gotten to see as much baseball as we would like. That is about to change.
After the first week of baseball, our boys are 4-3. Not great, you say? We beg to differ. This season we have made a solemn vow--we are NOT gonna let the haterz get us down. How quickly people forget what happened last season! A shitty first 2/3rds of the season and almost everyone was checking out, and then BOOM! Our Tigers were World Series bound. So even if we DON'T do as well in April (in the D! [!!!!!]) as everyone thinks we should, who the hell cares? It's one month! That being said, 4-3 ain't all that bad, folks, and we'll tell ya why.
This top 5 (Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez) is the best we've ever seen on our team. When they're on, they're on, and it has been evidenced very early in the season that they can be hard--if not impossible--to stop. Save for V-Mart, who we are expecting to take a little more time to get going (he HAS been gone for a year) the Fab Five have already made their mark.
Ajax is the catalyst for this group, and whenever he gets on base their is a high likelihood that the Tigers will score. Torii has been extremely impressive in his first week as a Tiger, hitting .424 and scoring 4 runs. While we obviously don't expect him to keep up with that BA number, we do think he is going to fit in quite nicely in the D. And don't even get us started on his bromance with Austin!
And then there's our big boys, the dynamic duo of Miguel & Prince. If we're perfectly honest here, we think both have the potential to win an MVP award. Seriously. The potential of their numbers has grown exponentially thanks to V-Mart's intimidating presence. In our minds, Triple Crown King Miguel has a great shot a repeating by simply coming close to the numbers he did last year. We're not saying he will win the Triple Crown again, but we are saying he should be plenty of folks' pre-season pick for MVP.
As far as starting pitching go, we're willing to overlook a few bumps in April! All these group of fine (and we mean fine) gentlemen need are a few outings under their belts and they can get back to kicking ass and taking names like they did in the postseason. Why, look at Anibal Sanchez! His outing today against the better-than-average Toronto Blue Jay offense was outstanding. We predict by May/June JV & Co. will be utterly dominant.
And then we come to our bullpen.
This, as we have said before, is clearly going to be a trouble spot--our only real trouble spot, hopefully--this year. While we are confident in Drew Smyly, Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit and Octavio Dotel, we honestly have not a clue what is to happen with our closing spot. True, the club did sign Jose Valverde, but we wouldn't call ourselves (or the rest of the Tigers fanbase) big fans of that move. Hopefully the team can figure out this issue sooner rather than later, or it could end up costing us more than a few games.
So for now, before people get too caught up in the stress and worry of will-the-or-won't-they-be-good-enough-to-make-the-playoffs-gahhh-help!!, relax and enjoy this lovely season of April in the D. IOnce again, it's going to be a fun and exciting year. We just know it.
PS-Congrats to Alex Avila and his wife on the birth of their first child!!!!! We remember when Alex was just a yougin' making his first start in the bigs....*sniff sniff*
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Breaking Dawn
Can you feel it?
Feel what, you ask? Why, just the glorious sensation of this 2013 baseball season finally, mercifully starting up again. Pitchers and catchers officially reported to training camp today, and it feels like the beginning of something beautiful.
While the Indians may be making wanna-be flashy, late off-season moves, our team doesn't have to. Our Tigers are, once again, the team to beat in the AL Central, and THIS year our boys have the leadership and all-around experience to make another post-season run. The question is: are they going to put us through as much pain and stress as last year?
Seriously. You remember the absolute torture of last season. The last month was fun and exciting, but we do not deserve the up-and-down emotional roller coaster of 2012. But this year, we have our beloved V-Mart back, and the addition of perennial leader Torii Hunter. They can hopefully keep our team on pace and not give us so many heart attacks.
But lets get to one of the burning issues of the offseason, a question which we're sure you're all sick and tired of, which has been dissected by almost everyone and talked about at length. But who cares, because we're going to talk about it anyway!
There aren't many uncertainties on our roster this season, but the biggest and most obvious one would have to be Bruce Rondon.
Welcome to the team, Bruce! The haters have already started talking about how his inexperience and youth are going to doom our closer spot and wreck our chances at being an elite ball club. While it is true that having a crappy closer can definitely affect the swagger of a team, how is it fair to say that Bruce
Look. If Jimbo and our main man Dave Dombrowski think that the kid has the stuff to be a closer for this team, then he does. It's just a matter of him executing. We think Master Bruce is talented enough to close for our club. Whether he can handle the pressure remains to be seen, but we're not going to count him out before he even steps on the field.
The sun is rising once more on our team. It is no coincidence that our team is seemingly getting better and better as the years go on, but we think that our time is now. Who knows how long we're going to have all of these superstars and young talents together? It's time for our boys to take what is theirs, and it all starts in Lakeland. We can't wait to see what happens next.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bye-Bye Brinks Truck
The boss gone. Whose walk-up song can we make fun of this year?!
We all know that Delmon Young was a free agent at the end of last year, but now we finally know where he'll be playing! The Phillies signed the portly DH to a one-year $750,000 contract. However, if we were Phillies fans, now would not be the time we'd be poppin' bottles of dat Rosé.
The Phillies' General Manager Ruben Amaro has said that they signed Delmon Young so that he could play right field for the Phillies. Everyday. Pardon our French, but what the f***?! This kind of decision is too ridiculous for even Jim Leyland to consider. Delmon Young is no good at defense; This is probably something to which even Delmon himself could admit. And he hasn't played right field in years...certainly not since he came to the Tigers. This makes the fact that the Phillies want him to play right field every single day for them simply unbelievable. It's so crazy, that we can hear the cries of despair from Phillies loyalists from around the nation as we type.
Perhaps Amaro sees something in Delmon that we Tigers fans did not. It's true that he came alive for us the past couple of postseasons. This postseason, Delmon was hitting when pretty much no one else was, and that was why he won MVP for the ALCS. You can't be a talentless hack and get a 1.186 OPS in the ALCS at the same time. Maybe the Phillies are hoping that Delmon hits like he did in the postseason all season for them. However, the chances of that happening are slim, especially since Demon might start the season for the Phillies on the Disabled List.
Despite the strangeness of this contract, we're happy thatwe don't have to deal with Delmon's bullshit anymore Delmon was signed somewhere else, and that he can continue playing the game he loves. If he plays for the Phillies like he played for us, we'll enjoy seeing him on the road this year! Bye-bye Brinks truck! And good riddance!
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| An injured Delmon Young goes to Philadelphia |
The Phillies' General Manager Ruben Amaro has said that they signed Delmon Young so that he could play right field for the Phillies. Everyday. Pardon our French, but what the f***?! This kind of decision is too ridiculous for even Jim Leyland to consider. Delmon Young is no good at defense; This is probably something to which even Delmon himself could admit. And he hasn't played right field in years...certainly not since he came to the Tigers. This makes the fact that the Phillies want him to play right field every single day for them simply unbelievable. It's so crazy, that we can hear the cries of despair from Phillies loyalists from around the nation as we type.
Perhaps Amaro sees something in Delmon that we Tigers fans did not. It's true that he came alive for us the past couple of postseasons. This postseason, Delmon was hitting when pretty much no one else was, and that was why he won MVP for the ALCS. You can't be a talentless hack and get a 1.186 OPS in the ALCS at the same time. Maybe the Phillies are hoping that Delmon hits like he did in the postseason all season for them. However, the chances of that happening are slim, especially since Demon might start the season for the Phillies on the Disabled List.
Despite the strangeness of this contract, we're happy that
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Return
We're baaaaaaaaaack!
Not as soon as we would have hoped, but April in the D is back in blogging business once more!
Sorry for the extended leave of absence, but after the acquisition of Torii Hunter, things got crazy for us! With finals, holidays, and job stress quickly rising, it was hard for us to keep up with this thing. Add on the heartbreak of our boys' World Series and it was the perfect recipe for completely neglecting this blog. We apologize.
But like a phoenix rises from the ashes, our blog too will be reborn! Our break was only temporary, folks--we are back for good.
Now, down to business. Stuff has happened since we've been gone, but not too much stuff. Miguel Cabrera did indeed win the MVP (yes, it has been THAT long since we've been on here) and it wasn't even all that close, and thank goodness for that! We always knew Cabrera would win out in the end, but we didn't think it would be such a convincing victory. Now he's in the running to be on the cover of MLB 13 The Show, but we have to vote him in. So, VOTE!
Also, lest we not forget that Anibal Sanchez is returning!!!! Yes, it's to the tune of $80 million, and yes, the Tigers apparently insulted him by a lesser offer at the Winter Meetings, but Dave Dombrowski waved his magic money wand bestowed to him by Mike Illitch and all was taken care of. We even got the pleasure of stealing Sanchez right from underneath the Cubs' nose! HA!
Since then, however, it's been a pretty tame winter. No big splashes at the Winter Meetings. No acquisitions of any hot rod stud players. Not that we care. With V-Mart healing up, Sanchez returning, and Torii on board, we should be ready for one hell of a season.
TigerFest and the caravan are upcoming, and with pitchers and catchers reporting in a matter of weeks, this winter is looking brighter already!
Not as soon as we would have hoped, but April in the D is back in blogging business once more!
Sorry for the extended leave of absence, but after the acquisition of Torii Hunter, things got crazy for us! With finals, holidays, and job stress quickly rising, it was hard for us to keep up with this thing. Add on the heartbreak of our boys' World Series and it was the perfect recipe for completely neglecting this blog. We apologize.
But like a phoenix rises from the ashes, our blog too will be reborn! Our break was only temporary, folks--we are back for good.
Now, down to business. Stuff has happened since we've been gone, but not too much stuff. Miguel Cabrera did indeed win the MVP (yes, it has been THAT long since we've been on here) and it wasn't even all that close, and thank goodness for that! We always knew Cabrera would win out in the end, but we didn't think it would be such a convincing victory. Now he's in the running to be on the cover of MLB 13 The Show, but we have to vote him in. So, VOTE!
Also, lest we not forget that Anibal Sanchez is returning!!!! Yes, it's to the tune of $80 million, and yes, the Tigers apparently insulted him by a lesser offer at the Winter Meetings, but Dave Dombrowski waved his magic money wand bestowed to him by Mike Illitch and all was taken care of. We even got the pleasure of stealing Sanchez right from underneath the Cubs' nose! HA!
Since then, however, it's been a pretty tame winter. No big splashes at the Winter Meetings. No acquisitions of any hot rod stud players. Not that we care. With V-Mart healing up, Sanchez returning, and Torii on board, we should be ready for one hell of a season.
TigerFest and the caravan are upcoming, and with pitchers and catchers reporting in a matter of weeks, this winter is looking brighter already!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
NoTORIIous
Well!
So, it's been a while. Fifteen days, to be exact. We don't know about you guys, but the three of us needed to take a breather from baseball. There is still too much pain after that World Series From Hell, and we needed to to remove ourselves from that situation.
But, as per usual, the game we love sucks us back in, in none other than the form of a notorious, card-carrying Tiger Killer, Torii Hunter. When we first read about the Tigers showing interest in the slick-fielding outfielder, our interest was piqued, but we didn't pay too much attention to it. We knew other teams were interested in him, and we figured Torii would need to take some time to weigh his options.
We were so, so wrong.
Torii Hunter doesn't wait for you to contact him, HE goes out and contacts YOU. We have never heard of a player pitch himself so strongly and confidently to a team, let alone our own Tigers. Remember when Dombrowski & Co. had to beg people to play in the D? Those days are clearly long, long gone. Now we have All-Star Gold Glove winners banging on our door, demanding to be let on the American League Championship team.
Times, they have a'changed. To put it crudely, the Tigers are suddenly the hottest bitches on the block, and everyone wants a go. Best part is, everyones on the same page: Hunter wants a WS ring. So does Illitch. The time is now.
Do people even realize what has happened? We have gone from Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch to Victor Martinez and Torii Hunter. In what world does this happen? Yankee Land, maybe, but not in Detroit. This is absolutely crazy.
So we guess it's time to cross Mr. Hunter of our hate list and nestle him in our hearts, because he is now One Of Us. It only makes it that much sweeter that Torii wanted to play in the Old English D. What can we say? We're an appealing club.
We will address the issue of JV's Cy Young loss and Miggy's impending MVP decision (gulp!) soon. Right now, let us bask in the glow of another already successful offseason.
So, it's been a while. Fifteen days, to be exact. We don't know about you guys, but the three of us needed to take a breather from baseball. There is still too much pain after that World Series From Hell, and we needed to to remove ourselves from that situation.
But, as per usual, the game we love sucks us back in, in none other than the form of a notorious, card-carrying Tiger Killer, Torii Hunter. When we first read about the Tigers showing interest in the slick-fielding outfielder, our interest was piqued, but we didn't pay too much attention to it. We knew other teams were interested in him, and we figured Torii would need to take some time to weigh his options.
We were so, so wrong.
Torii Hunter doesn't wait for you to contact him, HE goes out and contacts YOU. We have never heard of a player pitch himself so strongly and confidently to a team, let alone our own Tigers. Remember when Dombrowski & Co. had to beg people to play in the D? Those days are clearly long, long gone. Now we have All-Star Gold Glove winners banging on our door, demanding to be let on the American League Championship team.
Times, they have a'changed. To put it crudely, the Tigers are suddenly the hottest bitches on the block, and everyone wants a go. Best part is, everyones on the same page: Hunter wants a WS ring. So does Illitch. The time is now.
Do people even realize what has happened? We have gone from Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch to Victor Martinez and Torii Hunter. In what world does this happen? Yankee Land, maybe, but not in Detroit. This is absolutely crazy.
So we guess it's time to cross Mr. Hunter of our hate list and nestle him in our hearts, because he is now One Of Us. It only makes it that much sweeter that Torii wanted to play in the Old English D. What can we say? We're an appealing club.
We will address the issue of JV's Cy Young loss and Miggy's impending MVP decision (gulp!) soon. Right now, let us bask in the glow of another already successful offseason.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
World Series Games 2, 3, & 4: An Abrupt End
It's over.
We can't even believe we're writing this right now, but it is what it is. A fantastic, exciting, thrilling end of the season has culminated in a stunning, abrupt 4-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. We're still in shock. There wasn't even anything to really cry or be too upset about. It wasn't a slow, painful loss. It was so…sudden.
The three of us were at Game 4, and it was fun. Until we lost. But even then we knew: this was not our year. We're not sure what the Giants did to become so dominant so sudden, but we're pretty sure its going to involve them all owing a debt to Hades or something.
But we're done talking about the disappointment. Even though the ending was shitty as can be, this CANNOT take away from our amazing run in this crazy year.
Our boys, who a month and a half ago looked too inept to win the division, made it to baseball's biggest stage. They played in the last game of the season. They made it to a World Series. Plus, we witnessed the first Triple Crown in 45 years courtesy of Miguel Cabrera and another Cy Young-deserving performance from Justin Verlander. Prince Fielder returned in triumphant fashion to the D, and fit seamlessly into the clubhouse. And you know what?
It will only get better next year.
Yes, we have to wait a few (four) months until Spring Training. But it will be worth it. Victor Martinez himself is returning to us, making an already formidable offense downright terrifying. Hopefully Dave Dombrowski will figure out a way to get Anibal Sanchez to return to the Fab Four, making our pitching staff as good as we've ever seen in the D.
Plus, we've got some scary good upcoming talent. Avisail Garcia, anyone? Kid may still need some work, but he's going to be good. And don't even get us started on (future outfielder?) Nick Castellanos. Those two are major reasons to get pumped about upcoming seasons.
And finally, Leyland is coming back. While some may not like this idea, and while we're certainly not 100% behind everything he does, Leyland just managed this team to a World Fucking Series after underperforming all year. He deserves some credit for this amazing year. The 1-year contract extension is perfect.
While we're ALL going to need a few days (or weeks, or months) to recover from this tragic ending to our season, we need to all remember how far this team went and how much further they can go next year. That's the beautiful thing about this team--even in the darkest of times, the future is very bright. We can't wait to see what it brings.
We can't even believe we're writing this right now, but it is what it is. A fantastic, exciting, thrilling end of the season has culminated in a stunning, abrupt 4-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. We're still in shock. There wasn't even anything to really cry or be too upset about. It wasn't a slow, painful loss. It was so…sudden.
The three of us were at Game 4, and it was fun. Until we lost. But even then we knew: this was not our year. We're not sure what the Giants did to become so dominant so sudden, but we're pretty sure its going to involve them all owing a debt to Hades or something.
But we're done talking about the disappointment. Even though the ending was shitty as can be, this CANNOT take away from our amazing run in this crazy year.
Our boys, who a month and a half ago looked too inept to win the division, made it to baseball's biggest stage. They played in the last game of the season. They made it to a World Series. Plus, we witnessed the first Triple Crown in 45 years courtesy of Miguel Cabrera and another Cy Young-deserving performance from Justin Verlander. Prince Fielder returned in triumphant fashion to the D, and fit seamlessly into the clubhouse. And you know what?
It will only get better next year.
Yes, we have to wait a few (four) months until Spring Training. But it will be worth it. Victor Martinez himself is returning to us, making an already formidable offense downright terrifying. Hopefully Dave Dombrowski will figure out a way to get Anibal Sanchez to return to the Fab Four, making our pitching staff as good as we've ever seen in the D.
Plus, we've got some scary good upcoming talent. Avisail Garcia, anyone? Kid may still need some work, but he's going to be good. And don't even get us started on (future outfielder?) Nick Castellanos. Those two are major reasons to get pumped about upcoming seasons.
And finally, Leyland is coming back. While some may not like this idea, and while we're certainly not 100% behind everything he does, Leyland just managed this team to a World Fucking Series after underperforming all year. He deserves some credit for this amazing year. The 1-year contract extension is perfect.
While we're ALL going to need a few days (or weeks, or months) to recover from this tragic ending to our season, we need to all remember how far this team went and how much further they can go next year. That's the beautiful thing about this team--even in the darkest of times, the future is very bright. We can't wait to see what it brings.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
World Series Game 1: Wait…What?
Ahem.
So.
That game did not turn out as expected. Like, really, really not as expected. Crazy shit was happening and we kept looking around the room like, "Is this a joke? Are we on Punk'd? What in the world is going on here?"
First off, Justin Brooks Verlander did not look anything like Justin Brooks Verlander. Sure, he gave up his standard first-inning home run (to one persistent Panda). Annoying, but not unexpected and not anything our boys couldn't bounce back from. And then the third inning happened and all hell broke loose. A ball that should have been easily fielded by Miggy hit the bag and errantly rolled into left field. This seemed to shake our sweet JV, as he subsequently gave up 3 more runs in the inning and 4 more overall, including an RBI single to Barry Zito.
'Tis true. BARRY ZITO. That was when we knew the laws of nature/physics/the Gods were not on our side this game. We especially knew it when Delmon Young grounded into the weirdest double play ever, when Gregor Blanco robbed us not once but twice on identical plays, and JV was out of the game by the fifth inning. Unreal.
We would like to know--what kind of voodoo witch magic did the Giants cast to get such improbable wins? Who or what did they sacrifice to which god? Did they sell their souls to the devil? We're not sure, but that game was such a shit show of Improbable Things You Never Thought Would Happen that we're wiling to believe anything at this point. It was almost funny!!!
Almost.
You know what we need our Tigers to do now? Get pissed. Get angry. Get revenge. Justin Verlander has carried our team pitching-wise all year long. Now it's time for our team to come back in Game 2 and avenge him. We all know this team can bounce back from disappointment. The Giants and their Panda have had their fun. It's our team's turn now.
And for all you people giving up on our team already (we know you're there! We see you!!!): FOR SHAME. The sky is not falling, the world is not ending, and our team is nowhere close to being done. This was only a minor setback, and now it's time for our boys to step up on the world's biggest stage.
So.
That game did not turn out as expected. Like, really, really not as expected. Crazy shit was happening and we kept looking around the room like, "Is this a joke? Are we on Punk'd? What in the world is going on here?"
First off, Justin Brooks Verlander did not look anything like Justin Brooks Verlander. Sure, he gave up his standard first-inning home run (to one persistent Panda). Annoying, but not unexpected and not anything our boys couldn't bounce back from. And then the third inning happened and all hell broke loose. A ball that should have been easily fielded by Miggy hit the bag and errantly rolled into left field. This seemed to shake our sweet JV, as he subsequently gave up 3 more runs in the inning and 4 more overall, including an RBI single to Barry Zito.
'Tis true. BARRY ZITO. That was when we knew the laws of nature/physics/the Gods were not on our side this game. We especially knew it when Delmon Young grounded into the weirdest double play ever, when Gregor Blanco robbed us not once but twice on identical plays, and JV was out of the game by the fifth inning. Unreal.
We would like to know--what kind of voodoo witch magic did the Giants cast to get such improbable wins? Who or what did they sacrifice to which god? Did they sell their souls to the devil? We're not sure, but that game was such a shit show of Improbable Things You Never Thought Would Happen that we're wiling to believe anything at this point. It was almost funny!!!
Almost.
You know what we need our Tigers to do now? Get pissed. Get angry. Get revenge. Justin Verlander has carried our team pitching-wise all year long. Now it's time for our team to come back in Game 2 and avenge him. We all know this team can bounce back from disappointment. The Giants and their Panda have had their fun. It's our team's turn now.
And for all you people giving up on our team already (we know you're there! We see you!!!): FOR SHAME. The sky is not falling, the world is not ending, and our team is nowhere close to being done. This was only a minor setback, and now it's time for our boys to step up on the world's biggest stage.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A Message from The Tigers: Roaring Rampage of Revenge
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| Uma's only saying what Tigers fans are all thinking... |
"Looked dead, didn't we?
Well, we weren't. But it wasn't from lack of trying, we can tell you that. Actually, that umpire's missed call put our team in a slump--a slump we were to lie in for four months. When we snapped out of it, we went on what the ESPN announcers refer to as 'A Roaring Rampage of Revenge.' We roared, and we rampaged, and we got bloody satisfaction.
We've beaten a hell of a lot of teams to get to this point, but we've only got one more.
The last one.
The one we're driving to right now.
The only team left.
And when we arrive at the World Series, we are gonna
BEAT THE GIANTS."
DEATH LIST FOUR
4. San Francisco Giants
If you readers don't get what was just referenced above, watch Kill Bill. You won't regret it, and maybe you'll blame us less for doing something so cheesy. But goddammit, we're excited. Our boys clawed their way out of mediocrity and disappointment and are now in the World freaking Series. Tigers vs. Giants. Verlander vs. Zito. It all starts tonight.
The Tigers have red on their ledger, and they'd like to…wait, wrong movie. Whatever. To Game 1 we go!!!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
ALCS Games 3&4: Pitch Perfect
Do you hear that?
That is the sound of thousands and thousands of people jumping on the Detroit Tigers bandwagon. Why would they be doing that? Well…
Because the Detroit Tigers are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With some of the best collective pitching we have ever seen, the Tigers swept (!!!) the Yankees (!!!!!) in the ALCS at home and are advancing to the Big Show. Sure, the national media may be focusing more on the Yankees losing than our boys winning, but it's all good. Because we Tigers Faithful know what our team has done this year. We know how far they have come. Hell, a month ago our boys were 3 games out of the AL Central lead with 15 left to play, and many fans were calling it a season. But our team believed. And we believed. And we got to witness an absolute blowout last night, highlighted by great pitching by Max Scherzer and Phil Coke and booming offense courtesy of four home runs.
Speaking of Phil Coke, how awesome is it to see him step up in such clutch situations? The last three games were closed by him, two of those being two-innings worth of work. When he spiked his glove (which he later referred to as a "she") for the final out, we lost it. Actually, we were losing it from the moment Prince Fielder caught that ball and our boys stormed the field.
We're going to the World Series. The Detroit Tigers are going to the World Series. It doesn't seem real. Sure, the three of us have supported the team all year and never gave up the faith and all that jazz, but we didn't know they could ever win the American League in such a dominant fashion. All year the team has been trying to find their groove, and they found it at just the right time. Cabrera won the Triple Crown. Our starting pitchers, all around the same time, started not just getting good, but getting really good. And our hitters, while not being the most bombastic offense ever, actually started to get clutch hits and rally. It all pieced together at the same time.
And while we're very happy/surprised for Delmon Young, the real MVP has to go to the Fab Four: Fister, Sanchez, Verlander, and Scherzer. Two runs given up? Total? In four games? Against the Yankees?!?!? Granted, whoever the Tigers face in the World Series is going to be a tougher offensively, but still. So. Freaking. Impressive.
We're so, so happy for our boys. We're so happy for Jim Leyland. We're happy for the organization, the fans, and especially the city of Detroit. And the best part?
We ain't done yet.
This isn't 2006 anymore. Our boys don't just want to make it to the World Series: they want it all. As exciting and emotional as this season has been, it can still get better. And we can't wait to see what happens next.
That is the sound of thousands and thousands of people jumping on the Detroit Tigers bandwagon. Why would they be doing that? Well…
Because the Detroit Tigers are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With some of the best collective pitching we have ever seen, the Tigers swept (!!!) the Yankees (!!!!!) in the ALCS at home and are advancing to the Big Show. Sure, the national media may be focusing more on the Yankees losing than our boys winning, but it's all good. Because we Tigers Faithful know what our team has done this year. We know how far they have come. Hell, a month ago our boys were 3 games out of the AL Central lead with 15 left to play, and many fans were calling it a season. But our team believed. And we believed. And we got to witness an absolute blowout last night, highlighted by great pitching by Max Scherzer and Phil Coke and booming offense courtesy of four home runs.
Speaking of Phil Coke, how awesome is it to see him step up in such clutch situations? The last three games were closed by him, two of those being two-innings worth of work. When he spiked his glove (which he later referred to as a "she") for the final out, we lost it. Actually, we were losing it from the moment Prince Fielder caught that ball and our boys stormed the field.
We're going to the World Series. The Detroit Tigers are going to the World Series. It doesn't seem real. Sure, the three of us have supported the team all year and never gave up the faith and all that jazz, but we didn't know they could ever win the American League in such a dominant fashion. All year the team has been trying to find their groove, and they found it at just the right time. Cabrera won the Triple Crown. Our starting pitchers, all around the same time, started not just getting good, but getting really good. And our hitters, while not being the most bombastic offense ever, actually started to get clutch hits and rally. It all pieced together at the same time.
And while we're very happy/surprised for Delmon Young, the real MVP has to go to the Fab Four: Fister, Sanchez, Verlander, and Scherzer. Two runs given up? Total? In four games? Against the Yankees?!?!? Granted, whoever the Tigers face in the World Series is going to be a tougher offensively, but still. So. Freaking. Impressive.
We're so, so happy for our boys. We're so happy for Jim Leyland. We're happy for the organization, the fans, and especially the city of Detroit. And the best part?
We ain't done yet.
This isn't 2006 anymore. Our boys don't just want to make it to the World Series: they want it all. As exciting and emotional as this season has been, it can still get better. And we can't wait to see what happens next.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
ALCS Game 2: When Life Gives the Other Team Lemons...
…make some sweet, victorious, clutch lemonade.
Sure, the Yankees and their fans may bitch and moan about the obviously erroneous call at 2nd, where Omar Infante clearly did not beat a tag by Robinson Cano. And they should be mad. But they were already losing 1-0 due to a fantastic pitching performance by Anibal Sanchez (who just keeps getting better). And so of course the Tigers took advantage of the situation, plating two runs thanks to Miguel Cabrera and Avisail "Little Mig" Garcia.
Speaking of Avisail: what an asset he's been in this postseason! Can you imagine where we'd be if Brennan Boesch made the squad instead? Probably not up in this series 2-0. Maybe not even in the ALCS at all. Kid's gonna be a star one day, and this postseason sure has given him an opportunity to shine.
Also: we never expected to take two out of two games from New York to start off. Though Lord Jeter has regrettably gone down with an injury, the Yankees are still very good, and their hitting is bound to pick up some time. But now look: going into Detroit up two games to none with our two best pitchers on the mound. It's not over--definitely not--but you are fooling yourselves if you think we're not in great position right now.
How excited are you for Game 3 tonight??? Close to peeing your pants like us? Justin Verlander could be the death blow that the Yankees have been dreading. Our offense and shaky bullpen just need to come through tonight, and we should be fine. It's gonna be a fun night!
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| Hear him ROAR!!!!! |
Sure, the Yankees and their fans may bitch and moan about the obviously erroneous call at 2nd, where Omar Infante clearly did not beat a tag by Robinson Cano. And they should be mad. But they were already losing 1-0 due to a fantastic pitching performance by Anibal Sanchez (who just keeps getting better). And so of course the Tigers took advantage of the situation, plating two runs thanks to Miguel Cabrera and Avisail "Little Mig" Garcia.
Speaking of Avisail: what an asset he's been in this postseason! Can you imagine where we'd be if Brennan Boesch made the squad instead? Probably not up in this series 2-0. Maybe not even in the ALCS at all. Kid's gonna be a star one day, and this postseason sure has given him an opportunity to shine.
Also: we never expected to take two out of two games from New York to start off. Though Lord Jeter has regrettably gone down with an injury, the Yankees are still very good, and their hitting is bound to pick up some time. But now look: going into Detroit up two games to none with our two best pitchers on the mound. It's not over--definitely not--but you are fooling yourselves if you think we're not in great position right now.
How excited are you for Game 3 tonight??? Close to peeing your pants like us? Justin Verlander could be the death blow that the Yankees have been dreading. Our offense and shaky bullpen just need to come through tonight, and we should be fine. It's gonna be a fun night!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
ALCS Game 1: Never Say Die
What a game.
How do you even begin with this one? Where do we even start? The story lines in this postseason drama were all over the place. But we will say one thing for starters: we are proud of our boys. So. Goddamn. Proud.
Doug Fister pitched amazing. Terrifyingly, but amazing. Boy got out of not one, not two, but three bases loaded jams in the first six innings. To add more drama/fear in our hearts, he took a hard hit ball of his wrist in the third that looked like it had "Season Over" written all over it. But he is (or at least appears to be) fine. Someone else, however, really is not (more on that later).
After Dougie left in the 6th, our boys in innings 7-8.5 were excellent. Runs were scored with clutch hitting (oh, HEY, Delmon Young!), great defensive plays were made (Juh-honny! A-Jax!) and solid bullpen relief was thrown (Coke! Benoit!). Really, really good baseball put the good guys up 4-0. With Valverde coming in to pitch the 9th, we smiled to ourselves, satisfied. Even HE couldn't mess up twice in a row, right? Even HE could protect a 4-run lead!
Except he didn't.
Our stomachs sank as the Potato, whom we had so trusted in last year's postseason appearances, gave up a two run homer to Ichiro Suzuki. Our jaws dropped as Jim Leyland left Valverde in the game to face Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez, two people who have been known to hit a few home runs in their day. And then our hearts broke as Valverde walked Teixeira and subsequently gave up a game-tying home run to Ibanez.
We fumed. We raged. We were devastated. Twitter was in an uproar, with many declaring the game to be lost. Most were, at the very least, calling for the removal of Valverde as closer and speaking out against the horrible managerial choice that Jim Leyland made (and rightfully so). Not many were optimistic about a win.
No one told that to the other 24 Tigers on the playoff roster.
Sure, they looked hella frustrated. JV grimaced furiously, murder in his eyes. Miggy punched a water cooler (and AJax tried to right it). Fister seemed to be in stunned disbelief. But they rallied. They fought. And, through stellar pitching from Octavio Dotel and Drew Smyly and clutch hitting and poor defense from the Yankees, they won.
Talk about grit. Talk about guts. Talk about a team that wants this. If anything, this season has prepared our boys on how to take the tough blows that games can deal out and how to rally. If taking your lumps in the regular season equates to being graceful under pressure in the postseason, then the Tigers narrow win over the White Sox for the Central Crown was so, so worth it. That was one of the best wins of the season for many reasons, but mostly because they did it as a TEAM. One star alone rarely wins the game by himself.
Speaking of stars, the extended game, which initially gave so much joy to the Yankee fans, later caused them immense, horrible pain as the Captain himself went down with a broken ankle. As much as we like to jest and overdramatize here at April in the D, we didn't want to see Jeter go like this. We hope he has a speed recovery.
Winning Game 1 puts our boys in an awesome position. With Verlander pitching Game 3 at home, today's game looks pretty much like do-or-die for the Yankees. As much as we hate them (and as much as we loved Nick Swisher making an ass out of himself in the outfield last night. Hee hee!), we understand that they are a GOOD TEAM. Just because Jeter is gone does not mean they're going to roll over for us.
This series is off to a very dramatic start. It doesn't do wonders for our blood pressure, but this is what the playoffs are all about. Drama. Action.Romance Heartbreak. Victory. All have appeared in the series so far--and we've only seen one game!
Now buckle up kids…it's on to Game 2!!!
How do you even begin with this one? Where do we even start? The story lines in this postseason drama were all over the place. But we will say one thing for starters: we are proud of our boys. So. Goddamn. Proud.
Doug Fister pitched amazing. Terrifyingly, but amazing. Boy got out of not one, not two, but three bases loaded jams in the first six innings. To add more drama/fear in our hearts, he took a hard hit ball of his wrist in the third that looked like it had "Season Over" written all over it. But he is (or at least appears to be) fine. Someone else, however, really is not (more on that later).
After Dougie left in the 6th, our boys in innings 7-8.5 were excellent. Runs were scored with clutch hitting (oh, HEY, Delmon Young!), great defensive plays were made (Juh-honny! A-Jax!) and solid bullpen relief was thrown (Coke! Benoit!). Really, really good baseball put the good guys up 4-0. With Valverde coming in to pitch the 9th, we smiled to ourselves, satisfied. Even HE couldn't mess up twice in a row, right? Even HE could protect a 4-run lead!
Except he didn't.
Our stomachs sank as the Potato, whom we had so trusted in last year's postseason appearances, gave up a two run homer to Ichiro Suzuki. Our jaws dropped as Jim Leyland left Valverde in the game to face Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez, two people who have been known to hit a few home runs in their day. And then our hearts broke as Valverde walked Teixeira and subsequently gave up a game-tying home run to Ibanez.
We fumed. We raged. We were devastated. Twitter was in an uproar, with many declaring the game to be lost. Most were, at the very least, calling for the removal of Valverde as closer and speaking out against the horrible managerial choice that Jim Leyland made (and rightfully so). Not many were optimistic about a win.
No one told that to the other 24 Tigers on the playoff roster.
Sure, they looked hella frustrated. JV grimaced furiously, murder in his eyes. Miggy punched a water cooler (and AJax tried to right it). Fister seemed to be in stunned disbelief. But they rallied. They fought. And, through stellar pitching from Octavio Dotel and Drew Smyly and clutch hitting and poor defense from the Yankees, they won.
Talk about grit. Talk about guts. Talk about a team that wants this. If anything, this season has prepared our boys on how to take the tough blows that games can deal out and how to rally. If taking your lumps in the regular season equates to being graceful under pressure in the postseason, then the Tigers narrow win over the White Sox for the Central Crown was so, so worth it. That was one of the best wins of the season for many reasons, but mostly because they did it as a TEAM. One star alone rarely wins the game by himself.
Speaking of stars, the extended game, which initially gave so much joy to the Yankee fans, later caused them immense, horrible pain as the Captain himself went down with a broken ankle. As much as we like to jest and overdramatize here at April in the D, we didn't want to see Jeter go like this. We hope he has a speed recovery.
Winning Game 1 puts our boys in an awesome position. With Verlander pitching Game 3 at home, today's game looks pretty much like do-or-die for the Yankees. As much as we hate them (and as much as we loved Nick Swisher making an ass out of himself in the outfield last night. Hee hee!), we understand that they are a GOOD TEAM. Just because Jeter is gone does not mean they're going to roll over for us.
This series is off to a very dramatic start. It doesn't do wonders for our blood pressure, but this is what the playoffs are all about. Drama. Action.
Now buckle up kids…it's on to Game 2!!!
Friday, October 12, 2012
ALDS Roller Coaster: Games 3, 4, and 5
Well everyone, it wouldn't be the Tigers if it wasn't dramatic, right? At least our boys are consistent in making our hearts stop! What matters now isn't that we lost two games in the middle, but that the Tigers are going to the ALCS to face the hated New York Yankees. Just saying that surprises us a little. A few weeks ago, it didn't look to likely that we'd be here, but now that we're here, we look good.
So, let's talk about the games shall we?
Game 3: Athletics-2 Tigers-0
This was kind of disheartening to watch. No one wants to be shut out in the post-season, especially when it the series win was just dangling there for the taking like a carrot on a stick. It felt especially disheartening for us Tigers fans because we've only been shut out twice this season, which is the lowest shutout rate in the majors. There were a few positives about this game though, despite the fact that we lost.Annabelle Anibal Sanchez looked really good out there. He made a couple of mistakes that cost him early in the game, but the A's are a talented team, and holding them to two runs was a pretty impressive feat. Prince Fielder came very close to scoring for us, but he got robbed by an impressive outfield play by Coco Crisp. Another promising sign was that Juh-honny Peralta got on base THRICE. Is this a sign that dormant Juh-honny is awakening? Probably not, but we hope so!
Game 4: Athletics-4 Tigers-3
Our reaction to game four was to reach for the nearest cyanide packet. To come so close to making it to the ALCS was particularly disheartening, especially considering the impressive efforts of Max Scherzer, Alex Avila, and Avisail Garcia. We were winning 3-0 for Christ's sake! We had the sparkling wine out and ready! But then it all went to hell when Valverde came on the mound. To be fair to Jim Leyland, there really wasn't another choice. Valverde was 19-20 during regular season save opportunities, so who are you going to put on the mound during the division series in a save situation? Your closer? Or Kid F**king Rick who's never pitched in a save situation in his life? Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit were available too, but we'd be calling for Leyland's head regardless of who pitched that terrible ninth and lost it for us. We don't want to talk about it anymore. It was a dark time for us all.
Game 5: Tigers-6 Athletics-0
This was one of the best games we as Tigers fans have ever had the pleasure to watch. Justin Verlander proved for the 120380523568th time why he is the ace of our pitching staff, pitching a complete game shut out with eleven (count 'em, eleven) strikeouts. JV said after that it was the game he was most proud of as a pitcher, including his no-hitters, and we can see why. Watching those A's swing and miss at his filthy pitches was absolutely joyful. In the third game, our hitting failed us, and in the fourth game our pitching failed us, but Game 5 showed Tigers fans just exactly what can happen when all of the Tigers are on. The A's were a great opponent, but when Justin Verlander pitches like that, nobody stands much of a chance. Our hitting manufactured plenty of runs for Justin to play with, but in the end, all he needed was one. Sorry to play the spoiler, A's, but the Tigers are heading to the ALCS!
So. Tomorrow the Tigers take on the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in what will likely be an epic rematch of last years dramatic ALDS. The Yankees are definitely looking for blood, but for some reason, we're pretty happy here at April in the D that it's the Yankees and not the O's. It'll make reaching the World Series that much sweeter. Perhaps we do have the worst record out of any team that made the post-season, but at this point, the regular season is in the past. What matters now is the tools we have, and the Tigers have threats in excess. Doug, Max, Ani, and Justin each showed just what exactly they can do on the mound, and we have faith that the Tigers offense will come through when it counts.
TO THE ALCS WE GO! (Congrats to those of you who have tickets to the games. Get loud and show everyone just what exactly the D is made of!)
So, let's talk about the games shall we?
Game 3: Athletics-2 Tigers-0
This was kind of disheartening to watch. No one wants to be shut out in the post-season, especially when it the series win was just dangling there for the taking like a carrot on a stick. It felt especially disheartening for us Tigers fans because we've only been shut out twice this season, which is the lowest shutout rate in the majors. There were a few positives about this game though, despite the fact that we lost.
Game 4: Athletics-4 Tigers-3
Our reaction to game four was to reach for the nearest cyanide packet. To come so close to making it to the ALCS was particularly disheartening, especially considering the impressive efforts of Max Scherzer, Alex Avila, and Avisail Garcia. We were winning 3-0 for Christ's sake! We had the sparkling wine out and ready! But then it all went to hell when Valverde came on the mound. To be fair to Jim Leyland, there really wasn't another choice. Valverde was 19-20 during regular season save opportunities, so who are you going to put on the mound during the division series in a save situation? Your closer? Or Kid F**king Rick who's never pitched in a save situation in his life? Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit were available too, but we'd be calling for Leyland's head regardless of who pitched that terrible ninth and lost it for us. We don't want to talk about it anymore. It was a dark time for us all.
Game 5: Tigers-6 Athletics-0
This was one of the best games we as Tigers fans have ever had the pleasure to watch. Justin Verlander proved for the 120380523568th time why he is the ace of our pitching staff, pitching a complete game shut out with eleven (count 'em, eleven) strikeouts. JV said after that it was the game he was most proud of as a pitcher, including his no-hitters, and we can see why. Watching those A's swing and miss at his filthy pitches was absolutely joyful. In the third game, our hitting failed us, and in the fourth game our pitching failed us, but Game 5 showed Tigers fans just exactly what can happen when all of the Tigers are on. The A's were a great opponent, but when Justin Verlander pitches like that, nobody stands much of a chance. Our hitting manufactured plenty of runs for Justin to play with, but in the end, all he needed was one. Sorry to play the spoiler, A's, but the Tigers are heading to the ALCS!
So. Tomorrow the Tigers take on the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in what will likely be an epic rematch of last years dramatic ALDS. The Yankees are definitely looking for blood, but for some reason, we're pretty happy here at April in the D that it's the Yankees and not the O's. It'll make reaching the World Series that much sweeter. Perhaps we do have the worst record out of any team that made the post-season, but at this point, the regular season is in the past. What matters now is the tools we have, and the Tigers have threats in excess. Doug, Max, Ani, and Justin each showed just what exactly they can do on the mound, and we have faith that the Tigers offense will come through when it counts.
TO THE ALCS WE GO! (Congrats to those of you who have tickets to the games. Get loud and show everyone just what exactly the D is made of!)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
ALDS Games 1&2: A Series of Fortunate Events
First things first: 2-0, BABY!!! TWO GAMES UP!!! ONE GAME FROM CLINCHING!!! EAT IT, OAKLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game 1 wasn't so terrifying. After Verlander gave up a leadoff home run, he was dominant, going seven innings and only allowing a handful of hits. The offense gave us just enough breathing room to comfortably get the win, and the Tigers won what might have been their most important game: one that Verlander pitched. Also, fun fact: Alex Avila's home run was the only RBI that was a hit. All of the Tigers other runs in the series so far have come from sacrifices, outs, or errors on Oakland's part.
Speaking of Oakland--they may be So Hot Right Now, but they were as sloppy as the Tigers were these past two games. Youth and energy works well for a race to the playoffs, but will Oakland do to us what they did to Texas and sweep? We don't think so. The energy in Oakland will be amazing, but we think our boys have enough experience and moxie to take the A's down.
We like that word. Moxie. We should use it more often.
Moxie is also not a word not often applied to Don Kelly (at least we don't think so) but he definitely had it in spades when he hit that amazing, breathtaking, majestic grand slam sac fly to help Detroit take Game 2. And what a Game it was! After the fearsome pitchers duel that was Doug Fister and some Random Lefty The Tigers Should Have Taken Advantage Of But Didn't, the bullpens of both teams turned the game into an absolute vortex of a shit storm.
Errors were made, wild pitches were thrown, and heart attacks were induced by both sides. When the dust settled, Al Albuquerque had kissed a baseball (truth) and Joaquin Benoit had given up two stolen bases, a wild pitch and a home run, but SOME HOW we were still tied at the bottom of the 9th.
And then Don Kelly happened.
Infante and Cabrera singled and Fielder walked to give our boys the bases loaded with one out and Don Kelly to the plate. Now, we could see what was going to happen. Good ol' DK was gonna ground into a Tigers-patented double play or strike out. He had never walked-off before. Who said he was gonna do it now?
Don Kelly said, that's who. He hit a soaring sac fly that left no doubt that the victory belonged to the Tigers, and our boys rushed the field in what could have been the most empowering and heartwarming moment of the season thus far. Us fans laughed, cried, and passed out from exhaustion/relief/joy. This just goes to show: in the playoffs, anyone can be a hero. And that day it was Don Kelly.
Ah, but really--bless those boys. Because now we're going into Oakland needing to only win one game. It's no secret: we would LOVE to just clobber those guys now and be done with it, but we're not naive. We know Oakland is going to try and give it everything they've got tonight. They have to. But then again, so will we.
Let's end this tonight, boys. To battle we go !
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Crowning Season
We meant to do submit the first part of this post a few days ago, but since we're lazy slackers we're combining the AL Championship (!!!) post with Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) one. Enjoy!!
We Get by with a Little Help from Our Friends
First things first.
BACK-TO-BACK AL CENTRAL CHAMPS, MOTHERF*****S!!!!!!
With all the hardships and underachieving, with all the naysayers, with all the bad luck and tough breaks--this one sure feels sweet. Perhaps we are not as confident in the Tigers' playoff chances this year, but this AL Central victory seems that much more rewarding because of all the crap we had to put up with all season long.
However good our starting pitching staff was these past eight games (pretty damn good), and however clutch certain members of our offense were (Prince Fielder in game 159, anyone?), this team could not have done all that they did alone. Major, major thanks goes out to the Angels, the Indians, the Royals, and the Rays for giving that White Sox team such a hard time.
Mostly, though we need to thank the White Sox themselves. They did this to themselves. With the division practically in their hands after our boys lost to them in Chicago, all they had to do was basically play .500 ball. They did not do that. Winning 3 of their last 13 games is not the way to wrap up a division title, and the Tigers made sure they paid.
We know we're going to play on Saturday at home against the A's, who basically, by the way, did to the Rangers what the Twins did to us back in 2006. Mad props. Yes, they're so hot right now, but we believe our boys can take them--especially with Verlander and Fister guaranteed to start two games at home. Of course, anything can happen. But as per usual, we are staying positive.
Our boys definitely took the road less traveled on their way to a championship, but that's cool. In the end it all paid off--and the future looks even more promising.
Royally Awesome
Two division champions were decided last night, as well as who would be playing in the Wild Card games. But what else was decided last night, you ask? Hmmm…. did it have some thing to do with this?
We Get by with a Little Help from Our Friends
First things first.
BACK-TO-BACK AL CENTRAL CHAMPS, MOTHERF*****S!!!!!!
With all the hardships and underachieving, with all the naysayers, with all the bad luck and tough breaks--this one sure feels sweet. Perhaps we are not as confident in the Tigers' playoff chances this year, but this AL Central victory seems that much more rewarding because of all the crap we had to put up with all season long.
However good our starting pitching staff was these past eight games (pretty damn good), and however clutch certain members of our offense were (Prince Fielder in game 159, anyone?), this team could not have done all that they did alone. Major, major thanks goes out to the Angels, the Indians, the Royals, and the Rays for giving that White Sox team such a hard time.
Mostly, though we need to thank the White Sox themselves. They did this to themselves. With the division practically in their hands after our boys lost to them in Chicago, all they had to do was basically play .500 ball. They did not do that. Winning 3 of their last 13 games is not the way to wrap up a division title, and the Tigers made sure they paid.
We know we're going to play on Saturday at home against the A's, who basically, by the way, did to the Rangers what the Twins did to us back in 2006. Mad props. Yes, they're so hot right now, but we believe our boys can take them--especially with Verlander and Fister guaranteed to start two games at home. Of course, anything can happen. But as per usual, we are staying positive.
Our boys definitely took the road less traveled on their way to a championship, but that's cool. In the end it all paid off--and the future looks even more promising.
Royally Awesome
Two division champions were decided last night, as well as who would be playing in the Wild Card games. But what else was decided last night, you ask? Hmmm…. did it have some thing to do with this?
That's right. He did it. And we still can't believe it happened.
If you had asked us even yesterday afternoon what we would have preferred, a Triple Crown winner or a postseason bid, we would have said postseason. But now we're not so sure. After the emotional and amazing scene we witnessed last night, Miguel Cabrera finally getting some major recognition for a feat that hadn't been seen in 45 years was the highlight of the season. Triple. Freaking. Crown.
Jim Leyland played it beautifully, by the way. Letting Miggy receive a standing O from the crowd (thanks Kansas City!!!) and have his moment in history was amazing to see and brought tears to our eyes. For someone so humble and so non-attention-seeking, Miguel Cabrera now has his moment.
We're not sure if we can even process this fully. In all seriousness, Mike Trout has had an amazing, amazing season and is a great player/person, but Miguel Cabrera has made history. In our minds, he cannot be denied.
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank Miguel Cabrera for bringing this amazing moment to us, to the Tigers organization, to Detroit, and to the baseball world. But mostly, to himself. He's earned all the praise that's going his way.
The playoffs start in two days at home. What with the Triple Crown and the Tiger's recent surge, the atmosphere is going to be bananas. We can hardly wait.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Race to Eight
So.
This is it.
The Tigers are finally, finally tied with the White Sox for the division lead. After missed opportunities and frustrating near-wins, it's Time. There is no point in saying "If only…." anymore. Our boys must win more games in eight attempts than the White Sox, and there's nothing else to it.
Of course, it is reassuring to point out that if, God forbid, we are tied at the end of the season, Game 163 will be played in Detroit. Fabulous. The Tigers have been merciless to the White Sox at home, and what's more, Verlander would be pitching that game. While tying definitely would not be ideal (we really don't want heart problems this early in our lives) it would be better than, say, losing to Youkilis & Co.
Anibal Sanchez was brilliant last night. Justin Verlander was great the day before. The offense needs to pick up the pace. Last night's game could have been a blowout, but we only won 2-0. There has to be more run support if we are to win against freaking Kansas City and Minnesota. Those teams are pretty bad, but a mere one or two runs isn't gonna cut it.
We don't think it needs to be said that we're all nervous. We're nervous about what the White Sox are going to do. We're nervous about how we're going to play. We're even nervous to see how Miguel Cabrera will do in his Triple Crown race. But we have believed in this team since day one, and no matter how frustrating or emotionally draining this season has been, we're right in the thick of it. Our boys can still get where we've expected them to be since they signed Prince Fielder--the Playoffs.
The boys are in control of their own destiny now. Win, and they have a good chance to make it to where we all want them to be.
Eight games.
Can they do it?
This is it.
The Tigers are finally, finally tied with the White Sox for the division lead. After missed opportunities and frustrating near-wins, it's Time. There is no point in saying "If only…." anymore. Our boys must win more games in eight attempts than the White Sox, and there's nothing else to it.
Of course, it is reassuring to point out that if, God forbid, we are tied at the end of the season, Game 163 will be played in Detroit. Fabulous. The Tigers have been merciless to the White Sox at home, and what's more, Verlander would be pitching that game. While tying definitely would not be ideal (we really don't want heart problems this early in our lives) it would be better than, say, losing to Youkilis & Co.
Anibal Sanchez was brilliant last night. Justin Verlander was great the day before. The offense needs to pick up the pace. Last night's game could have been a blowout, but we only won 2-0. There has to be more run support if we are to win against freaking Kansas City and Minnesota. Those teams are pretty bad, but a mere one or two runs isn't gonna cut it.
We don't think it needs to be said that we're all nervous. We're nervous about what the White Sox are going to do. We're nervous about how we're going to play. We're even nervous to see how Miguel Cabrera will do in his Triple Crown race. But we have believed in this team since day one, and no matter how frustrating or emotionally draining this season has been, we're right in the thick of it. Our boys can still get where we've expected them to be since they signed Prince Fielder--the Playoffs.
The boys are in control of their own destiny now. Win, and they have a good chance to make it to where we all want them to be.
Eight games.
Can they do it?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
On the Prowl
Dear gawd, the last few days have been stressful. We have to keep reminding ourselves to breathe. At least with that rain out last night we had some time to relax, but now we find ourselves more anxious/nervous/excited than ever.
First of all, mad, mad props to the Royals and the Angels for taking care of the White Sox for us. Man, when our boys lost on Thursday and we thought we were going to be set back 3 games, we were not happy. Luckily, Kansas City came through in the end and the Angels soundly defeated Chicago two nights in a row. Coupled with the Tigers' sound beating of the Twins today, this puts our boys at .5 games back. With two more games at home and three away against Minnesota, our boys can hopefully do some damage and gain even more ground on those nasty Sox.
But we're going to put the playoff race aside for a second (seriously) and focus on the one guy on this team who has been kicking ass and taking names and doing everything (and more) that was expected from him since day one. You know him, you love him, and you're all rooting for him to win the MVP this year. That man is
Miguel Cabrera (a.k.a. Miggy Poco)
Miggy has done some amazing work in his career with the Tigers, but nothing quite like this. Not only is he (along with Mike Trout, but whatevs) the frontrunner for the American League MVP, but he also has a chance--an actual, real, this-is-really-possible chance--to win the first Triple Crown since 1967. He's leading in average and RBI and is tied with Josh Hamilton for the lead in home runs. In fact, he is leading the MAJORS in RBI and homers, and unless you count Melky Cabrera (which we're not) Miggy only trails Andrew McCutchen by .004 in average.
That is some serious skill. Considering that Cabrera was trailing in both average and (more considerably) homers as recently as last week makes this amazing playoff/triple crown push even more impressive. If he keeps anywhere near on the same pace for the next twelve games, we see no reason why he shouldn't win the MVP. Especially if the Tigers put their big boy pants on and play like we know they can.
Speaking of playoffs--by the end of the day, our boys could be in first place. Seeing how devastating Monday was for all of us, and how bleak our playoff chances looked, this is huge. Seven games against perennial spoiler Kansas City looks a little daunting, but mixed with five more against Minnesota we should be able to get a fair amount of wins. Plus, the White Sox still have to finish their series against the Angels and then take on the Indians and four games against the playoff-caliber Rays. Our boys definitely have the easier schedule. The question is, can they--and especially Miggy--take advantage of it?
It really is now or never, for not only the playoffs but also for a very exciting Triple Crown push by Miguel Cabrera. Watch out, White Sox, and watch out Carl Yastrzemski. Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers are coming for you.
First of all, mad, mad props to the Royals and the Angels for taking care of the White Sox for us. Man, when our boys lost on Thursday and we thought we were going to be set back 3 games, we were not happy. Luckily, Kansas City came through in the end and the Angels soundly defeated Chicago two nights in a row. Coupled with the Tigers' sound beating of the Twins today, this puts our boys at .5 games back. With two more games at home and three away against Minnesota, our boys can hopefully do some damage and gain even more ground on those nasty Sox.
But we're going to put the playoff race aside for a second (seriously) and focus on the one guy on this team who has been kicking ass and taking names and doing everything (and more) that was expected from him since day one. You know him, you love him, and you're all rooting for him to win the MVP this year. That man is
Miguel Cabrera (a.k.a. Miggy Poco)
Miggy has done some amazing work in his career with the Tigers, but nothing quite like this. Not only is he (along with Mike Trout, but whatevs) the frontrunner for the American League MVP, but he also has a chance--an actual, real, this-is-really-possible chance--to win the first Triple Crown since 1967. He's leading in average and RBI and is tied with Josh Hamilton for the lead in home runs. In fact, he is leading the MAJORS in RBI and homers, and unless you count Melky Cabrera (which we're not) Miggy only trails Andrew McCutchen by .004 in average.
That is some serious skill. Considering that Cabrera was trailing in both average and (more considerably) homers as recently as last week makes this amazing playoff/triple crown push even more impressive. If he keeps anywhere near on the same pace for the next twelve games, we see no reason why he shouldn't win the MVP. Especially if the Tigers put their big boy pants on and play like we know they can.
Speaking of playoffs--by the end of the day, our boys could be in first place. Seeing how devastating Monday was for all of us, and how bleak our playoff chances looked, this is huge. Seven games against perennial spoiler Kansas City looks a little daunting, but mixed with five more against Minnesota we should be able to get a fair amount of wins. Plus, the White Sox still have to finish their series against the Angels and then take on the Indians and four games against the playoff-caliber Rays. Our boys definitely have the easier schedule. The question is, can they--and especially Miggy--take advantage of it?
It really is now or never, for not only the playoffs but also for a very exciting Triple Crown push by Miguel Cabrera. Watch out, White Sox, and watch out Carl Yastrzemski. Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers are coming for you.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Getting Nervous?
What the f****** f*** was the last two days?
Before yesterday and today's games went down, our boys were enjoying a nice, easy breezy 4-game win streak courtesy of the Chi Sox and the Indians. Then we blow a lead in the 9th yesterday (thanks, Papa Grande!) to watch those hapless racist idiots walk off against us. Always fun. Next, we watch a potentially season-determining make-up game against the White Sox go up in smoke thanks to poor managing, shitty defense (ITS A DOUBLE PLAY NOT ROCKET SCIENCE), shaky starting pitching and non-clutch hitting.
Not exactly how you want to play a game that might decide the fate of the 2012 season.
We guess there's no point in really talking about how startlingly disappointing that game was. Yes, we have over two weeks left, but our boys just looked bad out there today, with the only bright spot courtesy of Miguel Cabrera's mini-me, Avisail Garcia. He was exciting! But not much else was.
Can we just talk for a moment about Miguel Cabrera? And how sorry we feel for him that he's stuck with these idiots? And how if he doesn't win the MVP, and the snot-nosed kid out in Los Angeles does, we're probably going to riot? It sickens us how overlooked this guy is. Leading the AL in RBI and average and fourth in homers. What is Trout leading in? Runs. And Stollen Bases, but whatever. Excuse me, but no one currrs about runs, and stolen bases is nice, but it doesn't win games. This kid is definitely winning Rookie of the Year, but no way, no way should he win the MVP over Cabrera, especially if we make the playoffs. The only way we can see Trout winning is if he sparks the Angels to a wild card spot, AND the Tigers don't make the playoffs. Thats. The. Only. Way.
Miguel Cabrera has been too good for too long to not get this award. He's played injured. At times he's carried our entire team offensively. And he still has a legit chance for a TRIPLE CROWN. Miggy is not going to be and should not be denied this time around, folks, no matter how sexy voting for a rookie may be. If we DO make the playoffs, it will be in large part because of him. He is seriously the silver lining to these shitty couple ofdays months.
And that brings us back to the topic of the playoffs. Oh my god, we are so nervous. We are so DEVASTATED. We promised ourselves we wouldn't get as emotionally in invested this year, but we failed. We wouldn't be true Tiger fans if we didn't put our entire heart and soul into willing our boys to win the pennant! However, PTSD of Game 163 still flashes in our minds. We're not sure if our psyches can handle another close finish with us on the losing end, and we bet many of you would agree.
It looks like we'll have pretty evenly matched schedules, what with six games against Minnesota remaining for us and six games against the Indians for them. Unfortunately, Oakland and the spoilerific Kansas City Royals will NOT be a cakewalk. And with a mere 16 games left, there's no time to mess around (you hear us, Valverde? You too, Infante. And Christ alive, get Brennan Boesch off the field!). Shit is now REAL.
Buckle up, kids. It's going to be a bumpy (and frightening. And stressful. And maybe, maybe amazing) 2 weeks. We hope you're ready!
Before yesterday and today's games went down, our boys were enjoying a nice, easy breezy 4-game win streak courtesy of the Chi Sox and the Indians. Then we blow a lead in the 9th yesterday (thanks, Papa Grande!) to watch those hapless racist idiots walk off against us. Always fun. Next, we watch a potentially season-determining make-up game against the White Sox go up in smoke thanks to poor managing, shitty defense (ITS A DOUBLE PLAY NOT ROCKET SCIENCE), shaky starting pitching and non-clutch hitting.
Not exactly how you want to play a game that might decide the fate of the 2012 season.
We guess there's no point in really talking about how startlingly disappointing that game was. Yes, we have over two weeks left, but our boys just looked bad out there today, with the only bright spot courtesy of Miguel Cabrera's mini-me, Avisail Garcia. He was exciting! But not much else was.
Can we just talk for a moment about Miguel Cabrera? And how sorry we feel for him that he's stuck with these idiots? And how if he doesn't win the MVP, and the snot-nosed kid out in Los Angeles does, we're probably going to riot? It sickens us how overlooked this guy is. Leading the AL in RBI and average and fourth in homers. What is Trout leading in? Runs. And Stollen Bases, but whatever. Excuse me, but no one currrs about runs, and stolen bases is nice, but it doesn't win games. This kid is definitely winning Rookie of the Year, but no way, no way should he win the MVP over Cabrera, especially if we make the playoffs. The only way we can see Trout winning is if he sparks the Angels to a wild card spot, AND the Tigers don't make the playoffs. Thats. The. Only. Way.
Miguel Cabrera has been too good for too long to not get this award. He's played injured. At times he's carried our entire team offensively. And he still has a legit chance for a TRIPLE CROWN. Miggy is not going to be and should not be denied this time around, folks, no matter how sexy voting for a rookie may be. If we DO make the playoffs, it will be in large part because of him. He is seriously the silver lining to these shitty couple of
And that brings us back to the topic of the playoffs. Oh my god, we are so nervous. We are so DEVASTATED. We promised ourselves we wouldn't get as emotionally in invested this year, but we failed. We wouldn't be true Tiger fans if we didn't put our entire heart and soul into willing our boys to win the pennant! However, PTSD of Game 163 still flashes in our minds. We're not sure if our psyches can handle another close finish with us on the losing end, and we bet many of you would agree.
It looks like we'll have pretty evenly matched schedules, what with six games against Minnesota remaining for us and six games against the Indians for them. Unfortunately, Oakland and the spoilerific Kansas City Royals will NOT be a cakewalk. And with a mere 16 games left, there's no time to mess around (you hear us, Valverde? You too, Infante. And Christ alive, get Brennan Boesch off the field!). Shit is now REAL.
Buckle up, kids. It's going to be a bumpy (and frightening. And stressful. And maybe, maybe amazing) 2 weeks. We hope you're ready!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Ain't Nobody Got Time For This
We're sure some people get a huge kick out of a superclose playoff race. The idea of the Tigers coming from behind in the last weeks--no, days--of the season probably gets some people going. Okay. We respect that. Pennant races are an exciting thing, especially when it's do-or-die for a playoff spot! So to you thrill-seekers, risk-takers, horror-movie lovers: this playoff season is for you!!!
However, to the vast majority of us, our thoughts can only be summed up thusly:
However, to the vast majority of us, our thoughts can only be summed up thusly:
That's right, Sweet Brown. Ain't NOBODY got time for the shit that the Tigers are pulling. After a disappointing series against the god-awful Indians, Jim Leyland & Co. decide to play twisted games with our hearts and minds by being SWEPT by the Boy Wonder and his team out in La La Land. We just have to say something really quick about the Angels--shouldn't they be a lot better than they are playing right now? I mean, holy crow, look at that lineup! Look at that rotation! The should at least be in 2nd place in the West! But we digress. It is the Tigers (many) problems and errors we should be worried about, not some other team.
I mean, what the hell was that out in LA? An unmitigated disaster, for sure, but can we please just look at the state of our offense? Pathetic. And the state of Justin Verlander? I mean, we know he is but one man, and a mortal man at that, but holy crap this is not the time for our ace to choke. It is also not the time for our offense to let down our other starters (Sanchez, Scherzer) when they throw a good game.
(Luckily, Kansas City is playing their troll role to perfection once more and took 2 out of 3 from the Sox. Beautifully done! Of course, we wouldn't mind if they played like poo against our boys.)
And then of course we get to Chicago. After we were humiliated in game one, the three of us were about to shoot off an R-rated, rage-fueled post that would make our few readers remaining to us run screaming. However, lack of time due to school-work-anger delayed this post one day, and we're happy it did. Mister Fister pitched splendidly and the offense-gasp!-actually came through in the clutch.
So now here we are, back in the usual spot of two-games-back-with-two-to-play against the White Sox. Our best (we think) two pitchers are on the mound, and hopefully our offense can get inspired enough to back them up. HOPEFULLY our team can do this for us, so we can continue this heart-attack of a season with slightly better footing.
But seriously, Tigers: no one wants to watch this up-and-down bullcrap anymore. Just win the games you should be winning. For our sakes, and for yours.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Road Warriors
That last home stand was key for our boys. Key. They HAD to win the series against the White Sox, and they did one better--they swept it. Unfortunately, they then went on to miss opportunities left and right and lose 2 out of 3 game to those troll Indians. A 4-2 home stand isn't bad at all, but it is disappointing to see our hitters struggle against one of the MLB's worst teams.
Whatever. Shake it off. 4-2 is still good! A game behind is so manageable! Plus, there are more important things to think about, since clearly our boys want to make September as interesting as possible. We have what can only be described as a difficult road ahead of us for the next ten games. We're not even talking about the players at this point, we're talking about the fans. Staying up to watch a game that ends at 1 is not our cup of tea, but dammit, we'll do it. We'll do it for our team.
The Tigers themselves have an interesting road, too. The Angels and then the Indians again? Talk about a tough six games. Sure, Indians suck, but they have given our boys fits over the course of the season. Plus there is no home-field advantage this time. And the Angels? Any Tigers vs. Angels game is fun to watch post-Guillen, but what we're really interested in is Mike Trout vs. Miguel Cabrera. To us, there is no contest on who should get the MVP, especially if the Tigs make the postseason and the Halos don't, but we guess only time will tell.
And then of course come our good buddies, the White Sox. Obviously we do better at home against them than on the road, but wouldn't it be fantastic if we could at least go 3-1 and move into first place for good? Of course, we first would have to not get beaten soundly by our opponents on the West Coast.
This is without a doubt our hardest road series left, and maybe our most important too. If we lose all three series, I doubt our boys will be able to climb out of that hole. But if we win…well, that would not only put us in a good position to win the pennant, but would also foreshadow a team who could make a significant playoff run.
One last note to the fans: the world is not going to end, the season is not going to shatter if our boys get a few losses. We still have a lot of baseball left. Deep breaths, people. We can do this together.
EDIT: Our dumb butts mixed up the Indians series with the A' series (which will be at Comerica). Look what these Tigers are doing to us!
Whatever. Shake it off. 4-2 is still good! A game behind is so manageable! Plus, there are more important things to think about, since clearly our boys want to make September as interesting as possible. We have what can only be described as a difficult road ahead of us for the next ten games. We're not even talking about the players at this point, we're talking about the fans. Staying up to watch a game that ends at 1 is not our cup of tea, but dammit, we'll do it. We'll do it for our team.
The Tigers themselves have an interesting road, too. The Angels and then the Indians again? Talk about a tough six games. Sure, Indians suck, but they have given our boys fits over the course of the season. Plus there is no home-field advantage this time. And the Angels? Any Tigers vs. Angels game is fun to watch post-Guillen, but what we're really interested in is Mike Trout vs. Miguel Cabrera. To us, there is no contest on who should get the MVP, especially if the Tigs make the postseason and the Halos don't, but we guess only time will tell.
And then of course come our good buddies, the White Sox. Obviously we do better at home against them than on the road, but wouldn't it be fantastic if we could at least go 3-1 and move into first place for good? Of course, we first would have to not get beaten soundly by our opponents on the West Coast.
This is without a doubt our hardest road series left, and maybe our most important too. If we lose all three series, I doubt our boys will be able to climb out of that hole. But if we win…well, that would not only put us in a good position to win the pennant, but would also foreshadow a team who could make a significant playoff run.
One last note to the fans: the world is not going to end, the season is not going to shatter if our boys get a few losses. We still have a lot of baseball left. Deep breaths, people. We can do this together.
EDIT: Our dumb butts mixed up the Indians series with the A' series (which will be at Comerica). Look what these Tigers are doing to us!
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.
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.
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