Group Effort

What an interesting series in Baltimore! Blowout wins, Good-Starting-Pitching-And-Timely-Hitting wins, and the dreaded Almost win. We took 2 of 3 from Baltimore (should have been 3 of 3, but whatever) and we looked damn good doing it too.

Let's talk about Doug Fister for a moment. Poor, sweet Dougie, who's been shaky due to injury all year long, is going to get his swagger back in the second half. We just know it. He looked sharp and in command on Friday, buoyed by ample run support (hell-o, Miguel Cabrera Moonshot!) and dazzling defensive plays (suck it, Berry Haters!). Friday was good.

Then comes Saturday. After a not-so-sharp outing by Max Scherzer (but good enough to keep us in the game) the Tigers mounted an out-of-nowhere comeback to tie the Orioles in the bottom of the 9th. However, after blowing the save TWICE (thanks Valverde and Benoit!), we didn't escape with the win, which meant we came back only to extend the game two hours and lose anyway. Well, you know what we have to say to that? WHAT. EVER. Our boys showed more fight in that game then they had in the majority of games in the first half of the season. While we were frustrated with the outcome for sure, it wasn't a bad loss in the slightest.

And then Sunday, we rebounded. Justin "The Second Coming" Verlander shook off those awful, nasty Kate Upton rumors (not like he needed to shake them off, really--the whole thing is just bullshit) and threw 8 innings of 3-hit ball. Yes, two of those hits came from his arch-nemesis, Jim Thome, but it was a beautiful outing all the same. Clutch homers from Austin Jackson and Miggy (yep, that's number 20, folks) and some nice manufactured runs helped solidify the W, and our boys cruised home three games above .500.

And now we will be tested. The good-maybe-even-very-good Angels are coming into town tomorrow, and while we won't be facing Jered Weaver this time around, no one has forgotten last year. And of course after that we play the division leading Chicago White Sox, our hated rivals. It's going to be an exciting (if stressful) week of baseball. Bring on the drama!

It's Good To Be Back

It's that time of year again, folks: Spring Training is back in all its glory. Everyone knows that teams don't live or die by Spring Training, and that it doesn't go too far in determining the outcome of a season. So why bother to get so excited?

Because our boys are back on the scene, that's why. Maybe in limited quantities, and maybe under the hot Florida sun in March instead of the dreary Michigan sky in April, but still, it's them. And not only do they look good, they look hungry. Make all the Prince Fielder jokes you want with that example, but our guys are looking sharp and ambitious and just plain good.

Yes, we're only five games in. But we're also 5-0. And it's hard not to get excited when you hear about Fielder, Avila and Cabrera blasting huge homers, or Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello and Fister looking sharp, not to mention young guys like Andy Oliver and Drew Smyly impressing coaches and fans alike. There isn't too much to be troubled about at this point, and that's just making us more and more pumped.

Of course, there is one bit of sad/nostalgic news. Carlos Guillen, one of the few remaining players from the '06 team who was with the club last year, has officially retired. There were a lot of good moments with Carlos over the years (and also a lot of injuries) but our favorite favorite FAVORITE came during the 2011 season, when the Tigers were in a heated, tied game with the Angels. It was billed as a potential Cy Young showdown between JV and Jered "Whiny B****" Weaver, but instead the game will be remembered as  Weaver vs. Guillen.

When Weaver talked smack to Magglio Ordonez after he hit a 2-run homer, and then continued to jaw at Miguel Cabrera, Carlos took issue with that. As he should have. What he proceeded to do was drill a pitch from Weaver for a solo shot, and then spectacularly and wildly inappropriately showboated in retaliation for Weaver's smack talk. 

Mature? No. Necessary? No. Hysterical? YES. Weaver then got his butt tossed out of the game after throwing at Alex Avila's head, and Detroit fans will forever hate him. That says a lot about Carlos Guillen, though. He wasn't going to let Weaver trash poor sweet Magglio, who we kind of doubt has ever showboated unnecessarily in his life. "The way he reacted to Magglio, he's my teammate. We're a team," said Carlos.

That epic event aside, Carlos will always be one of the classiest Tigers (and one of the flyest dressers) and the baseball world will miss him. And his gold chains. We love you, man!!!

BLACKLISTED: Jered Weaver

What an exciting two days it's been! We will talk about the veeerry interesting trade in due time. However, today's post will be focused on Class Act Jered Weaver and the rest of his team's actions in today's game.

First of all, this was hyped to be, and was, a thrilling game to watch. Weaver vs. Verlander, the top two competitors for the Cy Young Award battling tooth and claw on the mound. This game was supposed to exemplify everything that is fantastic about baseball. Two great teams in the pennant race going head-to-head, fighting, not only for the win, but to see whose pitcher was the most dominant.

Verlander, as per usual, was spectacular. Even more so than usual, no-hitting the Angels through 7.2 innings. Weaver's "stuff" was equally as impressive, making some incredible hitters look like little leaguers whiffing the baseball.  Though the pitchers both had amazing talent, this game didn't make us squeal with unabashed baseball ecstasy. Today, some of baseball's unwritten rules were violated, and though it made for an exciting game, it also made for an ugly one; it was not nearly the shining example of America's pastime we were hoping for. Today, we're not going to recap, but instead, we'll say who was really in the wrong, and who was justified. We are attempting to make sense of the overdramatic mess this game turned out to be!

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