Archive for the 'Fungoes' Category

I just realized that the Tigers have lost on every notable holiday or key date this season:

Opening Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
(My Birthday)
Labor Day

They did, however, win on both of my kids’ birthdays. My wife’s? Not so much.
Unfortunately, they won’t get a chance to lose on Halloween.

After every game, Jim Leyland sits in his office answering questions about why the Tigers lost another game. Though the reasons are stale — and, sadly, accurate — the manager is there to absorb much of the blame for what happened. And in those 66 times he’s been able to talk about a win, he’s [...]

Our friends at Bardball.com recently posted some contemporary verse spoken by His Eloquence, Gary Sheffield. Here’s a taste:
I can be in the outfield and play every day.

I don’t want to DH.

I don’t feel like a baseball player

when I DH.
Read the rest on Bardball.com. It’s worth it.

The Tigers need to score 13 runs a game from here on out to hit the 1,000-runs mark.

Today’s birthdays of current and former Tigers include:

Ramon Santiago, 29
Gabe Kapler, 33
Hideo Nomo, 40
Former Tigers coach Boots Day, 61

…and Happy 50th Birthday to a non-Tiger but one of my favorite big-league players: Von Hayes.

This afternoon I caught the last three innings of the Red Sox-Yankees game from New York. In the bottom of the ninth, with runners on second and third with one out, Pudge Rodriguez pinch hit for shortstop Cody Ransom. Sure out, right? Oh, ye of little faith! Pudge drew a walk. Sure his walk numbers [...]

Well, I’d guess that Kenny Rogers won’t be going to New York in a waiver deal in the next few days. Seems the Gambler is pointing a finger toward the Yankees as the main driver behind MLB’s insane instant replay implementation — with five weeks to go in the season.
Sayeth Rogers:
“I don’t know how [other] [...]

So much could be said about this team and most of it would be vitriolic. Instead I offer four semi-related thoughts…

Long-time Detroit sportscaster Al Ackerman — who coined the phrase “Bless You, Boys” long before the 1984 season — often referred to Sparky Anderson as “Fifth-Place Sparky.” Anyone old enough to remember Sparky’s first four [...]

Courtesy of Baseball Prospectus 2008:
Chris Lambert is back-end roster filler, another in a long line of weak Cardinals’ first-round picks.
Nowhere to go but up, I suppose?

Call It Karma — About Craig Monroe’s departure.

Do They Have Enough? — On the Baseball Today Podcast, host Peter Pascarelli answers a listener question — “Do the Tigers have enough to get back in the race?â€. Remember, this is last year.

Analyze This — BaseballProspectus.com’s Christina Kahrl looks at the Tigers roster activity last August in [...]