"Zumaya’s rate of striking out 9.01 batters per inning was the highest among all club relievers with at least 100 appearances since 1953": 2011 Detroit Tigers

Thread-title quote taken from the Detroit Free Press, which has (unfortunately) fixed the error.

In other news, the Phillies just signed Matt Anderson.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2691501137_00619c13b9.jpg

I suppose it was inevitable that the Tigers would retire Sparky Anderson. The only question, at least in my mind, was whether it would happen before or after owner Mike Ilitch moved on to the next life.

Two months after Sparky’s death, today the Tigers announced they’ll retire his number 11 and wear a patch with the number all season.

I understand his passing happened after the season and there wasn’t much they could do, but couldn’t the Tigers have chosen another time — any other time — to honor (or at least announce their intention to honor) their winningest manager?

Here are just a few opportunities they wasted:

* 1994: The 10th anniversary of the 1984 World Series championship
* 2000: His induction in to the Baseball Hall of Fame
* 2004: The 20th anniversary of the ’84 championship
* 2005: Comerica Park All-Star Game festivities
* 2006: Any time during the postseason
* 2009: The 25th reunion event for the ’84 club, when it was clear that Sparky’s health was declining.

Yes, the fact the Tigers are honoring Sparky is a good thing — and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Dave Dombrowski that finally convinced Ilitch that the Great Sparky Schism needed to end.

But still, two months after his death? 18 months after the last, best opportunity?

Sorry.

“Better late than never” just doesn’t work for me in this instance.

http://www.dailyfungo.com/2011/01/22/tigers-treatment-of-sparky-descends-from-sour-grapes-to-bush-league/

L---- G------
Top Ten reasons the Tigers and Dave Dombrowski gave for NOT trying to trade for All-Star Michael Young of the Rangers,...nah, can't think of any. Remember this when Brandon Inge comes up with runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs, :*(

Andy K------
Young is owed 48 million over the next three seasons. Dombrowski would have to get the Rangers to pay a significant chunk of that and convince Young to play for Detroit -- one of his no-trade teams. Young and Inge's numbers with runners in scoring position during 2008-2010 are very close, and Young has always been a lousy hitter outside Arlington.

L---- G------
C'mon Andy, that's too much fantasy talk for the moment. In the end, it comes down to money, and I would like to just hear Dombro point to the $'s. At least I'd believe that.
We know though that the quick signing of Inge made us all think t...hat we'll be going through the same pop up, strikeout, foul out all over again with the bottom of the lineup this year. Oh, and we needed a second basemen too.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/16/that-mitch-albom-penned-ernie-harwell-play-is-actually-happening/

Fucking NO

Uh oh.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera has been arrested on drunken driving charges in Florida.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said the 27-year-old's car engine was smoking alongside a road late Wednesday when a deputy spotted the vehicle.

According to the arrest report, Cabrera smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and took a swig from a bottle of Scotch in front of a deputy. Police say Cabrera repeatedly refused to cooperate, saying, "Do you know who I am, you don't know anything about my problems." In 2009, the All-Star first baseman got into a fight with his wife after a night of drinking, right before his team surrendered the American League Central Division title to the Minnesota Twins.

Cabrera posted $1,350 bond and was released Thursday.

so, not the best shape of his life?

miggy :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

nice that the report specifies the brand of whiskey

He looks happy in that photo...downright content.

We need to know if Dombrowski showed up at the jail -- if he was wearing a bathrobe from Johnny Damon or a kimono.

"Miguel is not going to be here today nor will be here for the next couple of days," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We had conversations yesterday between the commissioner's office, the players association, myself and Miguel's representative and him, and we've decided that it's best to meet with some doctors in the beginning of the week and completely assess what has taken place."

The first baseman was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of drunken driving in Fort Pierce, about 110 miles southeast of Lakeland.

Dombrowski said he won't know when Cabrera might return until after the doctors see him.

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/5696c68d4ea64fadb9000dd30e29aa0a_mn.jpg

so, not the best shape of his life?

Leyland declined to answer questions about Cabrera's specific situation, referring those to Dombrowski as the voice of the organization. After questions about the potential distractions and the impact on the team, however, he launched into a defense.

"I know for a fact -- without getting into this situation -- I know for a fact that Miguel Cabrera is in the best shape of his life," Leyland said. "He's stronger than he's ever been and he's quicker than he's ever been. (This situation) has no effect. It might make some dramatic reading material, and everybody's projecting all this and that. It's not to going to do squat along those lines, believe me -- nothing."

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2011/2/25/2015591/jim-leyland-is-the-most-comfortable-man-in-the-world

Then he looked directly into the camera, his eyes very wide, and said, "Still. Smokers out there, you know what I'm talking about. That moment, after you've had a huge meal, say at Thanksgiving, when you step outside in the cold, light up a cigarette and take a deep inhale ... that's about the best moment in the world, you know? All the smokers out there, you know that feeling. Sometimes, smoking is fantastic."

after reading this last year or so for a long moment I thought about falling off the wagon and buying a pack.

"then there's those other millions of cigarettes that are just sort of gross."

Joel Zumaya's comeback from elbow surgery is on hold for a couple days, but it isn't expected to be a major absence. The Tigers reliever is day-to-day after scar tissue broke apart around his elbow.

Zumaya said the injury happened in the middle of his inning of work Sunday against the Blue Jays. He felt the tissue snap on a two-out pitch to Jose Molina, who singled to extend the fifth inning, but stayed in the game and threw his normal arsenal to retire Moises Sierra.

Way to be tough in March!

so they threw a dude named "Furbush" today? very nice

Yeah, I've wondered if he has ever faced JJ Furmaniak.

Lots of new details have been reported about Cabrera's arrest. You can find the articles by Googling "Cabrera 'shoot me' 'kill me' 'I will kill all of you' 'almost got Tasered' 'I'll (expletive) shoot him right now,'" and so forth.

willrhymes Will Rhymes
Listening to the walkmen on the way to play the Astros. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

KyleStuef Kyle Stuef
I think it's pronounced "iPod" RT @willrhymes: Listening to the walkmen on the way to play the Astros. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

jlstooge Jeff LaPlaunt
Did you convert your 8 tracks to cassette? RT @willrhymes: Listening to the walkmen on the way to play the Astros. ......

AudioRunnerAndy Andy Gonzalez
@KyleStuef @willrhymes What is a walkman? ;)

Darth_Icarus Jason Kulczycki
@willrhymes Just wait till you get a discman, then you'll be livin' large!

mattboston Matt Boston
@willrhymes dude, what's a Walkman:)

willrhymes Will Rhymes
To clarify I was listening to the band The Walkmen, on my iPod. Sorry for the confusion.

AnswerDave Dave Brown
1986 tweets RT @willrhymes: To clarify I was listening to the band The Walkmen, on my iPod. Sorry for the confusion.

shonan517 Shannon Beaver
Well, that's a relief. I was wondering why in the world @willrhymes would have a #Walkman. Was he even born yet when those were around?

lazy comedy imo

"He's probably five feet tall, but he plays like a man."

Early contender for Tiger quote of the year -- Carlos Guillen on Will Rhymes.

John-Paul Morose, less than three weeks ago:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/miguel-cabrera-detroit-tigers-looks-like-hes-cracking-under-pressure-031011

In his first 23 at-bats this spring, the big guy is batting .174.

“He’s not ready,” manager Jim Leyland acknowledged Wednesday. “He’s still in the process of getting himself in baseball shape.”

And when will that process be complete?

“Probably real late in spring,” Leyland said. “He’ll be ready on cue.”

Maybe so. But at the moment, I’m not convinced that the Tigers can count on the same .328 batting average, 38 home runs and 126 RBI that Cabrera produced last year.

This is Cabrera’s fourth season as a Tiger, and we can safely say that he is in the midst of his worst spring training with the team — statistically, personally, legally, totally. And that’s relevant for a slugger whose production has followed a curious pattern since he arrived in Detroit.

He had his best spring in 2010. He had his best regular season in 2010.

He had his second-best spring in 2009. He had his second-best regular season in 2009.

He had his worst spring in 2008. He had his worst season in 2008.

Cabrera's spring numbers as of today: .324/.364/.620

surely it is in someone's interest besides cabrera's to hire him a full-time driver

The Tigers should consider benching Miguel Cabrera throughout their upcoming series with the Twins.

Here's why.

Against the Indians last night, Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4. He popped out weakly to shortstop and even struck out once.

The last time Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4 with an infield pop-out and a strike out, he went one for his next 12.

Jim Leyland might want to consider his options, but the best available bench player is Ramon Santiago.

Cabrera makes considerably more money than Santiago, so Leyland's hand is -- in effect -- forced.

Cabrera will have to play, and the Tigers will have to keep their fingers crossed that Cabrera's alarming pattern does not continue to plague their offense.

Not a good headline:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110329/SPORTS02/110329002/Tigers-manager-Jim-Leyland-goes-XXX-Player-X?

Player X, whoever you are, Jim Leyland has a bone to pick with you.

Player X is an ESPN the Magazine blog written by unnamed players from the various sports.

In his first entry, the baseball Player X takes on Miguel Cabrera:

“In any group, there’s always the crazy uncle who just can’t seem to figure it out. Cabrera, who’s been charged with DUI, is that uncle. I guarantee any one of his teammates would have picked him up if he’d called. Ditto his GM. …

“But, really, why isn’t Cabrera paying a guy $100 a night to drive him around? Plenty of guys do that. That he didn’t is a slap in his teammates’ faces. Even if it costs $36,000 a year, we have watches worth more than that.”

Whether it makes sense or not, Leyland didn’t care for some anonymous player dissing his first baseman.

“To me that’s a gutless (jerk) that doesn’t put his name to it,” Leyland said. “If somebody would have said, ‘Hey, this is Jim Leyland and this is what I say, he should do this or this, then that’s fine.

“But when you (another expletive) hide behind somebody else’s expense, that’s chicken (expletive) to me. But you guys know your business more than me. Maybe that’s ethical, I don’t really know. But I’d be (extremely irritated) if I was Cabrera.”

Dontrelle, come back.

i just tuned in and was like, jeez, is jesse ventura doing commentary for the game - and then i realized its joe buck - what the hell is going on with his voice

I was about to ask who's replaced Buck! except he sounds just as dumb.

Burnett stinkpalmed him last night and now he is sick.

Burnett stinkpalmed him last night and now he is sick.

ewww

This was very, very weird:

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13867701

haha... wtf

whaaat

Austin Jackson: .149/.219/.239, 24 Ks in 67 ABs.

not even in the bottom 13 of WAR fwiw

OMIR SANTOS era began YESTERDAY

Some good stuff here.

http://twitter.com/#!/RodAllenQuotes

"Have you ever tried yoga? HOT Yoga! You sweat a lot and you get into some real good shape. My wife says I'll be doing it shortly."

"He's not trying to hit the ball outta the ballpark- he's simply trying to loft something deep enough to... no wait there's 2 outs."

"He walked like his puppies was hurting, didn't he? Corns and bunions everywhere... He walked like he had some bad feet!"

M: "Oakland has the loudest sound system" R: "At least that ballpark's good for somethin... Not talkin about the Raiders, either."

"He was Alberto before he got here and he was Al by the time the game started. Big leagues make you change your name."

R: "I've been to a few Raiders games." M: "Did you wear the facepaint?" R: "I didn't get into all that- I stayed away from them cats."

"They have up here on the scoreboard Smoak's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Mine, too. I couldn't move on Thanksgiving."

"I played for my dad back in little league... I used to hate it. My boys tune me out nowadays."

"That's for the bougie folks"

Cleveland - Bottom of 8th
Al Alburquerque pitching for Detroit
A Cabrera struck out swinging.
S Choo popped out to shortstop.
C Santana struck out swinging.

Cleveland - Bottom of 9th
Al Alburquerque pitching for Detroit
O Cabrera grounded out to catcher.
J Hannahan struck out looking.
M LaPorta struck out swinging.

Cleveland - Bottom of 10th
Al Alburquerque pitching for Detroit
R Santiago at second base.
A Kearns struck out swinging.
L Marson struck out swinging.
M Brantley grounded out to second.

Crazy sliders.

16 Ks in 8.1 IP

In six at-bats tonight, Magglio (.159/.227/.174) has seen 12 pitches, swung at 10 of them, made outs on six of them.

Scott Sizemore in Toledo, 87 PA: .417/.500/.597

Will Rhymes in Detroit (THE TEAM'S NUMBER-TWO HITTER), 76 PA: .206/.315/.222

1-3 hitters today:

Will Rhymes
Ramon Santiago
Don Kelly

holy

i wonder how often miguel is on deck or in the dugout and is all "you gotta be fucking kidding me"

Al Alburquerque was RUBBISH with the Rockies org (we got him for Jeff baker I think). Glad to see he's found form.

Granderson excepted, Scherzer struck out every Yankee tonight.

Sweet, checking my fantasty stats now...

"It's not my hands," he said, emphatically. "I don't even know what it is. Your objective is to get into a good hitting position and be short to the ball.

"But this isn't mechanics. What's going on is a fluke."

He says that his defense, which at times has appeared to be a half-note off, has absolutely been no casualty.

"No, not at all," he said. "In fact, my range is better than it's ever been. I'm not even having to dive for a lot of balls I used to have to dive for. I can anticipate the ball better than I did in years before. I've made a few very, what you might call flukish, errors."

Betemit to Tigers for two minor leaguers.

Angry Inge article in 3, 2, 1...

Betemit playing third base .gif in 3, 2, 1...

http://i.minus.com/ibIlk8.gif

THIS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSJhqugGprU

duane below & dwayne bowe shd go on that cbs show where you trade lives/jobs w/ someone w/ the same name as you

HEY THANKS PHIL COKE

P Coke relieved J Turner.
E Aybar doubled to left, H Kendrick to third.
M Trumbo intentionally walked.
P Bourjos hit by pitch, H Kendrick scored, E Aybar to third, M Trumbo to second.
J Mathis hit sacrifice fly to right, E Aybar scored, M Trumbo to third, P Bourjos to second.
M Izturis hit by pitch.
T Hunter lined out to right.

On the Izturis HBP, he also hurt his catcher.

Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, Fister, Turner -- does any other team have a complete, good-looking rotation signed through 2014?

Brandon Inge-related anecdote (also related to the Inge-related clip linked above): A friend of mine loves Inge so much that he has been selling his Tiger tickets and going to Mud Hens games... "until the Tigers do the right thing and call him back up."

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/df/fullj.01f2dc4ca2a854e4a27058f27240cba6/01f2dc4ca2a854e4a27058f27240cba6-getty-120516273.jpg

jonmorosi Jon Morosi
Dave Dombrowski receives four-year extension as #Tigers CEO/president/GM through 2015.

Four more years (of the pout)!

Seems like a reasonable move.

And one more year of Leyland. *shrug*

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/8/11/2358485/justin-verlander-has-a-sick-sense-of-humor

How much longer will Magglio (.224/.284/.296) hit third play?

The Tigers' last eight wins have been by one run.

Welcome, Delmon Young... I guess.

Delmon should pull a Derrek Lee.

Twins_morsecode Dustin Morse
On the bus with the recently traded Delmon Young. We will drop him off and he will join the Tigers lineup tonight - told he will bat 3rd.

Homered in his first at-bat.

...into the Twins' bullpen.

What is "a Derrek Lee".

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/31/pirates-steamed-derrek-lee-is-taking-his-time-getting-here/

Avila's August prior to tonight: .420/.532/.760. Tonight, he went 2-for-2 with a double and three walks.

Missed this hilarious overreaction last month.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Tigers-TV-guy-Latinos-need-rice-and-beans-for?urn=mlb-wp13541

Allen, a color analyst since 2003, said the postgame meal in the Tigers clubhouse at Target Field should include rice and beans, because most of the team's lineup against the Twins had Latino heritage.

You see, the Latinos just love them some rice and beans, as the stereotype goes.

Would Allen, who is African-American, make a joke about a Tigers lineup that was mostly black requiring something stereotypical to eat? Would he stoop to make a watermelon joke? Maybe he would. Maybe he has. But that wouldn't make it right, or funny.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110722/SPORTS02/110722045/FSD-s-Rod-Allen-clarifies-rice-beans-comment

“I wanted to finish a story that I started last night. ... I was talking to Ramon Santiago before the game yesterday – I saw him and (Miguel Cabrera) in the lobby at the hotel -- and he told me he and Cabby were going to a Latin restaurant called ‘Conga’ (Conga Latin Bistro), and he said that’s something they like to do when they go on the road, they like to go to some restaurant -- if it’s New York, it might be Victor’s, for anybody that’s been there -- and it’s not uncommon for the clubhouse attendants to sometimes provide Latin cuisine for some of the Latin players. I couldn’t get there last night with the story, but I kind of wanted to touch it here tonight that the Latin players, when they go on the road, they like to go eat Latin food.”

Awesome Jackson, more like.

It's too bad Porcello wasn't ejected after this (it was stupid and he nearly blew a seven-run lead after it happened).

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/22/umps-screw-up-the-whole-warn-the-benches-thing-in-the-indians-tigers-game

Inge triumphant!

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18296773&topic_id=11493214

lol

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/tigers-sign-jim-leyland-through-his-death-in-2012,21126/

Cabrera, after rounding third, turns around to give wounded brother-in-arms Martinez -- on his way to third -- an emphatic stop sign.

That irritating moment when your wonderboy defensive-replacement third baseman blows two plays in the bottom of the 10th to cost your team a game.

"I was playing way back to give myself a better angle, and he hit the ball to my left, so it's very cut and dried -- on a ball hit to your left, you go to second base all the time," Inge said. "That's the right move. That's the only play you have."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said: "I thought there was an out probably at first or probably at third. But that's part of the game."

(This situation would not have presented itself if Inge hadn't bobbled a routine DP grounder.)

"This Phil Coke guy" is dealing.

Maybe Tigers fans now understand why Dumbrowski would be stupid enough to go obtain a 3-12 pitcher.

4 ER in 6 IP for Verlander, so marginally a junk win.

A couple of two-run homers. His line was quite good otherwise: 6 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts. Probably inched his (10-1?) MVP shot forward.

If you surrender a pair of two-run homers -- with two strikes! -- to Sandy Duncan's Eye are a pitcher, you probably shouldn't win the MVP award.

Not even McLain in '68? (Or is that an unfair example?)

http://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/309213_2254955260650_1451394680_2512846_633153007_n.jpg

PITCHERS WERE MEN BACK THEN. Different game.

Well...I know what you mean (whether you're kidding or not) in terms of innings pitched and complete games, but placed in the context of league-wide offense, you don't have to look very far to make a case that Verlander's season is every bit as impressive as McLain's.

Verlander's even got him beat in a durability stat (so far). McLain had two starts where he didn't pitch into the sixth inning; Verlander hasn't any.

Without being silly (for once), I believe MVP awards should go to position players. Pitchers have the Cy Young. I think Bautista should be MVP but won't gripe if Verlander wins.

Looks like Perkins is asking for another ball here, around 0:20.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19054689&topic_id&c_id=mlb&tcid=fb_video_19054689

No, sorry, you just threw the last pitch of the game -- to Brandon Inge.

First team to hit 100.0%

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

...Phillies' % is zero?

They know something.

+55 run-differential swing since the first of the month.

Leyland will get a new change of underwear when his team goes for their first outright title since 1987 on Friday night. He said before the game that he had not changed (nor washed) his underwear during the 12-game winning streak.

First division title since '87 -- has it really been that long?? I guess I keep forgetting that they lost the division title on the last day of the season when they went to the WS in '06.

Yes.

blessyouboys
And there was Miguel Cabrera yelling "Denzel!" at Wilson Betemit, who he's pretty sure is Denzel Washington's twin.

Fister: four ER in last 56 IP. 13/1 K/BB.

Ubaldo's four starts as an Indian against the Tigers: hammered, mostly.