TIGERS 17, FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4
at Lakeland, Fla.
Tuesday, Feb. 26

Tigers at the plate: Placido Polanco and Miguel Cabrera powered the Tigers' offensive display early with first-inning, two-run home runs. Cabrera's tape-measure shot hit three-quarters of the way up the backdrop behind the center-field fence, which is 420 feet away from home plate. Brandon Inge and Scott Sizemore added solo shots in the second inning.

Moccasins at the plate: Brian Schultz put Florida Southern on the scoreboard when he led off the second inning with a solo homer. An inning later, his single to right-center scored Arden McWilliams before Tristan Rainone doubled in two more.

Tigers on the mound: Todd Jones retired the side in order in a rare starting appearance. Jordan Tata gave up Schultz's homer in the second, then walked three batters in the third before an RBI single knocked him out of the game. He ended up with four runs allowed over 1 2/3 innings. Chris Lambert allowed two inherited runners to score but pitched 2 1/3 innings with no runs charged.

Moccasins on the mound: Starter Ken Wadsworth gave up four runs on four hits in his inning of work. Jeremy Thorne, Brad Davidson, Adam Baust, Eddie Sipple and Randy Cseh followed with an inning apiece.

Up next: The Tigers open the Grapefruit League schedule on Wednesday when they host the Mets at Joker Marchant Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET. Jeremy Bonderman will make the start, followed by Jason Grilli, Zach Miner, Yorman Bazardo, Denny Bautista and Tim Byrdak. Mike Pelfrey, Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano, Jorge Sosa, Brian Stokes and Willie Collazo are scheduled to pitch for New York.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


Swat?

Swat?

Fuck that, this is the best thread I've read all day. (Next to the Ghostriding thread of course.)

They need to put these games on FSN!

In other spring training news, U of M was leading the Mets 4-2 going to the 9th and ended up in a 4-4 tie.

WHERE IS KNOCKOUT?

Tigers should play Appalachian State.

Tigers should play Appalachian State.

:cogent:

Fuck that, this is the best thread I've read all day. (Next to the Ghostriding thread of course.)

You, sir, are a god amongst men.

Do we need a seperate spring training thread, or is this it?

I was going to ask how the Tigers did against the Mets today (in true Pistons Mailbag fashion), but I don't want to be out of line.

Tigs won 4-2. Some guy named Zach Mintor or something pitched 2 scoreless.

How the hell did we acquire him?

How the hell did we acquire him?


How did this running Zach Miner gag come to be??? I'm guessing it was before I was a regular on here...

I think we got Miner for Farnsworth...terrible deal if ya ask me. lol

This thread needs a sponsor.

(Done)

Sorry guys, I was busy today. Good to see Vincenco stepped up.

Some notes and observations, after the Tigers’ 4-2 victory over the New York Mets in their Grapefruit League opener this afternoon:



… Detroit had one hit through six innings and trailed, 2-0. Then came a four-run seventh against left-hander Willie Collazo. Wilkin Ramirez, a 22-year-old outfield prospect, had the go-ahead two-run single. Preston Larrison was the winning pitcher in relief, and Denny Bautista earned the save after allowing two baserunners in the ninth.

… Brandon Inge didn’t start but entered in the fifth inning to play centerfield. He committed an error when Brady Clark’s windblown fly dropped through his attempted basket catch. Inge received a nice ovation when he came to the plate for the first time and contributed a single during the seventh-inning rally.

… Jeremy Bonderman started and allowed one run in each of his two innings. A nice double play – first baseman Carlos Guillen caught a runner trying to advance after a sacrifice fly – helped him avoid more damage in the first.

… The Tigers’ middle relief was superb. Jason Grilli and Zach Miner pitched two innings apiece and looked very sharp – a good start in their respective attempts to make the Opening Day roster. Grilli’s rough spring last year led to an uneven first half. Maybe the opposite will be true this season.

… Marcus Thames had a good game after entering in place of Guillen. He made a smooth backhanded play in the field and crushed a ball to the warning track for a double.

… Catcher Dane Sardinha, who lost 20 pounds during the off-season, looked comfortable behind the plate. He made a well-timed mound visit during the ninth, when Bautista had trouble throwing strikes.

… Placido Polanco struck out in the first inning. How often do you see that?

How did this running Zach Miner gag come to be??? I'm guessing it was before I was a regular on here...
Whenever Farnsworth or Minor came up, we would ask who they were traded for just to be jackasses. Then a few of us just started throwing ZM around with everything. Anytime a trade was made, we'd ask about him. It was a true team effort.

How did this running Zach Miner gag come to be??? I'm guessing it was before I was a regular on here...

http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9807

Nice detective work, Vinny. So THAT'S how we got Zach Miner.......

I'm going to be doing something later, so I probably won't be on to get the report of the game to y'all.

If I'm in Tampa for a week, how hard will it be to catch a spring training game?

Can I go with you?

I'll ride in the trunk if I have to.

Unfortunately, there were going to be three of us going and the only one with a car that could make the drive dropped out last minute and we had to scramble for plane tickets. No trunk available.

I'm afraid of flying anyway. Damn.

I'm not afraid of flying, but I'm afraid of flying Spirit. Hope I make it back to continue posting after the trip.

Me too. We already lost UxKa.

LAKELAND. Fla. — Detroit Tigers pitcher Virgil Vasquez goes to sleep every night thinking about pitching.



“I close my eyes and just try to visualize keeping the ball down and making it do what I want it to do,” Vasquez said. “I fall asleep and wake up ready to do that the next day.

When Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland addressed his pitchers and catcher on the first day of spring training, he told the staff that all starting spots were filled, barring injury.

There is, however, a battle going on for the position of first alternate and that is where Vasquez comes into the mix.

When Nate Robertson was scratched as the starter for Thursday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays after his wife gave birth to a child after midnight, Vasquez was given the ball and pitched two hitless innings as a starter, facing only seven batters in the Tigers 4-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Vasquez pitched in five games and started three for the Tigers last season, struggling to an 0-1 record and an 8.64 earned run average in five games, three of which were starts.

Still, he is considered one of the top arms in the Tigers organization and was happy to get the start in Robertson’s place.

“I found out in the morning when I was coming out of the bathroom,” Vasquez said. “I hope Nate had a wonderful baby but I was grateful for the opportunity.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that when Vasquez keeps the ball down in the strike zone, he is an effective pitcher, but he’s had a hard time with that. He didn’t allow a hit against Toronto, but there were some hard-hit balls and some great defensive plays.

“He always does what we need when he gets the ball down,” Leyland said of Vasquez. “When he gets the ball up, he gets hit hard.”

Vasquez agreed with Leyland’s assessment.

“If I can locate the ball well and keep it down I can make it in the majors,” Vasquez said. “I was expecting to go two innings anyway, but it was nice to start. Hopefully I can get a chance in Detroit.”

With Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Bonderman and Robertson already forming the Tigers starting rotation, Vasquez said he keeps and eye on trade talks, knowing that he is a valuable prospect. But he wants to be a Tiger.

“Everyone always says the grass is always greener on the other side,” Vasquez said. “I like the way the grass looks in Detroit.”

Curtis Granderson homered off Blue Jays starter Jesse Litsch in the second inning to pace the Tigers. He and Magglio Ordonez each had two RBI. Litsch allowed four hits and four earned runs in two innings in the Blue Jays spring opener, but the Blue Jays managed only four hits, three of them off Macay McBride, a candidate for a middle relief spot for the Tigers.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said one loss isn’t going to bother him.
“We hit a lot of balls hard right at them,” Gibbons said. “They hit good pitches and they have such a strong lineup.” He was a little concerned about Litsch.

“For his first time out, he was so-so. He can’t walk guys and the Tigers have a tough lineup.”

Litsch pitched in 20 games for the Blue Jays. He was 7-9 with a 3.81 in 20 games and is among three candidates looking to grab the fifth-spot in the Blue Jays rotation this year.

TIGERS NOTES: Jim Leyland said that the fifth and seventh spots in the batting order are as important as any because of the RBI production. He named new third baseman Miguel Cabrera the No. 5 hitter in the Tigers opening day lineup. “You get a lot of opportunities for RBI in the five and seven spots and Cabrera fits in well there.” Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez will fill out the top four spots barring injuries ...

Non-roster pitcher Matt Mantei, who hasn’t pitched in a major league game since 2005, pitched an inning and struck out one. He walked two batters but pitched his way out of a jam. He said he was just trying to have fun and get another shot at professional baseball after giving it up one time. “This time last spring I wasn’t even considering ever playing baseball,” Mantei said. “My main goal is to take it one inning at a time and get back to the majors.” ...

Robertson’s wife, Kristin, gave birth to a 6-pound, 14-ounce boy at 1:23 a.m. They named him Wyatt Dale ...


Brandon Inge pinch-hit for Ordonez in the eighth inning. He received a huge round of applause from the crowd and delivered a sharp single down the third-base line.

READ IT ALL THOUGH.

Fuck yeah, Wyatt Robertson.

HAY, HOW DID THE TIGERS DO TODAY?

I saw 3-1 win I think on the bottom line. Curtis homered again.

Porcello- 2 scoreless innings, 1 K...

thats solid for a 19 year old...i think this kid's going to be a stud...

lets just hope I didn't just jinx him and he ends up like Kenny Baugh or Kyle Sleeth...

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) - In a matchup of American League aces, Justin Verlander was a little bit sharper than Roy Halladay.

Verlander pitched two shutout innings and Curtis Granderson homered for the second consecutive day to help the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday.

The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, Verlander allowed one hit while throwing 19 of his 26 pitches for strikes.

"He looked good with good command," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He'll possibly go three innings next time out if he has a couple of quick innings. All our pitchers threw well today."

Verlander appears lined up to be Detroit's opening-day starter March 31 against Kansas City.

"We haven't made a decision yet but it looks like he will be it," Leyland said.

Halladay, the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, gave up one run and three hits with one strikeout in two innings. He threw 19 of his 27 pitches for strikes.

"The first couple of times out are always difficult," Halladay said. "Overall, we accomplished what we wanted."

Halladay is slated to pitch three innings Wednesday, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said.

Ryan Raburn went 3-for-3 with a double for Detroit and Placido Polanco added two hits. Granderson connected in the third off left-hander Scott Downs.

Toronto scored in the fourth on Frank Thomas' double and an RBI single by Lyle Overbay.

Blue Jays reliever Brian Wolfe, looking to secure a job in the bullpen, struck out the side in the seventh on 17 pitches, 12 for strikes.

"I was pitching to contact," Wolfe said. "They fouled off some good pitches."

Freddy Dolsi worked a scoreless ninth for the save.

The Tigers host the Indians on Saturday with left-hander Dontrelle Willis facing Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia.

I like the fact that - even though it's freaking spring training - we beat the Blue Jays without using Sheffield, Ordonez, Cabrera, Guillen, or Pudge. Meanwhile it looks like most or all of their regulars got 2-3 AB's.

Porcello was nice. On top of not allowing any baserunners in 2 innings, a Vernon Wells pop-up is the only out that wasn't a strikeout or weak grounder.

RAYS 10, TIGERS 9
at Lakeland, Fla.
Monday, March 3

Rays at the plate: Willy Aybar's two-run double helped the Rays tie the game in the top of the fourth. Carl Crawford added an RBI double in the fifth before Jonny Gomes went deep in the sixth for his first home run of the year. Andy Cannizaro's two-run homer put the Rays ahead briefly in the seventh. Former Tiger Carlos Pena added two hits and an RBI, raising his average to .500 this spring.
Tigers at the plate: Miguel Cabrera opened Detroit's scoring in the opening inning when he singled in Gary Sheffield, capping a run of three straight Tigers reaching base safely. Curtis Granderson doubled home Edgar Renteria an inning later. Marcus Thames' three-run homer paced a four-run fourth inning, and Wilkin Ramirez slugged another three-run homer in the seventh to tie the game.
Rays on the mound: Matt Garza needed 35 pitches to get through the first inning, and it didn't get any easier from there. Granderson's double knocked Garza from the game after he gave up one run on five hits allowed over 1 2/3 innings. Grant Balfour came to the rescue with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief before Thames homered off Chad Orvella.
Tigers on the mound: Jeremy Bonderman tossed three scoreless innings in his second start of the spring, allowing two hits and striking out a pair. Four of Tampa Bay's runs came off Virgil Vasquez, who allowed six hits in two innings of work.
Grapefruit League records: Rays 4-0, Tigers 3-2-1
Up next: The Tigers visit the Astros on Tuesday for a 1:05 p.m. ET contest at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. Nate Robertson will make his second start of the spring, followed by Macay McBride, Francis Beltran, Todd Jones, Tim Byrdak and Preston Larrison. Roy Oswalt is scheduled to start for Houston, while former Tiger Dave Borkowski is also slated to pitch. The Rays return to St. Petersburg for a stretch of five home games over the next nine days, starting with Tuesday's 1:05 p.m. ET matchup with the Twins. Edwin Jackson is slated to make the start opposite Boof Bonser. Andy Sonnanstine, Al Reyes, Trever Miller, Dan Wheeler, Gary Glover and Scott Dohmann are also expected to appear.



Good to see Bondo pitch a gem, if only for 3 innings.

I heard something about Matt Mantei injuring his arm again, and that he is likely to retire.

Todd Jones currently has a 31.50 ERA. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Split squads and both won today.
Verlander went three innings and faced the minimum 9 batters. Gave up one hit but a double play kept him from having to face a 10th batter.

In the other game Porcello had a rough 2nd game. As great as he looked in his first action, this game was dramatically different. He also faced 9 batters, but 5 of them reached base. I haven't seen him pitch, but this type of inconsistency is exactly why Andrew Miller wasn't MLB ready. I think Porcello is ahead of where Miller was a year ago even though he's much younger, but I'm certainly glad the team doesn't feel like they need him anytime soon.

By the way, I don't give a shit about Spring training. I hate it. Use this thread for whatever (like a Craigslist type thing or something).

Tigers are up 6-4 on Atlanta in the 8th.

Todd Jones currently has a 31.50 ERA. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Hey, after today, he's down to an impressive 24.55. Cy Young anyone?

I also have a couch for sale. $20 obo

pick up only

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2151/2106341555_05c292c90b_o.jpg

Reliever Jordan Tata sorry for broken finger incident: 'It's embarrassing'

BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 10, 2008

LAKELAND, Fla. -- In his first outing of the spring, Jordan Tata allowed four earned runs to Florida Southern College. In his second, he surrendered three to the Tampa Bay Rays. In his third, Friday against Atlanta, he had the bases empty and two out before walking the next two batters.

At that point, Tigers manager Jim Leyland emerged from the dugout and removed him from the game. Tata walked off the field and headed for the clubhouse. And as he entered the locker room, he did something he now regrets.

He hit the door with his pitching hand -- and broke a knuckle in his little finger.

"I don't usually do things like that," Tata said. "The last three outings all came to a head at that moment. It was stupid. I wasn't thinking."

Tata sat at his locker, head down, as he spoke apologetically about the injury Sunday. He plans to visit a hand specialist in Tampa today to learn more about his condition.

It's not clear when he will be ready to pitch again. For now, Tata said the injury has been described as a boxer's fracture, or a break in the metacarpal bone.

The 26-year-old right-hander pitched so impressively during spring training two years ago that he made the Opening Day roster after an injury to Todd Jones. But he began last season on the disabled list and ended it without a September call-up, making this a crucial year in his career.

But Tata acknowledged that he hasn't thrown the ball consistently all spring.

"I never got to the point where I could let it go with confidence," he said. "I didn't have that snap. It wasn't right."

Tata searched for reasons why he was struggling but couldn't pinpoint anything, mentally or mechanically. "That's what made it so frustrating," he said. "That was the hardest part, not knowing what was wrong."

Now the concerns about spotty command have been trumped by an injury that could seriously impact his season. Tata said he appreciates how team officials have told him to keep his head up. No one is mad at him, he said, but he feels sorry just the same.

"It's embarrassing," he said. "It's not the way I usually go about my business. You've got to be smarter than that."

There are rumblings that he also has a shoulder injury.

I have never been impressed by Tata.

Ta-tas, on the other hand...

Looks like Jones is in tune for opening day:


Tigers' Todd Jones roughed up again
by Danny Knobler Monday March 10, 2008, 12:10 AM

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Is there something wrong with Todd Jones? Yes, Jones said Sunday, as a matter of fact there is. But the Detroit Tigers closer also said that what's wrong has already been identified, and it's correctable.
"I'm moving from side to side, and I'm usually top to bottom,'' said Jones, whose four-run ninth inning Sunday followed a six-run fourth inning last Tuesday, and left him with a 24.55 spring ERA. "I just feel like I'm out of whack.''

Full Story (http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2008/03/tigers_todd_jones_roughed_up_a.html)

For Wil:

http://baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=791

Catching? This is the first I've heard but interesting.




March 10, 2008, 07:08 AM ET
Blogging From Florida - Five Minutes With Ryan Raburn
by David Laurila
On a team that features an all-star line-up, Ryan Raburn is the Tigers super-utility guy. Last season, the 26-year-old Raburn saw action at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions, hitting .304/.340/.507 in 49 games. Raburn shared a few thoughts after Sunday’s game against the Pirates in Lakeland.
David Laurila: How is spring training going for you so far?
Ryan Raburn: It’s going great. Any time you’re healthy and can play, it’s a plus.
DL: Do you have any specific goals for the 2008 season?
RR: Just trying to improve on everything and have another quality season — see what happens and where it takes me.
DL: After beginning last year in Triple-A, you came up in July and got a chance to show people what you can do. How was last season for you?
RR: It was great. From start to finish — I had a good spring, which started me off, and I carried it off all year. Just to be able to go to the big leagues and have some success, and help a team try to win; that was a great feeling.
DL: You did have a few big league at-bats prior to last season. How different was it coming up last year, given that you had already gotten your feet wet?
RR: I was a little more confident than I was in years past. The first time up there, you always know you could play, but in the back of your mind you wonder, “Can I compete with these guys up here?” My confidence is higher now, and I just carried that from Triple-A to the big leagues and had a little success.
DL: When you look around the Tigers clubhouse, you see all-stars everywhere. What is that like?
RR: It’s awesome, you know. It’s a pleasure to be in camp and be around all of these guys and see them perform. It’s great to play with them, because some of these guys will be in the Hall of Fame some day. As a fan of the game itself, it’s a real pleasure.
DL: Playing time is hard to find on a team as talented as this one, but your versatility should help to get you into the line-up from time to time.
RR: I’m just trying to do anything I can to help the team win, so any position they want to put me in — that’s fine by me. Playing time will be a little slim with the talent we have, but when they do call on me I’ll try to do what I can to help us win.
DL: Where has the team had you defensively this spring?
RR: Mainly second base and the outfield. I’ve played a lot more second base this spring than last year. Overall, I’m just trying to get my at-bats, get my work in, and be ready for the season.
DL: Have you been behind the plate at all?
RR: I’ve done a little work back there, and in a couple of days we should be doing a little more. But right now catching is kind of a work in progress. It’s nothing major yet.

They're turning him into Inge with a better bat. I like it. If he can get decent enough back there to be a backup C it would make my day.

First round of cuts
Armando Galarraga and Macay McBride were optioned to Toledo.

Rick Porcello was optioned to Lakeland.

Non-roster invitees Jeff Gerbe, Rob Bowen, Dusty Ryan, James Skelton, Jeff Larish, Danny Worth, Matt Joyce, Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas were all assigned to minor-league camp.

There was some suspense building when Francisco Cruceta's locker was cleaned out this morning. It appears, however, that they're just moving him to a different locker in the clubhouse so they can clear out a bank of lockers and give guys more room to move around in there.

Check out the lineup that Leyland is rolling out there today...


Detroit
Granderson, CF
Polanco, P, 2B
Sheffield, DH
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 3B
Guillen, 1B
Renteria, SS
Rodriguez, C
Jones, J, LF



Looks like the opening day lineup to me.

And a damn good opening day roster at that.

Kenny breezed through the 1st and Polanco just went yard.

Good start.

Very nice. I'm in class so keep me updated. I haven't caught a spring training game yet this season.

1-1, the mullet just went deep.

Pudge just hit a two run shot, plus they added another.

4-1 Tigs

I think we're looking at double digit runs today.

Who was pitching, still Kenny?

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2008_03_12_houmlb_detmlb_1

Pudge homered again, and Renteria did too.

Now 8-1

Damn. They're lighting it up today. I hope the regular season goes this well.

Everyone but Grandy has at least one hit today, most of them have 2.

Is pudge back on the juice?

I'm happy I put 100 alpacas up on this one.

Only Todd Jones can fail me now...

Kenny

5 IP
3 H
1 ER
2 K
0 BB

Nice.

I think we're looking at double digit runs today.


10-3 in the 8th inn.

They are throwing former Tigers on us now (Moeller and Brocail)

Is Pudge juicing again or what? 6 spring homers so far....

Did it end 10-9? I'm just assuming that if Jones came in to close............... well, you know...

Crazy talk from Pudge
The talk of the game today was Ivan Rodriguez and his home-run total so far this spring, but the talk from Pudge was about patience at the plate. Yes, that Pudge.

Here's a sampling of quotes from the man who drew just nine walks last season and averaged 3.51 pitches per plate appearance, 142nd out of 162 Major League hitters who had enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title:

"I'm feeling good. I'm just feeling great at the plate. That's the stroke that I want to keep all year, just have a good balance at the plate, just see the ball and don't try to do too much."

"No, I don't think I've had a Spring Training like that as far as home runs. But I don't look for that. It's good, yes. I have six home runs in Spring Training. The main thing about it is I'm just doing what I want to do and just be more selective at the plate, try to hit some strikes and take the balls. I'm just trying to see 4-5 pitches per at-bat. That's what I'm trying to do. And so far, that's what I'm doing. I'm feeling pretty good about that."

"Everybody knows that I'm not going to be in the middle of the lineup. I'm going to be in the bottom of the lineup, so it's going to help me a lot to be more selective at the plate and get a good pitch to hit."

"The more years that you play, the better hitter you are. I'm still aggressive, but in the same way that I'm aggressive, I just want to wait for a good pitch to hit. It's just sometimes you have to trust your ability in the game and sometimes you don't think about it."

Much like Jeremy Bonderman and his changeup, we'll see if this spring training project will carry into the regular season. Still, even hearing talk like this out of Pudge is something very different. This is somebody who had very little regard for walks in the not-too-distant past. Now he sounds like a hitter who is maturing, and I have to admit, I never thought that would happen.

Remember that game against the Twins at the Metrodome last September, when Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game and he raised his arms and yelled in triumph? Maybe Matt Garza created a monster.

Inge is catching today.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2008_03_13_atlmlb_detmlb_1

I thought since today's game is at 7pm and the Pistons are on WDIV and the Red Wings are off, that they actually might put this game on FSD.

But it's college hockey instead, yipee!

Verlander got rocked today. 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER.

Yeah, he was not good. Granderson, on the other hand, was nice with 2 HRs and a triple.

I'm purposely avoiding these threads cuz I can't see them yet.

Yeah, he was not good. Granderson, on the other hand, was nice with 2 HRs and a triple.

Is it just me, or does it look like Grandy has put on about 20 lbs of pure muscle?

Is it just me, or does it look like Grandy has put on about 20 lbs of pure muscle?

:BARWIS:

I was just watchin' the game today (Kenny with 2 ER through 5 btw) and realized that every one of our position players (outside of Jones) is a potential All-Star. Neat.

Neat.

:lb2:

I was just watchin' the game today (Kenny with 2 ER through 5 btw) and realized that every one of our position players (outside of Jones) is a potential All-Star. Neat.

True, except that Guillen probably won't be an all star at 1B now.

Valid point.

True, except that Guillen probably won't be an all star at 1B now.

Not with Carlos Pena still in the AL

Yahoo has him 5th behind Ortiz, Martinez, Morneau, Haffner and Pena in fantasy rankings. Yes, there is a chance he can make it, but at SS he was basically only competing with Jeter, with Michael Young and Peralta trailing him.

at 1B you have a lot of people who are mostly DH's to compete with. All those guys do is work on their hitting. I think Guillen will get out powered there for an all star spot by a rejuvinated Haffner.

Question is, will Pena keep up the same pace he was on last year.

I was half joking and half crying when I posted that.

Well, Yahoo has him ranked 4th for Fantasy 1B. Its sad really. He sucked for so many years here.

(sobbing) We could still have Gorkys Hernandez and Jurrjens if he performed that way for us.

The game today is on ESPN. Tigers down 2-0. Bonderman pitched very well - 2 earned, even though one was Byrdak's fault.

No shit! Neifi is still on the team?!?!?!


Edit: It was Timo. My bad.

:motown owns:

Byrdak just gave up a 3-run HR.

Yikes.

LEYLAND CONCERNED
Dontrelle Willis didn't seem overly concerned about giving up five runs and seven hits with four walks in 3 1/3 innings in Detroit's 5-3 loss to Toronto on Friday. Manager Jim Leyland was, however, and said that Willis needs to develop more consistency.

"He's not doing his mechanics the right way," Leyland said of Willis, who has a 6.59 earned run average. "I don't mind his funky delivery, but not all the different types of funkiness I've been seeing this spring."

Willis isn't the only player on Leyland's mind. As spring training winds down, Leyland is worried about the team in general.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 11-12 on the spring, and Leyland isn't happy.

"I haven't been impressed the last few days," Leyland said. "We don't look like we are ready yet."
-- The Associated Press

They have looked like shit in the couple of games I caught this spring.

Tigers/Indians are on FSD if anyone cares, Bazardo starting /Bonderman starting the minor league side for w/e reason.

Maybe to work on his changeup!
lolamiright

lol @ a 10th inning Spring Training game. .

Anybody got a Bodog account and want to make some jack?


Todd Jones - How many Saves will Todd Jones have in the 08 Season?

Over/Under 36½ (+125)o

I should get a bodog account to gamble.

D-Train rocked yet again.

Inge had a good game today. We need someone to be hot out of the gate. Maybe not like Orange Crush a couple of years ago, but it helps if someone is in the groove while the rest of the team realizes that the regular season has started.

When everyone else was calling Shelton Orange Crush or Big Red, my brother was calling him Fruit Stripe. Outstanding for a while, but doesn't last very long at all and is horrible after that.

Bump. Can't wait.

Yeah, rumor has it the Tigers are really on the same page now.