H1Man
06-23-2006, 03:31 PM
Tigers open homestand vs. Cardinals
St. Louis (42-29) at Detroit (48-25), Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Most of Detroit is looking forward to this series. The manager is not.
After Jim Leyland left Colorado for what he called his baseball sabbatical, it was the Cardinals and his old skipper Tony La Russa that pulled him back in. La Russa helped give Leyland his first springboard into managing when he named Leyland as his third-base coach back in 1982.
Leyland's stint with the Cardinals as a special assignment scout the past few years helped him get back.
"I credit that organization for really getting my enthusiasm going again as a manager," Leyland said Wednesday. "I think the Cardinals these last four years are the reason why I came back."
Leyland calls Albert Pujols one of the hardest-working players he has ever met, comparing him with Barry Bonds when he was in Pittsburgh. He believes Jim Edmonds is one of the most underrated players in the game and a wild man in center field. He loves young catcher Yadier Molina. And he talks with La Russa on a regular basis, even during the season.
So why would he not want to see these guys again?
"I'm looking forward to the excitement of the big crowds we're supposedly going to have," said Leyland, referencing the expected attendance above 35,000 for all three games. "From that standpoint, that's nice. I'm not looking forward to the situation as it is, but that's all part of it. It's not that you don't look forward to competing against them. It's just that one of us [managers] is not going to be happy."
Beyond the managers, however, will be a test of teams with two of the best records in the Majors, and another test for a Tigers club that has already had its share of them this month, including the Yankees, White Sox and Blue Jays. The latest test starts in the series opener, when rookie Justin Verlander matches up against defending National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter.
It will yet be another test for Verlander, who has already matched up against Felix Hernandez, Johan Santana, Scott Kazmir and Jose Contreras this season.
"Like I said [the other times], it doesn't really matter to me," Verlander said. "I have to go out and pitch my game."
Verlander will not worry about one of the pitchers not being happy, as long as it's not him.
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Chris Carpenter (6-3, 2.46 ERA)
Carpenter had his second straight terrific start on Sunday against the Rockies. He allowed one run in seven innings, displaying his vast arsenal of pitches. The right-hander also incorporated a changeup that he hadn't used much in recent starts. He is 2-0 with 0.64 ERA over his last two starts.
DET: RHP Justin Verlander (8-4, 3.21 ERA)
Verlander flirted with disaster against the Cubs last Saturday with nine hits and three walks allowed over 5 2/3 innings. Yet he limited the damage to one run and continued the fortunes of his rookie season, despite just one quality start over his last four outings.
Player to watch
Ivan Rodriguez is 9-for-24 (.375) with four doubles, a triple and seven RBIs lifetime off Carpenter.
Interleague by the numbers
All-time record vs. Cardinals: 8-6
All-time club Interleague record: 78-88
On television
• FSN Detroit
On radio
• WXYT-AM 1270
Up next
• Saturday: Cardinals (RHP Jeff Suppan, 6-4, 5.07) at Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers, 10-3, 3.17), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Cardinals (RHP Sidney Ponson, 4-2, 5.30) at Tigers (RHP Jeremy Bonderman, 7-4, 3.82),
1:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Astros (TBA) at Tigers (RHP Zach Miner, 3-1, 2.08), 7:05 p.m. ET[/B] 78-88
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060621&content_id=1516231&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det
St. Louis (42-29) at Detroit (48-25), Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Most of Detroit is looking forward to this series. The manager is not.
After Jim Leyland left Colorado for what he called his baseball sabbatical, it was the Cardinals and his old skipper Tony La Russa that pulled him back in. La Russa helped give Leyland his first springboard into managing when he named Leyland as his third-base coach back in 1982.
Leyland's stint with the Cardinals as a special assignment scout the past few years helped him get back.
"I credit that organization for really getting my enthusiasm going again as a manager," Leyland said Wednesday. "I think the Cardinals these last four years are the reason why I came back."
Leyland calls Albert Pujols one of the hardest-working players he has ever met, comparing him with Barry Bonds when he was in Pittsburgh. He believes Jim Edmonds is one of the most underrated players in the game and a wild man in center field. He loves young catcher Yadier Molina. And he talks with La Russa on a regular basis, even during the season.
So why would he not want to see these guys again?
"I'm looking forward to the excitement of the big crowds we're supposedly going to have," said Leyland, referencing the expected attendance above 35,000 for all three games. "From that standpoint, that's nice. I'm not looking forward to the situation as it is, but that's all part of it. It's not that you don't look forward to competing against them. It's just that one of us [managers] is not going to be happy."
Beyond the managers, however, will be a test of teams with two of the best records in the Majors, and another test for a Tigers club that has already had its share of them this month, including the Yankees, White Sox and Blue Jays. The latest test starts in the series opener, when rookie Justin Verlander matches up against defending National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter.
It will yet be another test for Verlander, who has already matched up against Felix Hernandez, Johan Santana, Scott Kazmir and Jose Contreras this season.
"Like I said [the other times], it doesn't really matter to me," Verlander said. "I have to go out and pitch my game."
Verlander will not worry about one of the pitchers not being happy, as long as it's not him.
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Chris Carpenter (6-3, 2.46 ERA)
Carpenter had his second straight terrific start on Sunday against the Rockies. He allowed one run in seven innings, displaying his vast arsenal of pitches. The right-hander also incorporated a changeup that he hadn't used much in recent starts. He is 2-0 with 0.64 ERA over his last two starts.
DET: RHP Justin Verlander (8-4, 3.21 ERA)
Verlander flirted with disaster against the Cubs last Saturday with nine hits and three walks allowed over 5 2/3 innings. Yet he limited the damage to one run and continued the fortunes of his rookie season, despite just one quality start over his last four outings.
Player to watch
Ivan Rodriguez is 9-for-24 (.375) with four doubles, a triple and seven RBIs lifetime off Carpenter.
Interleague by the numbers
All-time record vs. Cardinals: 8-6
All-time club Interleague record: 78-88
On television
• FSN Detroit
On radio
• WXYT-AM 1270
Up next
• Saturday: Cardinals (RHP Jeff Suppan, 6-4, 5.07) at Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers, 10-3, 3.17), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Cardinals (RHP Sidney Ponson, 4-2, 5.30) at Tigers (RHP Jeremy Bonderman, 7-4, 3.82),
1:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Astros (TBA) at Tigers (RHP Zach Miner, 3-1, 2.08), 7:05 p.m. ET[/B] 78-88
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060621&content_id=1516231&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det