http://ww2.esd.org/_IMAGES/events/2005-07_tigers_logo.jpg VS http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/is290-2/f98/oaklandkids/sites/coliseum/images/athletics.gif




This is it, boys. Winner goes to the World Series, loser goes home. As huge as beating the Yankees was, it's time to get back to work now as we need 8 more W's before the job is done.

It all gets started at 8:19 ET in Oakland on Tuesday night on FOX.

The A's swept through everyone's darlings the Minnesota Twins in round one and aren't about to bow down easily to the Tigers. Oakland gets the job done with pitching, featuring a solid rotation and one of the best bullpens in the league. With relievers Huston Street, Justin Duchscherer, Kiko Calero, Joe Kennedy and Chad Gaudin, the A's don't give up too many leads once it's into the seventh so the onus will be on the Tigers to put some runs on the board early.

The A's' offense doesn't scare many on paper but don't let that fool you as they have a knack for getting the big hit when they need it. The featured performers are Frank Thomas, Milton Bradley and Nick Swisher. A few notes on each:

Big Frank had a huge comeback season after most had written him off, going for 39 homers, 114 RBIs and a .381 OBP. Despite these successes, it's clear that Frank's myriad of leg injuries have sapped what very little speed he once had as at times he appears to be limping around the basepaths. Thomas only hit 11 doubles on the season and now has trouble scoring from second even on obvious extra base hits. Look for Tigers outfielders to be well aware of this and keep him from even thinking about taking the extra base. Playing defense is not an option for Frank at this point as well.
Milton Bradley overcame an injury-riddled and ineffective first half to help lead the A's down the stretch and into the playoffs. Though his overall num ber don't look good, Bradley hit .300/.386/.482 after the All Star break with 11 homers and 44 RBIs. The enigmatic Bradley is always a risk to lose his composure and cost his team in crucial situations but when he's under control as he's been of late, he's a heckuva ballplayer and a pleasure to watch in the field.
First baseman Nick Swisher is most famous for being one of the featured players in the Moneyball book written about A's GM Billy Beane. A classic all-or-nothing slugger, Swisher bashed out 35 home runs to go with his 152 K's. A threat to change the game with every swing of the bat, look for Tigers pitchers to work around him as best they can, trying to get him to chase pitches outside of the zone.

Should be some great pitching in this series.

Game 1: Robertson v. Zito
Game 2: Verlander v. Loaiza
Game 3: Rogers v. Haren
Game 4: Bonderman v. Harden

ESPN's ALCS page: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2006/series?series=detoak

ESPN's Gammons, Law & Phillips pick the A's, Neyer & Caple pick the Tigers

A's, Tigers likely to go the distance

By Keith Law
Scouts Inc.

The upside-down ALCS brings together two teams with a lot of similarities, one of which came into the postseason warm and the other ice-cold. Each beat its Division Series opponent in convincing fashion, with Oakland getting the benefit of extra rest for the still-recovering Rich Harden. It's evenly matched in a lot of ways, and should go at least six games if both teams hold true to form.

When the A's are up
• Look for a lot of station-to-station baseball. The A's dislike the risk of stolen-base attempts; they didn't try at all against Joe Mauer, an excellent defensive catcher with an easy throwing motion, and they won't try much if at all against Pudge Rodriguez.
• The A's will certainly try to work the count more than the Yankees did, especially with all those young Tiger arms even further into uncharted workload territory.
• Jim Leyland showed an extreme reluctance to go to anyone in his pen other than Jamie Walker or Joel Zumaya in the middle innings of a game where the Tigers were tied or had the lead. He may loosen the strings against the A's, whose lineup doesn't have the power or depth that the Yankees' lineup does (or did, before Thursday).

When the Tigers are up
• Expect more quick at-bats. The Tigers drew seven walks in four games against the Yankees, part a function of their hitters, and part a function of the fact that they were too busy banging out hits. They won't find reaching base so easy against Oakland's staff.
• The Yankees' starters didn't work enough with offspeed stuff, and let the Tigers beat them on fastballs. Don't expect the A's pitchers to make the same mistake.
• Don't look for variety: Leyland used the same nine hitters in every game, just varying the order.

Keys for the A's
• Working the count. Against the Tigers, the Yankees' überlineup wasn't so über, showing none of the patience that helped them score over 900 runs this year, even against Justin Verlander (who started his game with a walk and appeared to be wild) or Jeremy Bonderman (who worked out of the strike zone most of the day as the Yankees came up swinging). The Tigers issued just eight free passes in the four games. The A's drew one more walk in 2006 than the Yankees did, and if they want to beat the Tigers, they'll need to keep that approach against the Tigers' starters.
• Changing speeds. The Tigers' lineup is full of fastball hitters. Each of the A's starters (Barry Zito, Esteban Loaiza, Dan Haren and Rich Harden) has at least one quality offspeed pitch, and to succeed with the fastball, they'll all have to mix their pitches to keep the Tigers from sitting on the heat.
• Getting some semblance of good defense from their middle infield. With Bobby Crosby and now Mark Ellis out for the postseason (although there's still a minute chance Crosby could show up in the World Series), the A's have lost two well above-average defensive players at key positions up the middle. D'Angelo Jimenez may be the default starter at second, but he looks like a potential disaster out there. Marco Scutaro is a good defender at second, but his range and arm are both a little stretched at short.

Keys for the Tigers
• Getting to the A's starters. Oakland has several offspeed specialists in its pen (Justin Duchscherer, Kiko Calero, Chad Gaudin and Joe Kennedy), and the Tigers' hitters prefer fastballs, so their biggest key to beating Oakland may scoring off Oakland's starters and taking a lead into the late innings. Haren would seem to be the most vulnerable here, working heavily off his four-seamer and barely using his breaking ball in his Game 3 win against Minnesota.
• Smoking. That's not a reference to Leyland, but to Zumaya, who looks primed to fill the Mariano Rivera '96 role -- the best guy in his team's bullpen, ready to carry any lead from the end of the sixth to the start of the ninth (perhaps longer, if need be). Todd Jones may not be automatic, but neither was John Wetteland, and having a guy to carry the bucket through two often high-leverage innings can turn a close game into a six-inning affair.
• Throwing strikes. The Tigers' starters did a good job of exploiting Yankee hitters; Kenny Rogers came out throwing strikes, while Bonderman (deliberately or not) had the Yankees chasing stuff out of the zone all day for swinging strikes. The A's hitters are patient too, so Tiger pitchers will have their work cut out for them.

Prediction
These two teams are quite evenly matched; both have good defenses and good bullpens, both have capable starters with some warts, both have flawed offenses that can still put up some runs against specific types of opposing pitchers. I think the pitcher/hitter matchups favor the A's very slightly, so while no six- or seven-game result would surprise me, I'm going with A's in seven.

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/2/Posters/PO7017%7EI-Believe-Posters.jpg

and i'll be at Game 5, if necessary.......please be the series clincher for the Tigers :)

Big Frank had a huge comeback season after most had written him off, going for 39 homers, 114 RBIs and a .381 OBP. Despite these successes, it's clear that Frank's myriad of leg injuries have sapped what very little speed he once had as at times he appears to be limping around the basepaths. Thomas only hit 11 doubles on the season and now has trouble scoring from second even on obvious extra base hits. Look for Tigers outfielders to be well aware of this and keep him from even thinking about taking the extra base. Playing defense is not an option for Frank at this point as well.

Good stuff, Vinny.

I'm a bit puzzled as to why Frank didn't win Comback Player of the Year over Thome, other than it being a fan vote as far as I can tell, with Chicago voting power trumping Oakland.

i'll take the tigers all day on this one.

granted, this was at a different time, but i was at a few A's/tigers games this year and both were jokes. i like how we matchup against these guys.

i guess rogers has absolutely dominated the A's over his career. if needs be, we can rearange the lineup to get him to go in game 7.

i am psyched.

Rogers historically pitches real well in Oakland's stadium, so they may have to rearrange to make that happen. I love having him sandwiched between Bondo and Verlander though, so I hope that doesn't get screwed up. No offense to Nate but I'd like to see Verlander start game one for this reason with Robertson pushed back to game 4.

Why is Robertson starting game 1? I would have loved to have seen Verlander, Rogers, Bonderman in the first three, so they were all guaranteed 2 starts.

Jimmy could be doing it out of respect for the job Nate did in getting us here and so as not to upset chemistry at all. I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see Nate step it up on Tuesday after watching Kenny and Bondo perform as they did.

Also, you never want to throw away a game and I HIGHLY doubt Leyland would even think about this but there's something to be said for having our worst starter against their best starter. If there's only a thirty percent chance we beat Zito regardless of who we start and only a thirty percent chance that Nate wins regardless of who he faces, might as well match the two up. Again, though, these are the kinds of things that only idiotic message board posters like me think up, real baseball people wouldn't do something like that, not consciously at least.

Regardless, if Nate gets rocked again on Tuesday, no way can they bring him back to pitch game 5. With the extra off-days, he'd have to be skipped.

Go Tigers.

We need 6 strong from Nate.

I think he can do it.

Let's whoop some ass, Nate.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20061004/capt.104a1f5a0e124003abca538f7ac2d328.tigers_yanke es_alds_baseball_nyjj111.jpg

Tigers steal a win tonight 5-3 on Zito (nate makes up for bad outing in NY)

Tigers win the series in 6 (W, L, W, W, L, W)

no tiger fans in the chat. pffft ya'll is gay.

Dude is that steve lyons sounding obnoxiously annoying to fucking death?

LOL @ the Fox gun claiming Rodney was throwing 100...

Classic Nate tonight. He never folds when he puts runners on, always battling. Striking out the side with runners on 2nd and third and nobody out could be a signature moment in this season.

Zumaya in, let's get her done Joel!

Alright, TJ, this is what you live for.

woot

good call on the gun vinny. i knew something was fishy when robertson kept hitting 94. he never goes over 92, and all of the sudden he's throwing 94 every pitch? im surprised zumaya didnt go over 103 tonight.

this game didnt even feel like a playoff game, to me. like i said, i'll take the tigers all day in this series. tigers in 4 or 5, but i'm thinking 4.

Starting Pitchers:
Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman.

Relief Pitchers:
Wilfredo Ledezma, Jamie Walker, Jason Grilli, Todd Jones, Zach Miner, Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya.

Catchers:
Ivan Rodriguez and Vance Wilson.

Infielders:
Sean Casey, Carlos Guillen, Omar Infante, Brandon Inge, Neifi Perez, Placido Polanco and Ramon Santiago.

Outfielders:
Alexis Gomez, Curtis Granderson, Craig Monroe, Magglio Ordonez, and Marcus Thames.

This was the ALDS roster, does anyone know if it changed? If not who plays first ? Carlos or Pudge?

I am not sure who mentioned it but Lyons was awful, so I turned on the Radio here in EP and Joe Morgan was playing the role of hater. He was basically openly rooting for the Tigers to get hit hard, and was critical to no end of Roberston even when he got out of jams.

if casey was done, i'd go to vance wilson. i think pudge is too valuable behind the plate. actually, im not even sure wilson can play first, but i'd assume he can (cant everyone?).

it should be noted that guillen's glove was terrible today. im talking ungodly bad. he could have been charged with three errors (my favorite being when he limp tossed it to second).

Great game. The 4 Oakland GIDP's didn't hurt either (ALCS record).

I disagree about Lyons being the biggest problem. It was Piniella. I thought Tim McCarver was "master of the obvious", well Piniella just took away that title.

I'll admit that his comments had me laughing, but I just wanted to keep saying "Good story, Lou", sarcastically.

I think Lyons got roped into trying to bail out Lou's dead end stories and came off looking bad.

The Tigers are in a great position right now, just don't fuck it up.

Casey being down really makes me question (again) not having Shelton on the roster in favor of Santiago.


EDIT: Thom Brennaman also pissed me off with the Craig MONroe shit.

nice game. i'm not a die hard baseball fan, so i wasn't sure how much a "celebration" hang over would affect the Tigers. they looked real patient at the plate and did a nice job stringing together hits. nate was great in the 4th after leyland came out to calm him down.

Hasn't Leyland's tendency throughout the year been to have injuries, days off, or poor play change as little as possible on the field and in the lineup. I don't think he moves anyone from the spot they are already playing, just subs in someone to play 1st.

nope....it's going to be NEIFI at short and Carlos will play first

From MLive

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Like it or not, you're getting Neifi
OAKLAND, Calif. -- OK, so none of you wanted Nate Robertson starting Game 1, and then he pitched five scoreless innings and now the Tigers lead the series 1 game to none.

So what are you going to go crazy about now? Oh, of course, Neifi Perez.

I laugh at it by now, because it's so predicatable. The minute Sean Casey gets hurt, the ``No, not Neifi'' e-mails and forum posts begin.

Well, sorry, Jim Leyland said tonight that Perez will start at shortstop tomorrow night, with Carlos Guillen playing first base. Not only that, but Leyland said he doesn't regret leaving Chris Shelton off the playoff roster.

``Not one bit,'' he said.

Perez could play for a while, because Leyland isn't optimistic about Casey. Casey will have an MRI Wednesday, but he won't play tonight and might well not play during the weekend, either.

As I said about the Robertson decision (which worked out, of course), you'd think some of you might trust Leyland's judgement by now.

Apparently, that's not the case.

^fuck that noise

Infante > Deivi Cruz > Neifi

Hasn't Leyland's tendency throughout the year been to have injuries, days off, or poor play change as little as possible on the field and in the lineup. I don't think he moves anyone from the spot they are already playing, just subs in someone to play 1st.

^ = wishful thinking.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7175/jvii4.jpg

--M1

god... the tigers looked so good last night, if we dont win this series now, neifi better enter the witness protection program. and even though everyone loves leyland right now, he might want to enter with him.

Neifi Perez may be one of the only players in baseball so bad that he could cost us the series. Also, Leyland's refusal to add Shelton to the roster in favor of BOTH Santiago and Perez was just plain wrong. Even if we win a World Series it was wrong.

WTF is Leyland thinking?

How can Infante not start over Perez? I would be fine with the move if it was Santiago starting because he is a better defender at SS but Perez isn't that much better than Infante in the field either.

I wonder what Infante did to piss off Leyland.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7175/jvii4.jpg

--M1

[smilie=dj.gif]

MLB just reported that they won't postpone any games due to Corey Lidle's death.

finally got interesting at the end.

not all jones' fault. those were 3 bloop singles.

i can't believe the Tigers are two wins away from the World Series. Friday night is going to be cold and insane!

A few quick, drunken notes:

What the fuck's up with everyone being so shocked that we can score runs?? We finished 8th in all of baseball in runs scored...come on now, that doesn't happen by accident.

Whjat's up with everyone so shocked with us playing good defense? Most previews I read gave Oakland a huge advantage in D but we've been doing this all season long. How the hell else were we supposed to lead baseball in ERA while finishing like 22nd in pitcher strikeouts. Seriously now!?@!???

Welcome back, H1Man.

Another entertaining game to watch.

Leyland is looking like a prophet right now, he's got me considering picking up smoking cigarettes.

Also, I think this might be the worst broadcasting team of all time.

Every time I hear Lou Piniella speak, I feel like I have just lost 5 years off my life.

All references to Lou Piniella's first kiss make my ears bleed violently.

Hopefully we can wrap the series up at home and move on to the...gulp...World Series?

yea, you have a point.

but craig monroe's defense has been a revelation to me. if he were a yankee, he'd have 2 or 3 catches considered 'all-timers' in the postseason already. i knew he had a great arm, but his glove has really surprised me.

Game time moved up to 4:30 tomorrow due to cold weather.

So it looks like we get a Tigers-Pistons doubleheader.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AlO7hkMTzYRLfNboNNVHIjI5nYcB?slug=ap-lcs-starttimes&prov=ap&type=lgns


ALCS Game 3 on Friday afternoon; NLCS Game 2 at night

October 12, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Game 2 of the National League championship series between the Mets and the Cardinals on Friday will start at 8:05 p.m. EDT, and Game 3 of the American League championship series between the Tigers and Athletics will start at 4:30 p.m.

Major League Baseball said Thursday that concerns about the weather Friday night in Detroit prompted the switch from the original start time of 8:19 p.m. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series Wednesday night, winning in Oakland 8-5.

Friday was to have been an off day in the NLCS, but Game 1 in New York was rained out Wednesday. The Mets-Cardinals series was to begin Thursday night.

A moment of silence was to be held before the game in tribute to New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, who was killed Wednesday when his small plane crashed into a Manhattan high-rise.

Hopefully, nobody tells Lou Piniella about the change.

Game time moved up to 4:30 tomorrow due to cold weather.

So it looks like we get a Tigers-Pistons doubleheader.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AlO7hkMTzYRLfNboNNVHIjI5nYcB?slug=ap-lcs-starttimes&prov=ap&type=lgns



Hopefully, nobody tells Lou Piniella about the change.

LOL. Did anyone else get a kick out of the other announcers ripping on Lou for stupidly running into the trailer or something along those lines? They made him look like an idiot on national television, and it was obvious that Lou was majorly pissed off to the point of wanting to strangle them both, but he had to contain his anger.

The bumbling bengals in the big show?... that can't happen in just one year... can it?... man this could be the sports story of the year.

Am I alone in hating Nick Swisher?

I friggin hate that guy! Maybe it's just the fact he went to THE Ohio State University.

Just seems like a giant tool.

Great game, Kenny was dealing.

I wish we could have pushed at least one run across in the 7th, though.

Let's get at least 2 more for Jones, eh?

1 win from the fucking World Series.

Unreal.

hope we just get this series over tomorrow. what a joke. all the national experts that were picking a long series, or picking the As, should be fired, and i should get their jobs.

picking the A's? this team has no business in a series against the tigers.

WORLD SERIES YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now let's hope the NLCS goes 7 games.

Maybe even with one or two 16-17 inning games.

Now let's hope the NLCS goes 7 games.

Maybe even with one or two 16-17 inning games.

I don't know, I was thinking that but then again, do we really want to slow this team down right now? Even if the Mets sweep, The World Series would start Tuesday at the earliest, probably Wednesday meaning everyone but Bonderman would be ready to go. I guess we want to get Casey healthy but beyond that, let's get it over with.

isnt the WS scheduled for next sat regardless?

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/b6/full.getty-72124136cc037_alcs_game_3_o_8_03_08_pm.jpg

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/a3/full.getty-72124136cc039_alcs_game_3_o_8_05_22_pm.jpg

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20061013/capt.3d00a2abed214e7f949016f4fc2fcecc.alcs_athleti cs_tigers_baseball_dts218.jpg

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/8f/full.getty-72124136cc013_alcs_game_3_o_5_42_05_pm.jpg

Game on, bitches.

Wow, Fox fired Steve Lyons.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2625500


Fox fires Lyons for racially insensitive comment

Associated Press

DETROIT -- Fox baseball broadcaster Steve Lyons has been fired for making a racially insensitive comment directed at colleague Lou Piniella's Hispanic heritage on the air during Game 3 of the American League championship series.

The network confirmed Saturday that Lyons was dismissed after Friday's comments. He has been replaced for the remainder of the series by Los Angeles Angels announcer Jose Mota.

"Steve Lyons has been relieved of his Fox Sports duties for making comments on air that the company found inappropriate," network spokesman Dan Bell said.

Lyons had been working in the booth for the ALCS alongside Thom Brennaman and Piniella.

A call to Lyons' cell phone was not immediately returned Saturday.

In the second inning of Friday's game between Detroit and Oakland, Piniella talked about the success light-hitting A's infielder Marco Scutaro had in the first round of the playoffs. Piniella said that slugger Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez needed to contribute, comparing Scutaro's production to finding a "wallet on Friday" and hoping it happened again the next week.

Later, Piniella said the A's needed Thomas to get "en fuego" -- hot in Spanish -- because he was currently "frio" -- or cold. After Brennaman praised Piniella for being bilingual, Lyons spoke up.

Lyons said that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" -- butchering the conjugation for the word "to speak" -- and added, "I still can't find my wallet."

"I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now," Lyons continued.

Fox executives told Lyons after the game he had been fired.

Piniella, approached before Saturday's Game 4, declined to comment on the situation except to say: "No, he's not here today."

This was not a first-time offense for Lyons, nicknamed "Psycho" during his nine-year big league career as a utilityman that ended in 1993 with the Boston Red Sox.

Hired when Fox began broadcasting baseball in 1996, Lyons was suspended without pay in late September 2004 after his remarks about Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Green is Jewish and elected not to play one of the two games at San Francisco that took place during the Yom Kippur holiday.

The network apologized for Lyons' remarks at the time.

Lyons, 46, was a career .252 hitter with 19 home runs and 196 RBI for Boston, the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta and Montreal. He was a first-round draft pick by the Red Sox, 19th overall, in 1981.



Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

Steve Lyons < Anthony.

And if anybody asks me who "My Tiger" is, just look at my fucking name, dipshit!!!!

best.game.evar

i hit it good, it hit it outta the park, can i get some water?

GET THAT MAN A DRINK!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[smilie=goodnews.gi: [smilie=newdog.gif] [smilie=headbanger.:
[smilie=stirthepot.: [smilie=pancakes.gi: [smilie=drummer.gif] [smilie=jackson.gif]
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[smilie=laugh3.gif] [smilie=hahaha.gif] [smilie=cool4.gif] [smilie=tongue3.gif] ;)
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http://www.mascot.net/paws-ani.gifBring on those NL bitches.

The Tigers beating the New York Yankees: Sublime,
The Tigers going to the World Series since 1984?:Priceless.
Money can buy you the Yankees, For going to and winning a World Series ring, its the Detroit Tigers.

Listen to them roar! Tigers in four!

I think that I am more excited about this team than the pistons in 04, but it is tough to say. I would put my excitement level right now close to that of when billups hit the half court 3 to tie it in game 5.

How incredible was that bomb? What a way to go to the World Series.

can someone abuse their powers by locking and removing Fool's sig?:wtf: :furious2: [smilie=sayitaintso: [smilie=sayitaintso: [smilie=sayitaintso:







congrats tigers, good luck if you get the cardinals. if you get the mets congrats on the title.

WOW! Absolutely unbelievable! [smilie=yourock.gif] Probably the best baseball game I have ever watched, and one of the coolest sports experiences in my life.......and I was sitting on my couch! I'm feeling great about my life right now.

[smilie=BLC]
GO GET 'EM TIGERS!

Who's got the pic?

I'm still drunk from last night... and I have the Tigers to thank for that.


GREAT GAME!

Literally no more than five minutes after I put in a wad of Big League Chew, Magglio hit the dinger. Amazing.

A penny for Alan Trammel's thoughts?

Apparently Magglio told his son he would hit a special homer for him before the game as a birthday present, furthering my suspicion that this is really just some sick twisted dream in which the Tigers season, the movie Major League and a Seinfeld episode are all twisted together.

Please nobody wake me.

This post is for two things....the first is to show off my new killer Avatar (I had to put that up before somebody screwed up the most important sweep of the year....so far)

The second is..........


[smilie=fireworks.g: WIZZLE'S 100TH POST!!!! [smilie=fireworks.g:
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[smilie=dance.gif]

How'd you get the girls to pose again?

Looks like the Tigs have left another organization reeling in their wake.

Macha should probably go, he seemed way to upbeat whilst getting swept, and from the sounds of it, he's bipolar or something.

He should have been throwing things.

That decision to go with Harden before Haren was pretty questionable too.

Maybe they should have let him walk last year when he quit and they talked him into coming back?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/16/SPGQ4LQ5IA1.DTL


Speculation on Macha’s Future
Manager out the door?
GM Beane meets with staff today

Susan Slusser, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, October 16, 2006

A year ago this week, the A's brought Ken Macha back as their manager after he'd briefly left because of a contract stalemate.

Now, it is possible that Macha has managed his last game with the A's, according to team sources. The primary reasons: Macha's problems communicating with players, along with what injured players have described as a callous attitude toward them.

One team insider said Sunday that it is unclear if any firm decision has been made about Macha's status, but there is no doubt that Macha is on shaky ground, despite taking the team to the American League Championship Series and despite having two years remaining on his contract.

When reached Sunday evening, general manager Billy Beane would not comment on Macha's future other than to say, "The end of the year is the time for evaluation, not only players, but staff as well. It's a matter of routine this time of year."

Beane will hold his annual postseason meetings with all members of the staff today.

Macha has had issues with players in the past, including outfielders Terrence Long, Adam Piatt and Chris Singleton, as well as former batting coach Thad Bosley and former pitching coach Rick Peterson. This year, Macha had differences of opinion with outfielders Jay Payton and Mark Kotsay and reliever Scott Sauerbeck.

Toward the end of the season, one member of the starting lineup was openly critical of Macha in the clubhouse. By the final weekend of the regular season, another prominent member of the team had joined in the criticism. Several players went so far as to take their complaints to Beane, telling him they did not want to return to the club if Macha remained as manager, according to sources.

On Sunday, backup catcher Adam Melhuse joined the list of disgruntled players, saying, "For the last two years, our relationship has deteriorated to nothing. He didn't even speak to me for well over the last month. For me, as a backup, all I want is communication. Every other coach, I get along with great, but with Macha, it is not an exaggeration to say he doesn't speak to me -- not 'Hi,' not anything.

"It's tough to go to work every day knowing you're working for someone who doesn't think much of you as a player and on top of that, doesn't even acknowledge you."

Macha has upset several players over the course of the season with his reaction to injuries.

When Joe Kennedy and Rich Harden were on the disabled list, he referred to them as "non-entities." Asked if he was concerned about Bobby Crosby's back injury affecting the shortstop's future, Macha responded that he hoped Crosby is back next year and can play 150 games, "but if he can't, someone else will." And he raised eyebrows when asked how he felt about Mark Ellis' broken finger, which knocked the second baseman out of the playoffs, especially considering Ellis' tough injury history.

"It's part of the game," Macha responded. "A lot of people get hurt."

Macha questioned Kotsay's inability to play in a road game against Tampa Bay the day after a day off, calling it "puzzling" -- two days after Kotsay admitted that it took "duct tape" simply to get him on the field with his balky back.

There is some thought within the organization that Macha might not be fired -- he might choose to resign, instead. He has not been comfortable working under Beane and some of his close friends have worried about how unhappy he has seemed in his current job, despite the success of the club.

The A's won the AL West this year despite their many injuries and swept the Twins in the Division Series before losing to Detroit in four games in the ALCS; if Macha and the team do part ways, the team's performance will not be a factor.

Macha, 56, served as Art Howe's bench coach with the A's for four years before becoming the manager in 2003. His 368-280 record over the past four seasons is the fourth-best mark in baseball in that span, and his .568 winnings percentage is the second-best in franchise history behind Dick Williams' .603.

There is $2.025 million remaining on Macha's contract.

Macha no Mas

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2628358


After quick ALCS exit, A's fire manager Macha

Am I alone in hating Nick Swisher?


A pic from Real Detroit Weekly of Swisher wearing a Tigers jersey after the sweep at a bar in Detroit.

Weird.

http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/cframe/albums/userpics/10027/normal_SUB-Paul_MarkKiger_NickSwis.jpg

Looks like a fun time.