If you had told me this morning that the Tigers and Jason Johnson were taking on Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays and the final would be 7-0, I can’t imagine the odds it would take for me to pick the Tigers to win. Roy Halladay owns the Tigers (and many other teams), and Toronto is returning the bulk of a lineup that ranked second in the league in runs scored. Yet Jason Johnson pitched effectively, including pitching out of a lead off triple and shut down the Jays potent offense. Carlos Pena plated the Tigers first run on a solo shot, then newcomers Pudge and Rondell white chipped in a dinger a piece as well.
Now the question is what to make of this win. It’s one game on a 162 game schedule. In that context it means very little. However, for the Tigers this is great building block for the season. Detroit dominated a game they weren’t supposed to even win. This happens sometimes in baseball, but it hasn’t happened to the Tigers for several years. What’s more is that the game illustrated the significance of Detroit’s roster moves. The key contributors were all newcomers-Johnson, Pudge, and White. In addition to bringing their physical tools, the new Tigers will hopefully instill a sense of winning into a clubhouse that hasn’t experienced it in a long time.
I recognize that it is only one win, and the Tigers could lose their next 5 or 6 games like they did in 98, 99, and 2000. Drew Sharp will probably use his column to point out such negative facts. However, Tiger fans know they should embrace each win, no matter how significant or insignificant it may seem at the time.
Other notes and observations:
-A pleasant surprise to see Hall of Famer and Special Assistant to the President Al Kaline in uniform on the bench
-Despite 5 strike outs, the Tigers really worked Halladay in the first two innings forcing 39 pitches. Halladay was quoted:
-Every position player played except for Shelton, despite the fact that he could have pinch hit for Pena in the 9th. Do you think the decision to keep Shelton on the roster may have been more Dombrowski’s than Trammell’s?
-The camera showed Maroth in the dugout during the 9th inning. He looked suprisingly on edge given the fact he wasn’t playing and his team was up by 7. I wonder if he’s thinking about tomorrow’s game.
-The Tigers didn’t score their 7th run of the season until their seventh game of the season last year.
This comment is from 1 Tiger fan that made the journey to Toronto to watch the game and I for one was not disappointed. I would have liked to have seen Shelton and Coyler get into the game, but was pleased none the less with the effort. Some concerns: Munson’s D at 3rd is still shaky and his AB’s were not very impressive. I liked the patience at the plate, making Halladay throw 21 1st inning pitches and over 100 pitches through 6 innings. But was disappointed with the called third strikes they did take. Come on fellas, take the bat off your shoulder for just a swing or two. And I know it’s been said before about what Pudge means to this team, but it’s more than just his offense and defense too. On numerous occasions, after big AB’s or turning points in the game, Pudge was the 1st one out of the dugout to high 5 his teammates or praise them for their effort. That sort of leadership was sorely lacking last year and can not be measured with $$$$$ signs.
Thanks for the report Dave. Glad you got to see a win, and a convincing one at that.
I believe it was David Wells, two or three years ago, that said pitching against Detroit was “like pitching in A-ball again,” because he could throw anything he wanted and the Tigs would swing at all of it.
Hope those days are well behind us.