Comments on: Game 58: Tigers at White Sox

By: cardgames

cardgames — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 07:06:46 +0000

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:43:18 +0000

But, honestly, I’m just thrilled that they’re winning again. If they put 90 wins on the board, I’ll consider this season an amazing success. Even 85 wins would be a good season.

Before the start of this season, Jeff, I would have been happy, in fact overjoyed, with 81 wins, just to see .500 again. Since then, though, it seems like the hot start has raised the bar. Will I be disappointed if the Tigs don’t make the post-season? Honestly, yes, a little bit. Even a first-round sweep would be better than nothing.

And Nick and Joe V, maybe you guys are right. Maybe if they were scoring a little more, they could absorb a run or two given up by the bullpen. No closer is going to be perfect.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 18:38:27 +0000

The problem isn’t that they are relying to much on the long ball, it’s that they rely to much on the solo home run. They need to get on base more often if they want to be anything more than a middle of the pack offensive team.

By: Joe V.

Joe V. — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:28:46 +0000

If you saw the pregame show on FSN (and a quick shout out to Mario, Rod, and John for awesome coverage of the Tigers!) then you could say Leyland predicted the outcome of this game. Relying to much on the longball and not getting runs in with the small ball. Bases loaded in the first and no runs to show for it. They will not make the playoffs unless they get that part of their game under control.

By: Why Not Sneeze? »

Why Not Sneeze? » — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:49:02 +0000

[...] It’s been too long since posting. I confess to being somewhat consumed by spectator sports, but since my team has dropped seven of nine I am turning away from it for a bit — preemptively sparing myself a bit of psychological torment. This usually happens several times a season — this time it’s just later than in previous years, which is something to be thankful for. [...]

By: Joey C.

Joey C. — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:24:03 +0000

Scott I agree with you. Yesterday Lou asked why the fascination with three pitch starters, and I feel the tendency towards having a 8th and 9th inning guys is another example of entrenched baseball theory being too inflexibly observed. There is no doubt in my mind that Zumaya should have been run out again in the 8th. The dude is nearly unhittable when he’s on, and last night he looked great. It just drives me crazy to see a manager stick to a script regardless of what’s happening on the field–but you guys have heard me go nuts on this topic before.

I know we established that Rodney has a respectable onbase against average. But there’s something about the guy that drives me insane. Maybe it’s the overthrowing. All I know is that I’ve watched a vast majority of this year’s games, and he’s always keeping me on the edge of my seat. I think he’s had a tendency to fall behind hitters and take too many batters to full counts and last night it really caught up to him.

These are big games. However, we play the Sox a whole lot more this season, so there’s room to make up ground. Still I hate to see us dropping so many games we should have won to teams we’re in direct competition for playoff berths with. We are not even close to a sure thing for the playoffs at this point. We can’t have dudes coming into the 8th or 9th innings of games in which we have a slim lead and walking the first two batters they see. Not against these teams…and most certainly not at US Cellular.

By: Kyle J

Kyle J — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:20:03 +0000

Interesting column from Lynn Henning: He thinks Leyland may be with those of us who would prefer Rodney as closer. Of course, this was probably written before last night’s game.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb.....70392/1129

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:28:00 +0000

Leyland simply “overmanaged” this….why not just leave Z in the game? Leyland’s stuck in a groove: Z in the 7th, Rodney in the 8th, Jones in the 9th (when we’re ahead). No matter what. Show some flexibility with the thinking! If Z is pitching good (which he was), leave him in the damned game! You know we’d have seen Jones in the 9th if that HR wasn’t tagged. I still don’t like Rodney much, he was overthrowing again, like usual. Here’s the deal: Z + Walker split closing duties; Jones or Rodney as the set up men. Seay + Spurling (who shouldn’t be in Toledo) when the starter gets knocked out early and we’re behind….Grilli should be in Toledo; did he even throw a strike last time out? I guess since Minnesota’s crapped out, Cleveland is average, and KC is horrible, we’ll still have plenty of wins come September, but we won’t make wild card if we keep blowing games like this. That makes 3 now (1 each v NY, Bosox, Chisox). And the latest due simply to inflexible thinking. C’mon Leyland, show some of this managerial talent you’re supposed to have……

By: Kyle J

Kyle J — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:05:01 +0000

Intellectually I’m with Jeff (although not necessarily about Jones). We need to keep perspective on how well this season has gone to date.

Emotionally I’m with Paul. This is the first loss I could feel in my gut afterward.

This is the only downside of the Tigers winning–being a baseball fan now involves actual emotions, both exhuberation and anxiety.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:45:27 +0000

Yeah… this one was really tough though. We’ve been singing the praises of Fernando Rodney; and just like Todd Jones did recently – he gave up a game-winning homer. Sure, it happens, but that’s seeming to be the Tigers’ Achilles heel. What’s even tougher is that (and I know this living in the Chicago area) is that Cintron isn’t really considered much of a factor for the White Sox. This was his first home run of the season, I believe. There’s really no one less likely from the local perspective to pull off such heroics.

Well… tonight I’ll be at the game. The born-and-raised Detroiter (mainly Taylor) who’s lived in Chicago for 14 years going into enemy territory and rooting for the Michigan opposition. If I don’t post here any more, its because the local White Sox fans took it out on me.

Go Tigers.

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 12:32:38 +0000

’m starting to get a bad feeling about the rest of the season…how will they fare in the post-season

It’s not a bad thing to show some emotion and get worked up over a game.

12 years of losing can do that to you.

I guess I just have a different perspective on it. I hope these guys really are the best team in baseball. I hope they do capitalize on this opportunity to win it all. But, honestly, I’m just thrilled that they’re winning again. If they put 90 wins on the board, I’ll consider this season an amazing success. Even 85 wins would be a good season.

We simply don’t have the depth to be a shoe-in. All it would take is another injury and some rookie regression and this team will once again have to claw for victories from the Cleveland and Minnesota, nevermind the eastern powerhouses. Even barring any further injury/regression, they’ll probably get to the playoffs and make an early exit. It’s ok though. It’s valuable experience and this team is geared to be competitive over the next 5 years.

I just see this as the year that we get the monkey of our back and I’m going to slow it all down and enjoy every single moment Last night’s game? Yeah, we could have won it. Maybe we even should have won it. Me? I’m still beaming from Saturday night’s game.

Got any more cliches?

Nope, that was all of ‘em. I did it for effect.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:58:05 +0000

All I can say is, Jeff I hope you’re right. I’m starting to get a bad feeling about the rest of the season. If the Tigs can’t hang with Boston, NY and Chicago now, how will they fare in the post-season where they’ll likely be facing these same teams again? I agree .700 ball is impossible to maintain, but just how much are we going to give back? Sorry, I don’t mean to be negative, but 12 years of losing can do that to you.

By: Walewander

Walewander — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 04:41:09 +0000

I agree with both of you. Weird, huh?

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 03:24:56 +0000

Jeff, with all due respect, I’m getting tired of people saying that we can’t get upset about these losses to the high-caliber teams. Sure we expect some regression and the Tigers weren’t going to stay on their torrid pace, but this is just unacceptable.

It happens. Life goes on. All they can do is put it behind them and give 100% again tomorrow.

Got any more cliches? Ugh. It’s not a bad thing to show some emotion and get worked up over a game.

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 03:12:45 +0000

Can we stop with the Jones bashing now? It is an above-average bullpen, but everyone in it is human. As illustrated so clearly tonight, a game can be won or lost in any inning. You can be sure that the three best pitchers in the pen will pitch the vast majority of the high leverage innings and none of them will be underutilized.

During preseason, Billfer illustrated how the difference in expected production between the best batting order and the worst batting order was very minimal. I suspect that the same is true of the bullpen, so please, let’s find something more constructive to discuss.

On another note, let’s not take this loss too hard. This is the regression that we had to expect. The bounces (ground rule double) won’t always go our way. Leyland isn’t Midas. Our pitchers can’t get out of every jam. We’ve stolen a bunch. Now we’re giving some away. It happens. Life goes on. All they can do is put it behind them and give 100% again tomorrow.

GO TIGERS!