Comments on: Game 54: Tigers at Indians

By: The Detroit Tiger Weblog » Blog Archive » Detroit Tigers Weblog 2007 Year in Review

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 04:17:23 +0000

[...] An auspicious start to the month as Todd Jones gets pulverized and Jim Leyland just lets him take as the Tigers lose a game they had no business losing. [...]

By: Dead Rabbit

Dead Rabbit — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:17:00 +0000

As for those here that say I shouldn’t obsess about the closer “role”, even hinting that the role in some ways doesn’t exist but then, in the same sentence, act outraged that Jones had to throw 30 something pitches are actually contradicting themselves.

Jones was not asked to do the impossible.

The Dead Rabbit is starting to annoy, well, the Dead Rabbit..so I’m moving on and gearing up for this game.

By: tigerfan

tigerfan — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:11:31 +0000

Anthony,
Me bad you are correct I just hate to see a manager take all the heat for some mediocre roll players at best I still say the manager can’t play the game he has to use what is available even if he did have input to
thier aquisition its up to the players to give 110% and up to the manager to know when to use them or bench them

By: Dead Rabbit

Dead Rabbit — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:07:48 +0000

I’ve slept on it and still maintain that Leyland made the right call. As another poster said, we were doomed in a war of attrition. And expanding a war of attrition into Saturday would be moronic. When looking at all the variables, including the next game and the fact that Jones just got done running his mouth how he is the “leader,” the ball was in Jones’ court. Get it done for us big man. Get us out of that game with at least our car door and bumper still attached. Step up. For once, in this important game, we are going to you in the 8th. We gave you 4 more runs. Step up. Step up. Step up.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:55:55 +0000

Tigerfan:

Don’t say that Leyland can only manage what he has, he’s obviously got some input on who’s on the team. Do you think Dombrowski would have gotten Neifi or brought in Mesa if Leyland wasn’t familiar with them? Don’t kid yourself, Dombrowski’s track record is light years ahead of Leyland’s.

By: Ed in OR

Ed in OR — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:28:12 +0000

Wow. That game was a shocker. I know Jones isn’t the best closer in the world, but Leyland did botch that call. On a more positive note: At least the Tigers are playing well considering they have three pitchers and a couple fielders out. To produce 11 runs with a number of bench players is pretty impressive and shows the depth of the team Dombrowski and Leyland have created. So there is that good point. Still lots of season left to play too.

By: Kyle J

Kyle J — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:34:44 +0000

As someone else pointed out, Delucci bats left-handed, too. If the goal is to create a good pitching match-up, you bring in Seay.

You can’t just assume we lose in the 10th. I know that’s how it feels to all of us right now, but you can’t manage based on that assumption. Ledezma came in and pitched well for most of two innings. There no reason Seay or someone else couldn’t have done the same.

Well, on to tonight. Time for Leyland to show his ability to bounce back from an ugly game.

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 18:20:55 +0000

I don’t see how walking Nixon increases your odds of preventing the tying run by any significant margin.

It got the righty-righty matchup, a force at three bases, and a less experienced batter. I wouldn’t call that insignificant.

Is it enough of a difference to merit putting the go-ahead run on in 99% of the cases? Nope. In this case, Leyland figured it did. It made sense to me when he did it. Risky as hell, but it was a situation that called for some risk.

And the deck certainly would have been stacked against us in extra innings, but the top of the order would have been up in the 10th and those guys have been hitting off just about every pitcher this year.

And who would we have pitched in the 10th? They had superior hitters and superior pitchers. You don’t win battles of attrition in a situation like that. You have to play for the quick, fluke victory.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:22:26 +0000

Danny Knobler wrote:
…This was a win Leyland did all he could to preserve, including calling on Jones in an eighth-inning save situation for the first time this year….

as the kids say: w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r.

he needs to be sent down to the toledo blade. i’m guessing they wouldn’t have him.

By: Kyle J

Kyle J — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:38:41 +0000

There may be a slim argument for leaving Jones in. But I see no argument for walking the go-ahead run. If it were Hafner, OK. But it was Trot Nixon. I don’t see how walking Nixon increases your odds of preventing the tying run by any significant margin.

And the deck certainly would have been stacked against us in extra innings, but the top of the order would have been up in the 10th and those guys have been hitting off just about every pitcher this year.

By: tiger fan

tiger fan — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:07:54 +0000

I hear a lot of blame being put on leylands shoulders,he can only manage with what he’s got.that’s why they call him the MANAGER!!! the players have to play the game and perform at the highest level that million dollar contracts can give and the tigers are not doing that,especially the pitching staff.

By: tiger fan

tiger fan — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:01:09 +0000

lets face the facts a good part of the reason the tigers lost to an inferior team in the world series was because of the pitching blunders and granted the pitching staff is banged up it won’t make a difference in october 07 because the blunders have and will continue until some changes are made in that lousy bullpen. does anyone know how the tiger bullpen stacks up against the rest of the leauge? my guess not very well.

By: Chris Y.

Chris Y. — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:34:48 +0000

So, Having slept on it:

HOW, HOW, can you leave in a “closer” long enough to plate 7 runs off pitches he threw? (Hint: you can’t, should never, etc., etc.)

I know the first two were Wil’s, but Jones is a closer coming in with two outs. Even just giving up 1 there in the 8th would have been servicable. But, .. nevermind .. I’m at a total loss.

What a loss.

By: Jeff M

Jeff M — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:20:14 +0000

1. No, when you dial 911, someone will usually respond.

2. Hopefully, ahead of KC.

3. Certainly. It might be too little, too late, but they’ll definitely make this team competitive again.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 13:44:10 +0000

Three Quick Questions:

1. When Jim Leyland picks up the phone to get an arm up in the bullpen does he have to dial 911?

2. When Kenny Rogers and Joel Zumaya return where will the Tigers be in the standings?

and

3. When Rogers and Zumaya return will their return be enough to give this struggling team a boost?