Okay, game’s starting, on to the new thread!

And when things go wrong, managers always gets the blame.

I have just been on too many sports teams, where a new manager made the difference between a last place team and a champion, and I’ve observed too many times in pro sports where a manager makes an enormous difference. And its always a ‘coincidence’ when the players start doing things differently, changing their approach, adding a pitch, hustling more, playing for the team instead of personal stats, those things and countless others, just sort of happened at the same time that the new general came to town.

To win, with precious few exceptions, you have to have it all, good players, good managers, good scouting.

As far as the complaints about Leyland, and the supposedly bad decisions he always makes, to be honest, I hear the same thing from fans, every year, from each and every one of the 29 teams, without exception. Incessantly. The only difference is, maybe the top 2 or 3, you hear it less often, for a little while, until the first losing streak, then the complaints will roll in that the manager has to go.

You guys will scream bloody murder when Grandy hits against a lefty, or when Seay doesn’t come in for a lefty and throw stats out there only when they back your statements up.

But when It’s obvious this team hasn’t been whole all year, injuries and the like all of a sudden it’s all about a lack or heart, grit, a players uniform or whatever.

You can’t sit back and tell me a healthy Rodney/Zumaya/Rogers isn’t better than a Grilli/Brydak/Durbin? How much heart can those guys contribute when they’re not playing?

If you want to blame the establisment thats fine by me. Neifi? Mesa? Monroe? Infante? It’s hard to win with those guys.

The whole trade deadline arguement is hilarious to me. We were on top of the world at the middle of the season. Glorious hitting, decent enough pitching. Out hole was obvious, the bullpen. They didn’t feel like they could get an arm, ok. Really, the best thing we were going to get was a band aid. Hindsight is 20/20.

Bobby Seay: 54 G, 3-0, 1 SV, 10 Holds, 42.2 IP, 36 H, 12 ER, 1 HR, 34 K, 14 BB, 1.17 WHIP, 2.53 ERA, Salary: $450K. Age: 29.

Can we let the Jamie Walker stuff die?

Today I am feeling about my Tigers like I feel about my kids: I love them unconditionally, but still, on some days it seems appropriate to give them a good slap.

Verlander: GS – 30 ERA – 3.70
Bonderman: GS – 28 ERA – 5.01
Robertson: GS – 27 ERA – 4.93
Durbin: GS – 19 ERA – 4.76
Maroth: GS – 13 ERA – 5.06
Miller: GS – 13 ERA – 5.63
Rogers: GS – 9 ERA – 4.24
Jurrjens: GS – 5 ERA – 2.84
Tata: GS – 3 ERA – 7.71
Vasquez: GS – 3 ERA – 8.44
Bazardo: GS – 1 ERA – 3.24
Miner: GS – 1 ERA 2.98

Isn’t there somthing wrong with that picture? Out rotation has been a revolving door, and not once this year have we had our top 1-5 guys out there healthy and productive. Durbin, Maroth, Miller? ineffective Robertson? an invisible Rogers? Injured Bonderman?

For comparison sake, the Indians this year:

Sabathia: GS – 32 ERA – 3.21
Carmona: GS – 30 ERA – 3.07
Byrd: GS – 29 ERA – 4.36
Westbrook: GS – 23 ERA – 4.41
Lee: GS – 16 ERA – 6.53
Sowers: GS – 12 ERA – 6.93
Laffey: GS – 7 ERA – 5.35
Standord: GS – 2 ERA – 4.78

That obviously looks more stable, and the top two guys were stoppers.

The bunt with Inge when Paul Byrd is throwing 83 mph meatballs up there with little movement. He was another hit away from getting yanked and he has Inge bunt? Why? I know that going all stat-geeky is ridiculous since there’s a better chance that Leyland quits smoking before knowing what the hell run expectancy is, but the odds of scoring with 1st and 2nd and no outs are greater then 2nd and 3rd and 1 out.

And then Zumaya in the 8th? Was he going to get a 6 out save against a good hitting club when it was his third day in a row pitching? And then leaving Zach Miner out there for 43 pitches with 7 other guys in the bullpen? Not going to Bobby Seay with Sizemore/Cabrera/Hafner coming up — even though it worked out with Miner on the hill, though balls were hit hard — it just doesn’t make sense. And it harkens back to various points all through the season where the choices seem obvious.

The DIFFERENCE between the Indians and the Tigers really only comes down to the H-2-H record. The Indians are 6.5 games up overall and 5 games up (11-6) in the H-2-H. This is one area where I give Wedge a little credit. He skipped Byrd’s (to his public chagrin) and Westbrook’s starts earlier in the season to give his team the best shot at beating the Tigers as early as May. He preaches winning the title by beating your division rivals and there might be something to it beyond sheer dumb luck. Hell, had the Tigers swept this series, the H-2-H would have been 9-9 and the teams would be virtually tied.

Anyway, our H-2-H record could be dumb luck, but the Tigers’ excellent season (and this is an excellent season) reminds me of our 2005 season where we were 93-69, 6 games behind the White Sox, but were 5-14 against them with 9 one run losses!

I don’t think Santiago makes the 25 man roster and if he does he sure as hell better not be the starting shortstop. Magglio won’t have this kind of year next year and Granderson won’t lead the league in XBH’s. This offense — going to go over 850 runs, probably and scored 822 last year — cannot carry Inge, Timo Perez (if he gets the job in LF god help us), and Santiago. I don’t think Thames is the answer in LF either. Guys like him get exposed over 500 AB’s.

I have no idea what the answer is because the farm system is not strong enough for a big blockbuster deal and the FA market is terrible, so Dombrowski has his hands full this off-season, that’s for sure.

Oh, and thank god we didn’t get Richie Sexson. Please, stay away from that garbage.