2008 Season, Game Post

Game 13: Twins at Tigers

145 Comments

PREGAME: Jeremy Bonderman and Nick Blackburn.

The mind is a strange thing, men. We must begin by asking it…

…”What is losing?”

Losing is a disease…as contagious as polio…

Losing is a disease…as contagious as syphilis…

Losing is a disease…as contagious as bubonic plague…

… attacking one… but infecting all.

But curable.

from The Natural

I’m off to the game.

MIN @ DET, Monday, April 14, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

145 thoughts on “Game 13: Twins at Tigers”

  2. The Tigers lineup:

    Thomas, CF
    Polanco, 2B
    Sheffield, DH
    Ordonez, RF
    Cabrera, 3B
    Guillen, 1B
    Renteria, SS
    Rodriguez, C
    Jones, LF

    Also from Beck’s Blog: “Miguel Cabrera was doing some early work this afternoon with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, and he got a talk from manager Jim Leyland, too. The message was to simply be himself and play his game, not try to put everything on his shoulder (as it sounded like he might be doing from his postgame quotes Sunday).”

  4. Good luck, billfer…and may you bring good luck with you.

    To his quote, I’d add —

    A good friend of mine used to say, “This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.” Think about that for a while.

    The team’ll get going. It’s been a long first couple of weeks, but I have faith. Oh, and I wish I anyone that is ready to give up on Miggy played in my fantasy league. Better times are coming. Really they are.

  5. Is 13 possibly our lucky number?

    I do feel badly for these guys. There is so much talent. I think guys like Mags and Sheff need to be the sparks until Granderson gets back into the lineup.

  8. Going by number of wins, we have our current ace on the mound tonight. 🙂 Go get’em Bondo! I do believe better days are coming, I truly do.

  10. 8 pitch first inning. Good start.

    Positive from this year is that Bondo has looked alright in the first inning 🙂

  11. Very sweet DP for the Tigs, there; way better than having Morneau coming up with men on. Woot.

  13. i have donned the bonderman jersey.

    off to a good start with that double play ball.

    LETS GO TIGERS!

    (anyone else having issues with mlb.tv?)

  14. It’s a new day a new game…take a deep breath and lets hope for a win! LETS GO TIGERS!!!!

  20. I managed to get to the signin screen, and when I logged in it told me I was logged on at another computer. Bizarre.

  21. i was having problems with the login screen not loading up, but it appears to be fixed for me. i am streaming tigers. gl getting it goin.

    🙁 to the first run

  23. My mlb.tv is slow and it takes a couple tries to start. just keep refreshing. and the wait time is long too, between 10 and 40 seconds. maybe its a good thing though, you missed pudge’s glove fart

  24. Man that error really came around to slap em in the face..fitting for this season so far.

  25. Magically, it seems to be working now. Good to see I haven’t missed anything unusual by this year’s standards.

  29. Ian. LOL. Thanks for the comic relief.
    I know, I know, hall of fame, blah blah, but I really have no confidence in Cabrera right now.

  30. I hear ya, cib. It just seems like there’s no reason to be hopeful when Cabrera comes up. The whole heart of the order, really. No way am I saying Cabrera is a bust or anything, just saying I need to see some results before I have any confidence in him.

  31. Well so far we are making Blackburn look like Gavin Floyd, who we made look like Walter Johnson.

    This is getting old….

  32. Bondo is dealing tonight. Lots of swing and misses on his 2 seamer, which is out of the ordinary. Billfer, this would be a good game to pitch f/x track if you get a chance.

  36. I love Miggy, You can still see the excitement in his face when he gets a hit. I am not going to opine what I think is wrong with this team because no one believes me. I don’t think the Tigers will do anything unless a certain problem is addressed and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be addressed.

  38. Mike Lamb has as many RBI as Maggs, Cabrera and Guillen combined.

    Mike.

    Lamb.

  41. Fully aware that I’ll jinx it, *knocking on wood* anyone else think that through his first three starts, Bondo is showing flashes of being what we all think he’s going to be every year?

    I mean, except for the impending post-error blowup.

  50. wow…was that the first called third strike of the season for the detroit pitching staff?

  52. 3-0 is absolutely insurmountable for us right now. The only question – will we score at all?

  54. Simply incredible. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. (broken record.)

  58. Umm- Let’s Go Red Wings! 1-0 with 13:00 to go in the 2nd. At least one Detroit team can score some points.

  59. even espn’s play by play is buggy for me right now. Still shows one out, Renteria on first, v5

  60. Never tried Fox Game Trax, i’ll give it a try. Don’t know why I haven’t, i’m about as anti-ESPN as it gets. Thanks for the info

  62. At some point the coaching staff is accountable for this. They can’t get the ball out of the infield

  63. This is just getting down right pathetic, I just cant believe this team. I want my 2003 Tigers back at least they were as bad as this team my god!!!! Score ONE single RUN please!!!!

  64. everything is screwed up, the box score in the gamecast, even my yahoo fantasy team hasn’t updated since the fifth inning.

  65. Your welcome keya @ GVSU, I always go to FOX for my sports stuff. They are never behind but maybe a couple of pitches but thats expected for gametrax or gamedays. ESPN sux lol.

  66. The Tigers right now remind me of a family outing with a cranky toddler. It may come early, it may come late, but eventually there’s going to be a melt-down.

  70. Mike, what is a run again i need a definition, I havent heard of that word for a while. Can you help me out?

    Umm- Go Wings althought Nash. just scored 2-1, 7 mins left 2nd period.

  74. Rod: Great play by Renteria, getting held up between the bases? … um yeah, sure.

  75. Resentment. There is lots of it on this team. But they’re not really a team yet and probably won’t be.

    Kathy, What does that even mean?

  77. Run, noun. — The result when the Tigers opponent makes too many mistakes in a row.

  79. Hmm, well this Fox Game Trax thing was working for a while, then it showed that the Tigers actually showed some heart and pushed across a few runs. Anyone know a more reliable gametracker?

  81. I dont know keya i think all of them are really bad right now I switched to gameday again and its still saying sheff on first, gametrax on fox is back up, and espn i dont know i never go there.

  89. Ugh, I’m done. I’ve got too much to do to have my day (week, month) ruined by this team. I’ll watch again once finals are done. ‘Night everybody

  90. I’m pretty sure that I’ve said it every day for a week now. We have to make a deal for some relief pitching. Everyone is on the block save Cabrera and Verlander.

    87-37 run differential this year…

  92. This is just plain ugly, and to think I gave Seay a compliment to become our lefty reliever in all situations. Ok well 2-11 doesnt look bad……..not!

  94. awesome replay of that pudge homer, kid catching the ball and then letting it pop out over the wall!

  96. I’m pretty sure that I’ve said it every day for a week now. We have to make a deal for some relief pitching.

    The run differential in the first half of the games is no better than the second half.

    There isn’t a team in the league that win games averaging less than three runs per game.

    We won’t win until the bats heat up for good. Everything else is just window dressing.

  98. I understand what Kathy means, I think. All of the off-season buzz was about the new players even before they were wearing the D. Everyone’s in a different position. There is just no snap, no chemistry. I saw/felt it on Opening Day. Plus as I have been ranting about, the Granderson broken finger opened the hellmouth and evil has been able to run rampant.

    I’ve gotta get some rest.

  100. this obviously doesn’t mean anything, but i played MLB 2K8 this afternoon and was using the Twins, brought in Neshek and he gave up back-to-back homers. fun.

  104. Is anybody left around here? Or just afraid to say something and ruin the mo’?

  105. I know it may seem rash to say, but this could be a critical game that turns the season one way or the other.

  108. Wha-what happened? I watched the Wings game and now it’s 11-9? Damn, I wish i would’ve seen this.

  109. That was so great I swear I had a tears in my eyes…I’ve waiting since 2006 to feel like that..GO TIGERS!!!!

  113. I was following the game at work online and the Tigers were getting crushed…Come home turn on MLB Extra Innings just in time to see Pudge tag and score the tying run! Great finish!

  114. Please tell me that someone caught the Gary Sheffield radio interview…I don’t think anyone in engineering was prepared for a win…

  117. Wow. BIllfer is a good luck charm and now must attend ALL games.

    If this game isn’t the turning point then there isn’t going to be a turning point. Hopefully they bonded this evening!

    Wish me luck tomorrow.

  119. Oh My. I’ve been working on warping gravity and inventing a time machine for some time now … I think I may have successfuly traveled by to 2006…

    This may be the spark we refer back to.

  121. Wow, I didn’t see that one coming. That offense we’ve been waiting for finally shows up!

  123. Steve in KZoo:

    You need to leave the game and grab something to eat more often. (I wonder if he even knows yet…)

  124. What was the Sheffield interview?

    Sheff couldn’t hear them most of the time and they couldn’t hear Sheff, so not much was said.

  125. And Manny goes deep to give the Sox the lead over the Tribe. Nice to see some one else feeling the pain for a change.

    How many back are we? 🙂

  127. The radio guys (Dan & Jim) went down to the field to interview Sheffield after the game. The equipment didn’t work on one end, so it was a bunch of “Gary, what did you think of that rally…Gary, Gary, Gary, can you hear us?”…”Hey guys, I can’t hear anything down here…” Fitting, but I’ll take it.

    We need to win tomorrow.

  130. … And the evil Chigago White Sox lost 1-2….. It’s a very good nite.

    BTW, I’m begining to think that White Sox pitching is really, really good, from top to bottom. So that might be the reason why our offence struggled so mightily. We ran into a buzzsaw of redhot pitching from Royals and ChiSox.

  131. COme on now people, was there really any ever doubt we’d win tonight? 😛

    btw, wasnt this the original game plan? we were going to have to outscore teams 10-9 11-8 etc?

  133. Ok, billfer has to go every night now…

    I think I read through most/all of the comment thread, and I didn’t see any thoughts on whether JL lighting the team up might have had an effect on them. For those that saw the game, did it seem like there was more fire/desire/effort tonight that might have been because Jimmy said “ok kids, pull your heads out”?

  134. I came home when it was 9-5, and immediately got into a pissy mood. Daughter of Tbone announced in the bottom of the 8th that she would assume the rally position, face down on the couch, not watching the game. I told her it was over. Silly me to deny the power of the rally posture.

    Mrs. Tbone was hogging the computer and did not permit me access to DTW until that last, scary out.

    A great come from behind win, one that hopefully is the wake up we’ve been waiting for on the offense. There’s hope for one night at least!

  135. “I didn’t see any thoughts on whether JL lighting the team up might have had an effect on them.”

    I don’t think JL had as much to do with the offensive waking up as the Twins relief pitching did. Yes, the The Tiger were really struggleing to get meaningfull at bats. But that was cuppled with two really, really redhot pitching staffs. Just look at what the Roylas starters & ChiSox pitching staff has done with other teams. They pretty much shut them down as they did the Tigers. Banister & Greinke are pretty much unhittable right now.

  136. while I love participating in these game threads, coming to read them after I’ve watched the game and reading all the comments from elation to deflation is almost as entertaining.

    Who knows what this team will do over the season, nights like tonight is why the bother to play the game. Go Tigers!

  137. Pudge certainly seemed pumped up. And hitting is contagious. As soon as Sheff got his double, I could see another double in Maggs’ eyes, and young-buck Cabrera then wasn’t gonna let the old guys show him up and be the rally killer, etc. Hitting really is contagious. And so are come-from-behind rallies. If we score another 10 or 11 runs tomorrow I shall be very pleased with the ensuing development. It could be the start of a huge come back. (“Could be” are the operative words) One thing is sure: this team can plate 11 runs very quickly, as we were all witness to tonight. It’s scary how good they can be — and just as puzzling that they can also go 23 or 24 innings without scoring any runs.

    I sense the offense may break things wide open in the next couple games. This lineup has been humiliated, and they need to make a statement. Which wouldn’t suck.

  138. What an amazing, improbable comeback! I woke up everyone in the house after Pudge’s triple, and it left me shaking with goosebumps. I watched every inning of the Chicago games hoping for something like this, and it finally came.

    The bullpen gets one day of reprieve for another lackluster performance.

  139. T Smith,

    Yea I saw that. They started to get on base as I was on my way out. Thought they would screw it up was surprised by the end result when I came back. 11-3 amazing come back you guys!!! Now just sweep the twins in this short series. And then onto the Rodgers Centre. Maybe I should go get something to eat more often during the late innnings lol

  140. If Leyland doesn’t lay into them Sunday, I don’t think you see the Tigers fight, remain focused ’til the end tonight. There was a different feel tonight, before they ever took the lead. I said to my friends, even when they were still down, ‘It’s good just to see some life, just to see them put up a fight.’

    Sunday they were getting quick outs, in effect, they had started up the bus, tonight, we saw hitters working the counts more often, at least it seemed that way, with Pudge getting in the act working a full count, just better approaches at the plate, even when they were down 5. It took a while to pay off, and yes the Twins relief pitching wasn’t lights out, but I think the Tigers approach was part of that and you’ve got to give the Tiger bats credit. Besides, the Tigers faced their fare share of scrub pitchers making mistakes the last two weeks and weren’t able to do anything, tonight they did.

    Actually, I’m very encouraged by Sheff at the plate, even Sunday there were signs. No, I don’t think he’s all the way back, but he’s getting there. Sunday he cranked one with HR distance that went foul, then the stroked a double. Today he hit the ball hard at least thrice. One that almost had HR distance down the left field line and a double that made it to the wall, and another line smash foul.

    I read somewhere that he tore some scar tissue in his shoulder Saturday, and that increased his range of motion.
    His recent abats today and yesterday seem to corroborate that. His bat speed seemed a little better as well.

  141. I don’t think Jim Leyland’s rant to them had anything to do with tonight’s comeback win. But he’ll get praised and praise and praised and the media will continue to overlook all his managerial flaws. Such is life. I’ll take the win though.

  142. Well, the effects of any ‘communication’ are always going to be beyond any type of ‘proof’, in any event, where are these people that ‘praise and praise and praise Leyland’, I’ve been searching for 2+ years, diligently, and would love to find one, because everywhere I turn, all I hear is how much he sucks and how he should be fired, over and over and over, with only the occassional supporter on a message board here and there. I went to over 20 games last year, almost every single game, or so it seemed, I’m surrounded by people ripping Leyland every chance they get(I did find one Leyland supporter during one particular game, it was game 4 of the ALCS vs. Oakland, as fans were getting frustrated with Leyland leaving Grilli in the game to walk 75 consecutive batters during a key portion of the game, the jovial, inebriated Leyland supporter yelled, ‘In Leyland we Trust’) I go to Greektown before and after games. I engage in friendly conversations with fellow Tiger fans, and whenever Leyland comes up, their countenance changes, scowls are not uncommon, vexed at the mere mention of the skippers name, they rattle off all the terrible moves Leyland made that day, or the day before. Sometimes, I’ll defend him, just a little, ever so slightly, and boy do some of them get mad! Its interesting that he draws such ire from so many people that I run into.

  143. Leyland lights a fire under his team and suddenly they play like they have life and heart. Coincidence or not, it was great to see.

    Leyland rant + Billfer in crowd = great win!
    It’s up to cib and Jim to keep the mojo working!

  144. Nice win by the Tigs – I turned it off at 9-5 thinking there was 0.0% chance of a win. The Twins looked positively Tiger-esque in the online highlights! 🙂

    BTW, on the MLB.com Rewind Recap video, the anchor calls our third baseman Orlando Cabrera 3 times

Comments are closed.