Also, we all know that you and Steven are the same person so stop pretending already!!!

And dissing Inge for his performance this year just isn’t fair. He isn’t giving away at-bats and is doing better than anyone else. I don’t expect it to continue but give him his due. He drove in runs yesterday when it was 0-0 and 1-0. That his teammates couldn’t do more shouldn’t be held against him.

Stephen: There were some commentators that debunked your theory, but it absolutely carries weight. After a while, you can’t keep chalking up this pattern the Tigers exhibit to coincidence. I’ve noticed the exact same trend. I don’t know what it is, but when this team is expected to win, they fold. When they’re discounted, they rebound. I made a comment earlier in the year that I was concerned with all the hype, for fear that it would kinda jinx the team. I’ll support your theory with yet another example — almost to the day last year, when the baseball world finally gave Detroit its due, right around the all-star break after the Tigers swept the Red Sox, when every arm-chair expert and baseball analyst finally conceded and touted the Tigers as the #1 team in baseball — across the board — the Tigers began their epic descent. To the day.

Chris: As much as I’m cursing the team and disappointed in their performance, 120 losses is a bit far fetched. Last in the division is a bit far fetched. 80 losses are not out of the realm of possibility — albeit 80 losses will definitely render an extremely disappointing season. But after about 68 or 70 losses, what difference does it make? It’s still Octoberless baseball whether you lose 70 games or 120 games.

David: Inge has had a few good games. Let’s not get carried away. And solely to balance your irrational exuberance about the Baseball-God-Who-Is-Inge, when he actually gets a clutch hit that matters to the outcome of the win/loss column, let’s talk again. He always seems to come thru when the score is 11-0 or 0-11. I exaggerate to make a point, but the fact is, Inge and his surprising bat the past few games haven’t tipped the scale to result in a single W. The fact is, Inge hasn’t made a bit of difference as far as the win column is concerned.

Finally, what’s the issue with Cruceta and his visa? Call me naive, but you would think an employer with a 135 M payroll should be able to pull some strings, at the very least, “expedite” the process. Need I offer my services? Come on. Who’s in charge here? Who’s dropping the ball? I feel we need to call the Wolf character from Pulp Fiction, the guy who “solves problems” and gets things done. Seriously, though, give me the resources and I’ll get that visa and he’ll be in the bullpen by the Red Sox series. I officially offer my services to Dombrowski et al. if the yahoos they have working on this can’t make it happen.

Last place, really? That’s just foolish. You honestly think that the White Sox, Royals, and especially the Twins have better clubs than we do? They don’t, even given this first week of games.

Yea, I don’t really think they will lose 120 games, but i can see how a big disappointing season is in the making– probably last place in the division, given the apparent strength of the division. This losing streak– which is not going to end tonight– is going to put them in a huge hole to start the season. The hitting will get on track at some point and they can put together some good winning stretches that can get them out of the hole. But the relief pitching is looking to be the significant weakness which is going to kill a lot of those streaks. The current struggles are due to the piss-poor hitting that we have seen, but we have also already seen how the relief pitching situation is at best not helping.

Tigers will finish the season in last place of the division. How about us making a wager on that prediction. I would love to proven so wrong that look foolish by mid-season.

Steve in OH – for some reason your comments were getting caught in the spam filter. Let me know if you have any more problems.

Chris – 120 losses? Yeah. I don’t think so but am willing to make a wager if you’re that confident.

Stephen – The Tigers had big expectations heading into 2007 and managed to do quite well for a big portion of the season. In fact they were more heavily favored last year than this year.

As for the outlook, it’s not time to panic yet of course. I still think everything will be fine. But the problem becomes this team is using up a chunk of its margin for error in the first week of the season.

Let’s all relax here a bit.

Someone pointed out that the Phillies started 3-10 last year.

The 1998 Yankees who won 114 games started 1-4!

The 2006 Tigers (AL Champs) lost there last 5 games.

This team win 30 of the next 45 (Which they are very capable of, they are 30-20).

-Sam

It matters how they play in every month that will get them to October.

Didn’t we have the best record in baseball last year by the ASB…?

Still I think we should go after Bonds b/c Shef is done