Game 74: Tigers at Padres

PREGAME: The Tigers will look to bounce back from another late inning collapse. They’ll send out Nate Robertson who pitched 6 innings of shut down ball spanning a rain delay his last time out.

The Padres send out Cha Seung Baek. You may remember him from a Seattle Mariner beat-down. Baek got to leave Seattle and has been starting for the Padres with decent results. He hasn’t allowed a homer in any of his 3starts, and his last 2 have been quality in nature.

Via Beck, Marcus Thames gets the night off – or at least he isn’t starting. I’d think he’s a decent bet for pinch hitting duties later on. And Brandon Inge returns to the lineup.

  1. Granderson, CF
  2. Polanco, 2B
  3. Guillen, 3B
  4. Ordonez, RF
  5. Cabrera, 1B
  6. Renteria, SS
  7. Thomas, LF
  8. Inge, C
  9. Robertson, P

DET @ SDP, Saturday, June 21, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 10:05

POSTGAME: This was a big win for a number of reasons. It assures a .500 road trip and gives them a chance to win the series. It keeps the team in 3rd place. The team picks up a game on White Sox. And it means the Tigers only have two more 10 pm starts this season!

  • Nate was Nate. He looked dominant at times as he breezed through the lineup. He made a pretty good pitch that Michael Barrett hit out. But later he walked the pitcher which led to the tying and go ahead runs (with some help from Cabrera). The pitcher. It reminded me of Robertson’s start against the Diamondbacks where he was pitching great, took a couple big swings when batting, and then couldn’t locate the strike zone. I think Robertson needs the take sign.
  • The bullpen did a good enough job. Each pitcher allowed a baserunner, but no damage. That was thanks in part to Ordonez who gunned own a runner in the 8th at home plate.
  • Granderson is ripping the ball, at least for the last 2 days. One of my favorite things about watching the Tigers is seeing Granderson round first with his eyes on third. It’s a thing of beauty.
  • Marcus Thames though came in to pinch hit for Granderson against a lefty. Definitely a questionable move, but not a questionable result has Marcus goes boom-diggity.
  • The Tigers got their second assisted homer of the season when Magglio hit one deep to straight away center that glanced off of Jody Gerut’s glove and into the stands. It happened to Pudge earlier at Comerica Park. The Tigers are 2-0 when opposing outfielders assist balls over the fence.

262 thoughts on “Game 74: Tigers at Padres”

  1. I hope we can get over last night.. I will say this and I was only watching it on my PC..Maddux got every pitch on or just off the corner for the whole time we was in there…he just had to be close…the Pitches Rodney threw were not that great but Fussom’s first pitch was exactly down the middle ball…there were at least 6 pitches on that ugly inning not one or two Maddux would have gotten strike calls….all we needed was that ump to take off his mask and unveil Donaghue from the NBA

  2. I hope we can get over last night.. I will say this and I a was only wathcing it on my Pc..Maddux got every pitch on or just off the corner for the whole time we was in there…he just had ot be close…the Pitches Rodney threw were not that great but Fusom’s first pitch was exactly down the middle ball…there were at least 6 pitches on that ugly inning not one or two Maddux would have gotten strike calls….all we needed was that ump to take off his mask and unveil Donaghue from the NBA

  3. “Baek got to leave Seattle”

    Billfer can be so subtle with his humor.

    You can take the pitcher out of Seattle, but you can’t take the Seattle out of the pitcher. We hope.

  4. Thin crowd here. What, is everyone out doing things on a Saturday night?

    Losers.

  5. Since it’s Saturday night, I’m wearing my beer goggles and watching the Tigers play. I suggest you all do the same.

  6. Looks fine from here. The Tigers are just trying to give the Padres a sporting chance to win before they unleash hell on them.

  7. haha! I love it. Gerut just Canseco’d that ball over the center field fence. 4-3 Tigers.

  8. The Beer goggles are working real good. I willed that ball over the fence like a Jedi mind trick.

  9. That’s twice the Tigers have had that happen this year.

    I actually can’t believe that Gerut got back there quick enough to even have a play on the ball. Maggs smoked that.

  10. Chief, if we lose this game and you are not blacking out. The loss falls squarely on your shoulders not or . 🙂

  11. Adam – A lot of people feel that way, but walking is very good exercise. Good for endorphins, too.

  12. I was born to love you…I was born to lick your face…I was born to rub you… but you were born to rub me first….

  13. Anyone remember the Arizona game where Nate had been cruising. He came up to bat and took a couple huge swings. The next inning he can’t find the plate.

  14. that a boy Nate..walk a guy don’t cover first on a “single to second” give up a two strike two out bomb…..just like you always do…..100 pitches—6runs( he ain’t done yet) 6 inning

  15. billfer: If I remember correctly, in that game Rod and Mario thought he hurt himself taking those big rips…

    He’s not making contact so he needs to calm down swinging so hard haha

  16. Cabrera’s been breaking toward ground balls that Polanco can get to pretty regularly. Finally caught up with him. Hopefully, this does the trick in getting him to judge those grounders better.

  17. If Billfer can remember what he said about the Arizona game, a coach or the manager should have seen that, too. And counseled Nate accordingly.

  18. I’d be more optimistic about the team if Billfer was manager.

    Consider it, Bill. It pays pretty well, you know.

  19. Billfer has no experience managing a major league team so there’s no way he’s gonna get the job. He just runs a blog, so he is only qualified to be team President and General Manager.

  20. That’s right, Coleman. Coddle the veteran managers, never give the young guys a shot.

  21. So how bad is the damage so far?

    You can cut the joke now. I know the Tigers are playing the Padres and Baek started, so what’s the real score?

  22. I once saw Inge make an unassisted triple play during the 7th inning stretch while at the mike to sing his beautiful rendition of god bless america, and can you believe he didn’t miss a note, that’s the kind of athlete he is.

  23. The downside of the Tigers bench, while they all have some offensive skills, none are contact specialists. That would be good right now.

  24. Inge just tapped the ball with the end of his bat …is that legal to do when playing for Detroit

  25. As devious as he is athletic, the Oblique Inge cleverly lays down a bunt in the exact spot with the highest probability for collision…

  26. Thanks, Adam. I’ll take that to mean Tigers up 5-2. You guys think you’re sooooooo funny.

  27. I was confused by that pinch hit, but bringing in Thames can never be considered a bad thing. Never. Holy smokes.

  28. No, Smoking Man is the funny one, he just pulled the hot bat out for a pinch hitter–and it worked!! hahahahah puff puff puff. So I guess THAT’S why he used Larish before, to save Thames for that.

  29. Sean – it was a chopper up the middle that got by the drawn in infield. Thames pinch hit for Granderson and hit a 2 run bomb. 7-5 good guys

  30. Yeah, Chief.and I was literally printing out tickets in my bedroom for tomorrow’s game! Last chance to see them in SD this year……..

  31. Thanks, Billfer. You know what I’m worried about now, but I’m not going to rain on this happy parade. Marcus rules!!

  32. The single was as the General Manager described, an odd single that was neither to 3rd base nor shortstop, but some other place entirely.

  33. That’s the kind of managerial decision that makes Leyland look like a genius. I am not convinced.

  34. Okay guys. Who do you want to take the ball now out of the pen? This is first guessing instead of second guessing. Start with Miner I suppose.

  35. come on now just like everyone else does just close these three innings out….please

  36. What does it mean when you are actually happy to see Miner out of the pen? Does that mean that you have a bad pen?

  37. Knock on wood, but Miner does better starting off an inning. He seems to have more faith in his stuff when there’s nobody on base.

  38. By the time this makes it, it’ll be a done deal, but yeah, Miner is the obvious choice. Somehow. How did that happen?

  39. Ken – Uh. Yeah?

    It’s a good pen, actually, but it’s being mismanaged. We have guys like Fossum and Rodney clogging up spots right now.

    Bautista should still be here.

  40. Someone remind the Tigers that these are the Padres, who play in a canyon, hit .190 as a team, and average 1.65 runs a game.

  41. what’s up with Miner? he better not walk anybody because he is balking all over the place. He certainly doesn’t look comfortable…

  42. Well, he’s got better control than Rodney last night, but he’s really depending on guys swinging at pitches out of the zone. Two up, two down, so whatever works is fine . . .

  43. Methinks Miner has been more lucky than good lately: 10 hits, 7BB, 3K in his last 10 appearances, although only 1 run over 11+ innings. It has to catch up with him sooner or later.

  44. Let’s hope for later, Vince. He’s certainly better starting an inning clean, like all the Tiger bullpen guys.

  45. It’s hard to bunt when you get one chance after the umpire calls a first pitch ball a strike.

  46. nice call Jimbo……..Pudge could have bunted Holliman goes to short….god I hate this fundemental stuff the /Tigers REFUSE to do

  47. A bunt would have been nice, unfortunately the team bunter doesn’t come up for a couple more batters.

  48. Well, you wouldn’t have Pudge bunting. He’s money with runners on.

    Monopoly money.

  49. Please let Bobby finish this game.

    Can’t see them letting him hit for himself, not with Raburn and Hollimon available. That’s all assuming he gets Prince Valiant out here.

  50. Billfer true about the bunt…Renteriea went after it like he wanted nothing to do with it

  51. He might have “prince valiant” hair, but he’s still got the visage of a water rat

  52. wonder how many RH hitters Seay has gotten out ..or at least what is his average at getting them out

  53. FSN does a really good job of zooming in on the catcher’s signs. Before putting down the sign Inge shook his head, indicating to Seay to shake him off. I don’t know that it has any effect, but it’s fun nonetheless.

  54. I think Renteria’s bunting will be fine once he adjusts to the mysterious large mass stuffed in the front of his jersey that is in his line of sight while bunting

  55. I’m drawing a blank on the last time Magglio had an outfield assist at home plate.

  56. I didn’t think Maggs could move like that …great tag or look like tag by inge //////////

  57. wonder how many RH hitters Seay has gotten out ..or at least what is his average at getting them out

    Actually over his career lefties hit Seay at .265 while righties hit him at .251. On the other hand, the righties have 9 homers off him while lefties have 2 in a comparable number of innings. So he does seem to get them out okay, just that when they hit the ball they do a lot more damage.

  58. Nice throw Maggs. It’s even more exciting when you are watching a close play at the plate frame by frame, courtesy of MLB.tv working properly 28% of the time.

  59. Seay before tonight’s game:
    LH .340
    RH .222
    That’s right, lefties hitting him better than righties.

  60. Rod on Marcus Thames at-bat: “That boy is standing in scoring position right now.”

  61. Rollercoaster is due for either a disaster or a very routine 1-2-3 inning. How’s that for playing both sides of the fence?

  62. K-in-C : I got the same view, except after the play I got some really cool psychedelic kinda ghosting overlaying the players, so that was cool. I hope they aren’t going to start charging extra for this…

  63. I like your comments, Coleman. Perceptive. Imaginative. Funny. Fresh new angle. I like it. I like it a lot.

    Dave BW, you’re fired. I’ll give till the end of the game to clean out your blogdesk.

  64. “Rollercoaste r is due for either a disaster or a very routine 1-2-3”

    That’s kinda like saying tomorrow the sun is due to either rise or come up.

  65. That’s kinda like saying tomorrow the sun is due to either rise or come up.

    The sun could just go into hiding at 6 a.m. and scare the hell out of us before coming up. That’s the third and most frequent alternative.

  66. Inge has been muttering to the umpire I thought maybe I was imagining at first but he definitely was jawing after that popup—whoa good tag by Cabrera there!

  67. When I saw COUNTRY FUNK in caps, I got excited about another HR, but then I realized the Padres were up, and I was afraid he might have hit one for THEM, too, just to show there were no hard feelings. He IS a really nice guy.

  68. I’m going to make Dr. Country Funk my first born’s godfather. He will also be my best man at my first wedding. I will also do him the honor of becoming my desktop’s wallpaper.

  69. “He will also be my best man at my first wedding. I will also do him the honor of becoming my desktop’s wallpaper.”

    That sounds complicated. How will you get to the wedding once you become the wallpaper? Obviously becoming your desktop’s wallpaper would be an amazing thing, but I don’t really see where it honors Marcus…

  70. Ken, maybe you could tell me about what must have been the final play. Did Thames leap over the fence to rob a HR, make a diving catch, run in to field a ball hit to Renteria, what?

  71. The wedding is in his computer. He’s marrying Marcus’s nephew. Duh. Do we have to spell everything out for you?

  72. He actually disguised himself as Ryan Raburn, knowing all the while that nobody in their right mind would dare hit a ball towards the doctor of southern funk. The Padres took the bait and when they hit it towards Ryan (thames) he caught it with his teeth.

  73. Ron: You are welcome. Half way there to my premonition of taking 2 of 3 from the Pads. I’d call 4 of 6 on the west coast a success. And, in all honesty, we’ve had a great chance to be undefeated (blew the game in SF … who knows what happens if last night’s game goes to extras rather than the merry-go-round that happened in the 8th).

  74. Nate didn’t deserve this win. He should be stripped of it. It should be given to Rogers.

  75. Oh, and I don’t know if it was S-in-IL or C-in-D in the last game thread that said me calling Jennie Finch hot was the joke of the night but I’d like to say this:

    If you’re a male, and she was in your bed and you came home and did not smile, you’re lying. Just sayin’.

  76. You both have confused the hell out of me, but let me see if I can clear things up for you. The wallpaper IS the wedding metaphorically and Marcus’s nephew might play for Michigan which is my best man.

  77. Aha, Ken. I’ve always said the Padres were a gullible lot. It shall be their downfall.

  78. I’m just saying look at the SC-in-I post right above your last Mike R and you will notice he is beginning to speak of stripping Nate…so perhaps he is not the person you want answering the Hot/Not Hot question for you…

  79. Mike, I am the one in Jennie Finch hotness denial.

    #1 – She’s too tall to fit in my bed (so am I, for that matter).

    #2 – I don’t claim I wouldn’t smile. I’d have to.

    #3 – If you would be so kind as to arrange the situation you described, I’ll let you know how it turned out. Women do usually look a lot better in person than in photographs. Especially in my bed (funny how that works).

  80. Sean,

    Knowing that you don’t have a TV and live sort of, how shall I say….Amishly…do you even know what the Tigers’ players look like? For instance, do you know that Magglio has really long hair or that Polanco has a burrito head or that Brandon Inge is black?

  81. re: The Postgame comments: the other home run assist was an Inge shot, not Pudge (the OTHER half of the Siamese Catchers), I think it was Reed on the Mariners and he also sent his glove over the wall for good measure. Unless there was a 3rd one, that Pudge hit, which would make it even cooler…

  82. I will admit to visualizing Nate without his uniform on, sure. But it’s not what you’re thinking.

  83. “I will admit to visualizing Nate without his uniform on, sure. But it’s not what you’re thinking.”

    Oh, I know, I didn’t mean to imply…I mean I’m sure it’s an entirely chaste thing…

  84. “or that Brandon Inge is black?” Great K-in-C pitches me that and I’m about to unload a joke (it involved Inge and Sheffield and Cabrera and Latin player stereotypes) when I thought better of it, and now I’ve got a strained obique of my own from the checked-joke

  85. You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you, Ken? I know very well that Magglio doesn’t have long hair. Despite the fact that graven images are contrary to my faith, I hear things. Your skulduggery before a simple, honest man should cause you great shame.

  86. I’m sorry, Sean. I had no idea that the Tigers games were graven images. I mean I knew that they were images, but not that they were graven. And really you should celebrate your honest and simple lifestyle. You have avoided all of life’s little distractions, which gives you the time to dig up ridiculous words like skulduggery.

  87. Well I know I’m in a bit of a joke slump. A couple dumb simple jokes would get me going, but it doesn’t help that everyones tossing me setup lines like I’m Richard Pryor or George Carlin or Steve Martin or something, I can’t get a break.

  88. Mike, it’s true that I don’t have a television. The only regrettable thing about it is not being able to watch Tigers games.

    For being fairly close to Chicago, I live in a surprisingly rural area (the natural beauty is worth it while it lasts). High-speed Internet would have be via satellite (can’t afford it), and I’d also have to have a dish to see Tigers games on TV.

  89. Sean, that is a life of which I could not survive. Kudos to you for playing your own game of Survivor sans a big cash reward at the end.

    Ken in Cincy — Only slightly nerdy.

  90. Coleman, I only want to know if Nate has a tattoo. You see, I loathe tattoos. I need to resolve my mixed feelings about Nate the Mediocre. I need to either love him and tout him as the ace of the staff, or despise him and demand that he be traded by the deadline. I need that one thing to tip the balance. I’m so desperate that even if only he only has a mole or a birthmark, I’ll call it hate and be done with it.

    It was probably a mistake to use the word “staff” in that paragraph. I forgot who I’m up against.

    I probably shouldn’t have used the phrase “up against.” There’s no way out of this.

  91. Ken, I don’t think we’re being nerdy. I think it’s just plain weak that everyone else clears out right after a game, even a West Coast game. It’s Saturday night, for crying out loud.

  92. Sean,

    What do you do for a living? I’ve narrowed it down to 78 occupations, but for the sake of time I’ll just share those which have the highest probability.

    1) A writer of some kind. Possibly even a reader.
    2) A baker
    3) A candlestick maker.

  93. I say we just stay up and exchange witty/stupid/pointless comments until the next game thread comes out. A tailgate of sorts. What do you say? Sean? Coleman? Mike R? That creepy guy who is reading everything we say but not posting?

  94. “which gives you the time to dig up ridiculous words like skulduggery.”

    I think that’s the first time in all my long years that I’ve used the word, Ken. I’m proud that I could even spell it without the red underline misspell alert prompting me for change. I can probably die now.

  95. “Inge has a tattoo but it’s impossible to see since his skin is so dark”

    Not to be read by Sean: Very nice, Coleman. We will soon have Sean so confused he’ll be forced to give up his religion and purchase a motion picture box.

  96. Wow, Ken-Pete-Rose’s-Bookie guessed pretty close. The candlestick part is off, but I believe the rest should count as correct.

    Sean writes the baking instructions that go on the sides of the cake mix boxes. He originally worked up at Sara Lee but he free-lances now.

  97. “That creepy guy who is reading everything we say but not posting?”

    “Inge has a tattoo but it’s impossible to see since his skin is so dark”

    You guys are gonna kill me with this stuff. Laughter expends precious stay-awake energy, so I’m doubting I can hold out too long.

  98. I think Mike needs to get back to his stats. Oh damn – I think I forgot to send off that tea like i was supposed to. Well, maybe those trains will keep him awake.

    Yeah, they say nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee, but I was the exception that proved the rule. I don’t regret my time there. I learned and moved on.

  99. Inge has a tattoo but it’s impossible to see since his skin is so dark…seriously, I’m not kidding. When he travels through Haiti they stop and stare at him. It’s like he’s made of coal, incredibly athletic coal. His face is like the color of that stuff ballplayers put under their eyes when the sun is bright.

  100. It’s ironic, considering two of the occupations Ken listed, but my first name has its origin in a Gaelic word meaning “fierce butcher.”

    No, I’m not a writer, except when I’m here. I work in manufacturing. I’m a nobody doing a nothing job. I also have high self-esteem.

  101. “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee”

    Are you telling me that all this time I’ve been saying “Nobody does it like Sara Lee”, I’ve been completely mistaken? Oh my…Oh my god….this is almost as bad as when I saw Todd Jones without a mustache for the first time. Nobody doesn’t like Sarah Lee? Really? Isn’t that a little conceited and presumptuous?

  102. And I tell you, if it wasn’t for Click to Edit, no one here would ever mistake me for a writer.

  103. ‘Isn’t that a little conceited and presumptuous?”

    That’s why I left. I thought the cheerleaders in high school were self-important and stuck up, but man.

  104. “His face is like the color of that stuff ballplayers put under their eyes when the sun is bright.”

    Actually now that I’m thinking about it, I think that’s what I was looking at, I guess his whole face isn’t that color, or his arms and hands, or any of that stuff. My bad.

  105. Sean,

    Because you are a simple, Amish man who is in the business of manufacturing candlesticks and so cannot afford MLB.tv, would you like to use my subscription when I am not able to make a game? I know you have dial up, but you could probably at least get the radio audio to come through, which is also a part of the package.

  106. It’s so strange, what you tell me of Inge, Coleman. I have always imagined him to be more of a burrito-headed man, noble in bearing but given to temptation, something of a trencherman, and sallow in complexion for a man of such swarthy forebears.

    The first time I imagined I saw him, I exclaimed to my cohorts, “Look! A Moor! Surely a fellow of good temperament! Hail, dark fellow!”. But Inge only looked aside, and walked away along the strand.

  107. While you would not be able to see the game, you could still at least hear how black Brandon Inge’s skin is.

  108. He still hasn’t really explained though, how one watches “no TV” or if there is really not a TV there, then what does he watch shows on and is it just like watching them on TV?

  109. Ken

    Thanks. But although I have really good, reliable dial-up, even really good is still really bad for anything streaming, whether audio or video. It’s a frustrating mess.

    I’ve started coming over here to follow games instead of what I used to do, which was go to the sportsline.com scoreboard. That works OK for the most part, an inning behind you guys, probably, but at a pace still not too far off of real time. But at least once a game and usually more, there’s a long delay at some point. Here, I can get the big news right away. I’m often in the dark as to score and inning, but it’s great to see something like MARCUS!!!! and know something good must have happened, anyway.

  110. “While you would not be able to see the game, you could still at least hear how black Brandon Inge’s skin is.”

    I’m a show-off? You guys are killing. I’m just trying to keep up, pulling some kind of bastardized pseudo-Shakespeare out of my a##. I’m happy just to set the table for you and Coleman.

  111. I feel bad that Sean is on dial-up. Billfer should redirect some of these funds to get Sean some high-speed internet. We need to pool some money together or something. I mean, imagine these Sean quips being fast paced and actually in tune with what’s going on during the game instead of, you know, hours later. It’d be glorious.

  112. I understand, Sean. Sometimes if I’ve missed a game and don’t know the outcome, I’ll just read the thread and piece it together comment by comment. I might have to start messing with you more and more, however; knowing that you rely so heavily on our honesty and forwardness. I’ll post things like “LUMPY!!!” or “how hot was that woman streaking nude across the diamond? I can’t believe they showed that.”

  113. It’s true, Coleman. My statement, “It’s true that Ihat I don’t have a television,” was deliberately ambiguous. The air of mystery that surrounds me adds to my allure.

    I’ll leave it to others to debate whether it is then false that I do have a televison, or whether one can watch one’s television and have it, too, or whether I own a televison but have loaned it out, or whether I made the whole thing up while sitting here watching Nick At Nite.

  114. “instead of, you know, hours later”

    I know, Mike. It’s actually so embarrassing to read my out-of-sync comments in game threads that I try not to post too much, but it’s hard to not want to join in, at least to ask a question that will make it to the board about 3 innings after the answer has been forgotten.

  115. Good point, Mike. I will donate exactly $2.38. 1/100th of a penny for every post that Sean has made this year.

  116. Sean, I’m here to help. Always ask questions about said games, and if I’m around, I’ll answer. We’ll strike up the fund to get you high speed internet and sign Jennie Finch and cut Casey Fossum.

  117. “I might have to start messing with you”

    I’ll have to forget you gave the plan away. LUMPY!!!! is probably gonna get me every time just the same. I’ll be sitting here wondering: Lumpy? Which one is Lumpy? I know there’s a Pudge… did I miss a thread where a new nickname was assigned? Is it a guy on the other team? Damn, I’m confused. But I swore I wouldn’t post during games any more.

    Don’t worry, Mike. I’ll be moving (seriously). I should have broadband in time for the World Series, and I hope the Tigers make that worth my while.

  118. Well, I can certainly get behind Jennie Finch. As a replacement for Casey Fossum, I mean.

    We’d better start talking about the game a little, or Dave BW is going to very wroth. Or at least cross. So I’ll take you up on your offer about the games. Mike. starting with this one. You saw it, right?

  119. Sean probably should be referred to as “Lumpy” from now on.

    And you’re movin’ on up, Sean? Congratulations. To a city or still in the village/rural area you’re in now?

    Also, for the record, I know there’s a bloggers night that Billfer/Lee/Matt/Brian/Sam/etc all enjoy at Comerica, but Billfer should fund a “posters night.” I mean, he wears a suit to work, so he’s rolling in the cash and I’d love to drink a beer and yell at a baseball game on television with some of the posters here. Even Chris and Sky!

  120. Yeah, Mike, that would probably be a lot of fun. Although I would be a little worried that I’d be taken aback once seeing you all in person. I like to build concrete images of people I talk to in my head and any large variations from reality could be traumatizing. For instance, I see Sean as being a somewhat lumpy, bearded man in a flannel. Like a less technically skilled unibomber. I picture Coleman as a 7 foot 1 black man who, despite the lofty expectations, can’t play a lick of basketball. Mike R, I picture you as a young Dan Goodman, who despite expectations, can play several licks of basketball.

  121. Speaking of lumpy new nicknames (oh and thanks for sparing us the details of what you do with Nick at night)…I tried a nickname for Thames at the start of the season and it fell flat, partly because well what’s he need a nickname for? Now that it’s obvious he needs one maybe I can revive it…

  122. No, please not Lumpy. Anything but Lumpy. I’ll even take Sleepy or Dopey.

    Yeah, Mike, I’m headed for a more urban setting out of necessity.

    I’m all for Posters Night at Comerica. I’d drive to Detroit for that. Guess I’d have to, eh?

  123. Coleman, Marcus has so many nicknames already.

    I only watch Nick at night. I’m into the vicarious thing. It’s innocent fun.

    It’s uncanny how you nailed my appearance, Ken. I am indeed a black, Dan Goodman-type Unabomber. This and suspicions that I own a computer don’t sit well with my Amish brethren, hence the forthcoming move.

    Now, about the game….

  124. “Now about the game…”

    Haha. Umm….I thought Jones was effective tonight. He made sure he hit a batter just so these Padres (what the hell is a padre??) know who’s boss.

    Now, about that mustache…

  125. Thames does have a lot of nicknames, that’s what I’m saying. If the right one had come up already, the others would go back to wherever nicknames come from.

  126. Holy Hell, men, go to sleep!

    I mean, it’s bad enough that the Tigers lost tonight, 8-7 on a walk-off three-run home-run that blew what would have been Todd Jones’ thirteenth save, but it’s even worse that you guys are hanging out pretending to Sean that we won! I mean, for the love of God, people, have a heart!

    Sean, I’m sorry. But we lost. It sucks.

    Ken, Coleman, Mike, Chief Monday, Vince, judpma, Sky…you all should be ashamed of yourselves.

  127. Hey, where did Billfer get boom-diggity for the Marcus HR? That’s pretty good.

    Miner seemed to be making people nervous. Was he at all good, or just lucky?

    Why’d Seay get pulled? Matchup?

    Who was Prince Valiant Water Rat for the Padres?

    Was there any real drama in the 9th, great catch or something? Evidently 1-2-3 for Jones.

    Describe the inning of bunt controversy. I got confused, thought it was Pudge people thought should have bunted. So Renteria looked like a fool? I though bunting was among his skills, but now that i think about it, maybe that was just assumption. You kind of assume a SS can bunt somehow.

    Is Larish looking any better at the plate? Despite the low average, he’s racked up a number of clutch hits now.

    Did Robertson really look better than his line?

    What count did Marcus homer on?

  128. Sean, don’t act like you know who Dan Goodman is. For one, he’s not on Nick at Night…yet. For seconds, I don’t even know who Dan Goodman is. It’s just a ficticious name. I think I meant to say John Goodman, whos name is Dan on the Roseanne show. You really ARE gullible. BTW, Lumpy just hit an in-the-park home run.

  129. First inning 5-4-3 had people talking. Carlos looking good? Can we look forward to a few more 5-4-3 at last, maybe?

    What was the fielding miscue by Cabrera that Billfer alluded to?

    Didn’t hear much about Gil tonight. Was he hitting the ball hard?

  130. Sean:

    1. The hole he sacrifices small animals and sandwiches to in his backyard.
    2. Lucky.
    3. Walked a guy.
    4. Khalil Green
    5. Walk-off home run.
    6. Renteria didn’t want to bunt, so he made a fake bunt attempt. Pudge then made him some fake bunt cake in the dugout.
    7. Larish’s single shouldn’t have been one. He barely made contact and somehow squirted it over the pitcher’s head and up the middle.
    8.Worse than his line. Would have been better, but he walked the pitcher.
    9. 0-1

  131. Prince Water Rat was the fool who thought his legs could beat the arm of The Hair Cannon and got the back of the Inge-Mitt instead

  132. Hahaha. The quality of these posts are at an all-time high the last month or so. Before, during, and post game. Just outstanding.

    and I don’t look like John Goodman. However, I have gotten a “If John Candy wasn’t dead and had a kid” line before.

  133. Sean: Cabrera ranged too far from first on a grounder that was clearly Polanco’s ball. Burrito Head fielded it and threw to Nate who was late covering the bag because he didn’t think Miggy (Cabby is a terrible name for the Tigers to call him, which I’ve heard numerous Tigers call him that in interviews. It needs to be Miggy) would go that far off 1st. So the runner was safe.

    Rod Allen made a point I actually agreed with about it, too: Miggy still has 3rd baseman instincts. On a ball like that if he were at 3rd, he goes after that ball and if he can’t get it, no biggie. But at first, it’s different. So, I actually liked it. It wasn’t a “lazy” miscue, per se.

  134. “I don’t know who Dan Goodman is… ”

    You, my friend, need a TV.

    So – the weirdness with the strike zone continued this game? Maybe there’s, like, a Pacific Strike Zone? Further complicated by Padres Saving Time?

    Padre is a father, Ken. so when the Tigers win tomorrow, we can tell San Diego, there’s a real madre for ya. That’s cause we’re a brrrrick….HOUSE. Sorry, my blackness is showing.

  135. Gentlemen, it has been somewhat amusing, but now I must bid you adieu, whatever the hell that is. Adam, are you just now getting home from another bender or is this good morning for you. If you’re anything like me, instead of a cup of coffee to wake me up, I simply open my laptop, click over to the weblog, and pound my forehead against the screen 9 to 10 times. Sean, your rooster will be crowing before too long so you’d better get some sleep before you have to tend to the mules.

  136. Adam, I see that you have been infected. You are now cursed to wallow with us evermore.

    You had me going with the conspiracy thing. So I just went over to check the game at sportsline,com, and I was relieved to see that it’s 4-3 Tigs after 3. So – nice try.

    How can a guy named Khalil look like Prince Valiant?

    I’m really disturbed to hear what Billfer does with sandwiches. But I suppose an engineer needs to blow off some steam, all day long with those numbers, numbers, numbers ENOUGH ALREADY!

  137. I meant to say during the game, Coleman – The Hair Cannon. Excellent. An original?

    Don’t let Kathy hear you say that, or you’ll be in some kind of hurt. Come here.

    (whispering)

    Call him the Big Tilde, and everything’s cool, OK?

  138. Mike, you caught me. It was John Goodman I was thinking of. I don’t know who Dan Goodman is, either. His name seems close to an anagram for god damn, though.

  139. If you look at a high resolution map you can see a couple of very small areas where there are very small gaps between where one time zone ends and the next begins. I live in one of those gaps. So here it’s 5 after or 10 till or whatever but there isnt any specific hour.

  140. “You really ARE gullible.”

    Not so gullible that I’m going to fall for “inside the park home run.” That’s not even a real baseball play. You just made it up. Big silly.

    I missed your Goodman post at first. But yeah, I thought of the Roseanne guy right away, after ruling out Steve Goodman the late folk singer.

    OK, brothers in arms, I’ve got to drop out soon, or I’m going to sleep through tomorrows game.

  141. Mike, thanks for relating the info on the Cabrera play at 1B. Rod Allen’s comment does make a lot of sense. I wouldn’t have thought of that – it would have been, oh, big dumb Miggy.

  142. “I live in one of those gaps.”

    Me, too. Here it’s always 25 or 6 to 4. But there’s no AM or PM. Kinda creepy. Glad I’m moving.

  143. yes, Hair Cannon is original, I thought of it while I was waiting for the lame MLB.tv to finish “buffering” so I could see if they nailed Squealing Khalil…it looks good at first glance, but at 2nd glance one starts to envision devices that fire dust-bunny payloads across the bow and whatnot.

  144. Also I’m not really worried about Kathy or Kathilde or whatever her name is; I’m sure she’s one of those time zone dwellers that always sleeps during the same period of time every day, and thus easily evaded.

  145. It’s Kathy, Sean. I was a little upset with Maggs earlier in the game for not getting to some of those balls hit in the OF. He’ll either make a basket catch or let it plunk in front of him, but the Big Tilde redeemed himself with that spectacular throw to homeplate.

  146. Oops. That was meant for Coleman. Coleman, whatever time zone the Tigers are playing in, this ‘ol girl is wide awake and watching. No set bedtimes for me.

  147. The Big Tilde is Maggs acceptable nickname.

    There are a few other nicknames I now need to look up. You miss two late night threads and you’re totally out of the loop.

  148. On that play that everyone says that Cabrera messed up, well I think Polanco should of had a no brainer easy force out at 2nd base. When Polance fielded the ball the runner was right in front of him, he could almost of tagged him out!

  149. Mike R, You predicted that loss in SF. There was no way the team was going to sweep. If the Tigers win today, I hope you take a break. We’re going to need you in August (remember last year) and definitely in late Sept. Try to get into town for a shave and haircut, maybe lunch at Applebee’s, take out a book from the library, just relax.

  150. T. Smith,

    My blog-over from last night’s blog-bender is something fierce. I barely even remember what I said though so I must have been blogged-out. I usually go with the “hair of the dog” theory as a cure for the blog-over. The only thing that will make you feel better is if you just pull up your pants and start blogging again. Banging my head against the computuer screen 9 to 10 times sure didn’t work.

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