Comments on: Junkballing: Booing, Injuries, Waivers and Minors http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/ News, views, and analysis on the Detroit Tigers and baseball Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:11:17 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jim-mt http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103624 jim-mt Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:30:29 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103624 I doubt if Sheff thinks much about his teammates. I doubt if Sheff thinks much about his teammates.

]]> By: Sean C. in Illinois http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103615 Sean C. in Illinois Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:56:53 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103615 "I ain’t the only .220 hitter in this game. I ain’t the last one to hit .220, but it’s never a big deal when a lot of guys that play everyday, hit in the same spot everyday, and hit .220 and nobody says a thing.” What Sheffield says here is true on the face of it. But am I wrong to think he crosses the line into pointing a finger at certain teammates with it? Am I wrong to think that Leyland, if made aware of this statement, should call Sheffield on it as harshly as he has with others in the past? “I ain’t the only .220 hitter in this game. I ain’t the last one to hit .220, but it’s never a big deal when a lot of guys that play everyday, hit in the same spot everyday, and hit .220 and nobody says a thing.”

What Sheffield says here is true on the face of it. But am I wrong to think he crosses the line into pointing a finger at certain teammates with it? Am I wrong to think that Leyland, if made aware of this statement, should call Sheffield on it as harshly as he has with others in the past?

]]> By: Sean C. in Illinois http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103614 Sean C. in Illinois Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:48:42 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103614 <b>The faster that fans boosted attendance and the more hastily they abandoned poor performance indicated fans who were less loyal," the report says.</b> "With all the complaining I’ve heard over the past year, I’m not surprised at all." Non sequitur. Baseball fans everywhere complain about their teams, win or lose. Including fans who attend games regularly. Said fans are known to complain regularly while <i>at</i> the game. Appreciation and criticism are two sides of the same coin in being entertained by a baseball team. Drama needs good guys and bad guys, and the plot line is richer and more complex - <i>more entertaining</i> - when some of the "bad" guys are <i>your</i> guys. Fans who attend baseball games on a regular basis constitute a small minority of fans overall. To equate complaining and/or not attending games with not being loyal is to misunderstand the concept of loyalty in sports, which is very nearly meaningless to begin with. I have never known a serious sports fan who didn't have a certain team they rooted for and kept rooting for, for reasons that were entirely sentimental and mostly illogical. We would call switching allegiance from the Tigers to an organization and a team that's run better and plays better "fickle," but that would actually be the logical choice if your goal was finding the best and most entertaining baseball to invest your time and interest in. Wrigley Field has developed a certain cache, a reputation, an aura, making attending a game there a "place to be" kind of thing. It's almost incidental that the Cubs play there. Attendance at Comerica Park has much more to do with the Tigers' level of play (or expected level), and I think that says something good about Tigers fans. There are smart fans and dumb fans, fans who support their teams with real cash money and fans who don't, but there are no good or bad fans. Only fans. And those Forbes guys are too much. Boosting attendance quickly is the mark of a disloyal fan base? Ha. The faster that fans boosted attendance and the more hastily they abandoned poor performance indicated fans who were less loyal,” the report says.

“With all the complaining I’ve heard over the past year, I’m not surprised at all.”

Non sequitur. Baseball fans everywhere complain about their teams, win or lose. Including fans who attend games regularly. Said fans are known to complain regularly while at the game. Appreciation and criticism are two sides of the same coin in being entertained by a baseball team. Drama needs good guys and bad guys, and the plot line is richer and more complex – more entertaining – when some of the “bad” guys are your guys.

Fans who attend baseball games on a regular basis constitute a small minority of fans overall. To equate complaining and/or not attending games with not being loyal is to misunderstand the concept of loyalty in sports, which is very nearly meaningless to begin with.

I have never known a serious sports fan who didn’t have a certain team they rooted for and kept rooting for, for reasons that were entirely sentimental and mostly illogical. We would call switching allegiance from the Tigers to an organization and a team that’s run better and plays better “fickle,” but that would actually be the logical choice if your goal was finding the best and most entertaining baseball to invest your time and interest in.

Wrigley Field has developed a certain cache, a reputation, an aura, making attending a game there a “place to be” kind of thing. It’s almost incidental that the Cubs play there. Attendance at Comerica Park has much more to do with the Tigers’ level of play (or expected level), and I think that says something good about Tigers fans.

There are smart fans and dumb fans, fans who support their teams with real cash money and fans who don’t, but there are no good or bad fans. Only fans.

And those Forbes guys are too much. Boosting attendance quickly is the mark of a disloyal fan base? Ha.

]]> By: judpma http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103612 judpma Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:38:34 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103612 not only is he the best .200 hitter in the league considering he is being pitched to like Babe Ruth-Ty Cobb- Hand Aaron- Al Kaline and Brandon Inge combined we should be thankful he is hitting that good. not only is he the best .200 hitter in the league considering he is being pitched to like Babe Ruth-Ty Cobb- Hand Aaron- Al Kaline and Brandon Inge combined we should be thankful he is hitting that good.

]]> By: Chris http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103591 Chris Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:58:08 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103591 As one of the fans at the ballpark and a few rows in front of me noted today, Gary Sheffield is the best .220 hitter in the league... As one of the fans at the ballpark and a few rows in front of me noted today, Gary Sheffield is the best .220 hitter in the league…

]]> By: Mike R http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103589 Mike R Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:33:44 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103589 Honestly, how many of us (Eddie and I have said it multiple times and, you, Billfer said it at times) have to beat the drum on this medical team being a complete joke? Honestly, how many of us (Eddie and I have said it multiple times and, you, Billfer said it at times) have to beat the drum on this medical team being a complete joke?

]]> By: Chief Monday http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103588 Chief Monday Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:02:48 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103588 Here's an article of some interest- Study: Detroit Tigers fans are second least loyal in Major League Baseball http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/SPORTS02/80812109/&imw=Y With all the complaining I've heard over the past year, I'm not surprised at all. Here’s an article of some interest- Study: Detroit Tigers fans are second least loyal in Major League Baseball
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.....&imw=Y

With all the complaining I’ve heard over the past year, I’m not surprised at all.

]]> By: Eddie http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103587 Eddie Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:07:13 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/junkballing-booing-injuries-waivers-and-minors/#comment-103587 That Sheffield quote is something else. Heads should definitely roll when it comes to the team's medical/training staff. That Sheffield quote is something else. Heads should definitely roll when it comes to the team’s medical/training staff.

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