Seriously, I have not watched many Tigers games this season, being out of market in Virginia, so last night’s game got me really down. I was heartened to read Billfer say it was the worst performance of the season. Let’s hope this is rock bottom and that the Tigers show some energy tonight with Verlander on the mound.

And I really hope he picks up his hitting again.

What we see on the field is the unavoidable outcome of having so many unproductive veterans on the Tigers payroll, starting with Gary Sheffield. You will always have injuries and slumps, but the dead weight dragging on this organization is really, really massive. It is a miracle, really, that they are even near first place, and a testament to the abilities of this organization to draft well and develop useful major-leaguers.

You cannot blame Dave Dombrowski for all this. Sheffield is doing better this year for the Mets, but he’s still only worth $1-2 million, and is a shell of his former self. Bonderman’s health issues weren’t Dombrowski’s fault, nor are Carlos Guillen’s (and we know he’s a wonderful player when healthy). Re-signing Willis was probably a hasty move, but nobody expected him to be THIS awful. Robertson pulled a disappearing act — one hopes his elbow masses really were the reason he was struggling. And then there’s Ordonez… So the Tigers are in a spot where almost ALL of their highly-paid players are radically under-producing. And even Cabrera is having an oddly ineffective year (though I would argue he’s been playing well and very unlucky).

Simply imagine if Ilitch was getting his money’s worth from even two of these guys: Bonderman, Zumaya, Robertson, Willis, Sheffield, Guillen, Ordonez. This is sort of a string of luck that goes back to Higgenson, Purcival and Dmitri Young.

*Sigh* What’s the point?

The guy is giving it everything he’s got.

Guys make the All-Star game all the time because they play in big cities. Geez, the Vets just voted in a Yankee shortstop with a lifetime batting average lower than Marcus Thames’, so undeserving guys make the Hall, too. I’m not a baseball-history guru, but I am reasonably aware of the game’s past greats, and I’VE HARDLY HEARD OF THE GUY. It’s called the Hall of FAME. I’ll grant that he was probably a real good shortstop, but “famous” he wasn’t, and he got in on pinstriped coat-tails.

Brandon Inge won a FAN vote because people like him and he busts his ass. Winning the vote IS the criterion. Arguing that it’s not legitimate is silly, because the standard you would like to apply to getting into the All-Star game is not, in fact, the actual standard.

Rumors that the Rangers collectively raided the Tigers locker room post-game and rubbed large quantities of salt on the Detroiters’ wounds could not be confirmed.

I also won’t ignore the fact that Texas is a very good team and they are playing bigger games than us right now because they’re trying to catch LA, while trying to catch Boston in the wild card race. I hate the Red Sox with a passion. If losing to Texas helps keep Boston out of the playoffs, then this is a win for me even though we lost. Losing here might even help the Tigers go to the World Series. Only time will tell.

DD either make a move or dump guys. We as fans, cannot handle trying to limp into a post season run on tiny outbursts every 10 games. We need a bat badly!!! DD make your move before the 31st please!!!! To save us from completely melting in our own seats!!!

I will not rest until Inge’s all-star appearance is struck from the record book like Nationalist China was removed from the UN’s voting rolls in 1973.