Dave Dombrowski met with the press today and fielded questions for about an hour. Jaosn Beck, Tom Gage, and John Lowe had it covered. There is enough there to warrant about 6 posts worth of further explanation. But until that happens…
Miguel Cabrera
Dombrowski had a range of emotions about the situation, many were negative, but it wasn’t the first time he’s been in this situation in his 20 years as GM. It’s not surprising that he believes Cabrera will take the necessary steps. As for the question on whether he should have played Saturday night, that gets a little more gray. The response was:
“First of all, you have some legalities that are involved. You probably should know the rules when it comes to the Basic Agreement (the collective-bargaining agreement between the clubs and the players union).
“Secondly, we thought he was capable of going out there and playing.”
I admit to knowing nothing about the rules involved when a player has been drinking and is scheduled to play. I will say the answer was somewhat evasive in that they “thought” he was capable of playing. There was no comment on whether they thought they made the right decision. Continue reading The Dombrowski Presser→
With the season over there are a few things I need to say and I wanted to share my plans for the coming offseason:
First things first I want to say thank you to everybody who read the site this year. Welcome to those of you who found it for the first time, we’ll have more stuff in the offseason (more on this in a minute) so don’t go to far. To my long time readers, I’m honored that you keep coming back and thank you for telling your friends about it.
A special thank you to everybody who comments on the site, or posts articles on facebook, or tweets articles. It helps tremendously to build the community. It helps to keep things interesting and it makes it easier for me to a)step away a little bit because you all keep things fresh b)keep the site current because many of you post links to breaking news before I can get to the site c)makes it a hell of a lot of fun.
I also want to say You’re Welcome to everybody who expresses their appreciation in the comments from last night. I was overwhelmed by your sentiments and I’m flattered to say that responding to each one would have put additional stress on an overtaxed server.
As for donations, this part makes me feel a little weird. It’s something I don’t solicit because I’m frankly not that comfortable doing it. But many asked for a way to donate. I don’t want anyone to feel obligated because it certainly isn’t necessary and I hope nobody is offended by this. But if you were one of the ones asking, here is how to donate via Paypal.
What’s on deck?
Things will slow down a little bit without the daily rythym of the baseball regular season setting the pace. There probably won’t be daily posts but you’re likely to see something 4-5 days per week. Some posts will be short and others will be more involved analysis. Some of the things I’m planning for the offseason:
Covering the Arizona Fall League which is just about ready to get underway
Breaking down the team in a number of ways and looking at offense, defense, and pitching
An analysis of the hitters under Lloyd McClendon
Some pitch f/x work
Roster analysis, who should stay, who should go, who will be offered arbitration, who should be protected in the rule 5 draft
Interviews. I’m planning to speak to a few Tigers prospects. I’d like to work in some Q & A’s with others involved with the team as well.
Winter Meetings coverage. This year’s winter meetings are in Indianapolis, and while plans could certainly change, as of now I’m planning on being on hand for a couple of days.
Video chats maybe? I did a few of these last offseason and they were fun. Those might be coming back.
And of course if there are trades or big announcements they’ll be covered here one way or another.
So that’s what the very rough plan is. If you have specific studies you’d like me to do, let me know. I won’t make promises and if I don’t do one of your ideas please don’t take it personally. The reason I wouldn’t do the study is more likely my limitations (time, skill, availability of data, etc.) than the quality of the request.
In summary, keep coming back please. Keep commenting please. And use one of the subscribing options at the top of the page so you know when knew stuff is here.
Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins and their fans. You have to hand it to a team that finished the season 17-4 (and the Tigers were responsible for 3 of those 4 losses) without their second best player. They went out and took the division from the Tigers. They went down 3 runs early tonight and came back to take the lead. They were down in extra innings and tied it up. The Twins went out and won one of the best and most entertaining baseball games I’ve ever seen.
As for the Tigers, congratulations doesn’t really fit. But they did play a heck of a game against a red hot opponent in a hostile environment in the midst of a media blitz and distractions. Unfortunately they came up short on too many rallies tonight (and throughout the season) and like in 2006 the Tigers surrendered first place on the last day of the season.
We’ll discuss what comes next for the team in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime a litany of thoughts on tonight’s game:
Rick Porcello was amazing. I don’t know where the 8 K’s came from but the way he pitched gave the Twins fits. If most voters hadn’t already cast their ballots there’s a decent chance he wins Rookie of the Year.
Miguel Cabrera quieted talk of focus and distraction with a double and a homer in his first 2 at-bats. He also did a nice job getting to 3rd base in the 12th inning on Don Kelly’s hit. I think saying he doesn’t care isn’t fair, even in light of what happened over the weekend.
Fernando Rodney pitched well and he wasn’t the reason they lost. In Leyland’s post game he said that Rodney asked for the ball that last inning. He completes the season with only 1 blown save but he was on the mound when a ground ball found its way between first and second.
Inge had a heck of a game with 2 spectacular diving plays and a big RBI double. He failed in 2 situations with runners on, but he certainly carried his weight tonight. Heck, he even should have had an RBI in the 12th when he was hit by a pitch and a call was missed.
Like Inge there were so many players that had ups and downs tonight. Granderson got doubled off in the 9th inning in a baserunning mistake and took a bad angle on the ball that got by Raburn. But Grandy also had 2 hits and made a diving play in centerfield.
Ryan Raburn lost the Cuddyer ball in the lights, but gunned a guy at the plate and also picked up a couple hits.
Gerald Laird however will think about this one for awhile. He struck out to end the 9th and the 12th. He didn’t get a ball out of the infield, he failed on a sacrifice bunt. He didn’t even get the pleasure of throwing out a runner. But I do think his presence prevented some steal attempts. As much as I wanted him pinch hit for, I still wanted him behind the plate.
So many plays to look back on, but the Magglio Ordonez line out to shortstop is still the killer. He ripped a ball off of Nathan and had nothing to show for it. Ugh.
And the other play was the grounder up the middle that ended up out of the reach of Polanco. We’re so used to Placido making plays all over the place. That the ball was out of his reach is something I still can’t believe.
The Tigers went 17-16 in September and October. For the season they finished as a .527 winning percentage team. I don’t know that constitutes a collapse. Yes, they had every chance to put the division away and they should take heat for that. But they didn’t tank in the 2nd half. The Twins went and took the division from them.
I will throw out one offseason prediction that I’d guess happens soon. My guess is that Lloyd McClendon will be relieved of his hitting coach duties. Not because of this game, but because of a season’s worth of offensive struggles. I don’t know if he’ll be fired or moved to another coaching position, but I think Lloyd will be gone.
PREGAME: Of all the years for MLB to do away with their asinine coin-flipping scenario for deciding home field advantage for tiebreaker games. Of course if the Tigers could have managed 1 more win at some point they wouldn’t even be in this situation. But this situation isn’t so bad, the Tigers are still playing and they’ll be the only game around tomorrow afternoon.
It’s Rick Porcello and Scott Baker. This will be the second time in a week the Tigers will have a chance to clinch the AL Central against Baker. The Tigers certainly had their chances last Thursday with a bevy of baserunners and 4 Twins errors to go along with 6 walks issued by Twins pitchers. Unfortunately the offense only mustered 3 runs.
The Tigers have hit Baker this year. In the 2 previous starts they got him for 4 runs and 6 runs and Baker hasn’t lasted into the 6th inning in any of the 3 starts.
Porcello has faced the Twins 4 times this year and has quality starts in 3 of them. His worst start against them was a 6 run 4 inning effort in the dome. A week ago Tuesday he pitched the front end of the double header and he went 6.1 innings allowing just 1 run while scattering 7 hits and a walk.
Miguel Cabrera had a pretty crappy Friday night, and it just isn’t ending – nor should it. Cabrera screwed up big time and is deserving of the bulk of the criticism that he is receiving today. Whether it was a lapse of judgment or a habitual problem remains to be seen but getting drunk enough to blow a .26 at 6 a.m. on the morning of one of the biggest games in his Tigers career is a huge problem. The problem has since been compounded by errors in judgment by Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski.
Miguel Cabrera had an awful night at the plate on Friday. Miguel Cabrera had an awful night at the plate on Saturday. The difference between the two nights is that his face was cut and bruised on Saturday. This was quite noticeable to the media before the game and it elicited questions from Jon Paul Morosi and other media. The answer that Morosi got was that Cabrera’s dog was the culprit. It is a story that is hard to believe which has just led to more speculation.
PREGAME: Well here we are. Game 162. Will there be an ALDS Game 1 or a Game 163 or is this it? We all know the deal, the Tigers haven’t been out of first place since May 9th. Yet way too eerily much like 2006 the Tigers could find themselves looking up at the Twins for the first time on the last day.
The Tigers do have some things working for them today. Justin Verlander is pretty good and he’s been very good when the Tigers have most needed him. It’s a matter of whether or not there is a limit on how many times the Tigers can go to the well.
John Danks is going for the the White Sox. The Tigers have only faced Danks once this season and could only muster 2 runs. The Twins faced the Danks 2 weeks ago and rocked him for 7 runs and it was the only time he had allowed more than 3 runs since August 6th.
Finally, I thought it was a waste when I heard that Amber Grand would be singing the National Anthem today. It turns out that this may be the Tigers best move with Grand posting a 6-1 record this year.
The Tigers finally played the game that fans had been looking for. Too bad it took them 4 tries to get it right, but they got it right just in time to extend the season.
Justin Verlander came up big. He was unusually efficient. Whether that was Verlander or a White Sox lineup that saw Scott Podsednik DH’ing remains to be seen. Regardless, and despite the fact that Jim Leyland left him in a couple batters too long, Verlander only enhanced his status as a staff ace and an elite arm in the American League.
The offense was led by the corner outfielders with Ryan Raburn and Magglio Ordonez both having big games and big hits. Raburn homered twice, walked, and singled. After his second homer he trotted out to left field and received a standing ovation.
Ordonez came up his 4th time needing a triple for the cycle. That was going to be highly unlikely so he settled for a single and took his 4 hit day.
If the pitching and hitting weren’t enough, the Tigers even played some of their old fashioned solid defense. Curtis Granderson made a game-saving catch in the 8th inning laying out to catch a shallow pop-fly. Adam Everett looked exactly like the elite defender the Tigers thought they were getting. Everything was good.
Even Fernando Rodney, asked to get 4 outs actually got 5. And he did so efficiently not allowing a ball out of the infield in the 9th inning and only the bloop that Grandy snagged in the 8th.
And Amber Grand raised her record to 7-1.
Below are a couple shots from the game today (click for bigger images).
Raburn squares to bunt
Justin Verlander was dealing
Gerlad Laird braces for a collision
Raburn acknowledges a salute from the fans when he heads to left field after homering
PREGAME: We’ll get this up early in case anybody is so inclined to follow along with the Twins/Royals game which gets started just after 4 p.m.
It’s Alfredo Figaro and Freddy Garcia doing battle today. Figaro has an okay start and a bad start under his belt this year. He also has a very solid multi-inning relief appearance against these same White Sox. I have no idea how he’ll do today but I don’t think he’ll be given a chance to cost the Tigers the game.
The Tigers started slow against Garcia but eventually got to him for 7 runs on 10 hits.
POSTGAME: I wish I had something useful to say. I’m not a big believer in “choking” or playing tight or playing without passion. But those beliefs are being seriously challenged as the Tigers have mustered all of 1 frickin’ run in 2 games against the White Sox.
The Alfredo Figaro decision turned out to be a non-event. He wasn’t good but he was pulled before he could inflict any real damage. The result was essentially an Armando Galarraga start. And that damage to either pitcher would have been less had the Tigers defense not picked the same time to collapse.
If Placido Polanco starts the double play in the second inning, that saves a run. If Magglio Ordonez makes his sliding catch (not a routine play, but one that needs to be made) that saves another run.
Miguel Cabrera had a far bigger impact on the game than Figaro. Actually Cabrera’s failures are probably the biggest story of the series. Friday night he had 3 infield pop-outs and a strikeout. Tonight he once again failed to get a ball out of the infield and killed the Tigers last hope with a double play. There have been times when Cabrera has hit bullets at people that result in double plays. The last 2 nights he’s looked like he’s channeling the worst of Brandon Inge.
Adam Everett showed up and had a nice game. He had a couple nice, run-saving, defensive plays. He had a double and he just hooked a potential home run ball foul.
Debating Saturday’s starter, some news on a tiebreaker playoff game, and more from MLB’s punishment roulette wheel.
Figaro?
Alfredo Figaro has been tabbed for the start in a very key game on Saturday. This is the product of a rainout on Monday and a very young starter who’s arm warrants careful protection.
Rick Porcello simply isn’t an option for this game. Nick Blackburn, also bumped by Monday’s postponement is going on 3 days rest. Quite frankly the Twins don’t have the same type of investment in Blackburn’s future that the Tigers do in Porcello’s. This isn’t a matter of saving Porcello for the rest of the season, it is a matter of not being foolish with an elite talent.
PREGAME: Edwin Jackson and Jake Peavy is the first pitching match-up Tigers fans care about tonight. The second one is Lenny DiNardo and Francisco Liriano Jeff Manship.
Peavy outdueled Eddie Bonine last time out despite Bonine’s fantastic outing. The Tigers fanned 8 times in 7 innings and could only muster 6 hits and 2 walks.
Jackson on the other hand was dinged for 5 runs in 7 innings when he faced the White Sox last time. He did only walk 1 batter though so the improved control was a good sign.
I wish I had something light and pithy or at least moderately insightful to add. Maybe I’m tense. Maybe the pressure is getting to me.
POSTGAME: My friends and I decided to splurge a little since this was the last game in our season ticket package and have dinner in the Tiger Club. For those who haven’t been, that is the glassed in area that hangs from the uper deck in right field. They have a buffet with a 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. seating. We took in the 5 p.m. option so we could be in our seats in time for the game.
The buffet featured prime rib which delicious and marbled beautifully. Next to the prime rib was a personal favorite of mine, chicken oscar. You put asparagus and crab with anything and I’ll try it. Unfortunately the first batch was a little dry, I think it had been sitting under the lamp too long and the crab dried out. Fortunately they put out more that was delicious.
Around the corner from the chicken was ravioli florentine which was good enough to warrant a corner of each plate I prepared. There were green beans and sauteed vidalia onions as well as red skin mashed potatoes. The highlight for me though was a scallop and risotto dish.
There were cheeses and relish and salad options as well. I didn’t delve into those areas greatly. And for those who enjoy more traditional ball park food there were nachos and hot dog stations as well. Again, I passed.
I was already uncomfortably full though when I went for dessert. It was a monstrous Sanders hot fudge cream puff. It was huge and wonderful and worth having to loosen my belt.
After paying our bill we went out to watch the game. Casey Fien and Clay Rapada did a nice job.
Baseball is a wonderful game. No, it really is. It gets criticized for being boring and too slow moving. But the speed of the game allows for a chess match like no other and with a code that most outsiders aren’t privy too. The Twins and Tigers series had some of the typically hidden aspects at its best.
Sign Stealing
The video below came out and it shows what is believed to be Joe Mauer signaling pitch calls to batter Jason Kubel. The Twins of course deny this and laugh it off. If you haven’t seen the video, watch it and draw your own conclusions.
I think it’s great. Sign stealing happens all the time. There is nothing wrong with it and if the opposing team down’t sniff it out and stop them, that’s too bad. In this case we see Gerald Laird picking up on it and changing the signs.
This isn’t the first time signs have been stolen against the Tigers. I saw it against the Royals on the night of the Ernie Harwell game. Another friend saw it against the Indians and it resulted in Shin Soo Choo lacing a double. I’d guess and hope that the Tigers had done this at some point as well.
The Twins have nothing to apologize for (or even deny it if true). It’s baseball.
The Code
Yesterday there was a brouhaha where things got a little chippy. Denard Span got hit with a breaking ball that slipped. Marcus Thames got hit with a breaking ball that slipped. Both were most likely unintentional. Thames also got buzzed later on by a breaking ball, and he took exception to the height of the pitch…then some other stuff happened.
In a situation I misread, Jose Mijares threw the ball behind Adam Everett. I couldn’t understand a reason why Mijares would throw at Everett so I figured he just lost control of the pitch. It turns out though that Mijares went after Everett because the Tigers ran to get guys in scoring position through “defensive indifference.” I’ve never heard of someone taking such exception to this, but the Twins and Tigers players knew exactly what was going on. The fact that the Tigers bench got warned rightly set Leyland off.
What I really respect about the Twins here is how they handled the situation afterward. They apologized for Mijares. They called him out. Gardenhire called Leyland and said Jeremy Bonderman did the right thing in plunking Delmon Young didn’t get pissed at Bonderman, he got mad at his own guy. Joe Mauer even said Bonderman did it the right way (I don’t agree with the Twinkie Town blog who said Bonderman was going after Young’s knees, I think he was trying to keep the ball down and Bondo’s control hasn’t been good enough since coming off the DL to go after his knees).
The code may be stupid and barbaric. I can’t really argue against it. What I love though is the complex game-within-the-game that takes place night in and night out that we as fans typically don’t even see or only know a part of the story.
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