Game 2012.43: Tigers at Indians

20-22, 2nd place, 4 games behind Cle.

Short one today, but a few links of interest:

– How did we miss these Leyland smoking t-shirts?

– Some outside of our little site aren’t too worried about where the Tigers will end up this season. Others, on the other hand, think the Tigers dearth of role players justify an “overrated” tag for the team. The position by position comparison’s are pretty interesting.

– Spring Training sensation and my pick for the 25th guy Quintin Berry gets the start in CF and will leadoff tonight. No word on AJax’s injury.

– “Shocking, Leyland made the wrong move, again.” “Poor bullpen management and poor plate discipline.” “Oh, and it is time for the K-Burn experiment to come to an end. He has shown that he is not ready to be an everyday player.” Those gems were not from last night, but were comments from game 2011.42. History has a way of repeating itself.

Doug Fister climbs the hill tonight praying for a few runs. The Tigers have scored 5 while he’s been on the mound over his last 3 starts.

1. CF Quintin Berry
2. LF Andy Dirks
3. 3B Miguel Cabrera
4. 1B Prince Fielder
5. DH Delmon Young
6. RF Brennan Boesch
7. SS Jhonny Peralta
8. 2B Ramon Santiago
9. C Gerald Laird

39 thoughts on “Game 2012.43: Tigers at Indians”

  1. Oh, now that was ugly…I hope Cabrera did that on his own, and it wasn’t Leaping Lamont again.

  2. Who allowed Miggy to try for second ….. I’m going to say it again ….. bad teams find ways to lose games and good teams find ways to win games!!!!!

    1. My error ….. I meant third ….. I’m so pi$$ed off, I can’t think straight.

  3. Typical Fister game so far – 5 shutout innings and nothing to show for it.

  4. Quintin Berry with the first Tiger infield double of the season…then Mr. Clutch comes through again (just where would we be without Mr. Dirks this season?)

  5. A bunt double!! Either Berry is really really fast or he didn’t bother to go to first base.

  6. Bases loaded and they will probably not score a single run with no outs…..

  7. This team is pathetic…No outs, bases loaded, and they produce two strikeouts and a ground out…Wow…

  8. Is there any doubt that Cle is gonna take the lead this half inning?

  9. last year at this time CLE was 30-15 with a 7 game lead…and DET was a mediocre team – “history has a way of repeating itself”

  10. Your best player is ahead 3-0 w/ the bases loaded and you can’t score, then you have the bases loaded and nobody out and you cann’t score…It happens every night. Last night 1st and 3rd and Fielder is ahead 3-1 in the count and can’t deliver. Cleveland has been kicking around the ball all night and we still can’t score 3 runs. Somebody needs toi be fired for this and Jim telling us, that the Tigers will be good. Is the “wrong” approach. Yes, they will be good….every 5th day, when JV wills them to a victory.

    1. It’s a little early for that. We were in a worse position this time last year and ran away with the division.

      Though I wouldn’t mind seeing Leyland fired in general. I don’t get how a guy sticks around for 20 years with a .500 record.

      1. I don’t mean to nit pik but this time last year the Tigers were 24 and 23. Granted, not a huge difference in Ws v. Ls but the big difference between this year and last is that at least last year the Tigers were stringing victories together — they were a streaky team but they could put two, three or four consecutive wins together. Not this this group. This group is pressing and choking collectively. Their LOB numbers are unusually high and troubling. Unless they have a Twins like recovery in the 2nd half, you can stick a fork in them.

        1. They are actually middle of the pack for RISP.

          It’s simply too early. I’m as frustrated as anyone. I feel like they take away my birthday every night. But I’m pretty sure they go back into the dugout and have a few beers (Valverde, Young and Lamont may have a few more than that), and worry about tomorrow come first pitch. I’ll do the same. They have a good team. No one is hitting. Our biggest defensive hole is at 2B, which is also an offensive vacuum, so it can be replaced. The bullpen can only get better. They’re not going to set any win records, but they are good enough to win the Central.

      2. Kevin, I am thinking more Llyod getting fired to make a point. much like why a goalie is sometimes pulled. To get everybody’s attention. Yes, last year we had a phenominal 2nd half…but, this year, you could have injuries, you may not get a Fister or Young at the deadline. The other team’s in the division may not implode. They are terrible. Last year, they lost games because of different reasons…This team just finds ways to lose…Maybe go back to Young batting 3rd (since he is so aggressive) and have cabby bat 4th and Fielder 5th…IDK, but, it is insanity to just keep saying. We are a good team, when they keep losing because they lack even basic fundamentals. It’s early, but, not being able to make simple plays in the field or even put a bat on the ball. when a DP will give you the lead…is terrible, You have your best players in good hitters counts and they fail. JV is the only thing worth a darn on this team.

        1. Yeah, I could get behind that. They do need to catch some guys’ attention.

  11. Prince Fielder should be a DH and if he doesn’t like it, just put on the hours of tape of him trying to play the field and say…”we don’t care what you want to do,” You are ridiculous in the field…never can turn a routine 1-6-3 DP..doesn’t even try. Then he misses nearly every ball hit to the Right side and now he can’t make a throw to home after playing in. An easy throw home. They suck. This is what bad teams do, and they either address it or it will spiral out of control. Fielder needs to actually do something positive for this team at some point.

  12. Prince never comes through when it counts….at the plate and in the field………
    WE NEED JACKSON BACK!!!!! He is the only guy that gives us a chance to win. Look at the stats when jackson gets on base compared to when we win.

  13. One final point about last year and the good finish. I remember that by the end of May, last year, they had played the brutal part of their schedule. Lynn Henning, even wrote a column at the beginning of last year…that pretty much stated “if the Tigers are around .500 by the end of May, they should be OK” this was because their schedule lightened up considerably and it seems like we play the AL east more times this year (did they get rid of the unbalanced schedule?) In any event. We survived the brutal early schedule and dominated the AL Central. This year, we have struggled against everybody, but, the Royals. So, the comparisons to last season are really not very valid.

    1. Agree 100%. This is not Strat-O-Matic baseball, where we can replay the 2011 season over and over and feel good as the results are virtually the same on each try. They have to go out and play 2012 a game at a time against different teams with a different schedule under different circumstances. The truth of the matter is that they haven’t been getting the job done for five straight weeks now – the last time they won two in a row was Apr 16-17. Since those two wins they are 11-20 and you just as easily say “well, in 2008 they….”, which of course all would agree is also not a valid comparison.
      This report from Lee Panas at Tiger Tales, although a week old, is sobering. If anything it has gotten worse since then: http://www.detroittigertales.com/2012/05/week-6-report-tigers-continue-to.html

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