28 thoughts on “Game 2015.70: Tigers at Indians”

  1. Kevin made a very good point last night that the blowout was still only 1 win. But tonight they also seem very focused and locked in offensively.

  2. Also defensively. And that’s alright —-1 E tonite; Jose still well on his way to a Golden Glove this year. Very next play, he & Kins turn one of their classic 6-4-3 DPs anyway….

  3. Something to ponder: if this really is a Tiger turnaround…did Brad actually light a fire in that meeting? Did the benching of Castellanos send a message? Is he maybe learning to…manage? Stay tuned.

  4. Don’t apologize for the picture Kevin, it was taken by a most talented photographer.

  5. 20 runs last 2 —–so maybe they DON’T average that out to 3.5 next 10, and keep this trend going instead. Nick out; Vic in. Should stick with that as long as V stays healthy.
    One disturbing thought tho: Is Joakim gonna do THAT every game now??

    1. One of the universally acknowledged truths in baseball is that “closers” suck in non-save situations, which has never made sense to me. I mean, it’s still “pitching,” right? But hey, I’m going with that, because it makes me feel better.

      1. Syria’s numbers over his last 4 outings:

        3 IP; 7 H; 5 ER; 4 HR’s

        could just be an anomaly, but if Soria is experiencing some undisclosed arm/health issues or his performance goes south, DET could re-enter familiar territory…

        1. …er, i mean Soria …and let’s hope he (or DET bullpen) doesn’t get as bad as ‘Syria’

    2. What if the rest of the team were as aggravated by Nick as us fans? Brad might have bought himself some credibility points with not just the fans but his guys, which could be a big thing. There has always been this idea that Brad is a pawn of Dombrowski, or Leyland, or Lamont or whatever, but make no mistake, Castellanos is an Organization Guy (he is under team control until 2019, which in baseball terms means he is basically playing for free), and they have a lot invested in him becoming good. But no matter what angle you look at it from, right now Romine is the better player. It’s not even close.

    1. I live in Cincinnati, and had tickets to the games with the Reds. Or should i say “games” with the Reds…I think I get a makeup game in August.

    2. By the way, you have no idea how the baseball fans here are in a state of shock and mourning right now…the 2015 All-Star game was supposed to be the triumphant return of Pete Rose. Imagine if Al Kaline were born and raised in Detroit, and you’ll get an idea of how beloved he is here.

  6. One more thing to contemplate: maybe being consistent in baseball is more rare than being inconsistent. There aren’t too many Miguel Cabreras. But I think the last two days are perfect examples of what we can get from JD Martinez and Cespedes–they are capable of having absolutely nothing one day, and crushing the ball the next. Which could be perfect really if Victor and Kinsler can get back on track.

    1. Good points on Tigers.
      An’ ol’ Petey should feel awfully ashamed, handing that BS to the public, which includes his loyal supporters, for so many friggin’ years running. But of course, unfortunately he’s simply doing what all other athletes (and politicians) do when they’re suspected of some foul play: Just continue lying your ass off until you’re definitely found out and your BS is exposed.
      Didn’t we all learn that from Great American “Tricky Dick” Nixon many decades ago?

      1. The attitude here is “maybe he’s a liar, but dammit he’s OUR liar.” Which also works very well for politics. Interestingly enough, the two biggest other liars in baseball, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, never got that kind of support, whether it was because of their personalities or because they weren’t home grown. (Ryan Braun got more of a pass).

        I have mixed feelings. Pete would be in the Hall now if he’d gone on TV and cried and said I’m so sorry, I’m addicted to gambling (which he was/is). But then he’s not Pete Rose anymore, is he? Does that make sense?

        1. Yes. He always had that “hard-nose” image (bowling guys over at the plate, 100% effort, etc.) which just doesn’t support crying, apologies and the like. Why destroy your image when you can lie for 16 yrs and get away with it? Unfortunately for him, the BS “wool-over-the-public’s-eyes” farce ONLY flew for 16 yrs, and he hasn’t made it into The Hall yet.

          1. …yes and getting into the HOF might increase his autograph value and public appearance fees, which could help him pay off some of those gambling debts

            personally I have absolutely no sympathy for Mr Rose – nor any other pathological liars

  7. If Romine comes out of the lineup the way he’s playing its a slap in the face to him….he is way better than NC….and he is doing the job every day…it has nothing to do with NC….

    1. Castellanos is still young and may have upside. He is clearly not ready for prime time though. Interestingly enough, even though Romine is baseball-old (29), he has only had 507 plate appearances in his career (Castellanos has had 852). It would be an extremely unusual thing, but there is an outside possibility that Romine is actually just finding his stride as a hitter.

    2. True, but how long before Brad starts feeling nervous (DD breathing down his neck?) and feels that he better start playing Nick again. The only way that could be justified is if, when he did stick him back in, NC comes back 1st day and goes 4 or 5 for 5 and not swinging at any balls the catcher dives for, showing that he was introspective on his days off, learned what he was doing wrong, worked hard, and returned to the form everyone expects of him.
      Then you would have a nice platoon system in place, assuming Andrew stays hot.
      (Not saying this will happen tho).

      1. DD won’t be breathing down his neck for a little while, because he started holding his breath when they dropped to .500. The Tigers can’t worry too much about the long term at the moment; they are committed to the short term. And even if Romine wilts to about .220, he’s still a better player than Castellanos, who someone pointed out was the worst baserunner in baseball, and one of the worst fielding 3rd basemen, and also couldn’t hit. That’s a lot to work on. So much of baseball is in the head and you don’t want him feeling like anyone has given up on him, but a few weeks in Toledo could give him time to work some things out without any pressure.

      2. I don’t think Brad has been managing scared. I just think he has been been too cautious and dispassionate.

    3. Brad has been playing it that way Jud, which is the right way to play it (for a change). He made a point of saying that Nick wasn’t benched, but he was going with the “hot hand” with Romine.

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