Secure in the knowledge that the Tigers had won the series I decided to play some things out in my head. I indulged myself and thought about “what if” the Tigers managed to sweep the White Sox. What would come next.
Of course the Tigers start their interleague tour with 3 games against the Dodgers. And then 3 against the Giants, and then the Padres. Then series against the Cardinals and Rockies. And then the Twins and Mariners. And a couple against the Indians and 4 more against the Twins.
Why do I bring this up? Between now and the All Star break the Tigers have only 3 games on the schedule against teams that are above .500 and that would be against St. Louis. The Twins and Dodgers are in the vicinity of .500 and the Indians could get there by July. But even with 2 more left coast swings it isn’t a daunting schedule ahead.
Granted, those other teams are probably looking at the Tigers and thinking the same thing, but the Tigers certainly have a golden opportunity to bolster their record. A lot of it will come down to the cobbled together back end of the rotation to keep the team in the game. And maybe I’m a little too giddy after an unexpected sweep and an impressive 5 out 6 stretch. And I’ve been falsely optimistic following sweeps in the past (Yankees). But yes Tigers fans, there is a reason for hope over the next 28 games.
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23 responses to “Looking ahead…or getting ahead of myself”
I’ll also add that the Cardinals will be playing without Albert Pujols. They have a good opportunity for a strong month and they need to take advantage of it. They actually have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way. Maybe I’m too giddy as well but today I believe.
All they need to do is go on a two-three week tear and they are right back in the thick of things. The NL is probably the better league this year, but you probably won’t know it based on the next few series. The Tigers have the fortune of playing some of the worst teams in the league.
Bad teams actually scare me. Look at our record vs the Royals, as exhibit A.
Hope you actually were lying because the Tigers and Ingey suck the big one.
Seriously though, as it has been said
“It doesn’t matter who you play, but when you play ’em”
just a city boy
born and raised in South Detroit….
I can hear it now!
“It doesn’t matter who you play, but when you play ‘em”
The Tigers may need to reschedule some games, then. I’m thinking 2009 or 2010.
Who you play and when you play them both matter. You want to play a team when they are going bad but some teams go bad more often than others. So when I look at a schedule, I’d rather the Tigers be playing teams that play poorly more often than they play well.
I refuse to get optimistic about this team until they’re at least within a game or two of .500. Every time they start playing well this year, they manage to go into the tank for an extended stretch. Give me a nice 8-2 run over the next 10 and I’ll get pumped up again!
“It doesn’t matter who you play, but when you play ‘em”
I think it also matters WHERE you play them. Home? Away? Maybe even more important than that is HOW you play them. With baseball skills? Without baseball skills? Quite possibly even more relevent than that is WHY you play them. For the love of the game? For a chipotle burrito?
I don’t want to get too optimistic, given the flops that the Tigers have taken this year, BUT…the starting pitching seems to have really righted itself. I just looked at the results, and it looks like 15 or 16 of the last 18 games have been average to good performances by the SP’s.
only Nate’s game in OAK and Dontrelle’s abomination the other day stand out as poor. hopefully, they can keep that up.
“only Nate’s game in OAK and Dontrelle’s abomination the other day stand out as poor. hopefully, they can keep that up.”
I don’t know, William. They can always bring Dontrelle back, I guess, and tell Nate to lighten up on the overacheiving.
I’d rather feel confident in the Tigers at all times, and look forward to them playing any team. I felt that way in 2006 and 2007, aside from a historical feeling of dread when the Yankees or White Sox were coming up.
It’s not just the underacheiving play that has sapped my confidence in 2008. It’s all those moves I just don’t get, that sense of confusion and desperation. It’s like watching someone who drew a pair of aces try for a straight or a flush instead of a full house.
I really think if they can use that schedule and get up to .500 it could be used as a springboard to success down the line. They just need to get up to that mark. Here’s hoping.
I was looking at the schedules yesterday, and saw that the Tigers and the White Sox each play LA and Coloradao. But the fact that the White Sox have to play the Cubs 6 times in 10 days gives the Tigers an edge as far as schedules go for the next few weeks.
yeah, but I don’t think the cubs are that good, they have played the PIrates 12 times already. In the next 2 weeks the cubs play the Jays, Rays, and sox twice. I hope they get swept by the Jays and Rays.
Noticed this in a recent baseball-reference.com Stat of the Day blog entry:
Former Tiger Joe Coleman began 1972 allowing 2 ER or less in 15 of his first 16 starts, the best first-60-games performance of its kind 1956 to the present. He also pitched 2 11 inning complete games that year, giving up a combined total of 1 run and striking out 18.
billfer is awesome. Making fun of Hawk Harrelson and all.
I was trying to keep my reclaimed optimism in check, and the Billfer comes along and fortifies it. Man I hope they can string together some series wins here the next few weeks.
If the Tigers could match their 2006-2007 June-July surges, they would be 56-52 by August 1. Not a bad place to be in the AL Central, but then you hope they can buck the trend of collapsing in August.
There are 28 games left until the All-Star break, we would have to go 18-10 to get to .500 at 47-47. Given the schedule, the more consistent offensive production, the improvement in the starting rotation (Bondo injury notwithstanding), and presumably some contribution from Zumaya and Rodney (before he gets hurt again), I definitely think it’s possible to get there.
Although it will take a 12-4 stretch for them to get there by the end of this month, as I predicted. That’s a little tougher.
“…billfer is awesome making fun of Hawk Harrelson and all…”
Yes he is. That was my favorite part of the post game. However, making fun of Hawk Harrelson is such a can-o-corn, so to speak, not so sure that’s one of DTW greatest moments. Really, now. Are we taking candy from infants now too?
I nominate Ryan Raburn for Whipping Boy until Sheffield gets back. Oh, wait, he already nominated himself.
And what’s up with the tongue every time he comes to the plate? It really didn’t bother me when he was hitting, but lately it’s quite irksome.