Who's your tiger? tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2008-03-29:/1537 2009-07-20T20:46:58Z For everything that comes with a 101 mph Joel Zumaya fastball and more from around the majors Movable Type Pro 4.25 Don't trade Doc..... tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.1086431 2009-07-20T20:26:39Z 2009-07-20T20:46:58Z As I watched Roy Halladay mow down the Red Sox yesterday en route to his 44th career complete game and 4th such feat this season, I was forced to ask myself this: Why the hell does J.P. Ricciardi want to... whosyourtiger J.P. Ricciardi want to trade 'Doc'? Seriously. It feels like de-ja vu all over again but with the Jays ace instead of Jake Peavy. I mean come on. The guy has been absolutely dominant this year. His 11 wins rank 2nd in the majors, and he's top 5 in the AL in ERA, K's, 6th in Innings Pitched and has 1 complete game less than Zack Greinke, who leads the majors in that category. Despite all this, some part of the Jays front office seems to want to cash in Halladay for a bunch of prospects. And yes I can see the temptation, but if you ask me, unless you're getting some guy who is of equal caliber to Doc, then it's just not worth it. It's not worth it because of the energy that having Halladay on the mound that day brings to the team. The Fans. Hell. The broadcast crew. They know they're about to watch one of the majors premium pitchers. They know that everytime this guy toes the rubber, their team has it's best chance to win, with it's number 1 guy on the hill. The players know that. Halladay's teammates have an elevated confidence level because of him. The players on the opposing bench are a little nervous. They know how good he is. Hell. there might be some fear in there somewhere. And for the fans out there, this is what you pay to see. The great matchups. Yesterday it was Halladay vs Ortiz in the first inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out. Want more evidence? How about the noise inside Rogers centre as Doc went full on Jacoby Ellsbury with 2 out in the 9th? And the subsequent roar from the crowd when he struck out the Red Sox' speedster with a nasty cutter that tied Jacoby right up inside? 

Seriously. If there's a guy the Blue Jays should trade, perhaps look at Lyle Overbay. Maybe try and unload Vernon Wells contract if you're looking for a salary dump. But don't get rid of Roy Halladay. It's just not right.  
]]> Brandon Inge... tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.1073301 2009-07-15T14:37:47Z 2009-07-15T15:18:39Z Well, I got what I wanted, Brandon Inge was an all star this year. I for one am over the moon for him. Seriously. Inge has to be one of the most underrated defensive third basemen in baseball, and if... whosyourtiger
I would love for Brandon to win a gold glove, but maybe that and an All star nod are too much to ask for in one season? Still, if Inge can keep his batting average around .270, hit a few more bombs and maintain his ever solid play at third, then perhaps he's got a chance. 

Having said that, I'm a little weary about him heading into the second half. The one thing I hate about the home run derby is that it forces hitters to swing for the fences. It's not like BP, where you can work on timing, or line drives, or have the pitching coach throw you a ton of breaking balls to get your act together. And unfortunately, it throws a lot of guys off. Take Bobby Abreu for example. In 2005, Bobby had this line going into the break:

.307/.428/.526 18HR, 58RBI

Then, in a mammoth showdown with Pudge Rodriguez at Comerica in the homer run derby, Abreu hit 41 total homers. But then check out his line after the break:

.260/.376/.411 6HR, 44RBI. 

See what I mean? Inge is also a slightly better 1st half hitter than a second half hitter, coming in at .245/.324/.429 before the break and .233/.289/.368 after. However, more importantly, Inge has just experienced a monumental high point in his career with his selection to St Louis. Some could say the only way is down, but I disagree. With Inge's work ethic, he should be just fine. Just as long as he remembers that he's not a pure power hitter and keeps working on the things that got him off to .319 clip in April.

Speaking of all star third basemen, let's talk a little about Ryan Zimmerman. And I'm not just mentioning him because of his 30 game hitting streak he had earlier this year. no way. this guy, like Inge, is a spectacular defender at third, making great plays night after night. Take for instance, the Nationals/Red Sox game on 25th June that I watched. I hadn't watched a Nationals game all year in full, and it was John Smoltz first start for the Sox. Great game, with young Nationals righty Jordan Zimmermann on the mound. Jordan might well have been the story, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball, but Ryan came up with countless defensive plays that would have made Baseball tonights webgems anyday. Hell, he's a human webgem. 

And while the Nationals still suck, they've got some promise. Zimmerman and Zimmermann (yes they are spelt differently as I discovered on that night against the Red Sox) have high ceilings, and they've got a slew of other young arms coming too. Ross Detwiler, Collin Balester, Shairon Martis has shown flashes this year, and 2009 first rounder Drew Storen is already wowing people with more than just high 90's heat. If they can get Stephen Strasburg signed then who knows. But one things for sure, the Nats are building things the right way. Pitching and defense first. Plus, they've got one hell of a beautiful ballpark. I'd love for them to succeed. But it'll come. These things take time. 

Here's a quick peek of the games I'll be keeping an eye on over the next 2 days:

Thursday:
Cubs @ Nationals - Harden vs Detwiler. Great matchup of a dominating righty vs a young lefty at gorgeous Nationals Park. Couldn't be better. 

Friday:
Red Sox @ Blue Jays - Buccholz vs Romero. Even though I detest Rogers Centre and it's artificial turf and cookie cutter feel, this matchup is a gem. Clay Buccholz returns to the majors and faces one of the hottest rookie pitchers in the AL in Romero in an AL East showdown. Should be a good un. 
Astros @ Dodgers - Oswalt vs Billingsley. What more can I say about this? What a pitching matchup at Chavez Ravine. Oswalt's been hot recently and Billingsley has been dominant all year long. I can't wait! 


]]> The fallacy of the all star game ballot 2 tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.1073181 2009-07-15T14:03:06Z 2009-07-15T14:37:02Z Hey, I might be a little late, but still, I feel this was worth commenting on for a second straight year. Once again, mlb has done itself a disservice by allowing fans to vote up to 25 times. This is... whosyourtiger second straight year. Once again, mlb has done itself a disservice by allowing fans to vote up to 25 times. This is crazy. And as such, it becomes a popularity contest. Having said that, I was pretty pleased with how the all star starters turned out. At least there was no Manny Ramirez, and all of the guys pretty much with the exception of Josh Hamilton, deserve to be there. No disrespect to him, but the only reason that Hamilton was voted in was because he put on a clinic in last years home run derby. And don;t get me wrong, I love Josh Hamilton, I'm so happy for him and how he's battled back from his problems to fulfill his potential. But the all star game should be a celebration in my eyes of the guys who are having the best seasons at that time.  

Anyway, having said that, as I sit here and watch the home run derby, here's how I voted. 

Picture 1.png



















Bear in mind that I tried to base my votes on players that I thought were deserving for all star selection and not based on reputation alone. Also bear in mind that my one and only vote took place on 23rd May. There was still well over a month in all star voting to go. However, I'm pretty pleased. 

One thing I do like though is the final all star selection. It's a pretty cool idea that fans get to vote for the last guy on each roster too. However, it suffers from the 25 times voting system once again. Why can't they just leave it at 1 and done? Naturally, I voted for Brandon Inge, because I believe he was deserving and also Pablo Sandoval of the Giants, who really does have a great future ahead of him. 

Hope you enjoyed the all star game, and I'll be watching next year's contest to see if any homers can reach the rockpile out in Anaheim. 
]]> If only.... tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.946541 2009-05-30T22:21:51Z 2009-05-30T22:44:04Z ...exams didn't exist. If only, I could pause the baseball season, finish exams and then jump right back in.If only on top of that, the Stanley Cup Finals were not during baseball season, and baseball season wasn't during the Stanley... whosyourtiger If only, I could pause the baseball season, finish exams and then jump right back in.
If only on top of that, the Stanley Cup Finals were not during baseball season, and baseball season wasn't during the Stanley Cup Finals

Still, despite my concerns, I've been unable to blog in what seems like ages, and haven't been able to watch a full ballgame in quite some time. So real quick, here's what's on my mind cause it may be a couple weeks before I can blog again:

  • Wrigley Field looks awesome with the ivy fully green. Can't wait eventually go there again.
  • How about Chris Carpenter huh? You've been on the shelf for a year, you come back, you get two good outings, you go back on the shelf straining an oblique, and then you come back and in your second start, you're perfect through six innings. Carpenter hasn't allowed a run yet this year in 23 innings, and his control has been impeccable.
  • The Tigers are still looking good, Justin Verlander has just been nasty, and Rick Porcello is quietly trying to etch his name on the AL Rookie of the year trophy.
  • How about a 10 game winning streak for those Padres? Amazing. And Jake Peavy's looked good recently. Oh and by the way, after K'ing 10 Cubbies on May 22nd, the only NL team Mr Peavy hasn't had a double digit K game against is the Phillies.
  • Speaking of hot, what about those Yankees?
  • Or Maybe Joe Mauer, who has 11 home runs in just 27 games this year. Here's some perspective for you. He had 9 in 146 games last year.
  • Zack Greinke is just incredible. AL Cy Young right there. You know you're good when you give up 1 earned run and your ERA actually GOES UP!!! After his complete game vs the Tigers earlier this week, Greinke's ERA went from 0.82 to 0.84. Sick.
  • They say Albert Pujols is in a slump, but hey, but people seem to forget that he's still batting a measley .308 in May. Hang in there Albert.
  • Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak might have ended at 30 games and the Nationals might well be 13-34 yes folks, 13 and 34, but hey, it was one hell of a ride.
  • Why is it that whenever I see or hear of Clayton Kershaw, I can't help but think of Sandy Koufax? Not the dominant Koufax that won 129 games between 1961 and 1966, posted a 2.19 ERA in that span, won 3 Cy Young awards and an MVP title along with 2 world series championships. No, the young, raw Koufax who showed signs and flashes of his future self but was suppressed by Dodger manager Walter Alston throughout his early years.
Well, that's all I've got for now. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks. Exams, Stanley Cup Finals, hopefully the odd baseball game thrown in as well, starting with Dodgers/Cubs on ESPN on sunday night baseball. Can't wait for that one. If only I get the time to watch it. Oh and Matt Wieters has finally been called up and went 0-4 for the O's last night. However, since I have virtually no time, I can't see him play against the Tigers this weekend. Still, it could be worse. Looking forward to a summer of baseball.

]]> Oh Justin tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.890131 2009-05-09T19:54:38Z 2009-05-09T20:50:05Z I'll say it right now. Curtis Granderson's game saving catch in the bottom of the 9th against the Indians last night at Progressive Field was the greatest catch I think I've ever seen. And I'm not being biased here either.... whosyourtiger game saving catch in the bottom of the 9th against the Indians last night at Progressive Field was the greatest catch I think I've ever seen. And I'm not being biased here either. (at least I'm trying not to) Either that or I just can't remember recently a better one. The situation undoubtedly made the catch that much better too. If this was in the first inning say, then yea it's an awesome catch, but it's not a game saver. Here, bottom 9, tying run on first, winning run at the dish, Verlander's got a shutout going, and Granderson brings back a big L in the loss column for the Tigers by flashing the leather. The only thing that could have made the catch bigger perhaps were if it the scenario was 2 outs in game 7 of the World Series.
 
(oh and by the way, Tim McCarver just said the word discombobulated on the Sox/Rays FOX game of the week - don't you just love the English language)

But what about Verlander? Well, that's three straight starts now where he's been downright dominant, and to be honest, I haven't seen him look this good since 2007 when he notched 18 wins. So things are looking up. In fact, his start in mid April in Seattle was a beauty as well. But the line doesn't look all that good - 7 1/3, 8 hits, 6 runs, 5 earned. The misguiding this about that line was that the runs all came in the 5th inning. Prior to that, JV had thrown 4 perfect innings. He was lights out. So it seems that Mr Verlander's turned it around. Speaking of guys who've turned it around, Cliff Lee has done the same. After compiling a 9.90 ERA in his first 2 starts, the 2008 AL Cy Young award winner has thrown 5 straight quality starts - but due to the Tribe's anaemic offense, Cliff has just 1 win out of those last 5, including 2 straight losses to Verlander and the Tigers.

And while we're on the topic of Cy Young, hows about Zack Greinke for the AL's top pitching award? Man this guy has been crazy. How about a 6-0 record in 6 starts. A 0.50 ERA in April to lead the majors. 3 complete games, including 2 shutouts. And his May 4th complete game shutout against the White Sox lowered his ERA to an incredible 0.40. What's next for Greinke? I watched Zack dominate the Tigers April 24th and it was just ridiculous. Kinda what it miust have felt like last night as a Tribe fan watching Justin Verlander put up zero after zero - helpless. 

My pick right now for NL Cy Young winner is Chad Billingsley. At this point, he's been virtually untouchable. 5-1, a 2.45 ERA in 7 starts. He might not have gone past 7 1/3 innings yet in any of his starts, but each one has been a quailty outing.

Continuing on the theme of guys who've turned it around, hows this about Barry Zito? The Giants lefty has thrown 4 straight quality outings, so maybe that 7 year, $126 deal he signed back in late 2006 might actually be worth something? Some would say it's about time.

And you know what else I'm liking right now that came out of last night's Tigers game? The fact that the Tigers got great pitching, and didn't blow it. They're winning tight, well pitched ballgames, and yes the offense has been harshly inconsistent, but at least the pitchers aren't getting bombed just yet. They've got improved defense, a little dash of speed and hell, even Jim Leyland has been sending runners this season from time to time. Underlying point: These Tigers aren't one dimensional anymore. There's a reason why the phrase pitching and defense wins ballgames is true.

A couple more observations:

  • Boy it's nice to see Joel Zumaya back and healthy. So far so good for Zoom, 5 scoreless innings. Let's hope he keeps it going, cause he's fun to watch
  • Nice to see Rick Porcello keep pitching well. After getting roughed up against the Yankees, he rebounded nicely by blanking the Twins for 7 scoreless. This guy is gonna be something special.
  • Also I'm glad that Dontrelle Willis is making it back to the big leagues. He'll make his first start Wednesday at Minnesota, and you betcha I'll be watching. I remember watching the D-train duel with then Diamondback Randy Johnson in his rookie year in 2003 when he won 14 games. The excitement, the energy he brought to the table. He's one hell of a character. And it makes for great entertainment. For his sake, I hope he's got himself straightened out.
  • It's got to be frustrating to be Jake Peavy right now. Once again marred by inconsistency, high pitch counts and a lack of run support, Jake sits at 2-4 with a 4.27 ERA. His last two starts he was lights out. 8 shutout innings of the Dodgers last friday went for naught after Clayton Kershaw was more than equal to the task and the Dodgers won in the bottom of the 9th. Then in his last start, Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, who ranked last in the NL in just about seemingly every offensive category, managed to claw out a 3-1 win. Jake makes one single mistake that ends up costing him the game - a meaty fastball with one man on that Justin Upton drilled over the wall in center field at Petco Park. As per the norm for the Pads when Peavy starts, they couldn't generate anything offensively, grounding into 4 double plays including a huge on with the bases loaded in the 9th inning. The D-backs made 4 errors, but the Padres couldn't get anything except for the single run off the double play in the 9th. Crazy. What does jake have to do?
  • Does Jordan Schafer want to strike out anymore? This guys got 40 K's already! That's tops in the National League right now. Only perennial strikeout king Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks is close at 39. Schafer's a promising rookie who will blossom into one of the games best for sure, but only if he cuts down those K's.
  • Still, as always, Albert Pujols remains the best hitter in the game today.
  • The less said about Manny Ramirez, the better.
  • I'm pulling for Ryan Zimmerman right now. It's about time the Nationals had some sort of success. They're finally settled in in Washington. They've got a great new ballpark. They've got a few promising young players (See Jordan Zimmerman), and I love their jerseys. (hey, these things matter to me! If a team looks more asthetically pleasing, then that's a plus in my book) In May, Zimm is batting .484, and he's got the 26 game hitting streak rolling right now. And if you're counting, that means that Ryan has only not got a hit in one game this year! One game! And that was the second game of the season.
  • One guy I want to give a shoutout to is Toronto's Adam Lind. This guy is mashing the ball. Currently swatting .333 in 123 AB's, Lind's a big reason why the Jays are having such a great start.  
Here's what to look for this weekend:

  • The FOX saturday games of the week feature a couple of gems. I'm watching Braves/Phillies right now and this one's a good un. Then there's Giants/Dodgers. And if that wasn't enough, check out Saturday's best pitching matchup of Scott Kazmir and Jon Lester.
  • Zack Greinke will be shooting for his 7th win of the year when he takes on Joe Saunders on Saturday night in LA. My money's on Greinke.
  • As far as Sunday goes, Edinson Volquez will try and get Albert Pujols to take a seat at Great American Ballpark. Volquez has given up just 5 hits in his last 3 starts, including back to back 8 inning, no run performances against Houston and Florida. After a shaky start, it seems he's found the groove once again.
  • Tim Lincecum will battle the Dodgers and Jeff Weaver at 4:05pm ET, and this one will be worth watching. Seabiscuit is always worthy of a look, and it's Giants/Dodgers. Enough said.
  • Finally, ESPN's Sunday night baseball comes our way from Fenway Park, where it's the almost perfect Matt Garza against Josh Beckett.
Keep watching folks, cause we're only a month in. And in just over a month's time, I'll be done with exams, so I'll be free to watch an absolute ton of ball!
]]> The resurgence of Rodney and 'the sunday problem' tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.855111 2009-04-26T22:09:08Z 2009-04-26T22:41:59Z Well folks, we're what, 3 weeks into the baseball season now and I'm loving it. (if you just count the fact that the Tigers aren't 0-7 to start the year then we're already onto a winner!)After watching several Tigers games... whosyourtiger
After watching several Tigers games this year, including today's rubber game 3-1 victory in Kansas city over the Royals, I'm pretty happy with what I've seen so far. Here's what I'm liking:

  • Fernando Rodney looks damn good. He's throwing strikes, and getting outs. And that's what counts. One thing Tigers analyst Rod Allen pointed out today was how Rodney is not falling violently off the mound so much anymore after his deliveries. It seems this is leading him to more strikes. Good on ya Fernando. Keep it up.
  • Brandon Inge is red hot. Seriously, I'd heard Inge made a couple of subtle changes to his swing, and I gotta tell ya, they're working alright. While we know the power from Brandon has always been there, it's his ability to put the ball in play so far and avoid the strikeout that has most impressed me. even though he K'd twice on friday night against Zack Grienke (to be honest, who didn't K against Grienke on that night??) he's shown solid consistency. Let's hope he can keep this going.
  • I love Josh Anderson. Speed definitely has an impact. And Anderson, everytime he has been in the lineup, has contributed somehow, whether it be beating out singles, stealing bases, whatever, it's having a positive impact on those guys like Inge, Santiago (who is also scorching hot) and Adam Everett.
  • Joel Zumaya made his way back and appears to be healthy. That can only be good news for Tigers fans.
And while today is a Sunday, I've got to say as a fan living in the UK, sunday's are awesome days for baseball. You get all of the games during the UK evening hours instead of what usually happens, that being most games beginning at 12am with those on the West Coast at 3am. Brutal.  

And there's nothing better than watching live baseball. I just love flipping between multiple games. However, there enters the dilemma. With so many games to choose from, how does one decide? Does one watch a different game every half inning? Does one utilise Mlb.tv's multi-game viewing capacity and bust out 4 at once? Or does one try and break it down a little and just concentrate on one or two games? Today, I was utterly torn. Tigers/Royals. Stop. Flip to Cubs/Cards to watch Pujols hit. Stop. Well how about young Jordan Zimmerman taking on the Mets? Stop. It's 9pm already. Turn over to San Diego to watch Jake mow down the Pirates. Hang on. Back to the Tigers game. Wait, Pujols is on deck. Now can you see my dilemma? That said, I wouldn;'t change it for the world.

Add in the fact that it's real baseball, at least according to the great Lou Gehrig:

'Real baseball should be played in the daytime, in the sushine' I just love to see the sun shine down on a major league field and listen to the crack of the bat and the pop of the mitt.

And make sure you don't miss Yankees/Red Sox tonight (or tomorrow in my case) on ESPN's sunday night baseball. It's gonna be a beauty.

]]> Atta boy Jake tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.830972 2009-04-17T21:26:13Z 2009-04-17T21:43:42Z After watching Jake Peavy dish out a 44-pitch first inning (yes I repeat, 44-pitch first inning!) against the Mets on thursday night, the Mobile, Alabama native managed to claw out a victory by getting through 5 innings. How come the... whosyourtiger
Finally, the Padres gave him some offense. After getting 3.7 runs per game last year, those 6 runs Jake received must have left him feeling like Christmas had come early, especially after he'd built a 3-0 hole on Delgado's round tripper. Hell, the Friars even batted around in the 3rd, and the offense seemed to click fairly well, capped by Chase Headley's 4-4 night. 

Oh and also, I'm not out here to bash fans of any particular team, or any fans in general, but seriously, this game could have quite happily gone to extras had it not been for 1 Met fan in the 3rd base box seats who decided it would be a good idea to reach over and grab a fair ball hit by Daniel Murphy in the bottom of the 4th. Fair enough you might say. But consider the fact that it's currently 5-3 Padres, you've got Jose Reyes on first, and with his speed, he could easily score on the play. But no. You stick your hand down there and grab the ball, and Reyes, on the ground rule double, can only advance 2 bases and winds up at third. Lo and behold, Peavy strikes out David Wright looking on a beautiful fastball right on the corner and the Mets lose 6-5 after Heath Bell shuts the door in the 9th. I mean come on, you're a Mets fan for crying out loud. Do yourself a favour. Hey, I guess I'd consider doing the same thing if I was in that situation, and it's easy to sit here and chastise, but think before you do? 

Anyway, the Pads now sit tied with the Dodgers ontop the NL west. Who'd have thought that eh? 7-3 after the first 10. Obviously it's real early, but things are looking bright out west. 

In other news, my Dog (black labrador, and according to this list, are the 7th most intelligent dog) has predicted the Texas Rangers will win the AL West this year. Not exactly a solid choice considering the state of the Rangers arms, but if Nolan Ryan decides to return to the mound then I guess they've got a shot because that's one of the best offenses around.

Speaking of the Texas offense, how many more cycles are we going to get here early going? We've had what, the first Dodger cycle since 1970 and the first ever at Dodger stadium by Orlando Hudson, or the 'O-Dog' as Vin Scully likes to say, and now Ian Kinsler just completely mashed the ball on Jackie Robinson day, going 6 for 6. Isn't baseball awesome?

]]> Inge for the Gold Glove? tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.828642 2009-04-16T20:50:24Z 2009-04-16T21:20:26Z First off, apologies for the blogging absence - for those of you who actually visit my page semi-regularly or just happen to stumble across it - things have been a little busy lately. However, I'm back, albeit probably for a short... whosyourtiger
However, I'm back, albeit probably for a short time, what with uni exams coming up pronto. Anyway, in the meantime, I've been packing in tons of baseball, from watching the Tigers sweep the Rangers, to Reed Johnson robbing Prince Fielder on sunday night baseball. And what to make of the new young season? A couple things:

  • Brandon Inge should win a gold glove at third. If not then I want a detailed response as to why not. Seriously. How many more times is he gonna sparkle defensively at the hot corner and not get recognised? The guy probably has the best arm I've seen at third for a long time, and his range is just incredible. He's already got more appearances on webgems - and mostly as the top defensive play of the night - than anyone else I can think of, and what's next? 
  • The Florida Marlins are for real. I thought they'd be good coming into the season. And if you ask me they've got arguably the best rotation in baseball. Not to mention a powerful young lineup. 
  • Albert Pujols is still the game's greatest hitter. 
  • I don't like Citi field. Seriously. It just has too many awkward forced quirks. For starters, why the hell is the left field wall about 20 feet high? Second, what is the mess that is the right field wall? I mean, what's the bit that juts inwards to the right of the bullpen and then comes out again? Ugly as hell. And also, was there any need for an overhang in the right field seats? There's some obstructed views right there. And as for the out of town scoreboard being up under the roof in left centre - again, what's that all about. Overall, it just looks way to crowded with too many awkward quirks. Still, the Jackie Robinson rotunda is nice, but take the uncrowded outfield of Shea and move it to Citi and there ya go. 
  • Speaking of crowded outfields, Kauffman stadium's outfield appears that way too. I like the stuff they've done beyond the fountains - i.e. the stuff outside of the seating areas - but taking out a whole section of the fountain on one side and not the other? Just looks unbalanced and out of place. The hall of fame club is a good addition though, and the bullpens look smooth. Maybe I'll have to go to be convinced. Bit of a problem when you live 3000+ miles away. 
  • Thoughts are with the Adenhart, Kalas and Fidrych families after the respective passings of 3 great men. 
  • The Giants still can't score runs. Nothing changes here then. They might need Buster Posey sooner rather than later. 
  • Am I the only one who feels that the Nationals should just start over again? 
  • Watch out for Zack Grienke this year. This guy is on fire. Keep Jack Johnson in check too. He's an ace in the making. 
  • Is Evan Longoria trying to win the MVP award this year? If he keeps it up he might well do just that. 
  • Looks like A.J. Burnett isn't planning on becoming the next Carl Pavano anytime soon. Still, you just know how much I'd love to see all this big spending blow up in the Bombers faces. Speaking of Pavano and Burnett, they're both matched up on sunday at the stadium as the Indians take on the Yanks.
  • Should the Cubs have let Mark DeRosa go to the Indians? No. But Theriot and Fontenot are doing just fine so far. What's more concerning is how they gave up a prospect like Jose Ceda to the Marlins for Kevin Gregg. And still didn't make Carlos Marmol the closer after Kerry Wood went to the Indians too. Come on Lou, there's holding a guy's hand and there's holding a guy's hand. let the fella loose already. 
  • Nick Swisher should never be allowed back on the mound again. Although he did pitch a scoreless inning.
  • No disrespect to Steve Phillips, but Sunday night baseball was better when it was just John and Joe. 

Stay tuned for another great week of baseball action. This weekend's gonna be a good one. 
On friday I'll be watching a gem in Seattle, as Justin Verlander and the Tigers take on Felix Hernandez and the (7-2!!) Mariners. Also on friday, I'll be watching thursday night's Mets/Padres game, as Jake Peavy and John Maine do battle. Mark Buehrle and Scott Kazmir will be hearing cowbells allnight long in Tampa as the Rays and the White Sox get it on. And to round out the week it's Cubs/Cardinals from Wrigley on Sunday night baseball. Couldn't get better than that! 

]]> Too early? tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.680091 2009-02-18T22:34:28Z 2009-02-18T23:02:47Z Ok. So we all know that baseball isn't an exact science. If it was, then well, it doesn't really bear thinking about. Now, I love prospects. I love talking about them. Evaluating them. Reading scouting reports on them. Predicting what... whosyourtiger
For me then, as a Tigers fan, you can understand that the alarm bells might be sounding off when I hear Jim Leyland express that he might take 'a young guy' if someone emerges. In other words, Ryan Perry and Rick Porcello. And yes, I can accept that this gamble does work on occasion. Look at Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander. They both excelled in 2006. But then I just take one glance at Andrew Miller and a big lump appears in my throat. Miller, for all that attention, was pretty much drilled into the ground when the Tigers rushed him to the big leagues in both 2006 and 2007. And now look at him. He couldn't really quite find his groove in Florida last year. So who knows. He's still a tremendous young arm, and I'm not going to dismiss him, but for his development, it would have served him better in my opinion to have spent all of 2007 in the minors.

And I don't want the same thing to happen to Perry or Porcello. Both guys have tremendous arms. Potential galore. But lets look at the facts. Perry's pitched 13 2/3 innings in the minors and hasn't pitched above class A Lakeland. Is he ready to face major league hitters in clutch situations? So what, he has a triple digit fastball, but does that make him ready? Not in my opinion. Porcello was downright dominant last season at Lakeland, with a 2.66 ERA in 125 innings, and he stayed at Lakeland all year. Again, he hasn't pitched above A ball. These guys are the future. There's a reason why you go out and you get non-roster invitees or you sign guys like Scott Williamson and Juan Rincon to minor league deals.

These guys are the future of this ballclub. I don't want to see them ruined by calling them up too early. September's a different story. The minor league season ends at the end of August. They would have had the whole year. Let them force your hand from down on the farm in the late summer, not in spring.

Of course, this begs the fundamental question. When really is too early? Some guys it seems, need several years before they're ready. Some need a couple of months. But there's no substitute for learning down on the farm. The speed of the game is slower. Your mistakes are no where near as magnified. There's not the intesity of the media or the fans following your every move. It's the perfect spring board. But some guys just take it all in stride and can handle being thrown in at the deep end. Only time will tell what Tigers management will do with Perry and Porcello. But my opinion is its definitely too early. Their times will come. Just wait a year, and I'll sit back and relax and let the excitment and buzz grow as they light up the minors in 2009.  
]]> More Koufax tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.671191 2009-02-15T12:13:38Z 2009-02-15T12:17:30Z Just came across this article from the Detroit Free Press this morning, and while it might be old and under the 're-visited' category, it's ace. Just like the two guys cited in the article, the great Sandy Koufax and young... whosyourtiger this article from the Detroit Free Press this morning, and while it might be old and under the 're-visited' category, it's ace. Just like the two guys cited in the article, the great Sandy Koufax and young Giants flamethrower Tim Lincecum. 

It's worth the read, even just for the line from author David Halberstam on Sandy Koufax:

"One of those rare legendary figures who was as good as his myth."

Add that one to my list of why I feel Koufax is the most dominant lefty of all time. Will Lincecum ever achieve such heights in his career? Who knows. Only time will tell. But I'm a big fan of Lincecum.
]]> Finally. The wait is over. tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.671181 2009-02-15T10:41:31Z 2009-02-15T12:12:43Z Ah the delight. Pitchers and Catchers have finally reported. And so many more countdowns have just begun. Number of days until spring training games begin (a mere 10 days). Days until the world baseball classic begins (just 18 days to... whosyourtiger
  • Number of days until spring training games begin (a mere 10 days).
  • Days until the world baseball classic begins (just 18 days to go).
  • And the big one, Opening Night in Philadelphia (a small 49 days away).
So sit back, and bask in the sunshine of the desert or among the palm trees. Cause summers coming. Ever so slowly. And with more intriguing storylines than you could shake a stick at, spring training couldn't get any better. Here's a sampling:

  • Will highly touted O's prospect Matt Weiters make the Birds roster out of spring training, or begin the year in AAA?
  • Who will be the Cardinals closer? Chris Perez? Ryan Franklin? Jason Motte? Josh Kinney? Stay tuned.
  • Will Dontrelle Willis and/or Nate Robertson regain their form?
  • Where will the remaining free agents land? Is Ken Griffey jr off to Atlanta? What about Tom Glavine? Manny Ramirez?
  • How do C.C Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett look in pinstripes?
  • Will Jed Lowrie win the Red Sox starting shortstop job over Julio Lugo?
  • Is Noah Lowry healthy enough to snatch the Giants 5th starters job over Jonathan Sanchez? Or will Sanchez put it all together?
  • Is Cameron Maybin ready for the big leagues at age 21?
  • How much greater can the hype get surrounding David Price as he enters the Rays rotation?
  • Will Carlos Marmol be closing out games at Wrigley? Or can Kevin Gregg come in and steal it from him?
  • How will the Rockies deal without Matt Holliday?
Strap in for the ride folks, cause the next month and a half's gonna be great.


]]> A-Rod tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.667881 2009-02-13T12:32:54Z 2009-02-13T12:47:21Z There used to be a time when I looked up to Alex Rodriguez and held him within the same regard as Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones and those among that very small spectrum of players that exuded class while at the... whosyourtiger
But you know what really gets me? What really, just, infuriates me, is the fact that these guys who are being payed extortionate sums feel it necessary to 'enhance' themselves. Why? Maybe so their personal numbers look better so they can obtain even more dough? Perhaps so. Whatever happened to playing the game for the love of it? When making an out to move that runner over was never questioned, but now, for an MVP candidate, the potential drop in average could be crucifying personally. There's never been an I in team, but there certainly is in steroids.

And what impression does this leave for the youth of today? That such methods of abuse and modification of our bodies in such inhumane ways is acceptable? Even common place? Let's look at a few simple facts. If you take steroids pre-puberty, you will hit puberty early, but then your growth will be shunted. If you take steroids during puberty, it will stunt your growth. And we're not just talking about height wise. We're talking manhood. Either way you look at it, it's bad news.

So what to do with those that have tested positive? Should the fact that A-Rod admitted to substance abuse 5 years ago make him exempt from today's steroid policy? I think not. It should go beyond current cases. A-Rod should be given a 50 game ban, as should everyone else named in the Mitchell report and the 108 or so other positive tests. You might think this is harsh, but personally, they've voilated the conduct of baseball and the rules of nature. I think that at some point, if baseball is going to clean up it's image and start to re-gain what it once was, it has to come down hard on those who have abused the system. Start suspending players for longer. Instead of making it a measly 50 games, make the lowest penalty a season. Start threatening to make them ineligable for the hall of fame. Hell, Pete Rose still can't get in and all he did was gamble. Look at the 1919 Chicago White Sox. Why should A-Rod and the guys who have tested positive for steroids be any different? It's about time someone took some drastic measures, because otherwise, you can burn the record books completely for the last 10 years. if not longer. 
]]> Front page!!!! tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.653741 2009-02-06T18:01:07Z 2009-02-06T18:54:33Z It came to my attention late yesterday, that Who's your tiger is currently on the mlblogs homepage! How awesome is that!! Go me!!! I'm not one to gloat or anything, but a little recognition never did anyone any harm! Woohoo!... whosyourtiger mlblogs homepage! How awesome is that!! Go me!!! I'm not one to gloat or anything, but a little recognition never did anyone any harm! Woohoo! How long it'll be there for, I'm not sure, so I'm gonna upload the screen grab:

Picture 1.pngAnd just quickly, I'm going to try and do some sort of season preview at some point, but probably not until I can get my hands on the 2009 Baseball prospectus, and the 2009 Baseball America prospect handbook. But for now, the team that I think will surprise a lot of people this year is the San Francisco Giants. I just look at their starting pitching and go WOW. Literally. Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito (if he makes it back to his Cy young/Oakland A's form) and Randy Johnson. That's one hell of a 5some right there. Add in that Noah Lowry might be back too, and boy you've got some potential. Speaking of potential, I think that if you live in either San Jose or Norwich, Connecticut, you should get down to the ballpark and take a look at Madison Bumgarner. No kidding. This guys gonna be awesome. He won't make to the bigs this year, but if there was ever a prospect to get excited about, this is the guy.
]]> The legend of Sandy Koufax....revisited tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.653601 2009-02-06T00:46:51Z 2009-02-06T17:37:32Z Alot of people consider the great Sandy Koufax to be an enigma. For years they've wondered. Speculated. Postulated. Questioned. But to hell with em. Koufax isn't an enigma. If you don't believe me, just read Sandy Koufax: A lefty's legacy... whosyourtiger Sandy Koufax: A lefty's legacy by Jane Leavy, which I will say, is one of the best baseball books I've ever read. What's so incredible about this book is the subtle uniqueness of which Leavy shapes her story. Leavy tells the story of Koufax's perfect game on September 9th 1965, with a each inning of the game comprising its own individual chapter. Yet, instead of just bunching the game together and then telling anecdotes of Koufax's career within these innings, Leavy tells the reader these individual stories in their own right, each one sandwiched between an inning of the perfect game. It ends up working to perfection (pardon the pun). Seriously, there's so much that I never knew about Koufax, and Leavy chronicles his Brooklyn upbringing, being a Jew, how, for the first 5 or so years of his career, Dodger manager Walter Alston would sparingly use him. Or even more so, use his consecutively and then not pitch Koufax for months. Yes MONTHS! Perhaps what makes this book even more special are the subtle references to the major and minor events of the times. JFK's in there, so are the Beatles. What is even more fascinating, is how at the beginning of the perfect game, Leavy introduces several fans, some of them kids at home listening to the radio in their beds when they should have been asleep. Others at the ballpark, one on a photography assignment for his school, another the friend of the Cubs young rookie catcher, Chris Krug. As the perfect game develops, Leavy introduces more characters, and builds upon the experiences and feelings that the fans are going through. It draws you in, enlightening the same connection that you feel as an individual when you watch the game at home or at the park yourself. What most people don't realise, is that Bob Hendley, the opposing pitcher for the Cubs, actually threw a one hitter that day, and lost on an error by Krug, when he threw the ball into left field after trying to catch 'Sweet Lou' Johnson stealing third base. What you have then, is one of the best baseball games of all time. Pick up the book if you get the chance. You won't get a better opportunity to discover more about arguably the most dominant left hander of all time, and one of the best games ever.

And if you don;'t agree with me, just consider that when Koufax was suffering from chronic arthritis in the last two years of his career, (so chronic that he would have to take several pain killers before his starts, compounded with rubbing his arms in capsolin ointment, which by the way, was so powerful that the Dodger trainer would wear gloves so he didn't a) burn, and b) smell of the stuff!! After Koufax pitched, he'd sit his arm in a freezing cold bucket of what essentially amounts to ice until he'd consumed 3 beers that were left in the ice during the game. And if you want to know how powerful Capsolin is, just take it from the big leaguers, who called it 'atomic balm' at the time.) he won back to back Cy Young awards, and compiled 53 victories, 699 K's in 658 2/3 innings, and an astonishing 1.88 ERA. (seriously, if I had the time, or the book handy, to calculate Koufax' numbers from the last 6 years of his career, there's no one who even comes close. Go grab the numbers, and then tell me what you think.

He really was unbelievable. 
]]> Not long to go now....... tag:whosyourtiger.mlblogs.com,2009://1537.652751 2009-02-06T00:08:06Z 2009-02-06T00:42:32Z I'll admit it, I've been looking forward to the day that mlb.com unveils mlb.tv for the season. Now that's finally happened, I'm pretty pumped to say the least! As I have subscribed to mlb.tv for the last 3 years now,... whosyourtiger happened, I'm pretty pumped to say the least! As I have subscribed to mlb.tv for the last 3 years now, I'll be continuing to do so, even though everygame I watch is pretty much archived (except for sundays). I paid the little bit extra to get mlb.tv premium, and it was sure as hell worth it. Perhaps my favourite feature that was introduced last year was the ability to have home and away feeds. Sometimes I love listening to the announcers of the Tigers opponents, or when I'm watching a random game, it's great to be able to switch between say Vin Scully, and Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper. Also, I find that if you watch the game with another team's broadcasters, you get a better perspective of what that team is going through, in terms of inside information that the announcers pick up, like who's got the hot hand for example. After all, they've been watching all season, so they should know what they're talking about. Still it comes as a relief that I can retort back to Mario Impemba and Rod Allen on FSN Detroit rather than have to suffer through 3 hours of Ken Harrelson screaming 'put it on the board, YEEEESSSSSSSSSS!' Honestly, as much as I love getting a flavour of other teams broadcasts, there's nothing worse than an over zealous, biased commentator. Everyonce in a while, I'll tolerate, '2-0 good guys', but seriously, only in small doses. And if it's a key game, then it's FSN D all the way.

The second feature I'm gonna love about mlb.tv this year is the ability to switch between radio and tv commentary. I haven't really listened very much to radio broadcasts, but when I have, I've found it to be a much more entertaining listen in many ways. Just the fact that radio announcers have to literally 'paint' a picture in your mind of what they see if brilliant. It really makes you think about the little things a whole lot more and in todays game, I think it's really important to remember all the small things. Sometimes it's too easy to forget that the catcher is using a different set of signs because its the fifth inning and the battery is changing the signs based on odd or even numbered innings. When was the last time you tried to 'steal' the signs on tv? It's pretty fun trying to figure it out.

Speaking of keeping connected with the little things, I've always found that scoring a game yourself is one of the best ways to do this. What's even greater is trying to score that run down of the runner on first that went from the 1st baseman to the shortstop to the pitcher covering first to the second baseman back to the 1st baseman for the out. (that's 3-6-1-4-3 for those of you scoring at home!) Matt Smith over at BaseballGB is putting together a keeping score season for you scoring enthusiasts out there, or for those of you that aren't and want to know how. When I first started following baseball about a decade ago, I'd be completely lost at times. When I discovered how to keep score, I decided to give it a shot and it really helped me learn the intricacies of the game. What I love about scoring a game yourself is that you can pretty much create your own scoring system. Want to write ppo instead of p on a popout? Go ahead. Fancy drawing an infield diamond in every box and filling in the box as the batter progresses around the bases? Be my guest. It's flexible, and fun. And now with mlb.tv's rewind function, if you don't agree with the official scorer's call on a ball that shorthopped the David Wright, then go ahead and take another look. Imagine this one too. You accidently dropped your scorecard and had to tear yourself away to retrieve it, while in the meantime Carlos Guillen singled and took second on the throw from the right fielder to home trying to nail Curtis Granderson at the plate. Go back and take another look at it. Now there's definitely something you can't do at the ballpark.

Only 6 days to go.....
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