TIGERS 08 SEASON THREAD

[ggazoo69]

Glad to see Leyland rip these guys. As much as I'm down on Leyland, I'm not saying he should be fired. I just think he should be a little more proactive with these guys. The guys like him because he "treats them like men." Fine. Men who make millions of bucks a year need to earn it, like men.

Wouldn't even bother me if they didn't win the pennant. Just compete better, damnit!

[ggazoo69]

Originally Posted by Darth Tater

I dunno Green guy. I think Leyland is the tops. He's done well with other teams too. You follow the sport closer than I do, but I think Leyland should not be blamed for this.

Obviously, the guys aren't playing well and Leyland can't be totally blamed for that. But until today, Leyland didn't rip these guys at all. Imagine working at a job where you underperformed consistently and your boss did not bother to say anything about it and still paid you millions of dollars a year? I'd want to earn my money. Baseball is a little different. Even the good hitters fail 2 out of every 3 times they come up to the plate. But these guys are not setting themselves up to succeed. I think some of that falls on the manager and the coaching staff. And Leyland will be the first to tell you that he deserves some of that blame.

And DT, I don't follow the sport closer than you do. If I did, I'd be doing better in Fantasy.

[Delfino Delivers]

Originally Posted by mikhail1973

Leyland did change up some things, but nothing seems to work so far. He really can't go out there and hit for his star players. They have to do the work. And that would take pressure of the starting pitchers not having to go out there and shutout the opposition every time to keep team in the game.

So now you are changing your tune? Back on the 11th at 1:14 you were telling me that I was wrong and that the pitching was the problem?

[coynejeremy]

Hooray!!!!

[mikhail1973]

Originally Posted by Delfino Delivers

So now you are changing your tune? Back on the 11th at 1:14 you were telling me that I was wrong and that the pitching was the problem?

I'm not changing my tune. I said it is difficult to win giving up so many runs. And it hasn't changed. Finally offense breaks through to carry the team even though pitching stunk it up. But they do go hand-in-hand as more offense will give more confidence to the pitchers who won't have to pitch shutouts in order for team to win.

[mikhail1973]

Tigers offense finally woke up and the team on the strength of the 6-run eighth wins it 11-9. The Tigers put up 16 hits with only 1 strikeout. Maybe this comeback gets the team jump-started. Pitching wasn't great again, aided by poor defense, which is worrisome.

[TaShawn]

Here is the way we should look at it. We are 5 games out of first place and it is only to the Royals. That is all that matters. It's better to be out of first place now than later in the season because we have more games to make up the deficit. We are only 2 behind the biggest threat in the division, Cleveland.

It is clear to me that Polanco, Sheffield, Pudge, and Cabrera are all going to finish the year hitting > .230. That means that they have some making up to do. It is also clear to me that Verlander, Rogers, Robertson, and Willis won't end the year having given up 1 run per inning pitched (which is about where they stand right now).

Being extremely optimistic, maybe this adversity will be the kick in the butt that this team needs to make them tough. If it happens, it will be a good story.

[mikhail1973]

Originally Posted by TaShawn

Here is the way we should look at it. We are 5 games out of first place and it is only to the Royals. That is all that matters. It's better to be out of first place now than later in the season because we have more games to make up the deficit. We are only 2 behind the biggest threat in the division, Cleveland.

It is clear to me that Polanco, Sheffield, Pudge, and Cabrera are all going to finish the year hitting > .230. That means that they have some making up to do. It is also clear to me that Verlander, Rogers, Robertson, and Willis won't end the year having given up 1 run per inning pitched (which is about where they stand right now).

Being extremely optimistic, maybe this adversity will be the kick in the butt that this team needs to make them tough. If it happens, it will be a good story.

There are some things that are certainties, as you were talking about hitting. There are some certainties about pitching, and that's Verlander. The other guys? I don't know. Rogers is old, hopefully he can resurrect some of his stuff, otherwise he may just be washed up. Both Robertson and Willis struggled mightily last year, so a drastic improvement is not a given. I sure hope that this is how it plays out.

[TaShawn]

Just out of curiosity, I looked up the guys that we traded to see how they are faring.

Jurjens in Atlanta. He's 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA. 12.1 innings pitched, 7 runs allowed and 8 strike outs. Solid start.

Miller in Florida. He's 0-2 with an 11.37 ERA. 12.2 innings pitched, 16 runs allowed and 15 strike outs. He'd be fitting right in with us! At least he is hitting .200 though.

Maybin in Florida. He's playing AA ball still and he's supposedly doing well there.

Rabello. Nothing special.

[LA Dre]

Originally Posted by mikhail1973

Tigers offense finally woke up and the team on the strength of the 6-run eighth wins it 11-9. The Tigers put up 16 hits with only 1 strikeout. Maybe this comeback gets the team jump-started. Pitching wasn't great again, aided by poor defense, which is worrisome.

Good comeback as the Tigers were actually down 9-4 going into the bottom of the 7th and heading for loss number 11. Did Leyland replay his yelling speech during the 7th inning stretch?? Good first win in front of the home town fans.. How many of the 32000 fans were still to witness the 8th inning comeback?

11 runs is what some expected from this team and they needed everyone of them today to pull out the victory. But giving up 7 runs on Saturday, 11 on Sunday and 9 tonight is not going to win many games even if the batters were hitting .300!!

Despite the dismal showing in the first dozen games, the tigs are only five back of first place and the two leaders got most of their wins off the Tigers....so there is hope