This could have a been a sweep if the Tigers didn't decide to leave it solely up to Marcus Thames for their team's offense on Friday, because they did have the pitching. I'll take a series win... I guess, but you have to take advantage when the Oakland (Triple) A's come to town (as Ian from BYB) put it. Pitching was solid all three games, which makes only winning two of them hurt that much more, considering it is Oakland. Oh well. Seven and half games out isn't exactly being a contender, but we still can chip away at it and make it interesting.

Go Tigers!

Does it really even matter anymore? Last night's loss truly proves that Leyland has no idea how to manage the 2008 incarnation of the Detroit Tigers. Think about this: We've lost six of the last seven and what was different in the one game we won? No Sheffield, No Renteria. That game had a little more energy, a little more rally and in turn, more runs and a save by F-Rod. You'd think we could do this two nights in a row against a team that just lost ten games in a row and maybe start chipping away at Chicago and Minnesota, but no. Starting pitching has been weak lately except for Miner and 'Raga (ironic) and the bullpen is... well, the Tigers bullpen. We're more than five out (I don't know specifically because I stopped looking at the standings) so I just try to watch the games without thinking of the big picture and just imagining that game was important.

Go Tigers. 

With getting swept by Tampa and now sitting seven back, this season could very well just be over. Do we start playing for 2009 right now or make a late push? Here's a little to do list I have devised. Nothing on it will happen, but hey, I can dream right?

2008

1. Renteria needs a DL stint. Maybe a break will help?
2. Try Farnsworth as a closer? He had a bad outing, but still a mid 90s fastball and better control than Zoom or Gas Can. (Not a great idea, but better Farns than Rodney, I guess).
3. Let's be aggressive and steal some bases! (TAKE THE CHAINS OFF GRANDERSON AND LET HIM RUN. HE'S SHOWN YOU HE CAN DO IT).
4. Still technically in it with a sweep of ChiSox (It's happened before! Look at how the NL East race ended last year, we could still do that...).

Offseason

1. Dombrow needs to make magic happen again and sign / trade for a big name closer (K-Rod? Please?)
2. Sheff and Edgar both gone...
3. Get a good fifth starter or D-Train back to 2006 status.
4. New pitching coach?

Sorry for the hiatus. I just get too upset to post sometimes, but this is a funny season. We lose stupid games against bad teams, but somehow we're still in it. Five and a half. This weekend we have the Rays. Gallaraga, Rodgers, Miner vs. Kazmir, Sonnanstine, Shields. Doesn't look good, but then again, in this crazy season, anything can happen. When we look like a sweep is in order, we win one or two, so maybe the opposite will happen. Two of three or sweep would be a great confidence booster against such a good team, and confidence before a series with the Sox is important. We'll see what happens.

Also a shout out and a thank you to Pudge Rodriguez for a few great seasons and being the person who sparked a revival of baseball in Detroit. Welcome back to Kyle Farnsworth, what do you say you keep up the good work from July into August? Go Tigers!  

What a nice way to go into an off day? Armando Gallaraga pitches six perfect innings, the Tigs win 7-1, and order in the world is restored with Detroit sweeping Kansas City. Imagine where we would be if we played the Royals like this in our first two meetings. Nonetheless, 52-49 is nothing to boast about but in comparison, Detroit is only five and a half behind Chicago. Five and a half with a few more series with the Sox left this year and two months left in the season. I feel good.

I miss Clete Thomas. Something about seeing a little kid playing outfield and taking clutch walks / getting hits with runners in scoring position really appeals to me. At least we still have his partner in crime, the "sweet swinging" Matt Joyce.

Check out Bless You Boys and The Daily Fungo blogs. Two awesome blogs about Detroit Baseball with guys who acctually know what they are talking about. Good combo.

Technically, today's game is a double-header. The Tigers took game two last night / this morning after a seemingly endless rain delay, and a couple really nice things happened. The one that sticks out to me is Fernando Rodney going 2 IP with 4 Ks, but Placido finding the seats and "The Gambler" giving up some hits, but still leaving the game with only 1 ER and going up until the rain delay to preserve the quality start were all good signs. How nice would it be to get a win this afternoon? To go three games over .500 and put some space between third place and fourth and to get another game closer to first? 'Raga is on the hill and he has been the ace this year (despite Verlander's performance as of late), and hopefully the offense keeps rolling to get a nice four game streak going before coming back home.

Maybe some older readers remember our exciting starting pitcher from our country's bicentennial in 1976. A long haired starter, with goofy on-the-mound tactics who pitched like he was late to catch a train. The first athlete to have his face on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, with stats that look like 29-19 with a 3.10 ERA in his short, four-season career. Mark Fidrych had hair like Roger Daltrey, but threw like a lanky Nolan Ryan, and boasted an AL Rookie of the Year in 1976, and finished second in Cy Young voting in that same season. Of course at the same time we all know of his decline, including the torn rotator cuff and how he never returned to legitimacy.

Doesn't this remind you of someone else? It reminds me of two exciting, young pitchers in the Tigers organization. Dontrelle Willis and Joel Zumaya. Dontrelle won the NL Rookie of the Year in Florida and also finished second in Cy Young voting in his own league (ironic?). Joel Zumaya is the flame throwing reliever who helped power a run to the World Series in 2006, and while the "Zoom Zoom" t-shirts are still prominent, Joel missed a big portion of the time since then where apparently he was busy playing Guitar Hero, and doing keg stands.

There is always something exciting about a youngster with character. Be it a low salary and long curly hair, a ridiculous leg kick, or a 102 MPH fast ball, it excites people, and brings people to the ball park. Kind of like what Justin Verlander does, except without some unusual trait. Now here is the million dollar question: will Zumaya or Willis become Fidrych? Two promising young pitchers with careers cut short by injury or Tigers legends? We can only wait and see.

The Tigers are 49-49 going into this series with Kansas City. .500: the definition of mediocre. A large market team with all the expectations in the world, winning only half of their games in a weak division. Detroit started slow, showed promise, then slumped again, and it seems as if this is one big cycle. So I compiled a little list of things I've noticed, and maybe you'll agree with me.

1. Protect

Besides that game we all remember against the LA Dodgers at CoPa where both teams filtered from the dugouts and even the bullpen emerged ready for a brawl, the Tigers haven't shown any fight in them. After "the Call" in the third game of the Baltimore series which cost Detroit a game, Luke Scott hit a walk-off home run against Freddie Dolsi followed by an unneeded slide into home plate which was unsportsmanlike and should have been taken very seriously by Detroit. Justin Verlander was pitching the next day, and in the Sparky Anderson or Billy Martin eras, you better believe V would have been told to put one at Scott's helmet. Sheffield was hit and pitched high and inside by Daniel Cabrera, after that, Nate should have been told to drill Baltimore's number three hitter. Things like this might fire up the team a little bit.

2. Pitchers need to protect big leads as if they were small

This sounds simple enough, but two games with 6-0 leads in the first inning followed by losses is not acceptable by any means. During one of the interleague games, Todd Jones was sent to the pen to warm up and protect a two run lead. The Tigers put up four in the top of the ninth, but Jonesy was ready and sent in to protect a six run lead instead. "Heart Attack" ended up giving up four and "Gas Can" Rodney had to be brought in. Detroit won, but that isn't the point, it should come to that.

3. Batters need to hold on hitters counts

I've seen far too many outs recorded on 3-0, 3-1 and 2-0 counts when a walk was very imminent. Patience is needed, and walks create base runners which lead to runs. Too many batters seem afraid to take walks, but I think the Tigers could be a little better in the standings if batters began to show responsibility in the batter's box. It's simple. Take a free pass!

These small things just kill me, and it isn't likely they will change, but I can hope! Here's to pulling this thing together and making a playoff run!