Why does the very sight of the White Sux make the Tigers bats disappear? Why does this team choke at the hint of a challenge?
This year it is this series, a chance to show yourselves and your opponants that you are for real. Instead of Tigers we get Turtles, their bats going into their shells and we choke.
Last year it was after the All-star break that, when faced with the Farnsworth trade controversy they respoded by a total choke job that took a team from .500 to 71 wins.
What kills me most about the choking cats is that it isn't just the old FAs that nobody wanted: Pudge or Gaggs. Or even the over valued fat cat Young. But it is all of them. 1-9. Chokers all. Guillen gets a one out triple in a 1-0 game and Shelton pops up, stranding the runner. Infante, of course, makes a weak out.
Sorry I am very frustrated by this pattern with the Tigers' hitters. Their lack of plate discipline rears it's ugly head in tightly contested games, or important ones. That leads to the anemic offence that we see when ever we need a big win.
I'm done now. I will be right back on the bandwagon with the next couple of wins. I just hope it happens before next Spring.
They still haven't played that badly. They've played decently and lost a few. All of them were games they were in until the end, so let's not start preaching the end yet. Hmm, DH'ing Infante over Dmitri vs a RHP was a very "interesting" move.
Cmon now - we are talking about not winning against the current WS champions here. Is it really that much of a suprise that the team witht the lowest ERA among SPs last yr has quieted Detroits bats for a few games?
Its a marathon fellas - no one should have gotten overly excited about the hot start, nor should they get overly pessimistic about dropping a few to the White Sox.
Cornbread Maxwell wrote:Cmon now - we are talking about not winning against the current WS champions here. Is it really that much of a suprise that the team witht the lowest ERA among SPs last yr has quieted Detroits bats for a few games?
Its a marathon fellas - no one should have gotten overly excited about the hot start, nor should they get overly pessimistic about dropping a few to the White Sox.
It's not the silencing of the lambs bats' that bothers me, but the lack of "smart ball" that the Pale Hose have riden to WS titles. These guys still have no idea how to advance runners/bring in runners from scoring position. How many of their runs are a direct result of HRs? Which is okay if you play in a homer haven, but not in a terrible hitter's park.
Game one they ask a player to lay down a bunt...pop up to catcher. Game two runner at 3rd with one out...pop fly, weak grounder, inning over. It reeks of choking, and I call it choking becuase it is a by-product of poor funtamentals meeting pressure. The results speak for themselves.
All my Ritalin-eques ranting, I am by no means pessimistic about this club. I still feel they will win a touch over .500. It just bugs me that they had a chance to make a statement and they blew it.
And to the Infante hitting instead of fatty Young, I understand about getting players ABs early in the season. I just don't know that I would have chosen to have him take your last AB in a one-run game. But, it's not like fatty is lighting it up either.
Let's hope that rookie phenom Verlander can salvage a win and set the tone for a competitive series against the Injuns.
Just some observations:
I still don't think the Tigers are bad. The White Sox are just better. I've underrated Thome's impact and he is indeed back to his old self. The White Sox are VERY GOOD with him hitting like this. If their pitching gets going, they may be the best in the AL. The Indians are really slugging right now, so it doesn't get any easier for the Tigers.
Granderson is still too inconsistent to hit leadoff. I think we are wasting Guillen and his excellent plate discipline/approach so low in the order. I don't care about the speed. Guillen and Polanco should be at the top regardless of which one hits first. Any guesses on how long it will take Leyland to figure this out?
Defense. I don't think I've seen many stretches of this team playing such solid defense in recent memory. Now when they go out in the next game and blow it, you can blame me for jinxing them.
True DY isn't lighting it up, but IMO as a switch hitter who throughout his career has been better vs RHP on a team starved for left handed bats, you have to try and have him out there vs every tough RHP you can. And when Contreras is on, he has some nasty, wicked stuff. If it's so hard to get both Santiago and Infante plentiful AB's, then maybe both shouldn't be here? But I do understand Leyland is being cautious and resting his regulars as often as possible. Hopefully DY gets it going soon, though, because he is important to the team.
mcqfesijiba wrote:True DY isn't lighting it up, but IMO as a switch hitter who throughout his career has been better vs RHP on a team starved for left handed bats, you have to try and have him out there vs every tough RHP you can. And when Contreras is on, he has some nasty, wicked stuff. If it's so hard to get both Santiago and Infante plentiful AB's, then maybe both shouldn't be here? But I do understand Leyland is being cautious and resting his regulars as often as possible. Hopefully DY gets it going soon, though, because he is important to the team.
Whoops, fat boy hurt himself running the bases. Well, lets hope we see more Thames/Ordonez DHing (or even Phelps if he gets the call) than Infante. I wouldn't be surprised at all if DY was out at least a month wiht something like this.
mcqfesijiba wrote:True DY isn't lighting it up, but IMO as a switch hitter who throughout his career has been better vs RHP on a team starved for left handed bats, you have to try and have him out there vs every tough RHP you can. And when Contreras is on, he has some nasty, wicked stuff. If it's so hard to get both Santiago and Infante plentiful AB's, then maybe both shouldn't be here? But I do understand Leyland is being cautious and resting his regulars as often as possible. Hopefully DY gets it going soon, though, because he is important to the team.
Whoops, fat boy hurt himself running the bases. Well, lets hope we see more Thames/Ordonez DHing (or even Phelps if he gets the call) than Infante. I wouldn't be surprised at all if DY was out at least a month wiht something like this.
What happen to the $8 Million dollar baby? He will probably soak this injury for all it's worth. He is in a contract year, but he knows that as long as he can finish strong he can find a job.
Way to pick up the team K Rogers! That's some veteran leadership type stuff. *disclaimer* No cameramen were injured during the creation of this Gambler production.
mcq, do you think there would be any chance in them bringing up Cleven and put Maggs at DH? Who is tearing it up in the minors?
I think it might be a great opportunity to see if Cleven can hang with the big boys. He is young enough that it could be seen as a learning experience for him, rather than a failure, if he gets overwhelmed, no?
What little I've seen of Maggs, thanks again Mikie Ill for not having games on TV, he looks to be laboring in the field. Who can we bring up?
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by moochman » Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:29 pm 
*disclaimer* No cameramen were injured during the creation of this Gambler production.
