Tag Archives: Jim Leyland

Reyes would look good in a Tigers jersey

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With close to $30 million coming off the top of what was already a relatively modest 2011 payroll of $106 million, the Tigers are in a great position to go after New York Mets’ superstar shortstop Jose Reyes this offseason if they so choose—and I hope they do so choose.

The leadoff spot should be the Tigers’ number one priority this offseason. A backup catcher, middle relief and second base are definitely other issues the Tigers need to address, but those are relatively easy to solve by comparison. The 1-hole was the glaring weakness in what was otherwise a very potent offense, finishing in the top four in the Majors in just about every category this season.

While Austin Jackson is a very talented young player, his 181 strikeouts and a .317 OBP just didn’t cut it as a leadoff hitter. He will be better served batting later in the order under less pressure. Reyes, on the other hand, would be the proverbial straw that stirs the Tigers’ drink as a prototypical leadoff hitter they have lacked. The reigning NL batting champ would provide the consistent bat and speed at the top of the order that would drive opposing pitchers inane and spark an already dangerous offense.

Acquiring Reyes would also help solve Detroit’s ongoing 3B issue by sending All-Star shortstop Jhonny Peralta over to the hot corner. Peralta is no stranger to third. The Indians moved him there—albeit begrudgingly—in 2009 as part of a rebuilding project that eventually led to him being traded to the Tigers. His acerbic relationship with then-Indians’ manager Eric Wedge and the losing atmosphere in Cleveland led to his discontent, but neither would be issues in Detroit.  Manager Jim Leyland and Peralta have a strong relationship, plus he would only have to look across the diamond at reigning AL batting champ Miguel Cabrera for an example of a star player whose ego wasn’t bruised by moving from his preferred position to make the team better.

The expiring contracts of Magglio Ordonez ($10M), Carlos Guillen ($13M), Brad Penny ($3Ml), Joel Zumaya ($1,4M), and Ramon Santiago ($1.25M) coupled with GM Dave Dombrowski’s shrewd construction of a talented young roster with few obvious flaws gives the Tigers a lot of flexibility going into this offseason. Granted, the club still needs to deal with arbitration-eligible pieces like Delmon Young, Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer, Phil Coke, Ryan Perry, and Don Kelly and faces a pay raise to Justin Verlander, but those deals will still leave them far under the $130 million owner Mike Ilitch has shown he’s been willing to spend on more than one occasion.

Ilitch himself sounds ready to pounce. The 82-year-old billionaire owns a vast pizza empire and four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, but nearing the end of his life, he now covets a World Series ring more than anything. In recent interviews, he’s made it clear he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get one.

“I’m challenged to keep it there like the Yankees and the Red Sox. I haven’t totally zeroed in on our payroll yet. What I’m still trying to figure out is what we need for next year. I want to be in a position to make one or two additions, and generally, they’re pretty big additions.”

The timing couldn’t be better as the Tigers have never been so stacked with young talent and are poised to contend for years to come. One or two “big additions” should be all it would take to put them over the top. If Ilitch—and this Tigers fan—gets his way, Reyes #7 jerseys could be the hottest-selling gifts this Christmas in the Motor City.

It was the best of times…

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The Lions’ complete dismantling of the Bears certainly helped, but to completely get over Nelson Cruz‘ 11th-inning, walk-off grand slam (the first in MLB postseason history) which put the Tigers down 2-0 in the ALCS is going to take some time. The majestic shot off of “reliever” (in the loosest sense of the term) Ryan Perry was so monstrous that I had plenty of time to judge it’s apocalyptic trajectory and switch over to the start of the Lions game before the ball landed safely into the sickeningly jubilant throng in Arlington’s left field bleachers.

To even get to that point was an adventure.  First, the game was originally scheduled for Sunday night, but was inexplicably cancelled four hours before game time due to rain.  The only thing is IT NEVER RAINED.  So the game was moved to late afternoon on Monday when most people are actually working.  Added to Games 4 and 5* (*if necessary) that are already scheduled for the late afternoon in Detroit and you have a situation where most of the fanbases of the Rangers and Tigers won’t be able to watch the majority of the ALCS.  And Commissioner Bud “Admiral Akbar” Selig can’t figure out why his TV ratings continue to plummet?

When the game finally began, the Rangers immediately jumped out to a 2-0 as I stewed in my office listening to ESPN’s shaky internet feed.  Meanwhile, the Tigers squandered chance after chance, stranding five runners on base in the first two innings. Finally, the Tigers capitalized on Derek Holland’s wildness and took the lead with a Ryan Raburn three-rum bomb. Max Scherzer then settled in and cruised through the 6th, at one point mowing down 12 straight Rangers.

Going into the bottom of the 7th, as I walked home from the train listening on my iPhone, I agreed with manager Jim Leyland’s decision to stick with Scherzer as he had thrown only 87 pitches. Facing the bottom of the order, I thought it was a good move to try not to tax a bullpen that is sure to be tested with no off days scheduled until Friday. Unfortunately, the bottom of the Rangers’ order includes the aforementioned Nelson Cruz who promptly deposited a ball over the wall in left to tie the game at three—a harbinger of the awful things to come…

I got home in time to watch Tigers relievers quiet the crowd and Texas’ bats until the Human Heart Attack, Jose Valverde entered in the 9th. The Big Potato immediately gave up a double to Adrian Beltre which then forced him to intentionally walk Mike Napoli. Valverde swiftly drilled Cruz in the wrist and chest, dropping the slugger to the ground and loading the bases with no outs.  I guess you might as well hurt the guy if you’re going to put him on base anyway, he just should’ve hit him harder.

Valverde has been infamously bad in non-save situations all year (5.79 ERA) so I thought I was reading the righting on the walls until he got David Murphy to fly out for the first out of the inning setting up the possibility of a game-saving double play.  With a grounder to first I was off my couch to witness Miguel Cabrera fire the ball home for one and receive it back from Alex Avila for two to complete the improbable 3-2-3 double play to cheat death.

Unfortunately, the great escape only prolonged the inevitable as the deeper Texas bullpen outlasted Detroit’s, eventually forcing Leyland’s hand to go with the 24-year-old Perry who really shouldn’t even be on a major league roster at this point with a 5.35 ERA in 37 innings this year. Cruz’ eventual soul-crushing blast wasn’t too difficult to see coming.

Yes, the Lions’ utter humiliation of the Bears certainly did help ease the pain of a critical Tigers’ defeat. But it doesn’t change that the Tigers essentially need to take all three upcoming games in Detroit, starting tonight, to have any chance of going to their 11th World Series in franchise history.

Welcome to my nightmare

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Base hit after base hit after base hit after base hit… The nightmare of the Yankees’s (a.k.a. “Gas-House Gorillas”) 8th inning kept me up all night.  Even more unsettling were the repeating images of the two circus catches by former Tigers hero Curtis Granderson that bailed out A.J. Burnett and sent the ALDS back to New York for Game 5* (*now very necessary).

Burnett must’ve had a horseshoe up his ass because he looked like anything but a major league pitcher before Granderson’s heroics.  TBS’s Pitch Trax looked more like a Jackson Pollock painting with all the random dots and streaks sprayed erratically over the entire canvas during Burnett’s first inning.  The Tigers took advantage and patiently drew three walks while Burnett was working on his abstract design setting the stage for Don Kelly’s rocket shot to deep center.  Granderson, who had often remarked that he had trouble with balls hit directly at him at Comerica Park during his time as a Tiger, initially took a step or two in, underestimating Kelly’s power.  How Granderson recovered in time to snare a ball that was already over his head and behind him, I’ll never know.  Even after watching all the infernally incessant replays, I still don’t understand how it didn’t sail over his glove by at least six inches.

Regardless, the play clearly turned the tide and settled down Burnett who cruised until two outs in the 6th with a 4-1 lead. After giving up a single to Kelly (ironically enough) Burnett was relieved by the world’s highest-paid middle reliever Rafael Soriano who promptly gave up a tailing shot by Jhonny Peralta into the gap in left center. But Granderson was there again to bail out his brethren as he made another ridiculous diving catch to rob Peralta of extra bases, a sure RBI, and stem the tide of yet another Tigers rally.

Despite cosmic occurrences conspiring against him, the Tigers 22-year-old pitcher Rick Porcello did an admirable job keeping things close, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out five. The game was still in some doubt until the Gorillas’ merciless, 38 minute 8th-inning mauling.

But now we turn to Thursday’s Game 5* (*now very necessary) where there seems to be some silly controversy brewing on the blog. My counterpart insists that the Tigers send Justin Verlander out to start on two days rest while I maintain he will be more effective out of the bullpen to pick up where Septermber’s AL Pitcher of the Month Doug Fister (on full rest) leaves off.  Regardless, the debate is irrelevant because manager Jim Leyland agrees with my sound logic and has announced Fister is his Game 5 starter.

All bets are off as we head back to the Bronx.  PV does make some great points about the Yahkees woes in recent ALDSs so I’m still feeling pretty confident my prediction of Detroit in 5 will prove to be spot on.  I’ll certainly be drinking by 10:45 tomorrow night—I just hope it’ll be along with the Tigers in celebration.

Evil Empire on the verge of destruction

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Game 3 Recap
Last night’s epic struggle between the game’s top pitching behemoths Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia certainly lived up to it’s billing, but not in the locked-down, low-scoring way most expected.  While CC was shaky from the beginning, he was able to get out of trouble with double plays in each of the frist three innings, Verlander gave up two quick runs and then settled into his usual dominant groove. The soon-to-be MVP stuck out 11 (including every Yankee in the starting lineup) and topped the 100 mph mark 15 times—his highest total ever.

Eventually, Detroit was able to wear down CC with clutch hits from some unlikely sources in utility infielder Ramon “Code Red” Santiago and the much-maligned Brandon Inge. The two combined to go 4-for-8 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Meanwhile, New York was finally able to get to Verlander again in the 7th despite his attempts to explode the radar gun to tie the game at 4.

But the death blow to put the Evil Empire on the brink of elimination came from another unexpected source in waiver-wire acquisition Delmon Young.  The “Little Meat Hook’s” opposite-field blast off the world’s highest-paid middle reliever Rafael Soriano put the Tigers up 5-4, setting things up for closer Jose Valverde to give all Tigers fans a heart attack, but eventually managing to get the Save as he always does.

Game 4 Preview
Tonight’s Game 4 couldn’t be billed more differently as New York’s worst nightmare A.J. Burnett (11-11, 5.15 ERA)  heads to the mound to face the consistently inconsistant Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.75 ERA) for Detroit.  While last night’s game was the battle of the best starters in the league, it’s pretty clear tonight will be a battle of the bullpens.

With Verlander gutting out eight innings last night, Tigers manager Jim Leyland will have a more rested bullpen than the Yankees.  Saddled with inferior starting pitching that hasn’t been able to go six innings in either of the last two games, New York manager Joe Girardi has been forced to burn thru his two best middle relievers in Soriano and Dave Robertson last night as well as Boone Logan, Cory Wade and Luis Ayala for a totat of 3.2 innings on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Tigers haven’t used anyone but Valverde and Joaquin Benoit out of the pen over the last two days so Leyland has a full arsenal to work with. With the offenses being equally potent, the Tigers have the edge with a slightly better starter, more bullets it their bullpen, and a raucous crowd at their backs. This series is OVAH!!!

Game 5* (*if necessary)
Even if by some miracle the Tigers don’t clinch tonight, all is not lost as some hysterical bloggers have suggested. Detroit would send September’s American League Pitcher of the Month Doug Fister (8-2, 2.40 ERA as a Tiger) to the mound, fully rested on Thursday.  Despite one poor inning on Saturday, Fister has proven he can get the job done over the long haul and is simply better than his Game 5* (*if necessary) counterpart, Ivan Nova (17-4, 3.66 ERA).

Those same hysterical bloggers have even suggested that Leyland must start Verlander in Game 5* (*if necessary).  While I agree that Verlander is superhuman and capable of the virtually impossible, to start him on two-days rest after throwing 120 pitches would be a ridiculous panic move and totally unnecessary.  While not unprecedented, a starting pitcher going on two-days rest in the postseason hasn’t happened since the late 1960s when four-man rotations were the norm and there was only one round of the playoffs, not three.

Furthermore, it’s ridiculous to rush Verlander back when you have a legit starter ready to go with Fister. It would be ludicrous to just give up on a pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA for the season because of a mere blip on the radar in very strange circumstances Saturday. But even in the unlikely event everything falls apart for the Tigers in Game 4 and Game 5* (*if necessary), no one said Verlander won’t be available out of the bullpen in an all-hands-on-deck, worst-case scenario.  Once again, advantage Tigers.

Things really couldn’t be more bleak for the Yankees. Any way you stack it, the Tigers hold the advantage in almost every remaining facet of the series.  Whether they win it tonight or win it on Thursday, all of Detroit will be smiling and New York will be left questioning how a team with a $200 million payroll could loose to the Tigers for the second time in five years.

We’ve only just begun…

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Perhaps lost in the malstrom of Wednesday night’s epic finishes and equally epic collapses on THE GREATEST NIGHT IN MLB REGULAR SEASON HISTORY is the fact that Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera won the American League batting title with a .344 average.

He joins pitching Triple Crown winner Justin Verlander (24 Ws, 2.40 ERA, 250 Ks—oh yeah, and he had the top WHIP of 0.92 for good measure) and Saves leader Jose Valverde (49 of 49) on one of the greatest Tigers rosters in the history of the illustrious franchise.

Winning 95 games for the 10th time in their 110 seasons, Detroit has fared quite nicely against each of the remaining AL teams. Of those 95 wins, 14% came against New York (4-3), Texas (4-2) and Tampa (5-1). They also come into the playoffs as the hottest team in the Majors, going 30-9 down the stretch.

But this is only the beginning.  Regular season accomplishments and accolades are meaningless if you don’t get it done on the big stage in the playoffs and it doesn’t get any bigger than Game 1 tonight in the Bronx.

Many have lamented the Tigers’ loss of home field advantage to Texas by one game, forcing them face the hallowed Yankees in the frist round. But this actually works to the Tigers’ advantage as they will only have to beat them three times in the shortened Division series instead of four in the ALCS.  They’re going to have to face them at some point so why not make it easier on themselve?  We only have to look back to 2006 to see it can work as the Tigers dismantled another 97-win Yankees club, three games to one.

As we all know, pitching wins championships and tonight’s heavyweight battle between Verlander and CC Sabathia should prove to be one for the ages. I could analyze the stats forever but the simple fact is JV-MVP is just better than CC and should prevail.  However, even if  the 2011 Cy Young winner falters or Tigers bats go quiet versus Carsten Charles, Detroit’s superior pitching depth will prove to be too much for the Yankees to handle.

Game 2 will feature September’s AL Pitcher of the Month Doug Fister versus an impressive, yet inexperienced 24-year-old Ivan Nova.  The matchup favors Detroit once again with Fister sporting a 2.83 ERA and 1.06 WHIP vs. Nova’s 3.70/1.33.  No contest.

Monday’s Game 3 is where things get really interesting when the Tigers return home sending the mysterious heterochromiac Max Scherzer to the mound against Sweaty Freddy Garcia. We’re never sure if we’ll get Good Max when he’s using his blue eye or Bad Max when his brown eye takes over, but he always has the potential to dominate.  Garcia had been known as s Tigers killer throughout his career, but that reputation hasn’t held true lately as he’s 0-3 vs. Detroit since last September.

But the real key to Game 3, and possibly the whole series will actually be the off day, Sunday.  As long as Tigers’ brass can keep Garcia’s sweaty mits off his Venezuelan buddy Miguel Cabrera and out of any of the saloons the two used to haunt, the Tigers should be just fine.

If the Tigers need a fourth game, manager Jim Leyland has already announced he won’t send Verlander out on three days’ rest so it’ll be Rick Porcello vs. C.C. Sabathia.  I don’t like that matchup at all so let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.  But it it does, the Tigers have the ultimate ace in the hole with Verlander waiting in the wings on his normal five days’ rest to face a completely overmatched Ivan Nova on short rest.  In the immortal words of the tiger-blooded Charlie Sheen: “WINNING!”

Final verdict: The Tigers’ superior pitching depth will prevail. I’ll be conservative and take the Tigers in 5.

All the right moves

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Tigers' GM, Dave Dombrowski and manager, Jim Leyland admire their masterpiece.

After being lambasted for questionable moves at the trading deadline over the past few seasons that have not paid off, Tigers’ GM, Dave Dombrowski has made all the right moves this season and assembled the best team in the American League since August 1 with a 22-11 record while building a 7.5 game lead over the Indians.

The key move came on July 30th when Dombrowski sent four role players and mid-level prospects to Seattle for an overlooked pitching star-in-the-making with an unfortunate last name, Doug Fister. The Tigers’ GM was able to past his poor 3-12 record and saw that his poor record was due to the Mariners scoring only 1.97 runs per game for him—the lowest for any pitcher in the AL.  Since the trade, the 6′-8″ giant has gone 4-1 with a stunning 2.64 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while racking up 36 strikeouts against only 4 walks, culminating in yesterday’s 13 K domination of second place Cleveland. Those kinds of numbers would put him in the top slot of most rotations, but Fister has to settle for the #2 slot behind soon-to-be AL MVP, Justin Verlander, in a rotation that is now as feared as any in the league and primed for a long playoff run.

Other less heralded, yet shrewd maneuvers include the addition of Wilson Betemit  and waiver acquisition of Delmon Young from division rivals Kansas City and Minnesota respectively.  While I was not initially in favor of the move for Betemit, the switch-hitter has added the depth and versatility manager Jim Leyland has been looking for, batting .290 with three home runs and 14 RBIs as a platoon player. It’s hard to admit, but I was wr… wro… wr… wrong. Delmon Young made a huge splash in his Tigers debut with a home run in his first at-bat and has filled the #3 hole quite nicely, batting .300 with 17 RBIs in his 20 games with the club.

As we head down the stretch, the Tigers superior pitching and batting depth has proven to be too much for division foes, Cleveland and Chicago. Their lead in the AL Central has ballooned from 2 games on August 1 to 7.5 today culminating with the death blow sweep of the White Sox over the weekend, out-scoring the sagging South Siders 35-11.

Game One saw Verlander easily get his 21st win, befuddling Sox’ bats in an 8-1 laugher. Game Two was the back-breaker. Detroit came back from a 7-run deficit in the 5th to win on a mammoth walk-off shot by Miguel Cabrera that is still sending shockwaves around the Midwest.  The Mercy Rule should’ve been invoked in Game Three as the Tigers destroyed the Sox’ 18-2 on national television in a display that will give South Side children nightmares and make their mothers weep for years to come.

Only one man, my counterpart, Peter Verniere, has not lost hope for the obviously doomed White Sox.  I have to admire his courage in the face of such insurmountable odds.  Keep reaching for that rainbow, Pete.

Tigers call up Swedish death metal band ‘Below’ to face A’s

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A midseason promotion is what all metal bands look forward to, but the excitement and energy gets ratcheted up when that band is thrown straight into a hotly contested divisional race. That is the environment with which the Tigers’ Swedish death metal band Below will find themselves on Wednesday. Detroit called up the left-handers from Triple-A Stockholm where they went 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 18 starts. Below will make their debut with the opportunity to play the Tigers into first place in the American League Central.

Having grown up in Aakersberga, Sweden, roughly an hour from Goteborg, Below earned their stripes in the Tigers system, making their first appearance for the Gulf of Bothnia League Tigers in 2006 and their Triple-A debut this season.

Below‘s lengthy stay in the Minors has allowed the Tigers to get a good look at the 25-year-old southpaws, who manager Jim Leyland said have made one noticeable change throughout the season.

“Their sound has been really heavy this year,” Leyland said. “It wasn’t in Spring Training.”

Ready to Roar

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Miguel Cabrera is congratulated in the Tigers dugout after hitting a game-tying home run in the 9th en route to an 8-4 victory over Oakland.

There’s not a lot of Tigers talk on Major League Assholes because, frankly, they just don’t generate the same kind of compelling insanity that comes from both ends of the Chicago baseball landscape.  However, that doesn’t mean the Motor City isn’t still #1 in my heart (sorry Cubs, I love you too, but you’ll always take a backseat to my hometown team).

Despite flying almost completely under the radar, the Tigers have quietly clawed their way back to .500, overcoming a tough opening two-week schedule that featured a road trip to the Bronx and a series against the defending AL champs.  They’ve done it so quietly, in fact, that my colleague mistakenly tried to use their record as trash talk on Facebook today (nice try, Pete).

Last night’s 10th-inning, 8-4 comeback win in Oakland shines a light on who the Tigers seem to be this season: an offensive mix of productive superstars and scrappy youngsters with a decent, but not yet dominant starting rotation backed by a lights-out bullpen.

Miguel Cabrera is off to his typical MVP-caliber start with 5 HRs, a .320 average, and 11 RBI.  And while the numbers may not be as obvious, major off-season addition, Victor Martinez has fulfilled his role of suppling Big Mig with much-needed protection, creating an ominous left-handed threat at the plate, playing a mentoring role to emerging talent, Alex Avila, all while providing flexibility to the Tigers lineup as a backup C, DH and 1B.

Last night’s victory was the 1,500th in the illustrious career of Jim Leyland who has the best kind of problem a manager can have:  trying to find playing time for breakout candidates Ryan Raburn and Brennan Boesch in a crowded outfield.  Both have thrived in the competition, combining for 2 HRs, a .290 average and 14 RBI.  Austin Jackson needs to pull out of this early sophmore season slump and the imminent return of a healthy Magglio Ordonez is essential, but the Tigers depth has certainly helped stop the bleeding in the meantime.

The starting rotation has been anchored by perennial All-Star, Justin Verlander who has been his usual dominant self, eating up 23 innings in three games with a 3.13 ERA and 21 Ks including a tough complete-game loss against Texas.  Max Scherzer has been a solid #2 already with two victories including one in Yankee Stadium.  Third-year starter, Rick Porcello has been disappointing so far until he showed signs of righting the ship last night with a solid one-run, six-inning performance against the A’s.

The back of the bullpen has been absolutely dominant thus far with the lethal combination of Joaquin Benoit in the 8th and Jose Valverde in the 9th yielding only one earned run in 12.2 innings. I’ll take these guys over anyone in the AL right now.

While the Tigers are on a 4-game winning streak, they’re still looking up at the surprising Indians and Royals in the division. But it’s been proven, time and again, that teams with such little depth cannot maintain their early torrid pace and will soon fall to the wayside.  After losing their last two, the Sox are a mere half game ahead, and despite a potent offense and solid starting pitching, they are clearly in disarray with an imploding bullpen that has proven no lead is safe and has manger Ozzie Guillen at his wits end, calling for the resurrection of former White Sox closer and 1990 AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, Bobby Thigpen.  The floundering Twins are now reeling from the lose of Joe Mauer, on the DL with a mysterious illness.  I’m going to start the rumor here that it’s syphilis, not because I have anything against the former MVP (he seems like a pretty cool guy in all those PS3 commercials), but just because I hate Twins that much.

Given the bullpen being an obvious strength while other AL Central rivals’ being epic failures coupled with the offense and starting pitching rounding into form, I’m starting to really like the way everything is falling into place for the Tigers to take control of the division as we cross over of this gloomy April into the sun and warmth of May.

Weekend of the Living Dead

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The left-for-dead Detroit Tigers rose from the grave this weekend to hand the White Sox their second home series loss in a row, dropping them 3 games behind the division-leading Minnesota Twins.

Despite being pronounced dead over a week ago by our own Peter Verniere, the apparently zombi-fied Tigers came back to life and feasted on the Sox’ Achilles heel—their bullpen.

Detroit’s bloodthirsty lust for human flesh was soothed—albeit temporarily—by the Sox’ new closer, J.J. Putz who served up some meaty pitches including a two-run home run to the zombie Alex Avila in a blown save and loss against the Tigers Saturday.

Sox fans were sent screaming in horror down the streets of Bridgeport on Sunday as the feeding frenzy continued when the Sox’ bullpen surrendered 7 runs in the 8th and 9th to seal the game and series win for the tattered, decaying, undead Tigers.

Afterward, as the team lurched toward a nearby shopping mall to terrorize local teens, Tigers’ manager, the zombie Jim Leyland muttered, “mmmmmm, BRRRRAAAAIIIIIINNNNZZZZZ!” as his rotted upper lip and mustache fell from his face.

A little revenge

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Avila celebrates what would be the game winner.

I’m sure the Tigers wouldn’t mind spoiling the White Sox postseason hopes at all this season, especially since many of players on the 2010 Tigers were part of last years team. The Sox basically took it to the Tigers in the last few weeks of the season aiding in their demise into a one-game playoff against the Twins. UGH… the Twins. The Twins won that and the Tigers went home. I believe a team should compete until the end of the season no matter what their situation (don’t watch the Cubs,) and the top three AL Central teams do just that.

Jim Leyland is a hard-ass and would never settle for a team that just sits back and coasts in any situation, he expects that everyday and the Tigers are a mirror image of that attitude. Last night is a perfect example of how they scraped out a victory from the Sox pushing the Sox two games behind the Twins. Edwin Jackson struck out 11 and newly ordained closer, J.J. Putz struck out three, but not before he let a man on and gave up a go-ahead, two-run shot to Alex Avila. Another blown save for the White Sox bullpen, not good.

I really thought this season it was going to be the White Sox and the Tigers battling for first with the Twins looking in, but that’s not the case, again. Instead, it’s the Twins leading the division looking to win the AL Central, AGAIN! The sad part about that is the White Sox and Tigers are the only AL Central teams to get out of the first round, the Twins get there and choke every year they make the playoff, what a waste.