Grab Bag of Oddities

Gerald Laird has changed his uniform number from 8 to 12, snatching Lloyd McClendon's uniform number! I find this most unusual. How often do players just change their uni number solely as a slump-buster? Also, John Keating reports that Laird has made no compensation as of yet to McClendon, and plans to do so only if he benefits from the change (improved offensive numbers)! Hilarious. Did McClendon just go for a straight swap and take Laird's number 8? I don't know, nobody mentioned it. Why was this not part of the story???

Carlos Guillen struck out in the bottom of the second inning, and I exclaimed with mildly stern disapproval, "Carlos," and my son chimes in from the other room "Guillen, suckage." He didn't even know what had happened! What did I do in my current or former life to deserve my son hating the Tigers? It hurts, so deeply inside, it hurts. Then, to add insult to injury, my husband quips, "he'll be injured in the next two weeks. Do you think other teams' general managers think "durability" when they think of Carlos Guillen?" Really, the gears in my brain are circling feverishly trying to identify terrible things I must have done to be the subject of such cruel barbs from my family. I'm heading to a local sports bar to watch the games in a non-hostile environment from now on.

Rick Porcello came into the game with a 2.29 groundball to flyball ratio, which Rod said is the best in the majors (over some time period, but I didn't catch exactly what, I think it was the time period since Rick came into the majors until now). This game was characterized by fly ball after fly ball for Pretty Little Ricky. What gives? Magglio Ordóñez made a funny catch against the right/center field wall. He went back for it, tripped against the wall at the last second, fell down as the ball came into his glove, but mercifully held on to it. If he had dropped it, derisive laughter would have followed from the previously mentioned Tiger haters in my household. As it was, we chuckled at the play, but it was all good-natured from my end, I assure you. Never any bad vibes for Mi Magglio.

The following is not an oddity at all. I'm not the least bit surprised that Roy Halladay threw a perfect game. He has always shown that he's more than capable of accomplishing the feat, and tonight he pulled it off. Congratulations, Roy, it's an achievement worthy of your stellar career. I followed the last couple outs on MLB.com's Gameday, and FSN showed the final out, a nice play at that, to preserve the perfection.

Tonight's Tiger game does not compare favorably to Roy's perfect game, so I won't mention any further details (like Laird being robbed of a home run, and later failing to pick a ball out of the dirt from cutoff man Adam Everett). Sigh.

Splitsville

Whew, I'm relieved the Os didn't sweep this series, because I would've lost a little wager, and been forced into sporting an Orioles window cling in my car for the next week, in place of my Old English D.  That was a little too close for comfort--losing the first two games, getting scalded by Luke Scott.

Edwin Jackson just tore it up today.  Two hits?  Eight innings, 102 pitches?  In Camden?  Not too shabby.  Good thing, too, since the Tigers managed all of three runs.  He's learned not to count on run support this season.

Well, Magglio's 16-game hit streak came to an end, but he sure gave in gracefully, not forcing anything, taking a walk in the 8th.  I'm just happy he's raised his average to .280.  Mario mentioned that McClendon's been working with him on keeping his hands up, and it seems to be working.

We finally managed to contain that imaginary Oriole Luke Scott, who naturally went 0-3, because he doesn't exist.  I'll admit, I was hoping for Jim Leyland to call for the intentional base on balls each time Luke Scott came up to the plate, but for once, it worked out pitching to him.   Hmm, well what do you know about that?  All the same, I'm pretty overjoyed the Os are not in the AL Central.  We'd have to make some ridiculous unequal trade to obtain him, or pay some thug to take a lead pipe to his knees.

Brandon Inge--Revamped or Just Reunited WIth His One True Love?

Both the Detroit News (Lynn Henning) and Free Press (Jon Paul Morosi) have lengthy articles today about Brandon Inge.  Inge is self-proclaiming himself "revamped," boasting 20 new pounds of muscle, with a yet again reworked swing.  Forgive me if I take the wait and see approach to all this.   I mean, last year, he supposedly developed a more "athletic" stance, and ta da--worst season ever at the plate.  Now he's suddenly hearing and taking seriously Lloyd McClendon's counsel  ('cuz he's back at his beloved third base).  Formerly so petulant--now a hard-working model citizen.  Geez, that's easy when you've just gotten  your way, and been handed a spot that you really did not earn.  Especially when I remember a quote from Leyland about the person who's playing the best getting the position, regardless of names/contracts.   That went out the window in a hurry, since Inge got the job before the wreck of last season was even complete.  

I hope I'm not getting overly malignant here, but this whole thing just reeks--a rotten, filthy stank.

Dave Dombrowski puts his arm around Inge (oops I guess he just tapped him on the shoulder, or gestured in his direction) and says "This guy is going to have a good year for us."????  What kind of propaganda machine have the Tigers become, and who do they think we are--mindless dolts with no memory?

Now, I will concede the following without so much as a whimper:

• Inge has superior defense, and we suffered there last year.

• Brandon is indeed a model citizen in the community at large, doing lots of good deeds and all.

• He'll take the mic any time for whacked out post-game interviews, answering feeble questions from the FSN crew without so much as a hint of a sneer.

   

For these things, I give Brandon his due.  

However, I do NOT feel he should be lauded with lengthy articles about the merits of his off-season regimens and diligence.  Let's talk about all that after this season comes to an end (in November-hee hee).  Then, I'll be more than magnanimous to Mr. Inge.  Until then, I won't be partaking of the swill being peddled.