Games Attended 2009 Part I

Ok, so I broke out the scorecards and began to sift through them. Here's a little of the early data.

I attended 22 Tiger games, 20 at Comerica and 2 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Get ready for it, the Tigers won 18 of the games I attended in 2009! I'm way ahead of you here. I must purchase season tickets for 2010, because clearly I am a charmed woman who conjures Tiger victories out of my magic giant yellow knockoff Dolce bag that I take to every game (because each item necessary to a prepared fan can fit inside its capacious confines). Donations may be submitted to fund the aforementioned season tickets. A worthy cause, no?

Here are the starting pitchers (and the corresponding Tiger victories):

Verlander: 6 starts, 5 victories

Porcello: 3 starts, 3 victories (the kid likes cougars, what can I say?)

Jackson: 4 starts, 3 victories

Galarraga: 2 starts, 2 victories (no doubt, Armando needs me at each and every one of his starts)

Robertson: 3 starts, 2 victories

Figaro: 1 start, 1 victory

Bonine: 2 starts, 1 victory

Washburn: 1 start, 1 victory

Yes I saw the one good Washburn start, yes, believe it, revel in it. AND Inge hit the walkoff winner in the bottom of the ninth, AND my friends surprised me with tickets and a group outing, AND put a birthday greeting on the CoPa scoreboard for me, it's beyond storybook, kiddies.

Now it all began on April 14, when the first game I was slated to attend got rained out, and I found myself in a rank mood for a couple days. I mean, the season started late because of the World Baseball Classic, I didn't go to the opening series, I was supposed to see Porcello's CoPa debut that day...the gripe list goes on and on.

My first game of the year would then be the Yankees on April 27, which I happened to attend with a couple blokes you might know, Blake of the Spot Starters and Rogo from DesigNate Robertson. Ian, distinguished Editor Emeritus over at Bless You Boys, was supposed to join us, but had a better offer. I assume it was the likes of Zooey Deschanel, because what other influence could cause someone to ditch three such illustrious bloggers? It was great meeting Blake and talking some baseball, but Rogo kept interjecting details about his mancrush on Derek Jeter the whole game. It got a little nauseating after a while.

Part II coming soon to a theater near you.

Yesterday's News

Well, I don't know whether any of you remember the Cleveland series last week. It seems an age ago now, what with the sweeping of the Rays, and the Holiday weekend.

However, I'm going to bring that series back to life for you for just a moment here. You may ask why, since it was the lowly Indians after all, and we've since swept a much better team. Well, it's purely selfish reasons making this train roll.

It's not that often that I take in a full series at the ballpark. I got a chance to do just that for the Cleveland set. It was kind of a fluke, but I was pretty happy nonetheless. So, I kind of want to recap the series here in the ol' blog--hence the selfish reasons. I can only hope that what comes next is worth the time you're spending here, stale subject matter and all.

Tuesday's game was fun, because Polanco and Guillen homered back-to-back in the first inning, and we went on to score two more runs in that frame. Also, Aubrey Huff broke out that game, with a single double, two walks, and three RBIs. The fifth inning was mighty troubling, as the wheels fell off for Jackson. He did manage to get out the inning, but that left four frames to be covered by the pen, which they did quite admirably, other than that homer Miner gave up to Andy Marte (who has a career total of 14 home runs in 614 at bats). Just a question--why do the Tigers LOVE to give up the longball to the unlikeliest of players?

Wednesday's game? Well, I was thrilled to see Porcello go seven strong with only two earned runs and ZERO walks. It was also very odd to see Jhonny Peralta make three errors in a slop-fest on the part of the Tribe. He did make a couple decent plays, too and has a grand total of four errors on the season. So, I'm sure he thought that someone was holding a voodoo doll and was working the pins to perfection every time the ball was hit to the hot corner. Shin-Soo Choo had DHed on Tuesday, but played right on Wednesday, and it was cool, because a guy sitting in my row was a fan of his--they're both from South Korea. I didn't know a ton about Choo, so I quizzed the guy for info. He said that Cleveland didn't want him to play in the WBC this year, but he did, and you may or may not remember that South Korea made it to the finals.

On Thursday, I dragged the kid down to the park to see Nate Robertson's second start of the season. It went pretty well, pretty well indeed! I missed bits of the game here and there, what with trips out for snacks, the bathrooms, an abortive attempt at the ferris wheel (line...miles long) and all, but it was such a beautiful day for a game, and we had a terrific time. Ni had a bit of trouble in the 8th there. That was a little scary. But it kind of worked out, because the game went to extras. And extras, I love extras, well at least I do when they end in a walkoff win! What a 10th. Raburn leads of with a huge double, then they get "smart" and walk Cabrera on purpose, but walk Magglio not on purpose to load 'em up with NO outs for Polanco, who had pinch hit for Avila in the 8th. Mighty Polly steps up the plate, and......hits a sac fly RBI walkoff. Hey, you may say that it was a little anti-climactic to hit a sac fly. I say no way, it's just what we needed. I love someone like Polanco who doesn't try to do too much, but works with what the pitcher gives him. Hurrah Polanco, Raburn, Cabrera and Ordoñez. Hurrah Tigers, because in case you didn't get the subtle subliminal message from the Tigers web site, the Pennant Race is ON!

Here's a little public service message for you, register now for the playoff ticket lottery drawing scheduled for September 16.

Saturday Afternoon at the Park

You’d think that with his blog’s namesake starting a major league game for the first time this season on Saturday, someone like Rogo of DesigNate Robertson would honor the occasion by attending the game in person. Dedication ain’t what it used to be, folks. Although Nate's debut wasn't a total trainwreck, the cars did seem to want to teeter off the track a bit at times. He got hit around a little, and wasn't helped out by some shoddy defense. He was only out there for four innings after pitching on three days rest, so I'm sure judgment will be reserved for another outing.

Mi Magglio had the Tigers' only RBI of the game in the 8th inning. That pretty much tells you our offensive anemia was in full effect.

A funny thing happened at the game. A friend of a season ticket holder I know was there and we were chatting about baseball. He was a casual fan of the game, saying he liked all sports, and has season tickets to the Pistons. Somehow, he got it in his head that I knew a lot about baseball. Some of us were talking about how Galarraga would be back up soon with the club, and he asked whether Robertson would be sent down to make room for him at that time. I said no because of roster expansion September 1. You'd have thought I deciphered the Rosetta Stone, he was so impressed. I felt like such a sham. He kept high-fiving me throughout the game for what he saw as my many baseball triumphs. I promise you I wasn't trying to impress him. He had had a few beers, too, so that should tell you something as well.

I was a little concerned about the bullpen, seeing as we were a man short at the time with two more games left in the series, but Zach Miner did a nice job eating some innings. Ryan Perry looked terrific in the 8th, but was the victim of another error in the 9th.

Anyway, I don't know about you, but it's exciting being in a pennant race, even if we haven't been playing our best baseball all the time. Fun to see the White Sox go on tilt. I'll be at the Cell later this month for a Tigers/Sox game, so I hope Ozzie is in rare (I mean, usual) form.

Look at the Bright Side?

I read Jason Beck's blog yesterday and found out that Nate Robertson would be starting Saturday's contest against the Rays. My brows instantly furrowed in consternation, since I'm attending that game. I also realized it's my penance for jinxing the shutout Monday night.

Now Nate has pitched, in a word, horrifyingly, this season and back into 2008. His big contract prevented his outright release, so the albatross was secure around the Tigers' necks.

I'm going to attempt to put some spin on this, so I don't need to bring a barf bag with me to the game. I don't even drink, so I can't just start pounding $10 beers, or down several of those giant daiquiri things.

Nate has indeed pitched pretty well for the Mud Hens of late. His last outing particularly, was promising. He went 6.2 innings, and allowed zero runs on three hits and two walks, backed by 9 strikeouts. I assume that means his slider is working much better, and I suppose now is as good a time as any to see if he can do it at the big league level.

Looking on the bright side, I could witness Nate's resurgence, a heart-warming comeback story, the rebirth of the bulldog, and a new spark for sales of Big League Chew. Being a realist, I could see his swan song.

Either way, I'll be there, so see ya at the ballpark!

Outlook Grim

When your three options are to break out in hives, break down in tears, or break something in a fit of rage, you know it's been a schrecklich (English wasn't enough here) couple days on the hill (and at the plate, for that matter). I'll say this much, the Detroit Tigers will not be in first place long if we continue to pitch and hit like this.

I really don't know what to say. Galarraga got knocked around like an arcade pinball yesterday, and Willis simply cannot convince the ball to stay in the same zip code as the strike zone. Nate Robertson will have me waking up screaming in the middle of the night with yesterday's performance--and today's? Well, I guess I can say he didn't surrender a grand slam.

It looks to me like Zach Miner will be getting a chance to start again. Although he hasn't copped an attitude (Brandon Inge and Nate Robertson--you could take a note from that), Zach is one guy who just might be entitled to do a little griping about the way he's been used. He'll get a chance now to grab a hold of a rotation spot, I would think.

We get runners in scoring position, and nothing...zippo, popup, GIDP, strikeout, take your stinking pick.

We're looking at interleague matchups against St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago. The Cards and Brewers are tied for first in the NL Central at 34-29. The Cubbies are 2.5 games back at .500, just lost two out of three to the Twinkies, but won today to help us retain a 3 game lead over MN. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like being reliant on another team for my baseball fortunes.

Well boys, use tomorrow's off day for some introspection, extra batting practice, or a heart-to-heart with Rick Knapp as appropriate to your personal situation.

A Greinke, A Greinke, A Fun and a Wonderful Toy

So we got Greinke-d for the second time this year.  At least we can’t say it hasn’t happened to a lot of other teams.  And really, we had our opportunities with some early baserunners, but they got erased by timely (untimely) double plays.

 

Um, did Edwin Jackson skip out on PFP this spring?  Errant throws by pitchers that remind us of the 2006 World Series are not permitted.

 

It’s a good thing the “Who’s Your Tiger” campaign has come to an end, because no one would have Brandon Lyon as their Tiger, and this would give him quite a complex.  I’m sorry, but when you come into a game and immediately surrender the long ball, it’s just not endearing.

 

It was nice to see Nate Robertson have a clean outing, even if it was only a third of an inning.  Straight zeros across his line.  Very neat and tidy.

 

That’s all I got for last night’s game folks.  Let’s just move on--quickly.

Right is Right?

What to make of our all righty rotation, that is the question.  It couldn't be helped, what with Dontrelle Willis' trip to the DL, and Nate Robertson's inability to grab ahold of a spot, but it ain't exactly ideal.  I agree that the best five should make the rotation--notwithstanding contracts and handedness.  Still, let's look at a few of the AL Central lefty bats we'll be facing on a regular basis--and this is not everyone.

Sox

Pierzynski

Thome

Tribe

Martinez (S)

Choo

Sizemore

Hafner (who has had his struggles this spring, but may just be working out timing)

KC

Jacobs

DeJesus

Teahen

Twinkies

M & M boys

Span

Kubel

and a whole host of switch hitters

Thome and Sizemore and Morneau, oh my.  I've got a message in to the Wizard of Oz asking for a left-handed starter.

On a side note, I'm all aflutter, because I'm going to see Porcello's CoPa debut in person on April 14.  Whoo hoo!

Men Down!

Jason Beck wrote in his blog today that Zach Miner is out of the running for the 5th starter spot in the rotation.

Hmmmmmm--interesting, seeing that Dontrelle Willis finds the strike zone to be an anathema, and Jeremy Bonderman, though on schedule to sort of be ready by the first week of the regular season has thrown all of 28 pitches in total this spring, and Nate Robertson, although performing well his last two outings, is, you know, Nate Robertson, and um, are we going to be handing him the job?  That brings us to Rick Porcello, and does this mean he may be closer than ever to coming up with the big club?  And would that be a good thing, since as Kurt over at Mack Avenue Tigers points out, Bonderman will only be able to last about five innings at first, and Porcello would also be on a strict pitch count?  Let's overtax our bullpen right out of the gate!  Needless to say, this spring's adventures in pitching have induced a whole lot of Maalox chugging for the Tiger faithful.   I just returned from Costco, where I saved loads of cash buying it in bulk--maybe enough to score Opening weekend tickets off Stubhub.

Step Away From the Window!

I admit that I've been jittery all off-season pondering and fretting a bit about our pitching.  However, I am not about to go off the deep end over some less than stellar first outings by some of the question marks here in Spring Training.  Many of the comments posted on the Freep's website after Jon Paul Morosi's article today were comic book hyperbole.  Call 911, 'cause these folks need to be talked down off the ledge.

Come on now.  Please tell me you're not seriously ready to release Dontrelle Willis and eat all the $ we owe him because he allowed four runs in just over an inning (two earned), and hit a batter.  Please tell me you're not ready to give the fifth starter's spot Porcello at this stage, who was himself so fraught with nerves before his outing yesterday he tells Jeff Jones "I can't do this relief thing."  Please tell me you don't really think Robertson's career is over after he's pitched all of two innings.  Please tell me you're not ready to write Bonderman off because Leyland's treating him with kid gloves a little here over the stiffness.

A little perspective is all we need to restore right-mindedness to these poor panicked people.  We're still 38 days away from opening day for the Tigers.  There are still 33 exhibition games to be played before the wins and losses actually count as wins and losses,  you see?

So, relax--pretend you're in a tropical clime sipping fruity drinks ocean-side while dolphins arc gracefully out of the water.  Inhale slowly, exhale slowly, and perform some stretches.  You'll feel a whole lot better.  You'll realize that there's a whole lot that needs to play out before several players get told they're not making the big club, or they're being relegated to mop up duty in the bull-pen.  That fifth spot in the rotation is going to be open for just a wee bit longer here.

There, and I didn't even take Psych 101 in college.

It's About Time

Not that anyone's noticed, but it seems like an eternity since I've posted here.  In reality, it's been almost two weeks.  I had to go a few rounds with a trio of opponents:  influenza, a sinus infection and bronchitis.  It was good fun I tell you.  Enough of that.

I've been mulling a post for a few days actually, and having some difficulty coming up with something meaningful.  Here's the thing.   You'd think there'd be a lot to talk about with Spring Training in full swing, the first game today and whatnot.  

But really, what of substance can be taken from what's transpired so far?  I mean, I'm glad Nate, Dontrelle and Joel look great, I really am, but there are no conclusions to be drawn as yet.

I am happy about one thing of significance.  Our infield will get uninterrupted reps together this spring--none of them are going to the WBC.  Inge, Everett and Polanco will get to know each other's moves, style, timing, etc.  That is a very good thing in my mind.   That time together should add to what is already a defensive upgrade.

I caught all of one inning or so on the radio today, and it was great to hear play by play again, even if it was only a meaningless spring game.  Remember how well the Lions did in their exhibition this year?

Also interesting will be competition for the sole open position player slot.  Game on, ballplayers!