JackTalkThai

QUOTE(Felix @ Jul 2, 2006 -> 07:36 PM) He plays for the Tigers and Ozzie was picking the rosters. Isn't that enough reason? Oh hey I understood that, that's why I asked for a reason "besides the fact that his coach was the guy picking the team". I also understand that nepotism looks and feels great to those within "the family". Your team won the World Series and you deserve congratulations for that. As it stands now, this is just one of the perks of winning. I just think it needs some tweaking. Like taking the decision out of the one manager's hands and handing it to the all of the managers of the two leagues.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jul 2, 2006 -> 07:33 PM) Win the World Series, then Jimmy can pick whoever he wants. No offense to Guillen but Leyland is too respectful of a manager for that. He wouldn't punish deserving players from opposing teams just so he could take undeserving players from his own team.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jul 2, 2006 -> 07:33 PM) Wrong place for sympathy. I wasn't looking for sympathy. Not at all. I was looking for someone's rationalization? If there was one out there.

Besides the fact that his coach was the guy picking the rosters, can anyone here rationalize Buehrle (or you can just insert AL starter not named Johan Santana) making the team over Verlander? Verlander is #1 in the AL in W's and #2 in the AL in ERA. Seems like an royal screw job to me.

QUOTE(flbob @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 09:29 PM) so, what really worries me? defense. Defense? Defense worries you? The Tigers have Gold Glove caliber defenders at CF, C and 3B. Guillen despite an error here and there is solid at short. Shelton has been nothing short of impressive thus far at first. Magglio is Magglio...you pretty know what you are and aren't going to get...and Thames, Monroe, Gomez in left are certainly servicable. Judging from the season to date, team defense is the least of my worries that have been mentioned thus far.

QUOTE(tigerfan @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 03:53 PM) Jones worries me a bit as closer. Sure he gets it done more often then not, but later in the year as we get closer and closer to a playoff spot, we may need a closer who won't play with fire as much as Jones does sometimes. OMG how did I forget about the rollercoaster? I guess I've successfully displaced Todd Jones from my mind for reasons of maintaining my sanity. He -certainly- worries me. A one run lead against the White Sox, Yankees or Red Sox with TJ on the mound...yeah that's the stuff nightmares are made of.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 09:46 AM) To the Tigers fans in Soxtalk: What are your major concerns about your team heading into the 2nd half? Injuries and Verlander's arm. Hopefully Maroth coming back will allow Leyland to roll 6 starters down the stretch on occasion. Or perhaps they bring up Sanchez from Toledo to accomplish the same thing. Also in big games the ability to work the count and run up the pitch count of the opposing pitcher is of utmost importance and the Tigers have had a tendancy to be a little too free-swingy resulting in short early innings. That won't cut it in a playoff chase. They HAVE to become more patient at the plate.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 03:09 PM) I wonder why people still think he's good. Because Lidge's dominant days of yesteryear are just a single HGH injection away.

QUOTE(hawkitis @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 03:04 PM) ... and they walked Thames unintentionally in a bases loaded situation to give us a gift run! Thanks Astros! 4-0 Tigers Followed by a wild pitch via the arm of Brad "I'm worse than Todd Jones" Lidge.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 02:57 PM) Clemens definitely should've chosen another team. Didn't he feel like he got screwed enough last year? A few teams would've given him the money he wanted, but I guess only one is close enough to his home. Hell I for one am glad that he gets homesick and chose Houston instead Boston or New York. Thank you Roger! QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 02:59 PM) Just wait until he blows consecutive saves one weekend and get back to me. This is so true. Tiger fans were ready to string Jones up by his balls a few weeks ago because of a horrible weekend against the Yankees and Red Sox. More than any other, the closers job is definitely a "what have you done for me lately" situation.

Two more UNearned runs by the Tigers in the 6th. Pettitte is pitching a gem and the 'Strohs are providing him the shaft. Now he knows how Roger Clemens feels.

Joel Zumaya won't be closing anytime soon. As good as he is, the fact remains that as long as Todd Jones remains on the ball club (and Leyland continues to trot him out there on a regular basis) there is no easier role to put him in than closer. As strange as that sounds, the regular season closer is one of the most overrated positions in all of baseball. Just look at Jones' save totals and save % compared to his ERA for proof. Leyland would much rather have Jones as the closer as opposed to bringing him in the game when the Tigers are clinging to a one run lead in the 7th with men on first and third and just one out. Basically Zumaya's and Rodney's current role...which is a much more pressure filled job to have than is getting three outs with the bases empty. Now when you get into a stretch run of a pennant chase and the playoffs...the closer's job becomes just a weeee bit more important.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Jun 27, 2006 -> 10:43 PM) This AL central ownage of the NL central is mind-boggling. Over their last 51 games, the top three in the AL Central are a combined 44-7.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Jun 27, 2006 -> 07:51 PM) Tigers color guy sounds like porky pig and his analyzing skills are like Chris Singleton x2 "Pahdna", that's Rod Allen. Not even Todd Freaking Jones can screw up a four run cushion..............I think.

I think it's absolutely hilarious that the over the last 10 games, the Twins, Sox and Tigers have gone a combined 27-3. That's some serious baseball right there via the Central Division. If anyone is getting pissed about not picking up or making any ground, it has got to be the Twinkies as they're the team that NEEDS to pick up ground.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 10:09 PM) Fact and perception are not the same. And again, I don't mean this in a spiteful way which is why this will be my last post in the line of discussion. When people think of Detroit, they think of Detroit not the suburbs of Detroit. I remember this past season in the NBA, the Sacremento Kings got in trouble during a ABC broadcast for showing shots of a Detroit ghetto during the Pistons intro in Sacremento. I just read about it, you probably know more about what happened than me. This is the image people perceive of Detroit. To be honest, Detroit is one of the few baseball stadiums in the Midwest that I have not visited. The perception of Detroit is what keeps me away. I may change my mind because I love baseball. To get a true measure of the perception of Detroit, ask people outside your city. This is what potential free agents and potential future players may see as well. I never questioned whether Detroit was a great sports town. No I totally agree. The perception of Detroit is bad. One would be stupid to try and argue otherwise. But perception is not reality. Perception, particularly of those who haven't been to the city recently (or ever) is nothing more than a misinformed imagination. The hardest part of selling Detroit is getting the original visit but once they see the town and spend some time in the area....it becomes very attractive to those who like city-life, the accompanying nightlife, the fresh water and the largest number of golf courses per capita in America but at the same time enjoy their privacy away from the media in an area that they can raise a family in a setting befitting of their lofty tax-bracket. Their perception of metro-Detroit can turn 180 degrees in a single afternoon drive around town. But I completely understand what you're saying. A lot of folks, even in Michigan, were afraid of their own perceptions and realities of Detroit for the longest of times. It's not an easy thing to turn around.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 09:02 PM) This might be a popular thing to say, but I mean it in the kindest way. Detroit is not an attractive place for athletes to go. It is lower on the socioeconomic pole than many other pro sports cities. There are fewer supplemental income opportunities. And Detroit rarely leads off SportsCenter, so there is little main stream pubilicity. Unless it is offering a lot more money, as it did in Magglio's case, Detroit has trouble being an attractive city. And I honestly do not mean this in a mean spirited way. Just being honest. Then why is Detroit such a successful sports city? Something's working for them. In the last 20 years I can't think of too many cities that have won more pro sports titles than Detroit. In actuality, the popularly outdated perception of "Detroit" is quite a bit different than what the reality of the city has become. There are reasons why it has gotten and continues to get so many huge sporting events in and around the city. (ie. Ryder Cup, Super Bowl, PGA Championship, MLB All Star Game, NCAA Final Four, NCAA Frozen Four, etc...) Pro athletes rarely live in the inner city of the towns they play in anyways. They live in the burbs and the burb that most of Detroit's pros live in just happens to be one of the richest counties in America. And unless your city is named LA, Chicago or New York...your supplemental income opportunities will only naturally pale in comparison. There are too many intangibles to mention that all combine to make Detroit one of, if not the top pure sports cities in America.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 05:59 PM) The White Sox, Red Sox, and Yankees come to mind. What are they, 3 and 10 vs. the "other" 3 best teams in baseball? And how did the Sox do against those teams this year? Oh wait...

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 04:40 PM) Actions > Words. Magglio got paid Pudge got paid Rogers got paid It's not like Illitch doesn't have a track record of paying top dollar for players. It's just that prior to Dombrowski, he was known for spending said money poorly (see offering Juan Gonzales a $140 million contract and Bobby Higginson $11 million/yr)

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 02:58 PM) So, basically this broad said that the Tigers would pick up some form of talent, at some position, from somewhere. Sounds legit.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 10:49 AM) Don't let Flash see this post!! A big Berto Sanchez fan is he?

QUOTE(Wedge @ Jun 26, 2006 -> 07:55 AM) I was hoping for some drop off, but not an entire tailspin. I definitely was not expecting an even better pitcher to step-up... My last hopes are that Verlander hits the wall since he's pitched only 130 innings before or that Rogers goes into his 2nd half funk. I think the Tigers have two plans in place to avoid dead-arm from happening with any of the starters. Plan A: Maroth comes back, they keep Miner in the rotation and they just roll 6 starters giving guys an extra day off every now and then. Plan B: Maroth doesn't come back so they call up Humberto Sanchez who is arguably THE top minor league power arm who has yet to pitch in the majors. Kid has a 1.50 ERA and has struckout 105 guys in just 83 innings. He's also 6'6", 230 lbs. Disclaimer: If Plan A occurs, the Tigers will still likely call up Sanchez to work out of the pen. He's just not getting challenged in the minors right now. In his three starts since being called up to AAA, he's 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 23, 2006 -> 03:10 PM) 5. Miner (decent 5) Good 5...and an excellent 5 through four starts. He was dominant in the minors this year and there's been no let off in the majors. But to stay on topic... Liriano is the best young arm (under 25) in the league.

The Tigs spot four in the 5th to take a 7-3 lead. Curtis Granderson strikes again.

QUOTE(knightni @ Jun 20, 2006 -> 09:20 PM) 11-1 Sox in the 4th. Bite it. Why bite it? It's all good. Both teams are playing fantastic right now. It's a thing of beauty to watch. The Central is a BEAST.