Looking at the tigers schedule they have only played 7 games against teams currently over .500. In those games they are 3-4 including being swept at home by us. They are also 19-8 against teams currently under .500 and 2-1 against the A's who are currently a .500 team. It seems they have played a lot of Minn, Cle (who is really stuggling), Balt, Sea, and KC to make their hot start. The purpose of this is not to compare them to the sox, you can if you want, and our schedule but to show sometimes the weak schedule can be decieving from such a small sample of games.

 

P.S We have only played 6 games against team above .500 teams, we are 5-1.

None of their 4 established starting pitchers are "second - half" pitchers either FWIW.

It looks like their schedule gets hard at the same time ours does, meaning from this week or next, until the end of June. By the All-Star break we'll have a very good idea of what kind of team they are.

A couple years ago, Detroit elevated their AAA to the majors and they sucked. Some of their historical stats are not as accurate a gauge. People where trying to explain away the 2005 Sox team in almost the same way. One way to judge a good team is how they take care of lesser teams. You have to take care of businesses when you are playing the Royals. It seems like all the top teams tread water against each other and crush the crappy teams.

 

I suspect Detriot will hang around and fade the last couple weeks like Cleveland last year.

Adding to the fact that they've played 23 of their first 38 games on the road, I don't care who the competition is...a 16-7 road record is a 16-7 road record. That (and pitching) are a few of the bigger signs of a good team.

 

And Detroit has a fairly inexperienced pitching staff as Robertson, Bonderman, Maroth and Verlander have just 9 seasons of starting pitching experience combined between the four of them. So their historical "they aren't second half pitchers" line really doesn't carry a whole lot of water IMO. Undeveloped pitchers eventually mature and that appears to be what's going on with the Tigers.

I'll believe the Tigers are real if they're hanging with us by July. Til then, Cleveland still has my full attention.

Adding to the fact that they've played 23 of their first 38 games on the road, I don't care who the competition is...a 16-7 road record is a 16-7 road record. That (and pitching) are a few of the bigger signs of a good team.

 

And Detroit has a fairly inexperienced pitching staff as Robertson, Bonderman, Maroth and Verlander have just 9 seasons of starting pitching experience combined between the four of them. So their historical "they aren't second half pitchers" line really doesn't carry a whole lot of water IMO. Undeveloped pitchers eventually mature and that appears to be what's going on with the Tigers.

 

Yes. I'm in total agreement with you.

Looking at the tigers schedule they have only played 7 games against teams currently over .500. In those games they are 3-4 including being swept at home by us. They are also 19-8 against teams currently under .500 and 2-1 against the A's who are currently a .500 team. It seems they have played a lot of Minn, Cle (who is really stuggling), Balt, Sea, and KC to make their hot start. The purpose of this is not to compare them to the sox, you can if you want, and our schedule but to show sometimes the weak schedule can be decieving from such a small sample of games.

 

P.S We have only played 6 games against team above .500 teams, we are 5-1.

 

This is so eerily similar to what outsiders said about the Sox last year. I think Detroit will be our biggest competition at the end of the season and once again, just as last year with Cleveland, I think the Sox will be better off for it.

This is so eerily similar to what outsiders said about the Sox last year. I think Detroit will be our biggest competition at the end of the season and once again, just as last year with Cleveland, I think the Sox will be better off for it.

 

Personally, I see positives in Detroit being competitive all year (As long as the Sox come out on top, that is). It will keep the Sox focused and help KW realize the importance of strengthening the bullpen to seal the deal. Further, Detroit has gone an awful long time since they were competitve. I actually do not mind them, especially compared to Minnesota (see 2001-2004) and Cleveland (see 1995-1999). I can barely remember the Jack Morris 1984 opening day no-hitter anymore (4-0, right?). It would be great to see the Sox win the Division and maybe Detroit get the WC. Between the Sox, Indians and Tigers, you have three great historic franchises that slowly were mismanaged, forgotten, and s*** on for many years while the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs got excessive attention (frequently undeserved). It would be good to see the power in baseball shift to the AL Central.

Edited May 17, 200619 yr by Beltin'Bill

Looking at the tigers schedule they have only played 7 games against teams currently over .500. In those games they are 3-4 including being swept at home by us. They are also 19-8 against teams currently under .500 and 2-1 against the A's who are currently a .500 team. It seems they have played a lot of Minn, Cle (who is really stuggling), Balt, Sea, and KC to make their hot start. The purpose of this is not to compare them to the sox, you can if you want, and our schedule but to show sometimes the weak schedule can be decieving from such a small sample of games.

 

P.S We have only played 6 games against team above .500 teams, we are 5-1.

 

Regardless of who the Tigers have played, they've gotten the job done. Sweeping crappy teams is the hallmark of a good squad. My guess is that they'll come back down to reality after a few series against the Red Sox and Yankees, but I don't think that they're an '05 Orioles-like fluke.

 

But it's only mid-May. We'll see how they're doing in August.

 

 

It would be great to see the Sox win the Division and maybe Detroit get the WC.

 

I don't feel strongly one way or the other towards the Tigers, but it was somewhat sad to see a proud, tradition-rich organization like that be in the crapper for so long. It's nice to see that they're possibly past that point now.

Regardless of who the Tigers have played, they've gotten the job done. Sweeping crappy teams is the hallmark of a good squad. My guess is that they'll come back down to reality after a few series against the Red Sox and Yankees, but I don't think that they're an '05 Orioles-like fluke.

 

But it's only mid-May. We'll see how they're doing in August.

I don't feel strongly one way or the other towards the Tigers, but it was somewhat sad to see a proud, tradition-rich organization like that be in the crapper for so long. It's nice to see that they're possibly past that point now.

 

Exactly. The Tigers have a lot of pennants and some of the biggest names in baseball history tied to them. It was a reall shame to see them flounder for the past 15-20 years.

This is a very tough division. I kept thinking the Tigers would slow down but now I'm not so sure. It very well could be a 3 team race plus the Twins just outside of that. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

Mike Maroth has an ERA of 2.18. That would win a Cy Young award over a full season.

Kenny Rogers has an ERA of 3.23. His career number is 4.20.

Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander, and Jeremy Bonderman are all between 3.5 and 3.75.

 

Out of those, the only 1 I think may be able to go down or hold steady is Jeremy Bonderman's. There will be some regression to the mean on most of their parts.

 

Let's also note who they've played:

 

Record

5-2 Vs. Cleveland.

5-2 Vs. Minnesota

3-0 vs. Seattle

3-1 Vs. Texas

4-0 Vs. K.C.

1-1 Vs. Baltimore

2-1 Vs. Oakland

1-2 Vs. LA Angels

0-3 Vs. CWS

 

Out of the teams they've played, the only 2 teams that are above .500 are Texas and the White Sox, and they caught Texas early before Kevin Mench found the right shoes.

When Brad Radke, Jesse Crain, etc finally get their s*** together, the Twins are gonna be tough customers.

 

Obviously, pitching rules all, and the Tigers have quietly assembled a pretty good overall staff. I'm actually more impressed by their bullpen than I am by their raw starting rotation (w/ the exception of Rogers).

 

And when summer hits, that Cleveland lineup is going to start making pitchers look terrible. They are still the second most dangerous team in the AL Central. I don't care what their record looks like.

 

This is easily the best division in baseball.

Best? Possibly. Most competitive and entertaining? Yes.

This is so eerily similar to what outsiders said about the Sox last year. I think Detroit will be our biggest competition at the end of the season and once again, just as last year with Cleveland, I think the Sox will be better off for it.

 

BINGO EXACTLY what was said about the Sox last year. Deja vu.

 

Our schedule last year, as I recall, got "tough" after the ASB, when we had heavy doses of Yankees, Boston, etc.

 

But watch out. I don't think Detroit is going away anytime soon. What blows my mind is how Cleveland's way back--although so they were last year...

Edited May 17, 200619 yr by LVSoxFan

Best? Possibly. Most competitive and entertaining? Yes.

 

What other division has 4 teams that could finish with 85+ wins a piece? IMO, no other division in the MLB with the exception of the AL East even comes close. The AL West is nowhere near as strong as I figured it would be.

 

And forget about the National League. Any one of those 4 AL Central teams could contend for the division title in the NL West or the NL East. The Mets and the Phillies just don't have the starting pitching to win 88+. Glavine could continue to allow a .196 BAA and Cole Hamels could turn out to be the second coming of Sandy Koufax, but it still wouldn't matter.

Out of the teams they've played, the only 2 teams that are above .500 are Texas and the White Sox, and they caught Texas early before Kevin Mench found the right shoes.

 

And conversely (or similarly), Detroit and Toronto are the only two teams with above .500 records that the ChiSox have played thus far. I just don't think the relative weakness of Detroit's and Chicago's schedules thus far should be held against them in any way. They don't make the schedules. All both teams can do right now is beat the teams that they're supposed to beat.

A crazy Tigers stat.

 

Jim Leyland already has more five or more game winnings streaks (4) than ANY Tigers manager since Sparky Anderson.

When Brad Radke, Jesse Crain, etc finally get their s*** together, the Twins are gonna be tough customers.

 

Obviously, pitching rules all, and the Tigers have quietly assembled a pretty good overall staff. I'm actually more impressed by their bullpen than I am by their raw starting rotation (w/ the exception of Rogers).

 

And when summer hits, that Cleveland lineup is going to start making pitchers look terrible. They are still the second most dangerous team in the AL Central. I don't care what their record looks like.

 

This is easily the best division in baseball.

 

I agree. I expect at least a three team race, if not four, once the Twins work some things out. But Cleveland should not be sitting back thinking they can pull off another miraculous second half run like they had last year in August and September. They climbed back into it with a ton of help from an anemic Sox lineup, and lightening rarely strikes twice.

A crazy Tigers stat.

 

Jim Leyland already has more five or more game winnings streaks (4) than ANY Tigers manager since Sparky Anderson.

 

lol unbelievable.......actually I guess I can believe it but that's still insane.

This Verlander kid is pretty good. Without his strikeout pitch tonight (knuckle-curve) due to a blister on his finger he out-duels Johan Santana with 8 shutout innings. He was mixing speeds pretty impressively with a high of 100 and a low of 76.

 

 

The Tigers haven't been in first place in all of baseball this far into the season since June of 1993.

I still don't believe the Tigers are for real. I will admit it is the best they have played in a long time.

I will admit it is the best they have played in a long time.

 

And staying on the "going out on a limb" kick...I'll admit that the White Sox play in Chicago.

Detroit has been winning with Maggs not hitting the last week or so.

Anybody notice the Royals let Cleveland off the hook last night

and now it appears the Tribe has woken from its slumber?

That was a gimme win and KC blows a 3 run lead in ninth.

It would have been nice for KC to win the opener of that set, rather

than let the Tribe perhaps start getting its act together.