October 5, 201312 yr Two weeks ago the A's had a Thursday night crowd of 11,461. Now suddenly we are supposed to love and admire how intense the fans in the upper deck are? f*** that. Show up at least once during the season. Maybe they are the same people that go to Giants games?
October 6, 201312 yr Guess Verlander's not taking too well to being skipped as the Game 1 starter. Ultimate competitor. Saw some articles saying that Verlander should be in the bullpen and his start should go to Porcello. Really?
October 6, 201312 yr QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 5, 2013 -> 08:59 PM) Guess Verlander's not taking too well to being skipped as the Game 1 starter. Ultimate competitor. Saw some articles saying that Verlander should be in the bullpen and his start should go to Porcello. Really? A joy to watch him pitch, even though the Sox get to deal with him several times a year. Whoever wrote an article like that no doubt saw how the Giants got cute with Lincecum in the pen, and figured why not? Nothing else to write about, I guess.
October 6, 201312 yr Amazing game... Got to give credit to the rookie hanging in there all game long against Verlander. Lose this game and the A's are probably done.
October 6, 201312 yr Detroit Tigers Need to Send Justin Verlander to Bullpen from yahoo contributor network COMMENTARY | When the Detroit Tigers made Justin Verlander the highest paid pitcher before the 2013 season, it appeared baseball's best starter was only going to get better. What the team has witnessed this year has been far from a dream: it's a terrible nightmare. Verlander has struggle for much of the year, earning a rough 13-12 record with a 3.66 ERA. Though he has 195 strikeouts, the 30-year-old has yet to find an out-pitch, five months into the season. Maybe it's fans having unrealistic expectations after a 24 win 2011 season capped off with the Cy Young award. Or maybe it's a pure example of a fireballer suffering from wear, tear, and age. But his latest showing, September 18 against the Seattle Mariners, takes the cake. Verlander lasted seven innings, but allowed three earned runs, including a solo homer to Justin Smoak, against a light-hitting Mariners team that won 8-0. With the playoffs just two weeks away, the Tigers will be forced to make some difficult decisions. It's time they start doing that now. Send Verlander to the bullpen. Two years ago, heck, even last year, this would've been a crazy idea. But Verlander has fell so far from those days that even the Tigers' fifth starter, Rick Porcello, has out-pitched him. If the postseason started today, there would have to be some serious consideration to choose Porcello over Verlander, especially with a stronger infield defense anchored by Jose Iglesias. Verlander hasn't been himself at all this season, and the playoffs are no time to try to regain his confidence and ability to overpower hitters with ease. Again, the proof that he's not himself is found in his recent outing against the Mariners. Offensively, Seattle ranks in the bottom nine amongst major league teams. Their .239 average ranks 27. Verlander allowed three walks in the shutout, something that's received attention with his command issues. The Tigers have been shutout 11 times this season. Four of those have occurred with Verlander on the mound. Sure, Verlander only controls one side of that spectrum with him never picking up a bat. He can't account for the run support teammates provide him with. But that's not the point. Verlander's still considered an ace, the type of pitcher whom gives his team an opportunity to win a game every five days. Yet, he hasn't done that consistently this season, as Max Scherzer has taken over that duty Sending Verlander to the bullpen before the playoffs begin could be exactly what he needs. Scherzer had a similar demotion in 2010, but was rather sent down to Toledo to work on his craft. He returned to Detroit a much better pitcher and continues to be on the verge of winning his 20th game. So far, Verlander has avoided that type of demotion, even during his awful 2008 season. Being baseball's highest paid pitcher and having 137 major league wins, bullpen duties might turn out to be an embarrassment, but it could help Verlander turn his game around. At this point, anything's worth a shot. The Tigers are now 3-9 in games started by Verlander since the All-Star break. If they want to make a deep postseason run, it's time the team considers making a change. Ricky Lindsay has followed the Detroit Tigers and Major League Baseball with a close eye from Metro Detroit for several years. He's currently the sports editor for his college newspaper, The Michigan Journal, where he covers the University of Michigan football team on Saturday afternoons from Ann Arbor. You can find him on Twitter @RLindz35.
October 6, 201312 yr Author QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 5, 2013 -> 10:59 PM) Amazing game... Got to give credit to the rookie hanging in there all game long against Verlander. Lose this game and the A's are probably done. Gray looks like he is twelve years old
October 6, 201312 yr Except the Billy Beane Cult will start up again if they win the World Series. Still, that would be better for baseball, and maybe get the A's a new stadium. Just wonder if the A's have enough offense with Moss, Cespedes and Donaldson. Reddick's had a disappointing year....still with Lowrie and Crisp, they've got some pesky hitters. That catcher Vogt, another example of a player who was available to every GM in baseball. White Sox were forcing Flowers into the catcher's position at that point, when he was released.
October 6, 201312 yr Author QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 4, 2013 -> 11:33 PM) Still rooting for them. f*** Detroit I concur. f*** Detroit
October 6, 201312 yr QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 6, 2013 -> 04:40 AM) Except the Billy Beane Cult will start up again if they win the World Series. Still, that would be better fMinnesota,aseball, and maybe get the A's a new stadium. Just wonder if the A's have enough offense with Moss, Cespedes and Donaldson. Reddick's had a disappointing year....still with Lowrie and Crisp, they've got some pesky hitters. That catcher Vogt, another example of a player who was available to every GM in baseball. White Sox were forcing Flowers into the catcher's position at that point, when he was released. Rays are the only bearable AL representative and they are down 2. I think Detroit, Red Sox and Oakland.would be my 4th, 5th, and 6th teams I least want to win a world series. Cubs, Minnesota, and Cleveland being worse. Really those are the only 6 I would care negatively about winning and half of them happen to be in the AL playoffs. Edited October 6, 201312 yr by Buehrle>Wood
October 6, 201312 yr QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 5, 2013 -> 10:40 PM) Except the Billy Beane Cult will start up again if they win the World Series. As the fan of a team that has Hawk Harrelson as the TV play-by-play man, that could potentially result in endless fun during Sox 2014 broadcasts.
October 6, 201312 yr I want the Pirates because their bench coach, Jeff Banister, was our manager in 1995 when we won the South Atlantic League championship with Augusta. That, and Pirates fans have been suffering for over two decades (Sid Bream/Terry Pendleton!) and it's one of those Rust Belt cities that deserves good things....well, unlike Cleveland and Detroit, haha. Finally, after reading the article about defensive positioning....they're showing the signs of a progressive organization that isn't trapped in Hawk Harrelson-ish "old school" baseball cliches. The adapted, they changed, they moved into the future, something I wish the White Sox would do more of. From most desired to least desired World Series winners... 1. Pirates 2. Dodgers (Puig Mania) 3. A's (so they'll get a new stadium deal finally) 4. Rays (I would have had them higher but with Price no longer dominant, can't imagine them getting far...beware Longoria in last game of the season though, my God...finally, of the small market franchises, the Gold Standard for success despite sub 20,000 in attendance on a nightly basis) 5. Cardinals (my favorite NL team growing up, you gotta admire 10/14 playoff appearances and how they've carried on without Pujols, the overall job Matheny and Mozeliak have done) 6. Braves (meh...don't want to see Greg Walker become a cult hero because it's their pitching that has carried them all season, kind of like Billy Beane's early 00's A's teams with Mulder, Hudson and Zito) 7. Red Sox 8. Tigers Edited October 6, 201312 yr by caulfield12
October 6, 201312 yr Anyone but Detroit. f*** those assholes. Detroit sports fans are the epitome of bandwagon.
October 7, 201312 yr Tigers rallying. 3-1 after Hunter single, Fielder single, Victor Martinez double. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out.
October 7, 201312 yr Author QUOTE (almagest @ Oct 7, 2013 -> 01:39 PM) Tied after Peralta single. 3-3. Looks like a good move to play him in left field
October 7, 201312 yr Moss with a bomb. Believe Sanchez lead the league this year in lowest hr per nine. Now given up two today.
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