My lineups for 2010

Now that the season has been flushed down the toilet, I decided it was time to move on. That is, move on to next year. The Tigers have quite a few personnel decisions to make during the offseason.

At this point, I'm only going to discuss the potential starting lineups. I realize there will be other batters on the bench, but that's going to be another post. Additionally, the pitching rotation and who stays and leaves is another post.

Ideal Lineup #1



Ideal Lineup #2

I would love to hear your thoughts on these lineups. The discussion begins in the comments section.

*Sigh*

Another season done. Another opportunity wasted. Another division lead lost.

My hopes for this season were high. Last year was a huge disappointment, so I was looking forward to a bounceback year for the Tigers. While many fingers could be pointed, I think it's too early to assume what will happen with the Tigers organization. I'm sure we'll hear many cries for Jim Leyland to be fired (my current Facebook status), along with calls to re-sign certain players and to drop others. I imagine we'll start seeing more information on signings and releases in the next few weeks.

This was a rough ending to the season, but as we always say around here, "There's always next year!".

No hunger tonight

Watching the Tigers game right now, and there is just no hunger in the Tigers tonight. They are simply not into it tonight. They don't seem eager to get to the plate, and when they do, they don't seem to have the desire to hit the ball.

The Twins are winning as well, so it looks like the Tigers will have a one game lead after tonight with two games to go. It looks like we might have to rely on Justin Verlander and Zach Greinke on Sunday to help us squeak into the playoffs.

The Last Week

It all comes down to this. 7 games to go, a 2 game lead for the Tigers over the Twins in the AL Central, and a 4 game series against the Twins. All I can say is, HANG ON, 'cause this is going to be exciting, interesting, nerve-wracking, nail-biting, gut-wrenching, and impossible for you to not watch.

Interesting story on Yahoo! Sports regarding the possibility of the Tigers making the playoffs. Instead of me re-hashing the entire article, check it out, AccuScore: Tigers, Rockies should hold on.

Let's Go Tigers!!!!

Huge win

Yesterday's win in the Metrodome was huge for the Tigers. On the verge of being swept in the series, they managed to win their final game in that horrible stadium and push their lead in the AL Central back to three games.

Now, we head into Cleveland for a three game series against a floundering Indians team that has lost eight in a row. I don't want to jinx them and predict a sweep, so I'm rooting for a 2-1 split in the series.

The Twins are heading to Chicago to face a White Sox team that has lost four of its last five games. As much as it pains me to do, I'm going to be rooting for the White Sox to win that series.

If the Tigers go 2-1 against Cleveland, and the Twins go 1-2 against Chicago, our lead will be 5 games with 10 games remaining. As much as I'd love for the Tigers to have wrapped up the AL Central title by now, this race is just far too exciting. Those last seven games at Comerica Park are going to be absolutely insane!

Go Tigers!

Ernie Harwell has cancer

Ernie Harwell, the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers, has incurable bile duct cancer. MLive has a complete story on their site.

My memories of Ernie are similar to many other Tigers fans. From those late nights listening to the radio in the living room, or hearing him call games as I did homework, Ernie's ability to call the game is unsurpassed.

I am saddened to hear of the diagnosis, but am always going to treasure those memories of him calling the games. Best of luck to you Ernie!

Go Tigers!

September / October Desktop Wallpaper

The last full month of baseball is here, and the Detroit Tigers are still in the mix. As of today, the Tigers are sitting atop the AL Central.

The Twins are currently in a series against the White Sox, and the Twins are only 3.5 games behind Detroit. Somehow, the Tigers have mostly AL Central opponents during September, with Tampa and Toronto being the only two opponents outside our division.

The regular season ends with two series at home against the Twins and the White Sox. Those two series could decide who wins the AL Central. To be honest, I don't think I'd want it any other way.

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Let's Go Tigers!

Youkilis is a moron and fights like a girl

In case you missed the game last night, Porcello didn't last too long thanks to the stupid umpires. Porcello was facing Youkilis to start the 2nd innning, and when one of Porcello's pitches hit Youkilis, he charged the mound. Porcello seemed genuinely surprised that Youkilis charged him, and put up his hands to show that it was an accident. That didn't slow Youkilis down though, and he threw his batting helmet at Porcello. Who throws their batting helmet at their opponent????? Apparently big sissies do.

I have to give credit to Porcello at this point. He was backpedaling when Youkilis tackled him, but Porcello managed to stay on his feet. And then Porcello managed to spin Youkilis around and throw him to the ground.

Obviously Youkilis was ejected for rushing the pitcher, but then the umpires decided to toss Porcello. Now I would have normally expected both benches to get a stern warning after this, but the umpires decided to take the game into their own hands and toss Porcello.

This incident, or something like it was coming. Cabrera was hit by a pitch last night, and also in the first game of the Boston series. The difference is, Cabrera acted like a real man, and went to first base (except for last night he had to go to the training room because he was hit on the hand). Youkilis, on the other hand, acted like a moron and a idiot for charging the mound.

I think this game could be pivotal in the Tigers season. I was proud that the entire team came out of the dugout and the bullpen, and even Cabrera came out of the training room to join the brewhaha. No one stayed in the dugout and bullpen. This shows me how much of a team the Tigers really are. I fully expect them to come out in tonight's game and crush Josh Beckett.

Go Tigers!

August 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

Last night's game is hopefully what the doctor ordered for the Tigers. The win broke a streak of seven straight road losses. Hopefully the winning continues at Cleveland this weekend.

Another question looming over the Tigers right now is if they will make any real roster moves before the trade deadline. Carlos Guillen is now back, and he has made contributions since his return. The Tigers also traded Josh Anderson to the Royals for cash, but I don't consider that a true roster change. Matt Holliday was traded to the Cardinals, so that squashes the trade I proposed in my last post. There's only a day left before the trade deadline, so we'll have to see if the Tigers decide to pull the trigger on a last-minute trade.

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Go Tigers!

Off day

Well, the Tigers have an off day today, and I think it comes at a good time. In case you missed it, the Tigers were swept this weekend by the Pinstriped Evil Empire of New York. However, the fault was not with the pitching as those guys were great on the mound. The lack of run support came back to bite us in each of the games. Hopefully the off day will give the Tigers a chance to correct their swings and get back to scoring runs.

I keep hearing on sports radio that maybe the Tigers should consider trading for Roy Halladay. However, I submit to you that the Tigers need someone to come in and spark their bats. Another player whose name has been tossed around is Matt Holliday. Compared to last year, he's having a down season. With our arsenal of well-stocked minor league prospects, I would hope that Dave Dombrowski is at least looking to move a few kids to acquire someone of Holliday's caliber.

The Tigers begin a seven game homestand tomorrow against the Mariners and the White Sox. With the White Sox only 1.5 games behind Detroit, winning at least five of these home games is very important.

The second half of the 2009 season is off to a rocky start, but the Tigers have a chance to turn it around at home this week.

Go Tigers!

July 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

The Tigers have closed out inter-league play with a comeback win against the Astros. Detroit will start July with the Athletics and finish the month with the Indians. With 14 games against AL Central foes this month, July is very critical for the Tigers to win the division.

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Go Tigers!

Back from vacation

My apologies for not posting as of late. With two kids in school, the year-end activities kept me and the wife pretty busy. Then, my wife and I took off to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, and there was golf to be played and beaches to be sat on, so updates were far from my mind. And, to top it all off, work has been absolutely crazy busy for the past six weeks, so I've had very little free time. I promise that I'll try to be more frequent in my posting on here.

On a Tigers related note, the Sporting News released their latest Power Poll. They have the Tigers ranked #4 moving up three spots from last week. I don't hold too much stock in these ranking systems, but it's an interesting read nonetheless. Here's the link to the article, http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/article/2009-06-22/power-poll-pujols-cardinals-fly-top-3.

I'll be working on the desktop wallpapers this weekend, so look for those early next week.

The Tigers open a three game series against the Chicago Cubs today. Let's keep the winning streak alive!

Go Tigers!

Short break from baseball

This is a Detroit Tigers baseball blog, but every once in a while, I need to give a shoutout to something else. In this case, that something else is the Detroit Red Wings.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that tonight is Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This has been one of the best Finals series I've ever watched, and I cannot wait for the puck to drop.

Not much more to say except....

Let's Go Wings!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

Here's the wallpaper for the month of June. As of last night, the Tigers are sitting at the top of the AL Central division with a 3.5 game lead on the KC Royals. Except for that hiccup of a series against the Rockies, the Tigers have won three of the last four series.


The Tigers head to Baltimore for a four game series and then come back to Detroit for two series. Now is the time for the Tigers to put some serious distance between them and the rest of the division.

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Go Tigers!

Note: I had to update the wallpapers to include a make-up game on the 8th and to correct the month on the 1680x1050 and 1280x800 sizes.

Oh my....

Last night, the Tigers' bats were on fire. Two grand slams, one for Ryan Raburn and one for Brandon Inge. This was really great to see after the disappointing series loss to the Twinkies in the sagging Metrodome. Let's hope the bats stay on fire throughout this series and the rest of the month. I think it's critical for the Tigers to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division.

Go Tigers!

May 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

Here's the desktop wallpaper for May. I asked the readers at MotownSports.com who they'd like to see on upcoming wallpapers, and I was told Inge, Porcello, and Cabrera. As I have never featured Brandon, I thought I'd start with him.

Also, one reader asked that I note which games are shown in HD. So, I've added a new icon next to the game time to indicate this.

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Now back to your regularly scheduled programming

My apologies for the lack of posting lately. I've been absorbed by two things these past couple of weeks, the NFL draft and my actual job.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I am a Detroit Lions fan. Unfortunately, I found their selections from the NFL draft this past weekend to be rather disappointing. But I digress. This is my Detroit Tigers blog, not my "The Detroit Lions will never amount to anything under the ownership of William Clay Ford!!!!!!!!!!!" blog.

On a happier note, the Tigers won the series against the Royals over the weekend by eeking out a 3-2 victory on Sunday. The boys return home to face the Yankees in a three game series. Let's keep the winning going!

Go Tigers!

Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

I'm sure you've heard by now that Mark Fidrych passed away yesterday from an accident on his farm. I can't add anything to what is being said by the papers around Michigan except for my personal memory of Mark.

I never met him in person, and I was too young to remember him on television. However, I was watching the last game at Tiger Stadium with a friend, when during the post-game ceremonies, Mark jogged out to the mound. Then, out of his back pocket, he produced a small plastic bag. He scooped up some of the dirt from the pitcher's mound and put it in the bag. I'll never forget that moment.

Your friendly and outgoing personality will be missed Mark!

Tigers sweep the Rangers

Riding the coattails of Brandon Inge's hot start, the Tigers scored six runs in the eight inning yesterday to sweep the formerly hot Rangers.

The Tigers begin a three game series at home against the White Sox today. Let's hope they keep the winning streak going.

Go Tigers!

April 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

It's here! The 2009 baseball season kicks off this weekend. I'm excited for the team this year, especially after last year.

I couldn't wait until the weekend to post these, so here's the desktop wallpaper for April 2009.

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The photo credit goes to Josh May. He has some great photos that can be viewed at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuckles396/sets/72157604761218301/.

April wallpaper is coming!

For those of you looking for the April desktop wallpaper, it's coming soon! I'll probably post it this weekend, so be sure to check back before Opening Day.

Tigers season opener: @ Toronto 7:15
Tigers home opener: Rangers 1:05

Go Tigers!

Poll results

Earlier this year, I asked you, the blog reader, to let me know if you were going to Lakeland to watch the Tigers prepare for the 2009 season. Overwhelmingly, the majority of you would love to be in sunny Florida, but money seems to be holding you back. You can count me as one of those individuals.

Oh, and for the six of you that did attend, how large is your suitcase?

Also, check out the new slideshow up on the right side of the blog. I've got images of previous desktop wallpapers and some favorite images running. I'll add more as time permits.

Sheffield is gone!

In a move that caught everybody off-guard, the Tigers released DH Gary Sheffield today. They will have to eat the $14 million remaining on his contract, but I feel that's a small price to pay to get someone in the lineup who doesn't pop-up every time he comes to the plate.

So what does this mean for the Tigers? Well, with the very recent acquisition of Josh Anderson, there are a couple scenarios:
1. Marcus Thames becomes the DH.
2. Carlos Guillen becomes the DH, Josh Anderson takes over in left field, and Marcus remains on the roster to fill the occasional outfield spot.

Personally, I think Thames deserves the chance to play the DH spot. His numbers from last year are certainly better than Sheffield's, and he is always a threat to send the ball into the stands. If things don't work out with him in that spot, then move Guillen to DH. Josh Anderson is a decent outfielder, and most importantly, he is a left-handed hitter. The Tigers needed to add another left-handed batter to the roster, and this certainly fills that need.

Utimately, time will tell if this was a good move, or bad decision-making by Dombrowski and Leyland. Let's just hope that Sheffield doesn't hit #500 off a Tiger pitcher.

Go Tigers!

Blog re-design

As you can see, I've been working on re-designing the blog. I was tired of the stale template that blogger had provided, so I decided to change it up a little. There are probably going to be more changes over the next month, but nothing major.

Also, I've added a new gadget on the left. Courtesy of ESPN, you can now view the current MLB standings. While not earth shattering, I thought it would add a little more info to the blog.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions for enhancing the blog. Thanks for reading!

Spring Training 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

After some thought, I decided it would be nice to have a Spring Training wallpaper this year. Unfortunately, none of the games are being televised, but it's still good to know when the Tigers will be playing.

Right-click and choose Save Target As to download the wallpaper in the desired size. I've moved to using PNG files as they are of higher quality. If you prefer JPG files, let me know in the comments section.

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The background photo credit goes to SunnyCentralFloria at Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/25166115@N08/sets/72157604282606762/.

Help support a great cause!!

Kyle (Deadshot) from MotownSports.com is trying out for the Detroit Tigers in March. He tried out last year to see how the process worked, and is trying out again this year, but for a great cause. Kyle is raising funds to help a local homeless shelter in Lakeland, FL.

To raise these funds, Kyle has set up a website to chart his progress and to collect funds via PayPal. You can check out the website at http://www.tryoutforacause.com/.

Let's help out a great cause and root for Kyle at the same time.

Go Tigers!

A deep pitching staff????

Lynn Henning of the Detroit News has a great article on our pitching staff. Check it out, http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090127/SPORTS0104/901270348/1129.

Spring is right around the ...

Yeah right!

I could only wish I was in Florida right about now.