What you get for second guessing
Just got another lesson in why Jim Leyland is managing the Tigers and not yours truly.
I second guessed his decision to DH the anonymous Alexis Gomez instead of Marcus Thames and guess what happened? Gomez slapped a two-run single off the glove of Eric Chavez in the fourth. Then he obliterated a two-run homer in the sixth to stretch the Detroit lead to 7-3.
The Tigers just seem like the team that is on that proverbial roll where they feel invincible.
We saw it with the Marlins in ’03; We saw it with the Red Sox in ’04; We saw it with the White Sox last year.
And now, we’re seeing it with these Tigers.
See you in snowy Detroit.
Ian.
2006 ALCS: Tigers vs. Athletics 
I loved to see the Detroit Tiger’s walk all over the Oakland A’s. I did some work for the Oakland A’s in 2005 during Spring Training in Az. We say do on to others as you want others to do on to you. Them meeting planners were not very nice at all. Well my home team has the chance to change that. AS I LOVE TO SEE DETROIT WIN OVER THE OAKLAND A’S. While going back to Detroit for their last win over the A’s. : )
Ha ha Ian, it’s not your fault. The Tigers have received very little real media coverage this year. Alexis Gomez is a good young player and many of us have been lobbying for more playing time for him. He had the big hit in a Detroit ninth inning comeback in Oakland back in April. Since then, he’s been used in spots, sent to the minors (where he hit four homers in one game), brought back, keeps his mouth shut and is ready when called. Hats off to Alexis Gomez.
I’m with ya Ian! My brother and I were saying “well, Gomez is ok but what about infnte” etc etc. then Gomez does his thing…I just turned to my brother and said “I should know better than to second guess Leyland” The guy is a zenmastershaminvoodoowitchdoctor or something!!!!!!
By the way, all of you who commented tonight, please spread the word about this blog so we can have a bigger discussion panel for the rest of the series. tell all your family and friends. Let’s have some fun here.
Ian love the blog. I think we all saw a weakness to our Tigers. When we don’t throw strike we get in trouble. Rodney looked really good last night and the Roller Coaster (Todd Jones) found a way to close it out.
The bats are really coming around for us and nice to see Gomez get his due. He hit 4 HRs in one game for AAA Toledo. I didn’t like Perez in the lineup and hated him in the #2 spot. I think Santiago is as good of a hitter, much faster, and a better fielder.
Now, now, the A’s are a classy organization. No need to dump trash on them. They’ve suffered some tough injuries this year, and I have no doubt they’ll be in the mix next year. It’s a good young team.
Good job on the blog, Ian, look forward to more updates.
Go Tigers!
I tend to see a lot of people who don’t have faith in the Tigers. Pretty much everybody OUTSIDE of Michigan. Frankly people who haven’t watched every game or at least watched to see if they’ve won or not haven’t seen the mojo that this team has working for them this year. I looked at espn.com and not a single one of their “experts” picked them to beat the Yankees. Not a one picked them to make the playoffs even. Then again, nobody really thought they’d make it into the playoffs. The boys are doing great. Hope they keep it up!
What MLB has done to the Detroit Tigers IS UNFAIR. They should not be playing their game at 4:00 and to say it’s because of “inclimate weather” is not a good excuse. Flushing, New York will only be 4 degrees warmer then here in Detroit.MLB did this for TV purposes only. MLB should be ashamed of themselves for pulling this stunt.
Ian have you heard any reason why they are changing the game time? Is this just another example of MLB selling out?
WOW, Leyland is the man. I had the same opinion when I saw the line up and my wife said you know better than to second guess him.
I also questioned bringing in Grilli to face Thomas but he struck him out. Not sure why he used Perez.
Two out of three for Leyland is .666 average.Thats great!
Wait to you guys get a load of PacMan as SS. (Santiago)
This guy can flat out pick it and has great range ans a strong accurate arm.
Perez is, IMHO, a mistake waiting to happen. He has experience, has the reputation of having a good glove (though I disagree). Having a good glove to me means more than the leather you wear–you have to be able to get to balls that often go thru for hits, and to be able to have the right footwork at the bag in order to complet those douple plays.
Guillen plays a good shortstop and sometimes a fabulous shortstop but he is now needed at first and this may help him physically since he is still overcoming a pulled hamstring.
The other guy the Tigers can play at SS, is also very adept with good range and can hit with some power. We may not see a lot of him because the As are stocked with RHP but I would much prefer him to Perez regardless.
If the Tigers make it to the World Series I think you can expect to see Chris Shelton activated, especially if they face the Mets. Shelton set the league on fire when the season opened then slumped dramatically and almost tragically. Got sent down to the minors with a .270 + bat avg to “get his swing back”.
Came back and suffered from lack of playaing time and management confidence.
He is adequate first sacker and the kid can flat out hit. If Casey stays gone you can bet on “Big Red” being added.
For you folks who are new to watching the Tigers, keep an eye on Guillen. He is a a genuinely creative ballplayer who will take an extra base on the paths when he senses a diversion or someone going to sleep in the field. Will steal a base or two as well.
Granderson is looking like he has disccovered himself and will likely be a 30-30 guy in the not-too-distant future. He his playing very well right now and after having the dubious honor of leading the AL batters in strikeouts has fanned only twice in the post season. He tracks down just about everything hit his way in CF. The guy that keeps the whole thing energized is the 2B Polanco. He’s just money in the bank and one of the best RHB around. Hits RHP better thand LHP too.
Sorry to take up so much space and I wish I could have capsulized the other players as they are a deserving and talented bunch that believe in each other. Enjoy the rest of the playoff season!
The Tigers are being treated like the Astros were treated last year. I spent the first part of my life in Michigan and the last 20 years in Houston so although I am forever a Tigers fan (good season or bad), I love the Astros too. For some reason the press like to treat my two “home” teams like red-headed step children. It wasn’t until the Astro’s won their pennant that the media started giving them any credit at all. I guess it will be the same for the Tigers. Maybe after they kick butt tomorrow night they will finally get some props.
They have had my love and admiration all along. Go get ’em Tigers!!!
Just want to let everyone here know…
Tigers are very good baseball team!!!
But they haven’t done anything special in my eyes YET!
Oakland has beat themselves both times fundamentally. IF they start playing fundamentally they win 4 out of the next 5. Pitchers settle down and defense kicks back in means Tiger offense kicked way down. Oakland bats are doing just fine! Not attacking anyone not looking for confrontation, just saw too many blogs about how great the tigers are had to state that the A’s aren’t getting beat by anyone but themselves.
C’mon Tigers you can do it!
Please finish the seris in Detroit, Detroit Loves our Tigers!
I just want to add a word on tomorrow’s weather. What with all the talk of cold, the main factor will be wind. I see a 20-30 mph wind from the SW, which in Comerica Park translates to a gale blowing directly out to leftfield. There are a lot of righthand sluggers in both lineups that could have a big day. I’m talking Bradley and Swisher hitting from the right side against Rogers, along with big Frank, plus Monroe, Ordonez, Inge, and Guillen if he goes the other way. Throw in late day shadows, if there’s sun, and this could be a crazy day of baseball.
It stinks that mlb moved the game time, especially with such short notice. New York wins again! Does anybody outside of NYC wonder why everybody else in the US hates their sports teams? I didn’t think so…
It does seem like kind of a raw deal but I actually do believe that the weather in this case is a factor. Not totally, MLB is only too glad to make the change and it’s a shame that it will affect people personally but if you look at the forecast:
http://freep.weather.gannettonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=WEATHER0401&City=Detroit&State=MI
This may be a window of opportunity to get the game in.
Green93 – got to disagree with you. When you have 2nd & 3rd no outs and then 3 straight Ks, that’s good pitching. When your ace gets chased in the 4th, that’s good hitting. Now, if the Tigers’ two wins were 1-0 or 2-1 affairs with primarily unearned runs, your argument is fine. But the fact is that Thomas and Swisher are 0-fer, the pitching has given up 13 runs (all earned), and our 4th best starter dominated in game 1. In other words, what Detroit has done so far in this series has been special. See you next year, Athletics.
Green, The Tigers are indeed a lucky ball team. They got the Yankees to beat themselves and now the As are beating themselves. Next it will be the Mets or Cards that beat themselves.
Is there a pattern here?