Started working on a monstrous NFL Preview ... got about halfway through and started getting bored. Rather than write a half-assed attempt, I think I'll wait until this lockout really gets settled, and then wait for the free agency frenzy to start. I could wax eloquently about the Ravens (12-4) or the Giants (8-8) or Texans (5-11), but once free agency hits, everything changes.
For Detroit, there are two priorities: 1) fill your needs, 2) get a star on defense.
Obviously Nnamdi Asomugha is the guy we desperately need and want. He'll be looking for a humongous deal, which probably puts us out of the running, but if William Clay Ford is thinking about winning NOW instead of continuing the rebuilding process, he's got to open up the wallet and bring in Nnamdi. At the least, he brings 2 or 3 victories single-handedly. I think he locks us into the playoffs.
Even if we fall short of the Asomugha sweepstakes (we probably will), there are tons of talented football players just waiting for the lockout to end so they can get signed. Detroit needs at least two linebackers and at least one cornerback, and would be wise to get some depth on the offensive line and at safety. It wouldn't hurt to get a veteran possession receiver, maybe a young kicker who can boot the ball 50+ yards (sorry Jason Hanson, I love you, but it's over), and heck, how about a quarterback who doesn't suck.
According to all the experts, the lockout should end within a week. Then the frenzy begins, and I start furiously writing some preview/predictions/fantasy stuff. Go Lions, I can't wait for football season so I can stop suffering through the retarted Tigers. On the positive side, at least Leyland is one step closer to being fired after last night's embarassing shutout.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thoughts on Leyland
Listening to the radio yesterday, the following question was asked: "How much credit does Jim Leyland deserve for the Tigers currently being in first place?"
Since I refuse to call and talk to HUGE, the biggest moron in the world, I answered the question to myself, out loud, and became increasingly frustrated as I did so. The short answer is "None at all." The long answer is explained in the following paragraphs.
The Tigers are 1 game ahead of the Cleveland Indians right now, which means that we are leading the crappiest division in baseball by one measly game. If we were in the AL East, we'd be fourth. We have a losing record on the road. We're only 7 games above .500, having played almost 80 games thus far. So yes, we're in first place, but my argument is that we should be 10 games, not 1 game, ahead of the Indians.
Why? Well, for starters we have the two best overall players in the AL Central and that can't be debated. Justin Verlander is the best pitcher, and arguably best player, in all of major league baseball for 2011. He's flawless; the Cy Young is his to lose, and right now he's your AL MVP. Then there's Miguel Cabrera, hitting .330, slugging .570, and tops in the division in every hitting category imaginable.
The funny thing is, Victor Martinez is probably the third best player in the AL Central, and with the way Peralta and Avila are hitting this season, we might have five of the ten best players in the AL Central.
And yet, we're 1 game ahead of crappy Cleveland, who doesn't have a batter hitting above .300. Detroit has FIVE. Cleveland's best pitcher, Justin Masterson, has a LOSING record of 5-6. Verlander has pitched 20 innings more than him, and given up FEWER runs. Our starting rotation is miles better than the Indians', and our offense is hitting .268 (3rd in MLB) while Cleveland's hits .247 (19th).
And yet, we're only ONE LOUSY GAME ahead.
It's not an issue of celebrating our lead. It's an issue of lamenting the 10 or 15 games we lost this year that we should have, could have, and would have won if not for the incompetency, stubbornness, and possible mental instability of our skipper, Mr. Marlboro himself, James Richard Leyland.
Jimbo is 66 but looks and acts like he's in his mid 90s. The game has passed him by, and now all he's left with are decades of bitter memories, and a burning desire to piss off the media (who he doesn't trust) and the fans (whom he doesn't like). If his desire to win baseball games is an 8 out of 10 (and it might be lower), his desire to belittle media members and infuriate fans is a 72. He's Rod Marinelli with lung cancer. His smug, demeaning, insolent demeanor says "I know what the hell I'm doing, don't you dare question me!"
Here's the thing though ... Leyland doesn't know what the hell he is doing. If he did, Detroit would have the best record in baseball. Leyland routinely makes the same mistakes game after game, year after year. As a result, Detroit loses way too many baseball games, and ends up watching the playoffs from home.
Leyland keeps pitchers in too long, platoons the wrong guys, uses ineffective lineups, lacks creativity, and worst off all, bitterly refuses to learn from his mistakes. In the mind of Jim Leyland, there are no mistakes. As he likes to say "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
No.
Wrong answer.
Sometimes you win, other times you should have done more to try to win. You don't just accept losing. I know baseball teams can't go 162-0, but damn it, you should try. Don't throw a crappy pitcher out there and let them get rocked in the 6th inning. Use your damn bullpen. Don't let Brandon Inge bat with guys on and one out in a tied game in the 8th inning; use a damn pinch hitter. Heck, don't let Inge bat EVER, but that's a separate issue.
Leyland does less to intentionally win games than any coach or manager in any sport. He takes his cards and leaves the game to luck. "I'll bench Peralta today and see what happens." "I know Coke is pitching poorly today, but I wonder if he can finish the 7th. Let's see..."
It's not a slot machine. It's a dang baseball game. It's not an inevitable sequence of uncontrollable events; it's a living organism, and no person has more power to control it than the skipper. How many times has Leyland ordered a squeeze bunt this year? Maybe twice? How many well-timed pitching changes? Maybe five? Here's the most important question: how many times has Jim Leyland started the offensive lineup that gives us the best possible chance for winning? Answer: not nearly often enough.
The best lineup, without question, is some combination of:
Austin Jackson, CF
Alex Avila, C
Brendan Boesch, LF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Victor Martinez, DH
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Magglio Ordonez/Andy Dirks platoon, RF
Don Kelly, 3B
Ramon Santiago/Danny Worth platoon, 2B
On a daily basis, Leyland "rests" one of his six great hitters. 'Rest' is a nice way of saying "What the hell is Boesch doing on the bench??? He's only 24 years old! He doesn't need any damn rest!!"
However, the two worst batters in all of major league baseball, Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn, never get the benefit of such "rest." Leyland plays them, starts them, in fact, shoves them down the throats of Tigers' fans who in turn write hundreds and hundreds of angry comments on mlive.com/tigers. If you go to that site and click on any column, 99% of the comments are anti-Leyland or anti-Raburn or anti-Inge. Usually, it's some combination of the three.
We've got a MVP pitcher dominating the league and a superstar first baseman, and all the fans can think about is how much we hate Raburn's .239 on-base percentage and 76 strikeouts. Danny Worth is a much, much, much, much, much better player than Raburn, both in the batter's box and in the field. And yet he has half as many at-bats as Raburn's has strikeouts.
Despite having the MLB's worst on-base percentage among batters with 200 ABs, Raburn has the sixth most at-bats on the Tigers. More than All-Star Alex Avila, more than upcoming Andy Dirks, more than multi-purpose Don Kelly. As any Tigers fan will tell you, Raburn doesn't belong in the Majors. But as I'll tell you, he doesn't even belong in the Minors. He shouldn't even be allowed to watch baseball.
He doesn't have the bat speed to hit anything. 80 MPH fastballs blaze past him. Ordinary curveballs confound him. With his limited bat speed and lack of hitting instincts, the best way to describe him is that he makes every single pitcher look like Justin Verlander. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't say that Brandon Inge does the exact same thing.
Of course, when Inge was batting a measly .208 it was greeted with rousing joy when he was sent to the 15-day disabled list with mono. Most fans speculated that he obtained mono from making out with Leyland; no other rationale could explain how he ever saw the field. Most of us were waiting to hear that Raburn also had the kissing disease.
In AAA, Inge hit less than .240. He proved that he can't even hit minor league pitchers. So of course, Leyland inserted him right back into the starting lineup at the first possible chance, and hasn't taken him out since. Never before has a player returned from injury to the dismay of so many fans. Since returning, Inge has 12 at-bats and 2 hits, a dazzling .166 average. He's also got 3 strikeouts. Frankly, both of those hits were small miracles, and he could easily be 0 for 12.
But here's the thing. I'm not mad at Raburn and Inge. I'm really truly not.
What are they supposed to do, bench themselves? Hold a press conference to say, "Sorry everyone, but we both suck so badly that we have decided to retire from baseball and in the process lose millions of dollars." I mean, it's not their fault they are sucky players. Well, it is ... but it's not their fault they are players. What they should be is watchers. Spectators. Unemployed spectators.
Send them both down to the minors to "work on their swings" if you want to be gracious. I know they are both owed some money, so that's probably the thing to do. Or maybe trade them for a 9th round pick and some chewing tobacco. Who cares. Just get them the heck off the field. That's Leyland's job. Put the best team on the field. It's an absurdly easy decision that he refuses to make.
There are only 3 possible reasons:
1) He hates the fans so much that he wants us to suffer;
2) He is so unbelievably stubborn and set in his ways that he won't admit he is wrong;
3) He has the early stages of dementia, and I'm not joking about that.
I believe it is a solid combination of all three, mixed with the effects of sucking down 40-50 cigarettes a day and possible some mental insanity. After all, the definition of "insane" is 'doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.'
If you had a center in the NBA who shoots 20% from the floor and gets 1 rebound a game, would you leave that guy in the starting lineup all season, even if 99.999% of the fans were begging you to get rid of him, even if he were costing you valuable wins?? Inge and Raburn are that guy. They are Darko, Harrington, Charlie Batch. They strike out with a guy on 3rd and no outs on a near DAILY basis. It's inexcusable. How hard is it to smack a sacrifice fly? Cabrera can do it 100 times out of 100. Inge can't do it once. He strikes out looking on a 60 MPH softball pitch. Raburn couldn't hit the ball off a tee. And these idiots are getting more playing time than Alex Avila, who is an unquestioned All Star hitting above .300. In a combined 393 at-bats, Inge and Raburn have 40 RBIs and 25 extra-base hits. In 214 ABs, Avila has 45 and 28, respectively. Inge and Raburn combine for 123 strikeouts, or 31% of their at-bats. The six best hitters on the team combine for 219 strikeouts on 1,379 ABs, or a 14% rate. It's just totally inexcusable, pathetic, and unexplainable. Not on the part of Inge and Raburn, but on James Richard Leyland.
I haven't even touched on Leyland's inability to manage pitchers, and his insistence of leaving Phil Coke in the starting rotation despite the 1-7 record. I also haven't touched on the fact that Raburn leads the team in errors and has the lowest fielding percentage, so forget about him being on the field for defensive purposes. As for Inge, he has a knack for making the easy plays look hard, and isn't a better defender than Don Kelly. In fact, Kelly's .964 fielding percentage is better than Inge's .960, and he has half as many errors in about the same number of chances.
The counter-argument to all I've said is easy: Who else could you play at 3rd and 2nd? Do the Tigers have a better option than these two scrubs? Well, it's a good point. Ramon Santiago is only hitting .209. But, he is a switch-hitter, he can draw walks, he can bunt, he doesn't strike out (20% rate), and he puts the ball in play with guys on base. That's all you need at the bottom of the order. He's not good, but he's an improvement. At 3rd, Kelly is way better than Inge, and just because he's not a star doesn't mean he should sit the bench so Leyland can be a loyalist. Put the best team on the field, and give your team the best chance to win. How freaking hard is that to figure out!?
Obviously, Detroit needs to work a trade before the deadline for an infielder. They might need to consider giving up some relievers or even a decent prospect like Dirks or Worth. People have discussed a trade involving Boesch and/or Jacob Turner (young pitcher who should be in the rotation next year). Most fans say no way. I actually don't mind it, as long as we get a 2B or 3B who can hit .280 or higher with some power. We've got a glut of outfielders, and as much as I love Boesch, the infield is absolutely brutal and we can't win a World Series with Inge and Raburn on the field. Of course, the only way Boesch is tradeable is if Magglio starts hitting, and that remains to be seen.
So in summary, my answer to the radio question is this: "Leyland deserves zero credit for the Tigers being in first place. Instead, he deserves 90% of the blame for Detroit not being 10 games ahead of Cleveland. We are in first place in spite of his terrible managing."
If Detroit misses the playoffs this year, Leyland is gone. That's a certainty. If we make the playoffs and get ousted in the first round, I still think he'll be gone. This team is too good not to make a playoff run. We've got the best dang pitcher in baseball and arguably the best hitter. Stop screwing around Leyland. Why don't you go die of lung cancer?
In non-baseball news, it looks like the NFL might actually happen. I'm 90% optimistic, which is higher than I've been in a long time. In fact, I might starting working on some Power Rankings/ NFL Preview stuff. If there was some free agency, that would help. The Lions could be anywhere from 5-11 to 11-5, depending on free agency (and by 'free agency,' I mean Nnamdi Asomugha.)
Go Lions!
Since I refuse to call and talk to HUGE, the biggest moron in the world, I answered the question to myself, out loud, and became increasingly frustrated as I did so. The short answer is "None at all." The long answer is explained in the following paragraphs.
The Tigers are 1 game ahead of the Cleveland Indians right now, which means that we are leading the crappiest division in baseball by one measly game. If we were in the AL East, we'd be fourth. We have a losing record on the road. We're only 7 games above .500, having played almost 80 games thus far. So yes, we're in first place, but my argument is that we should be 10 games, not 1 game, ahead of the Indians.
Why? Well, for starters we have the two best overall players in the AL Central and that can't be debated. Justin Verlander is the best pitcher, and arguably best player, in all of major league baseball for 2011. He's flawless; the Cy Young is his to lose, and right now he's your AL MVP. Then there's Miguel Cabrera, hitting .330, slugging .570, and tops in the division in every hitting category imaginable.
The funny thing is, Victor Martinez is probably the third best player in the AL Central, and with the way Peralta and Avila are hitting this season, we might have five of the ten best players in the AL Central.
And yet, we're 1 game ahead of crappy Cleveland, who doesn't have a batter hitting above .300. Detroit has FIVE. Cleveland's best pitcher, Justin Masterson, has a LOSING record of 5-6. Verlander has pitched 20 innings more than him, and given up FEWER runs. Our starting rotation is miles better than the Indians', and our offense is hitting .268 (3rd in MLB) while Cleveland's hits .247 (19th).
And yet, we're only ONE LOUSY GAME ahead.
It's not an issue of celebrating our lead. It's an issue of lamenting the 10 or 15 games we lost this year that we should have, could have, and would have won if not for the incompetency, stubbornness, and possible mental instability of our skipper, Mr. Marlboro himself, James Richard Leyland.
Jimbo is 66 but looks and acts like he's in his mid 90s. The game has passed him by, and now all he's left with are decades of bitter memories, and a burning desire to piss off the media (who he doesn't trust) and the fans (whom he doesn't like). If his desire to win baseball games is an 8 out of 10 (and it might be lower), his desire to belittle media members and infuriate fans is a 72. He's Rod Marinelli with lung cancer. His smug, demeaning, insolent demeanor says "I know what the hell I'm doing, don't you dare question me!"
Here's the thing though ... Leyland doesn't know what the hell he is doing. If he did, Detroit would have the best record in baseball. Leyland routinely makes the same mistakes game after game, year after year. As a result, Detroit loses way too many baseball games, and ends up watching the playoffs from home.
Leyland keeps pitchers in too long, platoons the wrong guys, uses ineffective lineups, lacks creativity, and worst off all, bitterly refuses to learn from his mistakes. In the mind of Jim Leyland, there are no mistakes. As he likes to say "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
No.
Wrong answer.
Sometimes you win, other times you should have done more to try to win. You don't just accept losing. I know baseball teams can't go 162-0, but damn it, you should try. Don't throw a crappy pitcher out there and let them get rocked in the 6th inning. Use your damn bullpen. Don't let Brandon Inge bat with guys on and one out in a tied game in the 8th inning; use a damn pinch hitter. Heck, don't let Inge bat EVER, but that's a separate issue.
Leyland does less to intentionally win games than any coach or manager in any sport. He takes his cards and leaves the game to luck. "I'll bench Peralta today and see what happens." "I know Coke is pitching poorly today, but I wonder if he can finish the 7th. Let's see..."
It's not a slot machine. It's a dang baseball game. It's not an inevitable sequence of uncontrollable events; it's a living organism, and no person has more power to control it than the skipper. How many times has Leyland ordered a squeeze bunt this year? Maybe twice? How many well-timed pitching changes? Maybe five? Here's the most important question: how many times has Jim Leyland started the offensive lineup that gives us the best possible chance for winning? Answer: not nearly often enough.
The best lineup, without question, is some combination of:
Austin Jackson, CF
Alex Avila, C
Brendan Boesch, LF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Victor Martinez, DH
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Magglio Ordonez/Andy Dirks platoon, RF
Don Kelly, 3B
Ramon Santiago/Danny Worth platoon, 2B
On a daily basis, Leyland "rests" one of his six great hitters. 'Rest' is a nice way of saying "What the hell is Boesch doing on the bench??? He's only 24 years old! He doesn't need any damn rest!!"
However, the two worst batters in all of major league baseball, Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn, never get the benefit of such "rest." Leyland plays them, starts them, in fact, shoves them down the throats of Tigers' fans who in turn write hundreds and hundreds of angry comments on mlive.com/tigers. If you go to that site and click on any column, 99% of the comments are anti-Leyland or anti-Raburn or anti-Inge. Usually, it's some combination of the three.
We've got a MVP pitcher dominating the league and a superstar first baseman, and all the fans can think about is how much we hate Raburn's .239 on-base percentage and 76 strikeouts. Danny Worth is a much, much, much, much, much better player than Raburn, both in the batter's box and in the field. And yet he has half as many at-bats as Raburn's has strikeouts.
Despite having the MLB's worst on-base percentage among batters with 200 ABs, Raburn has the sixth most at-bats on the Tigers. More than All-Star Alex Avila, more than upcoming Andy Dirks, more than multi-purpose Don Kelly. As any Tigers fan will tell you, Raburn doesn't belong in the Majors. But as I'll tell you, he doesn't even belong in the Minors. He shouldn't even be allowed to watch baseball.
He doesn't have the bat speed to hit anything. 80 MPH fastballs blaze past him. Ordinary curveballs confound him. With his limited bat speed and lack of hitting instincts, the best way to describe him is that he makes every single pitcher look like Justin Verlander. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't say that Brandon Inge does the exact same thing.
Of course, when Inge was batting a measly .208 it was greeted with rousing joy when he was sent to the 15-day disabled list with mono. Most fans speculated that he obtained mono from making out with Leyland; no other rationale could explain how he ever saw the field. Most of us were waiting to hear that Raburn also had the kissing disease.
In AAA, Inge hit less than .240. He proved that he can't even hit minor league pitchers. So of course, Leyland inserted him right back into the starting lineup at the first possible chance, and hasn't taken him out since. Never before has a player returned from injury to the dismay of so many fans. Since returning, Inge has 12 at-bats and 2 hits, a dazzling .166 average. He's also got 3 strikeouts. Frankly, both of those hits were small miracles, and he could easily be 0 for 12.
But here's the thing. I'm not mad at Raburn and Inge. I'm really truly not.
What are they supposed to do, bench themselves? Hold a press conference to say, "Sorry everyone, but we both suck so badly that we have decided to retire from baseball and in the process lose millions of dollars." I mean, it's not their fault they are sucky players. Well, it is ... but it's not their fault they are players. What they should be is watchers. Spectators. Unemployed spectators.
Send them both down to the minors to "work on their swings" if you want to be gracious. I know they are both owed some money, so that's probably the thing to do. Or maybe trade them for a 9th round pick and some chewing tobacco. Who cares. Just get them the heck off the field. That's Leyland's job. Put the best team on the field. It's an absurdly easy decision that he refuses to make.
There are only 3 possible reasons:
1) He hates the fans so much that he wants us to suffer;
2) He is so unbelievably stubborn and set in his ways that he won't admit he is wrong;
3) He has the early stages of dementia, and I'm not joking about that.
I believe it is a solid combination of all three, mixed with the effects of sucking down 40-50 cigarettes a day and possible some mental insanity. After all, the definition of "insane" is 'doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.'
If you had a center in the NBA who shoots 20% from the floor and gets 1 rebound a game, would you leave that guy in the starting lineup all season, even if 99.999% of the fans were begging you to get rid of him, even if he were costing you valuable wins?? Inge and Raburn are that guy. They are Darko, Harrington, Charlie Batch. They strike out with a guy on 3rd and no outs on a near DAILY basis. It's inexcusable. How hard is it to smack a sacrifice fly? Cabrera can do it 100 times out of 100. Inge can't do it once. He strikes out looking on a 60 MPH softball pitch. Raburn couldn't hit the ball off a tee. And these idiots are getting more playing time than Alex Avila, who is an unquestioned All Star hitting above .300. In a combined 393 at-bats, Inge and Raburn have 40 RBIs and 25 extra-base hits. In 214 ABs, Avila has 45 and 28, respectively. Inge and Raburn combine for 123 strikeouts, or 31% of their at-bats. The six best hitters on the team combine for 219 strikeouts on 1,379 ABs, or a 14% rate. It's just totally inexcusable, pathetic, and unexplainable. Not on the part of Inge and Raburn, but on James Richard Leyland.
I haven't even touched on Leyland's inability to manage pitchers, and his insistence of leaving Phil Coke in the starting rotation despite the 1-7 record. I also haven't touched on the fact that Raburn leads the team in errors and has the lowest fielding percentage, so forget about him being on the field for defensive purposes. As for Inge, he has a knack for making the easy plays look hard, and isn't a better defender than Don Kelly. In fact, Kelly's .964 fielding percentage is better than Inge's .960, and he has half as many errors in about the same number of chances.
The counter-argument to all I've said is easy: Who else could you play at 3rd and 2nd? Do the Tigers have a better option than these two scrubs? Well, it's a good point. Ramon Santiago is only hitting .209. But, he is a switch-hitter, he can draw walks, he can bunt, he doesn't strike out (20% rate), and he puts the ball in play with guys on base. That's all you need at the bottom of the order. He's not good, but he's an improvement. At 3rd, Kelly is way better than Inge, and just because he's not a star doesn't mean he should sit the bench so Leyland can be a loyalist. Put the best team on the field, and give your team the best chance to win. How freaking hard is that to figure out!?
Obviously, Detroit needs to work a trade before the deadline for an infielder. They might need to consider giving up some relievers or even a decent prospect like Dirks or Worth. People have discussed a trade involving Boesch and/or Jacob Turner (young pitcher who should be in the rotation next year). Most fans say no way. I actually don't mind it, as long as we get a 2B or 3B who can hit .280 or higher with some power. We've got a glut of outfielders, and as much as I love Boesch, the infield is absolutely brutal and we can't win a World Series with Inge and Raburn on the field. Of course, the only way Boesch is tradeable is if Magglio starts hitting, and that remains to be seen.
So in summary, my answer to the radio question is this: "Leyland deserves zero credit for the Tigers being in first place. Instead, he deserves 90% of the blame for Detroit not being 10 games ahead of Cleveland. We are in first place in spite of his terrible managing."
If Detroit misses the playoffs this year, Leyland is gone. That's a certainty. If we make the playoffs and get ousted in the first round, I still think he'll be gone. This team is too good not to make a playoff run. We've got the best dang pitcher in baseball and arguably the best hitter. Stop screwing around Leyland. Why don't you go die of lung cancer?
In non-baseball news, it looks like the NFL might actually happen. I'm 90% optimistic, which is higher than I've been in a long time. In fact, I might starting working on some Power Rankings/ NFL Preview stuff. If there was some free agency, that would help. The Lions could be anywhere from 5-11 to 11-5, depending on free agency (and by 'free agency,' I mean Nnamdi Asomugha.)
Go Lions!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Verlander
In case you haven't noticed, Justin Verlander is all of a sudden the best pitcher in the American League. Well, actually he's been that for over a year now. But now he's got the stats to match it, and people are finally starting to realize what's been true all along.
Currently, JV leads the AL in innings pitched, in strikeouts, is second in wins and fifth in ERA. He's second in complete games with 3, third in K/BB, and first overall in WHIP (walks + hits / inning pitched). In the era of statistical obsession, Verlander is turning into a household name. But forget all the numbers, one fact is most impressive - he's the only pitcher since maybe 2001 Randy Johnson who can throw triple-digits speeds into the 9th inning.
Right now he's well on his way to a Cy Young, and has the Tigers 1 game ahead of Cleveland. But we shouldn't get too comfortable, because starting tonight we have 6 straight road games against NL West teams, while Cleveland gets the luxury of a three-game homestand against the Pirates.
In other news, it's just a few months away from football season and we still don't know squat. By this time last year I was ranking the fantasy tight ends and had written tens of thousands of words about the upcoming season. Now I am holding off on my thoughts and predictions until I have a reason to think and predict. Rumor has it we're close to a deal, but I won't believe anything until it's done.
This timing stinks, because the Lions are set to contend for the playoffs as long as Stafford doesn't completely suck.
Currently, JV leads the AL in innings pitched, in strikeouts, is second in wins and fifth in ERA. He's second in complete games with 3, third in K/BB, and first overall in WHIP (walks + hits / inning pitched). In the era of statistical obsession, Verlander is turning into a household name. But forget all the numbers, one fact is most impressive - he's the only pitcher since maybe 2001 Randy Johnson who can throw triple-digits speeds into the 9th inning.
Right now he's well on his way to a Cy Young, and has the Tigers 1 game ahead of Cleveland. But we shouldn't get too comfortable, because starting tonight we have 6 straight road games against NL West teams, while Cleveland gets the luxury of a three-game homestand against the Pirates.
In other news, it's just a few months away from football season and we still don't know squat. By this time last year I was ranking the fantasy tight ends and had written tens of thousands of words about the upcoming season. Now I am holding off on my thoughts and predictions until I have a reason to think and predict. Rumor has it we're close to a deal, but I won't believe anything until it's done.
This timing stinks, because the Lions are set to contend for the playoffs as long as Stafford doesn't completely suck.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Who Will Run For President in 2016?
That's really the only interesting question in politics right now, because let's face it: the 2012 election is going to be another blowout. Obama would have to be caught selling child porn to Al Qaeda in order to lose, and even then he still might beat Sarah Palin.
I haven't strongly liked or strongly disliked Obama during his tenure. Economically, I think he's struggled. That's probably an understatement. As far as job-creation and health care, I give him very low marks. I haven't been a big fan of his foreign policies regarding the wars, but Osama is dead, so that's a plus. Gas prices are high, national debt is skyrocketing, and everyone seems to hate universal health care. So for all the things that matter, I have to say I'm disappointed in Obama's first term.
But in terms of his character and appeal, and his status as a figurehead, I like him. I think he represents our country well, he's very classy and well-spoken, unassuming yet strong. He's shown a funny side, an emotional side, and most importantly, I think he is quite genuine. I think it's invaluable to the progression of our country to have a positive role model for African American children to look at and say "Yeah, I could be President. But that means I have to start talking and acting like a normal person, and not a thug." Which could end up being hugely important the growth of our country.
I don't want to get off a what would appear to be a racist rant, but I think one of the reasons America is getting our butts kicked by Japan and China and India and parts of Europe is that those countries don't have 15-20% of the population engaging in counter-culture thuggishness and basically resisting and resenting anything related to hard work or decency. There are millions of Americans who live by the motto "Try to get rich by either being an athlete or rapper, and if that doesn't work, collect welfare checks, walk around aimlessly during the day, yell at random people just to appear intimidating, wear silly clothes that are 5 sizes too big, and eventually do something stupid and go to jail."
Is this an over-generalization? Of course. Do people break the cycle of poverty and become successful? All the time. It's not racism to point out an obvious truth, is it? The welfare system is completely insane. The principal behind it is okay, but the execution of it is terrible. Working at International Steward over the past 18 months, I've learned something: handouts don't work. They lead to a lack of dignity, a mindset of entitlement and laziness, and they ultimately make things worse. This is true regarding foreign aid, but it's just as true in our own streets.
Anyway ... you can't blame Obama for the stupidity of millions of people, nor can you blame any president. But I do think his presence as an intelligent and powerful black man could end up being one of the most important things in American history. Black America really needs to get its act together as a whole, and just stop encouraging stupid behavior. Maybe Charles Barkley said it best ...
"I see him as a great role model 'cause we got to get more black kids educated. And you know we have this terrible thing going on in the black community about if a black kid does well in school we make fun of him. We've got to get more black kids getting their education, carrying themselves with great dignity, and self esteem."
Couldn't agree more.
Like it or not, we are going to have Obama as President for another 5 years. I was going to look at the Republican candidates for 2012, but really, what's the point? If you haven't realized by now that it's a lost cause, you're not seeing the whole picture. Huckabee dropped out, Trump is out, Daniels is out. Romney and Palin are 1 and 2 in the polls right now, and neither stand a chance. I could see Mitt putting up a semi-reasonable fight, maybe getting 200 electoral votes (McCain got 173). But he doesn't seem to have the GOP excited or unified.
Sarah being the nomination would be the saddest thing to happen to our country since slavery, and would effectively spell the end of the Republican party. When 55% of the nation and 90% of the world thinks your candidate is a completely worthless buffoon, it does not help build your case. Of all the millions of capable Americans, is Sarah "I've Never Taken a Law Class in my Life" Palin really the most capable President? Seriously, can we all just stop this silly charade and admit McCain made a mistake? Why is she still even considered a viable politician?
It's too bad, because the Presidential Election is one of the greatest things about America, and it's usually pretty exciting. But unless Obama makes a remarkable mistake, or unless Ronald Reagan rises from the grave, I don't see any way the Republicans even make this a contest.
Let's look at the map.
California (55 votes) is a clear win for the Democrats. So is New York (31). Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Michigan all used to be considered 'swing states.' In 2008 Obama won each of them by at least 4%, including a 16% blowout in Michigan. That's 170 electoral votes right there. You need 270 to win.
Democrats always carry the east coast (Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, DC) which combine for another 65. None of those states were even remotely close. You can give Obama Illinois and Hawaii for obvious reasons, and that's another 25, bringing the total to 260.
That means he only needs to win Wisconsin OR Minnesota OR Virginia OR North Carolina OR Missouri OR Indiana to win. Considering he won all of those states in 2008, it seems safe to say he'll win at least one of them in 2012. The chances of an unknown Republican sweeping six pivotal swing states are pretty remote.
Then there are the rumors that Obama is flying up the polls in Texas, a traditionally Republican stronghold, and could be threatening to steal their 34 electoral votes and essentially erase all doubts. Don't forget about New Mexico and Nevada at 5 votes each, which Obama won by 15% and 12% last time. He also took Iowa (7 votes) and Colorado (9 votes).
All in all, the only way for Obama to lose would be for a strong, dynamic, likeable, intriguing candidate to challenge him. Someone who has loads of money, plenty of charisma, adequate political experience, above-average speaking ability, intellectual prowess, and most importantly an ability to unite the GOP. Oh, and they also must be able to obtain the minority vote, something that won't come easy against a black President who is beloved by Oprah and Snoop Dogg.
Obviously Sarah Palin isn't going to win. She would be lucky to get 100 electoral votes. Romney would fall short as well, as would Newt Gingrich. Unless the Republicans have a secret ace up their sleeve, and I really don't think they do, they might want to start the 2016 search now.
Shoot.
I haven't strongly liked or strongly disliked Obama during his tenure. Economically, I think he's struggled. That's probably an understatement. As far as job-creation and health care, I give him very low marks. I haven't been a big fan of his foreign policies regarding the wars, but Osama is dead, so that's a plus. Gas prices are high, national debt is skyrocketing, and everyone seems to hate universal health care. So for all the things that matter, I have to say I'm disappointed in Obama's first term.
But in terms of his character and appeal, and his status as a figurehead, I like him. I think he represents our country well, he's very classy and well-spoken, unassuming yet strong. He's shown a funny side, an emotional side, and most importantly, I think he is quite genuine. I think it's invaluable to the progression of our country to have a positive role model for African American children to look at and say "Yeah, I could be President. But that means I have to start talking and acting like a normal person, and not a thug." Which could end up being hugely important the growth of our country.
I don't want to get off a what would appear to be a racist rant, but I think one of the reasons America is getting our butts kicked by Japan and China and India and parts of Europe is that those countries don't have 15-20% of the population engaging in counter-culture thuggishness and basically resisting and resenting anything related to hard work or decency. There are millions of Americans who live by the motto "Try to get rich by either being an athlete or rapper, and if that doesn't work, collect welfare checks, walk around aimlessly during the day, yell at random people just to appear intimidating, wear silly clothes that are 5 sizes too big, and eventually do something stupid and go to jail."
Is this an over-generalization? Of course. Do people break the cycle of poverty and become successful? All the time. It's not racism to point out an obvious truth, is it? The welfare system is completely insane. The principal behind it is okay, but the execution of it is terrible. Working at International Steward over the past 18 months, I've learned something: handouts don't work. They lead to a lack of dignity, a mindset of entitlement and laziness, and they ultimately make things worse. This is true regarding foreign aid, but it's just as true in our own streets.
Anyway ... you can't blame Obama for the stupidity of millions of people, nor can you blame any president. But I do think his presence as an intelligent and powerful black man could end up being one of the most important things in American history. Black America really needs to get its act together as a whole, and just stop encouraging stupid behavior. Maybe Charles Barkley said it best ...
"I see him as a great role model 'cause we got to get more black kids educated. And you know we have this terrible thing going on in the black community about if a black kid does well in school we make fun of him. We've got to get more black kids getting their education, carrying themselves with great dignity, and self esteem."
Couldn't agree more.
Like it or not, we are going to have Obama as President for another 5 years. I was going to look at the Republican candidates for 2012, but really, what's the point? If you haven't realized by now that it's a lost cause, you're not seeing the whole picture. Huckabee dropped out, Trump is out, Daniels is out. Romney and Palin are 1 and 2 in the polls right now, and neither stand a chance. I could see Mitt putting up a semi-reasonable fight, maybe getting 200 electoral votes (McCain got 173). But he doesn't seem to have the GOP excited or unified.
Sarah being the nomination would be the saddest thing to happen to our country since slavery, and would effectively spell the end of the Republican party. When 55% of the nation and 90% of the world thinks your candidate is a completely worthless buffoon, it does not help build your case. Of all the millions of capable Americans, is Sarah "I've Never Taken a Law Class in my Life" Palin really the most capable President? Seriously, can we all just stop this silly charade and admit McCain made a mistake? Why is she still even considered a viable politician?
It's too bad, because the Presidential Election is one of the greatest things about America, and it's usually pretty exciting. But unless Obama makes a remarkable mistake, or unless Ronald Reagan rises from the grave, I don't see any way the Republicans even make this a contest.
Let's look at the map.
California (55 votes) is a clear win for the Democrats. So is New York (31). Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Michigan all used to be considered 'swing states.' In 2008 Obama won each of them by at least 4%, including a 16% blowout in Michigan. That's 170 electoral votes right there. You need 270 to win.
Democrats always carry the east coast (Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland, DC) which combine for another 65. None of those states were even remotely close. You can give Obama Illinois and Hawaii for obvious reasons, and that's another 25, bringing the total to 260.
That means he only needs to win Wisconsin OR Minnesota OR Virginia OR North Carolina OR Missouri OR Indiana to win. Considering he won all of those states in 2008, it seems safe to say he'll win at least one of them in 2012. The chances of an unknown Republican sweeping six pivotal swing states are pretty remote.
Then there are the rumors that Obama is flying up the polls in Texas, a traditionally Republican stronghold, and could be threatening to steal their 34 electoral votes and essentially erase all doubts. Don't forget about New Mexico and Nevada at 5 votes each, which Obama won by 15% and 12% last time. He also took Iowa (7 votes) and Colorado (9 votes).
All in all, the only way for Obama to lose would be for a strong, dynamic, likeable, intriguing candidate to challenge him. Someone who has loads of money, plenty of charisma, adequate political experience, above-average speaking ability, intellectual prowess, and most importantly an ability to unite the GOP. Oh, and they also must be able to obtain the minority vote, something that won't come easy against a black President who is beloved by Oprah and Snoop Dogg.
Obviously Sarah Palin isn't going to win. She would be lucky to get 100 electoral votes. Romney would fall short as well, as would Newt Gingrich. Unless the Republicans have a secret ace up their sleeve, and I really don't think they do, they might want to start the 2016 search now.
Shoot.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Rob vs. Harold
I think it's really interesting how many pastors and Christians got upset when Rob Bell wrote a book called 'Love Wins,' but nobody is making a big deal about this nut case who is using the Bible to claim that the rapture will take place on May 21 at 6:00 pm.
Rob was gracious, never claimed to know everything, and humbly offered thoughts, questions, and his interpretations of the Bible.
This Harold fellow is arrogant, condescending, and claims to have infallible knowledge of the end-times simply by taking Genesis 7:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 massively out of context.
Rob argues in favor of a loving, kind, forgiving, and mysterious God.
Harold believes that God is easily understood by humans (especially by Harold, the former civil engineer), and that God's timing can be predicted if we are just smart enough.
Rob has been called a heretic, a false teacher, and 'dangerous' - by Christians. By people who read the same Bible and sing the same songs and supposedly worship the same Jesus as him.
Nobody calls Harold dangerous, although he's making national headlines and utterly embarassing Christians around the world. He's causing mass panic among his mindless followers, he's giving Christians a terrible reputation, and while his misunderstandings of the end-times may not be 'dangerous,' they're certainly not helpful to anyone.
To non Christians, Rob comes across as an accepting, loving, intelligent man who accepts them as they are, and wants to tell them about the love of Jesus.
To non Christians, Harold looks like a complete wack-a-doo. He makes Jesus followers look like kool-aid drinking freaks. He is a complete embarassament to me. He makes me ashamed to call myself a Christian.
You tell me who's a false teacher.
Maybe people ought to get their priorities straight, and stop criticizing intelligent pastors who are writing some pretty amazing books, and focus their energies on these fruitcake prophets who are making the Christian community look like a nest of cuckoo birds. I'm just saying.
Rob was gracious, never claimed to know everything, and humbly offered thoughts, questions, and his interpretations of the Bible.
This Harold fellow is arrogant, condescending, and claims to have infallible knowledge of the end-times simply by taking Genesis 7:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 massively out of context.
Rob argues in favor of a loving, kind, forgiving, and mysterious God.
Harold believes that God is easily understood by humans (especially by Harold, the former civil engineer), and that God's timing can be predicted if we are just smart enough.
Rob has been called a heretic, a false teacher, and 'dangerous' - by Christians. By people who read the same Bible and sing the same songs and supposedly worship the same Jesus as him.
Nobody calls Harold dangerous, although he's making national headlines and utterly embarassing Christians around the world. He's causing mass panic among his mindless followers, he's giving Christians a terrible reputation, and while his misunderstandings of the end-times may not be 'dangerous,' they're certainly not helpful to anyone.
To non Christians, Rob comes across as an accepting, loving, intelligent man who accepts them as they are, and wants to tell them about the love of Jesus.
To non Christians, Harold looks like a complete wack-a-doo. He makes Jesus followers look like kool-aid drinking freaks. He is a complete embarassament to me. He makes me ashamed to call myself a Christian.
You tell me who's a false teacher.
Maybe people ought to get their priorities straight, and stop criticizing intelligent pastors who are writing some pretty amazing books, and focus their energies on these fruitcake prophets who are making the Christian community look like a nest of cuckoo birds. I'm just saying.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Update
Sorry I haven't been writing much lately. Not much to talk about. Plus I've been busy. Buying a house, having 1.5 kids, working quite a bit. Anyway.
Here's a brief update on all things Detroit sports:
Tigers
A couple weeks ago I officially hit the panic button during the Tigers pathetic 7 game slide, during which Magglio and Austin hit a combined 0 for 300. Jim Leyland looked lost, Phil Coke looked horrendous, and even Verlander was giving up extra base hits all over the place.
Then, with the snap of a finger, everything changed. Jackson started hitting, Martinez came back with a .500 average and 15 RBIs in two weeks, and Peralta began a 12 game hitting streak. Coincidentally, Magglio, Inge, and Raburn all saw less playing time. And best of all, the starting pitchers have allowed something like 3 earned runs in the last 50 innings. I might not even be exaggerating. Actually, I'll look it up real quick.
In the last 68.1 innings, starting pitchers have allowed 14 runs. That's a 1.8% ERA.
If you remove weak-link Phil Coke's last two starts, the other four starters (Verlander, Penny, Porcello, Scherzer) have gone 56.2 innings and given up 8 runs - an other-worldly 1.28 ERA - in the last two weeks, while the Tigers have enjoyed a 10-2 stretch. Needless to say, if they keep pitching like this, the World Series is in the bag.
Of course, that's not going to happen. But it is promising. Everyone seems to be feeding of Verlander, who may not be the leading Cy Young prospect right now, but is certainly the most dominant power pitcher in the American League. No one else can hit triple-digits in the 8th inning. Heck, very few starting pitchers can hit 100 MPH in the first inning.
With 100+ games remaining, anything can still happen. Verlander or Cabrera could get injured, and that would essentially end the Tigers season. I'm not going to make the same mistake I made a couple weeks ago. I panicked too soon, now I'm not going to get caught celebrating too soon. It is what it is: we had a terrible stretch, now a great stretch. Lots of games left to be played, and lots of weaknesses to figure out. Including ...
What to do in the corner outfield positions. With Magglio hitting a career-worst .172 and having been reduced to a mere singles hitter (4 extra base hits in 99 at bats), Leyland graciously took him out of the lineup with an "ankle injury." The truth is, Mags is a defensive liability, and you can't put him at DH when he's got the worst average on the team. Especially when you've got a pair of catchers hitting .317 and .268. The DH is going to be Avila or Martinez pretty much the rest of the year, unless Leyland stops trying to win, which he has been known to do in the past.
In left field, the Ryan Raburn experiment is dwindling to an end. Finally. Put the poor man out of his misery. Not only does he have 4 errors and the team's worst fielding percentage... oh, and who could forget when a catchable ball bounced off his glove and went over the fence for a home run ... but he's hitting .212 with 7 walks and 46 strikeouts. That's simply unacceptable.
So needless to say, I was ecstatic when Leyland brought up triple-A sensation Andy Dirks to play left field, and promised to give him a real chance to crack the lineup. Even if he hits .260, it would be a huge improvement over Raburn, and more importantly it allows Boesch to play right field, where he's better suited, and it keeps Casper Wells and Don Kelly (.239 and .262, respectively) from being regular starters. Kelly's average is deceiving; he's a career .240 hitter and has no power. Dirks has a chance to be this year's Boesch. Even if he's 4 year ago's Marcus Thames, that would be solid.
The other major weakness to address is obviously the bullpen. What is there to say? Our bullpen has the highest ERA in the AL. Valverde is a stud closer, but the rest of the guys are useless. Unless the starters can continually go into the 7th inning, we're going to have to find someone who can pitch for three outs without trouble. So far that person has not showed up. I'm not holding my breath.
The clear reason for optimism right now is that Cleveland is overachieving. They have no right boasting the MLB's best record, and it won't last for long. They will hit a bad stretch soon, and Detroit stands to benefit. No one else in the AL Central has any interest in contending for the playoffs this year.
Like I said, it's a long year. I'll give another update in a couple months. By that point we could be 20 games behind the Indians for all I know.
Pistons:
What a sad, sad season for the once-great Detroit Pistons. It was so pathetic, it was the first time in 3 years that I didn't even bother to write one word about them. They are the only team in the NBA that truly doesn't have a "best player." My brother and I have had endless debates about this. It's clearly not Rip or Ben. Tayshaun isn't aggressive enough. Stuckey led the team in scoring, but he shot horrible percentages. Gordon doesn't play defense or pass. Villanueva is like Sheed with less skill. T-Mac is too old. It's probably either the injured Jonas Jerebko or rookie Greg Monroe. Y I K E S.
Next year is going to be equally dismal. Coach John Kuester will probably get one more season to run this team into the ground and watch them burn, and then both he and Dumars will be fired. Frankly, I can't believe Joe Dumars hasn't been axed yet. The only explanation is that he's not accountable to anyone, and no one is bothering to pull the trigger on his release. The Darko pick was excusable - every scout was wrong about him. Winning a title bought Joe 4 years of immunity, and rightfully so. But the Iverson trade was egregious in every way, and the only saving grace was the cap space it opened up, which Joe completely wasted on Ben and Charlie, two guys who are being paid like All Stars and aren't even starting. Joe hasn't made a good draft pick since Tayshaun in 2003, and hasn't made a good free agency signing since McDyess in '04.
The pingpong ball lottery was last night, and David Stern rigged the thing to give Cleveland the #1 and #4 picks. Why would he do this? Because fans hate LeBron, thus they will love watching Cleveland rebuild. I truly believe that Stern also rigged the lottery to send LeBron to Cleveland in the first place (hometown hero) and to send Derrick Rose to Chicago, and also Griffin to LA. And maybe John Wall to Washington also, to redeem the Arenas/guns disaster. It might be a weird coincidence that the biggest cities keep getting the #1 picks, but I think Stern is a crook. I could be wrong. But we do know that the Tim Donaghy thing happened. And I'm fairly sure Stern knew about it. I don't trust him.
Anyway, Detroit got the 8th pick, which is basically worthless. Last year Monroe was taken 7th. Don't get me wrong, he's okay. But he's not a franchise-saving star. Joe Dumars has zero chance of turning around this team via the draft. Chances are whoever we pick won't start a single game in 2012. Also, there probably won't be a season in 2012, so who cares?
Despite having a backcourt full of scrubs and me-first shooters, we've got to spend this pick on an interior scorer. If 6'10" Enes Kanter from Kentucky is gone, and he likely will be, we'll target one of the many big international players (two from Lithuania, one from Congo, one from Czech Republic) or a combo 3-4 forward to replace Tayshaun long-term. But isn't that why we drafted Jerebko and Austin Daye? Hmm ... I have no idea how Joe will mess this up. I don't care really. Wake me up in 10 years when the Pistons have a chance at rebuilding.
Lions:
Still no clue on whether there will be even be an NFL season, but for some reason I'm more confident in seeing football next season than basketball. And I hope that comes to fruition, because the Lions are suddenly a fringe playoff team by just about everyone's estimation. In fact, I'm starting to get worried with all the 'experts' who are calling Detroit the up-and-coming team of 2011. We are turning into the Houston Texans of the NFC - bad QB, bad secondary, a couple stars, can't get into the playoffs. At least that's my fear.
The truth is, I think a strike-shortened season could be advantageous for the Lions, who might be able to eek a playoff spot with a 7-5 record. The NFC should be very middle-heavy this season with few elite teams and lots of playoff-caliber teams. Aside from Green Bay and the two NFC South powers, there's nobody in the NFC who stands out. Philly could have a huge year, as could Dallas, or Tampa, or even St. Louis. And the Giants can't be counted out. But all that said, I don't dislike Detroit's chances at a playoff bid.
A lot will be decided in the free agency period, which may or may not happen any time soon. Detroit has plenty of holes to fill, especially on defense. The two guys to keep an eye on are Nnamdi Asomugha and Stephen Tulloch. If we land Asomugha, we're golden. If we get Tulloch, at least we found one starting linebacker. If we get neither, don't panic, but don't expect a dominant defense.
Offensively, everything hinges on Matthew Stafford, who continues to get rave reviews and heaps of praise despite never playing a single quality NFL game from start to finish, and having more shoulder injuries (4) than wins (3), not to mention more INTs (21) than TDs (19). I don't discount Stafford's chances to be good, though I highly doubt he'll ever be great. Given the weapons at his disposal, I think he'll have pretty solid numbers in 2011, and I also think he'll stay healthy this year. Maybe he'll miss a game or two, but overall I think we'll see something like 25 TDs, 15 INTs, 3,500 yards, a 57% completion percentage ... nice fantasy numbers, but not overwhelming offensive numbers. The key will be whether or not Stafford can learn how to execute an effective two-minute drill, something he's been totally incompetent at doing so far. Detroit might not get blown out as much as we did in the futile days of the past, but if we lose a bunch of close games due to an anti-clutch quarterback, well ... a loss is still a loss.
Certainly there's a lot to be excited about, with Suh and Fairley teaming up in the middle and a defensive line that should record a ton of sacks. The offense should be able to run the ball better than we have in a while, and I expect a decent amount of big plays through the air. But I'm not getting carried away. I still have little to no trust in the four most important people on the Lions team - Stafford, Schwartz, and the two coordinators.
Still a long time before we even know if there will be football. Blah.
Here's a brief update on all things Detroit sports:
Tigers
A couple weeks ago I officially hit the panic button during the Tigers pathetic 7 game slide, during which Magglio and Austin hit a combined 0 for 300. Jim Leyland looked lost, Phil Coke looked horrendous, and even Verlander was giving up extra base hits all over the place.
Then, with the snap of a finger, everything changed. Jackson started hitting, Martinez came back with a .500 average and 15 RBIs in two weeks, and Peralta began a 12 game hitting streak. Coincidentally, Magglio, Inge, and Raburn all saw less playing time. And best of all, the starting pitchers have allowed something like 3 earned runs in the last 50 innings. I might not even be exaggerating. Actually, I'll look it up real quick.
In the last 68.1 innings, starting pitchers have allowed 14 runs. That's a 1.8% ERA.
If you remove weak-link Phil Coke's last two starts, the other four starters (Verlander, Penny, Porcello, Scherzer) have gone 56.2 innings and given up 8 runs - an other-worldly 1.28 ERA - in the last two weeks, while the Tigers have enjoyed a 10-2 stretch. Needless to say, if they keep pitching like this, the World Series is in the bag.
Of course, that's not going to happen. But it is promising. Everyone seems to be feeding of Verlander, who may not be the leading Cy Young prospect right now, but is certainly the most dominant power pitcher in the American League. No one else can hit triple-digits in the 8th inning. Heck, very few starting pitchers can hit 100 MPH in the first inning.
With 100+ games remaining, anything can still happen. Verlander or Cabrera could get injured, and that would essentially end the Tigers season. I'm not going to make the same mistake I made a couple weeks ago. I panicked too soon, now I'm not going to get caught celebrating too soon. It is what it is: we had a terrible stretch, now a great stretch. Lots of games left to be played, and lots of weaknesses to figure out. Including ...
What to do in the corner outfield positions. With Magglio hitting a career-worst .172 and having been reduced to a mere singles hitter (4 extra base hits in 99 at bats), Leyland graciously took him out of the lineup with an "ankle injury." The truth is, Mags is a defensive liability, and you can't put him at DH when he's got the worst average on the team. Especially when you've got a pair of catchers hitting .317 and .268. The DH is going to be Avila or Martinez pretty much the rest of the year, unless Leyland stops trying to win, which he has been known to do in the past.
In left field, the Ryan Raburn experiment is dwindling to an end. Finally. Put the poor man out of his misery. Not only does he have 4 errors and the team's worst fielding percentage... oh, and who could forget when a catchable ball bounced off his glove and went over the fence for a home run ... but he's hitting .212 with 7 walks and 46 strikeouts. That's simply unacceptable.
So needless to say, I was ecstatic when Leyland brought up triple-A sensation Andy Dirks to play left field, and promised to give him a real chance to crack the lineup. Even if he hits .260, it would be a huge improvement over Raburn, and more importantly it allows Boesch to play right field, where he's better suited, and it keeps Casper Wells and Don Kelly (.239 and .262, respectively) from being regular starters. Kelly's average is deceiving; he's a career .240 hitter and has no power. Dirks has a chance to be this year's Boesch. Even if he's 4 year ago's Marcus Thames, that would be solid.
The other major weakness to address is obviously the bullpen. What is there to say? Our bullpen has the highest ERA in the AL. Valverde is a stud closer, but the rest of the guys are useless. Unless the starters can continually go into the 7th inning, we're going to have to find someone who can pitch for three outs without trouble. So far that person has not showed up. I'm not holding my breath.
The clear reason for optimism right now is that Cleveland is overachieving. They have no right boasting the MLB's best record, and it won't last for long. They will hit a bad stretch soon, and Detroit stands to benefit. No one else in the AL Central has any interest in contending for the playoffs this year.
Like I said, it's a long year. I'll give another update in a couple months. By that point we could be 20 games behind the Indians for all I know.
Pistons:
What a sad, sad season for the once-great Detroit Pistons. It was so pathetic, it was the first time in 3 years that I didn't even bother to write one word about them. They are the only team in the NBA that truly doesn't have a "best player." My brother and I have had endless debates about this. It's clearly not Rip or Ben. Tayshaun isn't aggressive enough. Stuckey led the team in scoring, but he shot horrible percentages. Gordon doesn't play defense or pass. Villanueva is like Sheed with less skill. T-Mac is too old. It's probably either the injured Jonas Jerebko or rookie Greg Monroe. Y I K E S.
Next year is going to be equally dismal. Coach John Kuester will probably get one more season to run this team into the ground and watch them burn, and then both he and Dumars will be fired. Frankly, I can't believe Joe Dumars hasn't been axed yet. The only explanation is that he's not accountable to anyone, and no one is bothering to pull the trigger on his release. The Darko pick was excusable - every scout was wrong about him. Winning a title bought Joe 4 years of immunity, and rightfully so. But the Iverson trade was egregious in every way, and the only saving grace was the cap space it opened up, which Joe completely wasted on Ben and Charlie, two guys who are being paid like All Stars and aren't even starting. Joe hasn't made a good draft pick since Tayshaun in 2003, and hasn't made a good free agency signing since McDyess in '04.
The pingpong ball lottery was last night, and David Stern rigged the thing to give Cleveland the #1 and #4 picks. Why would he do this? Because fans hate LeBron, thus they will love watching Cleveland rebuild. I truly believe that Stern also rigged the lottery to send LeBron to Cleveland in the first place (hometown hero) and to send Derrick Rose to Chicago, and also Griffin to LA. And maybe John Wall to Washington also, to redeem the Arenas/guns disaster. It might be a weird coincidence that the biggest cities keep getting the #1 picks, but I think Stern is a crook. I could be wrong. But we do know that the Tim Donaghy thing happened. And I'm fairly sure Stern knew about it. I don't trust him.
Anyway, Detroit got the 8th pick, which is basically worthless. Last year Monroe was taken 7th. Don't get me wrong, he's okay. But he's not a franchise-saving star. Joe Dumars has zero chance of turning around this team via the draft. Chances are whoever we pick won't start a single game in 2012. Also, there probably won't be a season in 2012, so who cares?
Despite having a backcourt full of scrubs and me-first shooters, we've got to spend this pick on an interior scorer. If 6'10" Enes Kanter from Kentucky is gone, and he likely will be, we'll target one of the many big international players (two from Lithuania, one from Congo, one from Czech Republic) or a combo 3-4 forward to replace Tayshaun long-term. But isn't that why we drafted Jerebko and Austin Daye? Hmm ... I have no idea how Joe will mess this up. I don't care really. Wake me up in 10 years when the Pistons have a chance at rebuilding.
Lions:
Still no clue on whether there will be even be an NFL season, but for some reason I'm more confident in seeing football next season than basketball. And I hope that comes to fruition, because the Lions are suddenly a fringe playoff team by just about everyone's estimation. In fact, I'm starting to get worried with all the 'experts' who are calling Detroit the up-and-coming team of 2011. We are turning into the Houston Texans of the NFC - bad QB, bad secondary, a couple stars, can't get into the playoffs. At least that's my fear.
The truth is, I think a strike-shortened season could be advantageous for the Lions, who might be able to eek a playoff spot with a 7-5 record. The NFC should be very middle-heavy this season with few elite teams and lots of playoff-caliber teams. Aside from Green Bay and the two NFC South powers, there's nobody in the NFC who stands out. Philly could have a huge year, as could Dallas, or Tampa, or even St. Louis. And the Giants can't be counted out. But all that said, I don't dislike Detroit's chances at a playoff bid.
A lot will be decided in the free agency period, which may or may not happen any time soon. Detroit has plenty of holes to fill, especially on defense. The two guys to keep an eye on are Nnamdi Asomugha and Stephen Tulloch. If we land Asomugha, we're golden. If we get Tulloch, at least we found one starting linebacker. If we get neither, don't panic, but don't expect a dominant defense.
Offensively, everything hinges on Matthew Stafford, who continues to get rave reviews and heaps of praise despite never playing a single quality NFL game from start to finish, and having more shoulder injuries (4) than wins (3), not to mention more INTs (21) than TDs (19). I don't discount Stafford's chances to be good, though I highly doubt he'll ever be great. Given the weapons at his disposal, I think he'll have pretty solid numbers in 2011, and I also think he'll stay healthy this year. Maybe he'll miss a game or two, but overall I think we'll see something like 25 TDs, 15 INTs, 3,500 yards, a 57% completion percentage ... nice fantasy numbers, but not overwhelming offensive numbers. The key will be whether or not Stafford can learn how to execute an effective two-minute drill, something he's been totally incompetent at doing so far. Detroit might not get blown out as much as we did in the futile days of the past, but if we lose a bunch of close games due to an anti-clutch quarterback, well ... a loss is still a loss.
Certainly there's a lot to be excited about, with Suh and Fairley teaming up in the middle and a defensive line that should record a ton of sacks. The offense should be able to run the ball better than we have in a while, and I expect a decent amount of big plays through the air. But I'm not getting carried away. I still have little to no trust in the four most important people on the Lions team - Stafford, Schwartz, and the two coordinators.
Still a long time before we even know if there will be football. Blah.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Too Soon to Panic?
There is a saying in baseball: "Don't panic, it's only April."
Well, today is May 3rd, and I am officially commencing panic mode.
The Tigers currently find themselves riding a pathetic 7-game losing streak, and 8 games behind the Indians in the AL Central. We aren't scoring runs, we aren't pitching well, we're blowing leads, and our manager has forgotten how to assemble a lineup. Austin Jackson leads the Majors in strikeouts, and there's only one player who's even close behind. Oh, that would be Ryan Raburn.
With CC Sabathia on the docket tonight in Yankee stadium, you can go ahead and pencil in an eight-game losing streak, and it might extend to double-digits by the time Detroit heads home. I know it's May, I know there are 133 games left to be played, and I know the Indians are not going to keep winning at a .704 pace. But nonetheless, I am pushing the panic button on the 2011 season.
Last night, we gave up two runs in the ninth to lose 5-3.
The previous game, gave up 3 in the 8th to lose 5-4.
Before that, we went scoreless from the 4th inning until the 13th inning before finally conceeded a run in a 3-2 loss.
Oh, and before that, a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to lose 5-9.
Detroit is not only losing, but they are making it look extremely ugly.
Prior to those loses we endured a sweep to the lowly Mariners, at home no less, with a combined score of 24-6. During that sweep, Detroit scored a whopping two runs in innings 3 through 9. That means of the 27 innings we played against Seattle, (who, I repeat, is the worst team in Majors), we went scoreless in 23 of them.
The good news is, only one team in the MLB is playing worse than Detroit right now, and that's the Minnesota Twins. The other good news is that Victor Martinez will return from injury in a few weeks. And the best news is that Miguel Cabrera might be having his best season yet. He's playing like an MVP.
However, his team is playing like a bunch of losers. No wonder Cabrera leads the MLB in intentional walks. Why throw it to him if you know you can strike out the other 8 batters?
Well, today is May 3rd, and I am officially commencing panic mode.
The Tigers currently find themselves riding a pathetic 7-game losing streak, and 8 games behind the Indians in the AL Central. We aren't scoring runs, we aren't pitching well, we're blowing leads, and our manager has forgotten how to assemble a lineup. Austin Jackson leads the Majors in strikeouts, and there's only one player who's even close behind. Oh, that would be Ryan Raburn.
With CC Sabathia on the docket tonight in Yankee stadium, you can go ahead and pencil in an eight-game losing streak, and it might extend to double-digits by the time Detroit heads home. I know it's May, I know there are 133 games left to be played, and I know the Indians are not going to keep winning at a .704 pace. But nonetheless, I am pushing the panic button on the 2011 season.
Last night, we gave up two runs in the ninth to lose 5-3.
The previous game, gave up 3 in the 8th to lose 5-4.
Before that, we went scoreless from the 4th inning until the 13th inning before finally conceeded a run in a 3-2 loss.
Oh, and before that, a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to lose 5-9.
Detroit is not only losing, but they are making it look extremely ugly.
Prior to those loses we endured a sweep to the lowly Mariners, at home no less, with a combined score of 24-6. During that sweep, Detroit scored a whopping two runs in innings 3 through 9. That means of the 27 innings we played against Seattle, (who, I repeat, is the worst team in Majors), we went scoreless in 23 of them.
The good news is, only one team in the MLB is playing worse than Detroit right now, and that's the Minnesota Twins. The other good news is that Victor Martinez will return from injury in a few weeks. And the best news is that Miguel Cabrera might be having his best season yet. He's playing like an MVP.
However, his team is playing like a bunch of losers. No wonder Cabrera leads the MLB in intentional walks. Why throw it to him if you know you can strike out the other 8 batters?
Baseball is a long, long, loooong season. So I'm not going to go overboard on all this. I'm not going to spend to much time even writing about this. But, I'm also not going to be naive enough to not panic.
The truth is: the Tigers just aren't very good. Playoffs are pretty much out of the question. Crap.
Go Lions.
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