It would be interesting to sift back through the records and stats to determine just how many games Miguel Cabrera has won for the Detroit Tigers not only this year, but in the last several.
It would also be tedious and time consuming and yours truly is too lazy to do it. So let's just say Miggy has made the difference in lots of games for the Tigers over the years. It seems like almost every day we hear of him stroking a two-run double or clouting another home run, solo or with men or base. The man can flat-out hit, both for average and power.
Further, Cabrera doesn't have any weaknesses while at bat. He can hit blazing fastballs, curves/sliders, and change-ups equally well. Down the middle, high/low, inside/outside doesn't seem to make much of a difference either.
So what's an opposing pitcher or his manager to do when Cabrera steps into the batter's box? How do you pitch him?
If I'm the other guys, I don't. I intentionally walk him the vast majority of the time. Take the bat out of his hands and deal with whoever's next in the Tiger line-up. Sure, if my team is ahead by 4-5 runs and Cabrera comes up to bat with nobody on base, then I pitch to him. But in most situations I don't. If one swing of Cabrera's bat can hurt me, I'll take my chances with the next guy.
A scenario. The Tigers have runners on first and second and nobody out. The game is close and here comes Cabrera up to the plate. I still walk him and load the bases. If I don't, Miggy might hit a three-run blast that makes the difference in the game. Anybody that can flick his wrists at a low and outside pitch and still hit it out of the park to the "opposite" field is somebody I'll let trot down to first with a walk.
With a little luck, maybe I get out of the inning with only minimal damage. Strike outs and pop-ups are always preferable and a double play comes in mighty handy once in a while. Sure, such a strategy could backfire. The next couple Tiger batters could get hits and break the game wide open. And yes, Cabrera himself might have struck out or bounced into a double play originally. But with apologies to Tom Clancy, Miguel has long proven himself to be a clear and present danger every time he steps into the batter's box. He can ruin you all by himself with one swing, so why continue to mess with him?
No doubt, this would be an unpopular strategy amongst many fans, especially Tiger supporters. They came to the ballpark and crowded around their TVs wanting to see Miggy get his cuts. It could almost be seen as an act of cowardice NOT to pitch to him.
Hey, there have been hitters intentionally walked with the bases already loaded. Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Nap Lajoie, and most recently Barry Bonds back in 1998, to name a few. So it's not without precedent.
When Joe DiMaggio was deep into his 56 game hitting streak back in 1941, an opposing pitcher once said if he could get the Yankee Clipper out his first time at bat, he would walk him every other time he came up to hit -- just to break his streak. The original Joe D (sorry Dumars) got a hit his first time up.
Would any modern day pitcher dare to use this strategy against Miguel Cabrera? Probably not for a couple reasons. It would be hugely unpopular, particularly at the Tigers home of Comerica Park, and the talking sports heads on various cable stations would make such a pitcher (and his manager) infamous for backing down from a challenge. The ensuing mockery would be brutal.
And after all, even though Cabrera typically sports a .330-.340 batting average, that means two out of three times he makes an out. The odds are still with the pitchers. It's that third one that can hurt you, though.
And it has, to a lot of pitchers and their teams over the years.
Again, if I'm the other manager, my job is to win games any way I can. And if that means walking Miguel Cabrera time after time, I just might do it anyway. I'm taking away his homers/RBIs and putting him on first. I don't have to worry about him stealing a base either to eliminate the double-play possibility. He's too slow.
But that will probably never happen. Pitchers have their pride too. They love nothing more than striking out Miguel Cabrera in a clutch situation. Sometimes they do. But if he clouts one 450 feet for a 3-run dinger that changes a win into a loss, I'm guessing given a do-over, they would have walked him.
The singer Meatloaf once recorded a hit song titled Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad. That rings true for a lot of different things in life. But certainly not all.
Consider parachutes opening. Major surgery being successful. Shooting down incoming nukes. Two out of three isn't good enough. That other one will result in a very bad outcome.
And so might pitching to Miguel Cabrera......
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Golden State. Beginning of a dynasty?
The Golden State Warriors finally polished off the Cleveland Cavs and are now champions of the world. Or at least the NBA. Before they'd even showered up after the deciding Game 6 there was already talk of whether the Oakland bunch could become a dynasty.
Technically, a dynasty is defined as a group or family that maintains power for several generations. The Roman empire was certainly a dynasty. The Chinese have had many in history. And the Bushes and the Clintons keep working at it, but -- well -- maybe that's better left for others to debate. Yet in the world of sports, the word dynasty means different things to different people.
The Boston Celtics of the late 50s and 60s were considered a dynasty. They won something like 11 championships in 13 years.
John Wooden's UCLA mens basketball team of roughly the same era would qualify as well. They were virtually unbeatable for a decade.
Teams like the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens were once considered dynasties.
So were the Chicago Bulls in the 90s.
Tiger Woods was a one man golf dynasty not long ago.
Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Lady Huskies hoopsters certainly has dynasty credentials. As did former coach Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Her time is done, but Geno's still there and will likely shatter all the records before he calls it quits.
And then there's mini-dynasties. Wayne Gretzsky's Edmonton Oilers, the New York Islanders, and the showtime LA Lakers all had their runs. But none lasted more than a few consecutive years.
But like the modern definition of a "hero" -- and lord knows they're everywhere these days -- qualifying as a dynasty in sports seems to have become watered down as well.
Some say the San Antonio Spurs were a dynasty. They won 4 titles, but it took them over a decade to do so. Should that count? How about the hey-days of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Hurricanes on the gridiron? Were they dynasties or just really good for several years? Throw in the New England Patriots. All of them won multiple titles in a relatively short period of time, but never more than two in a row.
And now we have the Golden State Warriors. What they did this year was no fluke. Start to finish, they were the best team in the NBA. Could they become a dynasty? Maybe. Consider....
They're young. On their 15 man roster, only 4 players are over 30, none over 32. That's includes Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, age 31. Overall MVP Steph Curry is 27. Fellow splash brother Klay Thompson 25. Unsung hero (there we go again) Draymond Green is only 25 as well. The former Michigan State Spartan is not only skilled, but tough and tenacious, making life miserable for opponents on the court. Add in various other players that not only got game, but have 100% "bought in" to the system and there's no telling what the Warriors are capable of in the future.
Let's not forget, this was head coach Steve Kerr's first year. A rookie himself in that regard. He and the Warriors won 67 regular season games, the most ever by a rookie head coach in the history of the NBA. Sure, Kerr didn't just exactly fall off a turnip truck. Once upon a time, he was the backcourt teammate of a guy named Michael Jordan while the above-mentioned Chicago Bulls dynasty was going on. But nobody knew if he could coach, and certainly few would have foreseen what the Warriors would accomplish this year under his leadership.
All the way around, things point to the Warriors possibly being even better next year. Kerr has a year under his belt. The team is still young and now knows what it takes to become champions. A scary thought given how good they already are. Could they rattle off several titles in a row to become a "dynasty"?
Probably not. Remember when Lebron James "took his talents" to Miami and famously boasted they would win not one, not two, not three, not four, not five -- you get the idea -- but insinuated a dynasty was coming to South Beach while jiving it up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on stage? Lebron won exactly two and the Miami Heat were demolished by the San Antonio Spurs in their attempt at a three-peat. Lebron went back to Cleveland and the Heat promptly went into the dumpster. So much for the dynasty.
Credit where credit is due. The Golden State Warriors were the best team all year and are worthy champions indeed. But as the old saying goes, it's tough to get to the top but even tougher to stay there. A lot of factors could potentially come into play. Smugness and complacency are possibilities. The Warriors were hungry this year. Next season everything starts over and a lot of teams will be hungry. Everybody's going to bring their A game when they face Golden State. Kerr's crew was fortunate because they suffered no major injuries during the last season. Sometimes stuff happens.
There's no better example of that than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given they were without big man Anderson Varejao and prized free agent Kevin Love, and lost point guard Kyrie Irving earlier during the playoffs, it's amazing they made it as far as they did. Had those three been healthy, the Finals may well have turned out differently. Or maybe not.
Dumbest remark of the day Dept. Towards the end of the deciding Game 6, when it was apparent Golden State would prevail, some TV announcer said it looked like the Cavs weren't even trying. Where is the the toughness?, he asked. Idiot. The Cavs had been playing the whole series severely under-manned with guys on the court few had ever even heard of before. Lebron might be the "king", but he's not Superman. After the fast-paced Warriors had run them up and down the court during a grueling series, their gauge had finally hit the dreaded "E". It had nothing to do with toughness or will. They'd already shown that with what they had. But out of gas is out of gas.
And speaking of gasbags, this post has run on long enough......
Technically, a dynasty is defined as a group or family that maintains power for several generations. The Roman empire was certainly a dynasty. The Chinese have had many in history. And the Bushes and the Clintons keep working at it, but -- well -- maybe that's better left for others to debate. Yet in the world of sports, the word dynasty means different things to different people.
The Boston Celtics of the late 50s and 60s were considered a dynasty. They won something like 11 championships in 13 years.
John Wooden's UCLA mens basketball team of roughly the same era would qualify as well. They were virtually unbeatable for a decade.
Teams like the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens were once considered dynasties.
So were the Chicago Bulls in the 90s.
Tiger Woods was a one man golf dynasty not long ago.
Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Lady Huskies hoopsters certainly has dynasty credentials. As did former coach Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Her time is done, but Geno's still there and will likely shatter all the records before he calls it quits.
And then there's mini-dynasties. Wayne Gretzsky's Edmonton Oilers, the New York Islanders, and the showtime LA Lakers all had their runs. But none lasted more than a few consecutive years.
But like the modern definition of a "hero" -- and lord knows they're everywhere these days -- qualifying as a dynasty in sports seems to have become watered down as well.
Some say the San Antonio Spurs were a dynasty. They won 4 titles, but it took them over a decade to do so. Should that count? How about the hey-days of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Hurricanes on the gridiron? Were they dynasties or just really good for several years? Throw in the New England Patriots. All of them won multiple titles in a relatively short period of time, but never more than two in a row.
And now we have the Golden State Warriors. What they did this year was no fluke. Start to finish, they were the best team in the NBA. Could they become a dynasty? Maybe. Consider....
They're young. On their 15 man roster, only 4 players are over 30, none over 32. That's includes Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, age 31. Overall MVP Steph Curry is 27. Fellow splash brother Klay Thompson 25. Unsung hero (there we go again) Draymond Green is only 25 as well. The former Michigan State Spartan is not only skilled, but tough and tenacious, making life miserable for opponents on the court. Add in various other players that not only got game, but have 100% "bought in" to the system and there's no telling what the Warriors are capable of in the future.
Let's not forget, this was head coach Steve Kerr's first year. A rookie himself in that regard. He and the Warriors won 67 regular season games, the most ever by a rookie head coach in the history of the NBA. Sure, Kerr didn't just exactly fall off a turnip truck. Once upon a time, he was the backcourt teammate of a guy named Michael Jordan while the above-mentioned Chicago Bulls dynasty was going on. But nobody knew if he could coach, and certainly few would have foreseen what the Warriors would accomplish this year under his leadership.
All the way around, things point to the Warriors possibly being even better next year. Kerr has a year under his belt. The team is still young and now knows what it takes to become champions. A scary thought given how good they already are. Could they rattle off several titles in a row to become a "dynasty"?
Probably not. Remember when Lebron James "took his talents" to Miami and famously boasted they would win not one, not two, not three, not four, not five -- you get the idea -- but insinuated a dynasty was coming to South Beach while jiving it up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on stage? Lebron won exactly two and the Miami Heat were demolished by the San Antonio Spurs in their attempt at a three-peat. Lebron went back to Cleveland and the Heat promptly went into the dumpster. So much for the dynasty.
Credit where credit is due. The Golden State Warriors were the best team all year and are worthy champions indeed. But as the old saying goes, it's tough to get to the top but even tougher to stay there. A lot of factors could potentially come into play. Smugness and complacency are possibilities. The Warriors were hungry this year. Next season everything starts over and a lot of teams will be hungry. Everybody's going to bring their A game when they face Golden State. Kerr's crew was fortunate because they suffered no major injuries during the last season. Sometimes stuff happens.
There's no better example of that than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Given they were without big man Anderson Varejao and prized free agent Kevin Love, and lost point guard Kyrie Irving earlier during the playoffs, it's amazing they made it as far as they did. Had those three been healthy, the Finals may well have turned out differently. Or maybe not.
Dumbest remark of the day Dept. Towards the end of the deciding Game 6, when it was apparent Golden State would prevail, some TV announcer said it looked like the Cavs weren't even trying. Where is the the toughness?, he asked. Idiot. The Cavs had been playing the whole series severely under-manned with guys on the court few had ever even heard of before. Lebron might be the "king", but he's not Superman. After the fast-paced Warriors had run them up and down the court during a grueling series, their gauge had finally hit the dreaded "E". It had nothing to do with toughness or will. They'd already shown that with what they had. But out of gas is out of gas.
And speaking of gasbags, this post has run on long enough......
Monday, June 15, 2015
Barry Melrose. Quite the guy
Unlike precious few others in the sports world -- actually a total of none come to mind -- Barry Melrose doesn't seem to have a single detractor. It's almost impossible not to like the guy. His down-to-earth personna, devilish smile, contagious laugh, and willingness to be the butt of a joke (he can dish too) are admirable traits indeed. Well, OK, maybe the hair could use a tweak, but hey, there's lots of things harder on the eyes than the slick-back, duck-tail look Melrose sports. Have you checked out Don Cherry's outfits over the years?
But there is no doubt Barry Melrose knows his hockey. He was a former player that worked his way up through various teams to the NHL, and did the same as a coach after his playing days were over. Granted, Melrose wasn't exactly a superstar in either venture over the years, but he did once coach the LA Kings to the Stanley Cup finals. Regardless, it could safely be said Barry's been there and done that before he became an "analyst". The man knows what he's talking about.
One need look no further than this year's playoffs. Before they even began, Melrose picked the Chicago Black Hawks to win the Cup. They just did. Sure, Chicago is a team loaded with talent so picking them to win hardly qualifies as a miracle.
But consider the Finals themselves. Before they even started Melrose said the Black Hawks would prevail in 6 games. After three games, the Hawks found themselves down 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In order for Barry's prediction to come true, the Hawks would have to win the next 3 games in a row against a team that hadn't lost three in a row all year. Yet even then, he stuck with his prediction. And that's exactly what happened. The Chitowners just won their 3rd Cup in the last 6 years. Very impressive stuff, both for the team and Melrose calling the shot.
Alas, some incompetence and/or flat-out stupidity was involved at the end. The Black Hawks had just won the Cup in their hometown for the first time since way back in 1938. Their two recent clinching victories had come on the road.
The Black Hawk players were jubilant. Their fans in attendance were delirious with excitement and celebration. The presentation of the Holy Grail of hockey, Lord Stanley's cup, was upon them. Players could take turns holding it over their heads skating around while Black Hawk fans everywhere rejoiced.
But the cup wasn't there.
Incredibly, the explanation given was the cup was held up in traffic somewhere and would be a little late. Granted, Chicago has been experiencing some heavy rain for the last couple days, but there's no excuse -- NONE -- why the NHL couldn't get the cup there after the Hawks had taken a 3-2 lead in Tampa two full days before. It was a possible championship game and they had a full 48 hours to get a parcel there. It's not like it was a tank, a entire furnished condominium or even Chris Christie. It was merely a trophy. But they couldn't get it there on time. The stand at center ice of the United Center sat Cupless while everybody wondered what the hell was going on.
Then again, Gary Bettman is still the NHL commissioner, and ultimately in charge of all such matters-- right? Maybe such a huge blunder shouldn't have been totally unexpected after all. You can bet, man, that if there's a way to screw something up, Gary will find it.
In a perfect world, a job swap would be in order. Make Barry Melrose the Commish. Everybody likes him and he knows what he's doing. Put the not-so-beloved shrimpy Bettman on TV as an analyst. Good grief, isn't a Commish supposed to know a little about the sport he's overseeing? Let that clown rattle on for a few shows and he'd likely be fired by whatever network took him on board in the first place. The viewers would demand it. In the end, the NHL would be much better served all-around.
But for now, congrats to the Chicago Black Hawks, well-deserving Stanley Cup champions. Hope the hardware finally got there.......
But there is no doubt Barry Melrose knows his hockey. He was a former player that worked his way up through various teams to the NHL, and did the same as a coach after his playing days were over. Granted, Melrose wasn't exactly a superstar in either venture over the years, but he did once coach the LA Kings to the Stanley Cup finals. Regardless, it could safely be said Barry's been there and done that before he became an "analyst". The man knows what he's talking about.
One need look no further than this year's playoffs. Before they even began, Melrose picked the Chicago Black Hawks to win the Cup. They just did. Sure, Chicago is a team loaded with talent so picking them to win hardly qualifies as a miracle.
But consider the Finals themselves. Before they even started Melrose said the Black Hawks would prevail in 6 games. After three games, the Hawks found themselves down 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In order for Barry's prediction to come true, the Hawks would have to win the next 3 games in a row against a team that hadn't lost three in a row all year. Yet even then, he stuck with his prediction. And that's exactly what happened. The Chitowners just won their 3rd Cup in the last 6 years. Very impressive stuff, both for the team and Melrose calling the shot.
Alas, some incompetence and/or flat-out stupidity was involved at the end. The Black Hawks had just won the Cup in their hometown for the first time since way back in 1938. Their two recent clinching victories had come on the road.
The Black Hawk players were jubilant. Their fans in attendance were delirious with excitement and celebration. The presentation of the Holy Grail of hockey, Lord Stanley's cup, was upon them. Players could take turns holding it over their heads skating around while Black Hawk fans everywhere rejoiced.
But the cup wasn't there.
Incredibly, the explanation given was the cup was held up in traffic somewhere and would be a little late. Granted, Chicago has been experiencing some heavy rain for the last couple days, but there's no excuse -- NONE -- why the NHL couldn't get the cup there after the Hawks had taken a 3-2 lead in Tampa two full days before. It was a possible championship game and they had a full 48 hours to get a parcel there. It's not like it was a tank, a entire furnished condominium or even Chris Christie. It was merely a trophy. But they couldn't get it there on time. The stand at center ice of the United Center sat Cupless while everybody wondered what the hell was going on.
Then again, Gary Bettman is still the NHL commissioner, and ultimately in charge of all such matters-- right? Maybe such a huge blunder shouldn't have been totally unexpected after all. You can bet, man, that if there's a way to screw something up, Gary will find it.
In a perfect world, a job swap would be in order. Make Barry Melrose the Commish. Everybody likes him and he knows what he's doing. Put the not-so-beloved shrimpy Bettman on TV as an analyst. Good grief, isn't a Commish supposed to know a little about the sport he's overseeing? Let that clown rattle on for a few shows and he'd likely be fired by whatever network took him on board in the first place. The viewers would demand it. In the end, the NHL would be much better served all-around.
But for now, congrats to the Chicago Black Hawks, well-deserving Stanley Cup champions. Hope the hardware finally got there.......
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Detroit Tigers update
It seems like a long time ago when the Tigers started out this season 6-0, then went to 11-2. At the time, there were the usual few Pollyannish (see foolhardy) folks that wondered if the 2015 Tigers could match the 35-5 record Sparky Anderson's 1984 crew put up.
Fast forward to the present. The Tigers have played 50 more games, for a total of 63, and still haven't reached 35 wins. They've gone 22-28 since they were 11-2. At a pedestrian 33-30, they could be considered no more than average.
For that matter, as certain media is so fond of saying (as if it matters), if the season ended right now, the Tigers wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs. They're in 3rd place in their own division, and in 4th place when it comes to qualifying as a wild card.
Sure, there's still 100 games to go and anything can happen. The Tigers could play fairly well for the next three and a half months and cruise to another AL central division title. Or it could go the other way. They could crash and burn as well.
It should come as no surprise that the Tigers losing pitchers like Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello would cost them a few wins. As mentioned in my previous post, former ace Justin Verlander has thudded back to "average", if he can even stay healthy, and Anabel Sanchez has reverted back to his career self. Sometimes he pitches well -- other times he pitches batting practice.
The much maligned bullpen has been OK. Nothing great, but passable for the most part.
To nobody's great surprise, slugger Miguel Cabrera keeps on keeping on with his bat. Yoenis Cespides was a great addition in the outfield and J.D. Martinez seems to have come around after a slump. Jose Iglesias is a slick, if weak-hitting shortstop, and second baseman Ian Kinsler is a solid player. Rajai Davis and Anthony Gose have their good days and bad days, but are decent role players. Even James McCann, filling in for injured catcher Alex Avila has contributed here and there. The aging Victor Martinez has long been a one-dimensional player. He could hit, but do nothing else. Now he's on the shelf with an injury, duration unknown, but Father Time is definitely working against him.
All in all, the Tigers are a "maybe" team. Not only every game, but for the season. They're neither dominant nor doormats. They can play well one day and stink it up the next. They're capable of rattling off an 8-10 game winning streak, but equally capable of the same sort of losing streak.
A funny thing about baseball. Even the worst teams win 4 games out of 10 over the season. One would think the better teams would easily win 6 out of 10. But currently only one, the St. Louis Cardinals are above the .600 mark.
A 100 win season in MLB is considered phenomenal these days, but it only requires a .617 winning percentage. That's not even winning two out of three all year. Successful teams in other sports would consider only winning two out of three as almost underachieving. Think New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, or a few NBA clubs.
What's really weird in baseball is that on any given day, a cellar dweller can beat a first place team and nobody raises an eyebrow. Happens all the time. But it would be big news if the same happened in the NFL or NBA.
The cream has a way of rising to the top in the NFL and NBA. When the playoffs start, the pretenders are usually quickly exposed.
But in baseball, the postseason is every bit the crapshoot the regular season was. Many in the Detroit area thought the Tigers would go far last year. They were unceremoniously broomed by the Baltimore Orioles. And the Kansas City Royals, which the Tigers had "owned" all year, went on to the World Series, finally losing in a thrilling seventh game to the San Fran Giants. And had anybody ever heard of Madison Bumgarner before? Where did he come from to suddenly turn into Sandy Koufax on the biggest stage of all?
So will the Tigers even MAKE the playoffs? Personally, I'd say it's a coin flip. Maybe. Maybe not. But you never know. If they do, they could wind up winning their first World Series since Sparky's 1984 squad pulled it off. There's something Orwellian about that number, but I digress.
Let's just say stranger things have happened. After all, the New York Giants knocked off the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl a few years back -- right? As did the LA Kings barely sneaking into the playoffs and winding up claiming Lord Stanley's Cup not so long ago.
In the end, there's only one definitive answer.
We'll all find out in October.
Fast forward to the present. The Tigers have played 50 more games, for a total of 63, and still haven't reached 35 wins. They've gone 22-28 since they were 11-2. At a pedestrian 33-30, they could be considered no more than average.
For that matter, as certain media is so fond of saying (as if it matters), if the season ended right now, the Tigers wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs. They're in 3rd place in their own division, and in 4th place when it comes to qualifying as a wild card.
Sure, there's still 100 games to go and anything can happen. The Tigers could play fairly well for the next three and a half months and cruise to another AL central division title. Or it could go the other way. They could crash and burn as well.
It should come as no surprise that the Tigers losing pitchers like Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello would cost them a few wins. As mentioned in my previous post, former ace Justin Verlander has thudded back to "average", if he can even stay healthy, and Anabel Sanchez has reverted back to his career self. Sometimes he pitches well -- other times he pitches batting practice.
The much maligned bullpen has been OK. Nothing great, but passable for the most part.
To nobody's great surprise, slugger Miguel Cabrera keeps on keeping on with his bat. Yoenis Cespides was a great addition in the outfield and J.D. Martinez seems to have come around after a slump. Jose Iglesias is a slick, if weak-hitting shortstop, and second baseman Ian Kinsler is a solid player. Rajai Davis and Anthony Gose have their good days and bad days, but are decent role players. Even James McCann, filling in for injured catcher Alex Avila has contributed here and there. The aging Victor Martinez has long been a one-dimensional player. He could hit, but do nothing else. Now he's on the shelf with an injury, duration unknown, but Father Time is definitely working against him.
All in all, the Tigers are a "maybe" team. Not only every game, but for the season. They're neither dominant nor doormats. They can play well one day and stink it up the next. They're capable of rattling off an 8-10 game winning streak, but equally capable of the same sort of losing streak.
A funny thing about baseball. Even the worst teams win 4 games out of 10 over the season. One would think the better teams would easily win 6 out of 10. But currently only one, the St. Louis Cardinals are above the .600 mark.
A 100 win season in MLB is considered phenomenal these days, but it only requires a .617 winning percentage. That's not even winning two out of three all year. Successful teams in other sports would consider only winning two out of three as almost underachieving. Think New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, or a few NBA clubs.
What's really weird in baseball is that on any given day, a cellar dweller can beat a first place team and nobody raises an eyebrow. Happens all the time. But it would be big news if the same happened in the NFL or NBA.
The cream has a way of rising to the top in the NFL and NBA. When the playoffs start, the pretenders are usually quickly exposed.
But in baseball, the postseason is every bit the crapshoot the regular season was. Many in the Detroit area thought the Tigers would go far last year. They were unceremoniously broomed by the Baltimore Orioles. And the Kansas City Royals, which the Tigers had "owned" all year, went on to the World Series, finally losing in a thrilling seventh game to the San Fran Giants. And had anybody ever heard of Madison Bumgarner before? Where did he come from to suddenly turn into Sandy Koufax on the biggest stage of all?
So will the Tigers even MAKE the playoffs? Personally, I'd say it's a coin flip. Maybe. Maybe not. But you never know. If they do, they could wind up winning their first World Series since Sparky's 1984 squad pulled it off. There's something Orwellian about that number, but I digress.
Let's just say stranger things have happened. After all, the New York Giants knocked off the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl a few years back -- right? As did the LA Kings barely sneaking into the playoffs and winding up claiming Lord Stanley's Cup not so long ago.
In the end, there's only one definitive answer.
We'll all find out in October.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Justin Verlander. Jury's out
The Detroit Tiger ace of recent years seems to be at a crossroads. Once upon a time Verlander was amongst the most dominant pitchers in the game. He won the Cy Young Award and even had a breakfast cereal (Fastball Flakes) named after him.
His "stuff" on the mound was incredible. Besides being able to throw 100 MPH heat, he had a curve, a slider, and had mastered the split-fingered pitch (basically a change-up that "drops off the table"). And his control of all his pitches was excellent. JV could throw it where he wanted to. Along the way he racked up the wins, strike-outs and other gaudy stats.
But then two things happened. Last year, while apparently healthy, Verlander turned in a season that could be described as journeyman-ish. He lost almost as many games as he won. That seemed odd, given he was only 31 years old at the time. One would think a pitcher would be peaking at that age rather than suffering a serious downturn in his effectiveness. Especially someone like Verlander who, besides his phenomenal pitching skills, had a will to win unmatched by most. The fire burned within. JV would do whatever it took for his team to prevail when he was on the mound.
Then 2015 rolled around and Verlander had a mysterious arm ailment. Though he and the team pooh-poohed it as nothing serious at the time, obviously there was a bit more to it. A pitcher, particularly of JV's caliber, doesn't miss the first two and a half months of the season over a scratch or a bruise. Something was definitely wrong.
So Verlander quietly disappeared, while likely huddling up with the doctors and rehab specialists to plan a course of treatment that would get him back to the Tigers as soon as possible.
Of course, when such injuries occur, even after a player has been finally cleared as fully healthy, they don't just jump back into the major leagues. Typically they'll play a few games at the AAA minor league level to get back up to speed before facing the big boys again.
Verlander did, but he was underwhelming even in his minor league outings. But hey, the Tigers aren't paying JV $28,000,000 guaranteed this year just so he can pitch in Toledo. If he's good-to-go, they want some return on their money at Comerica Park. Put him out there and let's rock.
Earlier tonight, the Tigers did just that against the Cleveland Indians. Verlander finally made his first big league start. His stat line wasn't too shabby. A few hits, a couple runs, a strike-out and a walk. But what the stats don't show is Verlander was hardly impressive. The Tribe batters were hitting the ball hard and often against him. To their credit, the Tigers' defense made some sparkling plays in the field to turn several would-be big hits into outs, else JV's stat line would have looked a little different.
Once the proverbial work-horse, Verlander appeared to be gassed after about 5 innings. There are those that would say he needs time to get his stamina back, and that point is noted. But it could also be argued he's had two and a half months of rehab to work through something that was supposed to be "minor" in the first place and a couple recent starts at the AAA level to boot. So how long will it take before he's supposedly "in shape" again? Another month? Two? And let's face it, it's not like Verlander has to work on other facets of playing baseball. He doesn't have to hit, field an every day position and, for that matter, only actually participates every 5th or 6th day anyway. The dude's raking in a million bucks a week whether he works or not. How outrageous is that? Do the math. Verlander's making over $5000 an hour, every hour of every day, 24/7. Guaranteed.
Now 32, it will be interesting to see if Justin Verlander can ever regain his once dominant form. The medical experts say he's OK. JV says he's OK, and the Tigers better hope he's not only OK, but has several more thousand quality pitches left in his precious right arm.
Because if not, they're on the hook for some serious dough. JV gets another $28 million next year. And in 2017. And in 2018. And in 2019. It drops down to a "paltry" $22 million in 2020. All guaranteed money.
Here's wishing the Fastball Flakes man the best, but if he crashes and burns in the near future -- definitely possible given the trend of his last year and a half of production or lack thereof.......
Let's just say the current jury remains out.
His "stuff" on the mound was incredible. Besides being able to throw 100 MPH heat, he had a curve, a slider, and had mastered the split-fingered pitch (basically a change-up that "drops off the table"). And his control of all his pitches was excellent. JV could throw it where he wanted to. Along the way he racked up the wins, strike-outs and other gaudy stats.
But then two things happened. Last year, while apparently healthy, Verlander turned in a season that could be described as journeyman-ish. He lost almost as many games as he won. That seemed odd, given he was only 31 years old at the time. One would think a pitcher would be peaking at that age rather than suffering a serious downturn in his effectiveness. Especially someone like Verlander who, besides his phenomenal pitching skills, had a will to win unmatched by most. The fire burned within. JV would do whatever it took for his team to prevail when he was on the mound.
Then 2015 rolled around and Verlander had a mysterious arm ailment. Though he and the team pooh-poohed it as nothing serious at the time, obviously there was a bit more to it. A pitcher, particularly of JV's caliber, doesn't miss the first two and a half months of the season over a scratch or a bruise. Something was definitely wrong.
So Verlander quietly disappeared, while likely huddling up with the doctors and rehab specialists to plan a course of treatment that would get him back to the Tigers as soon as possible.
Of course, when such injuries occur, even after a player has been finally cleared as fully healthy, they don't just jump back into the major leagues. Typically they'll play a few games at the AAA minor league level to get back up to speed before facing the big boys again.
Verlander did, but he was underwhelming even in his minor league outings. But hey, the Tigers aren't paying JV $28,000,000 guaranteed this year just so he can pitch in Toledo. If he's good-to-go, they want some return on their money at Comerica Park. Put him out there and let's rock.
Earlier tonight, the Tigers did just that against the Cleveland Indians. Verlander finally made his first big league start. His stat line wasn't too shabby. A few hits, a couple runs, a strike-out and a walk. But what the stats don't show is Verlander was hardly impressive. The Tribe batters were hitting the ball hard and often against him. To their credit, the Tigers' defense made some sparkling plays in the field to turn several would-be big hits into outs, else JV's stat line would have looked a little different.
Once the proverbial work-horse, Verlander appeared to be gassed after about 5 innings. There are those that would say he needs time to get his stamina back, and that point is noted. But it could also be argued he's had two and a half months of rehab to work through something that was supposed to be "minor" in the first place and a couple recent starts at the AAA level to boot. So how long will it take before he's supposedly "in shape" again? Another month? Two? And let's face it, it's not like Verlander has to work on other facets of playing baseball. He doesn't have to hit, field an every day position and, for that matter, only actually participates every 5th or 6th day anyway. The dude's raking in a million bucks a week whether he works or not. How outrageous is that? Do the math. Verlander's making over $5000 an hour, every hour of every day, 24/7. Guaranteed.
Now 32, it will be interesting to see if Justin Verlander can ever regain his once dominant form. The medical experts say he's OK. JV says he's OK, and the Tigers better hope he's not only OK, but has several more thousand quality pitches left in his precious right arm.
Because if not, they're on the hook for some serious dough. JV gets another $28 million next year. And in 2017. And in 2018. And in 2019. It drops down to a "paltry" $22 million in 2020. All guaranteed money.
Here's wishing the Fastball Flakes man the best, but if he crashes and burns in the near future -- definitely possible given the trend of his last year and a half of production or lack thereof.......
Let's just say the current jury remains out.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
MLB. Put up safety nets?
It appears Major League Baseball is considering whether to put up safety nets to protect fans from bats (splintered or whole) and balls flying into the stands at high speeds. Recently, a woman at Fenway Park in Boston was severely injured when a jagged piece of a broken bat struck her. It was a life-threatening event at the time and she still remains hospitalized. And, of course, we've long occasionally heard reports of people, even kids, getting zapped by a line drive.
The advocates for putting up nets in the "danger zone", which is roughly from dugout to dugout -- or first to third base -- have some valid points.
After a wayward puck in a hockey game killed a spectator, the NHL put up nets surrounding both goals so that could never happen again. How many times a fan had been struck by a puck in the past and the severity of any injuries incurred over the years is unknown, but it's likely quite a few, with various degrees of harm. Hockey fans sitting in such seats have become used to viewing the action through the nets. Baseball fans would as well.
There's certainly no disputing most every baseball park, from the little leagues on up to the majors has long had a net (or fencing) protecting the fans sitting behind home plate. Lots of pitches get fouled "straight back" and protecting the fans from routine incoming high-speed projectiles would seem to be a very good idea. And the people that prefer to sit behind home plate, which are expensive seats, got used to the net as well. It's kind of like living near a railroad or airport. After a while, people have a way of tuning out the noise. So why not put up the nets to ensure a future tragedy can't happen?
But for every point, there's a counterpoint. The people against the nets have an equally valid argument.
After all, seating in the lower deck between first and third base is prime territory, typically inhabited by season ticket holders. They pay big bucks for those seats and if they don't want their close-up view hampered by having to look through a net -- then where do others get off telling them nets are for their own good? They could further argue MLB has been around for well over 100 years without such nets, so they have tradition on their side as well. Yes, occasionally a tragedy will occur, but doesn't that happen in all walks of life? The chances of getting hit by a splintered bat are likely less than getting struck by lightning, but people still freely travel around during thunderstorms.
And there's the little matter of souvenir baseballs. Most every fan's dream is to catch/retrieve one while at the ballpark, and the nets would take away countless such mementos.
So the question becomes thus: Should safeguards be imposed on people that don't want them? The seatbelt thing seemed to work out over time, but nets in major league parks? To protect people that willingly drop $300-400 for seats up close to the action?
There's a better way. Ban cell/smart phones in these stadiums. Yours truly has long wondered what kind of person goes to a ballpark to watch a game, only to spend 90% of their time on their mobile addiction. A game is typically 2-3 hours. Is it asking too much for them to go that long without tweets, texts, and selfies? Besides, while their snoots are concentrating on apps, they're not paying attention to what's going on in the game, supposedly the reason for their attendance in the first place. No wonder incidents of fans being struck by bats and balls has recently been on the rise. They can't duck what they never see coming.
One is left to wonder where all this safety for your own good may lead next. Lord knows, we've had enough from the government in recent years. Do you feel safer knowing your phone calls might be monitored?
But this is about nets and how much safety is enough -- or too much.
Idle thought: If they really want to protect people, maybe they should put up nets protecting the gallery when Tiger Woods hits a tee shot. That thing could go anywhere.....
The advocates for putting up nets in the "danger zone", which is roughly from dugout to dugout -- or first to third base -- have some valid points.
After a wayward puck in a hockey game killed a spectator, the NHL put up nets surrounding both goals so that could never happen again. How many times a fan had been struck by a puck in the past and the severity of any injuries incurred over the years is unknown, but it's likely quite a few, with various degrees of harm. Hockey fans sitting in such seats have become used to viewing the action through the nets. Baseball fans would as well.
There's certainly no disputing most every baseball park, from the little leagues on up to the majors has long had a net (or fencing) protecting the fans sitting behind home plate. Lots of pitches get fouled "straight back" and protecting the fans from routine incoming high-speed projectiles would seem to be a very good idea. And the people that prefer to sit behind home plate, which are expensive seats, got used to the net as well. It's kind of like living near a railroad or airport. After a while, people have a way of tuning out the noise. So why not put up the nets to ensure a future tragedy can't happen?
But for every point, there's a counterpoint. The people against the nets have an equally valid argument.
After all, seating in the lower deck between first and third base is prime territory, typically inhabited by season ticket holders. They pay big bucks for those seats and if they don't want their close-up view hampered by having to look through a net -- then where do others get off telling them nets are for their own good? They could further argue MLB has been around for well over 100 years without such nets, so they have tradition on their side as well. Yes, occasionally a tragedy will occur, but doesn't that happen in all walks of life? The chances of getting hit by a splintered bat are likely less than getting struck by lightning, but people still freely travel around during thunderstorms.
And there's the little matter of souvenir baseballs. Most every fan's dream is to catch/retrieve one while at the ballpark, and the nets would take away countless such mementos.
So the question becomes thus: Should safeguards be imposed on people that don't want them? The seatbelt thing seemed to work out over time, but nets in major league parks? To protect people that willingly drop $300-400 for seats up close to the action?
There's a better way. Ban cell/smart phones in these stadiums. Yours truly has long wondered what kind of person goes to a ballpark to watch a game, only to spend 90% of their time on their mobile addiction. A game is typically 2-3 hours. Is it asking too much for them to go that long without tweets, texts, and selfies? Besides, while their snoots are concentrating on apps, they're not paying attention to what's going on in the game, supposedly the reason for their attendance in the first place. No wonder incidents of fans being struck by bats and balls has recently been on the rise. They can't duck what they never see coming.
One is left to wonder where all this safety for your own good may lead next. Lord knows, we've had enough from the government in recent years. Do you feel safer knowing your phone calls might be monitored?
But this is about nets and how much safety is enough -- or too much.
Idle thought: If they really want to protect people, maybe they should put up nets protecting the gallery when Tiger Woods hits a tee shot. That thing could go anywhere.....
Cavs and commercials
Well gee. If you owe less than $625,000 on your mortage the feds have a deal for you. An easy-peasy refi that can save you a bunch of bucks. That's great, but tell ya what. You're already an idiot. What kind of fool borrows that much money in the first place? If you're rich, you didn't need a loan. And you didn't get rich by paying interest, but rather collecting it. Something is wrong with this picture.
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to surprise the basketball world. Already without several key players, they just knocked off the favored Golden State Warriors -- again.
Aussie guard Matthew Dellavedova (or is that In A Gadda Da Vita?) has proven to be quite the iron butterfly indeed while checking the reigning NBA MVP, sometimes known as Steph Curry.
In Game 3, the short-handed Cavaliers pretty well had their way with the Oakland bunch -- for three quarters. They led by a whopping 17 points going into the fourth, a seemingly insurmountable lead. But you just knew the Warriors would go on a run. And they did, closing the gap to as little as 3 points with plenty of time remaining. Would the Cavs actually blow such a giant lead?
It turns out not, but it sure looked like they were lost in the fourth quarter. They seemed to have only one play on offense. Give it to Lebron and let him create something. Meanwhile, the other four guys were standing around.
Another commercial break. You gotta love that TV insurance ad that brought back Jane and Dan of classic Saturday Night Live fame as Coneheads. Still not sure how successful one might be trying to contact their insurance agent at 3 in the morning -- and does the same guy in the same khakis always answer the phone? I dunno, but it beats the heck out of the shrew and her idiot husband in the original version.
Now Cleveland is ahead 2-1 in the Finals and has home court advantage to boot. Can they hang on and pull this off for a title? Count yours truly as still skeptical. Golden State was behind Memphis 2-1 in a similar scenario as well but came roaring back to dispatch the Grizzlies.
Wow. That was an eye-opener. If you've experienced massive internal bleeding and even death after taking a certain prescription drug, call this 800 number right away for help. I understand legal minds have been known to work miracles, but getting deceased people to pick up the phone to join a class action suit would be impressive indeed. Then again, maybe those lawyers wear khakis too and do their best work at 3 AM for the recently departed. Right.
On with the Finals. Every game is crucial, but Game 4 is super-crucial. If GS evens it up at 2-2, that's one thing. But if the CCers go up 3-1.........
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to surprise the basketball world. Already without several key players, they just knocked off the favored Golden State Warriors -- again.
Aussie guard Matthew Dellavedova (or is that In A Gadda Da Vita?) has proven to be quite the iron butterfly indeed while checking the reigning NBA MVP, sometimes known as Steph Curry.
In Game 3, the short-handed Cavaliers pretty well had their way with the Oakland bunch -- for three quarters. They led by a whopping 17 points going into the fourth, a seemingly insurmountable lead. But you just knew the Warriors would go on a run. And they did, closing the gap to as little as 3 points with plenty of time remaining. Would the Cavs actually blow such a giant lead?
It turns out not, but it sure looked like they were lost in the fourth quarter. They seemed to have only one play on offense. Give it to Lebron and let him create something. Meanwhile, the other four guys were standing around.
Another commercial break. You gotta love that TV insurance ad that brought back Jane and Dan of classic Saturday Night Live fame as Coneheads. Still not sure how successful one might be trying to contact their insurance agent at 3 in the morning -- and does the same guy in the same khakis always answer the phone? I dunno, but it beats the heck out of the shrew and her idiot husband in the original version.
Now Cleveland is ahead 2-1 in the Finals and has home court advantage to boot. Can they hang on and pull this off for a title? Count yours truly as still skeptical. Golden State was behind Memphis 2-1 in a similar scenario as well but came roaring back to dispatch the Grizzlies.
Wow. That was an eye-opener. If you've experienced massive internal bleeding and even death after taking a certain prescription drug, call this 800 number right away for help. I understand legal minds have been known to work miracles, but getting deceased people to pick up the phone to join a class action suit would be impressive indeed. Then again, maybe those lawyers wear khakis too and do their best work at 3 AM for the recently departed. Right.
On with the Finals. Every game is crucial, but Game 4 is super-crucial. If GS evens it up at 2-2, that's one thing. But if the CCers go up 3-1.........
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