The Michael Fulmer hype

Sadly, fans in Detroit will believe just about anything when it comes to putting a positive spin on their sports "heroes".

Every year is going to be the one for the Lions, but never is of course. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is the best thing since Joe Louis Arena -- since rendered obsolete -- but knowledgeable football people grade him out to be slightly above average on the NFL scale of starting QBs. Matthew will soon be obsolete too, likely never having won a single playoff game.

The Pistons had a world-class arena in the Palace, totally bought and paid for. New ownership pumped somewhere between 10 and 15 million bucks into it to spruce it up even further. Then they turned right around and abandoned it to move back into the dregs of downtown Detroit where they'll have to pay rent. Does that make sense? But, by god, they just might make the playoffs this year.

The Red Wings have been long overdue for a total rebuild. Barely eking their way into the playoffs in recent years, only to be quickly blown away by vastly superior teams was somehow thought of as success in the Motor City. The proverbial piper has finally come-a-calling. They look to be a mess for the next several years.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Tigers don't know what to do. They've tried "buying" in a big way before for short-term talent, but could never make it to the finish line. Thirty three years and counting since their last World Series championship -- and it ain't happening this year either. Do they "sell"? Maybe, but what other teams would be interested in what they may have to offer? Guys on the backside of their careers with whopper contracts in tow? The Tigers have already looted their farm system for the above-mentioned short-term talent in the past.

And then there's Michael Fulmer. He is seen in Detroit as an ace pitcher. But is he really?

True, he garnered American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2016. Yet he sported an 11-7 record. Not bad, but certainly not eye-popping. The AL must have had an otherwise weak crop of rookies for him to walk off with the honors.

This year the Tigers and their ever-faithful media would have people believe he's become much much better. Yet after 21 starts, he owns a 9-6 record, Again, not bad, but hardly the stuff of your typical "ace".

The Tigers' hype machine would have people believing Fulmer, should he be dealt, is worth several good players, prospects, etc, in return. But is he?

Also true is he's only 24 years old. He could get better, a lot better. Or he could go the other way and flame out quickly. Nobody knows for sure.

[As an aside, former Tiger "ace" Justin Verlander just got clocked again by the Toronto Blue Jays. JV is now 5-7 with an ERA approaching 5.00. How many teams do you think are standing in line to pick up the remaining 80 million bucks of his guaranteed contract? But the Tigers still think he's "special". God bless em, but it doesn't make much sense.]

One thing that appears to be an absolute certainty is the Tigers, in their current state, don't remotely resemble a team capable of making a deep post-season run, if they even get there, which is also highly doubtful. They're only a game or two removed from the cellar of the entire American League. They'd have to play above .600 ball for the rest of the year to qualify. Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

But currently they're hyping Michael Fulmer like he's the next coming of Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Clayton Kershaw, take your pick.

And let's not forget who the Tigers -- in their infinite wisdom -- let get away in recent years. Max Scherzer, currently of the Washington Nationals, started the All-Star game this year. Rick Porcello, still a youngster himself, posted a 22-4 record last year for the Bosox and won the Cy Young. The seemingly ageless David Price is still cruising along.

Yet, by thunder, they still have Michael Fulmer, who's a combined 20-13 over his career with the Tigers so far. Pretty good, definitely better than average, and so far has come at a reasonable price. But that will change when talks of his next contract rolls around.

Because the Tigers have hyped him so much, they'll have no choice but to cough up the big bucks to keep him. This is what is known as strategy in Detroit. Talk up what talent you have, hope other teams buy it -- they won't -- and wind up getting cha-chinged in the end.

And the beat rolls on.

Hey, it's Detroit.

'Nuff said.

The amazing Aaron Judge

Old timers such as myself, and baseball historians certainly remember Frank Howard. During his playing days, first with the LA Dodgers and then on to his glory years with the then Washington Senators in the late 1960s, Howard was considered a mountain of a man.

Indeed he was. At six foot seven and weighing in somewhere between 235 and 250, he dwarfed all the other players on the field.

When Howard would come up to the plate to hit, the stick in his hands more resembled a little league bat than that of a major leaguer. And oh my, when he "got hold" of one he could hit it the proverbial mile.

Alas, he was woefully slow of foot, and pretty much a defensive liability when playing the field. Little range, a below average throwing arm, almost oafish. Still, he had a long and distinguished career in the big leagues.

Enter one Aaron Judge, currently a rookie for the NY Yankees. Though he doesn't seem to possess the physical intimidating presence Howard once did, he's actually a bigger man. Also six foot seven, but about 280 pounds. A strange phenomenon, but very real.

And that same Aaron Judge is absolutely tearing it up for the Yankees this year. At the All-Star break, barely half way through the season, AJ was batting over .300, had 30 home runs, and 66 RBIs. And BTW, he can hit it a mile too. That's not even counting the fact he won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star festivities.

Thing is, he's a definite plus in the other aspects of the game. Great range in the outfield, a superior throwing arm, and speed galore for a man his size.

What he has accomplished (so far) in this, his rookie season, is better than any other Yankee EVER did. That includes names like Mantle, Maris, Berra, DiMaggio, a regular murderer's row during their hey-days.

It should be noted that one George Herman (Babe) Ruth was never a Yankee rookie. He broke in with the Red Sox -- as a pitcher no less. Then somebody finally figured out he could hit a little -- make that a lot -- so it would probably be a good idea to have his bat in the line-up every day. What happened after that, as we know, became baseball legend.

Nevertheless, Aaron Judge has taken the baseball world by storm. True, while you don't get to the Major Leagues unless you're pretty good, nobody saw this coming. Did I mention tearing it up?

Unless a serious injury befalls him (you never know), or Judge swoons into a colossal slump for the rest of the year (highly unlikely), he's not only an absolute lock for Rookie of the Year, but likely the MVP of the American League. At his current pace, he's on his way to hitting 50-some home runs, 110-120 RBIs, batting over .300, and is a defensive asset as the Yankee right fielder. Throw in enough speed to steal a base here and there and this is a talent that doesn't come along just every day or year.

On top of it all, he appears to be a genuinely nice guy. Not full of himself like so many others. Humble instead of arrogant. More "aw shucks" than "look at me".

While there will always be those that despise the Yankees for various reasons, it's almost impossible not to like this young man. He's the "real deal" in more ways than one. A poster child for baseball and the heroics it sometimes offers.

Here come Da Judge? Well, not exactly. He's already arrived, in a very big way.

And here's hoping he continues to tear it up.

As they say, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy......

The Justin Verlander dilemma

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers was once a great pitcher. Sometimes he still is -- the key word being "sometimes".

Over halfway into the 2017 season, Verlander has had about 20 starts and has compiled a rather ho-hum 5-6 record.

It seems one game he'll throw a masterpiece. Then the next, get lit up like the proverbial pin ball machine.

Just last night against the Cleveland Indians JV had an excellent outing. Alas, he would get tagged with the loss nevertheless. Baseball can be cruel that way.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility the Tigers could ship him elsewhere to acquire a player or players, or perhaps some "prospects". Though Verlander has so far spent his entire major league career with Detroit, it's no longer a "lock" he's one of those rare "untouchable" players.

Thing is, what other team would want to take him on?

Sure, he's a horse and gobbles up a lot of innings. And the list of his past accomplishments is a long one. A former Cy Young winner, the American League MVP, and a couple no-hitters along the way are nothing to sneeze at. Plus he's racked up 178 wins along the way.

It's easy to think any number of teams would be happy to plug him into their starting rotation. But on further review, as they say, this might not necessarily be the case.

First, Verlander is now 34 years old. Not a geezer by any means, but likely on the back side of his bell curve. And does anybody really think he'll get better as he wades deeper into his 30s? It could happen, but the odds are highly against it.

Second, while he still has a decent fastball, for some reason he no longer even attempts to throw his once devastating split-finger pitch. True, he still has masterful control, striking out far more batters than giving up walks. But depending on what day it is, he can either mow down line-ups or get bombed as opposing batters rocket balls all over the park. As his manager Brad Ausmus wisely said recently -- major league hitters can hit velocity -- you've got to have the other stuff working or it likely spells trouble.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, is the matter of his (guaranteed) contract. Several years ago, while in his "prime", Verlander signed a long-term deal with the Tigers which would pay him roughly $27 million a year (on average) over its duration. This year he's making $28M.

Next year another $28M. Same for 2019. Then it slacks off to $22M in 2020, before it expires. No matter who he plays for -- or even if he doesn't play for whatever reason -- he'll get the dough.

Taking all that into consideration, which other general managers will surely do, perhaps Verlander isn't quite as attractive as some think.

Put another way, would you want to be the guy that committed around $90 million dollars of your owner's money (the rest of his contract, plus pro-rating the remainder of this season) for a 34 year old pitcher currently having a sub-.500 season whose performances go up and down like a sine wave?

It would be a risky gamble. If it worked out, you'd be looking good. If it went south, you might be looking for a job. Owners can have a way of getting a mite touchy over things like that.

If I was a betting man (actually I've been known to place a small wager here or there -- but not in this case), I'd put my money on JV sticking with the Tigers. It's probably where he wants to stay, the fans would be hugely disappointed to see him leave, and given the above reasons, yours truly can't see how the Tigers could get much back for him anyway. That's if there's any takers at all (see whopper contract again), which isn't a given.

Remember JV's much ballyhooed Fastball Flakes a few years back? I bought a box of those just to check them out. How good were they? Let's just say I didn't take a second spoonful. You've heard of a famous sugar-frosted brand that's been long advertised by a "tiger" as being "Grrrr-eat!!".  I found Tiger  Verlander's version to be "Grrrr-oss!!". But that's just me.

Fastball flakes indeed. Given his yo-yo performances of late, #35 for the Detroit Tigers just might be turning into one.

Tigers and Indians

The Detroit Tigers just got slapped around by the Cleveland Indians to the tune of 11-2. A blow-out. Detroit currently finds itself 8 games back of the Tribe in the AL Central with over half the season played.

Worse, they're only a game out of last place in their division and a couple from the basement of the entire American League.

Chances they could rally and make the post-season appear to be slim or none. Even winning roughly two our of every three games the rest of the way, an excellent percentage, might not be enough. And there is precious little to suggest the Tigers are capable of rattling off a couple long winning streaks.

The pitching is, for the most part, weak. The hitting sporadic. The defense shoddy. Little to no team speed.

And the trade deadline quickly approaches. Even if they're "sellers", who's going to buy what they might have to offer? A few guys on the back sides of their careers with whopper salaries?

After being contenders not long ago, this team is in serious trouble.

On the other hand are the Cleveland Indians. They appear to have everything the Tigers don't. A solid starting rotation, a formidable line-up, stellar defense, and a few speedsters to light up the basepathes.

The question is -- how come it took them so long to start coming around and playing like they're capable of?  Could it be the hangover of having the World Series snatched away from them at the last second last year?  Maybe.

Watching the two teams play, it quickly becomes obvious the Indians are far superior to the Tigers. It almost seems shocking they're only 8 games out in front of them. Fifteen or twenty would seem to be more appropriate. These guys are the real deal. Barring a slew of major injuries, it's just another question of how far they'll be able to go. In the post-season, and color them in, anything can happen in a short series, particularly against another good team.

So let's see. Cleveland has the Cavaliers with Lebron and company. But for that pesky Golden State, the Cavs are arguably the best team in the NBA. Detroit has the woeful Pistons with a bunch of nobodies.

True, Cleveland doesn't even have a team in the NHL any more. Detroit has the Red Wings, but they were overdue to bottom out -- and have. Their future looks bleak in coming years.

The Browns of the NFL remain awful. But everybody knows that, including the people in Cleveland. Conversely, Detroit has the Lions. They, and their snake-oil peddling local media keep getting the suckers to come back every year thinking this just might be the one. It never is. It won't be this year, or the next one, or the next one after that either. Other teams around the NFL have had their ups and downs, but the Lions remain flat-liners stuck on about the equivalent of a C-minus grade in the league.

So on the one hand, Cleveland has a team they KNOW is going to lose, but Detroit refuses to come to grips with reality and still thinks they're going to win something notable.

Which is sorrier? Let's call that a push.

It likely safe to say the cities themselves aren't high on the places tourists would want to come and visit. A couple arm pits. Another push.

Yet in the sports world, hockey team or not, Cleveland's got a whole lot more going on for them right now than Detroit does.

Unless Lebron leaves again after this year -- and he might. That would upset the applecart in a big way.

But the Indians compared to the Tigers isn't even a close call.

So they think we're stupid

Upon further review, ahem, it would appear some advertisers think sports fans are all idiots.

Well, OK, a lot of them are. How else to explain the ever-gullible Detroit Lion faithful thinking every year just might be the ONE (Super Bowl)? It never is, of course, and the last 60 years of futility would serve rather well as Exhibit A.

That is a blatant, up in your face example, but there continue to be others that are much more subtle. We see them every day on TV. Don't look now, but you're being played for a sucker.

First of all, I love Brett Favre. Always did, though, truth be told, yours truly wavered a bit with his retire, unretire, re-retire, re-unretire, bouncing around in his post-twilight years. It was -- C'mon dude. Make it official, get in line for the Hall of Fame, and quit with the stupid hanger-on stuff. It's getting embarrassing. Mercifully, for fans (and himself), he finally did.

But like a lot of ex-big time jocks, he couldn't resist the easy money that comes along with endorsing various products. Old #4 has certainly been busy in that regard of late. Trucks, blue jeans, you name it. Did he endorse sticks when throwing one for his dog to go fetch? Better yet, was that even his dog? We'll never know.

But his latest shaving razor commercial has a couple serious flaws, probably like most others of their ilk.

Look closer the next time this ad pops up on your flat screen. See Brett all lathered up with shaving cream. Hear him tout how close a shave he is getting as he drags the razor down the side of his face.

Yours truly has long suspected that the "actors" in such ads have already been super-close clean shaven just before the filming of the commercial, and that razor is merely wiping away the shaving cream, with no stubble underneath.

And Brett's latest commercial pretty well proves it. We've all seen him in the past with a full face -- and neck -- of 3-4 day growth.

But check out his neck. No shaving cream and no growth. It's already been scraped super-close clean. So how can it be his face needs a shave, but not his neck? It can't. Consider this commercial officially busted as a scam.

Adding yet another insult to the sappies, Mr. Favre claims these shavers must be superior because they contain blades of German stainless steel. What? American companies are oblivious to the concept of stainless steel honed razor sharp? Only the Teutonic tribe has figured this out to date? Does he really think Americans are that stupid? And how do we know it's stainless steel anyway? Has anybody ever cut one of those rascals apart and subjected it to a metallurgy analysis? Probably not. When it gets dull, shavers grab a new one. They don't care what's inside, as long as it works.

For that matter, even shaving cream isn't necessary. Never has been. You don't need it. The bar soap (spare me the "body-wash" nonsense at 2-3 times the price) one uses in the shower will do just fine. Lather up your face/neck with that, and it's actually easier and smoother to shave than using specialty products. Same for ladies and their legs/pits. Way cheaper too. Yours truly taught himself how to shave in the shower -- without a mirror -- and it not only saves time, but becomes second nature after a while. True, I lost a lot of blood before I finally perfected it, but anything worthwhile takes time and sacrifice. Hey, when you were a kid and the training wheels finally came off -- how many times did you fall down on your bicycle and get dinged up? But you stuck with it right?

The "miracle" of copper appears to be another scam of late. Granted, Dura-Cell's copper-top batteries have always been really good stuff, but that's only the color on the outside. It means nothing. They could paint them white, pink, or purple with chartreuse polka-dots, and it would still be the same battery.

Yet now, evidently people are being sold on the dubious claim that wrapping some sort of supporting elastic around various parts of their bodies -- which just so happen to have copper INSIDE, allegedly, will make all those pesky aches and pains go away. And by allegedly I mean -- has anybody ever cut one of these things open and inspected the innards? Probably not, because then it would be ruined and they'd have to pony up another $19.95, plus the dreaded shipping and handling fees, of course, for a replacement.

But does any sane person seriously think that applying copper --at least one layer removed from their skin -- is some sort of magical cure-all for damaged muscle tissue underneath? Please.

Not sure, but I think I spotted dear Brett hawking those things as well. Again -- C'mon Dude. Just because you made an idiot of yourself going to the Jets doesn't mean you should gouge the suckers that still admire what you once accomplished on the gridiron.

So yeah, I still love ya, always will, but quit it with the stupid stuff -- OK? It's not like you and your lovely Ms. Brie need the money.

If you just HAVE to have your face in front of a camera hawking a product, at least make it legit.

And definitely American made.

German stainless steel?

Get outta here....

David Feherty, Nancy Lopez, and Venus Williams

David Feherty is a lot like frozen dessert queen Sara Lee. Nobody can hate him. A dashing young -- OK, middle-aged -- rascal with a devilish but always good-natured sense of humor. Sports fans know him for his proximity to professional golf and its players.

The players, both current and former, always look forward to being interviewed by Feherty. True, he lobs softball questions and pretty much toes the politically correct line, but once in a while his playful side will kick in and he'll take a poke at somebody -- all in good fun of course. They get that, and eat it up.

Recently he sat down with Nancy Lopez. You remember her. She dominated the LPGA tour in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, winning all kinds of stuff. A no-brainer lock for the golfing Hall of Fame.

Now she's 60 years old. Time flies. Alas, though dear Ms. L was always a little heavy in the stern, even during her playing days, it appears she's been taking on some serious water, or food, since she retired. Translation? That woman is bigger than a house these days. Porker, oink, oink city. Yikes!!

Cry all you want, but shut up department.

Venus Williams broke down into tears on camera when asked about her recent auto accident that resulted in the death of a passenger in the other car. The authorities have verified the crash was clearly her fault. If she is showing sympathy for the poor guy that is no longer with us, that's one thing. But if she expects people to cut her some slack, that is something else entirely.

You don't see her jammed up on a charge of negligent vehicular homicide. She'll likely throw a little money at it, and the whole affair will disappear from the public consciousness within a couple weeks. All gone and her life goes on as before. But the dead guy in the other car isn't coming back. His family grieves and will likely never see justice done.

Meanwhile, some poor slob that was attempting to dock a pontoon boat, and doing everything right, found out later that -- incredibly -- some man and his 4 year old daughter were swimming right next to his running motor. Hey, it was clearly a no-swimming zone and boat motors not only make a lot of noise, but churn up the water. Any sane person knows to give them a wide berth, lest they be caught up in the propeller causing horrific injuries up to and including death.

Perhaps a 4 year old wouldn't be expected to know any better, but her father surely should have. What could he possibly have been thinking letting his little girl get that close to the running motor on a boat?

Alas, the little girl was killed indeed. Her dad, futilely attempting to save her, had his own legs mangled, which had to later be amputated. A tragedy all around.

And the pontoon driver? He quickly found himself under arrest for negligent homicide, though he had done absolutely nothing wrong. Even if he eventually beats such a bum rap, it will cost him countless thousands in legal fees, and there will always be those that hold him accountable -- somehow -- for that little girl's death. It's a stigma he'll have to live with forever.

So let's see. On the one hand we have Venus Williams who was at fault for a violent death. But she'll walk. Because she's Venus Williams.

On the other, we have an innocent citizen NOT responsible for a violent death, but he'll get ground under the wheels of so-called justice. Because he's Joe Blow.

If anybody has a right to cry -- it's the pontoon boat driver. Notice how quickly the "system" gobbled him up, and we may never hear about him again. But make no mistake. His nightmare has only begun. An innocent man's life likely ruined.

Currently, Ms. V flew first class to jolly old England and is participating in the Wimbledon tennis tournament. More glory, fame, and the adulation of her fans -- plus another hefty paycheck. Nice work, if you can get it.

The beleaguered pontooner is out on bail awaiting his next court appearance and wondering what could go possibly go wrong next.

Venus just needs to shut up and count her blessings. In a perfect, even fair world, it would be HER getting jammed up instead of the boat driver.

Am I the only one who thinks there is something really, really, REALLY wrong with this picture?

The Horn vs Pacquiao fight

It was interesting in more ways than one. Did anybody know that Manny Pacquiao was still even fighting, let alone a world champ in some division or other? I thought he retired to be a Filipino congressman. Hey, the dude's 38 years old. He isn't supposed to be getting in the ring any more with young studs like Jeff Horn.

Interesting point #1.

The welterweight bout was held in Brisbane, Australia. That just happens to be the home town of Jeff Horn. So why did so many (over 55,000) in the packed stadium appear to be rooting for Pacquiao? Yikes, if a fighter is the underdog in his home town, good luck if and when he has to travel the globe facing other world-class opponents.

And underdog Horn was. This according to all the "experts", of course. Never mind he was undefeated going in and had racked up a string of KOs against other worthy opponents in recent times.

Interesting Point #2.

It became painfully obvious throughout the fight that the commentators were hopelessly biased on the side of Pacquiao. Apparently, so was the referee. He wanted to stop the fight and give it to Pacquiao in the latter rounds, though Horn appeared to still be the aggressor.

Along those lines, Interesting Point #3.

While Horn's face was bruised and bloody, so was Pacquiao's. It happens after several rounds of guys hitting each other in the head. Yet the announcers said Horn was "a mess" while they deemed Pacquiao merely "dinged up" a tad.

Interesting Point #4.

All the ring-side commentators had Pacquiao easily winning the fight when the 12 rounds were finally finished. I saw it as a bit closer, but to be fair, thought Manny had got the better of Jeff, by a SLIGHT margin.

The ever-lovable and yappy-head Teddy Atlas, supposedly a boxing guru who knows all -- had Pacquiao winning the bout 116 - 111. A unanimous decision bordering on a beat down. Huh? He might have won it, but surely not by THAT wide a margin.

Yet given the pro-Pacquiao (and very unprofessional) rhetoric that permeated the broadcast throughout, it seemed inevitable the Filipino would retain his title as champ of -- well -- something.

Then came the most Interesting Point of all.

When the judges' scorecards were finally tallied and announced, much to the surprise of most -- including myself -- it was HORN who was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Did he win it fair and square? I dunno. But the only folks that count -- the judges -- said so. Kind of like the jury in the OJ murder trial. Many saw it one way, but the only people that mattered saw it quite differently. And right or wrong, they got/get to make the official call.

So how could the above-mentioned Teddy Atlas have gotten it so wrong by such a wide margin? Is he that clueless? Punch drunk? Maybe.

Then again, perhaps that could lead to Interesting Point #6.

Let's see. The TV folks were obviously in Pacquiao's corner.

So was the referee inside the ring.

The majority of the fans in attendance, even though it was the Aussie's home town, had been cheering for the Filipino throughout.

Quick, somebody check where those three ringside judges were from. Bet that could be much more interesting yet.

Ah well. Manny still has his day job as a politician -- I think. And a few more million in the bank.

There's worse things for a 38 year old to ponder.....