2012 Detroit Tigers

[Roquefort Robert]

I didn't look add in Turner's stats for tonight, but before tonight, their numbers were similar. Again, I don't know if he's going to be a great pitcher, but you can't tell after five games. Another note...Verlander was 23 when he pitched his fifth game, Turner just turned 21.

[gullycanyon]

Yeah yeah. OK, fair enough. Fuck Turner, for now. He's 21, he has no idea of what the hell to do in a major-league game, he can return to the minors, where he belongs, and get some shit figured out.

But now I'm pissed off.

Leyland says that Porcello is "learning."
I like Rick, I really do.
That Game 163-- held the Twins to 2 Runs before coming out in the 6th, striking out 8 along the way, which is really not even his usual thing-- was a stupendous moment for him, the guy who seemed Least Likely To Succeed under such pressure.
And, in another Great Moment In Tiger Baseball, hurling the charging Kevin Youkilis face-first to the turf, that was worth Big Points, with me, as well.

So, it's not that I'm pissed off at Rick, but Leyland's comment has me grinding my teeth.
What the fuck is Rick Porcello "learning?"
I mean, I read Leyland's explanation; he is referring to a thing about how Porcello uses his slider, and Leyland is probably on-target. He said that he is going to discuss it with Porcello, and I hope that he does, because-- despite Leyland's admission that he's "not a pitching guy"-- if we have to wait around for sorry-ass Jeff Jones to figure out anything about anything, the only thing about which we can be certain is that, by that time, being young will no longer be a viable excuse for Rick's floppitude.
And 23 is young. But goddam!! Porcello has already recorded 107 MLB Starts. In that sense, his 23 is a kind of old young. Doug Fister, at 28, has 26 less MLB Starts; can we, in reference to his recent woes, say that he is still "learning?"

So, how is this so-called "learning" coming along?
Now in his fourth season of being a Tigers Starter, he is looking as though he is pretty much the same guy as he was in his first, and his second, and his third, which is to say: 14-11, ERA of 4.5, WHIP of 1.4.
And that's not bad, actually, it really isn't, but if he is the same guy as he was at age 20, what the fuck does his age have to do with any part of the picture? It's 3 & 1/2 years later-- a significant span, for a young man-- and he's the same pitcher.

And, I really do like that pitcher, and that guy, sincerely I do, but I have become weary of hearing-- even from myself-- about his age, and now this fuckin' bullshit-- from Jim Leyland, who has really turned into a virtual fount of fuckin' bullshit-- about "learning."
Absolutely nothing has changed.

In Rick Porcello's case, it's not so much "what you see is what you get," it's more like "what you saw is all you'll get."

[Mulligan]

^^ Bonderman redux.

[The Suburban Avenger]

I thought last night was a sort of show-and-tell with Turner as trade bait ... not that it worked out all that well.

And not to nit-pick, because the Angels probably would've hit bombs if the ball was in the dirt, but it seemed like Turner got frustrated because he couldn't work the corners. After a few batters, it seemed like he was just putting it over the plate and hoping for the best.

On an unrelated note, Peavy vs. Verlander ought to be fun to watch Friday night.

[gullycanyon]

^^ Bonderman redux.

Yeah, Mulligan, you're right about that. I didn't think about it until seeing your remark.

I always thought that part-- a big part-- of Bonderman's failure to achieve the things of which his arm seemed capable was that he was, ummh, mentally limited.
Which is OK; some of the best people I have known were not very bright. (Come to think of it, I've known a lot of total fuckin' assholes who were very bright. Huh.) But if one has watched Greg Maddux cause a sequence of good MLB hitters to look helpless, one may have deduced that, while Maddux' arm and legs were strong, the body-part he really was using as his primary Tool of War was his brain. The guy just plain out-foxed hitters and manipulated them into doing what he wanted them to do. Constantly.

But anyway, yeah, same thing, mostly. Another one was Jason Thompson, Tiger 1Bman of mid-70's vintage. "Rooftop." Uh-huh.
Or, speaking of Thompsons, Justin Thompson, the pitcher. Our "Ace."
Jesus. I gotta stop there. Just thinking about Justin Thompson makes me irritable.
How did the other Starters feel, knowing that he was the staff "Ace?"
Gakkh.
Goddamit.

[Ya Mar]

^^ Bonderman redux.

Yeah, Mulligan, you're right about that. I didn't think about it until seeing your remark.

I always thought that part-- a big part-- of Bonderman's failure to achieve the things of which his arm seemed capable was that he was, ummh, mentally limited.
Which is OK; some of the best people I have known were not very bright. (Come to think of it, I've known a lot of total fuckin' assholes who were very bright. Huh.) But if one has watched Greg Maddux cause a sequence of good MLB hitters to look helpless, one may have deduced that, while Maddux' arm and legs were strong, the body-part he really was using as his primary Tool of War was his brain. The guy just plain out-foxed hitters and manipulated them into doing what he wanted them to do. Constantly.

But anyway, yeah, same thing, mostly. Another one was Jason Thompson, Tiger 1Bman of mid-70's vintage. "Rooftop." Uh-huh.
Or, speaking of Thompsons, Justin Thompson, the pitcher. Our "Ace."
Jesus. I gotta stop there. Just thinking about Justin Thompson makes me irritable.
How did the other Starters feel, knowing that he was the staff "Ace?"
Gakkh.
Goddamit.

But he was the only pitcher in baseball in the late 90's that could consistently make KG Jr. look like a minor leaguer...

[The Suburban Avenger]

Now you know:

Scherzer has struck out nine or more batters in seven of his 19 starts this season and leads the majors with the most nine-or-more-strikeout games.

He had some pretty good stuff this afternoon.

And, whomever compared Mike Trout to a young Mickey Mantle was spot-on. Not going to say he's going to have the same kind of career or anything, but he's got a great swing and looks strong as a farmboy.

[The Beav]

Now you know:

Scherzer has struck out nine or more batters in seven of his 19 starts this season and leads the majors with the most nine-or-more-strikeout games.

He had some pretty good stuff this afternoon.

And, whomever compared Mike Trout to a young Mickey Mantle was spot-on. Not going to say he's going to have the same kind of career or anything, but he's got a great swing and looks strong as a farmboy.

Wonder if he drinks like Mantle.

[gullycanyon]

Now you know:

Scherzer has struck out nine or more batters in seven of his 19 starts this season and leads the majors with the most nine-or-more-strikeout games.

He had some pretty good stuff this afternoon.

And, whomever compared Mike Trout to a young Mickey Mantle was spot-on. Not going to say he's going to have the same kind of career or anything, but he's got a great swing and looks strong as a farmboy.

Wonder if he drinks like Mantle.

Gosh, The Beav, that would be illegal.

[gullycanyon]

Well, Great Goddamighty, Rick Porcello has just delivered a "Fuck you, Gully" that I am tremendously pleased to endure.

That was as good as I have ever seen him pitch.
Out-fuckin'-standing.

[Shark]

The Tigers have allowed five or fewer hits in four straight games, the team's longest streak since May 20-24, 1984.

[D-Day]

The Tigers have allowed five or fewer hits in four straight games, the team's longest streak since May 20-24, 1984.

Well, that streak is over....that being said, I got a bad feeling about today's game

[Ya Mar]

After this year, there are only 2 left on Verlander's contract and 3 left on Cabrera's. Verlander stands to make $20m the next 2 years. Cabrera $22m. Fielder is good and at $23-$24m through 2020.

The question is: When do you work to extend Verlander and Cabrera and what do you put on the table? Pujols and Lee have set the bar at approx $25m per season - both signed at about the same age as JV and Miggy will be when they are free agents (Lee a couple years older than JV).

[D-Day]

The Tigers have allowed five or fewer hits in four straight games, the team's longest streak since May 20-24, 1984.

Well, that streak is over....that being said, I got a bad feeling about today's game

OK....so my bad feeling was unfounded and the Tigers get a sweep of the White Sox
So, now, can we get a collective, "He(They) gone," for Hawk Harrelson and whoever his sidekick/ward is? Those guys are totally unwatchable. If that's how they do it in Chicago...thank God I moved to Cincinnati

[Roquefort Robert]

After this year, there are only 2 left on Verlander's contract and 3 left on Cabrera's. Verlander stands to make $20m the next 2 years. Cabrera $22m. Fielder is good and at $23-$24m through 2020.

The question is: When do you work to extend Verlander and Cabrera and what do you put on the table? Pujols and Lee have set the bar at approx $25m per season - both signed at about the same age as JV and Miggy will be when they are free agents (Lee a couple years older than JV).

That's a tough question and as much as don't like it, I doubt they will retire as Tigers. I could see them trading them in the last seasons of their contracts for prospects and to free up salaries. I really hope I'm wrong.