05-24-11--DETROIT VS. TAMPA BAY--7:05 PM

[IdahoBert]

From Detroit, Michigan




It's the Detroit Tigers
vs
The Tampa Bay Rays




May 24, 2011 7:05 PM







Brought to you by:

[IdahoBert]

Wade Davis, RHP vs. Justin Verlander, RHP

[C03BRA]

Free game of the day on MLB.TV

[IdahoBert]

Free game. Cool...

[IdahoBert]

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill

We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was 'dead'
I said to him

(You can't always get what you want) well no!
(You can't always get what you want) tell ya baby
(You can't always get what you want) no
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, mmm!
Mmm! you get what you need
Ooh yes! Woo!

[Eric Cioe]

Wade Davis is not good. He's walked as many as he's struck out. That's not good, Mario.

[hueytaxi]

Being in the Tampa locale, we also get it on SUN which surprises me it is not blacked out.

[JayVee]

So looking around the league standings, it suddenly looks surprisingly normal. The good teams are doing well, and the bad teams are doing poorly. Everything looks pretty much like what we all thought it would look at the end of the season, and it's still only May...


...except for that darn AL Central. How Cleveland is winning, while the Sux and Twinkies keep imploding is beyond me. John Danks is 0-7. Liriano has an ERA north of 6.00. It's a weird, weird division right now.

[catswithbats]

Apparently Gardenhire threw his players under the bus after the Twins' latest loss.

[treyKemper]

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill

We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was 'dead'
I said to him

(You can't always get what you want) well no!
(You can't always get what you want) tell ya baby
(You can't always get what you want) no
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, mmm!
Mmm! you get what you need
Ooh yes! Woo!

I'm reading Keef's Biography Life now. Possibly, the funniest first chapter I have ever read in my life.

And two other quickies:
1) Jimmy Fallon asked Keith Richards about the joke that he and cockroaches will be the only thing left after a nuclear war and Keith replied, "Well, I 'ave something to eat then, won't I?"

2) On the inside jacket of the book Keith writes: This is the life. Believe it or not I haven't forgotten any of it. - Thanks & praises - Keith Richards

Funny guy.

[jonjd]

Anyone going? I shall be there for my Comerica debut of '11.

[dadair6]

Anyone going? I shall be there for my Comerica debut of '11.

My wife an I will be there.

[JayVee]

[kdog]

Pasted from the comments in an article on star-tribune website:

Plouffe's pitiful, disgraceful fielding lost this game. What a bunch of bush league losers. Season's over. Forget it.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, PLEASE DON'T FIRE SMITH OR GARDY, PLEASE KEEP ALL OF OUR OVERPAID PLAYERS. PLEASE I LOVE WATCHING THINGS GET DONE THE TWINS WAY, BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, GOD I AM LAUGHING SO FREAKING HARD, THIS IS GREAT TV!!!!!!!!!!

Managers like Gibson, Guillen and Leyland have talented ex-players and former big league managers as part of their coaching staff. Gardy has a bunch of his friends no one's ever heard of with no experience except as Gardy's yes-men. Threatened much?

[DaYooperASBDT]

His peripherals may be ugly, but Wade Davis is six for nine in quality starts. He's been touched up for 4 home runs over his last two:
Wade Davis - Tampa Bay Rays - Game Log - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

[ballmich]

Pasted from the comments in an article on star-tribune website:

Holy Sweet Mother of Jesus. I wonder if they'd be willing to trade coaches?

I would deal McClendon and Lamont for basically any coach, ever. Dead or Alive. Or even Little League.

[John_Brian_K]

That makes me happy.

[tigerbomb13]

[Shelton]

I think it is interesting that the day leyland sarcastically suggests bringing a pen arm into game in the fourth inning he was forced to do just that.

[63 Tiger]

How quickly things change - From model small market team to the worse team in baseball - The Twins really know how to do it the right way!

[stevie-y]

Anyone going? I shall be there for my Comerica debut of '11.

Thinking about it. I took tomorrow off and was going to catch a day game, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow so I may just go tonight!

[ballmich]

How quickly things change - From model small market team to the worse team in baseball - The Twins really know how to do it the right way!

Well, I wouldn't be shocked to see them win the division. We've been stung by a big Twins turnaround before. It's never a surprise when it happens.

[kdog]

Well, I wouldn't be shocked to see them win the division. We've been stung by a big Twins turnaround before. It's never a surprise when it happens.

They've never been this bad this late into the season. Worst they've been is like 4 or 5 below .500.

[JayVee]

The Twins haven't been 10 games under .500 since the 2000 season. They're currently 16 games under.

[ballmich]

They've never been this bad this late into the season. Worst they've been is like 4 or 5 below .500.

I don't care. I won't be surprised, no Tigers fan should be. It's not like any team in this division is going to run away from the crowd (right Cleveland?). Mediocrity all around, so it would be ideal for a big comeback, if the Twins can get it going. Hopefully they don't, but laughing at them now is premature.

[ballmich]

The Twins haven't been 10 games under .500 since the 2000 season. They're currently 16 games under.

ballmich's top 10 reasons the Twins could win the division:

1. Mediocrity all around, no one is going to run away with the division.
2. Joe Mauer, if he returns, he's a perrenial MVP candidate.
3. Morneau, another perrennial MVP candidate, who can rebound at any time.
4. Joe Nathan, every day is one more post-TJ surgery. Could be much better soon.
5. Liriano with a 6+ ERA? If not injured, expect him to be better at some point.
6. Thome, now off the DL. If healthy, that's a big boost.
7. Cuddyer, Valencia, and Young all underperforming. Maybe that doesn't continue, they are better than this.
8. Capps a 5+ ERA. Pavano 5+ ERA. Seems like another area that could improve.
9. Mijares, when off the DL, could be much better, based on history.
10. Gibson, Revere, and any number of decent prospects that could contribute.

I'm not saying any of this will happen. But this is a much better team than their record suggests. They have some really good players underperforming and guys who have been hurt. If any of that changes, it woudl not surprise me to see them claw their way back into this race. I worry more about the Twins in this division, than anyone else.

[kdog]

I don't care. I won't be surprised, no Tigers fan should be. It's not like any team in this division is going to run away from the crowd (right Cleveland?). Mediocrity all around, so it would be ideal for a big comeback, if the Twins can get it going. Hopefully they don't, but laughing at them now is premature.

But we've given you facts that they were in much better shape to make a run in the last few years.

I'd be much more worried about the Sox and Tribe. The Twins have probably dug themselves a hole but will certainly be a good spoiler at the end. They may reach a point where they start selling off assets.

[T&P_Fan]

The indians will come back to the pack. Lets get this homestand started off with 2 in a row, the Rays are 3-7 in their last 10. Need to take advantage with Verlander on the mound.

[63 Tiger]

ballmich's top 10 reasons the Twins could win the division:

1. Mediocrity all around, no one is going to run away with the division.
2. Joe Mauer, if he returns, he's a perrenial MVP candidate.
3. Morneau, another perrennial MVP candidate, who can rebound at any time.
4. Joe Nathan, every day is one more post-TJ surgery. Could be much better soon.
5. Liriano with a 6+ ERA? If not injured, expect him to be better at some point.
6. Thome, now off the DL. If healthy, that's a big boost.
7. Cuddyer, Valencia, and Young all underperforming. Maybe that doesn't continue, they are better than this.
8. Capps a 5+ ERA. Pavano 5+ ERA. Seems like another area that could improve.
9. Mijares, when off the DL, could be much better, based on history.
10. Gibson, Revere, and any number of decent prospects that could contribute.

I'm not saying any of this will happen. But this is a much better team than their record suggests. They have some really good players underperforming and guys who have been hurt. If any of that changes, it woudl not surprise me to see them claw their way back into this race. I worry more about the Twins in this division, than anyone else.

Who doesn't?

[stevie-y]

Thinking about it. I took tomorrow off and was going to catch a day game, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow so I may just go tonight!

Talked myself into going. Hoping to see another JV gem

[jackson_cannery]

ballmich's top 10 reasons the Twins could win the division:

1. Mediocrity all around, no one is going to run away with the division.
2. Joe Mauer, if he returns, he's a perrenial MVP candidate.
3. Morneau, another perrennial MVP candidate, who can rebound at any time.
4. Joe Nathan, every day is one more post-TJ surgery. Could be much better soon.
5. Liriano with a 6+ ERA? If not injured, expect him to be better at some point.
6. Thome, now off the DL. If healthy, that's a big boost.
7. Cuddyer, Valencia, and Young all underperforming. Maybe that doesn't continue, they are better than this.
8. Capps a 5+ ERA. Pavano 5+ ERA. Seems like another area that could improve.
9. Mijares, when off the DL, could be much better, based on history.
10. Gibson, Revere, and any number of decent prospects that could contribute.

I'm not saying any of this will happen. But this is a much better team than their record suggests. They have some really good players underperforming and guys who have been hurt. If any of that changes, it woudl not surprise me to see them claw their way back into this race. I worry more about the Twins in this division, than anyone else.

Do you feel like the lawyer for a serial killer after writing that list?

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Do you feel like the lawyer for a serial killer after writing that list?

[John_Brian_K]

I am more worried about the WhiteSox than I am the Twinkies.

[JayVee]

Do you feel like the lawyer for a serial killer after writing that list?

haha

[Shelton]

The twins are better than record, but they aren't THAT much better. They are not a team that can play 16 games above .500 going forward, and that would only get them to 81-81. That won't be enough.

[The Truman Show]

Yeah, it's not enough that the Twins just regress back to the mean. If they were only 5 games under .500, that would probably be enough, but as of now they'll need the pendulum to swing wildly in the other direction.

[sagnam]

... 81-81. That won't be enough.

Probably.

[John_Brian_K]

Right around 90 is going to win the division. If it is us, Chicago or ...Cleveland. Twinks would have to go 75-41 the rest of the way to get 90 wins.

We have to go 66-50

Cleveland has to go 60-56

[kdog]

Detroit Tigers
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Don Kelly, 3B
3. Brennan Boesch, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Andy Dirks, LF
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Alex Avila, C
9. Scott Sizemore, 2B

[Walt]

I like that Jimbo is moving Sizemore down. I am starting to think it would be a good idea to move Dirks and Jhonny up to 2 and 3 though.