04-18-12--DETROIT VS KANSAS CITY--8:10 PM

[Corky]

[Corky]

[Shinzaki]

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose....

This new version of Gerald Laird..the one I don't see every day...I like that Gerald Laird...

[ben9753]

It's sure nice to have defense and speed at the corners of the IF.

And don't forget about speed and production from C. If Laird doesn't hustle home, there may have been a different result tonight.

[Jeff6851]

Dan does not pronounce the R in boorzhwa

There is no R sound in it

[sagnam]

Fake Jim Leyland ‏ @FakeLeyland Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Valverde better come to my ******* funeral because he's probably going to be the cause of it

I laughed.

[Jeff6851]

[ROMAD1]

[IdahoBert]

TIGERS WIN!

[ROMAD1]

[Gehringer_2]

2 DPs started by Miguel tonight.

[Eric Cioe]

Scherzer is basically Jeremy Bonderman with a legitimate change-up.

A bit similar, but Bondo had better command and Scherzer better rounded with three average or better pitches.

I'll take that as my #3

Me too.

I would suggest having Jim Price for home games (since he's getting older) and Dan Petry for road games.

Great idea.

But when did Hobbits come along?

Funny you should mention that, because I'm going through my annual reading of Lord of the Rings right now. Where did hobbits come along? Clearly in this scheme they are the day laborers in the fields of feudal lords without the feudal lords. They are peasants who are answerable only to themselves. They never seem to want for anything. They share an awful lot. Other than Bilbo, none of them seem particularly wealthy or poor. Sounds a bit like a socialist state to me.

I'd live in the Shire in a heartbeat. I like eating, drinking beer, smoking pipes, and walks over the fields. I don't look great in green and brown but I could deal.

Not everyone does, but the R is the correct way. Maybe the player's family prounces it differently. Heck, Porcello doesn't pronounce his own name in authentic Italian either. Their choice I guess.

We're "supposed" to say "cho-EH," but the Midwest clan says "KYE-oh." It was part of a longer name to begin with so it doesn't much matter anyway. Thanks for nothing, Ellis Island.

[robgrave]

I didn't like the Cabrera-to-third move when it was first announced. But really, I never could have anticipated what he's done so far. He is more than adequate, with a chance to be darned good, as he continues to learn. And that's the thing about him; he's smart, with good baseball instincts, and he learns. Bound to get much better.

And that throwing arm...wowser!

[IdahoBert]

We're "supposed" to say "cho-EH," but the Midwest clan says "KYE-oh." It was part of a longer name to begin with so it doesn't much matter anyway. Thanks for nothing, Ellis Island.

When my wife's family arrived at Ellis Island from Sweden with the name "Anderson" they left it with name "Just." Go figure.

[sabretooth]

Cabrera's made some amateurish errors so far but he's clearly working hard and adapting very well. He clearly has an enthusiasm for this move, it's easy to see. He and Fielder do seem to click with each other.

[ben9753]

When are all the "experts" in the media that said putting Cabrera at third was the stupidest thing the Tigers could do, gonna come out of the woodwork and give him some credit for being rock solid so far.

[Eric Cioe]

When my wife's family arrived at Ellis Island from Sweden with the name "Anderson" they left it with name "Just." Go figure.

That's by far the most messed up I've heard.

"Just write this **** down, we're busy!"

[Tigers4F4]

Maybe Miggy just didn't like wearing a MITT ... I know I alway thought the first base mitt looked kinda silly!

[Yoda]

For those that aren't aware, Cliff Lee just threw his 10th inning and is only at 101 pitches... bloody hell.

Cain pitched 9 innings of shutout ball... still 0-0 in the 11th. Cain was only at 91 pitches when they pulled him after 9.

[sabretooth]

When are all the "experts" in the media that said putting Cabrera at third was the stupidest thing the Tigers could do, gonna come out of the woodwork and give him some credit for being rock solid so far.

I think the "experts" may not have been so expert; but they still had (and still have IMHO) plenty of reason to believe that Cabrera would/will be a poor defensive 3Bman. It's not like he's been a plus defender even so far this year...he's been a mixed bag and could easily wind up being a poor defender when it's all over.

That having been said I'm basically neutral on the move. What irks me more than anything is the continuing decision to take an offense-heavy lineup and put so-so hitters like Raburn and Young at positions where they are defensively poor (Raburn - 2B, Young - anywhere). I would like to see defense emphasized at 2B.

[alwaysthrowheat]

I think the "experts" may not have been so expert; but they still had (and still have IMHO) plenty of reason to believe that Cabrera would/will be a poor defensive 3Bman. It's not like he's been a plus defender even so far this year...he's been a mixed bag and could easily wind up being a poor defender when it's all over.

That having been said I'm basically neutral on the move. What irks me more than anything is the continuing decision to take an offense-heavy lineup and put so-so hitters like Raburn and Young at positions where they are defensively poor (Raburn - 2B, Young - anywhere). I would like to see defense emphasized at 2B.

I'd be surprised to see the Tigers stand pat on the 2B issue. They may acquire one in June under the radar, before the deadline heats up. I'd be shocked to see them stand pat on the bullpen, too.

[robgrave]

I think the "experts" may not have been so expert; but they still had (and still have IMHO) plenty of reason to believe that Cabrera would/will be a poor defensive 3Bman. It's not like he's been a plus defender even so far this year...he's been a mixed bag and could easily wind up being a poor defender when it's all over...

Man, I wish I knew baseball well enough to appreciate what you're saying. But for the opening day blunders (the pop-up that he misplayed but caught anyway, and the sharp grounder that he waved at as it went by -- his only error of the season) where's the "mixed bag" evidence? His throws have been strong and accurate, without exception. And he's charged in on bunts and slow-rollers effectively, making the plays that third basemen are supposed to make, without faltering. Pop-ups in foul territory haven't proven to be the adventure that the first day suggested they might be. So...what's the problem?

We saw some really brutal play at third last year from Wilson Bettemit, and even Inge, with his stellar defensive reputation, could make us nervous with his unreliable throws (and the occasional bobble as well). Miggy's been solid, by comparison, so far. The range problem is all that I see (and we knew that would be a limitation before the move was made). So, again, what's the problem? As I see it, he is on the way to becoming a good one at third. Correct me, please.

[Yoda]

Has his range even been all that bad? I've only been able to really watch a couple games this year. There hasn't been a play where I thought "Boy, he looks slow".

[pyrotigers]

I think Cabrera's range is bad, but that is OK. I thought he would be brutal coming in for balls and he's done quite well in that regard. His throwing has also been a lot more accurate than I expected. If he can make all the routine plays he'll be fine with even well below average range. It's just turning into a Ryan Braun level butcher that scares me, and he has been much better than that so far.

[sabretooth]

Man, I wish I knew baseball well enough to appreciate what you're saying. But for the opening day blunders (the pop-up that he misplayed but caught anyway, and the sharp grounder that he waved at as it went by -- his only error of the season) where's the "mixed bag" evidence? His throws have been strong and accurate, without exception. And he's charged in on bunts and slow-rollers effectively, making the plays that third basemen are supposed to make, without faltering. Pop-ups in foul territory haven't proven to be the adventure that the first day suggested they might be. So...what's the problem?

We saw some really brutal play at third last year from Wilson Bettemit, and even Inge, with his stellar defensive reputation, could make us nervous with his unreliable throws (and the occasional bobble as well). Miggy's been solid, by comparison, so far. The range problem is all that I see (and we knew that would be a limitation before the move was made). So, again, what's the problem? As I see it, he is on the way to becoming a good one at third. Correct me, please.

From what I've seen his throws have been really strong/accurate...not surprising...his range has been decent, and he's generally made the plays that he's supposed to. I'm not dissatisfied at this point -- from what I've seen/heard he's adequate so far. I realize that the bad plays were pretty much the first couple of games but we're only 2 weeks in, so the first couple of games are hardly that remote at this point.

I have no doubt that Cabrera will be no worse than Betemit...but that's a pretty low bar! Based on what I've seen so far I think he'll be significantly better. As for Inge, he would make a bad play every so often and doesn't have the range he once did, but he was still above average defensively year after year, including 2011, acc. to the numbers and fan reports. I just cannot see that happening with Cabrera. If it did, I'd die of a rather pleasant shock.

On another note, Cabrera is in really good shape. Much better than I've seen in any other season since he arrived. He's moving well too.

[robgrave]

Has his range even been all that bad? I've only been able to really watch a couple games this year. There hasn't been a play where I thought "Boy, he looks slow".

Depends on how much of the field you see, I suppose. If I'd been in the press box, as Lynn Henning apparently was, the day the Rays beat Verlander in the ninth, I might have seen, as he did, that Miggy should have made the play on Longoria's grounder to the hole. It didn't appear that way to me as I saw it on TV, but Henning thought it was a DP ball that Miggy didn't get (diving to his left). It would have ended the game, i.e., the DP, but instead, it was a run-scoring single to left.

But then, someone in this forum suggested that Miggy was hugging the line to prevent the extra-base hit, so there it is: it depends on how much of the set-up to the play we could see.

No, I don't think he's slow, but when I see him dive to his left, knock down a sharp grounder, get back on his feet (or perhaps on his knees) and make the good throw to get the runner, I'll be completely convinced. I think he can do it, but so far, it's only a matter of faith.

EDIT: Look, Miggy will make errors at third very likely for the same reason he made them at first: lapses in concentration. That's my take on his defensive prowess (and, honestly, I think such lapses occur with him at the plate as well, rarely). The mental challenge of baseball is immense, and a fun-loving, gregarious guy like Cabrera will sometimes lose focus. Cat-calls from the stands, razzing from the opposing dugout, banter with other players on the field, etc., will occasionally get to his game. A 100% professional attitude, with full concentration throughout the game...well, we all can imagine how difficult it can be. I do expect, though, that he will handle the challenge at third as well as he did at first, i.e., pretty well. Gold Glove standard, no, but pretty well.

[Brian]

Loved seeing Fielder steal a base!!

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

No, I don't think he's slow, but when I see him dive to his left, knock down a sharp grounder, get back on his feet (or perhaps on his knees) and make the good throw to get the runner, I'll be completely convinced. I think he can do it, but so far, it's only a matter of faith.

At first base I have seen him knock down balls to his right and throw down to 2nd from his knees to start a double play something like 15 times over the 4 years he played there, and I don't think I have seen him throw a ball away, or even really make a bad feed, for that matter. He did that as well as anyone I have seen, TBH.

Provided he can knock the ball down going to his left, I have every confidence he can make the throw to 2nd from his knees.

[Tramlou]

[Yoda]

Gold Glove standard, no, but pretty well.

Funny thing is, he may eventually have a legit shot at winning one. Not that that says anything about his defense, though.

[T&P_Fan]

Cabrera has been better than advertised at 3rd. His range, or lack there of, hasn't really been noticeable. He makes the throws to 1st look rather easy.

I think we will need a legit 2B though, put Raburn in Left and let Young DH. I would feel better about that.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Cabrera has been better than advertised at 3rd. His range, or lack there of, hasn't really been noticeable. He makes the throws to 1st look rather easy.

I think we will need a legit 2B though, put Raburn in Left and let Young DH. I would feel better about that.

Honest question: what are your thoughts on Leyland's managing this year?

I don't care for Delmon in left instead of DH, but I'd say opposing managers have made more in game errors than he. I'd be curious about your opinion.

[John_Brian_K]

Has his range even been all that bad? I've only been able to really watch a couple games this year. There hasn't been a play where I thought "Boy, he looks slow".

From the beginning I have been one of the pom pom waving guys RE Cabby at thiiird, but I saw one play in Tuesdays game that was shot by him that made me think he looked REALLY slow, but it was just one play and I was peaking around the corner at the TV because we had company. He is living up to exactly what I was hoping he could be before the season started.

[Gehringer_2]

Honest question: what are your thoughts on Leyland's managing this year?

I don't care for Delmon in left instead of DH, but I'd say opposing managers have made more in game errors than he. I'd be curious about your opinion.

He couldn't win in the Verlander deal - all he could do was guess, so I don't knock that. The DH thing may have a lot of layers we don't see. You know the Tigers have to be looking for a LF to sign or trade. For all we know DD has asked Jim not to tick off Delmon early in the season on the odd chance he starts looking like 2010 and they want to offer him a contract, or alternately even because they are trying to trade him.

I will be surprised if Delmon isn't DHing more later in the season if he is still here.

[RandyMarsh]

Honest question: what are your thoughts on Leyland's managing this year?

I don't care for Delmon in left instead of DH, but I'd say opposing managers have made more in game errors than he. I'd be curious about your opinion.

I agree with you about the DH thing. I really don't know why he would have a superior defender DH while one of the worst outfielders play the field. I also don't like the fact that he keeps having Delmon bat 5th. I also don't like the fact that he has used Schlereth in a couple high leverage situations. Other than that I can't really complain about the way he has managed, I'm sure other managers would have done even more things for people to complain about.

[LineCrosser]

I never really noticed how uncommitted that bear (or whatever it is) in the back left is. It must be his first day on the job. The tiger, shark, croc, and turtle are all electric boogaloo, and he's just along for the ride.

But no matter... GO TIGERS!!!

[T&P_Fan]

Honest question: what are your thoughts on Leyland's managing this year?

I don't care for Delmon in left instead of DH, but I'd say opposing managers have made more in game errors than he. I'd be curious about your opinion.

Actually, I think it has been pretty good. Completely agreed with leaving Verlander in two nights ago and when he lost to Tampa.

Leyland appears to have given Schlereth a chance to prove himself, which Daniel has shown he is not worthy and will be relegated to mop up duty.

The only thing that sticks out, like you say, is Delmon being in left field. We have much better defenders able and willing, and that is the direction we should go.

I have mentioned to my roommate several times how Leyland is making some pretty nice calls out there.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I never really noticed how uncommitted that bear (or whatever it is) in the back left is. It must be his first day on the job. The tiger, shark, croc, and turtle are all electric boogaloo, and he's just along for the ride.

But no matter... GO TIGERS!!!

The crocodile is totally into it and the bear is mailing it in.

[ROMAD1]

BTW, Gerald Laird has been a pleasant surprise this season thus far. At his current rate of once a week, he could be ok.

[Yoda]

BTW, Gerald Laird has been a pleasant surprise this season thus far. At his current rate of once a week, he could be ok.

Fact.