Don't look now... But We've Got An ALCS!!!!

Oh it wasn't Verlander's prettiest outing.

It wasn't one to send to Cooperstown.

But I am THRILLED that pitch counts were thrown into the toilet.

Pitch counts? If the Tigers lost today EVERY pitcher would have a lot of rest. So have Verlander throw until his arm falls off.

So back to Texas the series goes. I am rooting for the Tigers but what I am REALLY rooting for is 7 games.

I want a 7th game to go into extras.

And in order for that to happen, there needs to be a Detroit victory in Game 6.

So come on, people!

Unless you are from Texas or have a friend on the Rangers, root hard for the Tigers. A 7th game for the ALCS might wake a few people up and realize that the REAL baseball news isn't Jon Lester eating chicken.

It's the Rangers and the Tigers... one game away from being a classic.

The Greatest Last Day of the Season... the Worst First Day of the Post Season

After a mindbogglingly amazing (if agonizing for Red Sox fans) finale to the season, I thought "Man, if this is what the playoffs are going to be like then October is going to be incredible."

Well if tonight was any indication of how it is going to unfold, then this post season will be the biggest let down of anything that didn't have Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in the title.

Yeah it was cool that Matt Moore had his second ever big league start in the playoffs and he dominated the Defending American League Champs. But guess what? The game was a snooze fest.

And off to New York for the best game 1 match up of the year and we get one inning... and rain.
Enough rain to call the damn game.

Enough rain to make Verlander vs. Sabathia into Nova vs. Fister.
Enough rain to make the Yankees and Tigers waste their ace over one inning.

If the rain was that bad in the second, why start the game in the first?
Is this the 2008 World Series all over again?

The thing that made me pick the Tigers for the Division Series was the idea of Verlander pitching twice. I expected him to go deep in each game... deeper than one.

Personally I would start Verlander in Game 2.
Make someone do a double take to see him starting Game 1 and 2 of the playoffs.

I better see some closer games and closer inspection of the weather report tomorrow.
It's supposed to rain tomorrow. I hope they don't get 2 innings in and push it to Sunday.

For the AL MVP vote, it is Verlander over Ellsbury

If Dan Johnson and Nolan Reimold both struck out last night in the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox would be in the playoffs.

And if they were in the playoffs, Jacoby Ellsbury, who led the American League in total bases, hit .321, had an OPS of .928 out of the lead off spot, had an OPS+ of 146, hit 32 homers, drove in 105 runs, stole 39 bases, had a 7.2 WAR and hit key homers down the stretch, would be the AL MVP.

But they are not in the playoffs. Dan Johnson and Nolan Reimold did NOT swing and miss.
And now it should go to Justin Verlander.

No one player had the impact that he did. The Tigers did not go on a prolonged losing streak after April. The Tigers had a solid bullpen and were consistent each month after April.

And the biggest reason is they knew every 5 days they had a win and the bullpen essentially had a night off. He won 13 of his last 15 starts including 12 in a row, giving the Tigers 7 or more innings in all but 2 of them.

Even the nights where he didn't have his best stuff, he made sure the bullpen wasn't taxed. And the line up didn't have to score a ton to pull out a win.

And he led the league in wins, winning percentage, starts, innings, strikeouts, ERA, ERA+, fewest hits for 9 innings and fewest baserunners over 9 innings.

And he threw a no hitter.

His value impacted the games before and after he pitched, so don't give me the nonsense that he only played in 34 games.

He also faced 969 batters.
Did any every day player have 969 plate appearances?

Didn't think so.

Give it to Verlander... although with two missed swings it would have been Ellsbury.

Tigers won... Tigers will continue to win

The Tigers are in.
The Tigers are celebrating a Division Champion.

And let me say it right here and now. This will NOT their only mob.
The Tigers are going to the ALCS.

If it is the Red Sox or Yankees, it's not going to matter. Verlander is going to win Games 1 and if needed 5 in the Division Series.

Then their bats could slap the Red Sox and Yankees #3 and #4 starters.

Savor this Tiger fans.
But in case you missed tonight, don't worry. There will be more piles.

10 Reasons why the Detroit Tigers winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

The Tigers dramatic win on Saturday and blow out win last night put them front and center on my baseball mind today. This team could very well be warming up to a long October run and be a real potential World Series winner. Now is as good a time as any to do the Detroit entry for the Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series.

Recently the AL Central winner has been an after thought at best in the post season. The last three Central teams have won a combined one post season GAME in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

But a combination of big bats, a great manager and a world beating ace could put an AL Central entry in the ALCS for the first time since the 2007 Indians, in the World Series for the first time since the 2006 Tigers or join the 2005 White Sox as the second ever champ from the Division.

Why would a fan outside of Michigan want to see a title in Motown? I have a few reasons.

10 Reasons why the
Detroit Tigers
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. A Tiger title would put Jim Leyland among the elite managers in history

I already think Jim Leyland belongs in the Hall of Fame, and not just because he looks like a baseball manager sent from Central Casting. He has pennants in both leagues, a World Series title and turned around three franchises. But a World Series title in both leagues would put him with Sparky Anderson and Tony LaRussa as the only ones to pull off that feat.

Plus a title in Detroit would be probably be less bittersweet than his ring: The soon to be dismantled 1997 Florida Marlins.


2. Another title helps put Dave Dombrowski back among the elites.

Dombrowski doesn't look that old until you have him stand next to all the young GMs around baseball today. I suppose he would have to be considered part of the "Old School." While Brad Pitt isn't about to play him in a movie any time soon, he was the 31 year old GM who helped assemble a very talented Expos team. Then slapped together a World Champion in Florida and made sure that when it was dismantled, solid players came back in return. Many of the 2003 World Champion Marlins were acquired by Dombrowski. Then he turned around a disastrous Tigers team. As more and more GMs get Hall of Fame consideration, a Detroit title could put Dombrowski in Cooperstown.

3. A ring for baseball lifer Gene Lamont.

Lamont has put in 47 years of his life to professional baseball. He's been a player, minor league coach and manager and been a loyal lieutenant to Jim Leyland for many seasons.

He also won manager of the year in 1993 leading the White Sox to the ALCS and later managed the Pirates. Oddly he hasn't been hired as a manager since.

He was managing in the Royals organization in 1985, so I think he may have a ring from that year. Let's drop the "I think" and get him a big league ring. He's put in the time.


4. A title would put a positive spotlight on Miguel Cabrera.

Cabrera has had far too many negative headlines over the last few seasons, mainly about his fight with alcohol. Hopefully he is battling those demons. What he brings to the field is nothing short of extraordinary. Year in and year out he puts up MVP caliber numbers. The players that Baseball Reference compares him to at this age are people like Frank Robinson, Ken Griffey Jr, Orlando Cepeda, Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron. In other words he is a Hall of Famer if he can keep his life together.

Another shot of October glory could help cement a potential wonderful legacy. He won a title in 2003 with Florida. (Doesn't it seem like EVERYONE in Detroit also won in Florida? For the record, Tigers pitcher Brad Penny also has a Florida ring!)


5. An overdue ring for Carlos Guillen

Guillen hasn't been much of a factor this season other than getting into a spat with Angels pitcher Jered Weaver. But he's had a nice 13+ season career with memorable highlights (a Division Series ending walk off bunt for the Mariners in 200... a 1.625 OPS in Detroit's 2006 Division Series victory over the Yankees.) And he has shown toughness (coming back from Tuberculosis to play in the 2001 ALCS) and will someday be a big league coach or manager.

He has been underrated his whole career, despite a few All Star appearances and a top 10 MVP finish in 2006. Players like Guillen deserve a title.


6. The National Anthem as sung by Eminem

I don't care about or listen to rap. But even I would be curious to hear Marshall Bruce Mathers III do his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

Oh yeah, there are lots of Motown artists who will no doubt make their dutiful appearance. But nobody will get Slim Shady's press.



7. A Tiger championship would make Mike Illitch the greatest figure in Detroit since Henry Ford.

When Little Caesar's founder Mike Illitch took over the Detroit Red Wings in 1982, the team hadn't played in a Stanley Cup Final since 1966 and hadn't won since 1955. Under his ownership they won the Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008 and made 2 other Finals appearances.

When he took over the Tigers from Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan in 1992, the team was in flux. This year a fifth title in Detroit from a Mike Illitch team could be won.

If they win, maybe he should sell the Tigers and buy the Lions.


8. A World Series title could cement Justin Verlander's legacy at age 28.

He has already been a Rookie of the Year, an All Star and a Cy Young contender. He will no doubt win the Cy Young this season and having passed the 100 win mark at a young age, he is a legit candidate to someday pass 300.

All his legacy needs is a World Series title and good health and we might be seeing a Hall of Famer emerging. In the post Steroid era, a new generation of ace pitchers are dominating and doing so into October. Last year Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee left their indelible marks. Now it is Verlander's turn.


9. A new Tigers championship would help celebrate their underrated legacy

When you think of the great winning baseball franchises, chances are most wouldn't list the Tigers. But go back and look at the great teams and titles they have won and you'd be surprised what a great history they had.

A quick glance at my Homegrown vs. Acquired entry for the Tigers shows Hall of Famers like Hank Greenberg, Ty Cobb, Charlie Gehringer, Heinie Manush, Harry Heilmann, Jim Bunning, Hal Newhouser, Mickey Cochrane, George Kell, Sam Crawford and Goose Goslin, whose walk off single clinched the Tigers first ever World Series title. They would the World Series in the 1930s, 1940s, 1960s and 1980s.

They would feature one of the game's greatest characters with Mark Fidrych. They would have a mind bogglingly deep team in 1984 who got off to a dizzyingly amazing start led by the future Hall of Fame manager, Sparky Anderson. Then they won it all, going 7-1 in the post season.

The Tigers won a heart stopping Division race in 1972 and again in 1987. And won the 2006 pennant on a walk off homer by Magglio Ordonez.

Tiger fans of all generations have had remarkable highlights. But it has been 27 years since they have won it all. It is time for a new generation of Tiger fans to have THEIR title.



10. No city could use a moment to celebrate more than Detroit

It's no secret that Detroit has had a rough few decades. The city has become worse than a punch line. It has become a symbol of pity for much of the country, which no doubt is the biggest insult of all.

It will take a lot to have Detroit reach its glory days as a city. But everyone I know from Detroit has a real pride in their city and hope and trust that better days are coming. A World Series title could bring the city closer together and show the country that there is still something positive in the Motor City. Sure there have been recent titles by the Pistons and the Red Wings. But the desire for a Tiger title is palpable, and hard to root against.


It's a real possibility this year in Detroit. Verlander is having one of those "I dare you to try and beat me" seasons and the lineup is strong enough to score runs in bunches. They could win it all and have everyone in Michigan say "Bless you boys."

And that's not a bad thing.


If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
NEW YORK YANKEES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Only a "Freaky Friday" will keep the Cy Young away from Justin Verlander

I think it is safe to say Justin Verlander is the pitcher to beat for the Cy Young award.

He's already a 20 game winner.

He's already logged 215 2/3 innings, the most in all of baseball.

He leads all of baseball with 218 strikeouts.

He has the lowest WHIP in baseball.

He has the lowest batting average against in all of baseball.

He has the second lowest ERA in the American League.

He's made the most starts in baseball.

He has a 7.4 WAR, which I have no idea what that means but it sounds impressive.

And oh yeah, he threw a no hitter.

An AVERAGE game for him is about 2 runs over 7 1/3 innings.

Plus you can throw in the fact that the Tigers are going to win the Division unless they do a complete face plant and they would never be there WITHOUT Verlander.

No matter if you use the eye ball test, traditional stats or new fangled stats, Verlander is the best.

How could he NOT win the Cy Young?

I think at this point even a mediocre September wouldn't take the award from him.

The only way he can lose it at the point is if Verlander and A. J. Burnett did a sort of Freaky Friday body switch.

And do you know what? That might not even do the trick. Verlander's been that good.

Why does Justin Verlander remind me of John Landis?

It's not like the current American League Cy Young front runner is a read ringer for the brilliant director of Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House, The Blues Brothers, American Werewolf in London, Trading Places and Coming to America.

But there is something about Verlander that reminds me of Landis.

It could be a similar smile.

It could be they are both a little extroverted.

It could be they are both funny interviews.

I can't put my finger on it.

But I can't be the ONLY one who thinks this.

(Or maybe I am.)

Here's Landis talking about directing Robert DeNiro in his Don Rickles documentary.

It could be Justin Verlander's year

Sometimes during Academy Awards season, a certain actor or director is swept up to front runner status not necessarily because they gave their best work but because they were simply due for an award.

Martin Scorsese's best film was not The Departed, but he hadn't won an Oscar and he was due.

Million Dollar Baby was far from Morgan Freeman's best performance, but he had never won and probably should have won 2 or 3 times before.

Could you even SIT through The Reader? I barely did, but they made up for Kate Winslet's lack of Oscars.

I have a feeling that something similar with Justin Verlander this year and the Cy Young Award race.

He's had 4 terrific seasons in the bigs (and one lousy 2008 season.)
He has led the league in strikeouts before, in wins, in innings pitched and consistently chucks 200 innings.

He has a pair of no hitters in his career and already has a pair of top 5 finishes in the Cy Young voting.

He's never won and frankly he is due. He had another awesome performance today against a tough Arizona team. 8 innings of shutout ball. 14 strikeouts to 1 walk. His ERA is down to 2.38... 1.30 runs below his career ERA going into today's game. He leads the league in strikeouts, innings pitched and victories at this point.

And he is anchoring a Tigers staff that, as of this writing, is tied for first place in the American League central.

The Tigers are roughly 47% of the way through the season and right now Verlander looks like the man to beat in the Cy Young race. Josh Beckett and Jered Weaver have been lights out. C.C. Sabathia is great and Felix Hernandez is coming back to form. And James Shields is quietly having a terrific year.

But when push comes to shove, I think Verlander might win this.

After all, he's due.

Yeah it was house money... but I still wanted to win

OK. I had said that the Red Sox were playing with house money.
They had beaten the Tigers 3 times in their own building. They were facing Justin Verlander. There was NO REASON to expect them to win.

And when Beckett gave up 2 runs in the first, I thought "OK, this is a blow out."

But then Beckett shut them down. And the Red Sox kept almost rallying.
And I got REALLY greedy and wanted a 4 game sweep.

Alas, the Red Sox bats didn't match my greed.
And I can't lie. I ground my teeth.

So that means the tally needs to be updated.

DODGED BULLET GAMES - 15

April 8 - 9-6 win against the Yankees. (The Sox end their 6 game losing streak with a slugfest. John Lackey stinks but Phil Hughes stinks even more.)
April 10 - 4-0 win against the Yankees. (Beckett and Sabathia duel in a game that was 1-0 until the late innings.)
April 20 - 5-3 win in Oakland. (Red Sox survive a lead off homer and two bases loaded situations and facing the tying run at the plate to win their first road game.)
April 21 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (The Red Sox stranded 15 men on base and Josh Beckett's went 8 strong with no decision. But the Sox rallied in the 11th to win.)
April 22 - 4-3 win in Anaheim. (Peter Bourjos makes a 2 run errors and the Red Sox survive a bizarre passed ball by Jarrod Saltalamacchia that let a run scored from second.)
May 1 - 3-2 win against the Mariners. (Ichiro loses a ball in the sun that turns into a 9th inning triple for Lowrie. Crawford singles him home for the win.)
May 8 - 9-5 win against the Twins. (Dice-K lets up 3 runs in the first but settles down as the Red Sox clobber Carl Pavano.)

May 9 - 2-1 win against the Twins. (A bullpen breakdown cost Beckett the decision but Cark Crawford ended the game with an 11th inning walk off hit.)
May 13 - 5-4 win in the Bronx. (Youkilis homers off of Joba and Bard and Papelbon make it more interesting than it needed to be.)
May 15 - 7-5 win in the Bronx. (Sox fall behind 4-1 but come back as Youk, Papi and Salty all homer.)
May 16 - 8-7 win against the Orioles. (Down 6-0 after 6 innings, the Sox rally and win it with a 2 run walk off double by Adrian Gonzalez)
May 18 - 1-0 win against Detroit. (With 2 outs in the 8th, Salty doubles home Crawford from first for the only run. Papelbon gets himself in and out of 9th inning trouble.)
May 19 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Bard blows Beckett's lead but Carl Crawford wins it with a walk off hit.)
May 24 - 4-2 win in Cleveland. (Varitek throws two runners out and homers as the Red Sox win their first game against the Indians.)
May 29 - 4-3 win in Detroit. (The Red Sox blow an early 3-0 lead but David Ortiz wins the game with a pinch 9th inning homer.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 1 - 9-5 loss in Texas. (The Sox tie Opening Day in the 8th with an Ortiz homer only to have Bard implode and the Sox let up 4 in the bottom of the 8th.)

April 5 - 3-1 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox drop their 4th straight as the bats are dead in Cleveland.)
April 7 - 1-0 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow a great Lester performance on a squeeze bunt and Darnell McDonald overrunning the bag to end the game.)
April 12 - 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. (A solid Lester performance is wasted as Kyle Farnsworth of all people shuts down the Sox.)
April 15 - 7-6 loss to Toronto. (Bobby Jenks implodes with a 4 run seventh inning as the Red Sox waste Pedroia and Youkilis homers and a clutch RBI double by Scuatro.
April 19 - 5-0 loss in Oakland. (Pedroia gets picked off, the Sox bats go dead and waste a solid Lackey start.)
April 26 - 4-1 loss in Baltimore. (Buchholz pitches tentatively and the Sox let Kevin Gregg of all people to close out the 9th.)
April 27 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (The Sox tie the game with a 3 run 8th only to have Bard lose it in the bottom of the 8th.)
April 29 - 5-4 loss to Mariners. (Bobby Jenks blows a 7th inning lead, wasting 2 Mike Cameron homers.)
April 30 - 2-0 loss to Mariners. (The Sox strand 11 runners and let Milton Bradley double home the go ahead run.)
May 4 - 5-3 loss to Angels. (7 hours with rain delays and stranded runners. Marco Scutaro was thrown out at the plate in the 12th)
May 10 - 7-6 loss in Toronto. (8th and 9th inning heroics, including a homer by Adrian Gonzalez, are undone by a walk off sacrifice fly by David Cooper.)
May 21 - 9-3 loss to Cubs. (Up 3-1 in the 8th inning, the bullpen and defense implode. The Cubs score 8 runs while both teams wear their 1918 uniforms.)
May 23- 3-2 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox blow a 2-1 8th inning lead when the Indians rally with 2 outs. Crawford ends the game on a double play.)
May 29 - 3-0 loss in Detroit. (Verlander keeps the Sox off base and prevents the sweep.)

Even

The Red Sox are still in first place by themselves... so let's hope the winning continues against the White Sox.

And maybe stop being so greedy.

The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for May 7, 2011)

My update of this list with Francisco Liriano at the top last a whopping 4 days. Justi n Verlander gets his second no hitter and the Tigers got a much needed boost of self confidence... at least when Verlander is on the hill.

Let's update the list.

THE MOST RECENT NO HITTERS
FOR EACH FRANCHISE

DETROIT TIGERS
Justin Verlander - May 7, 2011.
9-0 over Toronto.

MINNESOTA TWINS
Francisco Liriano - May 3, 2011
1-0 over Chicago White Sox

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Roy Halladay - October 6, 2010
4-0 over Cincinnati. (Playoff Game)

TAMPA PAY RAYS
Matt Garza - July 26th, 2010
5-0 over Detroit.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Edwin Jackson - June 25, 2010
1-0 over Tampa Bay



OAKLAND A'S
Dallas Braden - May 9, 2010
4-0 over Tampa Bay. (Perfect Game.)


COLORADO ROCKIES
Ubaldo Jimenez - April 17, 2010
4-0 over Atlanta.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Mark Buehrle - July 23, 2009
5-0 over Tampa Bay. (Perfect Game.)


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Jonathan Sanchez - July 10, 2009.
8-0 over San Diego.


CHICAGO CUBS
Carlos Zambrano - September 14, 2008.
5-0 over Houston.


BOSTON RED SOX
Jon Lester - May 19, 2008.
7-0 over Kansas City.


FLORIDA MARLINS
Anibal Sanchez - September 6, 2006.
2-0 over Arizona.


HOUSTON ASTROS
Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner -
June 11, 2003.
8-0 over New York Yankees.


ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Bud Smith - September 3, 2001
4-0 over San Diego.


NEW YORK YANKEES
David Cone - July 18, 1999.
6-0 over Montreal. (Perfect Game.)


PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon - July 12, 1997.
3-0 over Houston. (10 innings.)


LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Hideo Nomo - September 17, 1996.
9-0 over Colorado.


TEXAS RANGERS
Kenny Rogers - July 28, 1994.
4-0 over California. (Perfect Game.)

ATLANTA BRAVES
Kent Mercker - April 8, 1994.
6-0 over Los Angeles.


SEATTLE MARINERS
Chris Bosio - April 22, 1993.
2-0 over Boston.


KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Bret Saberhagen - August 26, 1991
7-0 over Chicago White Sox.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (AS MONTREAL EXPOS)
Dennis Martinez - July 28, 1991.
2-0 over Los Angeles. (Perfect Game.)


BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson - July 13, 1991.
2-0 over Oakland.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Dave Steib - September 2, 1990.
3-0 over Cleveland.


LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (AS CALIFORNIA ANGELS)
Mark Langston and Mike Witt - April 11, 1990.
1-0 over Seattle.


CINCINNATI REDS
Tom Browning - September 16, 1988.
1-0 over Los Angeles. (Perfect Game.)


MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Juan Nieves - April 15, 1987.
7-0 over Baltimore.

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Len Barker - May 15, 1981.
3-0 over Toronto. (Perfect Game.)

Bonus
WASHINGTON SENATORS
Bobby Burke - August 8, 1931
5-0 over Boston.

The Padres and Mets are still on notice. As are the Nationals who haven't had one in Washington.