Ian Kinsler knickers, is Nick Castellanos Greek, Drew Smyly ebola, Torii Hunter inflatable furniture: 2014 Tigers

So...Paul Nauert...

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/ToriiSlap051214.gif

jeez louiiizze

Huh.

"That's my guy," Hunter told The Detroit News of Nauert. "He was trying to cover my mouth. I've known him too long [to be upset]. He was just saying to me, 'C'mon, T. You're way better than that.' And he's right.

"I apologize to the fans for my reaction."

2013: 35 SB, 20 CS
2014: 35 SB, 13 CS

Like Verlander, Ausmus seemed intent on answering questions about the pitch in the most direct and brief way possible. What was his view of the pitch?

"My view was from the dugout," Ausmus said.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2014/05/justin_verlander_on_pitch_he_t.html

lol ausmus

@beckjason
Not only have #Tigers matched last year's SB total, they lead the AL. They've led league at season's end only once in last 80 years.

Word to Milt Cuyler.

Make that Brian Hunter.

@TonyPaul1984
Interesting. #Rangers GM Jon Daniels says neither Fielder, Kinsler took physicals in trade. Showed how badly #Tigers wanted Prince out.

Road warriors

Porcello on his way to a WTF ASG start

Avila's OBP higher than that of Cabrera

Are the Tigers just playing exceptionally well, or are they good enough to win 105-110 games? The rotation would seem to be at least the equal of what the Phillies had that one year.

Even 100 seems unlikely, but...how many times have recent Red Sox teams been swept at home while being held to three or fewer runs (in a three-game series)?

I think you’re overcompensating because it’s your team, Andy. (And I’m jumping the gun, I know.) In the ’85 Abstract, James went through a position-by-position comparison (plus spot starters/bullpen support, plus bench) of the ’84 Tigers to the great teams of the then-recent past: ’77 Yankees, ’76 Reds, ’73 A’s, ’70 Orioles, ’67 Cardinals, and ’61 Yankees. He ended up with the ’84 Tigers in 5th place, 47-43, ahead of the Cardinals and Yankees. Who have been the greatest World-Series winning teams since then? ’98 Yankees, ’95 Braves, ’89 A’s, ’86 Mets, and one of the Blue Jays (sorry), Cardinals, and Red Sox teams. I’ll try a quick match-up of this year’s Tigers against the ’84 team.

C – Parrish vs. Avila: ’84
1B – Dave Bergman vs. Cabrera: I don’t think Cabrera’s ever going to be as dominant again, but obviously not close
2B – Whitaker vs. Kinsler: ’84, not close, but Kinsler is a good player playing well
3B – Howard Johnson vs. Castellanos: ’84, although HoJo wasn’t anywhere near the player he’d become with the Mets
SS – Trammell vs. Romine: lopsided
LF – Larry Herndon vs. Davis: ’84
CF – Chet Lemon vs. Jackson: ’84, but pretty close by WAR (I’m looking at ’84 plus the previous 2-3 seasons)
RF – Gibson vs. Hunter: close again...draw
DH – Darrell Evans vs. Martinez: based solely on this year, ’14; more realistically, either a draw or edge to ’84

Sizable advantage to the ’84 team based on position players—the only clear win for the ’14 team is at first base.

#1 Starter – Morris vs. Verlander (I know you could say Scherzer...trying to step back a bit): ’14
#2 Starter – Petry vs. Scherzer: ’14, but Petry was good for a few years

If you switch Verlander and Scherzer, same result.

#3 Starter – Milt Wilcox vs. Sanchez: ’14
#4 Starter – Juan Berenguer vs. Porcello: ’14
#5 Starter – Dave Rozema vs. Smyley: ’14 (Rozema was quite good early in his career, but by ’84, edge to this year’s team)
Closer – Willie Hernandez vs. Nathan: Hernandez got the two awards he didn’t deserve that year (he did pitch 140 innings, so you could make a non-WAR case for Cy Young...2.5 WAR behind Stieb and Blyleven), but I’d rather have Nathan

Don’t know this year’s Tigers well enough to do bench or rest-of-bullpen. The ’84 team got a great year out of Aurelio Lopez in long relief (10-1, 2.94).

Didn’t really need to do all that, did I? ’84 team, much stronger starting eight + DH; ’14, much stronger pitching. I’ll say this year’s team wins 103.

Still Whitaker, of course, but let me amend Kinsler to very good player playing very well.

That's funny -- a friend of mine and I were comparing this team to the '84 team the other day. I figured the '84 team had a slight edge in offense and a significant edge in defense, with '14 pitching way ahead. Hard to truly compare teams 30 years apart though.

@Dan_Dickerson
The slightly surreal scene on shuttle bus at 3am after plane troubles in Boston sent #Tigers back to hotel...in Zubaz pic.twitter.com/Z6fT8Ghdfb

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoAX--kIEAA2pDP.jpg

Uh.

@beckjason
#Tigers still at hotel in Boston. First pitch in Cleveland is in 6 1/2 hours. Travel might end up being their toughest test of the trip.

I docked the '14 team many points for those frightening get-ups; '84 Tigers now safely ahead.

Zubaz are this year's beards.

http://sports.yahoo.com/loop/mlb-340518102-991921089

http://mlb.mlb.com/assets/images/0/4/4/76015044/cuts/tigers_zubaz1280_mvu653gf_97s02zfw.jpg

Those two knucklehead throw-ins Dombrowski acquired as part of the Fister deal: combined sub-1.00 WHIP, with only two walks, in 26.2 IP.

Sorry, Detroit, my fault.

bases loaded balk? kewl

Wrap Phil Coke and Tim Timmons in Zubaz, fire them into the sun.

See you in Toledo, Verlander.

Nine runs in 5.1 IP?

I’ll say this year’s team wins 103.
― clemenza, Monday, May 19, 2014 10:14 AM

...posted seconds before the ongoing meltdown. Proving yet again that:

1) it goes to show you never can tell
2) baseball is a funny game
3) the minute you think you have something figured out, you don't

‏@TonyPaul1984
First time #Tigers have allowed 10-plus in three consecutive games since July 2007. They NEVER did that in 2003, by the way.

FITE

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140603/SPORTS0104/306030018

It was an incredible finish, to be sure. The teams had met seven times in the last 11 days of the season, Toronto taking the first three and Detroit the last four. Each game — and this is absolutely amazing — was decided by a single run. And in those seven games, besides the 1-0 shutout, the team that scored first lost every time.

(That's an article about the Tigers-Blue Jays' 1980s rivalry. The quote regards 1987.)

clemenza are those all old-school book titles? I only recognize Garagiola's.

love how you guys are turning into Mets fans in refusal to believe.

(Toronto fans i mean)

refusing to believe what now?

that Jays are playoffs-bound

Nice Sanchez-Hutchison duel: combined 14 innings, five hits, 12 Ks, no walks.

Joba breezed through the eighth on nine pitches. Not sure why struggling Nathan entered to start the ninth.

Probably Ausmus' first true what-the-hell move.

exciting ninth inning

i certainly enjoyed it!

Changing the channel after Nathan walked the first batter was a great idea. (You know a reliever is in bad shape when he wants a call on a pitch well outside the zone.) Unfortunately, I didn't follow through on it.

eugenio suarez time

@TonyPaul1984
Of note, Omar Vizquel's pseudo career as a scout not off to a good start. He recommended both Gonzalez and Romine to #Tigers brass.

Shortstops: .191/.244/.240

still better than jedd gyorko, god bless him

BLOW IT UP

With their seventh round pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, the Detroit Tigers select third baseman Joey Pankake from the University of South Carolina.

Drew Smyly's approach: challenge each hitter with an 0-2 fastball over the heart of the plate.

@jpankake
Pretty upset with this confusing hotel. Couldn't even find my room!

Seems sharp.

@jpankake
I'm 21 and I still don't know how long to put food in the microwave for... smh

Some of Torii's routes have been absolutely bizarre.

And Soria will be available for mop-up tomorrow. Win-win.

@castrovince
Victor Martinez update: 35 (age), .335 (AVG), 31 (HR), 32 (2B), 40 (K). "Age," he said this morning, "is just a number." #Tigers

He is going to get so paid by the...

he was talking about his 88 year-old gf tho

chris sale is pretty good

andrew romine is fun . . . damental!

Now that it's no longer a save situation, Nathan has refrained from warming up, and now September call-ups mop-up men Soria and Sanchez are getting loose.

‏@based_ball
J.D. Martinez
Pull: 1.254 OPS
Center: 1.036 OPS
Opposite: 1.456 OPS

@matthewbmowery
Sale on binocular motion: "I did? I don't remember that, but if I did, I was just goofing off and trying to keep things light in the dugout"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByUmR2lIEAAfRnv.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByUyqSgIgAAxikd.jpg

@scottmerkin
Robin said Ausmus should worry about his own team and Sale is not "weak"

@beckjason
Tigers announce Miguel Cabrera had surgery, not just for bone spurs in ankle but for stress fracture in navicular bone at top of foot.

https://www.wxyz.com/sports/every-pitcher-from-the-2014-tigers-rotation-is-now-a-world-series-champion