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

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.

Alex Avila is hurt.

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpfaQDBCIAA0sk-.jpg

Torii Hunter and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back singles.

Harold Reynolds objects to Austin Jackson not bunting.

Austin Jackson walks.

Ausmus just played for one run...in the fifth...at the Cell.

(That run did not happen.)

Which team would like Justin Verlander?

i will give you edinson volquez for him, no questions asked

Also, he just threw over 120 pitches without finishing the sixth.

#yoko

Bottom of the sixth, Verlander pitching:

J Abreu singled to left
A Dunn singled to left, J Abreu to second
A Ramirez reached on infield single to third
D Viciedo grounded into double play (following 3-1 count)
A De Aza singled to shallow right (following 3-2 count)
A Nieto walked

Ausmus visits the mound. Verlander had thrown 115 pitches. The seven, eight, and nine hitters had three-ball counts. Ausmus presumably asks Verlander if he wants to stay in the game. Verlander presumably says yes. Verlander stays in.

A Eaton walked
G Beckham singled

Ausmus pulls Verlander at 122 pitches.

M Cabrera reached on infield single to second, B Holaday and E Suarez scored.

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