Todd Jones retires.
Up next: Jim Tressel involved in massive steroid bust. Tupac is actually resurrected. September 24th pronounced "Random Sexual Acts with Sports Bloggers Day".
Showing posts with label Tigers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tigers. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Best. Day. Ever.
Todd Jones retires.
Up next: Jim Tressel involved in massive steroid bust. Tupac is actually resurrected. September 24th pronounced "Random Sexual Acts with Sports Bloggers Day".
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tigers/Indians Brawl Video
Enjoy this before MLB takes it down ... here's the full video from last night's bench-clearing brawl. Gary Sheffield, you are insane.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: Kenny on the Move?
Today's batch of links include Tigers trade rumors, a look ahead to Michigan's 2010 recruiting class, and more.
- The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers has been placed on waivers and could be traded any day now. At this point, if Detroit can get anything (and I mean anything) of value for the 37-year old Gambler, I hope they pull the trigger.
- Varsity Blue takes a look at potential targets for the Wolverines' 2010 recruiting class. Definitely worth a look, and props should be given for simply taking the effort to look up all these guys. Well done.
- ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert quotes Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson talking about their excitement that the Lions are finally trying to establish a running game. You know, when the quarterback hands off to the guy who stands a few yards behind him. Yeah, that's called a "run". Wild, right?
- Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy blog discusses the likelihood of NHL players jumping to Russia's KHL, and focuses on Pavel Datsyuk. Don't panic, Wings fans. He's not going anywhere for a while.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Detroit Athlete of the Decade Tournament: Round Two
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Chauncey Billups and Nicklas Lidstrom advance to the finals.
Round One is complete, with your winners from each team being Jason Hanson, Chauncey Billups, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Magglio Ordonez. Let the festivities continue!
Semifinal #1: Jason Hanson vs. Chauncey Billups
Jason Hanson (Big Al, SideLion Report)
When [Ace] asked me to pick the Detroit Lions player of the decade as part of his "Detroit Athlete of the Decade" project, I knew it would be a tough assignment. Pro football is a meat grinder, where short careers are the norm. The Lions grind up players like cheap hamburger. The Lions are in the midst of their worst decade ever, with players and coaches coming and going through Matt Millen's fast spinning revolving door. Players come and players go, most of whom make little impression.
But there's one player who's been a Lion seemingly forever, and is likely to retire with the same team who drafted him, an exception to the NFL rule. Even today, after 16 NFL seasons, he is still at the top of his game. This Lion has survived several regime changes, playing for 7 coaches, and has had countless teammates. Despite the constant adversity, he's persevered to become one of the franchise's All-Time greats.
I'm sure you've figured out by now who is my nominee for Detroit Lions player of the decade. Kicker Jason Hanson. Yes, a placekicker. But one of the best placekickers ever.
The stats speak for themselves. Hanson is in elite NFL company: 10th overall in scoring NFL history, 6th overall in field goals made, 16th overall in field goal percentage, along with playing in a pair of Pro Bowls (1997, 1999). Hanson has missed only 12 kicks inside the 40 in those 16 seasons. 12!
In many ways, the Lions' elder statesman is the face of the franchise. Hanson is one of the few players fans can point to with pride. In what's been a decade of disappointment, and full of more ugliness than we care to remember, Hanson has never wavered. The man is money, a big time player on what's been a penny ante franchise.
I've often jokingly called Hanson the Detroit Lions' Most Valuable Player. Thinking about it, it's no joke. As bad as the Lions have been over the past 10 years, it would have been much, much worse without Jason Hanson wearing the Honolulu blue and silver.
Chauncey Billups (Sam Weiss, The Ace of Sports)
If Ben was the heart, Rip was the legs, Tay was the arms, Sheed was the soul and Darko was the appendix, then Chauncey Billups was the head of the 2003-2004 World Champion Detroit Pistons. David Thorpe, Executive Director of the Pro Training Center at IMG Academies, called Chauncey arguably the smartest player in basketball and most Pistons fans would probably agree. In addition to Basketball IQ, Chauncey brought good defense, unselfish play and a cool head to the world champions. One can use descriptions ranging from the vague terms of amateur sportscasters to numbers that only a stat-geek could appreciate. (Examples: unlike most players given the label from nimrod Sportscenter analysts, Chauncey is ‘clutch’. Also, a stat-geek might point out that his Free Throws Attempted per Turnover Committed is outrageously high, tops in the NBA year after year, demonstrating the ability to operate in traffic without losing the ball).
For the last 30 years, the team with the best individual player has always won the NBA finals. Except for the 2003-2004 Pistons. Because of their unique accomplishment, it is difficult to pick any one of them as most responsible. Any one of the starting five could have won the Finals MVP. Were someone to argue that Tayshaun, Rasheed or Ben was more deserving of this honor, his or her argument would certainly have merit, so I’ll keep mine very simple:
A. No sports accomplishment of the last decade meant more to the people of Detroit than the 2003-2004 NBA Championship.
B. By almost any statistical measure, Chauncey was the best player on that team and has been the best player on the Pistons ever since.
C. As a fanatic who has watched the team play (and who loved/loves all Stones equally, even Carlos Delfino and Ronald Dupree), I agree. Chauncey was the most valuable player.
Chauncey doesn’t need to become a symbol of the entire Piston’s team or the city of Detroit itself; he’s got a ring and a Finals MVP Trophy.
(Of course, he could go out and win another championship next year just to make my argument a ittle bit better. Just a thought.)
POLLS ARE CLOSED
Semifinal #2: Nicklas Lidstrom vs. Magglio Ordonez
Nicklas Listrom (Dave, Gorilla Crouch)
Nick Lidstrom is widely considered to be one of the top 2 or 3 defensemen to ever play the game. He has been awarded the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman six of the last seven seasons. He trails only Bobby Orr and Doug Harvey for most Norris trophies awarded to an NHL defenseman. This would be comparable to a pitcher winning 6 out of 7 Cy Young awards or an NBA player winning Defensive Player of the year award that often. It's an incredible feat that has been accomplished by a remarkable and rare talent.
While awards help to make the point, statistics show what a player actually did on the playing surface against his competition. Over the past 10 regular seasons, Nick Lidstrom has averaged playing in 80 of his team's 82 games, and averaged 14 goals and 49 assists per year. That comes out to 63 points per season with an average plus/minus rating of +24. Night in and night out he's faced the absolute best talent in the league and the Red Wings have outscored the opposition by 24 even-strength goals on average every year for the past 10 years.
Regular Season:
Lidstrom's 142 goals is the 3rd most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 489 assists are the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +237 rating is the best by a defenseman over the past 10 seaons.
Won 6 of the last 7 Norris trophy awards.
Playoffs:
Lidstrom's 26 goals is the most by a defensemen over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 76 assists is the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +20 rating is the 4th best by a defensemen over the past 10 seaons.
3-time Stanley Cup champion over the past 10 seasons.
He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in the 2002 playoffs.
Olympics:
Lidstrom has averaged just under a point a game in Olympic competition over the past three winter competitions and scored the gold-medal winning goal for Sweden in the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nick Lidstrom is the best athlete in Detroit over the past ten seasons. He's been acknowledged as one of the best defensemen in the history of hockey and his regular season and playoff stats bear that out. He's also a three-time world champion over the past 10 seasons, once winning the playoff MVP award in addition to an Olympic gold medal.
Magglio Ordonez (Blake, Spot Starters)
I've heard the argument that the Pudge Rodriguez signing back in February on 2004 was the turning point for the Tigers over the past decade. I think there's some truth to that, but I think there was an even bigger signing and turning point than Pudge's arrival.
The Tigers were hardly contenders in Rodriguez's first season with the team, they went 72-90. They were way better than the year before when they lost 119 games, but still a long ways off. In February of 2005 the Tigers made another free agent splash with the signing of Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez was a four time All Star with the White Sox. While Magglio was coming off of some injuries, he still could have signed with most teams as a free agent. He decided (with some help from a huge contract offer) to sign with the Tigers.
Since joining the Tigers, Magglio has been an absolute beast. He hit the biggest home run by a Tiger since Gibby went yard back in 1984 in the World Series. Magglio's home run off of Huston Street in the 2006 ALCS still gives me goose bumps when I see it. I have a beer cozy (I got it as a wedding gift) that plays the audio of Dan Dickerson's call of the home run, it's seriously chilling stuff.
On top of the big home run, Magglio has a chance to become the first Tiger to win back-to-back batting titles since Ty Cobb won three straight from 1917-1919, not bad company. His .363 mark from 2007 is the best average by a Tiger since Charlie Gehringer hit .371 in 1937. Again, pretty impressive company.
Above all, Magglio helped bring respectability to Detroit Tigers baseball again. The Tigers picked Pudge up at the tail end of his career, they nabbed Magglio in his prime. Just watching him take a change up to the opposite field makes a guy feel lucky to have him on his team.
Whenever you doubt how much this guy has meant to the Tigers, try to remember exactly how you felt when you saw him rounding the bases with his fist raised high as he sent the Tigers to their first World Series in 22 years. Feel those goose bumps?
POLLS ARE CLOSED
Round One is complete, with your winners from each team being Jason Hanson, Chauncey Billups, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Magglio Ordonez. Let the festivities continue!
Semifinal #1: Jason Hanson vs. Chauncey Billups
Jason Hanson (Big Al, SideLion Report)
When [Ace] asked me to pick the Detroit Lions player of the decade as part of his "Detroit Athlete of the Decade" project, I knew it would be a tough assignment. Pro football is a meat grinder, where short careers are the norm. The Lions grind up players like cheap hamburger. The Lions are in the midst of their worst decade ever, with players and coaches coming and going through Matt Millen's fast spinning revolving door. Players come and players go, most of whom make little impression.
But there's one player who's been a Lion seemingly forever, and is likely to retire with the same team who drafted him, an exception to the NFL rule. Even today, after 16 NFL seasons, he is still at the top of his game. This Lion has survived several regime changes, playing for 7 coaches, and has had countless teammates. Despite the constant adversity, he's persevered to become one of the franchise's All-Time greats.
I'm sure you've figured out by now who is my nominee for Detroit Lions player of the decade. Kicker Jason Hanson. Yes, a placekicker. But one of the best placekickers ever.
The stats speak for themselves. Hanson is in elite NFL company: 10th overall in scoring NFL history, 6th overall in field goals made, 16th overall in field goal percentage, along with playing in a pair of Pro Bowls (1997, 1999). Hanson has missed only 12 kicks inside the 40 in those 16 seasons. 12!
In many ways, the Lions' elder statesman is the face of the franchise. Hanson is one of the few players fans can point to with pride. In what's been a decade of disappointment, and full of more ugliness than we care to remember, Hanson has never wavered. The man is money, a big time player on what's been a penny ante franchise.
I've often jokingly called Hanson the Detroit Lions' Most Valuable Player. Thinking about it, it's no joke. As bad as the Lions have been over the past 10 years, it would have been much, much worse without Jason Hanson wearing the Honolulu blue and silver.
Chauncey Billups (Sam Weiss, The Ace of Sports)
If Ben was the heart, Rip was the legs, Tay was the arms, Sheed was the soul and Darko was the appendix, then Chauncey Billups was the head of the 2003-2004 World Champion Detroit Pistons. David Thorpe, Executive Director of the Pro Training Center at IMG Academies, called Chauncey arguably the smartest player in basketball and most Pistons fans would probably agree. In addition to Basketball IQ, Chauncey brought good defense, unselfish play and a cool head to the world champions. One can use descriptions ranging from the vague terms of amateur sportscasters to numbers that only a stat-geek could appreciate. (Examples: unlike most players given the label from nimrod Sportscenter analysts, Chauncey is ‘clutch’. Also, a stat-geek might point out that his Free Throws Attempted per Turnover Committed is outrageously high, tops in the NBA year after year, demonstrating the ability to operate in traffic without losing the ball).
For the last 30 years, the team with the best individual player has always won the NBA finals. Except for the 2003-2004 Pistons. Because of their unique accomplishment, it is difficult to pick any one of them as most responsible. Any one of the starting five could have won the Finals MVP. Were someone to argue that Tayshaun, Rasheed or Ben was more deserving of this honor, his or her argument would certainly have merit, so I’ll keep mine very simple:
A. No sports accomplishment of the last decade meant more to the people of Detroit than the 2003-2004 NBA Championship.
B. By almost any statistical measure, Chauncey was the best player on that team and has been the best player on the Pistons ever since.
C. As a fanatic who has watched the team play (and who loved/loves all Stones equally, even Carlos Delfino and Ronald Dupree), I agree. Chauncey was the most valuable player.
Chauncey doesn’t need to become a symbol of the entire Piston’s team or the city of Detroit itself; he’s got a ring and a Finals MVP Trophy.
(Of course, he could go out and win another championship next year just to make my argument a ittle bit better. Just a thought.)
POLLS ARE CLOSED
Semifinal #2: Nicklas Lidstrom vs. Magglio Ordonez
Nicklas Listrom (Dave, Gorilla Crouch)
Nick Lidstrom is widely considered to be one of the top 2 or 3 defensemen to ever play the game. He has been awarded the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman six of the last seven seasons. He trails only Bobby Orr and Doug Harvey for most Norris trophies awarded to an NHL defenseman. This would be comparable to a pitcher winning 6 out of 7 Cy Young awards or an NBA player winning Defensive Player of the year award that often. It's an incredible feat that has been accomplished by a remarkable and rare talent.
While awards help to make the point, statistics show what a player actually did on the playing surface against his competition. Over the past 10 regular seasons, Nick Lidstrom has averaged playing in 80 of his team's 82 games, and averaged 14 goals and 49 assists per year. That comes out to 63 points per season with an average plus/minus rating of +24. Night in and night out he's faced the absolute best talent in the league and the Red Wings have outscored the opposition by 24 even-strength goals on average every year for the past 10 years.
Regular Season:
Lidstrom's 142 goals is the 3rd most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 489 assists are the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +237 rating is the best by a defenseman over the past 10 seaons.
Won 6 of the last 7 Norris trophy awards.
Playoffs:
Lidstrom's 26 goals is the most by a defensemen over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 76 assists is the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +20 rating is the 4th best by a defensemen over the past 10 seaons.
3-time Stanley Cup champion over the past 10 seasons.
He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in the 2002 playoffs.
Olympics:
Lidstrom has averaged just under a point a game in Olympic competition over the past three winter competitions and scored the gold-medal winning goal for Sweden in the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nick Lidstrom is the best athlete in Detroit over the past ten seasons. He's been acknowledged as one of the best defensemen in the history of hockey and his regular season and playoff stats bear that out. He's also a three-time world champion over the past 10 seasons, once winning the playoff MVP award in addition to an Olympic gold medal.
Magglio Ordonez (Blake, Spot Starters)
I've heard the argument that the Pudge Rodriguez signing back in February on 2004 was the turning point for the Tigers over the past decade. I think there's some truth to that, but I think there was an even bigger signing and turning point than Pudge's arrival.
The Tigers were hardly contenders in Rodriguez's first season with the team, they went 72-90. They were way better than the year before when they lost 119 games, but still a long ways off. In February of 2005 the Tigers made another free agent splash with the signing of Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez was a four time All Star with the White Sox. While Magglio was coming off of some injuries, he still could have signed with most teams as a free agent. He decided (with some help from a huge contract offer) to sign with the Tigers.
Since joining the Tigers, Magglio has been an absolute beast. He hit the biggest home run by a Tiger since Gibby went yard back in 1984 in the World Series. Magglio's home run off of Huston Street in the 2006 ALCS still gives me goose bumps when I see it. I have a beer cozy (I got it as a wedding gift) that plays the audio of Dan Dickerson's call of the home run, it's seriously chilling stuff.
On top of the big home run, Magglio has a chance to become the first Tiger to win back-to-back batting titles since Ty Cobb won three straight from 1917-1919, not bad company. His .363 mark from 2007 is the best average by a Tiger since Charlie Gehringer hit .371 in 1937. Again, pretty impressive company.
Above all, Magglio helped bring respectability to Detroit Tigers baseball again. The Tigers picked Pudge up at the tail end of his career, they nabbed Magglio in his prime. Just watching him take a change up to the opposite field makes a guy feel lucky to have him on his team.
Whenever you doubt how much this guy has meant to the Tigers, try to remember exactly how you felt when you saw him rounding the bases with his fist raised high as he sent the Tigers to their first World Series in 22 years. Feel those goose bumps?
POLLS ARE CLOSED
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: Tatum Bell, STFU
Today's batch of links features Tatum Bell being a crybaby, the impact of Kevin Newsome's decommitment, what's wrong with Justin Verlander, and more:
- ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert breaks down an interview with Lions running back Tatum Bell from Wednesday's Detroit News, in which he blames Mike Martz and the offensive line for many of his struggles last season. Hey Tatum: you're not very good. Get over it.
- Varsity Blue looks at the impact of Kevin Newsome opening up his recruitment. Hooray for Tate Forcier's unwavering love of Michigan!
- The Immaculate Inning breaks down in wonderful sabermetric detail what exactly is wrong with Justin Verlander this season. Meanwhile, Blake at the Spot Starters compares Matt Joyce's rookie season to Curtis Granderson's first year.
- The Wings re-signed scrappy right winger Aaron Downey to a one-year deal. Glad to have a young tough guy back in the fold, although I hope this still leaves room for Darren McCarty to make the team.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: Lions Optimism Abound!
Today's batch of links looks at the high expectations (!) for the Lions, the emergence of Drew Stanton (!!), Michigan football news, and more:
- ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert senses some actual optimism coming from Lions fans and the Detroit press. I remain skeptical. Really skeptical.
- Tom Kowalski looks at the progress of Lions quarterback Drew Stanton since the beginning of camp. He's been a very pleasant surprise in the first two preseason games.
- Corey at Bless You Boys projects Armando Gallaraga's 2009 season based on how good (and lucky) he has been so far this year.
- Michigan news: John Ferrera (formerly a defensive lineman) will now provide depth to the offensive line. Also, MGoBlog (via the Daily) figures out just what the hell is going on with long snapper George Morales' scholarship.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Detroit Athlete of the Decade Tournament: Round One
UPDATE: Polls are closed on round one
The results:
LIONS: Jason Hanson wins 79% to 21%
PISTONS: Billups wins 67% to 33%
RED WINGS: Lidstrom wins 60% to 40%
TIGERS: Ordonez wins 67% to 33%
For some reason, blogger is flipping out, so some of the post below may not display correctly. I hate blogger sometimes.
Detroit has become known as one of the best sports cities in the country, supporting four major franchises (three of which have been very successful recently). In the past decade, the city has brought home two Stanley Cups, and NBA Title, an out-of-nowhere AL Pennant, and, well, a lot of top-10 NFL Draft picks.
My question is, who is the best Detroit athlete from this prosperous decade? Several Detroit sports bloggers have graced the site with their answers, and now it is up to you to decide who you think is worthy of the title of Detroit Athlete of the Decade. In the first round, each team will be given two nominees, who will face off for the title of their franchise's athlete of the decade:
My question is, who is the best Detroit athlete from this prosperous decade? Several Detroit sports bloggers have graced the site with their answers, and now it is up to you to decide who you think is worthy of the title of Detroit Athlete of the Decade. In the first round, each team will be given two nominees, who will face off for the title of their franchise's athlete of the decade:
Lions: Hanson vs. Williams
Jason Hanson (Big Al, SideLion Report)
When [Ace] asked me to pick the Detroit Lions player of the decade as part of his "Detroit Athlete of the Decade" project, I knew it would be a tough assignment. Pro football is a meat grinder, where short careers are the norm. The Lions grind up players like cheap hamburger. The Lions are in the midst of their worst decade ever, with players and coaches coming and going through Matt Millen's fast spinning revolving door. Players come and players go, most of whom make little impression.
But there's one player who's been a Lion seemingly forever, and is likely to retire with the same team who drafted him, an exception to the NFL rule. Even today, after 16 NFL seasons, he is still at the top of his game. This Lion has survived several regime changes, playing for 7 coaches, and has had countless teammates. Despite the constant adversity, he's persevered to become one of the franchise's All-Time greats.
I'm sure you've figured out by now who is my nominee for Detroit Lions player of the decade. Kicker Jason Hanson. Yes, a placekicker. But one of the best placekickers ever.
The stats speak for themselves. Hanson is in elite NFL company: 10th overall in scoring NFL history, 6th overall in field goals made, 16th overall in field goal percentage, along with playing in a pair of Pro Bowls (1997, 1999). Hanson has missed only 12 kicks inside the 40 in those 16 seasons. 12!
In many ways, the Lions' elder statesman is the face of the franchise. Hanson is one of the few players fans can point to with pride. In what's been a decade of disappointment, and full of more ugliness than we care to remember, Hanson has never wavered. The man is money, a big time player on what's been a penny ante franchise.
I've often jokingly called Hanson the Detroit Lions' Most Valuable Player. Thinking about it, it's no joke. As bad as the Lions have been over the past 10 years, it would have been much, much worse without Jason Hanson wearing the Honolulu blue and silver.
Roy Williams (Ace)
Will someone please give this man a decent quarterback? The Lions grabbed Roy Williams with the 7th pick in the 2004 draft, and all the man has done since then is catch 245 passes, find the end zone 28 times, and become the first Lions wideout to make the Pro Bowl since Herman Moore in 1998.
On a team with few spectaular (or even half-decent) players, Roy Williams has been a standout since joining the Lions four seasons ago, and has been a consistent weapon on a team that goes through running backs and wideouts like Matt Millen goes through coloring books. He has a knack for making the ridiculous catch, gets open more than any other Lion (though Calvin Johnson will certainly rival his skill in the near future), and even finds time to deliver a pizza or two.
Besides the ageless Jason Hanson, Roy has been Detroit's only reliable source of offense these past four years, and in a decade this miserable, that earns him my nomination for Lions Athlete of the Decade.
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Jason Hanson wins 79% to 21%
Pistons: Wallace vs. Billups
Ben Wallace (Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed)
Talk about making a team relevant, Ben Wallace brought his hard nosed work ethic and attitude to a Pistons team that at the time was simply dreadful.
The undersized, un-drafted, center from Alabama landed in Detroit in 2000 via a sign and trade for the then face of the franchise Grant Hill. While plenty of Pistons fans scoffed at the deal Big Ben proved his worth and importance.
Ben racked up NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 02, 03, 05, and 06 the seasons, and was selected to six All-Defensive teams. In the 02 and 03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots. And don't forget about the All Star appearances. Starting in 03, Ben was voted by fans to the first of his four NBA All-Star Game appearances as the starting center for the Eastern Conference.
If that's not enough to convince you that Ben is The Pistons player of the decade let's talk about how he helped add another NBA Championship to Detroit's trophy case in 2004.
Chauncey Billups (Sam Weiss)
If Ben was the heart, Rip was the legs, Tay was the arms, Sheed was the soul and Darko was the appendix, then Chauncey Billups was the head of the 2003-2004 World Champion Detroit Pistons. David Thorpe, Executive Director of the Pro Training Center at IMG Academies, called Chauncey arguably the smartest player in basketball and most Pistons fans would probably agree. In addition to Basketball IQ, Chauncey brought good defense, unselfish play and a cool head to the world champions. One can use descriptions ranging from the vague terms of amateur sportscasters to numbers that only a stat-geek could appreciate. (Examples: unlike most players given the label from nimrod Sportscenter analysts, Chauncey is ‘clutch’. Also, a stat-geek might point out that his Free Throws Attempted per Turnover Committed is outrageously high, tops in the NBA year after year, demonstrating the ability to operate in traffic without losing the ball).
For the last 30 years, the team with the best individual player has always won the NBA finals. Except for the 2003-2004 Pistons. Because of their unique accomplishment, it is difficult to pick any one of them as most responsible. Any one of the starting five could have won the Finals MVP. Were someone to argue that Tayshaun, Rasheed or Ben was more deserving of this honor, his or her argument would certainly have merit, so I’ll keep mine very simple:
A. No sports accomplishment of the last decade meant more to the people of Detroit than the 2003-2004 NBA Championship.
B. By almost any statistical measure, Chauncey was the best player on that team and has been the best player on the Pistons ever since.
C. As a fanatic who has watched the team play (and who loved/loves all Stones equally, even Carlos Delfino and Ronald Dupree), I agree. Chauncey was the most valuable player.
Chauncey doesn’t need to become a symbol of the entire Piston’s team or the city of Detroit itself; he’s got a ring and a Finals MVP Trophy.
(Of course, he could go out and win another championship next year just to make my argument a little bit better. Just a thought.)
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Billups wins 67% to 33%
Red Wings: Lidstrom vs. Yzerman
Nicklas Lidstrom (Dave, Gorilla Crouch)
Nick Lidstrom is widely considered to be one of the top 2 or 3 defensemen to ever play the game. He has been awarded the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman six of the last seven seasons. He trails only Bobby Orr and Doug Harvey for most Norris trophies awarded to an NHL defenseman. This would be comparable to a pitcher winning 6 out of 7 Cy Young awards or an NBA player winning Defensive Player of the year award that often. It's an incredible feat that has been accomplished by a remarkable and rare talent.
While awards help to make the point, statistics show what a player actually did on the playing surface against his competition. Over the past 10 regular seasons, Nick Lidstrom has averaged playing in 80 of his team's 82 games, and averaged 14 goals and 49 assists per year. That comes out to 63 points per season with an average plus/minus rating of +24. Night in and night out he's faced the absolute best talent in the league and the Red Wings have outscored the opposition by 24 even-strength goals on average every year for the past 10 years.
Regular Season:
Lidstrom's 142 goals is the 3rd most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 489 assists are the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +237 rating is the best by a defenseman over the past 10 seaons.
Won 6 of the last 7 Norris trophy awards.
Playoffs:
Lidstrom's 26 goals is the most by a defensemen over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstroms's 76 assists is the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +20 rating is the 4th best by a defensemen over the past 10 seaons.
3-time Stanley Cup champion over the past 10 seasons.
He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in the 2002 playoffs.
Olympics:
Lidstrom has averaged just under a point a game in Olympic competition over the past three winter competitions and scored the gold-medal winning goal for Sweden in the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
While awards help to make the point, statistics show what a player actually did on the playing surface against his competition. Over the past 10 regular seasons, Nick Lidstrom has averaged playing in 80 of his team's 82 games, and averaged 14 goals and 49 assists per year. That comes out to 63 points per season with an average plus/minus rating of +24. Night in and night out he's faced the absolute best talent in the league and the Red Wings have outscored the opposition by 24 even-strength goals on average every year for the past 10 years.
Regular Season:
Lidstrom's 142 goals is the 3rd most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's 489 assists are the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +237 rating is the best by a defenseman over the past 10 seaons.
Won 6 of the last 7 Norris trophy awards.
Playoffs:
Lidstrom's 26 goals is the most by a defensemen over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstroms's 76 assists is the most by a defenseman over the past 10 seasons.
Lidstrom's +20 rating is the 4th best by a defensemen over the past 10 seaons.
3-time Stanley Cup champion over the past 10 seasons.
He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in the 2002 playoffs.
Olympics:
Lidstrom has averaged just under a point a game in Olympic competition over the past three winter competitions and scored the gold-medal winning goal for Sweden in the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nick Lidstrom is the best athlete in Detroit over the past ten seasons. He's been acknowledged as one of the best defensemen in the history of hockey and his regular season and playoff stats bear that out. He's also a three-time world champion over the past 10 seasons, once winning the playoff MVP award in addition to an Olympic gold medal.
Steve Yzerman (Christy Hammond, Behind the Jersey)
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Lidstrom wins 60% to 40%
Tigers: Ordonez vs. Guillen
Magglio Ordonez (Blake, Spot Starters)
Tigers: Ordonez vs. Guillen
Magglio Ordonez (Blake, Spot Starters)
I've heard the argument that the Pudge Rodriguez signing back in February on 2004 was the turning point for the Tigers over the past decade. I think there's some truth to that, but I think there was an even bigger signing and turning point than Pudge's arrival.
The Tigers were hardly contenders in Rodriguez's first season with the team, they went 72-90. They were way better than the year before when they lost 119 games, but still a long ways off. In February of 2005 the Tigers made another free agent splash with the signing of Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez was a four time All Star with the White Sox. While Magglio was coming off of some injuries, he still could have signed with most teams as a free agent. He decided (with some help from a huge contract offer) to sign with the Tigers.
Since joining the Tigers, Magglio has been an absolute beast. He hit the biggest home run by a Tiger since Gibby went yard back in 1984 in the World Series. Magglio's home run off of Huston Street in the 2006 ALCS still gives me goose bumps when I see it. I have a beer cozy (I got it as a wedding gift) that plays the audio of Dan Dickerson's call of the home run, it's seriously chilling stuff.
On top of the big home run, Magglio has a chance to become the first Tiger to win back-to-back batting titles since Ty Cobb won three straight from 1917-1919, not bad company. His .363 mark from 2007 is the best average by a Tiger since Charlie Gehringer hit .371 in 1937. Again, pretty impressive company.
Above all, Magglio helped bring respectability to Detroit Tigers baseball again. The Tigers picked Pudge up at the tail end of his career, they nabbed Magglio in his prime. Just watching him take a change up to the opposite field makes a guy feel lucky to have him on his team.
Whenever you doubt how much this guy has meant to the Tigers, try to remember exactly how you felt when you saw him rounding the bases with his fist raised high as he sent the Tigers to their first World Series in 22 years. Feel those goose bumps?
Carlos Guillen (Ace)
The Tigers were hardly contenders in Rodriguez's first season with the team, they went 72-90. They were way better than the year before when they lost 119 games, but still a long ways off. In February of 2005 the Tigers made another free agent splash with the signing of Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez was a four time All Star with the White Sox. While Magglio was coming off of some injuries, he still could have signed with most teams as a free agent. He decided (with some help from a huge contract offer) to sign with the Tigers.
Since joining the Tigers, Magglio has been an absolute beast. He hit the biggest home run by a Tiger since Gibby went yard back in 1984 in the World Series. Magglio's home run off of Huston Street in the 2006 ALCS still gives me goose bumps when I see it. I have a beer cozy (I got it as a wedding gift) that plays the audio of Dan Dickerson's call of the home run, it's seriously chilling stuff.
On top of the big home run, Magglio has a chance to become the first Tiger to win back-to-back batting titles since Ty Cobb won three straight from 1917-1919, not bad company. His .363 mark from 2007 is the best average by a Tiger since Charlie Gehringer hit .371 in 1937. Again, pretty impressive company.
Above all, Magglio helped bring respectability to Detroit Tigers baseball again. The Tigers picked Pudge up at the tail end of his career, they nabbed Magglio in his prime. Just watching him take a change up to the opposite field makes a guy feel lucky to have him on his team.
Whenever you doubt how much this guy has meant to the Tigers, try to remember exactly how you felt when you saw him rounding the bases with his fist raised high as he sent the Tigers to their first World Series in 22 years. Feel those goose bumps?
Carlos Guillen (Ace)
Guillen is the forgotten Tiger. He goes out there every year, hits .300, cranks 20 homers, and still gets overshadowed by the bigger name hitters on the team.
When the Tigers acquired Guillen from Seattle before the 2004 season (in exchange for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez...pretty good deal if you ask me), Detroit was a moribund franchise coming off a 119-loss season. We all know about the Tigers' meteoric rise to the AL Pennant in 2006, but few give Carlos Guillen the credit he deserves for that rise. Yes, Pudge Rodiguez was a huge pickup, but he was on the downslope of his career when we signed him. Guillen, on the other hand, was 28, just entering his prime, when Detroit traded for him in 2004. In that magical 2006 season, Guillen was the Tigers' best player, finishing 10th in MVP voting and batting .320 with a .400 OBP and 19 homers. He led all major league shortstops that season with a .919 OPS. Nobody remembers this, including me (thank you baseball-reference.com).
Even this year, in a down year for the Tigers, Guillen is hitting .284 with 9 homers while playing a new defensive position (third base). He was the Tigers lone All-Star this year, and deserved the honor (especially after being robbed of that distinction in 2006).
Why is Carlos Guillen the Detroit Player of the Decade? Because he just does his job, with no fanfare, and does it extremely well. In a blue-collar city like Detroit, there is no player more blue-collar than Guillen.
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Ordonez wins 67% to 33%
When the Tigers acquired Guillen from Seattle before the 2004 season (in exchange for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez...pretty good deal if you ask me), Detroit was a moribund franchise coming off a 119-loss season. We all know about the Tigers' meteoric rise to the AL Pennant in 2006, but few give Carlos Guillen the credit he deserves for that rise. Yes, Pudge Rodiguez was a huge pickup, but he was on the downslope of his career when we signed him. Guillen, on the other hand, was 28, just entering his prime, when Detroit traded for him in 2004. In that magical 2006 season, Guillen was the Tigers' best player, finishing 10th in MVP voting and batting .320 with a .400 OBP and 19 homers. He led all major league shortstops that season with a .919 OPS. Nobody remembers this, including me (thank you baseball-reference.com).
Even this year, in a down year for the Tigers, Guillen is hitting .284 with 9 homers while playing a new defensive position (third base). He was the Tigers lone All-Star this year, and deserved the honor (especially after being robbed of that distinction in 2006).
Why is Carlos Guillen the Detroit Player of the Decade? Because he just does his job, with no fanfare, and does it extremely well. In a blue-collar city like Detroit, there is no player more blue-collar than Guillen.
POLLS ARE CLOSED: Ordonez wins 67% to 33%
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: Zumaya's Exploding Arm
Today's links discuss Joel Zumaya's arm injury, another Lions training camp fight, RichRod doing pushups, and more.- After Joel Zumaya was lifted from Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays with an apparent injury, he was placed on the DL for a "sore arm". His MRI came out fine, but the Free Press reports that Zumaya was worried his career was over.
- ESPN's Kevin Seifert gives us the full story of Jon Kitna's confrontation with linebacker Buster Davis at Lions training camp yesterday.
- Two more articles on Michigan football: The Ann Arbor News' John Heuser details Rich Rodriguez's plan to revamp the walk-on system, while the Free Press' Mark Snyder reports on yesterday's practices, including RichRod losing a bet and having to do pushups.
- Dave at Gorilla Crouch looks at how the top two scoring lines could shake out for the Red Wings next season.
- Detroit Bad Boys takes SI's Marty Burns to task for losing all semblance of logic and sense in his preseason NBA rankings.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tigers Sign Freddy Garcia
From the Detroit Tiger Weblog, via SI's Jon Heyman, comes the news that the Tigers have signed pitcher Freddy Garcia to a minor-league contract. This is a great move for the Tigers, since it carries almost no risk, while opening up the possibility of Garcia moving into the back of the rotation.
As recently as 2006, Garcia was a solid starter, going 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA with the Chicago White Sox. Last season, he suffered a torn labrum while pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, and hasn't pitched in a major league game since. Garcia is only 33, and if he can regain his White Sox form, the Tigers will have gone a long way towards filling the holes in its rotation.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: Tom Brady is Surprisingly Grounded
Photo from Esquire, via The Sports Point
Today's links include Tom Brady talking about God and football (not in the way you think), Jason Maxiell still burning up the Floor Burn Tournament, and more.
- The Sports Point has the highlights from Tom Brady's article in Esquire. They are surprisingly awesome:
- "Look at the attention I get: It's because I throw a football. But that's what society values. That's not what God values. God could give a shit, as far as I'm concerned. He didn't invent the game. We did. I have some eye-hand coordination, and I can throw the ball. I don't think that matters to God."
- "What the hell you gonna do about it? Sit there and bitch and complain and ruin the next two months of your life because something didn't go right for you? Or do you say, you know, Fuck it, let's learn from it, let's accept it, understand that it didn't happen and move on?"
- (Ed. Yes, Tom Brady just cemented his place in the pantheon of my favorite athletes. It's a personal pet peeve of mine when players always thank God for their performance in a game. Brady clearly feels the same way, and isn't afraid to take some heat for saying some inflammatory shit. Fuck. Bitch. TOM BRADY!)
- Jason Maxiell continues to dominate Hoops Addict's Floor Burn Tournament. Mad Max is currently leading his second round matchup with Indiana's Jeff Foster by a count of 151-10. Get out there and vote!
- DBB's Matt Watson wrote a piece on former Pistons' first-round pick Rodney White for AOL's Fanhouse. Not surprisingly, the article was part of their countdown of the biggest draft busts of the 2000's. White clocks in at #3, after being drafted ninth overall in 2001 ahead of Joe Johnson, Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, Tony Parker, and several other players who panned out much, much better. Yikes.
- Dave at Gorilla Crouch has put together a breakdown of the Red Wings minor league prospects, and which players have the best shot of contributing in the near future.
- Gary Sheffield said some things to the Boston Globe. Gary Sheffield does this kind of stuff all the time.
- Not Detroit-related, but I saw this headline on SI, and couldn't help but think of this. My mind remains firmly in the gutter.
- Varsity Blue gives us the Barwis for President campaign commercial. Its beauty brought a single, solitary tear to drop from my eye. The movement grows...
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tigers Choke in Epic Fashion
Warning: Bad language to follow. Lots.
I have a hard time bringing myself to recap last night's game. I'll say that watching Nick Swisher (I hate, hate, HATE Nick Swisher) round the bases with his stupid fucking bowl cut and his stupid fucking dip lip (don't even get me started on the fact he went to Ohio fucking State) was one of the more painful experiences I've had as a sports fan. It certainly ripped any last shred of optimism about the Tigers' playoff chances from me.
What went wrong last night? Where to start...
- Nate Robertson sucks, and one again Detroit wasn't able to get more than five innings from him, let alone a half-decent start. If he has a rotation spot next year I question Dave Dombrowski's sanity.
- Gary Sheffield was 0-5 with two strikeouts, and there's still no sign of Marcus Thames getting a shot at being the regular left fielder. Matt Joyce was also MIA. I'm quickly losing patience with Jim Leyland.
- Kyle Farnsworth, determined to make me look like an idiot for defending the Pudge trade, gave up another home run, this one to blow a one-run lead in the eighth.
- Edgar Renteria completely booted a routine grounder in the 14th that could've put the Tigers one out closer to sealing a much-needed victory. Apparently Edgar decided he wasn't hurting us enough with his bat, and figured he'd let start failing miserably on the defensive end as well.
- Joel Zumaya gave up three hits, and the walk-off home run. The search for a closer is nowhere close to settled.
- Fuck Nick Swisher.
For more on last night's epic fail, click these links (I highly recommend Samara Pearlstein's rant on Swisher, if you haven't had your fill of that sort of thing).
Oh, and fuck Nick Swisher. Smirking Buckeye fuck.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: First Fall Practice Edition
(John T. Greilick / The Detroit News)A few bits of info to kick off the day, including impressions from Michigan's first fall practice:
- MGoBlog has the full roundup from Michigan's first day of practice. Kevin Grady practiced, scholarship long-snapper (ugh, I know) George Morales finally showed up, and Barwis has turned everyone into cage-fighting wolf owners. But you already knew that.
- Via Michigan Sports Center, Michigan's fan day is scheduled for August 17th. It's free and open to the public. Barwis will take on all challengers in the octagon. At once.
- From the Pride of Detroit, Ernie Sims has returned to practice, and to form:
He popped a couple of people. On one play, he smacked running back Tatum Bell and stopped him cold. The crunch could be heard across the field, to the fans’ delight.
“I got a little stress out of me,” Sims said.
- Miguel Cabrera was named the AL Player of the Month for July. Those who doubted his abilities can now bow their heads in shame, while we all continue to ignore the train wreck that is Dontrelle Willis.
- Freddy Garcia, the former Seattle All-Star who has been recovering from a torn labrum, will be auditioning in front of several Major League teams today. The Tigers will likely be looking at him as a guy who can possibly shore up the back end of the rotation. At this point, I'll take anything over Nate Robertson. I'm pretty sure Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube-Man has a better arm than Robertson at this point.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
More Farns Follow-Up
I am completely and totally in favor of the Farnsworth-Pudge deal, and I think it indicates something important: Dave Dombrowski’s head is in the right place.
At the beginning of the season, the Tigers seemed like toast and fans were blasting Miguel Cabrera, as if a superstar hitter isn’t allowed to be in a slump during the season. It did not help that Curtis Granderson was injured and the normally reliable Placido Polanco was swinging the bat like a ninny.
Soon, Cabrera started to play like he knows how and now he is hitting a solid .293 and has 18 homers.
The point is, great players like him don’t forget how to hit. They may go through slumps. Hell, a slump could last a season, but they don’t just forget.
Dombrowski clearly has realized this and has decided that the only thing that can help the Tigers now is some good, consistent pitching. And he’s right.
Detroit already has plenty of hitters. They spent the whole off-season collecting them, and paying them a lot of money. Not everyone they acquired is necessarily doing their part (yeah, I’m talking to you, Edgar Renteria), but they definitely have the pieces in place as far as hitting goes.
Pitching is where they need work. Dombrowski knows this, and that’s why he made this trade.
Any Tigers fan should be very enthusiastic about this deal.
First, we need to be honest with ourselves: barring a pretty remarkable run by the Tigers and a pretty remarkable collapse by the White Sox and Twins, this year is not going to bring us the playoffs we all crave. It sucks, but we need to get over it.
This trade tells me we are ready to complete the second half of the puzzle: pitching. Also, like Ace mentioned, this was a smooth move by Dombrowski; he saw a team was in need, and got something very good for a 36-year-old catcher who doesn’t take steroids anymore and who was going to be released next season anyway. The only question to me is, given how much the Yanks needed a solid catcher, could he have gotten more? But that’s another post.
Overall, a solid and exciting move.
At the beginning of the season, the Tigers seemed like toast and fans were blasting Miguel Cabrera, as if a superstar hitter isn’t allowed to be in a slump during the season. It did not help that Curtis Granderson was injured and the normally reliable Placido Polanco was swinging the bat like a ninny.
Soon, Cabrera started to play like he knows how and now he is hitting a solid .293 and has 18 homers.
The point is, great players like him don’t forget how to hit. They may go through slumps. Hell, a slump could last a season, but they don’t just forget.
Dombrowski clearly has realized this and has decided that the only thing that can help the Tigers now is some good, consistent pitching. And he’s right.
Detroit already has plenty of hitters. They spent the whole off-season collecting them, and paying them a lot of money. Not everyone they acquired is necessarily doing their part (yeah, I’m talking to you, Edgar Renteria), but they definitely have the pieces in place as far as hitting goes.
Pitching is where they need work. Dombrowski knows this, and that’s why he made this trade.
Any Tigers fan should be very enthusiastic about this deal.
First, we need to be honest with ourselves: barring a pretty remarkable run by the Tigers and a pretty remarkable collapse by the White Sox and Twins, this year is not going to bring us the playoffs we all crave. It sucks, but we need to get over it.
This trade tells me we are ready to complete the second half of the puzzle: pitching. Also, like Ace mentioned, this was a smooth move by Dombrowski; he saw a team was in need, and got something very good for a 36-year-old catcher who doesn’t take steroids anymore and who was going to be released next season anyway. The only question to me is, given how much the Yanks needed a solid catcher, could he have gotten more? But that’s another post.
Overall, a solid and exciting move.
Farnsworth Follow-Up
Why pirate expensive software if you never use it?I wanted to add a few more thoughts on today's trade, since the news broke just as I was about to leave work and sent me scrambling to get a post up.
I for one am in support of the Pudge-for-Farns deal. Pudge was going to walk after this season, wasn't exactly pleased with splitting time with Brandon Inge at catcher, and was not putting up better offensive numbers than Inge anyway (the truth is in the OPS, people). Farnsworth will get a chance to close, and will at the very least add depth to the bullpen. He's been pitching quite well this year, despite a penchant for giving up the long ball. Plus, adding Farns means we probably won't see Todd Jones in any high-leverage innings ever again. That in itself is certainly cause for celebration.
While the Tigers lose some catching depth (hello Dane Sardinha!), Inge doesn't have the wear and tear of 18 seasons crouching behind the plate, so he should be able to handle a bigger workload than Pudge did. Plus, Pudge and Inge were batting in the 8 and 9 spots anyway, so we're not talking about replacing Magglio-level run production here.
If the Tigers were going to make the postseason, something had to be done about the bullpen. I would have loved to see Dombrowski to bring in a starter (and he still might), but I think he made the right decision when he jumped at this offer from the Yankees, who needed to find someone to replace Jorge Posada. Like the Farns, I'm giving this trade a thumbs up.
As for the other Tigers bloggers, here is how they fall:
Yay: The Wayne Fontes Experience, The Fanhouse
Nay: Roar of the Tigers, The Detroit Tiger Weblog, The Spot Starters, Mack Avenue Tigers
I for one am in support of the Pudge-for-Farns deal. Pudge was going to walk after this season, wasn't exactly pleased with splitting time with Brandon Inge at catcher, and was not putting up better offensive numbers than Inge anyway (the truth is in the OPS, people). Farnsworth will get a chance to close, and will at the very least add depth to the bullpen. He's been pitching quite well this year, despite a penchant for giving up the long ball. Plus, adding Farns means we probably won't see Todd Jones in any high-leverage innings ever again. That in itself is certainly cause for celebration.
While the Tigers lose some catching depth (hello Dane Sardinha!), Inge doesn't have the wear and tear of 18 seasons crouching behind the plate, so he should be able to handle a bigger workload than Pudge did. Plus, Pudge and Inge were batting in the 8 and 9 spots anyway, so we're not talking about replacing Magglio-level run production here.
If the Tigers were going to make the postseason, something had to be done about the bullpen. I would have loved to see Dombrowski to bring in a starter (and he still might), but I think he made the right decision when he jumped at this offer from the Yankees, who needed to find someone to replace Jorge Posada. Like the Farns, I'm giving this trade a thumbs up.
As for the other Tigers bloggers, here is how they fall:
Yay: The Wayne Fontes Experience, The Fanhouse
Nay: Roar of the Tigers, The Detroit Tiger Weblog, The Spot Starters, Mack Avenue Tigers
WHOA! Tigers Trade Pudge...for Kyle Farnsworth
Via ESPN.com, the Tigers have just traded catcher Pudge Rodriguez for reliever (and ex-Tiger) Kyle Farnsworth. Pudge is due to be a free agent at the end of this year, and Detroit did not appear to have him in their plans for the future. For now, Brandon Inge will presumably take over full-time catching duties.
Farnsworth, who pitched in Detroit in 2005 before joining the Yankees, has a 3.65 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 43/17 strikeout to walk ratio in 44.1 innings pitched this season. Although he was much maligned as a Tiger, if he keeps those numbers up he would be a very solid addition to a Tiger bullpen in need of consistent (read: good) pitching.
I know that there will be many who think that this trade signifies that Detroit has given up on the season, but I actually like the deal. Detroit gets a good bullpen arm, and Pudge is not the same player he was when the Tigers signed him in 2004. Although Rodriguez is certainly a better defensive catcher than Inge, they have almost identical production at the plate. Although Pudge hits for a much higher average (.295 to .227), Inge has much more power, and their OPS (on-base plus slugging) is almost identical (Pudge with .755, Inge with .758).
Considering Detroit could just as easily kept Pudge for the stretch run and then gotten nothing in return for him next offseason, I like Dave Dombrowski's decision here. I'm sad to see Pudge go, especially since he was the first player to believe that Dombrowski could build a winner in Detroit. However, it was his time to get shipped out, and he's going to a playoff contender. Let's hope Farnsworth keeps up his numbers from this season and shores up a Tiger bullpen that has taken its lumps this year.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Fernando Rodney is Tigers' New Closer
Words cannot express the relief Tigers fans feel after Jim Leyland announced that Rodney would be taking over closing duties "for the time being" this afternoon. After two ugly outings upon his return from the disabled list in June, Rodney has an impressive 1.98 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 5 walks in 12 appearances. Opponents are only batting .146 against him over that stretch, with a woeful .491 OPS (woeful for the batters, that is). He possesses a mid-90s fastball and one of the best changeups in the game, which should make him a great fit in the closer role. Hopefully he keeps up his hot streak, and Tigers fans aren't subjected to The Todd Jones Experience any more.
Amateur photoshop comparison between Todd Jones and Fernando Rodney:
Jones:
Rodney:
I rest my case.
Rodney takes over closing duties (MLB.com)
Fernando Rodney 2008 Pitching Gamelogs (baseball-reference.com)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
I Want To Get Off This Roller Coaster
Of all the positions in baseball, closer is probably the easiest to replace in-house. Although many will say that being a successful closer takes a certain mindset that few have (and maybe it does, I'm certainly not an expert on the psyche of the major league baseball player), the job description of a closer is quite simple.
- Get three outs without giving up a run (or two...or three...)
- Collect save, millions of dollars, undying affection of countless attractive women
Todd Jones has none of these attributes. He has a laser-straight high-80's fastball (which is what Jermaine Dye crushed into the right field stands for the game-winning homer tonight, setting off this rant) and a couple of mediocre breaking balls that he can throw for strikes. He "pitches to contact" which is a kind way of saying he is unable to strike anyone out. He has a 1.526 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched), which is a fancy way of saying he lets way too many runners on base. Check out this page. Highlighted are the games in which Todd Jones did NOT allow a baserunner in a full inning of work. These games do not come too often, and are greeted by sarcastic cheers and sighs of relief by Tigers faithful.
I realize Joel Zumaya has not exactly pitched like Mariano Rivera since coming back from a shoulder injury this season. However, he perfectly fits the mold of what a closer should be. He touches triple digits with his fastball, which sets up his changeup to be something besides just a slow pitch destined to be cranked for another line drive hit. He has a nasty curveball that makes hitters' knees buckle when they expect the fastball. He appears to have the "closer mentality" after a couple years of acting as if every seventh-inning hold was the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series.
The Tigers are probably not making the playoffs this year, but they are certainly not out of the picture. However, they are definitely not making the playoffs with a 40-year old beach ball slinging camouflage enthusiast taking the ball in the last frame of close games. Jim Leyland has already said he is going to try out Joel Zumaya and Freddy Dolsi at closer. It's time to give one of them the role full-time.
I'm not alone.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: July 22
As you may be able to tell from the "Your Humble Bloggers" section on the left sidebar, The Ace of Sports is expanding. Please join me in welcoming Joe, a fellow Ann Arborite, Michigan student, and Michigan Daily contributor. He'll be bringing you longer opinion pieces, and we also plan on having some PTI-style throwdowns for your reading pleasure.
As for your Detroit sports updates, bring on the bullets...
- The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the Pistons are intersted in acquiring Ron Artest. If character, team chemistry, and past life-altering brawls were not a factor, Artest would be a great addition to Detroit. However, I doubt Piston fans, players, and ownership will ever forget the "Malice in the Palace". I really don't see this trade happening, barring a complete loss of sanity by Joe Dumars and Bill Davidson.
- In other Pistons news, Detroit signed rookie Walter Sharpe, as well as Summer League standout Will Bynum.
- The Red Wings are very close to adding a new assistant coach, ex-Wings defenseman Brad McCrimmon.
- Ken Holland was named the Hockey News Executive of the Year. Duh.
- The Tigers, riding a red-hot offense, is now only 5.5 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central after absolutely obliterating the Royals last night, 19-4. Matt Joyce and Miguel Cabera combined for 11 RBIs, and Zach Miner pitched six scoreless innings for the win.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sick Day
Not feeling well today. May post later but I'm going back to bed right now.
Giant link dump in place of real content...enjoy.
Michigan football:
- The late Dave Brown, Wolverine defensive back during the early 70's, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
- Mario Manningham signed a 4-year, $2.3 million contract with the Giants, with the potential for that contract to be worth $4.4 million with escalator clauses.
- Carson Palmer hates Ohio State fans. Hooray Carson Palmer.
- Video for Ann Arbor's TitleTown Sportscenter segment.
- Michigan Sports Center released a full list of numbers for incoming freshmen.
- Daunte Culpepper contacts the Lions about playing next year. No word yet on whether or not the Lions are showing any interest in him.
- The Red Wings locked up their remaining free agents, bringing to a foreseeable close another tremendous Ken Holland offseason.
- Tigers first round pick Rick Porcello combined on a no-hitter for the Lakeland Flying Tigers (Class A).
- In lieu of a new Tractor Traylor update: Started at center; 1-5 for 2 points, 7 boards in 13 minutes. Things aren't looking great.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Bullet Points Are Handy: July 18
Will Bynum: Soon-to-be Piston?Today's roundup of news brings you more Pistons summer league coverage, word on why Carlos Guillen was not with the Tigers last night, and more...
- Again playing without guard Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons NBA Summer League team fell to the Dallas Mavericks last night, 79-73. Former Georgia Tech PG Will Bynum was the star for the Pistons, finishing with a line of 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and only one turnover. Bynum is pushing hard to make Detroit's final roster, and I would be happy if he made the cut. He's an athletic point guard who can score while managing the game and distributing the ball.
- Carlos Guillen was not with the Tigers during their 6-5 victory over Baltimore last night (thanks, Todd Jones, for making that one far too interesting). According to Tigers.com, Guillen few to Detroit after playing in the All-Star Game to be with his wife, Amelia, who was suffering complications during childbirth. According to Jim Leyland, Amelia is fine now, and the Guillen's are now the proud parents of a healthy baby girl, Camelia, who was born on July 7th.
- Zach Miner will be the Tigers' fifth starter for now, after Eddie Bonine was sent down to AAA Toledo. Hopefully Miner can regain his rookie form, before he started walking everyone in sight.
- Via Michigan Sports Center, the Wolverines are currently listed as 7 point favorites in their season-opening game against Utah.
- Jim Carty posted a transcript of Thursday's teleconference with now-former Wolverine Max Pacioretty. He had nothing but good things to say about Red Berenson and the Michigan hockey program, but it sounds like he was just ready to take the next step towards the NHL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
