A column not worth reading
posted in 2007 season |Well, we’ll bring something fresh today. Saw this linked at The Cutoff Man and just have to respond. It’s a column by MSNBC’s Tony DeMarco, who I believe in the past I have also ignored because he’s clueless (2005 Fire Joe Morgan headline: Good news! Found new moron). As a FJM reader, let me try my hand at fisking Mr. DeMarco.
Tigers’ collapse is disappointing, could close championship window
In the midst of one of the worst collapses in recent memory, Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch delivered a state-of-the-franchise address complete with the lofty goal of his team contending every year.
He has a short memory. Or poor one. Or he’s clueless about another truly historic collapse. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes: “Seattle has become the first team in modern baseball history, dating back to at least 1901, to drop 13 of 14 games after being at least 20 games over .500 as late as the Mariners were this season. There have been quite a few 1-13 records down the stretch in recent years, but not by a team at least 20 games over .500 after the 126-game mark of a season.”
Not to mention the article was posted (and likely written) in the midst of the Tigers winning 7 of 10 (now 8 of 10). So, he’s really struggling with that point.
The team already has drawn three million this season for the first time in its history. Ilitch has placed no hard cap on his payroll, which is 9th overall at more than $95 million. And he has shown a willingness to buck Commissioner Bud Selig’s salary-slotting edict when it comes to the amateur draft by spending big to sign Andrew Miller in 2006 and this year’s top pick, Rick Porcello.
Yes. It sounds good to me. High attendance. Owner willing to spend money. One of the top center fielders in the game in Curtis Granderson, in just his second full season in the MLB. Justin Verlander wins 17 games back to back in his first two seasons. Young pitchers like Andrew Miller and the ability to sign unsignable minor leaguers like Rick Porcello. It’s a good time to be a Detroiter.
All that said, there’s no getting around the ugly embarrassment of what has occurred in the second half of this season. …
But the Tigers head into this weekend with a 4.66 ERA, ninth in the league and 20th in the majors, after an extended stretch during which the team mark has been around 5.00. Just this week, they allowed seven home runs in a 13-6 loss to Texas, tying a franchise worst.
So the Tigers pitching was great. And then it sucked. I wonder if there’s any reasons for that. Probably just an all time collapse job or something.
We could probably also note here these are the same Rangers who scored 30 runs in a single game. So it’s not like Detroit offered up the dingers to least-scoring team in the league.
Injuries certainly have been a factor. Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney and Kenny Rogers have missed big chunks of the season. But all three have returned in the second half, and their presences haven’t stopped the losing
Already he’s getting wishy-washy. “Worse collapse ever! No hope in the future! Wait. There’s a reason for it? Naw, ruins the headline! Keep it!”
And then he says Rogers was back in the second half. Yes. For about what, 3 games, before going back on the DL with an injured elbow. I wonder if that might affect his effectiveness. NAW! And of course, we should expect Zumaya to come off a very serious injury and throw 103 just like last year, right? Afraid it doesn’t work that way.
But guess what? By September with most pitchers not named Bonderman back, most things are going fine again. Detroit trails just Chicago, Cleveland and New York in ERA in the AL this month.
And Bonderman, pitching with pain in his elbow since July, maybe had an effect on second half ERA?
Nobody in the game has fallen harder than Jeremy Bonderman, and an elbow injury appears to be the main reason why. Bonderman was 1-8 with an 8.23 ERA in his last 10 starts before being shut down this week. On July 13th, when he won his first start of the second half, he was 10-1 with a 3.50 ERA.
Oh. Hey. Good timing! and more wishy-washy! Way to make a stand.
Well OK, I’m getting bored with the whole exercise as he shouts “THE SKY IS FALLING” and follows it with an explanation for why the sky might not fall next year.
Ilitch’s goal is legitimate and reachable, but the championship window for this veteran-filled roster might not be as long as he’d like to think. And that makes this season even tougher to swallow for the Tigers and their fans.
It’s too bad the Tigers aren’t allowed to sign someone not playing for another team who can help fill in the gaps. What do you call those guys? The other sports have them. Free agents or something? Yeah, baseball should really get that.
Oh. Wait. They have that.
Well it’s too bad the Tigers never use that system.
Side note: Much props to the guys at FJM, that’s not as easy as it looks!
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[...] A column not worth reading » Mack Avenue Tigers : A Detroit Tigers Blog Kurt picks apart Tony Demarco’s slam piece of the Tigers. [...]
//In the midst of one of the worst collapses in recent memory//
From this I infer that Tony DeMarco was born in 2004, and is thus generally unaware of the 2003 Tigers. When you put it in that context, it’s pretty impressive that a 3-year-old could have written this correctly spelled article!