7th
May
2008
Game 34: Tigers, fans manic depressive
posted in 2008 season, Boston Red Sox |Boston 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 3, really doesn’t matter does it but for history’s sake let’s say 5
Tigers: 0.
Recap:
- Curtis Granderson.
- Carlos Guillen.
- Pudge Rodriguez.
- Thought they each deserved a line of their own because there’s really nothing else to write about this crappy game except those three got hits.
- Nate Robertson gave up four runs
- Freddy Dolsi allowed one.
- For the record, the kid gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Manny Ramirez
Analysis:
- I dislike Boston because people call Manny Ramirez, ManRam, for the record. It really has nothing to do with the actual Red Sox. I’m sure they’re perfectly acceptable people. But the media annoys by shoving the Red Sox and their cutesy nicknames down everyone’s throat.
- Had to get that off my chest. And I was working during the entire game so I can’t really say I have any observations about it.
- Anyway, the Tigers go from 19 runs and sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx to being swept by the Twins and shut out by an ancient mariner. or red sock. Whatever Tim Wakefield is.
- The team scored 19 in a game and averages nearly 7 runs a game for quite awhile and suddenly enters Minnesota and can’t score and still can’t score.
- The Tigers have gone 0-7 and 8-2 and 0-5 and the fans have gone from cautiously optimistic the team can’t suck for the whole season to despondent to happy to chagrined and now, depending on the source, we’re either pissed or depressed.
- I’m annoyed with the whole thing.
- Does Jim Leyland have any other drastic changes up his sleeve?
- Right now, I can’t even tell you if this team is good or stinks or what. That’s probably the most frustrating part. I’d like to know one way or the other. I guess ultimately it adds up to being average.
- They’re just not as good as the top tier in the American League. The results alone tell us that. But they haven’t played enough games against bad teams to be above .500 right now. So they look worse.
- So, right now, they’re average. That’s what I’m going with.
- Meh.
I think I agree with that, they’re average. So far they’ve played a fairly tough schedule. However, at the very best that seems to add up to a first round playoff loss in humiliating fashion.
I just don’t like this rollercoaster. They’re a bipolar baseball team. I feel like good teams, when they go through rough patches, will go still manage to go 4-6 over 10 games or 5-5. The Tigers just straight lose. When they go through rough patches they just do not win. It’s impossible. Time for some heads to roll.
Granted, yesterday the bats couldn’t get going, but I don’t know why nobody’s calling for something to be done about starting pitching. You can’t win if you keep giving up so many runs… and everyone keeps complaining about the offense. Where is Chuck Hernandez, and why hasn’t he had anything to say?
Nobody argues with your premise, Stacey. The problem is, what really can be done? There’s really nothing in the minors I’d want to replace a starter with and Chuck Hernandez can’t make them find the strike zone any better. I think there should be some accountability there from Leyland, but it’s his place to do something.
What suggestions do you have?
How about calling “re-do” on the Renteria deal? I would much rather have a weak hitting/slick fielding kid at SS and a guy like Jair ready to slide into the rotation.
Jurrjens:
2.84 ERA
1.08 WHIP
36 Ks in 44 innings
I’d be cool if we still had him on board.
Jurrens when we had him on board:
4.70 ERA
4 HR
13 Ks
30 innings
Same number of starts.
Jurrjens starts this season were were against Washington, Colorado, Florida, Dodgers, Mets, Pittsburgh … the Dodgers offense can score. The Pirates are #8 in the MLB. And the rest? Not so good. Does anyone think maybe the quality of opponent he’s facing routinely in the N.L. may be a bit different than say, facing the Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees and Red Sox?
Not saying I don’t wish he was in the organization. I do. But man alive are we missing the point, because Renteria has been one of the few bright points this season. Had Jurrjens been traded for Jones or something, yeah, there’d be a major complaint. This trade is not why the Tigers are losing.
The problem from an organizational stand point is this: let’s say the tigers still had Jurrjens. They’d have called him up rather than Armando Galarraga. Considering Galarraga is the only pitcher doing well, you break even. Are you then going to call for Galarraga to get the call up to replace Verlander? Bonderman? Rogers? Robertson. That isn’t going to happen. What has to happen is the four horses the Tigers have must perform. Anyone who thinks one of those guys is going to lose his job is kidding themself.
“ManRam” as a nickname opens up all sorts of other implications, doesn’t it? Or was I the only to think that?
Regarding the Jurrjens/Renteria deal, I understand why some fans might want to call a Mulligan on it, but that strikes me as some revisionist thinking. If the Tigers had come into this season with Ramon Santiago set to be their starting shortstops, pitchfork and torch salesmen in the Detroit area would’ve had healthy winter sales. As much as Jurrjens might look nice in the starting rotation right now, Kurt said it: Renteria has given the Tigers good production at shortstop.
About the pitching, all I really want is for someone to really admit that it’s not all because of the offense not getting going, accountability as you say. Maybe they need to bring in a team psychologist (a pitcher whisperer) because it feels like they’ve gotten guys like Verlander and Bonderman all caught up in their heads.
Renteria’s pretty solid, and was a known quantity. I liked Jurrjens, but he was a risk, and I think it was the right deal.