Leyland: Still A Lot to Like About the Tigers

Here's the audio from Jim Leyland's pre-game presser as we await tonight's game between the Tigers and the Indians here at Comerica Park.

Leyland's team is six off the lead in the AL Central and comes in four games under .500.  Detroit is three-and-a-half back of the second-place Indians in the division race.

It's almost surprising Leyland wasn't more upset than he appeared to be during this afternoon's media session.  I asked him what he likes about his team right now, and you can hear that question and the manager's answer somewhere near the mid to latter portions of the audio which is of about nine minutes duration...


22-year old Drew Smyly starts for the Tigers tonight while Ubaldo Jimenez (0-4, 9.54 lifetime here at Comerica Park) goes for the Tribe.  We'll be here to keep you posted on the evening's activities...

Road Trip

Here's a look at Laura's Summer Tour with The Toledo Glassmen...


View Larger Map

Click "View Larger Map" link above to see the whole thing.  And here are the dates and locations. Tjhe distances and travel time in small font is the distance from here at home, the distance and time on the right in larger font is from one location to the next.  "G-West" is the home base for the Glassmen.

2012 Toledo Glassmen Schedule

A. Start at G-West, Wausean, OH

B.  Wed, June 20 - Battle Creek, (106mi/1:47) From G-West: 100mi/1:46
C. Fri, June 22 - Madison, WI (439mi/7:24)      From Battle Creek: 317mi/5:49
D. Sat, June 23 - Woodbury, MN (662mi/11:33) From Madison: 254mi/4:35
E. Sun, June 24 - Sioux Falls, SD (840mi/14:14) From Woodbury: 275mi/4:27
F.Thu, June 28 - Merrillville, IN (243mi/4:09)   From Sioux Falls: 626mi/10:11
G. Fri, June 29 - Muncie, IN (240mi/4:17)         From Merriville: 188mi/3:17
H. Sat, June 30 - Michigan City, IN(211mi/3:39) From Muncie: 166mi/3:29
I. Sun, July 1 - Muscatine, IA (422mi/7:44)        From Michigan City: 234mi/4:20

J. Fri, July 6 - Whitewater, WI (371mi/6:45)      From Muscatine: 206mi/3:32
K. Sat, July 7 - Kalamazoo, MI (128mi/2:20)     From Whitewater: 248mi/4:39
L. Wed, July 11 - Bowling Green (90mi/1:34) From K’zoo: 168mi/2:48 From G-West: 50mi/0:54

M. Fri, July 13 - La Crosse, WI (550mi/9:41)     From BGSU: 535mi/9:17 From G-West: 489mi/8:37

N. Sat, July 14 – Minneapolis (676mi/11:54)       From La Crosse: 162mi/2:50
O. Tue, July 17 - Bentonville, AR (867mi/14:48) From Minneapolis: 643mi/10:31
P. Wed, July 18 - Broken Arrow, OK (926/15:38) From Bentonville: 121mi/2:06
Q. Thu, July 19 - Round Rock, TX (1,292mi.22:27) From Broken Arrow: 438mi/7:31
R. Sat, July 21 - San Antonio, TX (1,476mi/24:00) From Round Rock: 99mi/1:43
S. Tue, July 24 - Dallas, TX (1,200mi/19:31)          From San Antonio: 277mi/4:42
T. Wed, July 25 - Edmond, OK (1,028mi/17:12)                 From Dallas: 220mi/3:43
U. Thu, July 26 - Little Rock, AR (886mi/14:30)             From Edmund: 351mi/5:28
V. Sat, July 28 - Atlanta, GA (728mi/12:07)       From Little Rock: 518mi/8:46
W. Tue, July 31 - Warrenton, VA (508mi/9:22)             From Atlanta: 577mi/10:03
X. Wed, August 1 - Erie, PA (280mi/4:41)         From Warrenton: 356mi/6:35
Y. Thu, August 2 - Rome, NY (463mi/8:19)        From Erie: 274mi/5:02
Sat, August 4 - Allentown, PA (559/9:42)          From Rome: 229mi/4:14
Sun, August 5 - Pittsburgh, PA (291mi/5:04)      From Allentown: 282mi/5:00

Wed, Aug 8 Indianapolis, IN (319mi/5:13)         From Pittsburgh: 361mi/6:14

                                                                      Pittsburgh to G-West: 261mi/4:24 

G-West to Indianapolis: 204mi/3:47

Read more: http://www.dci.org/corps/?criteria=e460e928-83e6-4712-925e-1fbf3f29b629&view=schedule#ixzz1uFSRbIXY

This Guy Better Hope God Has Mercy

Here's a pastor calling for all of God's children who are homosexual to die.  Really.  A man of God and he wants them to die.  God, have mercy...

I know that my God does not approve this message, and I thank Him for that.

A Full Slate on Friday Night

I saw an intereting note about our old friend Brandon Inge this afternoon at MLB.com (I'll include the linky so you don't think I'm stealing!)
As you know, Brandon hit a Grand Slam last night. It was his second Granny of the week and this, as it turns out, puts him on the cusp of Big League history:

Inge now has 21 calendar days left to become the 10th player in history hit three slams in one month. The most recent player to do this was Carlos Beltran in July 2006. The others with three in a single month: Rudy York (May 1938), Jim Northrup (June '68), Larry Parrish (July '82), Eric Davis (May '87), Mike Blowers (Aug. '95), Mike Piazza (April '98), Shane Spencer (Sept. '98) and Devon White (May 2001).
Roger Schlueter is senior researcher for MLB Productions http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120511&content_id=30954888&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

Rick Porcello to the hill tonight in another late one. We'll be there for it, and we'll keep you posted on the early action as well.

It was a light schedule yesterday, but there was still a lot going on. In addition to the Orioles becoming the first American League team EVER to hit 3 consecutive homers to start a game (think about how many games have been played in the American Leauge. Baltiomore alone has played 17,342) you also had Stepen Strasburg of the Nationals striking out 13. That's not an unimpressive number, but what makes it eyepopping is that he did it in 6 innings of work. He had to come out because of the Pitch Count (103) when he was on pace to strike out 19 and a half. The record is 20.
 
Who knows what we will see tonight!

Another Thursday Night in the Show...

A bit of a light night.  Only 5 games going on right now in MLB (am watching them all) and no hockey.  When was the last time there was no hockey?  April 7, I'm guessing.  Highlight of nite so far: Boston trails Cleveland 7-1 in 3rd and Josh Beckett is gone after giving up 7 earned runs on 7 hits with 2 walks in two-and-a-third.  His ERA is now 5.97.  Perhaps he should take up golf!  Earlier today, 1st 3 Orioles batters in game 1 v Texas homered and O's held on for 6-5 win. Scherzer goes for Tigers tonight in 10:05 start in Oakland v Brandon Inge's A's.

Would you like to see the play of the year in baseball so far?  I thought you would...

http://deadspin.com/5909015/an-unassisted-triple-play-is-so-easy-a-6+year+old-can-do-it

Pretty cool, eh?

Quite A Night On MLB.TV

We've got a full slate of 15 games tonight around The Bigs and thanks to MLB.TV I've been able to see parts of almost all of them.  I've yet to check in in Oakland, Milwaukee or Houston, but I've been everywhere else.  And what I have seen...

First, of course, would be the 4-homer night by Josh Hamilton in Baltimore as he becomes only the 14th player since 1900 to hit four in a game, and only the 6th American Leaguer to do it.  This makes it a feat more rare than a Perfect Game, as there have been 21 of those.  I saw them all thanks to a feature in the media player which lets me know when those players I've selected for special attention (tonight they were Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Albert Pujols and Bryce Harper) are about to come to bat.  You get and on-screen alert and you switch to the game they are playing in.  So, I was able to see that bit of history tonight by Hamilton as it unfolded, which was pretty cool.

I saw Chris Sale, in his first appearance as the new closer for the White Sox, fail.  He came on in the 8th with two on, none out and Chicago ahead 3-0 in Cleveland.  By the time he retired the side, the Indians had tied the score, although the White Sox did go on to win in 10, 5-3, which means the Tigers will be two back of Cleveland if they can beat the Mariners tonight and of course you have to figure that would be quite a feat in its own right as the Tigers have lost all four games they've played against the M's this season.

One note about the 14-14 Tigers.  They are actually doing better through 28 games this season than they did last year when they were 12-16 at the same point, and were a startling 7.5 games out of first place which was then as now, held by the Indians.

I saw David Robertson, in the first save situation for the Yankees since Mariano Rivera hurt his knee last week,  succeed in dramatic fashion.  Tampa Bay loaded the bases against him in the 9th but he struck out Carlos Pena on a 2-2 pitch to end the game and earn his first save.

6 games are done now (Washington at Pittsburgh deserves honorable mention as the Nats got a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th to take a 4-3 lead only to lose when the Bucs scored a pair in the bottom of the 9th) and 9 are in progress.

The night goes on...

Things I Know That I Shouldn't

Ever hear of Nap Lajoie?  In his time, he was one of the most famous ballplayers in America.  But his time was 100 years ago when he starred for the Cleveland Indians.  Here's the thing.  Tonight, Travis Hafner was hit by a pitch which is no big deal, I mean at least not yet.  The pitcher who threw it hasn't, at least yet, confessed (bragged) that he hit Hafner on purpose the way Cole Hammels bragged (confessed) that he deliberatly hit Bryce Harper last night, earning himself a 5-game suspension and creating a minor sensation in the Majors.  What was notable about Hafner's run-in with a baseball was that he tied the Indians's all-time record for getting in the way of a pitched ball at 79 with the aforementioned Lajoie.  Which isn't even the story I'm trying to tell.  It's just that when I saw the name "Lajoie," I realized that not only did I know who he was which, just guessing here, I am thinking not many people do, but I also knew that when it came to product endorsements, he was what we would call today an early adopter.  Lajoie modeled in ads for Red Devil tobacco.  You'd see his picture with the words, "Lajoie chews Red Devil.  Ask him if he don't." 

The thing is, how the heck do I know that?  I mean, I know it's true, I saw a picture of the ad and that's how I know it's true, but why would a thing like that stick in my head?  The book I saw the picture in I read when I was, like, 12.  Sometimes I wonder about myself.

Here's my favorite stat today, and it too is something I should not know.  But, I did the math and so now I do. 

Did you know that Phil Humber of the White Sox has allowed 20 runs (earned) on 21 his in 13.1 innings since he threw his perfect game in Seattle two weeks ago Saturday?  It's true, he has.  I He got pulled after two-and-a-third today in Cleveland and wound up charged for all 8 the Indians scored 8-6 win oved the White Sox.  Since his Perfect Game, his ERA is 13.53.

Speaking of those two, they are playing one of those hated day-night doubleheaders.  Game One was delayed for about half an hour at the outset by rain, and Game Two was delayed for almost an hour-and-a-half by rain with Cleveland leading 2-1 in the 8th, two on and one out. 

Dan Wheeler was announced as the pitcher for the Indians just before they brought out the tarp, but Wheeler was not the Indians pitcher when the game resumed.  So Wheeler was technically in the game, but never actually in the game.  According to the rules, he is in the box score, but will not be credited with an appearance.  Odd.  And I should not know this.

Anyway, the wait was worth it as the Sox tied the game in the 8th when play resumed. But know the Indians have retaken the lead in their half of the inning.

Adam Dunn made the last out of the to of the 8th.  And here's an interesting thing about him, which I should not know.  Everybody is talking aobut his great comeback this year what with the 9 homers (2 against Detroit over the weekend) and all of that, but did you know he is hitting .100 (3x30) against lefties?  It's true.  That gamer he hit off Valverde Saturday, that 500-foot bomb, was his 3rd hit of the year off a left hander.  Did you see where that thing landed?  It bounced into the concourse beyond the seats in right after landing in the last row.  I thought to myself, "That's where I sat for the playoffs last fall."

The Indians are rallying in their half of the 8th, the Royals are trying to come back against the Red Sox, the Tigers are in the bottom of the third, and there is still no score in Phoenix which isn't a baseball game at all, but rather a Stanely Cup playoff game.  (And did you see how the Rangers game ended? The Blueshirts tied it at 19:53 of the third and won it in overtime, wow!)  So, I better get back to work.  I'll share more things I shouldn't know later...