casimir

I’ve been to Wrigley a few times. Fortunately I got to watch one from the LF rooftop bleachers across the street before they closed all that access up. Tickets, transportation food and drinks comped by work. I should have had a few more pops. The first one was an absolute luck out. Summer of ‘91, a couple of friends went from Toledo, but got shut out at the booth. Some dude heard us complaining, had extras from work, sold them to us for maybe $10 or $20 each, and it turns out they were 2nd row just behind 3rd base.

You married a smart one.

The biggest 0 in the box score today is 0 pitching injuries.

I took a tour of Fenway this week. The history and nostalgia and all of that is fun. The angle of the wall around the Pesky Pole in RF is much more impressive in front of you than on TV and sitting atop the Green Monster and all of that. I know a lot of stadiums way back when we’re susceptible to fires, and Fenway was a partial victim, but I learned a tornado also ripped down part of the CF stands. Anyway, walking around and hearing the stories and all of that, and I’m looking at the hundred year old seats and aisles wide enough for two people if they maneuver past each other sideways,…. That’s got to be an absolutely miserable place to watch a ballgame. And no trough urinals? I’m sorry, but a place that old needs to have trough urinals.

Yup. It’s nothing personal, but it’s time to move on.

Hitting’ the sauce early today, eh?

I think the majority of folks here were in favor. I know no one predicted the results for both sides of the deal.

Ah, the trade for David Price. The one where they pulled Austin Jackson from the game in like the top of the 7th or 8th inning because it turns out you can't keep playing in a not yet finished game for a team that just traded you to another team.

Pretty sure you can hear the bench calling for the "Brittany Spears" play as they're setting up.

The situation stinks, but it is what it is. Candelario is posting a season that fits within the confines of what he has shown in his somewhat inconsistent past. He's at an age which is generally considered around prime production. His likely salary wouldn't have been ridiculous had it not been for his dismal 2022. Aside from 1B (which is kind of a minor point), the 2023 Tiger 3B production specifically and 2023 Tiger offense as a whole has been pathetic. At the time the decision was made, I fully understood the risk/reward being somewhere around a coin flip. Yet here we are now and its easy to look at numbers without using proper context of time and shrug shoulders and complain why the Tigers made such a foolish mistake. Sometimes these decisions work out. Sometimes they don't.

The story of he and Willie Horton exchanging pleasantries after an inside pitch was pretty amusing. The photograph that they showed of the kumbaya was good. So for those that missed, Tanana (rookie season) pitched one to Horton a bit too inside to Horton's liking. Horton noted his suggestion from a shorter distance, teammates joined on field to listen to the critique. I don't think any punches were thrown. But then there was a reskirmish after Horton thought he heard some more chirping. Well, the Angels had a 3Bdude that looked like Tanana, and Horton started to wander over in his direction to reestablish his side of the story. The 3Bdude, probably fearing for his life, had to remind Horton that he was merely a doppleganger to the events, the pitcher was over that way. Tanana made mention that Mickey Stanley may have saved his life here/

That was the best part of the broadcast. I don't know, but I suspect there is a bit of self guilt inside of him that he gets the flowers of the hall of fame nod et al while Whitaker is held to second fiddle status. They were both very good players on their own, but the sum of the parts and the rarity of its duration is what makes it special. The hall really botched it by not inducting both together.

Yikes. It sounded like an away game, too. That probably just added to your "enjoyment".

Thanks a lot.

That's an interesting point, although he has played 1B in the past and he is a switch hitter.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers Watch: Tigers - Bally Sports Detroit, Blue Jays - Sportsnet, TVA Sports, SN NOW App, National - MLBN (out-of-market only) Listen: Tigers - 97.1 The Ticket, Blue Jays - SN590, Sportsnet.ca

Alek Manoah makes his return to MLB in this game. Is it purely coincidence that it’s vs the hapless Tiger lineup? Is the timing simply right because there is the all star break to squeeze another start out of him if tonight goes right or keep him in his slot with some extra days off from the all star break?

I’d worry more about the defense than I would the offense. Elmn at 3B? That might attract viewers in a macabre way, but I’ll take a pass on that.

Regarding Maton, I think the emphasis of that deal was to move Soto at his top remaining value (output & salary). So, if not Maton, than maybe they would acquired someone else along with Vierling and Sands, or gone with another deal with another team. And then even if Candelario and Maton were on the same squad, do we know that there wouldn’t have been a deal for McKinstry? Maron & McKinstry aren’t just 3B options. Clearly they fit the prototype utility player that Harris/Hinch had eyes for lately.

The way things have gone with development, the Tigers should be happy to worry about top dollar arbitration cases with their own home grown talent.

Until the next two game losing streak.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers Watch: Tigers - Bally Sports Detroit, Blue Jays - Sportsnet, SN NOW App Listen: Tigers - 97.1 The Ticket, Blue Jays - SN590, Sportsnet.ca

Still don't. Which brings to mind, what is it that precludes Malloy from being a 3B? Is it something that precludes him from playing 1B, even as a backup to Torkelson?

I think Torkelson was clearly a notch or two below Greene. But Greene as also had the fortune of BABIP so far in his early career. It was .354 last season and he struck out at a higher rate than league average. If that BABIP normalizes, that 98 OPS+ drops. The results were what they were, but perhaps the 98 was inflated a bit.

Getting primed for the midseason tournament.