lordstanley

“Skubal is not a big (exhibition) game pitcher”.

What’s the challenge criteria - does the ball after to be touching the virtual strike zone, substantially in it, completely in it?

Torres strikes out. Greene strikes out. Skubal gives up 2 runs before the 1st out. All is going to plan - Tigers playing possum on the national stage so others will underestimate them in October.

So the Rays sales price of $1.7b is lower than the $1.8 the NHL’s Lightning sold for last year. That seems off. Is there a big real estate disparity or something?

It seems like whenever a team has more than one 1st round pick, they'll take a flier on one of them. Rather than be as prudent as they'd be if that was their only 1st round pick. Would Yzerman have drafted a goalie at #15 if he hadn't also had a #6 overall pick that year (Edvinsson)? Not that any of picks 16-32 except for Wyatt Johnston have made much of an impact at the NHL level yet (a few like #17 Bolduc, #24 Samoskevich and #27 L'Heureux seem to have established themselves as NHL regulars though).

Love or hate Chris Berman, the Home Run Derby is not the same without “back back back”.

And they went 7-1 in the playoffs and never trailed in either of the two series. Even if they had coasted to .500 after the 35-5 start, wouldn’t have mattered because they flicked a switch and dominated again when the post-season started.

Here's the '84 Tigers game by game record. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1984&t=DET - The Tigers were 30 games over .500 after their first 40 games of course, at 35-5 - They then played the next 40 games at .500, as they were 30 games over .500 after their first 80 games, at 55-25 - But by 100 games in they were 38 games over .500 - At the 3/4 of the season they were back down to 35 games over .500, at 78-43. So after the 35-5 start they played the next half of the season, 81 games, at just 5 games over .500 (43-38, .530, 86 win pace). That's the closest I can see to "played .500 ball after the 35-5 game start" - Then they turned it on again and finished the season 46 games above .500, having played the final 1/4 in 26-15, .634, 103-win pace

And no super scary teams like the Dodgers in the National League. The Astros despite their success this year likely have peaked. Yankees and Red Sox will be up there due to budget ability, but the Rays or Mariners, maybe not. I'm not writing off the Twins, Guardians and Royals the next few years but nor do I have reason to believe they're going to take jump into being consistent 90+ win teams. In other words, no reason the Tigers can't start putting together a playoff streak in the years ahead and take it from there.

LiveAid was 40 years ago Sunday. Boy, Phil really made this version of In The Air Tonight boring, no? I feel jetlagged just listening to it.

8-4. Humbling going into the break. So may not be a bad thing going into the break.

Geez Louise , back to back. 6-4.

Mariners lead. Another solo home run. None of our relievers are immune.

Red Sox head into the All Star break on a 10-game winning streak.

Vest gets out of it. Another miracle!

Based loaded, 3 walks, what a disaster.

4-4, runners on 2nd and 3rd, 0 out.

Double ugh, back to back walks. This could be deflating.

Ugh, leadoff walk to Rodriguez with Raleigh now at the plate.

Greene!! Tigers lead. Tigers are 6 outs away from changing our mood going into the break.

Javy made all that happen. Tie game.

Meadows and Greene did Flaherty no favors, but Flaherty struck out Julio to keep the game tied heading to the bottom of the 5th.