Tiger337

I don't think Manning has been especially impressive when he has been on the field. He certainly has shown flashes, but has not sustained anything for more than few weeks and has low strikeout rates. I was more impressed with what Olsen did last year than anything Manning has done.

I guess that's where I differ from most fans. I don't think the regular season is boring at all. In fact, I think the regular season is more interesting than the playoffs. They are really two distinct things. The regular season shows which team is able to endure the ebb and flow of the 6 month marathon. The playoffs is the best teams of the regular season during brief snap shots of time. I don't really see the connection between the two. The playoffs are fun if you have a rooting interest, but I think it would be underwhelming if the Tigers finally won the World Series after 40 years as the lowest seeded team with 84 wins. It would be fun in the moment, but it would be hard to look back at the season later with any pride. I want them to dominate the season and then win the playoffs.

That is because fans have been conditioned to believe that winning the playoffs is all that matters. If more emphasis was put on the regular season championship, it would gain more respect. Of course, the problem with that is that TV would make less money off the playoffs if they were not viewed as the end all.

At this point, I would put Turnbull down there with Brieske and Faedo. Also, I probably trust Olsen more than anyone else other than Skubal. There are still questions about him over a full season, but he is healthier and has had more recent success than all the other question marks.

Yeah, I'd like it better if they rewarded the regular season winners in a meaningful way. Winning the 6-month marathon should be a big deal. Then they can do whatever they want with the playoffs. I do like the idea of a mini-season rather than a bunch of short series.

I agree that Rodriguez is surprisingly knowledgable for someone who is a douche.

This is astounding.

Another guy who had a .400 OBP in his MILB career...Chris Shelton.

The funny thing is that players get recognized for what they do in the regular season while teams get recognized for what they do in post-season. It is a strange disconnect.

A team could also be a different team than it was earlier in the season. However, what I like about the baseball regular season is that they play every day for six months and being able to get through all the injuries and all the little slumps for six months and finishing 10 games better than someone else should count for something. If hundreds of runners run a marathon, there probably isn't that big of a difference between the top 6 runners, but the guy that gutted out the 26 miles is the winner. Following that up with a bunch of one-mile runs wouldn't change that.

I like baseball beyond the Tigers, so I do give a ****.

I have been told many times that this is not a problem. I guess if most people like it that way, then it's not a problem for MLB. Personally, I consider the post-season tournament to be anti-climatic. It's more baseball games, so that's good, but the results don't mean a lot to me.

I think a young hitter whose game depends so much on drawing walks might struggle initially in the majors where he'll probably walk a lot less. So, I am tempering my expectations for him. 370 with power sounds really ambitious. I really hope he does well though because the Tigers haven't had many players with good on base skills.

I don't believe Malloy is a lock to make the roster. If he has an unconvincing Spring, I could see them going with a Baddoo/Vierling Platoon to start the season. Keith should make it since he is rated a lot more highly and there are two positions open in the infield.

Maybe true, but I think if the new administration acquired a hard throwing AA pitcher with command problems, they might know what to do with him. I am not yet sold on their ability to develop flawed position players who try to play multiple positions.

A hard throwing AA reliever with command problems.

I can see them making one of those Randy Smith era multi-player deals involving major leaguers or major league ready players except I am hoping Harris is a little smarter than Smith and able to steal a useful player.

Sure, he's in the mix. I just have no expectation that he'll succeed. If he does, then great. I don't think he has any meaningful trade value.

Turnbull has barely pitched for three years and he is 30. I don't think about him much.

There is no such thing as an excess of pitching. You can never ever have too much pitching especially now with starters throwing fewer and fewer innings as time goes on. There is such a thing as a shortage of position players and a better supply of pitchers relative to position players.

He was aware. He was just saying what he needs to say to get political points. That all these clowns do.

The social media response might be fun initially, but not so much over time. I could see two different scenarios: (1) They hire a woman who is bad at her job. Woke Twitter protects her because she is woman and calls everybody misogynist if they criticize her. (2) They hire a woman who is good at her job but men never accept her and constantly make sexist remarks.

But, in my example, it knocked two better teams out of contention. So, there was one less team with a chance.

Yes, it was Allyson Footer. She has been doing good work for a long time.

There was a woman who did a couple of games with Dickerson during the summer who I thought was very good. I can't remember her name, but I think she was a writer for the Astros or Rangers. Walden would be a cheer leader like Monroe and would not add any useful analysis.