gehringer_2

That's a good question. In the 40+ years since Mao died China as body politic has been dedicated to stability both at home and abroad over all else. There were a society traumatized by War, Revolution and the then the chaos of Mao's internal Cultural Revolution. They are also always deathly afraid that even after the millennia of its existence, that the various ethnicities inside China are always only a step away from internal revolt against the legitimacy of the government in Bejing. If I believed that some kind of consensus leadership still controlled China, I don't think there is any way they would support Russian adventurism. The question is how far down the road to dictatorship China already is under Xi. The inner workings of Chinese succession have always been opaque, but for over 30 years they were calm and orderly and no-one appeared to have tried to do what Xi has done to consolidate himself into the whole state. To the degree that Xi has already been following Putin's footsteps, you have the same situation as in Russia - one man able to act against the rational interests of his country. Once you have that situation, analysis based on the rational interests of a country go out the window.

Tigers draw 1st blood - 2 out single by Willi-I don't-need-no-E Castro and a double by Candelario. Appropriately enough to the thread, Hill and Reyes both made outs to start the game.

Unusual - . Radio is available at WHYT web site but appears to be no gameday.

it's all about the alternatives. Hill's OBP last season was 313. What I think is most likely to get either of these guys a spot is for Hill to down on his Ks or Reyes to walk a little.

it may or may not even be a gaffe. Why do we give one side credit for being strategic when they deliberately stir the pot, and then assume the other isn't capable of the same thought process? The Eastern intelligentsia and US MSM are not the players that will win (or lose) this conflict. Why should we suppose that is the audience Biden is concerned about? If Joe Biden has proven anything in his life, besides his ability to misspeak, is that he is also capable of playing a long game. So take your pick.

I'm working at it Sue, really I am.

In Reagan's case, Joviality could cover a multitude of sins.I I'd also throw a little credit to Gorbachev here - sort of the forgotten man today and certainly one of Putin's demons. I think it's more true that the CCCP fell on its own clock. Besides an American partner, It took the emergence of a Soviet leader with the willingness to face the contradictions inherent in the Soviet leviathan. All the credit in the world to Reagan having the good sense to see there was a new reality waiting to be grasped, but if Chernenko had been replaced by another Brezhnev minded leader, there would have been nothing more the American side could have done to make it happen when it did.

I think to the degree that the West can successfully personalize the war and keep naming it as "Putin's War" that is a good strategy in terms of value of whatever news penetrates into Russia. Beyond that that - we'll see.

One thing I really, really hope comes out of this is that the Chinese, who may yet still have enough functioning governmental institutions not already tied to Xi, see the inevitable end of the path which one man cult of personality rule will take them down and cut down Xi rather than holding the door for the eastern version of a Putin wannabe to walk through. Granted, it's a faint hope.

I don't know if I necessarily want to see another conflict start in Asia, but I would certainly love to see the Japanese with a least enough of a feint to build up their forces and force the Russians to keep more troops tied down.

I know the Russian armed forces don't have much of a record of getting involved in domestic politics, but how much stress do you suppose Putin can bring to bear on them before something breaks?

two TDs for Det, two FGs and a safety for Philly.

I rather think of us all as finely glazed Ollas here.

After Bert had cut the guys legs out from under him he tried to fall down himself to make it look like an unbiased collision. Nice try, but still an easy call.

Not worried about Fulmer....yet. 😒

It depends at least in part on whether there are guys hitting well to fill those upper spots as well, but assuming Baez and either Tork or Greene are hitting well, that would put Cabrera in the 6 or 7 spot and I don't think it will be an issue. It seems everyone whose talked to Cabrera this Spring says he's focused on the team getting back to the playoffs. He has enough baseball IQ to appreciate what his team's best lineup should be. Last season the Tigers top regular hitters were (with OPS) Jeimer (795), Grossman(772), Badddo(766), Schoop(755), Haase(745). Everyone else was below 700. As I noted, once Miguel pulled out of his initial funk, he OPS'd 747 the rest of the way so he wasn't blocking anyone who should have been higher in the lineup by any significant performance differential. If Baez/Greene/Tork can put up better numbers, I don't see Miguel making noise or Hinch being reluctant to move him down.

Bad Phillies BP is bad. Tigers now with a dozen.

Miguel hasn't looked too bad he last couple of days - a couple line drives and a couple of walks. Truth is Miguel hit 280 over his last 450 PA last season, so if he does that again that will keep him out of the 8 spot. OTOH, another month like his previous April and the fans will be screaming for a buyout!

Wings get a point in regulation. Bert takes a penalty in OT. Tampa scores in the 4 on 3.

RBI for Riley. Kid just might make the majors.

Right - at this point this is clearly not accidental. Biden oftimes speaks off the cuff, his admin doesn't do policy off the cuff, so for whatever reason they have decided to take this tack. Curious. I think history would argue personalizing international conflict is usually unproductive. I guess we'll see if there is some logic behind the strategy or whether they are losing their sense of Real Politick.

torkelson's plate discipline is tremendous in such a young hitter. 8 pitches in that at bat (walk), all pretty close. He took every pitch out of the zone, swung (and fouled off) every pitch in the zone.

going to be a major pet peeve on the MLB audio casts. Commercials are running about 6 db louder than the programming.

then...a sinker that didn't.

The funny thing about errors. Schoop fields the ball, Manning's out of the inning and who know if those guys do the same thing leading off the 3rd or not.