monkeytargets39

It’s weird. Oakland fans definitely weren’t showing up when the team strategy was penny pinching and trading off anyone they had who was good, but that place seemed like an absolute zoo during the times where the team was consistently good in the post Hudson/Mulder/Zito/Haren era. The fans there were thunderous when we played them in 06 and then in the Verlander domination era in the playoffs. Plus go back and look at stuff like the Balfour Rage where the stadium stands turned into a mosh pit whenever he came in to close games, and all the stuff like “I believe in Stephen Vogt!” Chant and “Nerd Power” for Eric Sogard. Maybe Oakland is just a very extreme fair-weather fan base where if the team is good they are going ape, but if the team isn’t good they basically disappear entirely.

So if Oakland built a 12,000 seat stadium they could sell it out every day for the As. Doesn’t mean the attendance figure isn’t low relative to other teams…. Why move the team due to poor attendance and then put them in a stadium that can only hold about 10k more seats than their average attendance was in Oakland? They’re at capacity and are bottom 5 in attendance, meanwhile another losing franchise—the Commanders—are bringing in 20k more tickets a game and are at 85% capacity.

Featuring Kenta Maeda as Jek Porkins

If there’s one thing we learned this year (and thank God we finally did), it’s that bringing in cheaper “veteran leaders” is generally an outdated waste of time and money. It’s not a coincidence that we start winning and playing with more energy and enthusiasm once we jettisoned Canha and Urshela, benched Maeda, and started cutting way back on Baez’s playing time. Rarely is the trade value of those players even worth it. Our team may not have had the experience on the grind of a season and playoff race, but that’s what they have coaches for- to keep them focused and motivated. We have a team now- a group of guys with not much ego who will go out there and do whatever it takes to help the team win and will gladly cheer each other on when it’s not their turn as opposed to just guys who have been inserted into the roster because we were the team that would pay them the most. Even if we go out in the first round of the playoffs this year, I’ll be going to more games next year, buying more Tigers merchandise and trying to hype up friends, family and coworkers for next year.

He seems like an awesome guy and is definitely a good teammate to take ownership of his struggles and accept the demotion to the bullpen. However, from a competitive standpoint, I see no justification in keeping him for next year. We already have 5-7 better options for SP, plus an additional 4-5 better options for long relief in the system. Its time to let a newly fledgling franchise take chances on bounce back arms and for us to start moving forward with our youth.

Maeda needs to go to 100 pitches today regardless of score and then be released tomorrow

Welcome to the playoff roster Jackson Jobe

Not sure if he would start, but I’d bet there’s a 100% chance he gets multiple innings in one of the games regardless of the score

With how much AJ utilizes platoon matchups and defensive adjustments, I’d be surprised if any position player is left off the roster. My guess would be Maeda and Madden are left off. game 1 is Skubal, 2 is Olson, and if we get to 3 its Mize as an opener with Hurter to follow. That gives AJ free rein to use Holton, Brieske, Jobe, Foley, Hanifee, Guenther and Vest situationally with basically all of them capable of multiple innings if needed.

If we did face JV in the playoffs, the secret is to bunt it to him

Interviews are not Benettis strong suit

The Goggles, they do nothing

August 11th was my birthday. I’m taking most of the credit for this. It was tough to blow out all of the candles at this point and have the wish come true.

We get to rest Skubal too!!

Weren’t we a wildcard in 2006?

WHITE SOX ARE THE WORST TEAM EVER

Eaaaaasssy Papa Grande….eeeeaaassy

Don’t lose sight of #121 either. Legendary inning for both teams

I don’t hate the idea of Hinch managing against the Astros in the first round

McKinstry?

Wouldn’t be shocked if they let him start the finale

Several off lefties too

Put Jobe in

Ok let Carpenter exclamation point this now