DTroppens

Now that the Wings are done (maybe some Pistons playoff games will be broadcast there), what is the station doing? I wonder if they can steal some Mudhens games. Maybe they can show some 1980s roller derby matches.

Went home and split my work shift to watch the second half of the game. Glad I did. Fun one to watch.

The gap between games once you start is pretty painful for me as well, especially in the early rounds. I wouldn't mind seeing them go back to five games in the opening round.

A few months ago I did my column I write about ticket stubs. I just brought a bunch of ticket stubs I had, picked up random ones (from all the Detroit teams to some Toledo MudHen games), checked the results and seeing the box score sparked my memory of the game. One of them was a ninth-inning home run by Lou Whitaker for the win. I still don't remember going to this game. I don't drink so I have no excuse not to remember it. But, it was pretty cool to do that column and see some of the game I completely forgot about.

He not only was a light hitter, but he never walked either. I'm actually playing out the 1970s Tigers season right now (only 14 games to go) and gosh, I completely forgot about Gutierrez's 7-for-7 game. I wonder what he did for me in that game. I need to check it out. No one has been on a season-heater like Gutierrez has been in my replay. The guy has spent the season with an average between .285 and .295 most of the season. Every time it looks like he may fall, he has another 3-for-4 day. There have been games in the replay where he's been up in the eighth or ninth with the Tigers trailing and I "know" he would've been replaced for a better bat, but with the way he's hitting I keep him up. And it may have cost the Tigers a game or two. But, if he was batting .290 in 1970, I figure he wouldn't have been pinch hit for, especially with the pitcher spot coming up next in most instances. Why not just keep the guy that is probably going to swing at anything and maybe get an RBI-single? But, doing so, I know his card is pretty lousy, so I'm actually hurting the Tigers.

I was in the UP during Saturday's game and was driving back home while the second and third periods were going on. When it was tied at 3, I don't think anyone thought the Wings were going to win that game. And, of course they win last night.

Waiting until Sunday is going to be painful.

Last game at Tiger Stadium. They were the two that brought the lineup cards to that game.

A few games I'll always remember (that aren't the complete obvious games, well maybe some are) were these: Milt Wilcox near perfect game. I hated Jerry Hairston's kid because of his dad's single with two out in the ninth. When Pat Underwood made his Tigers' debut by pitching against his brother Tom. It ended up being a 1-0 pitchers' duel won by Pat. Being at the 1986 home opener and seeing the stadium go from the ultimate high of the first pitch, only to see Dwight Evans hit the first pitch by Jack Morris go over the fence (we were behind home plate) and quiet us down quickly. But I think the Tigers won that game. Dave Bergman's two home run games against the Blue Jays in 1984 with the Roy Lee Jackson game being the big one. Watching Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park during a DH with the Tigers. It was supposed to be a single game but became a DH and local TV broadcast the twinbill because they initially were planning on covering the only game on that date. Good thing they did because watching what happened on the field was pretty entertaining. Attending the last game at Tiger Stadium will always be my favorite Detroit sports history memory, even if the Lions win a Super Bowl. The last game of the 1987 regular season. There are others but I'm on deadline and probably should be doing my job. 🙂

I'm officially preparing for the postseason now. I know I mentioned going to miss the regular season a few games ago, but there really isn't anything that can happen now but injuries. Let's just get to the postseason.

I saw Deleterious' post on the G-League First Team. Has anyone watched the G League games that fanduel has had on this season? I will generally put the game on but unless it's tight late in the game it's pretty much just background noise with an occasional two-minute watch followed by another 30 minutes of using it for background noise.

That was the season in one game. And with one point, they somehow still stay at least mathematically alive. It's like the least they could've done to keep the never-say-die Red Wing fan still keeping a miniscule amount of hope. Basically, get to 89 and hope Ottawa just gets four or worse. It's like hanging on a limb and that limb really can't support your body weight, but hasn't this been what it feels like to follow this team for about four seasons now? Well, Columbus obviously needs to lose again as well.

I have hundreds of blank cassette tapes. I'd love some of those games on cassette if that ever was possible. For a few years I used to tape Sports Final Edition on channel 4 figuring that was a good way to summarize at least the weekend if not a week of Detroit sports on a weekly basis. I got about a year or maybe two done but then quit with it. I don't have those tapes any more though.

It's doing these stories that makes me realize what a treasure our game threads are here on the site and on the past site. It would be so cool before writing an update to just come here and read the 2006 game thread. Or while I listened to a game, open that day's game thread and follow the posts with the game as close as I possibly can. That would be fun.

In recent years whenever we get to this time of year I'll select a year or a Tiger theme for a series of easy feature stories that I include as part of my sports coverage for our twice-a-week (mostly prep coverage) publication's sports section. Over the years I've done features on the 1968 and 1984 Tigers. I also did Mark Fidrych's 1976 season and the 1957 Lions. This year I'm selecting the 2006 Detroit Tigers. It's pretty easy for me because I still remember a lot about that season and I recorded probably 50 regular season games off the radio and another 30 off the television. And based on the names I see still here, I know a lot of you remember that year as well. I WISH we still had access to the old Motownsports site game threads. That would be awesome. But I was wondering what memories do you remember from 2006, especially the regular season. I think we all remember "gum time." I do, although I do need to gather what specific incident started it again. What games, what plays and just what cool memories do you remember about the season that we all talked about, but maybe some of us (mainly me) forgot. My stories roughly follow the actual date of the season with the date in our publication, especially during the summer. This time of year I typically fall behind fast due to the crazy amount of prep sports happening this time of year. I just don't have the extra space for these stories frequently. And when I do, it's limited. But I always catch up by the end of June and remain pretty much on target in July and then get ahead of pace in August realizing when fall sports happens again, I'm going to have limited space again. These stories are probably the ones I hear the most comments about. As people know, most newspaper readers are older, so our subscription base enjoys them. I was thinking about doing the 1945 Tigers, but figuring it's been 20 years since 2006, it made this an easy decision. Next year I'll probably do 1987. That will be a lot of fun as well. Don't hesitate to add anything. But, really, I'm looking for the regular season right now. I've already been listening to some of those old 2006 radio broadcasts. Oddly, the last two I listed to were losses.

Every time I see a Virginia Tech game, I think about Estrepe. Every time I think of the White Caps I think about Billy Ringo.

Just noticed many of those free over the air games on Michigan stations are weekday afternoon games. That's a bit lame.

I thought the Peacock game came out well. It was more natural for the Benetti and Dirks to engage in conversation, and I think Benetti understood that and tried to keep that from being an issue. I enjoyed the broadcast.

That is crazy, but sometimes it feels like the percentages could be even lower than that. It just doesn't happen at all it feels like.

The four-pitch walks by the bullpen are beyond maddening right now.

I kind of guessed that was the place. Believe it or not, I've been here 20 years and never been to the Machine Shop. I was thinking about the tribute band - seeing who that was. Jackyl comes there occasionally. It hasn't worked out where I could go any time they were there. They were the closest I came to going there. Weird that I haven't yet.

I think he feels like he needs to say something sometimes, and really doesn't know what he's going to say until he actually says it. And then it's just a bunch of words that don't really mean anything most of the time. I'm sure he knows baseball, but it doesn't come across that way. Knowing the sport and presenting it on a broadcast obviously aren't the same thing. But Al Kaline was horrible FOREVER! Then one day it seemed like he decided he was going to be more critical of the team and he got a lot better his final few seasons. It's too bad he didn't do that 15 years earlier. It cracked me up how Al's analysis of a few pitcher was just reading the stat line we saw on the TV screen while he just repeated those numbers.

That's probably fair. I don't hate him. Just most of the time he doesn't really add stuff. Or maybe with your point DanD should allow him to present those comments. DanD is supposed to be the play-by-play man after all. But, would he if DanD didn't make them? Maybe give him the chance.

That's kind of the line you hear right now. I don't know enough to know if it will happen or not, but it makes a ton of sense. Heck, he already has the same stadium as the Wings.

I'm in Fenton, not far. I'll have to do some research and find out who you are talking about. 🙂