DTroppens

The interior defense is supposed to be our strength - not this half.

14/33 from 2 for Pistons.

We will see. I think he's going to command a huge sum. That's one of the reasons let's do it win it this season before all those other issues hit head on and make future runs much harder - kind of my theory with the Lions a few years ago when, well, the Lions didn't go for a field goal to go back up 17, and later not try one to at least tie the game. That will haunt me the rest of my life. Watching that game with my nephews and told them the Lions may never get that close again in your lives because now the real work to maintain begins.

The question of the offseason. I like him but a max contract is what it will take.

Wow, that last minute was my point exactly. Two very unnatural treys and Orlando had two nice in the flow treys with one on the break. Lucky they missed the second one. Life is so hard in today's game when you are playing offense like it's 1999 and not what it is today. You see Orlando already packing it in, not concerned about Detroit kicking it out. And if Detroit does take one it's usually a trey like we saw in that last minute of the half, nothing natural about it. They have to find a way to make offense easier by at least forcing teams to respect a possibility of a perimeter game, being able to make at least x of a percentage to make the interior offense easier and less conjested on every shot - even the ones on the break. And Orlando isn't even hitting that well from outside.

Not being instinctual at the arc to take that shot like every other team in the NBA I worry is a reason that life will be very hard for the Pistons as quarters become games against the same team for two weeks. And with Duncan out, that concern multiplies. The Pistons make it tough to make it easier for themselves in a halfcourt when they just can't kick out like other teams whether they get an offensive board or are attacking the lane or reversing a ball. Can they win this way over 7 games for four series as the teams get better? Really the question I've been asking myself all season, especially since we didn't address that ssue at the trading deadline. It's been my constant question. The team doesn't ever instinctually bring it back out. And the times they do, we don't have natural perimeter shooters that are going to push the defense back away from 15feet and in from the hoop.

This was the start that was pretty much predictable. Now, the Pistons just have to wake up - much easier to do at home.

I worry about that as well. But, maybe being at home will help get them in the mindset. But these are people - not robots. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Pistons fall to something like an eight to 12-point deficit sometime in the first quarter. They haven't played while their opponent has already competed in a playoff intense atmosphere.

I'm going to wear my new Pistons shirt for the next three days non-stop. 🙂 Have my Pistons' flag in a side window to my house. It will be moved to a front window for the playoffs in about 10 mins.

RECORD STORE DAY today. I bought an old Tom Petty album. Was hoping to find some good old concert albums (like to get concert vinyl since I have everything I want on CD for studio albums) but didn't see anything. The place I went didn't even have a 10% discount on used vinyl - that ended my enthusiasm right there. If they had 20% off on them I probably would've left with four used albums. They had an FM soundtrack foe only $8 but looked pretty scratched. When I was a kid this album was the one my dad owned that I played the most. I'll get it one day, just not today.

And games like these are why the Tigers may finish with 80 to 82 wins versus 88 to 92 wins. Obviously some of the bats will eventually heat up, but some will cool down. You can't expect getting less than a hit a game (without power) is going to take a team to the elite level. Okay they get some two-baggers, but let's at least average one a game. They've gotten so much good pitching and they are .500.

Here we are Friday morning and the Pistons still have more than 48 hours before their first playoff game, and we still don't know their opponent. We can get rid of this play-in round anytime.

I didn't even entertain the idea of taking him out after the sixth inning, but maybe you are right. I don't know. I don't think it hurt to try to extend him an out or two more. I guess we can argue it almost cost the team the game, but if we lost, I wouldn't have been upset with keeping him in. I would've done the same.

I haven't legitimately watched a TV series since Breaking Bad. I started watching Better Call Saul, and it was fine, but somewhere down the line I lost interest in it. I'm sure I'll see the end one day. I was really upset that Gus wasn't the one that got the spinoff show. If there was ever a cooler villain than Gus, I don't know who it was.

I mostly read six-month "books" I have of old Sporting News newspapers these days. I'm reading one with 1965 papers in it right now. I wish something like TSN still existed today, especially the way it was before I started subscribing at 9 in 1978 to it. I thought that it was the greatest sports publication in the history of man back then. But when you see the detail TSN had with baseball (and the minors) even just 5, 10 or 20 years earlier, gosh was it awesome. I have an SABR subscription so whenever I feel the urge I'll go through a year's worth of Tiger articles, PDF them and put them in a notebook to read. They are great for my Tiger replays. ------- I just started reading a book that focuses on Greenberg's 1938 season (there was a previous book that focused on his career) and I was reading that until I misplaced it. I'll find it again. Until then, I'm starting to read a book on Boots Poffenberger. If you don't know who that is check into your 1930s Tiger history. 🙂

I think it's worth the gamble. The possible strike probably made this easier to make it happen.

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. 🙂