Lions & Tigers & Scares, Oh My

I'm reading somewhere in one of the scabby Detroit newspapers that the Lions actually look good. I don't finish the sentence before I click away from the story.
After two exhibition games some moron is deciding that the Lions -- the worst pro sports franchise in history (apologies to the St. Louis Browns, the NFL Cardinals and a few others) -- actually look competitive.
Before we get crazy, let's wait until the regular season, OK, chum?
I've tasted the Kool-Aid before. No more.
I'm not following this bunch of nitwits till the Lions are OFFICIALLY in the Super Bowl. That means the bastards have to be in the f'ing game.
Wake me up when that happens, OK?

As for the Tigers, I've been off the bandwagon for a while now. I see that the team is basically thinking about next year. They should have done that earlier in the season.
I would have loved for this group to dump Renteria and Sheffield. I was watching the Mets play the Pirates this week, and the Bucs' shortstop, Jack Wilson, can really pick it. He makes Renteria look as if he's using a walker.
Wilson's hitting .288 in 80-some games. He's been hurt, OK, but he still has more range than Edgar the Elephant. Renteria is hitting .268, and for most of the season he has failed in clutch spots.
You see, I'm afraid, scared actually, that anything positive accomplished by Renteria and Sheffield will make the Tigers keep them for next year. That's what happened with that pig, Pudge Rodriguez, and he was terrible for this team.
The Tigers need to retool. The Lions need to relocate, to another country, hopefully.
When does the hockey season start? I can't wait for the Wings to hit the ice.

Exhibition opener for the Lions

Now that the Tigers are out of it, for sure, that is, we can turn some of our attention to the WORST organization in professional sports, the Detroit Lions.
They open the exhibition season tonight, vs. the Super Bowl champion NY Giants. I'm curious to see the Lions, as I am every year. I'm curious because this coach, Rod Marinelli, has publicly come out to say he wants players of character. Good football players, yes, but players with intangibles. Players who show heart, effort, who have the unique ability to make plays.
I've always thought the Lions put far too much worth in some of these scouting combines and workouts, and they often failed to pick players who simply CAN play the game.
In the early 90s, during the Wayne Fontes' regime, I thought Bennie Blades was one of those bonehead type of players. He could hit people, and he was a great tackler. But in his position in the defensive backfield it was crucial for him to break up passes and make interceptions. He rarely did that. He did hit guys, after they had made a 20-yard reception for a first down.
I'll watch a little tonight. I'm curious about Dan Orlovsky, the QB from Connecticut who has never had a chance to really show his stuff. And I'll look a bit at the running back, Kevin Smith.
But, in reality, I'll probably watch a movie rerun or an episode of Law & Order.
I've seen the Lions' act over and over. The names change but the script is the same. It's about losing, about players who suddenly lose their talent under the curse of the Lions.

College football: Is the passion gone?

U of M has a new coach in Rich Rodriguez (Thank heaven that moron, Lloyd Carr, is gone; how did he EVER hold his job?). The Spartans, as always, seem to have more hope than talent.
Maybe it's me, but I can't seem to get worked up over the college football season. I am not a major fan of either the Wolverines or the Spartans, but I follow them casually. I root when they get to a certain point in the season, when they are in the running for a Big Ten title or bowl berth.
Frankly, too many games are on TV for me to get overly enthusiastic. I'd much rather watch the best NFL matchup of the weekend (even if it rarely/if ever includes the Lions) than watch U of M hammer West Ohio School of Charms in an early season game.
For college football, wake me up in November, when the big matchups, like USC-UCLA and U of M vs. Ohio State, are in the making. That I can go for. All else pales in comparison.

The Lions? Get serious

Here's why it's hard to get serious about the Lions. George Foster, the offensive tackle who so miserably flopped last season after being acquired from Denver in the trade for Dre Bly, says he looked at the team's drafting of Gosder Cherilus as a challenge.
Hey, meathead, if you need that to challenge you, then find another career. Opposing defensive linemen went around Foster last season as if he were a blocking dummy. He couldn't stop me on a pass rush. And he's "challenged" all of a sudden? Now, after a dismal 2007 season, Foster is back as the starter for Thursday's exhibition game vs. the NY Giants.
Where does this team get such players? I mean, thousands and thousands play college football each year, and the Lions seem to draft or trade for each and every player who CAN'T fucking play!!!!
You're looking at 5-11 here or maybe 3-13. In the games they won last year, players like Shaun Rogers and some of the others let go in the offseason actually played well. While I like that coach Rod Marinelli is getting rid of dead wood, the players he's traded away were of NFL caliber, in terms of talent.
The Lions are one of the least-talented teams in the NFL. And against the big boys, talent wins. The Lions lack it. Figure it out for yourself.
By the way, I say Cherilus starts at tackle ahead of Foster after the second game.

Leyland blowup ... no magic there

Jim Leyland is a good manager. Let's be frank: the Tigers' problems are not in the handling of players. Leyland knows his stuff, and his players respect him. So all those out there who say, "Fire Leyland," well, you folks are all out of whack.
The problem with this team is in the personnel, and for that Leyland and Dombrowski deserve some blame. The Renteria trade was awful, because the Tigers sent the Braves a star in the making in right-handed pitcher Jair Jurrjens (10-6, 3.06 ERA) and prospect Gorkys Hernandez. At the time, Dombrowski acknowledged the Tigers gave up a lot, but he called Renteria an "all-around" player. Renteria is washed up, and Dombrowski did not do his homework. If both Boston and Atlanta moved him in successive seasons, that should have told the Tigers GM a thing or two.
Second, the Tigers have five every-day players of magnitude: Ordonez, Guillen, Granderson, Polanco and Cabrera. All others can and should be considered for trade. In the pitching department, only Verlander, Galarraga and Zumaya are untouchable, in my opinion.
So, what you have is a team of eight players, really, and that is not a big enough talent pool. The other 17 are players you would not miss -- at all -- and that's not a good enough roster, frankly.
The Tigers are NOT good defensively and have a SPOTTY bullpen and ERRATIC starting pitching.
Too many negatives in the last sentence, don't you think?
They should have moved Sheffield, but, of course, who wanted him? And even though the Farnsworth blowup over the weekend looks bad, moving Pudge was a great, great move.
The Tigers have a lot of patching up to do, and Leyland should move on this NOW. This is where the team is making its mistake. Put Zumaya in the closer role, let Rodney be the setup guy, along with Seay from the left side. Consider moving Robertson NOW for something, perhaps a shortstop with range and some speed.
This team has shown us what it has over 110 games or so, and it is NOT very good.
Let's make moves now.

What about the Lions???

I've gotten a couple of emails about not paying attention to the Lions as they open training camp. This is their 75th year, you know, and it's time for some reflecting. At the Lions Web site, there is a link for voting for the all-time Lions team. Can anyone come up with 22 players? That might be difficult.
My response: Wake me up when they get to the Super Bowl.
I'm so sick, tired and pissed off over this organization that, in some ways, they simply fail to exist for me. I mean, no organization in sports history has ever been so incapably managed. From the coaching staff to the front office to ownership, the Lions are a JOKE.
Matt Millen? C'mon, Adam Sandler has as much experience and knowledge in running a pro football team as Millen. In fact, I dare say that the remake of "The Longest Yard" might have Lions officials thinking Sandler is a candidate to replace Millen. How do these folks make their decisions?
I've been watching the team since the early 1960s, and I can't figure out where they are going, what they are doing. The QB rollercoaster has been intriguing, from the Milt Plum-Karl Sweetan years to now, the Kitna years. They're really never had a big-time QB. I thought Greg Landry and Chuck Long were the closest they ever got to the elite QB, but Landry bounced through bad coaching, as did long. And Long hurt his arm, which basically killed his NFL career.
Andre Ware, Scott Campbell ... give me a break.
And that's just one position.
So I'll wait on the sidelines for the Lions. Consider me a casual observer. Again, wake me up when they get to the Super Bowl.

Angels make neat deal

For a team that stands by its young players and doesn't make too many moves at the trade deadline, the Angels pulled off a nice feat today. Getting Mark Teixeira from the Braves was a sweet move. I like the Angels, in that they develop their young players and play very good defense. They pitch and pick it, plus they pressure other teams with their running.
They are so different from the Tigers, who only score when they hit. Last night's shutout loss to the Tribe was the Tigers' 11th, the most shutout losses in the majors.
Now, with Teixeira, the Angels have some traditional offensive pop to go with Vlad Guerrero, a strong running game, solid pitching and stingy defense. Right now, I like the Angels to make a strong run for the Series.
This brings us to the Tigers, and I just hope they try to move Sh*tfield and Renteria. Who needs the rotund shortstop, I can't tell you. And who wants a DH who would have trouble hitting in a slow-pitch softball league? Perhaps someone, anyone will take Pudge, who is a total waste.
Moving two of these guys or even one would be such a great deadline roster adjustment. I'd rather leave the spot in the lineup vacant than play ShI*tfield. And the last time Pudge got a big hit he was helping the Marlins win a title. Maybe the Fish will want him again. And Renteria ... did you read the Detroit papers? They're trying to tell us that he's getting back on track after about a week of pop-fly hits. When's the last time he hit the ball hard?
I think a team like the Tigers can help itself by subtracting unproductive players. But it's hard to believe that NO team in the majors would want Sh*tfield, Pudge or Renteria. At one time, these guys were all-star performers. At one time. That's the key.

It ain't so easy

After Sunday's effort by Fernando Rodney, we can see that playing closer in the major leagues isn't as easy as one might assume. Now, I am as guilty as everyone else in calling for Leyland to make some moves, including replacing Todd Jones as the closer. But just shuffling one person in doesn't make it work. Rodney was 3-and-2 on everyone yesterday, and it's good fortune he closed the game. He made 40 pitches, and, of course, that mean's he's shot for two days.
Closer means working back-to-back games and getting out of jams in as few pitches as possible. In that respect, Rodney won't be able to cut it. He throws far too many balls; so does Joel Zumaya, the other candidate. But Zumaya is a more ready candidate, because he has that big heater, a 100 mph fastball, plus, he seems to have more of a closer's mentality.
But it appears Leyland will have to close by committee, and that is NEVER a good thing for a team chasing a pennant.
Really, though, does anyone think the Tigers are in the hunt? After yesterday's triumph over the ChiSox, the Tigers are 6.5 games out of first and have lost 4 of 6 vs. Minnesota and Chicago after the break. The losing in the division continues -- Detroit is 18-26 vs. Central teams -- so the Tigers, in reality, are out of it. If you can't beat the teams in your division, you have NO chance.
Here's what I'd like to see the team accomplish before Thursday's trade deadline:
1) Ship out Shit-field for anything or anyone. Let Joyce, Raburn and Thames rotate between the left-field spot and the DH role. Thames and Joyce have shown to be more productive than Shit-field in far fewer at-bats, and they each seem to relish clutch roles.
2) Get rid of Renteria. He's god-awful, at the plate and in the field. Who wants him, though? Who needs an over-the-hill, washed-up shortstop with a big contract?
3) Even if they don't lose Renteria, get Jack Wilson from the Pirates to play short. At 31, Wilson doesn't fit the Pirates' game plan for the next few years. Plus, he's in a huge slump (4 for 31), but he can pick it in the field, and he's a career .272 hitter. He gives the team defense and good situation hitting, something it desperately needs.
4) Other than the Fantastic Five (Cabrera, Guillen, Polanco, Granderson and Ordonez), every player should be on the block. This is time to sell, to reshape this team for the next two seasons. The pitching staff also can be reshaped; only Verlander, Zumaya, Galarraga and Rodney should be considered "keepers." Bonderman, of course, is hurt and will be back, but everyone else can be replaced. The time to reshape is now, and, who knows, it might work to the team's advantage.
Getting better defensively, ridding themselves of Shit-field and perhaps finding a closer in the minors, etc. might put them in the hunt for at least the wild card. (But the East is where that spot is going to be filled, either by the Yankees, Rays or Red Sox.)
If the Tigers were smart, they'd make some deals NOW. But, I don't think it will happen. They fancy themselves as a team in the hunt, and that's bad news. At 53-51, the Tigers are in no position to make a run.

Heartbreaker

So, here's why the Tigers are destined to fail this year. OK, they might very well come back to win the next two in this series vs. the ChiSox, but I doubt it. I doubt, too, that they will suffer as bad a loss as Friday's 6-5 killer. A two-run bomb by Jermaine Dye won it for the ChiSox. The bomb came off of Todd Jones, and it shows a few major differences in the two teams. First, the ChiSox have Bobby Jenks as their closer and the Tigers have Jones. The ChiSox get big hits from their big guns, like Dye; when it comes time for the Tigers' big stars to perform, they fizzle.
Take my buddy, Pudge, for instance. That was a nice DP grounder to kill the rally in the Tigers' third inning. Plus, he made a fine play on the passed ball and then the throwing error -- with TWO OUT -- in the seventh. His passed ball and subsequent error allowed the tying run to score.
Carlos Guillen did get a huge hit, a bases-empty homer, to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead in the eighth. But these Tigers simply let too many chances slip away. The real good players in this lineup -- Granderson, Polanco, Ordonez and Cabrera -- are surrounded by far too many one-dimensional has-beens (like Renteria). And, of course, Shit-field and Pudge. Those two really had a chance to end the game right there in the third inning, but Shit-field can't hit the ball out of the infield, and Pudge taps into an inning-ending DP.
A killer loss. I don't think they'll win the next two, either.

Most important series of season?

With 60-plus games to go, it is a bit difficult to say such a thing. But in the case of the Tigers, it probably is the most crucial series of the season. With Minnesota losing three at NY this week, and the Tigers taking 5 of 7 on a road trip, the Central race tightened up a bit. Just think if the Tigers could have won that one game in Baltimore, in which they blew a 6-0 lead and lost a 10-9 lead in the ninth? They'd be 4.5 games out of first and two games back of second-place Minnesota.
Even if they take two of three this weekend from the ChiSox, the Tigers will still be stuck in third and still chasing two teams. The only way they make the playoffs, unfortunately, is having a huge, huge second half. And that blown game in Baltimore is something they MUST avoid.
Game 1 of this series is in the hands of Nate Robertson, and, quite frankly, he's been a tad better than awful this season. He's the pitcher who failed to hold onto the 6-0 lead in Baltimore, and it seems for every good outing he's had this season he's had about four terrible ones.
The Tigers need their pitchers to round into shape, especially the starters. Verlander and Galarraga look fine, and they seem to go deeper into games to take the pressure of the bullpen. But everyone else just milks the pen; and an overused pen is not the way to come from behind in a pennant race.
Robertson is a key figure in this second half. He's blown one sure victory; let's see if he can get the Tigers off to a good start tonight.

Checking back in

Been busy, but I've still been following the Tigers. The Game 3 loss vs. the Orioles in the first series after the break really, really bothered me. Up 6-0, the Tigers lost 11-10 in 1o innings.
This game typifies the Tigers' season; in a game they needed to win and apparently had sewn shut, they lose.
The took the final game for a split, then opened up last night with a thumping of the Royals. The problem is that the Tigers need to win virtually every series from now till the end of the year.
The split vs. The Birds doesn't cut it. No matter who pitches, no matter who hits where, this Tigers' team seems to come up short when it ABSOLUTELY needs to win.
Can you say .500 team?

What would you do?

You're the manager of the Tigers...what do you do in the second half? For the most part, I expect Jim Leyland to stand pat. He won't make any drastic changes. The rotation will be Verlander, Robertson, Rogers and Galarraga, with a fifth starter, when needed, coming from the minors or bullpen.
The platoon at catcher, with Pudge and Inge, also will continue.
Now, here's where it gets a little tricky. I like the idea of a three-way platoon in left field and DH between the two rookies, Thomas and Joyce, along with Thames. At least until the two young left-handers -- Thomas and Joyce -- stop hitting. I also like to see Thames as the DH once in a while in that rotation.
Here's the rub: that means the Tigers should release Sheffield. Dump his sorry bat and his awful ability to situation hit. They did this to Dmitri Young two years ago, when he stopped hitting and his personal problems (supposedly) entered the clubhouse. Getting rid of Sheffield would alleviate any problems in the future, like a whiny Sheff complaining about his playing time, at-bats, etc.
The other move would be to make Zumaya the closer, period. I know, if Jones doesn't close, then what do you do with him? It might be time to remake the bullpen, because if the Tigers don't win this year then they need to make some moves for next season. You have to find out about Rodney, too, so making him the setup man might be the other adjustment to the pen. Jones could be a guy to get 1-2 outs in the middle of the game, a RH specialist.
So, release Sheff and put Zumaya in the tought spot of closing. It won't happen, but it should. The Tigers have to do some drastic things to get ready for a run, if not this season then for next season.

Salvaging a game=Even at the break

Well, first, I didn't think the Tigers would go 30-20 to reach .500 at the break (47-47), but they did just that. Too bad, however, they had to come up almost empty vs. the Twinkies in the four games before the All-Star break. They won just one of four, and that was Sunday's 4-2 triumph behind Justin Verlander, who pitched seven good innings, and a solid bullpen effort (one scoreless inning each by Zumaya and Jones).
Now, can you see 50-18 or 48-20 over the next 68 games? Neither can I. But that's what it is going to take for the Tigers to win 97 or 95 games, and I believe that's what it will take to win the Central. The White Sox are not going away. Neither are the Twins. And those two teams simply hammer the Tigers. The Twins are 11-5 vs. Detroit, and the ChiSox are 5-4. Detroit is 14-24 vs. the Central Division and have a winning record only against the Tribe. The second half does not have interleague play, and, remember Detroit won 13 of 18 vs. NL teams to get back into the race (barely, at seven games back of the ChiSox and 5.5 behind the Twins).
The Tigers really, really needed to take 3 of 4 from the Twinkies. That they didn't means, to me, a season of 85-87 wins, and that gets them third in the Central.

Right back where they started

The Tigers pulled into the race with their lovely record vs. the National League. But today, they are 46-46 and still seven full games behind the Central-leading White Sox.
Last night's loss to the Twins was particularly disturbing to me, because once again the failure of supposedly key players -- Pudge and Shit-field, to be precise -- reared its ugly head.
Let's be frank, the Tigers' re-signing of Pudge and their acquisition of Shit-field were terrible moves. First, why didn't the Tigers get a platoon going with a player like Brian Schneider, whom was available from the Nationals, and Johnny Estrada? It would have saved money, made them younger and given them a proven defensive catcher who can handle a staff (Schneider)? Surely, Dombrowski should hav e seen that Pudge has NOTHING left offensively and was NEVER a handler of pitchers, despite the catcher's reputation as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Granted, Schneider is hitting .250 with 2 HRs and 19 RBI, and Estrada has been out virtually all season with a bad elbow. Buy their combined salaries are a little over $2 million. Pudge, who gets $13 million, is hitting .288 with 4 HRs and 29 RBI. His on-base percentage is .333; Schneider's is .324. Pudge is a waste, a huge waste.
And Shit-field, well, anyone who watched his last season-and-half with the Yankees had to know he was done or close to it. But the Tigers jumped at the chance to acquire him and add a couple of years to his contract.
Good move. Two has-beens who consistently make outs and really drag down the offense.
This offense was supposed to carry the team; not the pitching, remember. And in the last two losses, both to the Twins, the Tigers needed someone (other than Cabrera or Guillen) to produce offensively. With Ordonez out, it would have been a good time for Pudge and Shit-field to step up.
Not a chance. These two has-beens, boneheads and free-swingers are AUTOMATIC outs.
And, so the Twins win another from the Tigers (that's 9 of 11 since the Tigers won two in a row from them in the first month of the season).
The best the Tigers can do know vs. the Twins is split this four-game series, and that won't be good enough.

Twins are KILLERS

The Twins look at the Tigers like a rat eying cheese, like a snake preying upon an unsuspecting rabbit, like a wolf drooling over a lamb chop.
It's comical, really, how the Twins just hammer the Tigers. After sweeping the Tribe in that two-game series, the Tigers had a six-run lead in yesterday's game vs. the Twinkies. Bang, bop, wham. The Twins get a two-run ninth to tie the game at 6-6, then get an 11th-inning bases-empty homer from Justin Morneau to win it.
It's laughable. Like classic Rodney Dangerfield. The Twins can't respect the Tigers; no deficit is too large, no obstacle is too imposing. If it's Twins vs. Tigers, bet the ranch on the the team from the Twin Cities.
This year, the Tigers are 4-8 vs. the Twins and 13-22 vs. teams in the Central. The four victories over the Twins include a two-game sweep early in the year, so since then the Tigers have lost 8 of 10 vs. Minnesota.
Yesterday, folks will want to blame rookie pitcher Freddie Dolsi, who allowed Morneau's bomb. But let's really hammer the Tigers' offense, which stranded the bases loaded with one out and failed to push across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Pudge Rodriguez struck out to end the inning. And he struck out on a ball, high in the zone. "Pig" Rodriguez -- and we call him that because he is an absolute SLOB at the plate, with no discipline, no idea, no self-control, virtually always fails in these situations.
The Twins, too, failed in the 10th, leaving the bases loaded. But they put the ball in play, and their final two at-bats of the innings were good ones.
And this inning, despite their failure, shows that the Twins beat the Tigers because they continue to do little things well, like advancing runners and having good at-bats.
The Tigers, well, here's where they need three in a row. And here's where they WON'T get it, guaranteed.

Good start

With now five games left before the All-Star break, last night's rout of the Tribe was the start the Tigers desperately needed. They need a big run, five of six, in these two series vs. Cleveland (2 games) and Minnesota (4 games). A split with the Twins just won't do it, and losing tonight to the lowly Tribe is not an option.
The Tigers are 12-21 vs. the Central Division, and getting that record squared is one of the most important tasks of the season right now.
After the break, the Tigers have three games vs. Seattle and then six more games vs. Cleveland (2) and the Twinkies (4). That's 12 of the next 15 vs. Central opponents, including one -- the Twinkies -- who are one rung ahead of them in the standings.
Justin Verlander did not get off to the best of starts last night, allowing a two-run homer in the first inning. And, at times, it appears Verlander throws instead of pitches. But his natural ability was good enough against the Tribe. Good sign to see Thames hit to right, and a good sign to see other players contribute.
It appears Cabrera, sore left calf and all, has found his stroke. He reminds me of Manny Ramirez, and that's a scary thought for opposing pitchers. Thames is not always a tough out; he seems to swing from his heels. But he has a penchant for delivering clutch hits, and that's something hard to teach.
I'd like to see Leyland give Renteria a break (maybe for the next 80-plus games). He's a player who looks shot, at the plate and in the field. I like the kid shortstop, Mike Hollimon, and his range. Hope he plays a couple of games here before the break, to perhaps breathe a little life into the infield.
Anyway, the tough stretch is ahead.

PS: Twinkies lost last night to the BoSox, with Manny Ramirez launching a two-run game-tying homer in the decisive eighth inning. Nice to see the Twinkies blow one late, for a change.

Important stretch

OK, Twinkies lost last night and they play the Red Sox in a tough series. If the Tigers can rev it up here in the next six games, they can close ground on the two leaders in the Central Division.
It's Verlander tonight, and the ace needs to be sharp. The Indians have to be hanging their heads, dragging, etc., after management dealt C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee. The trade signals an end to the Tribe's chances for this year, telling players that the front office has given up on the race.
For the Tigers, 11-21 vs. teams in their division, a good stretch is crucial here. If they can get within 4-5 games of the leader, the ChiSox, by the break, that would be a good sign. The Twinkies and Tigers meet for three right before the break, so there's a chance to pick up ground vs. the second-place team.
Then again, the ChiSox start a series with K.C. tonight, and the ChiSox are 23-11 in the division.
It's time to make some noise.

Scary signs resurface

It's almost silly, really, when you think about it. The Tigers' hitting was supposed to carry the pitching. Scoring runs in bunches, the Tigers were supposed to be able to cover for a suspect pitching staff. After all, this Murderer's Row appeared as lethal as the 1927 Yankees, right?
It hasn't happened, and yesterday's victory -- 2-1 over Seattle in 15 innings -- showed again that the Tigers' real weakness is what we all perceived to be their strength. This is a bad offensive team, by major-league standards.
They struggled in losing their last two in Minnesota, before moving west to Seattle. Then they struggled in the last two games vs. the lowly Mariners. In the last 24 innings vs. Seattle pitching, the Tigers had three runs. And one of those runs came against a third-string catcher who was pitching because the Mariners couldn't figure out how to use their bullpen.
Too often the Tigers seem to be running in quicksand at the offensive end of things.
Once again, they are at .500 (44-44). I confess I did not see them getting to this mark this early. I expected they would reach .500 much later in the season, closer to 120 games. But, no matter. They still trail the ChiSox by seven games and second-place Minnesota by six. Those are large margins, even this early in the season. They have the Indians and the Twins, six straight games vs. Central Division foes, this week, before the All-Star break.
The Tigers are 11-21 vs. the Central, and therein lies the problem. When you can't beat the teams in your division, it's unlikely you'll be the team to win it.
The Tigers need five of six or four of six here to make another bit of noise. If they can pull to within five back at the break, you might sense hope.
The problems, however, are two-fold. I don't expect the ChiSox or the Twinkies to fold. I expect them to stay in this thing. Through 88 games apiece, these two teams have shown they have some consistent features.
And the other issue is the the Tigers. When your strength actually is a weakness, you've really got problems.

What's Leyland to do?

So, Jim Leyland stayed with Fernando Rodney in the 8th inning last night, and the result was a two-run bomb by Seattle's Jeff Clement and a 3-2 loss for the Tigers. Clement hit two homers for the Mariners, who now have won two in a row vs. Detroit. The Tigers (42-43) got a gutsy pitching effort from righty Armando Galarraga, who I like more and more with every outing.
Galarraga doesn't have the best stuff, but he has the ability to make good pitches when he needs to. He was off last night, throwing a lot of balls and allowing lots of baserunners. But he allowed one run and had a 2-1 lead when he left after six. He has the knack for wriggling out of trouble.
Unlike Rodney.
I'm not sure why Leyland stayed with Rodney in the eighth. He had a fresh Joel Zumaya for the eighth and a fresh Todd Jones to close. Why did he try to stretch Rodney? (No one in the Detroit media asked this question, you will notice.)
Perhaps to develop confidence, but Leyland could have done that by pulling him after his one-inning, the seventh, when Rodney, coincidentally, got out of trouble (two on, one out).
But this is the season it has been and probably will be. Again, the Tigers did not hit. Leyland complained about his players' swings, and, of course, he is right. As for his moves, well ...
Whenever he seems to make one, the chances are iffy of it turning out positive. It's the wrong pitcher, the wrong pinch-hitter, the wrong lineup ... whatever. That's because he's been stuck with an inconsistent roster, players who can't adjust or tweak their games when the situations call for it. That's whey he likes the young guys, like Rayburn and Thomas and Holliman. They battle at the plate, work the count, hustle in the field. That's not what he always gets from his stars. (Here's an APB for Gary Sheffield.)
I think we've seen the Tigers at their worst (an 0-7 start and 10-games under .500) and their best (an 18-4 run that put them at .500). Now, it's going to be .500 for the rest of the season. I see them at 83-85 wins at best, and that won't get it done in the Central.
By the way, both the ChiSox and Twinkies won last night. The Tigers trail the ChiSox by 7 and the Twinkies by 6.
It looks like a good race. With the Tigers watching it instead of being in it.

The mysterious case of the up-and-down offense

I know Erik Bedard is an excellent young lefty starter, and I know he's capable of shutting down teams. But the Tigers offense showed again why this just might be a .500 season -- all season.
Manager Jim Leyland said the Tigers did a "bad job" of hitting, and how many times has he said that in 86 games? Bedard was throwing his curveball time and time again, and the Tigers just never seemed to be able to adjust. OK, he was just wild enough to keep hitters off balance, and he was just bulldoggish enough to work out of any tight spot. But what I keep asking myself is when are the Tigers going to adjust to a pitcher? When are these high-priced hitters going to go the other way with a curveball or look for a first-pitch fastball, whatever the situation dictates?
Too many of the Tigers are set in the offensive ways: Sheffield, Renteria, Pudge (collectively 1-for-11 yesterday) ... we can go on.
Ordonez, who is injured, and Guillen are two who can and often do adjust. Polanco, too. Granderson is a nice work in progress. But too many of the other guys just seem so set in their ways. When they are on, they are very, very good. But when they are off, they look silly. There is simply NO in between.
So, the Tigers are five back of the Twins, who won again, and six back of the ChiSox, the Central leaders. I think this is how it's going to be all season. The Tigers have had their run, so now it's going to be a second half of third place. A second-half futile chase.

Critical season for Jimmy Howard

Lost in the shuffle was the Wings' signing of Ty Conklin, the goaltender who helped the Penguins when Marc Andre Fleury went down. The signing tells me that maybe, just maybe, the front office has some reservations about Jimmy Howard, their No. 1 pick a few years ago out of Maine.
I have like Howard's size and competitive spirit in the few games I've seen. But, he did not have a great season at Grand Rapids, and this leads me to believe that Conklin, not Howard, will be the No. 2 netminder behind Ozzie.
In some ways, I hope I am wrong. Conklin is a journeyman; Howard is a young, potentially No. 1 goalie in the NHL. Let's hope he's ready for the competition come September and that he can secure the No. 2 job. I like the idea of promoting from within.
If Howard fails at this chance, the Wings are going to be in the hunt for Buffalo's Ryan Miller, the East Lansing native and former MSU standout, in a year or two. I believe Miller is on the final year of a contract, and the Sabres have not been aggressive in re-signing their own free agents.

Welcome to Hockeytown, Marian

I was surprised, pleasantly so, that Marian Hossa, the top free-agent sniper in the NHL free-agent pool, signed with the Wings. First, it's rare in sports that a prize free agent gives up security; Hossa did, turning down long-term deals for up to $9 million annually to sign a one-year, $7.4 million deal with Detroit. But, apparently, he wanted to be with a winner more than he wanted the big bucks. Second, I thought the Wings might be in trouble getting Brad Stuart, and I believed he was a priority. That they got both players, well, is there another vision of Lord Stanley's Cup dancing in my dreams?
Let me come out now and say I don't think the Wings will repeat. It's too difficult in sports to repeat in any of the major leagues, especially in hockey. You need a bit of luck in the postseason draw, which the Wings had this year, and you need one of the top contenders to get upset (like Anaheim this year). But over the next 2-3 years, I like them "knocking on the door," as coach Mike Babcock phrases it.
In any event, where do the Wings play Hossa? I guess anywhere, right? He would be comfortable with any of the Wings top 8-9 forwards. I just hope the Wings still have enough ice time for Valtteri Filppula, who I believe can be one of the premier forwards in the NHL.
As for Stuart, I like this move even more than signing Hossa. He's in for four years, and that means the Wings have the muscle and depth in the back they have so sorely missed in recent Cup runs. With kids like Meech, Quincey and Ericsson in reserve, the team has some quality coming through the ranks. No need to rush them.
I like it.

Those Terrible Twins

Terrible in the sense that they just hammer the Tigers. After winning the opener of this three-game set in Twinkie Town, the Tigers lost the next two, including Wednesday afternoon's 7-0 laugher.
Here's the problem, now, with the Tigers. They have spent so much energy getting back to .500 that you wonder if this is it for them. In baseball, every team wins 60 and loses 60, so the season basically is a 40-game stretch somewhere between April and Indian Summer. I mean, think about it, the Tigers went 18-4 to get back over .500. Is that their best stretch of the season? Is that it for them?
They still give away at-bats as an offense, and their pitching is erratic. Their ace, Justin Verlander, likely will have his worst season in professional baseball. Can he at least beat Seattle tonight? I mean, the Mariners are the worst team in the AL, right? You think the Tigers can get back on track against a struggling team like the Mariners? If Verlander doesn't dominate tonight, that's a bad, bad sign.
As much as they've made it interesting -- and I waver on this with almost every game -- I still see too many signs of inconsistency.
Plus, they have the worst record in their division in inter-divisional play, 11-21 now. The Central-leading White Sox are, by comparison, 24-11 in the division, and the Twins are 21-16. At 42-42 overall, just think where the Tigers would be if they had a .500 record in the division.
The Tigers climbed back into the race playing the National League in interleague competition. The NL looks like the weaker league, and it has for a couple of seasons. Now that the Tigers are back playing in the AL, I suspect their record will fall back to more reasonable numbers.
I think this is an 80-85 win team, sorry to say. I was jaded by the 18-4 run; the Twins, those Terrible Twins, put things right.

Points for spirit; high-fives for win

Since the Tigers beat the Twins about as often as George Bush says something intelligent, last night's 5-4 come-from-behind triumph was, well, virtually inconceivable. Especially since they kicked the ball around to fall behind 4-1. Three errors and stinky at-bats, well it had me thinking it was April instead of the last day of June.
You could tell this one was special as the Tigers high-fived each other after the last out. They looked giddy, excited, like a bunch of 12-year-old boys finding their Dads' Playboy stash.
But if you've been watching closely, Granderson and Polanco are starting to pile up base-hits, and the Tigers recently have had a knack for getting a clutch hit, sparkling defensive play or important relief effort.
On Monday, it was Matt Joyce, with a run-scoring, game-tying pinch triple in the eighth. Granderson followed with a looping single to center, giving the Tigers their 5-4 lead.
In the pitching department, Joel Zumaya come in to retire five batters for his first save this year and the third of his career. That makes it 18 victories in their last 22 games. An unreal stretch when you think back to April and May.
By the way, the Tigers are 11-19 against teams in the Central Division. Against Minnesota this year, the Tigers are 4-5. If they were just 15-15 vs. their own division, think about it ...

Great finish

Cabrera is really starting to get some clutch hits. I wonder when he'll really get red hot and get his average up over .300. He can carry an offense, and he has yet to get that hot. He's been just OK, which is OK. It's a long year. He's bound to get hot.
Yesterday's game was another nice comeback, and it showed the Tigers in their best light. Good bullpen, big-time hitting in tough situations.

Thrilling route to .500

Saturday night's come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Rockies showed why the Tigers are both vulnerable and dangerous. They're vulnerable because a much as Todd Jones is a great guy, good teammate and fan friendly to the core, he's a 40-something castoff who is closing because he can. He can handle the pressure. He can handle the criticism. He can handle the booing. But, can he handle the Yankees or Red Sox or White Sox in a one-run game in the playoffs? Will he be able to get the save? The answer is NO, emphatically.
On the other hand, the Tigers have so much punch. Miguel Cabrera's winning hit was a rocket. The offensive players, although they did not get many clutch hits Saturday night, continue to have better at-bats. Even Guillen's out in the 9th was a solid at-bat. Ryan Raburn's at-bat in the 9th was good, too. He walked and scored the winning run on Cabrera's two-base hit.
Offensively, the Tigers are going to really get going; I think it's as sure as the sun coming up in the morning. But their closer, well, that's a serious issue.
Don't bet on Jim Leyland changing anyone's role, either. That's not his style.
At any rate, the Tigers are .500, 40-40. That's almost as incredible as the Lions winning the Super Bowl. OK, so nothing's further from the truth. But the Tigers are .500 before the Fourth of July break, well, that is something.

Hmmmmmm...

Things are suddenly starting to get interesting with this Tigers team. After hammering the Rockies last night, 7-1, behind rookie Eddie Bonine, the Tigers are 39-40, a game under .500. You might remember that I said, at 14-24, there was no way they'd be able to get to .500. I couldn't see them playing at a .600 clip. They are 25-16, a .609 winning percentage, in their last 41 games. I didn't see it coming.
But their pitching has gotten better, thanks to Galarraga, the rookie, and a more consistent bullpen.
Tonight, Justin Verlander goes for the Tigers, and he must be excellent so the team reaches .500. Winning tonight puts them at 40-40, almost the halfway mark of the season. After starting 0-7 and twice being 10 games under, a victory today means they've played .549 baseball since starting 0-7. With the way the Central is shaping up, 89-92 wins might win the division. They have a chance.
But today is huge, in terms of the team's mental standpoint. Reaching .500 is symbolic. It shows the players they did not quit, that they climbed back into the race.
OK, Verlander, you're the stud pitcher. Let's see you deliver when this team need it.

The Pistons wheel and deal

The Pistons, picking 28th in last night's NBA draft, select D.J. White from Indiana, and then deal him to Seattle for two second-round picks. I have to trust Joe D on this move, because, frankly, I am out of the loop on the NBA. What it might do, I believe, is set the table for some moves down the road. They get rid of a first-round salary guy, in White, and stockpile a couple of young players who might fit Joe D's plan for retooling the team.
The last two years, the Pistons' bench has featured old guys; maybe now it will feature bursts of energy and youth ... who knows? More important, does anyone care right now? Even the most hardcore NBA fan has got to be wondering, "Who are these guys?" Anyone who has seen the two second-round picks of the Pistons -- Walter Sharpe and Trent Plaisted -- on anything more than an ESPN highlight clip has got to be one sick person. C'mon, admit it, we don't know squat about these guys. We're just keeping our fingers crossed.
Anyone know what the Wings are doing with their 10-player logjam on defense?

Well, what do you know ...

Another clutch hit by Sheffield -- a ninth-inning, game-tying home run -- and the Tigers take two of three from the Cards. It's a series victory, and these are good signs. They're two under, with Colorado coming to Comerica tonight. Rookie right-hander Eddie Bonine gets his second start, and I'm eager to see how he'll fare.
The Tigers have been able to find some pitching in the minors, and that has surprised me. But even more surprising, is their ability to turn this thing around. It's not a total turnaround, because they could -- and might -- hover around .500 for some time.
But Sheffield hitting two nights in a row is a good sign. While there's much I dislike about him, he always has been able to hit. If he can get hot for about a month, six weeks, then it would really give the Tigers a presence a little lower in the lineup. If he hits, this group could start scoring runs in bunches.
We'll see. But right now, it's kind of neat to see them win some tight games.

Is Billups on his way out?

I listen to rumors that Billups is on his way out, possibly to Denver, in a blockbuster NBA deal. I'd hate to see it, because I think Billups still has a lot left and I think he is one of the rare players on the Pistons team with big-game ability. I like Prince. I like Hamilton. But I think one of the major three probably has to go, along with Rasheed Wallace, if the Pistons are going to get any value in return in a deal.
No team wants Wallace. At least no team with a coach, GM or front-0ffice staff in their right minds. But someone might take him if another Top-Three Piston -- like Billups -- is included in the deal.
In some ways, I don't care. The NBA is my least favorite sport. I'd rather watch horse-shoe throwing. But I do like the Pistons' reputation for playing it hard and tough. How can you not like a group that puts out so much effort? Except for the last playoff series, maybe.
And that's why Joe D. has to right the ship. Billups gone? Maybe. And maybe it's needed.

A good victory

They all are good, aren't they? But this one, 8-7 vs. the Cards last night, was pretty sweet, indeed. First, the Tigers pulled off a come-from-behind win, featuring several spirited rallies. For a fan, that's always neat to see. Some times, in baseball, you don't think the players care about a game once the other team gets ahead by a couple-three runs or so. It's like, OK, this is over.
But the Tigers bounced back nicely.
And, they got a clutch hit from Gary Sheffield, whom I despise as a player. Now, he can hit. There is no argument here. But he is a one-dimensional piece of dirt as a player. If he doesn't hit, he cannot help you. At all. He doesn't move runners, he doesn't hit in the clutch (except maybe for last night) and he doesn't situation hit, at all. He doesn't play the field. He does walk a lot.
Any way, Sheff-dirt contributes and the Tigers rally. All in all, a good win.

Evening the score

If you don't believe umpires or officials in professional sports try to even the score whenever necessary, think again.
Anybody watching the Tigers-Cardinals game last night got a taste of what happens when one official tries to cover for another. In the third inning, Laz Diaz, umpiring third base, called a shot down the line off the bat of Miguel Cabrera a fair ball. Cards manager Tony La Russa came out to argue the call, and I think he absolutely was right. First, it was home-plate umpire Wally Bell's call, not Diaz's. And, second, the ball was foul.
In any case, Cabrera was on second. All you had to notice was Bell's expression -- evident on replays -- when Diaz made the call. When Marcus Thames stepped into the box, you just knew Bell was going to give the Cards a break. The first and last pitches to Thames -- strike one and strike three -- were about a foot outside. Thames blew his cork on the strike-three call and was ejected.
As a TV viewer, I was just cracking up. Didn't Thames expect an even-up all there? Didn't he expect an outside pitch, about a foot off the plate, on the 3-2 pitch from righty starter Kyle Lohse?
Goes to show you that some players, regardless of ability or where they end up in sports, simply don't think the game.

They should have been playing ...

the Twins. For all that was worth, Rogers was so-so and the Tigers hitters looked pretty overmatched. Reminded me of the 2006 World Series.

The only thing good about tuning in for a bit was watching the tribute to the 1968 team. I think that might be my favorite sports team of all time. They won with a lotta grit and always seemed to be rallying in the ninth to pull out the game.
I LOVED that team. At the end of the 8th inning on Fox Sports Detroit there was a shot of Gates Brown slapping hands with Al Kaline. The Gator still looks as if he could take two and line a single to right.

Ooooooppppps!!

Seems I need an editor ... I was sure the Tigers were facing the Twins starting tonight, but that series is next week. For now, tonight at least, we go with the Cards and then follow that with a series against the Rockies. This will finish interleague play, and the Tigers might be sorry to see the end of that. They've jumped back into the race with a nice little run here; let's see if they can keep it going.
The key here is Kenny Rogers, who has been so-so this season. The Tigers were looking for his return to solidify their rotation. But with Verlander off his game and Bonderman out for the season, Rogers needs to pick it up. If he could get on a little run, that would be a significant step in the right direction for this team.
Last year, Leyland was adamant that Rogers missing the season was the single most important factor in the Tigers missing the playoffs. If that's the case, then Rogers should be a plus here as the team enters the second half.

Cubs win, Cubs win!!

With all due respect to Harry Caray, the Cubs just completed a sweep of the ChiSox, winning three straight in Wrigley Field. The sweep means the Tigers are 5 full games behind the division-leading ChiSox.
Well, well ... they're getting closer. Now, for Tuesday and Minnesota. Let's hope the Tigers understand the importance of this series.

About those Lions ...

Someone asked me why I totally skip the Lions on this blog ... well, for one, it's not the NFL season. In Detroit, it's really never an NFL season. Oh, there are some pretend seasons, but never a REAL NFL season.
Wake me up when the Lions get to the Super Bowl.
Like I tell friends, the last time the Lions won, Bobby Layne was playing QB with a leather helmet. (I don't believe that's true, but it certainly sounds good, eh?)
PS: FIRE MILLEN!!!!

Fatso & Fruit Loops

It appears that a very popular sports radio show, "Mike and the Mad Dog," is on its last legs. It is an intriguing talk show, to say the least. First, I can't believe how popular it is; NY City sports fans -- mostly males between the ages of 25 and 54 --can't wait to listen on WFAN, 660 AM, or TV (YES Network simulcasts the show most of the time, unless it goes up against a Yankee game) and hang on every word. Plus, nationally, it's got a ton of followers.
Here's a link to a news story on the end of the show:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spmike0622,0,842426.story

That it's so popular is a little scary in itself, because these guys, while knowledgeable, are simply sports fans. Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, the co-hosts for 18-plus years, are not journalists, and they are not nearly as in tune to what's going on in NY as they lead their fans to believe. They have opinions, some good, some bad. But, mostly, they are just opinions.
They're wrong almost as much as they are right, but if you listen to them regularly you'd think they never make a mistake. (Here's one: David Wright of the Mets is a bad defensive third baseman. Guys, he's not bad defensively. His arm is somewhat erratic, but he definitely is above average and a Gold Glove winner.)
And for the NY market, I find them overbearing and, at times, silly. So does someone else, because they've been dubbed "Fatso & Fruit Loops" by someone, a media columnist from one of the NY tabloids, I believe.
However, and here's the rub, I listen when I can ... Why?
Well, when I moved to the NY City area, I needed to catch up on the teams, the Yankees, Mets, etc. I was working on a sports staff, and I needed quick history lessons. WFAN's all-sports talk format was perfect for me.
So, I confess to listening to these guys. It's become a bit of a habit.
But they leave a lot to be desired. They often are rude, downright nasty, to many callers who disagree with them. They cut these calls short, of course, and always make sure to have the last word.
When they are wrong on a point, you rarely hear them retreat or to apologize or to tell listeners they were wrong. Also, they babble on and on about stuff that doesn't matter ... their kids, their weekends, a movie or a book on American history, their remodeling plans. This wasted talk leaves fans -- who call and call and call -- hanging on the line. It would be nice if they took more calls and left the personal stuff out of it.
And they let guests off the hook over and over. They peddle soft interviews, and yet fans just eat it up.
Why didn't I think of this radio talk stuff years ago?
Anyway, the best radio sports talk, in my humble opinion, is not in NY City with Fatso and Fruit Loops. The best sports radio talk is in Toronto, The Fan 590. It's got several very good hosts, including Mike Hogan, and a morning-drive team of Landry and Stellick. Plus, it's just chock-full of hockey talk.
Oh, yeah, Mike and the Mad Dog hate hockey.

Now comes the test

OK, OK ... not a bad road trip for the Tigers, who suddenly -- and I mean suddenly -- are three games under .500 (36-39) and in the hunt in the god-awful Central Division. They should take two of three from the dismal Padres, whose only punch in the lineup comes from the Gonzalez kid at first base. He looks like the real deal; maybe the Yankees or Mets are looking in a few years and he ends up in the Big Apple.
But back to the Tigers. In mid-May, when the Tigers where 10-games under (17-27) I wrote on this blog they needed to go 30-20 to reach .500 after 94 games. On June 4, just a few weeks later, they again were 10-games under (24-34). Do the math. Since I beat the keys to post that blog, the Tigers have won 12 of 17 and are 5.5 games behind the division-leading ChiSox (who play the Cubs in Wrigley Field in a few minutes).
On Tuesday, the Tigers start a series vs. Minnesota, and it's imperative they start winning inter-division games. If they can hover around .500, they could be in this thing in late August. The pitching has improved, especially the bullpen. Who'd have thunk it?

After a little time off ...

I am now a little intrigued by the Tigers, who have put together a little run here to climb back into the mix. They are not contenders yet in the Central, but they have closed the gap.
Losing Bonderman will hurt, but the Tigers have been able to get some much-needed help from right-handers Armando Galarraga in the rotation and Freddy Dolsi out of the bullpen.
With the return of Fernando Rodney and Joel Zuymaya, well, who knows? It could happen. One reason is that the White Sox aren't that strong, and the other preseason contender, Cleveland, remains in a funk.
Entering tonight's game at San Diego, the Tigers have won eight of their last 10. They face a Padres' team that is weak offensively and at the bottom of the NL West. After the three games in San Diego, the Tigers return home to face Minnesota, and this is where the big test begins. A sweep of San Diego would put the Tigers at 37-38, and they'd be playing a division foe, Minnesota, that is ahead of them in the standings.
But beware of these Tigers. If they've shown us one consistent trait this season it's that they can't win against teams in the Central Division. They're 10-19 vs. the Twins, White Sox, Royals and Indians, and that includes 0-6 vs. Kansas City. If there was ever a time to get going, it's this week.
I'm interested, but I'm not holding my breath.

Another ho-hum effort

Verlander pitches just OK but the Tigers don't generate any offense, other than a couple of bases-empty HRs. Any clue on the result?
Another loss, 4-2 to the Indians.
Now that the Tigers are out of it so early in the season, I wonder how quickly they can rebuild. The trade of Jurgens to the Braves for Renteria will haunt them, especially if word is true that Bonderman has a shoulder problem; he's supposed to miss his next starter, tomorrow.
I'll continue to watch -- from afar -- but I suspect the Tigers are going to be in big, big trouble for the next couple of years. Older players with big contracts and thin pitching. Not a recipe for winning.

Comparisons

Are the Wings the best pro sports organization in recent memory? Are they better than the New England Patriots, or the New York Yankees? It's debatable. But, really, who cares?
You can make comparisons, and I've even heard some say these Wings resemble the Bill Walsh San Francisco 49ers of the late 80s and early 90s, who emphasized style and grace over the more rugged brand of football, as displayed by the Bears and Giants of the era.
I said it a few postings ago, and I'll stand by it. First, the Cup is the most difficult championship to win. Second, the Wings do the best job of any team in pro sports of identifying players that fit their scheme. And, third, they stick to their scheme of puck possession and puck pursuit.
They are the best-run organization in the NHL, no question. And there are several other teams that are well-run, including the Devils, Avalanche and the Predators.
In any event, the Wings are atop the hockey world. Let's enjoy it. It's great, eh?

What happened to Sid the Kid?

It's obvious that Sidney Crosby is remarkably good. At 20 years old, he is a dominant offensive force and considered an excellent team leader.
But, and you can go back to Gretzky and even the Trottier/Bossy/Potvin Islanders on this one, youth often must suffer some painful setbacks before achieving the ultimate success in the NHL playoffs. The Isles of the late 70s and early 80s endured some disastrous elimination losses to the Leafs and Rangers in the playoffs before winning those four straight Cups. And Gretzky's Oilers lost to an aging Isles team in the Finals before going on their run in the 80s.
Anaheim, last year, and Carolina and Tampa Bay most recently, are examples of young Cup-winning teams that did either not repeat or had trouble reaching the playoffs in subsequent seasons. Look at Ottawa's recent fall from the NHL elite. Or Buffalo's decline.
The mere presence of Sid the Kid does not guarantee the Penguins a playoff spot every year. And Penguins fans who think that they are now the team to beat in the entire NHL are fooling themselves. Malone, Orpik and Hossa are free agents. If any leave -- and the Penguins can't pay them all -- who is to say the team can recapture the magic that led them to this year's Final?
The Rangers, Devils, Ottawa and Buffalo will improve, you can bet.
I like Crosby, but here's hoping the fans in the league understand how difficult it is to get back to the Finals. One successful year is no guarantee there will be more to come.
Hope you enjoyed the ride, fellas.

A regal captain

Sir Nick. Smooth. Dependable. Durable.
Just pick an adjective. Bobby Orr was more exciting, and many, many defensemen over the years have been more physical and flashier. But I don't know if anyone has been better in this era.
Nick Lidstrom is the first European captain of a Stanley Cup team, and I confess several years ago, after watching 170-pound Doug Gilmour beat Lidstrom out of the corner to score a playoff goal for the Maple Leafs, I never thought this would happen. I thought Lidstrom was good, but I did think he was soft.
He is NOT a physical presence, but he plays with so much savvy and uses his stick better than any player I've ever watched in the NHL.
We could go on and on and on, but I think the front-office of the Wings deserves credit here for being patient. When the Wings lost in 95 and 96 and had to retool, they made sure Lidstrom did not go anywhere. They made sure that he was a focal point, and they made the right choice, no question. Some teams have not been as wise. The Rangers shipped away Zubov, and they've been so-so in the back ever since. The Leafs never put the right players around Borje Salming, and their Cup drought continues.
Lidstrom is what he is, a rare player who breaks the mold. He has size but is not overly physical. He has great offensive skills but he rarely goes down the ice on a breath-taking rush. He's almost always in the right position, and if you were not a hockey purist you just would not understand how good a player he is.
What a great treat to watch him all these years. And what a relief that the Wings' front office recognized what they had when many of us did not.

The Fourth Stanley Cup

The finish was a little closer than I expected, especially after the Wings built a 3-1 lead, but they prevailed. Cup No. 4. And it is a sweet one to savor, no question.
Game 6: Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 2. That makes it four Stanley Cups in 11 seasons for the Wings.
As a kid growing up with the Wings of the late 60s and throughout the 70s, it was tough to be a fan. They had so, so many bad teams and missed on so many of their draft choices. But this stretch makes it all worth the wait.
Henrik Zetterberg deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, and I don't think there is a better two-way player in the league. He TOTALLY dominated Sydney Crosby, who is a fine player but a little young and a little one dimensional to be a Cup champion. Plus, his team wasn't ready just yet.
Zetterberg does the dirty stuff, like corner work and driving to the net. He gives up the puck and plays the game the right way. I remember the Wings' first Swede, Thommie Bergman, way back in the early 70s. He was a good player, but he was labeled as soft because of his European background. Now, 30 years later, a Swede with grit, and another, the captain, Nick Lidstrom, lead the Wings to Cup No. 4 (in this stretch).
The Wings showed a lot of grit in the series and throughout the season, and I think Ken Holland's comment about last year's loss in the conference finals to Anaheim was a reference to that grit. The Wings needed to be a little bit tougher to play against, and they sucked it up this season. They were better, tougher, more physical against all their opponents, including a great defensive team in Dallas.

Just one more ... and I can die happy

As much as I believe the Red Wings will win tonight, there is a small feeling of doubt. And I guess that's what makes sports so interesting, from a fan's perspective.
The Wings are far superior, in terms of concepts, playing fast ... you name it. But in sports, especially hockey, there are intangibles. If the Wings hit the net more, and if Marc-Andre Fleury misses one shot in the third period, well, we're celebrating the Cup right now.
But hockey is so, so tremendous, in terms of unpredictability. A hot goalie, a bad bounce, and who knows?
Look, if Lidstrom's one-hopper doesn't go in against Nashville, who knows what happens?
The teams in the NHL are very, very close. In the playoffs, one hot run can knock out a favorite, change the whole Cup picture.
I have faith the Wings will produce tonight. Their best players will be excellent, and their supporting cast will be more than enough.
I'm listening to Scotty Bowman on a radio interview, and he's saying how the Wings' experience should dominate, once again. He's also saying the Penguins had an edge in the second overtime of Game 5. So who knows. "It is what it is," Scotty is saying. Translation: The Wings have their work cut out for them against a young, star-studded team. On the road.
I believe the Wings will win tonight. Who cares if they win on the road or at home? Not me. Just as long as they win.

The Terrible Tigers

A few postings ago (you could look it up) I wrote the Tigers needed to go 30-20 to get to .500 at 47-47. I said it would be virtually impossible for this team to achieve such a run, and it looks like I am right (again).
When I entered the post on May 19, the Tigers were 10 games under .500 at 17-27. Today, 14 games later, they remain 10 games under, at 24-34. They are an awfully, awfully poor offensive team, can't catch the ball and can't get anyone out when it's needed.
It's too bad, because this looked like their year. On paper.

I told you so

By the way, I did tell everyone that Flip Saunders had to go as the Pistons coach, so it was no surprise to me that Joe Dumars made the move yesterday. Joe D. is a smart, smart executive, but I wonder who he picks as the successor. Michael Curry? Not too sure that would be the best move.
But I do think it's time for Rasheed to be sent packing. That's the next move, in my opinion. The coach is important, but in the NBA the players run the ship.

Game 6

I've been recovering from a long, long weekend and, of course, the triple-overtime loss to the Penguins in Game 5. It was an amazingly entertaining game, and like most Red Wings fans I was disappointed with the loss. But, it happens. Marc-Andre Fleury was hot, and the Wings made one serious fundamental error.
On offense, they repeatedly missed the net. This went on throughout the game. Remember Helm's breakaway early in the first period when the Wings had fallen behind, 2-0? He missed on that one.
But one player who should be spanked verbally is Mikael Samuelsson. He was set up several times for prime scoring chances, especially in the first minute of the final overtime, and on virtually every opportunity he missed the net. Missing the net is a huge fundamental mistake, because it lets opponents off the hook defensively. One of the most difficult things for a team to achieve defensively is control of rebounds and loose pucks. Shots ON THE NET force teams to run around a bit on defense.
I bet the Wings directed nearly a hundred shots toward the net, and to finish with 50-plus shots on goal over such a long period of time -- nearly three full overtimes -- is a flaw. Hit the net, boys! By the way, no one has made mention of this flaw. Of course, you would not read about it in the horse-bleep Detroit media, but neither have I read or heard about it anywhere else.
Defensively, the Wings threw the puck away on the game-tying goal with 34.4 seconds left in regulation. If Johan Franzen takes the puck to the wall moments before the scramble in front that led to the tying goal, I don't think Pittsburgh extends the game.
But, it is what it is. If anyone had told me that the Wings had a chance to close this thing in Game 6, I'd have taken it. The Penguins are a talented team, and they work extremely hard.
The Wings MUST hit the net tonight, and they must not allow the Penguins to get off to any kind of positive start. The Wings are the better team; now, can they pull it off?
I believe so. And I think tonight they clinch on enemy ice.

What did I tell you?

I said it was over, and, of course, I was right. The Celtics eliminated the Pistons last night, 89-81, and you have to give the
Celtics lots of credit for not folding when they fell behind by 10 in the second half.
The game was there for the Pistons, and the league was set for an exciting Game 7, with lots of story lines. And, quite frankly, I expected to see a Game 7. But that's finished, and the league gets what it wants in the Finals, Lakers vs. Celtics.
Let's not blame the NBA for this loss; the Pistons had the game in their hands, on their home court, in front of their home fans. The Celts won with great determination. It shows that every so often it can be done in the NBA.
It is time for us, however, to examine the Pistons. Now, I watch them less
than any of the other professional Detroit teams, but I go back to Bing and DeBusschere, so I can speak to history. Joe Dumars has done an exceptional job building this team, but he's got some tough decisions to make.
First, the coach. Flip Saunders is not the answer. The Pistons remain an undisciplined, unpredictable group on the floor, and that's a reflection of the coach. The team settles for jump shots in tight spots, and it does not have an inside presence on offense.
That brings us to the next point, Rasheed Wallace. As an observer, an educated one, I say he's the most frustrating, disappointing, selfish and unmotivated pro in Detroit (now that Shaun Rogers has been traded from the Lions.)
The Pistons keep waiting for Rasheed to show the way in the postseason, but he is incapable of such leadership and domination of games.
Defensively, he's OK. But, overall, he's old by league standards, a pain in the ass on the floor with officials and in displaying his lack of respect to teammates, the game, the league ... you name it.
So, it's time for Flip and Rasheed to be shown the door. From my research, Rasheed next season is on the fourth year of a five-year, $57 million contract. Could the Pistons deal him? I doubt it. You have to be creative in the NBA to broker a deal with a player who makes $11 million or $12 million a season. And that the Pistons pay this guy that much is really an indictment of the NBA and its players. Except for a few short stretches, Wallace got his ass kicked by the Celtics Kevin Garnett. It was not even close, and that matchup advantage is one of the major reasons the Celtics are moving on. Wallace, who dogs it during the regular season, is paid to produce in the postseason, and this makes three or four seasons in a row where he has failed miserably.
As for Saunders, it's time for him to move on, too. He seems like a good guy, someone who was eager to help this unit reach the Finals again. But he does not have the dominant personality to make that happen. I'm convinced a new coach is necessary.
But even then, over the next few seasons, I'm afraid the Pistons are destined only to reach the conference semis or finals before bowing out. This team is spent. It is time
to retool, to rebuild. And I think Dumars will do just that.

You gotta like Babcock's style

Any hockey coach worth his salt will tell you that shift management is a huge, huge part of creating a positive flow and energy for his team. After Game 3, Mike Babcock had to be irate with his two standout forwards, Datsyuk and Zetterberg, because they extended their shifts. Especially Datsyuk, who was out for one second-period session for what seemed like three minutes.
But Babcock is a smart guy, and instead of blasting his two stars after the game he blamed their long shifts on himself. The coach played them too much, he told media after the Game 3 loss.
When the Wings are really, really rolling, Babcock does a great job with shift management. I do think in the regular season he tends to use the Dynamic Duo too much to kill penalties, but he reaches out to all his players for contributions.
I think the Wings will be extra special on Saturday night. I think you'll see them with a very good idea about how they want to play and what they want to do. You won't see turnovers, and you won't see Pittsburgh applying too much pressure because the Wings will move the puck with more authority in the back.
I predice a very, very close game, a one-goal game. I can see the Wings winning a nail-biter. And one reason for the victory will be Babcock's mind game with his two stars. They'll be playing a lot, but they'll be on the ice for shorter, more effective shifts. All in all, that will be a huge factor.

A few days off, so I'll tune in the NBA

Because of national TV, the Wings-Pens get a couple of days off. A Game 4 that normally would have been played tonight is on for tomorrow, on NBC, at 8 p.m. That means for one day I can turn my attention to the Pistons, who trail the Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, 3-2.
Two must-win games face the Pistons, and, sorry to say, it is over for them. It was over in Game 3, when they lost at home to a Celtics team that had yet to win a road game in the playoffs.
I like this Pistons group, and I like the rookie, Stuckey, too. Next to the Wings' front office, the Pistons are a model franchise for pro sports teams. Joe Dumars is great at player personnel, and they seem to uncover diamonds in the rough in the draft.
I say it's over for them, however, because they had their chance to run away with this series when they won Game 2, in Boston. But by losing at home in Game 3 they relinquished their home-court advantage. And in the NBA, that is crucial. Also, after last night, with the Lakers dethroning the defending champion Spurs, the NBA wants badly a Finals that showcases the best rivalry in its history: Lakers vs. Celtics.
And if you don't think the NBA is a choreographed league, then look at the Fisher foul on the last play of the fifth game in the Lakers-Spurs series. I've heard some announcers and members of the media say that a foul should not have been called on Fisher, but the league itself does not agree. Had a foul been called, the series might have been tied. But the NBA refs swallowed their whistles, because, in part, the league wants Kobe and the Lakers in the Finals.
I will be rooting for Billups and the boys tonight. I like their work ethic. But with Rip Hamilton nursing a bad elbow, the Big Stiff, Rasheed, shooting from the perimeter instead of posting up, and the NBA geared to Lakers vs. Celtics, it is OVER.
If the Pistons do win tonight, then it's OVER in Game 7. But bet the house on this: It's over. It's Lakers vs. Celtics in the Finals.

Moronic hockey writers

Virtually every story from every Web-based newspaper site promotes the concept that Crosby dominated the Wings last night. My question is, are we watching the same game?
Crosby got some chances, just as he did in the first two games in Detroit. But he had three shots on goal, had one power-play goal, and NEVER dominated the game.
Is he good? Was he good last night? Of course, but the real difference in Game 3 was the Penguins total effort, especially in the way they applied pressure to the Detroit defense. The Wings simply did not have the puck as much or as long as they did in the first two games. The Pens came more in waves, and when Stuart turned the puck over on the game's first goal, it wasn't because of Crosby. He scored, but the goal was more Crosby being in the right place at the right time than anything else.
The problem is these moronic USA hockey writers have virtually no idea of how or why things happen in the games. If you want your hockey served with a dose of reality, you must read the Canadian papers. Ooops, Sportsnet.ca headline: Sid makes it a series. Even the Canucks are morons sometimes.
Hey, he's a great player, especially when you consider he's 20 years old. But the real dominant player for the Penguins last night was their goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury. He's the one who made tough saves when it was 3-1 and then 3-2.
Overall, the Penguins deserved to win this game. They forced the issue, had more jump and got off to a good lead, at 2-0. They got the breaks because they made them with hustle, effort and passion.
Now, it's the Wings' turn. If they respond in Game 4, they have the chance to bring this back to The Joe up, 3-1. I believe they can do it. But, as Franzen said after Game 3, "We didn't think it was going to be easy."

They're back in it

As expected, the Penguins performed more admirably at home, winning Game 3, 3-2. Great third period, as good a display of playoff hockey as I've seen in a long, long time.
The Wings were pretty good themselves, but I really like Babcock's self-criticism after the game. I also thought the Wings lacked flow because Zetterberg and Datsyuk were getting too much ice time. As a coach, you have to use all your guys, because it only leads to a choppy game, and that's what the Wings played. When they go full-guns with their lines, the Wings have so much energy. It was good at the start, when the Wings had a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal, and then, when some penalties started to come their way, the Wings relied far too heavily on the Dynamic Duo.
More later.

Gary, Ron and Keith

I must say that the Mets' TV guys, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, are very good. They talk a lot during the game, but it never seems to be too much because most of the time they are so damn insightful. Darling, a former pitcher, will give you something good about delivery or pitch selection. Hernandez is great when it comes to analyzing hitters, looking for a certain pitch. And Cohen is a superb fit because he allows the other two to talk about the game. Cohen has great Mets memories, growing up as a fan of the team and then serving for 20 seasons as a broadcaster. He's smooth and he understands the game and some of its most obscure rules. On TV, the former radio guy lets the picture tell the story. And he moves between Ron and Keith, asking either or both smart questions about the game.
Well done, guys.

Hard on the ears

"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day (pause). Aren't we all?"

Vin Scully said this during a national TV broadcast in 1991. I looked it up. It's funny. It sounds so unrehearsed.
And it's just the way he talks to people. I know because I once sat at a table with him in the mid-1980s when the Dodgers visited the Cubs in Wrigley Field. He and I shared a little pre-game meal in the press room, and he was matter-of-fact, just a solid guy. I doubt he remembers me. Hell, I almost forgot the meeting myself till a few minutes ago.
But I keep coming back to Scully because he is such a natural in the booth. Like Ernie Harwell used to be when I was a kid, and "a man from Grand Rapids" grabbed a foul ball in the stands at Tiger Stadium. That was an Ernie call. He just mentioned the name of a Michigan town or city, apparently to let listeners from those places know he understood how they felt about the Tigers. It was a neat trick, original. It was natural. And that's the point.
I don't get anything original, nothing seems natural when I tune in today's broadcasters. Mike Emerick does the NHL on NBC tonight. In NY City, Emerick is lauded by experts as one of the best. He's hard to listen to, though, because he NEVER stops talking. He's nonstop, word after word after word. He hardly every takes a breath, and most of the time it's just grating on the ears. After a few minutes, it makes me tired just listening to him.
Joe Buck does this, too. Nonstop talking. He never shuts up. If his name weren't Buck, he'd be in Peoria, doing minor-league games. He's nothing like his dad, who was as good as Vin and Ernie.
I rarely listen or watch the NBA, but Mark Jackson is plain lousy. And Jeff Van Gundy is plain silly. The only two worth listening to in that league are Mike Breen and Doug Collins. In NY City, Marv Albert, who is on the national broadcasts for the league playoffs, is considered godlike. Personally, I say he's stiff, overrated.
Both Emerick and Buck often seem to be shouting at me. At least that's how I feel as I listen to them. They don't raise their voices in an effort to sell an important play or moment as much as they yell, like fans themselves. It's almost comical how excited they seem to get. Quit shouting at me. Stop talking all the time. On TV, can you let the story unfold? We have the pictures right in front of us. Be economical with your words, please.
I have been listening to the Tigers' TV dou of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen lately. Impemba is OK, actually. He's not overly talkative, and he tries sharing thoughts with Allen. But Allen is simply awful. He talks all the time, too. It's like he gets $2 for every word he says on a broadcast. It's terribly annoying. And he's not overly insightful. He tells us he was talking to someone in the locker room or in the dugout, like that's a big thing. Hey, moron, you are a member of the media. You have access to players. You think that you have to pound that into our brains?
Instead of saying, "I was talking to Gary [Sheffield] in the dugout before the game ..." just say, "Sheffield said ..."
Maybe I'm listening too closely to all of this. Maybe I'm watching too many teams, too many games. Maybe I should turn the volume off.

By the way ...

Pistons are done. Stick a fork in 'em. That Game 3 loss at home was the killer. No way will they be able to win two in Boston. The NBA does not work that way.
And, of course, the Pistons' fate was established last night, when the Lakers went ahead, 3-1, in their series vs. Spurs.
The NBA desperately wants Lakers vs. Celtics in the Finals. It can pull out all the old clips from the NBA film vault, and the few remaining NBA fans who have a brain can just have kiss fest.
The NBA is so close to being fixed, in my humble opinion, even the folks in pro wrestling get a kick out of the league.

Up 2-0 before I can blink

I was out of town, actually coaching ice hockey, so I've been a bit lax in updating the blog.
But I am amazed. Not amazed because the Wings are ahead, 2-0, in the Stanley Cup Final series, but because the Penguins haven't scored a goal in two games. Because the Penguins actually look terrified and mystified at the same time. I figured that with Sid The Kid and Gino Malkin the Pens would be able to put lots of pressure on the Wings' defensive style of play. That's not happened.
One thing I've also noticed in the first two games is that the Penguins are really not taking care of the puck. Their forwards are marshmallow soft on the puck, especially in the neutral zone. And against the Wings, this type of soft play is a killer. Because if your players won't battle for the puck, the Wings are going to have it ALL the time. And when you lose it in the neutral zone, as the Penguins did on Brad Stuart's goal, the first goal of Game 2, the Wings will generate counter-attack offense.
And, of course, that's the second thing, puck possession: The Wings have the puck, make plays, then do a great job of getting it back the few times they lose it. Their puck pursuit continues to be special.
And another thing: The Wings play too fast for the Pens. The Wings do have a fast-skating team, but so do Edmonton and Calgary and Ottawa. But what the Wings do consistently better than those teams is "play fast." They move the puck -- tic-tac-toe and tape-to-tape -- better than any team in recent NHL history. It's one-touch passing at its best, and if any defensive player is out of position, well, it can be costly. And the Wings are tougher than most opponents think; when they do lose possession, they are tough and hard on the puck in an instant.
Now, I fully expect the Penguins to win a game in Pittsburgh; they've been too good at home to think otherwise.
But if the Wings win one game in Mellon Arena, this thing is over.
By the way, I've always known it at Pittsburgh Civic Arena and "The Igloo." And I remember when Les Binkley was the Pens' first goalie.
My, my, I am dating myself.