Stoney's Six Pack 7-14-11
Six reasons the Tigers will win the division ... and six reasons they will lose.
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Six reasons the Tigers will win the division ... and six reasons they will lose.
On the surface things look great: Detroit is in 1st place by a half game, and they possibly have the best two players in baseball. So, what's the problem?
"We're in the race. We've got to fix a few things, but everybody has to fix a few things," Jim Leyland said recently.
Last night's All-Star game could have hurt the Tigers.
Scoring in the first half of the season dropped to its lowest level in 19 years and the major league batting average shrunk to its smallest midseason figure since 1985, confirmation that the Steroids Era has ended and that a new Age of the Pitcher is taking hold.
When I was a kid, baseball meant everything to me this time of the year. Playing it. Watching it on TV. Listening to Ernie Harwell on the radio. Reading about it.
Justin Verlander became the first Detroit pitcher to win 12 games before the All-Star break since RHP Jack Morris in 1987.
It's bad for baseball that Justin Verlander won't appear in Tuesday night's game. And great for baseball that Alex Avila will.
Tigers fans say they're eager to take in the All-Star game, even though Justin Verlander will sit this one out.
SP Justin Verlander, Tigers: Guys like Justin Masterson and Scott Baker are having pretty good seasons, but there's really no reason to even expand on the discussion.
Not only did the All-Star managers announce their starters on Monday, both Bruce Bochy and Ron Washington announced their closers for Tuesday's game -- if they get that opportunity.
The Tigers today announced the club has transferred the injury rehabilitation assignment of second baseman Carlos Guillen from Triple A Toledo to Double A Erie.
This morning Ron Washington released his lineup for the 2011 MLB All-Star game. Alex Avila will bat 9th.
The Tigers head into the All Star break a club that presents one extreme to the other — with little in the middle.
Joaquin Benoit only faced one batter but struck him out after setting him up. Benoit, who got Saturday off, came in to relieve RHP Justin Verlander with runners at third and first and two out in the eighth.
In 2010, Detroit lost its last game and fell out of first place in the AL Central, overtaken by the Chicago White Sox.
Thanks to four-time All-Star Justin Verlander, Kansas City rookie Aaron Crow will be traveling to Phoenix in style.
As temperatures neared 100 and Justin Verlander's pitch count mounted, Jim Leyland thought seriously about replacing his hard-working All-Star.
Two halves are supposed to make a whole, right? Unfortunately, the Tigers first and second halves haven't added up to a strong finish over the past five seasons. Even in 2006, when the Tigers made it to the World Series, they faded fast in the second half of the season and only managed to make it to the post-season because they won the Wild Card spot.
The Tigers go into the All-Star break in command of first place in the American League Central division after beating the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sunday.
With Justin Verlander pitching Sunday, the National League won't have to face him Tuesday at the All-Star Game in Phoenix. The Kansas City Royals aren't as fortunate.
One of Jim Leyland's strengths as a manager is that he gets a lot out of his players.
Chris Getz reached base three times. Melky Cabrera pushed his hitting streak to eight games. Alex Gordon belted a long three-run homer, and Billy Butler added three hits and a pair of RBI.
Making his second career start, rookie Charlie Furbush will try to pitch the Detroit Tigers to a fourth straight win overall and fifth in a row over the reeling Kansas City Royals on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Detroit's Jim Leyland did not want to use closer Jose Valverde on Friday night because he had pitched on consecutive nights.
