dayum... KC 6, Det 0, no outs, 1st inning

[danman31]

Javier Vasquez: Career 4.28 ERA including 4.91 and 4.42 the last two years. Most of that coming in the national league.

 

Jose Contreras: Career ERA also 4.28

 

Jon Garland: Career 4.42 ERA

 

Scott Podsednik: Career .279 hitter with .730 Career OPS.

 

Bullpen: Cotts: Career 4.27 ERA

 

Politte: Career 4.06 ERA

 

Jenks: Basically a rookie, who can count on that?

 

And I'm quite certain most of these guys numbers were even crappier before you won the world series last year.

 

So finally, let's compare:

 

C: Rodriguez v Pierzynski - Rodriguez

3B: Inge v Crede - Even

OF: Monroe v Podsednik - Podsednik (barely)

Maroth career ERA: 4.68

Robertson career ERA: 4.70

Verlander: a rookie, who can count on that?

Bonderman career ERA: 4.94

 

Podsednik is a leadoff hitter, you can't use OPS. He's a career .279 hitter as you said with a career on base of .347. Both decent numbers for a leadoff guy, but you can't forget the fact that he's averaged 57 stolen bases per year over the last 3 years.

 

Walker career ERA: 4.02

Seay: 4.39 and basically a rookie so who can count on that?

Zumaya: rookie who can't be counted on

Tata: another rookie

Jason Grilli couldn't stay on our roster and Chris Spurling, please!

 

"And I'm quite certain most of these guys numbers were even crappier before you won the world series last year."

 

Right so winning the World Series means you weren't as good before you won it? Well duh! We f***ing won it though which means we are better now, meaning career numbers should be thrown out the window. Obviously this applies with the Tigers as well being such a young pitching staff, but I thought I'd use your logic against you to see how you like it.

 

I Rod over AJ? Usually yes, but right now AJ has a higher batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Shh, don't tell anyone.

 

How is Inge even with Crede? Crede is finally hitting stride and even if you don't believe it will last his career average (.258) is 20 points higher than Inge's .238 not to mention better power numbers from Crede historically despite basically even ones this year.

 

How is Podsednik barely better than Monroe? You need to look at other stats than OPS and not use OPS for leadoff hitters. Podsednik has a higher OPS this year despite not being a better power hitter. I'm sure GMs everywhere would love to have a guy like Monroe that's got a .295 on-base percentage going for him, oh wait.

 

The Tigers are going to be in the playoff race the rest of the way for the simple fact that they could go 1 game under .500 the rest of the way and still win 90 games. I say the worst case scenario for the Tigers is they play around .500 ball the rest of the way anyway. I don't think there is anyway they keep up this ridiculous pace. They are getting lucky breaks right now. They are playing good baseball, but not this good. The pitching is just outrageous right now and will go through streaks of great and average through the rest of the year IMO. I don't think the Tigers will make the playoffs because I think they will fade to low to mid 90s in wins and the Yanks, Red Sox, and White Sox will all have more than that. They could very easily have the 4th best record in the AL...and not make the playoffs. The Indians won 93 last year and didn't get in, and that's right about where I see the Tigers finishing this year.

[Kalapse]

The funny thing is, this guy will probably never post again. He goes through the trouble of signing up and posting his ridiculous comparisons then never returns. Seems somwhat cowardly.

[Rowand44]

The funny thing is, this guy will probably never post again. He goes through the trouble of signing up and posting his ridiculous comparisons then never returns. Seems somwhat cowardly.

Awesome sig.

[Kyyle23]

The funny thing is, this guy will probably never post again. He goes through the trouble of signing up and posting his ridiculous comparisons then never returns. Seems somwhat cowardly.

 

The LOLtrain and the ROFLcopter, they must not have met the STFUbus of 2005 that keeps driving through 2006.

[RockRaines]

Javier Vasquez: Career 4.28 ERA including 4.91 and 4.42 the last two years. Most of that coming in the national league.

 

Jose Contreras: Career ERA also 4.28

 

Jon Garland: Career 4.42 ERA

 

Scott Podsednik: Career .279 hitter with .730 Career OPS.

 

AJ Pierzynski: Career : .764 OPS

 

Jermaine Dye: Career .272 hitter with a .803 OPS

 

Jim Thome: And you say our lineup is likely to get injured?

 

Pablo Ozuna/Brian Anderson/Juan Uribe/Chris Widger/Rob Mackowiack/Alex Cintron/Ross Gload: We're full of average players?

 

Bullpen: Cotts: Career 4.27 ERA

 

Politte: Career 4.06 ERA

 

Jenks: Basically a rookie, who can count on that?

 

Matt Thornton? Jeff Nelson? Please!

 

And I'm quite certain most of these guys numbers were even crappier before you won the world series last year.

 

Please, don't even bring up strength of schedule before you look at the crap you've been beating, at least we were able to handle the Royals.

 

So finally, let's compare:

 

C: Rodriguez v Pierzynski - Rodriguez

1B: Shelton v Konerko - Konerko

DH: Young/Thames v Thome - Thome (by a mile)

2b: Polanco v Iguchi - Even

3B: Inge v Crede - Even

SS: Guillen v Uribe - Guillen

OF: Monroe v Podsednik - Podsednik (barely)

Magglio v Dye - Even

Granderson v Anderson - Granderson (by a mile)

 

Rotation: Whitesox

Bullpen: Tigers

 

It looks pretty equal on paper to me.

 

I'll give the Sox credit, they're the defending champions and they've beaten us 3 times this year, for that matter I still expect them to end up winning the central, simply because you guys have alot more experienced staring pitching than us but some of the arguments you use to discount the Tigers are just ridiculous.

Why didnt you just compare our rings to your rings?

Go back to de-toilet, and take your crappy opinion with you.

[JackTalkThai]

Go back to de-toilet, and take your crappy opinion with you.

 

That's pretty funny...and original. When's the last time you were in Detroit?

 

Was it when they hosted the Super Bowl this year? Or the Ryder Cup in 2004? Perhaps the Stanley Cup Finals a year or two before that? What about the NBA Finals or MLB All Star Game last year? Or perhaps you're planning on visiting the area when they host the PGA Championship in 2008? Or an NCAA Regional in 2007? Or maybe the NCAA Final Four in 2009?

 

You're right, the area -must- be a toilet for all of those defunct sports organizations to hold their championships there.

Edited May 26, 2006 by JackTalkThai

[Buehrle>Wood]

That's pretty funny...and original. When's the last time you were in Detroit?

 

Was it when they hosted the Super Bowl this year? Or the Ryder Cup in 2004? Perhaps the Stanley Cup Finals a year or two before that? What about the NBA Finals or MLB All Star Game last year? Or perhaps you're planning on visiting the area when they host the PGA Championship in 2008? Or an NCAA Regional in 2007? Or maybe the NCAA Final Four in 2009?

 

You're right, the area -must- be a toilet for all of those defunct sports organizations to hold their championships there.

Detroit also hosted the A.L. Central clinching game in 2005. That was pretty big.

[WCSox]

Naw, keep doubting them and continue claivoyancing their fall back to .500. Seriously.

 

What's the worse that can happen? You're proven wrong. Bid deal.

 

And if the Sox were steadily improving like you say (which I'm not arguing that they weren't), then why were so many fans across the league calling them a paper tiger last year? Why were they seeming to play so often with a chip on their shoulder? Doubt is doubt and outside of Chicago skepticism was prevalent last season with regards to the Sox. Doubt just has a way of motivating and binding together lineups who feel they deserve more credit than what they're receiving. That was my point. I wasn't comparing rotations and I wasn't comparing their #6 hitter versus your #6 hitter.

 

And how good was Florida's record the year prior to the historic run in 2003? They had fewer than 80 wins in '02 if I recall correctly. Fortunately there's more than one template to follow when engineering a pennant chase.

 

Cheers.

 

Comparing the '06 Tigers to the '05 Sox might make sense if the Tigers had more than one starter who has actually been an All-Star-caliber pitcher before. Or some depth in their bullpen. Or defense comparable to what we had last year.

 

The comparison with the '03 Marlins makes a little more sense, although the '06 Tigers don't appear to have the offensive (Lee, Cabrera, Lowell, Pudge) or pitching (Beckett, Pavano, Willis, Penny) depth. Only time will tell. The Tigers also probably won't have the luxury of a superior opponent choking away the league championship game.

 

BTW, LOL at all of the Detroit fans beating their chests in freaking May.

Edited May 26, 2006 by WCSox

[JackTalkThai]

Detroit also hosted the A.L. Central clinching game in 2005. That was pretty big.

 

[hammerhead johnson]

C: Rodriguez v Pierzynski - Rodriguez

1B: Shelton v Konerko - Konerko

DH: Young/Thames v Thome - Thome (by a mile)

2b: Polanco v Iguchi - Even

3B: Inge v Crede - Even

SS: Guillen v Uribe - Guillen

OF: Monroe v Podsednik - Podsednik (barely)

Magglio v Dye - Even

Granderson v Anderson - Granderson (by a mile)

 

You guys have a good lineup. There's no question about it.

 

But let's compare defense at the key positions (C, SS, CF, and to a lesser extent, 3B)

 

C: Rodriguez vs. Pierzynski

Rodriguez is obviously a better defender, but you can argue that AJ calls just as good of a game, if not better.

 

SS: Uribe vs. Guillen

Guillen is pretty damn good, but he ain't no Uribe on defense. Juan is simply spectacular with the glove. He has a Top 3 arm out of the SS slot.

 

CF: Anderson vs. Granderson

Anderson is a Top 5 defensive CF right off of the bat. Have you seen this guy play? There is no contest between him and Granderson.

 

3B: Crede vs. Inge

And you thought that they called Crede a poor man's Brooks Robinson just for the hell of it? You're looking at the best defensive third baseman in the majors. A f***ing monster with the glove.

 

You can't overlook the key defensive positions in your analysis. These guys save runs on a daily basis.

 

Don't worry, you'll soon find out what Sox fans already know. We have the best defensive team in baseball, with pitching representing the vast majority of defense.

 

If you're a Pistons fan, perhaps you know a little something about it.

Edited May 26, 2006 by hammerhead johnson

[Kyyle23]

You guys have a good lineup. There's no question about it.

 

But let's compare defense at the key positions (C, SS, CF, and to a lesser extent, 3B)

 

C: Rodriguez vs. Pierzynski

Rodriguez is obviously a better defender, but you can argue that AJ calls just as good of a game, if not better.

 

SS: Uribe vs. Polanco

Polanco is good, but he ain't no Uribe on defense. Juan is simply spectacular with the glove. He has a Top 3 arm out of the SS slot.

 

CF: Anderson vs. Granderson

Anderson is a Top 5 defensive CF right off of the bat. Have you seen this guy play? There is no contest between him and Granderson.

 

3B: Crede vs. Inge

And you thought that they called Crede a poor man's Brooks Robinson just for the hell of it? You're looking at the best defensive third baseman in the majors. A f***ing monster with the glove.

 

You can't overlook the key defensive positions in your analysis. These guys save runs on a daily basis.

 

Don't worry, you'll soon find out what Sox fans already know. We have the best defensive team in baseball, with pitching representing the vast majority of defense.

 

If you're a Pistons fan, perhaps you know a little something about it.

 

 

It is Carlos Guillen vs Uribe, not Polanco. Polanco would go against Iguchi

[hammerhead johnson]

It is Carlos Guillen vs Uribe, not Polanco. Polanco would go against Iguchi

 

Okay. Polanco plays SS and 3B too, correct? Kind of a super-utility type.

[Kyyle23]

Okay. Polanco plays SS and 3B too, correct? Kind of a super-utility type.

 

I didnt know that. I thought their set infield guys ATH were Inge Guillen Polanco Shelton. But I dont pay attention to their everyday lineup that much, this is jsut what I thought they were going with

[JackTalkThai]

You guys have a good lineup. There's no question about it.

 

But let's compare defense at the key positions (C, SS, CF, and to a lesser extent, 3B)

 

C: Rodriguez vs. Pierzynski

Rodriguez is obviously a better defender, but you can argue that AJ calls just as good of a game, if not better.

 

SS: Uribe vs. Polanco

Polanco is good, but he ain't no Uribe on defense. Juan is simply spectacular with the glove. He has a Top 3 arm out of the SS slot.

 

CF: Anderson vs. Granderson

Anderson is a Top 5 defensive CF right off of the bat. Have you seen this guy play? There is no contest between him and Granderson.

 

3B: Crede vs. Inge

And you thought that they called Crede a poor man's Brooks Robinson just for the hell of it? You're looking at the best defensive third baseman in the majors. A f***ing monster with the glove.

 

You can't overlook the key defensive positions in your analysis. These guys save runs on a daily basis.

 

Don't worry, you'll soon find out what Sox fans already know. We have the best defensive team in baseball, with pitching representing the vast majority of defense.

 

If you're a Pistons fan, perhaps you know a little something about it

 

I'm sure you don't know much about Curtis Granderson but many, outside of Detroit, consider him as one of the top young defensive centerfielders in all of baseball. In his relatively major league career, he has YET to commit an error in centerfield. The comparison isn't as lopsided as you may think. It's actually probably pretty close.

 

And I also don't know if you are aware or not that the Tigers are currently #2 in the majors in Defensive Efficiency Rating and also rank several spots higher than Chicago in Fielding Percentage. Pitching and defense have been two of the biggest reasons for Detroit's quick start.

Edited May 26, 2006 by JackTalkThai

[hammerhead johnson]

I didnt know that. I thought their set infield guys ATH were Inge Guillen Polanco Shelton. But I dont pay attention to their everyday lineup that much, this is jsut what I thought they were going with

 

Yeah, not that these guys are offensive monsters or anything, but the Tigers have a very versatile bench if we're talking infield positions.

 

Polanco can play at 2B, SS, or 3B

Santiago can play 2B or SS

Infante can play 2B, SS, or 3B

Inge can play 2B or 3B

 

That ain't too shabby. It's much better than what we have in terms of IF versatility.

 

And I also don't know if you are aware or not that the Tigers are currently #2 in the majors in Defensive Efficiency Rating and also rank several spots higher than Chicago in fielding percentage as well. Pitching and defense have been two of the biggest reasons for Detroit's quick start.

 

Yeah, but you're f***ing with the best, son.

 

I don't care what the numbers say. We just won a championship on the strength of defense. And again, pitching represents the vast majority of defense, and if you're analyzing position players, you start with the key slots (C, SS, CF, 3B).

 

Scotty Pods and Jermaine Dye are not strong defenders, but they play at positions that are pretty f***ing far from crucial in terms of saving runs.

 

Kong has jack s*** for range, but he can pick it and he has an accurate arm, so he's not a defensive liability. And even if he were, 1B from a defensive perspective is far less important than C, SS, or CF.

 

I like Detroit's bullpen and overall defense, though. Adn how could I s*** on Bonderman and Verlander? Those guys are up-and-coming studs.