Baseball still AAA-like for Tigers

[racosun]

Like in the recent seasons gone by, the Tigers are still playing at an AAA level, but this time the tables are turned. Instead of looking like a bunch of suspect AAA prospects, the Tigers are absolutely killing the Twins in their latest homestand. 9-0 on Friday. 18-1 on Saturday. And it's another blowout so far today (Sunday). At the time this thread was created, the Tigers held a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, with a pitching change coming up. Yes, that's 33-1 over the last 24 innings!! Keep it up, guys. The White Sox will stumble sooner or later, and we'll be there ready to pounce when it happens.

[riverfrontier]

Wow, the sweep was just completed. The Detroit Tigers swept the Minnesota Twins. I just had to type that sentence out and let it roll off my fingers. Rogers just 'Madduxed' the Twins out of their 10th win, sending them to bed without dinner. I love this pitching staff. And they've only played Kansas City twice so far!

[racosun]

Fourth sweep of the season already, even though one of the sweeps was at our own expense. I think Minnesota is in full-on rebuilding mode, with so many youngsters in their lineup. Mauer's been great, but that's about it. It's hard to believe how poorly Johan Santana has come out of the gate. I'm sure both he and the Twins will turn it around some, but they look like a fourth place team (finally).

Our Tigers, on the other hand, look confident. I expected a possible playoff run next season perhaps, but they look like they might be ready for one this year. Both the starting pitching and the bullpen have been tremendous. The capability of the offense is there, they just need to continue to stay patient and wear down those starters. They also need to realize that they're still a long way from accomplishing anything, and they need to stay hungry for success. Great series, I hope we don't let up with KC coming in. We need to stay sharp for the Angels right after them.

[OldEnglishD]

I expected a possible playoff run next season perhaps, but they look like they might be ready for one this year.

Not sure they're ready for all that; but they certainly are playing good baseball right now. Definately no complaining though, it's been such a long time since they've given me something to be excited about - and I really am ! I think they're building something special here & the core is set for some competitive baseball over the next several years.

I think it's awesome to be able to talk to fellow fans in the shop and on the street without listening to 10 other jackasses pipe in with their incredible words of wisdom : "The Tigers, they suck".

[riverfrontier]

I'm also excited. Not pleasantly surprised, but truly excited. The team is really clicking. the pitching staff may be developing into one of the most solid in the game. We've been waiting for bonderman to lead us to water for the past couple years, and he's about 4th or 5th on the staff right now. Not that he's been bad, but just look at Rogers and Maroth. Robertson's on it too, and I can't wait for Verlander's first 12+ strikeout game. It's coming, and you know it. Look for it in your local AL ballpark this summer.
The staff's been so good, that we haven't really seen much of what Zumaya's gonna do, but I'll stick with the status quo if it means going straight from the starter to Jones.

[racosun]

I'm not saying that they're heading for the playoffs this year, I'm just saying that right now they look like they could have a legit shot at a spot this year if things hold up. They have a long ways to go, like I said in the same post. Teams are giving us their best, with managers having to stay on their toes every inning lately. The bottom of the order did some hellacious damage yesterday, which will make opposing managers want to get tossed and take a breather. It would be great to have at least five 20+ homer guys on the squad this year, which is easily possible. If this pace continues, we could have at least two guys with 20+ wins from the hill, too. I'm telling ya'll, this team could be not only good, they could be special. I'll get back to you on that mid-season. Right now, I'm really enjoying Tiger baseball. Glad I never gave up on them after all these years.

[tigers527]

I think they're building something special here & the core is set for some competitive baseball over the next several years.

I think it's awesome to be able to talk to fellow fans in the shop and on the street without listening to 10 other jackasses pipe in with their incredible words of wisdom : "The Tigers, they suck".

While I agree with the thrust of your post. Could we please not build anything here (here being in Detroit). After what happened with Steve Mariuchi (or however he spelled his name) and that insipid ad campaign, "We're building something good here." The memories of those Lions teams alone send me into dry heeves.

Please, take this for what it is a joke. We can build but I think we are built. My only fear is the standard 50 games or so Carlos Guillen seems to miss every year. Hopefully this year around trade deadline we will be buyers and not sellers.

[riverfrontier]

The starting staff continues to walk on water. Watch for Maroth to turn water into wine tomorrow while posting 0s on the board. The Tigers haven't given up more than 4 runs in a game for two straight weeks. Nice payback to Hernandez for that business last year. Gotcha, sucka.

[efin98]

How long before the team starts hunting for players for a playoff run?

[racosun]

How long before the team starts hunting for players for a playoff run?

Maybe we can somehow snag Dontrelle Willis or Miguel Cabrera from Florida. I'm sure the GM and the owner are in preliminary stages of mid-season help talk. Leyland was indeed promised some extra firepower if he can have the team in contention by the trading deadline, so we'll see what happens. Everybody knew the Tigers would be better this year, but I bet there wasn't a soul in the world that expected them to put up 16 wins in April. We need a quality third-baseman, so that's what I hope DD goes out and gets. Cabrera would be perfect, but I'm sure it would involve Verlander. I'd be up in the air on that one. I said I wouldn't trade Verlander for anyone, but Cabrera is awfuly tempting.

[serumgard]

Maybe we can somehow snag Dontrelle Willis or Miguel Cabrera from Florida. I'm sure the GM and the owner are in preliminary stages of mid-season help talk. Leyland was indeed promised some extra firepower if he can have the team in contention by the trading deadline, so we'll see what happens. Everybody knew the Tigers would be better this year, but I bet there wasn't a soul in the world that expected them to put up 16 wins in April. We need a quality third-baseman, so that's what I hope DD goes out and gets. Cabrera would be perfect, but I'm sure it would involve Verlander. I'd be up in the air on that one. I said I wouldn't trade Verlander for anyone, but Cabrera is awfuly tempting.
Let's not start talking about trading away the future of the franchise in the midst of an early-season swoon. Please keep in mind that they're at .625 against fairly ineffectual teams. Who's the best team we've played? The White Sox? Swept us at home. The Indians? Split at home. The Angels? Jury's still out. We're running up wins on the Royals and the Twins and the Rangers. If we're still on pace for 90-100 wins after June, when we've got games against the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals and Astros, then we can start talking about unloading the future.

[racosun]

Let's not start talking about trading away the future of the franchise in the midst of an early-season swoon. Please keep in mind that they're at .625 against fairly ineffectual teams. Who's the best team we've played? The White Sox? Swept us at home. The Indians? Split at home. The Angels? Jury's still out. We're running up wins on the Royals and the Twins and the Rangers. If we're still on pace for 90-100 wins after June, when we've got games against the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals and Astros, then we can start talking about unloading the future.

I was talking about unloading the future? Hmmm. I didn't mean to give that impression, that's for sure. The topic at hand was "hunting for players at the trading deadline". If you meant "the future" with the "future" being Justin Verlander, no, I wasn't looking to dump the guy for just anybody. I said the only one I MIGHT trade Verlander for would be Miguel Cabrera. Believe me, losing Verlander to acquire Cabrera would not be "trading away" the future of the franchise. It would be more of a talent adjustment. Of course, all this trade talk was centered around IF we happened to still be in contention by the deadline, not WHEN. Most of us, after having suffered for the past twenty years, are still tempering our excitement until we can see a full summer's worth of good baseball. It was all speculative speak.