Category: Fungoes

Blast from the Past: “One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story”

I can’t explain why I don’t: (a) Own a copy of Ron LeFlore‘s autobiography (with Jim Hawkins) or (b) Own the CBS TV movie on DVD.

Thanks to eBay, I can get the book. The movie is proving to be a tougher find — at least in tangible form. Thanks to YouTube we can enjoy clips from the 1978 epic.

A few things to point out: the bush-league replica Tigers jerseys worn by nearly afro’d “Mickey Stanley“, Jim Northrup‘s silver hair
(we’re supposed to believe he was a current-day player?), and Norm Cash’s un-sculpted build.

Also, check out the mix of old-school dark green paint with the blue that replaced it.

Edgar Renteria Comes Clean on His Awful Season. No, Not 2008.

RenteriaBobbleHead.jpgWe’re not one to hold a grudge — ahem — but after reading this about Giants’ shortstop Edgar Renteria …

… [He] played all last season with a bone spur in his right elbow, about the size of a piece of pea gravel.

— snip —

Renteria hit a career-low .250 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 48 RBIs in 124 games before the Giants turned to hot-hitting Juan Uribe as they fought for a playoff berth down the stretch. It was the fewest homers for Renteria since 1998 and resulted in a season that he called simply “embarrassing.”

… don’t you wonder how he would characterize his 2008 season with the Tigers?

In case he comes up short, here are a few suggestions: slothful, unprofessional, disrespectful, arrogant, dreadful.

Any I missed?

How Miguel Cabrera’s Recovery is Playing in Venezuela

NotebookXSmall.jpgJorge Arangure Jr. writes an interesting piece today on ESPN.com’s La Esquina blog [$]. Here’s the gist of it:

Cabrera needs to repair his reputation, not only in Detroit, but also in his native Venezuela where he remains a polarizing figure. Despite being perhaps the best player from his country, Cabrera is universally beloved — not even close. Even this latest news, as humanizing as it was, may not be enough to sway public opinion yet.

“Some fans were a bit skeptical,” said Venezuelan journalist Efrain Ruiz, who writes for El Univeral. “Miguel has a difficult personality, without a doubt. But he’s always been asked to replace Andres Galarraga as the country’s national idol, and he simply doesn’t have that type of charisma. I really believe that’s weighed on on a lot, the tremendous pressure that exists to replace ‘The Cat.'”

How are you feeling about Cabrera these days: holding a grudge or forgiving and forgetting?

Happy Birthday, Lloyd Moseby

Moseby.jpgHappy 50th Birthday to Lloyd Moseby, a long-time Blue Jays outfielder that joined the Tigers as a free agent for the 1990 and ‘91 seasons. (For what it’s worth, in 1990 he wore #17 and #15; in ’91 he stuck to #15.)

His best overall season was 1984: .280, 18 HR, 92 RBI and 15 triples. For the Tigers he simply kept centerfield warm for, ahem, Milt Cuyler.

The Portland, Ark. native hit .255 in two Detroit seasons with a total of 20 homers. He retired after the 1991 season at the surprisingly young age of 31.

Tuesday Night Therapy Session: Game 163 A Week Later

therapist.jpgIf someone with a stopwatch had timed my lightning-quick zap of the TV last Tuesday evening after Game 163, my guess is that the stopwatch would’ve read less than three seconds.

I couldn’t watch the Twins celebrate, again, on their turf. (Still can’t.)

Think about it: the last time the Tigers were a division champion, they (and we) had to watch Dan Gladden and the suddenly despicable Twins celebrate on Tiger Stadium’s infield.

And the time the last two times the Tigers got close (2006 and ’09), we had to watch Joe Nathan and Co. dance a jig on the Metrodome concrete.

Sickening, really. This time I showed a rare combination of maturity and resignation all at once. Sort of.

So anyway, after a week of stewing and fretting, devouring three servings of sour grapes, followed by a weekend of Schadenfreude, I’m almost ready to move on. More or less.

Three things are still rattling around in my head a week later:

Continue reading “Tuesday Night Therapy Session: Game 163 A Week Later” →

Roger Angell on Tigers/Twins Game 163

OldTimeWriterXSmall.jpgNot sure when the last time (if ever) the Detroit Tigers appeared in anything related to The New Yorker, but Tuesday’s game was fascinating enough to earn a blog post from veteran baseball writer Roger Angell. Here’s a taste:

The only complaint anyone could mount against last night’s one-game playoff victory by the Minnesota Twins, who topped the Detroit Tigers, 6-5, in twelve innings, is that it’s about to disappear. The Twins, winners of the American League Central Division, will play the Yankees this evening in the first game of the A.L. Divisional Championship, while the National League’s Phillies take on the visiting Colorado Rockies and the Cardinals engage the Dodgers in L.A. Tomorrow, the Angels and the Red Sox start their part of the playoffs in Anaheim.

(snip)

What we do know is that none of these games are going to be any better than the one played last night, which we will only dimly remember by the time they’re over.

It’s not the cleanest copy you’ll read — players’ names misspelled, a factual error about Miguel Cabrera (he didn’t spend “a night in jail over the weekend”) and so forth — but it’s worth a read anyway.

Hey, Tigers fans appreciate the appreciation. We’d just rather be basking in it tonight at Yankee Stadium.

Game 163: Microcosm, The Sequel Nutshell

ESPN highlights available here.
knockedoutboxer.jpg
The Score: Twins 6 – Tigers 5, 12 innings

The Gist: The Tigers and Twins played a game for the ages and both teams followed the respective scripts of the past three weeks. For the Tigers, that meant squandering countless opportunities and watching a division lead evaporate. For the Twins: everything going their way. Rick Porcello was awesome, Miguel Cabrera showed up for the first part of the game and Fernando Rodney, while taking the loss, pitched almost brilliantly in what was assuredly his last Tigers performance.

The Quote: “No matter what we did, it seems like it wasn’t meant to be. This is the best game, by far, that I’ve ever played in no matter the outcome.” — Brandon Inge

The Stat: 1 – The go-ahead run scored by Don Kelly in the 10th. Oh, how I wish it would’ve held up…for his sake.

Up Next: Spring Training, Lakeland, Fla., February 2010

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How the Tigers Fare Historically on October 6

TigersMug.jpg On Oct. 6, 2006, Kenny Rogers began etching himself into the Tigers’ postseason lore with 7.2 innings of five-hit mastery of the Yankees at Comerica Park. (As if you’ve forgotten.)

He walked just two and struck out eight as the Tigers beat the Yankees 5-0 — and Rogers slew a personal postseason dragon — to take a two-games-to-one lead in the American League Division Series.

A look through the Tigers history book reveals that they’ve been quite busy on October 6 — when they make the postseason, that is. So, I thought we’d take a look and see if there’s some historical star alignment happening ahead of Game 163. Here’s a deeper look at how the Tigers have performed (or not) in the franchise’s postseason appearances from 1907 through 1987:

Continue reading “How the Tigers Fare Historically on October 6” →

Game 162: Vintage Verlander

ESPN highlights available here.
ScorecardXSmall.jpg

The Score: Tigers 5 – White Sox 3

The Gist: You couldn’t ask for more than Justin Verlander delivered on Sunday afternoon in the Tigers’ home finale of the as-yet-undecided 2009 season. Ryan Raburn went yard twice and the resurrected Magglio Ordonez went 4 for 4 to power most of the offense. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tigers game without a wasted inning with a starter, this time John Danks, on the ropes. A win is a win, though this win would’ve been better on, say, Thursday.

The Quote: “I wasn’t sure right away I was going to get there.” — Curtis Granderson, referring to either his diving catch in the eighth which saved the game from looming disaster OR the Tuesday playoff game in Minnesota.

The Stat: 12 and 13 – The Tigers’ record this year on Tuesdays

Magic Digit: 1

Up Next: Tigers @ Twins – Tuesday, 5 p.m. ET on TBS

Rick Porcello (14-9. 4.04 ERA) vs. Scott Baker (15-9, 4.36)

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October Surprise Part 9: Comeback Complete

This is the final installment in our series that looked back on the Tigers’ and Blue Jays’ epic fight for the 1987 American League East title.

American League East Standings: October 4, 1987

Team Record Pct. GB
Detroit 97-64 .619 –
Toronto 96-65 .596 1

BallBatGrass.jpgIn the first six games one thing was constant: the team that scored first would go on to lose. The Blue Jays, with the season in the balance, would take their chances and welcome an early lead off Tigers starter Frank Tanana.

Instead, the Tigers struck first. Larry Herndon led off the Detroit third inning with a home run off Blue Jays starter Jimmy Key. A strong wind gust nudged the ball over Bell’s outstretched glove and into the lower deck in left. The Tigers led 1-0 on Herndon’s first homer since Aug. 18.

“Luckily, I just got enough,” Herndon said to Tommy George of the Free Press. “I saw Bell go back and it looked like he had a chance to catch it. I looked at Bell all the way. And then when I heard and saw the crowd reaction behind the fence, I knew it was out.”

Continue reading “October Surprise Part 9: Comeback Complete” →