Mighty Mighty Tigers
My favorite baseball team is the Tigers.
No, not that Detroit team who plays in that amusement park of a stadium and fell apart at the end of the season this year. They're going to get swept by the Yankees and I couldn't be happier.
No, I'm talking about the Tigers of Milford's Junior Major Leagues, Pinto Division.
Yes. My son's team.
The players all have colorful nicknames -- Hit Man, Thunder, Magnet, Steel, Natural, Flash, Hammer. They play up to their nicknames as well.
The Hit Man cannot be judged by his size. He packs a wallop and seems to be perpetually on base.
Thunder proves day in and day out that a girl can play just as tough as any boy.
Magnet seems to do everything well. His forte is his uncanny ability to get the ball into his glove.
Steel hits like Super Man.
Natural is the one who just plain gets it when it comes to baseball. He has that instinct.
Flash can hit and he's a hustler in the field. But to watch him run the bases is the best thrill of all.
And Hammer, the team's slugger. He does to doubles in this league what his nickname-sake did to homers in Milwaukee and Atlanta.
They are the youngest, least experienced team in the Pinto Division. We the coaches expected a season of hard knocks and learning -- lucky to pull off a victory or two. We've played nine of ten games and are 5-4.
This team never quits. They have that relentless quality reminiscent of Derek Jeter or Pete Rose. They play every minute of every inning.
Last night they played the best, most experienced team in the league -- you know, the League Commissioner's son's team. They had a huge first inning but quickly fell behind. They needed a big inning in the fourth. And they got it. Three doubles hit in that inning, each hit further than the one before. They tied the game at nine.
They went on to lose, but not without a fight. Magnet made two double plays on his own. Steel fell to the ground after stopping a grounder toward first. He dove over and tagged the base before the runner could get there. Hammer hit a Baltimore chop to the pitcher's mound that should have been an easy out, but he sprinted all the way to first base. Had it been any other team in the league, he'd have beaten the throw.
I love the Yankees and all. The Mets aren't bad either.
But I am a proud Tigers fan.
* * * * *
Did they or didn't they? Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte have been named as cheaters, according to the Los Angeles Times' report on Jason Grimsley's statement. Yet now Grimsley's attorneys and others not related to either former Yankee starter are saying the Times article is inaccurate and that Grimsely said that "never in a million years" would Rocket and Andy cheat. I guess the truth will come out soon enough. I hope that it's the latter that is true. Not these guys. That would be devastating.
* * * * *
I'll devote tomorrow's blog to the 2006 season and how my predictions went. But I am proud to say that I called the Yankees and the Mets, as well as the demise of the Red Sox. This has been a terrific baseball season through and through. I hope the postseason is just as exciting.
* * * * *
Here's a rhetorical question regarding the American League MVP: how can a Most Valuable Player come from a team that has three candidates for Most Valuable Player? Wouldn't the three candidates nullify each other? Santana, Mauer and Morneau of the Twins all had MVP-caliber seasons, and that is why none should win. The true MVP candidates are Frank Thomas (as he goes, so goes the Athletics) and Derek Jeter (for carrying a team when literally EVERYONE else was either injured or named Alex Rodriguez). While I prefer Jeet, I'm comfortable with Thomas winning.
* * * * *
Who wins the NL Cy Young? No one posted even 17 wins. There was not a single NL pitcher who had a season like Chien-Ming Wang. And Wang won't even get a single first place vote for AL Cy Young (this award should go unanimously to Johan Santana). Maybe it's time for a closer to get it. If I had a vote, it'd be for Trevor Hoffman.
* * * * *
The AL Manager of the Year is pretty much a lock (Leyland). And while in the NL there are so many reasons why choosing Willie Randolph is the right thing to do, all who have a vote should vote for Joe Girardi. Taking that team with that payroll (combined Marlins payroll was less than the salary of any of the following individuals: A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, among others) to the brink of the playoffs warrants serious consideration. Doing it in Florida with crowds averaging that of the Bridgeport Bluefish is even better. And if that isn't reason enough, he's about to be fired by the worst person ever to be involved in Major League Baseball (and that includes a long list of very bad people). A vote for the perfectly qualified Joe Girardi is a vote against Jeffrey Loria.
* * * * *
I only wish Pedro could be on the mound in this postseason.
No, not that Detroit team who plays in that amusement park of a stadium and fell apart at the end of the season this year. They're going to get swept by the Yankees and I couldn't be happier.
No, I'm talking about the Tigers of Milford's Junior Major Leagues, Pinto Division.
Yes. My son's team.
The players all have colorful nicknames -- Hit Man, Thunder, Magnet, Steel, Natural, Flash, Hammer. They play up to their nicknames as well.
The Hit Man cannot be judged by his size. He packs a wallop and seems to be perpetually on base.
Thunder proves day in and day out that a girl can play just as tough as any boy.
Magnet seems to do everything well. His forte is his uncanny ability to get the ball into his glove.
Steel hits like Super Man.
Natural is the one who just plain gets it when it comes to baseball. He has that instinct.
Flash can hit and he's a hustler in the field. But to watch him run the bases is the best thrill of all.
And Hammer, the team's slugger. He does to doubles in this league what his nickname-sake did to homers in Milwaukee and Atlanta.
They are the youngest, least experienced team in the Pinto Division. We the coaches expected a season of hard knocks and learning -- lucky to pull off a victory or two. We've played nine of ten games and are 5-4.
This team never quits. They have that relentless quality reminiscent of Derek Jeter or Pete Rose. They play every minute of every inning.
Last night they played the best, most experienced team in the league -- you know, the League Commissioner's son's team. They had a huge first inning but quickly fell behind. They needed a big inning in the fourth. And they got it. Three doubles hit in that inning, each hit further than the one before. They tied the game at nine.
They went on to lose, but not without a fight. Magnet made two double plays on his own. Steel fell to the ground after stopping a grounder toward first. He dove over and tagged the base before the runner could get there. Hammer hit a Baltimore chop to the pitcher's mound that should have been an easy out, but he sprinted all the way to first base. Had it been any other team in the league, he'd have beaten the throw.
I love the Yankees and all. The Mets aren't bad either.
But I am a proud Tigers fan.
* * * * *
Did they or didn't they? Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte have been named as cheaters, according to the Los Angeles Times' report on Jason Grimsley's statement. Yet now Grimsley's attorneys and others not related to either former Yankee starter are saying the Times article is inaccurate and that Grimsely said that "never in a million years" would Rocket and Andy cheat. I guess the truth will come out soon enough. I hope that it's the latter that is true. Not these guys. That would be devastating.
* * * * *
I'll devote tomorrow's blog to the 2006 season and how my predictions went. But I am proud to say that I called the Yankees and the Mets, as well as the demise of the Red Sox. This has been a terrific baseball season through and through. I hope the postseason is just as exciting.
* * * * *
Here's a rhetorical question regarding the American League MVP: how can a Most Valuable Player come from a team that has three candidates for Most Valuable Player? Wouldn't the three candidates nullify each other? Santana, Mauer and Morneau of the Twins all had MVP-caliber seasons, and that is why none should win. The true MVP candidates are Frank Thomas (as he goes, so goes the Athletics) and Derek Jeter (for carrying a team when literally EVERYONE else was either injured or named Alex Rodriguez). While I prefer Jeet, I'm comfortable with Thomas winning.
* * * * *
Who wins the NL Cy Young? No one posted even 17 wins. There was not a single NL pitcher who had a season like Chien-Ming Wang. And Wang won't even get a single first place vote for AL Cy Young (this award should go unanimously to Johan Santana). Maybe it's time for a closer to get it. If I had a vote, it'd be for Trevor Hoffman.
* * * * *
The AL Manager of the Year is pretty much a lock (Leyland). And while in the NL there are so many reasons why choosing Willie Randolph is the right thing to do, all who have a vote should vote for Joe Girardi. Taking that team with that payroll (combined Marlins payroll was less than the salary of any of the following individuals: A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, among others) to the brink of the playoffs warrants serious consideration. Doing it in Florida with crowds averaging that of the Bridgeport Bluefish is even better. And if that isn't reason enough, he's about to be fired by the worst person ever to be involved in Major League Baseball (and that includes a long list of very bad people). A vote for the perfectly qualified Joe Girardi is a vote against Jeffrey Loria.
* * * * *
I only wish Pedro could be on the mound in this postseason.
posted by E-Luv at 9:17 AM
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