Tigers Weekly 2005 Season

Week 14: 7/7/05 - 7/13/05

The 2005 All-Star Game is now a memory and a part of
Detroit baseball history.  For the eighth time in nine
years the American League walked out with a victory
and the National League remains winless since 1996. 
Pudge played the final four innings and was 0 for 1 in
the game with a walk and a strikeout.  His performance
in the Home Run Derby was more memorable.  Expected to
be out after the first round, Pudge barely advanced
with seven homers and won the second round with eight.
However, Bobby Abreu tallied eleven bombs in the
finals to top Rodriguez's five.  For coming in with
the lowest home run total of all eight participants
I'd say that Pudge held his own.  
 
Then there is the issue of the Tigers.  They've won
five of six heading into the break and are six games
out of the wild card.  That leaves them in the race,
but they still have plenty of work to do to be
considered in contention.  The start of the second
half pits the Tigers against the Royals, White Sox,
and Twins.  A few of the team members have been quoted
as being quite excited about the team's chances in the
second half.  A good start will be necessary as they
try to keep pace with the upper echelon of the
American League.  
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
"Week" of 7/8 - 7/13
 
Record:  3-1  WWLW--
 
Undy-Five-Hundy:  I don't think I've ever been more
disappointed with a 3-1 series win.  The Tigers could
have swept the Devil Rays and gotten back to
five-hundy, but Troy Percival served up a walk-off
two-run homer to the Rays in the third game.  Percival
did record a save in the first game, but he has been
less than reliable so far this season.  So long as
Percy continues to struggle, the UFH index will not
see great improvement.  The Tigs will be two games
undy to start the second half.  
 
Up Next for the Tigers...

7/14 - 7/17  Kansas City
7/18 - 7/20  @ Chicago White Sox
7/21 - 7/24  Minnesota (5 games)
 
AL Central Standings

CWS  57 29 -
MIN  48 38 9
CLE  47 41 11
DET  42 44 15
KCR  30 57 27.5
 
Tigers Division...

CWS  57 29 -
|
NYM  44 44 14
TOR  44 44 14
CHC  43 44 14.5
DET  42 44 15
ARI  43 47 16
MIL  42 46 16
LAD  40 48 18
 
Tigers News and Notes:  No transactions...
 
-----------------------------------------------------
Tiger of the Week...
-----------------------------------------------------

Chris Shelton, who spent most of last season riding the pine as a Rule 5 pick from the Pirates, has picked up the offensive slack left by Dmitri in these last few weeks. As Young struggled, Shelton has hammered the ball left and right. He belted two homers in the series against the Rays, giving him seven in 119 at-bats. Shelton is hitting .345 and has 26 RBIs. He has hit safely in twelve of his last fourteen games (many of these games were part of the Tigers' big offensive slump). Rule 5 picks historically have not been too successful, but Shelton looks like he could be one to break the mold.

-----------------------------------------------------
Claus 2005 Baseball Stadium Road Trip...
-----------------------------------------------------
 
As promised, here is the account of the six-day tour
that I and nine other gents took to the east.  
 
***************************
 
Wednesday, June 29
Chicago White Sox 4 - Detroit 3
Comerica Park, Detroit MI
by: Toolie
 
I sat down in my office in East Lansing and flew
through the final exams that I had to grade.  After
throwing the grades into the computer and confirming
them with my supervisor, I left straight from Wells
Hall for Warren, where I was meeting with some of the
Quieras Baseball Road Trip gang.  Traffic was a
nightmare, as usual, and I arrived about a half-hour
before the game.  Here I met up with Jason Craven,
Kevin Kopec, and Dan Stevens and we shuttled down to
Comerica.  Kevin was sporting a great shirt.  It had
the old White Sox logo (from the 80's) swinging and
missing at a pitch and instead of "SOX" it read "SUX."
Classic.  The drive was made longer by the fact that
the big firework show of the summer was to be held
downtown that evening.  We made it into Comerica about
an inning into the game.  
 
Frustration was the name of this game as the Tigers
couldn't produce in the late innings.  Pinch-hitter
Rondell White delivered a sac-fly in the seventh
inning to tie the game, but that's where the
production ended.  In the eighth, Pudge struck out
with the bases loaded and nobody out.  Craig Monroe
followed with a 6-4-3 double-play and the threat was
over.  In the ninth, with two out and ducks on the
pond (the greatest graphic that Comerica has), Placido
Polanco hit a ball to deep short.  It looked like this
would end the game, but Juan Uribe turned and fired to
just get the diving Polanco.  The play was close and
drew a hilarious tantrum from this black guy who was
walking up the aisle as it happened.  
 
The same fellow had been chanting "De-troit Ti-gers"
for a good part of the game.  His buddy, who was
rooting for the Sox and sporting the biggest belt
buckle this side of the Mississippi, responded with
chants of "De-troit Ain't Shit."  The chant was
annoying at first, but the more he chanted it (and the
more the Tigers failed to score the winning run), the
funnier it got.  By the end of the game we were saying
it ourselves, and the line ended up tying for quote of
the trip.
 
In extra innings the fireworks began to erupt in
downtown Detroit.  This made for an entertaining
backdrop for the game, and we moved from our seats way
down the third base line (six dollars on the
tw-for-one special) more towards home plate so we
could see the show.  The fireworks ended before the
game did.  Frank Thomas hit a home-run in the
thirteenth and the Tigs again failed miserably with
the tying run on third with less than two outs.  With
the bases loaded, Brandon Inge struck out and Placido
Polanco grounded out to end it.  Truly a frustrating
game.  Afterwards I proclaimed that the Tigers were
officially "done."
 
Getting out of town was surprisingly easy.  We drove
all through the night to get to Manassus, Virginia. 
We stopped at a gas station in West Virginia where the
girl behind the counter didn't like my "shat" (shirt)
since it was supporting ND hockey and she was a Purdue
fan.  It was the thickest accent I heard the whole
trip.  The road trip was officially underway.
 
***************************
 
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Washington Nationals 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 5
RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
by: Mike "Colonel" Kopec
 
RFK Stadium is a football/soccer stadium temporarily
serving as a baseball stadium.  I tried to keep this
mind in evaluating the stadium, which I would rate as
co-worst of the trip along with Shea Stadium.
 
The outer architecture is pretty unimpressive - as is
the interior.  I would compare it in some ways to a
lower-quality Busch Stadium.
 
I enjoyed riding the subway in to get to the game.  We
saw Nationals hats everywhere on the trip - and not
only in Washington.  I thought that the pre-game
atmosphere among the fans was pretty solid.
 
Once we made it into the stadium, Chas Claus,
traditional game scorekeeper, was livid to discover
that a) the Nationals didn't provide pencils with
their programs and b) didn't sell any pencils, either.
Bad form, Nats.
 
Our seats were decent, along the first base line about
40 rows or so back and, most importantly, in the
shade, considering it was sunny and over 90 degrees.
 
The Nationals jumped on Kip Wells early and grabbed a
6-0 lead.  Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon got tossed
early, and we got some great pictures of it.  The
Pirates made a mid-to-late inning rally to make it
interesting, but Chad Cordero, a.k.a The Fireman, came
in and sealed the deal for the Nats, as he almost
always does.
 
Washingtonians are showing strong support for their
new winning team.  Over 37,000 attended this game (it
only looked about 2/3 full; remember, it's a football
stadium) and were loud and proud, no one more so than
Brad Wilkerson Superfan, who sat to our left.  He
sported the Wilkerson home jersey, led numerous
spontaneous claps, and openly encouraged us and joined
in whenever we started our own.  He was a nominee for
the unofficial award of "fan of the trip."
 
It was reported by one of the fellow roadtrippers that
one of the bathroom stalls had graffiti that said
"F--- Peter Angelos."  Nationals fans aren't
particularly fond of the Baltimore Orioles owner, who
tried hard to block MLB from moving the franchise to
his turf.
 
The subway was a mess after the game.  It was one big
traffic jam, and it seemed to take forever to clear. 
Once it did, though, we were able to leave.  We then
visited numerous monuments and memorials led by
unofficial tour guide Kevin Kopec, all free of charge.
 
It seems to me like there is a lot of potential for
the Washington franchise to be very successful.  The
fan base will only grow with this solid first year,
regardless of how it plays out.  A new stadium is on
the way in a few years, too.
 
My overall analysis?  The stadium itself is pretty
crummy, but the Nationals aren't, and neither are
their fans or the overall baseball experience in
Washington.  I enjoyed it.
 
*******************************
 
Friday, July 1
Indians 3 - Orioles 1
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore MD
by:  Toolie
 
I'm a little disappointed that nobody wrote in to give
their account of this day.  I'd say it was the best of
the trip.  
 
We started in Manassus and half of the group woke up
early to check out the Civil War battle site (a.k.a.
Bull Run).  I opted to sleep in as I had about two
hours of sleep on the ride from D-Town and was a
walking zombie after the Nats game.  We picked up an
eleventh for this game as Michelle Phillips, a Daler,
joined us.  After lunch at a local Waffle House (one
of the waitresses informed us that she once went to
Camden Yards and, in fact, saw the Orioles play) we
hit the road. 
 
On the trip into Baltimore we played a game of
Jeopardy constructed by Mike Claus.  Since the radio
that Michelle and I had in her car wasn't transmitting
(we could receive), we had to ring in by having
Michelle flash her lights at Mike's car, and then I
had to lean out the window and shout the answer.  It
was a pretty hilarious scene.  Picking the next
category was also a challenge.  
 
The area around Camden was great.  We stopped in a
local place called Pickles and scored some free beer
off a Rolling Rock promotion.  Even those not of-age
enjoyed the freebies. 
 
The park itself is well built and the warehouse behind
right field is a classic backdrop.  We had good seats
in left field (fair territory) and saw a pitchers duel
with C.C. Sabathia besting Rodrigo Lopez.  Most of the
offense came from some other fans sitting out in left.
 
Kevin Kopec happened to be wearing a sharp UVA hat,
which was noticed by a female Virginia Tech Hokie.  In
one of the most bizarrely entertaining scenes I've
ever witnessed, the fan proceeded to taunt Kevin
Kopec, take his hat, and draw a "T" next to the "V" on
the front and back of the hat.  The girl was pretty
good-looking, but she left something to be desired in
the intelligence department.  I took her for a floozy.
As she defaced Kevin's hat I quipped that if she
could have written that well on her SAT's she may have
gotten into UVA.  This set her off on a tirade of how
she never wanted to go to UVA and how they didn't have
the program she wanted there anyway.  I could tell
that I had struck a nerve.  Somewhere in the evening
she commented that even though her team had lost
(can't remember if she was talking about VT or
Baltimore) that they "still roll hard."  "We still
roll hard" tied "De-troit Ain't Shit" for quote of the
trip.  
 
Afterwards we ate at the ESPN Zone, where every TV in
the joint was showing baseball games on Fox Sports. 
When we asked for one of the screens to be switched to
Sportscenter so that we could see Tigers highlights,
the waiter told us it couldn't be done!!!  Then, as we
were on our way out, we found a TV that actually was
showing ESPN.  We gathered around to catch the
highlights but were given the boot as the place was
closing...at midnight on a Friday!  Unbelievable.  I
was less than impressed with this establishment.  
 
Camden was the consensus best ballpark of the trip,
though I preferred Philly.  The place certainly
deserves all the accolades it receives.  
 
*******************************
 
Saturday, July 2
Phillies 6 - Braves 3
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia PA
by: Adam "The Protester" Tate
 
July 2nd 2005 started out from the mecca of hotels in
Wilmington, Delaware and took us into the City of
Brotherly Love easily beating Live 8 traffic to 
see the Philladelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves
at Citizens Bank Park.  Once situated at the
Philiadelphia Sports Complex--where there is 
reportedly enough parking to accomodate a sellout
Phillies and Eagles game simultaneously--a game of
catch and football throwing ensued.  Just before 
entering the ballpark a group of us headed to the
infamous "Rocky" statue outside of the Spectrum.  A
dollar race to the statue accross a 4 lane 
intersection pitted upstart Mike Claus versus scrappy
Kirk Hanna.  A close race resulted in a dramatic
decision crowning Mike Claus the Champion.
 
Upon entering Citizens Bank Park, my initial reaction
was that the park offerred an open yet intimate feel. 
A wall illustrating the many relevant points of
history from Shibe Park to Veterans Stadium, to now
the current home of the Phils.  Plaques of former
Philly stars were also prominently displayed in a
tasteful manner.  The out of town scoreboard was the 
most extensive I have ever seen with its indication of
"ducks on the pond" and video screen on the right
field wall.  Citizens Bank Park was one of the few 
facilities where we were fortunate enough to show up
in time for batting practice.  Several members of our
crew were in position to come away with a fine
souvenir, the only souvenir from this venture would be
Kirk Hanna's bruised butt from being outmuscled for a
ball and discarded to the pavement.
 
The pregame celebration proved to be rather amusing,
as a newbie relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves made
his way to the bullpen with a pink suitcase as he paid
his rookie dues to Philly fans singing "Man, I feel
like a woman,"  to the Shania Twain classic as it
blasted through the stadium speakers.  In addition,
the Philly Phanatic lived up to his billing as the
greatest mascot in the world, by screaming onto the
field on a 4-wheeler. His antics included taunting
fans, bothering umps, and shooting hotdogs miserably
into the crowd, one of which completely de-packaged on
its way into someones lap.
 
The game itself was not very endearing to the die hard
Atlanta Braves fan that I am,  as Brett Myers carved a
masterpiece out of rookie and minor league quality
Braves hitters.  I believe he was inspired by his
following of upper deck cronies labeling themselves as
"Bretts Pets," decked out in pet costumes it appeared.
You may remember classic Philly entourages such as
the "Wolf Pack" in honor of Randy Wolf and of course
the "Padilla Floatilla" in support of Vicente Padilla.
Although the three man "Bretts Pets" crew was not as
strong it seems to be heading in the right direction.
Other phans of note included a group of hispanic phans
who provided bonus entertainment a few rows back the
entire game.  And how can I forget the "Prince"
shirt-wearing phan who looked more out of place than
Jason Bay at last night's Home Run Derby.
 
As far as the ballpark concessions are concerned at
the CBB, there was no doubting the quality of the
Philly Cheesesteak, a Philadelphia staple.  As 
many on the roadtrip would be willing to attest to, it
was arguably the best food any ballpark on the trip
had to offer.  The water ice also was a tasty 
and refreshing Philadelphia treat, great for my late
inning sweet tooth and thirst craving wrapped into
one.
 
Although the Philadelphia experience to this point was
one of a kind, the highlight for myself came when a
ninth inning braves rally prompted me to stand up
among a sea of Philly red to tomahawk myself with a
smattering of boos and the Braves to three runs.  In
the process of doing this, I caught the eye of a
youngster between the age of 4 and 5 decked head to
toe in Philly gear to join me in tomahawking and
battle-chanting my Braves around the bases,  With only
a few threats on my life from the father who swore he
would track me down if his son ever turned into a
braves fan, the experience was unforgettable.
 
The game ended with Phillies winning 6-3, though I do
believe the Braves took the series. The ballpark ranks
high among those I have seen although I would take
Comerica Park over it any day.  The overall experience
was amazing and I recommend it to everyone with a
serious interest in our nation's pastime.
 
*******************************
 
Sunday, July 3
Marlins 3 - Mets 0
SHEA STADIUM - New York City, New York
by: Kevin "The Knee-Killer" Kopec
 
This is Kevin Kopec, reporting for duty.  For all of
you Tigers' Weekly fans out there I was one of the ten
men who served their cause well from June 29 - July 5
on Baseball Roadtrip 4.  This was my second roadtrip
experience and it always proves to be one of the
highlights of the year for me.  The gentlemen I served
with are outstanding baseball people who
made this trip fun and exciting.
 
My report is on Day 5 of Baseball Roadtrip, which was
Sunday, July 3, 2005.  The game we went to this day
was the Florida Marlins at the New York Mets.  As a
Mets fan since I hopped on the bandwagon back in 1986,
I always enjoy a visit to Shea Stadium.  Matt O'Toole,
Chas Claus, Kirk Hanna, and Mike Claus took the early
train into the city so they could catch Mass at St.
Patrick's Cathedral....only to never find the
Cathedral.  (Matt O'Toole later found it the following
day).  The rest of us hopped on board the train out of
Edison New Jersey, bound for Penn
Station in New York City.  Everyone was fired up to
ride the infamous "7 train to Shea" made famous of
course by former Braves closer John Rocker.  As is my
experience on the 7 train, it always disappoints in
comparison to how John Rocker explains it.  It was a
non-eventful, quiet ride through Queens with fellow
Mets fans who were willing to show up an hour and a
half early to the ball park.
 
I believe Shea was the biggest stadium we visited (RFK
and Yankee Stadium are similar in size) and it is your
classic 1960s-70s ballpark.  It is painted all blue on
the outside, and there are many vendors
selling items in the ballpark parking lot.  We got
there in time to watch the Mets take some batting
practice, only to discover our seats were somewhat
obstructed view.  We were close to the field, but with
the middle level hanging over our heads, we were
unable to really see any fly balls that went up in the
air.  We also had to bend our necks way down by our
waists to see the big scoreboards and out-of-town
scoreboards.  Lucky for us it was a pitchers' game in
a pitchers' park, as Dontrelle Willis of the Marlins
put on the pitching performance of the trip, going the
distance in a 3-0 Marlins victory.  Victor Zambrano of
the Mets also pitched well, giving up only 3 runs in 8
innings. There were no home runs and so we never got
to see the "Red Apple" with the Mets logo flash up
from the outfield.
 
Mets fans are classic New York fans.  They cheer all
game, winning or losing, and boo bad baseball.  I was
pleased with Met fans as they started cheers up on
their own, without needing prompting from the P.A.
"Let's Go Mets" was the popular cheer of the day. 
What I liked most about Shea was the pregame ceremony,
as they had a choir from the armed
services singing patriotic songs, as well as the
national anthem.  This had a great 4th of July feeling
to it, even though we would not celebrate this holiday
until the following day.  The choir also sang a great
rendition of "God Bless America" during the 7th inning
stretch, and then of course, the organ busted out a
full version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
 
Post-game, we ventured into the city and were
unsuccessful in our attempts to go up the Empire State
Building.  We did go to Ground Zero and if you haven't
been there, it is quite the moving experience.  I
would recommend a visit to all before the Freedom
Tower and memorials are built.  After we checked out
Wall Street, we headed over to Little
Italy for some classic N.Y. style pizza.  Finally, we
finished up our New York adventures in Times Square,
seeing the bright lights of the Big Apple at night. 
We checked out all of the sights, including
Letterman's studio and of course, the ESPNZone (9.50
for a beer!!!!).  We were back in New Jersey by
midnight to get some rest for an early morning at
Yankee Stadium.  Not the best ballpark, but a solid
day overall.
 
***************************
 
Monday, July 4
Yankees 13 - Orioles 8
Yankee Stadium, The Bronx NY
by:  Toolie
 
I'd just like to take this last moment to chastise the
road-trippers that failed to write in.  More than
anything I wanted the different perspectives.  Also,
these things take a good long time to write.  Thanks
to the Kopecs and Tate for relieving me of some of the
burden.
 
We rode the train in again from Jersey and I split up
from the group to find St. Patrick's Cathedral.  This
time I was successful and was very happy with my
decision to do so.  The place was palatial and I spent
a good deal of time admiring the architecture and
displays dedicated to different saints.  The rest of
the gang took a free tour of Monument Park in left
field of Yankee Stadium.  
 
Our seats were in the upper deck, which was about as
steep as gas these days.  Chas, unfortunately, had to
sit in a different section of the park.  Directly in
front of us was a whole row of big-spending Japanese
Matsui fans, and another row forward was full of A-Rod
fans.  We were all pulling for Baltimore as one could
deduce from Kirk Hanna's Baltimore jersey and Tate's
"Yankees Suck" shirt.  
 
It seemed like the game took as long as it possibly
could.  There were seventeen total walks and about as
many trips to the mound by pitching coaches.  The
teams used a combined twelve different pitchers.  What
was worse was that the Yankees led 6-0, then trailed
8-6, and then scored seven in the eighth and held on
for the win... all in the short span of four hours and
twenty minutes.  
 
Mark Gentry, Kelly Hanna, and I scored some free
chicken tenders while waiting in line for food. 
Gentry struck up a conversation with another Cardinals
fan who had received a free order due to a screw-up. 
The fellow gave us the tenders and fries to split,
which helped to tide us over.  It was a nice bonus and
moves Cardinal fans up on my list.  
 
After the game we were hassled by some crazy guy who
wanted to use Gentry in unnatural ways.  He also had
some things to say about Albert Pujols and Tony
LaRussa.  To repeat what was said would be to risk the
PG rating of this publication, so I'll refrain. 
There's no place like New York City.  
 
We left the city (much to the chagrin of the Grey Fox)
and picked up dinner.  At the restaurant they were
showing a replay of the game we had just sat through! 
Thankfully the bartender was willing to change the
channel.  Though it was awesome to be at Yankee
Stadium, if I could erase one game from my memory it
might be that one.  
 
We had a good view of the Stadium from where we were
sitting.  The organ was a nice touch and the announcer
had a style that was loved by some and loathed by
others (this involved saying the number of the player,
then the name, and then repeating the number).  I
really didn't notice it.  Yankee Stadium was a cool
place to be on the 4th of July.  
 
******************************
 
Tuesday, July 5
The Ride Home
by: Toolie
 
On the ride home we voted for awards for the trip. 
The most fun were the tournaments we held (with
brackets, of course) for best shirt seen on the trip
and quote of the trip.  I've already stated what
happened in the quote contest, and a shirt from the
National's game that said "Beer Pong Event Staff" won
that competition (I was pulling for "Rich Bitch,"
which was worn by a young lady in New York at the
pizza place who was masterfully playing the part).  We
said our goodbyes in Warren and everyone went their
separate ways.  It was the end of a great journey and
everyone hoped that they would be able to indulge
again next year.  Given the chance I will make sure to
attend.  I hope to have links to the pictures posted
on the website soon.
 
-----------------------------------------------------
Tigers Weekly Baseball Game...
-----------------------------------------------------
 
The baseball game was a complete success.  We ended up
with a good field, nineteen players, and one umpire. 
Nine of the players involved all worked for the same
company and they asked to play as a team.  So those
nine took on the rest of us, which were comprised of
Weekly readers and friends/family.  So the game was
billed as Agate vs. The Weekly.  A flip of a coin
determined that The Weekly would be the home team.  
 
We played seven innings at slightly less than full
speed.  The pitchers were allowed to throw curveballs,
but decided to take a little bit off of the fastballs.
We used aluminum bats and had enough helmets.  We did
move the plate back a few feet as it was a little
close.  The Weekly had ten players, so we just batter
all ten and rotated a different person in and out of
the field each inning.  Cameron, our umpire, did a
fantastic job.  Thankfully Josh Tkaczyk brought a
scorebook and we had some spectators who kept a very
nice book.  Here is how the day turned out.
 
July 10:  Agate 4 - The Weekly 10
Starters:  AG: J. Tkaczyk 4IP - TW: Weiland 6IP
AG  110 101 0   4  6 0
TW  130 141 X  10 12 2
W: Weiland
L: J. Tkaczyk
 
Box Score

Hitters
-------
Agate                        The Weekly
          AB R H BI BB K               AB R H BI BB K
Cleland    2 0 1  0  2 1     Puckett    3 1 2  1  1 0
Collins    4 1 1  0  0 1     Senters    4 0 1  1  0 0
Tkaczyk J. 2 0 0  0  2 0     Vessell B. 4 1 2  0  0 0
Minto      3 0 0  1  0 0     Weiland    2 1 1  1  1 0
Jenkins    4 0 0  0  0 1     Ostrander  2 1 0  0  2 2
Strom      4 0 1  0  0 3     Vessell J. 3 1 2  2  0 0
Pelowski   3 1 2  0  1 1     O'Toole    3 2 1  0  1 0
Tkaczyk B. 3 0 1  0  1 2     Dabkowski  3 1 2  2  0 0
Finkbeiner 2 2 0  0  2 1     Thurston   2 2 1  1  1 0
                        	 Friday     2 0 0  0  1 2
 
Pitchers
--------
Agate               IP  H  R ER BB SO
Tkaczyk J.           4  7  5  5  3  3
Cleland              2  4  5  5  4  1
 
The Weekly  IP  H  R ER BB SO
Weiland              6  4  4  3  8  9
Vessell J.   1  2  0  0  0  1
 
Umpire:  Cameron Rodgers
Attendance:  Between 7-15 people
Weather:  Sunny and 85
 
Game MVP:  Matt Weiland kept Agate hitters off balance
with his curveball and worked through eight walks and
two errors behind him to yield three earned runs in
six innings.  Both teams seemed about equally matched,
and it was Weiland's pitching that made the
difference.  He also had a nice day at the plate.
 
I think everyone was pleased with the experience.  I
was a little nervous as we had nineteen people signed
up, leaving little room for last-minute cancellations.
Everyone showed up, though, and the game went off
without a hitch.  Josh and his buddies brought a
cooler full of water and some snacks and everyone had
enough to drink (as far as I know).  I'm just glad I
didn't have to catch!  Many thanks to all that did.  I
was also impressed with the play of the Agate
center-fielder.  I made one of the two errors as I got
spooked hearing footsteps and totally botched a
potential 5-3 putout.  I was quite happy with the
overall level of play.
 
Post-game about nine of us (three from the Agate
team)gathered at Trippers and shared some good food
and frosty beverages.  We all shared the sentiment
that this was an event that should be repeated at some
time, if not on a regular basis.
 
-----------------------------------------------------
Baseball Below Skeet Shooting...
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Thanks to Derek Muller for the heads-up on this one.  
 
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2103234
&name=FPT-2103234-070810&srvc=sz 
 
What a joke and a slap in the face to the game of
baseball.  Just because Europe isn't hip to the game
doesn't mean baseball should be thrown out of the
Olympics.  The Carribean, South America, and the Far
East also feel the burn of this elimination.  The
Olympics just lost one of the greatest team sports
there is.  
 
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Poll Question...
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Kenny Rogers ended up going to the All-Star Game.  Was
this a good decision or no?  Also, what do you see
happening in the second half?  Can the Nationals keep
their lead in the NL East?  Who will win the AL East? 
Any chance that the White Sox fall off?  Can the
Tigers compete for the Wild Card?  Feel free to create
your own question to answer. 
 
-----------------------------------------------------
Game Linescores...
-----------------------------------------------------
 
July 8:  Detroit 6 - Tampa Bay 4
Starters:  DET: Douglass 5IP - TBD: McClung 7IP
DET  301 000 020  6 9 1
TBD  200 010 010  4 7 0
W: Douglass (2-0)
L: McClung  (0-5)
S: Percival (8)
 
July 9:  Detroit 7 - Tampa Bay 3
Starters:  DET: Robertson 1 Pitch - TBD: Kazmir 3IP
DET  401 000 200  7 10 0
TBD  000 000 102  3  8 0
W: German (3-0)
L: Kazmir (3-7)
 
July 10:  Detroit 4 - Tampa Bay 5
Starters:  DET: Johnson 7IP - TBD: Nomo 5.1IP
DET  001 210 000  4 13 0
TBD  000 120 002  5 10 1
W: Baez     (5-2)
L: Percival (1-3)
 
July 11:  Detroit 9 - Tampa Bay 4
Starters:  DET: Maroth 5.1IP - TBD: Hendrickson 2.2IP
DET  114 000 300  9 15 0
TBD  300 001 000  4 10 2
W: Maroth      (7-9)
L: Hendrickson (3-6)
 
July 12:  International Home Run Derby @ Comerica Park

First Round:  Top Four Advance
 
Bobbby Abreu    24  (single round record)
David Ortiz     17
Carlos Lee      11
Ivan Rodriguez   7
Hee-Seop Choi    5
Andruw Jones     5
Mark Teixeira    2
Jason Bay        0
 
Second Round:  Top Two Advance
 
Ivan Rodriguez   8
Bobby Abreu      6
Carlos Lee       4
David Ortiz      3
 
Finals
 
Bobby Abreu     11
Ivan Rodriguez   5
 
July 13:  AL/NL All-Star Game
Starters:  NL: Carpenter 1IP - AL: Buerhle 2IP
NL  000 000 212  5 11 0
AL  012 202 00X  7 11 1
W: Buerhle
L: Smoltz
S: Rivera
MVP: Miguel Tejada 
 
-----------------------------------------------------
Readers Write In...
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Matt "The Deuce" Weiland
 
Toolie,
 
To tell you the truth I am having trouble with the new
(home run derby) format.  Please tell me it is not a
PR stunt to boost international relations.  Is
baseball's fan base in America hurting so much that we
are casting out a line to hook the international
circuit?  I understand that a lot of the talent on the
field these days comes from outside the US, so if this
format is to showcase that talent and parade the
involement of the world, great. However if this is
some promotion of diversity, give me a break.
 
Here's a thought, since president Bush was an owner
once apon a time, you think this is part of his new
foreign relations program?  To think he might be
pimping other countries players, I love it.  Peace
 
Weiland
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Dallas "Utility Man" Senters
 
i am happily suffering the effects of sunburn.  why
happily?  because i got sunburn while in various posts
in the field of the tigers weekly baseball 
game!
 
the game was great, without exception.  good guys,
good organization, well played, perfect weather, and i
didn't strike out.  matt weiland's performance
(9 k's on the mound while scattering 4 hits over 6
innings) was impressive.  i got to catch 2 of those 6
innings.  thanks, o'toole, for the initiative, and for
place to sleep and shower.
 
the indians went from being one of the hottest teams
in the league to losing to the stupid yankees...boo
yankees.  the reds continue to be a team that
frustrates its fans.  hot gossip right now involves
both teams, by means of willy mo pena or austin kearns
heading off to cleveland from cincinnati.
 
i like the all-star rosters for the most part.  i
think that the american league starters are more
appropriate than the national league's, but most of 
the deserving players are going to detroit...i have
agreed with most of the talking heads that have said
that baseball needs to decide if this is a fan
exhibition or a mid-season inter-league competition. 
the month of june was very good for travis hafner of
the indians...one of the snubs as i see it.  
scott rolen doesn't really need to be an all-star
based on this year, nor does carlos beltran
(especially since pedro isn't going to pitch...how
funny is the stat where all but one of beltran's
homeruns this year have been in games where pedro
pitched?)
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Steve "The Bachelor" Sprague
 
I only have two problems with the All Star rosters. 
The first is that there is no Derek Jeter.  I hate the
Yankees as much as anybody, I actually
purchased "The Devil Wears Pinstripes" by Jim Caple,
but seriously.  The guy is voted the face of baseball
and that causes other players and sportwriters to get
their panties in a bunch so much that they openly
campaign to keep him out of the game?  Let's be
honest, he's one of the best players on the most
visible franchise.  He should always be in the All
Star game.  Bill Simmons recently made this point in
his column and I agree.  It's just like with the NBA. 
During Michael Jordan's last comeback with Washington
there was plenty of support to argue that he didn't
deserve to be in the game.
Everyone knew though that picking someone like Ron
Artest, or Richard Hamilton, good players who were
deserving of being in the game, over Jordan was a dumb
move.  The All Star game is a time to celebrate the
stars of the league.  Jeter is a star, a superstar
actually, and his October achievements
should get him in always.  If Bud Selig were as good
of a commish as David Stern I guarantee Jeter would
have been selected as a reserve and not even
had to worry about the final man vote.
 
The second problem is Kenny Rogers and what will
happen if/when he pulls out of the game.  He does not
deserve to be there.  The All Star game is a time
to promote the stars of the game, not the bullies who
attack a hardworking camerman just doing his job.  I
don't think the situation is as bad as some are
saying, the guy got a couple of cuts and then milked
it for everything it was worth appearing on every show
he could.  Doesn't change the fact the Rogers should
stay home during the break and get some therapy for
his anger management problems.
 
My big problem though is that Terry Francona is going
to replace Rogers with Matt Clement if Rogers steps
down.  First this is crummy because he is saying that
it's Kenny's decision, but I've got a back up already 
picked out.  Second Detroit deserves more than one All
Star.  They are hosting the game, and as O'Toole
pointed out Milwaukee got two selections when they
hosted.  Bonderman's stats are just as good as
Clements and Clement pitches for the better team. 
Plus it's stupid on Francona's part.  The Sox are
going to count on Clement down the stretch.  Why pitch
him in a meaningless exhibition game.  What of he
takes a line drive off the elbow a la Mark
Prior?  What if he takes one off the head?  Is it
really worth risking injury to a key part of your
team, and denying the host city an all star just to
reward one of your guys?  I don't think so.
 
Sprague
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Nick "Stickman" Ciofani
 
First off, I'm not the recapper that Matt is so I'm
not going to even try...with that said here's what I
experienced at the July 2nd LA Dodgers v. Arizona
Diamondbacks game.
 
**6 HRs

**A Balk!  Which scored a run, I did not know that the
ump signals that there was a balk by kicking up dirt
in front of him a la Lou Pinella with umps he
disagrees with.  

**Luis Gonzalez's catch, it was amazing, he went head
first into the outfield stands to take away a home
run, and like typical Dodger fans, no one blocked him
a la Steve Bartman.  

**More sac bunts than I have ever seen in my life.  I
don't care what anyone says having pitchers bat is
borrrrrrrrring.  Give me Travis Hafner over Derek Lowe
anyday!
 
It was a fun time and Dodger stadium is a classic.
 
-----------------------------------------------------
 
Toolie's Trashtalk...
 
There's been plenty to read already.  I'll be quick
and let you get on with your life (and let myself get
to bed). 
 
Check out what Gary $heffield had to say about the
upcoming World Baseball Classic...
 
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2106141
(EN: Link no longer works)
 
As good as Sheffield is, I've never cared for him
much.  He is one of the most selfish players in the
game.  I guess it's fitting that he plays for the
Yanks.
 
The Tigers could be good in the second half, but I'm
in a see-it-to-believe-it kind of mood.  They must win
three against the Royals and show up against the White
Sox.  Then they have five big games at Comerica vs.
the Twins.  We should see the offensive lineup that
Dombrowski and company imagined at the beginning of
the season.  
 
July 2nd must have been Baseball Day across America. 
I received calls from Nick Ciofani (in L.A.) and Dr.
Deborah Kent (in Baltimore) as they shared their
experiences with me.  I also got a call from my friend
Angela on the 6th as she was enjoying the
Tigers/Indians game from a luxury box!  She even got
to see a Tigers victory.  Talk about a great
experience!
 
Sprague, the only point where I disagree is the injury
issue.  Those guys play 162 games each year.  If you
get injured in the All-Star game, it would probably be
doing something that you would do during a regular
game anyway.  So it's not like the players are at a
huge extra risk by playing in the All-Star game. 
You're just as likely to get injured crossing the
street.
 
I hope to have more pictures and such on the website
as soon as I can get them to Gilbert and he can put
them up.  I'll alert everyone when changes have been
made.  
 
That's all.  
 
I'm out.
 





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