Tigers Weekly 2005 Season

Week 7: 5/17/05 - 5/23/05

WANTED: OFFENSE.  
 
What is up with the Tigers' bats?  Last year the
Tigers were tearing up the American League with one of
the top batting averages.  Coming into Tuesday the
Tigers are 7th in the AL in batting and OBP, 9th in
runs scored, and 12th in the league in home runs with
33 (eight fewer home runs than the Royals).  Going
into the season it appeared that the Tigers' success
would rest on the performance of the starting
pitching.  If you told me that the team ERA would be
3.66 at this time, I'd ask by how many games they were
ahead of the Twins.  As it is, the Tigers trail the
Twins and the MLB leading White Sox.  Lack of offense
has plagued the Tigers and has wasted several good
outings by the starters.  Thankfully there were some
late-inning heroics this week to keep our hopes up
that this team can produce runs in the clutch (or just
produce at all).  
 
New Subscribers...
 
"Special" Ed Brooks

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Week of 5/17 - 5/23
 
Record:  3-3  WWLLWL-
 
Undy-Five-Hundy:  Well it wasn't exactly the week that
we had hoped for, so the Tigers remain at two games
undy.  The team continues to hover near the mark but
can't get over the hump.  They reached the five-hundy
mark after Wednesday's win, but lost three of the next
four games scoring only eight runs in those games. 
I'm sure the Yankees and Orioles will show up with
their bats, so the Tigers need to turn it on or face a
rough week.
 
Up Next for the Tigers...

May 24-26  @ New York Yankees
May 27-29  @ Baltimore
May 30     no game scheduled...
 
AL Central Standings...

CWS  31 14 -
MIN  25 18 5
DET  20 22 9.5
CLE  20 23 10
KCR  13 31 17.5
 
Tigers Division...

CWS  31 14 -
|
SFG  21 22 9
MIL  21 23 9.5
DET  20 22 9.5
CHC  20 22 9.5
CLE  20 23 10
 
Reminder:  The Tigers Division measures the Tigers vs.
the rest of the league.  It includes the top team in
baseball and also the teams that are nearest to the
Tigers.  So the Tigers are somewhat comparable to
those other teams near them. 
 
Tigers News and Notes:  The Tigers took on the Red Sox
this Monday in Cooperstown in the annual Hall of Fame
game.  Unfortunately it was only as exhibition, as the
Tigers beat the Sox 6-4.  Carlos Pena was 4-4 in the
game, further evidence that the game didn't count.

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Tiger of the Week...
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Pudge Rodriguez had a couple of huge hits this week. On Tuesday he lined a two-out two-strike pitch into left field in the ninth inning to tie the Devil Rays. The Tigers went on to win in the 11th. Against Arizona, the Tigers went down by a run in the 11th, but with Rodriguez's help they stormed back for two runs and the win. He led the team this week with a .375 batting average and now has his season average over .280. Maybe the Pudge we came to love last year is back again.

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No Love For the Pistons...
------------------------------------------------------

While out in Anaheim, Dmitri Young and Nook Logan were
asked who they thought was going to win the NBA
Championship this season.  Both of them answered
Miami, prompting the interviewer to ask "why not
Detroit?"  Their response was basically that Shaq and
Wade were going to be too tough.  Did they not see the
finals last season?  The Heat look a lot like last
year's Lakers to me.
 
I don't think it's a very good to be talking how you
think the Pistons aren't going to be able to get the
job done when:
 
1. They are the defending champions.
2. They are from the same city as the Tigers.
3. You play for the Tigers, who haven't played .500
   ball in over ten years. 
 
It just seemed like a silly thing to be saying in
public.  The Pistons lead their series with Miami 1-0.

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7th Inning Brain Stretch...
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Reader Greg "El Sue" Primeau sent in a question that I
thought was fun to think about.  Here it is (roughly
modified):  
 
Besides getting a hit, how many different ways are
there to get on base?

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Poll Question...
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Interleague play has started, so I'll pull the
standard question out of the bag.  How do you feel
about interleague play?  What parts of it would you
change if you could?

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Game Linescores...
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May 17:  Tampa Bay 3 - Detroit 4    F/11
Starters:  TBD: Fossum 5IP - DET: Johnson 8IP
TBD  010 100 100 00  3  8 1
DET  002 000 001 01  4 10 1
W: German (1-0)
L: Harper (0-2)
 
Toolie Sees a Ball Game:  Ahhh, a call from Gilbert
got me up and out to the D to see my second game of
the year.  We tried to rustle up a bigger crew, but
home improvement projects and working late kept things
at a twosome.  Traffic was virtually non-existant so
we made it to the stadium with some time to spare. 
But I was greeted with a major disappointment.  The
First and Bagley parking garage, which charged only
$1.75 after 6PM, was boarded up and out of operation. 
I was crushed.  So I ended up rolling the dice and
parking on the street.  I got away with it, so that
eased my pain.  
 
If you're ever going to see the Tigers play Tampa
don't worry about buying your tickets early (that four
dollar service charge is brutal).  When we got to the
ticket booth it was about five minutes until the game
would start.  Eight dollar tickets were still
available.  Another change was that we didn't get a
free hot dog and pop with the tickets.  I'm guessing
that they got rid of that deal, but if anyone knows
differently let me know.  Anyway, our seats were in
the third row, so it was a nice deal.
 
We had Ball Parks at the ball park, but I waited to
get them until I saw the Dunkin' Donuts race.  Biggie
Bagel took the checkered flag, with Cuppy Coffee
(representing the outfield) coming in a distant third.
Next time he'll have to go black so he's not so
weighted down.  
 
The story of the game was missed opportunities, but a
happy ending was still in the cards.  The Tigers took
a 2-1 lead when Thames and Infante hit back-to-back
homers in the third inning.  After Tampa had tied the
game, the Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth with
one out.  Trammell chose to lift Thames in favor of
Carlos Pena, who struck out.  Infante followed that
with a whiff of his own to end the threat.  This
ineptitude was magnified as the Rays took the lead in
the seventh.  Alex Sanchez (3 for 3 with a walk)
singled and went to third after a pickoff throw went
awry.  Toby Hall singled through a drawn-in infield
and it was 3-2.  But Ivan Rodriguez was able to come
through in the ninth.  A lazy liner just over the
third baseman's glove tied it, and a Rondell White
shot to the wall won the game in the 11th.  Rondell
had been stranded at third in the 10th after leading
off with a triple!  The bullpen was amazing, and Jason
Johnson wasn't bad either.  He could have easily had
two wins this week.  
 
Nook Logan was 0-6 in the leadoff spot, which was
disappointing as I wrote him in on my All-Star ballot
about twelve times.  I ended up just voting for a few
Tigers (Inge, Logan, Dmitri, Pudge, and Guillen) and
nobody else.  I've already voted my maximium 25 times
on mlb.com (and you should too!).  Some guys in front
of us kept doing the Jose Lima celebration (which they
had down pat).  They came to the front near us at the
end of the regulation innings.  A lot of people left
early.  On the way home we were passed by a black car
that was flying...only to be passed a couple of
seconds later by a cop!  The cop rode his bumper for a
few seconds and then hit the flashers.  He got him! 
It was good for some laughs.  1-1 for me this season.  
 
May 18:  Tampa Bay 4 - Detroit 6
Starters:  TBD: Waechter 2.1IP - DET: Ledezma 5IP
TBD  100 300 000  4  6 3
DET  123 000 00X  6 11 0
W: Ledezma  (2-3)
L: Waechter (1-3)
S: Urbina   (5)
 
May 19:  Tampa Bay 6 - Detroit 2
Starters:  TBD: Kazmir 5.2IP - DET: Maroth 6IP
TBD  020 211 000  6 13 0
DET  000 002 000  2  6 0
W: Kazmir (1-4)
L: Maroth (4-3)
S: Baez   (4)
 
May 20:  Arizona 6 - Detroit 2
Starters:  ARI: Webb 8IP - DET: Bonderman 6IP
ARI  200 000 022  6 13 0
DET  000 000 200  2  6 2
W: Webb   (6-0)
L: Walker (2-2)
S: Bruney (4)
 
May 21:  Arizona 2 - Detroit 3  F/11
Starters:  ARI: Estes 6.1IP - DET: Robertson 6.2IP
ARI  000 000 100 01  2  7 0
DET  000 000 100 02  3 11 0
W: German (2-0)
L: Bruney (0-2)
 
May 22:  Arizona 1 - Detroit 0
Starters:  ARI: Vazquez 9IP - DET: Johnson 8IP
ARI  000 000 010  1 5 0
DET  000 000 000  0 5 0
W: Vazquez (5-3)
L: Johnson (2-4)

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Readers Write In...
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Peter "Gammons" Radabaugh
 
Love your column. I have gone to a couple of games
this year so far. I saw the Tigers look lifeless in a
loss to the White Sox 8-0 where the only good news was
that Kyle Farnsworth signed my kids hats. This past
Saturday I went to see the White Sox and Orioles play.
The O's can hit. The White Sox can steal bases but did
not look smart on the basepaths. The White Sox had
three runners thrown out at home. Two on bad
baserunning and one because Paul Konerko carries too
many pianos on his back. Baltimore 9 and Chicago 6. In
your standings you show the 2003 Tigers record. Why
not show last years record also to compare how we are
doing with basically the same but more experienced
team? The most exciting play is the inside the park
home run. Thanks.
 
Peter Radabaugh

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Greg "El Sue" Primeau
 
Hey O' Come for pizza
 
I have to agree with you, Tigerscentral is a nice
site. Thank you for the tip. I enjoy your news letter
as well.
 
Talk to you later
 
Primeau

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Bill "Shemp" Peterson
 
Well Mr. Toolie, thanks for adding me to your list,
and since I am new here, I will be gentle.  I must
disagree however about the Tiger/D'Back series. Yes,
the D'Backs are now battling the Padres and Dodgers
for the lead of the NL West.  Moreover, yes the Tigers
really have no NL rivals or do they?  
Although this seems a goofy pairing, the last two
years have created a great baseball rivalry.  
 
Why?
2003: The D'Backs sweep the Tigers, with #3 Rookie of
the Year (2003), Brandon Webb pitching a shutout that
weekend. D'Back's 2nd baseman Matt Kata, another
rookie, earns ESPN's play of the week with a diving
catch that he recovers with to turn two. 

2004: The Tigers fire back and sweep the D'Backs with
two of the games ending in home runs. The first of
them was a Comerica Park record (457 feet) by Eric
Munson (I was at all of those games).  That ball hit
the GM fountain ivy wall.  The second was a grand slam
by Carlos Pena completing the weekend sweep. 
 
Granted, many trades have happened since, but J.
Johnson, Maroth, Young and Pena for the T's and Webb,
Koplove, Gonzales and Cintron for the D's remember the
last two years.  Now we have two teams that are
actually in contention for something more that 500.  I
anticipate an intense weekend for both teams.
 
To say the series between these two teams is a boring
one makes me wonder if you even watched the last two
series.  
 
Regards,
Shemp

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Ch"Aase" Claus
 
In recent weeks, the editor has asked some very
insightful and thought-provoking questions to which I
would have liked to respond.  Unfortunately, A.P.
classes and tennis tournaments have kept me from 
doing so.  However, I would like to share my wisdom on
these topics at this time.
 
What is the worst venue that you've ever personally
played a sporting event at?
 
Forgiving the editor’s blatant hanging preposition, I
humbly submit:

“The Claus House Driveway Basketball Court” a.k.a.
“Alabama”

First of all, the court itself looks like a map of
Alabama, turned 90 degrees to the right.  (If using
the below map, picture that the hoop is at the
conjunction of US-45 and US-84 south of Meridian,
Mississippi):
http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/state/alabama.html
The baseline (western border) is relatively normal. 
However, there is an odd little jutting peninsula in
the southwestern corner that allows one to shoot a
20-foot jump shot, whereas moving only a step or two
to one’s right puts one at least 10 feet out-of-bounds
(into the Gulf of Mexico.)  While 20 feet is the
outermost limit from the left side, the court
continues indefinitely to the right, so that one might
put up a 75-foot shot from that side.

To make matters worse, there are two major slopes on
play.  One starts at the house (western border) and
continues gradually downhill as one gets 
farther from the hoop (eastern border).  The “James
Naismith” of Claus House decided that the best move
was to make a free throw be on a regulation 
10-foot hoop.  This means that layups are shot on a
hoop that is about 5’8” and a three-point shot is on a
hoop a minimum of 10’8” and the hoop gets 
higher as the shooter gets further (or is it farther?)

The second major slope is in the previously described
area that is out-of-bounds even though a player is
only ten feet from the hoop (the Gulf 
of Mexico, to maintain the Alabama analogy).  This
area features a sudden decline that sends errant
passes or moderately-long rebounds hurling into 
the night.  As children, we destroyed a decade of
valiant attempts by Mrs. Claus to plant tulips on this
hill.  In recent years the Claus parents have 
had their revenge by planting a series of massive,
low-hanging pine trees in what I believe NASA used to
term – during the Apollo project – the “prime 
recovery zone.”  Thus, the unfortunate player who
touched the ball last (house rules!) has to creep into
the abyss and crawl around under a series 
of pine trees in the general area of the neighbor’s
compost pile to find the ball.

I could mention that the jutting peninsula is
bordered by both a deck and some rather slippery
wooden steps guaranteed to sprain one’s ankle…

I could mention the low-hanging branches in the
northwest corner that block every shot that goes more
than 8 feet off the ground…

I could mention the plethora of cars that usually
turn the game into more of an obstacle course than a
basketball court…

I could mention the 4-foot stone wall (on the eastern
border) that is liable to send any player who actually
hustles for the ball to the hospital…

…but I think that you get the picture.
 
Bobby Higginson: pro (baseball player) or con (-vict,
who stole years of salary)?

I, for one, have always rather liked Bobby.  This has
admittedly been harder to do in recent years, as his
numbers have declined.  However, I have 
always respected that he said from the very beginning
of his career that he wanted to stay in Detroit for
life.  He said this before he ever got the big 
contract and he said this even when Detroit was the
worst of 120 major pro sports franchises in this
country, and players were going to teams offering 
half the salary that Detroit offered just to stay off
of the godforsaken Tigers.

That considered, I acknowledge that he hasn’t hit his
hat size in the past few years.  He hasn’t produced
and I am not happy about that.  But how 
can we really criticize the man for being a good
capitalist?  He’s just yet another Randy Smith
debacle, except this time instead of Randy doing 
his best to help the Diamondbacks or Yankees or Blue
Jays, he did his best to help a mediocre player by
paying him as though he was a great one.  As 
far as I’m concerned, blame Randy – not Bobby.  Hell,
if the Tigers offered me that kind of money to hang
around the Mendoza Line and get injured every 
couple of months, I would take it, too!

Also, might I add, if the Tigers outfielders were
playing the woeful way that they were expected to play
from the start of the season (i.e. Rondell 
White = too old, Craig Monroe = too crappy, Nook Logan
= who?!?!) instead of playing like all-stars, then the
Magglio Ordonez signing would look as 
bad, if not worse, than the Higginson signing!

If I were the Tigers G.M., as long as Bobby didn’t
develop a bad attitude in the locker room, I would
keep him.  I like having people around who 
love the D, and I like having someone who went though
the 119-loss era to put things in perspective for the
younger guys.  His only ticket out of town, for me,
would be if (a) he became a cancer in the clubhouse or
(b) some other team foolishly offered to take on a
huge chunk of his contract.
 
Is there another team in MLB that you pull for / how
did you come to root for that team?

There are a few other Major League teams that I do
support wholeheartedly.  One used to be the Red Sox,
but I liked them as the loveable loser.  Now I 
hate them nearly to the point that I hate the Yankees.
Only a few weeks ago I pulled my “Red Sox Nation”
sticker off of my car, where it had happily 
resided for two years.  I like the Chicago Cubs, but
if they win the Series I expect my feelings for them
to go the way of Beantown.  But I digress – there is
one team that I love that I think I would still love
if they won it all…

…and that is the St. Louis Cardinals.  I came to love
them for a number of reasons.  First, their fans are
both polite and die-hards at the same time.  
I first went to a Cards game four years ago with my
brothers.  We watched the Cards beat the Tigers 3-2,
on an outstanding effort by Matt Morris.  Jose “Say My
Name, Say My Name, O’Toole” Lima gave up three solo
homeruns in the loss, including a monster shot by Mark
“Andro” McGwire, which we nearly caught midway up the
third deck in left.  Anyway, the fans there were
great! 

They were decked out universally in cardinal red,
they engaged us in conversation, they weren’t jerks
when they beat us.  They were just a class act all the
way.  Since that game, I’ve been back twice.  I saw
them play the San Francisco Giants on Sunday
afternoons in 2003 (2nd hottest game I’ve ever been
to) and 2004 (2nd coldest game I’ve ever been to) and
my view of their team, city and fans only improved.

Also, my love of St. Louis is somewhat out of envy. 
They are what the Tigers should be.  They are a
mid-market, Midwestern team with great fans and a
solid team – a team that develops its own players
(Albert Pujols), keeps stars if they can be afforded
(Mark McGwire), gets a lot out of apparently mediocre
players (Matt Morris) and makes wise decisions 
about which free-agent veterans actually have
something to contribute (Larry Walker).  The Tigers
are also a mid-market, Midwestern team with great 
fans – but their team has been absolute garbage in
recent years.  The Tigers have tried to buy their
talent (Juan Gonzales), given away stars for
absolutely nothing (Luis Gonzales, Cecil Fielder for
Matt Drews), get very little out of mediocre players
(Bobby Higginson) and make crappy decisions about 
which free-agent veterans actually have something to
contribute (Fernando Vina, Troy Percival, Magglio
Ordonez, etc.)

The Cards play hard, they fill the stadium, and they
win.  They applaud their team, win or lose.  They
applaud their opponents for a job well-done 
(2004 World Series).  They are a great franchise on a
Tigers-sized budget, and someday I hope that the D has
a team which will deserve to have the same 
nice things said about it.

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Dave "Dellucci" Dixon
 
It's good to see Damion Easley is still sucking it up
with his typical .235 batting average with Florida
this year.  I can't believe they signed him for 
750k....what a waste of money.  I hate Damion Easley. 
Plus he's 35 now, which means his dismal career is
fading into the sunset.....

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Deana "Carter" Carr
 
I agree with the series against Arizona.  What's that
all about?  Maybe if we played some games each year
with a National League team that was somewhere in the
Midwest region, we might GET a rivalry going!  How
many Tiger fans are going to make a trip to Arizona to
see them?  Not many, I'd say.  Maybe Cincinnati?  The
Cubbies?  Just thoughts.
 
I TOTALLY agree with your assessment of Bobby and the
sore elbow DL--alias "terrible batting average".  He
did that a few years ago when the Yankees were set to
trade for him.  All of sudden he had "turf toe".  And
it mysteriously went away after the trade deadline. 
What a loser.  This year can't come to an end too soon
to get rid of him.
 
The only thing I DO like about him (and I hate to even
admit it), is watching him throw runners out from RF. 
He's got a great arm.  (Or HAD.....I haven't seen him
do it in a while.)
 
Thanks for the tigerscentral website.  I LOVE the
schedule/calendar/picture.  That will be my wallpaper
at work for the month!
 
I AM stubborn because I still call them the California
Angels.  I canNOT get used to the LAA in the paper!  I
always think of the Dodgers.  Oh well.
 
Baseball is definitely built for radio.  I was one of
those kids who grew up listening to Ernie every night
as I went to bed....with the radio under my pillow. 
And when I moved to Minnesota, I could STILL get the
games on WJR.....600 miles away!  I used to sit in my
car at night listening to Tiger games.  (Does that
qualify me as a loser?)  So much for that now that WJR
is gone.  But I love seeing the boys on FOX (yes, I
got a satellite dish so I could see the
Tigers.....guess that answers the loser question).
 
I LOVE going to the ballpark, and go to Detroit as
many times as possible in the summer.  I ALWAYS park
in Greektown, so I have to go past the Astoria Bakery
on the way back to my car to get a....what
else?...."Tiger Tail" pastry.  They're excellent!  I
have to get a Mountain Dew and a scorecard, and sit
somewhere in the sun (even if it isn't my seat).  Put
down the temp, the time of the first pitch, the last
out, and the attendance.  I even save the scorecards. 
I have NO idea why, but I do.
 
I don't get why people think baseball is boring. 
There of course are moments, as in any game.  But it's
so exciting.  Like tonight's game!  They actually came
from behind in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game. 
Lead-off triple in the 10th and they don't score??!! 
Urbina strikes out the side (that's a miracle in
itself....).  Then the guy that Mario and Rod dubbed
"player of the game" boots a single into a double in
the 11th and that's ultimately how we win.  Gotta love
it!
 
Your comments about how even guys out of shape can be
a pitcher boggles the mind.  Isn't that the guy that
is in on EVERY play in the game?  You're right, of
course, but it doesn't make sense.  They should be in
the best shape.
 
And finally (I don't know what got me
started......sorry), I agree with your comments about
the fans interfering with a LIVE ball.  They should be
taken out of the ballpark.  They wouldn't run onto the
field to try to catch a ball, would they?  I DON'T
agree that they should not touch the ball, EVER.  If
it's completely and obviously in foul territory, it's
fun to try to catch the ball.  If you are sitting down
the left or right foul line, why not try for the ball?
But to interfere, especially when YOUR team could
benefit if you leave the ball alone, should NOT
happen.
 
OK, I think the Tigers win got me all pumped up
tonight.  Sorry I babbled so much!  Thanks for the
newsletter.  I look forward to it.
 
Deana

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Matt "The Weakest Link" Schramm
 
Matt,
 
Trying to get to the Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown
on Monday... I'll let you know how it goes.  It's
sold out... but a friend of a friend is the President
of the Hall, so we'll see if that pays off. Keep the 
Weekly's coming... they have an audience, even in 
New Jersey!
 
Glad to hear things are well for you.

matt schramm

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Toolie's Trashtalk...
 
First thing's first:  Thanks for writing in Shemp, but
I'm still not convinced that there is a big rivalry
growing between the Tigers and the Diamondbacks.  Any
two teams can play an exciting series of baseball but
that doesn't make them rivals.  You need one AT LEAST
of three things to create a rivalry in baseball (it
seems).  They are:
 
1.  Close Proximity:  If two teams play very close
together the fan base is often split.  This creates
tension as opposing fans are especially hard on the
other team when they visit and trashtalk abounds on
local radio.  I don't think that Yankees-Red Sox would
be nearly as crazy if one of the teams played in
Florida.  
 
2.  High Stakes:  One of the better rivalries in the
early eighties was the Yankees and the Royals.  These
teams played many games when it meant the most, and
they hated each other (though New York and Kansas City
are nowhere near each other).  Also, any two teams
that fight it out for a division title develop a
general dislike for the other guy.  One of the coolest
things last year was when Anaheim and Oakland played a
three game series that was winner-take-all in the AL
West.  
 
3.  Brawls:  Let's face it, this is by far the least
noble of the reasons to have a rivalry, but it's
certainly a valid reason.  A few years back the Tigers
and White Sox brawled it up (Palmer charged the mound
and Fick ended up getting doused with beer by White
Sox fans) and that became one of the most anticipated
series of the year.  
 
Great rivalries include at least two of these three
elements (Yankees/Red Sox includes all three,
Dodgers/Giants two, and Red Wings/Avalanche two). Now,
the Tigers and Diamondbacks play three games a year
(one year they may have played six) and they are by no
means geographical neighbors.  While they have played
exciting games in the past, that doesn't mean that the
next three games are going to be thrills.  This
upcoming series (I am writing this before the weekend)
could be a total bore.  Even if they're super-exciting
I won't feel like Arizona is a big rival and I won't
miss them if they're not on the '06 schedule.  I don't
have anything against the club, I'd just like to see
the Tigers play somebody else.  
 
To address the idea that I didn't even watch the game,
I was in attendance for one of the games two summers
ago where the Tigers lost by a run.  I believe Steve
Finley hit a home run that eventually won the game. 
Also, my girlfriend can personally vouch for me on
last year's series as I berated Munson for making an
error (we were in the car on the way to the video
store I beleve) and then had to lay off of him as he
hit the game-winning moonshot.  I also saw Pena's
game-winning homer. 
 
In conclusion, there is nothing to make me believe
that this series will be any more special than the
next, save some chance exciting games.  As of late,
nearly every game the Tigers have been playing has
been close.  I never said that the series would be
boring, but that "I just don't get excited about
seeing that classic Tigers/Diamondbacks matchup."  It
may be a good series and it may not be, but I
certainly didn't circle it on the schedule in
anticipation.  In fact, they play Arizona TWICE this
season.  Ridiculous.  Let's see the Tigers play
someone else!
 
Well now I am pissed.  I just lost a ton of stuff that
I had written...again.  I guess I just won't learn my
lesson.  Somehow I hit an "ultimate back" button as
not only did I navigate to my home page, but it had
gone backwards through all of the pages I had
previously visited.  What a kick in the butt.
 
Now A-Rod hit a home run and I'm out of the groove. 
I'll leave with a little bit here.  
 
The Tigers' pitching has been quite good.  They've
given up over five runs only eleven times this year in
fourty-two games (they lost each of those games).  The
most runs they've scored in a loss has been six. 
One-run games have been less of a problem lately, and
the team is 4-0 in extra innings.  
 
Big road trip this week.  3-3 wouldn't be so bad.  See
you next week.
 
I'm out.
 





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