October 03, 2009

If ... they roar ...

They used to wear shirts that said "Got Leyland?" and "Leyland for Governor."



They're not wearing those shirts today. Figaro on the mound?

Let's play the "if" game ...

If the Tigers get swept by the ChiSox, the Royals will not get swept by the Twins.

If the Twins decide to, they'll beat Zach Greinke tonight.

If the Tigers lose the division title, then all of the field management team needs to go. Maybe Rick Knapp could stay. He hasn't been a part of FOUR straight lousy Septembers in Detroit. In fact, he was a Twinkie.

I am a Jim Leyland fan, but he has overseen these four straight September crashes. I sat in the crown on October 1, 2006, and watched the Tigers give away a game to the Royals and "back" into the playoffs as the wildcard team. The Tigers don't have the wildcard to fall back on.

The Twins play with passion. The Twins must have a manual called "Baseball the Minnesota Twins Way." Alan Trammell, live and in color last Monday, thanked Sparky Anderson for teaching him and his teammates to play baseball "the right way." The Tigers used to have a "Tiger way."

Buddy Bell, Larry Parrish, Phil Garner, Luis Pujols ... someplace in there, the Tiger way was lost. Jim Leyland came on board and the Tigers play his way. He's called an effective manager and the players never speak bad about him (think Cito Gaston, Toronto) but how much buy–in is there? Buy–in to what? you wonder ...

Leyland has said he manages from his "gut," and he clearly does because you never know if the team will bunt when they should ...

Other thoughts:

• Cabrera is a good player, possible MVP ... but he's not clutch.
• Polanco should be re–signed. He is the Tigers' clutch player.
• Verlander figured things out ... the rest of the Tigers must.
• We think Pavano was tough on the Tigers ... Peavy might beat then 10 times next year.
• The Central will be tough next season.

Regardless, I am a diehard and I'll be sitting in Section 148 on Sunday afternoon. It may be a day they play "Celebration" really loud. Or, it may be a day that we all walk out in silence, shocked to have caved ... when we were in first place since May 10.

Let's go, Tigers. Eat 'em up. Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar, roar ...




1 comment:

Phil Lynch said...

Watching ZGrink on Fox right now vs. Twins.

Twins are executing and peaking now. Like Tigers earlier in year when they won 7 in a row.

I don't believe in passion or wanting to win. Emotion even gets in the way sometimes. Twins play like pros and RonG is real mellow, like Kelly before him. Execution is everything. We knew the Tigers weren't a GREAT team. They'd be third in any other div.

Why EJack so mediocre now?

You are so right about Cabrera - numbers, but not clutch.

So right about Polanco, my Tig now that Kenny's gone. Polanco is always who you want up at a key moment. Re-sign him, DaveD!!