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winning as a French Tiger

By Samara Pearlstein | July 9, 2009 | Roar of the Tigers

photo illustration by Samara Pearlstein This was supposed to be the accidental match-up. Luke French was going up against Zack Greinke not because he had the best chance of playing along with Greinke's frankly awesome '09 pitching, but because it was just how the rotation happened to fall. The thinking was probably something along the lines of, "Eh, these are the Royals, by the time French comes up there's a good chance we'll have a couple of wins in the series anyways." Of course the Tigs only had one win going into this last game of the series, thanks to BULLPEN SHENANIGANS, but the point remains the same. Leyland et al. will say nice things about Luke French, but I am 99% sure that they did not actually think he could outpitch Zach freakin' Greinke. WHAT DO YOU KNOW Luke French got his very first win today, allowing only...

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Tigers' Minor League Recap - Games of 7/8

By Matt Wallace | July 8, 2009 | Take 75 North

Toledo Brooks Brown (5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K) fell victim to the big inning as the Hens lost, 4-2, after he gave up four in the third. He gave up five hits that inning, including a double and a triple and the Hens couldn't catch up. Thanks to the bullpen, they at least had the chance. Newly signed (after being released earlier this year) Kris Regas (2 IP, H, 3 K) threw two scoreless innings and so did Matt Rusch (2 IP, H, 2 K). That meant the Hens kept it close with a run in the fifth and another in the ninth. Wilkin Ramirez (2 for 4, BB) knocked in Max St. Pierre (2 for 4) with a single for the first run, and Will Rhymes (3 for 5) scored in the ninth on a bases loaded ground out by Brent Dlugach (0 for...

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Bullpen Blues

By Craig Brown | July 8, 2009 | Royals Authority

Let us remember this as the day we, as a nation, laid Michael Jackson to rest and as the day we, as Royals Nation, celebrated the debut of the gritty Ryan Freel. Both are seismic events in our common history. And I think we will all remember exactly where we were, when we learned that Freel would don the Royal blue.Whew... Got that out of my system. The snark was just killing me. More Freel-goodness at the bottom of the post...Meanwhile there was a three game winning streak to protect in Detroit on Tuesday. This Tigers team currently serves as Exhibit A of the wretchedness of the AL Central this year. Like every other team in the division, they're unbelievably incomplete. In the Tigers case, their hitting is weak and their bullpen is dreadful. (Sounds familiar... Except their lineup is just a touch better than the one SABR Trey fills...

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at least now we know we won't get swept by the Royals

By Samara Pearlstein | July 8, 2009 | Roar of the Tigers

photo by Samara Pearlstein So I was at Fenway tonight (bear with me here). Beckett was pitching, Sox winning, crowd chanting "We want Nomar" at random intervals, much excitement, etc. Of course I was also scoreboard-watching the Tigers game, but since Fenway has that old school manual scoreboard, updates are... let us say, spotty. Imagine then my UTTER DELIGHT when some wonderful soul in the video room decided to show brief highlights of the Royals/Tigers game between innings, when the scoreboard had been stuck on the 8th inning for, like, an hour. Marcus Thames, hitting a Comerica homerun, on the Fenway scoreboard! And then they finally let us see that the 8-5 score was final, and I heaved a sigh of relief and was able to go back to the very important business of loudly abusing Jason Giambi at all times. I gather that this one was not exactly...

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Wednesday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 8, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Six of Wednesday's fifteen games are day games, making Wednesday a getaway day for those twelve teams. Wednesday doesn't feature the best pitching matchups, but does have some good games worth watching. Two All-Star Game bound ten-game winners are pitching on Wednesday. Ryan Sadowski looks to go 3-for-3 in his first three career starts. The Reds and Phillies continue an entertaining series. Oliver Perez returns to the Mets rotation and the NL Central and AL West showdowns continue. Pittsburgh at Houston: The Pirates-Astros series finishes with Charlie Morton and Wandy Rodriguez facing off. If Pittsburgh wins, they'll be only 2...

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Tigers' Minor League Recap - Games of 7/7

By Matt Wallace | July 7, 2009 | Take 75 North

Toledo The Mud Hens beat Louisville in 2-1 battle of the long balls. That may be an odd way to describe a pitcher's duel, but Toledo got both of their runs in the second when Ryan Roberson (2 for 3, HR) knocked in Brent Clevlen (1 for 3) with a homer and the Bats' run scored on a fifth inning homer off the newest Hen, Nate Bump (7 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 4 K). Bump was signed by the Hens, who are without Luke French or Alfredo Figaro and found themselves in need of a starter. Bump was good in his debut, allowing just three hits other than the homer. It was even better, though, to see Ryan Perry (2 IP, 2 H, 4 K) strikeout four in his two innings without giving up a walk. Erie The SeaWolves gave Altoona a thorough thrashing in a 19-2 win. Cale...

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Mid-Season Awards: American League

By Tyler Hissey | July 7, 2009 | Around the Majors

It's hard to believe, but the All-Star Game is less than a week away. And since I like to write award columns about as much as Rick Reilly enjoys referencing teeth, I'm thrilled that the mid-season point gives me another chance to take on my favorite topic. First up is the American League, with the Senior Circuit list running later this week.Most Valuable PlayerJoe Mauer, Minnesota Twins:After missing all of April due to injury, Mauer has played at the highest level of his career for the Twins. Always a threat to compete for a batting crown, he has burst out with an incredible power surge in 2009, answering the million dollar question: "How good would Mauer be if he could hit for power?" Through Sunday, he's raking at a clip of .389/.465/.648 and is on pace for a career-high in homers, having belted 14 in his first 256 plate appearances. Although his...

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The Knee Jerks for 7-6-09: A busy week in the D

By Big Al Beaton | July 7, 2009 | The Wayne Fontes Experience

My weekly gabfest with Greg Eno of GregEno.com is now a 90-minute extravaganza, and we needed every one of those minutes to talk about what was a VERY busy week in the Detroit sports stratosphere.As always, Eno breaks down the highlights of another Knee Jerks episode! Last night's show was chock full of goodies....We kicked things off with an interview with Tom Hannon, who runs TheBaseballPage.com and has written a book about Wiffle Ball (yep!) called Backyard Ball (BackyardBall.net). Tom also has constructed a to-scale replica of Brooklyn's Ebbets Field (LittleEbbetsField.com).After Tom, Al and I delved into the chaos in Pistons Land, with free agents coming and going and the coaching job still vacant; the Red Wings losses in free agency; the Tigers' feeble lineup; the Steve McNair tragedy; and our Jerks of the Week.Some highlights:Big Al (on the Pistons' coaching search): "You throw enough money at someone, you'll get...

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MLB Top 10: Halos Grab AL West Lead

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sometimes when I think about this list during the weekend before Mondays roll around, things end up looking a bit differently than I pictured. This was one of those weeks. Over the weekend, multiple winning streaks were snapped, teams unexpectedly played poorly, and my top ten list underwent some major reconstruction. The result? A drastically different list compared to what we would've seen on Friday. 1. Los Angeles Angels (41-32)The Halos have won five straight, including a series win over the red-hot Rockies last week. They followed up the impressive series win by sweeping the woeful Diamondbacks over the weekend, and they now hold a 1.5 game lead in the AL West over Texas. They get the chance to widen the gap this week when they continue their road trip in Texas, in what some are calling the biggest series for the Angels this year.2. Tampa Bay Rays (42-35)Don't look...Read more

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MLB Great Debates: Which Playoff Contender Needs a Trade to Stay in the Race?

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which contending team most needs to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline in order to stay in the race? Jaymes Langrehr argues that the Brewers desperately need starting pitching:As we get closer to the trade deadline, a good number of teams are developing clear needs that need to be addressed if they're going to stay in playoff contention. Some teams will be able to cope with their weaknesses and still make the playoffs due to their other strengths. Other clubs will need to make a move if they have any chance at contending in the second half.The Milwaukee Brewers are a prime example. Heading into this season, they knew that their pitching wouldn't be as good as it was down the stretch last season. Given the strength of their offense, however, they figured to be in okay...Read more

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MLB Top 10: Rox Still Hot

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sure, the Colorado Rockies may not be on an insanely long winning streak at the moment (they're back to a merely above-average 5-game streak), but they're still playing the best baseball outside of Los Angeles or Boston at this point. For that reason, they hang on to the #1 spot in this week's Top 10 list. But who takes the #2 spot? With quite a few teams piecing together winning streaks lately, there are plenty of contenders -- there are seven teams who have won at least three games in a row, so there's no shortage of teams playing well, unlike in previous weeks.1. Colorado Rockies (36-33)Sure, it may not be an 11-game win streak, but after dropping a game to the Rays to snap the streak, Colorado has won five straight. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 16 wins in their past 17 games, and it's...Read more

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MLB Top 10: Will the Rockies Ever Lose?

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 15, 2009 | MVN Outsider

For most teams, the MLB season includes multiple peaks and valleys. Ultimately, you're never as good as you are when you're playing at a peak, and you're never as bad as when you're playing in a valley. Right now, the Colorado Rockies are riding a peak that's a mile high (har har), winning eleven games in a row. Whenever the "L10" column in the standings reads "10-0", you know you're playing really good baseball. It's no surprise that the Rockies take the top spot in this week's top ten list, but who else has been putting together hot streaks while the Rockies steal the headlines?1. Colorado Rockies (31-32)At this point, there's really no one else you can put at the top of this list. I always thought that their run in September two years ago was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and would never be repeated, but it looks like the 2009...Read more

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Fantasy Baseball: Detroit Tigers P Edwin Jackson

By Brad Berreman | June 9, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Edwin Jackson of the Detroit Tigers is currently second in American League in ERA with a 2.16 mark. I'll let you digest that fact before I proceed. Jackson has a 6-3 record in 12 starts (83.1 innings) so far this season, along with a miniscule 0.98 WHIP. One of the biggest factors in his success to his point has been improved control (2.1 BB/9, as opposed to 3.8 BB/9 last season and 4.9 BB/9 in 2007). Jackson was acquired by the Tigers in an offseason trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for OF Matt Joyce. In 2008 with the American League champions, he had a 14-11 record with a 4.42 ERA in 32 appearances (31 starts). In 2007, Jackson also made 31 starts in 32 appearances for Tampa Bay but had a 5-15 record and a 5.76 ERA. Jackson will turn 26 later this season and is in just his third...Read more

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MLB Great Debates: The Ballpark Experience

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which experience is better, going to a Major League Baseball game or going to a minor-league one?Jaymes Langrehr says MLB's quality is top-notch:Where I grew up, I was about a three-hour drive east away from Milwaukee County Stadium, and a three-hour drive west away from the Metrodome. I was literally stuck in the middle of nowhere when it came to the MLB map, and looking back, I was definitely jealous of the kids who were able to spend their summers buying cheap Brewers tickets and move their way up to field level (because it's not like anyone was sitting in those seats, anyway). Still, the few major-league games that I was able to attend were incredible -- even though the home team almost always got crushed. Even when your team stinks, there's something special about a Major League game that...Read more

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MLB Top 10: Padres Come Up Big

By Jaymes Langrehr | May 25, 2009 | MVN Outsider

I said last week that baseball was a funny game -- any team can get hot for an extended period of time, as evidenced by the Rangers topping last week's Top 10 list. This past week, things got even stranger: both the Blue Jays and the Cubs are in the middle of horrific losing streaks, while the San Diego Padres of all teams are riding high with a 9-game winning streak. With that kind of winning streak, San Diego earns the top spot as this week's hottest team...who are the other nine? Why don't you keep reading?1. San Diego Padres (22-22)The Friars are so hot that the only loss they had in the past week was off the field, when Jake Peavy shot down a trade agreement with the Chicago White Sox. A nine-game winning streak certainly wasn't expected from this group, but they've been getting some very good pitching...Read more

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MLB Top 10: Red Hot Rangers

By Jaymes Langrehr | May 18, 2009 | MVN Outsider

A baseball season is kind of funny in some ways -- what you see in April may be drastically different from what you see a month later in May. That's what we're getting right now, as two of baseball's hottest teams -- the Rangers and Brewers -- were well below .500 in the early going. Now? They're seemingly unbeatable and on extended hot streaks. It's no surprise that they occupy the top two spots this week, but who else fills out the Top 10?1. Texas Rangers (23-14)Texas was #4 on last week's list, but they haven't stopped winning -- seven straight wins gets them to the top of the list this week, and they're opening up a comfortable lead on the rest of the AL West. They now lead the Angels by 4.5 games, thanks to a weekend sweep of the Halos. Let's see how they fare this week, when...Read more

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