http://www.sportsnipe.com Detroit Tigers, Team News, Updates, and Stats from all sports sources, updated continually. http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2933254/zipping-to-win-tigers-5-white-sox-1.html More photos » Paul Sancya - AP Jeremy Bonderman quickly mowed down the White Sox. Browse more photos » Final - 9.8.2010 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Chicago White Sox 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 Detroit Tigers 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 X 5 8 1 WP: Jeremy Bonderman (8 - 9) LP: John Danks (13 - 10) Complete Coverage > 2 hours, 4 minutes. That's about how long it takes the Yankees and Red Sox to play an inning of baseball. (OK ... two innings of baseball). It's also how long it took the Tigers and White Sox to zip through nine, thanks to a great performance by Jeremy Bonderman on the mound for Detroit, and some rather stout pitching from the White Sox outside the middle innings. Bonderman finished the day with eight strikeouts in eight innings, having allowed three hits and a walk. He allowed Omar Vizquel a homer for Chicago's only run.  (Vizquel is 168 years old, FS Detroit's Ryan Fields reports). At first it looked like Bonderman would need to pitch a good game. The lineup Jim Leyland trotted out looked like something out of a spring training game. No Miguel Cabrera. (He's day-to-day, by the way). No Johnny Damon. No Carlos Guillen or Magglio Ordonez, obviously, with their injuries knocking them both out the rest of the year.  Ryan Raburn was No. 3. Brennan Boesch was batting cleanup. Casper Wells was No. 5. No offense intended to the players, but that's not exactly what you expect to see in a major league game. Not in the American League, anyway. But it was the little lineup that could. Alex Avila and Brandon Inge both drove in two runs. Austin Jackson and Raburn got on base a couple of times apiece. Sox third baseman Mark Teahen assisted with a couple of errors. Hey, whatever it takes right? So the Tigers beat the White Sox two games in a row. They're in a division hunt. Detroit isn't. I'd rather be rooting for the team on top, but if the Tigers can mess with Chicago that's fine by me! Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932266/chavez-sees-positive-results-from-new-delivery-kansas-city-star.html Kansas City StarChavez sees positive results from new deliveryKansas City Star... Jesse Chavez wipes his face as he walks to the dugout after pitching in the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Friday, Sept. ...and more » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932265/tigers-manager-jim-leyland-likes-what-he-sees-improving-rookie-catcher-alex-mlivecom.html Tigers manager Jim Leyland likes what he sees of improving rookie catcher Alex ...MLive.comThat's given the Detroit Tigers even more of a chance to look at Avila, and they seem to be counting on him as their primary catcher in 2011 even though the ...and more » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932264/bonderman-helps-tigers-beat-white-sox-51-associated-press.html Bonderman helps Tigers beat White Sox 5-1The Associated PressDETROIT ? Jeremy Bonderman pitched eight strong innings and the Detroit Tigers beat the sloppy Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Wednesday. Chicago, trying to catch ...This date in baseball: September 6Kansas City Starall 10 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932263/bonderman-helps-tigers-beat-white-sox-51-atlanta-journal-constitution.html CBC.caBonderman helps Tigers beat White Sox 5-1Atlanta Journal ConstitutionAP DETROIT ? Jeremy Bonderman pitched eight strong innings and the Detroit Tigers beat the sloppy Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Wednesday. Detroit Tigers ...Miguel Cabrera wants back in Tigers' lineupMLive.comCabrera hopes to return on ThursdayMLB.comBonderman solid as Tigers take down White SoxTSNESPN -CBSSports.com -Jamestown Sunall 992 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932262/weinhardt-slides-through-amp39bizarreamp39-outing.html Weinhardt slides through 'bizarre' outing Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932261/tigers-evaluating-avila-while-laird-sits.html Tigers evaluating Avila while Laird sits Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932260/guillen-eyes-second-base-in-amp3911.html Guillen eyes second base in '11 Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932259/bonderman-tigers-breeze-past-white-sox.html Bonderman, Tigers breeze past White Sox Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932258/jeremy-bonderman-alex-avila-lead-tigers-to-another-victory-over-white-sox.html Bonderman (8-9) allowed just three hits and struck out eight in eight innings, while Avila had a two-run double. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2932257/tigers-game-to-have-tribute-crew-race-boat.html Tonight's Tigers game against the White Sox will feature a special tribute to the crew of one of the Port Huron to Mackinac race boats. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931066/game-2010140-white-sox-at-tigers.html Well, the Tigers are all but mathematically out, and Cabrera and Guillen are facing their own injury issues.  But it’s still baseball.  Let’s finish strong, see if Cabby can win the MVP, and find out what we have in these young players.  Tigers are 11-7 over their last 18, and all 7 of those losses [...] Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931065/chicago-white-soxs-gordon-beckham-hand-wants-to-play-espn.html msnbc.comChicago White Sox's Gordon Beckham (hand) wants to playESPN... Gordon Beckham's injured right hand was feeling much better Wednesday, and he will try to talk his way into the lineup against the Detroit Tigers. ...Beckham says injured hand 'OK,' hopes to playChicago Breaking Sports - Tribune (blog)Beckham likely to miss a couple of gamesMLB.comall 24 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931064/tigers-lineup-for-tonights-game-miguel-cabrera-out-detroit-free-press.html Tigers' lineup for tonight's game; Miguel Cabrera outDetroit Free PressHere's the Detroit Tigers' lineup for tonight's home game against the Chicago White Sox. First baseman Miguel Cabrera is sitting out with ...and more » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931063/detroit-tigers-links-will-need-to-offer-longterm-deal-lure-mlivecom.html MLive.comDetroit Tigers Links: Tigers will need to offer long-term deal to lure ...MLive.comDetroit will likely be looking for a catcher this offseason, and Boston's Victor Martinez was thought to have been a possible target. But, if the Tigers are ...What's Next: Colby Rasmus, Victor Martinez, Carlos Guillen, and moreCall to the Penall 11 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931062/tigers-carlos-guillen-should-part-ways-after-season-mlivecom.html MLive.comTigers and Carlos Guillen should part ways after the seasonMLive.comThe Detroit Tigers announced that Carlos Guillen's season was over Tuesday, due to a deep bruise in his left knee. The injury, suffered from a hard takeout ...Guillen a strong Clemente pick for TigersDetroitTigers.comTigers' Carlos Guillen progressing slowly from deep knee bruise after Brett ...MLive.comTigers | Carlos Guillen not improvingKFFL (blog)FanHouseall 8 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2931060/tigers-lineup-for-tonights-game-miguel-cabrera-out.html Here's the Detroit Tigers' lineup for tonight's home game against the Chicago White Sox. First baseman Miguel Cabrera is sitting out with biceps tendinitis. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930410/hayes-hope-abounds-as-new-nfl-season-begins-port-huron-times-herald.html Hayes: Hope abounds as new NFL season beginsPort Huron Times HeraldIt's become all too familiar to approach the fall with the Detroit Tigers out of playoff contention. But that is where we find ourselves again this season. ...and more » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930409/scott-sizemore-returns-to-tigers-sb-nation-detroit-blog.html MLive.comScott Sizemore Returns To TigersSB Nation Detroit (blog)The Detroit Tigers recalled second baseman Scott Sizemore on Tuesday, marking his first appearance on the roster ...Tigers appear to have found solid late-inning reliever in Robbie WeinhardtMLive.comLimiting innings reason Tigers didn't recall pitcher Andy Oliver from ToledoMLive.comTigers to recall Scott Sizemore from ToledoMLive.comThe Morning Sun -MLB.comall 18 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930408/young-mud-hens-struggle-but-show-signs-growth-toledo-blade.html Young Mud Hens struggle but show signs of growth: Toledo Blade John Wagner summarizes the season for Triple-A Toledo. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930407/carlos-guillen-nominated-for-clemente-award.html More photos » Paul Sancya - AP Carlos Guillen was Detroit's nominee for the Roberto Clemente award. Browse more photos » For his work in his hometown of Maracay, Venezuela, Carlos Guillen was named as the Tigers' nominee for the Roberto Clemente award. Each team nominated a player based on community and humanitarian projects. The award is named for Clemente, who, you might recall, died in a plane crash when trying to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua in 1972. MLB.com's Jason Beck has more about the projects that helped Guillen to be nominated Through his charitable fund, Fundación Chamos Venezolanos, he helped a hospital in Maracay improve the maternity ward, including additional incubators. He recently worked one of his local youth leagues to restore and refurbish a local field for kids ages five through eight, complete with finished dugouts. This year, he's working with celebrities and other Major Leaguers in Venezuela to put together a charity softball game this winter that would raise money for various causes, something he did two years ago.   In Detroit, Guillen works with the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and the Detroit Tigers Foundation for Keeping Kids in the Game, among other efforts. You can vote for him here and possibly win a trip to the World Series. The winner is selected by a committee, which includes Clemente's wife, Vera, and MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930406/extiger-kirk-gibson-feels-sting-living-in-desert.html The Arizona Diamondbacks manager, getting ready for a Tuesday morning ride in Phoenix on his mountain bike, was stung by a scorpion that had had crawled inside his cycling pants. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930049/royals-edge-tigers-behind-gordon-blast-missourinetcom.html Washington PostRoyals edge Tigers behind Gordon blastMissourinet.com... and Kyle Davies pitched six innings while Joakim Soria shut the door again in the ninth as the Royals beat the Detroit Tigers Sunday afternoon 2-1. ...Bullpen betrays Royals again in loss to TigersLexington Herald LeaderKansas City Royals Vs. Detroit Tigers 9/4/10: Mitch's Free Pick MLB BaseballSports Chat PlaceTigers vs Royals Baseball OddsOffshore InsidersMiamiHerald.com -The Ann Arbor News - MLive.com -CANOEall 575 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2930048/two-tigers-in-position-for-postseason-awards.html More photos » ED ZURGA - AP Austin Jackson should win rookie of the year honors. Browse more photos » With a little less than a month left in the season, and the talk of postseason awards picking up, I thought I'd look at the major races in the American League and throw it out there for discussion. From where I stand, two Tigers have a chance to take home some hardware: Miguel Cabrera, as the MVP; and Austin Jackson as the Rookie of the Year. Honestly, if I expanded this to Gold Glove awards, I think nothing changes. So with a month to go? How do I rank the contenders? MVP: 1. Josh Hamilton, TEX 2. Robinson Cano, NYY 3. Miguel Cabrera, DET The easy thing about guessing award winners is that you really don't have to look past the mainstream statistics, so it saves time. The bad thing is that you don't have to look past the mainstream stats, so the outcome of the awards is sometimes wildly debatable. In this case, Josh Hamilton and Robinson Cano both get a checkmark in the "Team made the playoffs" category. (Can a player control who his teammates are? No. Except where he chooses to play in free agency. Nonetheless, people vote that way.) Cano gets a checkmark in the "East Coast media market" category. (Yes, it doesn't affect how many votes come out of the area. But when they're on TV and the top story more than most, it certainly helps.)  Hamilton leads in batting average with .361, which is 28 points above Cabrera and 43 above Cano. He's also got more home runs and more RBI than Cano. And he's got the backstory of struggling with drug and alcohol problems. The writers can defend this vote relatively well. Unless he's injured  the entire month of September, he should be considered the major front runner. What about Cabrera? Well, he's No. 2 in average, No. 1 in RBI and No. 2 in HR. He's No. 1 in OPS at this point. And he has totally had to carry the Tigers' offense for months. He would make a great choice, obviously. But he won't win. Cy  Young Award: 1. David Price, TB 2. CC Sabathia, NYY 3. Francisco Liriano, MIN This race feels like it could go anywhere, but I feel pretty confident the top two guys I listed will be involved. Yes I know I did not type "Felix Hernandez." Remember, this isn't me writing who should win the award. (But check the bottom of the post for my shoulds). This is who I think will win the award. And Mr. Herandez is sadly lacking in the column sportswriters look at. "Does he know how to win?" 11-10 (as of this writing) record. So, no, Hernandez does not "know how to win." That's just the way it is. Not that David Price is a bad choice, what with a 2.87 ERA and a fair shot to get to 20 wins. Plus he's got that plucky underdog Rays thing going for him, another good storyline! (Yes, anyone who followed baseball closely picked the Rays to go far, but that's beside the point.) If it's not Price, I think Sabathia has the next-best shot to win it. He will almost certainly lead the AL in wins, finish with an ERA near 3 and finish in the top 10 in strikeouts. Guessing the third finalist is hard. Jon Lester? Lotta strikeouts. Lotta wins. Was treated for lymphoma. Jered Weaver? Not this year, doesn't have the hype and the Angels didn't do him any favors. Hernandez? As I already covered, I don't see it happening but maybe he'll get some smart votes. So I went with another playoff pitcher with nice stuff: Francisco Liriano. He too has solid ERA, a large number of strikeouts and a fair amount of wins. I'll say this, the award this season will tell us more about the voters than about the candidates. Rookie of the Year 1. Austin Jackson, DET 2. Neftali Feliz, TEX 3. Brennan Boesch, DET This one is basically a two-man race at the top. I wasn't really sure what direction to go for the third-place finisher. Boesch is qualified for the batting title and has a nice line, but he isn't helped by the fact his past two months have been so bad. Wade Davis doesn't really have very beautiful stats at all, but he is a starting pitcher. Danny Valencia of the Twins has been up since early June. His OPS is nice, but his counting stats aren't all that beautiful. In the end it really doesn't matter who finishes third. So it's Jackson or Feliz. The latter is a reliever for the Rangers who has 36 saves and just three blown. He's pitching for a playoff team. (Remind me again why there is always so much clamoring that a reliever get experience in the seventh inning for a season, then the eighth for a year or two?) He's got 59 strikeouts in 58 innings, a WHIP of less than 1 and an ERA of 3.26. So there's some gaudy stats, but the ERA isn't doing him any favors as a reliever. Then we have Jackson. While Feliz has been in the game for 58  innings, Jackson has 1075 innings in the field under his belt. And they're pretty good innings. Slightly above-average by saber stats, way above average if you're just watching the game or talking to people like most of the voters. He's one of two AL batters qualified for the batting title, and he's got a .305 average as well as 22 stolen bases and 43 extra-base hits. (It totals a .774 OPS if the sportswriters are into that sorta thing). Last season I spent a lot of time analyzing how writers tend to give out the award. I was able to narrow it down to Andrew Bailey winning, back when most people didn't even put him in the conversation. So I say with confidence I don't thnk Feliz will get it.  I don't think relievers will win it back-to-back. I don't think his ERA is low enough. I don't think his strikeouts total will be high enough. And Jackson plays daily at an important defensive position while putting up pretty nice numbers. So I think Jackson wins. But if I'm wrong, Feliz is deserving. Manager of the Year Don't care! Summation: Best bets to win: MVP: Josh HamiltonCy Young: David PriceRookie of the Year: Austin JacksonManager of the Year: Don't care! Should win: MVP: Josh HamiltonCy Young: Francisco LirianoRookie of the Year: Austin JacksonManager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire Why Hamilton? Speaking saberly, his wOBA is 16 points above Cabrera's and he plays a more difficult defensive position above average while doing it for a playoff team. I'm still rooting for Cabrera to win. Why Liriano? Because the W-L record is an awful way to give an award out. He's having a solid season in ERA and strikeouts, and when you look deeper you see that he is completely dominating even if he does only have 13 wins. He has more strikeouts per nine innings than Felix Hernandez. His FIP (2.37) and xFIP (3.05) are both the best in the AL. Why Jackson? He plays above-average defense at difficult defensive position, plays there near daily, gets on base and has strong baserunning skills. Why Gardenhire? I suspect it would annoy Twins fans. Your turn Who's on your list for "will win" or "should win"? Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927324/twins-fall-to-tigers-in-13-innings-boston-herald.html Twins fall to Tigers in 13 inningsBoston HeraldLight-hitting Gerald Laird homered in the top of the 13th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 10-9 victory over the Twins at Target Field. ...The Juice: Well, that was ugly; Tigers outlast Twins in 13Yahoo! Sports (blog)Gerald Laird's late-inning sacrifice bunt and homer for Tigers a rare featMLive.comDetroit Tigers C Gerald Laird scratched from lineup against RoyalsThe Canadian PressThe Associated Press -CBSSports.com -Examiner.comall 871 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927323/davies-delivers-as-royals-avoid-sweep-win-against-tigers-kansas-city-star.html Washington PostDavies delivers as Royals avoid sweep with win against TigersKansas City StarKansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Davies (34) throws in the first inning during Sunday's baseball game against the Detroit Tigers ...Detroit Tigers 1 Kansas City Royals 2: Casper Wells hits home runExaminer.comTigers can't muster much offense in loss to RoyalsMLive.comDetroit Tigers 6 Kansas City Royals 4: Rick Porcello gets 8th winExaminer.comThe Associated Press -MiamiHerald.com -Missourinet.comall 575 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927322/limiting-innings-reason-tigers-didnt-recall-pitcher-andy-oliver-from-toledo-mlivecom.html MLive.comLimiting innings reason Tigers didn't recall pitcher Andy Oliver from ToledoMLive.comDETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers wanted to limit the innings of left-hander Andy Oliver in his first professional season, which is why they didn't recall him ...Tigers to recall Scott Sizemore from ToledoMLive.comSox drop Tigers in 10, Guillen might be done for yearThe Morning SunDamon fools St. Pierre's family on first hitMLB.comall 16 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927195/torrid-sox-take-unusual-path-to-7th-win-in-row-chicago-suntimes.html Torrid Sox take unusual path to 7th win in a rowChicago Sun-TimesNo, this is about wins, and after a 5-4, 10-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday, that's seven in a row for the South Siders. ...and more » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927194/gerald-lairds-lateinning-sacrifice-bunt-homer-for-tigers-rare-feat-mlivecom.html Chicago Breaking Sports - Tribune (blog)Gerald Laird's late-inning sacrifice bunt and homer for Tigers a rare featMLive.comAP PhotoThe Detroit Tigers' Gerald Laird is swarmed in the dugout after hitting a home run in the 13th inning to beat Minnesota. KANSAS CITY, Mo. ...Twins fall to Tigers in 13 inningsBoston HeraldThe Juice: Well, that was ugly; Tigers outlast Twins in 13Yahoo! Sports (blog)Detroit Tigers C Gerald Laird scratched from lineup against RoyalsThe Canadian PressThe Associated Press -CBSSports.com -Examiner.comall 871 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927193/chicago-white-sox-starter-freddy-garcia-exits-game-vs-detroit-tigers-espn.html CBC.caChicago White Sox starter Freddy Garcia exits game vs. Detroit Tigers with ...ESPNGarcia gave up a pair of runs on a home run to the Tigers' Johnny Damon in the first inning. Garcia lasted just 33 pitches, giving up three hits. ...Tigers' Cabrera might need to rest shoulderMLB.comWhite Sox-Tigers PreviewCBSSports.comChicago White Sox 1 Detroit Tigers 9: Justin Verlander gets 15th winExaminer.comDetroit Free Press -Chicago Daily Herald -Sports Chat Placeall 879 news articles » Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927192/tune-in-for-tigers-game-action-auction.html Watch the Tigers-White Sox tonight (7:05, Fox Sports Detroit), but it might cost you. Through the first pitch of the eighth, "My Favorite Things" baskets packed for Tigers players and announcers by their wives and significant others will be auctioned off for the Tigers Foundation. They include snacks, DVDs, autographed stuff -- check them out at Tigers.com/wives. Bid by calling 313-471-2100. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927191/phillies-pass-braves-for-first-place-in-nl-east.html Former Tiger Placido Polanco hit a tie-breaking single in the eighth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Florida Marlins, 8-7, Tuesday night to take first place in the National League East. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927190/athletics-hire-architect-for-proposed-new-park.html The Oakland Athletics have selected an architect to design the team's proposed privately funded stadium. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927189/twins-belt-royals-add-to-lead-in-al-central.html Jim Thome hit another towering home run, Delmon Young drove in four runs, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-3 on Tuesday night to take their largest AL Central lead in 10 days. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927188/tigers-notes-quotes-from-tuesdays-win.html Justin Verlander, throwing what he said was his best curveball this year, allowed one run in seven innings. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927187/tigers-dh-johnny-damon-were-real-close-to-being-really-good.html For want of a handful of runs, the Tigers could be riding a three-week hot streak that would have sent them well above .500. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927186/box-score-tigers-9-white-sox-1.html CHICAGO ab r h rbi bb so avg. Pierre lf 5 1 2 0 0 0 .279 Vizquel 2b 3 0 1 1 0 1 .283 Lillibridge 2b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .279 Rios cf 3 0 0 0 1 2 .291 Man.Ramirez dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .389 1-De Aza pr-dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Teahen 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .263 Quentin rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .240 a-Morel ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Pierzynski c 3 0 2 0 0 0 .267 Flowers c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Kotsay 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .240 b-Viciedo ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .268 Al.Ramirez ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .284 Totals 33 1 6 1 2 10 Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927185/perfect-timing-tigers-armando-galarraga-to-pitch-jim-joyce-at-plate-friday.html When Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga makes his scheduled start Friday night, he'll see a familiar figure behind the plate: Jim Joyce. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2927184/tigers-jim-leyland-passes-earl-weaver-in-alltime-wins.html With Tuesday night's Tigers win, Jim Leyland passed Hall of Famer Earl Weaver on the all-time wins list for managers and moved into 20th place all-time. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2926875/extiger-placido-polancos-clutch-hit-lifts-phillies-into-first-place.html Polanco hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Phillies beat the Florida Marlins 8-7 Tuesday night to move atop the National League East standings. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2926874/jim-thome-hits-another-historic-homer-as-twins-top-royals.html Thome hit another towering homer, Delmon Young drove in four runs and the Twins beat the Royals 10-3 on Tuesday night to take their largest AL Central lead in 10 days. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920234/lot-to-cover.html The Final RosterYou've heard by now Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry made the team.  While some teams would hold them back to suppress their service time, the Tigers have never been a team to do that.  I'll argue that they are making the right move here, as pitchers are unlikely to be as productive six years down the road.Zach Miner, now to be nicknamed Lloyd Christmas (You mean there's still a chance!), enters the rotation.  This is the right move.To supplement the rotation, the Tigers are going with two long relievers.  Eddie Bonine is a good fit as a long reliever as a control specialist.  He may not eat the innings in a dominant manner, but he'll keep the other relievers fresh if the starter gets rocked.  The same can be said for Nate Robertson, who is a starter waiting in the wings.  I'm a fan of this move, as the Tigers have some flexibility now.Juan Rincon, Perry, Bobby Seay, Brandon Lyon, and Fernando Rodney round out the pen.  I love the use of the phrase "Opening Day Closer."It looks like Jeff Larish has the last spot.  That means Brent Clevlen could be traded or put through waivers before the season.James SkeltonSkelton didn't make the Diamondbacks' roster.  The Tigers, however, didn't want him back and negotiated a deal with Arizona for pitcher Brooks Brown.  DTW has the rundown on Brown.  It looks like a solid pick up.  Once you see Toledo's rotation, you'll see why the Tigers wanted some depth.Projected StandingsI am moving this weekend and won't have internet until next week.  As such, I'll need to project this year's standings right now so I'm not cheating.  I don't have time to run throughAL East:1. Boston2. Tampa Bay (WC)3. New York4. Toronto5. BaltimoreAL Central:1. Cleveland2. Detroit3. Chicago4. Minnesota5. Kansas CityAL West:1. Oakland2. Texas3. Los Angeles4. SeattleNL East:1. Atlanta2. Philadelphia (WC)3. New York4. Florida5. WashingtonNL Central:1. Chicago2. St. Louis3. Milwaukee4. Cincinnati5. Houston6. PittsburghNL West:1. Los Angeles2. Arizona3. San Francisco4. Colorado5. San DiegoWorld Series: Tampa Bay over ChicagoAL MVP:  Miguel CabreraAL Cy Young: C.C. SabathiaAL ROY: Travis Snider (Tons of good canididates here: Wieters, Price, Anderson, Cahill, etc.)AL MOY: Bob GerenNL MVP: Albert PujolsNL Cy Young: Tim LincecumNL ROY: Jordan SchaferNL MOY: Bobby Cox Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920233/rip-mark-bird.html It's a sad day for Tigers fans.Being born in 1985, I never saw Mark Fidrych pitch until MLB Network showed him. I'd seen interviews over the years and was always fascinated. Most importantly, watching him pitch and hearing him speak put a smile on my face when I finally got to see it. It made me wish I was 15 years older so I could have experienced it.Mark Fidrych was one of a kind, and he will be missed. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920232/two-years.html Those who started reading this blog last year may wonder who the Brian is who died way too young in 2007. It was two years ago today that a coward senselessly took away the lives of over 30 Hokies, including Brian. For those who weren't around then, check out this post:http://tigers-thoughts.blogspot.com/2007/04/when-i-got-news-that-there-was-shooting.htmlFor some of his writings on this site, check out these:http://tigers-thoughts.blogspot.com/2006/11/gary-sheffield-to-tigers-what-does-it.htmlhttp://tigers-thoughts.blogspot.com/2006/08/trade-analysis-of-casey-to-tigers-well.htmlContinue to RIP, bud. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920231/ninth-inning-thoughts.html Adam Everett used as a pinch hitter?  Just because he can't hit, that does not mean he can be used in small ball situations.Did I mention bringing Adam Everett on to bunt with no element of surprise is a bad move?  Let Anderson's speed get him over to second and then have Everett (or Larish since you are taking the bat out of the batter's hands, does it really matter which side he comes from?).  I'll repeat this until I'm blue in the face.  Bunting a runner to second base is not sound strategy; bunting him to third base is!Speaking of Anderson, the play in which he was picked off was a balk.  It bothers me to no end that lefties are not called for balks on plays where they step toward home on a pickoff. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920230/quick-elias-preview.html I expect to have these up and running, updating daily, in a few weeks. However, here's a quick glance at the American League rankings, Tigers in blue, free agent Tigers in bold.Catchers: Joe Mauer A 93.333 Dioner Navarro A 80.952 Kurt Suzuki A 79.524 Victor Martinez A 78.571 A.J. Pierzynski A 77.619 Mike Napoli A 77.143 Kelly Shoppach B 70.952 Jorge Posada B 70.000 Rod Barajas B 69.762 Jason Varitek B 69.048 Gerald Laird B 65.714 John Buck B 58.095 Miguel Olivo None 52.143 Kenji Johjima None 50.476 Gregg Zaun None 46.667 Mike Redmond None 45.714 Jeff Mathis None 45.714 Jose Molina None 44.762 Jarrod Saltalamacchia None 43.810 Raul Chavez None 40.476 Matt Treanor None 37.143 Taylor Teagarden None 35.238 Michael Barrett None 34.286 Jamie Burke None 32.143 Shawn Riggans None 31.667 Chad Moeller None 30.238 Jose Morales None 27.381 George Kottaras None 19.048 Rob Johnson None 19.048 Corky Miller None 14.524 Michel Hernandez None 9.286 First Base/Outfield/DH Aubrey Huff A 92.857 Matt Holliday A 90.857 Nick Markakis A 90.429 Josh Hamilton A 87.857 Magglio Ordonez A 87.714 Jason Bay A 86.857 Mark Teixeira A 86.471 Vernon Wells A 84.000 Miguel Cabrera A 83.529 Justin Morneau A 83.529 Grady Sizemore A 83.286 Bobby Abreu A 82.571 Carlos Quentin A 82.429 Kevin Youkilis A 82.353 Johnny Damon A 80.857 Shin-Soo Choo A 80.000 Jermaine Dye A 79.571 Vladimir Guerrero A 78.857 Carlos Pena A 78.824 Xavier Nady A 78.571 David Ortiz A 78.571 Hideki Matsui A 78.571 Curtis Granderson B 77.714 Jim Thome B 74.286 Pat Burrell B 71.857 Torii Hunter B 71.429 Jason Kubel B 71.429 Alexis Rios B 69.857 Ichiro Suzuki B 69.143 J.D. Drew B 68.286 Marlon Byrd B 67.714 David Dejesus B 67.429 Jack Cust B 67.286 B.J. Upton B 63.714 Nelson Cruz B 60.429 Jose Guillen B 59.143 Luke Scott B 58.000 Denard Span B 57.714 Delmon Young B 57.429 Lyle Overbay B 57.059 Carl Crawford B 56.857 Adam Jones None 56.000 Billy Butler None 55.714 Nick Swisher None 55.571 David Murphy None 55.429 Jason Giambi None 55.294 Ken Griffey None 55.000 Mark Teahen None 53.429 Jacoby Ellsbury None 52.143 Paul Konerko None 51.765 Mike Sweeney None 51.429 Adam Lind None 50.286 Mike Jacobs None 50.000 Ryan Garko None 49.412 Jeff Bailey None 48.571 Ryan Sweeney None 48.286 Coco Crisp None 48.000 Ben Francisco None 47.857 Mark Kotsay None 47.143 Hank Blalock None 45.882 Rocco Baldelli None 44.286 Kevin Millar None 41.765 Gabe Kapler None 41.714 Travis Snider None 41.714 Juan Miranda None 40.588 Travis Hafner None 40.000 Carlos Gomez None 39.429 Marcus Thames None 39.143 Gabe Gross None 38.714 Willie Bloomquist None 37.286 David Dellucci None 37.143 Melky Cabrera None 36.857 Matthew Joyce None 36.571 Chris Davis None 36.471 Michael Cuddyer None 34.857 Gary Matthews None 34.286 Josh Anderson None 34.143 Franklin Gutierrez None 33.714 Endy Chavez None 33.286 Juan Rivera None 33.000 Ryan Freel None 32.714 Wilson Betemit None 24.706 Fernando Perez None 24.286 Jeff Larish None 23.571 Brian Anderson None 23.143 Travis Buck None 20.857 Chris Carter None 20.714 Brayan Pena None 20.714 DeWayne Wise None 19.857 Andruw Jones None 18.286 Mitch Maier None 17.857 Ryan Raburn None 17.143 Wladimir Balentien None 16.571 Rajai Davis None 15.286 Cody Ransom None 13.529 Robert Andino None 12.143 Reggie Willits None 11.286 Kendry Morales None 11.176 Brett Gardner None 10.429 Felix Pie None 9.857 Landon Powell None 7.647 Jonathan Van Every None 5.857 Jerry Owens None 3.000 Trevor Crowe None 1.857 2B/3B/SS Name Type Score Ian Kinsler A 94.286 Derek Jeter A 89.011 Alex Rodriguez A 82.993 Evan Longoria A 81.633 Dustin Pedroia A 80.000 Melvin Mora A 76.871 Mike Lowell A 76.871 Alex Gordon A 76.871 Jhonny Peralta A 76.374 Michael Young A 76.374 Orlando Cabrera A 72.253 Brian Roberts A 72.143 Yuniesky Betancourt A 70.879 Placido Polanco B 70.714 Jason Bartlett B 69.780 Mike Aviles B 69.780 Mark Derosa B 67.857 Jose Lopez B 67.143 Adrian Beltre B 66.667 Robinson Cano B 62.857 Ty Wigginton B 62.585 Chone Figgins B 62.585 Marco Scutaro B 62.088 Scott Rolen B 61.905 Ben Zobrist B 59.341 Carlos Guillen B 59.184 Nick Punto B 58.791 Erick Aybar None 57.692 Bobby Crosby None 56.593 Alexei Ramirez None 56.429 Akinori Iwamura None 55.714 Julio Lugo None 54.945 Brendan Harris None 54.121 Aaron Hill None 51.429 Alexi Casilla None 50.714 Ramon Santiago None 50.549 Maicer Izturis None 50.549 Brandon Inge None 49.660 Brian Buscher None 46.939 Howie Kendrick None 46.429 Russell Branyan None 46.259 Cesar Izturis None 45.055 Asdrubal Cabrera None 45.000 Alberto Callaspo None 45.000 Mark Ellis None 44.286 Joe Crede None 43.537 Jose Bautista None 39.456 Nick Green None 39.286 Nomar Garciaparra None 37.912 Willy Aybar None 37.415 Robb Quinlan None 32.653 Jed Lowrie None 32.418 Jamey Carroll None 32.143 Ronny Cedeno None 32.143 Chris Getz None 31.786 Omar Vizquel None 31.044 Adam Everett None 30.220 John Mcdonald None 28.022 Brandon Wood None 24.490 Eric Chavez None 24.490 Elvis Andrus None 23.901 Brent Lillibridge None 23.352 Josh Barfield None 19.643 Tony Graffanino None 17.500 Ramiro Pena None 16.667 Matt Tuiasosopo None 15.986 Gil Velazquez None 14.560 Josh Fields None 14.286 Jayson Nix None 6.786 SP Name Type Score Roy Halladay A 94.035 C.C. Sabathia A 93.158 Cliff Lee A 91.316 Daisuke Matsuzaka A 89.298 Ervin Santana A 88.596 A.J. Burnett A 88.333 Jon Lester A 86.228 Zack Greinke A 85.702 Scott Kazmir A 84.211 John Lackey A 83.509 Felix Hernandez A 83.421 James Shields A 81.842 Gil Meche A 81.754 Scott Baker A 81.404 Gavin Floyd A 80.965 Joe Saunders A 79.737 Mark Buehrle A 79.561 John Danks A 79.211 Vicente Padilla A 77.544 Josh Beckett B 75.000 Andy Pettitte B 75.000 Jeremy Guthrie B 74.912 Armando Galarraga B 73.333 Justin Duchscherer B 73.333 Matt Garza B 71.930 Kevin Millwood B 70.526 Shaun Marcum B 70.175 Kevin Slowey B 69.737 Tim Wakefield B 69.649 Erik Bedard B 68.246 Edwin Jackson B 67.719 Jesse Litsch B 65.789 Nick Blackburn B 64.211 Andy Sonnanstine B 64.123 Glen Perkins B 63.246 Jered Weaver B 62.632 John Smoltz B 62.105 Justin Verlander B 61.842 Fausto Carmona None 57.632 Kyle Davies None 55.702 Chien-Ming Wang None 54.386 Jose Contreras None 54.035 Dustin Mcgowan None 53.860 Dana Eveland None 53.684 Brian Bannister None 49.123 Jarrod Washburn None 47.982 Brandon Mccarthy None 47.544 Brad Penny None 46.667 Sidney Ponson None 46.140 Sean Gallagher None 45.965 Scott Lewis None 45.439 Mark Hendrickson None 45.351 Ricky Romero None 44.123 Nate Robertson None 44.123 Dallas Braden None 43.860 Bartolo Colon None 43.684 Jeremy Bonderman None 43.684 Aaron Laffey None 43.509 Matt Harrison None 43.333 Jake Westbrook None 43.246 Scott Feldman None 40.526 Rich Hill None 40.000 Francisco Liriano None 39.737 Carlos Silva None 39.474 Carl Pavano None 39.211 Brad Bergesen None 38.772 Scott Richmond None 38.509 Kason Gabbard None 35.526 Adam Eaton None 34.912 Radhames Liz None 34.825 Koji Uehara None 34.561 Eddie Bonine None 31.930 David Purcey None 30.088 Dustin Moseley None 29.912 Zach Jackson None 27.895 Jeff Niemann None 26.667 Josh Outman None 25.088 Eric Hurley None 24.211 Jason Jennings None 20.877 Ryan Feierabend None 20.351 Rick Porcello None 19.825 Bryan Bullington None 15.789 Kris Benson None 15.789 Dontrelle Willis None 14.211 Trevor Cahill None 14.123 Matt Palmer None 13.070 Chris Jakubauskas None 12.544 Alfredo Simon None 11.930 Brett Anderson None 11.842 Miguel Gonzalez None 3.947 Steven Jackson None 3.947 Casey Janssen None 3.947 Kelvim Escobar None 3.947 RP: Name Type Score Mariano Rivera A 89.027 Joe Nathan A 87.146 Joakim Soria A 84.144 Jonathan Papelbon A 83.575 Kerry Wood A 82.505 Scott Downs A 80.435 Joey Devine A 79.124 J.P. Howell A 78.537 Matt Thornton A 78.278 Jesse Carlson A 77.157 Takashi Saito A 76.329 Ramon S. Ramirez A 75.190 Frank Francisco A 74.810 Brian Fuentes A 74.776 Dan Wheeler A 74.327 Brian Bruney A 73.361 Grant Balfour A 73.257 Octavio Dotel A 72.981 Manny Delcarmen A 71.843 Bobby Jenks A 71.670 Russ Springer A 71.014 Jose Arredondo A 70.531 Juan Cruz A 69.427 Joba Chamberlain A 68.944 Darren Oliver A 66.529 Rafael Perez B 66.322 Damaso Marte B 66.184 Brandon Morrow B 66.080 Hideki Okajima B 65.666 Brian Shouse B 65.321 B.J. Ryan B 65.114 Scot Shields B 63.112 Jim Johnson B 62.595 Joe Nelson B 62.491 Brad Ziegler B 62.422 Troy Percival B 62.146 Justin Masterson B 61.836 Scott Linebrink B 61.836 Joe Smith B 59.386 George Sherrill B 59.179 Jamey Wright B 59.075 Andrew Bailey B 58.972 Brian Tallet B 58.937 Ryan Rowland-Smith B 58.799 Luis Ayala B 58.558 Jesse Crain B 58.558 Jose Veras B 57.074 Fernando Rodney B 56.936 Rafael Betancourt B 56.901 Jose Mijares B 56.246 Matt Guerrier None 55.349 Brandon Lyon None 55.124 Eddie Guardado None 54.883 Ron Mahay None 54.555 Dennis Sarfate None 54.486 C.J. Wilson None 54.313 Phil Coke None 54.037 Hunter Jones None 53.468 Tony Sipp None 53.468 Jensen Lewis None 53.382 Edwar Ramirez None 53.037 Roy Corcoran None 52.174 Santiago Casilla None 51.967 Chad Bradford None 51.932 Doug Waechter None 51.863 Craig Breslow None 51.208 David Aardsma None 51.208 Javier Lopez None 51.139 Zach Miner None 50.345 Jason Frasor None 50.104 Anthony Reyes None 49.137 Boof Bonser None 49.103 Masahide Kobayashi None 47.412 Robinson Tejeda None 47.378 Justin Speier None 47.188 Shawn Kelley None 45.894 Matt Albers None 45.583 Bobby Seay None 44.651 Shawn Camp None 43.979 Danys Baez None 43.030 Kyle Farnsworth None 42.685 Michael Wuertz None 42.547 Jason Isringhausen None 42.322 Brian Bass None 42.236 Brandon League None 41.201 Miguel Batista None 41.063 D.J. Carrasco None 40.787 Jerry Blevins None 40.580 Joaquin Benoit None 40.442 Lance Cormier None 40.407 Pat Neshek None 40.062 Ryan Perry None 39.562 Sean White None 39.199 R.A. Dickey None 39.165 Jonathan Albaladejo None 38.544 Derek Holland None 38.406 Jamie Walker None 38.337 David Robertson None 37.474 Bill Murphy None 37.336 Dan Giese None 36.991 Cesar Jimenez None 36.680 Brian Duensing None 36.473 Mark Lowe None 35.335 John Bale None 34.748 Josh Rupe None 33.575 Dustin Nippert None 33.299 Luis Mendoza None 33.161 Joel Zumaya None 32.781 Juan Rincon None 30.141 Darren O'Day None 28.865 Vinnie Chulk None 27.019 Clayton Richard None 26.743 Jason Bulger None 25.155 Warner Madrigal None 24.534 Chris Ray None 23.257 Horacio Ramirez None 21.601 Mike Macdougal None 19.289 Rafael Rodriguez None 17.495 Shane Loux None 15.735 Philip Humber None 11.111 Rich Thompson None 9.403 Willie Eyre None 9.213 Daniel Davidson None 8.609 Kevin Jepsen None 8.592 Juan Morillo None 4.762 Anthony Claggett None 3.847 Jack Egbert None 3.520 A few notes:I still count Magglio Ordonez as a free agent. His option hasn't vested yet, even though it likely will.Remember, any marginal Type A free agent probably won't net the draft picks. Between the team's unwillingness to offer arbitration in a dampened free agent market and the player likely to accept any arbitration, there are a ton of obstacles to those draft picks.Orlando Cabrera has a clause in his contract that he can't be offered arbitration if he's Type A.Positions are calculated as of today. No effort is made to project what position somebody will have played the most games by the end of the year.The rosters are weird. Last year I used ESPN's rosters, but they no longer have the active rosters on their site (Seriously, what good does a 40 man roster do?). I instead used CNNSI, but am going to have to change that. Off the top of my head, I see Phil Humber, Juan Miranda, and Jack Egbert (all demoted) as well as the late Nick Adenhart, who is definitely not on the Angels' roster. So if anybody knows of a place that updates rosters daily and accurately and can be imported via web query into excel, leave a comment. Thanks.I'll shoot to have these in spreadsheet format with all sorts of friendly sorting tools, sometime next month. There's no rush, since the results are pretty insignificant right now. Leave any suggestions on presentation if you like. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920229/memo-to-jim-leyland.html When you move somebody down in the order, they bat less often.When you bat your most effective hitters to date #4, #5, and #7, expect to score less runs.This:Josh AndersonPlacido PolancoClete ThomasMiguel CabreraCurtis GrandersonMagglio OrdonezBrandon IngeGerald LairdRamon Santiagois about as bad of a lineup as you can get out of those guys. Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920228/inconsistency.html A quote from Eric Wedge after last night's game:?We can?t keep playing the game with this type of inconsistency,?I can't help but think back-to-back shutouts is pretty consistent. Consistent is consistently overused in sports. There are numerous synonyms for the word bad. Use one of them instead of copping out and saying "inconsistent!" Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920227/for-old-times-sake.html Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/2920226/what-he-said.html I've been meaning to do this for a while, but have been pretty busy.Anyways, Billfer said it for me:DTW: The one where I admit my wrongness: Edwin Jackson edition Detroit Tigers - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates