Curry Canned

Multiple local and national outlets have confirmed that the Pistons fired Michael Curry today, ending a tumultuous one season run that culminated in the ‘Stones going 39-43 and getting swept by the rival Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.

Good riddance.

Curry was one of the big reasons I gave up on the Pistons this year. He always looked lost, his game plans were boring and he had ZERO respect from his players. In March, I pretty much gave up the ghost, when I wrote:

He has pretty much the same talent that his predecessors had (if not better), and the Pistons have floundered around the bottom half of the East for most of the season.

Quite simply, Curry sucked. I’m glad he’s gone. But please, Joe, don’t go out and hire Bill Laimbeer. If you do, I’ll be off the wagon just as fast as I jumped back on.

Series Wrap-Ups: Cubs, Astros – A day late…actually, a few days late.

42-33, 1st in AL Central (4.0 GU on MIN)

(Photo courtesy of David J. Phillip/AP)

I’ve pried myself away from the NHL free agency proceedings long enough to force myself to put my hands on the keyboard and type something other than “Marian Hossa”, “free agency” (whoops, wrote it above) and “salary cap.” So sit down, act like you care, and read these words (it will be short).

Well, the series against the Cubs went about as well as we could have hoped. The boys from the Windy City rolled in following our three game sweep of the Brewers, and proceeded to get swept right out of Comerica Park and back to Chicago. Honestly, this was a huge series for Detroit. It was an emotional series against a regional rival (city) and the Tigers delivered. What made it even more impressive is that they delivered in the face of adversity. None of the games were pretty and we had to claw back into two of them, but that’s the whole point: the Tigers fought through the adversity and dug out three wins at home. Frickin’ awesome. I’ll admit, I was finally starting to feel good about this squad after that series, but I tried to temper my enthusiasm, knowing we were about to embark on a road trip.

It’s a good thing I did, because once we took the field in Houston, everything went downhill. Pitching feel apart. Walks piled up. Rookie Alfredo Figaro basically threw batting practice in game two of the series. It was ugly. But, the Tigers were able to grind out a win in the final game and avoid the sweep, which is a solid moral victory for this team. Now I’m sure you are probably snickering and thinking I’m a sissy for dropping “moral victory” into a post, but guess what, I did. And I think it’s appropriate. This team has struggled with chemistry for much of the season, and they could have easily just folded up shop and hopped on the plane to Oakland as losers of three straight. But they didn’t. And that’s a victory in my mind. These are the character building games right now. It’s the final push to the All Star break, and the Tigers are still competing in the close games and finding ways to win. That’s a good thing. But I still want to see the Tigers put together a solid road trip. Hopefully, they can get it going with a trip to the struggling A’s.

*As I type this, we are currently down 6-1 in Game 1 of the series. Ugh.

On Deck: Oakland Athletics

• Record: 31-43 (4th in AL West, 11.0 GB of LAOCAASNC or LA Angels)

*Alyssa: I forgive you for wearing this shirt. I’ve put a Tigers one in the mail to you.

Monday, June 29

• Tigers – Rick Porcello (8-4, 3.55 ERA, 44 SO)
• Athletics – Brett Anderson (3-7, 5.74 ERA, 45 SO)

Tuesday, June 30

• Tigers – Armando Galarraga (4-7, 5.65 ERA, 50 SO)
• Athletics – Gio Gonzalez (0-1, 8.03 ERA, 13 SO)

Wednesday, July 1

• Tigers – Justin Verlander (8-3, 3.40 ERA, 124 SO)
• Athletics – Dallas Braden (5-7, 3.26 ERA, 64 SO)

Take It or Leave It

The negotiations are continuing. Red Wings fans are still hoping. But the outcome is becoming to look inevitable: Marian Hossa will not be a Red Wing next season.

This isn’t the first time we’ve been down this road. And it won’t be the last. But when it comes to superstar athletes and money in Detroit, people get upset. As far as players go, nobody has been this polarizing for Red Wings fans since Sergei Fedorov decided to hold the Wings hostage with his salary negotiations in both 1998 and 2003. When Fedorov finally spurned the Wings for the Ducks, he effectively sealed his fate as a player who will eternally be despised in Hockeytown. However, the Hossa situation is a bit different. Where Fedorov actually took less to play for Anaheim, Hossa is all about the cash. Or at least that’s what his agent Ritch Winter is leading us to believe. According to a whole slew of reports, the Wings have offered Hossa somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 million, but Winter wants closer to 6 million for his client. That’s a pretty big gap when you stretch it out over the long term, and Hossa could potentially lose out on alot of guaranteed money.

But who is calling the shots here? As this saga drags out, the finger of blame is quickly being shifted to Winter and fans and media alike are portraying him as the major hurdle to retaining the service of Hossa. Winter finds himself in the crosshairs of fan anger right now, simply because he has laid out a number that the Wings can’t match. Here’s the thing: I don’t blame Winter. I blame Hossa.

Throughout this entire process, where has 81 been? We haven’t heard anything from him. This was the guy who decided Detroit offered him the best shot at a Cup, and seemed to be buying into the mindset that Detroit continues to carry with them: play our system, respect our decisions and you will win. Now all of a sudden, the man who was interested in winning a Cup and settling down for the “long term” has continued the vanishing act that he started all throughout this year’s playoffs. Meanwhile, Winter is charged with not only securing a contract for Hossa, but also being the face of the entire Hossa camp, since his client has the gag in his mouth. For the time being, let’s table the frustration, and look at this in the way that Winter is. Last year, his client missed out on a huge guaranteed payday to follow through on his dream to win a Stanley Cup. Winter watched the money slip away once, and he won’t let that happen again. Add to that the fact that Hossa’s value dropped as a result of his Houdini like disappearance in the playoffs, and Winter has a responsibility to lock up as much money as possible, and to do it right now. That’s what an agent does and that’s all Winter is doing here: his job.

Sometimes, the passion of the fans clouds the fact that this game (and many others) are a business. In the end, it’s all about the money and less about the championships for some players. And while we in Detroit are insulated from alot of that because of the Kris Drapers and Nick Lidstroms of the world, we occasionally run into a player who is so talented and effective, yet is usually all about the money, that we put away our better judgment and throw ourselves behind their attempt to “help the team.” I’m not saying that Hossa didn’t genuinely try and make the Wings better or try and forge friendships in the locker room. I’m just saying that we should have seen this coming. Hossa has been about the payday his entire career, and just because he had a moment of “clarity” and acted as if he wants to play the game simply for the love of the game, we should have known that his loyalty only ran so deep. Now, Hossa is on the verge of dashing for the cash and jilting the Wings organization and fans.

But let’s be fair, here: Hossa hasn’t gone anywhere. I could just be sitting here spewing my frustrations, while Hossa is putting his name on the dotted line of a 10 year deal with the Wings. If Hossa does re-sign, great. It will be a true testament to the power of the Red Wings brand, as well as a testament to the character of Hossa. But if he does leave, don’t act surprised. Ever since he came here, my excitement has always been slightly tempered by the fact that he has been all over the NHL and hasn’t stayed put. Yes, his quotes about wanting to stay here for the long term got me excited, but there has always been a sense of unease when I think of Hossa and this situation has done nothing to quash those feelings.

So where do we go from here? Hossa technically becomes a free agent on July 1, at which point he can take the highest bid from any NHL team and the Wings would be out a 40 goal scorer with no compensation. However, Ken Holland is no fool, and if he feels that this situation isn’t workable, he will do everything he can to trade Hossa’s negotiating rights and at least get some form of compensation. Right now, the Los Angeles Kings appear to be the top choice, as they have plenty of cap room and are very interested in adding Hossa to their lineup. But here’s the thing: the Kings aren’t going to win a Cup anytime soon. Both Hossa and Winter know this. Now, this doesn’t mean Hossa is guaranteed to sign with the Kings, but their price would likely be in the ballpark that Winter has suggested, Hossa would immediately be billed as the top player on that team and he would likely be paired up with the exciting Anze Kopitar to form a formidable scoring tandem. But the Kings are a work in progress, and it would be a long haul with alot of losses before Hossa would get another shot at the Cup. If Ken Holland feels that Hossa is a lost cause, he’d be well served to get something from the Kings and let Winter and Hossa figure out the rest. If Hossa is serious about making more money while still competing for a Cup, he won’t play in LA. If he does, then we know EXACTLY what Hossa is all about.

No matter what happens, remember this: When a true champion gets close to their goal, they do whatever it takes to get back and get it done. If Hossa’s goal is a Cup, then he’ll be back because the Wings are a constant threat to get there. If the goal is more money, then don’t let the door hit you in the ass.

The clock is ticking and there’s only one person who can make this decision. So what’s it gunna be ‘Hoss?

Jeebus Does Not Approve of This Shirt. “Hockey Jeebus” Does.

(Courtesy of www.ThePensBlog.com, Designed by Steven S.)

The folks over at ThePensBlog have issued their own shirt to commemorate their Stanley Cup win this year.

First, let me just say that it’s a pretty neat looking shirt. I like the concept.

But holy hell is it funny to see it say “Satan” on there. I know, I know: it’s “Shuh-Tan.” But a spade is a spade in my book, and when I see it, all I can do is giggle. Kinda like when Satan had the Yahoo! fantasy ID number of 666 this season.

C’mon, I gotta find humor somewhere, right?

Wait a second…

Which one do they mean?

Series Wrap-Up: Brewers – This Brew Goes Down Smooth.

38-31, 1st in AL Central (4.0 GU on MIN)

(Picture courtesy of Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press)

Well then! Apparently all it takes is a little ranting from yours truly, and all of a sudden the wins start piling up and the brooms get dusted off. Obviously, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but sweeping a division leader is something that is never easy. But the Tigers held fast, surviving a couple of rain delays on Friday, a rookie on the mound Saturday, and an old fashioned pitching duel on Sunday to get the sweep of the Brew Crew and get back on track in the standings.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. Literally. Friday night’s game got underway with the threat of rain looming, and Armando Galarraga pitched like he was afraid of getting hit by a lightning bolt on the mound. The “Sick Cat” pitched the Tigers into an early hole, giving up a three run shot on a miserable changeup to Prince Fielder. Honesty, Galarraga just doesn’t have it right now and it’s really starting to show. Seriously, when he’s on the mound, does ANYONE feel like the Tigers have a chance to win? I sure as hell don’t.

Anyways, despite Galarraga’s best attempts to fail, the Tigers’ bats came alive and the baseball gods offered up a rain delay after the boys clawed back for a lead, mercifully ending Galarraga’s night. Marcus Thames popped a pair of home runs, and Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson added their own, fueling the Tigers to a 10-4 win.

Coming into Saturday’s affair, all of the talk was around 24 year old starter Alfredo Figaro, making his major league debut. However, the storyline quickly shifted to the re-energized Tigers’ bats, led by Thames and Cabrera, who both went 3 for 5 on the day. Add to that rookie Don Kelly adding three hits, and the Tigers offense was officially back in the swing of things (no pun intended.) This is not to take anything away from Figaro, though, who performed very well in his first start, going five innings while giving up two runs on eight hits and striking out seven.

With a sweep on the line, both squads trotted out their aces on Sunday, as Justin Verlander squared off against Yovani Gallardo. Neither pitcher disappointed, as they both threw late into the game and struck out eight each. But it would be Brandon Inge’s sixth inning home run that would be the difference in this one, giving the Tigers a 3-2 win and a series sweep to boot.

Like I said earlier, this was a big sweep for the Tigers. Not only did it give them a four game winning streak *knock on wood*, but it was a real confidence booster for a team that has struggled to sustain any sort of momentum throughout this season. That said, any momentum earned over the last four games will be put to the test when the Cubs come calling, and the Tigers will need to play to their full potential to win what is all but guaranteed to be a fun and entertaining series over the next few days.

Roster movin’: The Tigers will recall right-hander Freddy Dolsi before tonight’s game. Dolsi appeared in 42 games for the Tigers last year, and had a 3.97 ERA. (I also gave him many shouts of Budweiser infused encouragement last year during a warm-up session in the Safeco Field bullpen. Not that this has any bearing on his call-up. Just thought it was worth a mention.)

Also worth noting, Jim Leyland has said that he will move Alfredo Figaro in between Verlander and Edwin Jackson in an attempt to provide the bullpen with more regularity when it comes to their appearances.

And just because I forgot to mention it this weekend, Skippah’ Jimmay signed himself a two-year extension, ensuring that that ever-present cloud of Marlboro smoke in the dugout tunnel isn’t going anywhere.

On Deck: Chicago Cubs

• Record: 34-32 (3rd in NL Central, 2.5 GB of St. Louis)

Tuesday, June 23

• Tigers – Edwin Jackson (6-4, 2.39 ERA, 72 SO)
• Cubs – Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 3.44 ERA, 59 SO)

Wednesday, June 24

• Tigers – Rick Porcello (8-4, 3.54 ERA, 41 SO)
• Cubs – Rich Harden (4-3, 5.27 ERA, 64 SO)

Thursday, June 25

• Tigers – Armando Galarraga (3-7, 5.62 ERA, 45 SO)
• Cubs – Ted Lilly (7-4, 3.04 ERA, 75 SO)

Series Wrap-Up: Cardinals – Thud.

35-31, 1st in AL Central (2.0 GU on MIN)

(Photo courtesy of Chris Lee/MCT)

Honestly, the trip to St. Louis really sucked. After looking like garbage in Pittsburgh, I was counting on the pitching of Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson to lead us back to our winning ways, with at least 2 of 3 against the Cards. Yea right.

Verlander gave up five total runs and eight hits in four innings of work, which was one of his shortest outings of the season.  For Jackson, the story was different, but the same tune he’s heard all year: lack of run production.

Honestly, I could sit here and blab a ton about the stats and about how “Verlander was due for a bad night” and how Jackson tied his career high in strikeouts. I could tell you all about how Rick Porcello is quickly becoming one of the best young pitchers in the game and how excited I was when the bats finally did come alive last night.

But I won’t talk about those things. Why? Because they don’t matter. What does matter is the fact that this team is horribly inconsistent, scoring five runs over the first two games of the series, and then almost matching that total in the first inning of the third game. Yes, sometimes teams go through funks. That happens. But this team is in a permanent funk for the most part. When you expect them to excel, they choke. When you expect them to choke, it’s a 50/50 chance that they choke even harder or that they fight it and come to play. And then when they hit the road, it becomes the ultimate crap shoot.

Look, I know that we are all looking for something to cling to (at least I am) when it comes to this team. For me, that something is a win streak here and there amidst winning each series they play. Will that always happen? No. But it NEEDS to happen more often than not if we want to have a legitimate chance at the postseason. This team needs to win the games that they SHOULD win (coughcoughPIRATEScoughcough) and compete hard in the games that will define their mettle. Look, I know we aren’t even at the All Star break, but this team looks like they are headed for a big breakdown at some point. Every night the lineup looks cobbled together at best. The pitching staff could implode at any minute. Add to it that Magglio Ordonez is now on the bench indefinitely and Dontrelle Willis is back on the DL with his “anxiety problems”, and anyone that calls themselves a baseball fan can see that there are problems brewing. This does not look like a championship caliber team right now.

On Deck: Milwaukee Brewers

• Record: 37-29 (1st in NL Central, 1.5 GU on St. Louis)

Friday, June 19

• Tigers – Armando Galarraga (3-7, 5.56 ERA, 44 SO)
• Brewers – Braden Looper (5-3, 4.62 ERA, 44 SO)

Saturday, June 20

• Tigers – Alfredo Figaro (0-0, –.—ERA, – SO)
• Brewers – Dave Bush (3-3, 5.31 ERA, 58 SO)

Sunday, June 21

• Tigers – Justin Verlander (7-3, 3.39 ERA, 110 SO)
• Brewers – Yovani Gallardo (7-3, 2.93 ERA, 85 SO)

Series Wrap-Up: Pirates – Plundered.

34-30, 1st in AL Central (2.0 GU on MIN)

(Photo courtesy of Gene J. Puskar/AP)

**It’s been an incredibly busy week in the real world, so the series wrap-up from this weekend got bumped up until tonight. Sorry for the delay, folks. Also, the standings throughout the post are updated to reflect tonight’s ass-whoopin’ from the Cardinals.

As if the city of Detroit hadn’t had enough of the city of Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Tigers had to head to PNC Park for a three game series against the Pirates. After winning on Friday to ever-so-slightly ease the pain of losing the Stanley Cup, the Tigers had the recently commandeered trophy paraded in front of their noses by Crysob, and promptly folded up shop, losing the next two. Jeez. The Kid plunders our hardware and the Buccos plunder our pride. Blegh.

Needless to say, I am WAY OVER Pittsburgh.

Anyways, like I said, things got off to a good start. Rick Porcello came out and pitched another solid game, while continuing to make his case for being considered as Rookie of the Year in the AL. But his pitching wasn’t even the best part of his game that night. The rook’ wound up with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI’s, singlehandedly providing the offense to protect his lead on the mound.

Hear that? That rumble of thunder? It can only mean one thing…trouble’s a comin’! And when you talk about trouble with the Tigers, it only means one thing: Armando Galarraga and Dontrelle Willis must be taking the mound.

First into the ring of “sucktastic-ness” was Armando. And boy did he EVER come through!

• 2.0 IP (TWO!!!), 4 Runs, 8 Hits

Wow. Mindblowing stuff.

But “you can’t have one without the other” (Michigan football fans should get that one)…c’mon down D-TRAIN!

• 3.2 IP, 6 Runs, 6 Hits, 8 Walks

All that for only 29 million dollars!

Look, these two are in bad shape. Galarraga is better suited to throw batting practice right now, and Willis couldn’t toss a beach ball into the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, Zach Miner is just hanging out in the bullpen, waiting for his chance to come in for some relief work. Is he the solution? No. But anything is better than trotting Galarraga and Willis out on back-to-back nights with shovels in hand so they can dig their own graves. They just don’t have it right now. However, hope may spring eternal, as Jimmy Leyland announced that Willis will be missing his next scheduled start, although he didn’t specify who would be stepping in for him. At this point, anything is better than the D-Train. Now if we could only do something about Galarraga…

On Deck: St. Louis Cardinals

• Record: 35-30 (2nd in NL Central, 2.0 GB of Milwaukee)

Tuesday, June 16

• Tigers – Justin Verlander (7-2, 3.02 ERA, 106 SO)
• Cardinals – Adam Wainwright (7-3, 3.49 ERA, 71 SO)

*Apparently Verlander caught the “Armandtrelle” bug, because it was nasty tonight. Here’s how the pitchers fared:

• Verlander: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, Loss (7-3)
• Wainwright: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, Win (7-4)

Wednesday, June 17

• Tigers – Edwin Jackson (6-3, 2.24 ERA, 65 SO)
• Cardinals – Todd Wellemeyer (5-6, 5.50 ERA, 46 SO)

Thursday, June 18

• Tigers – Rick Porcello (7-4, 3.71 ERA, 38 SO)
• Cardinals – Joel Pineiro (5-7, 3.99 ERA, 35 SO)

Who’s Staying and Who’s Going In Motown?

*I’m reposting this from over at “Winging It”, as this is a topic I have been bugged about like crazy today and I want to give all readers a chance to weigh in…even those without memberships at SB Nation (GET ONE!!!).

(Photo courtesy of Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press)

Before we move forward and look at who might not be around, let’s take a look at who is already locked up. Up front, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader are all taken care fo for next season. Defensively, the Wings have already secured the services of Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson, Andreas Lilja, Derek Meech and Brett Lebda. In net, Chris Osgood will be back as the starter and Jimmy Howard is signed for the next two years.

Which leaves us with the following question marks and probable results (which of course are all IMO):

Marian Hossa

• Hossa is an unrestricted free agent entering the off-season, but it is widely believed that he will be back in the winged wheel next season, and for quite a few seasons after that. Despite all but disappearing in this postseason, Hossa is still a superstar in the NHL and the Wings are a better team with him in the lineup. However, his price tag is guaranteed to be high, as he garnered 7.45 million this past season. Even if Ken Holland can work his magic and get Hossa to take less money over a long-term deal, his presence bodes pretty unfavorably for some of the other free agents on the Wings roster.
• Staying or going? Staying.

Jiri Hudler

• Here’s where things begin to get complicated. Hudler is a restricted free agent, so all the Wings have to do is offer him, and he stays with the team. However, as Hossa is widely expected to sign a long term deal with the Wings, Hudler becomes one of the players on the outside looking in. Normally, this wouldn’t be a major issue, as Hudler has enough NHL experience to receive a crop of offer sheets from other clubs. However, and unproductive playoff – three assists and zero goal in his last 12 playoff games – could lead some clubs to reconsider Hudler. In the end, though, someone should take a chance on him, and Hudler will be playing for someone else when the fall rolls around.
• Staying or going? Going.

Mikael Samuelsson

• Samuelsson, an unrestricted free agent, is expected to be another victim of a Marian Hossa re-signing. Despite being productive for the Wings early in the playoffs, Sammy fell of the map in the last 10 games, netting zero points. His contract is just over one million dollars, which is completely reasonable for a 20 goal scorer, so someone will scoop up Samuelsson off the market.
• Staying or going? Very much gone.

Tomas Kopecky

• Kopecky is another major question mark, as the Wings will likely need to shed one more salary, in addition to Hudler’s and Samuelsson’s, to keep Hossa in a Red Wings uniform for the foreseeable future. The likely answer appears to be Kopecky, who has been out since Game 5 of the Anaheim series after suffering a broken orbital bone. But it won’t be easy to cut ties with him, as Kopecky played 79 regular season games and is only 27 years old. But the reality is that Kopecky only put up 19 points over those 79 games, and with younger players like Leino, Abdelkader and Helm gaining experience and playing time, Kopecky’s lack of production might help to show him the door in Detroit. 
• Staying or going? Probably going.

Ville Leino

• No drama here. Leino is a restricted free agent, who hasn’t played in enough NHL games to really warrant an offer sheet from another team. Leino will be back and will probably get increased time with the big club, especially if Kopecky doesn’t get re-signed.
• Staying or going. Staying.

Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey

• With the young talent making its way up the ladder, I just don’t see both of these guys staying. McCarty played in 13 games this season to Downey’s four. Combine that with McCarty’s status as a fan favorite and someone who is willing to grind it out in the minors to get his shot, and he’s my pick to be back in a Wings uniform next season.
• Staying or going? McCarty: Staying. Downey: Going.

Chris Chelios

• Unfortunately, Cheli’s time in Motown is up. With young defensive talent like Jon Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall leading the charge, Chelios’ minutes just aren’t there anymore.
• Staying or going? Gone.

Ty Conklin

• So this is one situation that has managed to stay under the radar for the most part, but Conks finds himself as a free agent and the Wings potentially find themselves with an untested backup goaltender in Jimmy Howard. At this point, things get really tricky, and Ken Holland is going to earn his paycheck when this is all said and done. Conklin made $750,000 last season, but happened to turn in 25 wins while Osgood was interested, and will most likely ask for more money. But Jimmy Howard is making $717,000 a season, and also can’t be sent back down to the minors without being waived. And if Howard got claimed off waivers and  called back up from the minors, half of his salary would be on the shoulders of the Red Wings. It’s a predicament, for sure. However, I don’t think that the Wings staff is 100 percent confident in Howard’s ability to succeed in the NHL, and surely don’t consider him a full time backup at this point. Combine that with the fact that there isn’t a huge demand for starting goaltenders this off-season and, in the end, I think it looks something like this: Howard gets a few more chances to prove himself during the regular season, but…
• Staying or going? Conklin is staying, at least until the trade deadline.

That covers off on all of our free agent action, but there is one more area of concern:

Andreas Lilja

• Lilja is signed to play this year, but after getting his block knocked off during the regular season last year, he hasn’t been able to return to the ice because of persistent headaches. For awhile, it looked as if he was turning the corner, but now he claims that the pain is worse than ever. I hate to say it (and I hope it’s not true), but Lilja sounds like a player who might possibly have played his last game in the NHL. I may very well be wrong about this, but he doesn’t sound like he is making a ton of improvement here and I, for one, do not expect him to be ready for the start of next season.
• However, if he does somehow make it back to the lineup, it puts Derek Meech in a really tough position. Meech has had a really tough time cracking the starting lineup over the last two years, and if Lilja can return, Meech finds himself squarely on the trade block. However, if Lilja can’t return, then Meech finds himself on more secure footing, as long as he isn’t passed by another guy from the minors.

All in all, it’s going to be a tricky off-season in terms of roster movement. Without a doubt, there will be changes, but the Wings remain in good shape since their core players have all been taken care of. With young, playoff proven talent ready to step up for anyone who leaves town, the Wings should find themselves in a pretty good position when the playoffs fire up again next season.

Series Wrap-Up: White Sox – Grind and Survive.

33-27, 1st in AL Central (4.0 GU on MIN)

(Photo courtesy of Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

I hate when the Tigers go on the road to Chicago. Nothing against the city whatsoever, but it’s always a brawl when we head into US Cellular field for a series against the White Sox. And more times than not, we come out on the wrong end.

This time around, things went a bit differently. Despite playing five games in the Windy City in order to make up a rain-out from earlier this season, the Tigers slogged and fought their way to a series win, taking three of five from the Sox. But it wasn’t pretty, and the Tigers have some decisions to make about their roster and who is going to be a contributing member of it.

First and foremost, Jeremy Bonderman is nowhere close to being ready to return to the starting rotation, let alone the big club’s roster. Bondo pitched the second game of a doubleheader on Monday and got shelled. He was only able to go four innings, throwing 85 pitches, and gave up six runs on eight hits. The problem? Three of those runs were home runs. Bondo also struggled with his control and velocity, only topping out at 90 MPH and leaving pitches up in the strike zone.

The obvious question is “now what?” Well, it looked like the initial plan was to put Bonderman in the bullpen until he was actually ready to return to the rotation, but that looks like it might be off the table. After being optioned to Toledo on Monday, Ryan Perry looks set to re-join the team when they arrive in Pittsburgh. Since he didn’t complete his 10 day stint with Toledo, that can only mean that someone from the current roster is headed to the DL. I have to believe it’s Bonderman, given that his ineffectiveness would keep him out of the rotation, and because he has never really worked in a bullpen role. We’ll know more when the team gets to Pittsburgh, but my money is on a quick trip to the DL for Jeremy.

As far as the rest of the series goes, it wasn’t EXACTLY business as usual, but it worked. Armando Galarraga had a decent outing in a “no decision”, Justin Verlander threw a complete game win, Dontrelle Willis was his usual roller coaster ride and Edwin Jackson cooled off a bit.

Offensively, it was Adam Everett (Adam Everett?!?!?) who had the big weekend, going 5 for 9 and driving in four runs, including a solo home run, which was only his second of the season. Brandon Inge also showed some flashes of his early season brilliance, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come as the season keeps chugging along. But it wasn’t all peaches and cream for the Tigers, as Clete Thomas was sent back down to Toledo again. Jim Leyland said it was to work on his bat speed, as Thomas’ recent power surge has been supplemented by a surge in strikeouts as well. Replacing him is youngster Don Kelly, who has been a hitting machine for the Mud Hens, batting .339 with three home runs and 22 RBI’s. He will get the start in left field tomorrow.

On Deck: Pittsburgh Pirates

• Record: 28-32 (5th in NL Central, 5.0 GB of Milwaukee)

Oh goodie. More sports against Pittsburgh.

Friday, June 12

• Tigers – Rick Porcello (6-4, 3.98 ERA, 36 SO)
• Pirates – Ian Snell (1-6, 5.54 ERA, 45 SO)

Saturday, June 13

• Tigers – Armando Galarraga (3-6, 5.19 ERA, 44 SO)
• Pirates – Zach Duke (6-4, 3.07 ERA, 44 SO)

Sunday, June 14

• Tigers – Dontrelle Willis (1-3, 6.60 ERA, 16 SO)
• Pirates – TBD

Series Wrap-Up: LA Angels – Punch ‘em right in the mouth.

31-25, 1st in AL Central (4.0 GU on MIN)

(Photo courtesy of Duane Burleson/AP)

**FYI: Record has been updated to reflect the Tigers beating the White Sox in Game 1 of their doubleheader today. WOO!!!

So the last time we checked in with the Tigers, they had just been swept by the Red Sox, Jim Leyland got himself tossed from a game, the doubters were out in full force and the Los Angeles Orange County Angels of Anaheim and Surrounding Neighborhoods and Communities were on their way into town before the Tigers embarked on a week-and-a-half long road trip.

The Tigers needed to bounce back strongly and get some wins.

The answer started with Justin Verlander, who pitched another fantastic game in the opener, but got let down AGAIN by sub-par hitting from a mashed up lineup due to Miguel Cabrera’s hamstring injury. Verlander’s work was good enough to keep the team in the game, but Fernando Rodney came in and gave up a run, and with the sub-par hitting, that was enough for LAOCAASNC to escape with a 2-1 win.

Knocked down again.

But what do you do when you get knocked down? You get back up and punch that dude right in his mouth.

Detroit’s counter-punch? Edwin Jackson. The KO punch? Clete Thomas. (Clete Thomas?!?!)

Despite suffering from the same lack of run support that plagued Verlander, Jackson put the team on his back and just took over on Saturday night (and Rodney didn’t blow this one.) And on Sunday, Clete cleared the bases with a grand slam as the Tigers started to locate the offense.

KO delivered. Tigers take the series.

Look, the series win was important for the Tigers, despite being less than aesthetically appealing. The Tigers are in an interesting position where two to three games a week, they are going to get good/great pitching and then to to three games a week they will put up solid batting numbers. When those two line up, the Tigers win ball games. But the rest of it is a crapshoot.

I know Leyland is making an attempt to generate some offense by moving Curtis Granderson back up to the leadoff spot and adding in the newly rehabilitated Marcus Thames for some additional power. But I don’t think that is going to cure the inconsistencies of this team. The real trick for Jim is to find a way to start small with this team. This is NEVER going to happen, but they need to focus more on hitting for singles and sacrifices, and maybe even *GULP* the occasional bunt or two. Sacrilege, I know. Yes, the Tigers will always have power and yes, that power is a great thing, but yes, that power disappears from game to game and yes, if we stick to the power game for the entire season, we might finish somewhere around .500.

Anyways, it’s a thought. Maybe try it out one night when Verlander or Jackson is on the mound since nine games out of 10 you are going to get a top notch performance from them. I’m just sayin…

One last thing before we go: Jeremy Bonderman returns to the bump tonight finally. This could be interesting, as most of the folks that regularly cover the Tigers say that Bondo doesn’t have that “umph” back in his velocity, which means he should be less overpowering and more crafty.

Kenny Rogers, anyone?

On Deck: Chicago White Sox

• Record: 26-31 (3rd in AL Central, 5.5 GB of DET)

Monday, June 8 (DH)

Game 1

• Tigers – Armando Galarraga (3-6, 5.31 ERA, 41 SO)
• White Sox – Clayton Richard (2-1, 3.97 ERA, 34 SO) **Yes, THAT Clayton Richard. As in the Clayton Richard that used to be a backup on the Michigan football team. Whoa.

**Since the game is over and I already updated the records, here are the resulting lines for each guy. Joel Zumaya got the win for the Tigers, BTW. Rodney, the save.

• Galarraga: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, No decision
• Richard: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO, No decision

Game 2

• Tigers – Jeremy Bonderman (0-0, –.—ERA, – SO)
• White Sox – Jose Contreras (0-5, 8.19 ERA, 17 SO)

Tuesday, June 9

• Tigers – Dontrelle Willis (1-3, 6.84 ERA, 13 SO)
• White Sox – Mark Buehrle (6-2, 2.91 ERA, 46 SO)

Wednesday, June 10

• Tigers – Justin Verlander (6-2, 3.26 ERA, 97 SO)
• White Sox – John Danks (4-4, 5.10 ERA, 54 SO)

Thursday, June 11

• Tigers – Edwin Jackson (6-3, 2.16 ERA, 62 SO)
• White Sox – Gavin Floyd (4-5, 5.35 ERA, 66 SO)