It looks as though the malaise that demonized Justin Verlander during the month of April has been exorcised. He was smooth tonight. In the eight innings that he pitched he gave up only three runs on four hits. He struck out nine. SMOOTH!

Verlander didn’t even allow a hit until a home run from Derek Lee in the fourth inning. SMOOTHER!

Honestly, more than a few of his pitches looked magical tonight. SMOOTHEST!

Victor Martinez, after some adjustments in batting style, hit a home run. Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila did, too.

Speaking of Avila, he had an absolutely stellar night. He went 3 for 4 with a double.  The home run he hit was his first this season. It came in the fourth inning against Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen. It was a two run blast that put the Tigers up 4-0.

He had five RBI’s.

THE HOME OPENER

Are you keeping an eye on the weather for Friday? If you are going to the game, take an umbrella with you, it looks like you will need it. I watched our local Detroit area weather man, WDIV-TV’s Chuck Gadica (whose forecasts I like) and his radar map showed morning rain, however we might get a break in the afternoon. Possibly enough of a break to play baseball. Keep those fingers crossed!

Don’t forget that you can click on the “Countdown To Opening Day” photo to the right to get the latest weather for Opening Day.

If you can’t make it to the game, you can still catch the televised home opener on Fox Sports – Detroit and also on Fox 2. Game time is at 3:05 p.m. ET.

-Skip

Once again, we can’t expect them to win every game. Yet two games into the season we are still waiting to see our first Detroit Tigers victory of 2011.

Pack your patience.

Yesterday’s loss to the New York Yankees, 10-6, was a painful game for fans and players alike. The Yankees jumped all over starter Brad Penny, in his Tiger’s debut, early in the game. Penny fell three runs behind in the first inning en route to an early exit. By the time his day was over he had given up eight runs, including a three run homer to Mark Teixeira (his second in as many games) in the 2nd inning.

Penny’s ERA has swelled to 16.62.

Also, Curtis Granderson continued to play a good game against the Tigers. He successfully stole second base in the third. He had such a good jump, Alex Avila, despite a spot-on throw, wasn’t able to get him.

Unfortunately frustrations mounted as the bullpen continued to give up more hits and runs. Brad Thomas, relieving Penny in the fourth, launched a pitch that Russell Martin took deep to add three runs to the games totals. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Alex Rodriguez homered off of Brayan Villarreal.

If there is any good to come from the game, and there is some, the Tigers tried to battle back – although slowly. They ran out of innings.

Austin Jackson put the Tigers on the board with a home run in the third inning. Brennan Boesch, Avila, and Jhonny Peralta singled to kick off the fifth. Victor Martinez contributed with his first home run as a Detroit Tiger. In the ninth Alex Avila scored on an error. They racked up 10 hits and took advantage of some opportunities. By then it was too late.

Magglio Ordonez left the game early with a sore ankle – yes, THAT one. It is doubtful that he will play today’s game, according to Jim Leyland, who said that he didn’t want to take any chances.

So that is the long and short of it.

The Tigers will try to salvage the third game this afternoon. They will send Max Scherzer to the mound. The Yankees will counter with Phil Hughes.

-Skip

EXTRAS

Fun Fact: When Justin Verlander pitched in Thursday’s opener against the Yankees, he became the fourth Tigers pitcher since 1920 to start four consecutive opening day games. He has good company, too, Jack Morris, Mickey Lolich, and Hal Newhouser are the other three.
(From ESPN Stats and Info)

In 2010, the Tigers were riding high atop the Central prior to the All-Star break. A number of injuries were cited as the reason for their second-half slide. This year, the Tigers will begin the season without Joel Zumaya and Carlos Guillen. Both players will be on the disabled list (DL).

The key to making this a successful year will rely heavily upon the health of key players, such as Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez.

Of course, keeping the position players off of the dreaded DL is important. Keeping this pitching staff healthy, too, will be important. Unfortunately, as you know, that isn’t an easy thing to accomplish. Injuries happen. There is no way to prevent many of them from happening. But I am saying that barring any mishaps on the field, or off, this team will go far.

A couple of off-season moves will help to make that happen. The signing of Victor Martinez added punch to a lineup that already boasts such heavy hitters such as Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez. Definitely most fans are expecting to see good things from Austin Jackson — at the plate and in center field. Brandon Inge will be back at third, and Jhonny Peralta will be Tiger’s shortstop. The position of second base was recently filled by Will Ryhmes. You can expect that once Carlos Guillen is healthy enough to return he will take over for Rhymes.

Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Rick Porcello are a group of starters to be reckoned with. Each of them has good stuff. Phil Coke will begin the season in the bullpen, although he is expected to be a part of the rotation. I have been a fan of new Tiger’s pitcher Brad Penny. He has great potential as long as he’s healthy (see, there’s that word again). He can get a lot of wins. Jose Valverde is beginning the year healthy — and happy. Jim Leyland has already made a comment that he will hold Papa Grande to a pitch-count. No more high-pitch-count-marathons for him! The Tigers also added Joaquin Benoit to their bullpen. He will be the setup man for Valverde — which was the role we had hoped to see Joel Zumaya in. No worries, Benoit can do the job.

Certainly, as you can see, this is a Detroit Tigers team to be excited about. I am also excited to share the 2011 season with you.

The season officially starts at 1:05 p.m. ET on March 31 in New York against the Yankees. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Then the countdown to the home opener, April 8, 2011, will begin. That game starts at 3:05 p.m. ET., which is a little later than usual, and that is because of the previous night’s game against Baltimore. We want a well-rested team to take the field that Friday afternoon. Don’t we? So, I will take the later start — and hope the weather will be decent — at least a few degrees warmer than the 38 degrees we saw last year on opening day.

Be sure to get downtown early to find a place to park, and mingle with Tiger’s fans at a couple of the downtown bars and restaurants before the game.

Comerica Park gates open at 12:3o.

-Skip

Ernie Harwell

The Detroit Tigers legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell is celebrating his 92nd birthday today. You are probably aware that last year Harwell was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Since that announcement, Harwell has shared his good-byes with the news media, fans at Comerica Park, and the baseball world.

Among a number of things, he continues to write a column for the Detroit Free Press. Today’s article can read here.  DETROIT FREE PRESS/Ernie Harwell. Yesterday’s column from Ernie Harwell can be found here. DETROIT FREE PRESS/Ernie Harwell/10JAN24.

Although I grew up listening to, and idolizing Ernie, I realize that many readers have never heard Ernie gave listeners the play-by-play of the action on the field. There is a video on Fox SportsNet Detroit that will give you some insight into Harwell’s most famous signature calls. View the video here.

Today’s post is short, but important. Anyone who has been told that six months was the most you could expect, a simple birthday becomes a major milestone. He said he would like to see another birthday, and I am thrilled that he did.

Ernie is respected by many – and loved by so many more.  He has approached dying with grace, and great amount of savoir-faire.  Please continue to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERNIE!!

If you would like to send a card or letter to Ernie Harwell, here is the address:

Ernie Harwell

c/o S. Gary Spicer Sr., Attorney at Law,

16845 Kercheval Ave. Suite 5

Grosse Pointe, MI  48230

(AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)

“Right now I feel like it’s going to be a new season, a new life for me, I’m going to be a better dad, a better husband, a better player and better with the fans, too. And with the media, too.”

After spending 142 days of the 2009 season in first place, and enjoying a seven game lead early in September, most fans believed the Detroit Tigers would win their division. The season would come down to a three game series with the Chicago White Sox.

Many factors played a role in the Tigers inability to clinch, but the one most talked about – Miguel Cabrera’s failure to hit, especially with runners on base (he went 0 for 11, with an intentional walk) during the pivotal weekend series.

There was outrage among the fans when it was revealed that Cabrera spent the night drinking and partying with members of the opposing team.

Cabrera, who showed up for the game with visible marks on his face, had been arrested, and had failed a breath test. There was widespread speculation that he might have played one of those games hung over. Anger mounted over his recklessness.

He became the poster boy for many of the teams troubles.

This week, it was announced that Cabrera underwent counseling to deal with his alcohol-related issues.

I applaud him for taking the necessary steps to deal with his addiction. Although I am still angry about the way last season ended, I am forgiving of his role (or lack of a role) in that weekend series.

I truly hope that he will continue to fight his demons and I wish him him all the luck in the world.

WINTER CARAVAN

(Robin Buckson / The Detroit News)

The 2010 Detroit Tigers completed their two-day Winter Caravan yesterday. Among the numerous stops, the group of players stopped at Detroit Metro Airport.

Players greeted passengers, scanned tickets, made announcements and even toured the cockpit of a 747.  You can see pictures published by the Detroit News here – Detroit News Caravan Pictures.

JUSTIN VERLANDER

An arbitrator will determine Justin Verlander’s salary – if he is unable to come to agreement with the Tigers. Team Verlander set down a figure of 9.5 million dollars, while the Tiger’s offered 6.9 million.

If the two sides don’t agree to terms, a hearing will be held between February 1 – 21 to determine Verlander’s salary for 2010.

A Cy Young candidate last season, Verlander won 19 games and had a major league best 269 strikeouts.

He is a guy who will continue to get better over time, and will undoubtedly rank among baseball’s pitching élite. It is in the best interest of the Tigers to sign him to a long term deal. I believe that they will – eventually. Even if he goes through arbitration, it would still be possible for Detroit to complete a deal before the end of the season.

Joel Zumaya, Ramon Santiago, Gerald Laird, Bobby Seay, and Zach Miner each avoided arbitration.

JOSE VALVERDE

(John Grieshop / Getty Images)

The newest addition to the Detroit Tigers pitching staff is closer Jose Valverde.

The 6 foot 4, 254 pound pitcher known as “Papa Grande,” made his major league début in 2003 with Arizona.

He saved 47 games in 2007 and saved 45 for the Astro’s in 2008.

He carried a 2.33 ERA in 2009.

According to Tigers manager Jim Leyland,

That was humongous for us. To know we have a guy at the end, now we can work backward and piece it all together. The biggest killer in baseball is to have leads and let them get away. That’s a disaster. He has some energy and he’s going to (tick) some teams off with that. But better them than me.

]]> http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/a-busy-week-for-the-tigers/feed/ 1 Skip Royals Tigers Baseball 2010 Winter Caravan Jose Valverde with Houston Astros http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/heroes-in-a-time-of-trouble/ http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/heroes-in-a-time-of-trouble/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:43:48 +0000 Skip http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/?p=181 Continue reading →]]> (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

I had started to work on an story about sports heroes. I planned to publish it tonight. High-profile players in nearly every professional sport have disappointed their families, friends, and of course, their fans. Brawling, drinking, drug use, dog-fighting — you name it — seems to be the norm for many sports figures.

Well, that side of the story will have to wait.

Today a true sports hero emerged –  from the wreckage of steroids, brawls and guns in locker rooms.

That is the story I will write about tonight.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti this week brought wide-spread devastation, horror, grief, and death to hundreds of thousands of Haitians. The scope of destruction, especially in terms of lives lost, may never be known.

(REUTERS – Jorge Silva)

The pictures of bodies lining the streets, and videos of  people trapped in pancaked buildings (reaching a free arm out for help), are grim, and heart-wrenching.

President Obama immediately acted to pull the resources of the United States together to bring medicine, food, and water to Haiti.  He flew in rescue workers, and troops, to search for survivors. We should applaud the president’s swift action. We all remember Katrina, and the high the cost of hesitation.

Angel Valentin/Getty Images

I am proud of major league baseball, and my association with it (if only as a blogger).

Bud Selig announced this afternoon that baseball would be donating one million dollars to the relief effort in Haiti through UNICEF.

Bud Selig as quoted on  mlb.com:

“We hope this contribution will help aid in the relief efforts and we encourage our fans to make a donation as well. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all who have been affected by this unimaginable natural disaster.” said Selig.

I was wondering where our heroes had vanished. Today, I am relieved to say, they haven’t gone anywhere. While some players, and former players, may not be heroic – there are still heroes out there.

Major League Baseball, all thirty clubs, the MLB Network, and MLB.com showed me that our sports heroes are alive and well, and working to help those caught in the grip of this catastrophic event.

Reuters/Kena Betancur

If you would like to help out out, UNICEF is a wonderful organization. You can also donate through the Red Cross.

I made my donation –several times — by texting the word HAITI to 90999. When you do this, ten dollars will be automatically donated to the Red Cross to help those affected by the earthquake.

**As of this writing, nearly six million dollars has been raised through mobile donations. (And, there are some who think that texting is silly.)

Despite the efforts of many, including Ernie Harwell, Tiger Stadium began to come down in 2008. Crowds lined the streets of Michigan and Trumbull to watch, film, and to reminisce about summer days of baseball games played at The Corner.

I was one of the them. Moving along the perimeter, I kept trying to get a peek through the heavy tarp that draped the fence. Occasionally, while walking down Trumbull to Michigan Avenue, and over to Cochrane, I would find a spot where someone had taken a knife and sliced a hole big enough to see through.

Although I had been ready for the stadium to come down (and had even started to embrace the idea), it was difficult to watch its destruction.

Memories raced through my mind of games with my dad. I recalled games that my step-son and I watched, and I tried to piece together vague, flickering  images of my grandfather, the proprietor of a parking lot, guiding cars into their spaces for families going to see the Tiger’s play ball.

There was a line of cars serving as foot stools for photographers, and mainly people trying to grab a glimpse, as I proceeded up the ramp, over the freeway, for a better look inside the ballpark.

As I peered into the yard where boyhood heroes once played, I imagined a game upon the torn field. One voice pierced through the memories.  As the stadium was coming down, I heard the play-by-play of Ernie Harwell on a sunny, September day when Detroit faced Oakland.

“Well, this is the big day for the maestro, Denny McLain, Saturday afternoon at Tiger Stadium, September the 14th, 1968, and Denny will be going for win number 30.” said Harwell.

I chose to envision this game, because two years earlier I paid a personal tribute to my grandfather on the 105th anniversary of his birth. (You can read the original post here.)

This had become a field of dreams,  and I watched a Tiger’s team from the past play ball through Ernie’s call of the game.

“Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane at Tiger Stadium, and we’ve got a dandy here. The Tigers need one to tie and two to go ahead.”

My thoughts slowly shifted from the field. I turned my body, and my gaze, toward Trumbull.

I closed my eyes.

There was Poppy, at the foot of the driveway, on the sidewalk, seated in an old aluminum folding chair.

“Denny McLain has gone eight innings for the Tigers…  and now the Tigers send up their leading home run hitter, Willie Horton, to see what he can do about starting something in the eighth inning. It’ll be Horton, Cash and Freehan – the middle three batters in Mayo Smith’s Tigers batting order.”

The Tiger’s tied the score at 4, and with one out in the ninth, Willie Horton approached home plate.

Poppy inched toward the edge of his seat.

The last pitch was thrown to Horton, while Mickey Stanley on third edged home. Harwell’s voice, thin through the small speaker, set the stage,

“… now the count on Horton is 2 balls – 2 strikes. Campaneris comes in from short to talk to his pitcher – Diego Segui.

A moment passes, and Harwell continues,

Here’s the set by Segui. The pitch — swung on! A drive to left… and that’ll be the ballgame…

The Tigers win it 5 to 4!

Denny McLain is one of the first out of the dug-out, racing out…  and Horton is mobbed as the Tigers come from behind, and McLain has his thirtieth victory of the 1968 season.”

My grandfather heard his voice, my dad heard his voice, and I heard his voice. Each of us had watched (in the mind’s eye) baseball through Ernie Harwell. For a few moments that afternoon, his voice connected cherished members of my past  – one more time.

These days, when I hear him speak, I see and hear more than a ballgame – much more.

The nexus to a time gone by is Ernie Harwell. That is much more than any mere baseball broadcaster could deliver.

Of course, Ernie Harwell was more than a broadcaster. He brought ball games to life, and made the players heroes. He was our trusted friend, the one who always got the best seat in the stadium.

Simply put, he made baseball better. Thank-you, Ernie!

Photo courtesy of the Radio Hall of Fame

]]> http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/the-ernie-harwell-connection/feed/ 0 Skip 313-471-BALL The view through the torn tarp. Tiger Stadium August 2008 Detroit Tiger's broadcaster Ernie Harwell. http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/ernies-good-bye-to-fans/ http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/ernies-good-bye-to-fans/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:59:34 +0000 Skip http://skipstigers.wordpress.com/?p=107 Continue reading →]]> Photo by Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn

In the place of their self-content;

There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,

In a fellowless firmament;

There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths

Where highways never ran-

But let me live by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

From, The House by the Side of the Road, by Sam Walter Foss

One sunny, late summer morning, I had been preparing to take my seventy-nine year old mother to the hospital for an out-patient procedure. While I was finishing a cup of lukewarm coffee, I turned on the television to catch the latest traffic conditions.

As the commercial came to an end, a newscaster from Fox 2 glared into the camera, met my eye, and delivered the heart-wrenching news – Ernie Harwell has incurable cancer. Then, the report took on a more ominous tone – the beloved Detroit Tiger’s broadcaster would not seek treatment.

It took a moment, but I realized that this was the end of the road – the end of the season – for Ernie Harwell.

Ernie Harwell was not just a part of baseball – he had been a vital part of my life. Throughout the years, the hall of fame broadcaster had welcomed me back to Michigan when my family had been away on vacation. He had accompanied me when I took a girl out on a date (thankfully, I chose my dates well, and they never seemed to mind). I enjoyed lunch with him on opening day, when I turned on the radio to hear the play by play of that first game of the season. Also, there were the nights (as a young boy), I would curl up on a chair in the corner of the living room, and his was the last voice I would hear before falling asleep.

I still find it hard to believe.

I am amazed by the strength that Ernie Harwell has shown. He is a man of tremendous faith, and will be to the end. Some, who have been handed a death sentence, would have retreated into a world of self-pity, others may have preferred privacy. I am certain that not many would have spent their last days publicly saying good-bye to family, friends, and fans.

Ernie knows how much we cherish him. May I offer, that through his public farewells, he has shown that he feels the same toward us.

Truly, it takes a special individual who can stand in front of a crowd of thousands, acknowledge his time here is nigh, and say,

It’s a wonderful night for me. I really feel lucky to be here, and I want to thank you for the warm welcome.

In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey,” he said. “And the blessed part of that journey is, it’s going to end in the great state of Michigan.

I wasn’t able to be at Comerica Park when Ernie Harwell addressed the crowd. For those who were, it was undoubtedly unforgettable and poignant.

I found this on You Tube, taken from a fan’s perspective.  Be sure to have Kleenex with you while you watch.

I am a collector of baseball broadcasts, and one Detroit Tiger’s game in particular had special meaning for me.  Watch for that post next week.

I began blogging about the Detroit Tigers in the fall of 2008. That was the year of high expectations and disappointing results (similar to this past year) .  I continued the blog throughout the off-season – and despite a computer hard drive crash in April – into the 2009 season.

Looking forward to 2010, I have decided to continue writing, but under a more Detroit Tigers appropriate name. Under the previous name I thought that there might be some ambiguity about the content. With this new moniker there will be no doubt – this is a blog about the Detroit Tigers.

Additionally, some of my thoughts were edited (solely of my own doing) on the MLBlog because I felt some things were not appropriate for the MLB site. In the future, if a situation such as that presents itself, I will use this site for THAT content.

As I begin to re-tool, I will mirror content with the MLBlog site. I hope that by doing this I can continue to get the coverage I enjoy through my affiliation with MLBlogs, and gain additional readers through this one.

Looking ahead, there is no doubt, things will be interesting in 2010. Important changes have already begun to shape the future of the Tigers organization, for better or worse.

I want this blog to become a discussion about those changes, about the highs and lows of every game, and I want it to be a conversation among Detroit Tigers fans.

With that said, I appreciate that you have taken a moment to read, and very soon you will be seeing updated posts.

Let’s Go Tigers!