ROB SANFORD

Like many Tiger fans, I feel a combination of anger, disappointment, and hope. I’m angry obviously because of how the season turned out, of all the runners left in scoring position this year….of seeing the offense explode, only to see it go back into its hole. I’m disappointed because of how the season turned out…and lack of a killer instinct in September, especially that final week when they could have left the Twins in the dust. I’m hopeful because of players like Rick Porcello….who at age 20 was amazing. His start in game #163 was incredable…his poise, his calm, his stuff. At age 20….I spent a lot of week ends hunched over someone’s toilet bowl…or skipping Friday classes.

As for Miguel Cabrera…..it looks like a bit of too much, too soon. At age 26 with more money than even he could have imagined, after living in poverty. He has skills that could put him into the Hall of Fame someday…but this most recent incident shows he lacks maturity and quite possibly a problem with alcohol. The Tigers should forget for one minute that he is a player with enormous potential and do something for the boy/man who needs some help.

ROB SANFORD

Tigers were out in front by 7 games on September 3rd….and it looked like they were about to runway with the division. And now its all come down to just one game….#163….a one and done playoff with the Twins. Just in case you’re wondering…..the stats from this game WILL be included in the regular season. At first blush, considering how hot the Twins have been, and how poorly the Tigers have played at them Metrodome..you have to think Detroit have little or no chance to move on. But we have seen first hand just how “safe” certain assumptions can be..so I wouldn’t write them off. In either case, the winner of this game will likely start the divisional series the next day (Wed) against the Yankees. So there will be no rest for the weary.

ROB SANFORD

Like all season long…..the Tigers failed to capitalize with runners on base, and the Twins spoiled the party Thursday afternoon. Jim Leyland has said all along the race will go all the way to Sunday, before it’s decided. Here’s hoping he’s wrong. The Twins now go home for 3 against the Royals..and to say good bye to the “Edsel” of the baseball world. I’m convinced Minnesota can do what they set their minds to do….so we can’t depend on the Royals. If ever the Tigers needed a sweep, this is it. The “X” factor is the weather. It will be cool and wet…so there is a chance of another doubleheader….I think that’s the last thing the Tigers would want. My heart tells me the Bengals will win the division….but my head says….it’s the White Sox they will be playing….not the Indians, and based on past history it will be a struggle.

ROB SANFORD

It was 1987…when the Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays slugged it out at Tiger Stadium for the division title. The Tigers won the series and the title, and now 22 years later, the 2009 edition of the Bengals are being called on to do the samething. The Twins lost one of their best players about 2 weeks ago, Justin Morneau.  He and Joe Mauer combine to make one of the most potent combinations in all of baseball. You would think a loss of that magnitude might have spelled doom for Minnesota. It has not, in fact, since Morneau was shelved…the team has only gone 11 and 2. This team will not rattle easily, so the Tigers will have to come up with their best baseball of the season. Detroit is 48 and 26 at Comerica Park this year…so they will have that going for them. Oddly enough, the weather is supposed to be cool and windy….something that could  help the Bengals as well. Remember, the Twins play in a Dome and for at least 81 games, and likely more….so playing in less than nice conditions could be a problem for them.  As manager Jim Leyland is so fond of saying ….momentum goes only as far as the next day’s pitcher. Remember, the only way the Twins can still control their own destiny is if they take at least 3 out of the 4 games.  Anything less than that…they would have to depend on the White Sox to help them out in the final 3 games of the season.

ROB SANFORD

Ok, maybe it’s just me. But it seems to me in past races to win a division title..there was a whole lot more public interest. TV stations went to sports bars to do “live shots”….sportscasts would have the magic number to a title, yadda, yadda yadda. But everyone seems more interested in the 0-19 Lions, or the 3-0 Michigan Wolverines. I like football too…but come on..how about a little love for the Bengals???  Maybe its because the team has been hard to love, hot one minute, cold the next, and somehow able to stay in first place but far from being dominating. Whatever, I’m sure the frontrunners and band wagoners will become “fans” if they get to the postseason.

Justin Verlander has crossed the line from being a good prospect, to being one of the top pitchers in baseball.  As I’ve said before, he’s developed that killer instinct and attacks hitters, daring them to hit his fastball. When the Tigers need a win…he’s the guy I would turn to everytime. Having said that, Edwin Jackson is still a concern for me. Yes, in his last outing he didn’t allow a run, but hitters were getting  good swings, and hitting the ball on the nose. They were luckily at somebody

It looks like Bobby Seay might miss awhile because of a sore shoulder. He’s been hit hard in his last few outings…and I was suspecting something was different. That will leave Fu-Te Ni as the left handed specialist out of the bullpen. He has very quietly had a very effective season…but no one seems to notice.

ROB SANFORD

The Tigers absolutely, positively had to win Sunday’s game in Minnesota…and they did. Yes, the Bengals came in leading by 4 games, and now its 3 games, but it could have been ohhh so much worse. Thank goodness that was the final game Detroit will ever play in the Metrodome. I hope they leave it up as long as Tiger Stadium was left to rot, call it a memorial to man’s inhumanity to the game of baseball.

Saturday’s loss I blame Jim Leyland for. The Tigers were close, and you could see Justin Verlander throwing his guts out. Then came that easy fly ball to left that Don Kelly lost in the dome…creating a strange double and opened the floodgates. Instead of being the second out of the inning.  The reason I blame Leyland is that first of all, Kelly had never played at the Metrodome in his career…its tough for veterans to pick up fly balls in that place, Second, it was a big game in the pennant race, and you put an inexperienced player out there and throw him to the wolves??? It was more than a little frustrating to watch.

ROB SANFORD

The Tigers now head into the homestretch of  the season…and if they don’t win the division, will only have themselves to blame. With so many games against their 2 closest rivals, they have an oppotunity to deal the death blow.  Many point to the fact that during the months of June, July, and August, the Tigers held a slim lead and somehow remained in first place. But that’s not the final 2 weeks of September…with all the pressure on your shoulders. I still believe….but I’m glad the way the schedule plays out…..then there can be no excuses if they don’t win.

ROB SANFORD

I know it’s hard to do, but you’ll much better if you don’t follow the division race second by second. Every day that goes by…and the Tigers are in first place, then that’s all that counts. I would like to see them stretch their lead to 10 games, but it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. There are now 20 games left in the season….and 10 against our own division. I don’t know about you….but I’m liken’ our chances.

In hockey the old addage is that whatever teams scores first will likely win the game. Apparently, the same is true for the Tigers….going into this week, they’re 49 and 26, but if the other team scores first, the Bengals are 27 and 40.

What a wierd season this has been for Magglio Ordonez. In the first half, he couldn’t buy a hit, but in the last 39 games he’s hitting about .370 and has brought his season batting average to near .300. As impressive as that is….he has only 7 rbi’s over that same span….and has turned into a Punch and Judy hitter. So where has his power and run production gone??

On the plus side…Brandon Lyon has proven to be invaluable. In his last 38 outings, he has a 5-1 record, with an ERA of 1.37. Maybe even more importantly, he has limited batters to a batting average of .116 with runners in scoring position since May 20th.

ROB SANFORD

The headline to this posting is actually the home run call of the late Jack Buck…as Kirk Gibson hit an incrediable home run for the Dodgers in the World Series. If you had told me the Tigers were going to sweep the Rays on the road…and all the wins would be come from behind….I wouldn’t have believed it. As of this writing..the Tigers are now 7 games in front of both the Twins and White Sox. That doesn’t mean the division is theirs but they are much further than they were last week at the same time. Now it’s on to Kansas City….where I’m hoping for 2 out of 3 from the Royals.

How significant is the fact a team is in first place at Labor Day?? Apparently, its no guarantee of an appearence in the post season.  Ian Browne of MLB.com writes since 1999….49 of the last 62 teams that had at least a share of first place went on to win their division.  4 of  13 teams over the last 10 years that had a division lead on Labor Day..didn’t make the playoffs at all.  So while the Tigers have a healthy 7 game lead….there’s no sure thing.

Speaking of Kirk Gibson…there’s no question he approached baseball like he was playing football in the Rose Bowl.  If you don’t allow your memory to be clouded by time and you look at his career stats objectively…you have to say overall his career was a good…but not great one. He never hit .300, nor did he drive in 100 runs in his time in the major leagues.  What made Kirk so memorable was his ability to come through in the clutch. He could strike out with the bases loaded 3 times in a game….but in the 9th inning….he seemed to come through with a huge hit. Everyone remembers his home run at Tiger Stadium in the 84 World Series, or the one he hit with the Dodgers. But the one I remember the most…was one he hit a week before the end of the 1987 season. The Tigers were battling it out with the Blue Jays…and on Sunday in Toronto…a loss could have been the death blow for their playoff hopes.  But Gibson hit one a mile late in the game to give the victory to the Tigers..who then went to to take the division. I bring this up because of the uncanny ability by Brandon Inge to look lost at the plate, before getting a clutch 9th inning hit. I know I criticized him in an earlier post, but I have to say that maybe he’ll be remembered as Kirk Gibson is now.

By the way, have you noticed…it seems like whenever I have some negative comments about the performance of a certain player….they catch fire?  I’ll try to keep up the good work.

ROB SANFORD

Like most people I was saddend by the news that Ernie Harwell has inoperable Cancer. It’s been my good fortune to have worked with Ernie….from a reading with the Grand Rapids Symphony….to being the Program Director at the Tiger flagship station, WXYT. But I know the Hall of Famer isn’t interested in eulogies and accolades…and I won’t do that now. But I wish him well…and he’ll be in my thoughts.

Heading into the week end the Tigers have a 5 game lead over the Twins in the Central Division. I’m not ready to start buying play off tickets..but I’m becoming more and more optimistic.  However, don’t forget that in 2006 it was the Twins that caught up with the Tigers and won the division. As long as they have Mauer and Morneau, they will be a threat.