MONDAY MORNING MANAGER: Week 6
My weekly look at the Tigers...
Last Week: 4-1
This week: (5/16-18: MIN; 5/19-21: CIN)
This is getting spooky now.
The Tigers keep winning, and keep passing tests (except for that damn Metrodome), and keep gaining confidence, and keep acting like a team that belongs in the rarified air of contention, and keep pitching gems, and it's all enough to make your 13-year-gap-of-winning-baseball mind to swim.
The Tigers swept the Indians for the first time ever in Jacobs Field -- and that ballpark has been around for a dozen years or so. It was another test passed, because next to the Twins' dome, The Jake has been maybe the second most horrific foreign ballpark for the Tigers.
This team is playing good baseball, my friend, and something tells me it has some staying power, although check back after Father's Day. Gotta get through both parental holidays before you get serious consideration.
The rotation, one thru five, is as solid as a rock. It's got the look of some of those great Atlanta Braves staffs in the 1990's: Some veteran leadership, and young, talented arms. All the starters are giving the team a chance to win on any given night, and what else can you ask for?
But what stands out most, I believe, from Tigers teams of the recent past is the defense and the smart baseball being played now. The 2006 Tigers are making key plays, and smart plays, with their gloves. They're making good, aggressive decisions. They're believing in themselves more and more each day. And why not? At 16-7, they have the best road record in all of baseball.
The starters, other than Kenny Rogers, are all young, in good physical shape, and won't appear to wear down. The bullpen is humming along. The bats are booming when they have to be booming, and are clutch and timely when the situation calls for it.
Again -- spooky.
Time to dust off your baseball-watching and analyzing minds. Something tells me the fun will last past July 4th this year, and maybe Labor Day.
And we're all out of shape. We're not used to this.
Last Week: 4-1
This week: (5/16-18: MIN; 5/19-21: CIN)
This is getting spooky now.
The Tigers keep winning, and keep passing tests (except for that damn Metrodome), and keep gaining confidence, and keep acting like a team that belongs in the rarified air of contention, and keep pitching gems, and it's all enough to make your 13-year-gap-of-winning-baseball mind to swim.
The Tigers swept the Indians for the first time ever in Jacobs Field -- and that ballpark has been around for a dozen years or so. It was another test passed, because next to the Twins' dome, The Jake has been maybe the second most horrific foreign ballpark for the Tigers.
This team is playing good baseball, my friend, and something tells me it has some staying power, although check back after Father's Day. Gotta get through both parental holidays before you get serious consideration.
The rotation, one thru five, is as solid as a rock. It's got the look of some of those great Atlanta Braves staffs in the 1990's: Some veteran leadership, and young, talented arms. All the starters are giving the team a chance to win on any given night, and what else can you ask for?
But what stands out most, I believe, from Tigers teams of the recent past is the defense and the smart baseball being played now. The 2006 Tigers are making key plays, and smart plays, with their gloves. They're making good, aggressive decisions. They're believing in themselves more and more each day. And why not? At 16-7, they have the best road record in all of baseball.
The starters, other than Kenny Rogers, are all young, in good physical shape, and won't appear to wear down. The bullpen is humming along. The bats are booming when they have to be booming, and are clutch and timely when the situation calls for it.
Again -- spooky.
Time to dust off your baseball-watching and analyzing minds. Something tells me the fun will last past July 4th this year, and maybe Labor Day.
And we're all out of shape. We're not used to this.
posted by Greg Eno at 11:27 AM
Proud Member of DIBS
2 Comments:
You're right; and he also said something about not really having done anything until after you get past .500.
I think the Tigers are for real this year. How real? I'm not sure but I don't see a big collapse any time soon. Come July, I believe they'll be loking to trade prospects for Doyle Alexander.
Lee
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