BYOBYB: Saturday Afternoon Open Thread
by Ian Casselberry on Aug 8, 2009 2:00 PM EDT
in Detroit Tigers News
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PrintIt's a rainy day here in southeastern Michigan (and elsewhere, perhaps), so maybe you'd like a place to chat about whatever's on your mind while we have a few hours before the Tigers and Twins take the field. (That is, if the rain lets up. But the forecast seems to indicate it will.)
- Once again, we ask: How awesome is Alex Avila? Just merely awesome or totally awesome? If you'd like to gloat that you "had this one right" (because a lot of us had it wrong), this is the place for it.
- I shouted down the Alex Rios talk in last night's overflow thread, because so many different people brought it up. (Seriously, I understand that 300-400 comments is a lot to scroll through if you're just checking in, but looking to see if something has already been discussed - more than once, mind you - isn't too much to ask, is it?) Anyway, it's a new day, so if you want to talk about it, here you go. Rios was claimed on waivers by a team, most likely the White Sox. Do the Sox want to add Rios to their team, or was this to block a possible claim by the Tigers?
- John Smoltz looks like the best move the Tigers didn't make over the offseason, doesn't he? (This is probably going to be next week's poll question, by the way.)
- I've seen at least a couple of people mention that the Tigers should look at picking up Jason Giambi, after he was released by the A's yesterday. Have these people watched much baseball this year?
- Even though G.I. Joe looks like a total piece of crap, are you still going to see it? I might not be able to resist, against my better judgment. (Though Funny People will probably be today's movie choice at the BYB offices.)
The thread is now open to you, BYB Bunch. Bring in whatever you'd like. We'll see you later tonight (weather permitting).
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It still comes down to
pitchers like Danks, Floyd, Contreras, Peavy (if and when he comes back, no earlier
than 28th) vs. Verlander, Wash, Jackson, Porcello. Many more questions for White Sox
than Tigers. But as a potential, I think the White Sox may have more talent (if we also
consider hitting). Luckily no one wins the division on talent alone.
Some thoughts on the topics above
(1) Alex Avila will be the real deal. He is patient at the plate—something the Tigers have always needed and haven’t had with the exception of Sheff—because you can tell that he recognizes pitches really quickly. He will obviously not keep up the pace, but we’ll settle for a few walks, clutch doubles and another left bat. I think we are seeing a flash of what will happen in a few years from now.
(2) I think the White Sox want Rios and it has nothing to do with the Tigers. The Tigers would not want such a lengthy contract—’nuff said. The White Sox have ALWAYS dreamed of an ace and a stud CF. They got Peavy and Rios can be a stud CF (defensively at least).
(3) If the Tigers would have gotten Smoltz, it would have been for the bullpen. And who knows how he would have faired there? My prediction: not very well, since the bite on the slider is gone. So yes, GREAT non-signing.
(4) Giambi is done. Maybe a national league team signs him as a pinch hitter, but I cannot see an AL team signing him.
(5) G.I. Joe looks does look like a total piece of crap, and I will not be seeing it.
I Like Avila too.....
….but remember what Matt Nokes did in 87……It didnt work out long term…..I hope he is the real deal but its stil to early to tell.
by BennieBladesFan on Aug 8, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Rios
Go ahead and acquire him, DoucheSox.
Rios OPS:
2006: .865
2007: .852
2008: .798
2009: .734
I know he is a solid defender and those numbers aren’t horrible, but for $60M (?) that decline is worrisome.
Rios Is A Good Player.....
…..and moving out of the forzen tundra of canada will improve his play…..i wish we had his contract next year instead of Mags.
by BennieBladesFan on Aug 8, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Big picture... I'd rather have Maggs
Alex Rios contract – Rotoworld
04/04/08: Signed seven-year, $69.835 million contract w/2015 club option and full NTC 2008-09, limited NTC 2011-15. 2009: $5.9 million, 2010: $9.7 million, 2011: $12 million, 2012: $12 million, 2013: $12.5 million, 2014: $12.5 million, 2015: $13.5 million club option w/$1 million buyout, 2016: Free Agent
I’d rather Maggs (looking at contracts as a whole and what he has done for the Tigers since we acquired him) than Rios. Neither are worth what they will be payed in 2010 or 2011, but at least you aren’t holding onto a bad contract for an additional four years as we would with Rios.
Rios Career OPS - Home v. Away
Home : .836 OPS
Away: .735 OPS
Looks like he performs better in Toronto.
Frozen Tundra?
Your kidding right … of course you are … you`d have to be. They get the same weather as Detroit and most eastern American cities (give or take a few degrees) … check a friggin weather map. It ain`t friggin Greenland … plus they have a dome if its chilly … like in April or September … such as it tends to get in Detroit. Anyways I digress as you are obviously just poking fun.
If the Sox get Rios,
it’s for this year only. They have been talking since they got Peavy that likely two of these three (Thome, Dye, Konerko) have to go next year due to the Peavy deal. The payroll is getting mighty large over there.
Rios’ contract doesn’t fit with their long-term plans. They are looking to hold steady or drop payroll, not add it.
that is kind of my point.
The sox just took on peavys giant contract. I don’t think they can take on another one. They probably claimed rios to block us.
by rook34 on Aug 8, 2009 4:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
yay my power is back on!
Stupid weather-related power outage cutting off my computer. Grrr….
Provided it continues to not pour down rain, as it has dropped only to a sprinkle now, I’ll be at the Loons tonight so I won’t check into the game thread until later. Go Tigers!!!!
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
yup
Loons shut them out last night after splitting a 4-game series in Dayton with the Dragons.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
Oh, sorry, I was thinking the Lansing Lugnuts
Which would astonish me as to how you could root for them.
Regardless, Go Caps!
whoever you want
Or follow my strategy – root for a particular player to do well, but the team as a whole to lose. I do it in hockey all the time – I hope a former player that I like gets a hat-trick but his team loses 4-3. If he pitches well for five or six innings and his bullpen hocks up a hairball, then the Loons get the win but he still plays well. :)
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
I'm actually doing it with Hossa next year, sort of
I hope (once he gets back from surgery) he gets hat tricks against Anaheim, San Jose, Calgary, Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis – and a big fat nothing sandwich against everyone else. :P
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
give him a chance, though
And if he doesn’t work out, Larssen in Grand Rapids was apparently very solid last year. And he’s Swedish!
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
He's been "getting ready" the last 5 years though
doesn’t instill much faith in me…especially when he comes up and does horribly
I know
But he’s never had an extended run of games, just one at a time – Abdelkader didn’t look all that great in the regular season, either, but looked much better in the playoffs.
I’ll be happier if “regular-season Ozzie” will look slightly more like “playoff Ozzie” next year. And if the team as a whole improves defensively. They were 60 goals against WORSE from the 2007-08 season to 2008-09. The only reason they won so many games with putrid defense and penalty killing was because they scored a butt-load of goals.
Just get back defensively to where they were the better part of the last decade and a half, and offensively they will be fine. I’m excited to see what Ericsson can do for a full year – and remember that he was hurt a lot last year, and still had a bad hand when he was up in the playoffs, including when he ragdolled that little gutless puke Corey Perry.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
So here are my feelings on Avila:
I did think he would do well when he was called up, and I actually think I know why. I did not know how good or bad he had been playing in the minors. I did however take into account that there was an “x” in his name, as well as both his first and last names starting with an “A”. I honestly think this is why I liked the idea of him playing for us. I do not have any idea why.
Furthermore, I am still struggling with the pronounciation of his last name. Who else out there still slips and calls him “Uh-veal-uh”?
does it have a silent "l"?
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
that's what I thought
But I heard it a couple different ways, and it was confusing me.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
Yeah, it's a weird one
But we just have to work at all saying it correctly, and then the wrong people will catch on.
I don't think the "L" should be silent
there’s only one. If there were two it would be, I believe. But I could be wrong.
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't know
In Spanish, if there are two Ls they’re silent, but if there’s only one it isn’t. But I don’t know the origin of his name so I’m not sure how it’s pronounced. I’ll just call him Lord Alex for good measure.
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
If there are two 'LL's it is pronounced like a 'Y'
but just one ‘L’ so pronounced like an ‘L’
ah-vee-la
That's what I thought
but I wasn’t sure.
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
The Spanish town of Avila
is pronounced “AH-vee-lah” so that is how I will pronounce Alex’s name. None of that
“Matusz = Mattus” crap.
Last night, I got a text from the girl I'm dating
she said Aliva’s HR landed a few rows in front of her. She spelled his name ‘Alvira’.
Our new catcher…?
he's been out a couple times, I think
So now they are at “dating” status until it gets more serious or they break up.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
now why would I do that?
afterall, I left out all the good details last time already
I hate being any type of focus of attention
because we care
And don’t worry, I’m sure our imaginations filled in all the details for us. :)
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
I don't do facebook
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
You could let her pick the next thing.
Or is that a dating faux pas? I suck at it.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
If she likes bowling, of course.
But if she likes Tag, she’ll put up with it anyway. :)
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
Avila
I have not had a chance to watch a game on tv since Avila was called up, but when is Laird going to get another start? seriously do you not keep playing this guy? when do you sit him down? how can you sit Avila down?
I know Leyland makes the decisions for crying out loud
I am just saying why sit him down? Laird has 4 homeruns and 24 RBI’S in freakin 91 games for crying out Loud..I like Laird he seems like a nice guy..but his bat is a complete Liability….I think handling the pitchers is totally overrated I think Verlander is a veteren at this point..he doesnt need handling..between Leyland calling the pitches and Verlander deciding what he wants to throw out there i will take Avila and his hot bat thank you very much…
Laird does need some playng time here too
He’s had two days off. I like G$
Welcome to Detroit>>Where the weak are killed and eaten.
leyland only wants him catching for mando and rick as of yet
since they are easier to catch. at least that was the word the other day.
Yup. Laird will be catching the more experienced pitchers.
It makes more sense. And obviously, we can sub Alex in for Laird when we need a pinch-hitter or when Gerald needs a rest. Should work out well.
And regardless, I have a feeling Avila will be our starting catcher in the near future.
hambo
did you guys hear josh hamilton is/was off the wagon apparently? it’s on deadspin.. kind of a bummer
I don't want to care but I do
he’s been through a lot and has been so public about being a good boy. bleh
It wasn't with heroin though, I think, sounded like alcohol.
Regardless, they are both problems he will be dealing with for his whole life. It’s not like it will ever go away fully. Very sad, and one of the reasons I don’t drink/do drugs. Awful stuff.
yeah the pics are of him in a bar
as someone who’s fought overdoing it with those things under a LOT less pressure than him, I know it’s hard.. I can’t imagine how hard it’d be to be him. v interested to hear what he and his people have to say. I hope he doesn’t cop out.
other than being the bass player of motley crue,
There is not a worse environment for people with substance abuse problems to get clean in than major league baseball.
by rook34 on Aug 8, 2009 3:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I read a paper a couple years ago
That documented how much damage different drugs did to individuals and society, in terms of health effects, ease of addiction, harm to others, lost time at work, shortened lifespan, etc.
By far the worst and most expensive were alcohol and tobacco. (Marajuana was actually one of the least bad.)
The researcher pointed out that his study showed how powerful societal acceptance and lobbies are. Until recently, it was thought to be funny if someone was wasted and still drove home from a party – now in most places that is frowned upon, although some states have more lenient laws than others and so forth. It was interesting information.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
I would think those two would be the worst
It would be nice for all that crap to go away in my lifetime. You don’t hear many good stories involving that type of stuff.
Hamilton admits to being drunk in photos
Just googled it, he admits to having a relapse in January at a baf in Arizona, said he called the Rangers the next day and admited it to them right away
so here's a question
if we sweep the twins this weekend, does that effectively take them out of the playoff race?
I just want to get over that damn 10-game-over .500 hump
That monkey has been on our back all damn year.
I laugh at the parents
“Here, let’s take a picture of our child being choked by a stuffed monkey!”
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
i would say no.
They were further back in 06, weren’t they? Too many games between the three rivals for anyone to be out of it for awhile, unless someone falls ten back.
by rook34 on Aug 8, 2009 3:49 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Isn't there a law
that you have to show This Week in Baseball right before the game of the week instead of 10:00 on a Saturday morning? Because if not, there should be. Stupid WGHP. Yet another reason to hate Fox.
This Week in Baseball is on now
I’m watching it…
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Here in Winston-Salem
We have “American Idol Rewind.” I didn’t watch this crap the first time around. I sure as hell don’t want to see the replays. This is not enhancing my pre-baseball mood
Well now Fox has blacked out for me
awesome
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions
It turns out it was just the HD feed that blacked out
I feel like it should be a day game too, so I guess I’ll just watch Red Sox/Yankees it’s our turn.
Side note: I hate Taco Bell commercials.
by kendra.michelle on Aug 8, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I have An Epic Battle Between Two Powerhouse Contenders for the
American League East Lead.
At least that’s what the promos say.
Here is another comparison I cannot figure out? and would love some opionions on it
Why is Ramon Santiago not our everyday shortstop?
Player TEAM POS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
1. A Everett DET SS 79 240 33 58 13 0 2 32 77 15 37 4 2 .290 .321 .242
2. R Santiago DET SS 58 163 21 41 5 2 6 28 68 11 42 0 2 .302 .417 .252
MY FAVORITE STAT
Everette brought here for his defensive skills 12 errors and Santiago 6
lineup just posted...
Laird catching. Guillen dh. Everett at short. Mags and clete in the outfield. Usuals everyplace else.
by rook34 on Aug 8, 2009 3:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
yep, I have considered it
I drink water out of those sport bottles. I guess I need to get a beer/multi purpose one
I am beginning to think
we may not have a ballgame tonight. It’s been raining steady here, all day. With a few brief breaks.Although the sky is looking brighter, the rain is still falling. I went to Eastern Market and did some shopping and my jeans were wet almost up to my knees by time I got home.
Welcome to Detroit>>Where the weak are killed and eaten.
the radar doesn't look TOO bad
I really hope the game happens because I have nothing else to do today, lost my ATM card so no money to go out..
In Midland it stopped raining a couple hours ago.
There have even been a few peeks of sun. Once the squall line passes, it should be fine for baseball.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
Going to a Rome Braves game tonight
Omar Infante is in the line-up.
http://www.fromthecopa.blogspot.com
anyone with that hair-do
has to be able to put up with my tomfoolery
I'm so ahead of my time, my parents haven't met yet
shouldn't be difficult
She already put up with her hairdresser’s tomfoolery.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
If you're a pilot I buy that 100%.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
not a pilot
but I was a Naval rescue swimmer, so jumping outta helicopters is not a foreign concept.
I'm so ahead of my time, my parents haven't met yet
heading for the stadium...
Wondering if they are selling avila jerseys yet
by rook34 on Aug 8, 2009 5:53 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Heading out – talk to you guys after the game(s)!
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." -- Philo of Alexandria
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