Bless You Boys: FanPosts

"Beer of the Series" Series #16 - Minnesota Twins, May 23-26, Comerica Park

2013-05-23T16:58:26Z

The season always feels a little better after a sweep. Even if it's only a two game series, getting out of a city without a loss always puts a hitch in your giddy-up. Doing it against a division opponent, especially one that's had your number lately, is fantastic, and though the wins weren't the prettiest, I'm almost positive nobody will complain.

Now, we come back home for a four-game with...wait...we gotta play the Twins again? Didn't we just get done with an annoying team? We gotta play ANOTHER annoying team? I really don't want to sit through four hours of Scott Diamond turning into Johan Santana and #annoyinglongatbats and getting no run support for a gem of a pitching performance.

Last season, we had a winning record against every team in our division except for the Indians. Did it feel like it? It didn't feel like it. It never does. Even with the Twins coming in on an 8 game losing streak, I'd rather see the Rays or the Mariners (yes, even the Mariners) than the Twins. What I'm saying is, you're gonna need a beer for this series. Given the Twins propensity for making a game take a while, you might need two or three each game.

Luckily, Founders Brewing Company has the beer for you. Hidden among their stalwarts Centennial IPA and Red's Rye is one of the finest beers made in the country: Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

via farm1.static.flickr.com

The Founders Breakfast Stout is one of the best stouts you can find that's rather prevalent in good bars around the state. Now take that beer and age it in fine bourbon barrels for a year, and you get a smooth, mellow, rich vanilla tinge added to the flavor profile. Made with roasted Sumatra and Java beans and oats, the KBS blows you away with a rich coffee flavor with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by the bourbon and a deep, strong chocolate profile. The collection of flavors is plentiful and perfectly balanced. At 11.2% ABV and 70 IBU, it is a fantastic sipping beer with dessert.

The Founders Brewing Company is located in Grand Rapids, MI.

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Luckily, Founders Brewing Company has the beer for you. Hidden among their stalwarts Centennial IPA and Red's Rye is one of the finest beers made in the country: Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

via farm1.static.flickr.com

The Founders Brewing Company is located in Grand Rapids, MI.

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Justin Verlander is Not a Choke Artist

2013-05-22T17:59:45Z

On September 2nd, 2012 the Tigers and the White Sox faced off in the final game of a three-game series. The White Sox came into town in first place in the Central and held a three game lead over the Tigers with 20 games to go. Detroit managed to win the first two games of the series, and Justin Verlander and Chris Sale faced off in the final matchup with the division lead on the line.

Verlander had just come off of one of the worst starts of his career, giving up eight runs on twelve hits and three walks, handing the game over to the bullpen in the 6th inning. Verlander responded by pitching eight innings of one-run, four-hit ball while striking out 11 South-Siders to topple the opposing ace and move his team into a tie for the division lead.

Verlander went on to finish the regular season by pitching 42 innings over six starts (averaging seven innings per start), allowing only nine earned runs and striking out a batter per inning. He posted a 5-1 record with a 1.93 ERA that month to allow the Tigers to take and hold on to the lead in the Central. When his team needed it most, he came through in a big way.

He continued his hot streak by completely dominating the A's and Yankees in three postseason starts, allowing a 0.74 ERA and striking out over a batter per inning. He gave the bullpen less than one inning per start.

We all know what happened against the Giants. That's the only game anyone seems to remember. That game is one of the main reasons why people think that Verlander gets "too amped up" or "lets his ego get in the way" or "can't handle the pressure-packed games." The fact is that the guy thrives on pressure. He has shown time and time again that he can put the team on his back and carry them to a win. It doesn't matter who he is facing, it doesn't matter who leads the division, it doesn't matter how bright the lights are. The dude is the best. Period.

Hank Greenberg Film

2013-05-22T14:48:27Z

Hey everyone, I just saw a great new Detroit Tiger documentary released about the life of Hank Greenberg that you guys should all check out . The film includes interviews with former MLB players including Ted Williams and even films stars like Walter Matthau. And I just looked it up and it got a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. They re-released it recently, and now there are more interviews to watch (1-2 hours, of extra footage I think).

If you guys want to check it out go to: http://hankgreenbergfilm.org/

Why the Tigers aren't nearly as bad as we think (graph!)

2013-05-22T00:03:26Z

Okay, so I was rooting around the Baseball Reference site and looking at the 2003 Detroit Tigers season. Why? I suppose I was in the mood to poke at an especially painful and nasty-looking scar from the history of my baseball fanhood - but more importantly, I got extremely annoyed at the bellyaching (from some fans, not all of us) over this team losing ANY GAMES EVER. We are forcing Rogo and Phil Coke's Brain, of all people, to be the voices of reason and sanity, and that is not a comfortable role for either of them. Forget fitting a square peg in a round hole - this is like trying to force an icosahedron into an origami envelope. It's mean to force them to be rational when all they want to do is make puns and silly jokes and flowcharts, and not try to talk people off the ledge. Perhaps a picture might help to reassure the more visual among us - so I played around with spreadsheets instead of studying for my biochemistry quiz on Thursday, and this is the gobbledegook I pulled together.

First, for reference, here is a graph of the number of wins a team has against the number of games they have played. The lines represent, from top to bottom, a 100 win team, an 81 win team, and a 62 win team. Assuming they have a constant win percentage during the entire season with no streaks of wins or losses, the projections look like so:

Tigers comparison wins - hypothetical records (via Baroque97)

Straight lines are nice, but in general do not reflect reality. Here are some REAL numbers of wins at different points in the season, for three different Tigers teams: Our delightful (although occasionally infuriating and inconsistent) 2013 Tigers, the thoroughly mediocre 2008 Tigers from five years ago, and the incomparably putrid 2003 Tigers of a decade ago. Behold their wins numbers during the season:

Tigers comparison wins - three different seasons (via Baroque97)

Now, overlaying the two graphs, we get this picture:

Tigers comparison wins - three seasons and hypothetical team records (via Baroque97)

(I am annoyed that I can't do anything with error bars and correlation coefficients, but as a quick-and-dirty illustration I think they serve some kind of purpose. Anyway.)

LOOK AT THIS BEFORE YOU GET TOO UPSET. JUST LOOK AT HOW AWFUL THE TIGERS HAVE BEEN AND AT THE PACE FOR THESE GUYS THIS SEASON. Infuriating as they are, as much at I blame my gray hairs on too many men in my life because this baseball team stresses me out, they aren't doing all that poorly thus far - and look at that tiny little line of wins and how much baseball is left to be played yet this year. Please don't worry yourselves into multiple ulcers, and let Rogo and Brain go back to their comfortable role of making us laugh instead of calming frantic fans down.

Remember 2003 and how far this team has come and be glad that we aren't in that dark miserable dungeon of baseball purgatory any more. :)

Tigers comparison wins - hypothetical records (via Baroque97)

Tigers comparison wins - three different seasons (via Baroque97)

Now, overlaying the two graphs, we get this picture:

Tigers comparison wins - three seasons and hypothetical team records (via Baroque97)

(I am annoyed that I can't do anything with error bars and correlation coefficients, but as a quick-and-dirty illustration I think they serve some kind of purpose. Anyway.)

Remember 2003 and how far this team has come and be glad that we aren't in that dark miserable dungeon of baseball purgatory any more. :)

"Beer of the Series" Series #15 - Cleveland Indians, May 21-23, Progressive Field

2013-05-21T17:44:50Z

Wow, 15 series! We're more than a quarter of the way through the season and the Tigers already have a nice, comfortable lead in the div...what? Wait, you're telling me we're not in first by 9 games already? Wait, THEY'RE in first??

Yes, your eyes, do not deceive you, the Cleveland Indians really are 2.5 games ahead of our beloved Tigers. Terry Francona has already paid dividends for the Tribe. Their strategy of "sign a bunch of Certified Tiger Killers and emulate the 2012 Orioles" is working fairly well. Sure, almost half their wins are in one-run games where they've gotten lucky as hell and they're getting other worldly efforts from Justin Masterson, Zach McAllister and...oh, who am I kidding, the Indians absolutely own us, we have no chance to win any of these games, get ready for #annoyinglongatbats and Mark Reynolds hitting balls all over downtown Cleveland. You're gonna need a drink.

Luckily, Cleveland has one of the finest craft breweries in the nation to wet your whistle. The Great Lakes Brewing Company has produced some of the best beers our country has seen over the last 25 years, including award-winners Dortmunder Gold, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, and the Commodore Perry IPA. For this series, though, we're paying homage to the Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale.

via thebeerfan.com

"Nosferatu" was the first ever film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula made in Germany starring Max Shreck as Count Orlok. Great Lakes assumes you will be lured by the hoppy bite of this beer, which is phenomenal. That, or you'll start to sparkle (note: I almost vomited writing this sentence, so let's pretend like it didn't happen). It certainly wins for scariest bottle design, but the beer inside is worth the fright. The imperial red ale pairs a delicious toasted malt balance through a symphony of hoppy flavors. This original American craft beer staple is aggressive, flavorful, and wonderfully citrusy. At 8.0% ABV and 80 IBU, you'll love to pair this beer with a ribeye and potatoes, and it'll put you to sleep before you have to watch the bullpen.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company is located in Cleveland, OH.

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via thebeerfan.com

The Great Lakes Brewing Company is located in Cleveland, OH.

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Miguel Cabrera is simply the best

2013-05-20T21:26:21Z

Since 1901, only 12 players have won the triple crown. Only two players (Ted Williams and Rodger Hornsby) have ever won the award twice. Neither of them ever won it in consecutive years. Miguel Cabrera has a chance to be the first.

Leading the league in RBI's, batting average, and trailing the league leader in homeruns by only one, Cabrera is setting a pace to become one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.

Watching ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, I saw some stats that really popped out to me. Through his first 1,553 career games, Cabrera has a better batting average, OPS, and more RBI's than Hank Aaron did through his first 1,553 games. (I had the chart which I'm sure you saw during the game, but I'm not sure how to include it.)

To think that Hank Aaron was one of the best hitters of all-time and Miguel Cabrera is on the pace to possibly finish his career with better numbers, is just baffling.

What many people don't realize is that Cabrera is on such an historic pace. Hank Aaron is the all-time RBI leader and Cabrera is on pace to break that record. Maybe even come close to the homerun crown.

Fans now a days focus on the future hall of famers, who's careers are coming to a close, like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. They pay attention to every hit and every save. Sure, those guys are great to watch. But that doesn't mean you can't keep an eye on the greatness that Cabrera is presenting.

I didn't really get into baseball until I was about 10. At that time, guys like Tom Glavine, Rodger Clemens, and Ken Griffey Jr. were still in the game. I never realized back then, the legacy that those guys would leave behind. And I certainly didn't understand exactly what they were doing.

I remember watching Tom Glavine's 300th career win back in 2007. It was a game on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball between the Mets and Cubs. The Mets won that game 8-3 and Glavine got his 300th win. He was only the 23rd players to ever reach the feat, and I didn't even know it.

Obviously I wasn't old enough to see the entirety of Jeter and Rivera's careers play out, but I was lucky enough, growing up a Yankees fan (Don't worry, I have no hate for the Tigers), to see how their careers end and for the most part, how they got to where they are now.

Luckily I now have the chance to watch Miguel Cabrera play and I'm loving every minute of it. When it comes to being the best in the game, Cabrera's name in my opinion tops that list.

His ability to drive the ball all over the park, and total plate coverage is unmatched by many of the games best hitters. Also, it's not like he plays 81 home games a year at Yankee Stadium. He plays in a relatively big park in Detroit. So give him credit for that. His 40 homeruns a year aren't a fluke.

Cabrera hit three homeruns Sunday night against the Rangers. His 2nd homerun of the game was shot so low to the ground that everyone in the park though originally that the Rangers center fielder would have a chance to catch it. Derek Holland even had to duck as the ball flew by.

Of course there's other players in the game that are posting career numbers that might one day be worthy for the Hall of Fame. But there isn't anyone putting numbers as good as Miguel Cabrera. His numbers, are more than just Hall of Fame worthy.

Lats season, we debated who the true MVP should have been between Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. This season, there's no doubt who the best player is. And if he can pull off another triple crown, then he will certainly put his name into the discussion of the greatest of all-time.

Leading the league in RBI's, batting average, and trailing the league leader in homeruns by only one, Cabrera is setting a pace to become one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.

To think that Hank Aaron was one of the best hitters of all-time and Miguel Cabrera is on the pace to possibly finish his career with better numbers, is just baffling.

Luckily I now have the chance to watch Miguel Cabrera play and I'm loving every minute of it. When it comes to being the best in the game, Cabrera's name in my opinion tops that list.

Poll

Do you believe that Miggy will go down as the best hitter of his time?

"Beer of the Series" Series #14 - Texas Rangers, May 16-19, Rangers Ballpark at Arlington

2013-05-16T05:43:04Z

I have never had the opportunity to sit inside a sauna, but I feel the experience is probably very similar to attending a Texas Rangers game. If I remember correctly, they are the only team in baseball permitted to host home games on Sunday night opposite ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball game because damn, it's just too hot to go outside. As someone who sweats walking from the front door to the mailbox, I have less than zero desire to attend a day game in Arlington. At night? The ballpark is lovely, has been full lately, and features one of the better teams in the American League in the last few years not afraid of striking you out or hitting you around.

In 2011, they did exactly that, knocking the Tigers out of the ALCS in 6 games, including hitting the fastest pitch all season out for a home run, eliciting a wry grin from Justin Verlander after Nelson Cruz somehow got around on a 100+ MPH fastball.

After that Game 6, I definitely needed a beer or five. Okay, that's a lie; after the third inning, I needed those five beers.

Like Houston, Dallas has been a little late to the party in regards to the microbrewing community. It's another small, but high quality community well distributed throughout Texas. For this series we will be featuring the Ugly Pug Black Lager from Rahr and Sons Brewing Company.

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Schwarzbiers, or black lagers, are unique beers that act as a bit of a mindscrew. You look at a dark, creamy, frothy beer expecting bold, strong flavors, but you're pleasantly surprised with a light, easy drinking lager thats both flavorful and refreshing. The Ugly Pug definitely has the mind melding color, but the flavors, ranging from a bright roast coffee to a slightly sweet chocolate aroma and the clean finish of a crisp lager you wouldn't find out of place in a sunny summer day at the ballpark, liven up your palate without weighing you down. Uniquely drinkable at only 4.5% ABV (not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas) and 26 IBUs, the Ugly Pug pairs wonderfully with -- what else -- barbeque.

Rahr and Sons Brewing Company is located in Fort Worth, TX.

A few other great DFW beers:

-Double Brown Stout, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Dallas, TX

-Velvet Hammer Imperial Red Ale, Peticolas Brewing Company, Dallas, TX

-"Achtung Spitfire!" Altbier, Three Eagles Brewing Company, Arlington, TX (One of my best friends from Purdue goes to school at UTA and made this, 'twas fantastic. Whats up, AMizener?!)

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After that Game 6, I definitely needed a beer or five. Okay, that's a lie; after the third inning, I needed those five beers.

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Rahr and Sons Brewing Company is located in Fort Worth, TX.

A few other great DFW beers:

-Double Brown Stout, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Dallas, TX

-Velvet Hammer Imperial Red Ale, Peticolas Brewing Company, Dallas, TX

-"Achtung Spitfire!" Altbier, Three Eagles Brewing Company, Arlington, TX (One of my best friends from Purdue goes to school at UTA and made this, 'twas fantastic. Whats up, AMizener?!)

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Calling all Music Loving Tigers Fans!

2013-05-16T04:19:02Z

I hope it doesn't offend anyone if I take a moment use Bless You Boys as a forum to invite people to a charity concert in Detroit. I have followed the BYBs for a while now and it always seems like a bunch of people loving the Tigers and loving life...

Well with the boys off in Texas battling the Rangers this weekend you may be looking for something to do this Saturday night. Perhaps you'd like to listen to some great music, while helping out a great cause at the Magic Stick? You see, 3 years ago, Ben Borowiak, a dear friend, talented musician, and Tigers fan, passed away unexpectedly. His friends and family have started a non-profit in his name called Ben's Encore, that helps raise money for aspiring musicians and music education in Detroit and its surrounding areas. This will be our 3rd annual "BENNYfit," a concert thats proceeds will provide music workshops, grants, and other opportunities for aspiring musicians.

@The Magic Stick, 6pm-2am

Cost: $10 at the door

Lineup: The Bell Beat, Six and the Sevens, Maria Rose and the Swiss Kicks, Katie Grace, Ghost Heart, Seven Birds One Stone, Phantasmagoria

Come join us! The game will be on the tube, and good things happen each year for the Tigers at the Bennyfit... JV pitched his no-hitter against the brewers during the first BENNYfit!

@The Magic Stick, 6pm-2am

Cost: $10 at the door

Lineup: The Bell Beat, Six and the Sevens, Maria Rose and the Swiss Kicks, Katie Grace, Ghost Heart, Seven Birds One Stone, Phantasmagoria

Come join us! The game will be on the tube, and good things happen each year for the Tigers at the Bennyfit... JV pitched his no-hitter against the brewers during the first BENNYfit!

"Beer of the Series" Series #13 - Houston Astros, May 13-15, Comerica Park

2013-05-13T23:29:41Z

They say "familiarity breeds contempt," but in the case of the Houston Astros, it just breeds new and interesting ways to lose games. From perfect game hurlers getting DFAed to managers breaking rules (and somehow using Jedi mind tricks to get away with it!) to players so bad they got picked up by the METS, Bo Porter's boys are, well, bad. The 2003 Tigers may no longer be on the books as the worst AL team ever after this season.

Of course, having watched this team already this year, we know what the Tigers are capable of doing to them, and the hopes of enjoying a few more wins also leads to the hopes of enjoying a few more beers. For this round of "Beer of the Series," I'm turning to a reader suggestion. AD33 kindly suggested Mitten Brewing Company, and in perusing their offerings, I have decided on Sparky's ESB.

via untappd.s3.amazonaws.com

Named in honor of the former fearless leader of the Tigers, Sparky's ESB "has a taste that's easy to manage." A pleasant balance of hoppy aroma and malty smoothness is immediately present, allowing the sipper almost a "choose your own adventure" opportunity of which tastes to highlight, a unique attribute of the ESB in my opinion. The sweet, yeasty undertones embellish an almost grapefruity note present at the finish. ESBs are great burger and fries beers, but this one pairs especially well with savory bacon flavors too. With 4.8% ABV and 38 IBUs, it works from the opening pitch to the final out.

Mitten Brewing Company is located in Grand Rapids, MI

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via untappd.s3.amazonaws.com

Mitten Brewing Company is located in Grand Rapids, MI

Previous Posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

An Able Fame (Kid-written Tigers fiction)

2013-05-13T20:16:12Z

Editor's/Parent's note: I thought BYBers might be amused by this story, written by my eight year-old son, of a baseball phenom and his debut with the Tigers. It's an interesting (to me, at least) peek inside the brain of a young baseball fan. There hasn't been any parental editing of his more creative spellings or constructions.

AN ABLE FAME

by john mozena

Clinten Cedric Johnson woke up with a great idea he was get to be magician! He went to brakefast with the idea in his head. the clumsy 18 year old told everybody in his family. "No you can be anything BUT a magician." said his dad luis He looked at the clock and it was 1:00 pm! It was lunch! The game was on and the White Sox were wining against the Rangers 2-1 in the 2nd inning. The pitch to Konerko, bases loaded GONE!!!!!!!! Now he new what his dad was asking for!!!!!!! He went to his dad and said... "dad... I want to be a baseball player and not go to college."

"That was what I was asking for.""In High school you were MVP of the country. so I new that every body is trying to get you into spring training. I’m pretty sure you are get to get drafted at least in 1st to 31st."

"when’s the draft?"

"today at 9:00."

it was time to go. clinten went to regester. it was in new york city. clinten went to the checkin isle he was the last one to regester. he rote in his full name ... clinten cedric johnson

he was finelly in the baseball draft, the draft!!!!!!

when it was 9:00 he was playing on his phone he was on a app called whats hapening in the baseball draft right now(only for them). he was on the phone at 2:49 A.M. when he got his call. "hello clinten I want you to be with us the Detroit Tigers clinten I know you were the MVP of the contry this year so I got you Clinten you will go to SPRING TRAING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"THANK YOU!"clinten blurted out.

II Clinten was on the plane to florida. he felt a pop in his ears his mind couldn’t beleve it he was in florida! when he was in his car he was on the phone with the general manager "I’ll give you 246K for the first year and 575K for the next 4 years" said the general manager

I’ll do it for 313K for the first year."

"ok"

two men on at 2nd and 1st îon lucas up hit to right field clinten johnson dives for it HE’S OUT. Clinten was probly going to be a right fielder ounce he got up to the majors. In spring training he was batting .455 with a .999 fielding pct. and a .432 slugging pct.

AN ABLE FAME

by john mozena

"when’s the draft?"

"today at 9:00."

it was time to go. clinten went to regester. it was in new york city. clinten went to the checkin isle he was the last one to regester. he rote in his full name ... clinten cedric johnson

he was finelly in the baseball draft, the draft!!!!!!

"THANK YOU!"clinten blurted out.

I’ll do it for 313K for the first year."

"ok"

"Beer of the Series" Series #12 - Cleveland Indians, May 10-12, Comerica Park

2013-05-10T15:40:35Z

Ahh, the beginning of spring. Flowers are in bloom, it rains every damn day, and you're a sniffling, sneezing, eye-itching mess.

Let's face it, unless you're getting out of school or you're playing golf (the actual playing of golf, not the driving to the course and trying to find parking and waiting on the tee for the guy who just started playing last week but thinks he can play from the black tees though he can barely get it to the white tees and tries to hit every par 5 in two from over three bills out), this time of year kind of sucks. The weather is never stable, your allergies are a mess, you're dealing with additional kids activities, you're trying to do yard work, but the rain ruins all the mulching you just did, and you're out in a hoodie and jeans at 10 am, then by 1 you're a sweaty mess cause it just got 40 degrees warmer for no good reason and you want to slaughter a chicken.

About the only good thing going on is the ramping up of the baseball season, when your team is discovering its identity as "division contender," "frisky team looking to compete in the wild card race and hasn't fallen off yet," or "the Houston Astros." Our beloved Tigers are in the category of the former, and it seems as though the Indians, thanks to new manager Terry Francona and umpires that apparently watch replays on black and white tube TVs, will be in the frisky category. However, unless Cerrano starts hitting or Dorn starts playing worth a damn, this team probably will recede into obscurity by mid July, as usual.

As for beer, we're transitioning from the times of "a beer or two at the end of the night" to "have a few with friends during the day." Easy drinking beers are the norm, but just because a beer is easy to drink doesn't mean that you need to sacrifice flavor, color, and uniqueness. Luckily, the Keweenaw Brewing Company way the hell up in the end of the world has just the brew for you. The beer for this home series is the Widow Maker Black Ale.

via www.keweenawbrewing.com

Keweenaw is a native word meaning either "portage location" or "we want to be way the hell away from any other humans and hey, look, there's copper here." My dad always said that you have to REALLY love hockey if you want to play at Michigan Tech. Copper Island should just change its slogan to "It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from there." But enough with the UP bashing, it features some BEAUTIFUL landscapes, the finest golf course I have ever played (Greywalls, go play it now if you're within a 5 hour drive, it's absolutely worth it), and some solid beer. The Widow Maker (gotta love any can that features a woman wielding heavy machinery) is a deceptively smooth, subtly hoppy ale with a nice caramelized smoky sweetness and a bit of a spicy, dry finish that pairs incredibly well with a BBQ chicken pizza. It's rich foam features a little hit of chocolate, and at 5.2% ABV and 27 IBU, it's definitely a good beer to share a 6 pack with a buddy during the game over.

Keweenaw Brewing Company is located in Houghton, MI.

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Ahh, the beginning of spring. Flowers are in bloom, it rains every damn day, and you're a sniffling, sneezing, eye-itching mess.

via www.keweenawbrewing.com

Keweenaw Brewing Company is located in Houghton, MI.

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Kirk Gibson Scouting Report

2013-05-07T07:48:19Z

I know this is normally supposed to be a FanShot, but those get little to no exposure in the SB Nation United format so I'm making it a FanPost. This is also something pretty obscure so I wasn't sure if it would come up in the links, so I wanted to share this as there might be some good discussion from it as well.

Jim Martz is a former MLB scout, he's scouted guys like Smoltz and Jeter among others. Of particular interest to Tiger fans is that he scouted Kirk Gibson when Gibson was at Michigan State and still primarily a football player. Gibson actually only played baseball for MSU one year (we retired his number for some reason, maybe because of the donations), and it was after his football coach suggested him to so he could have leverage with NFL teams.

Some of Martz' scouting reports are going to Cooperstown as part of a project called Diamond Mines. Among the scouting reports that are now available for people to check out is the scouting report he did on Kirk Gibson.

It's a pretty interesting report. I'm not sure he lived up to the "best prospect I've ever seen" and "baseball needs this guy" labels, but it's really cool to see what scouts thought of a guy who had a role in the Tigers' success in the 1980s

What do you all think of the scouting report, and how well would you say Gibson turned out considering the view scouts had of him as a prospect? He isn't a Hall of Famer, but he had a pretty good career and I'd consider almost any pick outside the top 5 that panned out like he did to be a success.

"Beer of the Series" Series #11 - Washington Nationals, May 7-8, Nationals Park

2013-05-06T19:54:06Z

The Tigers continue their journey through the NL East in Interleague play with a trip to our nation's capital. The Washington Nationals are a team flush with taxpayer money, jersey misspellings (Natinals, anyone?), owner money (they somehow feature the second-richest owner in baseball), and fans that like clever digs at Colonial British policy on their license plates. That being said, you can't suck forever, and as the Tampa Bay Rays proved, having high draft picks for a long enough period of time means you get good players that can make an impact early on.

Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are two of the most exciting players in the game, turning the Nats into title contenders last season along with power arms Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann, slugger Jayson Werth, and the slick fielding of Ian Desmond, bringing them within a game of the NLCS as the top seed in the National League. They've retooled a little bit this season and are off to a slow start, but will still be dangerous for the streaking Tigers, but we all know we're just watching the game to see if Teddy wins the Presidents race.

Just like the Nationals, Washington, D.C. has had a rather convoluted beer history, from James Madison once attempting to appoint a Secretary of Beer (Something that needs to be addressed: why has this not gotten more press? I would vote for whomever decides that this position needs to exist. Form a national brewery and appoint a Secretary of Beer? That would bring more people in this country together than cutting the deficit and fixing unemployment COMBINED!) to D.C. going dry two full years before Prohibition to a 55 year package beer drought in the city finally ending in 2011 (uniquely coinciding with the Nationals getting good, hmm...). This means that the craft beer scene in the city is less than thriving compared to the other Beltway team (we'll get to them at the end of the month), but is starting to build back up. While distribution is still lacking, a trip out east offers you the chance to find some good stuff, but the highlight for this series is the Tartan Ale from Port City Brewing Company.

via www.thebarleyblog.com

Scottish Ales are great, flavorful beers for your "transitional" beer drinker (a massive upgrade for someone who is typically used to drinking the Macro Lights of the world) because they are not so overwhelming that they will be undrinkable, but still feature a smooth enough palate where the flavors are distinct. The smokiness of the caramel malt is distinct in this brew, imparting a "campfire" aroma to the beer. It starts off nice and mellow before the smooth, smoky malt flavors collide in your mouth. The slightly sweet, fruity aftertaste is a sign to come back for another sip, and pairs rather well with a nice greasy order of fish and chips. At 5.5% ABV and 24 IBUs, this will definitely be a beer you want to have a few of during the game.

Port City Brewing Company is located in Alexandria, Virginia

A few other D.C. area beers to try out:

-Rhino Chasers Bohemian Pilsner, Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Ashburn, VA

-Fred Red, Blue & Gray Brewing Company, Fredericksburg, VA

-Prohibition Porter, Capital City Brewing Company, Washington, D.C.

Previous Posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

via www.thebarleyblog.com

Port City Brewing Company is located in Alexandria, Virginia

A few other D.C. area beers to try out:

-Rhino Chasers Bohemian Pilsner, Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Ashburn, VA

-Fred Red, Blue & Gray Brewing Company, Fredericksburg, VA

-Prohibition Porter, Capital City Brewing Company, Washington, D.C.

Previous Posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The WAR Crutch, or 'Why it's OK to like sabermetrics, yet dislike WAR'

2013-05-05T06:15:14Z

Note: All citations, unless otherwise noted, come from Dave Cameron's (excellent) Win Values Explained pieces from the fall of 2008, to my knowledge, the methodology for Fangraphs WAR hasn't changed much in the timespan. Link

In this fanpost, I would like to share my two main issues with the calculation of WAR. As BYB has become more sabremetric focused over time, I've noticed a number of people vilified for refusing to accept WAR as an accurate measure of player skill or contribution to a team. They are often cast as out of touch, and encouraged to educate themselves on the subject before dismissing it.

Well, as it happens, I don't like WAR as a measurement much at all. The linear weight system suffers from bias as the game changes subtly every year. Defensive metrics are unstable at best, and downright dangerous at worst. I'd like to take a minute to expand upon those thoughts.

These aren't necessarily my only issues with WAR, but they're the largest two related directly to the calculation of a value.

Part 1- Linear Weights

The offensive (Batting) component of WAR is very straightforward, it's derived from wOBA, which is a strong statistic that attempts to corral all contributions of an offensive player and present them on the same scale as OBP. It does this by adjusting potential outcomes of at bats using linear weights calculated over an incredible amount of baseball to determine their exact contributions to run scoring.

For the curious, these weights are as follows: HR 1.70, 3B 1.37, 2B 1.08, 1B 0.77, NIBB 0.62.

Linear weights have also been used to assign positional adjustments:

Catcher: +12.5 runs (all are per 162 defensive games)
First Base: -12.5 runs
Second Base: +2.5 runs
Third Base: +2.5 runs
Shortstop: +7.5 runs
Left Field: -7.5 runs
Center Field: +2.5 runs
Right Field: -7.5 runs
Designated Hitter: -17.5 runs

And park factors: Link

Ironically, it's the sheer volume of research that weakens this stat. I've often heard the statement, "If you don't like the way the stat is calculated, use your own weights." I believe that is a necessity, baseball is not played in a continuous vacuum, and is in fact constantly evolving. Every year the game changes slightly, and calculating off previous year results will introduce bias into the calculation. Fangraphs has begun to correct for this, calculating park factors off five year averages. Unfortunately, the offensive weights and player values have not to my knowledge taken that step (Link), and anyone who thinks the relative value of a homerun hasn't changed between the height of the steroid era and 2013 hasn't been paying enough attention.

I understand that these differentials are most likely small (I can't invest anywhere near the man hours it would take to confirm that, but it seems a safe enough assumption), nonetheless bias will exist in the data set, reducing the accuracy of WAR's offensive component, positional adjustments, and park factors to a lesser extent.

That being said, the batting section is still the most reliable of the major components of WAR. If baseball's best are constantly at the top of the wOBA ranks, and the dregs feed at the bottom, the stat does a good job of objectifying player performance, even if the values may be slightly biased.

There are some legitimate questions on park factors: are stats the result of the parks, or are the parks merely the victims of the players in them? What influence does employing Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder have on Comerica's power ratings? That being said, the trends hold fairly well, and are probably not worth the time to fuss over. Unlike defensive statistics.

Part 2- Fielding

I could post an incredibly long rant here about the inaccuracies of Defensive Metrics, but I think Dave does so more eloquently than I could. Discussing the UZR component of WAR:

Essentially, it’s the best fielding metric publicly available, and while it’s not perfect (I generally give it an error range of five runs in either direction, meaning that a +10 could be anything between a +5 and +15), it’s a big step forward in defensive evaluations.

UZR is not a perfect statistic. It's not even really particularly close. It stabilizes decently with a large enough sample, and given a few seasons of data, statistical noise flattens out and provides a pretty decent view of the defensive contributions of a player. However, in even 30 game samples it's still ridiculously flawed. Raise your hand if you really think Dexter Fowler has been worth nearly a full 1.0 WAR above Miguel Cabrera so far this season (2.1-1.3 as of this writing). At times, even full seasons can be complete outliers (Jhonny Peralta was most likely not the 3rd best defensive shortstop in either 2011 or 2012, but UZR loves him).

Often, these discrepancies are too easily shaken off as "not WAR's fault". Flaws in defensive statistics are inherently flaws in WAR, as the latter is dependent on the former. As an analogy, let's say you're about to cross a bridge; The engineer informs you that 4/5ths of the bridge construction is perfectly sound, but that they have no good way of predicting what it might do when the wind starts blowing. It happens to be a very windy day, would you want to cross the bridge?

Final Thoughts

This is the issue with relying on flawed defensive metrics to come to a conclusion. Most sabremetricians you run into freely admit the flaws of defensive metrics, but still insist that the WAR statistic is not unduly tarnished as a result. The Mike Trout vs Miguel Cabrera debate is a prime example of how people who preferred not to consider evaluations based on WAR were painted as out of touch with sabremetrics, and unwilling to accept numbers. However, n the case of defensive metrics, and to some extent linear weighting, there is a very strong case against their validity that does significantly undermine the usefulness of WAR.

In the end, I think it's important to keep in mind Dave's words from nearly 4.5 years ago:

Make no mistake – I think these are the best single value metric for evaluating a player on the internet today. I’d use a player’s Win Value number to describe his total performance before I used anything else. But we’re not saying they’re perfect or that they can’t be improved upon. We’ll keep working on getting better data, figuring things out, and making them even more accurate in the future. Right now, they’re great. Hopefully, by this time next year, they’re even better.

A lot of very intelligent people are working on WAR, and it is a great statistic. But it is flawed. No one should rely on it as a crutch, there are an incredible number of other metrics that can tell us a lot about a player. Each is subjected to its own inherent flaws. WAR isn't perfect, nothing is. I for one am tired of its use as a crutch throughout the blogosphere, and hope that with this we can stop pretending all opponents of WAR are Jerry Green clones.

These aren't necessarily my only issues with WAR, but they're the largest two related directly to the calculation of a value.

Part 1- Linear Weights

For the curious, these weights are as follows: HR 1.70, 3B 1.37, 2B 1.08, 1B 0.77, NIBB 0.62.

Linear weights have also been used to assign positional adjustments:

Catcher: +12.5 runs (all are per 162 defensive games)
First Base: -12.5 runs
Second Base: +2.5 runs
Third Base: +2.5 runs
Shortstop: +7.5 runs
Left Field: -7.5 runs
Center Field: +2.5 runs
Right Field: -7.5 runs
Designated Hitter: -17.5 runs

And park factors: Link

Part 2- Fielding

I could post an incredibly long rant here about the inaccuracies of Defensive Metrics, but I think Dave does so more eloquently than I could. Discussing the UZR component of WAR:

Essentially, it’s the best fielding metric publicly available, and while it’s not perfect (I generally give it an error range of five runs in either direction, meaning that a +10 could be anything between a +5 and +15), it’s a big step forward in defensive evaluations.

Final Thoughts

In the end, I think it's important to keep in mind Dave's words from nearly 4.5 years ago:

Make no mistake – I think these are the best single value metric for evaluating a player on the internet today. I’d use a player’s Win Value number to describe his total performance before I used anything else. But we’re not saying they’re perfect or that they can’t be improved upon. We’ll keep working on getting better data, figuring things out, and making them even more accurate in the future. Right now, they’re great. Hopefully, by this time next year, they’re even better.

Why Austin Jackson Shouldn't Steal

2013-05-03T15:17:29Z

Some Tigers fans bemoan the way the team doesn't steal bases. While it's pretty clear that more than half the lineup is more likely to steal your heart than steal a base (Cabrera, Fielder, Martinez, Peralta and Avila aren't exactly Olympic-class sprinters), Austin Jackson's name regularly comes up as somebody who "should" steal more bases.

Well, no.

In 2096 career plate appearances as a Tiger (all but 20 in the leadoff role), 832 have been true leadoff for Austin -- no outs, nobody on. He's got a .362 on-base percentage in those situations.

So, you've now got Austin Jackson on base with nobody out. 229 times, it's first base (single, walk, HBP), which is what we're talking about when the discussion's about stealing bases.

What happens next?

In 2013, .771, .954 and .941 happen. That's the career OPSes of Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder with a runner on first base. That's a pretty solid chance, in the baseball world, that one of the players coming to bat that inning will do something productive with that leadoff baserunner.

"But," you say, "The steal takes the double play out of, well, play." Sure it does. But at what cost?

With just a runner on first and less than two outs, the three batters following Jackson in the lineup have hit into a total, for their combined careers, of just 304 double plays. That's less than a 10% career average. (Amazingly, they have a combined 276 RBIs in that situation. They're almost as likely to score him from first as they are to double him up.)

So, you've got no outs. Austin Jackson's on first. The three players behind him have an aggregate 10% likelihood of hitting him into a double play. MLB averages and Austin's own history show that he's got a 25% chance of creating an out if he attempts a steal. If you're Jim Leyland, why are you doing something twice as risky to avoid an outcome that only occurs one out of 10 times?

"But," you say. "The steal moves the runner into scoring position." Yes and no. Again, 25% of the time the steal moves the runner to the bench. Secondly, see the above 276 RBIs with a runner on first and less than two outs. Thirdly, half their games are in Comerica Park, where doubles and triples frolic along the outfield walls while runners prance home from first.

Fourthly, even a successful steal has a downside to the Tigers in that it "frees up first" in the eyes of opposing managers. They're unlikely to put a leadoff hitter into scoring position with an intentional walk to Cabrera or Fielder, but they're far more likely to consider it with an open first base. We saw this happen more than once in 2012, when a Quintin Berry steal opened up first and the opposing manager promptly placed Cabrera there to keep him to a single base.

The steal in baseball is fun to watch as fans (unless it's your team's player getting caught.) There are times when the capabilities or lack thereof of the batters following the leadoff baserunner make the attempted steal a higher-percentage play. There's times when not trusting your batters to advance a runner is the rational choice.

But good teams rarely need to steal, and success on the basepaths doesn't bear much relationship to success in the standings. (The teams that made the playoffs last year ranked ninth, 10th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 29th and 30th in MLB in steals.) What makes a successful team is hitters who can get on base and advance runners. The Tigers are third in MLB this season both in getting runners on base then turning those runners into runs.

They don't need to steal to be successful, and Austin Jackson is still valuable even if he's sitting on first base.

Well, no.

In 2096 career plate appearances as a Tiger (all but 20 in the leadoff role), 832 have been true leadoff for Austin -- no outs, nobody on. He's got a .362 on-base percentage in those situations.

So, you've now got Austin Jackson on base with nobody out. 229 times, it's first base (single, walk, HBP), which is what we're talking about when the discussion's about stealing bases.

What happens next?

"But," you say, "The steal takes the double play out of, well, play." Sure it does. But at what cost?

They don't need to steal to be successful, and Austin Jackson is still valuable even if he's sitting on first base.