Bless You Boys: FanShots

"I knew when I didn't play in that last game against Minnesota. I knew I was out of there."

2009-11-07T16:59:07Z

"I knew when I didn't play in that last game against Minnesota. I knew I was out of there."

Marcus Thames, talking to the Detroit News' Lynn Henning about being released by the Tigers yesterday

J.J. Hardy Traded to Twins for Carlos Gomez

2009-11-06T17:35:04Z

J.J. Hardy Traded to Twins for Carlos Gomez

This is already being discussed in the comments of today's Morning Prowl, but if the Tigers were looking at acquiring shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Brewers, the Twins beat them to it.

Hardy was traded to Minnesota today for outfielder Carlos Gomez.

Check out what Twinkie Town and Brew Crew Ball are saying about the deal.

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

2009-10-27T01:53:01Z

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

For those with Netflix, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is available for Instant Watch.

Manny Acta is the Indians' New Manager

2009-10-25T19:27:40Z

Manny Acta is the Indians' New Manager

The Cleveland Indians have hired Manny Acta to be their new manager. Acta was chosen over former Mets manager Bobby Valentine and former Tiger Torey Lovullo, the current manager of the Indians' Triple-A team.

Acta was let go by the Washington Nationals this year, after a 158-252 record as their manager over two-and-a-half seasons. He was also a candidate for the Houston Astros' managerial opening, but turned down their offer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

SI.com's Jon Heyman speculates that Valentine may have wanted to keep working in television, where he's currently an analyst for ESPN.

Rudy Jaramillo will be Cubs hitting coach

2009-10-21T18:01:34Z

Rudy Jaramillo will be Cubs hitting coach

For those wondering if the Tigers would be after him..

No Tigers Among International League Top 20 Prospects

2009-10-17T15:34:11Z

No Tigers Among International League Top 20 Prospects

Probably not a surprise, but the Detroit Tigers had none of their prospects ranked among Baseball America's Top 20 prospects for the International League.

As Matt Wallace points out at Take 75 North, the Tigers had one prospect in BA's Gulf Coast League rankings, but none in the Florida State League's Top 20.

Tigers' TV Ratings Up 10% in 2009

2009-10-16T14:38:46Z

Tigers' TV Ratings Up 10% in 2009

Attendance may have been down at Comerica Park this season, but that didn't mean people weren't watching the Tigers on TV.

Ratings for Tigers telecasts on FOX Sports Detroit were up by more than 10% this season. In terms of ratings points, FSD had the fourth highest increase among major league teams. The number of households tuning in for Tigers games also went up by almost 10%.

(via Bucs Dugout)

Tom Gage: Tigers Won't Have Any Money to Spend This Winter

2009-10-15T18:24:20Z

Tom Gage: Tigers Won't Have Any Money to Spend This Winter

Maybe the Detroit News's Tigers beat writer is being a bit of a buzzkill, but he's also stating what many of us had already been anticipating.

Gage predicts a payroll approximating $119 million for 20 players. (Compare that to the $125 million Mack Avenue Tigers forecast.)

Admit it, you smirked. A little. [Editor's Note: Via The Centrists]

2009-10-08T13:05:03Z

Admit it, you smirked. A little.

[Editor's Note: Via The Centrists]

"That’s the Metrodome. You think you’ve killed it, but no, it will not die. It will keep coming bac...

2009-10-06T13:03:10Z

"That’s the Metrodome. You think you’ve killed it, but no, it will not die. It will keep coming back, again and again, shoving itself into the limelight like a frustrated chorus girl. The last game in the Metrodome was supposed to be Sunday. The touching eulogies were written — yes, even the villains get touching eulogies. But the old barn had one more glorious day — deafening noise, twirling hankies, a big home victory. Now, today, we get a one-game playoff — Twins vs. Tigers — and once again it could be the last day of baggie baseball. But don’t bet on it. The creepy music plays. The phone lines have been disconnected. The Metrodome is looking like it might stick around for a while."

-- From Joe Posnanski's blog

(By the way, have you bought his new book yet?)

Joe Mauer tipping signs to Jason Kubel. I have zero problems with this. Love it.

2009-10-01T18:49:30Z

Joe Mauer tipping signs to Jason Kubel. I have zero problems with this. Love it.

Game 154 Overflow #2

2009-09-27T01:26:16Z

Game 154 Overflow #2

Game 154 Overflow Thread

2009-09-27T00:27:50Z

Game 154 Overflow Thread

Tom Gage: It's Time to Retire Sparky's Number

2009-09-25T19:17:19Z

Tom Gage: It's Time to Retire Sparky's Number

"What on earth is preventing you? The Cincinnati Reds have retired it. The Ft. Worth Kats have retired it.

It's time.

If you don't do it now, you might never get him back to Comerica Park to do it another time. In fact, you won't.

This is going to be a sad-and-glad occasion at the same time. We'll see that some of the players from 1984 are getting gray. We'll see that some might even be getting old.

Sparky, however, has long since gotten old.

He doesn't travel a lot -- doesn't even play golf a lot anymore, from what we hear. Not as much as he used to, anyway.

And make no mistake, he's returning for this reunion for one reason and one reason only. It's not for Mike Ilitch. It's not for the organization. It's definitely not for the attention.

It's for his guys -- the players on the team that went wire-to-wire. From their 35-5 start to beating the San Diego Padres in five games in the World Series.

And they, in turn, are coming back to see him. Some of them, perhaps many, wouldn't have attended otherwise."

-- From today's Detroit News

Game 149 Overflow thread

2009-09-20T21:11:51Z

Game 149 Overflow thread

"Robertson stinks. And Leyland has no idea how to use him right now, because he's not good enough...

2009-09-20T15:25:40Z

"Robertson stinks. And Leyland has no idea how to use him right now, because he's not good enough to be in the rotation, he has no role in the bullpen, and he makes too much money for the Tigers to just release him."

-- Me, to Twinkie Town's Jesse Lund on Facebook, back in May

"Don't be sad. He's not. He'll be out there on the field, in front of all of us, celebrating the...

2009-09-16T16:47:05Z

"Don't be sad.

He's not.

He'll be out there on the field, in front of all of us, celebrating the magnificence of a relationship.

We won't be entirely successful in not being sad, of course. As Marc Antony said in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, "If you have tears, prepare to shed them now."

And tears will be shed, no doubt.

But, otherwise, cheer yourself hoarse.

That's what you do at celebrations.

Cheer -- and be happy that you've known such a friend."

-- Tom Gage on Ernie Harwell in today's Detroit News.

What a way to spend a birthday. Well if I couldn't enjoy a Tigers win, at least I got to see a...

2009-09-16T09:03:41Z

What a way to spend a birthday. Well if I couldn't enjoy a Tigers win, at least I got to see a streaker get taken down.

[Editor's Note: Promoted from the FanShots. Thanks for posting this!]

"What do they want me to say? I missed the ball."

2009-09-15T15:29:36Z

"What do they want me to say? I missed the ball."

-- Marco Scutaro, opting not to talk to the media after last night's game

(via Richard Griffin in the Toronto Star)

"It says a lot about Ilitch that he will allow Magglio Ordonez to reach 457 plate appearances and...

2009-09-14T10:48:56Z

"It says a lot about Ilitch that he will allow Magglio Ordonez to reach 457 plate appearances and kick in an $18 million option for 2010. Ilitch, 80, desperately wants a winner in Detroit, and he could have released Ordonez earlier this season and saved himself a bundle.

"But he has already eaten Gary Sheffield’s $14 million and pretty much handed Dontrelle Willis $29 million without a return (though he’s protected by insurance). The Tigers are in first place, and Ilitch feels Ordonez can help, and for that he’s willing to pay a fortune."

-- From Nick Cafardo's Sunday Notes column in the Boston Globe