They'll Spot You the First Two Outs:
Apparently, the Tigers were working on a new strategy last night, in which they lull the opponent into a false sense of comfort before striking. Little did the Royals know that they were playing right into the Tigers' hands by getting two outs on the board. It was only then that the beasts would show their fearsome teeth and attack.
Or they'd just sit back and let the Royals beat themselves, as was the case in the first inning when Gary Sheffield's line drive went through Alex Gordon's legs, giving the Tigers an extra out to work with. Brian Bannister then walked Magglio Ordonez to put a runner in scoring position, and Carlos Guillen gladly cashed in the opportunity.
Those two runs were really all that was needed, with the way Justin Verlander was pitching. But the Tigers again roared with delight when Todd Wellemyer gave them fresh meat to chomp on in the fifth inning. From there, the hit parade began. Actually, it was more of a walk parade. (And wouldn't that just make it a regular parade, since people are walking? Sorry, I get ponderous in the morning.) Two hits and three walks later, the Tigers had a 6-0 lead, and that was the game.
Throwing Caution (and Hair) to the Wind:
If you watched the FSN post-game show, however, the bigger story appeared to be Ordonez's blatant disregard for the Crash Davis bible of baseball. Never #@$% with a winning streak. A player on a streak has to respect the streak. And with his hair growing to Opera Man length, Ordonez has been on one hell of a tear. He's never played better in a Detroit Tigers uniform.
But Ordonez clearly carries around a bigger set of huevos than other mortal, streak abiding men. This week's BYB Poll asks "¿Quién Es Más Macho?" I don't want to skew the results, but clearly, the answer is Magglio Ordonez. Who else would show such brazen bravado and cut his thick, lustrous locks in the midst of such success at the plate?
"It was too long," he said to the Detroit News. "Out of control."
Oh, don't be modest, Magglio. The only thing that would've been gutsier was to cut his hair right in the middle of the clubhouse, with all of his teammates watching. Surely, however, those guys would've pounced upon Ordonez before scissors touched hair. Never #@$% with a winning streak. Or at least they would've found him a bigger helmet under which to fit that tangled mess. Or maybe, just maybe, the other Tigers would've just sat back in awe and watched their teammate stare conventional wisdom in the face, sneer, and then spit.
Pozo hecho, Magglio. Pozo hecho.
The Tao of Leyland:
How did the Tigers' manager react to his slugger's haircut? From the Detroit News:
If you get a chance, check out what the readers of Royals Review thought of last night's game. I particularly enjoyed the comparison of Todd Jones to Yosemite Sam.