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Bless You Boys Podcast 116 was recorded June 20, 2014, has a running time of 67 minutes, and features Al Beaton and HookSlide.
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Hear more: BYB Podcast archive - SB Nation podcast archive
Topics:
Brad Ausmus' attempt at a post-game sarcastic joke causes a firestorm of controversy and several apologies. Was some of the anti-Ausmus reaction caused by frustration with his team's performance?
The past week has shown the difference in experience levels between Ausmus and Jim Leyland. The old-school skipper knew how to navigate the media waters, and never found himself in the same kind of trouble as Ausmus did this week.
HookSlide goes into Little League coach mode to refresh everyone on just what this thing called second place is and how you can find your team there.
The Detroit News' Lynn Henning advocates a fire sale on Twitter.
Longer term for Tigers: Make Iglesias-Suarez 2015 double-play combo. Deal Kinsler for BP or OF help. Prepare McCann for fulltime catching.
— Lynn G. Henning (@Lynn_Henning) June 18, 2014
Tigers can (must) also trade Kinsler at some point in 2014. Devon Travis likely ready for 2B work in Detroit by some stage of 2015.
— Lynn G. Henning (@Lynn_Henning) June 18, 2014
Despite the calls for extreme moves, it's still too early to PANIC.
Fans want their pound of flesh, calling for the Tigers to make changes, wanting a scapegoat for the recent struggles. No coaches will be fired, but the possibility of a lineup change exists.
Over the past four games J.D. Martinez clubbed Royals' pitching to the tune of a .500 average, three home runs and six RBIs. Since being called up, Martinez has given the Tigers something Torii Hunter hasn't provided in several weeks - offense and not being Hunter on defense.
Bullpen roulette: Luke Putkonen is out indefinitely after elbow surgery. Band-aids Corey Knebel and Evan Reed have been sent down, replaced by Band-aids Blaine Hardy and Chad Smith.
The Joe Nathan whom we saw strike out the side against the Royals after discovering an arm slot change would go a long way toward fixing what has ailed the bullpen.
Justin Verlander as been awful of late, but he cannot be sent down nor should he be sent to the bullpen. The Tigers do believe they have discovered the reason behind Verlander's recent struggles.
Al and HookSlide discuss recent events in the game threads, reminding you that we are going with the same philosophy which worked so well for Dalton at The Double Deuce (NSFW language in the embedded video).
Find the BYB staff on Twitter: @BlessYouBoys, @BigAlBYB, @BYBKurt, @HookSlideBYB, @BYBRob, @Tigerdog_1, @JGoro8, @MelissaHeyboer, @CSlonksnis, @NoRunSupport, @Yooper_IA, @GregEno, @SBNationMLB.
HookSlide's Detroit Tigers audio clips archive at Chirbit.com and Facebook page.
Kurt's Detroit News columns can be found by clicking here.
For more MLB news, check out SBNation's MLB page. For the latest rumors, head to SBNation's MLB Daily Dish.
The Bless You Boys Podcast can be streamed on-demand over your iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, BlackBerry device, or via the web on Stitcher Radio. You can find links to the app at Stitcher.com, the iTunes App Store, Google Play and other device app stores.