Detroit Tigers Links forces Game 7

Hurrah for Game 7s

Unless you are Cleveland fan, I hope you were rooting for a Game 7 last night. Because I’m not sure there is higher drama in sports that a Game 7 in baseball. Every single pitch is do-or-die and the intensity is unparalleled. It’s borderline painful as an unbiased watcher. I can’t imagine what the two cities will be going through.

As I have stated multiple times, I am fully on the Cubs bandwagon after living in Chicago for five years, winning tickets to Game 4, and stuff like this:

Golden Boys

Golden Glove nominees were announced last week, and the Tigers are well represented. The team is tied for third with four nominees, behind only Chicago and Cleveland. Jose Iglesias, James McCann, Justin Verlander (!), and Ian Kinsler are all looking for their first award. I was pretty surprised that Kinsler doesn’t have an award, but second base is an extremely competitive position. Also, good work, Justin! We’ve come a long way since 2005.

Baseball is BACK, baby.

Football has been dominant in the ratings for a long time, but in a year where people have been down on the NFL, the playoffs are making a comeback.

Which begs the question, can baseball make it all the way back to the number one watched sport in America? The answer is probably not, but if football goes the way of the dinosaurs, maybe?

This is still hilarious.

So, when the news broke that Guaranteed Rate won the corporate rights to US Cellular field, we all laughed and had a good time. Well, the reality is finally setting in that the stadium will be sporting a giant, red, upside-down arrow for 12 years.

Covering the stadium with a corporate emblem whose defining feature is a downward-pointing red arrow felt to many fans like salt on the wounds of faltering attendance and an eight-year playoff drought.

[Guaranteed Rate CEO Victor] Ciardelli said the design was a joint effort between the company’s in-house creative team and the Sox, who suggested replacing the arrow with an image of home plate. “But I told the White Sox that it’s our company logo, and they were respectful of the decision” to keep the arrow after all, Ciardelli said.

I wouldn’t even call it reading between the line to discern that the White Sox wanted no part of that arrow. The bad news for them is, they don’t have a choice. If it was me, I would have taken about 50 grand less and had something a little less terrible. But that’s me. Also, this is a good tweet:

Here is a fun exercise (if you like feeling sad)

Hardball times presents an interesting question, what is your favorite memory in a series your team lost? For me, it was probably the Kenny Rogers World Series win. I was in attendance, the Tigers were back in the World Series, and the stadium was electric. But I would be curious about reader responses.

For your free time.

The World Series strike zone has been almost perfectly even. The World Series game length has not been perfect. Projected arbitration salaries for all 30 teams. Last living member of Cleveland’s ‘48 championship team attend Game 6.

Baseball is awesome.

The MLB spends more time taking down other peoples content than making their own so please enjoy this grand slam on their site so they get the clicks they so dearly crave.