Tigers Links waves goodbye to the West Coast

Happy off day, fellow Tigers fans. The hometown team will return to Detroit after closing out a nine-game trot through the west with a loss to the Anaheim Angels. The game was beautifully summed up by our own Peter Kwasniak. It was a Tigers loss we’re all too familiar with. A decent start by Justin Verlander was squandered by an offense whose bats are inexplicably silenced by a pitcher who has little business doing such things.

As bad as it may seem, the Tigers split the series with the Angels — which is a modern day miracle considering how they have fared there in the past — and finish the road trip at 4-5. I’ll take it, but if I learned one thing from this last series it’s this: Don’t pitch to Mike Trout. Ever.

Let’s get to the links.

Pitching Perspectives

Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann had a start that showed moments of both promise and abject horror. If it means anything, he says he feels good despite the results he’s getting. The optimist says it’s probably bad luck. The pessimist says he’s lost it. The Tigers fan is done trying to explain the mysteries of this pitching staff.

For a guy who is half Wooderson and half The Dude it comes as no surprise to your author that pitcher Daniel Norris is the type to not shake off his catcher. Here’s his take: “I used to shake all the time,” he said. “About halfway through last year I just said, ‘I’ve got to stop thinking so much.’ So I started letting the catcher call the game and just trusting my stuff.” Daniel Norris. Thinking less and doing whatever his catcher tells him to. Very Nuke LaLoosh.

Minority Report

A little bit of who’s hot and who’s not throughout the Tigers’ farm system. The former Minnesota Twins prospect — who the Twins let go for reasons I’m sure they’ll continue to regret — thunder god John Hicks is on the list as he continues his path of destruction.

Carson Cistulli at FanGraphs writes a weekly Fringe Five article, and Tigers pitching prospect Beau Burrows makes the latest installment. Cistulli takes the time to repeat the popular chorus about how mediocre the Tigers system is, and I’m over here just waiting for the day that ceases to be true.

Outfield prospect Mike Gerber is having a great 2017 so far. Very promising, and welcomed. I’d love to be dusting off the #ErmahGerber hashtag sometime in the next few seasons.

Thanks Mom

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and if this is the first you’re hearing of it, my condolences. You blew it. Better luck next year. In recognition of the sacred day when we celebrate all the garbage our mothers put up with shepherding our mostly useless young bodies through the world, here’s a story about manager Brad Ausmus’ mom and how she got him into baseball.

Baseball is awesome

Come and re-watch the save I was so comfortable with it left me, oddly enough, uncomfortable.

For your free time

An intersting look at Kyle Boddy and tracking metrics (What up mah stats nerds). What’s with the recent homer surge? Not sure if you heard, but there was something going on with that Derek Jeter fella yesterday, and FanGraphs had a take. There’s a Justin Verlander doppelganger and it kind of weirds me out.