"Invincible" Celtics not doing anything that we haven't seen before.

By Kyle Bauer

After only 14 games and well I suppose an off season adding two veteran but premiere players in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Boston Celtics have clinched the 2007-08 NBA Championship. Congratulations!

...Wait a minute....that’s right you actually have to play 82 games and win at least 16 playoff games to reach such a feat but in such a short time, the obnoxious NBA hype machine is in full swing.

In their conjoined effort with TNT and ESPN, the NBA is trying to influence the next flavor of the month to push down our throats and try to push into our hearts. The Celtics have pushed the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns aside, or rather the NBA and national sports media has for them. Sure Boston has in the standings as of this point but see my afore mentioned point IT'S ONLY BEEN 14 GAMES. While several teams just in the Eastern Conference alone have accomplished more or is more proven with chemistry and continuity being they actually have a returning core group, you would think Boston was in the middle of a dynasty run. Dwade and Shaq who? Duncan, Parker and Ginobli, what have they done!? The Celtics led by KG, Peirce and Allen are coming off back to back titles aren’t they? But that’s the ora the NBA is creating.

Like Hollywood, "The Association" creates its own stars. Through the tabloids of ESPN the Mag. and Sports Illustrated, they tell you who to like and give you the cute photo shoot of the "big 3," with the cute stories of how much fun they’re having together and how right it feels, like a hot new Hollywood couple. You get the cover, preview and the story the NBA wants you to see. Through their intense individualistic marketing campaigns that isolate stars or in a supernova such as Boston’s case, you want to see, cheer for and attach yourself to this team because they’re sexy and gooosssshh dayum if they’re not the hottest thing you’ve ever seen. This is what you want because this is what they want. Forget your home team, forget a team like the Spurs who ARE in the middle of a dynasty, or a perennial contender like our Pistons. These teams consistently win with teamwork, hard work and defense.....yawn?

Don’t misinterpret my anger. I'll admit, watching a team light it up like the Suns is fun, seeing LeBron James take over games by himself is great. This is America and majority of us love hype, pomp and pageantry, note my hollywood comparison above. I never said the NBA marketing campaign wasn’t smart, it's brilliant, I just believe it's depraved and shady. Teams should have to earn the attention, not have it shine on them.

Also, I never said that the Celtics aren’t a damn good team, they’re a contender for the NBA title no doubt. Actually they remind me a ton of the Heat once they acquired Shaq, NBA marketing darlings, lacking depth and youth but being top heavy with a superstar big man was ultimately enough. Still they haven’t won anything yet and so far they’re not even doing something that is uncharted. That brings me back to my point about the NBA's hype machine and ability to pick and choose their spotlight.

Sooooooo anyone remember the 2005-06 Pistons, who got off to a remarkable 39-6 start? They were coming off being 3 minutes away from back to back titles, disposing of teams night after night with ease, winning games by averages of 20 + points. From my memory, while local pride for the Pistons swelled, on ESPN and other national outlets there was nowhere near the excitement or focus for the Pistons as we’ve seen in the short time for the Celtics already. I do remember at the Pistons zenith of that season (the 45th game) analyst and basketball pundits began handing the Pistons the championship, still with hesitation. Well that was the problem with the Pistons reaching their zenith at the 45th game. It was obvious why the Pistons didn’t garner the same attention, they didn’t have KG, Allen or Peirce, shouldn’t be as simple as that but it is, there’s my gripe.

My point maybe derived out of jealousy. It would be nice for the spotlight to shine on the Pistons for once. It never has. In 2004 the Lakers lost in the NBA finals, the Pistons didn’t win. 2005 the Heat were favored all year, the Pistons upset them just because Wade was injured and then the Spurs beat them in somehow "the most boring NBA finals ever" as many people illogically and profoundly dubbed the '05, 7 game series. With the afore mentioned 05-06 the Pistons got off to that great start but the Suns and Heat were always more fun to watch. Then the Pistons never deserved the spotlight last year and don’t this year. The Celtics don’t deserve it yet either, the Spurs do, no matter how boring they seem to be, they’re the team of historic caliber and they actually have the credentials to back that up. I want to see credit where credit is due in the NBA, not the rhetoric and marketing propaganda network the NBA works in.

If you think I'm crazy, look at the sports headlines today and while the focus on some of the game stories for last nights Celtics destroying of the Knicks are on Isiah Thomas' ineptitude, many of them tagged the game "historic." The 45 point win is not really historic unless the Celtics 3rd biggest margin of victory, the Knicks 3rd worst margin of loss, and second lowest total of points scored in Knicks history really means something. I don’t believe it does when the 2005 Pistons who got off to the second best first half start to an NBA season in history, are now irrelevant. So why is second and third best "historic" when in the Pistons championship season, they won a game by 52 points on the road, at one point leading by 60, their largest margin of victory ever, second largest road victory in NBA history, and handing that franchise their biggest loss ever, why was it not tagged as "historic?” Why do I remember it barely being mentioned outside of a basic highlight package on ESPN? That's just interesting to me.

Oh and if you’re wondering who the Pistons handed that truly historic loss...it was the Boston Celtics.

The media should take a lesson from the Pistons in a couple different ways. What type of teams they should be giving fair attention to and that looking at the 05-06 Pistons, no one should hand the Celtics a title just yet. It's nothing that we haven’t seen before, then again a franchise like the Pistons aren’t worth remembering or referencing in the NBA's platnium plated eyes.

You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.

The Problem with the Lions

By Kyle Bauer

Wow....Fucking wow.

Could the Lions just give into the rest of the countries demands and have their annual Thanksgiving day appearance pulled, so I could actually feel at peace on the holiday?

Likely they wont but I’m sick and tired of this team ruining my Thanksgiving every year and I’m sure everyone else in the country are tired of seeing this team getting their asses whipped every Thanksgiving.
As the rest of the Lions empire of mediocrity has fallen, so has the Thanksgiving game. For the Lions this was their obligatory Superbowl as we’ve known that there was no chance in hell of them getting to the real show 45 of the past 50 seasons. So in this game you would see more heart and effort than in most Lions games. There would actually be energy and a thirst for blood in the tone set by the Lions. Some years they lost but you knew they would at least give you a damn good effort/game.
This year was one of many embarrassing efforts seen from this team on traditionally the one day where the Lions would play worth a damn. 2003 withstanding, in the Millen era the Lions haven’t belonged on the same field as their opponent on Thanksgiving, yet these douschebags would be the first to berate anyone who dare suggest they’re not worthy of getting the national spotlight for one game. These arrogant bastards, stuck in their fairy land where they can do no wrong and anyone who speaks an ill word of their losing ways is stripped of their respect and voice.
That brings me to the first problem...The attitude.

This team still has not grown up. Despite having their "leader" John Kitna, its still a team of immature jackasses.
Already you wonder about Millen’s ability to scout not only talent but character. Remember the gems that were Charles Rogers, Mike Williams and Joey ball game. All 3 were tops picks, all 3 busts not only on the field but off.
I hate to question Mike Furrey, someone who is the epitome of blue collar, fighting through the XFL and Arena Football League before getting into the NFL and willing to take a spot at safety for the Rams to earn playing time. He’s a great story but his comments have shown that his underdog upbringing and charity work for animals and impoverished families still cannot prevent the Lion blue from coursing through his veins.
This Lions blue creates the blue blood ideal of entitlement, lack of accountability and undeserved arrogance with a touch of cowardness.
With his boastful "All you in the media can kiss my ass!" After the Lions victory in Chicago showed that Furrey still wasn’t looking at the big picture, along with the rest of this team. You know if a guy like Furrey is challenging the media after a win in the 4th week of the season, you know this remains a psychologically troubled team that has no idea how to win or what it is to win.

Of course there’s that fat ass Shawn Rogers. Once again a man with talent but a tongue that has been much rather served slurping down an ice cream cone than showing the poise an NFL star should hold.
In last years disastrous season, he was left sulking, not about his underachieving play but columnists rightly pointing out that he wasn’t living up to his potential. So he proceeded to have a temper tantrum. He ordered the defense that he was so wrongly appointed captain of last season, not to talk to the media after games. Once again, Lions blue blood, ducking accountability. Of course the media shouldn’t have any questions about a perpetually losing franchise and a tub of lard with all the talent in the world that wont apply himself in most plays and games. You would figure that last year, when he took all that time away from the evil media that he would be watching game film, maybe working out and fallowing a diet but I have a feeling he was eating donuts and brandishing guns in strip clubs on 8 mile.

Rod Marinelli gives me a mixed response. I like him in many regards, I think he’s a hard ass that could toughen up this team with time. Part of me believes that he has this team on the right track attitude wise but when I see the acts of Shawn Rogers, the comments of Roy Williams and Furrey, then Kenoy Kennedy’s DUI that maybe he'll never really get hold of this team. Could be me talking prematurely but confronting the media, talking down to them and repeating a bunch of jackass clichés doesn’t always get the job done. Maybe preaching to your inept secondary to bump and check some receivers after 5 yards would make more of a difference. But I see some of the Lions blue blood in Marinelli. His standoffish attitude win or lose has transcended into this team which I believe is only feeding into the current ora of "it's not my fault" that glows around the Lions locker room. Its not mature to be a prick. It's also not mature to lose 3 games in a row and look like shit in each.

On the field what can I say. In the Thanksgiving game I couldn’t complain too much about Mike Martz half assed "please get me a job in San Diego" offense. I wanted to see him to Calvin Johnson more and he went to him a ton of times. Unfortunately in the first game where CJ got more than 5 looks, he didn’t look so good with 3 huge drops. Still caught 5 balls and a touchdown, solid. The problem was that he flipped the switch on us. He didn’t touch Roy Williams. The Lions have solid pieces in place for an explosive offense so maybe putting some balance and distribution in the playbook would be better.
Think like, run with Jones 15 to 20 times and Duckett 5 to 10 touches. Go to CJ 10 times, Roy 12 times, the find Furrey, McDonald and Walters around 2 to 6 times each. You can spread it out even more than that if the Lions could stop giving teams 10 yard cushions over the middle, on defense, so that maybe they wont be dominated by 15 minutes on time of possession each game.

I hate to say it but John Kitna isn’t the man for the job. He maybe a great guy off the field but on the field he’s lost. With this offensive line, I believe he’s playing scared. He'll be the last to admit but he doesn’t have any confidence in the men blocking for him. You can tell by how he’s stopped making reads and will often lock onto his target for 3 to 5 seconds. Dosent often find any check downs or the open man, he's in tunnel vision and is telegraphing his passes making it hard for recievers to get seperation after the initial route.
He'll lock up in uncertainty, not wanting to waste a down but at the same time being blindsided as the right end of the line collapses. Kitna doesn’t seem to know how to time being a Lions quarterback which in a weird way I think is causing his hesitation, instead of him throwing it away all the time. Maybe drop him back in shotgun...I don’t know.
How about praying that Jonathan Scott can stay healthy because he makes a huge difference for this Lions offensive line. As long as Scott is out the running game will struggle, the pass protection will be non existant and this offense will be dead. Without his protection, Kitna is playing completely unsure of his surroundings and himself. There's seems to be no communication and he cannot get anyone on the same page.
We'll see what happens with Stanton next year but his mobility maybe what the Lions offense needs. Sure, no Martz offense has ever required a mobile quarterback but those QBs had Orlando Pace and great offensive line protecting them, not the case with the Lions. I don’t believe Martz will be here next season anyway.

Until then, spread the ball out and run at least 20 times, please.There’s so much more that’s wrong with this team but I’ve gone on long enough already. Most of this begins with what’s going on in the locker room. I just cannot wait for the draft again so then I can go into who the Lions will need but I honestly couldn’t do it now because I’m not sure where the Lions will end up on the board and who would be available at what position but this team has many gaps. There is much cleaning to be done.
They still can go 9-7...I guess, but 7-9 or 8-8 is looking much more likely. Either way, these past 3 games have left a horrible taste in my mouth and given me the impression that nothing has truly changed except the record might have a couple more wins than usual.

I like the Pistons depth this year, fastest and most talented bench they’ve had since 2004. If they stay healthy they’ll come out of the East. More of that later but there’s your promised Pistons talk.

Hasek is looking slow. He's playing in the back of the net and not getting to his angles fast enough. Either Hasek is finally washed up or he's still hiding a lower body injury. More on that later but there’s the Hasek talk I promised.


You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.

4 Blogs for the price of 1.

By Kyle Bauer


THE TIGERS


The other day ,the Tigers acquired veteran left handed outfielder Jauqe Jones from the Cubs for Omar Infante in a straight up move.

I like the deal because he'll be a solid 7th or 8th hitter in the line up that can hit for average (.285 last season,) who will be here for the short term likely, without spending any extra money.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that I am a Infante fun but obviously him and Leyland could never see eye to eye. His time here simply ran out. With Raburn and Santiago playing so well he became expendable too.
So there’s your left fielder. Jones is in the final year of his 5 million dollar contract so that’s why this is a short term deal. Unless he hits .300 or there’s another snag in the development of Maybin, I don’t see the Tigers resigning him after this season. Great move by Dave Dumbrowski.

If you were wondering about Timo Perez and Marcus Thames, I believe all 3 will be given a honest shot at being an everyday left fielder in spring training but Jones will come out on top. Thames will likely go back to platooning at first base as he did in the beginning of the 2007 season and if Timo is left on the roster he'll be back up in left field. If anything happens to Jones the Tigers have 2 solid back ups.
With the Tigers only having to take 5 million in this deal, they had plenty of room to resign Todd Jones (a must) to a 1 year 7 mil. deal and will have room to spare for Rogers.




THE RED WINGS
are off to a resounding start. Going 13-4-1 and just the other night seen their franchise record tying 9 game winning streak come to an end.

To some Henrik Zetterberg opening the season with a 17 game point streak, while also putting up a league leading 27 points is a surprise. It's not nessacerly one to me.Though I missed my opportunity to predict it in this blog I believed coming into the year, barring injury Zetterberg would have a true break out season. Zetterberg was already in the second tier of elite players in the NHL but I knew if he could stay healthy that he would transcend into the top 5 among Thorton, Heatly, Crosby and Ovecheckin. He’s done just that.

The main key to his success so far this season has been his paring with Holmstrom and Datsyuk. There is a valid argument that scoring will be better distributed if at least Datsyuk and Zetterberg are broken up. It's a valid argument but not one I buy into.These 3 work best and will out produce any line in the NHL if kept together. This line could lead the Wings to a Stanley Cup, just by them outscoring teams. Sure that makes the Wings top heavy and that’s not typical Red Wings hockey but if this team takes a new philosophy or direction it wouldn’t hurt. Obviously by the Wings and Zetterberg start, it hasn’t been a bad move so far.

I would also like to see Aaron Downey in the line up on a regular basis. He wont score you any points but say someone takes a cheap shot at Zetterberg, Downey will go out there and let the other team know that he wont let it happen again. With so many smaller, flashy, offensive minded players on the Wings, younger bigger teams such as St.Louis, Calgary, San Jose will beat on and try to intimidate the hell out of say Datsyuk. As we seen last year, teams will try to run these players off the ice.

The Wings need someone to stand up for the little guys on this team and Downey can be that guy. We do have Drake, who has 3 or 4 fights and that’s great but Downey has a better track record as an actual enforcer, along with being much younger and less injury prone. Having a true enforcer seemed to have brought in fans during the mid 80's with Probert and Kocur. Maybe Downey can revive the long Wings tradition of Tiger Williams, Probert, Kocur, Grimson and McCarty, bring some fresh blood back into a post scrap torn jersey baring the Winged Wheel.
Kopecky and Ellis should join the lineup regularly with Downey and form a new grind line. When these guys are given the opportunity the work harder than any other players on the ice. They skate well, don’t take shit and they understand their role. When combining these 3 it could provide one hell of a spark down the stretch. I’m willing to sacrifice Maltby and Drake in this regard. I know it wont happen but I think it should.



THE LIONS

At the beginning of the year you heard 10-6 to 6-10. From the boastings of John Kitna and Corey Hagood to the grumblings of most Detroit sports media and yours truly. I had many doubts about this years Lions for 3 very simple reasons.

1. Offensive Line, mainly Backus and Foster who might be the two worst offensive tackles in the NFL and they both were starters at the beginning of the year.
2. The secondary is littered with inexperience and scrubs from past teams. While this can strike some hunger, which cannot be discounted, I never believed the speed, size and just plain talent was there to cover most offenses in the NFL.
3. Marrinelli inherited a team full of horrible, undisciplined attitudes, questionably injury prone players and for the most part average at best talent. It's going to take more than 2 years to mold this team into a division contender, even in a weak conference. He has a lot of work to do and I’m willing to give him to time and as he would say, take it one step at a time.

You can argue whether it be the weak first half schedule or just a really good team, the Lions got off to a surprise (to some) 6-2 start, looking to reach that polarizing 10 wins number. Lions fans were excited, calling in WDFN and 97.1 screaming “playoffs, 12 wins, this could be a Superbowl team.” God bless Detroit sports fans, especially Lions fans so obnoxiously fickle.It's always a game by game prognostication, one extreme to another. As many of the football guru's that were calling 12-4 after the blowout against the Broncos, were coming back the next week after the blowout (loss) in Arizona and shouting almost in tears, “6-10!!! NOTHINGS CHANGED, SAME OLD LIONS!!!!”

Well they’re right, same old Lions, they did lose another winnable game on the road, in Arizona, another venue of many they just cannot win in. But this isn’t the same old Lions of the Millen era, maybe the Wayne Fonts era.

After the win in Denver I sat back and viewed how the team has played. They’ve been winning games the right way, with defense and a strong run game. If Shawn Rogers isn’t too fat and tired, we have one of the better defensive lines in the NFL. Ernie Simms has played great and the secondary, though being torn up by any QB that touches average, have at least stopped 6 quarterbacks. Kevin Jones and TJ Duckett have added a balance to this offense that makes it 10 times more effective since their return. Jonathan Scott has proved to be invaluable being that he keeps George Foster off the field.
Still I seen this team greatly underachieve. Playoff teams don’t normally get blow out twice, even on the road. There’s always a poise about a playoff team, a pride and readiness for every game that prevents such from happening. Yes, there’s always exceptions to the rule and this is a horribly mediocre league but still its never a good sign. I would argue that the Lions are really better than the Eagles, Redskins and Cardinals, but given the opportunity they did'nt come close to showing it.
I see a defensive package that gives up way too much over the middle and underneath. The Tampa 2 doesn’t seem to be able to handle a west coast offense at all, or any type of short passing game. Teams being able to go underneath so often has caused the Lions deficiency in time of possession (aside from failing to establish the run in 5 games so far.)
I see Shawn Rogers, a player with enough talent to be the best defensive tackle in the league, take plays and quite frankly games off. When he cannot get penetration it shuts down any effectiveness of the Lions defensive schemes and quarterbacks’ have all day, running backs have no fears.
I see John Kitna being hit and sacked more than any QB in the NFL and no legit backup. With Jonathan Scott likely out for at least 4 or 5 more weeks with a hand injury, it kills the Lions offense due to the revolving doors that are Backus and Foster.
Taking all that into account after the Denver game, I said 9-7. With the Lions schedule, it will be tough to get more than 10 wins and I would even take 3 in the second half. That should get them a playoff spot so they can go to Green Bay or Dallas and get destroyed but I'll take it this year. Look at this team with a level head Lions fans. They’re better than some of us thought, but not as good either. This team isn’t good enough to go 5-2 the rest of the way but they’re too good to go 0-7.



OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN

Not going to say much about Ohio State-Michigan is (YAWN!) Alright another Big 10 title on the line, another trip to get embarrassed in the Rose Bowl on the line as well. Neither of these teams have a chance against Arizona State or USC. Well the “Luckeyes” better than Michigan, just because their defense is much faster and more talented.
I’m normally a diehard Michigan fan but I guess I wasn’t that diehard. I’ve been apathetic since the Oregon massacre.
It's the same story every year. The same team. The same template. The same 3 or 4 losses. The same loss to Jim Tressel. The same loss in a bowl game.
I’m sick of Lloyd Carr and I’m sorry but anyone who was calling for him to be coach of the year before the Wisconsin loss is a retard.Once Carr finally retires (or is asked too, not that its the Michigan way) and hopefully Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is hired, I'll start watching, I'll be a fan again and I'll be interested in this game like it will actually be relevant come January 2nd.




Ok, huge blog, sorry. Next one, more on the Wings and Haseks struggles. I promise some stuff on the Pistons. If the Tigers make another move I'll be on it. Of course fallow up on the Lions too.

You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.

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It's okay to panic but you don't have to.

By Kyle Bauer

I normally wouldnt post 2 blogs this close togather but with the Joel Zumaya situation this is kinda urgent circumstances.


This situation changes the whole complection of the Tigers offseason and the 2008 season.

First off I would like to say that though I dont really know, I can only speculate myself but I have a hard time believing that Joel injured his shoulder so severly from a box falling on it. It's a very elaborate story but a very innopropriate one if found out to be a lie, those are a couple reason not to doubt this. Still it's so freaky and weird, I'm just having a hard time buying it. Rumors are floating around message boards that he was racing motorbikes at a local drap strip last Saturday, he wiped out and thats how he really injured his shoulder. Though it's just a rumor from an extremly unreliable source, given that this is someone who stubburnly hurt himself playing Guitar Hero, his maturity level can be called into question, making that story more believable in my opinion.

Ofcousre I hope thats not true. Yes, either way hes injured but the difference between a freak accident and the bike rumor is the matter of intent, intelligence and responsibility. It would speak horribly of Zumaya's character to have injured himself in any other way than what he and the Tigers told the media. If found to be a lie, this would also be a severe breach of contract which may result in his release. There is precedence for such a move. Coming off his 2003 pennant clinching home run, Yankees third basemen Aaron Boone, tore his ACL playing basketball in the offseason. There was a clause in his contract prohibiting him to partake in any activity that could result in severe injury. Due to Boone hurting himself playing basketball his contract was immeadiately terminated by the Yankees, despite being a playoff hero only a couple months earlier. I guess the difference would be that Boone was less valuable to the Yankees than Zumaya is to the Tigers.


So where do the Tigers go from here?

Last year they played the waiting game for Zumaya while he recoverd from sugery on his sprained finger. In my opinion them waiting cost the Tigers a better shot at the playoffs. If Rodney stays healthy this season that makes circumstances less dire but I would not rely on Tim Byrdak or Bobby Seay to be your 7th or 8th inning guy every night or every other night. That move cost the Tigers around 20 games last season. With Cleveland poised to make another run and a team like Seattle on the rise and looking to contend for a playoff spot the Tigers cannot mess around and wait for anyone this upcoming season.

First it's now impearitive to bring back Todd Jones, where as before there was an argument for moving Zumaya up to closer this season, which in the first place was a move I never bought into. Jones likely has one last 30 save season left in him but he would have to be used sparingly. He cannot go on more than two nights in a row, depending on pitch count. Never bring him in during the 8th, no earlier than the 9th. If he hasnt pitched in a while, sure bring him in when the Tigers are down but 98% of the time he should be brought in 9/10th inning hold, or save situations.

For those reasons that's why a set up man is so much more valuable. Not only to set up but to be a buffer for Jones on nights where he might not be fresh enough to go in and close out the games or so he can be counted on to get you through the 7th and 8th.

As was the trade deadline discussion back in July, everyone is clamering for Gange. While I'm not that opposed to bring in star power to bolster the back end of the Tigers bullpen, once again it's a situation where the Tigers just need a more reliable mid level set up man. Ofcourse if Gange wants to come here and alternate the 9th with Jones and be willing to work as a set up man some nights, throw money at him and march him in here. The problem with someone like say Gange, Nathan or Cordero, is would they want to come into to Detroit and play a somewhat different role than what they normally would at a reasonable price? I would like to think money won't be an option in this case for Ilitch, but if the Tigers are not willing to settle with a Perez/Thames platoon split in left, or have Durbin and Miner as 4th and 5th starters, it likely will be. Asking someone with as much earning potential as Gange to come here at say 2 years/10 million to be a set up man most nights probably would'nt sound to appealing to him or any other star closer the Tigers could offer a contract to.

The reason why I'm suggesting a big name free agent pick up step into a set up role on most nights is because Jones will come cheap but if he were to pitch set up, his pitch count would be higher and he would be made availible on more nights, which refering back to an earlier paragraph would hurt his effectiveness severely. If you don't bring back Jones and just sign Gange, Cordero, Nathan etc. you're in the same situation as you would be in if you just bring Jones back; most of the season with no legit set up man to cushion our closer and Rodney, so whats the point?

That is why it would be much more efficient to trade or sign for someone like Jay Rausch of Washington or work a deal for Al Reyes from Tampa Bay, David Riske of the Royals, Armondo Benitez from the Marlins. Mid level guys who come cheap. On the pricier but availible side is Octavio Dotel, Mariano Rivera, Bob Wickman, Mike Timlin and Luis Vizcaino plus the afore mentioned pitchers in the paragraph above. I would take any of these guys in a heartbeat but I still believe what they want money wise will affect what the Tigers can and determine to do. It's not going to be a blank check situation like we all would love it to be but it won't work unless we don't want to pick up either another starter or left fielder.



Keeping it in house.

If by chance the Tigers fail to pick anyone up arguably there are players in the Tigers bullpen that could step in and fill the set up role on a regular basis. Down the stretch of the second half, while the Tigers starting pitching and hitting falterd the bullpen thrived. Here' the positives and posibilities for set up men.

Bobby Seay was great in August and September, going 3-0 with a .274 opponent obp, 18 K's and 6 walks in 15 appearences. Before he did'nt do so swell but from late June on his era dropped dramatically with every appearence and by the end of the season he was one of the Tigers more reliable relievers. Seay is another power pitcher of many in the Tigers pen, but dosent have any stuff that stands out, just a sturdy lefty with a strong fast ball and decent breaking stuff.

Tim Byrdaks story could be a movie. At one time working at a Wal-Mart to support his family after his baseball career initially fell apart, he fought his way back up to a spot in a big league organization. With a survivor mentality he pitched well enough to stick on the Tigers roster for most of the 2007 season. Byrdak will go right after batters and pitch to contact similar to Todd Jones' style. He also delievers a sharp cutter and hard low to mid 90's fastball.
That maybe his problem. Say the Tigers retain Jones and have Brydak in a set up role, I would'nt toss him out there right before Jones being that they are such similar pitchers. In some cases that can be a good thing but I believe it could work against Jones.

Jose Capellan was once a highly touted prospect but has since struggled and bounced through a couple organizations before landing a relief role with the Tigers last year. He bounced up and down between the big club and assignments in Toledo. He has rocky numbers and gave up a lot of extra basehits and homers, his .529 slugging percentage against will tell you that. It's mainly because he has the potential to mix power with a high 90's fastball and his best pitch, a mid 80's curve, well. That potential has not come to fruition yet. While his curve is still considerdby some his best pitch, he has failed to get it to bite on the corners well enough for strikes. His control problems have led him to hang his curve as well as his power fastball. I am nominating him as a possibility for the role because he's relatively young at 26 and with some work in the offseason, there is the potential for him to be similar to Fernando Rodney, just save Fernandos change up for Capellans curve. If he can finally figure out to set up his pitches properly and execute, he could not only stay with the Tigers but adequately replace Zumaya until his return.

Jordan Tata got a sniff out of the bullpen in 2006, making 8 appearences with an unimpressive 6.14 era and only 6 K's to 7 walks. Give him some leway, he was a rookie. Last season he was a spot starter. In 3 starts he was 1-1 with a 7.71 era and while looking decent in his first 2 starts, he was awful in his final start against Oakland. The jury is still out on him, he's young but he has to be sensing that his chances are running out. This could give him the element of hunger, something Byrdak worked off of last season. Similar to Byrdak and Jones, he offers the mid 90's fastball with a cutter and a curve that hasn't been that effective. If he were going to the bullpen, it would more likely be as a long reliever, but I'm throwing his name out there as a player who might be forced into such a role just to find a place with the organization. It's a long shot, you never know.

If the Tigers stand pat in regards to finding a set up man/closer, expect these men to be the canidates. Who knows it could be someone completely different in the organization. I would'nt expect or advise the Tigers to stand pat though, just judging on the 2007 first half performances, no one in this bullpen is trustworthy over an extended period of time. Any addition would also be added depth, something that never hurts.


It will be interesting to see Dumbrowski's next move nomatter who it is. As far as left fielders, look for Shannon Stewart or Mike Cameron, who are both damaged goods but should come cheap in a short term deal, which would be fine consideing Maybin should be ready in 2009 or 2010. For starting pitching, bringing back Rogers is said to be a priority for Dumbrowski but Curt Schilling, Livan Hernandez and Kris Benson are all names to seriously watch.

Whenever the Tigers make a move, I'll be here to give you my take on it, whether you agree or not.




Thats all for now. I promise that my next blog will be about the Wings/Pistons and even the Lions who I initially didnt plan on blogging about, not for apathy or lack of knowledge but that's what Horner's role is supposed to be but you'll get my take on their surprise season soon enough.


You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.