The Captain

While watching the All Star game last night, there was obviously a lot of attention on Derek Jeter.  He got an ovation before his first at bat, when he exited the game, and with each of his hits.  During his first at bat, there was a very clear voice that was shouting, "Overrated!"  The question is...is he?

Usually, I wouldn't let a Yankee take up an entire blog post, but this is no regular Yankee.  This is Jeter.  He spent most of his childhood in Michigan and graduated high school in Kalamazoo.  Although he was a Jersey boy who loved the Yankees, he's given a lot back to the Kalamazoo community.  His Turn 2 Foundation works to get kids and teens involved so they turn to better influences and lives.  Anyone who invests in a community who helped him develop as a person is someone that I can respect.  It also has departments in Florida and New York, helping inner city kids in multiple states.

Nowadays, you don't see many franchise players.  You see fewer who signed right out of high school.  You see fewer still who spend their entire career with the Yankees.  Baseball players are traded more frequently than the cards that hold their likeness.  Off season, mid season, trade deadline, designation, release...transactions happen everyday.  For one player to stay with one team for his entire career (1992-2014) with the Yankees is amazing.  Yankee fans are demanding and the organization responds by trying to construct a championship team every year.  Jeter fit the bill every year, making himself valuable to a team looking for a World Series title.  He was a shortstop for his entire career, a demanding position that requires agility, strength, and leadership.  Most guys don't make it their whole career at shortstop.

Jeter helped his team to win five World Series championships, becoming the MVP of the WS in 2000.  He made appearances in 14 All Star games (out of 20 seasons...that's 70% of the time).  He has five Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers and was the Rookie of the year in 1996.  He probably has multiple houses just to keep all his awards.

What's more, Jeter has been the captain of the Yankees since 2003.  That's not a title that is given out freely and not very many MLB teams advertise an official "captain."  Jeter's name is synonymous with the Yankees and it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

Do we even have to talk about his numbers?  His career batting average is .311 with over 3,400 hits and 258 home runs.  Not only are his numbers great, but he's consistent.  He doesn't have one fantastic year and a bunch of fair ones.  No, he seems to have a great season every year.

There's no doubt that he will be elected to the Hall of Fame, it's only a matter of if it's the first year or second year of eligibility.  His number (2 for those new to baseball) is sure to be retired with many other single digits at Yankee Stadium.  Every stadium he's visited this year has celebrated him as if he was their own.  He's not just a New York figure or a baseball figure...he's a sports figure with the likes of Tiger, Jordan, and Namath.  He's also not bad to look at (see here) and has dated some pretty high profile women.

So, is he overrated?  No, he's not.  Did Derek prove that guy wrong?  Ya, by hitting a double immediately.  Wainwright might have admitted to serving Jeter a lollipop, but it's still a way to go out.  Congrats, Cap.  You will be missed by this Tigress.

Verbing

The other day Avila hit a very slow, very weak dribbler to third base.  In most cases, he's out before he gets half way to first.  However, the defense had the shift on so instead Avila gets a hit.  I thought, "Oh, he Victored that".  That's right, your favorite players become nouns or verbs when something happens to them consistently.  Here are a few more:

Avila (verb)- to get hit with balls, bats, or even attitude where the pads just don't cover.  I was catching Porcello and I got Avilaed like three times in one inning!

Verlander (verb)- to have all the skills in the world and over think things to the point of self destruction.  I had the best season of my career, but then I started dating a supermodel and really Verlandered up my next season.

Rajai (verb)- wear an oven mitt unnecessarily.  I was weeding the garden and I Rajaied so I wouldn't get pricked by thorns.

Phil (verb)- to sprint in order to prove one's moxie. While I could have walked past the hot guys, I Philled so they could see me in all my glory.

Leyland (verb)- smoke more cigarettes than a normal ad executive from the 60s smoked in a week.  I was so nervous about the job interview that I Leylanded all the way there.

Porcello (verb)- to win in the most undramatic fashion, to the point of boring others.  I Porcelloed on Jeopardy when everyone got the Final Jeopardy wrong but I bet the least amount of money.

Sanchez (verb)- to pester others during an interview.  My best friend Sanchezed me while my boyfriend's father grilled me on my life goals.

Cabrera (noun)- a person who excels at something with half the effort of others.  I studied for hours to pass the test, but my friend is such a Cabrera that she got an A just for showing up.

It takes a special kind of person to be a Cabrera.  I wonder who will Cabrera up in the second half of the season.

All Star Break

I'm still here.  As previously stated, my life has been consumed with Mini Tigress, who already has a voracious love for the game.  She's learning a lot about baseball and about our Tigers.  Here are some things we've learned in the first half of the season:

Born a Tiger fan

Everyone deserves a second chance.  Just look at Phil Coke.  Admit it, you wanted to trade him.  Now he's turning it around and making us proud to see him storming out from the bullpen every week.  The season is young, but I have high hopes that Phil will continue to be, well, Philthy.

Being young and inexperienced can work in your favor.  JD Martinez is tearing things up and earning his stripes (get it, he's a Tiger).  He's been an effective five man behind Victor for sure.  It's also striking that his performance is so great that he's been keeping Davis and Hunter out of the lineup.  That's saying something.

Nice guys still finish first.  He might never be an everyday player, but Donnie Kelly is still a coach's favorite player.  Fans are also on the Donnie Kelly train.  They cheered and yelled for his intentional walk this week like he was Miggy.

It's good to be king.  Miggy is still Miggy.  74 RBIs as of right now.  With the All Star break as the unofficial middle of the season, he's on track to be close to 150.  He's the king, just bow and accept it.

When starting pitching is on, the team is on.  Verlander and Scherzer are still ironing out some details and quirks.  Who would have thought Ricky P would be the most consistent pitcher?  Crazy.  Just goes to show that pitches are fickle creatures.  Let's just stay away from these are injuries that have plagued pitchers this year.  I could talk on that forever and how the culture of pitching has to change in order to save our pitchers.

Our bullpen is still the red haired child in a house full of brunettes.  Every team has an issue, ours is forever the bullpen.  When Nathan is struggling, you have to wonder if it's something in the water out there in left field.

Remember fans, Tigers are still atop of the Central.  If the Tigers remain consistent, then I see no issue with continuing that trend.  Bring back the roar in 20-1-4...for the kids.

Bitter Twitter

Lately something has come to my attention that I just can't ignore.  It has a little to do with the Tigers' road trip but a lot more to do with humanity itself.  Self indulgence, thy name is Twitter.

I joined Twitter last July for one main purpose, to comment on the Tigers in real time in a hopefully light-hearted and humorous way.  I see Twitter for what it should be, a place where people can go to have a chuckle and feel vindicated in their shared interests and opinions.  For the most part, those are the types of people I follow and the tweets I write.  However, a large number of social media junkies see Twitter as a place to be down right cruel in an anonymous fashion.  It's much easier to be mean, petty, and critical of others when they can't see your face.  For years I was a Girls on the Run coach and we teach the girls about this sort of thing.  They can spot it a mile away.  It's called Cyber Bullying.  Just because you don't personally know someone doesn't mean you aren't cyber bullying them.

When the Tigers swept in Baltimore and Boston, Twitter was all fun and games for the Tigers.  There were Zubaz pictures and triumphant tweets about conquering playoff foes.  Twitter was serving its purpose.  We got to see hilarious pictures of our favorite players and get a glimpse into their everyday life as ball players.  However, the games were over once the Tigers hit Cleveland.  Obviously, it was a disappointing series topped off by THE WORST way to end a game with a bases loaded balk.  I have to say I wrote an angry tweet myself:
And that's how not to end a road trip #epicfail #Tigers #shouldhaveletDonniepitch

I tried to make light of the situation by adding the joke about Donnie Kelly pitching.  I may have even made a joke about Gene Lamont earlier in the game (sorry Gene if I was mean.  I promise it's in good fun).  Tigers fans took the loss as an opportunity to again question every move made by Ausmus and for some reason rag on the Tigers announcers, Mario and Rod.  What those two had to do with the Tiger loss, I just don't know.  Even if it eased the pain for some fans, I feel like it's just uncalled for.  For some reason, Mario retweets some of their nastiness.  I don't understand that.

Sure, we are all a little frustrated with Phil Coke and the Tigers bullpen.  Trust me, they don't need to hear it to know they messed up.  They already know.  My advice to Phil is to avoid social media today or maybe all week.

So in the spirit of New Girl, I'm starting a new segment called Honey Roast.  If you aren't familiar, a honey roast is when you say nice, true things about someone.  I'd like to start with the outfielders today.

Rajai Davis- You are one fast dude and have rejuvenated the Tigers' running game.  You have 14 stolen bases for Pete's sake.  You also take base path fashion to new levels of awesome with your oven mitt to protect your hand.  You are a valuable addition to the Tigers.

Austin Jackson- Your hard work at the plate has paid off since your rookie season.  You are striking out less and have become a hitter that pitchers don't like facing.  Your acrobatics in the outfield are also hard to beat.

Torii Hunter- You are a leader when it matters and the Tigers desperately needed that.  You are consistently trying to have a good time and it makes you enjoyable to watch.

JD Martinez- You hit a home run in a pinch hit situation!  Not a lot of players can claim that.

Come back again for another round of Honey Roast.  Remember this, the internet and social media specifically are places to connect with other people, not an avenue for your bitterness.  Enjoy your long weekend and all the wonderful Tiger baseball we have to look forward to.

Zubazpalooza Take 3

There's been a lot of press lately about how the Tigers have adopted the Zubaz pants, sweatshirts, and accessories as their official, unofficial uniforms.  They were on ESPN, Yahoo, Facebook, and just about every local Michigan news station wearing their Zubaz while traveling to Cleveland.  The Tigers players have Zubaz fever.  The thing is, this Tigress and her band of merry Tigri have been infected with Zubaz fever for three years now.  Faithful readers already know this, but if you are new to the blog, revisit some earlier posts.  Zubaz also double as playoff pants and are guaranteed to get you interviewed by multiple television outlets.

We make this look good

As for Zubazpalooza twenty-one-four, let's meet our cast of characters.  There's the Tigress (that's me *points to self), Sister Tigress, Crazy Tigress, and New-to-Zubaz Tigress.  This year, the Tigers offered a Zubaz shirt, which is great for repeaters like us who have multiple pairs of pants and are looking to get even more tricked out in Zubaz gear.

Usually, the party has started at HockeyTown, but this year the party was at the Jungle in right field.  This was much more convenient to go right to our seats after the yearly raffle where we are sure to win.  We did start at HockeyTown anyway and did our short hike back to Comerica.  Now, if one person is wearing Zubaz, you get attention.  When four good-looking ladies are sporting them, you get stares and even compliments.  I'm a firm believer in acknowledging compliments, but Sister Tigress likes to acknowledge stares as well.  That means that she yelled at multiple people on our way to the stadium without being engaged in conversation.  Yup, she's "that girl".

Here's a trivia question:  You know you have Zubaz fever when:
A) Everyone in your party is already wearing Zubaz pants before the event where they give them away
B) You have additional accessories from previous years
C) The people running the event greet you like old friends and continuously shower you with swag
D) All of the above

I think you know the answer.  I had my vintage Zubaz Tiger hat from approximately 1988 (which received a compliment from a group of men who were also wearing Zubaz upon entering the stadium.  They had good taste).  I also had my Zubaz sunglasses from last year and headbands.  New Tigress had never been to an event (she was a pinch hitter for someone who double booked herself.  Who double books on Zubaz?!  Priorities, people), so I gave her a pair of my pants.  That freed everyone up to receive a Zubaz t shirt.

Upon entering the Jungle (first of course), we were greeted like long lost relatives...you know, the crazy relatives you see once a year.  While our friends were setting up shop, they started to cover our table in swag.  Not everyone gets this kind of service, but when you are "regulars" (that's a direct quote), you get the VIP treatment.  We received can koozies, bottle koozies (a true Zubazpalooza fan needs both for fancy and relaxed occasions), tattoos, headbands, retro sunglasses (see below), and Zubaz "sleeves".  I had to ask what you do with the sleeve.

Our friends in events said they can go on your head, your arm, or even your leg as leg warmers.  That's how the DTE Energy Squad was wearing them.  You could also rob a bank with them.

Once we got our raffle tickets, we wandered a little to make some friends.  People were definitely digging our shirts since they were a new item and not many people opted to get them.  I will say this, if you didn't have Zubaz pants already, there's no reason you should get a shirt.  That's like going to an English pub and ordering the Shepard's pie.  Any ding bat knows you order fish and chips.  It's just common sense.  As a strategy this year, we pooled our raffle tickets to increase our winning odds with the idea of splitting up the booty.  We won Zubaz flip flops and the coveted Zubaz sweatshirt.  I ended up with the sandals and Sister Tigress ended up with the sweatshirt, that lucky duck.  The only problem is that the sandals are a size 11-12 which means they are about a million sizes too big.  Tip for next year, more than half of the Zubaz patrons are female.  Get with the times, people.  The chances that Frankenstein is going to win the sandals are slim to none.  New Tigress's husband also said a big "no thank you" to the sweatshirt when offered.  He must not know fashion.  All my favorite players are sporting them.

Any good Tigress fan knows there's always one drunk person around you at a game who is being annoying and if you don't have one then it might just be you.  The past two Zubazpaloozas that was me.  This year, it was Crazy Tigress (yup, Yup, YUP!).  She even shared my poncho by sticking her head in the sleeve during a short spring shower.  For some reason, Zubaz has gotten earlier and earlier in the year.  Our first year, it was in August.  Last year it was mid-June.  This year it was the beginning of May!  I'm going to need Zubaz hat and mittens if it gets any earlier next year.

All in all it was a great day.  The Tigers couldn't pull of a win, but the Zubaz is bringing them good luck on this road trip so I can't complain.  When you see me in October at Comerica, remember to comment on my pants.

You know you want to be a part of our family

Having Fun

Just because I don't write doesn't mean I don't love you or Tiger baseball.  I've been watching as much as possible when caring for a nocturnal dragon (although she's becoming less nocturnal as the weeks turn to summer and more of a mini Tigress everyday).  I even got to attend the famous Zubaz pants day.  I promise I'll write about it soon since it's become a yearly tradition.

We are deep into May and the Tigers are playing some excellent baseball.  Don't adjust your computer screen, I actually wrote that.  The bats are active, the bullpen is decent, and the starting pitching is lights out as usual.  I say that cautiously because Smyly and Porcello are still finding their groove.  For the record, I'm not a Porcello hater by any stretch of the imagination.  I just think he gets too much credit sometimes, especially from the announcing crew this year (you know who you are, Mario).  Somehow, the bullpen is even contributing and throwing some quality innings.  Here's some things I like about the team this year:

Joe Nathan- We have an actual, bonafide closer this year.  That's right, usually in about July, we are scrambling through our beat down pen looking for someone to step up.  Barring any injury, we have someone reliable and seasoned handling the ninth inning.  It's pretty exciting to be enjoying something that other teams take for granted.

Ian Kinsler- Fielder/Kinsler trade...can we say "Winning"?  Dom looks like a genius mastermind as usual with Prince still struggling and Kinsler looking like Bennie the Jet straight off the sandlot.  He's got high socks, range, speed, a quick bat, and even goes yard once in a while.  I've also seen his sick salsa moves on Twitter.  He's the best acquisition in an off season full of new, solid players.

Scherzer/Verlander- The Dealing Duo (registered trademark) is doing what they always do, which is pitch lights out baseball.  Verlander is still in his spring rut where he has a massive breakdown in about the sixth inning, but if he keeps at it, he can persevere.  Maxxy Pooh is racking up extra dollars and zeros that are sure to be included in his contract with whatever team he signs with (I have little hope he'll sign with the Tigers so let's enjoy him while we can).

Fun- That's right, the Tigers are having fun.  Whether it's some silly dance where their hands shake by their heads, Zubaz pants pulled up to the upper thigh (thanks Anibal), or the numerous handshakes, the Tigers are having fun with each other and it's paying off on the scoreboard.  This is a very different team from the one last year that hung their heads after losing to Boston in the playoffs.  I credit new blood and the leadership of the always smiling Torii Hunter.  Joba Chamberlain might look like a lumberjack, but he acts like a clown.

Rad Brad- It doesn't matter who is managing, haters are going to hate.  People are going to question lineup choices and calls on the field.  Smokes can tell you all about it.  My advice is to grow thick skin and buy some earplugs.  I've liked the aggressive base running and gutsy small ball plays that the Tigers have been flashing this season.  Brad's quiet presence in the dugout makes him seem more like a cool older brother rather than a grouchy grandpa looking for his next nicotine fix (I love you Smokes, but you know this is true).  If you are on your best behavior, cool brother Brad might even teach you how to surf.  Of course, I'd look like a genius manager too if I had the raw talent and experience that the Tigers clubhouse has, but Brad is holding his own and then some.

I'd like to think the Tigers aren't putting too much pressure on themselves and are just taking it one day at a time.  That's the way they seem to be playing.  This road trip has been a key part to the early season.  With a sweep of the first place Orioles, a three game set with the team who took them down last year, and a series with a division foe in Cleveland, Detroit needs to send a message.  We are bringing back the roar in 20-1-4 (now trending on Twitter).  With a 25-12 record and a 6.5 game lead in the Central, you'd be having fun too.

Part time baseball

This winter I was a part time employee.  Not by choice, but due to the weather phenomena known as Polar Vortex and Artic Blast.  There were 12 days that work was cancelled.  While I'll have to make up some of these days, it makes for a leisurely work schedule.  The Tigers pitchers are in a similar situation with their third game postponed with only a month of the season done.  Some of these players have forgotten how to throw a curve, scuff up the ball, or hide their pine tar effectively.  April is also a traditionally lightly scheduled month for the Tigers given the unpredictable Michigan weather (see above).  The Tigers have had nine days off, six scheduled, in 32 days.

Like many other Americans, having one part time just just won't pay the bills.  More than one job is necessary.  Here are some suggestions for how the pitchers can make an extra buck.

SchEYEzer- Max is good with numbers and since April is a slow month for baseball, the most obvious choice is accounting.  April is their busy time and they could always use another head around the office to help crunch numbers and fill out tax forms.  Plus, Tax Man is a great nickname.

Ricky P- Not just another pretty face, Ricky can put his good looks to work.  He's the guy dressed in the Uncle Sam costume outside of Max's tax company twirling a sign.  His arm strength from years of pitching is sure to be an asset to sign twirling.

Verlander- JV's greatest asset is his personality and past achievements.  The way to make easy cheddar is to do public appearances to promote all his favorite merchandise and goods.  Taco Bell, video games, cereal, even various casinos and fast food establishments.  If he really wants to please the crowd, he'll bring his lady friend with him.

Sanchez- Since Sanchez has been good for about half of each game he's pitched, he needs a job where a partner is encouraged.  He'd make a really good half of a tag team wrestling team.  Call WWE and see if Shawn Michaels is still wrestling.  The Heartbreak Kid and the Fastball Kid would be an unstoppable duo.  He'd even settle for Billy Gunn to become the New, New Age Outlaws.

Smyly- Since Smyly has yet to really become a "starting pitcher" due to weather, injuries, and other catastrophes, he's best farming himself out as a reliever to another MLB team.  I know it's his dream to be a Major League starting pitcher, but the reality is that he's a very good and effective reliever.  Why mess with something that works?  There's an old phrase, "Do what makes you happy" but what's most important is "Do what makes you money."  Pitching against one or two guys and then taking a seat the rest of the game sounds sweet to me.

Hopefully April showers (and snow and wind) will bring May doubleheaders.  I have a feeling there's a reason these guys play baseball to earn their living.  They probably wouldn't be very good at their other part time jobs.