Place for Baseball
Baseball is a humbling game. We’ve heard the saying many times. Those that are able to accept failure and move on are typically those that enjoy longevity in the game. Talent aside, the daily challenge of performing is what separates baseball from any other professional sport. In eight years of broadcasting minor league baseball, I…
When the Detroit Tigers signed Jordan Zimmermann to a free agent contract prior to the 2016 season, fans and front office personnel alike looked at the right-hander as a rotation centerpiece for the next five years. A decorated career with the Washington Nationals produced two All-Star appearances and a no-hitter for Zimmermann. The investment looked sound…
Eight Years. That’s how long Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum waited for his turn. For eight seasons, Goodrum toiled in the Minnesota Twins minor league system waiting for his chance. It wasn’t supposed to take that long. Not for a player drafted in the second round. Yet, year after year he waited. Goodrum is a…
While the Tigers have already passed the midpoint of the season in terms of games played, the All-Star break represents the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half. With the non-waiver trade deadline looming, the Tigers are in the position that many predicted. Sitting 12 1/2 games behind Cleveland in…
The glow of a big win was still fresh when hitting coach Lloyd McClendon hopped on the Tigers team bus after a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on the final day of the season’s first half. The Tigers had lost six games in a row and the outlook seemed dim that the…
One of the most iconic corners in baseball history, the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull played host to the game’s greatest players and to one of the most revered stadiums. From April 20, 1912 through September 27, 1999, Tiger Stadium served as the home of one of baseball’s most historic franchises. A vast parcel of…
Famed Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully has a saying about life in the big leagues. Scully once said, “The schedule will consume you.” Anyone that has traveled with a major league team will corroborate Scully’s story. The daily grind of the calendar will test all who dare to endure it. Related: Connecting is What Gardenhire is…
Forging relationships is something that organically happens in the game of baseball. When you spend seven months of the year with a group of individuals, you automatically become joined at the hip. Mike Fiers is no different. The right-hander was dealt with the Oakland Athletics on Monday ending a short-lived tenure with the Tigers, but…
The Tigers recent road trip to the West Coast provided a glimpse of what a playoff contender’s bullpen looks like. And it’s pretty impressive. The Oakland A’s have elbowed their way into the postseason picture not with a dominating rotation, but rather a hard-throwing, door-slamming bullpen. The Tigers got a steady dose of Lou Trivino, Jeurys Familia,…
The Detroit Tigers have made some good trades over the years. Miguel Cabrera was acquired from the Marlins, Norm Cash from the Indians, and Placido Polanco from the Phillies, just to name a few. Yet, there is one deal that is hardly ever mentioned when evaluating the best trades in club history. In 1975, the…
