gehringer_2

only so long a bullpen can live on the ragged edge. Tigers down 4. So how 'bout those Wolverines?

Tigers playing Strand-O-Matic

Man - Torkelson has been in the AL long enough to know you don't just take off on an overthrow at Target. That bounce back happens all the time.

Spencer Yost.

Anderson throws a couple of good curve balls for the third out.

Jaimai Jones' pixie dust has dried out.

has Anderson gotten the 1st guy he faced out as a reliever yet?

Riley not seeing this guy very well.

This team is going to struggle with run prevention 3 out of 5 nights.

Riley had a few good pitches to hit in that AB but didn't barrel any of them

LOL -gleybar fails to appeal the ball after Minny fails to appeal the strike.

I was hoping against hope that Larkin would pass on the Olympics. I knew there was no way he would but I was hoping anyway. I guess from his standpoint a gold medal will be a fonder memory than washing out in the 1st or 2nd round of a cup series someone else is going to win, so I can't blame him. Just because .I. don't care about the Olympics.........😉

All front office decision issues. I think the most likely outcome is that if Larkin and Raymond are confirmed to have playing less than 100% at the end, Ilitch is going to give Yzerman another year at least. Just my guess about how it will go......

Worst signing EVER.

I wanted to let Kane go at the end of last season as I doubted he was going to do much this season and thought there were better places to use the $$ - I know they didn't want o give up what he still brought to the PP, but at his point in his career he wasn't what they needed to improve their 5 of 5 game.

He plays Sieder a lot, but not really more than other #1 Dmen. But just my observation is that when Seider's ice time starts climbing, he does change his game to conserve energy to compensate (which is why I don't like ever seeing them do it). With Larkin and Raymond, I don't think the team overdrives them. Their ice time does not look out of proportion for a #1 line. Certainly nothing like Brian Murray used to do overplaying his best players. But as players you have to be aware of when you are overdriving yourself when you are on the ice. A guy like Larkin has to understand that he has to walk a line between how much time he can stay at max+ effort and still keep himself available. I do wonder if Larkin is a little too emotional (trying too hard) a player for his own good.

and/or driving themselves too hard because there is no other help? Hockey is a game that can be played at an unsustainable level but only for so long. That true of both teams and individuals.

Size is important, in Dmen who have to physically clear the crease and control the corners, but size is only important in a forward if the player knows how to use it to take and protect possession. To a large extent speed, especially quickness, and good stick can get you there too, which is why DeBrincat is a way more useful player than Rasmussen even at the aspects you'd expect size to help with.

Tobias is in my 2nd row.

True. While he's young and fast he can live with a somewhat higher GB rate - but as hard as he hits the ball, there will be a lot of benefit from getting the ball into the air more because at the EV's he gets, HR's will follow.

Brooks with a relatively long open pocket glove, Aurelio with a shorter solid pocket.

I had some folks I followed, but it seemed like the episodes where I would have to take the time to block a hundred trash feeds that got dumped on me got to where the site was a waste of time. The only thing I ever do on it now is read a link from here.

I liked Inge - the team moved him around a lot and he sucked it up and did his best. He was a dumb hitter though. Not that's it's easy, but he was just a continual sucker for breaking balls out of the zone at 0-1. If someone had just nailed his bat to his shoulder on every 0-1 he'd have been a better hitter.

I guess the very fact that Ras is still on the team is a reason I despair about their concept of what a team should look like. And I don't even care that much about 'finishing checks'. The game is almost too fast to spend too much effort on that. There's a place for it but too much time spent trying to line guys up for the big finish can just get you left behind trying to make a big hit when the play has already crossed the line away from you. What I do want to see is way more aggression pursuing the puck. Just to go back to Rasmussen and Solderblom - guys skate past Ras unaccosted up the side boards constantly, it's like he's not even there when a guy rushes past him. Soderblom was miles better at least at that skill, guys could seldom just blow by him. So when I say there are skillsets they just don't seem to look for (care about?), it's that kind of thing.

I noticed the other day that Bobby tends to spend a fair amount of time echoing Dan a lot. Don't need that. If you have something to add, add it, otherwise calm and quiet is OK during a baseball radio cast.