IdahoBert

I have never been able to care about the WBC. I’m not intrinsically against it, it’s just an intrusion on a spring training experience that I prefer. I can see how it’s a big deal, to the 28% of players that are foreign born — and then there’s players that are not foreign born but who have a tangential right to play for another country’s team. And of course there’s players that would just like to represent the USA, which I understand, but which still doesn’t mean much to me because I like my spring training unadulterated. :End of mild self-absorbed rant:

Tigers finish the game with 12 runs and 17 hits and although the bottom of the 9th hasn’t been played yet, I imagine that a 12–1 lead is sufficient to call this one a win.

Jack Little struck out the side for the Tigers against the Rays in the bottom of the eighth.

Rays announcers on the radio reminding us of last year‘s collapse in the regular season and they’re not being jerks about it. They’re just expressing a degree of astonishment, which is true and justified.

John Peck homers (1) on a fly ball to right center field. Top of the 6th. 12-1!

Corey Julks hits a grand slam (2) to left field. Josue Briceño scores. Ben Malgeri scores. Peyton Graham scores. HA HA HA

7-1 Tigs

6-1 Tigers… Thayron Liranzo singles on a ground ball to right fielder Angel Mateo. Jace Jung scores in the 6th.

Colt Keith singles on a line drive to center fielder Cedric Mullins. Kevin McGonigle scores. Matt Vierling scores. Hate to interrupt a fascinating discussion about Mahjong and comedians on Tampa Bay radio, but hey the Tigers now have a 5–1 lead.

God, the Rays radio announcer is talking about Mahjong and comedians. It’s not like he’s entertaining like our boy Jason.

This is getting exciting about this young player.

McGonigle looks like he’s at least hitting his way into a starting role on this squad. Gets a triple in his first at bat.

If he’s not an Avila signing, why care?

Drew Anderson who had two dominating seasons at KBO and a good two innings of shut out ball with three Ks with the Tigers this spring will start against Tampa Bay today, February 28. Things are getting curiouser and curiouser… No TV feed but if you get radio through mlb.com there will allegedly be a Tampa Bay radio feed.

Good God, that was intense!

Missing these simple layups is annoying.

They live by the sword so they’ll die by the sword. Too bad not sad.

Fire Hinch! Why didn’t he order these guys to “hit the ball“ sooner than he did?

15-4.

Javier Báez homers (1) on a fly ball to left center field. Dillon Dingler scores.Tigers lead 3-2 in the 4th

I lived in Tucson for 13 years from 1974 to 1987 but Tucson is characteristically 10° cooler than the Phoenix Metro area and in Tucson at least, February and March were exquisite. And when I went to spring training baseball games in Tucson, it was never a hot day. But we in Tucson always lived by the motto “Phoenix sucks!” So this might still be the case and even more so now.

Right now, I’m watching the White Sox play the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch in Glendale - a facility the two teams share - and the place seats 13,000 but there’s lots and lots and lots of empty seats and the berm is sparsely populated. But in the Dodgers defense, like they need to be defended, they are playing the White Sox. I guess if they were playing another NL West team there might be more people there.

A full strength Tigers team goes against a Phillies split squad in Lakeland tomorrow February 27 with Flaherty pitching. Now, if I were a bettin’ man which I am not, I would think that the Tigers have a good chance of winning that game. Allegedly there will be a radio broadcast for the Tigers.

6-5 loss