SB Nation - Aubrey Huff

Five Detroit Tigers File For Free Agency

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:25:17 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Placido Polanco was one of five Detroit Tigers to file for free agency on Thursday, the first day eligible players could do so.

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With the conclusion of the World Series, players can now file for free agency. Placido Polanco, Adam Everett, Fernando Rodney, Aubrey Huff, and Jarrod Washburn did so Thursday. The only player eligible for free agency who didn't file right away was Brandon Lyon, but according to Jason Beck, there's apparently nothing to read into that.

The Tigers can negotiate exclusively with their free agents until November 20.

One more note from Beck's post on the Tigers' free agents: Polanco qualified as a Type A free agent, meaning if Detroit offers him arbitration and he signs with another team, they'll receive two draft picks. One would be from the team that signs Polanco (possibly a first-round pick, unless the team has one of the top 15 selections in the first round, which are protected), along with a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.

Rodney and Lyon are Type B free agents, which would yield a supplemental draft pick if they're offered arbitration.

(Here's an explanation of the free agent compensation rules from ESPN.com's Keith Law. It's an Insider article, however. MLB Trade Rumors also explains the process.)

Washington Nationals: AFL/DWL Update...Nationals Fans In A Reality Series?

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Gerald Herbert - AP

5 months ago: Washington Nationals assistant general manager and vice president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, right, introduces pitcher Drew Storen, the team's first-round draft pick and 10th pick overall in the baseball draft during a news conference at Nationals Stadium in Washington, on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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• AFL:

The only Nationals' prospects in action on Wednesday in the AFL were on the mound as Jeff Mandel and Drew Storen both saw action in the Phoenix Desert Dogs' 11-6 win over the Peoria Javelinas. Mandel, Washington's 24-year-old right-handed '07 19th Round pick, threw a 1-2-3 5th after replacing D-Dogs' starter Mitch Talbot, a second-round pick by the Astros in 2002, who was traded to Tampa Bay, along with Ben Zobrist, in a deal that sent Aubrey Huff to Houston. Mandel gave up a leadoff single and a one-out RBI double in the sixth before back to back groundouts ended the inning. Mandel's Line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K's, 3.00 ERA, 31 pitches, 21 strikes.

Drew Storen, the Nationals' 2nd '09 1st Round pick pitched a scoreless ninth for Phoenix, striking out Dodgers' catching prospect Jesse Mier with a slider, curve and change all low in the zone in the mid-80s', popping up Tigers' shortstop Cale Iorg with a 1-1 fastball at 95, and giving up a two-out double to LA IF prospect Justin Sellers on a 2-2 slider before a two-out groundout by Trayvon Robinson on a first-pitch fastball ends the game. Storen's Line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 1.35 ERA, 12 pitches, 9 strikes.

Final Score - Desert Dogs 11, Javelinas 6. - MLB.com's Gameday.

BACKPAGE:

• DWL Update: Desmond's Still Crushing Pitches.

• Washington Nationals Fans + Reality TV = Ratings Gold.

BACKPAGE:

• DWL Update: Desmond's Still Crushing Pitches.

Ian Desmond's first HR for the Dominican Winter League's Tigres del Licey was a two-run blast and a game-winner that came in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Toros del Este. Desmond ends the game 2 for 4 with a run scored, a HR and 3 RBI's, leaving the Nationals' 24-year-old infielder hitting .227 after 6 games and 22 AB's for Licey.

• Final Score - Tigres 5, Toros 2. MLB.com Box Score.

• LIST: Nationals' Prospects in the Winter Leagues.

• Washington Nationals Fans + Reality TV = Ratings Gold.

MASN and We've Got Heart's Kristen Hudak has a post up at MASNSports.com entitled, "Casting Call: Nats Reality Series", where Ms. Hudak reports that IMG Studios is, "...looking for die-hard Nationals fans to appear in a series starting this offseason," which will focus, according to an IMG Studios casting call, on, "...a person or group of friends [who] find it hard to balance an active social, romantic relationship, work or family with the "other person" (the Nationals) in their life." Anyone interested should send a biographical paragraph and a photograph to: muvena@interfacemedia.com.. Good luck...Anyone from Federal Baseball.com who gets on this will be outfitted with a wardrobe of FB gear...

Morning Prowl: Granderson the Union Man, Missing Miguel Cabrera, and Creating Trade Rumors

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

How will Aubrey Huff's terribly disappointing stint with the Detroit Tigers affect his value on the free agent market this winter?

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Curtis Granderson was quoted in this ESPN.com piece by Amy K. Nelson about the $11 million compensation package Donald Fehr will receive when he steps down as head of the MLB Players Association. As a member of the players' union sub-committee, Granderson explained the thinking that went into the decision.

DesigNate Robertson posts its final grades for the 2009 Detroit Tigers. How do those marks compare to Rogo's midseason grades? Well, you have to click over and see.

MLB Trade Rumors wonders what the market for Aubrey Huff will be this offseason. No Tigers fans seemed to have commented in the discussion. Too soon? Or too painful, after Huff's .189/.265/.302 batting line in 117 plate appearances with Detroit.

This is a premium article at Baseball Prospectus, but you can read Kevin Goldstein's thoughts on Cale Iorg (and his hitting struggles) and former Tigers prospect Andrew Miller, both of whom are playing in the Arizona Fall League, before running into the paywall.

Speaking of Miller, Lynn Henning shares some thoughts from a colleague who covers the Florida Marlins. The general consensus in Miami is that the Tigers made out way better on that Miguel Cabrera deal.

Detroit Tigers Den (we're overdue in welcoming this new addition to the Tigersosphere) takes a month-by-month look at the Tigers' 2010 schedule. July and August look strong. But that Interleague Play home schedule in June is ugly.

Coming up with trade rumors is a popular pastime during the offseason, and there was a ridiculous one circulating from Bleacher Report over the weekend about Zack Greinke and the Brewers. That compelled Sam Mellinger to write about just how difficult it is to come up with a viable trade proposal, including a conversation he once had with a Royals executive on the subject.

We're behind on this (and this was mentioned in the comments of Tuesday's open thread), but The Sporting News named White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham as its American League Rookie of the Year. Beckham batted .270/.347/.460 with 14 homers and 63 RBIs in 103 games (430 plate appearances) this season, after being called up to the majors in early June.

Anthony Castrovince looks at the four candidates to be the Cleveland Indians' next manager. That list does not include former Tiger Travis Fryman, who apparently wasn't invited back for a second interview. Former Tiger Torey Lovullo is among the four finalists, however.

One of the other finalists, Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly, was profiled by Nick Cafardo in last Sunday's Boston Globe. Mattingly could be in line to take over for Joe Torre in L.A. after next season.

For its other awards so far, TSN named Greinke as its AL Pitcher of the Year and the Angels' Mike Scioscia as the AL Manager of the Year.

As mentioned yesterday in the FanShots, Rudy Jaramillo reached agreement with the Chicago Cubs to become their hitting coach. And he got paid. Jaramillo received a three-year deal from the Cubs worth $2.42 million.

Over at Twinkie Town, Jon Marthaler wonders if Joe Nathan has lost something off his fastball, whether it was at the end of this season or over the last couple of seasons. (Tiger Town just said, "Yes, please.")

Dave Dombrowski Speaks on Miguel Cabrera, 2009 Season

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:05:43 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski talked to the press about his team's performance and Miguel Cabrera Thursday morning.

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[Updated at 3:30 p.m.]

Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski met with the media for an hour this morning. Dombrowski addressed the performance of his team this season, and the trade deadline acquisitions that ultimately didn't work out.

But as you might imagine, the main topic of discussion was Miguel Cabrera and where he and the Tigers go from here.

As reported in Tom Gage's article on the presser, Dombrowski admitted that he thought Cabrera was capable of playing last Saturday. (Though as Buster Olney points out today [Insider], BigMig could've still been drunk when he took the field.) Previous experiences with such situations in his 20 years as a general manager, along with whatever legalties surrounded the incident, factored into the decision.

While Dombrowski was certainly angry when picking Cabrera up from the Birmingham police station on Saturday morning, he knew no constructive conversations on the matter would take place until later in the day:

"You're at home at 7:30 in the morning, and you get a call from the police station to come and pick up one of your players.

[...]

"But you also have to realize that you have step-by-step issues that you have to deal with. The first thing is that the person needs some sleep.

"You're not going to have a logical conversation with somebody at that time of the morning. They need some sleep. But we've had numerous conversations with him and his representative."

Dombrowski emphasized, however, that he's "confident" that Cabrera knows he made a mistake and is taking the necessary steps to address whatever problems he may have.

From John Lowe's article on Freep.com:

"He (Cabrera) has acknowledged — we know, he made a mistake. We all know that. He knows he made a mistake.

"I feel confident he is going to address the issues that he needs to address to take care of the problem that he has. Those issues will remain personal and private."

No word on whether or not Cabrera will talk to the press (or the fans) again about the matter. Perhaps he feels he did so before Tuesday night's game. How do you guys feel about that? I think it'd be a pleasant surprise if Cabrera acknowledged his mistake directly to the fans, rather than through remarks to the media or an issued statement. But I don't really expect that to happen.

Dombrowski also admitted that the Tigers' offense was a major shortcoming, causing more day-to-day anxiety over the team's performance than expected.

Again, via Gage's article:

"To me our biggest shortcoming was the offensive part of the club. You could almost write the same story about every game we lost. Normally we pitched well. Normally we played good defense. We didn't score enough runs.

As someone who did write that same story about every game the Tigers lost, believe me, Double-D: I wholeheartedly agree with you.

"I thought we would have a better offense. It was a club that befuddled me. Every day was a struggle, even when we were in first place.

"Was there any player that had a career year offensively? I don't think so. We hung in there, but you never felt 100 percent comfortable."

Addtionally, Dombrowski said it was "very disappointing" that the Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff deals failed to help the Tigers win the AL Central and make the playoffs:

"If they would have worked, we would have won. Washburn was an unfortunate situation because a (knee) injury we knew he had came to the forefront -- and he won only one game for us.

[...]

"In Huff's case, he just didn't hit for us. I'm not really sure why. I didn't expect him to come in and carry the club, by any means. But I thought he'd be a good bat for the middle of the lineup.

Finally, Gage noted that Dombrowski wouldn't say that the team might not make any coaching changes.

UPDATE: On his blog, Jason Beck said that Dombrowski gave Lloyd McClendon "a vote of confidence," calling him "a very good hitting coach." He also admitted, however, that he and Jim Leyland haven't yet fully discussed the coaching staff.

Beck has plenty more on Dombrowski's remarks, including a possible hint at Placido Polanco's future with the team, so be sure to click over there. (Like you needed me to tell you.)

No word on whether or not anyone asked about that salmon mock turtleneck Dombrowski was wearing Tuesday night.

Zorilla Fever: Catch It! Or, How Good is Ben Zobrist?

devil_fingers — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist skips around the bases like a girl after hitting a grand slam off Kansas City Royals starter Brian Bannister-Posnanski during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 3, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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I was going to do somethig on BaseRuns this week, then I realized that it was boring. Maybe I'll make it more interesting after the season is over. In the meantime, I thought I'd add a bit more wood to the Ben Zobrist On Fire Bandwagon (how's that for a poorly mixed metaphor?). He went from utility guy to taking Akinori Iwamura's gig. He went from fill-in middle infielder to legit AL MVP candidate (Ken Rosenthal's gonna love this). He's even got a cool nickname.

We all know, of course, that current performance does not equal true talent, right? I mean, clearly, Zobrist is good, but 7.9 WAR (as of this writing) good? Probably not. It's not clear where Zobrist will play on the field next season with Jason Bartlett being trade bait, Akinori Iwamura's option situation, and exactly what the Rays are thinking for right field between Gabe Gross, Gabe Kapler (okay, the latter half of the Grapler platoon is probably gone), and Matt Joyce (remember him?). But it's pretty clear that he's going to play somewhere for the Rays.

I'll try to put aside the bitterness of having kept him for my 2007 fantasy team that also included Shin-Soo Choo, they both sucked, so I let them go. Only to have them be picked up during the 2008 season by others... and so on Ugh. So let's get back to d_f's crappy "true talent" machine and see what it pumps out for Zorilla!

Ben Zobrist

#18 / Second Base / Tampa Bay Rays

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: May 26, 1981

Hitting:(+basestealing): As usual, we'll use a variation on the method suggested in The Book for estimating a players true offensive talent -- regressing his wOBA (this version from FanGraphs including steals) for each major-league season against 200 PA of league average. In brief appearances in 2006 and 2007, Zobrist was helpless at the plate, posting wOBAs of .243 and .180, respectively. However, toward the end of 2008, Zobirst got called up and put up a very good .364 wOBA in 227 PA. Given his previous performance in both the majors and minors, that appeared to be a fluke, but he started 2009 on fire, and with Iwamura's injury, Zorilla got enough playing time to silence the doubters with a (as of the moment) .399 wOBA over 578 PA. Regressing each season, doing a weighted average, and adding a slightly age adjustment gives us a current true talent level of a .358 wOBA, which translates to about 17 runs above average over 700 PA.

Fielding: Zobrist came up as a SS, and mostly played there prior to 2009 in the majors. He's played all over this season, putting up great UZR numbers at both 2B and RF. Since he spent most of his time this season at 2B, and it seems likely (to me, at least) that he'll be starting there in 2010, we'll try to get a sense of his talent there. Getting a good projection is tough, considering how little time he spent there in the majors prior to 2009. So what I've done is to take his 2009 2B UZR/150, then add in his SS numbers from the prior season while adding 5 to the SS numbers to account for the relative difficulty of that position. It's not perfect, but it's decent. Zobrist has an outstanding +24.1 UZR/150 at 2B so far this season, but his prior ratings at SS were less than impressive (in small sample sizes). There's plenty of regression, and I incorporate speed score into that for outfielders and also middle infielders, although I'm not sure if I'll continue that for MIs. I also included data from the Fans Scouting Report. This was particularly helpful because it allowed me to get a sense of Zobrist's skills relative to 2B even in the seasons when he was playing mostly SS. The Fans were less impressed, and my translations rate him at 4.2, -11.2, -7.0, and +3 runs at 2B from 2006-2009. Given the relative lack of data, I used 50% regressed UZR and 50% Fans Scouting Report. The final result was that Zobrist projects as about a +2 defender at 2B.

Baserunning: Using EqBRR from Baseball Prospectus (minus steals since that's included in wOBA), Zobrist wasn't really that bad or good. There's such a small sample that everything is heavily regressed. Let's call it average for now.

Adding it all up: +17 hitting +2 fielding +2.5 positional adjustment +25 AL replacement level = 46.5 times 85% playing time = about a 4.0 WAR player. Not bad for a guy making the minimum who, prior to this season, projected as a utility man who was a seeming thrown-in when the Rays traded away the immortal Aubrey Huff.

it's still hard to believe, given the out-of-seemingly-nowhere monster seasons had by both Zobrist and the previously-discussed Jason Bartlett, that the Rays aren't in the playoff hunt. But they'll be back. Even if he doesn't put up another Mauer/Pujols-esque season next year (and it's likely he won't), the Rays are in great shape with Zorilla wherever they end up playing him.

Update: Thanks to MGL's comment below, I finally got off my butt and corrected how my spreadsheet is set up (I'd prefer to do this in my database which has a more sophisticated [if still crude] Marcels-esque script in it, but it uses baseball databank, which understandably isn't updated in season... if FanGraphs would add current player age to their leaderboards, however... pretty please, Mr. Appleman? Right after you port the ap to BlackBerry?). Anyway, I don't know how badly this skew some earlier stuff, but long story short: Zobrist projects as more of a .348 wOBA guy, or +11/700. So he's closer to 3.5 WAR player at 2B. I leave the above unaltered as a testimony to my sloth, stupidity, and what half-assed projections can do.

Orioles' slump not helping Dave Trembley's chances

Eli Greenspan — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:29:38 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

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The Orioles are currently mired in a 12-game losing streak, winning two of their last sixteen games. Trembley has done his best to work with what with the roster given to him, adjusting to midseason trades of George Sherrill and Aubrey Huff. With the Orioles 41.5 games back, currently in line for the 3rd pick in next years draft, Trembley appears to be bracing for his release.

"You worry about it, but you try not to show it," Trembley said. "I can only imagine how difficult this has been for a whole lot of other people other than just myself. It's been difficult for the people that have loved the Baltimore Orioles for a long time. It's been difficult for the fans. I've been treated wonderfully by people here, gotten tremendous encouragement. But I also understand the other side of it. There's a lot of frustration."

Trembley and has staff did a pretty good job handling the teams younger talent this season. Matt Wieters turned a slow start into a very nice finish, hitting .308 in the second half with a total of 8 home runs in 91 games. Increased playing time for Felix Pie also appears to have had a positive impact on his career. Pie hit .290 since the All-Star break with a .346 on-base percentage, giving him a shot to win a spot in the outfield next season.

Orioles rookie Brian Matusz was not ready for the major leagues, but showed promise in eight appearances, posting a 5-2 record. Another rookie, Chris Tillman, did not have as much success and will likely head back to the minors for more seasoning.

The Orioles have some money to spend this offseason, making them potential players on the free agent market. Adding an infielder like Mark DeRosa or Akinori Iwamura could help their offense, while targeting a veteran pitcher to help anchor that rotation.

As for the manager spot, the Orioles would be smart to check the market, but they must realize that there are few, if any, managers that could have done much better than Trembley did with this Orioles squad.

First base options for Mets?

Eli Greenspan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

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The Mets' disappointing season cannot fall on any one player, or players, because it was a team effort. The Mets are already out of playoff contention, and are last in the league in home runs. Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur has put together a solid second half, leading the team with 12 home runs with a .280 average. However, his strikeout-to-walk is far from impressive, which will keep him from having a serious impact on the middle of the Mets order.

Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado is set to be a free agent, and the Mets will likely pursue other options before turning back to Delgado. Daniel Murphy has done a commendable job for the Mets, but may return to the minor leagues for more seasoning. He is hitting .277 in the second half of the season, but has struck out 65 times to just 36 walks.

If the Mets' finiancial woes prevent them from making a splash on the market, then Murphy is there guy. But here are a couple options they could choose from:

Hank Blalock, Rangers: Blalock, 29, has found his power this season and could have more of an impact in the NL, but is hitting an unimpressive .236. He could come at a reduced rate barring an end of the season turnaround.

Aubrey Huff, Tigers: Huff is set to be a free agent after this season and the Tigers might not be able to afford him. Huff has shown he can hit for power, and would make for a nice stopgap for Murphy, 24, who will likely start in Triple-A for the Mets.

Adrian Gonzalez, Padres: If the Mets go the trade route, they could turn to Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has proven he can hit in the most spacious stadiums, hitting 12 home runs with 14 extra-base hits at PETCO Park this season (38 overall).

Garrett Atkins, Rockies: Atkins has struggled in a reduced role with the Rockies this season, and could be on his way out this offseason. Atkins, who primary position is third base, has played 28 games at first base this season.

Here are some options, who else could the Mets pursue at first base?

Six Pack (of questions) With Bless You Boys' Ian Casselberry

Jesse — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:08:37 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge will be in Minneapolis this weekend, doing his best Joe Crede impression. At least, a healthy Joe Crede impression. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Last night I exchanged a few questions with great Tigers mind and general all-around good guy Ian Casselberry from the best Detroit Tigers blog on the net, Bless You Boys.

Who's going to start for the Tigers on Sunday? Is there a secret weapon in store, or is MLB.com just playing it fast and loose with their probable pitchers page?

Up until Thursday morning, Sunday's pitcher was such a secret weapon that even the Tigers themselves didn't know who would start. Jarrod Washburn, Armando Galarraga, and Nate Robertson were all hurt.

But as it turns out, it's going to be Robertson. Apparently, that "pelvic inflammation" he was experiencing (which just sounds like an entirely different malady than "groin injury") has cleared up. And before he got hurt, he was pitching pretty well, so this might end up working out for the Tigers.

How has Magglio Ordonez been able to rebound for such a terrific second half after being so horrendous in the first half? What's the difference that's got him back to third in the batting order?

I think part of the difference is that Ordonez just got to play, and had the opportunities to work on what was needed to correct his swing. But he got those chances because no one else in the outfield was hitting well. Had someone else been able to keep Ordonez on the bench while he was struggling, he might still be there and wouldn't have reached the plate appearances to trigger his contract option for next season.

Ordonez still isn't hitting for any power, but he does seem to have made some adjustments with opening up his stance. That's allowed to him to make up for some of the bat speed he's lost, and he can turn on pitches he was missing earlier this season.

Justin Verlander is awesome. Please agree. That's not a question, so it doesn't count.

I agree.

Good, I'm glad that's settled.

Aubrey Huff has been getting the nod against right-handers and has been blowing chunks. Is there anyone better who should be getting his at-bats?

The best candidate to get Huff's at-bats against right-handers might be Alex Avila. Then the Tigers could have Avila's bat in the lineup and Gerald Laird's glove behind the plate. But it's too important for Avila to catch regularly and hone his defensive skills (which really aren't bad).

Carlos Guillen is probably their best left-handed DH, but Detroit seems to think left field would be an offensive black hole without him playing there. But really, Ryan Raburn has hit well enough to justify him paying full-time (though he butchers some plays in the outfield), which would allow the Tigers to move Guillen to DH.

Tactically, what's the one thing you hope the Tigers focus on in their gameplan this weekend?

The Tigers often have success when they get to the Twins' middle relief. So if they can tire Minnesota's starting pitchers out, and get them out of the game after five innings, that might be their best chance to win. (I'd say they should just pound the starters if they can, but the Tigers don't seem capable of doing that to anybody.) Of course, Detroit's starting pitching also has to keep it close for that to work in their favor.

If the Tigers maintain and win the division, how do they stack up against the other candidates from the West and the East?

Their pitching gives them a chance against anyone they might face. That is, if their top starters aren't worn out by the end of the regular season.

But the Tigers played the Angels tough, winning the season series (5-4) and showing they can go out to the west coast and win on the road.

I know their season record versus the Yankees looks bad (1-5), but all of those games but one were close. And Detroit had a chance to win each of the three games in New York. A break here or there (and the Yankees got some breaks in a couple of those games), and their record would look much better.

This might sound like a loaded question but it's not--who gets your vote for MVP this year?

Wait a minute, hasn't the MVP already been awarded to Joe Mauer? Is this a trick question? Because that's who I would've voted for.

Are You Loving This Yet? Tigers 6, Blue Jays 5

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:30:18 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Aubrey Huff celebrates perhaps the biggest home run of his career in the Detroit Tigers' dugout, following his game-tying, three-run shot in the bottom of the ninth Monday night.

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No matter how this season ultimately ends for the Detroit Tigers, you can't say it wasn't a fun ride.

Sure, there have been some bad stretches, the kind that make you wonder whether you should really spend so much time watching baseball. Last night's sixth inning was one of them. Justin Verlander was nearly untouchable through his first five innings, giving up just two hits. But then something happened. Maybe Verlander relaxed with a 2-0 lead. Maybe the Blue Jays lineup noticed something they could capitalize on.

Whatever the reason, Verlander suddenly began pitching batting practice, and Toronto hit everything he threw all over the field - and beyond. The first five batters in the inning reached base. Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion hit home runs. The Jays knocked out six hits and scored five runs. Verlander was shell-shocked. Everyone watching the game was stunned.

And suddenly, what looked like a hard-fought win in the making became a sure loss. Because the Tigers had only managed two runs by that point, both driven in by Ryan Raburn. How could they score another four now?

But this season has brought plenty of good times, too. Oh, so good. Last night's ninth and tenth innings were among them.

The Tigers needed a break, an opening to slip through. And Marco Scutaro gave it to them when he missed Curtis Granderson's grounder on a tough hop. Pinch-hitter Alex Avila followed with a single. (Doesn't something good seem to happen when this kid is at the plate?)

Then Jim Leyland reached into his goody bag and pulled out Aubrey Huff to pinch-hit. It was kind of a curious move, with Carlos Guillen also on the bench. But Jason Frasor fell behind after throwing his first two pitches high and outside. So he had to come in with a strike. Oh, he came in, all right. Right down the middle.

Huff attacked the pitch. Is there any other way to say it? He swung like he was trying to break something. And when he connected, Huff knew he crushed it. The picturesque follow-through, the brief pose. We've all seen it before (but from other hitters). How far did that ball go? 20 rows behind the right-field fence?

(And did we mention it began raining at this time? Pretty hard, actually. Pardon me for getting flowery, but it was like the sudden downpour washed away the previous eight innings.)

Take issue with Huff's bat flip, if you'd like. Yeah, it was a showboat move. And if it had been a guy from the other team, a lot of us would be ticked off at him today. But isn't there something to be said for getting caught up in the moment? Especially when you've been waiting to pull your share in this pennant race? This is why the Tigers brought Huff to Detroit. And he knew it.

Act like you've been there before? Isn't that kind of the point? Huff hadn't been.

But that home run tied the game. The Tigers still had to win it. But they were rolling downhill, and the Jays just had to get out of the way. In the tenth, Brian Wolfe couldn't keep it in the strike zone. He struck out Marcus Thames to lead off the inning, but needed seven pitches to do it. Brandon Inge walked on six pitches. Curtis Granderson followed him on base in five pitches. That brought up Avila. Remember what we said about good things happening when he's at-bat?

Avila swung at the first pitch - which was enough to make you pull your hair out, considering Wolfe had trouble throwing strikes - grounding to second base for a likely double-play ball. But Scutaro misplayed the throw to second base, and Inge never stopped running. By the time Edwin Encarnacion ran over to field the ball Scutaro had dropped, it was too late and he didn't even bother with a proper throw.

The game that was a sure loss turned into a win. And the Tigers gave us another moment to remember. This season has been full of them. And it ain't over yet.

Roar:

Huff and Avila will get the big headlines today, but there's no way the Tigers don't make that comeback without the bullpen. The gang that couldn't pitch straight over the past week threw three shutout innings. Fu-Te Ni, Jeremy Bonderman, Ryan Perry, and Bobby Seay combined to allow only two hits.

Comment of the Night:

it's hard to be optimistic sometimes

but hey, gotta try eh?

by mrsunshine

Tigers Win! Game 143 Afterglow Thread

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

After letting him down last week, the Detroit Tigers' lineup bailed Justin Verlander out of a bad loss Monday night.

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These are the kinds of wins that make phrases like "team of destiny" necessary. Something special happens when the Detroit Tigers play at Comerica Park.

A game that was well on its way to a terrible loss for the home team, with a fifth-inning meltdown by Justin Verlander, turned into a joyous come-from-behind, walk-off win.

Was there a more glorious exhale than the one you let out when Aubrey Huff jacked that three-run homer out of the park? And how does Alex Avila have such a knack for the big hit?

Full recap later on. But for now, enjoy some of the brightest afterglow we've had this season.