Baseball Toaster The Griddle
Log in | Register | Help
Why the Tigers struggle against good teams
2006-08-30 07:40
by Bob Timmermann

Todd Jones, Tigers reliever, knows why the Tigers can beat up on the Royals and Devil Rays, but struggle against the Yankees, White Sox, and Twins.

They don't walk.

Pitchers like me are always trying to make hitters put the ball in play as early in counts as we can. When playing the Yankees -- as well as the Red Sox and all good-hitting teams -- you want to stay away from hitters counts -- 2-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-2. Give those counts to the Yankees and you're in for a long day. Also, when your counts get long, the games get long. Game 2 of the Yanks-Sox doubleheader set the major league record for longest 9-inning game (4 hours, 45 minutes). That kind of pace puts your defense to sleep and can result in someone getting a ball hit down his throat because he wasn't totally ready.

Contrast that to the Tigers. We have a weakness that sometimes is our strength: We love to swing. We're aggressive, and, as a result, we swing at a lot of borderline pitches. Against teams with bad pitching, that's OK because they make mistakes over the middle of the plate. But it's a problem against teams that know how to expand hitters' strike zones.

Take note of the pitch counts in today's Yankees-Tigers doublheader two games that just happen to be played on the same day.

 

Comments
2006-08-30 07:57:47
1.   kylepetterson
The Yanks and the Sox never played a doubleheader either. Weird.
2006-08-30 10:13:16
2.   Schteeve
Todd Jones is a smart dude.
2006-08-30 10:15:58
3.   Bob Timmermann
At least Jones acknowledges that he can't strike anybody out.
2006-08-30 10:18:43
4.   Bob Timmermann
And the Tigers were retired on 12 pitches their first time up.
2006-08-30 23:20:06
5.   Yu-Hsing Chen
And subsequently destroyed by Chien Ming Wang, they barely got a ball pass the infield .... the Yankees had one freaken play where the outfielders actually had to move backward, before that last double the "hits" Wang gave up were more of a result of A-rod being A-rod... (as sad as that is these days.)

And they only won the second game because the Yankees had to trott out Scott Proctor for the 1 billion time this year and the second time in as many double headers that he made appearnce in both games... (even then, they were really 1 out away from losing)

Post a comment   (Help)

To comment, please log in.

Not a member? Register!
A place where a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure, but he has to keep his watch on Pacific Time
Hot from the Toaster
Search
Google Search
Web
Toaster
The Griddle
Archives

2008
07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2007
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2006
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2005
12  10  07 
06  05  04  03 
Suggestions, comments, ring the catcher's interference alarm?

Email me at btimmermann@gmail.com

NCAA Tournament Contest Champion

Andrew Shimmin

2008 contest

Links
The stuff I keep track of
If the playoffs started today...

American League:

#1 Los Angeles (West) vs. #4 Boston (Wild Card)
#3 Chicago (Central) vs #2 Tampa Bay (East)

National League:

#2 Philadelphia (East) vs. #4 St. Louis (Wild Card)
#1 Chicago (Central) vs. #3 Arizona (West)

2008 Conference Standings (7/19)
National League
Rank Team W L PCT Division
1 Chicago Cubs 57 40 .588 C1
2 Philadelphia 53 45 .541 E1
3 Arizona 48 49 .495 W1
4 St. Louis 56 43 .566 C2
5 Milwaukee 54 43 .557 C3
6 New York Mets 52 46 .531 E2
7 Florida 51 46 .526 E3
8 Cincinnati 48 51 .4848 C4
9 Los Angeles Dodgers 47 50 .4845 W2
10T Houston 46 51 .474 C5
10T Atlanta 46 51 .474 E4
12 Pittsburgh 44 53 .454 C6
13 Colorado 42 57 .424 W3
14 San Francisco 40 57 .412 W4
15T San Diego 37 61 .378 W5
15T Washington 37 61 .378 E5
American League
Rank Team W L PCT Division
1 Los Angeles Angels 59 38 .608 W1
2 Tampa Bay 57 39 .594 E1
3 Chicago White Sox 55 41 .573 C1
4 Boston 57 42 .576 E2
5 Minnesota 55 42 .567 C2
6 New York Yankees 52 45 .536 E3
7 Oakland 51 46 .526 W2
8 Texas 50 48 .51 W3
9 Detroit 48 49 .495 C3
10 Baltimore 47 49 .49 E4
11 Toronto 47 50 .485 E5
12 Kansas City 44 54 .449 C4
13 Cleveland 42 54 .438 C5
14 Seattle 38 59 .392 W4
Random Game Callbacks

Select a date:

So where is that book?

Personal favorites that I wrote
The last batter to reach on catcher's interference was ...

Lyle Overbay of Toronto by Chad Moeller of the Yankees on July 12, 2008

FAQs
Cycle alerts

Yellow alert - Player needs triple for cycle
Orange alert - Player needs double for cycle
Red alert - Player need single for cycle

If a player needs a home run for the cycle, the level of the alert varies depending upon the determination of the Cycle Detection Warning System, which is headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Syndication

rss2.0

Add to My Yahoo!