A Bunch of Quitters

I won't even wait until the end of the game. I am blogging this in the bottom of the third inning. I have watched 13 innings in the last two nights of the Indians and the Tigers; two teams going in opposite directions. While the Tribe plays with spunk, like a team trying to win every game despite their current situation, Jim Leyland's club has licked the stamp. It's mail in time at Comerica Park.

If I am a fan of this team, I am sickened. $130 million pays for this load of crap? The mental and physical errors on a nightly basis are astounding. Once they fell out of contention, the Tigers have completely quit. The at-bats I have witnessed are laughable. Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen, and Gary Sheffield are playing like a bunch of guys planning their offseason tee times in Arizona, yet it is still August. They are first pitch swingling like they have a plane to catch, not working the count, and generally looking disinterested.

Last night it was Zach Attack Jackson on the hill for the Red, White, and Blue, yet the Kitties treated him as if he were Cy Freakin' Young. Jackson is 4A to the core. The book on The Attack is that he struggles with his control. Not that Tiger bats cared; failing to work the count even once, The Attack struck out six and walked ZERO. Then Mr. August Franky G ended things with his solo slice off of the great Gary Glover in the 10th. The Tiger at bats against Jensen Lewis in a 1-2-3 ninth were forgettable.

Move to tonight. Rookie Chris Lambert is making his major league debut for Detroit. After the first two innings, he fell apart. Yes, he did give up back to back jacks to Jamey Carroll (his first of the year) and The Shop Vack (a bomb to the left field seats), but his porous defense let him down and didn't allow him any room for error.

Lambert hit Asdrubal Cabrera. A Roger Dorn "Ole'" from the third baseman Ryan Rayburn started it off, allowing AC to score. Error #1. With two out, Jhonny Peralta's single to left was booted by noted dog Marcus "Home run or nothing" Thames allowing Franky G to score all the way from first. Error #2. Next up was our boy Double D Dellucci, who hit a fly ball to center that was completely misplayed into a double by Granderson, scoring Jhon. I don't care what the box score says, it was Error #3. Carroll finished off Lambert with a bloop job that fell in front of the jogging Mags in right for his second hit and second RBI on the inning.

Six Runs, Five Hits, Two Physical Errors, Two Mental Errors. One team tanking.

If I'm Jim Leyland I'm quitting after this season. He is too old and too wise for this shit. He has tried everything to light a spark under this team and nothing has worked. At the end of the day, they are a bunch of overpaid, old, quitters who have decided to mail it in once times got tough. This was a bad mix from the start.

SIDE NOTE - Benny Francisco just went deeeeeeeep. Two run shot. 8-0 Tribe.

Now GM Dave Dombrowski and owner Mike "Massah" Illitch have been letting things float in the press that they want to cut serious payroll this offseason. Easier said than done boys. Who wants Gary Sheffield at $12 million next year? Or Carlos Guillen at $11 million? What about that three year extension given to Dontrelle Willis in the Spring for $30 million? Dude can't even find the plate anymore and looks like he has Steve Blass Disease. Don't forget about Nate Robertson's three year, $29 million deal signed before the season as well. Seen him lately? That would be in the bullpen as he has been banished thanks to an ERA well over six.

Also not to be overlooked was the complete dumping of their farm system to trade for guys like Edgar Renteria (Jair Jurrjens who would look great in their rotation right now), Willis and Miguel Cabrera (Cameron "OF of the future" Maybin and Andrew Miller, who would also be in the rotation today). The only guys that are even on the scouts radar are RHP Rick Porcello and 1B Jeff Larish, who has been up and down this year. Porcello graduated high school in 2007.

As far as I'm concerned, it couldn't happen to a finer organization. Free, wild spending flat out hasn't worked Mr. I. Terrible chemistry + bad pitching + worse contracts = a recipe for disaster.

That my friends, is your 2008 Detroit Tigers in a nutshell.