Time For A Course Correction

I was 17, driving past the capital building in Boise early on a weekend morning looking for street signs when an old man on a bench droned, "You're going the wrong way..."  I had been concentrating so hard on the street signs that I had missed the one way sign.  I quickly whipped a U turn, found the correct sign, and headed off toward my destination.

Much like my Idaho adventure, it appears my Detroit Teams are also headed in the wrong direction.

The Tigers finished a dismal season by declaring that manager Brad Ausmus would return in 2016.  I had been a backer of Ausmus until the last month of the season when I saw pitching continue to spiral downward.  It's time for a "new voice".  In conversations with a Dodgers fan, I expressed my hope that LA would fire Don Mattingly and the Tigers would grab him as fast as they could.  Nope, new general manager Al Avila gave a vote of confidence to the current skipper.  The Dodgers and Mattingly mutually parted ways and this led, of course, to the Marlins courting Donny Baseball for their head man.  One good note, the Marlins are a dead end and Mattingly could be available after a season or two.


1 - 7,   the Lions current record, if not for da Bears, they would be 0 - 8.   Time for a big shake up - more than just firing the offensive coordinator and line coaches.  The buck stops with the head man.  Jim Caldwell doesn't look to have the answers and the band aid approach of firing assistants isn't going to change this team.  The defense is dismal, the offensive line a sieve, and the running game is non-existent.   Combine that with the same technique problems at QB and you have a team headed for the number one draft pick next April.  Have some guts, turn the page and re-tool from the front office down to the coaching staff.  Beating that dead horse, as long as the Fords own the team, it will flounder.  They just don't seem to have the ability to hire quality front office people who then can't hire a long-term head coach.  Can anybody say Matt Millen?

The Red Wings, my best hope for Motown salvation.  Watching my free preview of Center Ice (won't even think about subscribing until they broadcast all games in HD), the rebuilding Wings show promise.  Dylan Larkin is a star in the making, the 19 year old is exciting to watch.  In stark contrast to the Lions and Tigers (can I get an oh my?), the head man of the Winged Wheels, Ken Holland, is the Dumbledore of hockey.   This headmaster knows how to magically get the most out of the organization's players.  Looks like they are likely to extend their play off streak to 25 in a row, but take their lumps in getting there.

The Motor City counts on their sports teams to provide something positive to hang their caps on. Team owners need their version of that old man on the bench letting them know they are going the wrong way.  But, they have to read the signs and follow what they say...

MLB All-Star Game, A Travesty

First, in answer to all my faithful readers (OK, both of you), I have not been abducted by aliens. I have been, well, just uninspired.  Oh sure, I have had a few ideas roll around in my head, they just fell out one orifice or another.   But, get ready, the bear has been poked and here is my latest installment.

Turning the midsummer classic into a joke, AL voting by the fans has been, in reality, some computer geek digitally stuffing the ballot box.   Too many Royals heading up positions that should, by all rights, belong to another deserving player.


Let's take a look at the voting leaders by position;

C - Salvador Perez, Royals
     Sal is hitting .263, respectable for a catcher, but Stephen Vogt of the Athletics is at .290 with 53 RBI's - 25 better that Perez.  Geez, Sal isn't even the 2nd best statistically, he ranks 3rd behind Vogt and Brian McCann of the Yanks.

1B - Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
    Right where he belongs, leading the vote.  But don't look now, former Tiger Prince Fielder is tied with Miggy with a league leading .365 BA.  I'm willing to bet there will be a throne for the Prince in Cincinnati.

2B - Omar Infante, Royals
     Here is where the obvious ballot bunching shows up.  Infante is hitting .231 while Jason Kipnis of Cleveland is clobbering at .347.   C'mon is this ridiculous or what?

SS - Alcides Escobar, Royals
     A .273 hitter, his year isn't too bad, but compare to Jose Iglesias of the Tigers hitting .326.  Not even close!

3B - Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays
     OK, I buy this one, JD is hitting .300, Moustakas of KC or Machado of Baltimore would be fine, as well.

OF - Mike Trout, Angels; Lorenzo Cain, Royals; Alex Gordan, Royals
     Agree with Trout, a .303 hitter.  No to Cain (.298) and Gordan (.265).   Add Brett Gardner, Yankees (.304) and Nelson Cruz, Mariners (.303).

DH - Nelson Cruz, Mariners
     Make a switcheroo here, move Cruz to the starting OF and add Prince Fielder at this spot.

MLB commissioner Selig needs to take the voting out of the hands of the public and put it back where it belongs, in the hands of the players themselves.   This year's ballot is proof. 




And those are some seriously ugly hats!





  

Lastly, do you think Pete Rose will throw out the first pitch?  Don't bet on it.....

Just Say No!

     Not one Redwing on the bench for the 2015 NHL All Star Game?  What a crock, nice move NHL.  You are telling us that the team with the 5th best record in all of the NHL doesn't deserve at least one representative?  On top of that, they are the only team without a roster spot. OK, fine, let them take a few days off and return renewed and refreshed for the second half of the season.  But, for me, I am disappointed not seeing one Winged Wheel sweater on display in Ohio.  I'll be skipping the game, hope you do too.