Is Mud Hens Cale Iorg Criticizing Peralta After Verlander's One-Hitter?

From the Toledo Blade

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Story updated May 19 at 11:12 p.m.

It's hard to find anything wrong with Justin Verlander's one-hit performance from Friday night, so Mud Hens short stop Cale Iorg found fault with someone else on the Tigers; Jhonny Peralta.

In the world of social media athletes can find themselves compelled to talk about the things that they would never say if there was a microphone in front of their face, but when it's a cell phone screen or computer monitor, things are different.

Verlander had mowed through the Pittsburgh lineup and gotten into the ninth inning with a no-hitter intact. He retired the first batter of the inning before Pirates' Josh Harrison hit a ball back up the middle, just out of the reach of Detroit's short stop Jhonny Peralta, for the Pirates only hit of the night.

Most fans were disappointed, and it even looked like Verlander mouthed the word "sorry" to the crowd following the final out, but most people attributed it to baseball being baseball and let it die. Not Iorg, who took to Twitter following the Mud Hens impressive comeback game.

At 11:04 p.m. Iorg posted this Twitter message;

That seems like a shot at Peralta by Iorg. Saying that Peralta didn't do enough to try to get to the ball to try to preserve Verlander's no-hitter. Iorg may say that now, but when it comes time to play the field in the ninth inning of a major league no-hitter, if he is so lucky, he may not be so sure about diving for anything "a few feet away."

Perhaps if Peralta had dove he may have been able to get the webbing of his glove on the ball and it may have slowed the ball down, but would he have been able to get up and gun it over to first in time to beat the runner? Maybe, maybe not.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and Iorg believes that Peralta should have at least attempted a dive at the ball. Tigers fans can think what they will about the game and the play, but Iorg may want to think before he presses send from now on.

A tweet was sent to Iorg asking for clarification on his original tweet, seen above. He responded with this tweet;

 

So perhaps he wasn't criticizing Peralta, but it sure sounded that way. Could just be chalked up to a young player getting excited after a chance at a no-hitter and not thinking before sending a tweet. Iorg is a solid young player and this is nothing in the grand scheme of things, he could be on his way to playing in the field in a no-hitter bid rather soon.

Miguel Cabrera Stars in "La Cueva del Fanatico"

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

In their recent trip to New York City several of the Tigers paid visits to the MLB Fan Cave; Justin Verlander surprised a young fan and Miguel Cabrera and Collin Balester starred in a MLB Fan Cave telenovela production of "La Cueva del Fanatico."

The title translates to, "The Fan Cave," and features many of the members of the fan cave along with Cabrera and Balester. Cabrera fits right in as the prototypical Spanish soap opera villians in his role as "Miggy Pocco." With bat in hand and eye patch on Cabrera threatens the fan cavers until Jon Glaser, posing as Jim Leyland steps in and tells him, "they aren't worth it."

Balester is involved in a love triangle with two of the fan cavers, and his love leaves her beau to be with Balester who plays the role of "The Tourist" in La Cueva del Fanatico.

Cabrera ultimately ends up killing one of the members of the fan cave and throws him down a slide before Glaser's Jim Leyland dies in Cabrera's arms.

The telenovela ends with the remaining cavers and Balester standing around an apparently dead Miggy Poco; when one of the cavers asks if he is dead Cabrera opens his eyes causing screams and the episode ends.

One can only hope that when the Tigers return to the Big Apple Balester and Cabrera reprise their roles in a sequel. You can see the whole video on MLBfancave.com.

These Tigers Lack Leadership

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

With expectations high and coming off a torrid start to the 2012 season the Detroit Tigers have fallen on hard times, winning just one game in their last home stand against the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. In past years when the Tigers hit a slump they turned to their leaders in the clubhouse, notably Ivan Rodriguez, and until this past season, Carlos Guillen.

These leaders in the clubhouse were able to rally the team around them and break down the issues effecting the team. When the team would struggle offensively Rodriguez and Guillen would assemble the team and give them a kind of pep talk that only a teammate could give. A kind of players only meeting that would kick start the bats and propel the team out of the slump they were in.

The Tigers are in another slump, but this time, there is no leader to turn to. There is no player that can command the respect of the clubhouse and give this team the kick in the pants that they so desperately need. Manager Jim Leyland has tried everything under the sun to get his team to produce and nothing is working; what is needed is for a player to step up and take command of this team.

Typically the short stop becomes the captain of the infield and thus commands the respect of much of the team, but Jhonny Peralta does not seem to have the swagger and bravado needed to become the leader in the clubhouse that this team needs. He is the captain of the infield, but his leadership doesn't go much beyond that.

On many teams the star player is the clubhouse coach, Detroit has that in spades but their top player is Miguel Cabrera and he doesn't seem to have much interest in any leadership roles. After his DUI incident in Florida, Cabrera took an even more hands-off approach than usual. He is a quiet leader is the clubhouse, choose to lead by example than with his words. This team needs a vocal leader to get in their face and snap them out of their funk.

Outfielders are vary rarely the leader of the team, they are generally too far away from the action, in-game, to effect much change and as such their words don't usually carry the same weight as those coming from an infielder.

Prince Fielder is a big asset to Detroit, he provides a big source of power and a quality first base, but, like Cabrera he tends to be on the quiet side and shies away from the leadership position. Fielder would much rather lead others by going out and hitting one over the right field wall than to give a fiery speech in the dugout.

Justin Verlander is the face of this Tigers team, but he plays just once every five days and even then is not directly in the game, he initiates the play and then the rest of the team finishes the play behind him. Verlander could give some pep talks to the club, but they would not be all that effective given his position.

There is only one player that could become the leader of this team, Alex Avila. That is a lot of responsibility to place on the third year catcher as he already has to run the pitching staff and catch the majority of games. But he has proven that he has the grit that other players respect, playing much of the 2011 post season on one leg due to injuries.

Avila must step up and shoulder this next responsibility in order to improve this team. He has shown in the past that he is willing to do whatever it takes as long as it benefits the team as a whole, and Detroit needs this.

Justin Verlander Goes Nine, Picks Up First Win

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Justin Verlander took a Tigers lead into the ninth inning for the second consecutive start, only this time he would win the game. On Monday night the Detroit Tigers ace headed into the ninth with a 3-1 lead and a manageable pitch count. Although he made things interesting, allowing one run and leaving the bases loaded with two outs, Verlander came out of the inning with his first win and complete game of the season.

In his nine innings of work Verlander surrendered seven hits to the Kansas City Royals while walking just two. Almost as impressive as his complete game was the fact that Verlander struck out nine Royals on the day, including Alex Gordon to end the game.

The win was right out of the script of a Verlander start, he began the game throwing in the mid-90's and by the end of the game he was tossing 101 mph fastballs to the plate. On his last delivery to the plate, his 131st pitch, Verlander's fastball beat Gordon by blowing by him at 101 mph.

While it is hard to say no when the reigning American League MVP and Cy Young winner is chomping at the bit to get back out on the mound to close out his game, the question has come up whether Manager Jim Leyland should allow Verlander to extend his games into the final frame.

In his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, Verlander headed into the ninth with a lead. It didn't stay that way, the Rays came all the way back and beat the Tigers that day. So when Verlander convinced Leyland to let him toss the ninth on Monday, visions of the previous game had to be flashing through his mind.

With two on and two out and the score at 3-2 Leyland meandered his way out to the mound to talk to his pitcher, and according to Verlander all he said was, "you're going to get me fired."

But in the dugout in the eighth inning when Verlander approached Leyland about going back out for the ninth, he said that Leyland told him, "it's your game. You're either going to win it or lose it. I'm not taking you out."

If that isn't confidence in your pitcher nothing is. So with the bases loaded, two-outs and a one run lead, Verlander channeled that confidence and blew the final strike past Gordon at 101 mph to secure his first win of the year.

Verlander was afforded his lead on a leadoff home run by Austin Jackson and a two-run homer by Brandon Inge, who was starting at 2B, in the fifth. Those three runs would be all Verlander would need.

He allowed a Gordon double in the first and after a sacrifice bunt and a Billy Butler single the Royals were able to erase the Tigers early lead. After the Inge home run the Royals could only muster one more run in the ninth when Butler lead off the frame with a single and his pinch runner, Jason Bourgeois, was able to come around and score.

At the beginning of the season Verlander said he wanted to emulate Roy Halladay and complete more games this season - so far it looks as though his body is up to it, but it is up to his skipper to get his mind ready to stay focused for the full nine frames. Once he gets the hang of throwing nine full innings, look out, he might be more dominating than last season.

Tigers Opening Day Win Over the Red Sox Felt Different, But Is Exactly What Detroit Needed

CBS Detroit

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It had all the pomp and circumstance that an Opening Day in Detroit should have, but it seemed to have more meaning, more excitement and an epic pitching match-up. The afternoon was clear and sunny with the temperatures in the mid-50's, a far cry from the snow flurries that are the norm during Detroit opening days.

Things felt different, but no one could put a finger on it. The Tigers were coming off their first Central Division crown ever, they lost Victor Martinez but gained the instant hometown hero Prince Fielder. Detroit also added relievers in Collin Balester and Octavio Dotel. The Tigers were now the ones with the targets on their backs - the hunted and no longer the hunter, something that is entirely new.

It is accepted as all but inevitable that the Tigers will win the Central Division this season - this team just won the division for the first time ever last season and now they are the ones who will walk away with it? They are the sexy pick to win the World Series, this is not what Detroit is used to. Detroit is used to being underestimated and under appreciated.

With the national media in attendance the Tigers kicked off one of the most anticipated seasons in club history against the Boston Red Sox. Detroit sent Cy Young and MVP Justin Verlander to the mound to duel with Red Sox ace Jon Lester. The game was everything a baseball fan could want.

Verlander looked to be in mid-season form giving the Tigers eight scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and walked just one. Lester matched Verlander inning for inning until his seventh when he allowed a double to left by Jhonny Peralta and another double to left by Alex Avila that gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers would add another run in the eighth inning when Austin Jackson hit a lead off triple to right center. When Brennan Boesch was unable to get him home the Red Sox intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera to try to get Fielder to ground into a double play. Fortunately for Detroit Fielder was able to shorten his swing and launch a sacrifice fly to center field. With Jackson crossing the plate the Tigers boasted a 2-0 lead going into the ninth with their closer, Jose Valverde, who was 49-for-49 last season.

Things seemed sewed up for the Tigers, it was going to be a good win. Holding the Red Sox scoreless on opening day, Verlander going eight innings and getting a rare April win and Valverde continuing his saves streak. But this is why they play the games.

 Valverde came on and seemed to struggled from the moment he got on top of the rubber. Dustin Pedroia connected with a lead off double to deep center before Adrian Gonzalez singled him over to third. Valverde was then able to get David Ortiz to fly out to center but Pedroia tagged and scored, cutting the Tigers lead to 2-1. Kevin Youkilis then struck out but a stolen base put the tying run in scoring position with two outs for the Red Sox. Ryan Sweeney then tripled to deep right and as the ball caromed off the wall, the Red Sox tied the game at two apiece.

The first blown save for Valverde since Sept. 2010, the lead gone, Verlander's win gone it seemed that things were going to collapse for the Tigers on opening day and crush all the optimism that came with it. But Detroit flexed the muscles that have had analysts glowing about them all winter.

Detroit's ninth inning rally came from the two guys who combined for the first run - Peralta singled to right and was pushed over to second on an Avila single to left. With two runners on and no outs the Red Sox turned to A. Aceves and Danny Worth came in as a pinch runner for Peralta. The bases were loaded when a breaking pitch caught the heel of Ramon Santiago.

With the bases loaded Austin Jackson stepped to the plate, he struggled last season with strikeouts and is looking for a bounce back offensive year this season. He took a couple pitches, didn't try to force anything, and was able to lace a single down the left field line that scored Worth.

That was it, that was the feeling that everyone had. This team is going to win, it might not be pretty but this team is good and it won't go down without a fight. These Tigers embody the city they are from and a walk off opening day win is just what should have happened.

If this is how opening day was, 2012 is going to be one heck of a year for the Bombers on Brush Street.

Justin Verlander's NCAA Bracket - Who Ya Got?

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

The Detroit Tiger's ace pitcher Justin Verlander showed during last season that he could do no wrong; he went 24-5 last season with a 2.40 ERA and won both the American League MVP and Cy Young. So naturally, when he gets into the spirit of March people should pay attention to his bracket, right?

If you're a Michigan State fan that answer is yes. If you're a Wolverine that answer is to tell him to stick to pitching.

CBS asked multiple celebrities to fill out brackets this month and Verlander took their bracket and has Michigan State winning their third national title ever. He also has Michigan losing to the actual Ohio University in the first round.

Verlander has the Spartans facing off against North Carolina in the championship game, the only other No. 1 seed to make his Final Four. The other two members of the Final Four for Verlander are Duke and Gonzaga. And he picked his fair share of upsets, some making more sense than others, notably Ohio over Michigan and having Murray State advance all the way to the Elite Eight to take on Michigan State.

Not to mention that Verlander has a major upset penciled in as he says No. 14 South Dakota State will top No. 3 Baylor in the first round - keep your eyes open for that one.

Who do you have going to New Orleans? Do you think Verlander got it right? Wrong? Comment and tell us what you think.

Make Sure To Eat Your Fastball Flakes!

Photo from Detroit News

When Justin Verlander pulled up to Spring Training in a $200,000 BMW people must have thought that there wasn't anything this guy doesn't have. He's been on talk shows, on the cover of video games, owns an MVP and Cy Young award. The only thing Verlander was missing was being on a box of Wheaties, well, he won't get that. He's done one better, he now has his own cereal.

The Michigan-based Meijer supermarkets have begun selling, Justin Verlander's Fastball Flakes, in stores in Michigan as well as on www.plbsports.com. It will cost you $2.99 to eat like a champion, or at least like Justin Verlander.

Verlander hasn't let his sudden rise to fame get to him and is donating 100 percent of the proceeds from his Fastball Flakes to the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit and to the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

This donation shows that Verlander cares about more than his fame and affirms his comments from earlier in the off season when he stated that he "loves Detroit" and inferred that he doesn't want to play for any other franchise other than the Tigers.

Good move Justin, there will definitely be a demand for Fastball Flakes and probably a rush on Taco Bell meals without tomatoes following your next no-hitter.

Justin Verlander Wants Some "Hands On" Help

As the cover boy for MLB 2K12 the Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander will be splashed across televisions all over the country, and will become the center of attention whenever he appears on the screen. Well, he won't be the center of attention in this ad, and it doesn't appear he wants to be.

In the latest MLB 2K12 commercial Verlander sits in a trailer with Jay Bruce, C.J. Wilson and David Price as they are being taught how to properly pitch in the game by super model and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl Kate Upton. She starts by giving a verbal lecture and giving hand gestures before leaning over Price's shoulder to give a "hands on" approach.

Naturally, Price appears overjoyed by her teaching method and seems to care very little about learning how to pitch with Upton leaning over him. After instructing Price, Upton asks the other ball players who else needs help to which all three practically dislocate their shoulders raising their hands.

The commercial again is comedy gold and shows a side of MLB stars that most fans don't get to see. And while Verlander is riding a cheetah and getting tips from super models Tigers fans can rest assured that all of this attention will not go to his head. Check out the video and let us know what you think.

My Cheetah Riding Ninja

It's been known that Justin Verlander, the Detroit Tigers ace and American League MVP and Cy Young winner, is going to be the next MLB 2K12 cover boy. He has appeared on late night talk shows, notably "Conan" where he revealed his Taco Bell superstition. But as the release date for MLB 2K12 approaches you will be seeing more and more of Verlander splashed across your television.

MLB 2K12 has released their first teaser commercial to go national and it features Verlander as well as the Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem Jered Weaver. The two are playing each other and the viewer can hear the inner thoughts of Verlander who compares himself to a ninja riding a cheetah. Weaver then jumps in and calls Verlander weird before Verlander's inner mind jumps into Weaver's. Weaver questions how Verlander has done this and gets a one word response, "ninja."

It's a funny commercial and should serve to promote Verlander to the national market and increase his popularity and should do wonders for the Detroit Tigers public relations department. Keep it up Verlander, but next time maybe you could be a ninja riding a tiger.

Why Verlander Deserved the American League MVP

Over the past two days Major League Baseball handed out their two most important individual awards to Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander - the Cy Young award and the Most Valuable Player award.

Verlander had battled Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's Jered Weaver for the Cy Young down the stretch but after beating Weaver in a head-to-head matchup and throwing 100 more pitches than Weaver and still posting better numbers Verlander walked away with the highest award for a pitcher unanimously.

Verlander posted impressive numbers throughout the 2011 season; becoming the American League pitching Triple-Crown and winning the AL Cy Young award with a 24-5 record, 2.40 ERA, 250 SO and a 0.920 WHIP. Those numbers are impressive, and near the top, if not at the top, of the Detroit Tigers record books - meaning that the Cy Young was Verlander's to lose, but the MVP was a different story.

Many sports writers have refused to vote for a pitcher as the MVP in the past, saying that a players that plays every fifth day cannot have the same impact as an everyday player. It appears as though that thought process has subsided in past years and an acceptance of pitchers as valuable to their clubs and sabermetrics has moved MLB post season awards to be handed out to the most deserving players. He became the first pitcher to win the MVP since Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1986.

The Baseball Writers of America got their AL MVP correct, with 13 naming Verlander their top choice and another 13 selecting him for second place. He appeared on 27 of 28 ballots being left off by Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio, who said that he could not place a pitcher on the MVP ballot in all due conscience.He went on to say that Verlander did not appear in 79 percent of the Tigers games, meaning that pitchers don't play often enough to be the MVP.
Yes, Verlander played in 35 games for the Tigers in 2011, but breaking down the numbers shows that his statistics are comparable to any position player in the game. In Verlander's 35 starts he faced on average 35 batters; therefore in his 35 games he affected 1,225 plays. Conversely, a player who starts all 162 games for his team and averages four at-bats and four plays in the field affects 1,296 plays. The 91 play difference a season is hardly call for Verlander's exclusion from the MVP consideration.

What made Verlander the MVP aside from his eye popping numbers were his 16 wins following a Tigers loss - that is what makes a player truly valuable. Throughout the 2011 season Verlander was in a Tigers rotation that featured an inconsistent Rick Porcello, the oft-maligned Brad Penny and the on-again off-again Max Scherzer. It wasn't until the deadline addition of Doug Fister that Verlander had a true option to back him up in the rotation.  

While others may argue against the selection of a pitcher as the most valuable player they must agree that the numbers that Verlander posted throughout the 2011 season were quite impressive. Some might even say his numbers make him very valuable.

Off Season Moves the Tigers Need to Make

First off, it's been a while since the last post, I hope many of you return and start reading this again on a regular basis because I plan on updating it regularly once again. Thanks to everyone for reading.

Detroit nearly hobbled its way into the World Series in 2011 and despite coming up short of the ultimate goal, the team still finished as one of the last four playing and came within one game of representing the American League for the second time in five seasons.

2011 was a year that provided many insights into this team; Alex Avila became cemented as the No. 1 catcher for the foreseeable future, Doug Fister will push Justin Verlander to be even better than he currently is, and Delmon Young, while expendable, is a power outfielder who comes up huge in the clutch.

Last season also showed the many weaknesses the Tigers have, and other teams exploited those weaknesses to get by them in the playoffs. Once Victor Martinez came up lame in a game he was never able to back up Avila, which led to Avila catching all but two games down the stretch. That over use wore down the young backstop to the point where he resembled Kirk Gibson limping around the bases. The Tigers needed to find a back up catcher for Avila, and they found that in ex-Tiger Gerald Laird.

While not a fan favorite, Laird has proven that he is one of the most efficient defensive catchers in the game. His bat may be the equal to that of Brandon Inge but as long as he stays healthy enough to catch every fifth game and can help to mentor Avila, that's all the Tigers are looking for. This pick up was a good one by the Tigers.

The two remaining glaring holes for Detroit are at third and second base. While Inge is under contract for another season, it won't take long for the Tigers to grow tired of his inability to hit anything resembling a baseball. And after his tirade against the fans last season, his popularity in Detroit is wavering and won't withstand another season from hell like 2011. 

The 2012 free agent class for third basemen isn't exactly chock-full of star athletes; while Wilson Betemit served the Tigers well down the stretch he is not an everyday player and the Tigers brass seems to see things that way as well. Betemit has not been offered a contract for next season, which is the best thing for the team.

Notable free agents that would fit well with the Tigers would be either Jorge Cantu or Kevin Kouzmanoff. Through eight seasons Cantu has a career batting average of .271 and an on-base percentage of .316. Cantu is a good fit with Detroit because he is a utility player who specializes at third base, but has the ability to play either second or first as well. He has struggled to remain healthy and his numbers have slipped recently, but because of that his asking price could be driven down quite a bit from his hay-day in Miami.

Kevin Kouzmanoff is available for arbitration for the next two seasons so if the Rockies see what others see in him then the Tigers won't be able to snag him until he's a free agent until 2014. Kouzmanoff has a career batting average of .255 and a .300 on-base percentage. And he boasted a .713 OPS while playing over 100 games in the expanses of Coors Field.

The Tigers should pursue either of these third basemen diligently as either would bring a solid defensive front to the hot-corner as well as a powerful bat to the line-up.

Second base has become a glaring hole for Detroit, with the position being a platoon for the entire 2011 season, with six players taking the position in the field. Ramon Santiago, Ryan Raburn, Will Rhymes, Scott Sizemore, Danny Worth and Carlos Guillen all played second last year.

With a revolving door at second, Detroit has no true prospects or options at second base. Once again, the free agent class of second base is quite barren. After the Diamondbacks snapped up Aaron Hill to a new contract the only appealing player on the market is Kelly Johnson, but a contract with him would require the Tigers to send a first-round draft pick to Toronto in return.

Recent rumors have the Tigers trading Delmon Young to Atlanta in return for Martin Prado. This deal would incredibly bolster Detroit and add a powerful, consistent lead-off hitter to the line-up. Prado is a career .293 hitter in his six seasons in the majors with a .341 OBP. He has had experience and success being a lead-off hitter for the Braves and would be able to relieve some pressure from Austin Jackson in that role.

Should the Tigers complete this trade they would need to fill the vacancy left in left field by Young, and the solution is sitting in the free agent pool waiting to be snatched up. Coco Crisp, traditionally a center fielder, is available and would thrive in the vast left field of Comerica Park.

Detroit has long needed to build a team to fit Comerica Park and the addition of Crisp would do just that. Having two center fielders would save the Tigers multiple runs that they would have lost if Young would have continued to play. Crisp has a .271 career batting average and a .330 OBP, not to mention he can bring speed to the basepaths in Detroit. In 2011 he swiped 49 bases for the Athletics and with that speed and clear skill he can teach Jackson how to improve on the paths. 

The off-season is still young and there are still plenty of moves to be made, but the Tigers must address the weaknesses that showed through at the end of the 2011 season. If they do that successfully, they will be back in the playoffs and will be representing the American League in the World Series in 2012.