Stick a fork in the Big Potato

I have a soft spot for Jose Valverde. I admit it.

I love his pumping, squatting and kicking after he closes out a game for the Detroit Tigers. I love his personality. During my first-ever visit to spring training in 2011, Papa Grande was the most fun guy to be around, posing for pictures, talking to fans and enjoying the life of a major league ballplayer.

But he shouldn't be the Tigers' closer anymore. He can't get opposing hitters out and Detroit has to pull the plug on him before he costs the team more games they should win.

Valverde and the Tigers are the subject of my latest post for The Outside Corner. 

[...] to win consistently, a team needs someone who can perform the role reliably. With a 4.15 ERA, along with eight runs and 13 hits allowed in 17 innings, Valverde is not that guy.

The Tigers have given Valverde every opportunity to demonstrate he can be their closer, but it's not working. Opposing batters aren't swinging and missing at a 92 mph fastball. And that splitter has no movement, allowing hitters to tee off on it. Valverde doesn't have anything else. 

I try to write about the Tigers whenever I can for my national baseball gig, so as much as I'm ticked off about Valverde, I welcomed the opportunity his suckitude has provided.

Why didn't I write about Valverde at The Daily Fungo? And why haven't I written there lately? Well, the Fungo is Mike McClary's baby, so he should be the one to tell everyone what's going on with his site.

But I'll be looking for a new place to hang my Tigers-writing shingle. Maybe that will be here, maybe that will be on another blog. I don't know yet. Regardless, I'm grateful for Mike letting me write at the Fungo and wish I could have done more there over the past few months. 

Taking a trip to Comerica Park?

To begin the 2013 MLB season, my old buddies at Big League Stew are running a series featuring 10 tips for visiting each major league ballpark.

Thankfully, Kevin Kaduk has often come to me when it comes to Detroit Tigers stuff. He asked me to write the piece for Comerica Park, which I was grateful to do.

(Honestly, I was a little apprehensive, since I haven't been to the Tigers' home ballpark in three years. But with the help of suggestions from Tigers fans on Facebook and Twitter, I was able to find some inspiration.) 

Here's one tip from my article: 

6. Walk around the park. I don't know about you, but I find it frustrating when I can't take a lap around the entire ballpark through the concourse. There is no such problem at Comerica Park. Just make sure to turn your head and look in front of you once in a while. No need to walk into fellow fans, a food vendor or a post while you're keeping your eye on the field.

One of the nicest spots to stand and watch the game is in left-center field, where you can lean on a fence and enjoy an unobstructed view of the Comerica Park outfield while soaking up the warmth of a summer day or evening. While you're there, say hello to Ty, Hank, Charlie, Hal, Al and Willie.

There's plenty more (nine more, to be exact) to read here, if you're interested, including an incident with a homeless guy that I'm still kind of ashamed of to this day. 

Thanks again to Kevin. I've always enjoyed writing for the Stew.

Last-minute MLB predictions

The 2013 MLB season is underway. MLive’s Chris Iott asked if I could contribute some preseason predictions. Here’s how I see the AL Central shaking out:

1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Minnesota Twins

You can read the rest of my MLB predictions in the full article. They can’t possibly be worse than last year, when I picked the Colorado Rockies to win the NL West. They finished last. 

We didn't go over the individual awards in those MLive predictions, so I'll post those as well. 

American League:
MVP: Adam Jones, Orioles
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Rookie of the Year: Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox
Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Indians

National League:
MVP: Joey Votto, Reds
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Rookie of the Year: Jedd Gyorko, Padres
Manager of the Year: Ron Roenicke, Brewers

Just when I thought I was out...

Keeping with the theme of this week, I'm going back to something I always enjoyed doing: Writing about the Detroit Tigers.

My friend Mike McClary has generously cleared some space on the desk for me to contribute at The Daily Fungo, and I plan to write there a few times a week. I wrote my first post over there today.

Whenever a character is rebooted in comic books or movies, the new creators often say they’re taking him “back to his roots.” Let’s remember that Superman is ultimately a farm boy from Kansas or that Peter Parker is always trying to make up for not using his powers to stop a crime when he could have.

OK, that’s a bit loftier than whatever it is I’m doing.

You know me. I always have to work in a comic book reference when I can. 

But I'm excited to be writing about my favorite baseball team regularly again. It's going to be fun, which is the whole point of the whole thing. I hope you'll click over to the Fungo frequently to see what we're up to. Thank you. 

Pat Neshek's poignant playoff appearance

It's long overdue to blow the dust off this blog and put some fresh content here again.

Unfortunately, the full-time gig at Bleacher Report takes up all of my writing time. I could—and would love to—take more time to write here, but I'm tapped out by the end of the day and want to just stare at a TV, read something unrelated to baseball or just sleep.

I'm certainly hoping that will change once the playoffs end by November. 

In the meantime, here's a post I wrote that I wasn't sure fit into our MLB postseason coverage at B/R (though I published it there anyway), but felt the need to write. I didn't get it done before Game 2 of the Tigers-Athletics series on Sunday, but with Monday being a day off in the series, I thought I could post it here. 

If you've stuck with me, thank you. I hope to keep some stuff coming here in the weeks and months to come.

Most of my time as a sports blogger has been spent writing about the Detroit Tigers. During that time, there were few relievers I feared pitching against Detroit more than Pat Neshek in 2006 and 2007.

In five appearances vs. the Tigers in 2006, Neshek allowed one run over 6.1 innings for a 1.42 ERA. He struck out 10 batters while walking none. Overall, Neshek had a 2.19 ERA in 32 appearances with a rate of 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

In 2007, Neshek emerged as one of the best relievers in MLB. He compiled a 2.94 ERA in 74 appearances, striking out 74 batters in 70.1 innings. Against the Tigers, he pitched nine times, allowing three runs with 10 strikeouts in nine innings.

But nothing Neshek did in the first two years of his career—against the Tigers or MLB at large—was as impressive as what he did while pitching in Game 1 of the ALDS for the Oakland Athletics on Saturday (Oct. 6).

You very likely know the story by now of what Neshek and his wife went through last week.

Less than 24 hours after giving birth to their first child—one of the most special moments in the life of any couple—Pat and Stephanee Neshek lost their newborn son. No cause of death was known, no explanation given for the Nesheks' happiest moment soon being followed by the most tragic.

The world must have made very little sense to Neshek on Wednesday. Presumably, that's why he was back with his teammates and ready to pitch for the A's on Saturday in Game 1 of their ALDS against the Tigers. Both Neshek and his wife needed something to make sense again, something to hang on to when the world must have seemed indescribably cruel.

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In the previous paragraph, I said Neshek was "ready to pitch" for the A's. That's impossible to know, of course. He probably wasn't ready to pitch. Who could be ready to do anything in light of experiencing such a tragedy?

I can only imagine Neshek sometimes felt like the world needed to stop for him and acknowledge what he'd been through. Or perhaps he needed the world around him to just keep going on as usual so he could try to find a semblance of normalcy just three days after nothing could have felt normal for him.

Anyone who saw Neshek warming up during the seventh inning of Saturday's game likely felt something for him, a twinge of sympathy or a jolt of empathy. How could Neshek possibly pitch after what he's been through?

It wasn't a question of whether or not Neshek should pitch. He should do whatever he wanted or needed to do to cope with the loss of his son. It was a question of whether or not anyone could do the same thing if confronted with such circumstances.

I suppose I shouldn't attempt to speak for everyone, however. I'm speaking for myself. That's what was going through my mind. That's why my stomach seized when I saw Neshek on my television screen. I'm presuming many of you had similar feelings.

Neshek came in for the A's with one out and two runners on in the seventh inning. The Tigers had a 3-1 lead and could have padded that lead with a base hit. Oakland manager Bob Melvin wasn't just putting Neshek into the game during a meaningless situation (if there's such a thing during a playoff game) to let him settle in and clear his mind.

As he revealed after the game, however, Neshek's mind was anything but clear. Really, how could it be?

"It was definitely tough down there," Neshek said, as quoted by USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "I was thinking about him the whole time.

"It sounds so cliché, but it felt like he was looking down on me, helping me."

Neshek got Oakland out of its seventh-inning jam, getting Omar Infante and Austin Jackson out on eight pitches. He did exactly what he was supposed to do, what he's done all season, as his 1.37 ERA in 24 appearances demonstrates: He kept the A's in the game.

For at least a moment, maybe the world made some sense again for Neshek and his wife. He tapped the special patch on his right arm that the team wore on its jerseys in tribute to his son. I can't imagine there's anyone who watched that moment and wasn't affected somehow.

Maybe you thought about what Neshek had endured. Perhaps you looked at your child and imagined what it would have been like to lose him or her. Maybe you thought about loss you've experienced in your own life.

Again, I can't speak for you. I'm speaking for myself here.

In that moment, I thought about the baby niece that's become such a significant part of my life over the past 20 months. I thought about my sister and how such a tragedy would have affected her.

I remembered losing my father and sitting in a dark room with my family the day after it happened, much like Neshek described doing with his wife in the hours after they lost their baby. I remembered how family and friends have never been more important.Almost involuntarily, I clapped for Neshek in my living room—even though he was pitching against the team I grew up watching, the team I've covered as a sportswriter for years.

It was one of the most courageous pitching performances I've ever seen as a sports fan. No matter what happens, Neshek has already made this ALDS between the Tigers and Athletics extremely memorable.

Why I'm happy the Tigers are bringing back Gerald Laird

The news of Gerald Laird re-signing with the Detroit Tigers to be their backup catcher makes me happy.

I'm not saying Laird's the best guy for the job. (I preferred Kelly Shoppach.) I wish Detroit signed someone who could hit, though Laird is a very good defensive catcher and that's ultimately more important. 

But I've always thought Laird looked just like the kid Russell in the movie "Up," and I'm eager to see more photos that show the resemblance.

In the meantime, there's this thing that I cobbled together. 

I'll find something better next season. At least I hope I do. 

Hello again, by the way. I know it's been a long time since I posted something here. Haven't been able to shake off baseball season, it appears. I'm making a comeback, though.

Last time the Tigers were here, I missed out on the fun

I meant to write this on Friday, but got washed out by the tidal wave that has been the 2011 Major League Baseball playoffs thus far.

As I write this, the Detroit Tigers lead their American League Divisional Series two games to one over the New York Yankees. These first-round series are best-of-five, so if the Tigers win Tuesday night, they'll eliminate the Yankees and move on to the AL Championship Series.

The general sentiment among Yankees fans and media is that the Yanks are going to have a hard time winning with A.J. Burnett pitching for them. Burnett was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA, which was good enough for Yankees manager Joe Girardi to initially keep him out of the starting rotation for this series. Friday night's rainout changed those plans, and here the Yankees are, having to pitch the guy they didn't want to pitch in a game they have to win.

I'm naturally a pessimist, so I'm worried that Burnett is somehow going to pitch a great game tonight. Even though I should know better, having written this post back in September about how awful Burnett has been.

Though I've been confident — probably too confident — in the Tigers' chances of success this postseason, I'm pretty nervous about tonight. Maybe that's just the normal sports fan impulse. But I'm typically dubious when everything looks like it's falling into place for "my" team. How often does it end up unfolding that way?

But if the Tigers do win on Tuesday, I intend to soak up every moment of it that I can.

It won't be quite the same, since I no longer live in metro Detroit. I won't get to watch the local TV coverage afterwards, I won't see the newspapers the next morning. (Yes, I can read them online, but holding an actual newspaper with the celebratory headlines always makes it more real.) I won't get caught up with casual fans at a bar, coffee shop, grocery store, or someplace else where we're sharing the community experience of a local sports team winning. That might be the best thing about being a sports fan.

But the last time the Tigers were in this position and came through, I didn't get to see it. And I've always felt some regret for that.

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When the Tigers beat the Yankees in the 2006 ALDS, I was in Hawaii, on vacation with my family. The trip had been planned months in advance, long before we had any idea that the Tigers would be in the playoffs. (Well, I may have had an inkling or hope, but what do you say to that? "Can we postpone that trip — the one you had to ask time off for at the very beginning of the year — so that I can watch some baseball?")

I didn't get to see many games, largely because of the six-hour time difference in Hawaii. The games were being played during prime daytime sightseeing and beach-lounging hours. But I was able to listen to radio broadcasts on my cell phone. (But it was a pretty cool cell phone, one that Sprint had asked some sports bloggers to test market.)

So while metro Detroit was celebrating a playoff victory over the vaunted Yankees, while fans at Comerica Park were getting sprayed by champagne as the players took their locker room celebration onto the field in what was one of the most special moments in Detroit sports in at least the past decade, I was waiting for a bus that would take us on a sightseeing tour of Oahu.

Yeah, I know — Boo fuckin' hoo, you were in Hawaii. Sounds miserable. No, of course it wasn't. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had and the last family trip we took before my sister got married.

But whenever I see pictures or footage of Joel Zumaya spraying champagne on fans and embracing them in massive group hugs, I wish I'd have experienced some of that. (I also came very close to missing Magglio Ordonez's ALCS-winning home run against the Oakland A's, as that's the day we returned. We're talking a matter of seconds. But I might save that story for another post.)

I'm just tremendously grateful that the Tigers might give me another chance to celebrate a win over the Yankees.

The desktop power of Papa Grande

I'm one of those people who likes to change his desktop image every so often, just to provide something different to look at. I've been getting antsy to make a change over the past month, but just can't bear to do it right now.

Here's my current desktop image:

I can't remember exactly when I put Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Valverde on my desktop, but I think it was in early August when the team was playing in Kansas City.

Objective baseball blogger? Hey, we're all fans of one team or another.

The key thing is that the Tigers have been close to unstoppable since Papa Grande's smilin' face and dancin' body has graced my computer screen.

I'm certainly not going to change that image now. And I hope it stays up there for another few weeks. How about until November? I may never take it off after that.