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Detroit Tigers Team Notes Over 3 Million Views!!! Thankyou!

Carlos Guillen to toss ceremonial first pitch before Game 3.
While Detroit waits for Jhonny Peralta to work his way into left field, the Tigers will open the home portion of their postseason schedule by welcoming their last former shortstop to try playing in left.

Carlos Guillen, a two-time All-Star during his Detroit tenure, will return to Comerica Park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 3 of the Tigers' American League Division Series against the A's Monday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, MLB Network).

It'll be Guillen's second trip to Comerica Park since his retirement after the 2011 season. He returned in the summer of 2012 for a ceremony honoring his Tigers tenure. However, he visited the team just last week in Miami during their series against the Marlins.

Guillen will go down in Tigers history as one of the key acquisitions of the team's turnaround from 119 losses in 2003 to the World Series in 2006. After the 2003 season, team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski went looking for a shortstop on the market, was rebuffed in early courtships of free agents Miguel Tejada and Rich Aurilia, then struck when the Mariners failed to trade Guillen to Cleveland for Omar Vizquel.

The Tigers acquired Guillen for infielders Juan Gonzalez and Ramon Santiago, the latter of whom ended up back with the Tigers a few years later. Guillen, meanwhile, emerged as an offensive player in Detroit, batting .318 with 20 homers and 97 RBIs in 2004 before hitting .320 with 19 homers and 85 RBIs for the World Series team a couple years later.

Guillen batted .297 with 95 home runs, 449 RBIs and an .842 OPS over eight seasons as a Tiger. The last four of them saw him move out from shortstop to play first base, then third base, then left field, then second base. All the while, injuries to his knee, back and shoulder wore him down in his early-to-mid-30s.

In addition to Guillen's return, the Tigers will feature local musicians performing the national anthem. Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott, two Detroit natives who are part of the band Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., will perform ahead of the release of their new album on Tuesday.
from the Tigers official site
 
Benoit: 'World Series' comment misunderstood.
In the heat of the moment, in the joy and adrenaline rush of a four-out save that preserved the Tigers' Game 1 win over Oakland in Game 1 of the American League Division Series Friday night, Detroit closer Joaquin Benoit let his emotions get the better of him.
"I feel like we're on the verge of the World Series again," he said.
In the bright light of day Saturday, he realized how that sounded, how it could be taken as bulletin-board fodder for the Athletics, how it was premature, at the very least. So as he walked through the visitor's dugout at O.co Coliseum before Game 2, he paused long enough to explain what he meant as opposed to what he said.
"The message was taken the wrong way. We went to the World Series last year. What I was trying to say was that this is the feeling we would like to have, and [if we do], we can go back to the World Series," he elaborated. "It's really tough when you're trying to say something and it gets taken the wrong way. If it was taken the wrong way, I apologize. I didn't mean to say that we're going to go to the World Series. There's a lot of baseball to be played."

By then, the comment had already gotten the attention of old-school Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who, predictably, loved the can-do attitude but would have preferred that Benoit hadn't said it out loud for the whole world to hear.

"I always tell my players that, you know what, in these situations, because of the national media attention, it's probably best to say less. The less said is probably better. Sure, I like a confident team. I don't know that you need to go on stage and talk about it, but I like a team that's confident and I think you show that by the way you play.

"I don't expect that we are any more confident than the Oakland A's, so I don't like to hear any teams talk about it too much. I just like to watch 'em go out and play, and they usually show their energy and confidence and everything by the way they play. If guys want to talk about it, that's fine, more power to 'em. They're grown men. I don't tell anybody what to say and or not to say. I don't give advice, but I do say there is no sense in fueling fires. We don't need to do that. We just need to go play."
Benoit was asked if he thought he needed to speak to Leyland to clear the air.
"I already heard about it," he said with a small smile. "I already clarified it with him."
from the Tigers official site
 
Leyland: Scherzer in Game 1 was 'no-brainer'.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland saw the postgame shows Friday night lauding him for his decision to start Max Scherzer over Justin Verlander in Game 1.
To Leyland, though, the decision wasn't with Game 1, but the game after that.
"If the truth be known, in my mind, I thought it was a no-brainer, the first-game starter," Leyland said. "I thought the second-game starter was a tough one, because you could've had [Anibal] Sanchez or Verlander. I picked Verlander simply because he's been on this big stage out here. I thought it would be good for him. He's shown that he can do it."

Sanchez's strength at home also played a part. The debate over whether Leyland made the right choice in Game 1, and whether Scherzer's gem allowed him to sleep better, flummoxed him.

"Sleep better? I thought it was a no-brainer," Leyland said. "And now everybody's saying, 'Boy, he made a good choice.' I made a good choice whether he did good or bad. I mean, I made a good choice now because he did good? It was the right choice."
from the Tigers official site
 
Leyland opts for defense, puts Kelly in left.
After all the speculation over whether Jhonny Peralta would supplant Andy Dirks for a start in left field in this American League Division Series, Don Kelly has now been added to the mix. The veteran super-utility player, who became a hero in Game 2 of last year's ALDS between these two teams with a game-winning sacrifice fly, started in left field Saturday night.

It wasn't a decision based on the matchups. It was everything aside from offense that favored him.
"I just stuck another lefty in there and went with the defense," Leyland said.
The move presented a couple strategy changes for Leyland. For starters, it meant that if Leyland went to Peralta as a pinch-hitter for Kelly, he would not have Kelly's defense to insert in left. He could still go with Dirks for the end of the game.

The flip side, though, is that Peralta could still pinch-hit for shortstop Jose Iglesias late in a game if Leyland so chose.
from the Tigers official site
 
http://newenglishd.com/2013/10/06/how-was-the-game-october-5-2013/
How Was The Game? (October 5, 2013).
from the NewEnglishD-Tigersblog

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2013/10/detroit_tigers_play_game_2_1.html
Justin Verlander filthy, bats silent for Detroit Tigers in walk-off 1-0 loss to Oakland Athletics in Game 2.
from Mlive

http://www.freep.com/article/201310...r-s-domination-s-take-Game-2-walk-off-fashion
Oakland 1 - Detroit 0: Despite Justin Verlander's domination, A's take Game 2 in walk-off fashion.
from the freep

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...ak-reaches-17?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports
Tigers drop Game 2 to A's as scoreless innings streak reaches 17.
from the detnews

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/inde...013_10_05_detmlb_oakmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=det
Vintage Verlander not enough for Tigers in Game 2.
Righty fans 11 over seven shutout innings; bats blanked as A's walk off.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/inde...d=det#gid=2013_10_05_detmlb_oakmlb_1&mode=box
Boxscore.
from the Tigers official site

Justin Verlander is the first pitcher in postseason HISTORY to have 11 K's, allow 0 runs, and not get the Win.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/spor...chers-duel-but-as-even-alds-with-walk-off-win
Verlander, Gray engage in epic pitchers' duel, but A's even ALDS with walk-off win.
from the Oakland Press

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...reras-loss-of-power-a-real-concern-for-tigers
Miguel Cabrera's loss of power a real concern for Tigers.
from cbssports

The Tigers-Athletics game was the 1st game in postseason history in which both starting pitchers had 9 strikeouts and 0 runs allowed.

http://motorcitybengals.com/2013/10...em/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
ALDS Game Two: Detroit Tigers Can’t Hit, Waste Justin Verlander’s Gem.
from mcb-tb
 
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October 6 in Tigers history:

1940 - At Briggs Stadium, Bobo Newsom beats Cincinnati 8-0, in Game 5 of the World Series as 55,189 look on.

1945 - A goat and its owner make an appearance at Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the World Series. The pair is told to leave before the game ends, angering the owner. The Chicago Cubs lose to the Detroit Tigers, 4 - 1. Detroit will go on to win the Series in seven games and the Cubs won't win another National League championship for the rest of the 20th century. A belief that the Cubs were cursed by the goat will eventually develop.

2009: Detroit loses, 6 - 5, to Minnesota in a one-game playoff to determine the winner of the AL Central title. Alexi Casilla singles home the winning run with one out in the 12th inning. The Tigers had led the division by 3 games with 4 to play, and were ahead by 7 games on September 6 before sputtering down the stretch. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, under a swirl of controversy over allegations of impaired driving and domestic violence, hits an early home run to put Detroit ahead, but is thrown out at home by Nick Punto in the top half of the 12th. It is the last regular-season game to be played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

2011: The Tigers eliminate the Yankees in the ALDS for the second time in five years, taking advantage of back-to-back 1st-inning homers by Don Kelly and Delmon Young off Ivan Nova, to win, 3 - 2, in the decisive Game Five. Nova is lifted in the 2nd inning, while Doug Fister and three relievers manage to quiet the Yankees' bats to make the lead hold. Closer Jose Valverde remains perfect for the season, picking up the save with a perfect 9th inning at New Yankee Stadium.

2012: In the first game of the ALDS, Justin Verlander of the Tigers gives up a home run to the first batter of the game, Coco Crisp, but goes on to strike out 11 over 7 innings, not giving up another run to the Athletics. The Tigers get the run back in the bottom of the 1st, take the lead with a 3rd-inning score, and complete the tally when C Alex Avila homers off Jarrod Parker in the 5th for a 3 - 1 win

Tigers players and coaches birthdays:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/meyerdu01.shtml
Dutch Meyer 1940-1942.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/calvepa01.shtml
Paul Calvert 1950-1951.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weavero01.shtml
Roger Weaver 1980.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bruce_Fields
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fieldbr01.shtml
Bruce Fields 1986, coach 2003-2005.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sierrru01.shtml
Ruben Sierra 1996.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/farnsje01.shtml
Jeff Farnsworth 2002.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garcifr03.shtml
Freddie Garcia 2008.

from baseball reference
 
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http://www.freep.com/article/201310...rii-Hunter-words-s-rookie-tried-get-his-head-
Tigers' Torii Hunter, on words with A's rookie: 'I tried to get in his head'.
from the freep

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2013/10/detroit_tigers_torii_hunter_sa.html
Detroit Tigers' Torii Hunter says he tried to get into Sonny Gray's head after inside pitch: 'Didn't work'.
from Mlive

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131005/SPORTS0104/310050091/
Tigers' Torii Hunter tries but can't rattle A's rookie starter Sonny Gray.
from the detnews
 
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