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

Lefty Coke's struggles alter bullpen usage.
As Brandon Moss' eighth-inning drive soared toward the right-field fence Saturday night, A's manager Bob Melvin thought he had a game-tying home run.
"When he catches one like that, they go out," Melvin said. "I think he did get it off the end just a little bit."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland, on the other hand, thought it was staying in. He played his bullpen on the idea that a close drive would stay in. He ended up right, albeit barely.

Though Moss had 19 home runs and a four-digit OPS against right-handed pitchers in the regular season, and Joaquin Benoit led American League relievers with 14 homers allowed, Leyland did not think about using lefty Phil Coke in the matchup or at any other point Saturday night. Leyland's worry was that by bringing in Coke to face any left-handed hitter, Melvin would counter with one of the right-handed power hitters on his bench, Jonny Gomes or Chris Carter. And Leyland would be in a bind.

"The ball was carrying pretty good to left, not great to right," Leyland said. "Coke's had a pretty rough time with right-handed hitters. Of course, he might have to get a righty out. If you could pitch around him on purpose, that would be one thing, but he's made some mistakes. Righties have obviously hit him very well all year."

Even without the wind, it's a concern. Right-handed hitters batted .396 against Coke for the season, including 16-for-30 (.533) since the All-Star break.

As long as there's a good right-handed hitter on Oakland's bench, there's a chance Coke will stay in Detroit's bullpen in favor of an effective right-hander like Benoit, Al Alburquerque or Octavio Dotel. The one exception might be Josh Reddick, who probably wouldn't be lifted.

As Leyland put Coke's struggles, "It's kind of mind-boggling, what happened."
Asked if hitters have made adjustments against Coke, Leyland said, "I think it's more than that. I think he's just made bad pitches."
from the Tigers official site
 
Leyland interviewed by A's in 1982
DETROIT -- Thirty years ago, Jim Leyland was a young coach with a manager-in-the-making label, coaching third base for Tony La Russa and the White Sox. The Oakland Athletics were a team in transition, having just parted ways with Billy Martin after a 94-loss season in 1982.

They nearly had a match.
"After my first season in the big leagues, I got two Major League interviews," Leyland said. "One was the Texas Rangers. The other was the Oakland Athletics."
The A's flew Leyland out and talked with him about the job. They eventually passed on him in favor of another candidate with deep Tigers roots, Steve Boros.
"They had seven people interviewing me," Leyland said, "one of which was Walt Jocketty."
Jocketty, then a scouting director with the A's, went on to become a general manager with the Cardinals a decade later and hired La Russa.

Jocketty brought in a burned-out Leyland after his year (1999) managing the Rockies and hired him as a special assistant. The role, which kept Leyland in the game from 2000-05 while staying home in Pittsburgh, allowed Leyland to recharge his batteries until the Tigers' managerial job opened after the 2005 season.

Boros managed a year and a half with the A's before he was replaced by Jackie Moore. Two years after that, Oakland hired La Russa, who had just been fired by the White Sox. Had the A's hired Leyland, La Russa has been quoted as saying, the job probably wouldn't have opened up for him.

Boros ended his baseball career back with the Tigers as a Minor League field coordinator. His work with the farm system provided some of the foundation for the Tigers team Leyland led to the World Series in his first year in Detroit in 2006, including All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson.
from the Tigers official site
 
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/video/...50173&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Garcia's great throw. Avisail Garcia keeps the Tigers within one by firing a strong throw to the plate to nab Coco Crisp in the third inning.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/video/...50877&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Tigers score two on error.
Coco Crisp sprints in from center and bobbles a Miguel Cabrera fly ball, resulting in two runs crossing the plate in the seventh.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/mlb/ga...b_1&mode=video
Webvideo Alburquerque's big out.
Al Alburquerque gets Yoenis Cespedes to slap a grounder back to the mound, then kisses the ball before tossing it to first.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/mlb/ga...51859&c_id=det
Webvideo Tigers tie it on a wild pitch.
Don Kelly sprints home to tie the game at 4 on Ryan Cook's wild pitch in the eighth inning.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/mlb/ga...51859&c_id=det
Webvideo Kelly's walk-off sac fly.
Don Kelly lifts the Tigers to a 2-0 series lead with a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the ninth inning.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...50313&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Young's rbi groundout.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...50403&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Fister's quick defense.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...52135&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Fister's strong outing.
Doug Fister strikes out eight over seven strong frames, allowing two runs to earn a no-decision in Game 2.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25352299&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_star_of_the_game
Miggy's big performance.
Miguel Cabrera helps lead the Tigers to a 2-0 series lead by going 3-for-5 with a run scored in Game 2.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25353369&c_id=det&partnerId=aw-4889155715445348461-4460
Webvideo Kelly on his walk-off sac fly.
Don Kelly discusses his walk-off sacrifice fly and talks about how it feels for his club to head to Oakland with a 2-0 series lead.

from the Tigers official site
 
Last edited:
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/52843/don-kellys-rbi-a-long-time-coming
Don Kelly's RBI a long time coming.
from espn statsandinfo

The sacrifice fly was Kelly?s first go-ahead RBI all season, his first since a go-ahead home run in Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS against the New York Yankees.
It?s the first time he?s EVER had a go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning or later.

The Tigers scored five runs on Sunday with only two RBI. That's tied for the most runs scored in a postseason game with two or fewer RBI.
The Elias Sports Bureau notes it's the most runs scored by one team in a postseason game without an RBI hit.
 
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25353729&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_manager_postgame
Leyland on Benoit's struggles.
Webvideo Tigers manager Jim Leyland talks about Joaquin Benoit's struggles against the A's in the eighth inning of Detroit's Game 2 win.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25353735&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_manager_postgame
Webvideo Leyland on Tigers' contributions.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland talks about Danny Worth and Avisail Garcia chipping in with big contributions in the Tigers' Game 2 win.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25353733&c_id=mlb
Webvideo Tigers discuss their Game 2 win.
Don Kelly, Doug Fister, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder talk about their walk-off victory over the A's in Game 2 of the ALDS.

from the Tigers official site
 
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