Monday Morning Manager: My Weekly Take on the Detroit Tigers

Last Week: 3-3

This Week: at CWS (6/8-10); PIT (6/11-13)

So what happened?

Gee, if only something historically significant happened last week that could make this week’s MMM kind of write itself…

I got nothing.

Oh—wait: Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game that got nullified by one of the most infamous umpiring calls in baseball history.

That count?

Hero of the Week

Guess.

Goat of the Week

Guess.

Upcoming : White Sox, Pirates

Through a scheduling quirk, the Tigers and White Sox have only played once this season, back on May 18 in Detroit.

The White Sox won in a one-game series, thanks to a rain delay the day before.

The White Sox can’t hit, but they can pitch a little bit. Ironically though, two of their three starters in the series are listed as TBA.

Except for their starter in Game One on Tuesday—Gavin Floyd, who is 2-6 with a 6.64 ERA.

But who cares about him, because Floyd will be going up against Galarraga, who’ll be making his first start since last week’s debacle.

Think there’ll be a few extra media people in attendance tomorrow night?

Rick Porcello makes his first career start at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday night, while Max Scherzer makes his first career start against the White Sox, period, on Thursday.

Paul Konerko, 34, is on pace to shatter his career high in home runs (41 in 2004).

Konerko has 17 dingers already. He’s also slugging at a cool .600 rate, which would also easily eclipse his career high (.551 in 2006).

But other than Konerko, the White Sox struggle to produce offense; they are dead last in the AL in team batting average (.241) and have only hit three triples this season (the Tigers have nine).

What can you say about the lovable Pirates?

They’re at a very Pirate-like 23-33, stumbling through yet another MLB season. The Pirates haven’t had a winning season since the FIRST President Bush (1992). What’s more, they don’t ever come close to winning seasons in Pittsburgh.

A typical season is filled with 90+ losses and more odors than an unventilated high school locker room.

The Bucs are on pace for 90 more losses, at least.

This is a team that Don Kelly couldn’t remain with, which is either good news for Kelly or garish news for Tigers fans.

The Pirates’ website banner says “Pride. Passion. Pittsburgh Pirates.”

It’s like a “Sesame Street” game—which of these things is not like the other?

No Pirate has more than eight homers or 35 RBI. The team ERA (5.24) is as unsightly as Rush Limbaugh in a Speedo.

Yeah—looks like another long summer in the Steel City.

But the Tigers need to make some hay this week. The White Sox and Pirates are both going nowhere, and the Tigers are coming off a disappointing 3-3 week against the weakest AL Central sisters—the Indians and Royals.

One last thought about Galarraga: the least MLB can do is credit him with 9-1/3 innings pitched last Wednesday night, don’t you think?

That’s all for this week’s MMM. See you next Monday!