• Jose Iglesias made one of the most spectacular plays you will ever see on Monday night.  Charging a ball that was blooped just over the mound, Iglesias barehanded it while already getting in position for a submarine toss to first while basically flying through the air.  And he nabbed his man by a half-step.  You’d be hard-pressed to find a better play this year, or ever. (See it here)  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to congratulate Iglesias for his hard-earned base on balls in his first at-bat last night (and a second later in the game).  It had been an almost-shocking 106 trips to the dish since Jose was last awarded a free ticket to first.  Granted, with Iglesias lacking in power, pitchers tend to go right after him without fear of the ball leaving the park.  But even so, not every pitcher is Greg Maddux, and at least once or twice a week, you should come across a semi-wild moundsman who uncorks four bad one before three good ones.  It just requires the patience and discipline to let it happen.   
  • Jim Leyland’s crew has no problem scoring runs (2nd in the majors behind Boston), but nobody’s ever going to confuse this plodding bunch with the Go-Go Sox.  The Tigers have stolen a grand total of one base in their last 20 games (Torii Hunter).  I’m not saying it’s a reason to panic.  But it is worth noting that when you get deeper into the playoffs and temperatures start dropping, long balls are harder to come by and a free base every so often can be quite valuable (the Giants had 3 SB’s in last year’s Fall Classic; the Tigers had none).  Remember, that historic Red Sox comeback against the Yankees in 2004 was all set into motion by a critical 9th inning Dave Roberts steal. The Tigers don’t necessarily have that kind of player capable of creating havoc on the basepaths.
  • Whenever you feel yourself getting a little bit down about the Tigers, like when they go into a mini-funk, just remember that this is what the lineup looked like 15 years ago:

C - Paul Bako (how he carved out 12 years in the bigs remains life’s greatest mystery)

1B - Tony Clark (would often wait until mid-May to hit first HR)

2B - Damion Easley (27 home runs, 100 runs batted in, 138 asterisks)

3B - Joe Randa (if Travis Fryman was Kenny G., Randa was Dave Koz; did his best to imitate a star, but ultimately left you feeling empty inside)

SS - Deivi Cruz (routinely dug into his postgame meal during the middle innings)

LF - Luis Gonzalez (swatted 57 HR three years later; for a different club, obviously)

CF - Brian Hunter (based his game off of Wesley Snipes’ character in Major League)

RF - Bob Higginson (most forget that he was known as “Bob” in early part of career)

DH - Geronimo Berroa (slugged 80+ HR in the three years prior; hit one for the Tigers)

These are truly the dog days of summer and the Tigers are scuffling just a bit; but always remember: The players mentioned above are gone. They are never coming back.  

And for that, we are grateful.