[net.sport.baseball] Tiger info wanted

iz521 (04/16/83)

     Baseball is back!! Although I don't think the Tigers will win their
   division this year, I do think they finish around third, far above
   the indians (sorry, R. Barry). Even so, this is no reason not to root
   for the Tigers to prove me wrong, and go all the way. The biggest
   problem is keeping track of the current issues with the Tigers since
   I live in California. For some reason the Tigers don't get much
   coverage out here. They keep writing about some team called the A's
   (something or other about the pennant). Anyways it gets quite boring
   for a loyal Detroit fan. A paper called 'USA Today' is a little better,
   but not much. So I'm turning to net.sports.base. Please help. If you
   are a Detroit fan or even an enemy (as long as your news is current),
   could you please tell me what is happening with the Tigers. You can
   post the news (who knows how many other displaced, Tiger fans are 
   around), or send it to me direct. I hope you can find me because I've
   never done anything except post news.


					     R. Smith
                                          (619)455-0779

gayde (04/19/83)

So you want Tiger info! Well, you asked the right question!  I'm a
long-time Tiger fan (as Ernie Harwell would say) and I was lucky
(or unlucky, depending on your point of view) enough to have attended
the near perfect game pitched by Milt Wilcox last Friday (4/15) in
Chicago (where I live).  It was AWESOME, I'll never forget it as long
as I live.  You could just FEEL the intensity from the 4th inning on,
and to have the Sox fans pulling for a Tiger pitcher was an interesting
experience.  It was a TREMENDOUS letdown to see Jerry Hairston's hit
scream up the middle on the first pitch with 2 out in the 9th. He's
the same batter I saw hit a pinch-hit 2 run homer with 2 out in the 9th
last year to beat the Tigers 3-2!  Oh well, it's something I can tell
my grandchildren about!

Anyway, the Tigers look excellent on paper this year. Here's a run down
as I see it:

	Catcher:	The best in the business, Lance Parrish.
	1st Base:	Lots to choose from; Rick Leach against
			right-handers, Mike Ivie against left-
			handers and Enos Cabell to fill in.
	2nd Base &
	Shortstop:	Whitaker and Trammell, need I say more.
	3rd Base:	Tom Brookens and Howard Johnson have
			been platooning, both are hitting well
			but neither is a Nettles or Brooks Robinson
			with the glove.
	Left Field:	Larry Herndon, still hitting well but
			fielding has been a little sloppy early in
			the season.
	Center Field:	Chet Lemon, playing very well of late and
			hitting for average; Kirk Gibson just had
			surgery to remove some bone chips from his
			left knee but is available to pinch hit. If
			he could just stay healthy!
	Right Field:	Glenn Wilson, a SUPER young player.  He's
			hitting about .350 and is solid in the field.
			Lynn Jones is an able backup.
	Starters:	THE BIG QUESTION MARK again, just like every
			year.  Dan Petry has started well but Jack
			Morris has struggled, as has Jerry Ujdur.  As
			for Milt Wilcox, how much better can you get.
	Relievers:	They've looked very good so far, expecially
			Aurelio Lopez and Dave Rozema.

Any more discussion about the Tigers would be more than welcome!

			Go Get 'Em Tigers!
			Peter Gayde
			Western Electric
			Naperville, IL