Can't Wait Till Baseball Starts

The Detroit Tigers open the 2008 season up against The Kansas City Royals. Its not even Christmas yet and I can't wait till baseball starts. The reason for this is the Detroit Tigers Pitching and Batting line ups.
Granderson, CF. First player since Willie Mays to hit 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 HR's in the same season.
Polanco, 2B. Hardly ever strikes out and it seems like he is always on base. Solid fielder.
Cabrera,3B. Career stats: 138 HR, 523 RBI, .313 BA, 449 R and OBP .388. And he is only 24 years old! Wow
Ordonez,RF. Had a career year last year. Led the league in hitting and was second behind A-Rod in the MVP balloting.
Sheffield, DH. Even though he is in the autumn of his career, he has an explosive bat. Future Hall Of Famer.
Guillen, 1B. In my opinion, he has been one of the most underrated players in the past few years.
Renteria, SS. This is the one player I'm not sure about. He does have good career numbers but I am going to play it safe and say the jury is out on him.
Rodriguez, C. The spark plug for this team. Future Hall Of Famer. I would have to say is probably my favorite player on the team.
Jones/Thames, LF. Jacque Jones and Marcus Thames will probably be platooning at the this spot. Jones is an above average fielder while Thames could probably start on most teams. The dude is an old school power hitter.

Starting Pitching:
Verlander, RHP. For as young as he is, the guy pitches like a veteran. Can bring the heat.
Bonderman, RHP. I am hoping he can put together a complete year. Seems like he always starts off hot but has a second half let down.
Willis, LHP. One of the reasons I am excited about this year. To have this guy as your possible third or fourth starter. WOW!
Rogers, LHP. Probably his last year. He is a work horse and is like having an extra pitching coach to help along the youngsters on the pitching staff.
Robertson, LHP. I have never really big a big fan of this guy. He seems to always blow up around the third or fourth innings. Hopefully with all the other talent on the staff maybe he can relax and just pitch.

They are saying that this team is going to push for a World Series Title. Which scares me a little. Hope they dont put to much pressure on themselves to win. But it is very nice to know they are already talking about how great the Tigers are before the season starts. That is something Tiger fans are not use to.

Thanks

Earlier this week Lloyd Carr announced his retirement. He started the press conference with a poem. I tought it was perfect.

By your own soul learn to live.

If some men thwart you, take no heed.

If some men hate you, have no care.

Sing your song, dream your dream.

Hope your hope and pray your prayer.

Thanks Lloyd.

Dropping The "F" Bomb!

Well yesterday Michigan had their asses handed to them by Ohio State 14-3. Right before halftime I really thought the momentum was starting to go Michigan's way. But to many missed opportunities just killed them. Too many dropped balls. The O-line just looked over matched. Ending result, another year of being Ohio States bitch. I no longer hate them, I loath them. Now word is that Lloyd Carr will announce his retirement tomorrow morning. I may be in the minority here but I really was hoping this wasn't going to be the end result. Here is a very good article from Detroit Free Press writer Mitch Album. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071118/SPORTS06/71118039
There is actually a point he makes that made I also made the other night in my blog about Lloyd. Well I suppose i can chalk this up as lost weekend. But I did find this clip today and it made me laugh.
Lee Corso totally hits the nail on the head and pretty much describes how I was feeling yesterday watching the game. This is why I love Lee Corso. I am back on the road to recovery.

BO

On the eve of this years Michigan, Ohio State game I had to write about the legendary coach Bo Schembechler. When I was 11 years old, back on Jan 1st 1983, my Dad and Uncle took me to the Rose Bowl to watch Michigan face UCLA. It was the first time I had ever seen them play. I can remember so much about the game still, 24 years later. I remember seeing the team drive up to the stadium, on the team bus. I was cheering my little heart out. Waving at the team as they drove by. I can remember seeing Bo sitting at the front of the bus opposite the driver. It was the first time I can remember seeing a famous person. We then made our way into the stadium to our seats. I was so excited. I was almost jumping out of my skin. Then the Wolverines took the field lead by Bo. The Michigan marching Ban played "The Victors". ( The best fight song EVER!) I had tears in my eyes I was so excited. I felt as though I was in Heaven. The only thing that would have made it a better day is if Michigan had won. They ended up losing 24-14. I had gone from tears of joy to tears of disappointment. Even though they lost, it was a great day and an experience I will never forget.
The next day I wrote a letter to Bo, telling him that I was sorry about loss. When my Uncle heard I had sent Bo Schembechler a letter, he told me that Bo would be to busy to respond to a letter from me. At the time it made sense. So I kind of forgot all about it. That February my uncle passed away suddenly. By this time I had totally forgotten about the letter. But then I came home from school one day about a week after my uncle's funeral and there was a letter post marked from The Sports Information Department of The University of Michigan. When I opened it, there was a black and white photo of Bo. Signed " To Mark. Go Blue! Bo Schembechler" Now I have never really been lucky. But I assume I felt the way someone would feel once they found out they just won the lottery. I couldn't believe it. He actually took the time to do such a thing for some 11 year old kid who he would never meet. But what I have read about Bo, this is something not out of the ordinary. Now through the years I have had a few memorable moments. But this was definitely my first. I still have photo. In the same frame my Dad rushed out to get at Thrifties after he came home from work. I only wish it had come a few weeks earlier, so I could have shown my Uncle. Thanks Bo.

Woody

Even Woody Hayes loves Michigan Football!!!

Lloyd

Its been a while since I have written anything and since one of my passions is Michigan Football, I just had to write my thoughts on this past year and Lloyd Carr. Michigan started the season with two very bad losses. Like a lot of other Michigan fans, I was calling for Lloyd Carr's job. Total knee jerk reaction. I have to say I am actually worried that he may leave the program. As the saying goes " Be careful for what you wish for. It may come true." Now I know eventually a new coach will take over the Maize and Blue. But who is out there that can take the program to the next level? I am really worried that if Carr leaves and a new coach is brought in, that Michigan fans will be very disappointed. Look what has happened in South Bend. The new coach would be asked to perform miracles and win at an almost unheard of rate. Carr's record is 121- 39. His bowl record is 5-7. In comparison here is Bo Schembechler's record 194-48-5. Bowl record 5-12. So I think its fair to say that Carr has continued a solid winning tradition that any college football program would be envious of. Sure our Bowl record sucks. It sucked before Carr took over and to be honest when it comes to the bowl games I have always expected the worse. That's just the pessimist in me. If we win a bowl game, great. If not, there is always next year. This weekend is the classic match up Michigan, Ohio State. The One Game Season. The Rivalry. Carr has struggled against the Buckeyes the last few years. If this is to be Carr's last season, I am hoping the team can rally around him and send him out on a winning note. GO BLUE !!!

Down In Front

I love going to the movies. I often go with my Dad. It is something we have done for years. It is quality time we spend with each other. But sometimes our taste in movies is quite different and if there is something I want to see but know he wouldn't enjoy, I go by myself. On these occasions, I like to sit in the only seat where a movie can be really appreciated. Front row. Center seat. Right smack dab up against the screen. I want to be entertained. If I can be seated in the front row of the largest screen possible, why would I sit anywhere else? If I want to sit back from a distance to watch a movie, I can do that at home, in my living room. For me going to the movies is an experience. It's about getting there early to watch the trailers. It's about the smell of popcorn (which I never buy cause I am a cheap ass). Its about the surround sound and it is most definitely about the screen. There is just something about sitting up that close to a screen that large. So the next time you are at the movies, stuffing your faces with overly priced popcorn and candy. Sitting halfway in back of the theater. Watching a movie and getting a view as though you watching it on T.V. at home. I'll be drinking my smuggled in soda and eating my smuggled in candy bar. Enjoying the experience of being at the movies down in front.

Get Over It!

As you will come to find out I am a huge University of Michigan Football fan. I have no affiliation to the school except that I was born in Michigan and I have followed Michigan Football close to 25 years because my Dad brain washed me. Also those helmets are absolutely beautiful. Anyways, at the moment the team is going through some bad times. First 4 game losing streak since 1967 and during this streak a loss to a 1AA school. Things that I am not use to. But during this streak, I am doing better than expected. But what really gets me is fans of The Ohio State University (tOSU). Up until a few years ago, I always rooted for tOSU whenever they played against someone other than Michigan. Why would I do this? Because I would rather play and have a chance to ruin an undefeated season for tOSU. I always felt better about a win against a really good team instead of a mediocre team. But when it comes to tOSU, not anymore. I have, for a few years now, openly rooted against tOSU and will continue to do so.
I have a close friend that lives in Ohio. And of course, I have been given shit, by him, over the current status of the team. He was giving me a hard time about how Michigan's RB, Mike Hart, is losing his stock for the NFL Draft and how Michigan RB's usually don't do so well in the NFL by( sarcastically) saying "like all those other great Michigan RB's in the NFL". Then proceeds to name off RB's that even I have forgotten about that played for Michigan. Now I couldn't even tell you who tOSU's RB for this year is let alone from 10 or 15 years ago. It just amazes me how much they follow Michigan Football. On The M Zone site, http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/, there are more responses from tOSU fans than Michigan fans sometimes. Can't they just be happy with there own team and look forward to "The Game" at the end of each season? Apparently not.
So Michigan lost to Appalachian State, a former 1-AA school, currently a back to back National Champion for FCS ( Football Championship Subdivision ). They are calling the greatest upset in college football history. Its actually a very good story, something they usually make Hollywood movies about. Its been two weeks since the defeat and yes it still is very humbling. Congratulations. The better team won. Now it's time to move on.
P.S. To all tOSU fans..... GET OVER IT! And I hope the Washington Huskies rack up 50 on you bastards this weekend!!!

What am I getting myself into?

My best friend Jerry has been blogging for a while now, http://www.onesidedwar.blogspot.com, and every so often he mentions how I should blog about a certain subject or an event that has happened. Jerry, in my opinion, is very talented writer and has a very unique way of looking and describing things. So if you want well written and interesting things to read about, read his blog. Here you will be reading my ill attempts at trying to explain myself and the way I see things. Which I am warning you is often not very clear or understood, even by myself. So here we go!