- 17 hours ago
Where the Tigers will shine and might struggle.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Doug Karsh, Scott Anderson, 97.1.
00:02Hope you're doing great on this MLB opening day for the Detroit Tigers.
00:07Of course, the home opener is next Friday.
00:09And, you know, it's going to be busy because that next Friday,
00:12we're going to have fans that want to go to that game.
00:15And then a lot of fans are probably going to have to turn and go down to
00:17Indianapolis for Michigan to Michigan State in the Final Four.
00:20So it's going to be one of those.
00:21It's going to be a crazy time, but we all look forward to it.
00:24In the meantime, today's our Tiger Prediction Show.
00:27So you tell us, how many wins will this team have,
00:31and why do you think they will settle in at that number?
00:35248-539-9797.
00:36By the way, we record these, and then at the end of the year,
00:40we like to break them out and see who did the best,
00:44who had the best prediction.
00:46So this is going on the record.
00:48There's accountability here, Scott.
00:50There is accountability.
00:50There's accountability.
00:51If you're way off, we will point it out.
00:54Yeah.
00:56As happens to us.
00:57All the time.
01:01Let's go to Mike in Battle Creek.
01:02You're next.
01:03What's up, Mike?
01:04Hey, good morning, gentlemen.
01:06Appreciate the opportunity to talk to you.
01:09That's great.
01:09I can't remember what I told the screener,
01:11but I'm going to go with what I'm thinking.
01:1495 wins, and here is why.
01:19We struggled to get 87 wins last year.
01:23The last month and a half, two months of the season, call it what it is, we sucked.
01:29This team is better than we were last year, and I think we win those games we lost late
01:36July, August, early September by one or two runs here and there.
01:40I think it's an eight-game difference over last year, 95 wins.
01:46Well, there's no question that specifically offensively, they plummeted as the year went on, and their offense was really, really
01:55good at the beginning of the season.
01:58I mean, they were going around, and I think we all said it, and we said it repeatedly.
02:02They might not be the best team in baseball, but they're acting like it.
02:05And they eventually kind of felt like water might have found its level here a little bit.
02:12It wasn't a wildly impressive everyday lineup week in, week out.
02:19But you know what's happened slowly, and I think it's really, I think something that the Tigers really were two
02:26years ago has morphed.
02:29Two years ago, it was pitching chaos.
02:34Now, it's lineup chaos, and nobody blinks an eye when a manager changes a lineup, but you and I have
02:41been looking at the lineup combinations the last few days.
02:45This has a chance to be absolute lineup chaos.
02:48Because they can platoon at nearly every position.
02:51They can go righty-lefty at nearly every position because of the flexibility of guys like McKinstry, Veerling, and Javi
02:59Baez, and others.
03:00I mean, everybody seems like they've got some kind of flexibility here.
03:04And that is an interesting card to hold if you're A.J. Hinch.
03:09However he wants to put his lineup out there, he can do it.
03:13I still think we're going to see some pitching chaos.
03:16I think we're going to see a lot of lineup chaos.
03:19And in the end, I think we're going to like the brand of baseball this team is playing.
03:22I hope we do.
03:23I don't want to be too optimistic about this, but I think that the additions to pitching staff, I'm just
03:30so excited about that.
03:31And the fact that McGonagall made the team out of spring training, there's a lot to like there.
03:37The big unknowns are with the actual everyday lineup is, is this team even more like the first-half team
03:42from last year?
03:43Sure.
03:44Or more like the second-half team from last year?
03:46Well, and...
03:47And will they regret not going out and getting a bat?
03:50Yeah, I mean, their bat that they injected with any kind of expectation is the rookie.
03:56He's the only change to the roster on offense.
03:59When Scott Harris spoke in the offseason, he spoke about, yeah, our bats are going to improve.
04:04And they're kind of counting on Riley Green striking out less.
04:09Will he?
04:11I mean, he should.
04:12He said he's changed his approach.
04:15And, you know, let's say he goes, because he was nearly 200 strikeouts or 205 strikeouts, whatever he had last
04:21year.
04:22If he cuts that down by, you know, by 25 or 30, you're at 175.
04:27And that looks a lot better.
04:29It's still a ton, but it's getting better.
04:31Can he get it down to 150?
04:33You know, that, good God, that's a lot of strikeouts, man.
04:35It's a ton of strikeouts.
04:36And if it's a point of emphasis, I guess we'll find out.
04:40But it's certainly something that seems like there is some effort put into it.
04:45Yeah.
04:45It doesn't mean that he's always getting on base, but it means that, you know, the ball's put in play
04:49where he's drawing a walk.
04:51Spencer Torkelson, the 31 home runs was nice.
04:54The 240 batting average.
04:56I mean, it is what it is.
04:58It certainly would help his OPS if he could bring that up 25 points.
05:01Look, 40 years ago, he'd be laughed at, and he'd be a Gorman Thomas type that, oh, all he can
05:06do is hit home runs and can't do anything else.
05:09Today's baseball, it fits.
05:10You know, you have guys like that because home run is so prevalent in today's game, and everybody's looking at
05:17OPS rather than batting average.
05:19And as long as his OPS is well above average, you're fine with it.
05:23And he was.
05:24Yeah.
05:26Colt Keith, does he take a step forward?
05:28Huge question for Colt Keith.
05:31And he blistered the ball his last spring training game, if I'm not mistaken, or the end of the second
05:38to last spring training game.
05:39He's got the frame to really be powerful.
05:42And he has said last year he sat down and did the interview with Benetti and Dickerson, one of the
05:48things that power has always come to me.
05:50Sometimes it takes a little time for me to adjust, but every season it does.
05:54Every time he moved up a level, it took him a little bit to get adjusted.
05:58And then finally the power stroke would come, and then it'd get promoted again.
06:01Let's hope this is the year with the Tigers that we can see more consistent driving it into the alleys,
06:08getting doubles, or just putting it over the fence.
06:10Because he, I mean, you just look at the guy, you're looking at this guy and thinking he's got to
06:13be a 30 home run guy.
06:15And he's not.
06:16I mean, he's got to threaten 20 before you get to 30.
06:20And what's Parker Meadows going to be?
06:22Huge question.
06:24Huge question.
06:25And yet the answer is, let's say, whether it's good or bad, I think the Tigers have solutions.
06:31If he's not going to be good enough, fair enough, Javi Baez, Matt Fearnling, there's center field.
06:36It's all yours.
06:37And then, you know, Parker Meadows is designated for assignment or whatever.
06:41If he's good enough, great.
06:43Because you know how great he is defensively.
06:45And if he's actually able to hit, he's an asset.
06:47And then you can put him at the top of the lineup because he's got all that speed.
06:51There's upside either way.
06:53I mean, I hate to say it's upside if he fails, but I think there is because they have built
06:57-in solutions.
06:582-4-8-5-3-9-97-97.
07:00It's Karshan Anderson.
07:01We're asking you for your season predictions on the Detroit Tigers, the number of wins, and why you think they'll
07:06settle in at that number.
07:07Mark in El Paso says 90-72 will be the Tigers' record.
07:12He didn't give us a reason why.
07:13Alex Warren says, my Tiger predictions that win 91 games because of pitching at bats will be improved from last
07:18year.
07:19Unnamed texter, sign your text.
07:22I know it's hard to remember to do, but try it when you send a text over.
07:26Remember to include your name.
07:27Tigers win 91 games because Kerry, Tork, Green, and McGonagall combined for 140 home runs.
07:38Kerry, Tork, Green, and McGonagall for how many?
07:41140.
07:41No.
07:42He wrote back, Jordan in a shop.
07:45He signed his text this time.
07:47Okay.
07:47The guy that...
07:48Yes.
07:48Okay.
07:49So you're talking at least 30 home runs on average for all four of those guys.
07:53Yeah.
07:54Yeah, no.
07:56That's lofty.
07:58That's somebody getting a 40.
08:00Yeah.
08:00I mean, look, can...
08:02When you look...
08:02The first three guys there, Green, Torkelson, and Carpenter, can all three of those guys hit 30?
08:10I mean, they could, yeah.
08:11They could.
08:13And then...
08:13That's 90 home runs.
08:14We've got to make up 50 more.
08:16Right.
08:16And so McGonagall's going to hit 50?
08:19Well, if McGonagall hits 20, then you've got to make up 30 more for the other three.
08:22Good luck.
08:2492 wins.
08:25Legit pitching rotation.
08:26Decent relievers.
08:27Better hitting than last season.
08:28That's for an unnamed texter.
08:30Roy Clarkson says, Tigers win 95 games and win the division.
08:32McGonagall finishes second in rookie of the year voting, and that's why we win 95.
08:38Regarding the Pistons, two things.
08:41One, Kevin Herter is going to help this team in the playoffs.
08:43Two, if Asara's not first-team all-defense in the NBA, it's a popularity context.
08:48He's insane on D.
08:51Kevin Herter does everything but make three-pointers.
08:56It's crazy.
08:57It is really weird.
08:58I mean, last night, his drive-and-dish game was great.
09:06And he went 0 for 2 from 3.
09:08He was billed as a three-point shooter.
09:14And whether or not he ever captures that form again, we'll see.
09:21He's shooting 21% from 3 in Detroit.
09:25Actually, it's less than that.
09:27Is it really less than that?
09:28Yeah.
09:29Wow.
09:29I have to do the math here real quick.
09:31But anyway, he did help him last night.
09:37Played some defense.
09:38Got a steal.
09:41Had a couple of assists.
09:43It's the weirdest thing.
09:46And I don't disagree with whoever sent that.
09:48Yeah, he could help him.
09:49And Asara's great on D, yeah.
09:50Jordan in a shop.
09:52I want to give a shout-out to the Pistons for allowing New Haven Junior Hoops team to four-and
09:56-a-half time.
09:56My daughter had a blast on the court.
09:58Best Piston experience of my life last night.
10:00There you go, Jordan.
10:01That's cool.
10:0219.2%.
10:0319.2% is what he's shooting from three?
10:07Yeah.
10:08And yet, Holmes.
10:09And he's doing everything else.
10:10Holmes has said that he's going to help him in the playoffs.
10:14I don't necessarily disagree with that.
10:15No, I don't disagree either.
10:16It's like, put the guy out there.
10:18He'll play solid defense.
10:19He'll grab some rebounds.
10:21He distributes the basketball well.
10:22He's going to make everything going to the rack.
10:24Jack, just if he's behind the arc, pass it.
10:27Yeah.
10:28Which is crazy, because that's your calling card.
10:31248-539-9797.
10:33All right, hey, get your predictions in.
10:35Tiger season, the number of wins, the reason why you think they'll have that number of wins.
10:38We will keep knocking down your phone calls.
10:40I know a lot of people send texts over.
10:42There's a lot of texts that come in.
10:43The only way we can guarantee that you're going to be recorded is if you call the show,
10:47because we take all these down, and at the end of the year, we revisit it,
10:50and we praise those who do the best with this.
10:54How many wins will they have this year, people?
10:56It's Carson Anderson, 97-1.
Comments