00:00Let's talk Tiger baseball and you might be thinking why why do we have to talk Tiger baseball and I'm
00:05going to tell you because we are at the halfway point they have now played 81 of 162 ball games
00:12so
00:13we can take some inventory it's they are 13 back of 500 we're not talking division we're not talking
00:22wild card we're not talking any of that we're just talking about 13 back because I gave you
00:27the stats last week about the teams that were there's never been a team sub 500 to win a division
00:33there's never been a team sub 500 outside of a lockout season a strike certain season or the
00:40the pandemic that has made the postseason with a losing record so they're going to have to get back
00:45to 500 and to do that right now with where they are they're going to have to be 13 games
00:52above 500
00:53and that would require them for the rest of the season to go 47 and 34 it doesn't seem like
01:00an
01:00astronomical number but for this team I don't think that's possible put it to you this way they
01:08started the month of June and we were so excited to put May behind us the worst month they've had
01:13in
01:1330 years they start June with a sweep of the Rays we're like hey you know what this is what
01:18it's got
01:18to be there we go since their sweep of the Rays they have made up no ground they're nine and
01:24nine
01:24they went from at that time 13 games below 500 to circle back to today still 13 games below 500
01:31so
01:32this sounds like hey it's just gonna be more negative tiger radio I actually think there is
01:37a value in clarity in accepting they are not going to mount some miraculous comeback in accepting that
01:48they need to trade Tarek Skubal and others and that this is a direction that they have been forced
01:53to take but can now maximize to me there is value in clarity and a direction so we can maybe
02:01play
02:01charades and convince ourselves that they're going to do something I think you just accept what they
02:06are at the halfway point and yes and I also think I've accepted the fact that they are in a
02:14position
02:14so a couple of years ago when Scott Harris took over he was talking about the core and and what
02:18players they have to build around and we were all like you know who's really a part of the core
02:23how
02:23many conversations did we have about who is the core um and I think now they are better positioned
02:31because two years ago it was also hey do they trade Skubal we had those conversations at that
02:37two years ago and at that time it was trade you know Flaherty to the Dodgers and it was Erod
02:43it was
02:44you know there was a couple of things that they were trying to do some of them got done some
02:47of them
02:48didn't but it was always the argument about who is the core now we're at a much different position
02:54we're frustrated because we're two years down the road we had a glimpse of what it's like to have
02:59a fun start to a season last year but that was a one-off yeah oh since 2019 that's the
03:06only time
03:07that they've been above above 500 at this point of the season but say that again to people I mean
03:13they might not realize so this is last year was the anomaly the only time they had a winning record
03:16through the midway point right and so they were at 50 and 31 and that okay famously first to 40
03:22first
03:22to 50 first to 60 but that's the outlier that it is the outlier and so now I'm looking at
03:27it as
03:27okay who is the core if they trade Tarek Skubal and they start adding more pieces to this because
03:32you should get some good value in return for Tarek Skubal no one's going to argue that what do they
03:39now have to build around and I think there are much more definite pieces to the core yeah and you
03:45obviously McGonigal would be the the start of that conversation Dingler Dingler would be a part of that
03:51I think Green and the way that he has has adjusted his approach at the plate this year cutting down
03:57on the
03:57strikeouts he's been he's been good since a slow start can I give you another name who may soften
04:03the blow in the inevitable Skubal trade Troy Melton's been kicking ass that's also that because
04:09if you move on from Tarek Skubal all right who's going to be your ace and next year you would
04:14still
04:14expect because you're paying Fambra Valdez that he would be that ace and the last two starts we've
04:19seen that now you have Troy Melton you're going to get some other players Jackson Job Olsen like you
04:26have some pieces that if you if you take if you if you just treat this as a a business
04:33and look at it
04:35take emotion out of it and the fandom out of it you have a a shit this could be a
04:41watershed moment
04:43where you could set your team up for future success okay we're frustrated right now we're disappointed
04:48we're angry we're all those things but you could start to parlay some of these things into a better
04:55future for Tigers fans and the organization ding ding ding Tom you were the first to alert us to
05:01this that they are at the midway point 81 games and you wanted to ask the question to us and
05:07to our
05:07listeners how do you describe the season right that's the question how do you describe this season
05:13yeah and I mean to me the easy words disappointment um I think my word is probably frustrated this team's
05:21better than this I mean look they're not this bad they weren't as good as they were at some of
05:27these
05:27points in the last two seasons but just the the hitting and you know that I was a bullpen guy
05:32but
05:32this has really shifted to the hitting here for me when they kind of you know thought hey they might
05:37be able to climb out of this and give us something to care about in July but you look at
05:41guys like
05:42last night Carpenter 0 for 4 hitting in the second spot I actually think one of the things that has
05:47been revealing to me in the last couple days is they should explore trading him and you know I like
05:53him and a lot of people like him around here but that could be very appealing a left-handed bat
05:59at the
05:59deadline I wouldn't be angry with it because I don't feel he's part of the core I don't think he's
06:05part
06:05of the long-term future um and to your point in regards to the uh the lack of offense uh
06:12this then
06:13this is something I found on Twitter Tigers data the Tigers have lost 24 games allowing four or less
06:19runs that's the most in major league baseball they've lost 12 games allowing three or less runs also
06:26most in major league baseball and they've lost five games allowing two or less runs and that's fifth
06:33in major league baseball so the pitching while it's been a bit of a roller coaster and it's been
06:38frustrating at times the pitching and defense has given this team opportunity to get wins yeah it's
06:46been the offense that has been the most consistent poor performer I mean if you ask me to describe the
06:53season I would say let down because of where we were at on opening day but I'd also say self
06:59-inflicted
07:00because they did this to themselves ignoring their offense I feel very vindicated as a guy who's been
07:04shouting about adding a bat for two years uh and the other word I'd use to describe it is over
07:09they're halfway through but it's come on how long are we going to do this dance of win two lose
07:14two
07:15win three lose three they're a 500 ball club that threw away the month of May and as a result
07:20they're
07:20not going to dig out of this and if you accept it maybe that's another word acceptance you can actually
07:25use this your word watershed moment springboard into the future because this is a lost season
07:30that's the other way I'd describe it well that and that's the word I was going to use was lost
07:33it's
07:33a lost season it's a lost opportunity because you've invested so much in the pitching staff and we had
07:39talked about we celebrated the fact that Scott Harris and Chris Illich were spending some money
07:44their top 10 in payroll and we all know you've got it you've got to pay to participate they were
07:49doing
07:49that but they completely ignored the offensive side of things and we were hopeful and optimistic that
07:57they'd be able to keep their head above water until they got to the trade deadline and then they
08:02would add that bat they're just not going to get that opportunity nope yep there's a throwback you
08:10know what there's lesson they're so dependent on having glaber torres in their lineup like again this
08:16has started to spiral here lately because he hasn't been playing so the only right-handed bat of
08:22significance that they've added under Scott Harris's tenure yeah exactly and guess what it's like he's
08:27not part of the future he's not going to be back no I know oof okay I know we'll collect
08:33some text
08:33we'll take some phone calls 248-539-9797 also have an update on Denzel Ward we brought up his name
08:39yesterday should the Lions make a move what's the latest from Cleveland we've got some reporting on that
08:44it's 97-1
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