Stoney's Six Pack 11-4-13
By: Mike Stone
@stoney16
1. If you believe everything you read from baseball people, the Tigers hiring of Brad Ausmus is a great move. Players, writers and management people rave about the intelligence and personality of the 44 year old former catcher. A wise person once told me not to believe everything you read and in this case I agree. Ausmus may turn out to be a great manager, but there is no way anyone can know how a guy with no experience will fare. If they tell you otherwise they are lying. It is a risky move that could be great or could be a disaster. There is no track record for Ausmus at all. I can't rip it or applaud it. If that's fence sitting, so be it. All I know my first choice was Ozzie Guillen and he is currently on a beach somewhere in Venezuela.
2. Here are the managers Dave Dombrowski hired in his career as a general manager that were not named Jim Leyland.
Tom Runnels, Rene Lacheman, John Boles, Tony Perez, Luis Pujols and Alan Trammell.
3. Michigan's record against Michigan State and Ohio State is now 2-10 in their last 12 games against their two biggest rivals. I guess the Wolverines are the bitch of both schools right now.
4. While everyone talks about how MSU manhandled the Michigan offensive line, the aspect of the Spartan defense that impressed me the most was their secondary. They are just more physical and tougher than Michigan's. Blake Countess and Ramon Taylor are fine players, but they are all finesse. They are not physical. Darqueze Dennard and Kurtis Drummond in particular are physical, in your face players that can change games. Michigan needs those type of players.
5. Are we sure the Wings are better off in the East. Besides the two hiccups against Phoenix, the Red Wings have registered points in all their five other games against the West. They have looked like a much better team on the current road trip. Tomas Tatar is proving that he should never see Grand Rapids again. Hopefully we will soon say the same thing about Gustav Nyquist.
6. The Pistons definitely look like a much better team through their first three games. I do understand why Josh Smith is such an enigma. He has played pretty well in two of their first three games, but his 11 three point attempts Friday night in Memphis is inexcusable.
