Stoney's Six Pack 7-14-11
I know its been too long for the six-pack, but that is what happens when you go on the wagon for a little bit. So,to compensate i will give you an extra six-pack for your summer fun.
This six-pack deals with the Tigers and their ability, or lack thereof, to win the division.
Six pack number 1: Six reasons the Tigers will win the division
1.They have the two best players in the division namely Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera.
2.Max Scherzer will regain his form from the second half of 2010 and give the Tigers a dominant 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.
3. Magglio Ordonez will continue to get better. Ordonez got off to a horrific start and is hitting just .217 at the break ,but hit .268 in June and is over .300 this month
4.The bullpen.Jose Valverde will drive you crazy but he is 22 of 22 in save opportunities and if that continues the Tigers only have to worry about the first 8 innings.
5. Brandon Inge. What you might say, but stay with me here .There is no possible way Inge can get any worse. Imagine how much better the offense would be if he even managed to get his average up to .230. or even hit .230 from now on. Then again maybe he won't so his butt may be put on the bench but whomever his replacement may be is guaranteed to be at least 40 points better than Inge.
6. The Reversal. The last few seasons the Tigers have been horrible after the all-star break. The last few seasons the Tigers have been bad in their own division while feasting on the National League. This season they are 18-8 in the division and were a sub par 7-11 in inter league play.They are done with the National League and play the bulk of their schedule against the division. If the numbers hold up they will win the division.
Bonus Six Pack: The six reasons the Tigers will not win the division
1.The Rotation. For the sake of argument lets suppose that Justin Verlander continues to be amazing. Is there anyway based on what we have seen from the other starters that this batch of starters are capable of doing enough to win this thing? And dare I say what would happen if Verlander turns from great to just good.
2. Second Base. Whether its Raburn,Guillen,Santiago,Kelly, Worth,or even Rhymes again,this could be the worst position in baseball.
3. Third Base.Do I need to say anything else
4.Will the guys who were pleasant surprises before the break do as well after? Perralta,Avila,Boesch,and Albuquerque were very good. Dare we think what will happen if they do what many thought they would do before the season.
5. Austin Jackson is starting to hit the ball again, but he still strikes out way too much. I am sorry a leadoff guy on pace to strikeout over 180 times is not something that division winners are made of.
6. History. Jim Leyland has not had a winning post All Star-break record in any of his five previous seasons as Tigers manager. In fact his five-year record post break is 30 games under 500. If you believe in trends and history the numbers speak for themselves and the Tigers will be on vacation in October once again.
So which of the six-packs is a more accurate barometer of what is to come? We will soon find out, but if I had to bet on what the Tigers will be doing on October 1, I would have to say the only playoffs they will be seeing is from their couches. Hopefully I will be wrong.
