Why I don't believe this Magnum PI clip

Look, I loved Magnum PI like everyone else did. And I LOVE 1980s baseball... so you would think this clip of Magnum at a bar with Tigers greats Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker would be goosebump worthy for me.

But there's something about it that doesn't ring true for me. Watch the clip and we'll discuss it.






Magnum is such a huge Tigers fan and yet he doesn't recognize the greatest double play combo in the team's history?

It's not like it was Barbaro Garbey, Marty Castillo or Rusty Kuntz in the bar with him.

So yeah, he would have recognized them, even in street clothes.
A Tigers fan in the 1980s would have recognized them if they were in full clown make up.

And why the hell were Trammell and Whitaker in such a lousy bar?

It made Magnum look like an uncool doofus. Sorry, that's impossible.

While the clip is well intentioned, THIS fan isn't buying it.

Good luck Victor Martinez

Victor Martinez has moved on from the Red Sox. There was no post season glory with him behind the plate. Heck the Sox never won a post season game in the year and a quarter he called Fenway home.

But he got a few hits for the Sox, made an All Star team and was a likable enough guy to root for.

This Red Sox fan wishes him well as he goes off to Detroit.

Meanwhile with Martinez gone and Beltre certain to go elsewhere, Theo is piling up some draft picks. He knows that the Sox will pick at least 4 times before the second round is up.

So either the Red Sox will be sniffing around for some big time free agent knowing that their draft won't be blown... or they could be ready to deal some prospects because the cupboard could be replenished next summer.

Either way, the winter is starting to get interesting in Boston.
Good luck in Detroit, Victor.
You'll look good with the Old English D.

Didn't you used to be Andrew Miller?

In 2006, the Tigers drafted Andrew Miller, a top prospect out of UNC. He was a Golden Spikes nominee, the top pitching prospect in college and the #6 pick overall.

He was in the big leagues later that year and looked like he was going to be the real deal.

By the end of the 2007 season he was a key part of the trade to bring Miguel Cabrera, one of the legit MVP candidates in the game, and was off to Florida to be part of their youth movement.

He was going to fit right in with Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez as the Marlins became an unlikely winner.

Right?

He's now 25 years old and was dealt to my Red Sox... and not for a legit MVP candidate but for Dustin Richardson, an OK but not exactly great reliever on the Boston/Pawtucket shuttle.

Not exactly breaking up the farm system for a guy who 5 seasons ago was picked ahead of Tim Lincecum.

Imagine if the Red Sox can harness that talent. OK, maybe not Lincecum level... but what if he could be a kick ass left hander out of the pen? What if he can put his being rushed to the bigs in Detroit and being on and off the DL in Florida behind him?

What if they stole a stud?

Or how about this?

What if the Red Sox call the Tigers and see if they can deal Miller back to them for Cabrera?
Hey, it is worth the phone call!

Rest in Peace, Sparky Anderson

One of my favorite figures in all of baseball died today. Sparky Anderson was one of the great managers of all time and don't let any moron tell you differently.

He turned the Cincinnati Reds into one of the great teams in history without a legit Cy Young contending ace.

He turned around a Detroit Tigers team and put together one of the great all together ass whuppin' seasons of the past three decades in 1984.

He was the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues as a manager. (He's since been joined by Tony LaRussa.)

And damn he was a funny nice guy.
I met him at a Hall of Fame function and he was chatty, friendly and was an overwhelming force of positive energy.

I reminded him that he was great on that episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.
He laughed and said "How the hell did you remember that?"
Then he went on telling me how much fun the cast was.

He's gone now, but his legacy in Cincinnati and Detroit will live forever.

And in honor of the great Sparky... here's his appearance on KRP.




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Was it really necessary to play a double header between the Orioles and Tigers yesterday?

Did even the fans in Baltimore want to see these two games?

I mean I guess the 20,000 fans who paid to see the games must have been happy to see the birds win both games. But it is one team that played well to avoid 100 losses playing a team that has to run the table to finish about .500.

One lousy team versus an underachiever who has as much chance to play a meaningful game this October as the Seattle Pilots.

I think the baseball world could have still turned if they just played one game and each team finished the season with 161 games.

Now I didn't watch the games (No, I wasn't going to spend my Friday night watching TWO Tigers/Orioles games!) but were there really 20,000 people there?

20,000 people showed up to watch these two teams. I know that isn't a great crowd, but this wasn't a great match up.

Baltimore is a sleeping giant, folks. If 20,000 fans could show up to see this lemon of a match up... then there might very well be a rabid fan base just waiting for a winner.

Do your job, Buck Showalter. You could become a Baltimore God.

This Red Sox fan says BRING BACK JOHNNY DAMON

According to ESPN Boston, the Red Sox have claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from Detroit. Now that DOESN'T mean he is automatically going to Boston. That just means in the post Waiver Wire deadline, the Tigers can only make a deal with the Sawx.

Well why not?
Are people still bitter about how he left the Red Sox for the Yankees?
GET OVER IT! That was 5 years ago and the Red Sox have won a World Series since then.

We need to be less petty about things. And wouldn't it be nice to have a GOOD conclusion with a former Red Sox star?

Why does everyone have to be on the Ungraceful Exit Red Sox Team?

We've been starting Bill Hall in left field too often for my taste. Maybe a little bit of Damon's ability and willingness to crash into the wall can rub off on Ryan Kalish.

Who knows? Maybe Johnny can spark a big comeback for the Red Sox.

Either way, I like amicable good byes and if there is tension between me and someone else, I like to resolve it.

Maybe Dice-K can let him wear #18 for the last few months.

I say WELCOME BACK