Mario gets a taste of 'Minnesota Nice', Manny dives onto the DL

Manny being Manny - bumbling around in left field and finding ways to sabotage my team

The last time Mar and I played PTP, it was in Reagan International Airport waiting for our flight back to Milwaukee.  We once again continued our road rolling ways, this time in Roseville, Minnesota over a Summit EPA and a plate of hot wings.  Irritated that both Spencer and Nick sat above me in the standings, it was time to give Mario a dose of 'Minnesota Nice'.

Game 1:  Felix Hernandez @ Andy Pettite
Newly acquired King Felix was finally ready for his first start as a Tiger, and he didn't disappoint - scattering 5 hits over the full 9 innings, and allowing only 2 runs.  Those 2 runs were not enough to earn Mar the win, as the Tiger offense was active early, using a Manny sac fly and a Adrien Beltre 2-run blast to put 3 up on the board in the top of the first.  Elvis Andrus scored new cog Ben Zobrist on a 2-out RBI single in the 2nd, a solo homer by Paully Konerko in the 6th, followed by a Paully RBI-single in the 8th, made it 6-2, and Mario had no offensive counter.
Torto wins 6-2

Game 2:  Doug Fister @ Jared Weaver
Mar felt better about this pitching matchup, as he had his #1 ace on the mound.  This feeling didn't last though, as my Tigers' bats exploded in the middle innings.  My squad got on the board in the 1st again,  this time on another Cap'n Paully RBI-single.  Konerko continued his hot hitting ways, with a 2-run HR in the 3rd.
During the bottom of the fifth, a bizzare roll (and likely a misadventurous route to the ball) had Manny diving for a sinking liner in left, that got by him for a double all score.  The roll for injury proved disastrous, costing the dreadlocked Dominican 30 games, essentially the entire season, unless I somehow find my way into games 6 or 7 in a World Series.
But back to the game, the top of the 6th rolled around, and Weaver got himself into trouble, giving up a 3-run HR to the Grandyman, then a series of doubles, walks, and singles that ended the inning with the score at 8-naught. Fister (I hardly knew her?) was absolutely lights out thru 7, and the pile-one runs kept coming with the Tigers scoring 1 in the 7th, 4 in the 8th, and another 5 in the 9th, the highlight being a Ben Zobrist GRAND SLAM.  Last man out of the bullpen, Franky Francisco, cruised thru the last two innings in Fister's stead, and the rout was mercifully over.
Torto wins 18-0 

Game 3:  Gavin Floyd @ C.C.Sebathia
Now desparate to salvage something out of this series, Mario called on his big bad #2, C.C. to stop the bleeding.  Unfortunately, my squad often enjoys battering around lefties, particularly those with poor hold/arm combos, and this game was no exception.  Mario was out to a 2-1 lead thru 6, but CC was gotten to in a bad way in the top of the 7th, touching him up for 5 with the bulk of the runs coming in on a bases loaded base-clearing double by Beltre.  To add to Mar's misery, the Rabbits were running wild, stealing 5 bases and generally drawing out the game to an annoying length.  Mario couldn't navigate thru my bullpen combo of Duensing, Crain, and Balfour in the 7th, 8th, and 9th, and again went down quietely.
Torto wins 6-2
Torto sweeps 3-0 

And since Manny can't follow the simple instructions we gave him when in the field (just let everything fall in front of you), and is injured for the duration of the regular season, the Tigers will be calling up one Edwin Encarnacion from the minors to fill out the roster.

APD anytime soon?

The subject of this post says it all. Do we have an APD on the horizon anytime soon?
I feel like out PTP playing has gone by the wayside (the waysides where gay sex happens, not the good waysides like on the way to the Dells).

We need to get some dates thrown out there, so some of us can ask off work.

Personally I have Sat Sept 24th open and October 1st (although there is the WISCO/NEBASKO game we may be drinking at that day.

Let's get our shit together and make this happen!

-Archie Cianfracco

NL Playoffs - Nick vs. Fish

Phillips Wisconsin




The much anticipated NL Playoff Series between Nick Ewoldt and Scott Fisher was played over Labor Day Weekend. Let me tell you about it:

Game 1: Oswalt vs. Latos

Nick was on the board early with Heisy reaching base on a fielder’s choice and was promptly scored on a Polanco triple. Polance would score on a David Wright double. That would be more than enough for Oswalt as he had it on lock going the distance, 9 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts. Nick wins 3-1.
WP – Oswalt
LP – Latos

Game 2: Padilla vs. Cain

More offensive output here – it started in the top of the 4th with a lead off walk to C. Gonzalez, scored quickly on a two run home run by Prince Fielder. Fish scored in the bottom of 4th with a solo home run from the Hanigans. Nick would score again in the top of the 6th on a two run blast by Ethier. It was answered in the bottom of the frame with a two run home run by Joey Votto. Nick would score his Badger Mutual Insurance run in the top of the 7th on a Infante solo home run, Nick wins 5-4.

WP-Padilla
LP- Cain
Save – Gregerson

Game 3: Wood vs. Hanson

This was the most important and series changing game. Great pitching would dominate the outset. Fish took the lead in the top of the 5th when T Plush scored after a bases loaded walk. Nick would come back and take the lead in the bottom of the 8th on a two run double by off all people Alfonaso Soriano. In the top of the 9th, Nick brought on Gregerson to close out the game, however he allowed a lead off single to Tyler Colvin, then a bunt single by Nyjer Morgan. At this point, Fish substituted Matt Cain for the Hanigans to try a sacrifice bunt, it was bunted and Nick the option to try and throw out the lead runner or retire the batter at 1st – he choice poorly. Colvin slides in safe at third with the bases loaded and no outs. Votto, a Clutch Batter, rolled what would normally be a foul ball, but with Clutch batter and without the Jam on Gregerson’s card, it turned into a double, scoring two runners to take the lead. Marmol would come on in the 9th for the save. Fish wins 3-2.

WP- Wagner
LP – Gregerson
Save – Marmol

Game 4: Silva vs. Kennedy

Fish would score early in the game with two run double by Jose Reyes. Nick answered with a bases loaded Hit’s Batter in the bottom of the 2nd, but could not muster any additional runs in the frame. Fish broke the game open in the top of the 6th on back to back doubles by HOF players C. Jones and J. Edmonds, then followed by a single from Morgan and double by Hanigan. Fish wins 6 -2

WP – Loe
LP – Kennedy

Game 5: Latos vs. Oswalt

Fish had better luck against Oswalt this time around, with a top of the 2nd RBI double from Jose Reyes and a two run home run from Jim Edmonds. Nick would score one run against Latos, an RBI single from Ether. Marmol would come on to close it out in the 9th. Fish wins 3-1.

WP – Latos
LP – Oswalt
Save – Marmol

Game 6: Padilla vs. Cain

Fish struck quickly and hard in the bottom of the 3rd when Dan Uggla hit a three run home run. Nick answered in the top of the 6th when Prince Fielder hit a two run home run. Uggla responded in the bottom of the frame to hit a solo home run, which was enough to win the game and the series. Fish wins 5 – 3.

WP – Cain
LP – Padilla
Save – Marmol

Series MVP – Matt Cain for the bunt fielder’s choice in Game 3 and Win in Game 6. All kidding aside, the series was very close and all games were very well pitched. Hats off to Nick on the year and the great series!

Coolest Bobblehead Ever?

The Tiger's current AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens were first brought to national recognition by Toledo's own cross-dressing Corporal Klinger in the oft-funny, sometimes depressing drama-dy, M*A*S*H*.  Jamie Farr played this character, and was actually from Toledo in real life and often wore Mud Hens jerseys on the show.  So check out this (probably long overdue) sweet bobble - complete with matching skirt and the famous M*A*S*H* "this far to" sign.

Maybe you guys weren't fans of the show, but I was as my parents and grandparents watched it all the time.  I always thought Klinger was funny, especially when he busted out the full dress and makeup whenever the big brass showed up at the camp, just to try and get them to classify him as 'crazy' and send him back home to Toledo.  It never worked though.  Sort of an inadvertent "don't ask, don't tell" situation.

Anyways, I wish I could get one of these, but it will likely be quite a hot item, since they are only giving away 2,000.