Hyun-Jin Ryu "Sings" and Struggles in "Smile Again"

The Dodgers' Korean teddy bear / rookie sensation Hyun-Jin Ryu made his K-Pop debut today, teaming up and "singing" with K-pop stars to raise money for charity. While it's great to see Ryu act all awkward in the Dodgers dugout (see below), it's a little painful to see him act like a seventh-grader at his first junior high school dance when standing next to his K-pop costar. She's doing the obligatory flirting... and he is having none of it. Unless he's playing the "ignore her" game to make her want him even more. In that case, playaaaaaaaaaa!!



Nevertheless, famously stoic on the field, Ryu finally gives us his emotional struggle face (credit: Chad Moriyama):

Hopefully we'll see a lot more of that face in 2014. And hope to see a lot more of this as well...

Swaggy P in One Play

The essence of Swaggy P, captured in one play...



Credit to kennycity for finding this clip.

The Sixth Swag

And the legend of Swaggy P continues..

Since Mike D'antoni relegated him to a role off of the bench in early November, Nick "Swaggy P" Young's productivity has improved markedly, and he has been a key component of the Lakers' exceeding expectations thus far this year (granted, the expectations were quite low - Vegas predicted they would only win ~34 games this season).

As a starter during the 1st 3 games of this season, Young averaged a meager 8.3 pts per game, shooting 27.3% from the field.

As the sixth man, he has been markedly more productive: 15.3 pts per game, shooting at a 46.1% clip while also averaging 1.1 steals. These numbers are near career-highs for Swaggy P, and if they continue, he may very well make a surprising run for Sixth Man of the Year.

Most impressively, in a league filled with egos more inflated than Bitcoin, Swaggy P handled his demotion rather well it seems. His laid-back demeanor just rolled with the punches, and it looks like his play has benefited from it. How laid back is he? Check out Laker legends doing ridiculously good Swaggy P impersonations:



In the clip above, you may have noticed the "#SwaggyD" banner in front of the studio desk. Young is apparently aspiring (albeit jokingly) to be the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, hence the switch to Swaggy D. I am vehemently against the name change - Swaggy D just makes too much sense.

And speaking of undeserved awards, he was recently named one of GQ's Most Stylish Athletes . Just like his game, this outfit is primarily offensive.



Long live Swaggy P!

.JJ

Happy Thanksgiving

Today, I am thankful for face transplant technology.
Happy Thanksgiving, Nerds! .JJ

Tweet of the Day: David Price, Feminist

Everyone thats traveling for thanksgiving please be careful! Driving conditions will be rough with these storms! Ladies..let ur man drive!
— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) November 26, 2013

While a lesser man may wither under the stress of constant trade rumors, the upstanding David Price rises above the fray to offer helpful advice to the helpless womenfolk of the world. Attention single ladies: you are screwed. Extra points for saving time by using "ur" in lieu of "your."

DISCLAIMER: The Sporting Nerd (TM) acknowledges that David Price's tweet is also noninclusive of gay, lesbian, or bisexual twitter followers. The Sporting Nerd (TM) regrets that we could not come up with a clever way of incorporating this into our post. As such we have reverted to a heteronormotive, yet liberal interpretation in order to facilitate our snarkiness and condescension. We apologize for any inconvenience this may pose. 

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless." 

Paying the Cost to be the Boss

Kobe's massive extension has already sent shockwaves through the league. The 35-year-old Mamba, who has yet to play a minute since major surgery is slated to receive 23.5 millions next year and 25 million the year after. Obviously Kobe had to be extended, obviously 2 years is ideal, but the sticker price is staggering. Major critics of this deal (Bill Simmons...surprise!) question Kobe's desire to win title # 6, stating that if he wanted to help the Lakers Kobe would have accepted a hometown discount to free up more cap space (a la Garnett or Duncan). Kobe's previous contract was grandfathered in from before the 2011 collective bargaining agreement and as such he was making a now nearly impossible to obtain $30,453000 for this year. Because players are allowed to sign contracts for up to 105% of their previous salary KB24's max contract was $31,975,650. WOWZA. So the Lakers got away with an 8.5 million dollar discount. Optimists would point to the Lakers' otherwise spartan payroll for next year and assume that the lakeshow still has plenty of room to play: KB24's aforementioned contract, the suddenly decrepit Steve Nash @ 9.7 million, and Robert Sacre-Bleu sneaks in for 900 Gs. That soaks up at least 34.2 mil but more likely 35.4 mil assuming that Nick Young (aka Swaggy P) takes his player option for 1.2 large (how did that happen?). The optimists are right that the Lakers will have cash to flash, specifically 36 million assuming they can use exceptions to get all the way up to the luxury tax limit. But 36 million will dry up pretty quick, when you are using it to fill 9 roster spots.

Maybe the Lakeshow can attract one max contract player under these restrictions, but who would that savior be? Lebron? Fat chance. Wade? Never leaving, plus has one 0.75 knees left. Melo? Maybe. Lakers + Melo = Championship? HA! Now admittedly I am letting my cynicism rule unchecked, there are several interesting players in the mix for this free-agent class (Dirk, Gortat, Ed Davis, Greg Monroe, Demarcus Cousins, Favors etc....)  that would allow any team with cash a chance to rebuild. But lets just admit that despite the Laker's financial flexibility, the post-injury Kobe is not worth 32.8% of a team's salary (again assuming they can find their way up to the luxury limit), nor will he be worth 34.8% of a team's salary next year. But Kobe really can't be blamed for this deal, and not even in the "this game is a business gets what's yours" sense. Kobe never demanded this deal, there was no negotiation, this contract is exactly what the Lakers offered him and he signed it with no counter offer. One more piece of evidence that Jim Buss is just not his dad.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

This Happened

Classic happenings for Detroit basketball. Epic fan vs usher (as in the job of usher, not Ursher) dance off via dance cam. It's the sort of thing that goes down when the basketball isn't worth worrying about.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

The Lonely Carlisle-land

Wow, Rick Carlisle pwned Chris Broussard yesterday during the Rockets Mavericks game. Broussard was simply asking the obvious halftime softball questions and Carlisle was having none of it...channeling his inner Popovich to lay the smack down. He mitigated the damage of course by acknowledging his Pop-dickitude at the end. Poor Broussard, the bemused look on his face tells it all....you think someone would have warned via twitter. Also lets just acknowledge that Popvich sets the standard for coach interview dickery for the NBA, a skill he no doubt honed when he was coach of the Pomona Sagehens from 1979-1987 (just gonna ignore Pitzer)!!! The all-time standard for coach dickery is of course set by Bill Belichick (Belicick yo self before you wreck yo self), no explanation needed.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Baby Mamba Face

Another KB! =“@perez221869: @JeanieBuss My son does the mamba face too!!! Hahaha I call him the FilipinoMamba! Lol pic.twitter.com/ifCVCjXEAk”
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) November 19, 2013

Twins! = “@georgesieteocho: @JeanieBuss my daughter is the baby mamba #blackmamba #lakerbaby #mambaface pic.twitter.com/7Bna4KdA0z”
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) November 19, 2013

Check out these cute kids making mamba face! Moms have been tweeting their baby-mambas at Jeanie Buss today. What? I follow Jeanie Buss on twitter? Yes I follow Jeanie Buss on twitter. Get your rings and confetti these kids are Kobe Bryant ready.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Coach Sheed: The promise delivers

Footage from Piston's practice here. Tony Mitchell throwing it down for an in-house dunk contest. Coach Sheed obviously couldn't miss out on the action! Epic grin.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Simply the Best

Miggy Pop (sporting nerd original) earned his second of back to back MVP awards today. Miggy was a hernia away from repeating as the triple crown winner this year, and has been in play for the triple crown each of the last three years (winning it of course in 2012). However you break it down he is the best hitter of a generation, including his overlap with Pujols. Simply ridiculous. The Tigers have now had the MVP three years in a row (Verlander-Cabrera-Cabrera), making them to only team to ever accomplish this and not win a world series. Cool? Meanwhile someone named McCutchen or something like that won a similar award in the no offense league.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Elbow Violation!

This photo of Jordan playing beer pong has been making the rounds. The officialy sanctioned table is a classy touch but MJ's elbow is clearly over the table edge there. JORDAN RULES! I bet the other team is composed of Craig Ehlo and Byron Russel, and Jordan likes to let them get down to the last cup until he makes 6 shots in a row and watches the last light of hope extinguish from their eyes. Meanwhile if his partner is Steve Kerr he has really let himself go.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

CY-borg

Max Scherzer wins the AL Cy Young award! 21 wins, 2.9 ERA and 140 strikeouts. Dominant. In addition to great pitching Scherzer is famous for being born with different color eyes (heterochromia iridium). Pretty sure that skills are more easily explained by the fact that one of those eyes is clearly a robotic eye (google glass version 2). Also, apparently someone named Clayton Kershaw won a similar award in that other baseball league. You know, the one without the offense.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Ender's Game

Epic! Last night's showcase of imminent NBA lottery picks lived up to the spectacle. The marquee match-up of course was the Duke Jabari Parkers versus the Kansas Andrew Wigginses. Andrew Wiggin(s) aka "Ender" (is it going to take a sporting nerd push to get this obvious SciFi crossover nickname through?) closed out the game (get it? ender? closeout?) and looked good doing it. Though he was limited by fouls up front he scored 10 points in the last 8:30 of the game. A majority of his looks were set post looks, where he was a physical mismatch for his defender. It was clearly not Wiggins' optimal set as he looked awkward trying to get free in the post, but superior athleticism and size won out. He also looked very smooth taking a jab step and icing the game with a jumper. If his outside shooting becomes as reliable as his acrobatics he will be an amazing player this year. I definitely look forward to seeing more of what he does driving to the hole, and can only imagine what he can do once his skinny frame fills out.

Jabari Parker also had a legit outing, in fact in many ways he seems more fundamentally sound and more filled-out than Wiggins. He poured in the points last night and only a few of his possessions did his action looked forced. He seemed smooth from distance and had a few jawdropping feats in the lane. It would seem that Parker may be an even more slam dank prospect than Wiggins (so to speak?).

Julius Randle is also a freak. Despite a slow start he almost single-handedly brought down the veteran spartans. He finished with a monster 27 and 13 and was ridiculously strong in the paint, he clearly favors his strong hand (lefty) to a fault but no one was strong enough to force him to his right. Presumably he adds more subtlety to his repertoire over the season, as NBA defenders would be all over that.

NBA GMs are salivating already.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

The Medicine Nerd: Danilo Gallinari the Medical Sleeper Pick

Danilo!!! Gallinari is one of my favorite fantasy basketball players, he lacks the star power to demand a hefty price tag (or high draft position) and he fills the stat sheet. Sure his luster has been dulled by injuries but when healthy he can be counted to pour in 16 points, a steal, 2-3 dimes, 4-5 boards, and 2 tres, with and above 800 FT percentage. He's obviously not a superstar but a solid stat sheet filler that flies under the radar. This year Danilo's draft stock has plummeted on account of the ACL injury that derailed his 2011-2012 campaign. In fact Gallinari is only owned in 12.8% of ESPN standard leagues, and in our own Sportingnerd fantasy draft he was auctioned for the minimum value of 1$ at the bottom of someone's roster sheet. The diminished value would certainly seem injury-appropriate: ACL tears typically have a 9 month recovery time for NBA players and often times they need the better part of a year to regain their normally superhuman proprioception in the effected joint. Gallinari only had his operation this June which would normally put him way out of the window of draftability for fantasy mangers. However when doctors went in to do a complete ACL reconstruction they found that Gallinari only had a partial ACL tear. As you would guess partial ACL tears have far better outcomes and require far shorter recovery times. The likelihood a return to complete pre-injury form is also much higher. Danilo has already started ramping up his workouts and is projected to be ballin later this month or December at the latest. Get him while you can.

"Both team played hard...goodnight and godbless."

If Yasiel Puig were a car...

.. then this is exactly what the car would look like.

Louisiana's Newest Dance Craze

Tweet of the Day: #blackout #swaggyP-hunt

Several days old, but came across this and had to share...

Nick Young has been removed from the starting lineup. Mainly because of this picture: pic.twitter.com/nctwiYb8yA

— Ball Don't Lie (@YahooBDL) November 3, 2013

Unbelievable and Precedented

Gotta love Stanford's nerd swag. Also gotta love the fact that they backed it up by dominating the Ducks for the second year in a row. It's one thing to hang tough in a shootout with Oregon, but it's completely crazy to shut them out in the first half. Title hopes gone. Nerd swag up. Seminoles loving the Cali flipflop. Also free spelling lesson.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Medical Mystery of the Day

So I guess his heart must be in his scrotum?

The Dodgers better pay close attention to his medical exam before dropping the the U.S. GDP on this guy.

.JJ

Least Interesting Preseason Analysis Ever

Disclosure: I am a UCLA basketball fan, and will likely have many future posts about the team. It's thrilling to me that even after the loss of "Animal Style" Shabazz and Drew II, the team is still ranked in the preseason top 25. Unfortunately, in a sad attempt to build this season's hype, the LA Times decides to publish the most boring player-by-player rundown I have ever read.

The article is filled with informative lines like:

Kory Alford | So. | G | 6-4 | Played 10 games for New Mexico last season.

and

David Brown | Jr. | G | 6-3 | Third season in the program.

Poor David Brown. The one time he gets mentioned in the city's biggest newspaper, it decides to give you information that you could have perhaps gathered from the fact that he's a Junior. Bleacher Report gave this guy more pub than this article even pretended to do.

Come on, LA Times. With a new coach rebuilding this team, this storied program could use a little more help than some half-ass tweets about each player to get Westwood and the rest of the notoriously apathetic Los Angelenos pumped about this upcoming season.

So... Here's to you, David Brown, and to hoping that getting your picture on TheSportingNerd isn't the highlight of your season!

.JJ

You know times are bad when...

RT @mcten: D'Antoni: "Chris Kaman is starting. We're going to go big"
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 7, 2013

I guess, Go big or go home?

I'll see you all at home.

.JJ.

"Free" Money: NFL Picks

Bengals on the road? FAIL

Raiders cover at home? FAIL

Saints crush the Jets? FAIL

Sportingnerd record slips to a paltry 3-7-1...why do I even bother?

Week 10 picks: Gonna have to upgrade the nerd effect.

Broncos @ Chargers Over 57: Broncos have hit the over all 8 times this season, while the chargers are 50/50. At home home though they've hit the over 2/3 times. Over the last 4 weeks these two teams have combined to be 5-1 for the over. The resurgent Chargers will be chasing the whole time...should be a big time shootout.

Jaguars @ Titans -11.5: Jags have only covered the spread once this season: the epic record-breaking spread against the Broncos. Historically double digit spreads have been no gos, but we've all been getting burned hard on these this year. Meanwhile the Titans have been strong against the spread and have beaten the spread at home every time.

Eagles +2 @ Packers: We can basically throw out the Packer's data against the spread as replacing Aaron Rodgers injury blows up everything. The momentum swing here is huge as we are basically pitting Nick Foles' coming out party (7 TDs, 0 picks, 406 yards, perfect passer rating...are you kidding me?) vs Seneca Wallace's attempt at closing his eyes and white-knuckling it through the game. Eagles are also 4-1 against the spread on the road. 

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Tweet of the Day: Imminent Mamba

After blacking out his twitter avatar @kobebryant tweeted "#blackout #bearhunt." Meaning? Well during his rant after popping his achiles Mamba did say "If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear." Alternatively, however the lakers are debuting their new black jerseys on 11/15...against whom? THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES!!! Blackout bearhunt fo sho. Kobe back in 10 days.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Jersey Talk - Cut the Sleeves

One week has passed. The Heat have already lost twice. The Lakers are, in my opinion, more fun to watch than ever (except for Swaggy P,  whose recent demotion has spared me an early heart attack). Michael Carter-Williams is the new prepubescent star of the league (see Steph Curry).

But basketball storylines aside, let's talk about those jerseys!  

Sleeves = The Worst

I still cannot get myself to appreciate these poor excuses for a jersey update. First, the jersey instantly makes Eric Bledsoe's rapey look even rapier (above, left). Second, after reading a Grantland article on the NBA's new jerseys by Wesley Morris, who appears to be a fan of these misproportioned monstrosities, I was taken aback by one line in particular:

"The sleeves were actually pretty innovative. You could see what the league's clothier, Adidas, had in mind. The shirts appeared to weigh less than the tank tops. They brought the sport in line with rugby and soccer. "

Now, tell me: Why does the NBA need to be "brought in line" with rugby and soccer? Since its inception, the NBA and its stars have elevated the game of basketball to one of the most popular and lucrative sports in the world. The NBA has arguably influenced American pop culture more than any other professional sport, successfully blurring the lines between sport, fashion, music and movie. All joking aside, though, baseball has its classic buttoned shirts, and football its oversized t-shirts. The NBA has forged its own identity and done so with its own distinct look - the tank top jersey.

Has Kobe ever complained that his arms felt "too free" in his jersey? Has he ever thought he didn't look intimidating enough, and he wished he could cover his guns and tattoos with some tight sleeves?

I just can't see any justification for these hideous new jerseys other than the self-evident opportunity to make more money. But please leave some comments and enlighten me!

 .JJ
Self-Proclaimed Fashion Editor, TheSportingNerd

"Free" Money: NFL Picks

Oh SNAP! Rough week for the nerd. Had the money line right on the Lions and Seahawks, but being greedy and going for the spread sunk me. Got a push on the chiefs o/u as well.

Season record dropped to: 3-4-1, free money in question!

NFL Picks Week 9:

Bengals -3 @ Miami: Dalton has been killing it, especially with his suddenly deeper receiving core. Some of the luster has been knocked off of the Miami shine with Tannehill's questionable play of late. Remember the is Tannehill elite questions? Also this business with the starting O-lineman leaving the team suddenly last night because of a prank is strange. Locker room disarray? Bengals take their show on the road fo sho.

@ Raiders -2.5 vs. Eagles: Not hard to root against the Eagles here with their QB fustercluck and complicated offense. Raiders also benefiting from the circadian rhythm principle here.

Saints -6 @ Jets: NO has been Eazy Breezy Beautiful, and will almost certainly take an early lead on the road, forcing Geno to do a lot...enough said.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless"

Gross!

Well as gross as it is that the Sox are champs again, I can at least get behind Koji. He is one crafty closer, has an adorable little kid (see above), and most importantly didn't have a disgusting beard. Don't be racist, he is fully capable of growing a beard:

He was just cool enough not to. Gotta say that Sox/Dodgers trade seems even crazier now.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Jim Schwartz Headphone Spike Now a Thing

Remember Schwartz spiking his headphones after the Lions vs. Redskins game? Well after the EPIC comeback victory over America's Team, Schwartz officially decided to make that his thing. Also:

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Clay Buchholz: WTF?

That is what he looks like. Should we prophylactically call the sex offender registry? Also Jake Peavey looks like Jeremy Renner.

Just Sayin.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Tweet of the Day: Phil Jackson vs. Kendrick Lamar

That's right Phil vs. Kendrick. In response to Kendrick's line in "Control:" "If Phil Jackson came back, still coachin' me. I'm uncoachable, I'm unsociable." The Zen master of course could not let that slide:

“@KendrickLamar It’s okay to be cocky and sure, but we all need somebody to lean on. Let’s just call it mentoring.”

“That’s the wonderful world of Twitter, you can communicate with people who are complete out of your range of influence and your social grouping. The connection between rap and basketball is so deep, that many of the people who tweet back and forth to me were saying, ‘You got to come back at [Kendrick] Lamar after he gives you this.’” Says Jackson in the above interview.

Also Kendrick Lamar is Nick Young's Cousin.....WHAAAAAT?!?!?!

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

"Free" Money: NFL Picks

Awwww yaaahhhhh: went 1 for 3 this weekend. Chiefs almost covered, but their fumble return TD was a foot short. Patriots almost got the push in OT, but then their literal push lost the game (weird call), at least the always reliable NY Giants dominated.

Season Record: 3-2, still free money!

Week 8:

Seahawks +10 @ Rams: Gonna take a chance with the hawks on the road. Sure their offense doesn't travel, but would you bet against Seattle's D taking it to Kellen Clemons? Sad to see Bradford's career in jeapordy without him ever getting a shot to ball.

Lions -3 vs. Dallas: Lions at home, megatron and Stafford rolling, big time shootout coming, but gotta think a Romo turnover in the clutch makes it a 2 score game

Browns/Chiefs under 40: 2 of the best Ds in the league, both teams have put up sub 40 totals against other legit D's (the Nati and Texans respectively).

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Off the Court: J.J. Redick

One question we all ask ourselves daily is, "What does J.J. Redick do when he's not playing basketball?" Well, I finally have an answer - he is a watch aficionado.

The watch blog Hodinkee recently started a video series called "Talking Watches" and decided to have J.J. Redick as the subject of their second episode. Random? Yes. But actually really interesting to hear the famously introverted Dukie share his watch stories and describe his dream watch. While it's depressing to hear the host describe a $20K watch as a "value" timepiece, I actually enjoyed hearing J.J. describe his watches as "super cool" and "awesome," and also thought it was super cool when he talked about the watches he wore on draft day and when he signed with Lob City.

While not as entertaining as the first episode with John Mayer (where I'm sure they had to cut out his descriptions of all the actresses/models he bedded while wearing his various Rolexes), this is definitely worth a look.



NOTE: Not every NBA player has good taste in watches, as evidenced by LBJ and his ridiculously stupid new watch.

The World Series is Cheap!

This just up on deadspin: some bro just got a seat to game 1 at Fenway for 3 bucks, of course there were 3 extra bucks in service fees. Still a resonably decent deal no? Just goes to show that you need to know your math. Nerds = winning. Hashtag literally.

"Both teams played hard goodnight and godbless."

Goodnight Old School

In what many consider a surprise move, Jimmy Leyland is resigning from his post as Tigers' manager. Leyland has certainly been a controversial figure with the fan base over the past few years, and this last ALCS was not his best series. However you slice it though in his 8 years in the D the Tigers have made the playoffs 4 times and the world series twice. They have an elite core of players, one that many managers would stick around to coach just to pad their stats. Leyland left, however, as soon as he thought his fuel was running low, and actually told the team last month...giving them plenty of time to consider their plans for the future. Classy till the end. It may have been time, but there is nothing to celebrate here.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Root Cause Analysis Reveals Root Cause

In their fourth LCS appearance in eight years, the Detroit Tigers again failed to show the killer instinct of a champion.  A multitude of examples from the LCS exposed a team that was not ready to take the next step (of which I must outline a few for therapeutic purposes).  Looking deeper into the Tigers' woes in October reveals a troubling theme, one which they must address to bring a World Series Championship back to the D...

The pen:

The Tigers could not have asked for more from their starters.  It was a record breaking postseason for the Big Four – that’s right, I said it.  Meanwhile, the Tigers bullpen has improved – Smyly, Albuquerque, Veras, Benoit, and the occasional dose of Coke had flashes of shutdown ball (see Game 5, for example).  However, their penchant to give up timely hits to the opposition remains the Tigers Achilles heel in the later innings.  Which begs the question, were they used appropriately?  I’d argue no.  Manager Jim Leyland has a tendency to make moves based on sabermetrics rather than a feel for the game.  Too many times in this series I found myself asking, “Does this reliever really have a better chance of getting the next guy out compared to the current pitcher (starter or reliever)?”

(Un)timely mistakes by the Tigers leading to timely scoring by the Sox:

A ball that Miggy let through the 5-hole led to a big inning in the pivotal Game 5.  Later in the same game, while not a defensive error, Sanchez allowed what turned out to be the winning run score on a wild pitch.  In the close-out game with Detroit up 2-1, Iglesias (of all people to commit a costly error) bobbles a potentially inning ending double play ball.  We all know what happened next.

Missed opportunities:

I don’t care to look up the Tigers’ statistics with RISP in the LCS, but aside from Peralta’s game winning RBI in Game 1 and a big inning in Game 2 that was all for naught, the Tigers struggled to not leave runners on base (crushing Peavy in Game 4 doesn’t count – this Nerd doesn’t celebrate expected results).  The Tigers couldn’t get Verlander a run in Game 3, and in Game 5, could not put a big inning together to save their lives.  As the Tigers chipped away to within 2, the best hitter in baseball hit into a double play with runners on the corners and nobody out.  It brought the Tigers within 1 as the run scored from third, but they wouldn’t have another chance to complete the comeback.

Suicide on the bases:

With the Tigers salivating over a chance to break open a 2-1 Game 6 lead with runners at the corners and nobody out, Peralta grounded to second.  Two scenarios, and only two, should be possible: 1) Prince runs on contact, Pedroia throws home and the runners are safe at 1^st and 2^nd, or 2) Pedroia concedes the run and tries to turn two (unlikely in this one run game).  Never did I imagine a third scenario that became reality: Prince running slow enough (even looking at Pedroia half way for no reason) to allow Pedroia to tag VMart out on his way to 2^nd and still get Prince caught between 3^rd and home (lest we forget that Prince was caught wandering between 1^st and 2^nd earlier in the postseason).  Runners at the corners with nobody out vanished into a runner on 2^nd with two out.  The Tigers would end their season with the 2 runs they had before the inning started.

A bullpen prone to giving up the key hit, defensive miscues, stranded runners, and base-running gaffes (nevermind Cabrera’s nagging injury and Prince’s off-the-field personal issues) was unsurprisingly not a winning formula.  So what is?  The Tigers have been to the LCS 4 times in Leyland’s 8-year tenure, advancing to the World Series twice.  With all that success, you would expect a team that expects to win every year, a team that is not surprised to be deep in the postseason.  Yet year after year, the Tigers don’t show the swagger of a team with the most dominant starting pitching and the best pure hitter in baseball.  Each October you see a Tigers team not much more confident than the 2006 group that reached the World Series, only to see their pitchers forgot how to throw to first base without giving a fan a souvenir.

The Tigers have made tremendous moves to stay this competitive since bringing in Leyland, and most, if not all, of that credit goes to Dave Dombrowski.  He has made key acquisitions and almost unthinkable trades to maintain a winning roster.  Unfortunately, he can’t give them a winning attitude.  That confidence, that chemistry and belief in one another comes from the clubhouse.

The Tigers need not look beyond their fellow Detroit sports teams for examples.  The Bad Boys of the late 80s; the defensive juggernaut that was the World Champion 2003-2004 Pistons, - a team that would be up by 20 and block your last shot to keep you from hitting 70; the Russian Five; the voracious Lions defensive line with the most feared received in Megatron on the other side.

This is what the Tigers are missing - the leader in the dugout around whom everyone rallies, the leader who unites and excites everyone on the team in both halves of the inning.  The Tigers are missing the face of their franchise.  Who is going to step up?  Martinez showed the most competitive fire from 1-9 in these playoffs, but he doesn’t play the field.  Jackson?  Hunter?  Carbrera?  Fielder?  Peralta?  Avila?  Infante?  Iglesias?  While extremely skilled, these guys don’t intimidate any dominant pitcher.  The Sox even had their way with Cabrera when it mattered most.

Whether the Tigers bring in players with personalities to match their talent, or make a change at the top with a manager who can inspire such moxie, they need to become less nice and less likeable while remaining the class organization they are.  They don’t need to be despicable and obnoxious like some teams and players around the league (Pedroia, ahem.  Cardinals, ahem).  But, they do need to instill fear, real FEAR, in their opponent.  Then they will dictate the feel of the game.  Then they will feel like they belong more than the other team.  Then they will take the next step.

And that’s my root cause analysis.

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

Whats worse then losing the ALCS? Losing to the gross Duck Dynasty Saaaaaaaahwx. Hopefully the equally annoying Cardinals and Wacha-Flacha Flamethrower knock them down in history's lamest world series. Everyone keeps talking about how awesome the ALCS was, but despite the great pitching and exciting games Detroit was really out-classed from the beginning. There were several issues that doomed us in this series 1) big bats swinging small 2) poor defense 3) mediocre bullpen 4) and poor baserunning.

1) Miggy Pop's injury was a killer, his guaransheed RBI per game is the motor that makes the tigers go, and having that disappear really stressed the rest of the lineup. The fact that Miggy showed up and did what he did is a testament to how ridiculously good he is (at hitting). Prince also did not play up to his 20 mill a year price-tag. Luckily both issues: Miggy injury and Prince's presumed divorce-associated slump could be resolved next year.

2) Poor defense, no surprises here. We are a fat team that hits the ball hard. And adding the trade for perenial gold-glover to be Iglesias hardly made up for the slow fielding we had at several positions (1st, 2nd 3rd, and L). Its hard to know what the tigers plan to do about this, Jhonny and Infante will probably not get contracts. Jhonny on account of his cheating, and Infante on account of his presumed pay-rise and the stretched budget. Maybe Castellanos can finally step up and hit well enough to use his D in left. Maybe Illitch sells hella pizzas and we sign Cano? Probably not. But Nick Punto or Chase Utley could be aight? Maybe?

3) The patch-work bullpen went from crap to decent when benoit became the closer and Veras (the truth) was added to the roster. It also went from decent to aiiight when Smyly and Porcello slid over for the playoffs. However the effectiveness of an aiiiight bullpen was evident against the Saaaaaaaahwx (2 grand slams?). Lets face it, their Japanese shut-down comitte showed us what a real pen was like. Tigers will need to seek help here. Benoit is actually a free agent, and would be very hefty to bring back as just a setup man. Veras is restricted but will probably be resigned. No way socks don't lock up Koji. Rodney is a free agent! Or perhaps the Betancourt will be in session.

4) Finally base running...thats right baserunning. The fact that we are talking about this in the ALCS, shows that the Tigres are just not up to professional snuff when it comes to the small things. It's hard to really blame Leyland for it, but the headhunters will be calling for his job again. Maybe the Tigers just tneed to play high school ball again.

Well that was cathartic. Thanks for an awesome season. Some of the best starting pitching ever, and seeing the best hitter of a generation (a generation that includes Pujols) in his prime. Tigers are close...frustratingly close. Next year baby.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Tweet of the Day!

"Man oh man how I love my parents. If not for these 2 I would not be here today!!! #Literally… http://instagram.com/p/fsg47LyjY6/ "

~Chris Paul

Is there any more meaningful hashtag then #literally?

"Both teams played hard goodnight and godblesss."

"Free" Money: NFL Picks

A regular feature for this incarnation of the nerd will be sports betting picks (a new hobby for me since the 2011 nerd). Without being able to provide any evidence I am going to claim that my NFL picks record (which started last week) is 2-0. Those picks were:

1) Jags to cover -26.5 against Broncos &

2) Chargers to cover -1.5 against the Colts

The Jags pick is hardly controversial and is certainly where smart money was being played. For those who were too scared to touch this bet due to the talent disparity and massiveness of the line, the mitigating factors for me were: home field, the re-promotion of Chad Henne, and the return of Justin Blackmon (best name in football?). The potential emergence of the pass game via Henne->Blackmon+Shorts should make the running game a little easier to execute. And though it won't stop them from sucking balls it did prevent them from losing by 4 touchdowns at home against a team with no incentive to run up the score.

Bolts v Colts, harder to pick for sure, and more controversial given the likelihood of TY Hilton running all over the Charger's secondary. Bottom line is that the Chargers are resurgent (deuces Marty), with Rivers being Rivers again, Woodhead being Sproles, and Gates being Gates. They were also at home and playing the evening slot on the West against a team that traveled from the East. I won't bother you with the nerdiness of the circadian rythym, but if you extrapolate from this classic article you could say that the Chargers had a 60ish percent chance to win by 2 TDs and a 70ish percent chance to blow up the spread. Nerd domination.

This Weeks Picks:

1) KC to cover -6.5 at home against Houston

2) Giants to cover -3.5 at home against Vikings

3) Patriots to cover -3 away against the Jets

Houston is throwing first-time starter Case Keenum to the dogs by asking him to move the ball against the Chiefs. Sacks/Fumbles/INTs are imminent. Also Eric Berry (pictured) is the best defender in the NFL. Meanwhile the Vikings only win came against the 1-win Steelers, win number 2 is unlikely to come on the road even against the lowly giants. Something has gotta give for the once-proud giants and winning by a touchdown in week 7 at home against another bad team seems just as likely as anything else. The patriots pick is easier to defend, the spread is undoubtedly close due the results of that pitiful game earlier this year. That game was only close on account of dropped balls by the then inexperienced patriots receiving core. Brady has certainly gotten on page with with his wideouts since then, he is getting Gronkowski back this week, and Ridley has returned and appears to be healthy finally. Meanwhile the Jets still blow. I doubt the line will stay at 3.

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."

Church of Defense

It's no secret that I love Jose Iglesias, but this play from last night's ALCS was ridiculous. The shift is on, but he somehow darts in from right of 2B and snags Ortiz's blooper with an almost perfunctory flash of the leather. The Cuban youngster is a guaransheed gold glove shortstop next year. 

Three team deadline trade:

Tigers get Iglesias from BoSox

BoSox get Peavey from WhiSox

WhiSox get Avisail Garcia from Tigers

good game

"Both teams played hard...goodnight and godbless."