Michigan Sports Fan Blog

Dontrelle Willis is gone. The question, still a sticking point from spring training, is why he was ever brought north, why the Tigers believed a man with heartbreaking control challenges was viewed as having any reasonable chance for success in 2010.

The answer, of course, is that the Tigers didn’t opt for a pitcher as much as they opted for a contract when they decided to make Willis part of their five-man rotation.
Nothing about his performance in Florida seriously stated that Willis should have made the team, let alone be entrusted with a fifth rotation spot.
He still battled the strike zone. He was still prone to back-to-back walks, if not worse. The double play was his godsend any number of times an inning, and his place in the rotation, were perhaps one batted ball, or one more walk, from blowing to pieces.

Click here to read the full article – By Lynn Henning of The Detroit News

On Monday, the Detroit Tigers pitching staff seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Three days later, everything is fine.
Justin Verlander kept up a much-needed success streak for the Detroit rotation, throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings in the Tigers’ 6-0 victory over CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees on Thursday.
Miguel Cabrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Tigers, who took three of four from New York. The Yankees had only lost one other series this season.
“I thought we pitched very well against a team with a relentless offense,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “There’s no place to relax against the Yankees from one to nine.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Johan Franzen doubled his previous playoff scoring total in one game.

Perfect timing for the Detroit Red Wings.

Franzen had a natural hat trick in a 3:26 span of the first period, scored a fourth goal in the third and set a team playoff record with six points as Detroit stayed alive with a 7-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

“Hopefully, I can get some confidence and the team can get some confidence,” Franzen said. “I’ve been struggling on the goal-scoring side.”

Franzen had just two goals in the first 10 playoff games. The burly forward known as “Mule” scored 25 times the previous two postseasons for the two-time defending Western Conference champions.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Jimmy Howard bounced back.

The Detroit Red Wings did, too.

Howard had a 29-save shutout, Henrik Zetterberg scored twice and Pavel Datsyuk had a goal, leading Detroit to a 3-0 series-evening win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Howard’s saves included one without his helmet.

“I’m going to enjoy it here for a couple minutes,” said Howard, who gave up four goals to lose Game 3. “Then, just like I did the other night, forget about it and get ready for Friday night.”

That’s when fourth-seeded Phoenix will back at home for Game 5.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

At a recent practice, Pistons coach John Kuester, enduring a season of frustration, had seen enough.

He screamed at his team and then punted the basketball as far as he could.
It has been that kind of season. The team that made six consecutive Eastern Conference finals thought it was starting a rebuilding process.

No one expected this — multiple 10-game losing streaks, a 26-55 record entering tonight’s finale in Minnesota, and little fan interest.
How could a team that seemed to have some promise fall so badly, so quickly?


Click here to read the full article – By Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News

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Following one baseball team exclusively is a little like relying solely on your vehicle’s side mirrors. You don’t always get the big picture.


Geography made it tough to get fresh insight into the Tigers’ division rivals.

The Twins trained in Ft. Myers, Fla., and never played the Tigers in the Grapefruit League. The White Sox, Indians, and Royals tuned up in Arizona’s Cactus League.

I call it Marchant Myopia: the tendency to magnify the Tigers’ pluses and minuses while sometimes failing to remember other rosters have their hot shots and soft spots, as well.

So, here’s the case for how Jim Leyland’s team could steal a division title, based solely on how the Tigers stack up against the rest of the Central:

Click here to read the full article – By Lynn Henning of Detroit News

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Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is relieved his banged-up team has four days off before its next game in the NCAA tournament.

Not that it will help Kalin Lucas.

An MRI confirmed the junior guard ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left foot during the first half of Sunday’s NCAA tournament game against Maryland.

The recovery time is expected to be 4-6 months.

“We feel terrible for Kalin, he was having a great NCAA tournament,” Izzo said in a statement. “The good news is there is no doubt he will make a full and complete recovery. He’s a tough kid and he’ll do everything necessary to return to his elite level.”

Lucas’ replacement, Korie Lucious, beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that lifted the fifth-seeded Spartans to an 85-83 win over fourth-seeded Maryland on Sunday.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Rodney Stuckey doesn’t know when he will play again, but he hopes it will be this season.

Three doctors cleared Stuckey for exercise Wednesday after extensive cardiac tests. He collapsed on the bench during Friday’s game at Cleveland and was taken away on a stretcher. He missed Sunday’s game against Houston and will be out again Wednesday against Utah.

“I really don’t know what that means — they told me I can exercise, but I haven’t talked to anyone about if that means I can practice or what,” he said before the Utah game. “I want to play, but we’ll have to see what they tell me.”

Pistons coach John Kuester said he expects Stuckey to return to the lineup before the season is over, but said the team doesn’t have a timeline.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

The Detroit Red Wings once were major players on trade deadline day. Those days are gone, mostly because of the NHL’s salary cap.

“It looks like we’re not going to be very active,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Tuesday.

The Red Wings are right against the $56.8 million cap, so Holland said any move they make would require them to shed equal or more salary. Now that the team is almost completely healthy for the first time this season, Holland likes his roster and doesn’t feel any urgency to deal.

“I look at our trade deadline acquisitions as being (Johan) Franzen, (Andreas) Lilja and (Niklas) Kronwall,” Holland said of the players who recently returned from long-term injuries. “I still believe we have a good team. I don’t foresee us doing anything of any significance.”

That hasn’t prevented other teams from calling. Holland said he had spoken with three or four GMs in the past couple days.

“They’re offering decent players, veteran guys who will be unrestricted free agents (after the season), but they’ve got serious cap numbers,” Holland said. “We can’t get into that game. We don’t want to get into that game.

“I don’t believe I can make a move that will make us better.”

Click here to read the full article – By Michigan Live

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The average age on Team USA men’s hockey roster is 26 1/2 . Defenseman Brian Rafalski, the lone Red Wing on the team, is 36.

There’s nothing he can do about that, but one thing is certain: “I don’t want to be here just because I’m the old guy with experience,” he said. “Obviously, I know I can contribute.”

Rafalski is one of three players with Olympic experience on a team that will play its first game of the Winter Games this afternoon against Switzerland.

Rafalski, an alternate captain for Team USA, also was a member of the 2002 Salt Lake team that lost to Canada in the gold medal game and the 2006 Torino team that lost to Finland in the quarterfinals.

Click here to read the full article – By Detroit Free Fress

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