Bless You Boys: for Detroit Tigers fans

With Rob Rogacki on vacation this week, and HookSlide refusing to do the show solo, the podcast was taken over by the guys from The Podcastellanos to keep things interesting. (Ok, it was really taken over, they were invited by HookSlide, but it sounds more interesting the other way.)

In this week's episode, Jordan Hall and Eric Wayne join HookSlide to talk about spring training and what to do now that all the interesting prospects (Jimenez, Fulmer, etc.) have been sent to minor league camp. They also talk about the worst commercials played during Tigers' games, try to remember the last ten starting pitchers on Opening Day, take the usual stack of listener questions, play a Family Feud-style game, and get into some serious power-rankings.

Topics include:

Tigers Twitter was wrong, againWhat if Anibal Sanchez isn't ready for April?The best and worst television/radio commercials (spoiler: Weingartz didn't make the list)Which Tigers is the most likely to own 10 cats?How do you pronounce "Aviles"?What's going to happen at the trade deadlineWhy live tweeting is the worst

Contents

2:46 - Rounding the Bases: Tigers Twitter was wrong about something

33:17 - Warming in the Pen: let’s play the Feud

48:44 - High and Tight: and now for a word from our sponsors …

1:02:03 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: forget spring training, let’s talk about the trade deadline

1:22:16 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: if this van’s a-rockin’, please, please come a-knockin’

Thanks to Jordan and Eric for helping make this show happen. Find The Podcastellanos online at podcastellanos.com, and get in touch with Eric (@ComericaEric) and Jordan (@JordanHall23) on Twitter.

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Things get a little testy on this week's episode! Okay, not really. But Rob and HookSlide celebrate their 25th episode the best way they know how: talking about the Detroit Tigers and laying into an old geezer who thinks stats are ruining baseball.

This week's target? Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage, who went after stat-heads and current players alike for ruining the game of yesteryear. You know, the one where players like Kirk Gibson fist-pumped their way around the bases after hitting a clutch playoff home run.

There's plenty of content prior to that discussion in this week's show. Victor Martinez has a hamstring injury, Anthony Gose is bunting his way to glory, and Steven Moya is hitting the cover off the ball! We also take our usual bag of listener questions, and even throw one back to you!

Topics in this week's episode include:

Victor Martinez is hurt so we should cancel the season nowWho is the Tigers' backup DH?Anthony Gose and bunting: what could go wrong?Bryan Holaday and Steven Moya are spring training starsThe Detroit Tigers and the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad seventh inningDave Dombrowski and Al Avila are still bros, but how awkward was Al's Thanksgiving?Which former Tiger would help the current roster out the most?The best hats in Major League BaseballJust how wrong can one old pitcher be?

Contents:

2:21 - Rounding the Bases: the one guy you didn’t want to get hurt just got hurt

21:07 - Warming in the Pen: the Tigers have been bad at the 7th inning

48:29 - High and Tight: Avila and Dombrowski are still on good terms, sort of

1:03:28 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: speaking hypothetically, nothing means anything

1:30:44 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: Goose Gossage is a [censored]

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The Detroit Tigers suffered a few more injuries in spring training last week, including Cameron Maybin's wrist fracture, but things as a whole are looking up. Bryan Holaday is hitting the cover off the ball, Steven Moya is drawing walks, and the biggest names on the roster aren't on the injury report. So far, so good, right?

The Tigers capped off a productive week in Lakeland, and while we don't care about the results of games -- they're 6-4 after Wednesday's win, our crack research team revealed -- the Tigers are doing plenty of tinkering. Rob and HookSlide delve into these mysteries on this week's podcast, along with some of the position battles taking place throughout the roster. They also gush over a couple prospects -- namely, Joe Jimenez and his wicked breaking ball -- answer a few listener questions, and talk about Anthony Gose's disdain for defensive metrics.

Not bad for a week's work.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Cameron Maybin's brittle wrists, and who replaces him on the rosterAnibal Sanchez and the right arm that won't keep quietWho the **** is Lucas Harrell?How playing 10 games gives you a 0-0 recordBlaine Hardy's terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad spring trainingJoe Jimenez and scouting terms to knowListener questions!Steven Moya's future in DetroitAnthony Gose doesn't like stats

Contents:

2:09 - Rounding the Bases: who got hurt this week?

20:28 - Warming in the Pen: the Tigers have improved their record to 0-0

39:36 - High and Tight: the spring training storylines are getting good

58:33 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: Moya, Moya, Moya

1:16:01 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: Anthony Gose is having growing pains

 

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At long last, baseball is finally back! Well, sort of. Games are being played now, and some of them are even on TV. They don't count for anything, and bad results should just be shrugged off, but it's still baseball!

The Detroit Tigers got their Grapefruit League schedule underway this week, playing games against the Florida Southern Mocs and Pittsburgh Pirates. By the time you listen to this podcast, they may have already played the Pirates again, along with a televised (!) game against the New York Yankees.

On this week's podcast, we do our best to break down the results of the two games, and discuss which players fans should pay attention to during game action. They also talk about the numerous injuries taking over TigerTown, including Anibal Sanchez's triceps injury and Alex Wilson's bum shoulder. They take another swing at the lightning round during listener questions, rank the top 10 foods at Comerica Park, and rant about bad baseball terminology.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Spring training games! On TV!

Anibal Sanchez and the dangers of throwing a baseball

What is a shoulder subluxation?

Spring training games! And box scores!

Why spring training box scores don't matter

Players we want to see succeed during spring training (and one we don't)

The top 10 foods at Comerica Park

Bad baseball terminology, including "complete game shutouts"

Contents:

3:11 - Rounding the Bases: can you please just be healthy?

18:33 - Warming in the Pen: grapefruits, anyone?

38:41 - High and Tight: spring training storylines

54:48 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: power-ranking ballpark food

1:21:07 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: stop using these baseball terms

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Baseball is officially back! Spring training is now in full swing, though we still have another week or so to wait until games begin. This is bad news for our poor beat writers, who are doing their best to churn out content, but good news for The Voice of the Turtle.

That is, if you don't mind off-topic discussions about certain risqué Google searches.

In this week's show, we take a look at the early storylines of the spring, including Francisco Rodriguez's visa issues and Steven Moya's productive winter. They also sympathize with the beat writers (minus the weather), and break down the Detroit Tigers' latest signings. Listener questions take an odd turn this week, and the lightning round returns!

Finally, Rob and HookSlide speak with Steve Mikkelson, oddsmaker for Atlantis Casino in Reno, Nevada, about what goes into a team's preseason World Series odds.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Spring training is here! Now what?The Tigers are in the best shape of their livesVictor Martinez can swing nowBobby Parnell might be a favorite to make the rosterDo the Indians have enough offense to contend in 2016?Listener questions!Is Brad Ausmus a good manager? Or just noA reasonable breakout from Nick CastellanosOddsmaker Steve Mikkelson takes on the sports betting world

Contents

2:18 - Rounding the Bases: what’s holding Shane Greene back?

20:27 - Warming in the Pen: bullpen insurance

30:16 - High and Tight: those pesky White Sox

44:18 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: has Brad Ausmus learned anything?

1:01:39 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: a casino oddsmaker talks about the Tigers

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The end of darkness is almost here. We are two days away from the Detroit Tigers' first spring training workouts in Lakeland, Florida, and less than two weeks away from hearing Tigers radio announcer Dan Dickerson back on the airwaves!

Rob and HookSlide couldn't wait that long, however, so they brought Dan on The Voice of the Turtle to help preview the Tigers' season. Topics range frrom the team's chances at contention to their best moves of the offseason to how the front office has changed under Al Avila. Believe us: this is one interview you don't want to miss!

There is always more to talk about, though. Before talking to Dan, Rob and HookSlide take an in-depth look at the Tigers' roster and how it compares to all those computer-generated projections that seem to be so down on the the Tigers' chances this season. They also make their Tiger-centric predictions for the upcoming season, and add in a few prop bets along the way.

Topics in this week's episode include:

PECOTA projections and whether we should ignore them entirelyMiguel Cabrera: he's really good"Can he stay healthy?" is the Tigers' 2016 mottoRole players that need to step forward this seasonJustin Verlander: staff ace or Hall of Famer?Jordan Zimmermann's transition from the National LeagueUpgrading bullpen expectations from impossibly low standardsThe most important prop bets everListener questions!The Tigers' Baserunning WayDan Dickerson previews the 2016 Tigers

Contents:

2:13 - Rounding the Bases: boooo, projection systems!

34:45 - Warming in the Pen: armed and dangerous?

1:01:42 - High and Tight: predictions galore

1:20:51 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: worst-case scenario

1:41:08 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: Dan Dickerson

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We might be losing it. With no real baseball to talk about over the past two weeks, Rob and HookSlide still found a way to turn in their longest show to date, recording a two-hour, 21 minute podcast entirely about J.D. Martinez's two-year contract extension.

...and a few other things.

This week's show also covers what the Tigers' master plan is, what with all the contracts expiring after the 2017 season. In the meantime, Rob and HookSlide also discuss where the Tigers sit in the AL Central race for 2016, and just how good of a job general manager Al Avila did this offseason. They also break away to talk about the team's top prospects, including those heading to spring training as non-roster invitees. Naturally, there were also a few listener questions involved, and Rob finishes up the show with a rant about how awful most of sports media truly is (besides BYB, of course).

Please get here soon, baseball.

Topics in this week's episode include:

What do we call J.D. Martinez's new contract?Al Avila's master plan for baseball dominationThe Tigers' best, worst, and most underrated moves of the winterWhich team will most certainly win the AL Central because we picked them to do soThe players we will have to Google during spring trainingThis whole prospect thing? Kind of funListener questions!Where Calvin Johnson would play if he were a TigerHow awful sports media is, and why BYB is awesomeSpring training and your slow descent into madness

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Let it be known: we decided to record this podcast before the Detroit Tigers made waves across baseball, signing free agent outfielder Justin Upton to a six-year, $132.75 million contract. See, there's a post and everything.

Anyway, what originally planned to be a dull episode became very exciting when the Tigers finished their offseason with a flourish. Rob and HookSlide break down the deal, discuss what it means for the Tigers roster in 2016 (and beyond), and debate whether opt out clauses -- the newest trend in baseball, apparently -- are worth the hassle.

Of course, other things have happened too. The Baltimore Orioles signed Chris Davis to a seven-year contract with all sorts of deferred money, while the Kansas City Royals inked Ian Kennedy to a deal more expensive than anyone expected. There are also the never-ending Yoenis Cespedes rumors to discuss, and St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak's recent comments about the DH making its way to the National League.

It's good to be back.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Whether Al Avila is listening to this podcastThe benefits to Justin Upton's opt out clauseHoly crap we signed Justin Upton (the exuberance was a bit delayed)Bruce Rondon's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad offseasonChris Davis' roundabout trip back to BaltimoreAll the drugs the Royals must be takingAre the Tigers World Series contenders?Listener questions!Who bats where?Does the National League need the DH?Old-timey baseball, or at least a way to return to it

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Mere hours after Rob and HookSlide finished recording their last episode of The Voice of the Turtle, the Tigers' new general manager pulled the trigger on yet another move, acquiring left-handed reliever Justin Wilson from the New York Yankees. Sent the other way were two pitching prospects, righthanders Luis Cessa and Chad Green.

The deal is a week old, but this is our hosts' first chance to take a look at the move, and they do it with the help of Tanya Bondurant, managing editor of Pinstripe Alley, SB Nation's excellent Yankees community. Tanya tempers expectations a bit, but given her lofty standards for bullpen arms -- the Yankees have both Andrew Miller and Dellin Beances at the back of their pen, remember -- we lowly Tigers fans should still be happy about the improvements made thus far.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Egg nog: fair or foul?What the Tigers are getting in Justin WilsonIs this a good bullpen?Outfield options, and if another addition is neededBruce Rondon got into more troubleJordan Zimmermann's contract looks even betterThe Tigers Way: a necessary endeavorWhy Ender Inciarte isn't the godsend some thinkInterview with Tanya Bondurant of Pinstripe AlleyDo the Yankees care about losing Justin Wilson?

Contents:

3:51 - Rounding the Bases: Is the bullpen finally good?

19:47 - Warming in the Pen: tweak the roster now, or do it later?

27:18 - High and Tight: Bruce Rondon is a brawler – is that ok?

45:35 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: who’s getting traded before April?

1:05:09 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: what do Yankees fans think of the Justin Wilson trade?

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The Hot Stove doesn't get any hotter than this week, as all 30 MLB teams are represented in Nashville and the deals are flying left and right. From trades to free agent signings, every fanbase is hoping their team makes a bit move to bolster their chances in 2016.

Free agent signings? The Tigers have had three since our last episode, and we're breaking down the ins and outs of all of them. Roster moves? Backup catcher Bryan Holaday appears to be on the outside looking in, and we'll discuss what his future holds.

Trades? The Tigers don't currently have anything on the docket, but the Arizona Diamondbacks pulled off a doozy mere minutes before our show went live. As fate would have it, we had the D-Backs represented on this week's show, courtesy of special guest Charlie Gebow from AZ Snakepit. Still blown away by the blockbuster moves of the past week, Charlie discussed the Diamondbacks' chances at contention now that their rotation is topped by Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller.

Topics in this week's episode include:

Mike Pelfrey might be better than we thinkJarrod Saltalamacchia: big name, big potentialIs Bryan Holaday heading back to Texas?Relievers, relievers, and more relieversAre the White Sox and Indians still alive?Christmas ideas and The Tigers WaySnap reactions to the Shelby Miller dealWhat the Diamondbacks need to do to return to contention

Contents:

2:20 - Rounding the Bases: why would the Tigers sign a pitcher who isn’t good at pitching?

34:02 - Warming in the Pen: would you be comfortable if the season started tomorrow?

50:27 - High and Tight: are the Tigers back to being the toast of the Central?

1:09:14 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: all I want for Christmas is this

1:32:32 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: Zack Greinke is the Diamondbacks ace

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