Bless You Boys: for Detroit Tigers fans

In an episode all about the Benjamins, Al and Hookslide cover the fallout from the Tigers' historic contract extension with Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer's contract negotiations ending in futility, the acquisition of ancient shortstop Alex Gonzalez and Forbes estimating the team's worth at $680 million.

Bless You Boys Podcast 105 has a running time of 1:03 and features Al Beaton and HookSlide. Kurt Mensching will be back next week.

Topics:

Tigers, Cabrera formally announce 8-year extension, commit to 10-years and $292 million overall.

MLB execs disgusted over Miguel Cabrera extension.

Fans of advanced metrics are calling the Cabrera extension the worst contract ever. What a surprise!

But is it really that crazy of a contract in retrospect? $30 million may look like chump change in ten years.

Tigers were between a rock and a hard place. Let Cabrera walk in free agency, the fans get upset. Sign the best hiotter in the game to a contract locking him up for the remainder of his career, the fans get upset.

Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski contended it's better to extend a pending free agent early on the process, believing a player is more likely to leave the longer you wait.

The Tigers may not be all that worried about the long-term ramifications of a contract extension thanks to the ridiculous amount of TV money MLB teams earn.

Max Scherzer and the Tigers cease contract negotiations.

Scherzer's agent Scott Boras claims it was the Tigers who rejected a deal.

Tyler Collins makes the team as a left fielder.

Tigers obtain shortstop Alex Gonzalez from the Orioles for utility man Steve Lombardozzi.

Forbes values Tigers at $680 million, 15th overall in MLB. Anyone else think that figure sounds low?

Doug Fister will start the season on the DL. The Tigers win the trade!

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Bless You Boys Podcast 104 has a running time of 48 minutes and features Al Beaton and Kurt Mensching.

Kurt and Al cover the past injury filled week of Tigers baseball, giving HOT SPORTS TAKES on the loss of Jose Iglesias and Bruce Rondon for the season and new shortstop Andrew Romine, wonder if Stephen Drew worth a one-year deal, advise everyone not to PANIC and get in a little NCAA Tournament talk!

Topics:

Jose Iglesias will likely miss the 2014 season.

Tigers acquire Angels infielder Andrew Romine.

Stephen Drew willing to sign one-year deal with Tigers.

Bruce Rondon to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Time to PANIC?

Tigers injury woes more nuisance than disaster.

Justin Verlander named Tigers' Opening Day starter.

MLB starts the regular season in Australia at 4 A.M. eastern time on the same weekend the USA is obsessing over the NCAA Tournament.

Aroldis Chapman is the latest pitcher to be hit in the head by a line drive, and was lucky not to be killed. Is there anything baseball can do to protect pitchers?

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Al, Kurt and Hookslide return to discuss Kurt's adventures in Lakeland, the health of Mike Ilitch, Andy Dirks and Jose Iglesias, Ian Kinsler's actually saying what he thinks, Justin Velrander's first world problems and leave Nick Castellanos alone!

Bless You Boys Podcast 103 has a running time of 57 minutes and features Al Beaton, Kurt Mensching and HookSlide.

Topics:

Kurt arrives in Lakeland, finds a second home.Kurt eyes tell him these ain't the same Detroit Tigers.Tigers owner Mike Ilitch admits he has been dealing with health issues.Andy Dirks gone 12 weeks for back surgery.Who will replace Dirks in left field? (And no, Nick Castellanos is NOT an option, despite what sport talk radio hosts may say)Jose Iglesias' shin issues return.Alan Trammell gives Ian Kinsler his blessing on wearing number 3.Kinsler trashes Rangers in an interview with ESPN, catches flack for actually saying what he thinks, then claims his quotes were taken out of context.Is there a Plan B at 3rd base if Castellanos flames out?Can speed and defense replace the production of Prince Fielder, Omar Infante and Jhonny Peralta?Justin Verlander is dealing with first world problems. After buying a $400K Lamborghini Aventador, which he waited 2 years to get, Verlander now has 9 cars, but only an 8 car garage.

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On this week's BYB Podcast, Big Al and HookSlide welcome pitchers and catchers, quote Shakespeare, compare the Olympics to baseball, say goodbye to Joel Zumaya, delve into the ugly politics of baseball and learn Derek Jeter.may be Jesus Christ.

BYB Podcast 102 has a running time of 43 minutes and features Al Beaton and HookSlide. Mysteriously, Kurt Mensching took the Valentine's Day recording session off. He'll be back next week.

Topics:

Pitchers and catchers report!

Spring training and Shakesspeare.

Comparing judged Olympic sports with baseball. Or more correctly, judged Olympic athletic exhibitions to an actual sport.

Victor Martinez will catch and play first base in NL parks.

Bruce Rondon shows up to camp in the best shape of his life, having lost 20-30 pounds. Prince Fielder tells Texas media he's in the best shape of his life. Thus begs the question - why aren't highly paid athletes ALWAYS in the best shape of their life? (John Kruk and Bartolo Colon excepted)

The Tigers and Sportservice remodel the Pepsi Porch, adding a bar and replacing bleacher seats with stadium style seats. (Al immediately goes into Abe Simpson mode)

After announcing 2014 would be his final season, the deification of Derek Jeter has already begun. According to Albert Pujols, Jeter is the next closest thing to Jesus Christ.

Saying goodby to Joel Zumaya.

The Angels want to buy off several of Mike Trout's free agency years. It's going to take a $300 million contract to do so.

Major League Baseball owners, despite earning more than $8 billion in revenue in 2013, ddcide to cut costs by nickel and dimin employees. They quietly voted in January to allow individual teams to slash or eliminate pension-plan offerings to their non-uniformed personnel.

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The Bless You Boys Podcast returns after a six week hiatus! Kurt, Al and HookSlide come out swinging by debating Kate Upton, Max Scherzer's regression, ZIPS Projections, farm system rankings, the BBWAA and the Hall of Fame vote and PED mudslinging.

Topics:

Justin Verlander has core muscle surgery.Was Kate Upton involved?Tigers to explore a long-term deal with Max Scherzer, avoiding arbitration with one-year $15.525 million contract.Scherzer will not talk contract during season, optimistic about a new deal.How badly will Scherzer regress in 2014?2014 Detroit Tigers ZiPS projections released, are quite optimistic.Nick Castellanos named the 37th overall prospect by Baseball Prospectus.Farm system rankings are as relevant to team success at the big league level as college football recruiting rankings are to winning national championships. It's all BS.Hall of Fame voting causes more controversy as Jack Morris falls of the ballot and Alan Trammell continues to be stupidly ignored.The BBWAA is badly broken. To show just how badly, Dan LeBatard gives his hall ballot to Deadspin, resulting in a sensible ballot and his vote being revoked permanently.Alex Rodriguez PED suspension lowered to 162 games.Everyone came out of the Biogenesis scandal looking bad, especially MLB.Expanded instant replay approved by MLB, will go into effect this season.Expect rules changes to result from controversial replay calls. See the NFL and the 'process of the catch.'

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In the final Bless You Boys Podcast of 2013, Kurt, Al and HookSlide debate the merits of the Tigers' off season moves, eviscerate the BBWAA over the Hall of Fame vote and celebrate the holiday season and Kurt's birthday at the same time by singing horribly.

BYB Podcast 100 has a running time of 55 minutes and features Al Beaton, HookSlide and of course, Kurt Mensching.

Topics:

Tigers rumors: Austin Jackson for Brett Gardner trade discussed

Ervin Santana market down to Tigers, Diamondbacks|

Detroit signs Duane Below to a minor league deal

Danny Worth clears waivers, assigned to Triple-A Toledo.

Are the Tigers a better or worse team as now constructed than the one which finished two     games short of making the World Series?

Would you have preferred the Tigers had made one more run at a title with the team as constructed in 2013, or had the window closed on this group of players? In other words, did the Tigers need a shake-up?

Do you believe the moves were made due to salary concerns or a genuine need to re-imagine the roster?

Do the moves of this off season make the future of this team look brighter in 2015 and beyond?

Did the Tigers go too far, not far enough or did they do exactly what needed to be done in retooling the roster?

What was your favorite moment of 2013?

What moment made you angriest?

To paraphrase NFL coach Denny Green, were the Tigers who we thought they were?

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The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest.

Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod.

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The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest.

Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest.

Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest.

Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod.

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