By Adam Dubbin TheSequitur.com Managing Editor March 5, 2007
CF Curtis Granderson and 1B Marcus Thames anxiously await to take the field - Photo Adam Dubbin/Thesequitur.com
LAKELAND, Fla. -- There are some who say, “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” This adage also applies to baseball: last Saturday in Lakeland, Fl., the Detroit Tigers were bombarded by the Indians’ offense in an 11-2 shellacking in front of a sell-out home crowd which truly embodied the spirit of that aphorism.
The weather was chilly and overcast, with meteorologists forecasting foul weather all across the state of Florida; though on this day, it was hard to tell which was fouler – the menacing clouds floating overhead or the Tigers’ performance on the field. A quick glance at the box score would clear up any uncertainty regarding that inquiry.
Both teams came out slow on offense, failing to put up any runs in the first inning. Left-hander Nate Robertson started on the mound for Detroit, keeping the scoreboard empty for six outs thanks
Indians players sharing tips - or fish stories - during warm-ups - Photo Adam Dubbin /TheSequitur.com
to an inning-ending double-play in the second. Southpaw Jeremy Sowers got the nod for Cleveland and though he only allowed two hits through the first couple of innings, Tigers batters hit the ball hard, with blasts from Ivan Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield pushing the outfielders back to the warning track only to be caught. Craig Monroe opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second with a solo home-run just over the glove of the Indians’ left fielder. This would be the only run, much less hit, the Tigers would get until the seventh inning.
Robertson was replaced in the top of the third by veteran reliever Jason Grilli, and this is when things got ugly. Grilli’s offerings must have looked as large as beach balls to the batters, because
LF Craig Monroe cracks Jeremy Sowers' pitch over the fence for a homerun - Photo Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
the Indians came out and ripped hit after hit off of him. After giving up four runs in the third - two unearned because of a fielding error by neophyte first baseman Marcus Thames - manager Jim Leyland sent him out for another spanking in the fourth inning, surrendering five runs while only managing to get one out. The typically dependable right-hander surrendered 9 runs – 7 earned – in just 1 1/3 innings, amounting to an astronomical ERA not even worth calculating. Jose Mesa would surrender the last two of Cleveland’s runs in the fifth, after relieving Grilli in the fourth and allowing two inherited runners to score.
2B Josh Barfield drove in two runs on Saturday - Photo Adam Dubbin /TheSequitur.com
The Tigers did have an opportunity to get back into the game after the Indians took a 4-1 lead, but left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. After three batters uncharacteristically drew base-on-balls, no one was able to provide that much needed clutch hit and the Tigers' opportunity was squandered, stranding three men on base.
C Ivan Rodriguez tries to settle down RHP Jason Grilli, with minimal success - Photo Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
The boys in white were able to tack on one more run in the seventh inning thanks to a Neifi Perez sacrifice fly. Leyland kept his starters in the game much longer than Indians’ manager Eric Wedge, who began emptying his bench after his offense had opened up the floodgates in the fourth. As for the spectators, most stayed in the stands up until around the sixth inning, but soon after, the parking lot became bustling with activity.
As the game wore on, a strong wind began to blow in steadily from left field, preventing a couple more deep fly-balls from escaping the park, much to the dismay of the home team. Despite the
It could be... it might be... DH Gary Sheffield just barely misses a home run - Photo Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
weather, it seems that everyone in attendance enjoyed the game. Being that a majority of the fans in the stands hailed from northerly cities, the current conditions for Detroit and Cleveland – both snowy and in the low 30s F – were displayed on the scoreboard, with the contrasting high 60s F for Lakeland then being shown, much to the delight of the audience. It was quite clear that it would take more than just clouds and poor pitching to ruin this day at the park.
Grilli serves up another meat-ball for the Cleveland hitters to feast on - Photo Adam Dubbin /TheSequitur.com
This experience was exemplary of why baseball is one of the greatest sports on the planet: it gives spectators a chance to get outside, breathe fresh air, share stories with strangers and watch athletes perform fabulous feats. Though we cannot have sunshine everyday, we can always make the most of what we are given, and when given a chance to watch the best baseball players in the world perform, there is plenty to make the most out of. I know I would not have traded the chance to sit in Joker Marchant Stadium over any of my other options for last weekend – even if it were fishing.
[MLB]
, TheSequitur.comManaging Editor, can be found roaming around the state of Florida with a camera in hand.
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