The Big Return of HZ Sports Radio

Adam and I talk Tigers postseason baseball and your Detroit Lions.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kyrx4zhsizyuid0/HZSportsradio10-10.mp3

HZ Sports Radio show 8/31/12

Football is back Adam and I discuss the Lions, U of M, and MSU.
We also talk Tigers and fantasy football.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pnfbemmui37f6hy/hzsportsradio8%3A31%3A12.mp3

HZ Sports Radio 7-27-12 show

Adam and I banter about the Tigers and Lions
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4epcy1b95snflol/hzsportsradio7-27-12.mp3

HZ Sports Radio 7/5/12

We cover every professional Detroit sports team in our latest show

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n2ow1dyej438lq7/hzsportsradio7%3A5%3A12.mp3

5 Possible Targets for the Detroit Tigers Before the Trade Deadline

Here are my 5 possible players the Detroit Tigers might go after before the trade deadline. There have been some names thrown around but I believe these are the 5 most relevant and they may be possible.


1. Marco Scutaro(Colorado Rockies)- The 36 year old 2nd basemen/shortstop could be a possibility to solve our 2nd base problems. This year he has a batting average of .285 4 home runs and 24 RBI plus he is much better defensively than Ryan Raburn. Scutaro has a .721 OPS compared to Raburn's awful .485 OPS and the Tigers really shouldn't have to give up much to get him.


2. Carlos Quentin(San Diego Padres)- The Tigers could really use some help in the outfield considering the struggles of Boesch and Young. Quentin currently has a batting average of .289 and a stellar 1.007 OPS compared to Delmon Young's .665 OPS. Quentin has 7 home runs and 16 RBI but he is only a career .254 hitter. It wouldn't be worth acquiring him if they have to give up too much considering he isn't a big upgrade over what we already have.


3. Shane Victorino(Philadelphia Phillies)- Another outfielder that may be able to help out and upgrade what we already have. Victorino is a switch hitter and has a career .276 average, but he is having a down year with a .248 average. He is hitting lefties much better than righties though with a .976 OPS vs LHP. The Tigers might not have to give up too much to get him and he is definitely a possible target.


4. Matt Garza(Chicago Cubs)- A starting pitcher could really help the Tigers out right now and Garza could possibly be dealt. With a 4-6 record, he hasn't been great this season but with a 1.16 WHIP and a BAA of .235, his record might be a little misleading considering he doesn't get much run support in Chicago.


5. Zack Greinke(Milwaukee Brewers)- With a 9-2 record and a 3.08 ERA how could you not love to see Zach Greinke in a Tigers uniform? There maybe a slight chance they could get him but it does seem unlikely considering they would probably have to give up prospects Nick Castellanos or Jacob Turner or possibly even both makes this a tough deal to make. Greinke is making $13.5 M which may also affect the Tigers willingness to deal for him. It would be great to get Greinke but it does seem unlikely and it would have to be at a very high price.

My visit to Wrigley Field

   After unsuccessful attempts at finding someone to go to Chicago, I thought the trip would have to happen another year. But instead, I woke up the next morning and thought, "Hey, you only live once." So, I took off on my own heading for Chicago.

I arrived to the north side of Chicago at around 4 pm local time. I wasn't sure where to park so I drove by the stadium which is dead smack in the middle of a neighborhood. Parking was pretty expensive next to the stadium so I parked about a half a mile north of Wrigley. Walking to the park feels different than any other stadium I've ever been to because like I said you're not really downtown you're in a residential area.

5:05 the gates opened and when I walk into Wrigley Field I turn into a kid again. Huge grin on my face, I'm inside one of the most historic ballparks in America. I felt like I was a part of something special. Baseball legends have played here and millions upon millions of fans have come through here. I raced over to one of the most infamous areas you will ever find in a baseball stadium "the Bartman seat." I had forgotten the infamous seat was in section 4 row 8 and seat 113 so I had to ask an usher where the Bartman seat was, he said, "Sir please don't call it that and I have no idea what you speak of." He was being sarcastic and pointed me in the right direction. After waiting my turn to take a picture reaching over the railing reliving that historic moment, I headed to the infield to watch batting practice. 

The Cubs were finishing up so I took some pictures from behind home plate as I waited for the Tigers to step in the cage. Surprisingly the Tigers pitchers were the first players to hit. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were up first. They practiced bunts and then they swung for the fences. On one of Verlander's last swings he belted a home run about seven rows deep over the left field wall. 

There are many great features about Wrigley, the obvious ones being the old style stadium scoreboard and the ivy on the outfield walls. Some features you might not know about are TV's in every section under overhangs so you can see replays, a scoreboard under the upper level for people who can't see the main scoreboard and everybody's favorite…troths in the Men's bathroom. One thing I really liked about my visit was every usher greeted me and wished a nice visit. The usher in my section was named Woj, we chatted for a little while about the Cubs and the stadium. He told me that you can go down to the main concourse and get an 8 x 10 certificate for your first trip to Wrigley for free. I thought this was awesome because most places in America would charge for something like that.

7:05 First pitch. The Cubs strike first scoring one run in the 2nd inning on a ground ball to short. The Cubs would score two more in the 6th on a double by Darwin Barney. The Tigers were still scoreless heading to the 7th inning, and I was getting worried but the Cub's fan next to me kept telling me, "Don't worry you'll score against our bullpen." He was right. Delmon Young would start the rally with a double, even though replays showed he was clearly out. Jhonny Peralta and Quintin Berry both walked to bring Ramon Santiago to the plate with the bases loaded. Santiago delivered with a single to right field scoring Young. Austin Jackson would also come through with the bases loaded with a single to left field that would score Peralta and Berry tying the game at 3. 

The story of the night would happen in the 8th inning after the Tigers got the first two outs there were runners on first and second. Tony Campana hit a chopper too short. Peralta's throw was high but it looked like Santiago still got his foot on the bag. That’s not how the umps saw it, calling the runner safe at second. Now with the bases loaded it would be crucial for the Tigers to get an out. Starlin Castro hit a ground ball to short, Peralta's throw to first was wide but it looked like fielder barely stayed on the bag to record the out. But yet again the umps would make the wrong call and so the Cubs took the 4-3 lead heading to the 9th inning. The Tigers would go quietly in the 9th only batting the minimum 3 hitters. It was a tough way to lose but if the umps call Young out at second the Tigers might have never scored.

This was by far the coolest stadium trip I've taken so far. The fans and Cub's workers were awesome. I was also very impressed with the number of Tigers fans there were as they took over the stadium. Tigers cheers might have been louder than Cubs cheers and Tigers fans helped set a weekday series attendance record for the Cubs; thus I referred to Wrigley as Comerica west.

If you ever have the chance to go to Wrigley Field don't let it pass you by because it truly is one of the best places in America to take in a ballgame.

HZ Sports Radio Show 2

This week Adam and I discussed the Tigers struggles, the Lions off field issues, Nick Lidstrom and more.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5dnp8yf9ft1saqv/hi7JSz-MbZ/hzsportsradioshow2.mp3

My visit to Progressive Field

       My good friend Todd was jealous of my road trips to go see the Tigers. I was sick of people asking if I had been to Cleveland admitting, “No.” So my friend Todd and I decided the Thursday day game in Cleveland would be a good day to go down and see the Tigers. It was perfect because the Indian's day games start at 12:05 so you don't lose your whole day going down there, Not to mention the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander was pitching.

We arrived in Cleveland about at 10:45. First thing we saw was a guy wearing a “Rick ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn,” jersey (Charlie Sheen's character from Major League)whats going to happen next a guy from Detroit wearing a jersey of Kevin Costner's character from “For The Love of the Game.” The trash talking started early with the parking lot attendant wanting to charge us triple and saying the Tigers were going to get swept. 

The gates weren't open yet so we decided to take a walk around Progressive Field. Which prompted the second Major League reference of this blog; There were some construction workers in front of the stadium which tempted me to get a video of them saying "Who are these F'ing guys," but unfortunately I didn't do it.

11 o'clock the gates opened to the stadium. We walk around inside checking out the features of the ballpark such as an Indians Hall of Fame with Heritage Park which pays homage to former players. The stadium also had cool features like a restaurant along the third baseline in the upper deck, which makes for an interesting way to take in a ball game. The two things I was really surprised with was the fact they gave you the can of beer and didn't pour it in a cup and that there's concession stands facing the field down the first baseline.

12:05 first pitch. The crowd in Cleveland was decent, pretty full except for the upper deck in right field was completely empty. In the first inning Miguel Cabrera was about a foot away from putting one over the right field wall, but he would only get a single and would not score. Justin Verlander was coming off his no-hit bid from the week before and we were excited to see what he had in store for this game. The start of the game wasn't what we expected. Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo hit an 84 MPH change up over the fence and into the second level in right field. Verlander settled in and would only allow five more hits the rest of the game. 

The Tigers tied the game in the third inning 1-1 on a ground out to short by Cabrera scoring Quintin Berry. The Indians responded quickly with a run in the next inning off a two out hit from Jose Lopez taking a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately for us, we would not see the Tigers win in Cleveland. The only highlight the rest of the game was Verlander striking out the side in the eighth inning. The Cleveland fans gave him an ovation which I thought was very cool.

So another road trip, another awesome ballpark, and sadly another Tigers loss. 

Lomas Brown Interview

Here's an interview I had with former Lion's offensive lineman Lomas Brown. He talked about the Lion's draft, the Titus Young incident, and Lion's expectations for the upcoming season.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3psd82mx5mvpcg3/browninterview.mp3

Justin Verlander's run at #3

My uncle offered my brother Matt and me tickets to the Tigers game. I convinced him to go since Justin Verlander was pitching. On the way down to Comerica Park Matt and I joked about how the last time he saw a Tigers game it was at Tiger stadium. 

The last time he saw a Tigers game Price Fielder's dad Cecil Fielder was the first baseman. Matt's not the biggest baseball fan, but we both agreed it was worth it for him to go to see the new stadium, and hey you never know, Verlander could throw a no hitter. We had no idea that this conversation was a prelude to the night.

Verlander gave up a walk in the first inning, which lead to Matt say, "There goes the perfect game." Other than that it was an easy inning for the reigning MVP. The Tigers would score two runs in the bottom of first, off doubles from Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Delmon Young hit a solo home run and Don Kelley had an RBI single in the fourth. 

Verlander cruised through the first five innings only allowing the one walk. He had not surrendered a hit yet. He got the first two outs in the 6th with no problem. Then Josh Harrison hit a deep fly ball to the gap in left center. The fans were nervous the ball would drop breaking up the no hitter. Kelley somehow tracked it down and made the catch. I looked at my brother and said, "Phew that was close!" It was at that point everyone in the stadium started to think no hitter. 

Nine outs away, Verlander strikes out Neil walker, Comerica erupts. Eight outs away now, Andrew McCutchen draws a walk, then Pedro Alvarez grounds out to first. No hitter still intact. Seven outs away, with the crowd on their feet, Garrett Jones strikes out. The Tigers scored two more in the bottom of the seventh on a Delmon Young double. It was 6-0 as the game headed to the eighth.

Six outs away, Casey McGehee strikes out looking. Five outs away, Nate McLouth strikes out swinging at 99 MPH fastball from Verlander. The crowd was getting louder and louder after every out. Four outs away, Clint Barmes strikes out swinging at an 86 MPH slider. The crowd went insane, louder than ever! My brother and I were giving high fives to random people. 

In to the ninth, Verlander stepped to the mound just three outs away from his third no hitter. Michael McKenry hit a grounder too short; Jhonny Peralta gunned him out at first. I shook Matt; we were only two outs away from history. 

Sadly, Josh Harrison would step to the plate and end the no hitter with a base hit up the middle off an 87 MPH slider; the 5th breaking ball JV threw in the at bat. One could question Peralta for not diving, but I think the only thing that might have made a difference was if Verlander threw a fastball instead of a slider. 

The crowd gave Verlander a standing ovation for his effort, but he still had a job to do; get two more outs. Verlander would get the next two batters to record outs ending one of the single greatest pitching performances I've ever seen in my life. 

Walking out of the stadium Matt turned to me, showed me his ticket, and said, “I almost had to frame this." We were bummed we didn't get to see a no hitter, but it was a thrilling game that had our hearts beating out of our chest's and one we will never forget.

HZ Sports Radio Show 1

Here's a link to the show. This show was recorded the monday after the NFL draft.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/72cadxy7eu8h1jz/Z4ZlhHbbxl/hz%20first%20show1.mp3

My visit to O.co Coliseum

I arrived at O.co Coliseum in Oakland on Friday night. It was, “Swinging A's Blanket Giveaway Day,” so there was already a line of athletic fans. I received a warm welcome(sarcasm) by the crowd wearing my road Detroit Magglio Ordóñez jersey (Ordóñez hit a 3 run homer in the ALCS in 2006 to sweep the A's and go to the world series) I was booed and one guy told me I was a long way from 8 mile, I had no idea(sarcasm). Although I got booed I did receive one, “Oo ee oo ee oo Magglio" cheer. Around 5:30 we enter the stadium where the Tigers were hitting BP. The big boys: Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young were in the cage at the moment. After watching the boys go deep and the starting pitchers shag fly balls, it was time for the team to head back to the clubhouse and dress for the game.

In most ballparks players enter the clubhouse through a tunnel in the dugout, but since the field doubles as a football stadium they walked around and down a tunnel like most basketball arenas. We were 6 rows back from the dugout and I saw my opportunity to maybe get a high five from some players. When I got down there, I saw Justin Verlander and couldn't resist asking the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner for a high five and he delivered! I know I'm supposed to be media and not be excited by this, but as one Tiger fan said to me as we waited in line for the game,

"You walk into a baseball stadium and you're 8 years old again." That high five gave me a smile for a good twenty minutes. I really was like a kid again at a baseball game. 

I was very impressed with the size of the crowd, although it was a Friday night and there was a giveaway. One unique feature about O.co Coliseum is that the men's bathrooms have troths instead of urinals. If you were to talk to most sports fans in Detroit they're not big on troths (Joe Louis arena has troths). Like I said before the stadium also hosts football so it's a unique place to watch a game.

At 7:05 the first pitch was thrown. The Tigers took an early lead, in the first inning Miguel Cabrera grounded into a double play that scored Austin Jackson. Sadly, that would be the only time the Tigers had the lead in the game. The A's scored 2 in the bottom first. The Tigers would tie the game in the 3rd, but Oakland scored 2 more in the bottom of the inning and would never look back. Home Runs from Josh Reddick and Former Tiger Brandon Inge put the game out of reach. When Inge came to the plate I would have thought Babe Ruth was stepping in the box. The crowd in Oakland loves him. A teenager even got on the jumbotron and said, "Brandon Inge, is a beast!" So I shouted “No one ever said that in Detroit.” The Tigers lost the game 11-4, but it was still fun to explore another stadium. 

My visit to AT&T Park

My journey to AT&T Park was a very ordinary one. My mother and I decided to bike across the golden gate bridge starting around 2 o'clock. After taking in breathtaking views on the golden gate bridge we arrived in Sausalito and had lunch. We then checked to see when the ferry left. At this point it was 4:00 and the next ferry from Sausalito left at 5:35, and nearby Tiburon had a ferry leaving at 5:10. Tiburon was about 10 miles away from where we were, but my mom wanted to try to bike there to make that ferry thinking we'd get back faster. In reality the 5:10 from Tiburon and the 5:35 from Sausalito were the same ferry. If we missed the 5:10 in Tiburon the next ferry wasn’t until 5:55 and would have dropped us off a mile farther away from the bike shop. I didn't think it was worth the risk of missing the ferry and some of the ball game, but my mom convinced me we could make it so we took off heading for Tiburon. 

I was on a rental bike where as my mom was on her own racing bike. She flew past me a mile down the road after I got a little head start as she finished lunch. Four miles down the road the trail turned right. My mom being in the zone and not looking missed the turn, luckily I called her and told her to turn around but at that point she was so far away she wasn't going to catch up with me anytime soon. It was a difficult trail to follow and she would end up going the wrong way again. I raced up and down hills and along the shore, it was 5 o'clock and I was still not in the city. Finally, five minutes later I enter Tiburon still confused as to where the ferry is. Racing through the beautiful town I find the ferry 5:07; I made it on time. I talked to my mom who was lost in the hills, and decide to take the ferry alone and make it to the game. 

At this point I didn’t have the tickets (or the keys to my mom’s car to get them) so I decided to call my cousin Brett's fiancé Lisa.  We were planning on meeting with her before the game so I simply asked her to print out the tickets and bring them to the stadium. Now that the tickets were taken care of I had to find my way to the stadium. 

After figuring out which rail car I had to take on San Francisco’s subway system I got off the boat at 6:05 took the bike back to the rental place and raced to a rail car. This car took me one block to another rail car which was stopped. I had no clue when it would take off so I sprinted a mile to the next stop where I was picked up by the next rail car. It turned out to be the one I ran from. Finally getting to the end of the road on the rail car, I raced to the subway and got on. The car was crammed in like sardines. Three stops later at 6:55 I arrive to AT&T Park exhausted after 18 miles on bike, a ferry, two rail cars, and one subway. I meet the lovely and amazing Lisa who was waiting in front of the main entrance with my tickets. We had a nice 15 minute conversation, hugged and then I was on my way to the outfield entrance. 

I enter the stadium at 7:15 after being wowed by the beauty of the ball park and the view of the bay bridge. I took my seat on the wall in right field where Barry Bonds would hit home runs and occasionally hit over and into McCovey Cove. Half an hour later my mom showed up and we walked around to find food. I was shocked by the variety of food they sell which includes Chinese food and sushi. They also sold wine at the game! We grabbed a couple of San Francisco dogs (Swiss cheese, a pickle slice, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing) oh my goodness was it good! 

We walked around the ball park and discovered a mini ball field where kids can play wiffle ball, which I think might be the coolest thing ever to have at a stadium. Back at our seats the game heated up as the Rockies took the lead 1-0 on a home run from Wilin Rosario. The giants tied it up in the 6th when outfielder Gregor Blanco came to the plate and hit a bomb that looked like I'd have a chance to catch. Not thinking about how bad it would hurt, I got my hands ready. Sadly, the ball carried three rows over my head. Watching that home run and preparing to try to catch it was one of the most thrilling moments I've ever had at a baseball game. You can see me on the replay wearing a grey hoodie with yellow and blue stripes on the elbows! In the 8th Posey and Pill both drove in runs to give the giants the 3-1 lead. Giants closer Santiago Casilla got the save, but it wasn't pretty. He gave up one run and loaded the bases before recording the final out. When the game was over the huge crowd of over 41 thousand people, went nuts. In our section mist was sprayed on us. 

At the end of the day AT&T Park was an amazing place to see a game. Sitting in the outfield I got to hear the Giants’ fans heckle the opposing team’s outfielder with the chant “What’s wrong with (outfielders name)? He’s! A!! Bum!!!”

AT&T Park: Great food, great fans, great views and a great place to watch baseball.