Tag: detroit-tigers

The AL Central is No Longer a Joke

What a difference a year makes.


Look at the 2023 Major League Baseball standings and turn slowly toward the order of the American League Central. The Minnesota Twins, the only team to finish over .500, captured the division crown with a mere 87 victories. The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals each lost more than 100 games. In 2022, the Cleveland Guardians were the only club to finish over .500, winning 92 games. The division has long been derided for its lack of quality teams year in and year out.

Seth Lugo is the ace of the revitalized Kansas City Royals. Photo from Yahoo

Now?

The AL Central is the only division to have three teams with at least 30 victories. The Guardians are #1 and the Royals #2 in runs scored in the American League. Kansas City has been particularly impressive, stockpiling a group of veteran pitchers such as Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha to supplement their young, positional core, headed by Bobby Witt, Jr. Salvador Perez is as good as he was nine years ago when the Royals won it all. If Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton can remain healthy for the remainder of the year, the Twins’ lineup will give pitchers headaches all season. On the pitching side, Jhoan Duran is one of the most electric closers in baseball. Despite losing one of the best managers in Terry Francona, Cleveland has thrived under first time manager Stephen Vogt. More help will arrive for the Guardians in the near future as they own the #1 pick in July’s draft. The Detroit Tigers, though one game under .500, remain dangerous with two studs in the rotation: Reese Olson and Tarik Skubal. Only the White Sox will not figure into this discussion this year and next as they are literally starting from scratch.

The top four teams are set up for success beyond 2024. The vast majority of core players, both in the everyday lineup and on the mound are south of 30. The Baltimore Orioles receive much fanfare for their impressive collection of young talent. Teams like the Guardians and Royals do not have the names but they are just as prolific. The organizations in the AL Central generally are of smaller markets with lower payrolls. Drafting wisely and being smart in free agency is a must for the group, lest they revert to being nicknamed “Comedy Central”.

Dreaming of Darrell Evans and the Hall of Fame

Dreams are funny. Why do we dream about steak when we had ice cream at 10 PM? Why do thoughts of Winter during a 2 AM snooze in the Summer suddenly arrive in our craniums? And why is it that Sunday night/Monday morning was I having an argument with a faceless individual, insisting that Darrell Evans belongs in the Hall of Fame?

Darrell Evans did not hit 600 home runs as advocated in my dream. Photo from Vintage Detroit

Oh man, I was flipping out. I was insisting that it was a sham that Evans, who had retired with over 60o home runs was getting shafted out of his rightful place in Cooperstown!

Wait, over 600 home runs?

Awake me knows that Darrell Evans didn’t have over 600 dingers. But dreaming me knew darn well he was only one of ten players to ever eclipse that magical number. I was so convinced of this in my dream that when I temporarily opened my eyes in the middle of the night, I just knew Evans had a great case for the Hall of Fame based on his power numbers. I went right back to sleep and right back to my one sided argument. There really wasn’t a lot of dialogue, just me doing all of the talking and gesturing, pleading with this unnamed person to hear me out about Evans’ candidacy.

When I woke up for good, I had to figure out how many home runs Darrell Evans actually hit. I knew it was over 400 so I guessed 450. The number was actually 414. I knew about some of his other accomplishments. For instance, in 1973, he, Hank Aaron and Davey Johnson all hit 40 or more home runs for the Atlanta Braves, the first time three teammates hit at least 40 or more homers in one season. He was the first player to hit 40 home runs in one season in both leagues. He was a World Series Champion as a member of the 1984 Detroit Tigers. Perhaps most importantly, he is my go to guy for a Braves-Giants-Tigers spot in Immaculate Grid.

Upon researching further, I realized Evans was more than just a power hitter. He twice led the National League in walks, while striking out more than 100 times in a season only three times over the course of his 21 year career. He finished with a .361 on-base percentage and at the time of his retirement after the 1989 season, he was only the 22nd player to hit 400 or more home runs. When Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record, it was Evans who was on first base.

It only took up about 1% of my overall sleep that night but it felt like an all-night jam session. I woke up kind of tired because of the energy I put into my argument. No, Darrell Evans did not hit 600 home runs. But he was an even better player than what I remember.