Bill Walton: "Did your dad play for Jerry Tarkanian?"
Jason Benetti: "My dad was an air traffic controller."
Bill Walton: "How cool would it have been, though, if your dad had played for Jerry Tarkanian?"
Miguel Cabrera on the hug from Iglesias: "We were talking all season: I've gotta wait until he comes to Comerica Park so he can see 3,000. I said, 'I don't know, man.' He said if I get the hit in front of him, he's going to run to 1B and he's going to be the first guy to hug me."
Tigers game notes today feature Aretha Franklin song titles. Even the DL section has been changed to “It Hurts Like Hell”. Well done,
@DetroitTigersPR
.
Miguel Cabrera had discarded his infield glove in spring training, so he asked Spencer Torkelson if he had a backup he could use. He didn’t, so he gave Miggy his game glove.
“Now the gamer is retired,” Torkelson said. “It’s going to go in a frame in my man cave.”
Miguel Cabrera will close out June batting .329 (28-for-85) for the month with five doubles, three HR and 14 RBIs. First .300 month for him since June 2019.
At 1 hour, 50 minutes, Tigers' 1-0 win over Cleveland was their quickest 9-inning game since Armando Galarraga beat Cleveland in 1:44 on June 2, 2010. That one would've been a few minutes shorter but, well, you know.
Matt Manning on Shohei Ohtani: "He probably had the greatest day of baseball that anyone has ever seen today. It was incredible. I'm proud I didn't shy away from it. Even when I got behind in the count, I went right at him. Tip your cap. It is what it is."
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch on last week's brunch with Carlos Correa: "I had a ham and cheese omelet. I didn't order lunch. And I didn't realize it was as big of a deal as it was. I was delivering a baby gift."
Hall of Famer Alan Trammell joins Tigers coaching staff for today. He’ll coach first base. Third-base coach Ramon Santiago is taking his US citizenship test today.
Tigers are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. They've beaten the Indians in back-to-back games at Comerica Park for the first time since 2018. 5-2 final.
If Miguel Cabrera couldn't hit his 500th HR at Comerica Park or close to home in Miami, he couldn't get a better reception than he just received at Rogers Centre. He got a curtain call and bowed to crowd in a show of thanks.
"Obviously he's a great hitter and one of the greatest of all-time," Ohtani said of Cabrera. "And he's a wonderful person when I've dealt with him. He's so respected in the baseball world, it would've been OK if I gave up his 500th homer. Personally I want to see it happen soon."
Hall of Famer Alan Trammell joins Tigers coaching staff for today. He’ll coach first base. Third-base coach Ramon Santiago is taking his US citizenship test today.
Casey Mize not only threw a no-hitter in his Double-A debut, he tossed a Maddux. No hits, a walk, and a hit batter in 98 pitches. Second no-hitter in a week for
@erie_seawolves
. First CG no-hitter since
@thad_weber
in 2009.
"Miggy was super nervous," A.J. Hinch said. "For a veteran, 39 years old, 20 years [in MLB], done everything in the game, it's fun to watch him be nervous. I think it's awesome. I think the kid in him is realizing what it means."
Daniel Norris: "The biggest thing that [Gardenhire] said was, 'I hope and pray that you guys don't think I'm walking out on you.' That's just a testament to who he is as a person."
Parker Meadows' tall frame and long strides make his running look easier, but he reached 29.9 ft/sec on his first MLB triple to deep CF, according to Statcast. 30.0 is elite.
Tigers have optioned Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo. The move allows him to clear his head, work on approach at plate and get regular at-bats in lower pressure environment.
No player in modern MLB history had hit a grand slam, another home run and a walkoff hit within his first three MLB games. That's what Akil Baddoo is doing.
Cool moment between innings at Comerica Park, where scoreboard crew just showed final out of former Tiger Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter for Phillies tonight on video board.
Jason Foley strikes out Yoan Moncada on this 100 mph sinker on the corner, then fans Luis Robert on 101. Tigers get a 1-0 Opening Day win for first time in franchise history.
Eric Haase grew up in Michigan idolizing Miguel Cabrera. Now he’s batting behind him in Tigers lineup and driving him in on home runs.
“To be hitting him in, it’s just like, ‘What the hell is going on here?’”
Matthew Boyd thanked Tigers fans in phone interview:
"It's tough. My family and I call Detroit home and we love Detroit and we love Michigan. We've spent more time in Michigan than we've spent in Seattle, where we call home. We're so thankful to Michigan and Tigers fans."
Fan who caught Daz Cameron's first MLB home run just gave it back to him in exchange for a signed ball and a picture together behind home plate. Cool moment.
JaCoby Jones on his HR after fouling off sac bunts: "I got back in the dugout and I told Gardy, 'Screw bunting. We're in Cincinnati. Let me hit.' He started laughing."
Eduardo Rodriguez is first Tiger to toss 8+ scoreless innings with no walks and 10+ K's since Max Scherzer vs. Rockies on June 17, 2012. Last Tiger before that was Bill Donovan on June 27, 1908.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch announces coaching changes:
- Hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and Josh Paul won’t return
- Asst hitting coach Mike Hessman and 3B coach Ramon Santiago offered jobs in player development
- Alfredo Amezaga will stay as 1B coach
- Gary Jones back in some role
Tigers infielders in camp rotated taking ground balls this morning. Spencer Torkelson was the only one taking grounders at 1B.
When asked how often he could play at 1B, Miguel Cabrera said, "I don't know, because we want Torkelson in the lineup. ... I'll take the DH."
Tigers announce they’re moving weeknight games from 7:10 to 6:40pm, something they’ve done the last couple years for April and September games but will do in summer this year as well.
Standing ovation at Comerica Park for Miguel Cabrera as he crosses home plate after his first grand slam since June 1, 2013. His 468th home run ties him with Hall of Famer Chipper Jones for 34th on MLB all-time list.
Riley Greene: “We’re gonna do everything in our power to win, and now I’m gonna try my best to help this team out and do whatever I’ve gotta do. But we’re going to win baseball games. That’s all I’ve gotta say.”
Miguel Cabrera’s retirement gifts: a $24,000 donation to his foundation, a set of custom cleats made out of baseballs and bases from Cabrera’s career, and a Comerica Park seat autographed by members of this, his final Tigers team.
Tarik Skubal said he got a game ball for his first MLB win. He also got a beer shower.
"Socially distanced," Skubal said. "Everybody had a mask. It was all good."
Akil Baddoo had a sprint speed of 30.2 ft/sec to beat J.A. Happ to 1B for infield single, then 29.6 ft/sec to outrun Happ's pickoff for his 14th SB of the season. 30 ft/sec is considered elite.
Al Avila officially announces Tigers will hold Spring Training 2.0 at Comerica Park. It'll be first time Tigers have had a spring training in Detroit since 1901.
Casey Mize said the glove change was a result of plate umpire John Tumpane saying the color was too light. He has been using the glove all year.
Mize: "I think the timing was pretty shitty, because everybody thinks I'm using sticky stuff now."
Victor Martinez said Saturday will be his last game. He wants his last at-bats to be at home. He’ll stay with team on road for final week but won’t play.
Eduardo Rodriguez on Tigers: "I love the guys here, and I feel like they love me, too. ... I know we have a really good team and we have a really good future over here with the young guys. I want to be part of it and that's why I decided to stay here too."
So
@DanielNorris18
leaves Tigers six years to the day after Detroit acquired him in the David Price trade. In between, he was an incredible representative for baseball in Detroit who battled thru many injuries to pitch and contribute. Now he gets a chance to win in Milwaukee.