Andy Dirks Has Issues

Coming into play on July 30, the top ten American League hitters in infield flyball percentage:

1. Matt Dominguez: 21.6%

2. Vernon Wells: 20.9%

3. Alexei Ramirez: 18.6%

4. Mike Moustakas: 18.1%

5. Jose Bautista: 17.6%

6. Ichiro Suzuki: 17.4%

7. Manny Machado: 16.8%

8. Brett Gardner: 16.3%

9. Andy Dirks: 16.0%

10. Lorenzo Cain: 15.4%

What can we make of this list?

-It's not just you. Dirks is popping out left and right.

-Matt Dominguez sucks. Poor Astros fans have to watch him pop out once in every five times he hits the ball.

-None of these hitters are that good, outside of Bautista. Machado and Ichiro are relying on a smoke and mirrors of BABIP that can't be sustained with that many infield flies. Bautista, of course, hits everything in the air anyway.

-Dirks has a line drive rate of 25.5%, which is actually quite good. I would say that's the only thing saving his BABIP going from the .285 it is to .240 (Don Kelly's career average). At this point, Dirks' batted ball profiles are a mystery wrapped in an enigma. High LD and IFFB rates usually don't go hand in hand. One or the other must give.

It better be the popups. I'm sick of watching those.

Tigers Acquire Jose Veras

Trader Dave Dombrowski struck again early this morning. News came out that the Tigers had traded Danry Vasquez, a 19-year-old outfielder, for Houston's Jose Veras. In signature Dombrowski style, I had no clue that anything was going to happen until I checked MLBTR and saw the deal. I promptly got really excited, which I always do when the Tigers add someone, then started mulling it over in my head.

Remembering Dominance- Volume 1

Every once in a while, a baseball player runs into a historic season. Everything has to break right. They have to be supremely talented and supremely lucky. In 2013, Miguel Cabrera is having such as season. In 2011, we witnessed this with Justin Verlander.

Tigers Fanbase Drinking Game

via blog.mlive.com

Author's note: To be played with either green Powerade or rbbaker's latest offering. Please drink responsibly, unless your name is Bill Simonson.

Take 1 Drink If

• PhilCoke'sBrain makes you laugh on Twitter.
• Someone complains about a tactical decision by Jim Leyland. Drink double if this includes a decision to bunt. Finish the drink if the person in qustion is Baroque.
• #AustinJacksonStrikesOut
• Dave Dombrowski is referred to as "DD."
• A "trade for Stanton" idea is brought up. Drink double is Castellanos isn't involved.
• Don Kelly pinch hits over Matt Tuiasosopo.

Take 2 Drinks If

• Rogo curses Don Kelly online.
• MLiveCommenter tweets something eerily similar to a comment on their site.
• Someone says "FIRE LEYLAND."
• Jose Valverde is verbally ripped apart by a fan.
• Jim Leyland is referred to as "Smokey."
• The Tigers score after the 6th inning.

Take 3 Drinks If

• Prince Fielder is unclutch.
• Kurt is spotted at Bless You Boys.
• Someone praises a tactical decision by Jim Leyland (not including Rod Allen).
• Tom Brookens is complained about.
• Someone clamors for Ramon Santiago to be replaced by Danny Worth.
• Dave Dombrowski is referred to as "Dumbrowski."

Take 5 Drinks If

• Rod Allen is praised by a fan. Drink double if it does not include a Rod-Allenism.
• Bill Simonson says something stupid, but you were stupid enough to listen. You will welcome the inebriation.
• Chris Iott writes something excellent, only to be torn apart by the commenters.
• You read a defense of bunting. Finish the drink if it's Big Al.
• You spot an obscure nickname, such as "Big Squiggles" or "Food Truck." AJax does not count.
• Lloyd McClendon is blamed for a struggling hitter.

Take 10 Drinks If

• Rogo praises Don Kelly online.
• Samara Pearlstein's work did NOT make you smile today.
• Patrick O'Kennedy praises Phil Coke.
• Jose Valverde returns to the Tigers (Note: This isn't exactly a punishment).
• Brandon Inge is referred to as "Cringe."
• Rayburn homers off of the Tigers (Note: you must see him spelled Rayburn somewhere to drink).

Finish Your Drink If

• You survive one night of this game.

(Editor's note: Sorry about the links to SBNation. I wrote this on Bless You Boys and did a lazy copy-paste.)

Why the Tigers Shouldn't Trade For Your Reliever

It's a well-known fact that Dave Dombrowski is trolling around for a reliever at the deadline. It could be a closer; it could be a 7th inning guy; heck, it could be a new and better Phil Coke. However, every option you can think of stinks.

Some Thoughts on Justin Verlander

You've heard of Justin Verlander 2013 before. The best pitcher in Detroit history has had his share of mechanical issues this year. He's still an All Star pitcher, but he's also been less efficient this year. What do we make of him?

• 3.50 ERA
• 3.23 FIP
• 3.64 xFIP
• 3.69 SIERA

All of these rate stats are quite excellent. Verlander is well above the average American League pitcher right now. However, these stats are all the worst he's posted since 2008. Yes, this is his worst season since he went 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA.

What should we expect going forward? Is Verlander going to be better, the same, or continue to decline? Well, the signals are mixed. Since that awful start in Boston that made me want to pull my fingernails off, he's gone 2-1, 2.17 over four starts. However, over that span he's had just a 15/10 K/BB ratio and has given up 3 home runs. So basically, while he's been underperforming his peripherals all season, Justin has massively outperformed his peripherals over his last 4 starts. Weird.

Of course, we could also play "The Porcello Game" and take out that other awful start that made me want to pull my fingernails off in Texas. If we take out that 8 run, 8 out game, Verlander's ERA is 2.99. Hooray! Unfortunately, we are still left with a pitcher who's peripherals are out of whack.

Justin's K/9 is 8.93 (rapidly dropping over the past month, I might add.) This is highly respectable and pretty much near his career norms. However, because he's yielding more baserunners, it becomes rather clear that Verlander isn't striking out as high a percentage. His 23.3% K rate is his lowest since, again, 2008. Obviously, the "something is up with Verlander" talk, while overblown, has some truth to it.

My thinking? JV has probably lost grip of his mechanics briefly, and is working to correct it as fast as he can. I bet the All Star Break will prove beneficial for one of baseball's most taxed arms. Verlander will soon resume striking out batters at a 25% rate and finish the year with an ERA of about 3.25 and 18 wins.

Hopefully, that's good enough for everyone's expectations.

A Trip To The Ballpark: Pittsburgh

Visiting all thirty ballparks isn't easy. Of course, it helps when you spread it out over years and have no work commitments. In any case, my dad and I recently embarked on an epic journey to see two parks: PNC Park and the SkyDome.

10 Things That Annoy Me More Than Phil Coke Pitching

The other day I received a text from my dad: "I hate Phil Coke with every fiber of my being." My dad isn't a particularly huge baseball fan, but even he is sick of Coke. This got me thinking. I'm not the type to overreact to bad performances, and I'll usually stick with a player to the bitter end, but even I'm sick of Coke. What annoys me more than him on the mound?

Is Miguel Cabrera's 2013 Season the Best Ever For a Tiger?

Yes, that is Miguel Cabrera. Yes, he hit the ball so hard that it flattened.

Cabrera's massive tater in the first inning today was the first hit in a 4-4 day. His season line now sits at an otherworldly .368/.457/.679. Seriously, look at that stat line. For comparison, a 'roided up Barry Bonds hit .336/.458/.677 in his MVP 1993. We've reached the point where Cabrera can be compared straight-up to Bonds in his prime.

Does that mean Cabrera's 2013 is the best ever for a Tigers hitter?

A Belated Fourth of July Post

Happy belated Independence Day to all of you out there. I hope it was a fun and safe time for everyone. It's great to live in a country where we feel safe enough to set everything aside for a day and celebrate 'Merica. Now, on to some Tigers-themed patriotic songs.

Midseason Grades- Pitchers

Good win tonight for the boys of the D. The Indians won, so they'll remain in second for the time being. A good reason for their contention? Pitching. Who's been good, who's been bad, and who's been Valverde so far?

Midseason Grades: Hitters

The season is already half over. Let that sink in. Pretty soon, we'll be back to waiting for baseball. Enjoy the season while you can, folks.

Now, for out first semester report cards!