Leyland's impression of his best players on Sunday's.. On the bench!
The Detroit Tigers are coming off an embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday night, and desperately need a win Sunday afternoon to stop a 5 game losing streak. After losing the first 2 games of a 3 game set to the Pirates and the first place Tampa Bay Rays up next with the Boston Red Sox after that, you would think that getting a win today should be top priority Tigers Manager Jim Leyland. What lineup will Tigers fans see on Sunday afternoon when they take the field at 1:35pm in Pittsburgh will probably be another Jim Leyland special…Sunday Lineup!
If you have been a Tigers fan for any amount of time or a Pirates fan when Leyland was there, you probably know exactly what I am talking about already. It is so frustrating to see and makes me irritated to this day to even think about what junk players I will see in there. The only way I can explain to those who don’t know what a “Leyland Sunday Lineup” is, would be to say it’s like a bunch of minor leaguers’ called up in September and you are out of the division race. Only it’s not September, you are in the division race and you really need the win!
V-Mart used to sitting on Sundays yet?
You can try and make sense of it all you want, but there is just no excuse for doing this as much as he does and the timing of when he does it. It’s like he decided back in 1984 ish that he was going to start doing this on Sundays.. and is too stubborn to give up on it now. I can’t remember the last time I have seen a normal Sunday lineup take the field since Leyland has taken over as manager, but I suspect today will be no different. What I want to know is there some kind of recipe he uses in his brain to concoct these special Sunday Lineups?
Leyland’s Sunday Lineup Recipe: A few bad hitters mixed in with some minor leaguers, a dash of inexperience with a sprinkle of over the hill, all blended, shaken and stirred up to perfection. Oh.. and of course Brandon Inge at 3rd!
Here is the lineup Jim Leyland put on the field earlier this month against the division leading Indians, and the Tigers were on a 5 game losing streak then also!
Sunday May 1st Lineup vs. Indians
Previous 5 Games: (0-5)
1. Will Rhymes 2B (Still Can’t Hit.. but lets lead him off)
2. Ramon Santiago SS (Solid #2 option)
3. Don Kelly, RF (Batting 3rd Seriously)
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Brennan Boesch, DH
6. Ryan Raburn, LF (.205 avg.. solid.. bat him ahead of Hot hitting catcher)
7. Alex Avila, C (uhh one of hottest hitter’s on team batting 7th?? why)
8. Brandon Inge, 3B (Why in the lineup at .203 avg
9. Austin Jackson, CF (uhhh after B.Inge? Seriously)
Sunday Result to division leading Indians: LOSS
What will Sunday Lineup against the Pirates look like?
About Dave Danese
Um, excuse me, but the Tigers beat the Pirates with that Sunday lineup. Or was my box score wrong?