BullKurtz
Gold Member
- Banned
- #1
It's been a tough year for Dutch....one problem after another. Turned 30, got a $200M dollar contract extension, and then came apart at the seams. One "tweak" after another and yet he was getting HIT, was walking leadoff men, and not dialing up the radar gun like before. His curveball went missing, couldn't throw the slider for a strike, and hung a slew of change-pieces.
Many thought it was because Kate Upton dumped him. Or that the hundreds of innings he'd thrown over the last 6 years had caught up with him. Yet the velocity was still there when he wanted it. So what was it? I believe he lost his mojo, his swagger during the worst of it. Then in his last 2 starts of the season he was suddenly the old Verlander again. He shut down Oakland in game 2 of the ALDS but the Tigers couldn't score any runs for him. Then it was game 5, the whole season on the line. Mr. Ilitch's $150M payroll up against the peanuts the A's spend.....what would happen?
Verlander was untouchable....a no-no through 6 and 2/3rds....2 measly singles over 8 innings....10Ks. Boston is next and Verlander is back. As a Tiger fan since 1959, the butterflies are gone. Although the Sox are tough tough tough, thanks to Verlander's return to form, there's a good chance the Tigers are headed back to the World Series....get there, and there's a chance to be Champs. That's all you can ask for.
Many thought it was because Kate Upton dumped him. Or that the hundreds of innings he'd thrown over the last 6 years had caught up with him. Yet the velocity was still there when he wanted it. So what was it? I believe he lost his mojo, his swagger during the worst of it. Then in his last 2 starts of the season he was suddenly the old Verlander again. He shut down Oakland in game 2 of the ALDS but the Tigers couldn't score any runs for him. Then it was game 5, the whole season on the line. Mr. Ilitch's $150M payroll up against the peanuts the A's spend.....what would happen?
Verlander was untouchable....a no-no through 6 and 2/3rds....2 measly singles over 8 innings....10Ks. Boston is next and Verlander is back. As a Tiger fan since 1959, the butterflies are gone. Although the Sox are tough tough tough, thanks to Verlander's return to form, there's a good chance the Tigers are headed back to the World Series....get there, and there's a chance to be Champs. That's all you can ask for.
