Please MIKE, listen up to the following true facts probably never before
compiled together in one lump sum.

CHAMPION TIGER TEAMS HAVE ALWAYS HAD A STRONG CATCHER!
1934…”BLACK MIKE” COCHRANE…ba .320…oba.428…rbi76…led the
Tigers to the AL PENNANT.
1935…COCHRANE again..ba, .319…oba, .452…rbi 47 led the team to
the AL PENNANT AND THE WORLD SERIES!
1940…”BIRDIE” TEBBETS ba.296…oba, 357…rbi.47 led the Tigers to the AL PENNANT.
1945…PAUL RICHARDS..ba.266…oba, .315…rbi 54 let our boys to the
AL PENNANT AND THE WORLD SERIES!
1968…BILL FREEHAN…ba.268…oba,.366…rbi 84…hr.25..let the team to
the AL PENNANT AND THE WORLD SERIES!
1972…FREEHAN again…ba..262…oba.354…rbi 56…hr..10…led Tigers to
the AL EASTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP.
1984…LANCE PARRISH…ba.267…oba,.287…rbi 98!…hr 33 led team to
THE AL PENNANT AND THE WORLD SERIES!
1987…MATT NOKES ba.289…oba,.345…rbi 87…hr 32! led the Tigers to
another EASTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP.
2006…PUDGE RODRIGUEZ…ba..300..oba..332…rbi 69..hr 13 led team
to THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT.

So now we have three powerful hitting free agent catchers: MIGUEL OLIVA, RAMON HERNANDEZ and VICTOR MARTINEZ. SPEND THE $$$$
MIKE and bring home one of these catchers to DETROIT and WE WILL
GO ALL THE WAY!!!

filed by bobby hoeft on 8-31-10

Spend some of those hang-over-millions-of-bucks,

ON A FREE AGENT CATCHER!! Here’s what we have found out about
three hard hitting free agen catchers:
1) MIGUEL OLIVO, COLORADO, ba .278…oba.327…hr 13…rbi 50 !

2) RAMON HERNANDEZ, REDS, ba .310…oba.371…hr 6…rbi 40…

3) VICTOR MARINEZ, BOSTON, .283…oba.325…hr 10…rbi 50!

It would probably mean giving martinez half of the RENCEN to get
him away from bean town, BUT OLIVO & HERNANDEZ are signable!!

Wouldn’t one of them fill our five hole nicely and force the opposition
to pitch to CABRERA, huh? WBWF would love to see the two MIGUELS,
OLIVO & CABRERA hit 5&6, wouldn’t you?

Ether ONE of the above hit the proverbial rings-around our two present
catchers….need we say more?

(all of the above stats taken from the latest USA SPORTS WEEKLY as
of 8-30-10)

posted on 8-30-10 by bobby hoeft, WBWF publisher and author of the
book: WHEN BASEBALL WAS RFUN.

‘THAT COULD BE A BIG THREE’ said JIM LEYLAND. ‘THEY’VE GOT YOUTH ON THEIR
SIDE…THEY’RE YOUNG GUYS WITH POWER, TALENT and CONFIDENCE GOING FOR
THEM. And we will wscore runs, too.’

It’s imposing firepower-if the three, all first round draft picks, stay healthy and develop
into a winning pitching trifecta the Tigers believe they have.”

How about the 4th and 5th starters Lynn? We believe that’s the real key. In our story
we dive right in there, because we feel two power pitchers down on the farm play a huge
role in the Tiger’s fabulous future … and they are JACOB TURNER and ANDY OLIVER!!

Here’s two more first rounders and folks we’re going back to JIM LEYLAND’S words after
he watched them pitch during spring training to describe these two phenoms; ‘LIGHTS
OUT’ were his exact words.

The reason that I’m so excited is because all of baseball agrees with MR. BASEBALL, CONNIE
MACK, when he said that “pitching is 80% in the success of a MLB team” and that is why
Tiger fans, FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS BECAUSE THE TIGERS ARE ABOUT TO GO “LIGHTS OUT.”

posted by bobby hoeft on 8-23-10.

As for runs…led by MIGUEL CABRERA…AUSTEN JACKSON…BRENNEN BOESCH…MAGGLIO
ORDONEZ…JOHNNY DAMON…CARLOS GUELLEN…and we feel a terrific free agent catcher,
the Tiger cats will score more than enough runs…..NOW DONTCA’ FEEL GOOD? AMEN

JACKSON, MAGGLIO ORDONEZ, BRENNAN BOESCH,
Tiger fans….fasten your seat belts cuz’ we are about to go “LIGHTS OUT WITH FIVE
POWER PITCHERS ALL WEARING THE ENGLISH “D” UNIFORM

ABOUT UNBEATABLE! WHY? They will have the best starting rotation

in MLB. Led by future HALL-OF-FAME Justin Verlander they will have

a settled down Max Scherzer throwing bullets past opposing hitters

and Rick Porcello once more sinkering hitters to death. Wnenever a

team can trot out three power pitchers on a regular basis they are on

their way to huge winning seasons….now I hear someone asking:”how

about starters 4&5 ?” Folks please remember the name OLIVER! He will

be #4 power pitcher for the staff…bet the farm on it!

Now for #5….take your pick between GALLARAGA & BONDERMAN. Please

tell us your choice below with your comment. I personally lean toward

Armanda. With the millions that Mike Ilitch will save from those sinful

contracts of robertson, willis, bonderman and ordonez adding up to about

FORTY ONE MILLION. Look for Mr. Ilitch and Dave Dombrowski to launch an

unbelievable monster of a free agent blockbuster. How about those apples?

Just remember this is the same writer who picked the TIGERS to win the

2006 AL PENNANT. I remember how lonely I was out on that limb. Will

history repeat itself? AW YES, HISTORY WILL TELL US THE ANSWER.

So long for now…supper is on the table.

posted by bobby hoeft on 8-2-10, publisher of WHEN BASEBALL WAS FUN, a tiger quarterly.

In a letter from an eye witness, RED BOROM, the Tigers in that wacky 1945
season did indeed play a 40 inning game with the Philadelphia A’s. Listen to
RED BOROM explain it in his own words.

“I was certainly glad to see that WBWF in it’s summer edition included the
story about “LES MUELLER’S MASTERPIECE.” It was certainly a masterpiece
when a pitcher goes 19 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run in a no
decision 24 inning game. I’d like to mention that I’d never seen a game
called because of darkness. And to my knowledge I’ve never read anywhere
that that marathon game was continued the next time we played in the city
of brotherly love. THAT GAME WENT INTO THE 16th INNING TIED 1-1, when
in the bottom of the 16th the A’s scored to win this 40 inning classic 3-2!!!!

THAT MUST BE AN ALL TIME RECORD, AS IT TOOK 40 INNINGS TO COMPLETE
ONE MLB GAME.” red borom

Here’s an all time record game completely buried in the archives of modern baseball.
40 innings and only 5 runs scoring! It’s just another case of today’s media having no
respect for old school baseball. THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN TO RED BOROM’S
LETTER, WHO INCIDENTLY, IS THE OLDEST LIVING TIGER AT 94 AND STILL KICKEN’
BUTT!

posted by bobby hoeft on july 6, 2010.
BUTT!!

During the same evening that OLIVER was earning a spot on the TIGER’S
starting rotation, RICK PORCELLO was piching eight innings for Toledo
allowing only one hit and zilch earned runs!! Certainly Porcello is on his way
back to Detroit’s starting rotation, but, who’s spot will he take, especially
if Oliver does well again this weekend against the TWINS? What a nice
spot for LEYLAND to be in.

Another matter arises from Oliver’s “tremendous” effort. It’s a matter of $$$$.
With the exception of PERRY & PORCELLO the kids mentioned above are all
earning the rookie’s salary of $400K! The P&P boys are not making much more.
So, lets talk about next season’s payroll. JOHNNY DAMON’S 8 Million will be
long gone along with DONTRELLE WILLIS’ 11 Million and NATE ROBERTSON’S
reported 9 Million which adds up to somewhere around $28,000,000.00 !!!
Methinks I hear a huge free agent coming our way. Whatcha’ think?

On top of that we have more kids on the way. The Yankees with their meat
market lineup will still win all of the marbles this year, but, we predict that the
TIGERS will begin in 2011 to take home their share of those marbles with their
“KIDS” leading the way. And, that “scruffy old school manager” smiling from
ear to ear.

posted on 6-26-10 by bobby hoeft, author of “WHEN BASEBALL WAS FUN”

Can you believe that the Tiger’s could easily have two rookies in the running for
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR honors? That’s right, BRENNAN BOESCH and AUSTIN JACKSON
could easily run neck-to-neck at seasons end for these honors. We predict that
Jackson will finish strong and Boesch will just keep on ticken’ and the Tigers will have
two outfield spots going great guns for years to come!

Speaking of the future, it looks great for the Tigers! They say that up-the-middle -
defense wins ball games, so how do you like these apples? ALEX AVILA behind the
plate…DANNY WORTH at short…SCOTT SIZEMORE at second…and AUSTIN JACKSON
in center. All young old school type hustling kids. WBWF sees Worth & Sizemore at
the keystone sack playing ala TRAM N’ LOU. Yes, we think they’re going to be that
good. We saw some of Sizemore’s talents before his bat grew tired of crushing line
drives right at someone….so he’s knocking the ball all over the place down with the
mudhens. He is headed for fame along with WORTH AND JACKSON AND AVILA.
Doesn’t the sound of those words run goose bumps up and down your TIGER SPINE?
We thought so too. Just sit back and watch it unfold within a few years.

Have you noticed that MIGUEL CABRERA does not run out of the batter’s box?
It sure slows down his speed getting down the line to that of a turtle. As long
as the big horse keeps hitting those long taters we’ll have to forgive him.

Posted by bobby hoeft on 6-25-10

For months now WBWF has cried out for EVERETT & LAIRD to be pulled out of the
bottom of the Tiger lineup and finally, EVERETT has been released and Laird was told
to sit down in favor of ALEX AVILLA. FINALLY, they’re getting it right! Leave Avilla
alone except against really tough lefties, and he will blossom into one of the great
catchers in Tiger history.

As will be the case with DANNY WORTH at SS. Our inside source tells us that the Tigers
will bring back SCOTT SIZEMORE at 2B and these kids will shine at the keystone bag
for many years to come ala TRAM & LOU. We believe it. With AUSTIN JACKSON in CF
the Tigers will have their “UP THE MIDDLE” defense covered with four young stars for the
next decade. Bet the farm on it!

Who would have thought our starting pitching would be our major problem with summer
officially on the horizon? As each starter goes to the hill JIM LEYLAND has no idea what
to expect. None of them show any continuety what-so-ever.Where this story will end
is anybody’s guess…WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE US YOUR COMMENT, P L E A S E.

filed by bobby hoeft, Thursday AM, 6-10-10
will bring back SCOTT SIZEMORE at 2B and these two kids will shine at the keystone

Make no mistake. The “28 hitter perfect game” by ARMANDO GALARAGA will never be
forgotten around the Michigan hills and lakes and cities of Tiger Lore. However, HOW
THE TIGER NATION FORGAVE THE GUILT-RIDDEN JIM JOYCE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
ANYWHERE! DETROIT, THE ENTIRE SPORT’S WORLD IS PROUD OF YOU!

There he stood at home plate in tears as the wounded GALARAGA handed him the batting
order while thousands applauded. This, for the man who cost us so dearly? We had to
pinch ourselves to believe our eyes. WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED ON JUNE
2nd and JUNE 3rd for on those two days a miracle took place because:

ON JUNE 2, 2010, WE REALLY DID WANT TO “KILL THE UMPIRE”!!

AND ON JUNE 3, 2010, WE UNBELIEVABLY WANTED TO “LOVE THE UMPIRE”!!!!

Has this turn-a-round of human feelings ever happened anywhere in the history of sports?

WE THINK NOT

HOW? We hate to place a whole lot of pressure on the young shoulders of RICK
PORCELLO and ARMANDA GALARAGA but there it is plain and simple. These guys
have gotta’ step up to the mound and do what their resume’s claim they can do!
YES, BOTH OF THEM HAVE ALREADY PROVEN THAT THEY CAN WIN IN MLB!
PORCELLO proved it last year and GALLARAGA proved it in 2008.

That’s what it comes down to. Just check it off. The offense has sputtered lateley
and so has the bull pen…..BUT THEY WILL COME THROUGH. WE SAY THAT THEY
HAVE THE “RIGHT STUFF”. And the other three starters: VERLANDER, BONDERMAN
and SCHERZER , with his brilliant come back, are the three main horses, BUT WE
NEED NUMBERS 4 & 5 DRASTICALLY.

We have pushed hard for MIKE ILITCH & DAVE DOMBROWSKI to go hard and nasty
after ROY OSWALT!! Even if we have to part with some of our young prospects adding
OSWALT to VERLANDER, SCHERZER and BONDERMAN would immediately turn the TIGERS
into a winning machine.

All of you reading this get on the “GET OSWALT BANDWAGON” and write and or call the
the TIGERS. ALSO PRAY. DREAMS & PRAYERS STILL COME TRUE, YOU KNOW!
THE LORD HAS A SPECIAL BASEBALL PRAYERS ANSWERING DEPT. So hey, LET ‘ER RIP!

filed by bobby hoeft on 6-2-10