When Baseball Was Fun

TIGER FANS…MEET TODD ANDREW SMYLY!

bobby — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:08:20 +0000

Todd Smyly is often called Drew but WBWF is going to call him THE SURPRISE OF THE 2012 TIGER”S YEAR…Here’s why:
Born on June 13th, 1989, he quickly grew up at his home in Maumelle, Arkansas, into a 6′4″ southpaw.
In 2011 the Tiger’s brilliant team of scouts saw him pitching for the University of Arkansas and Dave Dombrowski said “SIGN HIM!”
After receiving a hefty signing bonus he was sent to Lakeland Flying Tigers to begin an outstanding year of accomplishments.
His brief line at Lakeland reads as follows: 14 games, won 7, 80 innings pitched, 77 strikeouts, 2.57 ERA !
On July 29th he was promoted to the double AA Erie Sea Wolves.
His line with the Sea Wolves reads as follows: 8 games started winning four, pitching 45 innings, 53 strikeouts and a 1.18 ERA!!

In one short year listen to his accomplishments:
1) He was chosen in July as the Tiger’s Minor League Player of the month;
2) He was chosen as the Tiger’s PITCHER OF THE YEAR!
3) July 6-13 Florida State League Player of the week;
4) July 25 struck out 10 in seven shut out innings earning him an immediate promotion to Erie;
5) Selected to team USA where he won the Silver Medal;
6) He was selected by HogNation as their PLAYER OF THE YEAR!

We ask you, does he stand a chance to slide into that role of the Tiger’s Fifth Starter?
Remember this will be his first Major League Spring Training Camp. However, his track rercord in the Minor’s
last year indicates that there’s very little that he cannot handle. That’s why WBWF is banking on him coming
out of Lakeland as the Tiger’s surprise player of the camp and as A STARTING PITCHER! I think we’re going
to love TODD ANDREW SMYLY!

posted on an ice cold 1-30-12 by bobby hoeft

MIKE ILITCH ISN’T FOOLING AROUND!

bobby — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:43:11 +0000

Yesterday I watched the special segment of the PRINCE FIELDER signing on national television and here’s my thoughts:
Mike Ilitch isn’t fooling around in his quest to bring bring his Tigers to the World Series Championship! And neither should we.
All true Tiger fans should jump on board his wagon of shrewd thinking…now hear this…TICKET SALES ARE BOOMING!
How many sell outs will the THREE HALL-OF-FAMERS, Verlander, Cabrera and Fielder bring into Comerica?? All home games?
Perhaps. And even when they’re on the road? At any rate the money making attendance figures will soar. And so will the
Tigers. Their explosive lineup will explode. Runs should be plentiful for our starting pitchers to enjoy! And us too.

Speaking of pitchers…those free agent pitchers will now look at Detroit’s power and guess what? They’ll want in.
Also speaking of pitchers…Prince Fielder is not the first Prince to wear the English “D”. Look at the great Tiger’s statues
in deep center field and you will find the other one: HALL-OF-FAMER, SOUTHPAW HAROLD “PRINCE” NEWHOUSER. Will
Prince Fielder accomplish the mighty feats of Newhouser?? This new Tiger is a shoe-in if he continues with his bombing.
And you & I are going to enjoy every minute of it! Thanks to Mike Ilitch.

And how about Cabrera playing third? For those of us who have played 150 games of pro ball in one year, realize that
playing different positions in baseball IS NOT AS COMPLICATED as the average fan worries about. “Cabbie” will be ok.
Then there’s the tough LEYLAND job of welcoming Victor Martinez back into his lineup. Do you mean to tell me that visions
of FIELDER, CABRERA and MARTINEZ hitting doesn’t cause you a few glorious flip flops? Folks, if it doesn’t you should take your
pulse immediately. Oh yeah, that’s going to cause Jim Leyland fits….all good ones.

And then there’s all the FREE P.R. that’s already started for Dave Dombrowski and his gang to contend with. Already yesterday’s
WELCOME HOME PRINCE FIELDER TELEVISION PARTY was televised nationally on THE BASEBALL NETWORK live and then repeated
for the rest of the day! Millios saw it over and over with high-in-the-sky ratings. That exposure would have cost the Tigers
Billions of dollars but they got it all for FREE! Yes, I said billions. National TV commercials are out of sight, cost wise.

I’ll see you down at Comerica…if I can get a seat!

posted on 1-27-12 by the flip flopping bobby hoeft, founder & publisher of WHEN BASEBALL WAS FUN.

A Word of caution for Pujols…

bobby — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:39:58 +0000

Remember what happened to Edgar Renteria…Boston loved the hard hitting NL shortstop and so they brought him into
the American League for millions of $$$$ and he couldn’t hit a lick. And just like that he was gone!
A few years later the Tigers, not paying any attention to Boston’s mistake, traded promising young pitcher Jair Jurrjens, for
the hot hitting short stop and it all happened again….he couldn’t hit his weight in the strong AL, and once more he was
gone like the wind. This time though, the Tigers lost big time as Jurrjens has turned into an all star!

And, remember Adam Dunn? The White Sox brought the slugging 1st sacker over from the NL Nats for the Sears Tower!
Do you know what the word FLOP means? That’s what Dunn did and by September Adam was on the bench! Chicago is
still trying to get the Sear’s Tower back.

So you see folks…good hitters in the weak pitching NL don’t always hit AL pitching all that well. Now it could happen to
Pujols. The Angels may now have joined the Red Sox, White Sox and the Tigers in getting fleeced by a so-called great
NL hitter. The jury is out.

How about Victor Martinez injuring his arterior cruciate ligament WHILE WORKING OUT!! My aching back! What kind of
work out was that? We’ve heard of guys hurting themselves skiing, bowling, playing basketball and even having a box fall
on their shoulder up in their attic….but this???Up to this writing all we know is that it happened while Victor was working
out. Whatever kind of workout it was…please keep Verlander, Fister and Cabrera away from it!! Speaking of injuries, has
anyone heard the latest on Brennan Boesch’s bad break?

Now that everyone in the baseball world has heard about Yoenis Cespedes, our prediction a few weeks ago about the Tigers
ending up with him appears in jeapardy. How about those Cubs? Well, at least they can’t give him the Sears Tower. Adam
Dunn already has it. From all indications however, they’re ready to give him whatever he wants. Remember, this is the guy
who whiffed three times in his first game in the Dominican Republic???

We are picking the Tigers to win it all in 2012 AND it has nothing to do with who hits in the 5 hole. We explain it all in the
WBWF Spring Quarterly which will be out soon.

posted by bobby hoeft on 1-21-12 following his heart attack right after the Martinez injury report!!

OUR TAKE ON THE 2012 TIGERS…

bobby — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:06:52 +0000

It’s going to be all about pitching. And Tiger fans that ain’t bad!
We believe that Dave Dombrowski might do some careful tweaking with the staff.
BUT NOT MUCH…as they stand right now, HERE’S THE FOUR BIG HORSES:
JUSTIN VERLANDER…2011 MVP & CY YOUNG AL AWARD WINNER…..Enough said;
DOUG FISTER…He’s an excellent #2 man who will grind out around 18 victories and a ton of innings;
MAX SCHERZER…He’s actually our #2 in disguise…look out for MAX;
RICK PORCELLO…He’s just 23 and and won 15 last year and might do better this year. HE JUST MIGHT
BE A SUPER STAR, just waiting to happen.
An interesting stat about our big three…THEY’RE STILL IN THEIR TWENTIES!

And now for the tweaker. Dombrowski and owner , Mike Ilitch might decide to ride the rapids with
three left handers from their deep farm system: DUANE BELOW, DREW SMYLY and ANDY OLIVER.
They’re all hard throwing kids and ready to break out. Who will it be? Oliver seems to be the best bet.
He’s already tasted starting with the Tigers and is more ready than the other two, although Below was
also given a shot. But, with a name like SMYLY , the media would have a field day. So who will it be.
Spring Training will give us the answer but we think ANDY OLIVER will be our #5.

The rest of the team is ready. JIM LEYLAND can make out the lineup card right now. In 2011 they
proved they can score runs and we have confidence in their defense as well. We predict another
championship year for the guys who wear the english “D” !

filed on NEW YEARS DAY , 2012 by bobby

SETTLE DOWN FOLKS….IT AIN’T GONNA’ HAPPEN, except,

bobby — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:34:50 +0000

Since Pujols committed his act of treacherry and once more showed the ugly side of MLB…WBWF has been
recieving the same old “THAT’S IT ! I’VE SEEN MY LAST GAME OF BASEBALL” kind of letters. However this
avalanch of messages was stronger than I’ve ever seen. So I decided to do some reseach into the subject
looking at the THREE BIG PRINCIPALS: OWENERS, PLAYERS and FANS.

This is gonna’ be short ‘N’ sweet fans. Let’s look at the owners first. With the owners IT’S ALL ABOUT $$$$$!!
Don’t listen to their whining when a few show up with red ink. When Curt Flood galloped across center
field and ownership left him finish his ride…IT WAS ALL OVER. That’s why a so-called sweetheart like
PUJOLS can tell his beloved ??? St. Louis fans to take there trillions and shove it. So this part of my research
ended in silliness: AS LONG AS THE MAJORITY OF THE OWNERS ARE MAKING PROFITS THEY’RE PASSING!

Now here comes the laughing and triumphant players. Boy, they should erect 30 golden statues of CURT FLOOD and place them in front of each one there locker rooms. They should do something to bring this
ball player to saint-hood. Well, fans you can see where this is headed. Both the OWNERS & PLAYERS
love their self built paradise. THEY LOVE IT! Hey let’s raise the price of hot dogs. It’s a sin to sell themfor only $25 !!!

So there you have it…but wait I said we had THREE PRINCIPALS, right? Yes, there’s still ONE left. And as
strange as this might seem….YOU ARE THE STRONGEST OF THE LOT. STOP GOING OUT TO SEE THESE
PUJOL’S AND FLOODS ….SCREAM IT OUT AND PUT AN END TO THIS CALAMITY, “I’M TIRED OF THIS BULL
CRAP……BRING BACK the “G”MEN GREENBERG, GEHRINGER AND GOSLIN”!!!!

only 66 more days before spring training….posted by bobby hoeft on 12-15-11

WAY…WAY…WAY…OUT ON A LIMB!

bobby — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:44:12 +0000

I’ve never gone this far out into the green leaves at the very end of a tree’s limb.

BUT HERE I GO…I’m predicting that DAVE DOMBROWSKI will sign YOENIS CESPEDES!!
HERE’S WHY: 1) MR. D. flew all the way to THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC to see him play;
2) AUSTIN JACKSON, in the vital leadoff spot, struck out 351 times in 2 years!!!!
3) Because Dombrowski is telling the press: “I don’t want to tip my hand”, when
asked about the status of CESPEDES.
About #1, To fly that far out of his way took something special and that “something special” was the
Cuban kid playing baseball. HE PLAYS WITH THE FIVE TOOLS FOR BASEBALL GREATNESS.
He runs like a deer!
He can throw better than any MLB player can!
He can hit the long ball!
He can hit for average, ala TY COBB!
He’s a magician with his glove!
And Dave Dombrowski fell in love with him…which brings us to number #2. The Tigers can no longer
watch Jackson go up to the plate and waste his blazing speed as he strikes out just under TWICE A GAME!!
CESPEDES will drive the opposition wild with his electric talents.

And then there’s Dombrowski’s failure to talk about the Cuban kid. Those of us who follow the MODUS
OPERANDI of DAVE DOMBROWSKI know excactly why he “WON’T TIP HIS HAND.”Boy have we heard that
one, ughhhh? In my crystal ball way out here in these green leaves I can see YOENIS CESPEDES playing
catch with MIGUEL CABRERA. Catch me if I fall!

posted 69 days before spring training begins on 12-7-11 by bobby hoeft

THREE TERRIFIC PROBLEMS TO HAVE!

bobby — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:09:52 +0000

If you’re a Tiger fan you probably know exactly which three problems we’re talking
about…the first one could become a hall-of-famer, ALEX AVILA. He has shown guts
(an important ingredient for a catcher) and listning ability. After the ALL-STAR break
he hit ,295, 82 RBI and came in with a .375 BA against the Rangers & Yankees. AND
HE LISTENS!! Shows good parenting and it pays off for ALEX as he was the starting
catcher for the Al ALLSTAR TEAM! Conclusion: NO PROBLEM HERE.

The second so-called problem, VICTOR MARTINEZ, has turned a problem area into a
huge plus factor. When the Tigers were looking for a solid, productive bat to fill in
the 5 hole slot behind CABRERA, in steps MARTINEZ to hit .330 ! and knock in a whopping
103 runs. Conclusion: A problem now one of the Teams feel good stories!

The third problem slot is still wavering and is difficult to understand. A dependable 2nd
sacker? When given the chance RAMON SANTIAGO , hit .295 after the mid season break.
Then, during the RANGERS/yankee series he slugged out a .375 BA! The way the Tigers have
used RAMON has always been a mystery to this writer. HE HAS STARTING LINEUP abilities
that are obvious and yet there he sits. It has come to our attention that the Tigers have just
signed him to a two year deal for 2.5 M per year, CONGRATS RAMON! Now, MR. LEYLAND:
L E T H I M P L A Y !!!!

posted by bobby on 12-5-11 ONLY 71 DAYS TIL’ SPRING TRAINING BEGINS !!

YAENIS CESPEDAS, THE TIGERS ARE IN HIGH GEAR!

bobby — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:57:01 +0000

Our inside source reports to WBWF that the TIGERS are pulling out all the stops to
acquire this five star 20 year Cuban outfielder…he has alreadfy loosened his ties from
Uncle Castro, as he fled to the Dominican Republic some time ago. Our source tells us
that the Tigers so called “slight interest” in YAENIS is a smoke screen and that they are
pulling out all of the stops in their pursuit of this future hungry Super Star. That fits.
Hasn’t it always been DOMBROWSKI’S style to operate quietly until the forms are signed
and sealed. ANYWAY, REMEMBER that name: Come February he might be trying on an
English D uniform.

Also, MARK BUERLY, is in the Tiger’s gun sights. He’s a different target though from CESPEDAS.
MARK is a proven MLB southpaw with a no-hitter in his collection and some brilliant numbers.
If our source is correct though, don’t be surprised to see the Tigers even go stronger afrer the
Cuban kid than Buerly. With the thinking that Youth & speed outnumber age.

One last sore spot…why do the Tigers continue to play this CAT N’ MOUSE game with a true
baseball gamer? CARLOS SANTIAGA will walk away if they’re not careful and led by mr. D
they will all have eggs n’ beer all over their face!! The way they have treated a true Tiger is
DISGUSTING!!

filed 12-2-11 by bobby hoeft ONLY 73 DAYS BEFORE SPRING TRAINING BEGINS !!

THE BIG Q…WRIGHT OR RAMIREZ?

bobby — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:10:20 +0000

WRIGHT or RAMIREZ at 3rd base for the Tigers?? Not even close. ARAMIS RAMIREZ in a land
slide. Here’s why….1) He’s a free agent and wouldn’t cost the Tigers any talent! 2) He swings
a bigger bat than WRIGHT. 3) Cost. Wright’s contract calls for around 15M. RAMIREZ would
cost about on the same level , but, very likely LESS. 4) RAMIREZ would fit better with so many
LATINO ball players already under contract he would be right at home.

The drawbacks? NONE.

Other sports…it’s a sad day in HAPPY VALLEY. Cutting the legend, JOE PATERNO, from his coaching
duties is, in my mind, ABSOLUTELY UNCALLED FOR. Why can’t they allow him the dignity of running
the team for JUST ONE MORE GAME??? It makes no sense at all to me. HE DESERVES THAT ONE LAST
GAME after coaching the PEN STATE FOOTBALL TEAM for the last 100 years!!

MAGGS, GUILLEN, BETEMIT, SANTIAGO, PENNEY or the ZOOMER?

bobby — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:54:14 +0000

These are the six free agents the Tigers will talk about today at their management team meeting.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD DO?
I don’t mind giving my opinion…not at all.
In the first place, SANTIAGO MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO WALK! He’s a key. Even as a replacement
player he was invaluable. Or why not just turn over 2nd base over to him??
BETEMIT is another keeper. He’s young. He’s a switch hitter. He hits the long ball which he showed
us by hitting five in a very limited roll. I say keep him and play him in a tandem roll with INGE at 3rd.
PENNEY, GUILLEN and ORDONEZ are as good as gone. MAGGS & GUILLEN because of money coupled
with too many blasted nagging injuries spells the highway for both. But, their contributions should
always be remembered. THESE TWO WILL ALWAYS BE LOOKED UPON AS HONORED TIGER ALUMNI.

As for PENNEY…this pitcher did not fit. I’ve never seen a Detroit Tiger so misconbobulated! Every
time he pitched he actually bothered me. Let him walk…please.

AND, THEN THERE’S ZUMAYA. Talk about your “nagging injuries”. This character is straight out of
POPEYE! He
is one strange, but loveable, big kid. You just have to believe that his aches & pains are
behind him and his 102 mph fast ball will return. When I close my eyes and switch on my imagination
I can see him running out of the bull pen with his youthfulness & exuberance to squelch the enemy
and perhaps become a great closer. THE TIGERS GOTTA’ KEEP THE FAITH.

Posted by bobby hoeft on 11-1-11 @11:32 AM.