WOW! Nasty words. So, don’t be surprised that maybe MR. TURNER finds him-
self in this years starting rotation. It should be added that DONTRELLE WILLIS
is looking splendid….so far.

TWO) From where we sit the question about who will have better years: DAMON
or GRANDERSON is a no brainer? DAMON will be a tremendous boost for the Tigers
while GRANDERSON struggles hitting at the bottom of the Bronx Sad Sack’s lineup.

THREE) MLB and THE USA SPORTS MAGAZINE have both appointed panels of so-
called baseball experts to work on the following theme: HOW TO IMPROVE MLB.
We were shocked to learn that neither panel is going to look into the biggest
baseball problem of them all, namely that: MLB DRASTICALLY NEEDS A SALARY CAP!!
Are they deaf & dumb & blind? The big money teams are tilting the field…it’s no
longer level. It’s still spring training and the money grubbers, the Yankees, Phillies,
Red Sox and Dodgers are being picked for the playoffs with Yankees running away
with the whole enchelada by only winning 444 games!

WAKE UP…Washington, Cleveland, Kansas City, Florida, Oakland, Colarado , Houston
and others don’t stand a chance. By July they will be lucky to have more than 5,000
fans sttending their games while the $$$$ grubbers are drawing over 50,000 per game.
Doesn’t that sound exciting?

Meanwhile our outcry goes for naught in the wilderness of MLB blindness. The hell with
the fat cats! Let’s get a SALARY CAP so that all teams have a chance!!

filed on 3-12-10 by bobby hoeft

His hitting philsophy with two strikes was simple: YOU HAD TO GET DEFENSIVE.
Choke that crazy bat up! Have a mind set of a hockey goalie and stop that
puck/ball from getting past you ESPECIALY WITH A RUNNER ON 3rd and less
than two out.

Last season the TIGERS WERE ATROCIOUS WITH RUNNERS ON BASE. They did
not have an idea…and they were apparently not helped by their hitting coach.
We have often felt that in the old school of baseball we did a better job of
“PROTECTING THE PLATE” and bringing those runners in. AND NOW WE HAVE THE
PROOF!

According to JOHN LOWE of the Detroit Free Press “striking out frequently has
become less mortifying than in previous years. In a fifteen year span ending in
1951, NO AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYER STRUCK OUT MORE THAN 110 TIMES IN A
SEASON!! Last year, and this stat my friends is unbelievable: LAST YEAR ALONE
TWENTY SEVEN AMERICAN LEAGUE HITTERS FANNED MORE THAN 110 TIMES.”

There you have it. They’ve just gotta’ take the advice of the greatest hitter of
all time. With runners on and less than two out and you have two strikes on you:
1) CHOKE UP…..2) SPREAD THOSE LEGS OUT….3) DEVELOPE THE MIND SET OF
A HOCKEY GOALIE AND CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT THAT BASEBALL IS NOT GOING
TO GET PAST YOU! And by gosh if you do strike out under those conditions then
by all means FEEL MORTIFIED. In old school baseball grown men would grimace
and almost cry after striking out with his teammate standing there 90 feet away and
wanting to come home….so bring him home.

LASTLY…REMEMBER PRACTICE IS THE GREATEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO HONE
HITTING WITH TWO STRIKES ON YOU…good luck.

posted on 3-10-10 by bobby hoeft

a) JEREMY BONDERMAN, whom our inside Tiger source has told us is the key
to the Tiger’s braintrust major spring training plans, took the mound after only
pitching 81 1/2 innings over the past two years, and FANNED THREE IN TWO
SCORELESS INNINGS! Fans, this is HUGE & BEAUTIFUL NEWS! Just think, if
the big guy can become the 4th power pitcher in the Tiger’s already strong
rotatation…well, get ready for the cats to kick some serious 2010 BUTT.

b) SCOTT SIZEMORE looked fabulous as he handled his first double play pivot
at second base flawlessly. This is also huge because it was on this same play
that his left ankle was broken. After recuperating all winter this was his first
time to turn the exact play and he did it perfectly.

WBWF has an interesting personal inside scoop story about SCOTT written by
one of his best Chesapeake, Va. friends our son, BOBBY HOEFT II, and running
in the Spring WBWF quarterly being mailed as we speak. This exclusive feature
story will appear only in our in WBWF.

c) Nate Robertson threw 1 1/3 innings and walked 3 while giving up 3 hits and
2 runs. This man is simply an unexplained TIGER MYSTERY! He has never had
any success. We have published his sorry stats on this web site and in the
WBWF Quarterly over and over while asking the Tigers to send him packing,
but here he is still taking an important roster spot while some other deserving
real MLB player loses out!! If any of you fans reading this have a clue let us
know. Just remember that we were wise to his short comings BEFORE they
gave him this HUGE MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT!!! What a farce. Mr. Mike
Ilitch should be asking some serious questions while he forks over his hard
earned pizza momey for NO RETURNS!

posted by bobby hoeft on 3-4-10

What we found significant were the two gigantic taters hit into the wind by
CASPER WELLS & RYAN STRIEBY. Wells is an outfield candidate with lots of
MLB pop in his bat. He’s one of the fastest players in the Tiger’s system too.
Look for him to push hard for that center field opening. He will give the
Tiger brain trust a tough decision before opening day.

LEFTY PHIL COKE threw two scoreless innings. Don’t be surprised if he turns out
to be that southpaw starter that JIM LEYLAND is looking for. He struck out
three with his blazing fast ball.

In the seventh inning guess who got into trouble? As always JOEL ZUMAYA is
an accident waiting to happen. In less time than LEYLAND could lite up a
Camel, the big Z allowed a single, a walk and a hit batter to load up the sacks.
He then struck out two to escape…we think Z watched Rodney too much last
year…don’t you?

Talk about protecting a big investment. The Tigers kept SCOTT SIZEMORE out
of the lineup because “the field was too wet and he’s still coming back from a
broken ankle.” PHOOEY! Let this hustling kid play. Our son, BOBBY II, who’s
a good buddy of SIZEMORE, says that: “SCOTT WANTS TO PLAY EVERY INNING
OF EVERY GAME AND HE’LL NEVER GET TIRED.” WBWF predicts a great future
for MR. SCOTT SIZEMORE.

Here’s a tid bit about JOHNNY DAMON. We recall attending the last game played
at TIGER STADIUM against KANSAS CITY. In the outfield on that sad day the
ROYALS had two future star kids playing. Did they become stars? They both have
played in numorous all star games! Their names: CARLOS BELTRAM & JOHNNY DAMON.
And KC left them both get away!!

posted by bobby hoeft on 3-3-10.

A) An inside look at SCOTT SIZEMORE as told by his Chesapeake pal and our
son: BOBBY HOEFT II;

B) BILLY HERMAN writes about what it was like being a CUB against the Tigers
in the 1935 World Series;

C) ERNIE HARWELL writes his “LONG GONE” column;

D) “FROM JAPAN WITH LOVE” by KOHEI NIRENGI;

E) An inside profile of RED WILSON, former Tiger catcher, by RED himself;

F) What it’s like to face big league pitchers by WILLIE HORTON;

G) Born in BUGSCUFFLE, OKLAHOMA, by the great humorist and former Tiger
catcher, J.W. PORTER.

To subscribe write us at wbwf@sbcglobal.net for details.

posted on 2-25-10 by bobby hoeft.

C) ERNIE HARWELL writes his “LONG GONE” column;

D) An inside profile of “RED” WILSON , former Tiger catcher, written by himself;

E) From Japan with love by KOHEI NIRENGI;

F)

BOYS WILL BE BOYS ON A LONG BUS TRIP ACROSS
THE HOT ARIZONA DESERT DURING SPRING TRAINING
OF 1953.

You can contact VIRGIL TRUCKS at :
1016 WATERFORD TRAIL
CALERA, ALABAMA 35040-7613

If you ask him nicely I’m sure that he’ll
send you an autographed baseball card.

HE IS WELL & HEALTHY AND STILL LOVES
LIFE & BASEBALL!!

posted 2-16-10 by bobby hoeft

Our inside the Tiger club house source says HOG WASH! He says the Tigers
are looking at one person as the key as to whether they might challenge the
Bronx hot dogs for the whole chillada. And that one person is big
J E R E M Y B O N D E R M A N and do you know what: WE AGREE.

Think about it. We know from their history that VERLANDER, PROCELLO and
MAX SCHERZER will be their three big starting horses. Fans don’t seem to be aware
yet of how huge the acquisition of SCHERZER was to this team. They will be.
A team with three starting power pitchers is looked upon with saliva running down
the cheeks of opposing managers. HOWEVER, a team with FOUR of em’ WOW!

Enter MR. JEREMY BONDERMAN. Tiger fans will remember that just two years ago
he was one of those horses we just mentioned. With his operation to his throwing arm
supposedly reaping dividends and the big strapping kid that he is HE JUST MIGHT
LEAD THIS TEAM TO NEW HIEGHTS OF ACHIEVEMENT!

The Tiger brass know this. They know that a team with four starters primed to
take the mound and mow down enemy hitters with fast balls from 95mph to
100mph and with sliders that run all over the plate….well WHEW! They know that
CONNIE MACK was right on. Our source has heard them talk and tells us so.

So dear Tiger fans have fun watching these other small question marks like
Everett, Ordonez, Sizemore, Guillen and maybe Jackson but bear in mind
JEREMY BONDERMAN is the big key to keep your eye on.

submitted on 2-15-10 by bobby hoeft

WBWF says that the fit would be just about perfect. Here’s why:
1) He would be the answer for the leadoff spot;
2) He brings his .282 BA, 24 Taters and 82 rbi’s with him;
Granderson hit .249, 30 hr’s with 71 rbi’s.
3) He hits from the left side, exactly what the Tigers need;
4) He brings two world series rings with him which translates into
a winning attitude and clutch performances;
5) HE REJECTED THE YANKEE’S $14-million contract! Anyone that
rejects the bronx idiots is AOK with WBWF!!
His one negative is his agent. We just plain don’t care for this guy’s
selfish attitude…but, if he can steer Damon into MIKE ILITCH’S TIGER
NATION we will forgive him.

So in conclusion: GO GET HIM TIGERS!!

filed by bobby hoeft only 20 days from spring training on 2-2-10.

JUSTIN VERLANDER will sign an extended contract for six years worth 88 million
dollars with the last year gauranteed. When? Within a few weeks;

And that although the media is predicting great things for CURTIS GRANDERSON
in a Yankee uniform the Tigers are not believing it for one minute. Curtis cannot
lead off for them due to his high amount of K’s and that he won’t fit into the
middle of their congested lineup, which leaves only the bottom. It’s
very hard to believe that the Bronx billionairs gave up that much for a bottom of
the lineup hitter.

Both of these items from inside the club house hit the nail right on the head,
especially the first one. We applaud the Tigers for making VERLANDER A TIGER
FOR LI FE. Not long ago they completely missed the target with JACK MORRIS
and ended up biting the bullit. Actually, MORRIS and VERLANDER are very much
alike with their bulldog game day attitude. Anyway WBWF does not want the
VERLANDER story to end like the MORRIS fiasco.

As for the GRANDERSON tidbit: it makes a lot of sense. Credit the Tigers for seeing
the same future for him in a Tiger’s uniform. Even in 2009 the handwriting was on
the proverbial wall.

Here’s one of our own: the starting rotation on opening day will consist of: JUSTIN
VERLANDER, RICK PORCELLO, MAX SCHERZER, JEREMY BONDERMAN and ARMANDO
GALLARAGA. Bet the farm on it. The big surprise for 2010 will be GALLARAGA. He will
come back big time with his new slider.
posted 1-30-10 by bobby hoeft.

We played baseball and football together at Southeastern, capped off by winning the
Baseball City Championship in 1947 at ole Briggs Stadium. Mike was in the middle
of our lineup and also played an errorless left field. In 1997 he coordinated a 50 year
reunion of the team held at a restaurant in Greektown and then a ball game at Tiger
Stadium. Everyone on that team looked to him for leadership and guidance. He had
it all and never once complained about any problems that he might be facing. Rather,
he was always there to share that big wonderful Greek smile along with a pat on the
back. He loved life and was always ready to share it.

I remember visiting him on the University of Michigan campus in 1949. He loved this
school and it showed as he happily showed us around Ann Arbor and the Campus.
He was a student in their Law program and went on to a tremendous career in the
Detroit legal community. If the residents of his new home need legal advice or just
a helping hand with some heavenly problem MIKE will be there for them.

So GOODBYE old friend. Keep the porch lite on like you did in 1949 to give us guidance
into your special new residence. AGAPE, MANUEL. bobby hoeft