Sunday Notes

The first and most important note:  WE GET NATIONAL COVERAGE TODAY!  It’s not the first or only time that the Tigers have been deemed fit to broadcast nationwide this year, but this time Detroit is undeniably the reason why – no Yankees to be found, etc…

Well, maybe that shouldn’t be the most important note but it does make me feel like the Tigers are getting just a little bit of respect this summer.  Other news is probably more relevant to the team’s chances:

1.  Boesch is done.  The splint experiment apparently didn’t work and the decision has been made that without surgery there is no way he will be able to swing a bat without excruciating pain, even if the Tigers season extends into October and that surgery, of course, would end his season anyway.  That torn tendon isn’t expected to impact Boesch’s offseason or his readiness for pring training, but we won’t be seeing any more of him at the plate.  We’ve been playing without Boesch since the 24th anyway, so there is no real mystery as to who is going to take his starts, lineup slot and plate appearances.

2.  Al Al is back.  The Detroit News reports that Al Alburquerque has finally been activated from the DL after his BP concussion three weeks ago.  He got a lot of key Ks and helped keep this team afloat while the rest of the bullpen was really struggling, but the unit he comes back to seems to have righted itself.  Still adding one more relief ace won’t hurt, right?  With a 2.13 ERA over the month of August, lowest in the majors, what was once the Tigers weakest link should now help propel them in the playoff race and beyond.

3.  We have two new WPA heroes!  In yesterday’s amazing comeback, Miguel Cabrera notched .534 ‘win probability added’ and Ryan Raburn .420 for their respective ninth inning home runs.  The Sox Sergio Santos put up a negative .911 – but then that’s how it goes for a closer