==== Pennant Race Baseball ===

HOW DID THE TIGERS GET MAX SCHERZER?   You can't have him, and Verlander, and Bonderman.  That's unpossible. 

It's also unpossible that we drew all three in a three-gamer.  And it's anti-possible that we'd get two "hard" wins in such a series.

Between Opening Day and the 8th inning of Doogie's start, the Mariners scored approximately 0 "hard" runs.  Since then, [hard runs] = [total runs]

"Soft" runs are the type that the Mariners scored between 1977 and 1988:  somebody happens to get on base, and then the ball drops softly on the outfield grass by accident.  Sheepishly, a baserunner slinks across home plate while Jack Morris withers him with profanities.

"Hard" runs are when a booked-up ace comes at you with everything he's got, and, deploying a non-accidental line drive / long fly ball, you kick his keister.  These began to appear in Seattle when Ken Griffey Jr. doubled off Dave Stewart one time.  They have appeared off-and-on since.

The M's took 2-of-3 from an MMA ballclub that had all fists, feet, and thumbs blazing.  Casey Kotchman advisory:  yes, he chipped in several hard RBI and run-savers over the weekend.  This weekend, he was a championship ballplayer.  You can tell him we said so.

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=== Scherzer ===

The Tigers gave up a lot.  They got a lot more back.  Scherzer, by the way, was one of three or four pitchers that D-O-V thought should be taken in preference to Brandon Morrow.  Never mind Lincecum:  can you imagine if even Max Scherzer were a Seattle Mariner right now.

Verdict coming out of college:  a young Curt Schilling, if Schilling had the approximate on-field disposition of Conrad Dobler.  Verdict after he left us for dead Sunday:  a young Curt Schilling.  Verdict from Scott Boras upon free agency:  a young Curt Schilling, projected to 2.2 times as many career victories.

Thought there was a 50-50 chance that Scherzer was going to run into career-magnitude shoulder issues.  The coin came up tails.  This is another thing he has in common with Clemens (see the D-O-V article).

.................

Tell you what makes up for it:  the Tigers just gave Justin Verlander the same contract that we gave Felix.  If this were keeper roto, I'd want two Verlanders for Felix...  quite seriously, Detroit could offer me Scherzer plus Verlander for Felix, and I would turn them down.

There's only so bad things can be, when you have a 24-year-old Roger Clemens.

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=== Miguel Cabrera ===

They announced his 27th birthday.  I honestly thought he was like 30 or 31. 

Most-comparable 26-year-olds, per b-ref.com after Bill James:

1. Ken Griffey Jr
2. Hank Aaron
3. Orlando Cepeda
4. Frank Robinson
5. Somebody
6. Mickey Mantle

Has never had an OPS+ below 130, and 150 is the norm. 

Cabrera, at age 27, has 75% of a Hall of Fame career behind him.  This is why they should elect active players.  Give them gold trim on their uniforms and enjoy the show.

That much more admiration to the M's for taking this Detroit ballclub two out of three falls.  They've got some marquee, Prime Time Players on that ballclub.

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