Bless You Boys: for Detroit Tigers fans

Latest Episodes:

BYB Podcast 98: Breaking down the Tigers 2021 roster with Kenon Carter Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

We're joined by an old friend on this edition of the Bless You Boys podcast. Kenon Carter, who runs the Detroit Tigers Minor League Tracker accounts on social media joins us for an in depth dive into the Tigers spring training roster battles. Most of you will remember Kenon from his work covering the Tigers farm system for Bless You Boys for a few seasons. In this episode we'll unpack the Tigers training camp with under two weeks left to Opening Day.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 97: Spring training chat with David Laurila of FanGraphs Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

With Grapefruit League action underway, and the long awaited return of Dan Dickerson's dulcet tones to the airwaves--many of us are still waiting for MLB to actually permit us to watch our favorite teams--the spring ritual has arrived. In that spirit, we're joined on this episode by David Laurila of FanGraphs.com. Laurila has written for Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus in the past, so his work at FanGraphs completes the baseball writer trifecta. He is a frequent contributor as a host for FanGraphs Audio, and his articles and interviews are a weekly staple for the site.

In this episode, we'll consider the Tigers offseason, contrasting a more patient approach from Laurila to we Tigers fans here at Bless You Boys. We'll consider the Tigers approach to free agency and some of the interesting young veterans they signed this offseason. The chat touches on A.J. Hinch and the Tigers new coaching staff, and the development of the club's top prospects. Throughout, Laurila deploys an ample supply of interviews and anecdotes collected over the years with which to spice the conversation. We ultimately get to a key reason why they didn't do much more as the conversation ends with us somewhat bleakly considering the breakdown in relations between the league and the players as a next CBA looms over all of MLB's endeavors this year. But we hate that topic, so let's just learn one of the key lessons of the past year and take it one game at a time for now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 96: Preseason roundup with Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic Detroit Feb 20, 2021

Show notes

With spring camp underway and Mr. Stavenhagen, the Tigers reporter for The Athletic Detroit, days away from a flight to lovely Lakeland Florida to cover them, he joins us for a preseason conversation about the 2021 Detroit Tigers.

This is a pretty wide-ranging, state-of-the-organization conversation, but we start off discussing some of the interesting small scale additions like Nomar Mazara and Julio Teheran while also lamenting the lack of any major moves this offseason. The 2021 Tigers do feel different as AJ Hinch and his coaching staff make their presence felt, and Cody talks about the contrasts with Ron Gardenhire's staff, but we appear set for another year in a holding pattern hoping for a lot of player development. We talk through the pitching staff and what constitutes progress in another season where the team is largely treading water. The need for the young pitching prospects to start establishing themselves is very clear as well. Finally, we consider the farm system and the meager depth in mid-tier prospects, particularly on the pitching side, that informed the Tigers collection of veterans they'll invite to camp on minor league deals. Finally we discuss a few key players and our hopes for a farm system that needs to show major improvement in 2021.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 95: Uncle Al's Discount Boutique Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back Tigers fans. We didn't get the big deal we were hoping for this offseason, but as the yearly scramble for odds and ends hits high gear, Al Avila and the Tigers have added some interesting names that will at least be interesting projects for the new coaching staff. We'll talk Jonathan Schoop, Renato Núñez, and Nomar Mazara, and how the roster is shaping up overall. Finally, we'll talk about MLB's attempt to de-juice the baseball, and offer wise alternatives to make the game a more watchable product on the field, as well as a few ridiculous ones. We're just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting, so while it's still frigid in the northern realms, we can feel the first faint rays of sunshine as the 2021 baseball season gets underway.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 94: The hot stove won't keep you warm like Anya Taylor-Joy will Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

We are back with another overdue episode of the Bless You Boys podcast. Brandon Day and Ashley MacLennan return with an overview of the quiet offseason to date, and what may lie ahead. First we'll catch up on some of the signings and news from around the league. Then, we'll discuss the new coaching staff, the signings so far, and what the Tigers may do in the month remaining until pitchers and catchers are supposed to report to Lakeland.

And, since we're regularly asked to do a segment after the baseball portion of the podcast on what we're reading, watching, or listening to, particularly in this year of the quarantine, there's a whole bonus segment past the 52:00 mark in which we'll dive into some of the best movies and shows we've seen over the past year.

This exercise is almost entirely an excuse to obsess over our mutual favorite obsession of 2020-2021, the actress Anya Taylor-Joy. With the Queen's Gambit breakout star as the centerpiece, we'll talk about her career, some of her co-stars, and follow that chain into some of non-Anya Taylor-Joy work we've been most impressed by over the past year. Tom Hardy, Johnny Flynn, and Aubrey Plaza will all be name-checked along the way. Next time out, we'll include a segment on what we've been reading. Once again, this is totally self-indulgent on our part, and if you're here for baseball alone, the 52:00 mark is going to be your stopping point.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting at BlessYouBoys.com. One more month and we'll all be in the best shape of our lives once again. It can't come soon enough.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 93: Talking Tigers with Jeff Riger of 97.1 The Ticket Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

There is no more recognizable voice in Detroit Sports media than that of Jeff Riger. As a reporter and broadcaster, he's made a name for himself by his willingness to ask the questions fans want asked, and at time irritate the powerful. Joined by Mark Gorosh from the Don't Call it a Rebuild, it's a Team Build podcast, we had a fun chat about the Tigers past, present, and future, got some good Jim Leyland stories, and talked the state of talk radio in the social media era.

The first hour is devoted to the state of the Tigers and some of Jeff's experiences covering the team. Starting at about the hour mark we get into Jim Leyland stories. Three way calling via Skype remains a bit of a crapshoot, and the sound is not ideal. My apologies. We have some investments coming up that should make for a more consistent product going forward.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 92:: Talking A.J. Hinch with Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic Detroit Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

What wizardry was this? Certain that the White Sox would hire the former Astros skipper, we didn't really allow ourselves to hope this would happen. Now, as we record on the evening of Thursday, October 29th, A.J. Hinch appears to be a lock to become the 49th manager in Detroit Tigers franchise history. For this episode we're fortunate to be joined the Tigers beat writer for the Athletic Detroit, Cody Stavenhagen. He'll provide his own inside insight into how this decision came to pass.

-White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf goes old-school, does it his way.

-A.J. Hinch is coming to Detroit (we're 99 percent sure).

-We'll explore how Hinch can overcome his damaged reputation, and why he feels like such a perfect, and necessary, fit for the Tigers.

-We'll preview what promises to be a slow moving offseason market.

-Finally we'll talk a bit of instructional league ball and Tigers farm system and player development staff.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 91: Reality bites back at the Tigers playoff hopes Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

Brandon Day and Ashley MacLennan back to discuss a very interesting two weeks of Tigers baseball. After pushing to the .500 mark, they've slumped to a 3-7 record over their last 10 and now look at a three-game road series in Chicago. At the end of a stretch of 12 games over 10 days, there is no choice but to win. A tired Tigers club has their backs against the wall now, and somehow need to find a way to take the series if their impressively scrappy campaign for a wild card spot is going to live a little longer.

-A couple of brutal losses have laid bare how far the Tigers have to go to becoming a legit threat in a normal length season. But that doesn't mean baseball can't produce a miraculous little run over their final 15 games. Anything can happen in 15 games. We'll discuss the fun and disorienting ride of the 2020 Tigers.

-The compressed nature of the season has produced a wild rollercoaster of narratives, and not enough bankable information. Jeimer Candelario and Victor Reyes seem like viable pieces, but the track records are still a little hard to trust. Meanwhile Mize, Skubal, and Paredes haven't impressed much, while Willi Castro has. Knowing the numerous wild swings in performance that accompany the average player's regular season, how much can we really trust in such an odd, short, season of baseball?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 90 - Midseason Tigers checkup after a quiet trade deadine Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Monday night after a trade deadline with no real action from the Detroit Tigers, we're back with part two of our midseason review. Mark Gorosh of the Don't Call it a Rebuild, it's a Team Build podcast joins host Brandon Day for another wide ranging conversation.

We'll reflect on what was already expected to be a pretty quiet deadline, and was in fact very quiet. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, but whether a team makes real moves or doesn't, they're telling you something about how they see themselves.

The position players are our focus tonight after talking about the pitching staff last time out. With the Tigers in it to win it, kinda, how do you best optimize this roster and still work to develop your young players? How much of the surprisingly strong performance through 32 games is real, and how much just a temporary streak? You probably won't love the answer, but there are also real positives throughout the organization now, and the team has been fun no matter how it plays out in the end.

We both believe the Tigers have a mountain to climb to return to being a regular postseason threat, but for now we'll take the club's cue and enjoy the show for another month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BYB Podcast 89 - Halfway home and the Tigers are hanging tough Aug 29, 2020

Show notes

Well here we are now, and the Tigers are actually entertaining us. The Motor City Kitties are just a game under .500 and right on the heels of the final Al Wild Card spot. Things couldn't be going too much better.

Brandon Day and Mark Gorosh got together Friday night prior to the club's Saturday doubleheader victories over the Twins to take stock of what we've seen from the surprisingly resilient Tigers over the first half. This will be another two part epic, with this episode focused on the pitching staff.

First we'll talk about the big news of the week, namely Matt Manning and Alex Faedo getting shutdown with forearm strains. We'll consider why the Tigers seem down on Jake Rogers, and then we'll get into general impressions of the 2020 Detroit Tigers thus far.

We'll talk about the rotation first, and we're definitely feeling more optimistic about that group with Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal in the mix. Matt Boyd should settle in, and some of the concern there is overblown. Michael Fulmer is a bit of a problem, but Daniel Norris and Tyler Alexander have generally had some solutions. And finally, Spencer Turnbull just needs to go out there and play catch, because as long as he's throwing strikes, they can't hit him.

From there we ponder the question: Now that we have a bullpen what are we gonna do....with it?

Hope you enjoy. We'll be back with part two, mainly focused on the lineup, the trade deadline, and who we may yet see called up from Toledo, early in the week. Take care, and thanks as always for your support.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Bless You Boys: for Detroit Tigers fans

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected