Trying To Understand The 2025 Detroit Tigers | The Valenti Show with Rico

Welcome in on a Monday. Absolutely gorgeous. And I have to tell you, I am just completely befuddled, confused. Uh let’s just jump in. Uh I I I I’m the Detroit Tigers out that Oh, I thought you were talking about MSU football. No, that’s Yeah, that’s just apathy at this point. Who cares? Garbage product. Um, look, here’s the way I’ll put it to you. I’m the same guy who said Tigers and four, right? Which could still be true. But yet, even if I might end up being right, I don’t know why I’ll be right. Because the Tigers are a a walking contradiction. And what I mean by it is this. I know what my baseball mind tells me when I watch this team play. And by and you I hate watching this team play. I get no enjoyment. They punish you by watching. They punish you. They go 11 innings with one hit. Factual. They strike out a zillion times. They have unproductive at bats. Cut scene. Hey, we’re tied at two and they got a shot to steal this whole series. Yep. I like they have a 540 OPS. That’s unspeakably bad in the playoffs yet 1-1 series tie. My My problem is if you told me they split in Seattle, I’d be like, “All right, cool. One problem. They won the game they shouldn’t have won. They lost the game they shouldn’t have lost.” I leave Seattle feeling like if the offense popped to Seattle, they’re up 2 and the series is over. I can Can anyone out there in listener land help me? Help me understand your team because none of it makes any sense. They’re not good, but they’re good. Uhhuh. They’re good, but they’re not good. And they almost walked away with uh two games. I mean, they they were down two nothing. Oh, we tied it. Okay, now we lose three to two. You know what it is for this team is they are the epitome of the suspension of disbelief. It was pitching chaos last year. It didn’t make sense. Don’t try to make sense of it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. That’s where this team is now. Don’t try to make sense of it, Mike. Sit back and enjoy the ride. That’s kind of where I’m at. And and and you’ll enjoy the outcome. None of nothing will make sense because look at look at strike out a ton of times. Look at the winning run on second base that nine pitches and three outs later. I go really those are the level of at bat you’re offering me in what could have been a series asterisk ending moment. Like guys you tell me how you feel about your team cuz I know they win games. I picked them. I picked them to beat Cleveland even though they went like four for a million for runners in scoring position. Rico, I don’t have the answers. No, it’s I mean, think game one. All the bullpin arms come in there and they find a way to go extra innings and win the game. Make sense? No, they just do. Mike is suspension of disbelief. Just Just don’t try to figure it out. Don’t try to understand it. Buy the popcorn. sit in your seat and enjoy the movie because that’s what But I don’t enjoy the movie. There’s the problem. And it sucks because then people think I’m a bad person. No, you’re not bad if you don’t like Mexican food. Just means you don’t like Mexican food. I I like that the Tigers win. I don’t like how they win. I don’t enjoy it. 7 hours plus of baseball this Saturday and Sunday night and you felt like it was a trip to the hospital. It’s like a root canal watching this team. So Detroit Tigers equals Iowa football. Yes. Where they win minus waving the sick kids. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It’s awful. I don’t like it yet. They win. They’re tied at one. They have every right to win this series. But I I I go back to the offense, the at bats. I don’t know what to do. I’m asking you, the fans, look, we could open up with Lions, but there’s no there’s no reason. They played the Toronto Argonauts yesterday and they did their job. You know, the best player in the game yesterday, Jake Browning. That’s your team MVP. You face Jake Browning. But like I want to hear from Tiger fans. I want to know where you’re at because it’s a weird experience watching this team. Rico, they’re in the ALDS. They’re tied at one coming home. It’s a best of three and you’re going to have scuba pitch again. One problem. Seattle’s three and 0 against them this year. Yeah. And because your best player, the one that you just knew, okay, he’s going to have a great game and two solo home runs. He pitched great, right? But your bats and then you had an opportunity to do something. I I don’t know, man. I I was a little bit worried after the first game when they won because I felt as if they celebrated a little too much because they just kind of figured, okay, and you guys won’t be able to beat school. We’re going back to Detroit two nothing. And it kind of looked that way at the plate. It did. It tripped me up though. It’s like if they had lost game one and won game two, somehow I’d feel better maybe. Yeah, but it’s the composition of the winning. We dealt with it against Cleveland, but it’s just continuing. It’s the same stuff. They can’t string hits together. Their power really doesn’t translate in the postseason. I mean, Carrie is carry. And that was an unbelievable home run that he hit on on a high fast ball. Now, why why they went to a fourth straight fast, I have no idea, but who cares? I mean, Dan Wilson’s a a nobody as a manager. The the whole point is I don’t know what to do with this team. I I I I want to know what the customer base says. Guys, we have two playoff games this week in town. Yet, I think there’s a good amount of people they watch the games because they it’s it’s your team and you feel loyal and you feel a obligation to I don’t know how many people enjoy watching it, but yet they’re tied, right? I mean, when you’re watching this team like you don’t feel that confidence like, okay, we got this win unless Google’s on the mouth. A lot of times it’s it’s that same anticipation as if you’re waiting to hear the 50-50 lottery numbers being announced. Like hopefully I got the right numbers and we’ll win something. But it it’s like even amidst the frustration of last night, there they were tied to two. Yes. And I don’t know how to I don’t know how to categorize it. I I just on one hand it’s like they exhibit every reason I don’t think they can win a World Series, but then on the other they have every right to cuz you are in every game, right? But you’re every game you’re waiting for that big inning for them to have or all of a sudden you saw when they scored two runs and it’s like, okay, maybe you’re on. Okay, nope, that’s it. you just had two runs and you saw in Cleveland when all of a sudden they just start scoring runs and it’s like okay that’s the Tigers team that can win a World Series. So I don’t know right now when when I look at it if you’re watching this game you’re just waiting for that inning when all of a sudden they score a bunch of runs. So all right 2485399797 look if you want to hear about Doug’s road trip we can do that too or we could talk playoff baseball and your thoughts on your NFL football team. Okay, let’s get it moving. It’s 75 and sunny. It’s beautiful out. We got two home playoff games this week. I don’t know if people want to watch them or not, but here we are and the team’s got every right to win them. Even though nothing they do makes any sense. I mean, even Saturday night, if you had walk, wild pitch, broken bat single on your bingo card, that’s how you won a game. I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m with you. They could win the next two. I wouldn’t be shocked in the least. Will the numbers make sense? No. And for those of you who go, “Well, it’s not a number.” Baseball’s absolutely a numbers game. Your team exists on numbers, on matchups, on reverse splits, on all these different things. But yet, when you watch the games, you go, “How is this team here? What team can go four for a 100 with runners in scoring position and yet tied at one?” Mhm. I’m asking. No, no, no. I I’m with you because yeah, you win one of these games here and now you get to school in game five and there’s a chance that you move on to probably play the Blue Jays. But but then there there in lies the issue. Like you even got an advanced preview. I don’t know why people are calling up and hanging up on Kenny. It’s an annoyance. Stop doing it. Can you stop doing that, please? If you’re going to call up, give the guy a chance to answer the damn phone and talk to you. Ask you how you been. How was your weekend? Now listen, the problem is you already got a taste of bullpen exposure. You used Finnegan back-to-back nights. You can’t do that. What happened? And again, it’s his career. Finnegan’s a lower usage guy. What happened last night? The same guys who saw him the night before saw him again. Well, that splitter isn’t so sweet. Yep. That’s why I fear this team in a sevename series. What do you think’s going to happen outside of Holton and Vest and Finnegan? Who do you got? Right? Because to me, the worst thing that happened to them in that victory in game one was it went to extra innings and now you have to throw some extra arms out there. Yeah. You got instead of just being able to go out there, let school go to maybe seven or eight innings, throw vest in the game, and then you kind of save those arms to come back here on Tuesday. Yeah. I I got nothing. I I don’t know. I It’s like people are screwing with Kenny. I like the guy doesn’t get a chance to say 971 and people are hanging up on him. Uh poor Kenny’s going to have a long day. 2485399797. David, where are you at with it? Because I don’t know what to do with this team. I picked them to win. I’m not going to back down from it. But yet, they don’t do anything that requires you to win games as it would pertain to the offense. Yeah. Striking out 26 times in two games, that’s not exciting. That doesn’t give you any hope truly really because uh they had the pitcher at 50 plus pitches through two innings yesterday and you’re making it seem like okay they’re doing their job and then they let him back to back nine pitch innings right then they let him right back in it with horrible at bats because that’s what this team does. So I don’t know how to feel. I’m happy it’s 1-1. Great. You did your job. Do you feel confident? I do not anymore. I do not anymore because they cannot seem to figure out a way to get runs. And I thought that after that one inning in Cleveland that would have like sparked something and they’re right back to it. Like I feel confident because I feel like there’s something like they drag the opponent into the mud. It feels like that. Yes. It’s almost like uh Army football. They just drag you into playing their way. They’re going to drag into the mud, limit possessions. I don’t know. Mhm. You could tell me they win the next two games, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash. You could tell me they lose the next two, I wouldn’t be shocked because it’s just this the the offense like while runners in scoring position can be a a little bit of a fluky thing where you go through hot streaks, cold streaks, and it’s all in the aggregate it averages out. This has been going on now for six, seven weeks. It hasn’t evened out, and in fact, it’s gotten worse. So, I I’m asking you guys for help. Nona’s confused. Forgot my pills. Help Nona find her pills. That’s what today is. Okay. Help Nona. Cuz it’s crazy cuz on one side I’m like, “Okay, they can make it back to Seattle for Scoo’s second start of the series.” But then in the back of my mind I’m like, “I wouldn’t.” You’re right, Mike. I wouldn’t be surprised if we never get back to Seattle. What was your point? Because nothing adds up when you look how could I have confidence in a team winning a World Series with a 540 OPS, right? No, because I I have more confidence that all of a sudden Cal Rally or Suarez will all of a sudden get hot and just start tearing the cover off the ball than this lineup. I don’t know, you know, but then again, I’m confident because I feel like this team gets every break. Hey, you need Josh Naylor to boot a football, boot a baseball, who cares? Josh, Josh Naylor, go be with your wife. Or like you said, and or you know, rally gets up there, first pitch swing. First pitch swing. No, even the McKinstry thing. Yeah. They got to walk into a wild pitch into a ball that never should have got out of the infield on a broken bat, but it wins the game. Like they have that moxy to them. They they It’s almost like they create their own luck cuz they get you muddy enough the other team eventually just submits. I don’t know. Help Non to find her pills. 248.

As the series with the Mariners is 1-1, we are still trying to understand the Detroit Tigers. #tigers #mariners #mlb

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28 comments
  1. The batting was terrible. Idk if anyone else noticed but it was like they forgot all fundamentals. Chasing wild pitches and standing there watching the strikes go by. Whole game.

  2. We’ll split the next 2, lose game 5 with Skubal 2-1 and he gave up both runs while we were up 1-0 for 5 innings and refused to press the lead.

  3. A ticket texter on the middays said the team is unwatchable, and Doug responded with, "Then don't watch it." Then you have Mike blasting them saying their unwatchable. 😂😂

  4. warning Valenti….don't let the Yankees weekend have you talking like Michael Kay……care to "explain" 23-8….the 2 game Yankees score????….that was so compelling to watch LOL

  5. People get overly confident when Skubal pitches. But, you have to hit and the Tigers DON'T. Hope Tarik gets traded during the off season. He deserves to pitch for a championship team. And that ain't the Tigers.

  6. Watching this offense is worse than watching paint dry. At least the paint is accomplishing something. Least productive at bats from a professional team I've ever seen. Can't move runners, we don't bunt, don't hit behind runners. Too many strikeouts with runners on. Too many selfish at bats

  7. Tork doubled to tie the game in the 8th with 1 out not 0. Did nobody correct him? I mean that's a huge difference in terms of run expectancy. We can't just make stuff up.

  8. They lack professional hitters. Last night was like watching minor leaguers trying to hit the best of major league pitching. Skubal pitched well minus two bad pitches; and they give him no run support. This is a playoff team that doesn't look like they should even be a playoff team.

  9. baseball is a yawner: low scoring, ‘playoff” – manipulated strike zone (end season tank) baseball, almost impossible.
    luckily pitch clock, fandom, continue to be a thing. Are hitting compared to Seattles (on paper), 😳

  10. The problem with having Skubal on the mound is that the offence doesn't score any runs for him. They haven't for a very long time. OMG the offence is so weak.

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