Who's Next?

Hinge and Rugburn have been booed out of town. Another Public Enemy #1 is needed if Tiger fans are to have any fun at all the rest of the way. 

Let's try Brennan Boesch. "Bash," I called him on another blog, and last season whan he actually bashed the ball. I'll think of a new name for him. Just give me a while.

On June 6 2012, through almost a third of the season, the Tiger formerly known as Bash is hitting .222 with 20 runs batted in. 

With two on and two out in tonight's first inning, he clanged a catchable fly ball. The next guy, Michael Brantley, homered. Three unearned runs on the pitching line of Max Scherzer. An omen of how the rest of the game would go.

The Tigers scored six, but so did the Indians. The inconsistent Scherzer, after four good starts, allowed seven of the nine Tribe runs. The welding mask was definitely needed. If it protects one's eyes from the sun's direct rays, it should protect them from the moving images of Tiger baseball.

Yet another former Toledo Mud Hen, replacing an injured regular, made his major league debut. Brad Holaday, filling in for the disabled Alex Avila, went 1 for 4. 

But they were floundering with all the regulars healthy.

The crew that was supposed to flatten all opponents on the way to the big October dance is now 25 and 31 and one-half game ahead of the fourth place Royals. That makes the baseball blogger wonder who, among the Tiger uniformed brain trust, might pay for the bad start with his job. And wouldn't that be something if it happened after tomorrow's day game, on the last day of a home stand, when so many similar ritual sacrifices are made?

Someone in the bowels of Comerica might, as I type at 12:18 in the morning, be sewing the name FRANCONA on the back of a Tiger road jersey.