Dan Dickerson Joins Karsch and Anderson | 10/9/24
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00:00Carson Anderson, 97, won the ticket.
00:02Happy playoff day in Detroit.
00:04And without further ado, let's go right to Dan Dickerson,
00:07the voice of the Tigers.
00:08Hello, Dan.
00:09Hello.
00:09This is fun, huh?
00:10Isn't it great?
00:11What's this, playoff baseball?
00:13October baseball in Detroit.
00:14Who knew?
00:15Where does that moment in Cleveland on Monday rank for you
00:20in all of your professional career?
00:22I mean, it's all the post-season games, right?
00:25The ones that they win with some dramatics in it.
00:27Those are always probably in the, you know,
00:29the top 10 or whatever.
00:30So it's in there for sure.
00:32I just, man, you just, it's so funny.
00:34Like on the Magliel home run in 06,
00:36you're trying to anticipate what might happen.
00:38What's the most likely thing to happen here?
00:40And you hear, you know,
00:41I'm expecting Magliel to hit the single to right
00:42because that's what he did all year, driving a run.
00:44And then he hits the home run, that's a no doubter.
00:46I'm picturing Carpenter,
00:48because nobody hits home runs against class A,
00:51single, I'm picturing a single to left center.
00:53Maybe a jam job because that cutter is coming in on him.
00:56And that ball left his bat.
00:58The funny thing was,
00:59Meadows had hit one high off the bat
01:01at about a similar angle a couple innings before
01:04that ended up on the warning track.
01:05I thought that ball was going out.
01:07And I think he got it off the end of the bat a little bit.
01:09So this one, I hesitate a little bit
01:11because it was such a high angle.
01:13And then you watch Brennan and Rightfield turn,
01:15I'm like, oh yeah, I can drag this out for a second.
01:18All three of us felt the same thing about Parker Meadows.
01:23We thought it was a home run and it wasn't.
01:25And you're going through as a broadcaster,
01:29you're like, okay, how am I going to anticipate this?
01:30But how could you possibly anticipate, this is class A.
01:33The fact that-
01:34That's why it was so beautiful.
01:36I mean, it's just, oh.
01:37And you get Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney
01:41get base hits off of, they did it off of class A.
01:44And then you get a third guy up and go,
01:46there's no way, there's no way.
01:47I've been giving them back-to-back hits
01:48maybe once this year, maybe none,
01:50because they gave them, what, 35 hits this year?
01:53You had to get three hits in a row
01:54with two out spaces empty to win it?
01:56And then it was four hits in a row
01:58because Vierling comes up next and gets a base hit?
02:00That's insane, Dave.
02:01It really was.
02:02That's what this season is, though.
02:03This season has been insane.
02:04Yeah, at some point you just have to go,
02:06yeah, we can't explain it.
02:07But you know what you can explain
02:09is that the way that these guys,
02:10the preparation in every at-bat.
02:12And so that preparation that you've done all season
02:15now becomes heightened in the postseason.
02:16I can think of the number, just so many times
02:18where I said, oh, this pitcher allows a 170 batting average.
02:21I mean, class A, it was 115 batting average against lefties.
02:25And they come up with good at-bats
02:27because of the way that they are prepped,
02:29because of the way these guys talk to them about,
02:31okay, this at-bat, you're gonna get this.
02:33You have to look here, and you're gonna attack that.
02:36And the quality of the at-bats late is impressive,
02:40and it's all the prep that the hitters do and the staff.
02:44I love postgame when they brought it up to AJ,
02:46you know, the carry carpenter home run.
02:48He goes, yeah, but how about the two singles before?
02:51And the Perez at-bat at the end of the eighth inning.
02:55I mean, he showed, this guy's not unhittable.
02:57Line drive on a one-two.
03:00I think that's one of those ones you're like,
03:01oh, that's a good swing.
03:03And then it leads to more good swings the next inning.
03:05I don't know, but it's certainly a piece of it.
03:09Part of the magic, though, is it was the last vestiges
03:12of the JV trade, and a guy that was perceived
03:15as a throw-in on the Flaherty trade,
03:17the Tigers didn't perceive him that way,
03:19but the public did, and those are the guys
03:21that came through to lead up to the carry carpenter.
03:25What is he, a 21st-round pick or 19th-round pick
03:27coming through in this massive moment?
03:30Yeah, in a massive moment, and Sweeney,
03:32the double play he turned, runners at first and third
03:35in the 0-0 game in the seventh or sixth,
03:38man, that was a sixth inning.
03:41That was a thing of beauty, because he had to charge,
03:42and he's actually fielding on the grass
03:44and throwing it back to his left, to Keith.
03:47Also an example of how much Keith has improved defensively,
03:51and it's been this way all year long.
03:53He was a little slow on the turn.
03:55He wasn't turning double plays at a great clip early.
03:57He's become very efficient, because he works,
03:59and Joey Cora works with these guys.
04:01That was not an easy double play.
04:04That was beautifully turned.
04:05Sweeney's been huge for this team.
04:07As I was gonna say, as great as we've seen
04:09the pitching staff pitch in the second half
04:11of the season in particular, I think the real growth
04:14is on the defensive side, because early in the season,
04:16this was not a very good defensive baseball team.
04:19Torkelson was not good at first base.
04:21He was missing plays, obviously.
04:23Baez had taken a step back with what he was doing
04:25in the field, and they looked kind of lost.
04:27You weren't sure who was gonna play third base
04:29and what was going on.
04:30Now in the second half of the season,
04:32the defense is a strength of this team
04:34as much as the pitching is.
04:35Yeah, and the numbers back it up,
04:36and defensive runs saved is not a be-all, end-all,
04:39but it's a pretty good, it gives you a start
04:41in the right direction of where the strengths of a team are,
04:42and they've third in the American League,
04:44and you notice the good defensive teams
04:46are right up there in the playoffs,
04:49but it is a reflection of, right now, Green, Meadows,
04:53whether it's Vierling in right, or Perez in right,
04:55they just don't want to let anything drop.
04:57In this ballpark, that's huge.
04:59Not as big in Cleveland, because that ballpark
05:01is so much smaller, but you're right.
05:04There's just, right now, you're going around the infield,
05:06you're going around the outfield.
05:08Everybody's playing at a very high level,
05:09and Torkelson's much improved defensively at first base.
05:12That's not a small piece of it,
05:13when you see him, the scoops that he makes,
05:15the stretch that he made on that double play.
05:18You're right, it's a big, big component.
05:21Defense is such a big part of post-season baseball,
05:24you can't give away 90 feet.
05:25We could relive game two forever,
05:27but game three today, obviously, is massive,
05:30and I think their starting pitcher's a bit of a mystery.
05:33He's got 16 innings pitched this year,
05:35mid-season acquisition, he's had a fingernail issue,
05:38he had blister issues.
05:39He had a shoulder, and I mean,
05:41What do we do with this guy?
05:41What do we know about him?
05:42He's old.
05:44Alex Weber, talking about.
05:46Cobb.
05:47Cobb, sorry, Cobb.
05:48He's a ground ball machine,
05:50it's sink or slider,
05:52and it's tough to get that ball off the ground.
05:54So that gets back to the approach and the game planning.
05:57You've gotta find a way to get that ball in the air.
06:00Not easy.
06:01I mean, it's a short sample,
06:03but he's a ground ball, 55, 60% ground ball guy.
06:07So it's a challenge,
06:09but I would go back to what you just said.
06:11It's limited innings this year.
06:13I think just three starts.
06:14He has not started in the Major League
06:16since early September.
06:18He's made some rehab starts, a couple.
06:20But again, that blister issue keeps popping up.
06:23I'm not picturing a long start,
06:25but I am picturing while he's in there,
06:27it's gonna be tough.
06:28But the goal, every game is not gonna change.
06:30You have to score runs early against this Cleveland team.
06:33You just do, because it's the best bullpen I've,
06:36I don't know, maybe ever seen in terms of the depth
06:38and the quality in their production.
06:41Tarrick School will likely decide young winner,
06:43but I mean, how do you take that away from undecided?
06:47This guy undecided has been incredible for the Tigers.
06:52Undecided, TBA, whatever you wanna call him.
06:55TBA's good, man.
06:56Really good.
06:57TBA's good.
06:58It's a testament to AJ and Chris Fetter
07:01that they've been doing this for so long.
07:03The thought that goes into it, guys,
07:05it's just, I have a feel for it,
07:07but I don't think I have any real understanding
07:10of the depth to which.
07:11I think AJ, every waking moment now,
07:13especially in the postseason,
07:15and again, it's the matchup is not, you guys know,
07:17not just right, left,
07:18it's what does this guy's stuff do against this hitter,
07:21against this part of the lineup?
07:23That's why he brought Jackson Jobin when he did,
07:25I'm pretty sure, he threw cutters and change-ups
07:28with two fastballs in that game in Houston,
07:32but he was facing six, seven, eight.
07:33It's like, this is what you need to throw
07:35against these guys to get soft contact.
07:36Guess what?
07:37He got soft contact.
07:38It was just, it didn't, you know,
07:39the simple foul, it didn't work out,
07:41but that's the level of detail in all these matchups,
07:45and it's gonna be so important, obviously,
07:47because this'll probably be another day
07:48where they use five, six, seven pitchers
07:50to cover 27 outs, but they are so specific
07:54in their matchups, they are so good at it,
07:55and it's why you just feel so good when it's TBA,
07:59and it's probably not a bulk day.
08:01It might be, but the way that it's gonna play out,
08:04if they just keep getting outs,
08:05I picture more of what we saw in game two in Houston.
08:07So you're around the team more than we are.
08:09When you get after every game like the other night, right?
08:12And then, you know, they gotta go and discuss
08:14who's gonna pitch the next day.
08:16I mean, do they put the lab coats on?
08:17Is a slide roll out, and they shut the door?
08:19It's the laboratory?
08:20I mean, how long do you think that these guys
08:24contemplate what they have to do?
08:26I mean, is it an all-night affair, or?
08:27No, I think they probably knew
08:29who was gonna start game three.
08:31I mean, I don't know, but my guess is
08:34it's gonna be Tyler Holton.
08:36Doesn't matter what he did the other day.
08:37This guy's been money.
08:38He wanted to get through the first four guys, probably.
08:42But the way I like it, AJ describes it as,
08:44okay, there's a plan, there's a general plan,
08:47but he's always got, as he talks about,
08:49pass to victory, three pass, four pass to victory,
08:52depending on what this guy does.
08:54All right, now I'm reading and reacting.
08:55I know I'd like this guy to follow this guy
08:58if he does this.
08:59If he gets through the first four,
09:00I know I want this guy to come in next
09:02to face this part of the lineup.
09:03If it goes a little bit deeper,
09:05and he's now in the bottom of this part of the lineup,
09:07I'm gonna bring this guy in.
09:09That's how it plays out.
09:11But all of the thought before the series even begins
09:14is these are the matchups that we're gonna look for
09:16throughout the series, also remembering
09:19that you don't wanna overexpose any one reliever
09:21against any part of the lineup.
09:22The baseball postseason, everything's magnified,
09:24and we've gotten calls about Tork, Green, and Keith
09:28not doing much offensively.
09:30Right-handed pitcher day, could be some good matchups
09:32for a couple of those guys, but they've done it so far
09:34without getting much out of them,
09:36but it feels like eventually
09:37somebody's gonna break out there.
09:38Yeah, you just have to score some runs early, you just do.
09:42And everything does, like you said,
09:43everything gets magnified.
09:44Also remember, it's really more we should appreciate
09:47the guys who are performing well offensively
09:49in the postseason because you're facing the best pitching.
09:52You're usually not facing the same guy twice sometimes.
09:55So, and again, I look at,
09:58what are the quality of the at-bats so far?
10:01How many times has Roddy Green hit a ball hard?
10:03It's been a couple.
10:04So yeah, does he need to get the bat going?
10:06Sure, he knows that.
10:07But look at the quality of the at-bats.
10:09How many times did the guy hit the ball hard?
10:11Maybe he struck out, but did he have a good at-bat
10:13in terms of his approach?
10:14We don't even know what his approach was
10:16going to the at-bat.
10:17So just to always remember that.
10:19I mean.
10:20Guys are still walking, moving runners over.
10:21Right, it's like Bobby Wood Jr.
10:22hasn't got a hit in the first two games.
10:24Oh, yeah, but has he made some plays?
10:26I mean, come on.
10:27So anyway, it's, yeah, it gets very magnified.
10:30They know that, but I think the staff does a good job
10:32of just like, hey, are you sticking with your approach?
10:35Are you doing what you want to in the at-bat,
10:37even if you didn't have a successful end
10:39of the at-bat result?
10:41And then make sure that you know your game plan
10:43going into the game today.
10:44You're trying to hit the ball hard at all times.
10:47It's harder in the post-season, period.
10:49Is there an offensive player that has really surprised you
10:53with being able to come up in the moment?
10:55I mean, obviously Carpenter, but Carpenter,
10:57it played well when he's been healthy.
10:59He's been that guy all season, but is there somebody?
11:01We were talking about Winslow Perez the other day.
11:03Again, the numbers are not going to blow you away,
11:04but that was a very calm at-bat when he almost singled
11:08and Kwon made the great catch,
11:09and I do think it was a catch.
11:10But seriously, one-two against Class A.
11:13Lefty's hitting 115 for a reason,
11:15and that was a very calm at-bat,
11:17but that's what he's done all year,
11:19which, so if the numbers don't blow you away,
11:21it's like, but look at the quality of the at-bats
11:22throughout the course of the season.
11:24They haven't wavered.
11:25That means, to me, the upside,
11:27we're going to see a lot of upside
11:28in this young man in the years ahead.
11:30Well, I don't know how many people have called our show
11:33and said, because of the timing of these games,
11:36when Ibanez had his basis-clearing double
11:39and Carpenter hit his home run,
11:40so many people weren't in front of a TV
11:43because of the timing,
11:44and we've had so many people call and say,
11:46what an amazing call from Dan Dickerson.
11:50I almost want to give everyone
11:51your personal phone number so they can thank you.
11:53We'll do that later.
11:55But you've made some epic calls.
11:59You've been in the moment,
12:00and people have noticed it and love it,
12:02and it's got to be so much fun for you.
12:04It really is.
12:04I mean, the fun part for me is hearing where people were.
12:08I mean, somebody's talking about being at an intersection
12:10during the Ibanez double,
12:11and people are honking their horn.
12:13That, to me, is fun to hear about that
12:15because, I mean, these Tiger fans are so amazing,
12:18and I can't wait to hear that ballpark today,
12:21but it's just a joy to be able to bring
12:24October baseball to them again
12:26and have these big moments,
12:28and this team, it's just,
12:30they keep providing big moments,
12:32and I can't wait to call a few more.
12:33What are the guys in the booth next to you saying?
12:36I'm talking about the Cleveland guys,
12:37Tom Hamilton and the crew,
12:38because you've known them forever.
12:40Like, they've been doing this as long or longer
12:42than you've been doing it.
12:43What do you guys talk about after a game like that?
12:45Don't.
12:46I mean, generally, you're not going to talk
12:47to guys after a game anyway.
12:49We do our post-game shows,
12:51and one leaves, the other leaves,
12:52so generally, you're not,
12:54unless it's the last day and they're leaving town.
12:56Hey, have a good off-season or see you next year,
12:59which we, I think, said to those guys in July.
13:01And here we are.
13:05But Tom's a good friend.
13:07We always talk pre-game and just,
13:09yeah, it's just kind of the usual stuff
13:10and kind of just get information about the other team,
13:13but just, I don't know, Tom's just one of the best.
13:15He has been a mentor to me
13:16from the day I came into this league,
13:18and I'm forever thankful for that,
13:20but just to have a great friendship with him
13:21is pretty special.
13:23Well, we appreciate your work,
13:24and the rotating crew of guys
13:26that are in the booth with you,
13:27Andy Dirks, Bobby Scales,
13:28I can tell you're getting different things out of them
13:31and having fun with it.
13:32Oh my gosh, they're thinking,
13:33I mean, you really want to think the game, right?
13:34You're just so locked into every pitch.
13:37You know, 5-0 the other day, it was a little less so,
13:39but still, every game, right?
13:41You're trying to, and they just always add that insight
13:45that only someone who's been in that batter's box
13:47in the major leagues knows what it's like, and I love it.
13:50It's a pleasure having you on.
13:51Keep up the great work.
13:52Thanks, man.
13:53He's the man.
13:54Thanks, buddy.
13:55Here on Carson Anderson,
13:57outside Comerica Park, Tiger playoff baseball
14:00coming up today.
14:01Much more to come, 97-1 the ticket.