Following up on the tone of the site the past few weeks, Kurt, Allison and Al talk about the worst team in all of baseball, the Detroit Tigers, in this week's Bless You Boys Podcast.  I don't even know why we bothered recording, as the season is essentially over. But we slogged ahead, despite out ennui.

Or maybe we're just tired and cranky from a week of 10PM starts.

BYB Podcast 39 runs 1:01 and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen, and Al Beaton.

Topics:

• Multiple choice question. Why aren't the Tigers winning?
• Jim Leyland doesn't like the approach he sees at the plate...when watching on TV in clubhouse.
• When you have a roster full of free swingers, shouldn't we expect stretches when the roster isn't hitting?
• Insane umpires are insane, wants to kill Justin Verlander.
• What in the HELL happened to Octavio Dotel in Seattle?
• Closer issues are not just a Detroit problem.
• In his first start back from the DL, Doug Fister was pulled after 7 shutout innings and 73 pitches. Why?
• Leyland's strategy to get Ryan Raburn hitting is to move him up in the order and play him every day.
• Andy Dirks goes up the batting order, Brennan Boesch goes down. Who says Leyand won't tweak the order?
• Jeremy Bonderman is contemplating a comeback, has Tommy John surgery.
• Cole Hamels admitted throwing at Bryce Harper, and was suspended for 5 game. Leyland says it wasn't enough.
• Changing stupid baseball rules.
• A lightning round involving high socks and poker.
• Allison is tired of west coast baseball, Kurt talks BYB commenters and civility, Al reams Peter Gammons for dragging bloggers through the mud.

Blogs mentioned: Hardball Talk, Designate Robertson, Roar of the Tigers.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

Kurt, Allison and Al actually get back to talking about Detroit Tigers baseball Instead of drunken arrests and 11 year vets getting their release in the latest edition of the Bless You Boys Podcast.

BYB Podcast 38 runs 1:21 and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen, and Al Beaton.

Topics:

• Introducing Pick 6!
• Quoting Justin Verlander, "Going .500 to start the season isn't exactly horrible."
• Delmon Young reinstated, Bred Eldred is DFA.
• After seeing Andy Dirks and Don Kelly play competent outfield defense, why would anyone in their right mind want Young's glove back in left field?
• Doug Fister to return as soon as this coming week.
• Daniel Schlereth channels Jeremy Bonderman, doesn’t tell Tigers his arm is hurting.
• Can the Detroit Tigers Make the AL Playoffs With Three Stars and Nothing Else?
• 4 positions are dragging down the Tigers’ offense.
• Nick Castellanos is Dominating the FSL, with a capital D.
• Twins DFA Clete Thomas, proving once again, fans vastly overrate their team's talent.
• Is Mariano Rivera's career over?
• Tim Welke making enemies all over MLB, blowing another call.
• 2 no-hitters tossed in the first 4 weeks of the season. Have no-nos become almost too commonplace?
• Jered Weaver and the douchiest no-hitter ever.
• Listener questions: Defensive indifference and defensive infield shifts are the new hotness.

Web sites mentioned: Designate Robertson, Grantland, Tiger Tales, Pick 6.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

With all the breaking news over the past 24 hours, Brandon Inge being released by the Detroit Tigers and Delmon Young's arrest for assault and hate speech in New York City, it was time for the news team to assemble and record a special edition of the Bless You Boys Podcast. We discuss the fallout of both rather somber situations.

BYB Podcast 37 runs 49:00 and features Kurt Mensching, Al Beaton and Patrick O'Kennedy.

Topics:

• Delmon Young arrested after a bar fight.
• Hate crime charges?
• Tthe Tigers hands are tied by by the CBA, thus releasing a generic statement filled with legalese.
• Could the Tigers actually cut ties with Young?
• If so, what direction to the Tigers go?
• Do the Tigers have issues with lax player discipline, or are the recent alcohol issues just knuckleheads being knuckleheads?
• Brandon Inge released, Detroit mourns or celebrates, depending upon your point of view.
• Everybody, and I mean everybody, overreacted to Inge's release.
• To their credit, Dave Dombrowski and Inge handled the situation as well as possible.
• It's quite possible Brandon Inge's career is not over, there is interest from other teams.
• Does Inge have a future with the Tigers...be it in the  front office or in personnel?
• What is Brandon Inge's legacy as long-time member of the Detroit Tigers?
• Brad Eldred: What, if anything, can we expect from a 31 year old who has a rep as a 4A player?
• Things happen in threes: Two are down. Do you have a prediction for three?
• Remember, BYB comment threads are not an Mlive-like free-for-all.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

This week, we're in a mood. Which means it's a rant-filled Bless You Boys Podcast.

We take on the Chicken Little-fied Detroit Tigers fanbase, Mike Ilitch's Inge crush, the mainstream media making stories out to be stark black or white, not shades of gray, sabermatricians who fall too much in love with advanced stats, the Tiger Stadium Fan Club and the Madden video game series, amongst other ranty topics.

Bless You Boys Podcast 35 runs 1:18 and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen and Al Beaton.

Topics:

• The Tigers' fan base is revolting...and they aren't happy with the W-L record, either.
• The Brandon Inge saga continues. He remains on the roster, and worse, is playing regularly. 
• We all know how the Inge soap opera will ultimately end. Badly.
• The fan base did get one bone thrown to them, Daniel Schlereth was sent to Toledo.
• The Freep's Drew Sharp has solved the Tigers problems with just one lousy column. They just need to hit more triples.
• Who else freaked out on Twitter when the" Zach Miner was acquired by the Tigers" news broke?
• Media bashing time: Just because Phillip Humber threw a prefect game, it doesn't mean he's figured it out. Armando Galarraga, anyone?
• More media bashing...and some sabermetrics bashing as well: Fangraphs does the Sports Illustrated power rankings, give sabers a bad name by claiming the 3-14 Kansas City Royals are the 7th best team in baseball. There's more to baseball than WAR.
• What one personnel move do we want to see the Tigers make in the next few months?
• Jim Leyland needs to move players around in the order...but it will never happen.
• What the over/under on Jacob Turner starts in 2012?
• Anyone have Roy Oswalt's phone number?
• Does Leyland put players in a position to fail?
• Kurt would rather fight a grizzly bear than deal with Mlivers or Hawk Harrelson.
• BRAD ELDRED BRAD ELDRED. And Ryan Ryan Strieby too.
• We give our thoughts on the 100th anniversary of Tiger Stadium (essentially, we miss it, but it's long past time to MOVE ON) and the most annoying and obnoxious Tigers fans ever, the Tiger Stadium Fan Club.
• Another lightning round from JohnMoz!

Brandon Inge mentions:Lots, but  almost all are in the first 15 minutes.

Blogs mentioned: Walkoff Woodward, Tiger Tales, Fangraphs, Designate Robertson.

Books mentioned: You can buy Lee Panas' highly recommended book on sabermetrics, "Beyond Batting Average", by clicking here!

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

I ran into a problem putting together this week's Bless You Boys Podcast. Donner's manservant and myself have no lives, so we were available. But Allison had tickets to a game, Rob has to study for finals non-stop, Melissa had work commitments and Patrick is out on the west coast, which means we'd still be recording at midnight eastern time.

So what to do? Get a couple of special guests!

Special guest 1: Grey, best known for his @Spacemnkymafia and @Baseballin140 Twitter accounts, also a contributor to Walkoff Woodward and Detroit Tigers Scorecard.

Special guest 2: Former Bless You Boys Managing Editor Ian Casselberry (@IanCass), now blogging full time for Bleacher Report as a lead MLB writer at Horsehide Chronicles. And please, please, please like Casselbloggy on Facebook!

BYB Podcast 35 has a running time of 1:28 and features Kurt Mensching, Al Beaton, Ian Casselberry and Grey. Why so much longer than normal? We were having too much fun!

Topics:

• The Detroit Tigers are in 1st place, just as planned.
• Justin Verlander needs 131 pitches to beat the Kansas City Royals, fans have a conniption fit.
• Certain Detroit columnists play the "Mark my words, this will come back to bite the Tigers in September" card after Verlander's 131 pitch outing.
• Rick Porcello has been good.
• Max Scherzer has been bipolar.
• The Tigers' offense has been average so far. Why?
• Miguel Cabrera has been slumping, that's why.
• First half Ryan Raburn is in full effect. Live with it, because second half Ryan Raburn rakes. And he's not going to be DFA'ed.
• Brandon Inge returns, civil war breaks out in the Tigers fan base.
• Clete Thomas is claimed by the Minnesota Twins, hits a home run, fans blame Inge.
• First Jim Leyland lineup controversy involves, you guessed it, Inge. Fans blame Leyland and Inge.
• Doug Fister has a setback during injury rehab, the original timetable for a return seems to have been optimistic.
• Adam Wilk and Drew Smyly have been holding their own in Fister's absence.
• Over/under on Prince Fielder stolen bases.
• Thoughts on Pudge Rodriguez's Detroit legacy on the day he announces his retirement from baseball.
• As Ian is writing about the National League, we tell him how much we prefer the American League style of baseball. Though Ian does agree the double switch is not all that.
• @PhilCokesBrain releases his Spring 2012 Tiger Twitter Power Rankings, Tigers Twittersphere goes nuts.
• Last week we gave our favorite journalist Twitter feeds. This week we recommend our favorite baseball related (but not media related) Twitter feeds.
• Letters from listeners included a trivia question and we are asked about our favorite baseball books.

Brandon Inge mentions: There's too much Inge this week. Oh, Lord, there's too much Inge.

Blogs mentioned: Brain Matters, Horsehide Chronicles, Sweaty Men Endeavors.

Baseball related Twitter feeds recommended: @PhilCokesBrain, @AlmostHenning, @TrippingOlney, @FakeLeyland, @OldHossRadbourn, @Spacemnkymafia

Baseball books recommended: "National Pastime: Sports, Politics, and the Return of Baseball to Washington, D.C." by Barry Svrluga, "You Gotta Have Wa" by Robert Whiting, "Bless You Boys: Diary of the Detroit Tigers' 1984 Season" by Sparky Anderson and Dan Ewald, "'84: The Last of the Great Tigers--Untold Stories From an Amazing Season" by Eli Zaret,  "The Natural" by Bernard Malamud,  "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

Kurt, Allison and Al revel in what was a hugely successful season opening home stand for the Detroit Tigers in the latest Bless You Boys Podcast!

BYB Podcast 34 has a running time of 1:11 and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen and Al Beaton.

Topics:

• Another BYB Meetup reminder!
  
• Thanks to Baroque being unable to sleep, there is now a FanPost for ALL of your fantasy rosterbation needs. If you do so in the game threads, we will mock you mercilessly in the next podcast!
• Everyone on the Tigers is off to a fast start...save for a few of the usual suspects.
• There's lots to like and very little of concern after a 5-1 home stand.
• Who is the Tigers' week 1 MVP?
• Ohhhh, Jackson! Austin Jackson, that is...
• The fact there are no wins from Justin Verlander, or anyone else in the starting rotation, during the 5-1 start is as fluky as it comes.
• Doug Fister to the DL, Adam Wilk joins Drew Smyly in the rotation.
• Daniel Schlereth is the new BYB whipping boy. Is it deserved? Allison says yes, Kurt says no.
• The Cult is no more. Clete Thomas designated for assignment.
• Victor Martinez is still not ruled out for a late season return from knee surgery..but don't count on it, either.
• As expected, there are more John Lannan rumors. Expect nothing to come of them.
• The Tigers seem to be doing just fine despite the baseball hipsters decrying the dire straits of the minor league system for the past several years.
• Time for Boston Red Sox fans to panic? We sure hope so!
• The small market Cincinnati Reds give long-term, mega-dollars contracts to Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Crazy smart...or  crazy insane?
• Ozzie Guillen says he loves him some Fidel Castro, gets suspended 5 games. Chicago White Sox fans point toward the Miami Marlins...and laugh.
• Letters from listeners, where we recommend a few Twitter accounts from journalists we think are worth following.
• Red Wings fan Al and Sharks Kurt both think Brendan Shanahan is an idiot. It needed to be said.

Brandon Inge mentions: We are on an a hiatus from from all things Inge.

Blogs mentioned: Hardball Times

Twitter feeds recommended: Micheal Rosenberg, Bob Wojnowski, Joe Posnanski, Tony Paul, Matthew B. Mowrey.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

Opening day is a holiday for the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and Detroit Tigers fans across the globe. But the Bless You Boys Podcast doesn't take this holiday off!

BYB Podcast 33 has a running time of 1:19 and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen and Al Beaton.

Topics:

All things opening day! 

Brandon Inge was...booed? On opening day? I'm not kidding!

Opening day Justin Verlander was mid-season Justin Verlander, not the struggling in April Justin Verlander.

Brennan Boesch doesn't like to take pitches, does he?

The Tigers are on track to hit into 486 double plays in 2012.

Prince Fielder flashes the leather at 1st, but Miguel Cabrera has an adventure at 3rd.

The streak is over, Jose Valverde blows a save. Some might say it's actually a good thing.

Why did the Big Potato blow the save? He was jinxed by Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford!

It's a walkoff win, thanks to the bats of Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila and Austin Jackson!

One thing we've learned from using Twitter on a daily basis: Follow the beat writers, do not follow columnists.

The 25 man roster is more like a 28 man.

Meet Drew Smyly!

ALL THINGS INGE!

To think there is a trade market for Inge is laughable...but some local writers keep spewing the idea, anyway.

What's more surprising? All 50 ESPN baseball writers pick the Tigers to win the AL Central, ESPN actually has 50 baseball writers or ESPN has 50 smart people?

17 Tigers make the ESPN Top 500 MLB Players list.

Almost all power rankings are silly.

There's a lightning round in which we come up with a new rule when it comes to discussing your fantasy teams in comment threads.

Brandon Inge mentions: Too many...but there will be a ban on Inge talk until he comes off the DL. We all need the break. Seriously.

Blogs mentioned: Baseball Nation, Hardball Talk, Hustle Belt, Walkoff Woodward

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

This week's Bless You Boys Podcast is also our Detroit Tigers 2012 season preview, with special guest Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports' Hardball Talk. Craig, an admitted baseball hipster and Allison's significant other, gives us the national perspective on the Tigers.

BYB Podcast 32 has a running time of 1:30, and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen, Al Beaton and Craig Calcaterra.

Topics:

• We get the real scoop on Allison giving Craig a tie for Christmas.
• How good are the Tigers? Is the Central a one team race?
• Which Central team could make the Tigers sweat?
• The final word on Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, but from the national POV.
• Justin Verlander and BABiP.
• Traditional stats vs. sabermetrics.
• The regular season started in Japan? Today? Really? Who else forgot?
• We preview the 2012 Tigers.
• We make our season predictions!
• Miguel Cabrera cleared to play on opening day!
• Brandon Inge is on the roster bubble. Is this the end of Inge?
• Why do Tigers fans go to war over a career .258 career hitter coming off a .174 season?
• Jacob Turner sent to Toledo...but for how long?
• Another JohnMoz supplied lightning round!

Brandon Inge mentions:Kurt creates a new number using "Inge". So there's plenty of Inge content...though Inge fans may not like what they hear.

Blogs mentioned: Hardball Talk, of course!

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

Miguel Cabrera's orbital bone! Jacob Turner's tired arm! Ryan Raburn is hitting! Brandon Inge mentions! Donner the Dog! Why all this must mean only one thing. It's the return of the Bless You Boys Podcast!

We start ramping up for the regular season, as the BYB Podcast returns to a weekly format with our latest episode. BYB Podcast 31 has a running time of 58:47, and features Kurt Mensching, Allison Hagen and Al Beaton.

Topics:

The latest on the Bless You Boys community meetup on August 4th. Allison would like to see the money, please.

Kurt previews a new feature you'll soon see on Bless You Boys.

Miguel Cabrera is injured by a ground ball, everyone panics...for a few minutes, anyway.

Cabrera fractures his orbital bone on a freak play, yet the media says, "I told you so!"

Jacob Turner has a "tired arm". Time to worry?

5th starter bingo: Trade rumors link the Detroit Tigers to the Washington Nationals' John Lannon.

Delmon Young and Ryan Raburn are channeling Babe Ruth on steroids down in Lakeland. Should we expect big seasons?

Who's the 5th starter? 4th outfielder? Last man in the bullpen? Does it make a difference?

Opening day starters announced (though it's not a big deal in the big scheme of things), it's Justin Verlander facing the Boston Red Sox's Jon Lester.

Media meme of the week: Was Justin Verlander more lucky than good in 2011?

We say goodbye to David Purcey....Who? Uh...I mean...goodbye to David Pauley.

Jim Leyland admits the Tigers rushed Ryan Perry to the majors, to his detriment. Have the team learned their lesson?

Brandon Inge mentions: The podcast is all about Inge...for about 3 minutes during the Cabrera discussion.

Host mistakes: Al refers to the new-school Nationals as the old-school Senators, Kurt puts Duane Below on the roster twice, Allison gave her boyfriend a tie for Christmas.

Blogs mentioned: Baseball Nation, Hardball Talk,  Hustle Belt, Winging it in Motown, Pride of Detroit., Baseball Press.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.

Despite this being the most boring Detroit Tigers spring training on record, we gathered to record a new episode of the Bless You Boys Podcast regardless. It's what we do as Tigers fans, talk baseball!

BYB Podcast 30 has a running time of 1:11, and features Kurt Mensching,  Melissa Heyboer and Al Beaton.

Topics discussed:

• Time to pay up, people! You can now send Alli your hard earned cash for August's Bless You Boys meetup. Check out this post for all the details. I'll see you there!
• There's not a damn thing going on in Lakeland.
• Goodbye "April in the D", hello new Fox Sports Detroit girl.
• The News' Tom Gage assassinated the character of Brandon Inge.
• If I could lose any more respect for the media, ridiculous headlines, such as this one, will do it.
• Jim Leyland is teasing a roster surprise!
• Six Tigers make the MLB Network top 100 players list.
• The Tigers' 2012 breakout player will be?
• The News' Lynn Henning says there's a surplus of starting pitching!
• Goodbye to arguably the best name in baseball, Deik Scram.
• Carlos Guillen retires.
• Joel Zumaya is injured again.
• FREE SCOTT SIZEMORE!
• Turns out the Marlins got zip in two trades involving Cameron Maybin, who signed a long-term deal with the Padres.
• Our final word on playoff expansion.
• What will change next in MLB?
• Who is the best player in baseball? The MLB Network says it's Matt Kemp.
• Lightning round!

Brandon Inge mentions:More than your heart desires.

Blogs mentioned: Not a one.

We LOVE to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, please email us at BYBPodcast at Gmail.com.