Tigers' Jim Leyland: 'It would be an absolute shame' if Alex Avila doesn't make All-Star team

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Add Detroit Tigers manager Leyland to the legions who insist Alex Avila, who is hitting .303 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs, and has been an effective receiver and stolen-base deterrent -- like Thursday, when he gunned down the Mets’ Jose Reyes, who is 30-for-36 on steal attempts -- deserves to play in the All-Star Game.

Avila is second in the voting to New York's Russell Martin, which ends tonight.

"I’ve never been one to get involved in that because sometimes it’s a popularity contest, people stuffing ballots and stuff," Leyland said. "So I’ve never really gotten into that. But I think it’s a no-brainer and I hope they do get behind him to vote. It would be an absolute shame, to me, in my opinion, if Alex Avila wasn’t on the All-Star team. He deserves it.

"So I hope they stuff the ballots or do whatever they want. I realize I’m contradicting myself but it would be a shame if he was not on the team."
Short hops
-- The Mets placed outfielder Willie Harris on the bereavement list before the game, and recalled outfielder Francisco Martinez from Triple-A Buffalo, after Harris’ wife went into premature labor following five months of pregnancy and lost the baby on Wednesday night.

-- Leyland said Avila probably will catch Friday, despite the Giants using left-handed starter Madison Bumgarner, because of the workload Victor Martinez handled behind the plate Wednesday, when five Tigers, including Don Kelly, made 208 total pitches.

-- Justin Verlander’s turnstile power was evident again, with 31,861 in attendance, the third-largest home crowd for a Monday through Thursday game this season, exceeded only by another of Verlander’s starts (33,641, May 13 vs. Kansas City) and the finale of a three-game series with intra-division challenger Cleveland (37,437, May 16).?

View the original article here

Tigers' Jim Leyland: 'It would be an absolute shame' if Alex Avila doesn't make All-Star team

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Add Detroit Tigers manager Leyland to the legions who insist Alex Avila, who is hitting .303 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs, and has been an effective receiver and stolen-base deterrent -- like Thursday, when he gunned down the Mets’ Jose Reyes, who is 30-for-36 on steal attempts -- deserves to play in the All-Star Game.

Avila is second in the voting to New York's Russell Martin, which ends tonight.

"I’ve never been one to get involved in that because sometimes it’s a popularity contest, people stuffing ballots and stuff," Leyland said. "So I’ve never really gotten into that. But I think it’s a no-brainer and I hope they do get behind him to vote. It would be an absolute shame, to me, in my opinion, if Alex Avila wasn’t on the All-Star team. He deserves it.

"So I hope they stuff the ballots or do whatever they want. I realize I’m contradicting myself but it would be a shame if he was not on the team."
Short hops
-- The Mets placed outfielder Willie Harris on the bereavement list before the game, and recalled outfielder Francisco Martinez from Triple-A Buffalo, after Harris’ wife went into premature labor following five months of pregnancy and lost the baby on Wednesday night.

-- Leyland said Avila probably will catch Friday, despite the Giants using left-handed starter Madison Bumgarner, because of the workload Victor Martinez handled behind the plate Wednesday, when five Tigers, including Don Kelly, made 208 total pitches.

-- Justin Verlander’s turnstile power was evident again, with 31,861 in attendance, the third-largest home crowd for a Monday through Thursday game this season, exceeded only by another of Verlander’s starts (33,641, May 13 vs. Kansas City) and the finale of a three-game series with intra-division challenger Cleveland (37,437, May 16).?

View the original article here

All-Star Game voting set to close; will Tigers' Alex Avila pass Yankees' Russell Martin?

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Voting for the All-Star Game ends Thursday, and Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila is closing in on the New York Yankees’ Russell Martin for the American League starter. As of Tuesday, Avila trailed by about 400,000 votes, the closest he has been all season.

Avila led all American League catchers with a .303 average and .373 on-base percentage entering play Wednesday. His 10 home runs were fourth.

Martin is batting .229, but benefits in the fan voting from playing in the New York market.

The winner will be announced Sunday.

The impetus for Avila’s push has come from an online campaign launched by teammate Justin Verlander and supported by Brad Penny. In particular, they have used the hashtag "#votevila" on Twitter to garner support for Avila — a name that now can be seen on signs and shirts throughout Comerica Park.

Has Avila been tracking his online support?

"I would if I knew how," Avila said.

The 24-year-old isn’t exactly skilled when it comes to technology.

"I don’t do Twitter and Facebook, and I’ve never been big into computers and things like that," Avila said. "In college, my friends would make fun of me because I had a computer and didn’t know how to turn it on.

"I’m better with texting, but my thumbs are too big."

How does he get his news, if he doesn’t use the Internet?

"Newspapers," Avila said.

He’s 24, right?

Boos for Raburn
Perhaps no Tigers player has drawn more fire this year than Ryan Raburn, the Tigers’ outfielder-turned-second baseman who is hitting .163 with 41 strikeouts in his past 41 games.

Raburn has been booed in recent weeks, but Leyland said he does not plan to sit him anytime soon.

"I thought he’d be out of (his slump) by now," Leyland said. "He’s shown signs of it, but then doesn’t do it.

"I put him in the lineup ... that’s about as much confidence as you can get from a manger, is you play him."

Poking fun
Leyland said when he got home from Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, his college-bound daughter made him watch his tirade with her.

"She was laughing pretty good," he said, "and so was I. It doesn’t cost much to make a fool of yourself."

Leyland also was asked about the standing ovation he received as he left the field after being ejected for arguing an out/safe call.

"Maybe they just thought I was going to continue to keep on going," he said.

View the original article here

All-Star Game voting set to close; will Tigers' Alex Avila pass Yankees' Russell Martin?

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Voting for the All-Star Game ends Thursday, and Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila is closing in on the New York Yankees’ Russell Martin for the American League starter. As of Tuesday, Avila trailed by about 400,000 votes, the closest he has been all season.

Avila led all American League catchers with a .303 average and .373 on-base percentage entering play Wednesday. His 10 home runs were fourth.

Martin is batting .229, but benefits in the fan voting from playing in the New York market.

The winner will be announced Sunday.

The impetus for Avila’s push has come from an online campaign launched by teammate Justin Verlander and supported by Brad Penny. In particular, they have used the hashtag "#votevila" on Twitter to garner support for Avila — a name that now can be seen on signs and shirts throughout Comerica Park.

Has Avila been tracking his online support?

"I would if I knew how," Avila said.

The 24-year-old isn’t exactly skilled when it comes to technology.

"I don’t do Twitter and Facebook, and I’ve never been big into computers and things like that," Avila said. "In college, my friends would make fun of me because I had a computer and didn’t know how to turn it on.

"I’m better with texting, but my thumbs are too big."

How does he get his news, if he doesn’t use the Internet?

"Newspapers," Avila said.

He’s 24, right?

Boos for Raburn
Perhaps no Tigers player has drawn more fire this year than Ryan Raburn, the Tigers’ outfielder-turned-second baseman who is hitting .163 with 41 strikeouts in his past 41 games.

Raburn has been booed in recent weeks, but Leyland said he does not plan to sit him anytime soon.

"I thought he’d be out of (his slump) by now," Leyland said. "He’s shown signs of it, but then doesn’t do it.

"I put him in the lineup ... that’s about as much confidence as you can get from a manger, is you play him."

Poking fun
Leyland said when he got home from Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, his college-bound daughter made him watch his tirade with her.

"She was laughing pretty good," he said, "and so was I. It doesn’t cost much to make a fool of yourself."

Leyland also was asked about the standing ovation he received as he left the field after being ejected for arguing an out/safe call.

"Maybe they just thought I was going to continue to keep on going," he said.

View the original article here