Lakeland Day 3: Tigers vs. Marlins (Wherein the Tigers Lose But I Still Win)

My good track record with the Tigers evidently isn't enough to save them in a spring training game where the pitchers just won't throw strikes. Max Scherzer just didn't have it, and apparently neither did anyone else on the pitching staff (for a more detailed analysis, see my No Run Support post and to see it in gory detail, here's my Facebook album). All the control problems made for a very long game (though not as long as the Nationals game yesterday). In addition, all the guy next to me did for the entire game was bitch and moan about, well, everything (topics of complaint included, but were not limited to, the stadium design, the screen behind home plate, Scherzer's drop in velocity, Miguel Cabrera's alcohol problem, and Austin Jackson striking out too much). I began wondering why he was even at the game, since there didn't seem to be a single player on the team that he liked. The guy finally left in the sixth inning when a swarm of small black bugs descended upon us. I have no idea what they were, but they were annoying as hell. After the game ended, I found myself waiting in the parking lot near the player exit for over an hour, but the game, the whiny guy, the bugs, and the wait were all worth it, because I met Miguel Cabrera and got his autograph. And he was really nice to all the fans who had waited around the exit, too. He even struck that awesomely goofy pose when he saw I was taking his picture. That has to be the highlight of my entire trip to Florida. Other notes:

• Andy Dirks does a pretty funny imitation of Chris Berman. 
• Before the game, Justin Verlander was giving an interview for a Boston TV crew when in the middle of the interview, he suddenly realized his pants were unzipped and unbuttoned. That got a huge laugh from the fans near the clubhouse.
• Apparently on days when Magglio Ordoñez is the DH, he never takes his shin guard off. He was even warming up with it on. 
• In the third inning, some guy behind me randomly yelled out (very loudly), "Armando! Where's Armando?" Um, okay (Look, I love Armando Galarraga and I wish very much that he was still with this team, but even I admit that Max Scherzer is a better pitcher).
• In the same inning, once Scherzer gave up the three-run homer to Matt Dominguez, the same guy yelled out "Toledo!"
• I had never seen Charlie Furbush pitch before. He has a very slingly delivery. Hopefully he's usually not as slow as he was today.
• There was a guy behind me cheering on Cabrera in Spanish (It might have actually been the same guy yelling for Armando, because one of his cheers was "Viva Venezuela"). Then he started yelling "Thank you Magglio!" as Maggs was standing in the on-deck circle.
• I also got autographs from Rob Brantly, Ben Guez, Tom Brookens, and Rafael Belliard.
• Tomorrow will be my final game here in Lakeland. The Tigers take on the Phillies again. And this time my new camera will have a better lens than it did today.