It appears that the Tigers offseason has taken some shape: Al Avila is looking to trim payroll, and it seems that everyone... yes, everyone, is up for grabs.
Naturally, if payroll is a problem, then Detroit's resident dinosaur Mike Ilitch is likely not factoring in to the inner decisions of the ball club, but rather his son Chris is now pulling the strings. And if that's the case, the team is looking to save money now rather than spend it.
Which is fine, no one really wants to spend a bunch of money, they just want to keep it for themselves.
The problem is, after years of obscurity and poor baseball product of the field, the fans who remember the days prior to 2006 don't really want to venture back to that fold. It's not fun, and a championship-hungry fan base really doesn't want to see that all go down.
That said, this already bumpy offseason has already seen one fan-favorite dealt away in the name of saving money. Cameron Maybin, who was great in his return to the ball club (unlucky injuries aside), was traded to the Angels, in a deal that pretty much said 'we don't want to pick up your $9MM option or buy you out for $1MM'. The Tigers found a team willing to spend the money on that option and got someone in return for him.
Sure, that sounds good. The team actually got something in return rather than spending money to send Maybin adrift. At the time, we found it hard to believe that casting him aside, the current crop of candidates to fill that new hold in center field would be viable for the upcoming 2017 season... that being the likes of Tyler Collins, Anthony Gose, or JaCoby Jones, just to name a few.
At the moment, none of those names reek of excellence, so the Tigers might just upgrade, right?
Think better, dummy. This is a payroll dump, and not anything else.
With that thought in mind, this offseason will likely be awful in terms of putting a truly competitive product out there while saving money for this suddenly frugal franchise.
Avila has allegedly warned his players... all of them, that their names may/will come up in trade talks/discussions/rumors as we meander our way through the fall. Though with certain players making certain money, trading these folks away won't be easy - in terms of getting remotely equal value back for them - and that's where this offseason will get frustrating for fans. The fan base is used to having things resolved in break-neck speed, but it's the other way around when it comes to finding a suitor for players who may have some heavy baggage (contract or otherwise) to haul around.
The two players who will be impossible to find equal compensation for (never mind that both have 10/5 rights and can veto any or all trades) are Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander.
Starting with Miggy:
He's owed $28MM next season, $30MM/yr for the next four seasons, and $32MM/yr for the two following that. The last 2 years of his contract, 2024-25, are club options that are guaranteed for top-10 finishes in the MVP voting. Even if you find someone who wants Miggy - and let's face it, there's 29 other teams who want him - you will never get full value back for him. Teams who want to trade for him aren't going to want to pay the full brunt of that contract, which means the Tigers would likely have to figure out how to not only continue to pay for a portion of the contract, they'd also have to have a hell of a return for such a trade, and that's not even remotely possible.
Next up, Justin Verlander:
Trying to trade JV isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, but again... getting equal value for him in return is highly unlikely. His contract is a little more friendly (in terms of time only, because it's still steep in price), and he could probably be coaxed into being dealt somewhere to a team who could take on the $28MM/yr he's still owed for the next 3 seasons ($20MM vesting option in 2020). JV had a bit of a bounce-back year in 2016 and for the most part, returned to form and has himself back in everyone's Cy Young candidate talk (he's a finalist for 2016). At the right price, he and the future Mrs Verlander could be hobnobbing in somewhere that's not Detroit very soon.
What about the newly minted Gold Glover?
Ian Kinsler made $14MM last season, and is only due $11MM next season with the Tigers and has a $10MM club option for 2018. Sweet deal, if you ask me. Of course, it's the Texas Rangers who made this deal... it just so happens that the Tigers picked up the rest of this when they traded Prince Fielder to the Rangers for Ian. Yeah, that's the 2nd best Dave Dombrowski deal ever, considering Prince was often injured and was subsequently forced to retire because of that, but hey, gotta get lucky once in a while, right? Except that those cheap Ian numbers collide with the fact that Prince is still getting Tigers money from that trade. Kinsler had a solid year at the plate in 2016, and he and Jose Iglesias are great together up the middle.
It would be hard for this fan to trade (or even try to trade) these guys away, even in the scope of payroll slashing. In large part, it'll be hard to just trade away all the money that's owed to certain players, because teams don't necessarily want the burden that the Tigers have put themselves in. Now, if you want to try and trade the contracts of folks like Anibal Sanchez, Mike Pelfrey, or Mark Lowe, then by all means... go for it. That will also be difficult thanks to their terrible 2016 campaigns and their hefty salaries.
The trade that would make the most sense for the Tigers this offseason is that of JD Martinez. When healthy, his bat is pure. But after a breakout 2015 defensively, his on-field presence and prowess took a few steps backwards and was proven to be a bit of a liability in 2016. The pop in his bat though should be enough to help trade away the $11.75MM he'll make next season. After that, JD is a free agent and would certainly be an unlikely candidate for an extension from the ball club thanks to the sudden penny-pinching. For the Tigers, there's no reason to assume they couldn't offload him for a prospect or two to begin this fire sale... err... rebuilding process.
The Tigers can trim up the payroll a bit, but should do it cautiously. I'm not too sure the fan base is confident in Al Avila after his lackluster first full season as the team's GM, and just because you want to trim payroll doesn't mean you should want to be not-competitive. Because if you unload all of the heavy contracts in the name of saving a bunch of money, the next thing that gets trimmed will be ticket sales.
No one wants to see the Tigers dip back into the dark ages, but the fans assume that could happen with the little chatter that has happened thus far. And that will make for a dangerous offseason, and an unbearable 2017 campaign.
Showing posts with label Detroit Tigers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit Tigers. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2016
Monday, February 1, 2016
Your Tiger Stadium Memories: In Blog Form
Recently, I killed some time at my favorite watering hole and shared my most memorable trip to Tiger Stadium. To be sure, it wasn’t the best day in Detroit Tigers or MLB history, but it stood out as an experience I won’t forget until the dementia settles in.
The ballpark has been gone for a while now, but I (properly) assumed that my Twitter followers would have a say or two about their own memories of “The Corner”, and I’m happy to share some of what was thrown my way.
Here goes:
This was the first submission via Twitter. The response to me was likely twice as fast as the average Frank Tanana curveball.
How about some home runs...
The ballpark has been gone for a while now, but I (properly) assumed that my Twitter followers would have a say or two about their own memories of “The Corner”, and I’m happy to share some of what was thrown my way.
Here goes:
This was the first submission via Twitter. The response to me was likely twice as fast as the average Frank Tanana curveball.
This might be the most Detroit tweet I received on this subject.@DisplacedTgrFan I'll start-watching Frank Tanana's dancing curve from lower level seats behind home plate. Magical. #MichiganandTrumbull— Andy Glantzman (@AndyGlantzman) January 29, 2016
This one sounds more like a law firm than a triple play combo.@DisplacedTgrFan Fidrych comeback game (after injury). Got ripped off by a ticket scalper. Gave him a 20 expecting change. He disappeared— Andrew Potter (@andypotter) January 31, 2016
If you can't beat Nolan Ryan by conventional means, just use furniture. Because it just doesn't matter.@DisplacedTgrFan seeing a triple play in '68 involving McLain Powell Robinson and Robinson— TigerTed (@EAJS44) January 30, 2016
I'm still awaiting verification on this one...@DisplacedTgrFan @HighOPS 3. Nolan Ryan's no hitter, 1973 I think. 1 out bottom 9th, Norm Cash comes to the plate with a 4" x 4" table leg— Patrick OKennedy (@Tigerdog_1) January 30, 2016
When you see Al Kaline, you should say hi, at least...@DisplacedTgrFan my favorite memory was when my cousin pat hentgen pitched at tiger stadium lost and I got to give it to him for weeks.— Andy (@detroitsports71) January 30, 2016
Prince's dad makes an appearance.@DisplacedTgrFan once passed Al Kaline in the concourse after gm. Just me & him. He was striding purposefully, so I didnt speak. Big regret.— Jennifer Cosey (@VivaTigres) January 30, 2016
Being young tweets:@DisplacedTgrFan came 4 inches away from catching Cecil Fielder's 49th HR, the year hit hit 51 (last 2 were in Yankee Stadium). #upperdeck— Farris Khan (@BobbleHeadGuru) January 30, 2016
@DisplacedTgrFan I don't remember because I was only two but I'm sure it was awesome. pic.twitter.com/SrSkvxbDzj— Justin Marshall (@JTM21497) January 29, 2016
@DisplacedTgrFan 9/16/1984, my 8th birthday. First game. They beat the blue Jays. I was scared because of all the people, but that's where— Elizabeth Meyer (@elmtree916) January 30, 2016
Bleacher creature tweets:@DisplacedTgrFan my love of baseball and the Tigers truly began— Elizabeth Meyer (@elmtree916) January 30, 2016
@DisplacedTgrFan cheap bleacher seats and lots of beer baking in the sun. I miss super hot bleachers.— Ed Chism (@edchism19) January 30, 2016
(Yeah, that sounds like a party.)@DisplacedTgrFan Some of the vendors in the center field bleachers sold more than hot dogs, Pepsi and popcorn— Kevin Nelson (@RacoKev) January 29, 2016
How about some home runs...
@DisplacedTgrFan I was 5 ( live up by Lake Superior so didn't get too many) upper deck left field and Kirby hit one out in a loss— Evan LaFave (@softballin2) January 30, 2016
Hashtag: humblebrag.@DisplacedTgrFan 84 WS. 2nd to last row in the upper deck. I was young but will never forget. 2 Trammell dingers. Morris pitched. Awesome!— CJ Boerger (@CJBoerger) January 30, 2016
This person had quite a few to choose from, so I just picked my favorite one...@DisplacedTgrFan my grandfather's company had season tix 3 rows behind the dugout. My first 3 or 4 games were there.— BJ (@gibbybj) January 30, 2016
A couple of non-Tiger mentions...@DisplacedTgrFan last memory: deciding game 5 of '72 alcs. We lost 2-1. But reggie jackson hurt on collision at plate. He missed the WS— tom (@Tom_in_Ohio) January 30, 2016
@DisplacedTgrFan Mark McGuire hit nothing but foul balls so a guy gave his ball to some hobo who yelled "MARK MCGUIRE, I KNEW IT! MY MAN!"— Sara of Space (@helmerroids) January 30, 2016
Let's end with the memorable smell of "food".@DisplacedTgrFan @YankeeMegs My first major league game Tiger Stadium, Derek Jeter first game.— scott seeland (@scottseeland) January 30, 2016
Quite the mix of memories, here. Mostly good ones, I might add. Perhaps in a handful of years we'll discuss some fond memories of Comerica Park. Of course, nothing "fond" truly started until 2006, right?@DisplacedTgrFan what I remember most was the smell. Upon walking in under the grandstand the smell of hot dogs hit you like a sledgehammer.— Mike (@mjm52372) January 30, 2016
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Panic!! (No, Just Kidding... Please Don't)
A few thoughts as the Tigers limp out of Minneapolis, having dropped two of three to the Minnesota Twins...
Sure, the Twins were picked by most of the baseball universe to finish in last place in the AL Central. Except you wouldn't know it from the reasonably clutch hitting they put on in this series.
And despite losing on Opening Day, they had their chances there, too: after Justin Verlander was lifted from the game after 5 innings and 91 pitches. Drew Smyly and his lack of command threw 1 1/3 innings of two run, three hit, three walk baseball. The rest of the pen who worked gave up just 1 hit the rest of the way, thus showing for at least one game the "closing by committee" can work.
If only for one game, however.
The second game of the series provided a couple of questions: both of which I asked at the end of the game...
Just be careful... too much head-scratching this early in the season, and we'll be down to brain in no time.
The fly ball that Austin Jackson probably should have caught was to say the least, puzzling. I mean, we've seen him make numerous defensive plays. Including 1 diving catch! He was there, slowed down, and watched the ball land. Instead of a catch and an easy run on a sac fly, it turned into a game winning hit. 2 runs in, everybody go home.
What happened? Was it the infernal SHADOWS? This is really the only thing I could think of as I sat on my bar stool for this one. Austin came out of the shadows in deep left center field, and into the glaring sunlight and lost the ball. At any rate, it was a loss that can be likened by getting punched in the gut with a city bus. Walk off losses are the worst.
Today we saw Rick Porcello also have command issues. We also saw an incredibly stagnant offense. An offense that was actually given the gift of 2 runs (which were seriously gifts, both unearned), plus an opportunity to bust out of a funk in the 7th inning.
We'll try and make this quick: Omar Infante walks. Austin Jackson doubles (Good start, eh?). Torii Hunter whiffs. (Uh oh, one out, first base open). Miguel Cabrera... intentional walk. Prince Fielder whiffs (here it comes...). Victor Martinez pops out.
Yep. Second and third, no one out. Bases loaded, one out. Zero runs.
Remember that punch in the gut by a city bus? That keeps coming in the wake of Brayan Villareal's appearance today in the 8th inning: 5 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2/3 of an inning.
Kids, I'm willing to stay and watch the 9th inning, but you've been freezing all day, and the Tigers are getting hammered. Wanna go home?
Should we all worry? I mean, if the Tigers can't beat the "lowly" Twins, what chance do they have? And didn't the team sign some kind of potato to a minor league deal earlier in the day? That seems moderately desperate, RIGHT??
Three games in, we probably shouldn't worry too much. Three games into July, perhaps. But maybe when the weather heats up, so will the bats. And maybe the arms will command their pitches like they're supposed to. Just because it's not happening now, doesn't mean it won't happen later. Let's all just take heart and realize that the Tigers are on their way home to open Comerica Park against a team they ran out of the playoffs last season.
So enjoy the home cooking, Tigers. Bring on the Yankees.
Sure, the Twins were picked by most of the baseball universe to finish in last place in the AL Central. Except you wouldn't know it from the reasonably clutch hitting they put on in this series.
And despite losing on Opening Day, they had their chances there, too: after Justin Verlander was lifted from the game after 5 innings and 91 pitches. Drew Smyly and his lack of command threw 1 1/3 innings of two run, three hit, three walk baseball. The rest of the pen who worked gave up just 1 hit the rest of the way, thus showing for at least one game the "closing by committee" can work.
If only for one game, however.
The second game of the series provided a couple of questions: both of which I asked at the end of the game...
- What the hell was Jim Leyland thinking bringing on Phil Coke to face right-handed batting?
- And why didn't Austin Jackson catch that ball?
Just be careful... too much head-scratching this early in the season, and we'll be down to brain in no time.
 |
| Better put blinders on these... |
What happened? Was it the infernal SHADOWS? This is really the only thing I could think of as I sat on my bar stool for this one. Austin came out of the shadows in deep left center field, and into the glaring sunlight and lost the ball. At any rate, it was a loss that can be likened by getting punched in the gut with a city bus. Walk off losses are the worst.
Today we saw Rick Porcello also have command issues. We also saw an incredibly stagnant offense. An offense that was actually given the gift of 2 runs (which were seriously gifts, both unearned), plus an opportunity to bust out of a funk in the 7th inning.
We'll try and make this quick: Omar Infante walks. Austin Jackson doubles (Good start, eh?). Torii Hunter whiffs. (Uh oh, one out, first base open). Miguel Cabrera... intentional walk. Prince Fielder whiffs (here it comes...). Victor Martinez pops out.
Yep. Second and third, no one out. Bases loaded, one out. Zero runs.
Remember that punch in the gut by a city bus? That keeps coming in the wake of Brayan Villareal's appearance today in the 8th inning: 5 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2/3 of an inning.
Kids, I'm willing to stay and watch the 9th inning, but you've been freezing all day, and the Tigers are getting hammered. Wanna go home?
Should we all worry? I mean, if the Tigers can't beat the "lowly" Twins, what chance do they have? And didn't the team sign some kind of potato to a minor league deal earlier in the day? That seems moderately desperate, RIGHT??
Three games in, we probably shouldn't worry too much. Three games into July, perhaps. But maybe when the weather heats up, so will the bats. And maybe the arms will command their pitches like they're supposed to. Just because it's not happening now, doesn't mean it won't happen later. Let's all just take heart and realize that the Tigers are on their way home to open Comerica Park against a team they ran out of the playoffs last season.
So enjoy the home cooking, Tigers. Bring on the Yankees.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Prelude to a Season
At long last, what feels like an extra long session of Spring Training (probably helped by the World Baseball Classic) is finally coming to an end, rosters are getting set, and players and fans alike are getting ready for another season of Major League Baseball.
For our Detroit Tigers, a few thoughts:
It's nice to have a lineup that doesn't include Delmon Young; that does include a now healthy Victor Martinez, and can boast a front 5 of the order that can be rather potent. Austin Jackson had his first career .300 season, and has shown more power each season in the lead-off spot - and if he can continue to bring down the awful strikeout numbers, he'll be a force at the top.
Torii Hunter should provide a solid 2nd bat. But I'm not going to set the bar too high on his numbers, as he did hit for a career high .313 last season. Hard to imagine he does that again... that was the first time in his 16 seasons he's hit over .300. Even if Torii hits marginally, his defense in the outfield will be a more than welcome sight for me. He's an automatic improvement from anyone who played out in right field last season. Then again, he has won nine gold gloves.
Victor is going to be the real curious case for me. He hit a modest .264 during the spring, with 1 home run and 3 doubles. Before he blew his knee out last offseason, his 2011 campaign with the Tigers was a rather impressive one: hitting .330 and driving in over 100 runs. But at age 34, and a full season of recovering from knee surgery, it'll be intriguing to see how he holds up after the time off rehabbing. In his favor is the fact that he's not needed to play the field, thus causing a little less wear-and-tear on him. Martinez is a career .303 hitter. Though if he hits around .270 or .280 (while driving in a few runs here and there), then I think the team will be in good shape.
Can Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta come back from their regression-filled offensive seasons of last year? Can Andy Dirks stay injury free this season as he's the general mainstay in left field?
As for the pitchers, is the rotation as good as previously advertised? Time will tell, as we're going to assume that Justin Verlander will continue to pitch like the freak-of-nature everyone thinks he is. Also easy to assume that he and Max Scherzer will strike out about 400 batters between them again this year. Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly both had solid outings this spring, but my concerns coming out of the spring are Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez.
Sanchez in 4 starts for the Tigers this spring was touched for 13 runs, 26 hits and only striking out 6 in 16 innings pitched: good for a 7.31 ERA. Fister's command has lacked this spring, walking 12 batters in 19 1/3 innings. Last season Doug only walked 37 batters in over 160 innings pitched. While a simple tweak in command would be a good (and moderately obvious) remedy for Fister, it's Sanchez who might feel a little more of the heat if he doesn't start well: as he did sign a 5-year, $80MM deal to come back to the Tigers this past offseason, I'm not so sure the fans will be understanding of his struggles while he cashes those paychecks.
(We'll save the "closer by committee" talk for another time. That debate could easily fill an ordinary Sunday.)
With all that said, I'm sure all of us are eager to see what this 2013 Tigers team can accomplish in the long run of the season. While most people expect them to win the weak AL Central (Jon Morosi evidently disagrees), it'll be curious to see if they can finish off a championship run. Baseball is a game of inches, and for this team, every inch counts.
Play Ball!
For our Detroit Tigers, a few thoughts:
- Will the improved everyday lineup produce more consistently?
- Will the rotation help take the pressure off of the marginal bullpen?
- Will the team finish the job this season, meaning a World Series championship?
It's nice to have a lineup that doesn't include Delmon Young; that does include a now healthy Victor Martinez, and can boast a front 5 of the order that can be rather potent. Austin Jackson had his first career .300 season, and has shown more power each season in the lead-off spot - and if he can continue to bring down the awful strikeout numbers, he'll be a force at the top.
Torii Hunter should provide a solid 2nd bat. But I'm not going to set the bar too high on his numbers, as he did hit for a career high .313 last season. Hard to imagine he does that again... that was the first time in his 16 seasons he's hit over .300. Even if Torii hits marginally, his defense in the outfield will be a more than welcome sight for me. He's an automatic improvement from anyone who played out in right field last season. Then again, he has won nine gold gloves.
Victor is going to be the real curious case for me. He hit a modest .264 during the spring, with 1 home run and 3 doubles. Before he blew his knee out last offseason, his 2011 campaign with the Tigers was a rather impressive one: hitting .330 and driving in over 100 runs. But at age 34, and a full season of recovering from knee surgery, it'll be intriguing to see how he holds up after the time off rehabbing. In his favor is the fact that he's not needed to play the field, thus causing a little less wear-and-tear on him. Martinez is a career .303 hitter. Though if he hits around .270 or .280 (while driving in a few runs here and there), then I think the team will be in good shape.
Can Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta come back from their regression-filled offensive seasons of last year? Can Andy Dirks stay injury free this season as he's the general mainstay in left field?
 |
| Stop calling me "Annabelle!" (photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images) |
Sanchez in 4 starts for the Tigers this spring was touched for 13 runs, 26 hits and only striking out 6 in 16 innings pitched: good for a 7.31 ERA. Fister's command has lacked this spring, walking 12 batters in 19 1/3 innings. Last season Doug only walked 37 batters in over 160 innings pitched. While a simple tweak in command would be a good (and moderately obvious) remedy for Fister, it's Sanchez who might feel a little more of the heat if he doesn't start well: as he did sign a 5-year, $80MM deal to come back to the Tigers this past offseason, I'm not so sure the fans will be understanding of his struggles while he cashes those paychecks.
(We'll save the "closer by committee" talk for another time. That debate could easily fill an ordinary Sunday.)
With all that said, I'm sure all of us are eager to see what this 2013 Tigers team can accomplish in the long run of the season. While most people expect them to win the weak AL Central (Jon Morosi evidently disagrees), it'll be curious to see if they can finish off a championship run. Baseball is a game of inches, and for this team, every inch counts.
Play Ball!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
How the Twins Lost This Season Ticket Holder
Even as Detroit Tigers fans, we're very much aware of one of their AL Central foes, the Minnesota Twins - a ball club that has seen itself move from a decrepit facility in the Metrodome to the more lavish surroundings of Target Field; a ball club who's seen their fortunes dip quite a bit since moving to said facility.
Naturally, new ballparks are a great way to generate new or more revenue. Aside from actually paying for the new park, the extra people through the gates (especially in the first couple of years) should help boost the coffers of any ball club, regardless of how well they play.
The Twins first season in Target Field was a success. A 94-68 record, good for a first place finish in the Central. Their attendance during the inaugural season was at 3,223,640.
However, seasons two and three at the new yard weren't very successful. For the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the Twins would finish in last place in the division, with 99 losses in '11 and 96 last season. Attendance for the 99-loss season? Not much worse than the 94-win season, at 3,168,107.
But last season's attendance showed a drop to 2,776,354. With the novelty of a new ballpark wearing off, the patience of Twins fans is wearing rather thin - it's hard to imagine that last year's attendance will be less than this season's attendance. Certainly, the crop of talent that the Twins will display on their roster to start the season will do nothing to entice more fans to spend on this ball club.
Here's an example of that - a co-worker of mine decided that he wasn't interested in renewing his season ticket package. Here's his reason, and the reply that he got from Dan Strong, a Twins season ticket and sales executive (the second paragraph of Mr. Strong's reply is one that had me laughing for 27 consecutive minutes):
----------
I know, I know... that second paragraph from Dan Strong, right?
Though he might be right - the Twins baseball experience may indeed be "second to none." I just wonder if they're expecting that experience for their fans to be *that different.*
Naturally, new ballparks are a great way to generate new or more revenue. Aside from actually paying for the new park, the extra people through the gates (especially in the first couple of years) should help boost the coffers of any ball club, regardless of how well they play.
The Twins first season in Target Field was a success. A 94-68 record, good for a first place finish in the Central. Their attendance during the inaugural season was at 3,223,640.
However, seasons two and three at the new yard weren't very successful. For the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the Twins would finish in last place in the division, with 99 losses in '11 and 96 last season. Attendance for the 99-loss season? Not much worse than the 94-win season, at 3,168,107.
But last season's attendance showed a drop to 2,776,354. With the novelty of a new ballpark wearing off, the patience of Twins fans is wearing rather thin - it's hard to imagine that last year's attendance will be less than this season's attendance. Certainly, the crop of talent that the Twins will display on their roster to start the season will do nothing to entice more fans to spend on this ball club.
Here's an example of that - a co-worker of mine decided that he wasn't interested in renewing his season ticket package. Here's his reason, and the reply that he got from Dan Strong, a Twins season ticket and sales executive (the second paragraph of Mr. Strong's reply is one that had me laughing for 27 consecutive minutes):
I'm sorry, but the Twins haven't done much since then to change my mind about renewing my season tickets. I did like the trades made to acquire some promising young pitchers (Worley, Meyer, and May), but this was quickly undone by (what I view as foolish moves and a waste of time and money) the free agent pick-ups of Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, and the very oft-injured Rich Harden (the Joel Zumaya of 2013?). I don't think that this group of mediocre (in fact borderline major league talent) will do much to change the Twins' fortunes this year - it's just the same old group of retread pitchers with a different name on the back of their uniform.
I respectively disagree with your assessment that the Twins "provide a baseball experience second to none." I would argue that winning is the most vital part in providing an excellent baseball experience. The Twins have not won a World Series since 1991 and have only won one play-off series since then (and that was way back in 2004). I do appreciate the good (not great) teams that the Twins have fielded over the years, but recently, this organization has definately taken a step back. I am glad that you (and I assume the Twins office in general) are confident about the 2013 Twins - however, I do not share this confidence at all and expect the Twins to finsh last in the AL Central yet again. It is likely that only the Astros will prevent the Twins from having the worst record in the AL this year. I hope that I am wrong. Yes, Target Field is a great ballpark to watch a game, but when the team is dreadful, and nearly unwatchable at times, the baseball experience is bad regardless of what kind of palace they're playing in.
As far as the Twins season ticket plans, I was very disappointed with how the whole seat selection process was conducted when Target Field first opened. I realize that there are logistical issues involved, but the fact that my 10 years as a season ticket holder had virtually no impact on the quality of seats that I could purchase really made me angry. Every Johnny-come-lately with deep enough pockets to afford a full or 40-game package immediately stepped to the front of the line. Compounding this was the fact that 20-game buyers were limited to the fringe areas of the ballpark. One equitable solution in my mind would have been to break every established season ticket holder into equivalent "full seasons". Thus an account that had 8-20 game seasons in their history would be the equivalent of 2 full seasons, while one with 8-40 game seasons would have the equivalent of 4 full seasons. This would've been fair, but the Twins organization decided to take the short view and simply reward those who had spent the most money most recently (disregarding the total amount of money that we loyal partial game holders had poured into the Twins coffers over the years). I do appreciate the Twins' decision to start giving a 10% discount on concessions to season ticket holders - that is a smart move.
As I said below, I'm sure that tickets for the upcoming All-Star game will be handled in a similar fashion. Small potatoes like me would get the chance to buy tickets to the dumb events like the homerun derby, but would likely just be thrown into a "lottery" to have the chance to buy 2 nose-bleed tickets to the actual game.
Anyway, I still remain a Twins fan - just not one who will blindly spend my money to watch vastly inferior baseball. I continue to believe that the best way for me to make my displeasure felt is to not renew my tickets. I've had to sit through far too many horrible games started by Nick Blackburn, Francisco Liriano, Sam Deduno, et al in the past two seasons - I won't make it a third with Correia, Pelfry, etc. I am not concerned at all about losing my position as a long-standing season ticket holder. From a practical point of view, it didn't do me any good anyway.
And the reply:
While we are sorry that you did not renew your season tickets for the 2013 season, it is my hope that we did everything we could have to keep you as a Twins Season Ticket Holder.
Over the years, the Twins organization has earned a reputation for building quality teams and providing a baseball experience that is second to none. And as we look to the upcoming season, we are committed to restoring the Twins winning tradition and have confidence that the 2013 Minnesota Twins will be a team you will once again be proud of.
As you know, a Twins season ticket delivers more than just a guaranteed seat. The 10% concession and merchandise discount and the opportunity to purchase 2014 All-Star Game tickets are just a fraction of the benefits and opportunities being offered to Season Ticket Holders this season. And if you return as a Season Ticket Holder before Opening Day – you will retain your priority date with us, meaning your tenure with the Twins will remain uninterrupted.
Thank you for your past support of the ball club. If I can answer any questions, please contact me at the phone number or email address below. I’m happy to assist any way I can.
Dan Strong
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I know, I know... that second paragraph from Dan Strong, right?
Though he might be right - the Twins baseball experience may indeed be "second to none." I just wonder if they're expecting that experience for their fans to be *that different.*
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Fun With Pre-Preseason Predictions
Each year before Spring Training officially kicks off, I pick the little corner of my brain and spill out how I think the baseball standings will look at the end of the season. I'm usually way off when it comes to making such predictions.
Last year was no different.
But alas, this is typically for entertainment purposes only. There's not a whole lot of thought process here, just some fun and games before the real fun and games get started.
Here goes nothing (which is what this is really worth):
American League
EAST
National League
EAST
My Wild Cards: Blue Jays and Angels in the AL, Braves and Dodgers in the NL.
As far as the AL Central goes, naturally, the easy choice here is to pick the Tigers. The rest of the division, well, not so much. The division is by far the worst in baseball, as we may see 3, if not 4 teams finish below .500. Then again, last year I picked the White Sox to finish dead last in the division, and look what happened... they were playing meaningful baseball through most of September until the Tigers ultimately held them off. This season, I think the Royals will still be that pesky team that will still hit well, and maybe... just maybe pitch a bit better, too.
Happy Spring Training Eve, folks... it's time to get our baseball on.
(For entertainment purposes only. Please, no more bets...)
Last year was no different.
But alas, this is typically for entertainment purposes only. There's not a whole lot of thought process here, just some fun and games before the real fun and games get started.
Here goes nothing (which is what this is really worth):
American League
EAST
- Rays
- Blue Jays
- Yankees
- Orioles
- Red Sox
- Tigers
- Royals
- White Sox
- Indians
- Twins
- Rangers
- Angels
- Athletics
- Mariners
- Astros
National League
EAST
- Nationals
- Braves
- Phillies
- Mets
- Marlins
- Reds
- Cardinals
- Pirates
- Brewers
- Cubs
- Giants
- Dodgers
- Diamondbacks
- Padres
- Rockies
My Wild Cards: Blue Jays and Angels in the AL, Braves and Dodgers in the NL.
As far as the AL Central goes, naturally, the easy choice here is to pick the Tigers. The rest of the division, well, not so much. The division is by far the worst in baseball, as we may see 3, if not 4 teams finish below .500. Then again, last year I picked the White Sox to finish dead last in the division, and look what happened... they were playing meaningful baseball through most of September until the Tigers ultimately held them off. This season, I think the Royals will still be that pesky team that will still hit well, and maybe... just maybe pitch a bit better, too.
Happy Spring Training Eve, folks... it's time to get our baseball on.
(For entertainment purposes only. Please, no more bets...)
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Tigers Should Probably Hurry Up and Win The World Series
There's a lot of money being thrown around the baseball world, and the latest number has one Felix Hernandez landing himself a real nice contract extension that will ultimately make him the richest pitcher in baseball.
I can't blame the guy for agreeing to a deal that will pay him more than $27MM per season when the extension kicks in... any one of us would say yes to that.
So with that, Tigers fans like myself are waiting for the same kind of extension: only it would likely be in the neighborhood of 5 years, $200MM for one Justin Verlander, rather than 7 years, $175MM that is being reported (but not final just yet) for Felix.
Some lack of objectivity might fall out of my train of thought here, but it's my humble opinion that Verlander is in fact, the best pitcher in baseball. Outside of a rather forgettable 2008 season, JV has been amongst the league leaders in wins, strikeouts, and ERA... leading the American League in all 3 categories in his Cy Young and MVP award winning season of 2011. That, along with his 2 career no-hitters, it's hard to argue that he's not the best. And realistically, he should be paid as such.
That's where this gets iffy. The Tigers payroll for 2013 - so far - is already over $145MM. $43.475MM of that is tied up with the current projected starting pitching, assuming that Rick Porcello wins the job of the 5th starter. Max Scherzer and Doug Fister both got raises - and deservedly so - and with strong seasons, hopefully injury free, both figure to get more substantial raises in their next go-round with arbitration (Max has 1 year of arbitration left, Doug has 2). While Sanchez is locked up longer term, Verlander has this and next season left on his current deal, a deal that pays him over $20MM per season now.
Naturally, the difference in Hernandez's contract and Verlander's contract is rather glaring. And I'm sure JV knows that.
Justin has said that he would love to spend his entire career with the Tigers. Noble, plus I don't really believe that an owner such as Mike Ilitch would be willing to let the best pitcher he's ever had under his control just walk away during the 2014-2015 offseason. So the matter becomes how much will he make, and when will the deal get done. The bigger problem becomes the rest of the rotation. It's rather hard to fathom that the Tigers could manage a reasonably lower payroll while keeping this rather nice core of starters. And it's not just the pitchers: Miguel Cabrera sees his contract expire after the 2015 season, and I'm going to assume that the majority of Tigers fans would rather see him finish his career with the club, as he could easily fit himself into a more probable DH role, especially after Victor Martinez's contract runs dry. But ultimately, in a realistic world, there's going to be no way to keep the current batch of pitchers while keeping payroll from reaching $200MM.
So, essentially, it just comes down to... win the World Series with what you have now. And do it fast.
The progression seems simple: lost the pennant in 2011, lost the World Series in 2012. That means the Tigers win it all in 2013, right?
We're going to have to hope so. While it's not my money that's being thrown around here, it's a bit worrisome that so many players are getting enormous contracts, and long-term ones, with no guarantees that success will be had. Case in point: Alex Rodriguez. Sure, he's a poor example because of his link to performance enhancing drugs, but his giant contracts over the course of his career are laughable since they are of little worth if he's not producing because he is hurt or unproductive. Albert Pujols' salary starting in 2014 will be $23MM and increase by $1MM each season thereafter, for a guy who's numbers are decreasing as each year passes (though for the next 2 seasons, he'll make less than Vernon Wells, another example of a bad yet hilarious contract).
Zack Greinke will average $25.5MM per season starting in 2014. We're all pretty sure that Verlander is a better pitcher. He'll probably get paid accordingly. For me, the numbers are scary. Pretty sure though, that Ilitch is going to do what he does, spend what he spends. And we as fans will still watch. No matter what the price tag is.
I can't blame the guy for agreeing to a deal that will pay him more than $27MM per season when the extension kicks in... any one of us would say yes to that.
So with that, Tigers fans like myself are waiting for the same kind of extension: only it would likely be in the neighborhood of 5 years, $200MM for one Justin Verlander, rather than 7 years, $175MM that is being reported (but not final just yet) for Felix.
 |
| Hit this, fools... (Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images) |
That's where this gets iffy. The Tigers payroll for 2013 - so far - is already over $145MM. $43.475MM of that is tied up with the current projected starting pitching, assuming that Rick Porcello wins the job of the 5th starter. Max Scherzer and Doug Fister both got raises - and deservedly so - and with strong seasons, hopefully injury free, both figure to get more substantial raises in their next go-round with arbitration (Max has 1 year of arbitration left, Doug has 2). While Sanchez is locked up longer term, Verlander has this and next season left on his current deal, a deal that pays him over $20MM per season now.
Naturally, the difference in Hernandez's contract and Verlander's contract is rather glaring. And I'm sure JV knows that.
Justin has said that he would love to spend his entire career with the Tigers. Noble, plus I don't really believe that an owner such as Mike Ilitch would be willing to let the best pitcher he's ever had under his control just walk away during the 2014-2015 offseason. So the matter becomes how much will he make, and when will the deal get done. The bigger problem becomes the rest of the rotation. It's rather hard to fathom that the Tigers could manage a reasonably lower payroll while keeping this rather nice core of starters. And it's not just the pitchers: Miguel Cabrera sees his contract expire after the 2015 season, and I'm going to assume that the majority of Tigers fans would rather see him finish his career with the club, as he could easily fit himself into a more probable DH role, especially after Victor Martinez's contract runs dry. But ultimately, in a realistic world, there's going to be no way to keep the current batch of pitchers while keeping payroll from reaching $200MM.
So, essentially, it just comes down to... win the World Series with what you have now. And do it fast.
The progression seems simple: lost the pennant in 2011, lost the World Series in 2012. That means the Tigers win it all in 2013, right?
We're going to have to hope so. While it's not my money that's being thrown around here, it's a bit worrisome that so many players are getting enormous contracts, and long-term ones, with no guarantees that success will be had. Case in point: Alex Rodriguez. Sure, he's a poor example because of his link to performance enhancing drugs, but his giant contracts over the course of his career are laughable since they are of little worth if he's not producing because he is hurt or unproductive. Albert Pujols' salary starting in 2014 will be $23MM and increase by $1MM each season thereafter, for a guy who's numbers are decreasing as each year passes (though for the next 2 seasons, he'll make less than Vernon Wells, another example of a bad yet hilarious contract).
Zack Greinke will average $25.5MM per season starting in 2014. We're all pretty sure that Verlander is a better pitcher. He'll probably get paid accordingly. For me, the numbers are scary. Pretty sure though, that Ilitch is going to do what he does, spend what he spends. And we as fans will still watch. No matter what the price tag is.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Gimmie Back My Pennant!
With today's news that a Miami anti-aging clinic has linked several MLB players with using HGH or other performance enhancing drugs, I find myself asking:
Can we have a re-do of the 2011 American League Championship Series?
Okay, I don't really want a re-do, but since Nelson Cruz is among those on the list of players newly accused, it stands to reason that he might have been a little sauced during the Rangers 4-2 series win vs the Detroit Tigers.
I have zero proof of this, of course, and the article linked above merely mentions his involvement in performance enhancing in 2012. But it's fun to speculate: During the 6 games vs Detroit, he hit a robust .364, hit 6 HRs and drove in 13. His OPS was an incredible 1.713. Tigers fans will recall that this offensive demonstration was rather offensive. He was a key cog (along with anyone who pitched to him) in the Rangers success in the ALCS.
(If you ignore the rest of his postseason offensive numbers, he was really killer in 2011!)
Naturally, if the rumors are true, who know how far the (alleged PED) goes for Cruz, or anyone for that matter.
Though to be sure, if Cruz doesn't have that performance vs the Tigers, we wouldn't have been treated to this wonderful display of defense:
In all seriousness, we should stop pretending that we'll ever get past the steroid era, because it seems that players will always look for that way to get an edge. Players are still doing it because they want the prestige that comes with their big offensive numbers, and of course - they want to get paid. Back to Cruz for the money: in 2010 he was drawing a $440K salary. In 2011, it bumped up to $3.65MM, based on his solid numbers for the '10 season, batting .318, with 22 HRs and 78 RBIs in 108 games. Cruz saw a drop-off in batting average the following season, but saw his power numbers stay relatively level while still earning him a raise that saw him get paid $5MM last season.
Again, nothing has been proven - yet, that is - but this nonsense of players trying to dodge the system will continue to be irritating for those who love the game. I know that the numbers posted by those who have used PEDs won't get erased, much like I know I can't talk MLB into giving the Tigers another shot at the 2011 Pennant. But where does it end? Will the players ever respect the game, or will they continue to try and juice it up?
In reality, I have as much faith in the players to stop trying to cheat as I have for Bud Selig to come forward and apologize for this mess. After all, he let it happen for so many years, and it'll take 2 or 3 times as long to clean it up. If that ever happens.
Can we have a re-do of the 2011 American League Championship Series?
Okay, I don't really want a re-do, but since Nelson Cruz is among those on the list of players newly accused, it stands to reason that he might have been a little sauced during the Rangers 4-2 series win vs the Detroit Tigers.
I have zero proof of this, of course, and the article linked above merely mentions his involvement in performance enhancing in 2012. But it's fun to speculate: During the 6 games vs Detroit, he hit a robust .364, hit 6 HRs and drove in 13. His OPS was an incredible 1.713. Tigers fans will recall that this offensive demonstration was rather offensive. He was a key cog (along with anyone who pitched to him) in the Rangers success in the ALCS.
(If you ignore the rest of his postseason offensive numbers, he was really killer in 2011!)
Naturally, if the rumors are true, who know how far the (alleged PED) goes for Cruz, or anyone for that matter.
Though to be sure, if Cruz doesn't have that performance vs the Tigers, we wouldn't have been treated to this wonderful display of defense:
 | ||||||||||
| Almost! |
Again, nothing has been proven - yet, that is - but this nonsense of players trying to dodge the system will continue to be irritating for those who love the game. I know that the numbers posted by those who have used PEDs won't get erased, much like I know I can't talk MLB into giving the Tigers another shot at the 2011 Pennant. But where does it end? Will the players ever respect the game, or will they continue to try and juice it up?
In reality, I have as much faith in the players to stop trying to cheat as I have for Bud Selig to come forward and apologize for this mess. After all, he let it happen for so many years, and it'll take 2 or 3 times as long to clean it up. If that ever happens.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Delmon To The Phillies Funny, But A Bargain
Picture, if you will, Delmon Young playing left field. It probably looks a little like this:
Yep, it's all fun and games until the ball comes your way.
However, it's not nearly as bad as it seems for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed the "left fielder" today.
Delmon's contract with the Phillies is for only 1 year, at a base salary of $750,000. A giant pay cut for a guy hauling in a base salary of $6.75MM last season. Not to mention, for much of the prior season, Young had his glove taken away from him (largely after his arrest in New York) and was limited to DH duties outside of National League ballparks. Quite a contrast in salary coming off a season that included being the MVP of the American League Championship Series.
But that off-the-field trouble he had last season, coupled with his seemingly wasted talent has cost him perhaps a more lucrative contract during the offseason. Aside from being a bad person,* Delmon's modest .267 batting average, his .296 on base percentage (only 20 walks last season, though that's 15 more than he had in 2011) probably prevented him from fielding more offers, maybe even from the Tigers. But this deal for the Phillies could actually work heavily in their favor.
At this rather minimal salary, Philly could hit the proverbial jackpot should he have an even miniscule improvement from the numbers he posted with the Tigers last season. If Young can keep his head in the game, post some better numbers, and even play some marginal defense, this will become the steal of the offseason for the Phillies. Sure, the "if" factor comes in here, but this is clearly a low risk/high reward signing for the team. Let's face it: if DY doesn't work out for whatever reason, it would be 100 times easier to release him at his new current salary vs the Tigers cutting him loose at his old salary. In baseball terms, $750,000 is chump change. This will be a good deal for Philly no matter what kind of year (on or off the field) Delmon has.
(*I don't REALLY know if Delmon Young is a bad person, I just go ahead and assume as much.)
 | ||
| Guh! |
However, it's not nearly as bad as it seems for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed the "left fielder" today.
Delmon's contract with the Phillies is for only 1 year, at a base salary of $750,000. A giant pay cut for a guy hauling in a base salary of $6.75MM last season. Not to mention, for much of the prior season, Young had his glove taken away from him (largely after his arrest in New York) and was limited to DH duties outside of National League ballparks. Quite a contrast in salary coming off a season that included being the MVP of the American League Championship Series.
But that off-the-field trouble he had last season, coupled with his seemingly wasted talent has cost him perhaps a more lucrative contract during the offseason. Aside from being a bad person,* Delmon's modest .267 batting average, his .296 on base percentage (only 20 walks last season, though that's 15 more than he had in 2011) probably prevented him from fielding more offers, maybe even from the Tigers. But this deal for the Phillies could actually work heavily in their favor.
At this rather minimal salary, Philly could hit the proverbial jackpot should he have an even miniscule improvement from the numbers he posted with the Tigers last season. If Young can keep his head in the game, post some better numbers, and even play some marginal defense, this will become the steal of the offseason for the Phillies. Sure, the "if" factor comes in here, but this is clearly a low risk/high reward signing for the team. Let's face it: if DY doesn't work out for whatever reason, it would be 100 times easier to release him at his new current salary vs the Tigers cutting him loose at his old salary. In baseball terms, $750,000 is chump change. This will be a good deal for Philly no matter what kind of year (on or off the field) Delmon has.
(*I don't REALLY know if Delmon Young is a bad person, I just go ahead and assume as much.)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Random Thoughts On An Off Day
Yesterday, in my latest Motor City Bengals post, it was all talk about Justin Verlander and his quest for MVP. Today, I'll I'll try and reach back and crudely look back at a few offseason moves that have (or have not) shaped this season.
The easy winner here is Victor Martinez. Victor signed a 4-year, $50MM contract w/ the Tigers in the offseason, and has been worth every penny so far. The other "coveted" free agent bat of the offseason, Adam Dunn, signed a slightly larger contract with the Chicago White Sox (4 years, $56MM) was rumored to be on the Tigers radar, except word was he wasn't interested in being a full-time DH, so he was out of the Tigers plans then. Good for the Tigers too. In a tale of 2 seasons, V-Mart is batting .324, with 11 HRs and 94 RBIs (.385 with runners in scoring position), while Adam Dunn is batting a cool .165, with only 11 HRs, 41 RBIs, and 163 strikeouts. Not exactly a good return on the investment. The Tigers can only hope for this in all 4 years of this deal.
The easy loser here is Brad Penny. I actually liked this deal in the preseason when it was made. Not a ton of money invested (only $3MM for this season, incentives would have made it $6MM), and if he made it through the season healthy it would have been a good deal. Except he's had an awfully inconsistent season, and his gameday pace and lack of command haven't set well with Tigers fans this season (though I'll theorize that after only 9 starts last year he may not have had the endurance for a full season). It'll be over soon, as I'd be totally be shocked to see Dave Dombrowski re-sign him beyond this season - as Jacob Turner figures to battle for the last rotation spot next spring.
Two in-house moves I also moderately embraced in the offseason were the re-signings of Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge. In the beginning, the signing of Ordonez was great, in my opinon: Maggs was having a productive season last year when he was lost for the season with a broken ankle. This season, his bat swing is slower, and his batting average is remarkably lower as a result. The last couple of weeks for him have been better, as he's raised his batting average up to .252. As for Brandon Inge, it's been - for the most part - a season to forget. He signed a 2-year, $11MM contract just before the winter free agency period started, citing his desire to remain in Detroit. However, his putrid offense (.170 before being designated for assignment/sent to Toledo) and his declining defense have been a season-long problem for the Tigers. Fans were getting on his case, and his alleged stubborn attitude towards getting help for his hitting woes weren't helping his cause with the Tigers. They would trade for Wilson Betemit, and DFA Inge. Inge did accept his demotion to Toledo where he was a moderately productive hitter, and has since been back with the big club where he has raised his average to .200, while fielding his position well. He's not being thrown out there everyday, which is probably helping. My hope is he works on his offense in the offseason. Doing so and improving his batting average to .250 would even be relatively acceptable to me and a few legions of other Tigers fans who can't stand the strikeouts or the lazy pop ups.
Now, while I've appeared to be more negative than positive here, keep in mind that there's room for improvement here, and even winning the AL Central should be a great accomplishment in spite of some of the downfalls. I hope that they're aiming higher this postseason, because I'm going to assume that any failure in this playoff year will result in fans wanting more this offseason, and there isn't too much the Tigers can do to make any improvements.
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You can now read more of my Tigers musings on the Fansided Tigers blog, Motor City Bengals.
The easy winner here is Victor Martinez. Victor signed a 4-year, $50MM contract w/ the Tigers in the offseason, and has been worth every penny so far. The other "coveted" free agent bat of the offseason, Adam Dunn, signed a slightly larger contract with the Chicago White Sox (4 years, $56MM) was rumored to be on the Tigers radar, except word was he wasn't interested in being a full-time DH, so he was out of the Tigers plans then. Good for the Tigers too. In a tale of 2 seasons, V-Mart is batting .324, with 11 HRs and 94 RBIs (.385 with runners in scoring position), while Adam Dunn is batting a cool .165, with only 11 HRs, 41 RBIs, and 163 strikeouts. Not exactly a good return on the investment. The Tigers can only hope for this in all 4 years of this deal.
The easy loser here is Brad Penny. I actually liked this deal in the preseason when it was made. Not a ton of money invested (only $3MM for this season, incentives would have made it $6MM), and if he made it through the season healthy it would have been a good deal. Except he's had an awfully inconsistent season, and his gameday pace and lack of command haven't set well with Tigers fans this season (though I'll theorize that after only 9 starts last year he may not have had the endurance for a full season). It'll be over soon, as I'd be totally be shocked to see Dave Dombrowski re-sign him beyond this season - as Jacob Turner figures to battle for the last rotation spot next spring.
Two in-house moves I also moderately embraced in the offseason were the re-signings of Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge. In the beginning, the signing of Ordonez was great, in my opinon: Maggs was having a productive season last year when he was lost for the season with a broken ankle. This season, his bat swing is slower, and his batting average is remarkably lower as a result. The last couple of weeks for him have been better, as he's raised his batting average up to .252. As for Brandon Inge, it's been - for the most part - a season to forget. He signed a 2-year, $11MM contract just before the winter free agency period started, citing his desire to remain in Detroit. However, his putrid offense (.170 before being designated for assignment/sent to Toledo) and his declining defense have been a season-long problem for the Tigers. Fans were getting on his case, and his alleged stubborn attitude towards getting help for his hitting woes weren't helping his cause with the Tigers. They would trade for Wilson Betemit, and DFA Inge. Inge did accept his demotion to Toledo where he was a moderately productive hitter, and has since been back with the big club where he has raised his average to .200, while fielding his position well. He's not being thrown out there everyday, which is probably helping. My hope is he works on his offense in the offseason. Doing so and improving his batting average to .250 would even be relatively acceptable to me and a few legions of other Tigers fans who can't stand the strikeouts or the lazy pop ups.
Now, while I've appeared to be more negative than positive here, keep in mind that there's room for improvement here, and even winning the AL Central should be a great accomplishment in spite of some of the downfalls. I hope that they're aiming higher this postseason, because I'm going to assume that any failure in this playoff year will result in fans wanting more this offseason, and there isn't too much the Tigers can do to make any improvements.
-------
You can now read more of my Tigers musings on the Fansided Tigers blog, Motor City Bengals.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Speculating the Stretch Run
I'll preface this post by saying that I didn't watch today's Tigers game (if it were live, being where I am, it would have been impossible anyway), but I'll assume that Rick Porcello was serviceable in defeat, and lost to a pretty decent pitcher (Gio Gonzalez).
Phil Coke was the Phil Coke of late, and Ryan Perry was... not good.
Now that the Tigers have wrapped up the AL Central, I'm curious as to how to go about these final 2 weeks of the regular season. They're playing teams who have no factor in their own stretch runs, or anyone else's for that matter. Who do you rest? Who shouldn't you rest, for fear of rust?
In an earlier post, I suggested that Jacob Turner should be shut down for the rest of the season. I still agree with myself there, except if you're not going to use him in the postseason, perhaps a spot start, or take the last start away from Justin Verlander, who after being the total workhorse needs himself some time off. Doug Fister looks like he's well anchored in the number 2 slot, while Max Scherzer is probably in at 3.
Which leaves Porcello, who including today has 4 quality starts in his last 5 outings, and Brad Penny, someone no one wants to see pitch beyond September. I suppose it's not out of the realm of possibility that a strict 4-man rotation be used in the playoffs, but certainly in a short series, you may only need 3, if you're lucky.
And what about the position players? Do you rest the Miggy's, the Victor's, the Alex's, hell... even the Maggs' of the lineup? I bring up Magglio Ordonez only because he's on a bit of a tear right now, going 3 for 4 today, and has seen his batting average rise to .252.
Personally, I believe resting the offensive players any more than is already done might be a mistake. As for your hurlers, it may be a little more important, not to mention they'll need to run out some of those bullpen arms to see just who is worth putting on the postseason roster. Ultimately, if complacency doesn't settle in, it should be an interesting playoff for the Tigers. Just makes me nervous to see who they have in front of them, from a competitive standpoint.
Phil Coke was the Phil Coke of late, and Ryan Perry was... not good.
Now that the Tigers have wrapped up the AL Central, I'm curious as to how to go about these final 2 weeks of the regular season. They're playing teams who have no factor in their own stretch runs, or anyone else's for that matter. Who do you rest? Who shouldn't you rest, for fear of rust?
In an earlier post, I suggested that Jacob Turner should be shut down for the rest of the season. I still agree with myself there, except if you're not going to use him in the postseason, perhaps a spot start, or take the last start away from Justin Verlander, who after being the total workhorse needs himself some time off. Doug Fister looks like he's well anchored in the number 2 slot, while Max Scherzer is probably in at 3.
Which leaves Porcello, who including today has 4 quality starts in his last 5 outings, and Brad Penny, someone no one wants to see pitch beyond September. I suppose it's not out of the realm of possibility that a strict 4-man rotation be used in the playoffs, but certainly in a short series, you may only need 3, if you're lucky.
And what about the position players? Do you rest the Miggy's, the Victor's, the Alex's, hell... even the Maggs' of the lineup? I bring up Magglio Ordonez only because he's on a bit of a tear right now, going 3 for 4 today, and has seen his batting average rise to .252.
Personally, I believe resting the offensive players any more than is already done might be a mistake. As for your hurlers, it may be a little more important, not to mention they'll need to run out some of those bullpen arms to see just who is worth putting on the postseason roster. Ultimately, if complacency doesn't settle in, it should be an interesting playoff for the Tigers. Just makes me nervous to see who they have in front of them, from a competitive standpoint.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Bit of Redemption
No, the headline isn't for Brandon Inge, but it does involve him.
In what ended up being my most viewed/hit blog post (and thanks for reading), "Broadcast Laziness", I took some shots at last weekend's MLB on Fox Team that included Matt Vasgersian and Mitch Williams. Their call of Miguel Cabrera's walk off home run vs. the Chicago White Sox was to say the least, uninspiring.
Yesterday, Vasgersian was back to call the Tigers game vs the Minnesota Twins, only this time Hall of Fame pitcher and Twins analyst Bert Blyleven was by his side. Vasgersian's comment before Brandon Inge hit this week's walk off shot set himself up for what would be a very good call.
Brandon Inge's walk off home run
It was an exciting call, perhaps because of the hard luck season that is, Brandon Inge, but if you're going to call a potential national telecast, you should probably leave a mark on your audience. And not the mark Joe Buck leaves, as he calls games in a rather monotone voice (that is, when his voice isn't injured like it is now). Vasgersian in my mind made up for the listless call he made last Saturday, and I'm sure it was much appreciated to whoever was watching.
In what ended up being my most viewed/hit blog post (and thanks for reading), "Broadcast Laziness", I took some shots at last weekend's MLB on Fox Team that included Matt Vasgersian and Mitch Williams. Their call of Miguel Cabrera's walk off home run vs. the Chicago White Sox was to say the least, uninspiring.
Yesterday, Vasgersian was back to call the Tigers game vs the Minnesota Twins, only this time Hall of Fame pitcher and Twins analyst Bert Blyleven was by his side. Vasgersian's comment before Brandon Inge hit this week's walk off shot set himself up for what would be a very good call.
Brandon Inge's walk off home run
It was an exciting call, perhaps because of the hard luck season that is, Brandon Inge, but if you're going to call a potential national telecast, you should probably leave a mark on your audience. And not the mark Joe Buck leaves, as he calls games in a rather monotone voice (that is, when his voice isn't injured like it is now). Vasgersian in my mind made up for the listless call he made last Saturday, and I'm sure it was much appreciated to whoever was watching.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Random Thoughts On An Off Day
It's Thursday, September 8th, the Tigers have an off day, riding a 6-game win streak, your 2 closest competitors face off against each other in a 4-game series this weekend, with 9 games separating said competition. Things must be going well.
And they are, albeit with a little help. But for some reason, I am a bit concerned with Justin Verlander.
Verlander now has a 22-5 record after beating Cleveland yesterday. He hasn't lost since July 15th vs the White Sox. He seems to be in full control of the American League Cy Young award.
But his last 3 starts have been somewhat alarming. His numbers in that time: in 19.1 innings, he's allowed 9 runs (all earned), 18 hits, 6 walks, has struck out 20, and given up 5 home runs. That's good for a 4.19 ERA... but the number that jumps out is his WHIP (walks + hits / innings pitched) in that stretch is 1.24, well above his 0.91 that he's averaging for the season.
Far be it for me to assume that the staff workhorse is wearing down as the season goes by, but it's hard not to think about that. In all 31 of his starts this season, Verlander has thrown at least 100 pitches, with 9 of those starts breaking 120 and 1 beyond 130. No matter what kind of shape you're in, even the best of us (not me, personally) get worn down. Let's just hope he's not completely spent by the time October rolls around. Assuming the Tigers make the playoffs, they'll need him to be ready. So if in the next 2 or 3 starts I pray that he's pulled with minimal damage and pitches thrown, it won't be seen as the root of all evil that he's not throwing his arm off before the post-season.
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How about that Delmon Young?
While not exactly fleet-of-foot defensively (watching him run down fly balls in left field is nerve wracking), his bat has been a welcome sight since he was traded to the Tigers from the Twins early last month. Before he was dealt, he was hitting only .266 with 4 HRs and 32 RBIs... not exactly great numbers that earned him his $5.4M contract to start the year. But since his trade, he's batting .312, with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs. He even drew a walk for the first time, bringing that total as a Tiger to... 1. Okay, that's not ground-breaking, but his early returns from his change of scenery are very good thus far. It will be interesting to see what the Tigers do with him this offseason, as the organization is left with a minor surplus in outfielders. So far though, it looks like he likes his new digs and that might be enough for Dave Dombrowski to offer Delmon arbitration after this season is over.
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The Tigers face the Twins this weekend for the final time this season and we may not recognize most of the current Twins lineup. Last night's Twins lineup featured only 2 players from their opening day roster in the lineup, that being Joe Mauer and Danny Valencia. The Twins have expanded their roster a bit, bringing up players from AAA Rochester as well as AA New Britain. With what the Tigers offense has done lately, I'm going to try and hold off reporting a future 9-game winning streak, but it sets up well for the team as the White Sox and Indians battle each other this weekend. Two or three Tiger wins this weekend could drive those nails further into Cleveland and Chicago's coffin.
And they are, albeit with a little help. But for some reason, I am a bit concerned with Justin Verlander.
Verlander now has a 22-5 record after beating Cleveland yesterday. He hasn't lost since July 15th vs the White Sox. He seems to be in full control of the American League Cy Young award.
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| Justin Verlander |
Far be it for me to assume that the staff workhorse is wearing down as the season goes by, but it's hard not to think about that. In all 31 of his starts this season, Verlander has thrown at least 100 pitches, with 9 of those starts breaking 120 and 1 beyond 130. No matter what kind of shape you're in, even the best of us (not me, personally) get worn down. Let's just hope he's not completely spent by the time October rolls around. Assuming the Tigers make the playoffs, they'll need him to be ready. So if in the next 2 or 3 starts I pray that he's pulled with minimal damage and pitches thrown, it won't be seen as the root of all evil that he's not throwing his arm off before the post-season.
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How about that Delmon Young?
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| Delmon Young |
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The Tigers face the Twins this weekend for the final time this season and we may not recognize most of the current Twins lineup. Last night's Twins lineup featured only 2 players from their opening day roster in the lineup, that being Joe Mauer and Danny Valencia. The Twins have expanded their roster a bit, bringing up players from AAA Rochester as well as AA New Britain. With what the Tigers offense has done lately, I'm going to try and hold off reporting a future 9-game winning streak, but it sets up well for the team as the White Sox and Indians battle each other this weekend. Two or three Tiger wins this weekend could drive those nails further into Cleveland and Chicago's coffin.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Finishing Them Off?
The Detroit Tigers open up another big series in Cleveland vs. the Indians today, 1 day after completing a big sweep of the White Sox, pasting them in the 18-2 finale last night. With the Sox at 8.5 games back of the Tigers now, they should focus on keeping the Indians at the very least, 7.5 games back.
That would mean the Tigers would have to win 2 out of 3 in this set, which is what they should be doing anyway if they are to prove their worth as a playoff-ready team. Not too much to ask, as 2 of your rotation stoppers will go in this series, being Doug Fister (today) and Justin Verlander (on Wednesday). We've seen the offense do what they're doing, so there's no reason to believe the Tigers can't have an extra nice cushion with only a few weeks left in the regular season. For today's game, it can be done... Ubaldo Jimenez goes for the Tribe, and his last outing vs the Tigers yielded 7 runs.
Of course, trying not to think too far ahead of the game here, a division lead that big of course has been erased before, as the Tigers may have the ghosts of 2009 haunting their fan base, saying nothing is imminent until it's all locked up. Fair assessment, but while the Tigers did cough up a 7 game lead with 3 weeks to go in the season, they did it against what was a scorching hot Minnesota Twins team, who came down the stretch that season at a 42-17 mark. Impressive, if not improbable: which is a word I'll use now. For me, it's almost impossible to believe that either the White Sox or Indians could pull off what the Twins did 2 seasons ago, largely because neither team is healthy or hitting the ball with much consistency. That is key when making a nice little run towards the postseason, and I don't forsee the Tigers coughing this up like they did in '09.
Far be it for me to say the Tigers will win the division right now, but for a while now, it's been their division to lose. Imagine how different the division might look if the Tigers didn't stumble out to a slow start in April/May. If they were playing then like they are playing now, we may be talking about a more insurmountable 10-12 game lead instead of 6.5.
The Tigers will win this division, even if I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I type this.
That would mean the Tigers would have to win 2 out of 3 in this set, which is what they should be doing anyway if they are to prove their worth as a playoff-ready team. Not too much to ask, as 2 of your rotation stoppers will go in this series, being Doug Fister (today) and Justin Verlander (on Wednesday). We've seen the offense do what they're doing, so there's no reason to believe the Tigers can't have an extra nice cushion with only a few weeks left in the regular season. For today's game, it can be done... Ubaldo Jimenez goes for the Tribe, and his last outing vs the Tigers yielded 7 runs.
Of course, trying not to think too far ahead of the game here, a division lead that big of course has been erased before, as the Tigers may have the ghosts of 2009 haunting their fan base, saying nothing is imminent until it's all locked up. Fair assessment, but while the Tigers did cough up a 7 game lead with 3 weeks to go in the season, they did it against what was a scorching hot Minnesota Twins team, who came down the stretch that season at a 42-17 mark. Impressive, if not improbable: which is a word I'll use now. For me, it's almost impossible to believe that either the White Sox or Indians could pull off what the Twins did 2 seasons ago, largely because neither team is healthy or hitting the ball with much consistency. That is key when making a nice little run towards the postseason, and I don't forsee the Tigers coughing this up like they did in '09.
Far be it for me to say the Tigers will win the division right now, but for a while now, it's been their division to lose. Imagine how different the division might look if the Tigers didn't stumble out to a slow start in April/May. If they were playing then like they are playing now, we may be talking about a more insurmountable 10-12 game lead instead of 6.5.
The Tigers will win this division, even if I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I type this.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Broadcasting Laziness
The big buzz around the Motor City tonight was the awesome comeback the Detroit Tigers laid to the Chicago White Sox. Down 8-1, the Tigers clawed their way back into the game... 8-5 as the teams were taken off the field in the bottom of the 8th inning for what would be a 36 minute rain delay.
Fast forward slightly to the bottom of the 9th, with the score 8-6, Ryan Raburn at the plate as the tying run, Fox broadcasters (and MLB Network talking heads) Matt Vasgersian and Mitch Williams become part of 2 of the worst HR calls in recent memory. Raburn crushes his 2-run, game tying shot to left, only to hear Mitch (the color analyst) mutter "It's gone" before Vasgersian gives a rather spirited HR call. Not to be outdone, Vasgersian takes Miguel Cabrera's HR call and erases his pretty good call from the previous blast and offers up this broadcasting gem:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18781581
Now, I know for a national audience, there needs to be a good balance of objectivity and good play calling. While the former was there, the latter sure wasn't. The bigger problem was, neither one of these guys were deep into what has really happened with either club in recent weeks, making them sound rather ignorant when it came to talking about the clubs and their tendencies. Which leads to the next problem, this wasn't really for a national audience, more for the regional crowd instead. Fox's three broadcasts today included the actual national broadcast, which feature the Red Sox and Rangers from Fenway Park, the Cardinals and Reds from St. Louis, and the Tigers and White Sox. As you might imagine, the Tigers/White Sox game was delivered to the smallest audience, which begs the question, why not mix and match?
In this case, it's my assumption that Fox and Comcast Sports Net aren't at all affiliated with each other, so you wouldn't see a possibility of Ken (The Hawk) Harrelson or Steve Stone working with the likes of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen. But it really needs to be fixed like that, because if you're going to suck the emotion out of what should be the most exciting play of the game, why the hell should anyone watch? Vasgersian's HR call was boring, worse than "matter-of-fact" like, with he and Williams sounding like they were both at home on the couch drinking a couple of cheap beers instead of actually doing "play calling", which is what they were being paid to do. At least if you bring in the local talent for the regional broadcasts, you're likely not going to cheat the fans who know that the people who are calling the game actually know a thing or two about how their team operates. Except the egregious thing here is, these clowns actually work for the MLB Network, and they still called the game like they did little to no research whatsoever. Fox would have been better off bringing in long time announcer and play-by-play dinosaur Dick Stockton to call the game. At least for his stuttering and bouts of forgetfulness, he probably wouldn't have been any worse that the two talking heads we were forced with today.
Fox has to get this right, for the love of baseball and humanity. If you want people to watch your sport in October, especially when those people don't necessarily have a rooting interest for who's playing, they'll need to find someone who can call the game with passion, knowledge, and a genuine love for the game.
Vin Scully comes to mind...
Fast forward slightly to the bottom of the 9th, with the score 8-6, Ryan Raburn at the plate as the tying run, Fox broadcasters (and MLB Network talking heads) Matt Vasgersian and Mitch Williams become part of 2 of the worst HR calls in recent memory. Raburn crushes his 2-run, game tying shot to left, only to hear Mitch (the color analyst) mutter "It's gone" before Vasgersian gives a rather spirited HR call. Not to be outdone, Vasgersian takes Miguel Cabrera's HR call and erases his pretty good call from the previous blast and offers up this broadcasting gem:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18781581
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| Vasgersian |
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| Williams |
In this case, it's my assumption that Fox and Comcast Sports Net aren't at all affiliated with each other, so you wouldn't see a possibility of Ken (The Hawk) Harrelson or Steve Stone working with the likes of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen. But it really needs to be fixed like that, because if you're going to suck the emotion out of what should be the most exciting play of the game, why the hell should anyone watch? Vasgersian's HR call was boring, worse than "matter-of-fact" like, with he and Williams sounding like they were both at home on the couch drinking a couple of cheap beers instead of actually doing "play calling", which is what they were being paid to do. At least if you bring in the local talent for the regional broadcasts, you're likely not going to cheat the fans who know that the people who are calling the game actually know a thing or two about how their team operates. Except the egregious thing here is, these clowns actually work for the MLB Network, and they still called the game like they did little to no research whatsoever. Fox would have been better off bringing in long time announcer and play-by-play dinosaur Dick Stockton to call the game. At least for his stuttering and bouts of forgetfulness, he probably wouldn't have been any worse that the two talking heads we were forced with today.
Fox has to get this right, for the love of baseball and humanity. If you want people to watch your sport in October, especially when those people don't necessarily have a rooting interest for who's playing, they'll need to find someone who can call the game with passion, knowledge, and a genuine love for the game.
Vin Scully comes to mind...
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Most Important Series to Start on September 2nd
Okay, there's no real research done to warrant that headline, but I suppose if you include 2011, then we're on to something.
The Tigers start up a very pivotal series this weekend with the Chicago White Sox, after a rather disappointing 4-game split with the last place Royals. The Tigers and their pitching staff got roughed up in yesterday's 11-8 loss, though some might argue that with the abuse of the bullpen, there won't be much of a need for that for tonight's game.
Of course, that must mean Detroit Tigers workhorse Justin Verlander takes the mound, and he'll need to be at his best as he'll face White Sox starter John Danks, who after starting the season 0-8, is 6-1 in 9 starts since the end of May. After being relatively unhittable in the months of June and July, he was touched up in August for 13 runs (12 ER) in 5 starts, compiling a 2-1 record for the month overall. Another factor about the White Sox as a team: terrible at home, but somehow better on the road, which is what they'll be facing this weekend, and early next week when they travel into Minnesota. The Tigers would be wise in taking care of business here, especially since the Sox will play a day-night doubleheader the day after their Sunday night ESPN telecast. Currently the Tigers hold a 5.5 game lead in the Central over the Sox and Indians, and winning 2 out of 3 at the very least would be easier to stomach for fans than losing 2 of 3. And if the Tigers want to convince their nervous fan base that they can compete and pull off this division, they'll hopefully do what's necessary.
We may also be disappointed in the lack of Sox first baseman, designated hitter, and strikeout machine Adam Dunn, who has been on the bench as of late because of his horrible production at the plate. And while it's fun to watch him windmill his way through an at-bat, they Sox have been doing some winning without him in the lineup. For manager Ozzie Guillen, it's probably a lot easier than expected to put a guy making $12M this season on the bench... after all, he's not signing the paychecks.
The Tigers start up a very pivotal series this weekend with the Chicago White Sox, after a rather disappointing 4-game split with the last place Royals. The Tigers and their pitching staff got roughed up in yesterday's 11-8 loss, though some might argue that with the abuse of the bullpen, there won't be much of a need for that for tonight's game.
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| Justin Verlander |
Of course, that must mean Detroit Tigers workhorse Justin Verlander takes the mound, and he'll need to be at his best as he'll face White Sox starter John Danks, who after starting the season 0-8, is 6-1 in 9 starts since the end of May. After being relatively unhittable in the months of June and July, he was touched up in August for 13 runs (12 ER) in 5 starts, compiling a 2-1 record for the month overall. Another factor about the White Sox as a team: terrible at home, but somehow better on the road, which is what they'll be facing this weekend, and early next week when they travel into Minnesota. The Tigers would be wise in taking care of business here, especially since the Sox will play a day-night doubleheader the day after their Sunday night ESPN telecast. Currently the Tigers hold a 5.5 game lead in the Central over the Sox and Indians, and winning 2 out of 3 at the very least would be easier to stomach for fans than losing 2 of 3. And if the Tigers want to convince their nervous fan base that they can compete and pull off this division, they'll hopefully do what's necessary.
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| John Danks |
We may also be disappointed in the lack of Sox first baseman, designated hitter, and strikeout machine Adam Dunn, who has been on the bench as of late because of his horrible production at the plate. And while it's fun to watch him windmill his way through an at-bat, they Sox have been doing some winning without him in the lineup. For manager Ozzie Guillen, it's probably a lot easier than expected to put a guy making $12M this season on the bench... after all, he's not signing the paychecks.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sneaky Power!
Doug Fister threw 6 perfect innings to start the game. Broken up in the 7th, and trailing by the end of the inning. 1-0, in what looked like might be a hard luck loss for the guy who has struggled mightily to get run support all season.
Magglio Ordonez, who has certainly lost a step or four and is at the twilight of his career, had a clutch, game tying single in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game at 1. I will be quick to admit that I have said over and over, that Maggs shouldn't be in the lineup on a regular basis. His offense AND defense are suffering. But since Brennan Boesch is still nursing a thumb injury, we need him. And he came through. Then... Up came Ramon Santiago.
In the bottom of the tenth, in the game as a pinch runner in the 8th inning, connected off of Aaron Crow and sent the ball over the right field wall, sending 34,000 fans at Comerica Park home very happy. His first career walk off home run, 4th HR of the year, 2-1 final score.
Great, because for a while it may have turned out to be one of the more egregious losses of the season. Doug Fister pitched extremely well for his new ballclub, essentially making a mistake to leadoff batter Alex Gordon in the 7th inning, who drove Fister's first pitch into the gap in left center field, for the Royals first baserunner of the game. He would score on a Billy Bulter sacrifice fly, and the way Royals starter Jeff Francis had started his game, it was looking like another flat performance from what is regarded to be a good offense. The Royals pitching isn't special. We saw that tonight, as Louis Coleman worked the 9th inning for Kansas City, walking the bases loaded with 2 outs. Taking advantage of such an action was apparently a tall order, as Crow came in and struck out Wilson Betemit on 3 pitches to end the threat.
If it weren't for 2 clutch swings of the bat, we might be very angry with how this game could have or would have ended up. Ultimately, the 2 bats that figured for a winning formula at Comerica tonight were probably the last 2 bats we all expected to clutch-up for the Tigers. And for that, we thank Magglio, and Ramon... with the hopes that they contribute like that again down the stretch.
Magglio Ordonez, who has certainly lost a step or four and is at the twilight of his career, had a clutch, game tying single in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game at 1. I will be quick to admit that I have said over and over, that Maggs shouldn't be in the lineup on a regular basis. His offense AND defense are suffering. But since Brennan Boesch is still nursing a thumb injury, we need him. And he came through. Then... Up came Ramon Santiago.
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| Ramon Santiago, walk off HR. |
Great, because for a while it may have turned out to be one of the more egregious losses of the season. Doug Fister pitched extremely well for his new ballclub, essentially making a mistake to leadoff batter Alex Gordon in the 7th inning, who drove Fister's first pitch into the gap in left center field, for the Royals first baserunner of the game. He would score on a Billy Bulter sacrifice fly, and the way Royals starter Jeff Francis had started his game, it was looking like another flat performance from what is regarded to be a good offense. The Royals pitching isn't special. We saw that tonight, as Louis Coleman worked the 9th inning for Kansas City, walking the bases loaded with 2 outs. Taking advantage of such an action was apparently a tall order, as Crow came in and struck out Wilson Betemit on 3 pitches to end the threat.
If it weren't for 2 clutch swings of the bat, we might be very angry with how this game could have or would have ended up. Ultimately, the 2 bats that figured for a winning formula at Comerica tonight were probably the last 2 bats we all expected to clutch-up for the Tigers. And for that, we thank Magglio, and Ramon... with the hopes that they contribute like that again down the stretch.
Everybody Panic! (Okay, Now Settle Down)
Last night, at least according to a couple of Twitter timelines, people were revisiting memories of a second-half collapse, when they really should have realized that they were beaten by a pretty good offensive team, on a night where Max Scherzer was downright terrible.
Scherzer was flat and without command in the Royals 9-5 win over the Tigers last night. Scherzer offered up 7 of those runs in just 3+ innings of work. And while the Tigers offense ranks toward the top of the AL, so does the Royals offense.
After last night, the Tigers and the Royals both have a team batting average of .270. The Tigers have only scored 16 more runs total than the Royals to this point, and the Royals have more hits than the Tigers. All that would surprise most Tigers fans considering the Royals are sitting in the AL Central basement right now. All that said, you can't blame the hitting for their woes, it's their pitching. However, Luke Hochevar was good enough in last night's effort, giving up 4 runs and getting the Tigers to take some bad swings at offspeed pitches out of the zone. That's going to happen once in a while, and fans really need to remember that.
So the Tigers need to either hit better, or pitch better in this series. And since they didn't pitch all that well last night, we'll hope that Doug Fister goes out tonight and has himself the kind of start he did in his last outing vs. Tampa Bay. And like the Tigers, the Royals won't always have a nasty offensive display like they did last night. One game shouldn't turn fans against the team (or themselves), especially since they still have a 5 game lead over the White Sox in the Central. Now I might have a different take if the Tigers get swept, but that's not going to happen.
I think...
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| Perez (left) and Escobar following back-to back HRs (AP Photo) |
After last night, the Tigers and the Royals both have a team batting average of .270. The Tigers have only scored 16 more runs total than the Royals to this point, and the Royals have more hits than the Tigers. All that would surprise most Tigers fans considering the Royals are sitting in the AL Central basement right now. All that said, you can't blame the hitting for their woes, it's their pitching. However, Luke Hochevar was good enough in last night's effort, giving up 4 runs and getting the Tigers to take some bad swings at offspeed pitches out of the zone. That's going to happen once in a while, and fans really need to remember that.
So the Tigers need to either hit better, or pitch better in this series. And since they didn't pitch all that well last night, we'll hope that Doug Fister goes out tonight and has himself the kind of start he did in his last outing vs. Tampa Bay. And like the Tigers, the Royals won't always have a nasty offensive display like they did last night. One game shouldn't turn fans against the team (or themselves), especially since they still have a 5 game lead over the White Sox in the Central. Now I might have a different take if the Tigers get swept, but that's not going to happen.
I think...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Time To Put Turner on the Shelf
The announcement today that has a bunch of Tigers fans in an excited frenzy, is the Thursday afternoon spot start for prized prospect Jacob Turner. What fans are probably assuming, is that he is staying on for the stretch run in the hopes that he will contribute for the rest of the season, and potentially beyond. I'm here to say I hope that doesn't happen.
If the organization follows suit with the innings limits that were also used on current rotation anchors Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, the general consensus is he is to be limited to 150 innings for this season (give or take a few innings), and then to be shut down. Currently, Turner is sitting at 136.1 innings pitched this season in his time between Erie, Toledo and his 1 start with Detroit. His minors numbers are good, posting a 3.44 ERA, striking out 110 and walking only 35. But none of this should matter, especially since the Tigers should be able to win this division without having to even feel like they should upgrade. That said, the future looks good for the 2012 Tigers rotation.
My assumption is, and I believe all Tigers fans would welcome this, is that Brad Penny will be gone after his 1 year of service to the Tigers. The rotation would then look like this: Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, Rick Porcello, and Jacob Turner. To me, there's no reason to throw him into a pennant race, especially if you're going to put him in a position he's not been training for, and that's bullpen duty. If he were to stay with the Tigers, that's exactly where he'd be. Especially if he's supposed to be on a limit of innings pitched. Keep him doing what he's supposed to be doing, and don't ruin him with bullpen work, especially when we have seen improvement from what we have now. Phil Coke has been very solid lately, as well as 8th inning setup man Joaquin Benoit and closer Jose Valverde. Of course, the question marks that are Daniel Schlereth, Ryan Perry, and David Pauley shouldn't be the reason that Turner stays up and comes out of the bullpen. I don't care to see him come in out of his element because of a few questionable arms. They may or may not come around, but Turner shouldn't be the first choice to replace any of them.
Turner will likely throw at or around the 96 pitches he threw in his debut, assuming the Royals don't do damage off of him early in the game (and why would they, they're the ROYALS), and after that he should shake a few hands, pat a few backs, and look forward to 2012. Because it'll be a fine rotation, if the Tigers don't burn him out first.
If the organization follows suit with the innings limits that were also used on current rotation anchors Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, the general consensus is he is to be limited to 150 innings for this season (give or take a few innings), and then to be shut down. Currently, Turner is sitting at 136.1 innings pitched this season in his time between Erie, Toledo and his 1 start with Detroit. His minors numbers are good, posting a 3.44 ERA, striking out 110 and walking only 35. But none of this should matter, especially since the Tigers should be able to win this division without having to even feel like they should upgrade. That said, the future looks good for the 2012 Tigers rotation.
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| Jacob Turner |
Turner will likely throw at or around the 96 pitches he threw in his debut, assuming the Royals don't do damage off of him early in the game (and why would they, they're the ROYALS), and after that he should shake a few hands, pat a few backs, and look forward to 2012. Because it'll be a fine rotation, if the Tigers don't burn him out first.
Not JV's Best Day, but Good Enough
Justin Verlander was quick to point out that he didn't have his best stuff vs the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, saying "name a pitch, I had trouble finding consistency with anything," after securing his 20th win of the season. A 6-4 win, and Verlander becomes the major's first 20-game winner of the season, and for the first time in his career. Verlander also becomes the first pitcher to hit that mark before the end of August since Curt Schilling did it in 2002.
But while he wasn't at his best, he was still helped by one of the better offenses in the American League. Miguel Cabrera had a solo HR in the first, but his RBI hit following another Delmon Young RBI single gave the bullpen just enough insurance to help close this game out. The Tigers recent run vs the Twins, which includes an 11-3 record this year, and 15 wins in the last 18 meetings, is reminiscent of the runs that Minnesota handed to the Tigers over the course of the last decade.
The injury-riddled and otherwise snakebitten Twins will send out struggling lefty Brian Duensing to the mound to face a suddenly, but maybe only moderately consistent Brad Penny as the Tigers face the Twins for the last time at Target Field this season. They'll do so with a 6.5 game lead over the second place Indians, with the hopes of finishing the road trip 6-1 before they go home for 4 games vs the Royals.
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As for yesterday's Fox broadcast, Fox paired Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba with newly inducted Hall of Famer and resident self-lover Bert Blyleven to call the game. Even with the Dick Stockton/Rod Allen combination, which may have been the most awkward pairing ever, the game calling wasn't horrible. However, I was disappointed with the way Bert needed take over and interject during the course of the ballgame. I think Bert is a decent analyst, but Saturday's display made me think that Mario wasn't needed at all in the booth. Bert was also nice enough to joke about Miguel Cabrera's "donkey strength", which after 5 years of living in his market I knew he was joking, but that doesn't mean everyone did too. I myself am fully aware that these regional telecasts need the balance, but having 2 potential alpha-dogs talking over each other makes the broadcast messy. And with Hurricane Irene postponing a lot of games, this was probably broadcast with a bigger audience than just the Detroit and Twin Cities markets. Do better, next time, Fox. Though I know that's hard to do.
Anyone who did catch yesterday's game and watched some of the advertising, probably caught an MLB postseason moment that included this:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12602373
Enjoy that. Again and again.
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| Justin Verlander (AP Photo) |
But while he wasn't at his best, he was still helped by one of the better offenses in the American League. Miguel Cabrera had a solo HR in the first, but his RBI hit following another Delmon Young RBI single gave the bullpen just enough insurance to help close this game out. The Tigers recent run vs the Twins, which includes an 11-3 record this year, and 15 wins in the last 18 meetings, is reminiscent of the runs that Minnesota handed to the Tigers over the course of the last decade.
The injury-riddled and otherwise snakebitten Twins will send out struggling lefty Brian Duensing to the mound to face a suddenly, but maybe only moderately consistent Brad Penny as the Tigers face the Twins for the last time at Target Field this season. They'll do so with a 6.5 game lead over the second place Indians, with the hopes of finishing the road trip 6-1 before they go home for 4 games vs the Royals.
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As for yesterday's Fox broadcast, Fox paired Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba with newly inducted Hall of Famer and resident self-lover Bert Blyleven to call the game. Even with the Dick Stockton/Rod Allen combination, which may have been the most awkward pairing ever, the game calling wasn't horrible. However, I was disappointed with the way Bert needed take over and interject during the course of the ballgame. I think Bert is a decent analyst, but Saturday's display made me think that Mario wasn't needed at all in the booth. Bert was also nice enough to joke about Miguel Cabrera's "donkey strength", which after 5 years of living in his market I knew he was joking, but that doesn't mean everyone did too. I myself am fully aware that these regional telecasts need the balance, but having 2 potential alpha-dogs talking over each other makes the broadcast messy. And with Hurricane Irene postponing a lot of games, this was probably broadcast with a bigger audience than just the Detroit and Twin Cities markets. Do better, next time, Fox. Though I know that's hard to do.
Anyone who did catch yesterday's game and watched some of the advertising, probably caught an MLB postseason moment that included this:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12602373
Enjoy that. Again and again.
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