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 Justin Verlander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justin Verlander. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2016
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.
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| 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.
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.
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.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Quest for 20
"Must See JV" takes its show on the road, as Justin Verlander tries for the first time in his career to win 20 games in a season. He faces Carl Pavano and the struggling Twins, who have now lost 6 straight games, and have only scored 5 total runs in that stretch. Pavano will essentially be asked to pitch a shutout, as he faces off with the potential Cy Young winner.
As for last night's effort, Delmon Young continues to punish his former team. By punish, I mean having 3 softly hit balls go for singles, getting 3 RBIs in last night's 8-1 Tigers victory. Rick Porcello, who needed a bounce-back type of outing, struggled over the first three innings, missing his spots, allowing baserunners aplenty, but getting help in each of those three innings by way of the double play ball. Porcello only allowed a run (also helped with a blown call at first base, which would have scored the Twins second run; instead, ended the inning) and would settle down and pitch into the 7th for his first win of the month.
But for Porcello, struggling early against an offensively challenged team isn't a sign he might turn things around. He got more ground balls last night, which is a sign his sinker ball might be working again, but his location and command are still questionable. Naturally, run support would be the key last night, but it's not enough to convince me that he's even leaning back to his winning ways that we saw in the month of July.
Someone who might be back, as far as his control and energy might be one Phil Coke. Coke, who came in for Porcello last night, pitch an inning and 2/3 of perfect ball, striking out 3 more, and showing Tigers fans that he may still belong in the back end of that bullpen. Many fans loathed his time in the rotation, but this is the Phil Coke we can all appreciate. And if the Joaquin Benoit haters can forget that April ever happened, the last 3 innings of any given game will be very much set, assuming Jim Leyland see it this way.
Lastly, for today's Fox broadcast of the game, we will be entertained by Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba, and Twins analyst Bert Blyleven, who may or may not remind us that he's now a Hall of Fame pitcher. As far as these Fox combinations go, this one is tolerable as opposed to the Dick Stockton and Rod Allen experiment earlier this season. I hate feeling awkward for the commentary when I watch a game. We all know Rod and his penchant for certain outlandish statements, but it's broadcast dinosaur and potential dementia patient Dick Stockton who should never call a game anywhere again. His tendency to be forgetful to go with his broken delivery is painful to watch and listen to.
Enjoy the game today. Easy to say, of course... Justin is too good to miss.
As for last night's effort, Delmon Young continues to punish his former team. By punish, I mean having 3 softly hit balls go for singles, getting 3 RBIs in last night's 8-1 Tigers victory. Rick Porcello, who needed a bounce-back type of outing, struggled over the first three innings, missing his spots, allowing baserunners aplenty, but getting help in each of those three innings by way of the double play ball. Porcello only allowed a run (also helped with a blown call at first base, which would have scored the Twins second run; instead, ended the inning) and would settle down and pitch into the 7th for his first win of the month.
But for Porcello, struggling early against an offensively challenged team isn't a sign he might turn things around. He got more ground balls last night, which is a sign his sinker ball might be working again, but his location and command are still questionable. Naturally, run support would be the key last night, but it's not enough to convince me that he's even leaning back to his winning ways that we saw in the month of July.
Someone who might be back, as far as his control and energy might be one Phil Coke. Coke, who came in for Porcello last night, pitch an inning and 2/3 of perfect ball, striking out 3 more, and showing Tigers fans that he may still belong in the back end of that bullpen. Many fans loathed his time in the rotation, but this is the Phil Coke we can all appreciate. And if the Joaquin Benoit haters can forget that April ever happened, the last 3 innings of any given game will be very much set, assuming Jim Leyland see it this way.
Lastly, for today's Fox broadcast of the game, we will be entertained by Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba, and Twins analyst Bert Blyleven, who may or may not remind us that he's now a Hall of Fame pitcher. As far as these Fox combinations go, this one is tolerable as opposed to the Dick Stockton and Rod Allen experiment earlier this season. I hate feeling awkward for the commentary when I watch a game. We all know Rod and his penchant for certain outlandish statements, but it's broadcast dinosaur and potential dementia patient Dick Stockton who should never call a game anywhere again. His tendency to be forgetful to go with his broken delivery is painful to watch and listen to.
Enjoy the game today. Easy to say, of course... Justin is too good to miss.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Valverde, the NON-Saver
The Tigers started their 7-game road trip on a high note, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2, notching win number 19 for Justin Verlander, the first pitcher to reach that win level this year. A rather ho-hum performance from Justin: 7 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts. You'd think it be moderately difficult to find fault in a game in which the Tigers would win their 4th straight ballgame, and increasing their division lead to 5.5 games over the Chicago White Sox AND the Cleveland Indians. But I will try my best and do it anyway.
Because all of us hate to see Jose Valverde when it is NOT a save situation.
But Jim Leyland does it anyway, because Ole Smokey doesn't really listen to what the fans have to say (not even a 6-yr-old girl), because if the fans pulled the strings, in hindsight, this team would theoretically be 127-0 right now. Leyland tends to out-manage himself on most days, such as going with lineups that might be righty-heavy for a lefty pitcher (queue tomorrow's lineup, to be sure)... And pitching match ups aren't any different in his world.
According to my quick research on baseball-reference.com, I noticed that Valverde does have 2 months out of this season where he has not given up a run in his non-save appearances (April and June). The numbers don't lie for the remaining months of the season, though. In May, he gave up 9 runs (8 earned), in July he gave up 6 runs, and so far in August he's allowed 3 runs (1 earned, and that was tonight). Overall, in a mere 19.1 innings pitched in non-save situations, he's given up 18 runs (15 ER), good for an ERA of 7.07.
Closers have a different mentality. Jose Valverde is just a different cat altogether. If you are going to send a character like that out there when he can't get the save, he may relax a bit too much, or lose focus. Either way, chances are, he's going to lob a few too many pitches, (22 tonight, only 11 strikes) and suddenly he's unavailable to pitch the next night. Who becomes the Tigers closer then? Not Joaquin Benoit either, also declared unavailable tomorrow night.
Valverde might be perfect in his save chances this year, but he's a bumpy roller coaster ride when that stat doesn't matter. Even though he won't, Jim Leyland needs to dig elsewhere in his bullpen to get those last 3 outs. As it is, should the opportunity arise tomorrow night, he's going to have to.
Because all of us hate to see Jose Valverde when it is NOT a save situation.
But Jim Leyland does it anyway, because Ole Smokey doesn't really listen to what the fans have to say (not even a 6-yr-old girl), because if the fans pulled the strings, in hindsight, this team would theoretically be 127-0 right now. Leyland tends to out-manage himself on most days, such as going with lineups that might be righty-heavy for a lefty pitcher (queue tomorrow's lineup, to be sure)... And pitching match ups aren't any different in his world.
According to my quick research on baseball-reference.com, I noticed that Valverde does have 2 months out of this season where he has not given up a run in his non-save appearances (April and June). The numbers don't lie for the remaining months of the season, though. In May, he gave up 9 runs (8 earned), in July he gave up 6 runs, and so far in August he's allowed 3 runs (1 earned, and that was tonight). Overall, in a mere 19.1 innings pitched in non-save situations, he's given up 18 runs (15 ER), good for an ERA of 7.07.
Closers have a different mentality. Jose Valverde is just a different cat altogether. If you are going to send a character like that out there when he can't get the save, he may relax a bit too much, or lose focus. Either way, chances are, he's going to lob a few too many pitches, (22 tonight, only 11 strikes) and suddenly he's unavailable to pitch the next night. Who becomes the Tigers closer then? Not Joaquin Benoit either, also declared unavailable tomorrow night.
Valverde might be perfect in his save chances this year, but he's a bumpy roller coaster ride when that stat doesn't matter. Even though he won't, Jim Leyland needs to dig elsewhere in his bullpen to get those last 3 outs. As it is, should the opportunity arise tomorrow night, he's going to have to.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Cy Verlander
A few questions were brought to my attention following another dominant performance by Justin Verlander last night: Why does it matter if his wins come after a win or loss? Would he approach the game any differently? Do the wins mean more?
The first question is easy to answer, mostly because his winning after the Tigers lose helps put at ease the common fans fears that during this second half run, any signs of a collapse doesn't stop the bleeding if he goes and loses. It's just one game, right? Except that without Verlander, especially lately, the Tigers record is below .500. As far as his approach, most of us realize that Verlander is a fierce competitor and he's going to go pitch when it's his turn the same way he would no matter what the Tigers did the game before. But since it's happened so often this season, we have to take notice, and it has shown that it's rather meaningful since he's now 14-3 in games pitched this season following a Tigers loss.
And I'll concede to some MVP talk too, in addition to the Cy Young award he's almost certain to have won already. I have said that the MVP award should be given to a position player, mostly since they can't win the Cy Young. But when you talk about who you give that award to, players are brought up by not only their numbers, but on their team's successes too. And with those 14 wins after Tigers losses, his 18 wins up to this point, there's not another player that is more important to his team's success than Justin Verlander. Yes, he's not an everyday player. But it's impossible to believe that the Tigers would be in first place right now without his services. The rest of the rotation hasn't been very consistent, and never mind how badly inconsistent the Tigers bullpen has been this season. As far as the award goes, there isn't a clear cut runaway at this point of the season from any team (that includes Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox fans: he's SUPPOSED to put up those numbers, his contract says so), so it's hard for me to even fathom anyone taking votes away from Verlander.
In the end, whether or not he goes out there one way or another, Verlander shows up and does what he's supposed to do: win games. The dominance he brings is just a very welcome bonus.
-----
We all got a bit of a jolt when news of Dombrowski making a trade within the division (again) happened again on Monday, when he traded a couple of minor league pitchers to the Twins for former number 1 overall draft pick Delmon Young. At the time of the trade, Delmon was hitting .266 with only 4 HR, and also brings with him very suspect defense out in left field. The true definition of an underachiever, right? Well, his first game was a relative success, as he homered in his first plate appearance vs his former team and made a nice running catch in left. I can only hope the change in scenery will do him some good, perhaps rejuvenate his desire to play up to his potential, especially now that he's back in a pennant chase. He's still only 25 years old, and it's hard to give up on a guy like that but the Twins (and their fan base) had finally had enough.
Of course, with a couple of the trades DD has made, it might have improved our offense, but if you downgrade an already suspect defensive unit, it may make for a few frustrating games down the stretch. As usual, I hope I'm wrong here.
The first question is easy to answer, mostly because his winning after the Tigers lose helps put at ease the common fans fears that during this second half run, any signs of a collapse doesn't stop the bleeding if he goes and loses. It's just one game, right? Except that without Verlander, especially lately, the Tigers record is below .500. As far as his approach, most of us realize that Verlander is a fierce competitor and he's going to go pitch when it's his turn the same way he would no matter what the Tigers did the game before. But since it's happened so often this season, we have to take notice, and it has shown that it's rather meaningful since he's now 14-3 in games pitched this season following a Tigers loss.
And I'll concede to some MVP talk too, in addition to the Cy Young award he's almost certain to have won already. I have said that the MVP award should be given to a position player, mostly since they can't win the Cy Young. But when you talk about who you give that award to, players are brought up by not only their numbers, but on their team's successes too. And with those 14 wins after Tigers losses, his 18 wins up to this point, there's not another player that is more important to his team's success than Justin Verlander. Yes, he's not an everyday player. But it's impossible to believe that the Tigers would be in first place right now without his services. The rest of the rotation hasn't been very consistent, and never mind how badly inconsistent the Tigers bullpen has been this season. As far as the award goes, there isn't a clear cut runaway at this point of the season from any team (that includes Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox fans: he's SUPPOSED to put up those numbers, his contract says so), so it's hard for me to even fathom anyone taking votes away from Verlander.
In the end, whether or not he goes out there one way or another, Verlander shows up and does what he's supposed to do: win games. The dominance he brings is just a very welcome bonus.
-----
We all got a bit of a jolt when news of Dombrowski making a trade within the division (again) happened again on Monday, when he traded a couple of minor league pitchers to the Twins for former number 1 overall draft pick Delmon Young. At the time of the trade, Delmon was hitting .266 with only 4 HR, and also brings with him very suspect defense out in left field. The true definition of an underachiever, right? Well, his first game was a relative success, as he homered in his first plate appearance vs his former team and made a nice running catch in left. I can only hope the change in scenery will do him some good, perhaps rejuvenate his desire to play up to his potential, especially now that he's back in a pennant chase. He's still only 25 years old, and it's hard to give up on a guy like that but the Twins (and their fan base) had finally had enough.
Of course, with a couple of the trades DD has made, it might have improved our offense, but if you downgrade an already suspect defensive unit, it may make for a few frustrating games down the stretch. As usual, I hope I'm wrong here.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Starter, Setup, Closer
Tonight was about as important game the Tigers will have on the road this month during an August pennant race: losers of the first 2 games to the Cleveland Indians, and their stopper pitching in the finale.
The game was probably a little too close for comfort in the eyes of Detroit Tigers fans, as they got out quickly vs Fausto Carmona, and staked Justin Verlander to an early 4 run lead. A solo HR later, and a 2-RBI double in the next inning, and we have a 4-3 Tigers lead.
A score that would stick throughout the course of the game. And to quickly summarize the type of season Cleveland has had, exciting, close, pulled it out in the end. They have a lot of walk-off wins this season, or wins earned late in games, which made many of us nervous about the potential outcome of a game to salvage the series.
Collective moans could be heard after the 7th inning, as it became known that after 7 innings, 3 ER, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts, and 108 pitches, his day was over. Enter setup man Joaquin Benoit, who won no fans for how he started his season. April and May were forgettable months for him, but Tigers fans won't be so quick: 6.10 ERA in April, 5.59 in May. Got it together in June and July, with a hiccup in this month that leads fans to be nervous when he takes the ball, especially in a close game.
Strikeout, strikeout, groundout. The haters are nowhere to be found.
Enter Jose Valverde, who has had a knack of making his save opportunities at times, very "exciting." At times, putting runners on via the walk, not exactly making life easy on himself. Add to that, the fact that he still hasn't blown a save opportunity this season (32 for 32), and more anxious Tigers fans await to see if this, in fact, was the night it might happen.
Strikeout, popout, groundout. Ballgame.
And with that, Justin Verlander wins his 100th career game, and Jose Valverde came in and converted what is now a club record 33rd consecutive save to start the season, breaking the old record held by Willie Hernandez in 1984. Yes, 2 big milestones were had tonight, but the win is bigger.
A loss may have sent panic through Tiger-town. Talk would have been about Verlander perhaps not being able to stop the bleeding that was 13 straight losses in Cleveland, or perhaps how the bullpen was unable to hold onto what Verlander had left them. They would move on to Baltimore with a slim 1-game lead in the standings, perhaps wondering what might have been, especially to allow the Indians back to within striking distance.
Instead, the top-dogs of the pitching corps did what they were supposed to do: Verlander struck out 10 more and only gave up 3 hits (big hits, but only 3). Benoit, brought in this season to set up Valverde, did just that. And rather impressively, I might add. Valverde did his thing, minus the crazy dance at the end, and got his save. Everything fell into place, and now it's time to move on to Baltimore with a 3-game lead in the division.
A sweep there would be nice. Winning and fundamental baseball would be ideal. Finishing road trips ahead would be paramount.
The game was probably a little too close for comfort in the eyes of Detroit Tigers fans, as they got out quickly vs Fausto Carmona, and staked Justin Verlander to an early 4 run lead. A solo HR later, and a 2-RBI double in the next inning, and we have a 4-3 Tigers lead.
A score that would stick throughout the course of the game. And to quickly summarize the type of season Cleveland has had, exciting, close, pulled it out in the end. They have a lot of walk-off wins this season, or wins earned late in games, which made many of us nervous about the potential outcome of a game to salvage the series.
Collective moans could be heard after the 7th inning, as it became known that after 7 innings, 3 ER, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts, and 108 pitches, his day was over. Enter setup man Joaquin Benoit, who won no fans for how he started his season. April and May were forgettable months for him, but Tigers fans won't be so quick: 6.10 ERA in April, 5.59 in May. Got it together in June and July, with a hiccup in this month that leads fans to be nervous when he takes the ball, especially in a close game.
Strikeout, strikeout, groundout. The haters are nowhere to be found.
Enter Jose Valverde, who has had a knack of making his save opportunities at times, very "exciting." At times, putting runners on via the walk, not exactly making life easy on himself. Add to that, the fact that he still hasn't blown a save opportunity this season (32 for 32), and more anxious Tigers fans await to see if this, in fact, was the night it might happen.
Strikeout, popout, groundout. Ballgame.
And with that, Justin Verlander wins his 100th career game, and Jose Valverde came in and converted what is now a club record 33rd consecutive save to start the season, breaking the old record held by Willie Hernandez in 1984. Yes, 2 big milestones were had tonight, but the win is bigger.
A loss may have sent panic through Tiger-town. Talk would have been about Verlander perhaps not being able to stop the bleeding that was 13 straight losses in Cleveland, or perhaps how the bullpen was unable to hold onto what Verlander had left them. They would move on to Baltimore with a slim 1-game lead in the standings, perhaps wondering what might have been, especially to allow the Indians back to within striking distance.
Instead, the top-dogs of the pitching corps did what they were supposed to do: Verlander struck out 10 more and only gave up 3 hits (big hits, but only 3). Benoit, brought in this season to set up Valverde, did just that. And rather impressively, I might add. Valverde did his thing, minus the crazy dance at the end, and got his save. Everything fell into place, and now it's time to move on to Baltimore with a 3-game lead in the division.
A sweep there would be nice. Winning and fundamental baseball would be ideal. Finishing road trips ahead would be paramount.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Leyland Shuffling the Rotation = No Brainer
Before today, Justin Verlander's turn in the rotation has him starting tonight, and then next Friday as they open a series in Baltimore.
Perhaps he's not as ornery as we have all thought he was, and he realized that pitching the future Cy Young winner would be better off on Thursday against the Cleveland Indians in what will be an important series for the Tigers. And he won't be losing any rest, as the Tigers are off on Monday.
But with that move for his workhorse, I hope he realizes he needs to to the same with his lineup. Stop playing the percentages, and play who needs to be played, i.e. streaky batters, regulars who should have regular time in a stretch run. Leyland's late-game management is always in question, as was displayed last night when he yanked starter Rick Porcello after only throwing 82 pitches. Instead of perhaps letting his young pitcher work himself out of trouble, he allowed the bullpen (which is nothing short of awful this season) to cough up the lead, letting the game go into extra innings. Sure, Brennan Boesch, who had a great night last night, came through last night in the top of the 10th with the game winning hit. What I'm saying is it didn't need to come to that.
I will also say that Daniel Schlereth, who's had a rocky season out of the 'pen for the Tigers, looked sharp. He was supposed to be the lefty specialist out of the bullpen this season, and still needs to be because of the horrid season Phil Coke is experiencing. Valverde has been Valverde, converting his 31st consecutive save to open the season. He and his asinine antics can tie the club record held by Willie Hernandez ('84) with his next successful save opportunity.
I shall keep hoping that Leyland figures other things out as we continue along the stretch run, as the Tigers play the Royals in the second game of the series, starting the day with a 4 game lead over second-place Cleveland. It would be beneficial for this now .500 road team to maintain that margin before starting a series against the Indians on Tuesday.
Perhaps he's not as ornery as we have all thought he was, and he realized that pitching the future Cy Young winner would be better off on Thursday against the Cleveland Indians in what will be an important series for the Tigers. And he won't be losing any rest, as the Tigers are off on Monday.
But with that move for his workhorse, I hope he realizes he needs to to the same with his lineup. Stop playing the percentages, and play who needs to be played, i.e. streaky batters, regulars who should have regular time in a stretch run. Leyland's late-game management is always in question, as was displayed last night when he yanked starter Rick Porcello after only throwing 82 pitches. Instead of perhaps letting his young pitcher work himself out of trouble, he allowed the bullpen (which is nothing short of awful this season) to cough up the lead, letting the game go into extra innings. Sure, Brennan Boesch, who had a great night last night, came through last night in the top of the 10th with the game winning hit. What I'm saying is it didn't need to come to that.
I will also say that Daniel Schlereth, who's had a rocky season out of the 'pen for the Tigers, looked sharp. He was supposed to be the lefty specialist out of the bullpen this season, and still needs to be because of the horrid season Phil Coke is experiencing. Valverde has been Valverde, converting his 31st consecutive save to open the season. He and his asinine antics can tie the club record held by Willie Hernandez ('84) with his next successful save opportunity.
I shall keep hoping that Leyland figures other things out as we continue along the stretch run, as the Tigers play the Royals in the second game of the series, starting the day with a 4 game lead over second-place Cleveland. It would be beneficial for this now .500 road team to maintain that margin before starting a series against the Indians on Tuesday.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Baseball Etiquette?
So you're mad. You just gave up a big home run. You decide to send a message.
That message was simple, throw at the next batter's head. This was done twice in three days. The cowards? Jered Weaver of the Angels, and Carlos Carrasco of the Indians.
Friday night, already down 3-0 to the Royals, Carrasco serves up a grand slam to Melky Cabrera, giving them a 7-0 lead, still in the top of the fourth inning. Billy Butler stands in, and the first pitch offered to him "buzzes the tower." Carrasco is immediately ejected for throwing at Butler's head, and the benches clear out with no further incident afterwards. Butler looked like he was ready to brawl after that pitch.
Fast forward to today's game between the Tigers and the Angels. Earlier in the game, Magglio Ordonez hits a 2-run homer off of Weaver. The ball would hook close to the line, and around the left field foul pole. The distance was there, but to Ordonez, it was a matter of fair vs foul. Because of that, he didn't take off for what would be a trot around the bases. This was twisted as a sign of showboating, something you'll never see Magglio do. Soon after Weaver would have some words with Miguel Cabrera in the ensuing at bat. In the seventh inning, Carlos Guillen hit about as much of a no-doubter as you can at Comerica Park. Unlike Ordonez, Guillen featured a pause, bat flip, and squared himself for a few shuffled steps toward Weaver, and began a nice slow trot around the bases. The home plate umpire was rather wise and issued warnings to both benches, seeing what was transpiring. No matter, as Alex Avila stepped in, on the very next pitch, threw at his head. Again, instant ejection. Angels manager Mike Scoscia is also ejected, a rule in place after warnings are issued for instances like this.
What Carrasco, Weaver, and to a certain degree Guillen did in these instances is beyond the unwritten rules of baseball. Guillen just needed to drop the bat and run. The showboating bit was not necessary, and might have saved Avila from being a headhunting victim. The two pitchers displayed absolute cowardice by throwing at opposing players heads. Clearly, if you REALY want to properly send a message, usually you're planting one of those fastballs in the batter's backside, or perhaps between the numbers. NEVER AT THE HEAD. Jered Weaver has pitched his way towards being an elite pitcher this season, but instead remembers he's a total knucklehead. What a shame, and I hope he enjoy's finishing second or third in the Cy Young voting.
And that Erik Aybar bunt in the eighth inning? Also "bush league", trying to bunt his way to a base hit in the hopes of breaking up (another) no-hit bid by Justin Verlander. It didn't work, sort of, as Verlander threw wildly to first and was charged with an error. In the end, Verlander gave up 2 runs, only 1 lousy hit, and reminded the rest of baseball who the best pitcher continues to be. If you're keeping score at home, that's three times this season he's taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Of course he has the one tallied vs Toronto, and we're anxiously awaiting his next one. It will happen.
But in the end, it's necessary to follow the unwritten rules. Although sometimes some people can be remembered for the times they break those rules. I'm sure Jered Weaver won't mind that.
That message was simple, throw at the next batter's head. This was done twice in three days. The cowards? Jered Weaver of the Angels, and Carlos Carrasco of the Indians.
Friday night, already down 3-0 to the Royals, Carrasco serves up a grand slam to Melky Cabrera, giving them a 7-0 lead, still in the top of the fourth inning. Billy Butler stands in, and the first pitch offered to him "buzzes the tower." Carrasco is immediately ejected for throwing at Butler's head, and the benches clear out with no further incident afterwards. Butler looked like he was ready to brawl after that pitch.
Fast forward to today's game between the Tigers and the Angels. Earlier in the game, Magglio Ordonez hits a 2-run homer off of Weaver. The ball would hook close to the line, and around the left field foul pole. The distance was there, but to Ordonez, it was a matter of fair vs foul. Because of that, he didn't take off for what would be a trot around the bases. This was twisted as a sign of showboating, something you'll never see Magglio do. Soon after Weaver would have some words with Miguel Cabrera in the ensuing at bat. In the seventh inning, Carlos Guillen hit about as much of a no-doubter as you can at Comerica Park. Unlike Ordonez, Guillen featured a pause, bat flip, and squared himself for a few shuffled steps toward Weaver, and began a nice slow trot around the bases. The home plate umpire was rather wise and issued warnings to both benches, seeing what was transpiring. No matter, as Alex Avila stepped in, on the very next pitch, threw at his head. Again, instant ejection. Angels manager Mike Scoscia is also ejected, a rule in place after warnings are issued for instances like this.
What Carrasco, Weaver, and to a certain degree Guillen did in these instances is beyond the unwritten rules of baseball. Guillen just needed to drop the bat and run. The showboating bit was not necessary, and might have saved Avila from being a headhunting victim. The two pitchers displayed absolute cowardice by throwing at opposing players heads. Clearly, if you REALY want to properly send a message, usually you're planting one of those fastballs in the batter's backside, or perhaps between the numbers. NEVER AT THE HEAD. Jered Weaver has pitched his way towards being an elite pitcher this season, but instead remembers he's a total knucklehead. What a shame, and I hope he enjoy's finishing second or third in the Cy Young voting.
And that Erik Aybar bunt in the eighth inning? Also "bush league", trying to bunt his way to a base hit in the hopes of breaking up (another) no-hit bid by Justin Verlander. It didn't work, sort of, as Verlander threw wildly to first and was charged with an error. In the end, Verlander gave up 2 runs, only 1 lousy hit, and reminded the rest of baseball who the best pitcher continues to be. If you're keeping score at home, that's three times this season he's taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Of course he has the one tallied vs Toronto, and we're anxiously awaiting his next one. It will happen.
But in the end, it's necessary to follow the unwritten rules. Although sometimes some people can be remembered for the times they break those rules. I'm sure Jered Weaver won't mind that.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Focusing on Jacob
Watching highly touted Tigers prospect, Jacob Turner, make his major league debut, I'll compare it briefly to that of another former super prospect, Justin Verlander.
The 2 things they have in common for their first starts, is they both pitched 5 1/3 innings, and they both lost. Verlander's day: 4 runs, 7 hits, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts vs the Indians on July 5th, 2005. Turner's day was slightly better: 2 runs, 3 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
Admitting some nerves, and for all it's worth, he looked pretty good. One gnarly number that's concerning: the 5 stolen bases he allowed. He'll go back to the minors now, specifically to Toledo and not Erie (where he was brought up from) where I hope he'll work on holding runners close, gaining more command on what could very be a nasty curveball, and most importantly, get ready for next season.
After watching him get an ovation after Jim Leyland pulled him from his start, it's obvious that the fans are ready to watch this 20-yr-old continue to blossom. And there's no reason to believe that, like Verlander, he can't come to the big club next season and not make an immediate impact. And for those of you who think he's ready now, can take a deep breath and begin to realize that he's not there. Soon. Let him mature down the stretch.
No need to waste him. Definitely no need to trade him.
The 2 things they have in common for their first starts, is they both pitched 5 1/3 innings, and they both lost. Verlander's day: 4 runs, 7 hits, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts vs the Indians on July 5th, 2005. Turner's day was slightly better: 2 runs, 3 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
Admitting some nerves, and for all it's worth, he looked pretty good. One gnarly number that's concerning: the 5 stolen bases he allowed. He'll go back to the minors now, specifically to Toledo and not Erie (where he was brought up from) where I hope he'll work on holding runners close, gaining more command on what could very be a nasty curveball, and most importantly, get ready for next season.
After watching him get an ovation after Jim Leyland pulled him from his start, it's obvious that the fans are ready to watch this 20-yr-old continue to blossom. And there's no reason to believe that, like Verlander, he can't come to the big club next season and not make an immediate impact. And for those of you who think he's ready now, can take a deep breath and begin to realize that he's not there. Soon. Let him mature down the stretch.
No need to waste him. Definitely no need to trade him.
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