Friday, March 30, 2012

Gerald Laird Injures Knee, Will Miss Time

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

This is not what Jim Leyland or Alex Avila wanted to hear - Gerald Laird collided with Don Kelly attempting to run down a fly foul ball and injured his knee. Laird went down, grabbing his knee in pain and needed trainer Kevin Rand to help him get off the field.

It looked bad, and for Laird it probably felt bad, but things aren't as bad as they look. The Tigers announced that it was only a knee sprain and that Laird would be listed as day-to-day and would be reevaluated on Saturday.

Laird seemed upbeat about the injury saying that he was glad he didn't blow it out.

Avila is probably happy he didn't blow it out as well, seeing as he caught darn near every game down the stretch last season when Victor Martinez was injured. The stress of catching every day may have helped to inflame Avila's knees and add to his tendinitis last season.

Fresh out of knee surgery to clean out the tendinitis caused by his last back-up catcher's injury, an injury to Laird was not what Avila hoping for.

While the doctors don't believe Laird's injury is serious, if on Saturday during the reevaluation they deem things to be more serious the Tigers could turn to a number of prospects in the minors. Rob Brantly has been tearing things up in the minors and could be the best choice but Bryan Holaday or James McCann could also get a call.

Perhaps they go with Omir Santos, Avila's back-up last year after the injury to Marinez. They signed him to a contract as an insurance policy but he was less then stellar at the plate. One of the prospects may get the call over him.

Only Saturday and the doctors will be able to answer the questions now.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Only Smyly and Below Remain In Hunt for No. 5 Starter Spot


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier
 
And then there were two. The Tigers optioned Andy Oliver to the minors after he struggled in his last couple of outings with the club. During his 15.2 innings of work for the Tigers this spring Oliver posted a 5.17 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.

While he was holding opposing batters to a .193 batting average he struggled with control on the mound, he walked 10 batters and gave up 10 runs. Oliver had been in the lead for contention for the No. 5 spot in the Tigers rotation but his last few outings were not his best and Manager Jim Leyland thought it would do him better to start the year in the minors - that just leaves Duane Below and Drew Smyly.

It appears that Detroit's No. 5 pitcher will be a lefty as both Below and Smyly are south paws, but which one could end up wearing the Olde English "D" and which one will end up donning a Mudhens uniform this April is what everyone is wondering.

Below made a few spot starts for the Tigers last year and spent time in the bullpen, but this spring he has shown that he has the stuff to be a big league starter. He has spent 12.1 innings on the mound this spring and in his time he has posted a 4.38 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP. Both numbers are a tad high but his K/BB ratio is recent at 8/6.

Smyly was the dark horse candidate to win the spot at the beginning of the spring, and he has only improved his numbers since. With a 2.87 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 12.2 innings Smyly is showing that he is the only real choice for the Tigers. His command is evident as he has fanned 10 batters while only walking five.

The rotation needs depth and either of these lefties would do well in the No. 5 spot, but looking at the numbers the job should go to Drew Smyly. With Smyly in the rotation Below should be in the running for the last spot in the bullpen.

Detroit can't really go wrong with either choice and they are in a position that most teams would envy, trying to figure out who will be their last starter while choosing from a crop of talented young pitchers. Things will shake out quickly this week, look for Smyly to get the ball going into the season.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Inge Hitting .174, Says He Doesn't Care



By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

“I feel great at the plate,” Inge said. “I consider a quality at-bat squaring it up and hitting it on the screws. I’ve done that a lot. I don’t have much to show for average, which I really don’t care about. I’ve learned -- especially after last year (when he hit .197) -- I don’t care one bit. I’m having fun playing baseball, and I will continue to have fun.
"I will never let numbers bring me down again. I’ve hit a lot of balls right at people.”

Yes, that's right, Brandon Inge doesn't think there is anything wrong with needing a boat oar at the plate to get a hit. And while Tigers fans may disagree with him on that one as long as he's having fun everything's alright, right?

With Danny Worth hitting .313 with a .395 OBP and Inge bringing up the rear with a real nice .174, he better have fun down in Lakeland because he might be staying there when the team comes back to Detroit.

Ryan Raburn has made it clear that he is the Tigers starting second baseman, he is tearing pitching apart this spring, hitting .325 with a .365 OBP. Raburn has also jacked six home runs and racked up 18 RBI this spring.

If things stay the way they are right now Raburn will be the starting 2B with backup's Ramon Santiago and Danny Worth. Inge, well, he can hit a lot of balls on the seams to little leaguers in Ann Arbor because he won't be doing it in an Olde English "D."

Monday, March 26, 2012

Cabrera Says He's Ready, Hoping for Good Evaluation on Tuesday



By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

After taking a wicked hop to the face off a solidly struck Hunter Pence hit, Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera feared the worse, not being able to play this season. Once the ball had hit his sunglasses he quickly tossed them aside and according to Brandon Inge, he "started to panic" when he saw the amount of blood coming from his upper cheek.

The Tigers trainer Kevin Rand sprinted to Cabrera to towel off the blood and calm the slugger down as they walked him off the field and into the Joker Marchant Stadium locker room. Once inside the club house the paramedics were called and Cabrera was transported to the nearest hospital to receive stitches and x-rays.

After being stitched up the doctors reviewed the x-rays and determined that Cabrera had suffered a fracture of the orbital floor of his right eye. This injury, while frightening, will not hold Cabrera out for the season and according to those in Lakeland, Fla. with the Tigers it isn't stopping the Tigers third baseman from attempting to get back into games already.

As much as Manager Jim Leyland would have loved to have penciled in Cabrera's name into one of his roster sheets this past week he followed the doctors orders and held Cabrera out of all team activities as to not aggravate his injury.

When he was taken to the hospital last Monday the doctors told Cabrera that he was not to participate in any physical activities with the team for one week and then be reevaluated, Mar. 27, to determine if he was healthy enough to rejoin the team.

If Cabrera would have had any say in things he would have been on the field days ago - with the swelling down Cabrera says he feels fine and wants to get back into the game as soon as he can. The Tigers and Cabrera can only wait and hope that the doctors agree with their slugger and he can trot out onto the field a few more times before heading north.

 

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sorry Inge, It's Worth's Time Now


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

When the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder in the off season it kind of screwed up Brandon Inge's plans, he had planned on not "being a nice guy any more" while playing third base in 2012. But with the new signing he was, once again, ousted from a position on the field. Many thought that at that point it was the end of the relationship between Inge and the Tigers, but he sought to stay with the team and make a run at the second base job this season.

Early in spring training things looked to be going well for Inge, sure he was the last player to show up to camp, but he took to second base well, even making a number of highlight reel quality grabs. But even early in March Manager Jim Leyland qualified his answers about how Inge was doing at second by saying that he needed to bring his bat. And if this season was anything like 2011, Inge would need a boat oar for a bat to have a decent batting average.

The spring started well for Inge, but soon enough he returned to 2011 form. In his 14 games this spring Inge has done little at the plate to justify earning a call up to the Tigers in April. In his 38 at-bats, Inge has only recorded seven hits - a .184 average. Well, on base percentage can save him right? Wrong, Inge has an OBP of .225 to go with his seven strikeouts.

As Leyland said, if his bat isn't there it will be hard to bring him up to Detroit. As good as a Ryan Raburn is doing this spring, he looks to have secured the starting job at second base but the debate is over the last roster spot. With the Tigers also carrying Ramon Santiago there is a need for another infielder that can prove to be versatile.

That player is Dannny Worth. Worth has played in 15 games, but has just 24 at-bats and has seven hits for a .295 average. His OBP is an impressive .357 with three walks and four strikeouts. With Worth, the Tigers also get a player that can play second, third and shortstop. His versatility is something that will come in handy for the Tigers this season.

The only problem with leaving Inge in the minors, or cutting him entirely, is that he is due $5.5 million this season and an additional $500,000 next season. That is a substantial amount of money to have in the minors or sitting on a couch somewhere.

While money should not be considered, the overall success and health of the team may come second to those greenbacks when camp breaks. General Manager Dave Dombrowski and Leyland may decide to give Inge 'one last shot' to turn it around in the majors and ship the deserving Worth back to Toledo.

If those men truly care about making a trip to the World Series this season they will break camp without Inge. He serves no purpose on this team and as such can only cost Detroit runs and wins in their attempt to win their first title since 1984.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Boesch Poised for Huge Season


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Detroit Tigers right fielder Brennan Boesch was on a tear last season, hitting over .300 for the first half of the season before seeing his average dip to near .220 in the second half, but then a thumb injury sidelined the slugger for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Boesch struggled in the two spot in the lineup in 2011 but with the kind of protection he will have in 2012 Boesch looks to be poised for a career season.

During 2011 Boesch hit .020 points higher when he was hitting third as opposed to second, but Manager Jim Leyland was determined that he was the Tigers No. 2 guy in the lineup and Boesch continued to struggle. When he was hitting third he had Miguel Cabrera as protection behind him, but when he was shifted to second he wasn't afforded that same protection and it showed.

In 2012 however, Boesch will have all the protection he could ever want and some. Leyland's scheduled every day roster has Boesch hitting second behind Austin Jackson and in front of Cabrera and the Tigers new favorite weapon, Prince Fielder. If that isn't enough protection, then it isn't possible to protect Boesch.

Boesch isn't having the kind of Spring Training that you would write home about, hitting just .222 with an OBP of just .216, but he has only appeared in 12 games this spring. In those 12 games he has gotten 36 at-bat's and gotten hits in eight of those at-bat's for a total of 18 bases.

Three of his eight hits this spring have been long balls and in his small 12 game sample Boesch has driven in nine RBI. He is also slugging .500 and boasting a OPS of .716. While spring training doesn't always translate to the regular season, Boesch will most certainly pull his batting average up when he gets in the every day lineup in the regular season and will start putting balls into the right field bleachers soon enough.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Cabrera Sidelined Up to Two Weeks


In the first inning of the Detroit Tigers game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, Hunter Pence hit a line drive towards third base that took a hop just before reaching Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera had reached the perfect position to play the ball but once it took the hop it ricocheted up and into his cheek just below his right eye.

It was a scary scene as the slugger tossed away his sunglasses and began to notice the blood streaming down his face and soaking his uniform. Brandon Inge quickly got over to his teammate to attempt to calm him down, saying that once Cabrera noticed the amount of blood he began to panic.

Inge and pitcher Max Scherzer calmed Cabrera as Tigers trainer Kevin Rand raced out to help the slugger. The ball had impacted Cabrera's sunglasses even leaving seam marks impressed on the plastic frames. Doctors at the hospital where Cabrera was transported said that he was lucky to have had the glasses on as they may have saved him from a full orbital fracture.

Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski said that while Cabrera was at the hospital he received eight stitches in his cheek and x-ray's revealed a slight fracture in the orbital floor under his right eye. The fracture, known as a non-displaced orbital fracture, will sideline Cabrera anywhere from a week to two weeks.

Cabrera will be held from activities for a week at which time he will be reevaluated to check the healing process of the orbital bone, if he is cleared he could resume drills and activities in a week or two.

Things could have been much worse for Cabrera and the Tigers as he had only begun wearing sunglasses in the last few game prior to the injury. He began wearing the Oakley sunglasses after teammate Ramon Santiago told him that he might be able to be a better fielder if he started wearing shades.

The sunglasses had only recently arrived and Cabrera was only wearing them for the third time, needless to say he will need a new pair. It is safe to say that because he was wearing the sunglasses Cabrera may have saved not only his season but his vision. Injuries to the orbital bone can typically effect the vision.

Manager Jim Leyland said that Cabrera looked like a prizefighter who wasn't doing so well after taking the liner to the face but reiterated to the ESPN crew that was interviewing him that Cabrera was his third baseman and that the ball would have caught any third baseman in the face.

While having the American League batting champion sitting on the bench is not what the Tigers want, it is better than the alternative of having him on an operating table and an eye patch on for the entirety of the season.

Monday, March 19, 2012

The New WHIP


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

First things first, you may be asking, "what is WHIP and why should I care?" Well Mr. Casual Baseball Fan, WHIP is a more accurate indicator of a pitchers success on the mound than the traditional ERA statistic. Many media outlets, cough ESPN, still pound home the suggested importance of ERA but have begun to include the WHIP in the stats provided for pitchers coming into the game.

Now WHIP is the calculation of a pitchers walks and hits divided by the number of inning pitched. WHIP indicates the effectiveness of a pitcher to limit the number of base runners per inning. Looking at a pitchers WHIP gives a more clear picture of the quality of the pitcher than ERA. ERA is a flawed statistic that factors a pitcher's effectiveness over nine innings, but since pitchers rarely go nine innings the stat is rarely a mirror of how the pitcher will perform. 

Now that you have a grip on the virtual worthlessness of ERA and a basic knowledge of WHIP, forget all of it and check out this new statistic, ABA.

ABA, or average bases allowed, is a stat that is designed to replace WHIP as it addresses some of the flaws that arise in the calculation of WHIP. In a proposed situation the flaws of WHIP become evident - say Pitcher A allows one hit and one walk in two innings. His WHIP is 1.00. Pitcher B allows one hit and one walk in two innings and also has a WHIP of 1.00.

Were these two pitchers equally as effective as their identical WHIP would suggest? Not really. Let's say that Pitcher A allowed a walk and a single while Pitcher B allowed a walk and a home run. Pitcher A has an ERA of 0.00 while Pitcher B has an ERA of 4.50. This imbalance is what prompted the creation of ABA by Ray Flowers.

The formula to calculate ABA is;

ABA = (Total bases allowed + BB / Innings pitched)

In the article in which Flowers describes his creation of ABA he uses the example of Tim Lincecum and Colby Lewis each having an identical 1.21 WHIP.

Lincecum: 111 singles, 48 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 86 BB's in 217 IP.
Lewis: 112 singles, 35 doubles, five triples, 35 home runs, 56 BB's in 200.1 IP.

Now both pitchers had a 1.21 WHIP but their total bases allowed are not on par to have the two pitchers be considered equally as effective. Using the ABA formula the true effective pitcher can be determined.

Lincecum: 273 total bases + 86 BB / 217 IP = 1.65 ABA
Lewis: 337 total bases + 56 BB / 200.1 = 1.96 ABA

There is a definite difference between these two pitchers that WHIP does not show, looking at the ABA numbers clearly shows that Lincecum is a much better pitcher than Lewis. The lower the ABA the better, but the average ABA in the league was 1.86 as opposed to an average WHIP of 1.32.

Flowers goes on to create a key to evaluate a pitcher's effectiveness for the ABA stat.

Below 1.50: Elite pitching
1.50-1.70: All-Star pitching
1.71-1.89: Solid pitcher worth a fantasy team spot
1.91-2.10: Barely useful as a fantasy player
2.11+: Use him for batting practice

If you want to read Flowers' entire article on ABA check out his blog at; http://baseballguys.com/2012/03/19/aba-the-new-whip/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Tigers Have Returned to Comerica


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

 They've stood as sentinels to every Tigers game since Comerica Park opened in 2000, but they have been absent from their home for more than a month now - but they are back. The two 12-foot tigers that have flanked the scoreboard at Comerica Park have returned from their winter vacation in Milford, Mich. and now sit in their new place of honor - atop the new scoreboard at Comerica.

When the Tigers announced that they were constructing a new scoreboard for the 2012 season they knew they had to address the tiger statues which had endured 11 years in the harsh Michigan climate - making it through winter after winter.

The statues were taken down and hauled via flatbed truck to a facility in Milford that was able to clean them and restore them to their original condition from 2000. They were shipped back to Detroit in the morning hours of Mar. 16th as to not tie up the expressways and are now back atop the scoreboard at Comerica Park.

Tigers fans may miss the two wild cats altogether this season because their gaze will be focused on the brand new scoreboard below the animals. The new board will feature the 13th largest video board in professional sports worldwide and the largest in the state of Michigan. 

With the new scoreboard increasing in size by 600 percent from 1008 sq. ft. to 6000 sq. ft. Tigers fans will be able to enjoy themselves much easier for many seasons to come. Welcome back cats.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Justin Verlander's NCAA Bracket - Who Ya Got?


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

The Detroit Tiger's ace pitcher Justin Verlander showed during last season that he could do no wrong; he went 24-5 last season with a 2.40 ERA and won both the American League MVP and Cy Young. So naturally, when he gets into the spirit of March people should pay attention to his bracket, right?

If you're a Michigan State fan that answer is yes. If you're a Wolverine that answer is to tell him to stick to pitching.

CBS asked multiple celebrities to fill out brackets this month and Verlander took their bracket and has Michigan State winning their third national title ever. He also has Michigan losing to the actual Ohio University in the first round.

Verlander has the Spartans facing off against North Carolina in the championship game, the only other No. 1 seed to make his Final Four. The other two members of the Final Four for Verlander are Duke and Gonzaga. And he picked his fair share of upsets, some making more sense than others, notably Ohio over Michigan and having Murray State advance all the way to the Elite Eight to take on Michigan State.

Not to mention that Verlander has a major upset penciled in as he says No. 14 South Dakota State will top No. 3 Baylor in the first round - keep your eyes open for that one.

Who do you have going to New Orleans? Do you think Verlander got it right? Wrong? Comment and tell us what you think.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Oliver Is Odds-On Favorite For No. 5 Spot


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Coming into spring training the Tigers had five different candidates to evaluate for the No. 5 spot in their starting pitching rotation; left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver, LHP Duane Below, LHP Drew Smyly, LHP Casey Crosby and RHP Jacob Turner. Most teams across the league would love to be in the Tigers situation, having nothing else to worry about on their roster other than which young talented pitcher will be the No. 5 pitcher.

At the beginning of spring it was anyone's guess as to which pitcher would be tapped to be the No. 5 or if Detroit would simply just go out and trade for a veteran. Turner's name popped up early, he faired well in his few spot starts in the majors last season but so far this spring he hasn't done as well. In his four innings pitched he has a 3.00 WHIP and an 11.25 ERA. His six walks of the spring are an indication that he doesn't have as good of control as he did last season and will most likely begin the season in Toledo.

Drew Smyly was the next "probable" No. 5 - he was a lefty, he had solid stuff and General Manager Dave Dombrowski has an affinity for promoting players to the majors from Double-A. Smyly has struggled to get innings this spring, having appeared in just two games and started only one. However, he has still gathered four inning of work and in that time posted a 1.25 WHIP, slightly higher than one would like, and a 2.25 ERA. With a 1/3 BB/K rate Smyly could still be a dark horse for the No. 5 spot, but more likely than not he will be bumped from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo after the spring.

The player who has stood out the most this spring has been Andy Oliver. Oliver has had time in the majors before but has never been able to make it stick, but that may be changing this spring in Lakeland, Fla. Despite having not yet started a game this spring, Oliver has amassed seven innings of work and recorded a 0.57 WHIP and a perfect 0.00 ERA. He has shown that he has control of his pitches having walked three batters and fanned five. His GO/AO, ground outs/air outs, is 0.88 which is an indication that he has his pitches biting and is getting opponents to hit ground balls to the infielders.

Manager Jim Leyland said that the control that Oliver has demonstrated so far this spring is more impressive than what he showed in the majors in the past. Leyland said Oliver was "getting better. No question."

Tigers Cut Pauley - How's That Trade Look Now?


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier
 
Last July the Tigers approached the trade deadline and pulled the trigger on a deal that sent right-handed pitcher Doug Fister and right-handed pitcher David Pauley to Detroit and sent left-handed reliever Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third base prospect Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later to the Pacific Northwest. The player to be named was relief pitcher Chance Ruffin.

On the surface the trade looked to be solid - the Tigers got a pitcher that statistically out pitched Justin Verlander in the second half of the season and a relief pitcher that had recently dominated out of the bullpen in Seattle. Some thought that with the inclusion of Ruffin to the deal the Tigers may have paid too much - and they may have just been proven right.

While Fister shone once the spotlight was on him, it was a different story entirely for Pauley. After being acquired Pauley struggled in his outings and because of this his playing time was drastically reduced by manager Jim Leyland.

Some thought that his struggles may have been short lived and he might be able to compete for a role in the bullpen coming out of spring training, but the same problems that effected Pauley last season continued to plague him in Lakeland, Fla. He struggled to find control and gave up too many hits for General Manager Dave Dombrowski and Leyland who cut him in the first round of roster cuts during spring training.

Looking back on the deal that sent Pauley to Detroit one has to wonder if the Tigers did pay too high of a price. While the acquisition of Fister is something that will benefit the Tigers for years in the future the question of the need of Pauley remains. Did Detroit really need to have him included in the deal? Did his addition to the trade tip the scales in favor of the Mariners in the end?

A breakdown of the trade looks like this - the Mariners were not going to part easily with Fister and would have required Furbush and Wells regardless of any players being included in the deal. The inclusion of Martinez to the trade may have still been needed to bring Fister to Detroit, but in any way the Tigers had top-prospect Nick Castellanos sitting at third base just a few seasons away from starting at the hot corner in Detroit. With Castellanos in the wings the Tigers deemed Martinez as expendable and included him in the deal.

That trade, a three-for-one deal, would have been acceptable for many Tigers fans and would have still benefited Detroit down the stretch. But the player-to-be-named-later inclusion pushed the scales in favor of Seattle. Chance Ruffin, the player who was named later, had shown in the minors that he had skill and could be a solid bullpen pitcher in the near future. He did not perform well in his time with the Tigers, mainly due to Leyland's penchant for throwing rookies into the game in high-pressure situations.

While it may take a number of years for Ruffin to make the big-leagues, when he does, he will prove to be a dependable arm out of the bullpen. If the Mariners hang on to the players they acquired in the Fister deal, they could come out quite ahead in this deal but as of now, with Pauley released and Ruffin sitting in Mariners' camp the balance of this trade is pointing towards Seattle.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Like It Or Not - Brandon Inge Likely to Start at 2B


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Brandon Inge didn't have a good 2011, but according to him was going to "stop being nice" in the future years and improve his hitting while manning his position at third base. That was before Mike Illich spend nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on a new first baseman. The addition of Prince Fielder posed a problem for the Tigers, who now had to find a place for American League batting champion, Miguel Cabrera.

That problem was fixed when Manager Jim Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski agreed that moving Cabrera to third was the best choice for the team - that move may have been good for the Tigers but not so good for Inge. During the press conference to announce Fielder, the question came up about Inge and Leyland told the media crowd that Inge "was not a happy camper" in regards to being displaced from third.

As Spring Training approached Inge was trying to find a way that he could still contribute to the club and play every day - third base was occupied, as was short stop and catcher, first base was also out of the question which left one place, second base. Second base has been a problem for the Tigers for some time now, with Leyland being content to head into the season with a platoon of Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago.

When it became known that Inge was intending on competing for the second base job a good portion of Tiger-nation let out a groan. He was the last to arrive in Lakeland, Fla. for Spring Training but has been given his shot at the second base position and if you believe Dombrowski, Inge has been All-Star quality. MLB Radio talked to Dombrowski about Inge playing second base earlier this week.

During Spring Training, Inge has made one start at second in a game against the Atlanta Braves in which he made a couple solid defensive plays. But his defensive ability was never what made Tigers fans boo him during the season or groan when they heard his name announced to come to the plate during a rally - to say Inge struggle with the bat last season is an understatement.

Dombrowski has said that Inge has been very good offensively and he has been using the whole field when he hits. But he preferenced that statement by saying that they didn't want to get carried away but went on to say that if Inge keeps up his performance he could get "a lot" of playing time this season.

So like it or not, it appears as though Inge will work his magic once again and find his way back into the every day lineup - which could either be a very good thing defensively for the Tigers or very bad for the Tigers offensively. Only time will tell whether or not Inge will be the every day second baseman out of Spring Training.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Detroit Is a "Dream Come True" For Fielder


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

He grew up in the Detroit clubhouse, being handed packs of hotdogs and stuffed into trash cans by various Tigers players. Prince Fielder said he loved being able to have that experience with his father and that he hoped he could give that to his own sons now that he is a Tiger. Things have progressed since Fielder signed his $214MM deal and he couldn't be happier.

"I'm having a blast," Fielder said. "I really like this team."

His enjoyment with the Tigers started before most of his teammates reached Lakeland, Fla.. Following an early batting practice Fielder made an effort to go out of the way to say hello and have a conversation with the Tigers locker room security guard.

While Fielder is enjoying his time with Detroit he admits that it is a dream come true for him, even if it was a dream that he had never allowed slip into his mind. The signing had all the elements of a Mike Illich move, the Tigers owner saw someone he wanted and he got them. Fielder's $214MM deal was one that came as a surprise to everyone involved - from General Manager Dave Dombrowski to Fielder himself.

Illich had wanted Fielder since he was a kid hitting homers in Tiger Stadium, but just missed the slugger in the MLB draft by one place and lost him to the Milwaukee Brewers. This move is a dream come true, not just for Fielder, but for Illich as well who has said that he would gladly "trade a few Red Wings rings for one Tigers ring."

Fielder went on to call the move by the Tigers to acquire him, "a blessing." He is able to follow in his father's footsteps while in the same line being able to blaze his own trail in familiar surroundings. Detroit fans may remember a young Fielder crush a home run out of Tiger Stadium for 611 ft.

This spring, while at Joker Marchant Stadium, Fielder connected with a pitch and drove it 25 feet up the light standard for a home run. Afterwards he said that he was merely getting warmed up -  something he eluded to in his press conference when he said that he "only know how to swing hard."

Fielder praised his teammates in spring training when he said, that he doesn't "feel like anybody doesn't like to work hard here, and that's rare to see. Everybody works hard and everybody gets it."

Thursday, March 1, 2012

National League Postseason Predictions

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

The second part of the predictions for the 2012 MLB postseason, this time - the National League.

National League - East

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have been beasts of the east for years now and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. Yes, the injury to Ryan Howard is concerning for the Phils but he shouldn't be out more than half the season and when he comes back he should resume being his usual self and driving the Phillies to the postseason. 

Throughout the last season the Phillies struggled when it came to the late innings and they were hard pressed to find a reliable closer to give the ball to in the ninth inning. They fixed that situation when they went out and snatched Jonathan Papelbon away from the Boston Red Sox in the off season. Philadelphia also brought back Cole Hamels on a one-year deal and signed Juan Pierre to a one-year contract.

The Phillies made an uncharacteristically early exit from the postseason last year and have added players that they think will make up for the deficiencies they believed they spotted in last years squad. Jim Thome is coming to town and they signed Jimmy Rollins to a three year deal that will help solidify their infield for some time.

While they parted ways with Roy Oswalt the Phillies are still the best team in the East. Atlanta has improved this off season and will challenge the Phillies all season. The Nationals have assembled a solid pitching staff and has promising rookies, but they won't have enough this season to challenge. The Mets are well...the Mets. Miami has shelled out millions for their club and are taking an all in approach this year and it will work as they will compete with the Braves and Phillies all season.

National League - Central

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals won it all last season but to many fans they lost it all in the off season when Albert Pujols picked up and headed to the West Coast and Anaheim. They retain most of their team from last season and even get a boost to the pitching staff with the return of Adam Wainwright.

Despite the loss of Pujols the Red Birds still boast a combination of Matt Holiday, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence. They can still hit and they certainly can still pitch, which means that in the weak Central Division the Cardinals will run away with the championship. St. Louis agreed to terms with most of their young pitching staff and agreed to a six-year contract with catcher Yadier Molina.

The Cubs are fully invested in their rebuild and won't come close to the first spot in the division. The loss of Prince Fielder will effect the Brewers but they will still pull some games out and finish second in the Central. Cincinnati always seems to find a way to under perform when they have solid teams, but this year they don't have the best team they've had in a while which means they won't get to the post season in Cincy. The Pirates are still the Pirates and despite a run they had last year there's not too much going on in Pittsburgh besides waiting for Steelers season. In their last season in the National League the Astros will go out with a whimper and battle the Cubs for last place.

National League - West

Arizona Diamondbacks

This one was difficult, not in the "they're all so good I can't make up my mind" kind of way but a "do one of these teams actually have to make the playoffs?" The Diamondbacks came out of virtually nowhere last season to take the West and make a brief run in the playoffs. Much of their success can be attributed to the coaching style of Kirk Gibson.

Gibson had his team playing like they wanted to win every game and it worked. The Dbacks brought in Jason Kubel to help with the offensive problems they experienced last year. Aside from that, Arizona stood pretty much pat, content to enter 2012 with the same team that took them to the playoffs last year.

With the pitching leadership of Ian Kennedy the Diamondbacks should have no trouble winning the West. The struggles that plagued San Francisco last season show no real signs of improvement, there is still a lack of offense by the bay. The Dodgers are undergoing a bankruptcy and the identity of who is writing checks when the team is bankrupt confuses me. San Diego has improved and has one of the best farm systems in the game, look for the Padres to be good out west in a few years. The Rockies added a few pieces but nothing that would vault them into the playoffs.

Wildcards

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta will compete with the Phillies throughout the season but end up falling just short, placing them in the play-in game in the postseason. They took a short term approach to many of their players, offering most of their eligible players one-year deals. Their offense is a bit of a problem with Chipper Jones aging and becoming more injury prone. Jason Heyward has trailed off in the last year and may or may not have what it takes to maintain his production year-long.







Miami Marlins

The expenditures in Miami will work out well for them and they will be playing Oct. baseball in the new Marlins Park. With the signings of Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle and manager Ozzie Guillen the Marlins will finally have what it takes to make it back to post season baseball. As long as the frustrations of Hanley Ramirez don't effect his play this team has all the makings of a contender. They can pitch, the can hit and they can run.   
 

American League Postseason Predictions

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

As Spring Training hits its stride fans across the country are examining their teams and the hope of a post season berth springs eternal - and with the new wild card system, even more teams could make it to Oct. baseball.

American League - East

New York Yankees

They didn't have a typical Yankees off season, no big name free agents packed up their bags and headed to the Bronx. In fact New York didn't do a whole lot of anything, they made a couple trades and signed a minor free agent - that being said, the Yankees have improved quite a bit on their roster from last season. Alex Rodriguez, who was hampered last year with knee problems, took the advice of Kobe Bryant and flew to Germany to undergo surgery on  his knees that he said makes him feel like he is in his twenties again. 

In Jan. the Yankees made a trade that could very well keep them in the playoffs for years to come - they traded away their future backstop Jesus Montero in return for the phenom from Seattle, RHP Michael Pineda. Pineda made waves as a Mariner and had shown that he has the stuff it takes to be a big league starter. He will benefit from having the luxury of not having to be the ace of the staff in New York and will continue to develop into one of the most imposing pitchers in the league.

Three days after the Yankees traded for Pineda they reached a deal with veteran RHP Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda wasn't the biggest name on the market, but he gives the Yankees some much needed veteran experience on their rotation and can eat innings as a fifth starter. He drew interest from several other clubs but New York made the right moves and landed Kuroda for 2012. GM Brian Cashman wasn't done with the Yankees pitching and in Feb. made a deal that sent oft-maligned starter A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh for prospects. Burnett had struggled in the last few years in New York and was in need of a change of scenery, although that change in scenery ended up with him fracturing his orbital bone in batting practice.

The East is, as always, the toughest division in baseball with most of the teams having improved vastly over their 2011 rosters. Boston was sent reeling in the wake of the worst collapse in the modern era and allegations of drinking in the clubhouse, new manager Bobby Valentine has since tried to change the culture in the clubhouse and has encountered resistance from players. As good as the Red Sox are, they may not fully buy into the Bobby V philosophy. Tampa Bay made some minor additions but haven't improved much. Baltimore threw their hats into the ring on several big name free agents, but failed to land any of them. Toronto has made the most improvement and continues to make excellent moves that could propel them to contention in the division.

American League - Central

Detroit Tigers

It began as a quiet off season for the Tigers, they were content to sit back and keep most of their team from the 2011 campaign making minor tweaks to the bullpen. GM Dave Dombrowski brought back ex-Tiger catcher Gerald Laird from the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to serve as Alex Avila's back-up for one season before he is replaced by prospect Rob Brantly next season. RHP Ryan Perry was shipped to Washington for RHP Collin Balester and the Tigers signed RHP Octavio Dotel to a one-year contract. With the bullpen taken care of the Tigers were set to ride out the remainder of the off season quietly - then Victor Martinez tore his ACL.

When Martinez tore his ACL, it caused many Tigers fans to get sick to their stomachs - for about a week. Owner Mike Illich had his eyes on the free agent market like every other baseball fan and like most other baseball fans his eyes were drawn to Prince Fielder. Dombrowski had stated that he didn't believe the Tigers could afford Fielder and that he wouldn't fit into the lineup. But like Tigers fans know, what Illich wants, Illich gets. The deal had all the markings of an Illich deal that went over the head of Dombrowski and brought Fielder to Detroit for 9-years $215M.

The move gave the Tigers the most fearsome 3-4 hitters in the game - with both players averaging 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI per season. Miguel Cabrera was forced to shift across the diamond back to his original position of 3B, a move that has many Tigers fans concerned about team defense. But in the off season Cabrera has shed more than 20 lbs. and he still possesses one of the strongest arms at the position, something that was hidden while he was at first.

The Central got substantially weaker in the off season; Chicago is going hard into a rebuild, Minnesota is still dealing with injuries to Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, Kansas City is on the rise but is relying heavily on rookies while Cleveland attempted to beef up their roster but ended up adding C-list players. Detroit will run away with the division in 2012 and win their second straight division championship.

American League - West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 

The Angles landed the biggest fish of free agency in Albert Pujols and snagged C.J. Wilson away from the American League Champion and division rival Texas Rangers. Pujols and Wilson will make a world of difference for this Angels team in 2012. Aside from their two big splash signings the Angels remained stable.

Pujols, one of the most prolific hitters in the history of the sport will fit right into the 1B spot in Anaheim and should have no trouble adjusting to American League pitchers. Many players that have made the switch between leagues have struggled in adjusting to the new pitchers, but when you're as good as Pujols you can hit anything you want.

Wilson was the ace of the Rangers team, but he will serve as the fourth or fifth starter for the Angels - a position that he is more suited to. The Angels locked up Wilson for five years and landed themselves a solid pitcher and in the same swing they dealt a blow to the Rangers pitching staff. Anaheim already boasted a formidable pitching staff, but the addition of Wilson makes the Angels one of the best pitching teams in the league.

The West will be a dog fight between the Rangers and the Angels with entire way down the stretch. Oakland had made strides to be in the hunt, with GM Billy Beane finally being able to spend money and land Cuban superstar Yoenis Cespedes and signed Manny Ramirez. But a season ending ACL tear to 3B Scott Sizemore could derail any hopes Oakland had. Seattle in the meantime, continued their habit of trading away talent before it can benefit them and will finish in the basement in the West.

Wild Cards
 
Texas Rangers

The battle in the West will be fierce, but with the addition of Japanese sensation Yu Darvish to their rotation and the retention of the corps of the offense the Rangers will make a run at the AL West but come up just short and will have to play in the MLB's inaugural American League play-in game for the playoffs.




Toronto Blue Jays

The dark horse team to make the playoffs this year the Blue Jays have made excellent moves and have one of the deepest farm systems in the MLB. They agreed to terms with Kelly Johnson, Ben Francisco and Colby Rasmus. In addition to their agreements with several of their key players, the Blue Jays have a decent pitching rotation and solid bullpen. If they can get some pitching out of other players besides Ricky Romero the Blue Jays will compete in the East and could easily jump the Red Sox on the way to the playoffs.