Monday, April 30, 2012

Scherzer And Young On the Edge

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's no secret that the Detroit Tigers Max Scherzer hasn't had a good start to the 2012 season; his pitching is erratic and inconsistent and on several occasions he has been chased from the game in the first few innings. His performance is drawing so much negative attention that some in the Tigers organization are considering using one his options and sending Scherzer to Triple-A Toledo to work on control.

Scherzer isn't the only member of the Tigers organization that could be seeing change in the near future - Delmon Young was arrested and could be charged with a hate crime in New York City. Just hours after the Tigers landed in New York, Young was in intoxicated front of the team hotel, and assaulted a group of tourists while supposedly yelling anti-Semetic epithets. Depending on what happens in court and what the MLB rules, the Tigers could void Young's contract.

In his first five starts of the season, Scherzer has turned in a 7.77 ERA with 10 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. Similar to last seasons early struggles, Scherzer has an elevated WHIP, but this season's 2.05 WHIP has just been too much for him to overcome. In April last season Scherzer was named  "The Pitcher of the Month," but his proved that  his record would come back to earth quickly, and it did.

Young was arraigned on assault charges on Friday afternoon in a New York court; while in court Young did not say anything. But he did release a statement earlier that day where he says, "I sincerely regret what happened." He then apologized to those involved in the altercation and to the Detroit Tigers, the Illich family and to Tigers fans.

When Manager Jim Leyland was speaking about Scherzer's struggles he said that "there are always options," and that "he loves the guy, but we need to get him going." With Leyland standing by his pitcher Scherzer could have a few more outings available to turn things around before any one truely looks into sending him to Toldeo, but it is clear that Leyland has thought of that situation and is willing to do it.

The New York court expects to have Young back in at the end of May, at which time a trial may commence, as long as no plea deal is agreed to prior to that date. If Young is convicted of a crime, the Tigers have the option under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to void his $6.75M contract for this season. He is due to meet with MLB officials within the next few days to determine if he may return to the Tigers or if he must undergo some rehab beforehand.


Friday, April 27, 2012

These Tigers Lack Leadership


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

With expectations high and coming off a torrid start to the 2012 season the Detroit Tigers have fallen on hard times, winning just one game in their last home stand against the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. In past years when the Tigers hit a slump they turned to their leaders in the clubhouse, notably Ivan Rodriguez, and until this past season, Carlos Guillen.

These leaders in the clubhouse were able to rally the team around them and break down the issues effecting the team. When the team would struggle offensively Rodriguez and Guillen would assemble the team and give them a kind of pep talk that only a teammate could give. A kind of players only meeting that would kick start the bats and propel the team out of the slump they were in.

The Tigers are in another slump, but this time, there is no leader to turn to. There is no player that can command the respect of the clubhouse and give this team the kick in the pants that they so desperately need. Manager Jim Leyland has tried everything under the sun to get his team to produce and nothing is working; what is needed is for a player to step up and take command of this team.

Typically the short stop becomes the captain of the infield and thus commands the respect of much of the team, but Jhonny Peralta does not seem to have the swagger and bravado needed to become the leader in the clubhouse that this team needs. He is the captain of the infield, but his leadership doesn't go much beyond that.

On many teams the star player is the clubhouse coach, Detroit has that in spades but their top player is Miguel Cabrera and he doesn't seem to have much interest in any leadership roles. After his DUI incident in Florida, Cabrera took an even more hands-off approach than usual. He is a quiet leader is the clubhouse, choose to lead by example than with his words. This team needs a vocal leader to get in their face and snap them out of their funk.

Outfielders are vary rarely the leader of the team, they are generally too far away from the action, in-game, to effect much change and as such their words don't usually carry the same weight as those coming from an infielder.

Prince Fielder is a big asset to Detroit, he provides a big source of power and a quality first base, but, like Cabrera he tends to be on the quiet side and shies away from the leadership position. Fielder would much rather lead others by going out and hitting one over the right field wall than to give a fiery speech in the dugout.

Justin Verlander is the face of this Tigers team, but he plays just once every five days and even then is not directly in the game, he initiates the play and then the rest of the team finishes the play behind him. Verlander could give some pep talks to the club, but they would not be all that effective given his position.

There is only one player that could become the leader of this team, Alex Avila. That is a lot of responsibility to place on the third year catcher as he already has to run the pitching staff and catch the majority of games. But he has proven that he has the grit that other players respect, playing much of the 2011 post season on one leg due to injuries.

Avila must step up and shoulder this next responsibility in order to improve this team. He has shown in the past that he is willing to do whatever it takes as long as it benefits the team as a whole, and Detroit needs this.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Tigers Release Brandon Inge After 12-Year Career

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's official, the Brandon Inge era in Detroit has come to an unconditional end. Following their loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon the Tigers unconditionally released Brandon Inge and purchased the contract of 31-year-old Brad Eldred from their Triple-A affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens.

Fans had been booing Inge at Comerica Park and many were calling for his trade or release for months. On Thursday Inge's 12 year career came to an end and Inge said that he had no hard feelings towards the Tigers and it was "one of those things you can kind of see coming."

Inge went on to say that baseball was a business and he understood the move, he expressed hope that he could begin a new chapter with a new club but that his "heart will always be in Detroit, 100 percent."

In his 12 seasons in the with the Tigers, Inge compiled a career .234 batting average while hitting 140 home runs and racking up 589 RBI. He came into the Tigers organization as a catcher and served that role well until Detroit signed Ivan Rodriguez to be the backstop. With that move, Inge shifted to third base where he found a home, he gave the Tigers superb defensive plays at the hot corner and his strong arm cut down many runners on their way to first.

However, despite being the teammate that most players want and moving from position to position Inge always seemed to struggle offensively. While his defensive ability kept him around at third, when the Tigers signed Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera once again displaced him Inge moved to second. At second his bat continued to be a non-factor and he did not show the same defensive ability.

Ultimately, despite being a "true soldier" as Manager Jim Leyland said, the Tigers were forced to part ways with their longest tenured Tiger on the roster.

Inge's replacement, Eldred, has been tearing through opponents pitching in the International League. In the 20 games in which Eldred has appeared he has compiled a .388 batting average while launching 13 home runs. Eldred will have his contract purchased by the Tigers tomorrow and will join the team in New York when Detroit takes on the Yankees.


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Curious Case of The Detroit Tigers Second Base

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It was supposed to be a straight forward decision, it was made in spring training; Ryan Raburn was going to be be the second baseman for the Detroit Tigers and would be rested for Ramon Santiago. Then Brandon Inge decided that he needed to play second base and foul things up even further, of course despite proving to be just about as useful as a wet towel, Inge was awarded with the job.

Fine, whatever. As long as he can hit his weight and continue to field above-average Inge will be accepted at second. But that's not happening, and his self-serving choice to force his way into the second base position has done some damage to Raburn and Santiago. Raburn left Lakeland, Fla. hitting better than he ever had to start the season - but part of that was because he was allowed to settle in at second base and play every day.

With Inge filling his spot in the lineup in Detroit Raburn was forced to play the outfield and become the designated hitter, with this came uncertainty of playing each day and when playing DH, long periods of sitting on the bench before each at-bat. There is nothing that will quench a hot streak faster than moving a guy around the field, it's no wonder Raburn's bat appears to have been left in Florida. Coming hot out of spring training Raburn has seen his batting average drop all the way to .090, as of Apr. 25, 2012.

Santiago also had a decent spring, but has also struggled as of late, hitting just .153. He has been his usual self in the field posting a perfect fielding percentage. But Manager Jim Leyland usually opts to put Inge or Raburn in the lineup at second base and leave Santiago for a late-inning substitution. While this may hamper some players, Santiago has gotten used to this as most of his career has been spent in this fashion. If given more opportunities he could buoy his average, but nothing is certain.

Inge simply wants to stay in the lineup and who can blame him, his is getting paid to play his favorite sport and all he wants to do is play. It's hard to knock a guy for not wanting to call it quits, but the numbers are not great for Inge. Through Apr. 25, Inge had recorded just two hits in the season for a .100 average. While many may not have expected his bat to come with him to second base, many still believed that he could be an asset up the middle with his excellent glove work from third base. Unfortunately, that did not follow him.

It is a hard transition to move from a position you have played much of your professional career to the position you played in high school, but his defense has suffered mightily in his time at second base for the Tigers. In his time at 2B this season Inge has posted a .963, committing several errors, and several others that should have been charged to him. Because of this, Inge's Rtot/yr is a -15. Rtot is the measure of the number of runs above or below average a fielder is worth per year. And at -15, Inge is worth 15 runs less than the average second baseman. Meaning that he costs the Tigers 15 a year.

None of the three mentioned players are the solution at second base; Raburn was meant to be a temporary stop-gap at best, Santiago is not an every day player and Inge is costing the team runs. Then where do the Tigers turn to fix the problem? Danny Worth.

Worth only appeared in three games with the Tigers this season before he was sent down to Toledo to make room for Inge. But while he was with Detroit he had five plate appearances and was able to get a hit in that time. His .200 average is already higher than any of the three players currently playing the position and he is supposedly the answer the Tigers brass had for 2B when they traded away Scott Sizemore after his brief time in the Olde English D.

Since being sent down to play with the Mud Hens, Worth has had 48 at-bat's and recorded 14 hits during those appearances. He has also drawn six walks in Toledo which puts his on-base percentage at .370. While he still has problems striking out, he would give the Tigers someone different to put in at second and perhaps fix the problem.

The definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result; now isn't that what Detroit is doing with the three players they have playing second right now? Trying to fit square pegs into a round hole. It just won't work, why not bring Worth up, give him 100 at-bat's and see if he really is the fix that they desperately need.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Sorry Humber, It Wasn't A Perfect Game

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Officially, White Sox right-hander Phil Humber just became the 20th person to ever throw a perfect game in Major League Baseball history, and the third in White Sox history. He recorded 27 consecutive outs against the Seattle Mariners as Chicago went on to win 4-0. But did he actually get the Mariners to go 27 up and 27 down?

No. He didn't. Humber went to a 3-0 count against Michael Saunders, the first Seattle batter in the ninth inning, but was able to bounce back and strike Saunders out for his eighth K of the day. After a John Jaso fly out to right field, Brendan Ryan was all that stood between Humber and history.

Pinch-hitter Ryan worked a 3-2 count against Humber and after fouling off a pitch Humber threw him a slider that broke way off the plate and Ryan checked his swing. As seen in the photo above Ryan's bat never crossed home plate but the home plate umpire said that he had and White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw down to first base to complete the game.

The umpire never appealed down to his first or third base counterparts who would have had a better angle to see whether or not Ryan's bat did or did not cross home plate. FOX Sports also did not show a side angle replay of the play and as such posterity is left with the video from center field.

But the video from center is all that is needed, it's close, but Ryan clearly checked his swing which would mean that the pitch was a ball and Humber would have issued a base-on-balls. With the walk Ryan would have been standing on first base and Humber would have been throwing for a no-hitter, which he more than likely would have gotten - it's the Mariners.

Instead of making the right call, the umpire went with the 'it's a perfect game scenario, so I'm going to give every call to the pitcher' ideology. While ordinarily a good idea, when the play is directly in front of the umpire and as obvious as this play was, that mentality should go out the window.

Perhaps it is the umpire's response to the Jim Joyce blown perfect game call during which he called a clearly out runner safe and cost Detroit Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in MLB history. While both men handled it with class and Galarraga was awarded with a brand new Corvette, that perfect game that wasn't probably was something he wanted more.

All baseball fans want is the correct call. It's not about which team does what, it's about what actually happened. And the 21st perfect game in history, did not happen. Sorry Phil.

Watch the video for yourself and comment what you think it was; checked swing or perfect game?
White Sox Phil Humber 27th Out Video

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Stink Is Growing...Get Rid of Schlereth

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's the seventh inning and the Tigers are up two runs with a runner on base. The starter has thrown 110 pitches and needs to be relieved, there are lefties that will be coming up in the order so Manager Jim Leyland looks at his bullpen card. Who is available - Duane Below, no, he's more of a long reliever. What about Phil Coke, well that could work, but where's the fun in that? No, lets go with Daniel Schlereth because we would rather not win the game.

Tigers fans know all too well the perils that come when Schlereth is on the mound. The stress that came with Fernando Rodney throwing in the late innings is nothing compared to the mediocrity that is Schlereth, at least Rodney eventually earned a save.

Yes, Detroit needs a left-handed reliever. Do they need three, that's debatable, but Leyland likes the options that come with having three southpaws in the bullpen. Below has shown that he is an adequate spot starter but can be invaluable out of the bullpen as a long relief pitcher. Coke has been solid and shows no signs of that changing any time soon. Schlereth, however, has alway been terrible. There were glimpses of what he could be, then he was sent to Triple-A Toledo to improve. He returned but his improvement was short lived.

As of Thursday morning Schlereth's line was less than impressive; four appearances, 4.0 innings pitched, six hits allowed, four runs allowed, two home runs, three walks, a 4.50 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP. Those numbers would be expected of a Triple-A player who is competing in Toledo, not those of a big league pitcher. Add in his line from Thursday night against the Texas Rangers; 1.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 12.60 ERA and you have a clear decision to make.

Two things need to be done with Schlereth, he needs to inherit his father's nickname and become "Stink," because well, he does. And he needs to either be offered as trade bait for some unsuspecting team or sent down to Toledo to completely retool his game to actually get good.

There are options in Toledo that could fill his role on the Tigers, Brayan Villarreal. He was performing well with the Tigers when he was sent down to the Mud Hens to make room for Adam Wilk to come to Detroit and fill the hole left in the rotation when Doug Fister was injured. In Villarreal's three appearances with Detroit in 2012 he threw 1.1 innings, and allowed one hit while keeping opponents from scoring and not walking any batters.

It is understandable that Leyland would want to keep three lefties in his bullpen, but when one consistently hurts your team each time he is brought into the game it is time to cut the cord. Get rid of Stink and bring back Villarreal.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Red Wings Need An Overhaul - Now

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

First of all, sorry this isn't Detroit Tigers related, but there is no other outlet available to me for this and it needs to be said. 

The Red Wings are still mathematically in the series with the Nashville Predators, but for all intents and purposes the season is over. Why? This team has too many commitments to sub-par players and refuses to make cuts to te roster where they are needed.

Despite making the playoffs yet again and getting 100 points yet again, the Detroit Red Wings need an overhaul, and fast. Detroit is a team that is about finesse without any bulk behind it, there are too many small players on this team who get flustered when the game gets physical. Hello folks, it's the Stanley Cup playoffs, it's going to be physical.

There will be blame on goaltender Jimmy Howard, but he is not paid to be Pekka Rinne or Jonathan Quick. He is paid to be good and at times really good, and he has done that. There is no team in front of him that will help him to win games. The team has gotten old around him and the talent has eroded to the point that the Red Wings are beatable - this isn't 2008 or even 2009 anymore.

Todd Bertuzzi is the Red Wings only physical force, and his contract is looking increasingly poor. Yes, he gives Detroit the only big body on the roster, but his plus/minus is poor at best. Still, he should at least remain on the team until his contract expires.

The problem with the Red Wings is that they can't play any style of hockey aside from straight up games - when Detroit plays straight up, they are the best team in the league. Only thing is, the other teams in the league know that and jam the Red Wings physically. When opponents play physical against Detroit, see the Nashville series, this team wilts.

There is too much of this "loyalty" thrown around with the Red Wings, there is an easy way to fix Detroit, but loyalty is making things too difficult to make it work. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericson all have long term deals that are cutting into the cap space of this team. Granted, Detroit still has a large cap space to work with this offseason, and it will only get bigger if they make simple, obvious decisions.

It's time to cut the cord on Tomas Holmstrom, he is past his prime and serves only to plant himself in front of the net and tip pucks. This teams can find someone else to do that for a lot cheaper and who still has speed. Holmstrom, when not frozen in front of the net, is the slowest player on the team and can't produce anything of worth for this team. Detroit needs to give him a ceremony, shake his hand and let him walk. Done.

Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler are not worth their contracts to this Red Wings team. Filppula has consistently made poor decisions during the Nashville series and even if they have not lead directly to goals, his mistakes have lead directly to odd-man rushes and scoring chances. The same can be said for Hudler. Yes, he came back from the KHL and was improved from when he was last on the team, that's not difficult to do when you were a butcher in your last go-round.

Filppula has had a much better season in 2012, but looking at his entire career he is nothing special and as such does not need a spot on this roster when there are much better rookies with significantly smaller contracts chomping at the bit to break into the NHL. Hudler and Filppula need to get the axe this summer as well;  good riddance.

Justin Abdelkader is a firecracker. He is small in stature but still believes himself to be a goon, that's not a good idea to have. He struggles to maintain himself on the fourth line, heck it took Darren Helm having the tendons in his arm sliced for him to make it to the third line. And when he is placed on the face-off dot, he rarely comes away with the puck. 

Abdelkader plays like a fourth line guy, there is nothing special about his play, at all. Sorry, but it's true. He was a good story a few years ago when he jumped from Michigan State to the Red Wings and ended up raising the Cup. Good for him, send him packing. He is a negative for this team and Detroit can't afford to have negatives on the roster.

Detroit will lose Brad Stuart, that's just a fact. As adequate of a job as he has done for the Red Wings, he again, is not a overwhelming positive for this club and needs to go. His family still lives in California and he has said that it is difficult to be away from them all season; if Detroit can convince him to sign a club friendly contract for a year or two, go for it. Otherwise, see ya, done.

To fill the void left by the players being cut Detroit needs to bring up the rookies that have been performing well every single time they come up to fill injury spaces on the big team. Gustav Nyquist and Corey Emmerton have shown that they are the real deal. Both of them have played very well in the playoffs and as such need to see an increased ice time next season.

Brendan Smith showed nothing but skill and promise when he was with the Red Wings earlier this season;  he is a solid defenseman and not to mention he is cheap. Just like Nyquist and Emmerton, Smith brings new blood to the team along with increased energy and drive at a low cost to the checkbook.

With the large cap space Detroit will have in the off season they will need to go after big name players that can bring more new blood into the locker room and try to get things moving again. One of the biggest names on the market will be Shea Weber, but with him being a restricted free agent, unless Detroit greatly overpays for him Nashville will match any offer made and retain him.

The Red Wings need to go after his linemate, Ryan Suter in free agency. Suter is the more complete defenseman any way, he doesn't ahve the same blistering shot as Weber but draws comparisons to Niklas Lidstrom. He goes about his job and does it well, to the point of being overlooked. That is the mark of a good team player, they perform well and don't draw attention to themselves. Break out the checkbook, that's a guy Detroit needs.

Another big name that the Red Wings need to go hard after is the free agent out of New Jersey, Zach Parise. Parise, a Minn. native, has expressed great interest in joining the Red Wings and a big push by Detroit for him should easily land the forward. Carolina is also supposedly very high on Parise, but he doesn't have the same affinity towards them. Once again, bust out the pizza money and bring in the player.

That is how you fix this team; cut the dead weight, bring up the young talent and sign the most skilled players available. 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Justin Verlander Goes Nine, Picks Up First Win


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Justin Verlander took a Tigers lead into the ninth inning for the second consecutive start, only this time he would win the game. On Monday night the Detroit Tigers ace headed into the ninth with a 3-1 lead and a manageable pitch count. Although he made things interesting, allowing one run and leaving the bases loaded with two outs, Verlander came out of the inning with his first win and complete game of the season.

In his nine innings of work Verlander surrendered seven hits to the Kansas City Royals while walking just two. Almost as impressive as his complete game was the fact that Verlander struck out nine Royals on the day, including Alex Gordon to end the game.

The win was right out of the script of a Verlander start, he began the game throwing in the mid-90's and by the end of the game he was tossing 101 mph fastballs to the plate. On his last delivery to the plate, his 131st pitch, Verlander's fastball beat Gordon by blowing by him at 101 mph.

While it is hard to say no when the reigning American League MVP and Cy Young winner is chomping at the bit to get back out on the mound to close out his game, the question has come up whether Manager Jim Leyland should allow Verlander to extend his games into the final frame.

In his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, Verlander headed into the ninth with a lead. It didn't stay that way, the Rays came all the way back and beat the Tigers that day. So when Verlander convinced Leyland to let him toss the ninth on Monday, visions of the previous game had to be flashing through his mind.

With two on and two out and the score at 3-2 Leyland meandered his way out to the mound to talk to his pitcher, and according to Verlander all he said was, "you're going to get me fired."

But in the dugout in the eighth inning when Verlander approached Leyland about going back out for the ninth, he said that Leyland told him, "it's your game. You're either going to win it or lose it. I'm not taking you out."

If that isn't confidence in your pitcher nothing is. So with the bases loaded, two-outs and a one run lead, Verlander channeled that confidence and blew the final strike past Gordon at 101 mph to secure his first win of the year.

Verlander was afforded his lead on a leadoff home run by Austin Jackson and a two-run homer by Brandon Inge, who was starting at 2B, in the fifth. Those three runs would be all Verlander would need.

He allowed a Gordon double in the first and after a sacrifice bunt and a Billy Butler single the Royals were able to erase the Tigers early lead. After the Inge home run the Royals could only muster one more run in the ninth when Butler lead off the frame with a single and his pinch runner, Jason Bourgeois, was able to come around and score.

At the beginning of the season Verlander said he wanted to emulate Roy Halladay and complete more games this season - so far it looks as though his body is up to it, but it is up to his skipper to get his mind ready to stay focused for the full nine frames. Once he gets the hang of throwing nine full innings, look out, he might be more dominating than last season.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

The Bum Is Back. Tigers Recall Inge.


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

First off, I'm abandoning all of the journalistic morals in this article. This is something that infuriates me to the point that I can't do it justice by being impartial and staying out of the article. So here it goes.

The parade of mediocrity that is the Detroit Tigers front office, cough Dave Dombrowski, cough, continues. They called Brandon Inge up from Triple-A Toledo and plan to start him on Sunday. Why in the hell would those words ever come out of someones mouth? Why?

Inge is awful, there is no way around it. To say that he is anything but a waste of a lineup space is ludicrous. He hit under .200 last season, then he did it again in spring training, and got a job! If I could go to work and whine and complain while accomplishing basically nothing only to still be paid, you bet I would do that.

But then instead of cutting the cord and getting rid of the dead weight that has been around this Tigers team's neck for years, Dombrowski passed the buck and sent Inge to Toledo so he could avoid making a decision for two weeks.

Maybe he was hoping Inge would light up the International League and it would be a no-brainer to bring him up to the Tigers. Well, you forget sir, this is Brandon Inge. In his time with minor leaguers he got one hit. One. And you expect him to produce in the show? Good God, Dombrowski must have had a stroke. There's no other reasoning to why he would think this was a good idea.

Not to mention Danny Worth, a guy who hit near .400 in the spring and deserves a spot with the Tigers, gets shipped back to Toledo for a guy who can't even check his swing without striking out.

When Manager Jim Leyland was asked about Inge he said, "Made a couple plays. He had one hit. He's fine physically."

He's fine physically? That's what is important? How about the whole one hit thing. That seems pretty damn important to me. But you know what, I think it's good to add a complete washout to the team. That makes sense. You know what? I've always felt Detroit belonged in the National League, and putting Inge in the lineup basically gives the Tigers a pitcher in the batting order.

This whole Inge saga has done nothing but infuriate me, Dombrowski makes a few good baseball moves then blows it all by bringing back a completely worthless player that will serve only to hurt this team.

I thought the point of this whole thing was to win a World Series.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Tigers Cabrera Catches White Sox Batter's Box Mistake


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

While it may not have been on purpose, it was, after all, opening day for the U.S. Cellular Field grounds crew, Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera proved that he has more baseball smarts than many gave him credit for. When he stepped into the batters box in the first inning of the Tigers game with the White Sox on Friday he, wasn't actually, in the box.

Cabrera's back foot was more than six inches out of the back of the batters box. While he does tend to hang out at the extreme back of the box, and rub out the back line, Cabrera knows where he can and can't stand. And he was right. After digging in, he notified the umpire that he believed the box was not the correct size.

The batters box had been shifted up about six inches, a brilliant move if you don't get caught. The move would force sluggers such as Cabrera that feed on fastballs to sit closer to the middle of the plate. That shift would give them less time to decide on a pitch and pull the trigger.

Other batters, such as Chicago's Alexi Ramirez are thrown a steady diet of breaking pitches and like to dig in at the front of the box. A shift of the box up would allow them to get their bat on the ball before the pitch began to break when it reaches the plate.

Major League Baseball rules state that the "batters box shall extend for three feet forward of home plate and three feet behind home plate." With three feet on each side of the plate batters are free to move forward and back to find the right feel for their batting style.

Cabrera is a veteran and he knows when something is wrong, and when his back foot was beyond the chalk in the first inning, he let someone know about it. After convincing home plate umpire Adrian Johnson of the mistake the U.S. Cellular Field grounds crew were called out to rechalk the batters box with the umpires observing the process.

White Sox starter Jake Peavy had struck out the Tigers one and two hitters in Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch prior to Cabrera alerting the umpires to the mistake. One may think that this mistake could have caused Jackson and Boesch to be late on their swings, which they were, and could have helped Peavy record those first two outs.

While that looks to be the case, it more than likely was a simple mistake by a grounds crew chalking the field for the first time this season and not any conspiracy. But next time you see a batter dig into the box, take more time to check out his feet and make sure the chalk is where it's supposed to be.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Tigers Bullpen Will Cost Them Games


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's now five games into the Detroit Tigers 2012 regular season and their starting rotation does not have a single win among them, all of the wins reside with bullpen pitchers - and usually because of the incompetence of pitchers in the pen.

 Detroit's bullpen is made up of; Duane Below, Octavio Dotel, Brayan Villarreal, Collin Balester, Phil Coke, Daniel Schlereth, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde. Only Below, Dotel and Villarreal still have a 0.00 ERA, Villarreal only because he has tossed just 0.1 innings.

As much as Justin Verlander attempted to take the blame for the Tigers ninth inning collapse on Wednesday, the true culprits came from the pen in left field. Verlander did lose control in the ninth, he did allow an earned run and then turn over the baseball to the bullpen with the bases loaded, but the bullpen failed at it's one job - throwing strikes.

Manager Jim Leyland gave the ball to lefty "specialist" Schlereth with one out in the ninth to face a lefty at the plate. A relievers only job is to throw strikes, especially when the lead is on the line in the ninth and more than ever when the bases are loaded. Schlereth failed abysmally at his one job, walking in the only batter he was going to face and tying the game at two.

Then Valverde was called to the mound, coming off an outing where he bounced back from an opening day blown save to get the Tampa Bay Rays out in the ninth on Tuesday. However, it was not a save situation, and as many Tigers fans know, that is not the time you want Valverde anywhere near the ball. With the bases loaded Valverde surrendered a single that got through the infield and into the outfield, scoring two runs.

The Verlander's win gone and now the Tigers lead, Valverde was finally able to get the final two outs of the inning. However, Detroit was unable to claw their way back for a win against former Tiger Fernando Rodney, who retired them in order to save the game for the Rays.

This is not the first game that the bullpen has blown, and it definitely won't be the last unless something is done - and soon. On opening day; the bullpen blew Verlander's win and in the series finale with the Boston Red Sox the bullpen minimized the damage the Red Sox would do but frequently surrendered runs.

The Tigers offense is potent, but the extent to which the bullpen is leaning on them scoring runs late is inexcusable. When a pitcher is in the bullpen and the phone rings, he has one job. It's pretty easy, throw strikes. If a pitcher can't throw strikes, they shouldn't be on the team.

A look at the numbers that Detroit's bullpen has posted so far this season are quite alarming. The eight pitchers have combined for a 3.15 ERA, .316 opponent batting average, 1.36 WHIP and have surrendered 19 hits in just 15 innings pitched. Those numbers are beyond acceptable.

To have all four of your teams wins belong to the bullpen is ridiculous and to have your bullpen pitchers allowing almost one and a half walks and hits per each inning they pitch is simply baffling. How are these people still allowed near the mound? Opponents are hitting over .300 against them! Leyland would be better to simply let his starters go the full nine or give the ball to the only two relievers who haven't proved their incompetence thus far this season.

While it is early, the numbers that this bullpen is posting are very indicative of problems that will remain with them throughout the season and this bullpen will cost the Tigers game this season.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Tigers Fister Lands On 15-Day DL; Who Fills His Spot?


By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Doug Fister, perhaps the biggest acquisition the Detroit Tigers in years, stood on the mound in front of the first sell-out crowd for Game 2 in Tigers history and after allowing just three hits in 3.2 innings, something didn't feel right. In the middle of an at-bat by Boston's Ryan Sweeney, Fister seemed to languish after a pitch, Tigers catcher Alex Avila noticed and immediately signaled to the dugout that something was wrong.

Avila, Tigers trainer Kevin Rand and Manager Jim Leyland jogged out to the mound to check on their pitcher. Fister motioned to his left side, right around the rib cage area, and indicated that it was sore and tense. With it being early in the season Leyland and Rand made the decision to take Fister out of the game for precautionary reasons.

While not much was known at the time, when Detroit placed Fister on the 15-day disabled list they indicated that he had suffered a left costochondral strain. For the non-doctors, that means that he strained his left side. In an interview Leyland did not indicate that the injury was anything more than a side strain, which eased the worries of Tigers fans who were fearing an oblique injury.

However, Leyland did indicate that he now has "no clue" what he's going to do with his rotation. Tigers ace Justin Verlander is set at No. 1, but now there is a hole at No. 2 and the pitcher that filled that role last season, Max Scherzer, had a less than impressive outing on Sunday afternoon.

Detroit has Rick Porcello in the rotation but he is their No. 4 at the moment and rookie Drew Smyly, after being named the No. 5 starter had a rocky start in Toledo in a game to keep him loose. The injury isn't one that would require the Tigers to make any moves with any other teams, but Leyland will have to look into his stable of young pitchers that missed out on the rotation in Spring Training to find a temporary stent.

With the off day the Tigers had on Monday Leyland made the drive to Toledo to catch a start by potential stop-gap Casey Crosby. Crosby didn't impress a whole lot, he pitched ok, but the MudHens defense didn't help him out very much either. According to The Detroit News' Tony Paul, who attended the game, Crosby's off-speed stuff looked good and his fastball touched 94, but he allowed Louisville some good swings too. He lasted 4+ innings while throwing 77 pitches and allowing six runs on five hits.

Detroit won't have to solve the pitching problem right away, as the probable pitchers for their upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays are Porcello, Verlander and Smyly. At that point Scherzer could start on normal rest on Friday, but then the Tigers would be back in the same situation looking for a starter for Saturday in Chicago.

A Saturday game would put Crosby on normal rest, but after his first Triple-A outing turning out the way it did, he is unlikely to have his phone ringing. Another possible candidate is Andy Oliver, who impressed through much of the spring before falling apart in his last start. He didn't fair too much better when he started for the Mud Hens on Sunday. Oliver struggled with control, walking five batters in just 3.2 innings.

Duane Below was in the final pairing for the No. 5 spot with Smyly, just missing the job heading into the season. He has since returned to the team to come out of the bullpen, looking good so far with two wins on the season. However, Leyland has said that he likes to have three lefties in the bullpen so he has more options during the game - Below's success in the pen could keep him there.

Odds are best on Adam Wilk to be tapped for the role, another lefty he was an outside candidate for the No. 5 spot during the spring. In his first start with Toledo he went five innings while giving up just one hit and fanning six while getting the win.




Sunday, April 8, 2012

Austin Jackson Getting Hot For Tigers After Big Weekend

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Austin Jackson has never been knocked for lack of range in center field, it seems as if any ball that is hit into the outfield will have Jackson under it before it hits the ground. But after a stellar rookie season, he struggled with the bat last year and his strikeout totals ballooned. The Tigers hoped that it was simply a sophomore slump and not signs of his true ability - and it looks like that is the case.

In the offseason Jackson worked with Detroit hitting coach Llyod McClendon to change his hitting stance to attempt to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his average. The new stance and swing eliminated Jackson's leg lift as the ball closed in on the plate and emphasized choking up on the bat in two-strike counts.

Jackson has taken to these changes well, and his average reflects that. On Sunday, Jackson went 4-for-6 and on the season is hitting .571. Although the season in still very young, that number is impressive but almost as impressive is that Jackson has struck out just three times while drawing two walks.

What isn't shown in those numbers are the times when he works a pitcher for five or more pitches before ultimately heading back to the dugout, while he may not reach base his new found patience and approach at the plate is allowing him to fatigue pitchers for the big boppers behind him in the order.

In what should have been a headline day for Justin Verlander, Jackson stole the front page by hitting a walk-off RBI single to win Opening Day for the Tigers over the Boston Red Sox. While not as majestic as a walk-off home run his teammates celebrated Jackson's first career walk-off as if he had put the ball over the fence.

The leadoff man is the engine that powers a ball club. And Jackson is proving that he can be quite a powerful engine thus-far in the 2012 campaign. He continues to prowl center field with the best of them, despite never leaving his feet to make a catch. And if his bat continues to be hot this season he could be in line for the first of many Gold Glove awards.

By eliminating the leg lift from his hitting stance Jackson is able to focus more on the ball as it gets closer to him and decide what to do with it. When he would leg kick, it would almost force him, through shear momentum to swing at the pitch.

With this new found control at the plate, Jackson is now able to make better decisions on pitches. Should he swing at it, should he attempt to foul it off or let it go by altogether. The improvements made by McClendon with Jackson will allow him to develop into the ballplayer that the Tigers believe he truly can become.  




Thursday, April 5, 2012

Tigers Opening Day Win Over the Red Sox Felt Different, But Is Exactly What Detroit Needed

CBS Detroit
By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It had all the pomp and circumstance that an Opening Day in Detroit should have, but it seemed to have more meaning, more excitement and an epic pitching match-up. The afternoon was clear and sunny with the temperatures in the mid-50's, a far cry from the snow flurries that are the norm during Detroit opening days.

Things felt different, but no one could put a finger on it. The Tigers were coming off their first Central Division crown ever, they lost Victor Martinez but gained the instant hometown hero Prince Fielder. Detroit also added relievers in Collin Balester and Octavio Dotel. The Tigers were now the ones with the targets on their backs - the hunted and no longer the hunter, something that is entirely new.

It is accepted as all but inevitable that the Tigers will win the Central Division this season - this team just won the division for the first time ever last season and now they are the ones who will walk away with it? They are the sexy pick to win the World Series, this is not what Detroit is used to. Detroit is used to being underestimated and under appreciated.

With the national media in attendance the Tigers kicked off one of the most anticipated seasons in club history against the Boston Red Sox. Detroit sent Cy Young and MVP Justin Verlander to the mound to duel with Red Sox ace Jon Lester. The game was everything a baseball fan could want.

Verlander looked to be in mid-season form giving the Tigers eight scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and walked just one. Lester matched Verlander inning for inning until his seventh when he allowed a double to left by Jhonny Peralta and another double to left by Alex Avila that gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers would add another run in the eighth inning when Austin Jackson hit a lead off triple to right center. When Brennan Boesch was unable to get him home the Red Sox intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera to try to get Fielder to ground into a double play. Fortunately for Detroit Fielder was able to shorten his swing and launch a sacrifice fly to center field. With Jackson crossing the plate the Tigers boasted a 2-0 lead going into the ninth with their closer, Jose Valverde, who was 49-for-49 last season.

Things seemed sewed up for the Tigers, it was going to be a good win. Holding the Red Sox scoreless on opening day, Verlander going eight innings and getting a rare April win and Valverde continuing his saves streak. But this is why they play the games.

 Valverde came on and seemed to struggled from the moment he got on top of the rubber. Dustin Pedroia connected with a lead off double to deep center before Adrian Gonzalez singled him over to third. Valverde was then able to get David Ortiz to fly out to center but Pedroia tagged and scored, cutting the Tigers lead to 2-1. Kevin Youkilis then struck out but a stolen base put the tying run in scoring position with two outs for the Red Sox. Ryan Sweeney then tripled to deep right and as the ball caromed off the wall, the Red Sox tied the game at two apiece.

The first blown save for Valverde since Sept. 2010, the lead gone, Verlander's win gone it seemed that things were going to collapse for the Tigers on opening day and crush all the optimism that came with it. But Detroit flexed the muscles that have had analysts glowing about them all winter.

Detroit's ninth inning rally came from the two guys who combined for the first run - Peralta singled to right and was pushed over to second on an Avila single to left. With two runners on and no outs the Red Sox turned to A. Aceves and Danny Worth came in as a pinch runner for Peralta. The bases were loaded when a breaking pitch caught the heel of Ramon Santiago.

With the bases loaded Austin Jackson stepped to the plate, he struggled last season with strikeouts and is looking for a bounce back offensive year this season. He took a couple pitches, didn't try to force anything, and was able to lace a single down the left field line that scored Worth.

That was it, that was the feeling that everyone had. This team is going to win, it might not be pretty but this team is good and it won't go down without a fight. These Tigers embody the city they are from and a walk off opening day win is just what should have happened.

If this is how opening day was, 2012 is going to be one heck of a year for the Bombers on Brush Street.


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

It Happened - Inge Is A Starter At 2B

Toledo Blade
 By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

No, you didn't read the headline wrong. Manager Jim Leyland has named Brandon Inge a starter at second base. Now, just let that settle in for a little, grab your blood pressure meds and let's explore this a little bit.

Inge will start the season on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin, the easy way out for Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski. The Tigers chose not to make a real decision on Inge, they didn't cut him, like many April Fools jokesters would have you believe. They didn't send him to the minors, but they also didn't put him on the everyday roster - until now.

Against the wishes of most Tigers fans with a pulse Leyland announced that Inge will be the starting second baseman for the Tigers when they are up against left-handed starting pitchers. They also decided to take Ryan Raburn who had an excellent spring at the plate and in the field and move him to the designated hitter role.

So they took the guy in Raburn who hit .268 and boasted a .994 fielding percentage and told him to go sit on the bench and make sure you can get us a hit every third inning. Raburn is the one guy on the team that you don't make the DH. He has struggled at the plate in the first half of the last several seasons, and now that he is coming off a hot spring they're going to sit him down and get him out of his rhythm so they can appease a guy hitting .180?

Yes, that's right, Inge hit a whopping .180 against pitchers in the spring. The time when pitchers are working on new pitches and the majority of games are pitched by minor leaguers and this "major leaguer" couldn't get his average above the Mendoza Line? That's the guy that you want to trot out in the starting line up, really?

Nothing about the spring Inge had called out for him to make the spring. Nothing. He didn't screw up defensively, but he also didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Not to mention he still couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

Detroit, at least, called Danny Worth up to begin the season with the team, but if he is sent to the minors when Inge is taken off the DL it will be a travesty. Worth had a heck of a spring, he hit .317 and can play multiple infield positions. Inge, remember, hit .180 and Leyland said he would not be using Inge as a defensive replacement for Miguel Cabrera at third late in games.

So, let's break this down. The Tigers need a second baseman, the guy that started the most games at 2B in the spring and hit .268 while doing that will not get that job. He will be riding the pine and will be the designated hitter. The guy who is hitting .317 and can play multiple infield positions in Worth, likely won't be on the team more than two weeks. But the guy who is hitting .180 and whines about everything will get to start games for the Tigers.

That makes sense.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Drew Smyly Wins No. 5 Spot on Tigers



By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's official, Drew Smyly has been named the Detroit Tigers No. 5 starter. He had been battling Duane Below for the final spot in the Tigers rotation, but after a poor final showing by Below he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.

Below had also been in the running for the final bullpen position along with Brayan Villarreal, both players missed out on a trip to the bigs and will be starting the season with the Mudhens in Toledo.

Smyly will make his first career major league start on April 12 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. In his 12.2 innings of work Smyly posted a 2.84 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP during the spring. He struck out 10 batters and held opponents to a .167 BA.

The final bullpen spot has been given to Luis Marte who has had an excellent spring. Marte, who tossed 13 innings this spring, earned two wins with a 2.00 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP. He fanned 16 batters while walking just three.

We called Smyly being named the No. 5 starter back in February, when we wrote this article on him.