Tigers Baseball 2017

Traditionally I have done a preview post on my favorite baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, as the regular season begins, so here is my attempt for this season. 

And honestly, I have no idea about this team. It's hardly changed from last years team that barely missed a wildcard slot and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. 

There are aging veterans in key positions (Verlander, Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Kinsler) but there are younger players in others (JaCoby Jones, James McCann, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris), and who knows how they are going to perform?

So here it is: if they stay reasonably healthy and everyone plays to their norms (or expected norms in the case of the youngsters) they should be somewhere in the vicinity of 90 wins and contending for a playoff slot. Otherwise, it's a third year of watching the playoffs instead of playing in them. 

It's the All-Star Break, and the Tigers are stinking up the Central Division

There is a big debate going on right now as the Tigers stagger into the All-Star break with a .500 record, and sitting 8 games behind the division-leading Royals.  And 3-1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.

After watching this team bumble and stumble and give away games all season long (witness the wasting of a 7-1 lead late against the Twins this week as the latest example) I'm firmly in the camp of those who want to sell off assets to gain some payroll flexibility for next year, as well as some good, young talent.  The other side says "go out and get a quality starter and a quality reliever and things will be all right".  I don't think so.  There is more wrong with this team than a couple of pitchers.

Untouchables in this sell-off:  Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, JD Martinez, James McCann, Jose Iglesias.  Everyone else is fair game, even Justin Verlander.  Never thought I would say that about Verlander.

What should they get back?  Pitching first and foremost.  Good, strike-throwing, consistent pitching, not older than 25.  Left-handed if possible.  A closer candidate if possible.  Also a speedy corner outfielder with some pop that can hit .280 or so.  They have that last one with Cespedes, but he is a free agent, and there isn't much there on the farm to give the job to. 

They also need to start thinking about replacing V-Mart and Cabrera, as they are both at the point where their bodies are starting to fail them.  Cabrera can move to DH eventually, but that 4-year contract Victor got is going to be a problem in years 3 and 4, probably, when his knees finally give out completely.  It will be sad to watch a scintillating hitter fall apart physically like that.

When the year is over (or maybe before if they really go in the tank) they need to find a new manager.  Mr. Calm has not instilled the toughness in these guys that it takes to win it all.  I have no doubt he's a smart guy, and he may eventually be a terrific manager, but right now he seems more concerned with helping everyone feel good than he is getting after them for screwing up so much and giving so many games away.  It was good they sent Joba Chamberlain packing, it sent the message that if you can't get guys out, you're going to be gone.  Now maybe guys like Rondon and Soria will get the message.

The Tigers are soft mentally, and they can't pitch very well.  That's why they won't win anything this year.

Alan Trammell returning to Tigers

Just read this in the paper. Returning as Special Assistant to the GM. 

There aren't many players who embody what being a Detroit Tiger means, but Tram is one of them. I couldn't be happier for him to be back with this organization. Good on the Tigers for picking him up. 

Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame

So let it be written...so let it be done.

Trade of the off-season, so far

Wow.  Just wow.  Prince Fielder and cash for Ian Kinsler.  I never would have thought that any team would take Fielder and his contract but I'm sure glad someone was, as it was an albatross around the Tigers financial neck, and would have continued to impact the team negatively going forward.

That deal should never have been made at the time.  I postulated a 2-year, 20 to 30 mil deal back then because he was the best bat available at the time, and Victor Martinez had just shredded his knee, but there were probably other options internally that might have been better long-term for them.  Fielder biggest asset is his ability to hit home runs.  But it seems he only does this during the regular season and only if something important isn't on the line.  He now has a proven track record of playoff disappearance (batting average under .200 career, and a handful of RBI), and when the Tigers needed him to step up and carry more of the offensive load late this season because of Miguel Cabrera's injuries, he was unable to do it.  He is Rob Deer with more drama and a bigger paycheck.

This trade brings up some interesting possibilities both offensively and defensively.  Kinsler probably takes Austin Jackson's leadoff spot which is probably a good thing for all concerned.  Cabrera probably stays in the third slot, as you want baseballs best hitter to get that potential extra at-bat every game.  Right now Martinez moves to cleanup, but wait to see what happens now with the opening in left field.  A left handed power-hitting outfielder would look really good there, and V-Mart in the 5-hole worked pretty well this past season.  Jackson then joins Iglesias, and Avila in the bottom half of the order.

The most common defensive scenario has Cabrera moving back to first base, which would probably bring top prospect Nick Castellanos up to third base, with Iglesias and Kinsler rounding out the infield.  Another scenario has Cabrera staying at third, Martinez moving to first, and someone else DH'ing.  Castellanos probably goes to left field in this case.  A third scenario has Cabrera at first, Jhonny Peralta at third, and Castellanos either at Triple-A or in left field, and Martinez staying at DH.

As well as Miggy did at third, for his long-term good he needs to go back to first base, where he will take much less of a physical pounding.  It's better for him and better for the team if he does so.  Then, it depends on Castellanos' ability to hit major league pitching.  If they think he can hit above .270 with some pop he needs to be in the majors, either at third or in the outfield - preferably at third.  If they don't think he can hit at that level, then another year or two of Peralta at third is not a bad or expensive option while Castellanos gets more time to learn to hit at this level.  I don't want Martinez as a defensive regular.  His role is "see ball, hit ball".  Part time fill in at first or emergency catcher - fine.  But his biggest value to the team is his bat.

So now, the biggest holes in the roster are where they have always been; left field and the bullpen.  But now, their ability to fill those holes effectively has been greatly enhanced.

Dave Dombrowski again shows why he is the best GM in baseball.

No World Series for Motown

Now that this season is over, a couple of Detroit Tigers thoughts. 

1. The biggest weakness this team had is what really cost them in the end - the Bullpen. They tried to patch it all season, but this is THE BIGGEST offseason reclamation project. 

2.  Prince Fielder is ARod with a better personality. You will never win with him in your playoff lineup.  He has not played or hit well enough to deserve the contract he got. Time to admit your mistake and move on. 

3. Miguel Cabrera. On one leg he outperformed Fielder, Jackson, Avila, and Peralta. His case for MVP was only strengthened by his injury. What a disappointment for him to have a scintillating season derailed by injuries. 

4. Jim Leyland. Managed his butt off all season. His detractors are flat wrong about him. His biggest strength and fault is his loyalty to his players and coaches. He needs to let Lloyd McClendon go.

Tigers Musings

1. As I write this the Tigers "magic number" to clinch the division is 2, and Cleveland is five back with six to play, so it would seem that the boys from Motown will be winning the division for the third year in a row.  Note to team:  you have bigger fish to fry - no champagne showers until you win the World Series.  A celebratory toast would be fine, perhaps a fine cigar of celebration, because being a division winner is certainly an accomplishment.  But you have been here before, and you have three playoff series to win before you can really celebrate.  Then you have to work on sustained excellence.  We'll talk about that later.
2. Here's hoping that the injured Miguel Cabrera doesn't end up looking like the injured Alex Rodriguez did last year - a hobbled shell of a player that hindered more than helped.  I know there is no suitable replacement for him, but his performance has tailed off so significantly the last month that he isn't even a "normal" player.
3. Justin Verlander starting Game 1 of the Playoffs.  Please - not this season.  Max Schertzer deserves that honor more, and Anibal Sanchez should start Game 2 before Verlander.  Game 3 for Verlander.

Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

News over the sports wire today is that the Detroit Tigers have released DH Gary Sheffield.

My heart leaped with joy at this news, as Sheffield has been dead weight to this team over the last two years, and has done nothing to justify all the money he was paid. He has been a fragile, aging, ineffective, complainer for most of his stay here, and I'm glad to see that the Tigers will be giving his roster spot (and batting order spot) to someone who deserves it. Perhaps Marcus Thames will get the at-bats he deserves now, or someone like Jeff Larish, who is a left-handed bat with some pop the Tigers desperately need in their lineup.

Good luck to you Gary, I hope you find another team to hook up with, but I'm not sorry to see you go.

Sheffield shows his ignorance

In a bit of a departure, I'm going to talk baseball today. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the game itself, but with the ignorant comments of one of it's players. What makes it even more painful is that the player is one of my beloved Detroit Tigers - Gary Sheffield.

Here are the remarks, from an interview in GQ Magazine:

"I called it years ago. What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. … [It's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them."

"Where I'm from, you can't control us. You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end, he is going to go back to being who he is. And that's a person that you're going to talk to with respect, you're going to talk to like a man.

"These are the things my race demands. So, if you're equally good as this Latin player, guess who's going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys."

Thus we see the racism that pervades the "Diversity" camp, which teaches us that we must first look at the color of someone's skin and what part of the world them come from to determine how we think about them and how we treat them, rather than treating all with respect and dignity.

Here's a news bulletin, Gary. It's probably a repeat of what your first Little League coach told you, but you were probably too busy thumping your own chest and demanding respect to listen: respect is nothing you can demand from anyone - you must earn it. It isn't automatic And I suspect any respect you were getting from those "Latino" players on your team just went out the window. Why do you want to tear up the clubhouse that has been so good to you, and whose most productive players are "Latino": Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco. Not to mention an organization who has had may great players who were not white: Willie Horton, Guillermo (Willie) Hernandez, Aurelio Rodriguez, Ron LeFlore, Gates Brown, Aurelio Lopez. Your ego is getting in the way of your brain, Gary.

Here's another thought for you, Gary. Perhaps these "Latino" guys want it more than you do, and are willing to accept coaching and counsel from those who have been successful before them, so they can be successful too. Perhaps they are more concerned about improving themselves and having the whole team be successful (with the respect that follows) than they are about feeding their own egos first.

I love my Tigers, and I have since I was a little leaguer in the 60's and 70's, but I would rather see them lose 120 games and have a team that represents itself well than to go to the World Series with this kind of player. There is no room for this kind of racism in baseball, and I call on the Tigers and Major League Baseball to deal harshly with Gary Sheffield, for the good of the sport.