Bud Selig has been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball since 1992 and says he will retire at the end of the 2014 season. During his tenure baseball has endured a strike that cancelled the entire 1994 season, including the World Series, implemented inter-league play and consolidated power with his office rather then their being a president of both the National and American Leagues as had been the case since the leagues were founded. He presided over the return of baseball after 9-11 and was the decision maker that resulted in the 7-7 tie of the 202 All-Star Game. He was also Commissioner during the discovery of wide-spread use of performance enhancing drugs, one of the worst scandals in baseball history.
He has been involved in many other decisions that have changed baseball. Selig's decision to extend the traditional post-season schedule into November in an attempt to increase Nielsen ratings was met with widespread disdain, both inside and outside the baseball community. Selig has made some decisions involving the Houston Astros that were unpopular with their supporters. He ordered the roof at Minute Maid Park to be opened for games three and four of the 2005 World Series, pre-empting the authority held by the Astros. The roof was closed for all prior playoff games and similar weather conditions. For Hurricane Ike in 2008, Selig mandated that the Astros play two home games against the Chicago Cubs in his hometown of Milwaukee despite proximity to the visiting Cubs. The Astros subsequently were victims of a no-hitter by Carlos Zambrano and recorded a single hit in the following game. In the midst of the playoff race, this decision and its impact deeply affected the playoff race and seedings with eight teams holding winning records at the moment. The Milwaukee Brewers benefited from these events by qualifying in the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The home ballparks for the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves were both available to host the games. In 2011, Selig also demanded that the Astros move to the American League West as a condition of the sale of the franchise to businessman Jim Crane; the team switched leagues in 2013 in return for $70 million discount in the purchase price. Selig also drew criticism for his handling of the Los Angeles Dodgers situation. United States bankruptcy judge Kevin Gross rendered a stern warning to Selig in regards to the Dodgers ownership dispute. Treating other teams differently in regards to their media contracts drew accusations that Selig did not act in good faith with respect to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Selig rejected the television deal that Frank McCourt negotiated that intended to bring the franchise out of bankruptcy, claiming McCourt violated the Baseball Agreements although no action taken against New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon despite being in a similar position. Some critics have used Selig's handling of the Dodgers to point out a double standard in treatment of MLB owners. More specifically in regards to the Mets, critics point out Selig's personal relationship with Wilpon has allowed him to stall any possible removal of Wilpon as that club's principal owner.
Selig was also responsible for the realignment of teams into three divisions per league, and the introduction of playoff wild card teams (1994), the addition of two franchises: the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, now the Tampa Bay Rays (1998), transfer of the Milwaukee Brewers (the team he owned until he became commissioner) from the American League to the National League (1998), Unbalanced schedule (2001), Home field advantage in the World Series granted to the winner of the All Star Game in the same season (2003), Transfer of Montreal Expos franchise to Washington, D.C., becoming the Washington Nationals (2004), Dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day (2004), Stricter Major League Baseball performance-enhancing drug testing policy (2005), World Baseball Classic (2006), Introduction of instant replay in the event of a disputed home run call (2008) and the introducing a second wild card playoff team in each league (2012). Quite an impressive list of accomplishments, some good, some bad but has he done enough to keep baseball in the forefront of the minds of people around the world? I think there are six things a Commissioner could do to improve the product of baseball.
First, I believe the season is too long, I'm not saying the 162 games are too many, just that the season lasts too long. In 1984, the last year the Tigers won the World Series, the season started on April 2nd and ended October 14, 192 days. Last year the season started March 28th and ended October 28th, 210 days. Eighteen days may not seem like much but in October it could mean the difference between playing in 50 degree weather and 40 degree weather. Another reason I picked 1984 is because it was the last time a World Series game started earlier than prime time in the eastern United States. In addition, no World Series has ended as early as October 14 since 1984; in fact no World Series game has been played earlier than October 15 since 1984. Format changes—the best-of-five League Championship Series becoming best-of-seven affairs, followed by the addition of wild-card teams and the best-of-five League Division Series—have made that impossible. That needs to change, when I was a kid baseball teams played multiple doubleheaders a season, not because of rain outs, but to keep the number of days in the season down. Nowadays that does not happen. Teams do not want to schedule twin-bills because it cuts into their revenues, they just don't make as much money if two games are played in one day as they would if they were on separate days. If we can convince the teams to have more doubleheaders we can reduce the number of days in the season, which will allow the post-season to start earlier and therefore end earlier.
Second, along with increasing the number of doubleheaders I also believe the start time for most post-season games should be earlier. Since 1984 there has not been a post season game that has started before 8:00 PM Eastern time, with the average length of a World Series game in the last five seasons coming in at 3:30 that puts the end of the game around 11:30 PM much too late for children to stay up. Consequently there are whole generations of young people that have never seen a whole World Series game. That hurts the popularity of baseball in the long run, if kids don't grow up as a fan of baseball the league will lose then as fans as adults. I know that the sports landscape is crowded these days but if baseball wants to keep growing and maybe return to it's number one spot then they need to court the kids in America.
Third, I don't understand Selig's decision to move the Houston Astros to the American League. Why move a team that has been in the National League since it's inception in 1962. There are no rivalries for Houston in the AL and with their poor play in recent years I see that fan base unwilling to pay Major League prices to see a game. One could say that there will be a rivalry with the Texas Rangers but that will take time to develop, especially with the Astros playing so badly. I think a better move would have been to move the Brewers back to the American League. The Brewers played in the AL from 1969 until Selig moved them to the NL in 1997. Sure, There was a team in Milwaukee that played in the NL from 1953 until 1965 but that is a totally different team known as the Braves that now plays in Atlanta and how many people that we around then were around in 1997? The reason the Brewers were moved in 1997 was the re-alignment to three divisions in each league and the addition of the Rays and Diamondbacks. The league wanted to put one new team in each league and that would have meant there were more teams in the American League then in the NL. The talk in baseball circles said that the team that moved would make a lot of money, and it seems pretty coincidental that it was Selig's old team that moved. With the move of the Astros to the AL there are now more teams in the AL then in the NL, so that reason to move the Brewers is now moot, but I guess they were able to postpone it for 16 years.
Fourth, if I were Commissioner of Baseball would be the reduction or elimination of inter-league play. Inter-league play was introduced in 1997 to try to generate renewed fan interest after the player's strike in 1994. It was a success at first but the novelty has worn off, especially for the players who would rather go back to the traditional schedule. I think it waters down the World Series doubly so if the teams had met in the regular season. Half the fun of the World Series was the unfamiliarity of the two teams with each other and the way the other league plays. It was a great memory of mine to see an American League pitcher have to grab a bat in a high pressure situation in the World Series and try to get a hit. With inter-league play it still might be unlikely for a pitcher to get a hit but all the AL pitchers have done each season. Another cool thing about the World Series before the advent of inter-league play is the managerial choices that have to be made especially late in the game. Pinch hitting for the pitchers and double switches were not something managers had to worry about during the regular season but now with so many inter-league games they are much more familiar with it. I think it is a sad commentary on the state of baseball today that teams only play one series against some of the opponents in the other two divisions but make sure to have games against some team from the other league.
Fifth, another issue I would address if the owners saw fit to hire me as Commissioner would be a harder stance on performance enhancing drugs. PED's are the biggest black mark on baseball since the gambling problems of the early 20th century. They take away the enjoyment fans have if their favorite player has a record year and puts every record set, under a cloud of suspicion. Currently, baseball has a graduated punishment policy regarding PED's. The first offense for a positive PED test is 50 games, the second 100 games and the third a lifetime ban for the player. I would take a two pronged approach, with much better education of the players as to what they can and can't take and an increased punishment plan. The Major Leagues can not expect the players, especially players from countries other then the United States, to understand that something they find at the grocery store could contain a banned substance. A good idea would be to have every player sign a list of all the banned substances stating they understand and will comply with the rules. After the education we need to give the players only two strikes, the first positive test is a 100 game ban and the second is a lifetime ban. There also can't be any differentiation between a rookie from the Dominican Republic and someone like Ryan Braun or Barry Bonds, a failed test is a failed test. If baseball bans a few star players then I think the message might sink in and we can clean up this great game.
The final item I would change would be the elimination of the World Baseball Classic. I believe it is a total waste of time for most Major League players and it seems to matter only to the other countries that participate. It plays into my desire to shorten the season, if the WBC is eliminated spring training could be shortened but at the same time start later and the season could start at a more reasonable date. It was started in a response to the International The super-star American players don't care about the WBC and would rather not be forced to decide to play or not. American fans don't care and don't want any of there favorite players to play and risk an injury, in fact the US has never finished better than fourth. Sure, it might be good for growing the game overseas but that doesn't need to be MLB's focus right now, it should focus on fixing the game here at home.
These are the items that I think are the most important to change right away to make baseball the game I remember as a kid. I know it will never be exactly the same but it can be much better then it is now. It might not ever regain it place as the most popular sport in American but it should be a strong second and it can be if these items are addressed.
Showing posts with label Spring Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring Training. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
2013 Detroit Tigers Draft Picks
The Tigers have completed their 2013 draft here is a list of the picks:
Round 1 Pick 20-Jonathon Crawford RHP University of Florida
Round 1 Compensation Pick 39-Corey Knebel RHP University of Texas
Round 2 Pick 58-Kevin Ziomek LHP Vanderbilt University
Round 3 Pick 94-Jeffery Thompson RHP University of Louisville
Round 4 Pick 126-Austin Kubitza RHP Rice University
Round 5 Pick 156-Buck Farmer RHP University of Georgia
Round 6 Pick 186-Calvin Drummond RHP Arizona Christian University
Round 7 Pick 216-Connor Harrell CF Vanderbilt University
Round 8 Pick 246-Zach Reininger RHP Hill (TX) JC
Round 9 Pick 276-Will LaMarche RHP LSU
Round 10 Pick 306-Kasey Coffman CF Arizona State University
Round 11 Pick 336-Chad Green RHP Louisville
Round 12 Pick 366-Dominic Ficociello 3B Arkansas
Round 13 Pick 396-Austin Green C University of San Diego
Round 14 Pick 426-Ben Verlander RF Old Dominion
Round 15 Pick 456-Raphael Rhymes OF LSU
Round 16 Pick 486-Duncan McAlpine C Dallas Baptist
Round 17 Pick 516-Steven Negron SS Miami Dade CC
Round 18 Pick 546-Jonathon Maciel RHP Cal State Long Beach
Round 19 Pick 576-Austin Pritcher RHP The Citadel
Round 20 Pick 606-Matt Wotherspoon RHP Pitt
Round 21 Pick 636-Curt Powell SS Georgia
Round 22 Pick 666-Daryl Norris RHP Mississippi State
Round 23 Pick 696-Tyler Alexander LHP Carroll HS
Round 24 Pick 726-Chase Edwards RHP Hill JC
Round 25 Pick 756-Johnnie Kirkland RHP Southeastern
Round 26 Pick 786-Adrian Castano CF Benjamin Cardoza HS
Round 27 Pick 816-Joe Mantiply LHP Virginia Tech
Round 28 Pick 846-Scott Sitz RHP Florida State
Round 29 Pick 876-Charley Sullivan RHP Alabama Tuscaloosa
Round 30 Pick 906-Ryan Beck LHP New Mexico State
Round 33 Pick 936-John Armstrong 2B Bishop Carroll Catholic HS
Round 34 Pick 966-Brad Holland 2B Mesquite HS
Round 35 Pick 996-A.J.Pulk LHP Washington HS
Round 36 Pick 1026-Torii Hunter Jr. CF Prosper HS
Round 37 Pick 1056-Nicholas Deeg LHP Lake Orion HS
Round 38 Pick 1086-Harrisson Wenson C University of Detroit Jesuit HS
Round 39 Pick 1116 Anfernee Grier CF Russell County HS
Round 40 Pick 1146 Taylor Johnson 2B St. Edwards
It's interesting to see the Tigers drafted both Torii Hunter's son and Justin Verlander's brother.
Round 1 Pick 20-Jonathon Crawford RHP University of Florida
Round 1 Compensation Pick 39-Corey Knebel RHP University of Texas
Round 2 Pick 58-Kevin Ziomek LHP Vanderbilt University
Round 3 Pick 94-Jeffery Thompson RHP University of Louisville
Round 4 Pick 126-Austin Kubitza RHP Rice University
Round 5 Pick 156-Buck Farmer RHP University of Georgia
Round 6 Pick 186-Calvin Drummond RHP Arizona Christian University
Round 7 Pick 216-Connor Harrell CF Vanderbilt University
Round 8 Pick 246-Zach Reininger RHP Hill (TX) JC
Round 9 Pick 276-Will LaMarche RHP LSU
Round 10 Pick 306-Kasey Coffman CF Arizona State University
Round 11 Pick 336-Chad Green RHP Louisville
Round 12 Pick 366-Dominic Ficociello 3B Arkansas
Round 13 Pick 396-Austin Green C University of San Diego
Round 14 Pick 426-Ben Verlander RF Old Dominion
Round 15 Pick 456-Raphael Rhymes OF LSU
Round 16 Pick 486-Duncan McAlpine C Dallas Baptist
Round 17 Pick 516-Steven Negron SS Miami Dade CC
Round 18 Pick 546-Jonathon Maciel RHP Cal State Long Beach
Round 19 Pick 576-Austin Pritcher RHP The Citadel
Round 20 Pick 606-Matt Wotherspoon RHP Pitt
Round 21 Pick 636-Curt Powell SS Georgia
Round 22 Pick 666-Daryl Norris RHP Mississippi State
Round 23 Pick 696-Tyler Alexander LHP Carroll HS
Round 24 Pick 726-Chase Edwards RHP Hill JC
Round 25 Pick 756-Johnnie Kirkland RHP Southeastern
Round 26 Pick 786-Adrian Castano CF Benjamin Cardoza HS
Round 27 Pick 816-Joe Mantiply LHP Virginia Tech
Round 28 Pick 846-Scott Sitz RHP Florida State
Round 29 Pick 876-Charley Sullivan RHP Alabama Tuscaloosa
Round 30 Pick 906-Ryan Beck LHP New Mexico State
Round 33 Pick 936-John Armstrong 2B Bishop Carroll Catholic HS
Round 34 Pick 966-Brad Holland 2B Mesquite HS
Round 35 Pick 996-A.J.Pulk LHP Washington HS
Round 36 Pick 1026-Torii Hunter Jr. CF Prosper HS
Round 37 Pick 1056-Nicholas Deeg LHP Lake Orion HS
Round 38 Pick 1086-Harrisson Wenson C University of Detroit Jesuit HS
Round 39 Pick 1116 Anfernee Grier CF Russell County HS
Round 40 Pick 1146 Taylor Johnson 2B St. Edwards
It's interesting to see the Tigers drafted both Torii Hunter's son and Justin Verlander's brother.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Games 56 Through 61 of the Detroit Tigers 2013 Season
Tuesday 6/4/13 Tampa Bay-1 Detroit-10
Tuesday Detroit started a three game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, in the first game the Tigers sent Anibal Sanchez to the mound and the Rays sent Matt Moore. Sanchez got the win, his sixth of the season, going seven innings while giving up one run on four hits, one walk and nine strikeouts. Luke Putkonen and Phil Coke each threw a perfect inning with Coke fanning one. Moore took the loss for the Rays, his first, to go with eight wins. Moore went two innings while giving up six runs on seven hits, six walks and one K. Four Tampa relievers combined to go six innings while giving up four runs on eight hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Omar Infante and Prince Fielder led the Tigers offense with Infante going 2-4 with a homerun and three RBI’s and Fielder going 3-4 with a homerun and four RBI’s. Avisail Garcia was 2-4 with one RBI, while Matt Tuiasosopo was 1-2 with a double and one RBI and Don Kelly was 1-1 with an RBI. Jhonny Peralta was 3-5 while Miguel Cabrera was 2-4 and Victor Martinez had one hit. The Tigers collected fifteen hits, seven walks and left twelve men on base.
Wednesday 6/5/13 Tampa Bay-3 Detroit-0
The second game of the series between the Rays and Tigers was a completely different game then the first game. Doug Fister took the mound for Detroit getting his third loss of the season. The game was scoreless going into the ninth inning before the Rays touched Fister for three runs. Fister went 8-1/3 innings while giving up three runs on seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Drew Smyly finished the game giving up one hit and fanning one. Alex Cobb got the start for the Rays, going 7-2/3 scoreless innings while giving up five hits, three walks and seven strikeouts but did not earn a decision. Joel Peralta Struck out the only batter he faced to end the eighth inning and earned his first win of the season when the Rays scored in the ninth. Former Tiger Fernando Rodney recorded his twelfth save of the season, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out two. Alex Avila was 2-3 with a double, the only Tiger with more than one hit and the only one to have an extra base hit. Andy Dirks, Prince Fielder, Omar Infante and Avisail Garcia each had one hit as the Tigers collected six hits, four walks and left nine men on base.
Thursday 6/6/13 Tampa Bay-2 Detroit-5
The rubber game of the three game series between Detroit and Tampa on Thursday at Comerica Park featured a battle between Max Scherzer and Roberto Hernandez. Scherzer, who hadn’t lost going into this start, remained perfect, earning his eighth win of the season. Scherzer went seven innings while giving up one run on four hits, two walks and nine strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit threw one inning, giving up one run on two hits and one walk. Jose Valverde earned his seventh save of the season with a perfect ninth inning were he fanned one. Victor Martinez led the attack for the Tigers going 2-3 with a homerun and three RBI’s. Miguel Cabrera was 3-4 with one RBI while Avisail Garcia was 1-1 with an RBI. Prince Fielder and Jhonny Peralta each had two hits, while Alex Avila, Omar Infante and Don Kelly each had one hit. The Tigers collected thirteen hits, one walk and left eight men on base.
Friday 6/7/13 Cleveland-5 Detroit-7
After winning the series against the Rays the Tigers welcomed the Cleveland Indians to Comerica for a three game series. Cleveland was trailing the Tigers by 2-1/2 games coming into the series so it was a very important three games. The first game saw Detroit send Justin Verlander to the mound to battle against Ubaldo Jimenez, with Verlander coming out on top earning his eighth win of the season. Verlander went seven innings while giving up three runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit threw a perfect eighth inning before yielding the ball to Jose Valverde for the ninth. Valverde made it interesting giving up two runs on three hits and one strikeout but held on to cement the win. This victory put the Tigers up by 3-1/2 games over the Indians in the Central Division.
Saturday 6/8/13 Cleveland-4 Detroit-6
The second game of the important series between the Indians and the Tigers saw the Indians send Carlos Carrasco to the mound and the Tigers Rick Porcello. Porcello earned the win, his third of the season, going six innings while giving up two runs on three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Luke Putkonen gave up one run, on a homerun in 2/3 innings of work, while Phil Coke threw 1-1/3 perfect innings fanning two. Jose Valverde earned his eighth save of the season giving up one hit and one walk but striking out two. This win gave the Tigers a 4-1/2 game lead over the Indians in the Central.
Sunday 6/9/13 Cleveland-1 Detroit-4
The Tigers were going for the sweep against the Indians at Comerica on Sunday with Justin Masterson taking the mound for Cleveland and newly signed Jose Alvarez, for the Tigers. Alvarez, who had be called up from Toledo after Anibal Sanchez was scratched with shoulder tightness, would be sent back to Toledo after the game but made a big impression on the coaching staff. He was the first Tiger’s rookie to earn a victory, go at least six innings and give up three hits and one run or less since 1916. Alvarez went six innings while giving up one run on three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Drew Smyly threw two scoreless innings while giving up two hits and two strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit earned his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning where he gave up one hit and struck out two. Don Kelly had the big hit of the game, a three run homerun in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie, it was his only hit of the game. Alex Avila drove in the other run for the Tigers on a sac fly. Prince Fielder had two hits, while Andy Dirks, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez all had one hit. The Tigers collected six hits, one walk and left six men on base. The sweep of the Indians put them 5-1/2 games behind the Tigers in the Central Division.
Upcoming Games:
6/10/13 at Kansas City 8:10(EDT)
6/11/13 at Kansas City 8:10(EDT)
6/12/13 at Kansas City 2:10(EDT)
6/14/13 at Minnesota 8:10(EDT)
6/15/13 at Minnesota 7:15(EDT)
6/16/13 at Minnesota 2:10(EDT)
Cumulative 2013 Stats:
Piching:
Hitting:
Tuesday Detroit started a three game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, in the first game the Tigers sent Anibal Sanchez to the mound and the Rays sent Matt Moore. Sanchez got the win, his sixth of the season, going seven innings while giving up one run on four hits, one walk and nine strikeouts. Luke Putkonen and Phil Coke each threw a perfect inning with Coke fanning one. Moore took the loss for the Rays, his first, to go with eight wins. Moore went two innings while giving up six runs on seven hits, six walks and one K. Four Tampa relievers combined to go six innings while giving up four runs on eight hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Omar Infante and Prince Fielder led the Tigers offense with Infante going 2-4 with a homerun and three RBI’s and Fielder going 3-4 with a homerun and four RBI’s. Avisail Garcia was 2-4 with one RBI, while Matt Tuiasosopo was 1-2 with a double and one RBI and Don Kelly was 1-1 with an RBI. Jhonny Peralta was 3-5 while Miguel Cabrera was 2-4 and Victor Martinez had one hit. The Tigers collected fifteen hits, seven walks and left twelve men on base.
Wednesday 6/5/13 Tampa Bay-3 Detroit-0
The second game of the series between the Rays and Tigers was a completely different game then the first game. Doug Fister took the mound for Detroit getting his third loss of the season. The game was scoreless going into the ninth inning before the Rays touched Fister for three runs. Fister went 8-1/3 innings while giving up three runs on seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Drew Smyly finished the game giving up one hit and fanning one. Alex Cobb got the start for the Rays, going 7-2/3 scoreless innings while giving up five hits, three walks and seven strikeouts but did not earn a decision. Joel Peralta Struck out the only batter he faced to end the eighth inning and earned his first win of the season when the Rays scored in the ninth. Former Tiger Fernando Rodney recorded his twelfth save of the season, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out two. Alex Avila was 2-3 with a double, the only Tiger with more than one hit and the only one to have an extra base hit. Andy Dirks, Prince Fielder, Omar Infante and Avisail Garcia each had one hit as the Tigers collected six hits, four walks and left nine men on base.
Thursday 6/6/13 Tampa Bay-2 Detroit-5
The rubber game of the three game series between Detroit and Tampa on Thursday at Comerica Park featured a battle between Max Scherzer and Roberto Hernandez. Scherzer, who hadn’t lost going into this start, remained perfect, earning his eighth win of the season. Scherzer went seven innings while giving up one run on four hits, two walks and nine strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit threw one inning, giving up one run on two hits and one walk. Jose Valverde earned his seventh save of the season with a perfect ninth inning were he fanned one. Victor Martinez led the attack for the Tigers going 2-3 with a homerun and three RBI’s. Miguel Cabrera was 3-4 with one RBI while Avisail Garcia was 1-1 with an RBI. Prince Fielder and Jhonny Peralta each had two hits, while Alex Avila, Omar Infante and Don Kelly each had one hit. The Tigers collected thirteen hits, one walk and left eight men on base.
Friday 6/7/13 Cleveland-5 Detroit-7
After winning the series against the Rays the Tigers welcomed the Cleveland Indians to Comerica for a three game series. Cleveland was trailing the Tigers by 2-1/2 games coming into the series so it was a very important three games. The first game saw Detroit send Justin Verlander to the mound to battle against Ubaldo Jimenez, with Verlander coming out on top earning his eighth win of the season. Verlander went seven innings while giving up three runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit threw a perfect eighth inning before yielding the ball to Jose Valverde for the ninth. Valverde made it interesting giving up two runs on three hits and one strikeout but held on to cement the win. This victory put the Tigers up by 3-1/2 games over the Indians in the Central Division.
Saturday 6/8/13 Cleveland-4 Detroit-6
The second game of the important series between the Indians and the Tigers saw the Indians send Carlos Carrasco to the mound and the Tigers Rick Porcello. Porcello earned the win, his third of the season, going six innings while giving up two runs on three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Luke Putkonen gave up one run, on a homerun in 2/3 innings of work, while Phil Coke threw 1-1/3 perfect innings fanning two. Jose Valverde earned his eighth save of the season giving up one hit and one walk but striking out two. This win gave the Tigers a 4-1/2 game lead over the Indians in the Central.
Sunday 6/9/13 Cleveland-1 Detroit-4
The Tigers were going for the sweep against the Indians at Comerica on Sunday with Justin Masterson taking the mound for Cleveland and newly signed Jose Alvarez, for the Tigers. Alvarez, who had be called up from Toledo after Anibal Sanchez was scratched with shoulder tightness, would be sent back to Toledo after the game but made a big impression on the coaching staff. He was the first Tiger’s rookie to earn a victory, go at least six innings and give up three hits and one run or less since 1916. Alvarez went six innings while giving up one run on three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Drew Smyly threw two scoreless innings while giving up two hits and two strikeouts. Joaquin Benoit earned his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning where he gave up one hit and struck out two. Don Kelly had the big hit of the game, a three run homerun in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie, it was his only hit of the game. Alex Avila drove in the other run for the Tigers on a sac fly. Prince Fielder had two hits, while Andy Dirks, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez all had one hit. The Tigers collected six hits, one walk and left six men on base. The sweep of the Indians put them 5-1/2 games behind the Tigers in the Central Division.
Upcoming Games:
6/10/13 at Kansas City 8:10(EDT)
6/11/13 at Kansas City 8:10(EDT)
6/12/13 at Kansas City 2:10(EDT)
6/14/13 at Minnesota 8:10(EDT)
6/15/13 at Minnesota 7:15(EDT)
6/16/13 at Minnesota 2:10(EDT)
Cumulative 2013 Stats:
Piching:
| W-L | ERA | G | GS | CG | GF | SH | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | WP | |
| J.Alvarez | 1-0 | 1.50 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| D.Smyly | 2-0 | 1.93 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 37.10 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 39 | 2 |
| J.Benoit | 1-0 | 2.00 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27.00 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 31 | 0 |
| E.Reed | 0-0 | 2.25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.00 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| L.Putkonen | 1-1 | 2.57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.00 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| A.Sanchez | 6-5 | 2.65 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 78.00 | 66 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 19 | 98 | 2 |
| D.Downs | 0-1 | 3.13 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 23.00 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 1 |
| A.Alburquerque | 0-1 | 3.14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14.10 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 26 | 6 |
| M.Scherzer | 8-0 | 3.24 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83.10 | 54 | 31 | 30 | 6 | 20 | 100 | 2 |
| D.Fister | 5-3 | 3.27 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77.00 | 79 | 33 | 28 | 2 | 12 | 66 | 2 |
| J.Verlander | 8-4 | 3.71 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 | 82 | 35 | 33 | 5 | 26 | 93 | 0 |
| J.Ortega | 0-2 | 3.86 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11.20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| J.Valverde | 0-1 | 4.02 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 15.20 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| R.Porcello | 3-3 | 4.86 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 63.00 | 64 | 35 | 34 | 8 | 13 | 54 | 2 |
| P.Coke | 0-3 | 5.30 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 18.20 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 1 |
| B.Rondon | 0-0 | 11.57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| O.Dotel | 0-0 | 13.50 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.20 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| B.Villarreal | 0-2 | 20.77 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
Hitting:
| BA | SLG | G | AB | R | H | TB | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | E | |
| D.Fister | .667 | .667 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M.Cabrera | .363 | .641 | 61 | 245 | 49 | 89 | 157 | 15 | 1 | 17 | 67 | 36 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| M.Tuiasosopo | .339 | .508 | 32 | 59 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J.Peralta | .338 | .493 | 56 | 219 | 31 | 74 | 108 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 17 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| T.Hunter | .303 | .407 | 54 | 231 | 33 | 70 | 94 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 14 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| O.Infante | .296 | .418 | 55 | 213 | 31 | 63 | 89 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| A.Garcia | .291 | .473 | 21 | 55 | 9 | 16 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| B.Pena | .289 | .398 | 22 | 83 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| P.Fielder | .289 | .509 | 61 | 232 | 33 | 67 | 118 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 51 | 36 | 53 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| A.Jackson | .272 | .371 | 34 | 151 | 33 | 41 | 56 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| A.Dirks | .249 | .358 | 53 | 193 | 26 | 48 | 69 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 15 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| V.Martinez | .242 | .352 | 60 | 227 | 20 | 55 | 80 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 18 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.Kelly | .198 | .358 | 44 | 81 | 15 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| A.Avila | .176 | .297 | 43 | 148 | 15 | 26 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R.Santiago | .149 | .255 | 18 | 47 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A.Sanchez | .000 | .000 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Friday, June 7, 2013
Detroit Tigers Trade Rumors
I read a good article yesterday by Jason Martinez MLB Lead Writer with The Bleacher Report about each team's best trade bait and what they might bring in return. Click on this link to read the story. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1655745-updating-each-mlb-teams-biggest-trade-asset-heading-into-june Jason said Detroit's best trade bait is Toledo Mud Hens outfielder Nick Castellanos and the best way for him to help the Tigers would be to bring a impact corner outfielder to Detroit in a trade. Mr. Martinez must be talking about replacing Andy Dirks, because he can't be talking about Torii Hunter. Hunter is hitting .312 with 15 doubles, two homeruns and 23 RBI's, not numbers you need to replace. Dirks, on the other hand is hitting .247 with four doubles, five homers and 16 RBI's, still, not horrible numbers but apparently something the Tigers need to replace in his opinion. In their last ten games Hunter is hitting even better; .325 with three doubles, a homerun, two RBI's, four walks and nine strikeouts. Dirks is hitting .214 with 1 double, one RBI, one walk and nine strikeouts. So again it must be Dirks that we are talking about trading. The question then becomes, who should the Tigers try to get in return? The outfielders listed in Jason's article were Corey Hart with Milwaukee, Josh Willingham with the Twins and Michael Morse with Seattle.
Corey Hart, 31, has not played this season after off season knee surgery. His 2012 stats were .270 with 35 doubles, 30 homeruns, 83 RBI's 44 walks and 151 strikeouts. However, who knows what type of player he'll be when he returns. The Brewers think he will be ready to start a rehab assignment in the next week or two but they are not positive. The Tigers do not need to trade for a player who will be coming off an injury and therefore an unknown quantity. One need look no further than Victor Martinez to see the impact a knee injury can have on a player and Detroit doesn't need that headache. In addition Hart is making ten million dollars this season and will be a free agent when the season is over. I don't think the Tigers need to trade a good minor league prospect for an injured player that will most likely be a partial season rental player.
Willingham is hitting .211 with ten doubles, ten homeruns, 29 RBI's, 33 walks and 57 strikeouts. In his last ten he is .210 with one double, two homeruns, six RBI's, six walks and eleven strikeouts. Willingham is 34 years old and I wonder if his age will start to catch up to him as this season wears on, although he could be another version of former teammate, Hunter. a .211 average is nothing to write home about in fact it is even less then Dirks and I'm sure Dirks is a better defensive outfielder then Willingham. Willingham is making seven million dollars this season and is scheduled to make another seven million next year before becoming a free agent after the 2014 season. So if the Tigers did acquire him in a trade, which I think is unlikely because the Twins wouldn't trade to a team in their own division, at least it wouldn't be a half season rental.
Morse, who is also 31, is hitting .254 with four doubles, eleven homeruns, 21 RBI's, 15 walks and 46 strikeouts. In his last ten games he is .228 with one homerun, four RBI's, four walks and seven strikeouts. He is making 6.75 million dollars this year and will be a free agent after the season, again another case of a rental player, this one a little cheaper then Willingham but not by much. He has the best average and the most homeruns of the three players this year. The Mariners are already 11-1/2 games back in the American League and aren't likely to make a run at the playoffs so come July they are going to be unloading contracts and looking for cheap, young players to fill the holes. This is just the scenario the Tigers are looking for. While I don't think that Morse is the best solution to this problem, in fact I'm not entirely sure there is a problem, he might fill a spot on the Tigers roster in their run to the post season.
Are there any other areas the Tigers might need to shore up at the trade deadline? I think the obvious choice is the closer spot. There have been thousands of words written about Jose Valverde and his troubles last year, including a post in this blog and the Tigers signed him anyway. Valverde has blown two save already this season, both in the last two weeks, and it might be time to end this experiment. If the Tigers do decide to get rid of Valverde then who becomes the closer? The obvious choice would be Bruce Rondon, currently the closer in Toledo. He started the season in Detroit but after a few bad outings was sent back to the Mud Hens. Since returning to AAA Rondon is 1-1 with a 0.84 ERA. He has ten saves and has giving up nine hits, eleven walks and 26 strikeouts in 21-1/3 innings. Good stats but still a few too many walks. He has made significant progress for someone with little AAA and Major League experience. If Leyland and Dombrowski decide to go a different direction then where would they go? Joaquin Benoit would be a good choice he is 1-0 with two saves, a 1.88 ERA, 16 hits, eight walks and 29 strikeouts in 24 innings of work but it appears Tiger fans are stuck with Valverde for now. Dombrowski and Leyland have tabbed Rondon as the closer of the future and we just have to live with Valverde's ups and downs until Rondon is ready for the big time.
Corey Hart, 31, has not played this season after off season knee surgery. His 2012 stats were .270 with 35 doubles, 30 homeruns, 83 RBI's 44 walks and 151 strikeouts. However, who knows what type of player he'll be when he returns. The Brewers think he will be ready to start a rehab assignment in the next week or two but they are not positive. The Tigers do not need to trade for a player who will be coming off an injury and therefore an unknown quantity. One need look no further than Victor Martinez to see the impact a knee injury can have on a player and Detroit doesn't need that headache. In addition Hart is making ten million dollars this season and will be a free agent when the season is over. I don't think the Tigers need to trade a good minor league prospect for an injured player that will most likely be a partial season rental player.
Willingham is hitting .211 with ten doubles, ten homeruns, 29 RBI's, 33 walks and 57 strikeouts. In his last ten he is .210 with one double, two homeruns, six RBI's, six walks and eleven strikeouts. Willingham is 34 years old and I wonder if his age will start to catch up to him as this season wears on, although he could be another version of former teammate, Hunter. a .211 average is nothing to write home about in fact it is even less then Dirks and I'm sure Dirks is a better defensive outfielder then Willingham. Willingham is making seven million dollars this season and is scheduled to make another seven million next year before becoming a free agent after the 2014 season. So if the Tigers did acquire him in a trade, which I think is unlikely because the Twins wouldn't trade to a team in their own division, at least it wouldn't be a half season rental.
Morse, who is also 31, is hitting .254 with four doubles, eleven homeruns, 21 RBI's, 15 walks and 46 strikeouts. In his last ten games he is .228 with one homerun, four RBI's, four walks and seven strikeouts. He is making 6.75 million dollars this year and will be a free agent after the season, again another case of a rental player, this one a little cheaper then Willingham but not by much. He has the best average and the most homeruns of the three players this year. The Mariners are already 11-1/2 games back in the American League and aren't likely to make a run at the playoffs so come July they are going to be unloading contracts and looking for cheap, young players to fill the holes. This is just the scenario the Tigers are looking for. While I don't think that Morse is the best solution to this problem, in fact I'm not entirely sure there is a problem, he might fill a spot on the Tigers roster in their run to the post season.
Are there any other areas the Tigers might need to shore up at the trade deadline? I think the obvious choice is the closer spot. There have been thousands of words written about Jose Valverde and his troubles last year, including a post in this blog and the Tigers signed him anyway. Valverde has blown two save already this season, both in the last two weeks, and it might be time to end this experiment. If the Tigers do decide to get rid of Valverde then who becomes the closer? The obvious choice would be Bruce Rondon, currently the closer in Toledo. He started the season in Detroit but after a few bad outings was sent back to the Mud Hens. Since returning to AAA Rondon is 1-1 with a 0.84 ERA. He has ten saves and has giving up nine hits, eleven walks and 26 strikeouts in 21-1/3 innings. Good stats but still a few too many walks. He has made significant progress for someone with little AAA and Major League experience. If Leyland and Dombrowski decide to go a different direction then where would they go? Joaquin Benoit would be a good choice he is 1-0 with two saves, a 1.88 ERA, 16 hits, eight walks and 29 strikeouts in 24 innings of work but it appears Tiger fans are stuck with Valverde for now. Dombrowski and Leyland have tabbed Rondon as the closer of the future and we just have to live with Valverde's ups and downs until Rondon is ready for the big time.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
April in the "D"
Since my last post a lot has changed in the world, I spent a week in Florida where it was too cold and I couldn't even get to Lakeland to see a Tigers game. I found out I have to have rotator cuff surgery and will have my right arm immobilized for six weeks. Spring training ended and the regular season started for the Tigers, the NHL trade deadline came and went and The Red Wings didn't make a move. The Tigers signed an old friend and the Wings just can't seem to get any breathing room in the race for the playoffs. Every year when April rolls around Fox Sports Detroit calls it April in the "D" because of the start of the Tigers regular season, the start of the playoffs for the Red Wings and if their really lucky, playoffs for the Pistons. It is always a time of great hope in the hearts of Detroit fans, every year they believe this will be the year the Tigers win a World Series and the Wings will win another Stanley Cup, of course this is not often the case but April is always an expectant time in the "D".
I always start to get butterflies around this time, I can feel the playoffs and can't wait to see the Wings hoist another Cup, but this year not only is that unlikely to happen but their streak of 21 years of making the playoffs is in real jeopardy. The Wings can't catch a break and get a little breathing room in that seventh playoff spot. In their last eleven games they are 8-3 but still only six point ahead of the 13th place Dallas Stars. How am I supposed to feel secure going into my surgery if I can't even be sure the Wings are going to be playing come the end of April. What can Detroit do to increase their chances to see their playoff streak extend to 22 years? Well, the first thing is stop giving up goals! I know this sounds simplistic and it is but it also is the key to winning. With the Wings offense just not up to their usual levels their defense need to step up and shut down the opposition. The offense doesn't need to look up at the scoreboard and see they are behind because, unlike past years, this team just can't make big time comebacks. In the last eight games the Wings were a disgusting -42 as a team! That needs to change and change fast, they have started to get players back from injury and their defense is as healthy as it has ever been so they should be able to turn that around. The Wings haven't been known for a bruising defense but they are still giving teams a running start at their end, they need to start standing those forwards up and clogging the passing zones. The other team is still getting way to may chances around the net and Detroit's defense needs to do a better job of clearing out the crease. The forwards aren't above blame in this instance because they seem to be hanging around the blueline instead of collapsing to the net and helping the defense. The Wings also seem to have concrete in their skates and are getting beat to every loose puck, getting run down by defensemen on breakaways and just don't seem to be as fast as the other teams.
After not making any moves at the trade deadline the Wings announced the signing of coveted free agent defenseman Danny DeKeyser. He just finished his junior season at Western Michigan University and after going undrafted in this year's NHL entry draft, has much sought after by at least five teams. DeKeyser decided to sign with this boyhood favorite Red Wings and stay near his childhood home in southeastern Michigan. He is 6'3" and 205 lbs and amassed 12 goals, 37 assists for 49 points in 138 games for the Broncos. He will be a welcome addition to a defensive corps in need of a stay at home defensive presence, DeKeyser was named the CCHA defensive defensman of the year the last two seasons and should add another hitter to the Wings blueline. DeKeyser has already played two games and although hasn't made the stat sheet has played well for a young defenseman. Mike Babcock is showing confidence in him playing him in shorthanded situations. If the Wings can string a few wins together and get some of the other teams to lose then they should make the playoffs and once they enter the post season you can't tell what will happen. Of course Red Wings hockey isn't the only game in town right now and the other team for the Detroit fans to follow are the Tigers.
After the World Series appearance for Detroit last year expectations are high going into this season. They still have the reigning American League MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Victor Martinez is back from injury and with the addition of right fielder Torii Hunter the Tigers seem to have a potent lineup as least on paper. Now whether that will translate to success on the field, is another matter. There are still some questions that need to be answered as the season starts; Will the bats come alive unlike last year. Who will fill the closer role? How well will Martinez play this year and can the pitching staff match the success of last year?
Last season the Tigers looked like they would have a potent lineup and score a lot of runs but that never quite happened. The bats started the season as cold as the weather and except for some brief flares stayed that way. A team that I thought would be scoring ten runs a game were struggling to score five. This lack of offense effects every aspect of the game and everybody suffered because of it. Will 2013 be a replay of this or will their lineup live up to it potential? So far this season it seems to be the former in the Tigers six game so far they have scored a grand total of 24 runs an average of four a game, and that includes to game against the hated Yankees were they scored eight in each game. If you knock out those two games the Tigers have scored two runs a game. Of course it is early and the weather is cold but that is what we said last year and it never changed. Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera have all had good starts but just as last year it drops off precipitately. After those players Alex Avila is hitting .167 and Victor Martinez is hitting .143. Jhonny Peralta, another lightning rod for criticism in the off season because of lack of production, is hitting .250 and left fielder Andy Dirks is hitting .154. If that doesn't change this will be a long, long season for the Tigers and barring another late season swoon by Chicago or Minnesota they will miss the playoffs.
In my last post I wrote that Bruce Rondon had the inside track to be named the closer and it was his job to lose, well, that is exactly what he did. After a very shaky spring, where he showed a lot of wildness and lacked a strong second pitch, Jim Leyland decided to send him to Toledo for more seasoning. You have to remember that he had never pitched in the majors and had only eight AAA innings coming into this year. I'm not saying he won't be the closer of the future or even later this season perhaps, but he needs more experience at the higher levels of baseball. That said, it still doesn't answer the closer question. Leyland has said he is perfectly comfortable with a closer by committee approach, I however am not, the Tigers need to name a closer and stick with him. So much of the closer role is mental and a bullpen staff not being sure who will be called on in any game to close, doesn't allow them to mentally prepare. Dennis Eckersley and John Smoltz, both great closers and starters have said the mental preparation for closing a game is so much more important then the mental prep to start. If the mental aspect of closing isn't important then every MLB pitcher could do it and that has been proven time and time again to not be the case. Phil Coke has been called on in the two save situations so far this season and got the save in one and blew it in the other. After the blown save GM Dave Dombrowski announced the signing of 2012 Tigers closer Jose Valverde to a minor league contract. This was met with mixed reaction with fans upset at the signing and baseball insiders saying it was a smart move. According to reports Valverde has dropped 20 pounds, has regained velocity on his fastball and is looking more like the perfect Valverde of 2011 then the Valverde that pitched himself out of a job in the playoffs of 2012. The contract has an opt out clause for the Tigers, if they don't feel he will work out by May 5th then they can release him with no penalty and they are no worse off then now. If he can recapture the 2011 form when he was 43 for 43 in save opportunities then the Tigers can have a valuable piece of the puzzle that would allow then to return to the Fall Classic.
Another piece of that puzzle would be the play of Victor Martinez, if Martinez can play at the level he did in 2011. In 2012 after the opposition got through Prince Fielder the rest of the lineup was pretty easy. The return of Martinez will add another big bat to the middle of the lineup, further protecting Cabrera and Fielder. The season Martinez will have is anybody's guess, after missing the entire 2012 season with a knee injury he could go either way. He could return with a vengeance well rested and ready to go or he could be out of sorts and trying to catch up. If he is lagging behind it could be a long season for V-Mart and he will hear the questions from the press and maybe even the boos of the fans. If he is in 2011 form the Tigers could go deep into the post season. Of course hitting isn't the only issue for the Tigers they need their starters to be as good as they were last year.
On paper, a phrase you hear a lot in regards to the Tigers, Detroit has one of the best one-two punches in any rotation with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, a pretty good number three in Doug Fister but after that there are concerns. Anibal Sanchez needs to pitch as good as he did done the stretch and Rick Porcello need to prove that Leyland made the right decision in naming him the fifth starter. There shouldn't be any worries about Verlander and he should contend for the Cy Young award and the strikeout title. unless he has the worst season of his career. Verlander has had 17 wins or more in six of his seven seasons and this year should be no different, unless he has the worst season of his career. That gives the Tigers maybe the most feared number one pitcher in baseball, what about number two? MLB analyst and World Series champion catcher Tim McCarver said before the start of the season this year that he believes Max Scherzer will win the American League Cy Young Award. The 28 year Missouri native has pitched for the Tigers since 2010 and has averaged 14 wins, 196 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.89 in that span. 2012 was a break out year for Scherzer where he finished second to Verlander in strikeouts and had a career high in wins. We will see if he can build on that success this season and take it to the next level but I think a Cy Young season might be a little over optimistic but I hope I'm wrong. The third spot is more then ably held down by Doug Fister and he should have another good season, he has averaged 97 strikeouts and a minuscule 21 walks in his two seasons with Detroit and his strikeouts should only go up as his average ERA of 2.65 goes down. After Fister doubt creeps into the rotation Sanchez ended 2012 on a high note but struggled after his trade to Detroit ended the season with a 4-6 record, 3.74 ERA, 15 walks and 57 K's. There was a lot of chatter about Sanchez's fate in the off season but the Tigers decided he needed a full season with Detroit and signed him to five year deal worth $80 million, he will now need to prove that it was a wise choice and there isn't a better way to do that then good pitching. The biggest question in the rotation is Rick Porcello in the fifth spot. Porcello was the only Tiger pitcher, pitching a full season, that had a losing record, he had the highest ERA among the starters and gave up more hits then any other American League pitcher. In the off season he was dangled as trade bait and there were many, myself included, that said the Tigers would be better off without him. After much thought and the failure to get a decent trade offer, it was decided to have a competition between Porcello and Drew Smyly for the fifth spot, the loser ending up in Toledo. Porcello had a strong spring and won the job but he will be watched like a hawk every start and a few bad ones will restart this debate all over again. If the rotation can perform up to expectations then a good season might be the result.
Those are the highlights for April in the "D" the most exciting time to be a fan of Detroit sports. It is a time of great hope and great expectations and unless the Lions finally pull their heads out the only time of fulfilled expectations. So there is only one more thing to say: Go Red Wings and Go Tigers!
I always start to get butterflies around this time, I can feel the playoffs and can't wait to see the Wings hoist another Cup, but this year not only is that unlikely to happen but their streak of 21 years of making the playoffs is in real jeopardy. The Wings can't catch a break and get a little breathing room in that seventh playoff spot. In their last eleven games they are 8-3 but still only six point ahead of the 13th place Dallas Stars. How am I supposed to feel secure going into my surgery if I can't even be sure the Wings are going to be playing come the end of April. What can Detroit do to increase their chances to see their playoff streak extend to 22 years? Well, the first thing is stop giving up goals! I know this sounds simplistic and it is but it also is the key to winning. With the Wings offense just not up to their usual levels their defense need to step up and shut down the opposition. The offense doesn't need to look up at the scoreboard and see they are behind because, unlike past years, this team just can't make big time comebacks. In the last eight games the Wings were a disgusting -42 as a team! That needs to change and change fast, they have started to get players back from injury and their defense is as healthy as it has ever been so they should be able to turn that around. The Wings haven't been known for a bruising defense but they are still giving teams a running start at their end, they need to start standing those forwards up and clogging the passing zones. The other team is still getting way to may chances around the net and Detroit's defense needs to do a better job of clearing out the crease. The forwards aren't above blame in this instance because they seem to be hanging around the blueline instead of collapsing to the net and helping the defense. The Wings also seem to have concrete in their skates and are getting beat to every loose puck, getting run down by defensemen on breakaways and just don't seem to be as fast as the other teams.
After not making any moves at the trade deadline the Wings announced the signing of coveted free agent defenseman Danny DeKeyser. He just finished his junior season at Western Michigan University and after going undrafted in this year's NHL entry draft, has much sought after by at least five teams. DeKeyser decided to sign with this boyhood favorite Red Wings and stay near his childhood home in southeastern Michigan. He is 6'3" and 205 lbs and amassed 12 goals, 37 assists for 49 points in 138 games for the Broncos. He will be a welcome addition to a defensive corps in need of a stay at home defensive presence, DeKeyser was named the CCHA defensive defensman of the year the last two seasons and should add another hitter to the Wings blueline. DeKeyser has already played two games and although hasn't made the stat sheet has played well for a young defenseman. Mike Babcock is showing confidence in him playing him in shorthanded situations. If the Wings can string a few wins together and get some of the other teams to lose then they should make the playoffs and once they enter the post season you can't tell what will happen. Of course Red Wings hockey isn't the only game in town right now and the other team for the Detroit fans to follow are the Tigers.
After the World Series appearance for Detroit last year expectations are high going into this season. They still have the reigning American League MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Victor Martinez is back from injury and with the addition of right fielder Torii Hunter the Tigers seem to have a potent lineup as least on paper. Now whether that will translate to success on the field, is another matter. There are still some questions that need to be answered as the season starts; Will the bats come alive unlike last year. Who will fill the closer role? How well will Martinez play this year and can the pitching staff match the success of last year?
Last season the Tigers looked like they would have a potent lineup and score a lot of runs but that never quite happened. The bats started the season as cold as the weather and except for some brief flares stayed that way. A team that I thought would be scoring ten runs a game were struggling to score five. This lack of offense effects every aspect of the game and everybody suffered because of it. Will 2013 be a replay of this or will their lineup live up to it potential? So far this season it seems to be the former in the Tigers six game so far they have scored a grand total of 24 runs an average of four a game, and that includes to game against the hated Yankees were they scored eight in each game. If you knock out those two games the Tigers have scored two runs a game. Of course it is early and the weather is cold but that is what we said last year and it never changed. Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera have all had good starts but just as last year it drops off precipitately. After those players Alex Avila is hitting .167 and Victor Martinez is hitting .143. Jhonny Peralta, another lightning rod for criticism in the off season because of lack of production, is hitting .250 and left fielder Andy Dirks is hitting .154. If that doesn't change this will be a long, long season for the Tigers and barring another late season swoon by Chicago or Minnesota they will miss the playoffs.
In my last post I wrote that Bruce Rondon had the inside track to be named the closer and it was his job to lose, well, that is exactly what he did. After a very shaky spring, where he showed a lot of wildness and lacked a strong second pitch, Jim Leyland decided to send him to Toledo for more seasoning. You have to remember that he had never pitched in the majors and had only eight AAA innings coming into this year. I'm not saying he won't be the closer of the future or even later this season perhaps, but he needs more experience at the higher levels of baseball. That said, it still doesn't answer the closer question. Leyland has said he is perfectly comfortable with a closer by committee approach, I however am not, the Tigers need to name a closer and stick with him. So much of the closer role is mental and a bullpen staff not being sure who will be called on in any game to close, doesn't allow them to mentally prepare. Dennis Eckersley and John Smoltz, both great closers and starters have said the mental preparation for closing a game is so much more important then the mental prep to start. If the mental aspect of closing isn't important then every MLB pitcher could do it and that has been proven time and time again to not be the case. Phil Coke has been called on in the two save situations so far this season and got the save in one and blew it in the other. After the blown save GM Dave Dombrowski announced the signing of 2012 Tigers closer Jose Valverde to a minor league contract. This was met with mixed reaction with fans upset at the signing and baseball insiders saying it was a smart move. According to reports Valverde has dropped 20 pounds, has regained velocity on his fastball and is looking more like the perfect Valverde of 2011 then the Valverde that pitched himself out of a job in the playoffs of 2012. The contract has an opt out clause for the Tigers, if they don't feel he will work out by May 5th then they can release him with no penalty and they are no worse off then now. If he can recapture the 2011 form when he was 43 for 43 in save opportunities then the Tigers can have a valuable piece of the puzzle that would allow then to return to the Fall Classic.
Another piece of that puzzle would be the play of Victor Martinez, if Martinez can play at the level he did in 2011. In 2012 after the opposition got through Prince Fielder the rest of the lineup was pretty easy. The return of Martinez will add another big bat to the middle of the lineup, further protecting Cabrera and Fielder. The season Martinez will have is anybody's guess, after missing the entire 2012 season with a knee injury he could go either way. He could return with a vengeance well rested and ready to go or he could be out of sorts and trying to catch up. If he is lagging behind it could be a long season for V-Mart and he will hear the questions from the press and maybe even the boos of the fans. If he is in 2011 form the Tigers could go deep into the post season. Of course hitting isn't the only issue for the Tigers they need their starters to be as good as they were last year.
On paper, a phrase you hear a lot in regards to the Tigers, Detroit has one of the best one-two punches in any rotation with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, a pretty good number three in Doug Fister but after that there are concerns. Anibal Sanchez needs to pitch as good as he did done the stretch and Rick Porcello need to prove that Leyland made the right decision in naming him the fifth starter. There shouldn't be any worries about Verlander and he should contend for the Cy Young award and the strikeout title. unless he has the worst season of his career. Verlander has had 17 wins or more in six of his seven seasons and this year should be no different, unless he has the worst season of his career. That gives the Tigers maybe the most feared number one pitcher in baseball, what about number two? MLB analyst and World Series champion catcher Tim McCarver said before the start of the season this year that he believes Max Scherzer will win the American League Cy Young Award. The 28 year Missouri native has pitched for the Tigers since 2010 and has averaged 14 wins, 196 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.89 in that span. 2012 was a break out year for Scherzer where he finished second to Verlander in strikeouts and had a career high in wins. We will see if he can build on that success this season and take it to the next level but I think a Cy Young season might be a little over optimistic but I hope I'm wrong. The third spot is more then ably held down by Doug Fister and he should have another good season, he has averaged 97 strikeouts and a minuscule 21 walks in his two seasons with Detroit and his strikeouts should only go up as his average ERA of 2.65 goes down. After Fister doubt creeps into the rotation Sanchez ended 2012 on a high note but struggled after his trade to Detroit ended the season with a 4-6 record, 3.74 ERA, 15 walks and 57 K's. There was a lot of chatter about Sanchez's fate in the off season but the Tigers decided he needed a full season with Detroit and signed him to five year deal worth $80 million, he will now need to prove that it was a wise choice and there isn't a better way to do that then good pitching. The biggest question in the rotation is Rick Porcello in the fifth spot. Porcello was the only Tiger pitcher, pitching a full season, that had a losing record, he had the highest ERA among the starters and gave up more hits then any other American League pitcher. In the off season he was dangled as trade bait and there were many, myself included, that said the Tigers would be better off without him. After much thought and the failure to get a decent trade offer, it was decided to have a competition between Porcello and Drew Smyly for the fifth spot, the loser ending up in Toledo. Porcello had a strong spring and won the job but he will be watched like a hawk every start and a few bad ones will restart this debate all over again. If the rotation can perform up to expectations then a good season might be the result.
Those are the highlights for April in the "D" the most exciting time to be a fan of Detroit sports. It is a time of great hope and great expectations and unless the Lions finally pull their heads out the only time of fulfilled expectations. So there is only one more thing to say: Go Red Wings and Go Tigers!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Battles in Lakeland, as Spring Training Comes to a Close
With 15 days until opening day the Tigers still have some issues to resolve and some positions to nail down. The fifth starter spot with Rick Porcello battling against Drew Smyly, who will back up Andy Dirks in left field Quintin Berry or Jeff Kobernus and who will the closer be, Bruce Rondon or a closer by committee approach. If the Tigers can solve these issues and everything else works out then 2013 should be a year the Tigers can make another run at their first title since 1984.
The fifth starter spot is a key position and both Porcello and Smyly have made good cases for being named to that spot. Porcello has not walked a batter this spring and has fanned 17, while Smyly is on a nine inning scoreless streak and has a ERA of 2.00. With their play this spring both pitchers have made Jim Leyland's decision very hard. Leyland has said he gives more weight to a players track record rather than stats from the spring, where they might not face a whole lineup of Major League talent. Looking back at 2012 Porcello, who was the fifth starter, was 10-12 with an ERA of 4.59, walking 44 and striking out 107 in 176-1/3 innings of work. Smyly, on the other hand, working out of the bullpen and starting, was 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA, walked 33 and fanned 94 in 99-1/3 innings. If we break that down a little better to account for Porcello's larger number of innings it looks like this: Porcello has 5.6 innings per game, 1.4 walks per game, 3.5 strikeouts per game, .25 walks per inning and .61 strikeouts per inning. Smyly has 4.3 innings per game, 1.4 walks per game, 4.1 strikeouts per game, .33 walks per inning and .95 K's per inning. What do all these numbers mean? It means, Smyly is more of a strikeout pitcher then Porcello but Porcello walks less batters per inning. Of course this doesn't help much so looking even deeper, Porcello surrenders 1.28 hits per inning and .25 homers per game, while Smyly gives up .93 hits per inning and .50 homeruns per game. factoring these stats in I think that Leyland will keep Porcello as the fifth starter but he will have a short leash and Smyly will be there to pick up the slack as well as any injuries that effect the rotation. The rotation isn't the only area where the Tigers need to make some decisions.
How will the Tigers fill the closer role? Will they go with untested Bruce Rondon or a committee to close games? Rondon started out very wild this spring but has come on lately even fanning three batters on eight pitches in one game. Will his wildness be his undoing or will Leyland overlook it and write it off to nerves? Rondon had never thrown a Major League pitch before his first spring training appearance and only had eight AAA innings last year. MLB.com has named him the Tigers number two prospect but it would be out of character for Leyland to go with an untested player in such an important role, unless he's forced to by injury. So if Rondon isn't the guy then who will close this year? There are several pitchers that will combine to fill the role. Phil Coke, Octavio Dotel, Al Alburquerque, Darin Downs and Joaquin Benoit could all serve time in the closer role but I would expect the bulk of the work to fall on the shoulders of Alburquerque and Coke. Coke was the closer in the playoffs and did a great job, during the regular season he was the situational lefty but Downs or Duane Below could take over that role if Leyland wants to have Coke take the majority of the closer appearances. Dotel has been a closer in the past and could do it again for Detroit but Leyland might not want to move him from his position as the seventh inning guy. The same goes for Benoit as the eighth inning man. Alburquerque showed some wildness last year and in his last appearence this spring gave up four runs on one hit and three walks in 2/3 of an inning. If he can solve his control problems he can be a great closer but that remains to be seen. So either Rondon will step up or Leyland will work hard every game to decide who will close.
It appears Andy Dirks has won the starting left fielder position but the question remains who will back him up? The two candidates are Quintin Berry, the surprise of last year, and Jeff Kobernus, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox for second baseman Justin Henry. Both players have plus speed and decent gloves, the major difference is Berry's Major League experience. Kobernus has never played a regular season big league inning and Berry played himself onto the roster last year. In 2012 Berry hit .258 with two homeruns, 29 RBI's and 21 stolen bases. In 290 minor league games, Kobernus hit .279 with nine homeruns 115 RBI's and 29 stolen bases. I'm sure Leyland will go with Berry, the known quantity, but Kobernus will be in Toledo just waiting for Berry to have a bad start.
If the Tigers can provide answers to these issues and everybody stays healthy, the Tigers can make a deep run in the playoffs and maybe even get back to the World Series, which would be their third trip in seven years. The ultimate goal of all these moves is for Detroit to finally end their 29 year championship drought. If there ever was a city that deserves a championship it is Detroit and I hope this is the year that will happen.
The fifth starter spot is a key position and both Porcello and Smyly have made good cases for being named to that spot. Porcello has not walked a batter this spring and has fanned 17, while Smyly is on a nine inning scoreless streak and has a ERA of 2.00. With their play this spring both pitchers have made Jim Leyland's decision very hard. Leyland has said he gives more weight to a players track record rather than stats from the spring, where they might not face a whole lineup of Major League talent. Looking back at 2012 Porcello, who was the fifth starter, was 10-12 with an ERA of 4.59, walking 44 and striking out 107 in 176-1/3 innings of work. Smyly, on the other hand, working out of the bullpen and starting, was 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA, walked 33 and fanned 94 in 99-1/3 innings. If we break that down a little better to account for Porcello's larger number of innings it looks like this: Porcello has 5.6 innings per game, 1.4 walks per game, 3.5 strikeouts per game, .25 walks per inning and .61 strikeouts per inning. Smyly has 4.3 innings per game, 1.4 walks per game, 4.1 strikeouts per game, .33 walks per inning and .95 K's per inning. What do all these numbers mean? It means, Smyly is more of a strikeout pitcher then Porcello but Porcello walks less batters per inning. Of course this doesn't help much so looking even deeper, Porcello surrenders 1.28 hits per inning and .25 homers per game, while Smyly gives up .93 hits per inning and .50 homeruns per game. factoring these stats in I think that Leyland will keep Porcello as the fifth starter but he will have a short leash and Smyly will be there to pick up the slack as well as any injuries that effect the rotation. The rotation isn't the only area where the Tigers need to make some decisions.
How will the Tigers fill the closer role? Will they go with untested Bruce Rondon or a committee to close games? Rondon started out very wild this spring but has come on lately even fanning three batters on eight pitches in one game. Will his wildness be his undoing or will Leyland overlook it and write it off to nerves? Rondon had never thrown a Major League pitch before his first spring training appearance and only had eight AAA innings last year. MLB.com has named him the Tigers number two prospect but it would be out of character for Leyland to go with an untested player in such an important role, unless he's forced to by injury. So if Rondon isn't the guy then who will close this year? There are several pitchers that will combine to fill the role. Phil Coke, Octavio Dotel, Al Alburquerque, Darin Downs and Joaquin Benoit could all serve time in the closer role but I would expect the bulk of the work to fall on the shoulders of Alburquerque and Coke. Coke was the closer in the playoffs and did a great job, during the regular season he was the situational lefty but Downs or Duane Below could take over that role if Leyland wants to have Coke take the majority of the closer appearances. Dotel has been a closer in the past and could do it again for Detroit but Leyland might not want to move him from his position as the seventh inning guy. The same goes for Benoit as the eighth inning man. Alburquerque showed some wildness last year and in his last appearence this spring gave up four runs on one hit and three walks in 2/3 of an inning. If he can solve his control problems he can be a great closer but that remains to be seen. So either Rondon will step up or Leyland will work hard every game to decide who will close.
It appears Andy Dirks has won the starting left fielder position but the question remains who will back him up? The two candidates are Quintin Berry, the surprise of last year, and Jeff Kobernus, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox for second baseman Justin Henry. Both players have plus speed and decent gloves, the major difference is Berry's Major League experience. Kobernus has never played a regular season big league inning and Berry played himself onto the roster last year. In 2012 Berry hit .258 with two homeruns, 29 RBI's and 21 stolen bases. In 290 minor league games, Kobernus hit .279 with nine homeruns 115 RBI's and 29 stolen bases. I'm sure Leyland will go with Berry, the known quantity, but Kobernus will be in Toledo just waiting for Berry to have a bad start.
If the Tigers can provide answers to these issues and everybody stays healthy, the Tigers can make a deep run in the playoffs and maybe even get back to the World Series, which would be their third trip in seven years. The ultimate goal of all these moves is for Detroit to finally end their 29 year championship drought. If there ever was a city that deserves a championship it is Detroit and I hope this is the year that will happen.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Goodbye Brennan Boesch
Springtime in Florida and Arizona is quite often bittersweet our favorite players in uniform in the sun playing ball. Unfortunately, not everybody from last year is with the same team this year. I’m sure Angel’s fans are sad to see Torii Hunter go and Detroit fans are happy to see him arrive but with that arrival has to come the departure of someone else and this year that someone is Brennan Boesch. Boesch started off his Tigers career with a bang, in 2010 he hit a double off the wall on his first major league pitch. He was MLB Rookie of the Month for May and June, Tigers Player of the Month for June, topped all AL rookies with 14 homeruns and 67 RBI’s and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. In 2011 he hit .283 with 16 homeruns and 54 RBI’s before being sidelined with a torn ligament in his left hand. In 2012 his numbers went way down and he finished the season with a .240 average and 12 homeruns and 54 RBI’s. After the 2012 season the Tigers signed Torii Hunter making Boesch expendable, although Detroit signed Boesch anyway, to a one year deal worth $2.3 million.
There was lots of speculation, when Hunter was signed as to Boesch’s fate. Hunter hit .313 with 16 homers and 92 RBI’s for the Angels in 2012 but had more strikeouts and half as many walks as Boesch. The reasons given for the signing of Hunter was his defensive play. The sabremetrics stats used to measure this are: runs saved, defensive replacement value and balls reached. These stats say that Hunter is a much better defensive right fielder then Boesch and that put another nail in Boesch’s coffin. The Tigers had been trying to work out a trade for Boesch all spring, but did not get any offers they thought were fair and weren’t prepared to give him away. With Boesch’s poor performance in Lakeland this year, Detroit had the chance to send Boesch to AAA Toledo without having to clear waivers but in a testament to the depth of the Tigers minor league rosters, the decision was made to give him his outright release. The decision was made on Thursday because that was the last day Boesch would have been able to be released without the Tigers being on the hook for the whole $2.3 million they had just signed him for. As it stands Detroit will have to pay him $400,000 and any other Major League team would be able to pick him up without penalty. I wish Brennan all the luck in the world, he was one of my favorite Tiger players of late, and I hope he catches on with another team, as long as it’s a National League team
There was lots of speculation, when Hunter was signed as to Boesch’s fate. Hunter hit .313 with 16 homers and 92 RBI’s for the Angels in 2012 but had more strikeouts and half as many walks as Boesch. The reasons given for the signing of Hunter was his defensive play. The sabremetrics stats used to measure this are: runs saved, defensive replacement value and balls reached. These stats say that Hunter is a much better defensive right fielder then Boesch and that put another nail in Boesch’s coffin. The Tigers had been trying to work out a trade for Boesch all spring, but did not get any offers they thought were fair and weren’t prepared to give him away. With Boesch’s poor performance in Lakeland this year, Detroit had the chance to send Boesch to AAA Toledo without having to clear waivers but in a testament to the depth of the Tigers minor league rosters, the decision was made to give him his outright release. The decision was made on Thursday because that was the last day Boesch would have been able to be released without the Tigers being on the hook for the whole $2.3 million they had just signed him for. As it stands Detroit will have to pay him $400,000 and any other Major League team would be able to pick him up without penalty. I wish Brennan all the luck in the world, he was one of my favorite Tiger players of late, and I hope he catches on with another team, as long as it’s a National League team
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A $200 Million Pitcher?
Will the Tigers make Justin Verlander the first $200 million pitcher? He made comments in a recent interview with Jeff Passen about making 200 million dollars in his next deal. Verlander becomes a free agent after the 2014 season. Should Detroit or any other team, pay that much for a player that only plays once every fifth day? Some teams think so, in February 2013 Felix Hernandez signed a seven year contract extension with the Seattle Mariners worth $175 Million. In December 2012 Zach Greinke reached a six year deal worth $147 Million with the Dodgers. All three pitchers are similar both in age and stats so what would make Verlander worth $200 Million? Verlander has been an All-Star more times than Greinke and Hernandez put together. Justin was the Rookie of the year in 2006, AL MVP in 2011, the same year he won the Cy Young, threw his second no-hitter and won the pitching triple crown. That is a pretty impressive resume and I'm sure he thinks if Hernandez can make $175 Million with his body of work then $200 Million shouldn't be an issue.
Hernandez is four years younger, has a lower career ERA, more strikeouts, a Cy Young Award and has thrown a perfect game but no league MVP, no triple crown and he has less wins and more losses then Verlander. Greinke is one year younger then Verlander, he has less wins, more losses, a higher ERA and less strikeouts. Greinke is a one time All-Star and won the Cy Young Award. An examination of the reasons Hernandez and Greinke got such large contracts might be helpful to understand the reason Verlander would think Detroit would be interested in making him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
Seattle has made the post season four times in their history but haven’t been there in eleven years and haven’t been deep into the playoffs since losing to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series in 2001. The Mariners moved to their present home, Safeco Field, in 1999. The facility was paid for at tax payer expense and the Mariners have been trying to rebuild feelings after nearly moving the team. In other words the Mariners are looking to win and win now, at any cost. King Felix is the cornerstone of an otherwise weak pitching staff and the Mariners, who are trying to be relevant again, didn't have a choice in giving him a huge deal.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, are spending like money is going out of style in a quest to return their troubled franchise to prominence. The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988 and have missing the playoffs the last three years. The Dodgers have suffered several controversies including the divorce of owner Frank McCourt, the 2009 bankruptcy and the tragic 2011 beating of a Giants fan. All of these have tarnished the reputation of the storied franchise. The new owners, the Guggenheim Group, are trying to erase these images from the minds of baseball fans, with a win now attitude. The signing Greinke was just the latest step in that process. Greinke is just the latest addition to a pitching staff that boasts the likes of Josh Beckett, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang and 2011 Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. The rest of the Dodgers roster is also full of big names like Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. The Dodgers are obviously out to win it all and win as soon as possible. So we can see that the signings of Greinke and Hernandez were motivated by concerns of the franchise, do the Tigers have the same or similar issues?
Is Detroit in the same shoes as the Mariners or the Dodgers? I don’t think so, the Tigers have great fan relations and aren’t trying to earn back fans after a new stadium deal. The Tigers have made the playoffs the last two years and been to the World Series twice since 2006. Detroit is also not mired in any controversies and aren’t attempting to erase the memories of fans. They have a strong rotation, after Verlander, the Tigers have Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello. The rest of the roster is well stocked with big names including reigning AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez. If it isn't any of the reasons I have attributed to the Mariners or the Dodgers then what would posses the Tigers to pay $200 Million for a pitcher? The reason: Tiger fans deserve a World Championship they have waited patiently since 1984 and if any city needs a title it is Detroit and the key part of that title is good pitching and the key to good pitching for Detroit is Justin Verlander and Mike Ilitch, Dave Dombroskl and Jim Leyland know that Verlander is good for at least 17 wins a season and his pitching makes everybody else better and all those reasons are good enough to make Justin Verlander the highest paid pitcher in MLB history.
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