Tomorrow morning is the first day of work outs! In my mind Spring has arrived. The question in my eyes is "what will happen in April?" Can Detroit start out better than 0-7 this year? If I am right about last year the areas that need fixing are pitching and defense.
Pitchers are the start. Starters are the beginning. There are more informed analyses of what Detroit's guys can do or not do. Read here, here or here. I'm going to go with this for the starting 5:
Verlander
Galarraga
Bonderman
Jackson
Robertson
I must admit that choosing Robertson is more of an emotional choice than anything. I want to see him bounce back and I don't think he was as bad as his numbers indicated (if he was that bad he should be out of MLB). I really don't believe that Willis can pitch any more.
I think that it is impressive that Verlander was chosen to play for the USA team in the World Baseball classic. There were a lot of pitchers to chose from and they chose a guy who finished 2008 with an 11-17 record and 4.84 ERA. That tells me that he is much better than last year and is viewed as a All-Star pitcher. Let's hope he performs in the regular season to those All-Star expectations.
Bonderman is recovering from surgery but says he feels great.
Galarraga just got hot and kept on rolling last year. He earned another chance to prove his bona fides.
Edwin Jackson was 14-11 last year for the Tampa Bay Rays. He gives options and takes some of the pressure off.
Also showing up are Dontrelle Willis, who I still don't think can pitch effectively anymore. He says that he is ready to show us that 2008 was just a horrible, horrible nightmare that he has awoken from. He has until April 5 to prove it.
Fu-Te Ni was signed this Winter. He will play in the World Baseball Classic for Taiwan.
Zach Miner is also still out there. He could be the 5th starter or he could end up in the 'Pen. My guess is he bounces back and forth between the two as needed.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Mack Avenue Tigers
Kurt has resumed posting at Mack Avenue Tigers. This is another sign of spring returning through the cold snow.
Welcome back Kurt!
Welcome back Kurt!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Closing in on 2009
It is 19 above zero tonight, but it down in Lakeland Florida there are people getting ready for baseball - 2009 style. Of course I am hoping that 2009 style is significantly better than 2008 style.
I'm not sure what exactly to make of his comment, but Mike Ilitch isn't setting the bar very high this year when he tells us that 2009 is a "stabilizing year" and that next year they will be "very, very aggressive" (italics mine).
I'd like to take a look at what the Tigers have done in the past few months. This shouldn't take long because they did not do very much. I said throughout 2008 that the poor (porous) defense was really hurting the team- especially the starting pitchers. They often had to make 4 or even 5 outs per inning, which sent their pitch counts higher and turned the game over to the bullpen in the 5th or 6th inning. The bullpen was a known weakness before the season started and nothing really changed that perception.
So they did some things to fix the "D". Renteria was not asked back at shortstop. Instead we have Adam Everett who is a stud with a glove. That has to help. Once he and Placido have a little bit of time to get into sync I expect to see some slick double plays turned.
Next they put Brandon Inge back at third. Carlos Guillen will move (again) to Left Field. I like Inge at 3rd. He seems to get to balls and make plays that hardly anyone else can. He just seems to really enjoy the position and it is just an absolute blast to watch him play there. He is there as a defensive boost, not as an offensive threat (no matter what he believes).
Carlos Guillen moves out to Left. I am hopeful that this works out, but I'm not as confident about this as I am about Everett or Inge. Do you remember Bobby Higgenson's comment about "Comerica National Park"? He was in Left too. The wall was brought in to make it a little bit easier, but there is still a lot of territory to cover with Guillen's aches and pains.
So, I believe that the pitchers will have better back up. This should help them by converting more batted balls into outs. Innings should be shorter and arms fresher.
I think Cabrera will improve at 1st. Polanco will continue to be awesome at 2nd. Granderson will be more 2007 than 2008 and that will be good. Ordonez is getting older, I'm not sure how he will play out this year.
So, defensively, I think that the Tigers will be improved over last year. I really do think that this will be a key to helping the team to be competitive.
I'd like to look at the pitchers next time. Until then think warm, happy thoughts! 2 weeks until Spring Training 2009 begins!
I'm not sure what exactly to make of his comment, but Mike Ilitch isn't setting the bar very high this year when he tells us that 2009 is a "stabilizing year" and that next year they will be "very, very aggressive" (italics mine).
I'd like to take a look at what the Tigers have done in the past few months. This shouldn't take long because they did not do very much. I said throughout 2008 that the poor (porous) defense was really hurting the team- especially the starting pitchers. They often had to make 4 or even 5 outs per inning, which sent their pitch counts higher and turned the game over to the bullpen in the 5th or 6th inning. The bullpen was a known weakness before the season started and nothing really changed that perception.
So they did some things to fix the "D". Renteria was not asked back at shortstop. Instead we have Adam Everett who is a stud with a glove. That has to help. Once he and Placido have a little bit of time to get into sync I expect to see some slick double plays turned.
Next they put Brandon Inge back at third. Carlos Guillen will move (again) to Left Field. I like Inge at 3rd. He seems to get to balls and make plays that hardly anyone else can. He just seems to really enjoy the position and it is just an absolute blast to watch him play there. He is there as a defensive boost, not as an offensive threat (no matter what he believes).
Carlos Guillen moves out to Left. I am hopeful that this works out, but I'm not as confident about this as I am about Everett or Inge. Do you remember Bobby Higgenson's comment about "Comerica National Park"? He was in Left too. The wall was brought in to make it a little bit easier, but there is still a lot of territory to cover with Guillen's aches and pains.
So, I believe that the pitchers will have better back up. This should help them by converting more batted balls into outs. Innings should be shorter and arms fresher.
I think Cabrera will improve at 1st. Polanco will continue to be awesome at 2nd. Granderson will be more 2007 than 2008 and that will be good. Ordonez is getting older, I'm not sure how he will play out this year.
So, defensively, I think that the Tigers will be improved over last year. I really do think that this will be a key to helping the team to be competitive.
I'd like to look at the pitchers next time. Until then think warm, happy thoughts! 2 weeks until Spring Training 2009 begins!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Dear Santa....
Christmas is almost here and it is time to look at the list and check it twice for beleaguered Tigers.
Dear Santa,
You were soooooo good to us last year! You gave us Miguel Cabrerra and Edgar Renteria. We thought you had given us the American League on a platter. As you know it didn't quite work out that way so we are asking you for some more gifts this year. Dave Dombrowski has found a short stop and a catcher to help with the defense. They picked up a pitcher too, but it's hard to tell if he will be a starter or head to the bullpen.
So Santa, what we really need from you right now are some pitchers. Some good pitchers so we can feel a little bit better about 2009. You see, we have hitters. We have Ordonez, Granderson, Cabrerra, Thames, Sheffield and Guillen. It isn't about scoring runs. It's about keeping the other team from scoring runs. So we need a closer, because Rodney just scares me so much. My hands shake so much that I can't put ornaments on the tree if I think about him coming to the mound with less than a 5 run lead. So yes, a real bona-fide closer would be great for Christmas this year. And maybe someone to take over in the 7th inning for the starters. Someone who won't allow baserunners to score very often. Someone like the 2006 version of Rodney.
Perhaps Santa you could give us a healthy Joel Zumaya. Wrap him in bubble wrap and put him in a big box with a bow on it that says "Do not open until Opening Day" so nothing hurts him again. You could put Bonderman in there with him, just in case.
By the way, have we said "Thank you!!" enough for Galarraga? Probably not, but that little stocking stuffer was the second best gift of the year for Tiger fans. I still remember his debut against the Indians when he was mowing them down like my kid goes through cupcakes. Then he did it again, and again, and again. The gift that just keeps giving! I can only hope he does as well this year. The stats say a repeat is unlikely, but this is the time of year to wish and dream so I will!
So, just to re-cap Dear St. Nick, here is what we would like for Christmas this year: pitchers, pitchers, pitchers. ERA's somewhere south of 4.0 would be nice.
Please enjoy the cookies under the tree.
Signed,
Joe (and all Tigers' fans)
ps: I still want to believe!!!!
Dear Santa,
You were soooooo good to us last year! You gave us Miguel Cabrerra and Edgar Renteria. We thought you had given us the American League on a platter. As you know it didn't quite work out that way so we are asking you for some more gifts this year. Dave Dombrowski has found a short stop and a catcher to help with the defense. They picked up a pitcher too, but it's hard to tell if he will be a starter or head to the bullpen.
So Santa, what we really need from you right now are some pitchers. Some good pitchers so we can feel a little bit better about 2009. You see, we have hitters. We have Ordonez, Granderson, Cabrerra, Thames, Sheffield and Guillen. It isn't about scoring runs. It's about keeping the other team from scoring runs. So we need a closer, because Rodney just scares me so much. My hands shake so much that I can't put ornaments on the tree if I think about him coming to the mound with less than a 5 run lead. So yes, a real bona-fide closer would be great for Christmas this year. And maybe someone to take over in the 7th inning for the starters. Someone who won't allow baserunners to score very often. Someone like the 2006 version of Rodney.
Perhaps Santa you could give us a healthy Joel Zumaya. Wrap him in bubble wrap and put him in a big box with a bow on it that says "Do not open until Opening Day" so nothing hurts him again. You could put Bonderman in there with him, just in case.
By the way, have we said "Thank you!!" enough for Galarraga? Probably not, but that little stocking stuffer was the second best gift of the year for Tiger fans. I still remember his debut against the Indians when he was mowing them down like my kid goes through cupcakes. Then he did it again, and again, and again. The gift that just keeps giving! I can only hope he does as well this year. The stats say a repeat is unlikely, but this is the time of year to wish and dream so I will!
So, just to re-cap Dear St. Nick, here is what we would like for Christmas this year: pitchers, pitchers, pitchers. ERA's somewhere south of 4.0 would be nice.
Please enjoy the cookies under the tree.
Signed,
Joe (and all Tigers' fans)
ps: I still want to believe!!!!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Why not?
What do the Tigers' need to be competitive in 2009?
Well, as I've discussed all year and others have too, they need pitching and defense. Maybe I'm crazy, but would Randy Johnson fit the bill for pitching?
In 2008, pitching for Arizona, he was 11-10 with an ERA of 3.91. I know, ERA isn't the best indicator of ability. How about WHIP of 1.239? That is better than everyone on the '08 Tigers' staff except Galarraga. He had 173 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched (8.46 K/9) and only 44 walks (2.15 BB/9). Of course he also gave up a hit per inning so he can't afford to have too many other guys on base ahead of the guy getting the hit. His HR/9 1.17 which seems a little high (but it's better than 1.61 isn't it Mr. Robertson).
I don't know if he would do as well against American League hitting. On the other hand this is Randy Johnson! When he pitched for the Yankees a couple of years ago his WHIP was comparable (but his ERA was higher). His W/L record for the Yankees was 34 and 19 over those two years, so he must have been doing something right.
It's only a thought. The Diamondbacks can't afford him and he wants to pitch. I think that the Tigers could do much worse. Maybe he and Sheffield can get their milestones on the same team in the same season!
Well, as I've discussed all year and others have too, they need pitching and defense. Maybe I'm crazy, but would Randy Johnson fit the bill for pitching?
In 2008, pitching for Arizona, he was 11-10 with an ERA of 3.91. I know, ERA isn't the best indicator of ability. How about WHIP of 1.239? That is better than everyone on the '08 Tigers' staff except Galarraga. He had 173 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched (8.46 K/9) and only 44 walks (2.15 BB/9). Of course he also gave up a hit per inning so he can't afford to have too many other guys on base ahead of the guy getting the hit. His HR/9 1.17 which seems a little high (but it's better than 1.61 isn't it Mr. Robertson).
I don't know if he would do as well against American League hitting. On the other hand this is Randy Johnson! When he pitched for the Yankees a couple of years ago his WHIP was comparable (but his ERA was higher). His W/L record for the Yankees was 34 and 19 over those two years, so he must have been doing something right.
It's only a thought. The Diamondbacks can't afford him and he wants to pitch. I think that the Tigers could do much worse. Maybe he and Sheffield can get their milestones on the same team in the same season!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Dimitri Young going down again...
I just saw this and thought I would post on it.
Dimitri Young played for the Tigers until 2006 when he sort imploded into a public and private hell. He got a fresh start with the Nationals and became Come Back Player of the Year in 2007. I sort of lost track of him after that. Now it looks like Washington has sent him to their AAA club.
I really hope he turns it around again.
He is a career .292/ .351/ .475 hitter
Dimitri Young played for the Tigers until 2006 when he sort imploded into a public and private hell. He got a fresh start with the Nationals and became Come Back Player of the Year in 2007. I sort of lost track of him after that. Now it looks like Washington has sent him to their AAA club.
I really hope he turns it around again.
He is a career .292/ .351/ .475 hitter
And now for something completely different...
No baseball for now. There are lots of trade rumors flying around. Tis the season for that kind of stuff and we all know that the Tigers are going to do something- we just don't really know what. We'll just have to wait and see what Mr. Dombrowski actually does (or doesn't do).
No, let's venture out a little. It's November 5th. I was up until 1 o'clock this morning watching the presidential election and the aftermath. It was quite a night. I remember 2000. I was working 2nd shift in Canada and couldn't watch on TV, but the internet was starting to matter and I was trying to follow the election that way. I remember hitting the refresh button over and over again and being surprised that Florida kept changing. Little did I know the drama that was starting to unfold over hanging chads and butterfly ballots and the apparent inability of the citizens of Florida to complete this most fundamental of democratic tasks- vote for the candidate of their choice. Back then the 'net was not the best way to follow an election.
This time around I used both the internet and TV. I am a junkie and I was getting my 4 year fix. I don't mess around with Fox or CNN on TV. No way. I go straight to PBS. Give it to me straight and don't muddle it up with silly holograms or fancy computerized displays. On the 'net I was bouncing back and forth between the Washington Post and NPR. I noticed that the Post was playing it very conservative when calling states. They were always slower to call a state one way or the other than either PBS or NPR. I'm guessing they relied less on exit polls and more on actual ballot counts? Who knows.
Yesterday's election was different for me. It was the first time I have ever voted for a Democrat in my life. I guess I was just not convinced that McCain was the guy. I used to think he was. I voted for him in 2000. I hoped he would run against Bush in 2004 but he waited until this year. But, except for the military stuff I just couldn't see him leading. I saw him following his advisors on economic stuff and following the GOP base on social stuff. Strange as this may be, I expect the President to lead. One of my biggest beefs with G. W. Bush is that he seems to abdicate way too much to others (especially Cheney and Rumsfeld until he fired him). Obama looks like someone who leads. He controlled his campaign and it reflected his style. I guess we'll find out in about 80 days.
I honestly don't know if he can control his party. That will be his toughest challenge. I remember how the Chinese challenged the Bush administration very early (remember when they forced a US intelligence plane down?) I'm sure that nations will challenge Obama also and he'll have to figure out how to react. I'm not sure you can really prepare for that in advance, so you can judge a person for not doing it already.
If Obama can control Pelosi and Reid then he has a chance to be the uniter he talks about being. I listed to Obama's speech last night and was very impressed. Yet, I remember G. W. Bush saying almost exactly the same things and then walking away from it. I hope Obama has the balls to remind Pelosi and Reid just how he got to where he is and makes them fall into line or they will tear it all apart in an effort to right all of the slights and wrongs they feel.
I don't feel like I was in a "Throw the bums out" mood yesterday. I just didn't feel as though the GOP had answers right now. Newt Gingrich has great ideas, but nobody listens to him unless they watch him on C-SPAN (like I do). I am probably more conservative than most people reading this in many ways, but is the GOP? They spend money like it's water. They don't even pretend to care about a balanced budget anymore. They put more and more federal programs into place (Perscriptions? No Child Left Behind?). And, seriously, don't get me started about the shredding of the Bill of Rights in the name of the War on Terror. There is nothing conservative about any of those things. There is pandering and fear mongering. There is a Department of Justice that became a fraternity house, with rush events and blackballing just like college. The GOP fought for the end to abortion (a very good and important thing) but never really said a word about torture of people.
No, I wasn't throwing the bums out. I was choosing a better option. I hope we made the right choice. I hope that Obama is able to live up to even 1/3 of the ridiculously high expectations being put on him. I hope that in 2 years the GOP has figured out how to get its head out of its collective ass and run candidates who are focused on making life better for everyone and not just the few who are the "base". If they don't then people like me (evangelical, conservative but not listening to what Dobson, Limbaugh, et al tell me to think) will continue to seek alternatives. I don't know who those alternatives are, but there probably won't be an "R" next to their names.
Next time we look at base ball again. Here hoping that Dombrowski finds some pitching! Go Tigers!
No, let's venture out a little. It's November 5th. I was up until 1 o'clock this morning watching the presidential election and the aftermath. It was quite a night. I remember 2000. I was working 2nd shift in Canada and couldn't watch on TV, but the internet was starting to matter and I was trying to follow the election that way. I remember hitting the refresh button over and over again and being surprised that Florida kept changing. Little did I know the drama that was starting to unfold over hanging chads and butterfly ballots and the apparent inability of the citizens of Florida to complete this most fundamental of democratic tasks- vote for the candidate of their choice. Back then the 'net was not the best way to follow an election.
This time around I used both the internet and TV. I am a junkie and I was getting my 4 year fix. I don't mess around with Fox or CNN on TV. No way. I go straight to PBS. Give it to me straight and don't muddle it up with silly holograms or fancy computerized displays. On the 'net I was bouncing back and forth between the Washington Post and NPR. I noticed that the Post was playing it very conservative when calling states. They were always slower to call a state one way or the other than either PBS or NPR. I'm guessing they relied less on exit polls and more on actual ballot counts? Who knows.
Yesterday's election was different for me. It was the first time I have ever voted for a Democrat in my life. I guess I was just not convinced that McCain was the guy. I used to think he was. I voted for him in 2000. I hoped he would run against Bush in 2004 but he waited until this year. But, except for the military stuff I just couldn't see him leading. I saw him following his advisors on economic stuff and following the GOP base on social stuff. Strange as this may be, I expect the President to lead. One of my biggest beefs with G. W. Bush is that he seems to abdicate way too much to others (especially Cheney and Rumsfeld until he fired him). Obama looks like someone who leads. He controlled his campaign and it reflected his style. I guess we'll find out in about 80 days.
I honestly don't know if he can control his party. That will be his toughest challenge. I remember how the Chinese challenged the Bush administration very early (remember when they forced a US intelligence plane down?) I'm sure that nations will challenge Obama also and he'll have to figure out how to react. I'm not sure you can really prepare for that in advance, so you can judge a person for not doing it already.
If Obama can control Pelosi and Reid then he has a chance to be the uniter he talks about being. I listed to Obama's speech last night and was very impressed. Yet, I remember G. W. Bush saying almost exactly the same things and then walking away from it. I hope Obama has the balls to remind Pelosi and Reid just how he got to where he is and makes them fall into line or they will tear it all apart in an effort to right all of the slights and wrongs they feel.
I don't feel like I was in a "Throw the bums out" mood yesterday. I just didn't feel as though the GOP had answers right now. Newt Gingrich has great ideas, but nobody listens to him unless they watch him on C-SPAN (like I do). I am probably more conservative than most people reading this in many ways, but is the GOP? They spend money like it's water. They don't even pretend to care about a balanced budget anymore. They put more and more federal programs into place (Perscriptions? No Child Left Behind?). And, seriously, don't get me started about the shredding of the Bill of Rights in the name of the War on Terror. There is nothing conservative about any of those things. There is pandering and fear mongering. There is a Department of Justice that became a fraternity house, with rush events and blackballing just like college. The GOP fought for the end to abortion (a very good and important thing) but never really said a word about torture of people.
No, I wasn't throwing the bums out. I was choosing a better option. I hope we made the right choice. I hope that Obama is able to live up to even 1/3 of the ridiculously high expectations being put on him. I hope that in 2 years the GOP has figured out how to get its head out of its collective ass and run candidates who are focused on making life better for everyone and not just the few who are the "base". If they don't then people like me (evangelical, conservative but not listening to what Dobson, Limbaugh, et al tell me to think) will continue to seek alternatives. I don't know who those alternatives are, but there probably won't be an "R" next to their names.
Next time we look at base ball again. Here hoping that Dombrowski finds some pitching! Go Tigers!
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