Anthony's Song (Moving Out)

Hello members of the Tigerosphere! I have some exciting news. As of Today, I have launched a new blog. In the future you will find my posts, ramblings, and other general non-sense about the world of Tigers baseball at my new site: Tigers Tracks. Anyone who currently has this site on their bookmarks or blogroll, thank you, and please update to http://tigerstracks.com.

The move to a new platform will allow my site to grow in ways that blogger simply cannot support. I have a lot of exciting plans for the growth and development of Tigers Tracks, but you will also find some of the old stuff, too.

I have already imported all of the content from this site, and I will leave Always A Tiger up to allow for the links that some of you have used to continue to work.

Special kudos to anyone who "gets" the title to this post. Leave a comment, I'll keep checking back. In the meantime, I'm off to continue work getting Tigers Tracks up to speed. Stop over and say "Hi".

Mid-Summer Classic is Just That

The All-Star game has always been one of my favorite parts of the season. Actually the pre-game festivities really more than anything else. I never, ever miss the pregame introductions. Seeing all the great players together on one field is really what makes this game matter, not the home-field advantage that is attached to the outcome.

Don't misunderstand, when the 2002 game was called a tie, I felt robbed. I had invested something like five hours into watching that game, just to have all the drama of an extra-inning affair with no available reserves jerked out from under me. So anything that prevents another travesty like that one from recurring is surely welcomed. That being said, the game itself has always kind of been secondary.

The 1999 game in Boston still holds the highest place in my heart. Several sites since have tried to create the magic that happened before the that game, but have fallen well short. I don't know the back-story, nor do I need to know it. All I know is that watching all those incredible players huddling around Ted Williams, just trying to get a chance to talk to him or shake his hand was amazing.

That scene allowed us, the fans, to see the other side of our favorite players. It was so cool to see guys like Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Jeff Bagwell showing so much respect and adoration for a player of Williams' stature.

I have written that the fans should not be allowed to vote, that the players and coaches should be selecting the All-Star teams, perhaps I was wrong. This game is about the fans. It's about the players past and present being fans themselves. It's about feel-good stories like Brandon Inge and Josh Hamilton. It's about recognizing the greatness of Derek Jeter and Roy Halladay. And it's also about shining a light on unfamiliar names like Nelson Cruz and Aaron Hill.

Watching the interview with Hamilton last night, who had been my poster boy for taking the fan vote away, clued me in maybe more than anything else. Hamilton's numbers this year certainly don't make any kind of a case fore his inclusion on this year's team.

He has missed significant time, and not played all that well when he was on the field, but after listening to Hamilton I realized that I wanted to see him play. I recall his performance last year, I know his story. If this guy isn't an All-Star, I don't know who is.

The All-Star game is about seeing all the great players at once, on the same field. Their greatness can be defined in many different ways. You can have players having breakout years whose numbers put them in the game more than their name. You can have players whose name puts them in the game, because even if they are having down years, they are the stars that drive the sport.

You can even have players who are past their prime, who are included simply to recognize the great careers they have amassed. All of that is okay. In fact that is exactly why the game is important, much more so than deciding home-field for the World Series.

For a few nights in the middle of the season, you can put away the standings, you can stop fretting over your under-performing right fielder, you can stop worrying about which name might next be revealed as a steroid user. For a few nights you can enjoy the greatness of the players on those rosters and remember that this is a game, in its purest form, with its greatest players all on one field.

I Don't Know, I Don't Get It

There was a reason Fernando Rodney began to warm up in the eighth inning of last night's 5-1 win over Cleveland. Joel Zumaya had just left the game with a cut on his thumb, and Bobby Seay couldn't find the strike zone upon his arrival to the mound. Brandon Lyon had already been throwing and appeared ready to go when Rodney began lightly throwing.

Seay managed to get out of the inning with the lead intact at 3-1, so Lyon, again, who was already warm, and Rodney remained in the 'pen. Country Strong Marcus Thames extended the lead to four in the bottom of the inning with a two-run bomb. At this point the strategy is simple; sit Rodney down and bring in Lyon for the ninth.

That's not what Jim Leyland did. Rodney continued to warm while Lyon took a seat.

Enter Rodney for the ninth, with a four run lead, in a non-save situation, and hang on tightly.

Trouble began immediately when Brandon Inge, all-star, bounced a throw to first that Miguel Cabrera failed to scoop. Rodney then walked the next hitter on four pitches. Eventually Cleveland loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate, which of course had to be Grady Sizemore, probably the only hitter in Cleveland's lineup who absolutely terrifies you in that situation.

Rodney managed to retire Sizemore and the game ended, no harm, no foul, right? Right? Wrong!!!

Look, we have all seen this movie 1000 times. Every non-save that Rodney pitches in works this way. Why, why, why does Jim Leyland continue to do this to us?

Two things here, Rodney did not need work. He had pitched in three straight games prior to yesterday's off day, so he could have used another day off. Secondly, again, Lyon had already warmed up and was ready to go. The second that ball left Thames' bat, Gene Lamont should have been on the phone to Jeff Jones telling him to sit Rodney down and get Lyon back up.

Now you have a rested Lyon for tomorrow, but Rodney threw a ton of pitches (28 to be exact) and has pitched in four straight games with two more coming before the break. When you factor in the injury to Zumaya, it's possible he could miss the next couple games, so you'd be looking at having to use Lyon to close in one of the next two games.

All of this could have been avoided if Leyland had the foresight to keep his closer in the bullpen when the game was not on the line in the ninth. That is exactly where he should have been to a)prevent a near heart attack from Tiger fans, and b) make sure he could pitch the final two games if needed.

Leyland did what Leyland does and Rodney did what Rodney does. Why do we expect differing results?

Inge Going to St. Louis

MLB announced yesterday that Brandon Inge of the Tigers and Shane Victorino of the Phillies were the winners of the All-Star game final vote and will be added to the rosters.

Inge will join Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson in representing Detroit in this year's game. It will be the first selection for Inge, Granderson, and Jackson. Verlander is making his second appearance.

The final vote began Sunday afternoon and ended Thursday at 4pm. During that span, Inge amassed over 11 million votes, edging out the Rangers' Ian Kinsler. Inge's total set a new record for most votes received by an AL player. Victorino got over 15 million votes to set an overall record as well.

The outpouring of public support for Inge was amazing. I have to wonder if any other Tiger would have received the same type of support. I'd like to say yes, but would everyone have pushed as hard as they did if it were say, Gerald Laird or Placido Polanco that were on the final ballot? Or even Miguel Cabrera?

Inge's place in the hearts of Tiger fans is one that no other player has. No current Tiger has been here longer. He was there in 2003, as a light hitting catcher for the worst team in AL history. He lost his job when Pudge Rodriguez came aboard and learned to play all over the field to stay in the big leagues.

After becoming a mainstay at third base for a couple years, his poor hitting combined with the trade for Cabrera cost him yet another everyday job, and before last year ended, he was back behind the plate.

The offensive prowess he has shown this year has been the biggest surprise of this season for Detroit, and maybe in all of baseball. His flashy defense keeps him on the national highlight reels nearly every night, and has helped vault these Tigers to first place.

It's just kind of funny, with all the effort that seemingly everyone put into getting Inge to the All-Star game, I guess it sorta feels like we're all going. That "we" won this thing. I've never seen anything like this before.

All the bloggers pushing every reader to vote, the Tigers throwing in the contest with the on-field experience and making the deal with the Phillies to market Inge and Victorino together. All the tales of people voting 500-600 times each, effectively crashing MLB.com. It really is overwhelming.

It was a total group effort from the team to the fans to put Inge on that plane to St. Louis. The Little Inge that Could, did. Our Special Little Guy is an All-Star. We did that for him. After all he has given to us over the course of his career, it was the least we could do. I've never been more proud to be a Tigers fan.

Tigers By the Numbers: Alan Trammell

Tigers by the Numbers is my weekly(ish) feature where I will profile a current or former Tiger that wore each uniform number. This project was inspired by my quest to find jerseys for each of my sons corresponding to their age. This being the third installment, today we present number three.

To recap, in case you have missed the first two, Lou Whitaker opened my list, followed by Charlie Gehringer. Though I did consider throwing you all a curve and using Gary Sutherland (2B 1974-1976) here, I will instead offer perhaps the most predictable entry to this list; Alan Trammell.

No. 3 Alan Trammell played shortstop for 20 seasons for the Detroit Tigers. He teamed with second baseman Lou Whitaker to form the longest running double-play combination in major league history.

Drafted in the second round of the 1976 amateur draft, Trammell made a quick rise through the minors, playing only 196 games prior to his debut. He was named the MVP of the Southern League in 1977.

On September 9, 1977 Detroit fans got their first glimpse of what they would watch for the next 19 seasons. In the second game of a double header against Boston, Trammell played shortstop, along side Whitaker, who also made his debut in that game. Trammell batted ninth and went 2 for 3 while scoring a run.

In 1978, Trammell took over as the everyday shortstop for the Tigers and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, ironically, behind Whitaker, who won the award. Two seasons later, Trammell was selected to his first All-Star game, he hit .300 for the first time and won his first gold glove.

As the young Tigers continued to improve in the early 80s, so did Trammell. Following a disappointing 1982 season, he was named the Comeback Player of the Year in 1983, when he hit .319 with an .856 OPS.

1984 came in with a bang as the Tigers raced out to a 35-5 record to start the year. By the time the dust had settled in October, the Tigers had won the World Series over the San Diego Padres. Although most will recall Kirk Gibson's home runs, it was Trammell that took home the series MVP, as he posted a .450 average with two home runs and six RBI.

The next time Trammell played in the post-season would be his last. In 1987, the Tigers battled the Toronto Blue Jays to the final day of the season before earning the divisional crown. Trammell had his best season that year, finishing second to Toronto's George Bell for the league MVP, he batted .343 with a career high 28 home runs and 105 RBI on the season.

Unfortunately, Trammell's successes did not carry over to the playoffs, as he had just a .488 OPS as the Tigers were bounced by the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS.

Injuries began to take their toll on Trammell in the early 1990s, costing him much of the 1991 and almost all of the 1992 seasons. During that time, a young infielder named Travis Fryman took over at short. When Trammell finally returned to full-time duty, his job was in jeopardy.

Beginning with the 1993 season, Trammell never again played more than 63 games in one season at shortstop. Over his final four years, he saw action at third base, at all three outfield spots, and even played 11 games at second following the retirement of Whitaker.

By the time Trammell hung up the spikes in 1996, only Ty Cobb and Al Kaline had played more seasons in the Old English D. But perhaps no one was more beloved.

Seven years after his playing days ended, Trammell returned to Detroit as the team's manager. The organization was in the midst of an overhaul, and bringing back Trammell, along with adding Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish to the coaching staff, was in part designed to bring fans to the games.

In his first year, the Tigers were historically bad, finishing with a 43-119 record. The worst season in American League history. Although the team improved dramatically over the next season and a half, a poor finish to the 2005 season lead to speculation that Trammell had lost his team. He was fired one day after the final game of that year.

Trammell has yet to receive much in the way of support for his Hall of Fame candidacy, with his highest totals coming this year, at just 18 percent of the vote. By all rights however, he had a Hall of Fame career.

His 2365 career hits places him seventh on the all-time Tiger hit list, it would the ninth highest total for a shortstop in the Hall of Fame. His 185 home runs would place him fourth among Hall of Famers, and his 1003 RBI would be ninth.

Trammell was a six time all-star. He won three Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger awards. He hit better than .300 seven times and finished in the MVP voting seven times, three times in the top ten.

Tigers Tickled with French

And so with the mighty Tigers staring squarely at losing a home series to the lowly Royals and facing perhaps the greatest hurler in the game, Zack Greinke, Detroit brought forth their secret weapon; The Tickler. The Tickler's left-handedness reigned down over the Royals bats, rendering them useless against his merciless arsenal of pitches. And the Tigers staved off the Royals in a 3-1 victory. Or something like that, anyway.

After handing over the first game of the series, Detroit battled to even after an 8-5 win in game two. There was little hope entering last night's affair however, as the Royals were trotting out Cy Young, uh.. I mean Zack Greinke, to battle Detroit. In two games versus Detroit this year Greinke had offered two complete games while allowing a total of just two runs, just one earned.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland put together a solid game plan against the Kansas City Ace, an early hit-and-run paid dividends in the first, which was followed by a Clete Thomas two out RBI single to plate the Tigers second run of the opening frame. One inning later, another lefty role player, Josh Anderson, doubled and later scored on a shallow sacrifice fly by Ramon Santiago.

That was all the offense the Tigers would get, and all that Luke French would need. The left hander making just his second career start didn't allow a run until an Alberto Callaspo home run in the seventh, and the bullpen shut down the Royals thereafter. French did allow three doubles in the game, all to Billy Butler, who apparently is unfazed and unimpressed by the daunting power of the Tickler. The evening concluded with a perfect ninth inning from Fernando Rodney, who earned his 19th save of the season, preserving the first major league win for French.

A couple of things, here. First, Luke French has been quite impressive so far. His stuff isn't overpowering, but he has good command and keeps the ball off the sweet part of the bat quite well. He just looks like he belongs here, on a big league mound. I don't expect he'll carry a sub-three ERA all season, but I could see him as a better than .500 pitcher with an ERA around 4.00, which would be very serviceable, and exactly what the Tigers need.

Secondly, if there is one player I covet more than any other that would realistically be available, it's Alberto Callaspo. He's young, he's a switch hitter, he's fast, plays solid defense, and he can rake. From what I've seen around the league, I think he's in the upper group of second basemen in all of baseball right now, and he's going to get better. If there was a move to be made this offseason, I would hope the Tigers would at least try to get Callaspo from the Royals before handing the second base job to someone else, including Polanco.

Our Special Little Guy Needs Your Help!

(image provided by Erin (aka SabreRoseTiger) of Tigers Amateur Analysis )

The Tigers are sending three players to next week's All-Star game in St. Louis, but you still have time to send along another one.

While no Tiger was voted into the starting lineup this year, center fielder Curtis Granderson was selected as a reserve outfielder for the American League squad, joining pitchers Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson.

But there is still time to make sure that the Tigers resurgent third baseman, Brandon Inge catches that flight to St. Louis.

Inge is competing with four other players in an online vote to earn his place among the AL's elite. Voting ends Thursday at 4pm Eastern, so vote as many times as you can to get our Special Little Guy to the All-Star game.

Simply click on the giant VOTE FOR INGE button at the top of this page and you will whisked away to an online voting form. Again, there is no limit to how often you can vote, so stop working right now and help out.

As of last night, Inge was still neck and neck with Texas' Ian Kinsler for the honor, but Inge is the far superior candidate. His 19 home runs and 54 RBI lead the team, and he leads the league in "web gems" as well.

Do you civic duty! Always Vote "D", Always Vote Inge!

The Cult Returns

In a move announced following Tuesday night's 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, the Detroit Tigers announced the recall of Clete Thomas.

The outfielder was recalled earlier this season and played well upon his arrival in Detroit. He was unable to sustain his success however, going just 3-29 in June, and was optioned back to Toledo on June 11, with instructions to shorten his swing.

During his second stint with the Mud Hens Thomas performed well, hitting .349 with 10 doubles.

Expect to see Thomas' name in the lineup Wednesday as the Tigers take on the Royals in the rubber match of the three game series at Comerica Park. "He's done pretty well" Tigers Manager Jim Leyland told the team's official website, "The one thing I like about him is he's an aggressive young player. He's not timid and I like that."

For the season, Thomas has hit .237 (27-114) with 4 home runs and 17 RBI in Detroit.

To make room for Thomas, the team also announced that the contract of outfielder Don Kelly was designated for assignment. The 29 year old Kelly played in 19 games for Detroit this season, just his second stint in the major leagues following a brief look in 2007 with Pittsburgh. Kelly hit .250 with three doubles and three RBI in 48 at bats for the Tigers.

Teams will have 48 hours to claim the versatile Kelly, if he goes unclaimed, the Tigers can outright his contract to Toledo.

Offense, Bullpen Blows it for Armando

Armando Galarraga announced his presence with authority last night. Unfortunately, so did Joel Zumaya.

With Detroit clinging to a 2-1 lead entering the eighth inning, Joel Zumaya was summoned to protect the game. After getting ahead of Miguel Olivo with two breaking balls, catcher Gerald Laird called back-to-back fastballs, the second of which was lined into the outfield for a single. Two batters later, following a walk to David DeJesus, Willie Bloomquist hammered a ball to deep right center, plating both base runners and giving the Royals the lead.

Zumaya's refusal to feature his very good breaking ball continues to baffle me. I know he throws 100mph, but his curveball is tremendous. I understand that he may be a bit gun shy after the homerun he gave up to Micah Hoffpauir on a change-up, but this is just silly. He needs to learn how and when to use his off-speed pitches if he's going to ever become a reliable reliever.

After the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, Fernando Rodney came on to do what he does in non-save situations, and promptly served up the game on a hanging change-up to Mike Jacobs.

Of course the offense scored just three runs in this game, again. With a bit more help, this is a game they could have won, and should have. While Gil Meche was struggling, walking five and allowing 10 baserunners in his 5.1 innings, Detroit consistently left men on base. The missed opportunities would come back to bite them, as is so often the case.

Galarraga threw the ball better than he has perhaps all season. He baffled the Royals hitters time and time again with excellent command of his fastball and his slider. Over his seven frames, he allowed only five hits and one walk, while fanning seven. The lone run he allowed was a solo homer to Bloomquist.

Galarraga has faced much scrutiny over the past two months. After beginning the season 3-0 with a minute 1.85 ERA over his first four starts, he fell flat on his face over the next two months, dropping seven straight decisions. During that span, he frequently yielded runs early in games, and was prone to the long ball.

Slowly the worm began to turn three starts ago against the Cubs. In that June 25 contest, Galarraga earned his first win since April by limiting the Cubs to four runs over six innings, so brilliant, but a good effort given his previous struggles.

Five days later, he won again. At Oakland, he yielded only two hits, but walked six, in his 6.1 innings. He allowed only one run to the A's.

Last night however, was the culmination of the work Galarraga and pitching coach Rick Knapp have put in. Last night he looked like one of the top pitchers in the league, just the same way he looked in April. If he can continue to pitch the way he did last night, Detroit will have one fewer hole to fill.

Conversely, if Zumaya continues his recent struggles, the Tigers will have to fill a hole they weren't planning to.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Some of you may have noticed that I have been a bit lax of late with my posts. This is due to a few new projects that I have been offered. In addition to my regular postings here, you can also find my work at Bleacher Report, where I have been contributing for over a month.

Recently I followed in the footsteps of two of the best in the Tigerosphere, Kurt Menching from Mack Avenue Tigers and J. Ellet Lambie of Eye of the Tigers, adding my work to Baseball Reflections.

I have agreed to contribute to Baseball-Now.com, which is a site still under development, but looks like it should be exciting and full of great content. Hopefully that project will be up and running soon.

There is one more that was presented to me today, but we're still hashing out the details, so I'll update all of you as things become more concrete.

So as Crash Davis once said, "We're dealing with a lot of shit here." I have many irons in the fire right now, but my plan is to keep this blog alive and well going forward.

In addition to the works outlined above, I have decided to fore go the use of my screen name, BigJP, in favor of my given name, as it will ultimately lead to greater recognition for my work. So those of you that frequent Bless You Boys will find me with a new handle. (Edit: I guess not, as apparently I cannot change usernames on SBNation, who knew?)

Thanks to all of you who have read so far, and to all that have offered your help along the way. These are exciting times for me and I hope to continue to bring you all the same insight I hopefully have provided in the past.

Time to Move On Without Magglio

Magglio Ordonez provided easily the best baseball experience in the past 24 years for Detroit Tigers' fans. The walk-off home run he hit to win the 2006 ALCS and propel the Tigers into the World Series set off a love fest in Comerica Park. It brought tears to the eyes of any fan that saw it.

In 2005, he signed a mega-deal to play for the Tigers, when no one wanted to play here, and when no one wanted to pay him. Ordonez was coming off an experimental knee surgery, one that he had to have performed in Germany, because no American doctor would do it. The Tigers were just one season removed from the worst record in American League history.

Sadly, the whirlwind romance between Maggs and the Tigers appears to be nearing its end.

Just two years removed from his batting title in 2007, Ordonez has fallen flat. In 2007, he hit .363 with a league leading 54 doubles and an OPS of 1.029. But the numbers declined last season and then the bottom fell out this year.

Entering play today, Magglio is hitting a mere .260, the lowest of his career. He is carrying an OPS of only .663, again the lowest of his career. Ordonez has managed only three home runs and nine doubles in 246 at bats. The former extra base hit machine is now only able to loop soft singles to right, no longer driving the ball to the gaps as he did so often before.

There are other alarming numbers as well. He has grounded into 13 double plays already this year. His defense in right field has been well below league average, and his strikeouts are up, fanning in 16 percent of his at bats, easily the highest rate of his career.

Perhaps the most alarming number, however, is 18. As in the $18 million Magglio is set to earn next season if he reaches certain games played milestones this year.

The Tigers simply cannot afford to allow his option to vest.

When the contract with Magglio was signed prior to the 2005 season, Detroit knew they would have to overpay to acquire the superstar outfielder, and overpay they did. To this point, Magglio has been worth every penny he has received. But the "outs" that were written into the deal regarding the vesting options for 2010 and 2011 were put there to protect the team from having to overpay for an aging veteran, whose health or production might not warrant that kind of money.

When Ordonez was removed from the lineup for six games last month, his agent, Scott Boras, publicly basted the Tigers for the move. It was Boras' contention that Ordonez performance did not warrant the perceived benching. He stated that the replacements Detroit had used were not an upgrade to Ordonez. He later also said that his comments had nothing to do with next season's option on Ordonez's contract. I suspect that Boras was wrong on all accounts.

Lets' start with the contract. The Tigers have already committed to over $84 million in player salaries for next season (Cot's Contracts), not including the $18 million that Ordonez could earn.

Of that total, $47.5 million is committed to DH Carlos Guillen, and pitchers Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, and Jeremy Bonderman. Considering what the four players listed above have contributed to this year's team (not much), there is little reason to suspect the Tigers will get favorable returns on any of those deals.

You also have to account for significant raises to be given to players in arbitration years. Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, Bobby Seay, and Joel Zumaya all figure to earn much more next year than they have this season. Add in the fact that closer Fernando Rodney will be a free agent, along with second baseman Placido Polanco and shortstop Adam Everett, and you have to expect that money will be spent to fill those holes as well.

But if Ordonez is better than the other options to play right field, I suspect the money wouldn't matter as much. Let's see if Mr. Boras was right about Magglio being the Tigers' best option.

We will look at this season's numbers, because now three months into the season, you have to expect that this is the player you have, and can no longer hope a player will revert to his track record. Ordonez's line is ghastly. .260/.330/.333/.663 is not good for a catcher. It's down right bad for a corner outfielder. Factor in his defense and lack of speed and you have a liability in the lineup.

Detroit has used two players frequently in the outfield that would be suitable replacements for Ordonez; Clete Thomas, and Ryan Raburn.

Thomas, currently in AAA Toledo, saw a great deal of playing time when he was up earlier this year. His major league numbers show an overall upgrade to Ordonez. Thomas had 114 AB's and posted a .237/.315/.412/.727 line this year. While those numbers do not necessarily suggest a huge improvement over Ordonez by themselves, they are better numbers.

Thomas has also hit four home runs and driven in 17 runs this season. He has above average speed, and plays much better defense than Ordonez as well. By contrast, Magglio has just three home runs and 24 RBI in his 248 at bats.

Raburn has seen the bulk of his playing time lately, and has taken advantage of his chance. In 98 at bats this year, Raburn has a line of .265/.351/.480/.831. He has played spotty defense in the outfield, but no worse than that of Ordonez. Raburn has five home runs and 19 RBI thus far, and like Thomas, provides more speed than Ordonez.

It is Raburn's offensive numbers that suggest the biggest reason to remove Ordonez from the lineup, and the biggest reason to exclude that part of Boras' argument.

As the calendar has turned to July, the Tigers remain in first place. That lead seems tenuous at best with the offense struggling to consistently put up runs. Detroit has scored three runs or fewer in better than 45 percent of it's games. (hat tip: Eye of the Tigers)

The Tigers will explore the trade market to try to augment the lack of overall production. The possible return of Carlos Guillen later this month could help, but only if he can regain some of his old form and drive the ball with consistency.

The biggest move the team can make to improve however, is to release Magglio Ordonez. His lack of production this season is a burden that some teams could bear, but not this team, and not with that contract.

If this were a younger Ordonez, with a smaller contract, perhaps the team could wait him out, and hope he returns to form. But he's not younger, and he's not less expensive. The looming payday that Ordonez will receive if he is allowed to continue to play for Detroit could cripple the franchise financially next season more so than the other bad deals detailed above. More so because it can be avoided.

If Ordonez was performing at his usual levels, his contract would be worth the price, his contributions would help the team in their push for the playoffs. But were are nearly half way through the season, and he is not performing. His performance has been a hindrance more than a help. In fact, it's not unfair to say that the Tigers have been a first-place team this year in spite of playing Ordonez as much as they have.

Although Ordonez has offered tremendous moments in years gone by, baseball is about winning. Releasing Ordonez now can only help this team win, both this year and beyond.

Well, Scratch THAT Name Off the List

As the All-Star break draws near, many teams around the league are looking for upgrades. Your Motor City Kitties are no exception. The Tigers need for a another bat has been well chronicled, and many names have been tossed around the blogosphere. Unfortunately, the Tigers failed to pounce on the one name that I would have liked them to target; Eric Hinske.

Today, the Pirates made their annual trade with the Yankees, sending Hinske to New York along with cash for two minor leaguers. You may recall that over the past several seasons, the Pirates have made several deals with the Yankees, sending them Craig Wilson, Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon, and Xavier Nady. The Pirates always seem to get the short end of such trades.

The Yankees use these players to solidify their push to the playoffs, while the Pirates continue to flounder until the next season, when they repeat the process. It has been said that the definition of insanity is to repeat your actions and expect different results. I believe the Pirates' executives to be insane.

So what's left for Detroit? Guys like Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott are likely still available, as are Adam Dunn and Nick Johnson, but all will have a bigger price tag than Hinske.

Perhaps, the Tigers' answer will come from within, as Carlos Guillen is progressing nicely from his shoulder injury that has cost him most of the season. If he can regain any type of the form at the plate he has displayed over the past several seasons, he would be a welcome addition to the Tigers' inconsistent attack.

The simple facts are that if the Tigers plan to make it to October, the offense needs a boost. If players like Guillen and Magglio Ordonez can find the fountain of youth, they should have enough to get there. If not, and I would not put a ton of faith in that happening, the team must look outside the organization for help.

A versatile left handed hitter that's capable of hitting the long ball would be ideal. With Hinske's name scratched from the shopping list, I will throw my support behind Chad Tracy of the Diamondbacks.

Tracy has spent the last month on the disabled list, but when healthy, has shown good pop throughout his career, twice hitting at least 20 home runs in a season. He can play first base and third base. He played in the outfield regularly prior to 2006, so he could probably get by there again.

Tracy could be activated by this weekend and while it's true that he has been injury prone over the past three seasons, so it would be a risk to take him on, the Tigers wouldn't need him to play everyday. He could be used in a platoon situation to help offset the losses of production the team was counting on from Ordonez and Guillen.

Given his injury history and the D-backs roster full of young talent, Arizona shouldn't ask for a ton in return. Tracy has a $7 million option for next season with a buyout of $1 million, so he should fit into the Tigers' plans financially as well.

Tigers by the Numbers: Charlie Gehringer

Today will be the second installment of Tigers by the Numbers, where I will profile a current or former player that wore each uniform number. If you missed the first edition, my profile on uniform number one, Lou Whitaker, can be found here.

Today we will look at number two. Charlie Gehringer shared many similarities with Whitaker; they both played second base, they both hit left handed, and they both earned their way onto this list. Without further ado....

#2- Charlie Gehringer played second base for the Detroit Tigers from 1924 through 1942.

Born in Fowlerville, Michigan, Gehringer had been playing on his town's team that played at the local fairgrounds when a hunting buddy of former Tigers' outfielder Bobby Veach spotted him. The friend encouraged Veach to talk to his former club about signing the youngster.

Although he played in just 13 games combined in 1924 and 1925, By 1926, Gehringer was a fixture at second base for manager Ty Cobb's Tigers.

Starting with the 1927 season, Gehringer would post batting averages of better than .330 13 times over the next 14 years. The lone exception came in 1932, when Gehringer by his own admission began swinging for the fences too often. He finished that season with an average of .298, but he did hit 19 home runs, one off his career best.

Gehringer was known for his quiet, often reserved demeanor. Mickey Cochrane, who managed Gehringer's Tigers to the 1935 World Championship said of him: "He says 'Hello' on opening day and 'Goodbye' on closing day. In between he hits .350."

A member of the American League squad for baseball's first ever all-star game, Gehringer went 0-3 in that 1933 game, but he would be an all-star for each of the first six games in total and finish his all-star career at .500 (10-20).

Gehringer had seven season where he drove in better than 100 runs. He lead the league in stolen bases and triple in 1929. He also bested the AL in doubles twice, 1929 and 1936, and runs scored twice, 1929 and 1934.

Gehringer posted seasons of more than 200 hits seven times. Another former manager, Del Baker once said of him, "I honestly believe Charlie could spot a pitcher two strikes all season, and still hit within 15 points of his regular average."

Finishing in the top-ten in MVP voting eight times, Gehringer won the award in 1937. That same year he took home his first and only batting title, hitting a career best .371.

Over his 19 year career, Gehringer finished with 2839 hits, 1774 runs, 146 triples, and 1427 RBI. His career line of .320/.404/.480 shows the dual threat at the plate he was. In addition to his extra-base prowess, Gehringer added 1186 walks over his career versus just 372 strikeouts.

On the all-time Tigers list, Gehringer ranks third in hits, second in doubles, third in triples, and third in walks. He also ranks third in total bases and fourth in RBI.

Charlie Gehringer was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949, his number two was officially retired by the Tigers on June 12, 1983.

Inge is an All-Star On and Off the Field

I'm a little late with this post, but I felt it was worth writing about. It has been documented by several other outlets, but I wanted to add my thoughts, and since I have a blog, I decided to do so.

If you happened to be watching the telecast of the Tigers/Cubs game Tuesday night, either on WGN or FSN Detroit, you probably saw that Brandon Inge was sporting a new tattoo on his right forearm.

That was no tattoo.

It was an autograph signed by Tommy Schomaker, an eight-year-old boy, who is recovering from heart-transplant surgery at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Inge, who regularly visits and donates to the hospital, had made a trip there a few weeks ago, and Tommy was excited about the possibility of meeting him. Tommy has battled heart conditions since birth, but doctors were able to find a new heart for him. He was rushed into surgery just about the time Inge was making his visit. Tommy was unable to meet with Inge at that time.

Upon hearing of Tommy's disappointment, Inge made a return trip to the hospital, just to meet Tommy. He spent time in Tommy's room, signing several autographs and talking with the young boy. Then Inge asked if he could have an autograph of his own. He had Tommy sign his name on Inge's arm, in a spot that he wore no arm bands, so it could be seen on television.

In the game that night, Inge hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. Although he didn't promise a home run to Tommy, the air-time that autograph got brought joy to Tommy and his family.

In July of last year, my wife and I were told that our son, Leyton, would be born with gastroschisis, a condition that affects the closing of the abdominal wall. He would face surgery shortly after he was born. Leyton was born on October 9, and was taken by ambulance to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Leyton had surgery one week later, and spent a total of 24 days in the hospital. I know first-hand how much the people at Children's Hospitals all over mean to the patients and the families they care for. Leyton is now eight months old and his condition has been corrected. He should face no more difficulties than any other child going forward. The wonderful staff at Children's made that possible.

Many athletes, like Inge, donate their time and money to good causes. Like Inge, most do so behind the scenes. In a time when we spend so much energy discussion the evils of professional athletes, it's good to recognize those who give back.

Tommy Schomaker is progressing well in his recovery. His surgery was made possible in part due to monetary donations from large companies and extraordinary people like Inge. He will continue his progress with a big smile on his face, and that is largely because Brandon Inge donated his time.

Lightning in a Bottle

Jim Leyland made a desperate move. With the Tigers trailing 4-3 with one out in the ninth, the tying run stood on first base. Josh Anderson was coming to the plate, to be followed by Gerald Laird. Not exactly a group that would strike fear into the heart of your opponent.

That's when Jim Leyland went against conventional wisdom and went to his bench. He summoned Ryan Raburn, a right-handed hitter, to replace Anderson, a lefty, and face Cubs closer (and righty) Kevin Gregg. Leyland knew he needed an extra base hit to score Kelly and tie the game.

Jim Leyland knew the numbers, Gregg is better against left-handed hitters. On the season, lefties have an OPS of .654 versus Gregg, righties are at .752.

"I thought right-handed hitters had a little better chance against [Gregg] than left-handed hitters," Leyland said. "The numbers show [that]. We felt like he throws the slider a little bit more to right-handers, and if he happened to hang one, he might be able to jump one. And we caught a big break."

What began with a wild first inning for both Tigers' starter Edwin Jackson and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, became a pitchers duel. Both hurlers allowed one run in the first, but the damage could have been much worse.

Jackson was able to limit the Cubs to one run after loading the bases with no one out, and Zambrano kept the Tigers to just one after Detroit got a double and a triple to begin the game.

With the Cubs leading 2-1 in the seventh, Brandon Inge lined a Zambrano fastball over the fence in left for his 17th bomb on the year, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead. A Micah Hoffpauir two-run shot followed in the eighth to regain the lead for the Cubs and set the stage for Raburn.

After Kelly walked to lead-off the ninth, Gregg battled back and got Inge to pop-up, throwing a steady diet of breaking balls.

He started Raburn the same way, missing with a slider on his first pitch. The second offering from Gregg was another breaking ball, but this one didn't break. The ball landed some 403 feet away, over the fence in left center, and the celebration began.

It was the first pinch-hit walk-off homer for Detroit since Lou Whitaker hit one in 1995.

The Tigers needed to catch lightning in a bottle last night, and Ryan Raburn caught it.

Tigers by the Numbers: Lou Whitaker

(Baseball is a game for fathers and sons. It is with that thought in mind that I have come across an idea to celebrate the birthdays of my two sons. Sebastian will be turning three next month, and my youngest, Leyton, will have his first birthday in October.

For each birthday, I have decided to get them a baseball jersey with the corresponding number of their age. These jerseys will be of current or former great players that wore that number. For example, this year I will get Sebastian a number three jersey, hopefully that of Dale Murphy, though I may have to settle for a Rangers Alex Rodriguez jersey, as I have been unable to find a Murphy that is small enough. The plan is to get Sebastian jerseys from all over the MLB map, while limiting Leyton to Tigers jerseys, though I may decide to alternate years for the two.
** NOTE** If anyone has any thoughts on where I might find infant and toddler size jerseys, please pass that along via comment or email to jparent20@yahoo.com, Thanks!

This quest to find great players that each wore a specific number has lead to an idea for this blog. Periodically, whenever I get the opportunity, I will be profiling a current or former Tiger that wore each number. Today's post will start where my love of Tiger baseball did; Lou Whitaker.)



Today is the first installment of Tigers by the Numbers, where I will profile a current or former player that wore each jersey number. No reason not to start with number one, right?

My love of baseball and the Detroit Tigers began in or around 1984. I had just turned seven years old when the Tigers won the world series that season. My favorite player at the time, and for all-time, was Lou Whitaker.

#1-Lou Whitaker played second base for the Tigers from 1977 through 1995. For 19 seasons he paired with shortstop Alan Trammell to form the longest tenured middle infield in major league history. You simply cannot mention Whitaker without Trammell, and you cannot mention Trammell without "Sweet Lou". They even made their major league debuts in the same game. I wonder if that doesn't end up taking away from each individual when it comes to historical perspective. For this purpose, I will be looking only at Whitaker, and save Trammell for another number.

Louis Rodman Whitaker, Jr. was drafted by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 1975 amateur draft and immediately began his rise to the majors. The Tigers were in the middle of a lean stretch of years where they would finish higher than fifth in the division just once (fourth) in six years.

Whitaker played well in the minors, posting a .297 average as a 19 year old in Lakeland in 1976. He spent the 1977 season playing AA ball in Montgomery, Alabama and posted a .280 average with 38 stolen bases. With a slew of non-descript talent at the big league level, the 20 year old Whitaker was called up in September of 1977, after just 273 minor league games, and all of five home runs.

Whitaker made his major league debut on September 9, 1977, starting at second base in the second game of a double header at Boston. He hit second in the order behind Ron LeFlore. He made a very good first impression.

Batting in the top of the first, Whitaker lined a single off Boston starter Reggie Cleveland for his first major league hit. One batter later, he stole his first career base. He would finish the game 3-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. He would go on to play in 11 games total that season posting a .250/.333/.281 line with two steals.

By the end of April 1978, Whitaker took over the everyday job at second base for the Tigers. The job was his until he retired following the 1995 season. He won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1978, posting a .285 batting average for the Tigers. Whitaker and the Tigers showed steady improvement for the next several seasons.

1983 was perhaps the finest of Whitaker's career. He hit .320/.380/.457 for the season and scored 94 runs. That year he made his first all-star game, won a gold glove and a silver slugger award, and he finished eighth in the league MVP balloting.

For his career, Whitaker posted four seasons with at least 20 home runs, including the 1989 season, when he set career highs with 28 long balls and 85 RBI. Whitaker won a total of four silver slugger awards and three gold gloves. He was a five-time all-star in an era of great second basemen, often competing with Willie Randolph and Frank White for those honors.

When Sweet Lou retired, he did so with 2369 hits, 244 home runs, and 1087 RBI. Bill James ranked Whitaker as the thirteenth greatest second sacker in history. Whitaker ranks sixth on the all-time Tigers hits list, sixth in home runs, eighth in RBI, and second in walks.

When it came time for Whitaker's inclusion on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2000, his timing couldn't have been worse. A new era had enveloped the sport, leading to huge numbers being posted by middle infielders all across the league.

The baseball writers overlooked Whitaker on his first ballot, and he recieved only 2.9% of the vote, forcing his name off the ballot for subsequent years. He will not be eligible for the games highest honor until 2015, when the veteran's committee will have the chance to enshrine him along side the other great second basemen in Cooperstown.

There are currently only 17 second basemen in the Hall of Fame, of those only nine had more hits than Whitaker. Only Rogers Hornsby, Ryne Sandberg, and Joe Morgan had more home runs, and Whitaker drove in more runs than all but 10 of them. Whitaker's career .363 OBP would place him tenth in that group, and his 1386 runs scored would place him ninth.

While Whitaker was not the best second baseman ever, the numbers show he was among the best. Since his final game in 1995, no one has worn his number. The Tigers have yet to officially retire number one, but hopefully, they will do so soon.

Lou Whitaker had a career worthy of such an honor.

Weekend Roundup: Tigers Lead in Central Growing

Thanks to another outstanding pitching performance from Justin Verlander and a long home run from Brandon Inge, the Detroit Tigers completed a three game sweep of the formerly hot Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday to kick off their current six game home stand, and knock the Brewers off the top of the NL Central standings.

Verlander, facing the Brewers for the first time since his 2007 no-hitter, fanned eight over 7.2 innings to collect his eighth victory of the season, matching rookie Rick Porcello for the team lead. Verlander allowed two solo homers to account for all of Milwaukee's offense in the 3-2 win, the fourth straight for Detroit.

With Detroit trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Inge came to the plate with two on and two out. He took a Yovanni Gallardo offering and hammered it over the bullpen into the left field seats to give the Tigers all the offense Verlander would need. It was Inge's 16th homer of the year and gave him the team lead with 47 RBI.

The Tigers have made a flurry of moves recently, both with the lineup and the roster. Struggling outfielder Magglio Ordonez has not played during the winning streak. Marcus Thames, who homered twice in Friday's win, has been installed as the new cleanup hitter, and manager Jim Leyland received a contract extension. Right hander Alfredo Figaro made his major league debut and beat the Brewers on Saturday. After Sunday's game, reliever Ryan Perry was optioned to AAA Toledo. Catcher Dane Sardinha was designated for assignment.

The Tigers lead in the AL Central now stands at four games over Minnesota, who lost two of three to Houston over the weekend. With the Royals and Indians both suffering sweeps of their own, only the White Sox were able to win their weekend series and keep pace with Detroit.

Twins/Astros

Minnesota entered the weekend trailing the Tigers by just two games, but were unable to capitalize on the major's best home field advantage. After taking the opener on Friday, the Twins dropped the next two to Houston to fall four games off the division lead. Wandy Rodriguez held the Twins to just two hits over seven innings in Sunday's rubber match, a 5-1 win for the Astros. Micheal Cuddyer accounted for all of Minnesota's offense, with a solo homer in the second.

White Sox/Reds

After dropping Friday's opener in Cincinnati, Chicago stormed back and won the series with the Reds, capped by a 4-1 win on Sunday. Mark Buerhle was stellar once again as he held the Reds scoreless over seven innings to improve to 7-2 on the season. Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights and 17th on the season. Winners of two straight, Chicago now sits five games back of Detroit.

Royals/Cardinals

St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa won his 2500th game as the Cardinals completed a three game road sweep of the Royals, outscoring Kansas City 29-11 in the process. Albert Pujols did what Albert Pujols does and homered twice in Sunday's finale, giving him three for the series (along with 10 RBI), and a major league leading 26 home runs for the season. The sweep dropped Kansas City to 8.5 games out of first in the AL Central.

Indians/Cubs

Cleveland started play on Wednesday just six games out of the division lead. They ended the day Sunday a full 10 games off the pace. After getting swept at home by Milwaukee last week, the Tribe traveled to Chicago to take on the Cubs, and promptly got swept again. Cleveland watched their hapless bullpen hand over big leads both Friday and Saturday in dropping the first two games of the set with the Cubs. Sunday however, the Cubs raced out to a 6-0 lead off starter Jeremy Sowers and held off Cleveland for the 6-2 win. Sowers was knocked around for six runs on seven hits and four walks over just 4.1 innings for the Indians.

Marcus Thames Key to Tigers' Success

Marcus Thames is "country strong". He showed that Friday night, clubbing two big flies, propelling the Tigers to a 10-4 rain-shortened victory over Milwaukee.

After Armando Galarraga yielded a three-run bomb to Prince Fielder in the first, it was Thames who responded with a two-run shot off Braden Looper in the bottom of the inning to get the Tigers back into the game. Thames then capped the scoring with another two-run blast in the seventh, this one an opposite field shot on an 0-2 count just as the rain began to fall again, ending the Brewers chances and the game.

In 13 games since returning from injury, Thames has gone 12-36 with five home runs, and provided the pop this team has been missing from guys like Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. He has three bombs in his last two games since being installed into the cleanup spot behind Miguel Cabrera.

It was partly with an eye toward getting regular at-bats for Thames that the Tigers decided to part ways with Gary Sheffield this spring, though Sheffield was still owed $14 million for this season. Unfortunately for Detroit, the Carlos Guillen injuries forced Jim Leyland to play Guillen at DH early this year, taking those at-bats from Marcus. By the time Guillen hit the DL, Thames was already there, having hurt an abdominal muscle during batting practice in April. But the timing couldn't have been better for his return in early June.

With Guillen still out of the lineup (he could yet miss the whole season), and Magglio Ordonez no longer the threat he once was, Detroit was severely lacking offensive production. While finishing up the last road trip in St. Louis, Leyland decided it was time to let Thames play everyday and see what he could do. The move has paid immediate dividends.

After being held to just three runs in the first game with Thames at cleanup, the Tigers have plated six and 10 in their last two. Slotting Thames to hit behind Cabrera has also allowed Curtis Granderson to move back to the top of the order, while still providing some measure of protection for El Martillo, who is now hitting third.

Thames has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but this time, perhaps he will get the extended playing time that Leyland has promised before, only to take it away to give to another player. This time, the Tigers can't afford to not have Marcus and his long-ball ability in the lineup. He is a three-run homer waiting to happen.

The addition of Thames, along with the promotions of catcher Dusty Ryan, who made his season debut Friday, and pitcher Alfredo Figaro, slated to make his major league debut Saturday, are changes that are perhaps long over due for the first-place Tigers. The offense had gone cold, and the lack of production of catcher Dane Sardinha and Ordonez were two of the many reasons for that.

Ryan figures to take over for Sardinha's role and the upgrade offensively he should provide will allow more rest for starter Gerald Laird. The fresher Leyland can keep Laird, the better his numbers should become as the season goes forward. Ryan stepped into the lineup Friday and clubbed an RBI double to tie the game in the fourth inning, leading to a four-run rally that saw the Tigers take the lead they would not give back.

If Figaro, taking over for Dontrelle Willis, can hold down the fifth spot of the rotation, the Tigers are going to like their chances in a great many games the rest of the way. The additions of Thames and Ryan should allow for much better offensive numbers from the lineup, but it will hinge on whether or not Thames can stay productive over an extended period of time. It's the chance he's been waiting his whole career for.

Shake-ups Continue in Tiger Town

Magglio Ordonez may be nearing the end of the line in Detroit. The former batting champion has lost his starting job, at least for now.

Prior to last night's game in St. Louis, a 6-3 Tigers victory, manager Jim Leyland announced that Maggs would not play, but did not elaborate on low long his benching would last. This could be the first step towards the door for the Tigers' beloved right fielder.

In addition to the Ordonez situation, the team announced that AA right hander Alfredo Figaro would make the jump to Detroit and will start Saturday versus Milwaukee, with much maligned Dontrelle Willis hitting the DL with an anxiety disorder for the second time this season.

Figaro has pitched well in Erie this season, and gets the call over Mud Hens' lefty Luke French, who was also in line for a call-up. The guess here is that Figaro will get an extended look in the fifth starter spot in Detroit, as he is considered one of the organization's better pitching prospects. Regardless of his performance on Saturday, expect him to make several turns through the rotation. It's time to see what the kid can do.

Ordonez, on the other hand, is likely nearing the end of his days in Detroit. The once feared slugger has managed only two home runs this season, and frequently seems content to loop soft singles the other way. His average is a respectable .273, but well off the pace that his track record demands. His extra base power has all but completely vanished, and he carries a .690 OPS this season.

Another issue with Ordonez has become his contract. If he were to reach 135 games started this season, his 2010 option will automatically vest, locking him in for $18million next season. His production has not warranted a spot on this team, and it certainly does not warrant paying him that kind of money next year.

There had been much speculation before the season that the Tigers might release Magglio prior to his option vesting, and that certainly would have drawn the ire (and possibly a grievance) of the player's union. Ordonez hasn't done much to help the Tigers on the field this year, but his below average performance has probably allowed the team to cut him now and make a viable argument that the decision is based solely on performance.

The simple fact is that the Tigers could easily get the kind of production Magglio has given them from a much younger and cheaper player. In limited at-bats this season, Ryan Raburn, who replaced Ordonez in the starting lineup, and Clete Thomas (currently in AAA) have put up OPS's of .731 and .727 respectively. While those are not great numbers, they are significantly better than Ordonez.

The argument to release Magglio is growing stronger. Now is the time to do so.

UPDATE (3:29pm): Lee is reporting that Dusty Ryan is on his way to Detroit. No word on who might be moved out, but I think it's safe to assume it will be Sardinha. With Laird having caught the past four games, look for Ryan to be in the lineup tonight versus Milwaukee.

Willis Out, French In?

Long road trips lend themselves to losing. Losing breeds restlessness. Restlessness breeds change.

The changes are already beginning in Motown. The Detroit News is reporting that Dontrelle Willis will not make his next start, which has lead to much speculation as to who will.

Zach Miner would be the leading in-house candidate, although I wondered last night if Nate Robertson's early appearance wasn't designed to get him on schedule to throw Saturday. Robertson's poor performance yesterday should quash those thoughts, however.

As for Miner, the use of the righty would result in a rotation sans a left hander, and while Detroit would certainly perfer to have at least one southpaw in the rotation, results should be the only things that matter. Simply put, of the options currently on the roster, Miner would give the Tigers the best chance to win.

Another name being tossed around is that of Mud Hens lefty Luke French. French appeared briefly on the major league roster earlier this year and pitched in two games. He has yet to allow a hit in his big league career, but he walked three over his three innings. "The Tickler" (as Rogo has dubbed him), has a 4-4 record in Toledo this season, sporting a nifty 3.26 ERA with 54 strikeouts against 18 walks in 66.2 innings. Call it the restlessness of losing, but I would like to see French get that start.

In order to recall French, someone must be moved off of the active roster. Barring an unforeseen injury, that will mean that a player will either be released, traded, or sent down. Of the possible candidates to be demoted, only Armando Galarraga and Ryan Perry have minor league options, but I doubt either of them are headed to Toledo. That might mean that it's time to pull up a chair, Mr. Illitch, you have a heaping plate-full of salary to eat.

Fans want major changes in Detroit, and with each passing poor performance, both from the starting pitching, and the offense, I find myself joining them. A move has to be made.

There remains the possibility that Dontrelle would be asked to accept a minor league assignment, much as he did last season. I'm sure they have probably already spoken with him about it. If he does, then the roster problem is solved, for now. If he declines, as his service time would allow, the Tigers would either have to try to hide him in the bullpen, or designate him for assignment and eventually release him and swallow what's left of the $22MM on his deal.

Apart from Willis, Robertson would be the next most likely to be DFA'd. The balance of his $17MM contract doesn't sound too yummy, but the team is getting basically nothing out of him. The Tigers have to look at this one way, and that is that the money is already spent. They aren't getting anything in return and must move on.

All of this still only addresses one of the Tigers several holes, but at least its a start. The offensive woes must also be dealt with, and soon. Detroit still holds a two game lead on Minnesota, and sit atop the dreadful AL Central, but that lead could be gone by the weekend.

Long road trips lend themselves to losing. Rare is the team that can go on the road and win the majority of the time. Detroit has done fairly well away from the CoPa this year, but they have now lost three straight and 5 of the nine games so far on this trip.

I'd rather be a struggling first-place team than a surging fifth-place team any day. The move to remove Willis from the rotation has got to buoy the team's confidence. To borrow a line from former Tiger Alan Trammell, "This is how it starts. This is how we get better."

The Tigers will start Edwin Jackson and Rick Porcello the next two games to try to salvage a winning trip, which is always what I hope for when they hit the road. With the changes that are now beginning in Motown, the Tigers are taking steps towards staying in first-place.

Tigers' Lineup Needs Consistentcy

Seriously, how tough can it be? Jim Leyland has managed over 2700 major league games, plus an addition 49 playoff games and countless more in the spring training and the minor leagues. During that time, he has been responsible for filling out the lineup card for each and every one of those games. Recently, Leyland seems to have forgotten how to do it.

With the offense struggling as much as it has this year, Leyland needs to establish consistency with the lineup. The constant shuffling has not worked. Perhaps, Leyland purposely tries to illustrate to Dave Dombrowski that he needs another hitter by running out lineups that would rival those of the MudHens. The top three in Sunday's game were Don Kelly, Ramon Santiago, and Josh Anderson. Seriously? I'm half expecting to read Dane Sardinha's name in the three spot tonight.

My hope is that is exactly what Leyland is doing. It's as if he's saying "See? I need another bat so I can field a decent lineup, because this is the best I can come up with from what you have given me." I really can't say as I blame him, but a face to face meeting might be a better option for sending a message.

Conventional wisdom says Placido Polanco is going to hit, and that Magglio Ordonez will find at least some of old form, so maybe this whole problem will correct itself. But we now stand more than 1/3 through the season, how much longer do we wait?

The Tigers need to go get another hitter. He should be left handed and be able to play a corner outfield spot. He should also feature the ability to hit the long ball with some regularity. We have seen so far that that hitter is not Clete Thomas, and is not Josh Anderson. I doubt that he is Don Kelly, either. It is time to make a deal.

A quick check of the standings show Baltimore, Washington, Oakland, San Diego, and Pittsburgh as likely sellers. Aubrey Huff would be a nice fit from the Orioles, though his price tag may be too high. Adam Dunn could be had, as could Nick Johnson from Washington. Dunn is terrible defensively, but his bat would be a welcome addition. Johnson would be a better fit, as he can play outfield, though usually doesn't, but the Nats have been asking the moon for their OBP machine. The guys in Oakland and San Diego don't seem all that attractive, outside of Matt Holliday who is right handed.

That leaves just the Pirates, and the player that Detroit should target is Eric Hinske. Hinske can play first, third, left, and right. He has good power, he has twice clubbed 20 HR seasons, including last year. Plus he has played for the past two American League champions, so he may just be good luck. The Pirates have used Hinske only sparingly, as he has just 86 at bats in 2009, so he may come cheap. Which is key, because Detroit probably can't offer much in a trade.

If they can acquire Hinske or someone like him, the lineup can be re-assembled. I would personally like to see Granderson find a home batting third, but another lefty bat would allow him to move back to the top of the order. Either way, Detroit needs to find a lineup and allow it the time needed to work consistently.

Changes Needed in Tigers' Rotation

I believe the honeymoon is officially over. I think it is now safe to proclaim that the back end of the Tigers' rotation is not very good. Actually, not very good would be an upgrade.

The combined efforts put forth by Armando Galarraga and Dontrelle Willis over the weekend was just plain awful. How does 5.2 innings, 14 hits, 10 earned runs, nine walks and just one stikeout grab you? That's the combined line of Willis and Galarraga at Pittsburgh over the past few days. These, folks, are not isolated incidents. The question now has to be what can be done about it?

It's true that Galarraga began the season 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA. It's also true that he was very good for a very bad team last year. And it appears that the pitcher that put up those numbers no longer exists. Galarraga has not won since his fourth start of the year, though prior to his performance on Saturday, he had turned in three straight "quality starts". Saturday was just plain bad. If this was a guy who had been pitching well all along, it could be forgiven. This is not just a blip on the radar, though, it has become a trend.

Dontrelle, meanwhile, has exactly one good start in seven tries. One. His effort against Texas on May 19 was very very good and inspired many, me included, to extol his virtues and proclaim him to be "back". It hasn't gone well since.

Following his sparkling effort versus the Rangers, Willis has spiraled backward. In five starts since May 19, he has posted an 0-4 record, with an ERA of 9.53. He has walked 24 hitters over 22.2 innings against just 12 strikeouts. He consistently pitches himself into jams. This simply cannot continue. Dontrelle, for his part, said the same when speaking to MLB.com's Jason Beck following the game Sunday. And while his accountabililty is nice, it doesn't put zeros on the board.

Much has been said by many a folk about what to do with Willis. No one will trade for him, I don't see any way that they will release him with the amount of money he is still owed. As J. Ellet Lambie wrote to me about him, "They'll have him working the concession stands before they cut him", and I agree. The Tigers chose to extend him prior to the 2007 season and now they are stuck with him. But they cannot continue to hand him the ball and hold their breath. It's just not fair to the team to continuously put everyone in a hole to try to dig out of. The only option for Willis is a spot in the bullpen, where he can hopefully be hidden and used only in blowout games.

Galarraga, on the other hand can be dealt with much more easily. Not only does he have a minor league option available to use, but his small price tag and the fact that he has shown good success in the major leagues could make him attractive in a trade. Either way, the Tigers cannot afford to basically forfeit two of every five games on the schedule. There are other arms that Jim Leyland can give the ball to. I think now is the time to do that.

Kurt has been on this for awhile, and now Billfer and Lee are on board, too. I guess you can begrudgingly add my name to the roll call now as well. Zach Miner should be given a rotation spot. I have never really been a fan of his, but it has been nice to have him on the team as a guy that could start, or could pitch two or three innings of relief.

Miner has shown a tendency to allow every inherited baserunner to immediately score, but seems to do fine when he enters the game to begin an inning. He has seen some success as a starter in the past, and while he's not going to ever win a Cy Young award, he can keep his team in the game more often than not. At this point, that's a whole lot more than Detroit has been getting from Willis or Galarraga.

Even if they add Miner to spell Galarraga, you would still like to have a lefthander in the rotation. I think everyone can see where this is going, and I'm sure there aren't too many who will agree, but... Nate Robertson. That's right. I can't believe I'm typing this out but Nate is really the only other viable option to start games. If we assume that Willis will stay on the team because of his salary, and I will assume that, then he has to be hidden in the bullpen. Nate Robertson is currently in hiding there and you can't hide all of them, so I will nominate him to start in lieu of Willis.

The Robertson story has been well documented. A mainstay on the 2006 AL Championship team, he pitched strictly as a starter for much of his career. Over the past two years, his velocity has slipped a bit, and he lost command of his patented slider. He lost out of the rotation competition this spring and was banished to the bullpen, where he has been used only sparingly.

Obviously, Leyland hasn't much confidence in Robertson, and his numbers this year wouldn't suggest he's earned any. That being said, he has to be a better option than Willis doesn't he? I mean, he can't possibly be worse.

Mike Feld recently called the Tigers the worst first-place team in baseball and he points out several other glaring holes. And while I agree that the offense needs an upgrade (might I suggest Eric Hinske?), you could field a team full of all-stars and not be able to win when you get the efforts that Willis and Galarraga have been giving.

The winds of change are blowing in Detroit. I can only hope that management catches up before the Twins do.