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.

Dusty Ryan Could be Answer to Catching Woes

The role of backup catcher on a major league team, is one frequently overlooked. Entering the 2009 season, the Tigers had added two catchers to replace Ivan Rodriguez, who was traded at the deadline last season, Brandon Inge, who was making his return to third base, and Vance Wilson, who had missed most of the previous two seasons with injuries.

Enter Gerald Laird as the new starter and Misty May-Treanor's husband, Matt to back him up. The Tigers appeared to be set at catcher with two good defenders and a starter that was capable of producing solid offensive numbers.

So far this season, Laird has been as advertised with the glove and has done a very good job working with the pitchers, as the staff currently leads the American League in ERA. His hitting has been erratic at best however, as he has been prone to long slumps. Entering play today, Laird is sporting just a .221 batting average, with a .645 OPS, contributing to overall below average performance of the team's offense. Laird, however has proven his worth with the glove and his game-calling. He is not the glaring weakness of this team.

That honor undoubtedly goes to the backup catcher. Matt Treanor began the season with a hip problem, and it was soon discovered that he needed more surgery and would be lost for the year. Before the surgery, Treanor managed to record an out in each of his 13 at bats for Detroit. In his stead, the Tigers recalled veteran minor leaguer Dane Sardinha.

Sardinha spent 17 games with the Tigers in 2008, following the trade of Pudge Rodriguez. He has always been regarded as a good game-caller from his days in the minors. Unfortunately, he has never really hit. 2008 was no exception, as he posted a .159 BA, with an OPS of just .434, albeit in only 44 at bats. His minor league numbers haven't exactly inspired hope, either. In parts of nine seasons on the farm, he has a career line of .222/.262/.336. So the Tigers didn't have any reason to think he could hit major league pitching. And hit, he has not.

So far this season, Sardinha has been worse than advertised. He has just three hits in 31 at bats, one of them a double. He has also failed to draw a single walk. He has struck out 16 times, an alarming 52% of his at bats. His line (.097/.091/.129) is just poor, and only one player in the major leagues with as many as 31 AB's has been worse, and that player is Randy Wolf, a pitcher, with the Dodgers. Defensively, Sardinha has failed miserably to control the running game, nabbing just two of the 12 runners who have attempted to steal against him. By all accounts however, he does call a good game, and seems to work well with the staff.

But the Tigers need a catcher who can do something measurable. In several games this year, Sardinha has started, only to see Laird have to enter in the late innings as a pinch hitter, then catch the rest of the game. Laird will need rest at some point this season, but Sardinha's poor performances, especially offensively, just don't allow for that. He has become the glaring weakness on a team that is trying to distance themselves from the rest of the division.

Where else can the Tigers turn? With Treanor probably lost for the year, they could look back to Toledo for another catcher. Dusty Ryan has seen some time in the majors last year with Detroit, and did reasonably well. He showed enough that many a Tiger fan wondered why the team signed Mr. Misty May to begin with.

As a 23 year old last year, Ryan caught six of the 13 potential base stealers against him, and put up very good numbers offensively, though in just 44 at bats. He finished at .318/.380/.500, with two homeruns and seven RBI. A very good showing, indeed. Ryan's minor league career line is slightly lower at .238/.331/.391, but he has improved his hitting as he has progressed though the minor leagues, posting an .817 OPS in AA and an .848 OPS in AAA.

Laird does have one arbitration year remaining, so he is under team control through 2010, but Ryan may be the Tigers catcher of the future, although they also like AA prospect Alex Avila, as well. But the future needs to be now for Dusty Ryan and the Tigers. Ryan was kept in Toledo in part to get him more seasoning, but with the failure of Sardinha, and the loss of Treanor, the Tigers have no choice but to bring in a new catcher.

The Tigers' farm system is largely void of talent, so a trade for a capable backup catcher seems unlikely. Dusty Ryan should be getting the call to come to Detroit soon, if the Tigers are serious about winning this year. His recall would allow for more rest for Laird, and get Ryan acclimated to the pitchers on the major league staff, while working a couple of games per week. I'm sure there will bumps along the way, but he would be a huge upgrade to the performance Sardinha has offered.

Another Exciting Adventure with Dontrelle

With the Red Wings playing game six of the Stanley Cup Finals last night, I had planned on a nice evening watching hockey. Unfortunately, I cannot turn away from a Dontrelle Willis start. This is must-watch stuff here. For all the people that complain about how boring baseball is, I say "just go watch D-Train pitch sometime". Each pitch that he throws is a new and exciting adventure, which is not necessarily what you ideally would want from a guy pitching for your club. But boring, he is not.

His outing can best be summed up by a post made by Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers, on the gamethread at Bless You Boys.

typical willis start
which is an improvement over last time.
scares the hell out of you, pisses you off a few times, scares the hell out of you a bit more and does uhm, OK I guess.
Mack Avenue Tigers
by MackAveKurt on Jun 9, 2009 9:52 PM EDT

Kurt, I couldn't agree more.

The bottom of the fifth inning yesterday was one of the more intense frames of baseball I have ever watched. Willis was obviously not completely healthy after hurting his knee in the first, and was visibly limping. But he battled through the pain, and battled his command issues to finally retire A.J. Pierzynski with the bases loaded by making a diving sprawl on a slow roller just past the mound, then threw wildly to first from his belly, only to see Miguel Cabrera preserve the tie with a great stretch to stay on the bag.

When it was over, I could finally exhale.

Dontrelle Willis is exhausting to watch. He began his evening with six consecutive balls. He allowed the White Sox first run on a wild pitch. Over his five innings of work, he allowed 10 baserunners (five walks, five hits). He also allowed a game-tying two-run homer to Brain Anderson. As he has in the past, he also had good moments. His fastball reached 94 MPH, he consistently got ground balls, and was able to limit the damage to three runs over his start.

But he battled all day. Trainer Kevin Rand twice went to the mound to check on Willis, once after the play in the first when Willis hurt himself covering home, and once in the second. Twice Willis persuaded Rand and Jim Leyland to leave him in. On the second trip, I could read his lips when he said "There is no way I'm coming out of this game".

Willis has a long way to go. But unlike Jeremy Bonderman right now, his stuff is good enough. And he competes on every pitch, even if sometimes just with himself. Consistency has got to improve, though. Just as Dontrelle refused to leave the game last night, he needs to refuse to yield to his demons, and refuse to give up his fight to keep a starting job.

His determination may be the only thing keeping him in the major leagues right now.

Bonderman, Willis Make Pitch for Starting Jobs

Armando Galarraga seemingly put to rest any thoughts that he was about to lose his spot in the Tigers' starting rotation yesterday. After a rough first inning, he settled in and pitched very well. He pitched into the seventh inning, and left with lead, as Detroit bested Chicago 5-4 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader, and the start of a five game series with the White Sox. He was very good after his 33 pitch first frame, allowing only a homerun to noted Tiger-killer Jermaine Dye thereafter.

In the nightcap, Jeremy Bonderman made his first start in the major leagues in over a year. His stuff was underwhelming, his location was poor, and the results were unimpressive. Granted, he was starting in Chicago against the Sox, so you had to figure that homeruns could be a problem for any pitcher in that spot, and I'm sure nerves were a factor. That being said, I was not at all encouraged by what I saw.

Bonderman no longer possesses the great fastball and power slider he used to, those have been replaced by versions 5-6 MPH slower. He did feature a changeup, but he lacked command with it and the differential between that pitch and his fastball was only about 5 MPH, which is not ideal.

All six of Chicago's runs last night were charged to Bonderman, I had the feeling that it could have been worse. Bonderman has a long history of first-inning struggles, but last night he wasn't unlucky in that frame, he was bad. From the first hitter of the game, it felt like he was in trouble. The outs he recorded were on hard hit balls, he wasn't fooling anybody. Things never really improved.

Dontrelle Willis will get another chance to keep his rotation spot tonight, as he tries to bounce back from a poor performance last week versus Boston. In that start, Willis managed to yield five earned runs without allowing a hit, or making it out of the third inning.

When I watched Bonderman last night, I tried to compare his outing to what I saw from Dontrelle in his first start against the Twins last month. The finals numbers aren't far apart, but the feeling I took from each drastically differed. Bonderman threw 4+ innings, allowing eight hits, three walks, and six runs, with one strikeout. He gave up three homeruns. Willis, on May 13, went 4.2 innings, allowing eight hits, two walks, and four runs. He allowed one homerun, and was without a strikeout. Four of Bonderman's eight hits allowed went for extra bases, while only two of Willis' did.

As I wrote at the time, Willis looked like a pitcher with a plan and a purpose to each pitch. His stuff was there, but his command within the zone was not. But I could see that the talent had not eroded, it just needed to be harnessed. Conversely, last night Bonderman looked like a pitcher who was trying to pitch like he still had the stuff to blow past hitters. His once electric arm is gone, at least for now, and he was unable to make the adjustments that were necessary.

By no means am I calling this race over. Willis has been inconsistent at best, but did show promise in one start. Perhaps Bonderman can build on his effort last night and pitch better going forward. But Willis is getting his chance to keep his job tonight. If he pitches well and shows results, the job is likely his to keep. Bonderman's effort last night has put Willis in the driver's seat.

Bonderman can now only watch, his work is done. He may get one more start, as perhaps the first can be chalked up to nerves. Maybe, he will move to the bullpen, or accept a minor league assignment. But the impression that I got is that Bonderman wasn't ready. And I am not confident he will be soon.

Playing Pepper with J. Ellet Lambie

When I began this blog about a month ago, I had no idea where things might go, or if anyone would even read it. What I have found so far, is that I truly enjoy sharing my thoughts about Tigers baseball with other fans and bloggers, and that at least of few of you are reading.

Recently, J. Ellet Lambie of Hazaa, asked me to participate in a segment he runs regularly called "Five for Fighting", where he and another blogger trade five questions and post each other's answers. I have been a big fan of his work since I first stumbled upon it, and was humbled to be asked to join him for this piece. John is perhaps the most talented writer I have encountered in the blogosphere and I encourage all of you to be sure to visit his site and read through his archives.

The questions I asked him will appear here with his answers, while the questions he posed to me will appear at Hazaa, along with my answers. Think of this like one of those old episodes of Law and Order that would overlap with an episode of Homicide. Always a good time, as I'm sure this will be. Let's get started...

Q: In light of the offensive struggles so far this year, what are the changes you would like to see? (Are there players in the minors you feel should get a look? or Name some players that the Tigers should target via trade.)

I'll probably be in the minority here, but I don't think a whole lot of external change is required to right the ship. Magglio Ordonez started slowly, but has raised his batting average significantly and is beginning to drive in runs when it matters. Placido Polanco is better than a .250 hitter, I expect he'll rebound soon as well. Marcus Thames will soon be available to provide a little more punch, although consistency has always been his Achilles heel. Slumps come at odd times and tend to bring about a knee-jerk reaction among fans. I'm willing to be patient, for at least the next month.

There are however a few players rumored to be available in the trade market that I think would provide some injury security and eliminate the need to carry youngsters such as Jeff Larish and Ryan Raburn.

Nick Johnson of the Washington Nationals is one of those guys. He's hitting .332 as of this morning with a .434 on-base percentage and 30 RBIs. He's also walked 33 times against 37 strike outs, which would give the Tigers a truly patient hitter in the lineup. He'd provide depth at first base, a considerable upgrade over Larish. I'm not sure what his price tag would be, but it's probably higher than we think. Left handed hitters of his quality don't grow on trees.

Aubrey Huff is another potential free agent that could help the Tigers, and he's publicly admitted his man-crush on Edwin Jackson so that might help clear the way for his mid July transfer, but don't count on it yet. The Orioles will seek more than he's worth, as they always do.

In terms of another proven outfielder with some pop, which this team could certainly use, names like Jermaine Dye and Matt Holliday will be mentioned but neither will end up here. The Tigers are more likely to pursue a Marlon Byrd (whom I would love to have) or a Rick Ankiel (whom I wouldn't).

Q: Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, recently spoke with Mike McClary on the podcast and suggested it was time to cut bait with some big contracts (Ordonez, Willis, Roberston), how realistic do you feel his suggestions were and do you agree with him?

The release of Gary Sheffield this spring opened the door for this kind of thinking, and while it has happened before with guys like Damion Easley I don't know that the same circumstances apply here. Let's start with Maggs. The bulk of the rationale from writers who support cutting him loose comes from the impending contract option kicking in for next season. If Ordonez plays 135 games or reaches 540 plate appearances that ginormous option is guaranteed. While he isn't the player he once was he can still hit, and there is no one in line to replace him except Wilkin Ramirez, and let's face it, he's not ready yet. I don't expect the team to cut Ordonez, although it will be very interesting to see how they handle his playing time late in the season. I believe the organization would like to see Magglio quietly slip away after the '09 season and find his replacement on the deeply discounted free agent market.

As for Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson, Dave Dombrowski made his bed and he's gonna have to lie in it. Both players were given expensive extensions based on questionable results. Both players have struggled more since signing those contracts, making them near impossible to trade. At least with Dontrelle you can make the argument that there was once great talent in him, talent that possibly, maybe, could be re-kindled. Nate Robertson, and pardon me for being so blunt, is not a good pitcher and not going to get better. Be it in the rotation or the bullpen he has proven unable to do what he needs to do in order to be successful, get left-handers out. Lefties have hit .267 against him over his career. He'll be 32-years-old come September. Maybe Dombrowski can con some young GM into giving up a hot-dog cart and a few rolls of tape for him if the Tigers pay 90% of his contract, but that's the best deal out there.

I think Nate will be cut at some point, Willis probably not.

Q: Does Jeff Larish have a future in Detroit, this year or beyond?

No. He's a poor defender with a big swing that has too many holes in it. He's not going to see time at the corner infield positions and isn't the outfield answer the team needs. He'll be headed back to AAA the moment Marcus Thames returns, probably never to return.

Q: How do you see the rotation shaking out after the next week or so of games?

Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and Rick Porcello are safe, we know that. The other two spots will be filled by some combination of Galarraga, Bonderman, Willis, Miner and perhaps a Toledo Mudhen. I know it's a vague answer, go ahead and poke fun at me, but I'm a writer not a clairvoyant. Armando has shown he can dominate, and has looked better in his last two outings after a brief rough patch, so I'd say he was the favorite for the 4th spot. Bondo hasn't pitched in a Major League game in a year, Willis has had more ups and downs in the last month than a recovering alcoholic and Zach Miner is, well, Zach Miner.

If I had to handicap it I would say the 4th spot is Galarraga's to lose and the 5th spot would ideally go to Willis simply to have a leftie in the mix, but he may pitch himself out of that decision. Jeremy Bonderman is going to be a part of this club, and I believe it will be as a starter, although it may take a few weeks to find his place. Bondo will get the audition in the Monday double-header and Willis will get another start next week as well - may the best man win.

Meanwhile Zach Miner can continue to serve as the long-dstance mop-up man and emergency long-relief option.


Q: How do you feel about the Leyland contract situation? Has he earned his extention yet?

I've been critical of Leyland this year, and last year, although I generally like and respect him very much. My biggest question is how motivated is he? He's been around, he's won championships, he's not getting any younger. As much as people ask does he deserve it I ask does he really want it? He looks conflicted to me, but I'm hardly an FBI profiler. Jimmy Leyland has had a tremendous career and I'm not saying it's over yet, but I believe certain parts of the game are beginning to wear on him and dare I say, even pass him by.

To be fair, Dave Dombrowski certainly hasn't made his job very easy these last two years. The gargantuan contracts given to players who have drastically under-performed have been an ulcer waiting to bleed in Leyland since last spring. If upper management is paying those kind of salaries on a multi-year basis it's tough to move those guys out of the lineup, even when players like Edgar Renteria, Gary Sheffield, Pudge Rodriguez (last season) and the aforementioned pitchers Willis and Robertson along with Brandon Lyon have struggled.

A manager must work with the roster he's given and Jim Leyland may have some stars, but he has more than his share of liabilities as well.

Bottom line, It's too early in the season to know if Jim really wants it, and if he deserves it. Ask me again in late August or September. If I had to guess, and let's say I did, I expect he'll return for one more year, if only out of the loyalty Mike Illitch is known for.

--end--

Once again, I would like to thank J. Ellet Lambie for including me in this work. I think we tackled a good number of issues here, and I had a lot of fun doing this. If nothing else, I got a chance to talk Tigers with another knowledgeable fan, which is always enjoyable for me, and was really the whole purpose of my blog to begin with. As a reminder, check out Hazaa to see the other side of this story, and see my answers to the questions he asked.

Bloggers of the World, Unite! 300 wins, Sad Days in Motown

J Ellet Lambie of Hazaa recently offered his opinions on Randy Johnson's persuit of 300 wins, which came to a successful end yesterday at Washington. You might recall that the Nationals are the former Expos, which is the team Johnson broke in with, and where he won exactly three games before being shipped off to Seattle.

Many kudos to the Unit on that historic accomplishment. From a freakishly tall guy who had no clue where the ball would go when he pitched, to a 5-time Cy Young winner, it has been an honor to watch his greatness develop.

So much for the good news:

Over the past three days the Tigers have been pounded into submission by the bullies from Boston. Sadly, Detroit offered little resistance, both from the offense (if you can even call it that anymore), to the pitching staff. Only Armando Galarraga offered a decent performance among the starters, and the bullpen was a combined terrible at worst, shaky at best in all three games.

Getting swept is never fun, getting swept at home is worse, and getting swept at home, by Boston, without putting up a real fight is maddening. A quick check of this morning's standings show the Kitties still sporting a 2.5 game lead though. It can't be that bad, right? Right? The Tigers' blogosphere disagrees.

Rogo of DesigNate Robertson thinks the Tigers are rapidly becoming the Knicks and compares Dave Dombrowski to Isaiah Thomas. Ouch.

Ian at Bless You Boys leads the parade of fans leaping from the D-Train bandwagon.

Kurt at Mack Avenue Tigers passed along some notes from Lynn Henning, and outlined what he believes the Tigers must do going forward. He's been banging the Zach Miner to the rotation drum for a while now, and I agree. I just hope to see him starting for Colorado or Seattle soon.

Rock n Rye of (746 miles) From the CoPa offers a short post on the train wreck that was, and wonders if Dontrelle has thrown his last pitch as a Tiger.

Blake at the Spot Starters gives us some historical perspective on Dontrelle's efforts yesterday.

Jen of Old English D laments the inconsistencies of this Tigers team so far.

To all of this I say that I agree, to a point. From what I saw of Willis yesterday, he was getting squeezed a bunch in the third. If he gets a call on one or two of those pitches to Pedroia or Drew, the Sox have to start swinging, and maybe the inning ends differently. But he didn't get those calls and they didn't have to swing, and the end was what we all witnessed. Ugly.

Jim Leyland seems likely to stick by Willis at least for now though. He mentions in Jason Beck's blog that control hasn't really been a problem until now for Dontrelle. I certainly hope we have not seen the last good performance of Willis' days as a Tiger.

The winds of change are certainly blowing in Tiger Town, however. The imminent return of slugger Marcus Thames and pitcher Jeremy Bonderman will mean roster moves. There has been talk of possible trades, as the Tigers look for a bat.

Could Thames be moved? That may depend on the severity of the Miguel Cabrera injury, as Thames could have to fill-in at first base until El Martillo gets back. I look for Ryan Raburn to head back to Toledo when Marcus is activated.

Bonderman's rehab stint is over, he figures to start game two of Monday doubleheader with Chicago. When Bondo is activated, someone has gotta go.

Could this be the right time to DFA Brandon Lyon? I barring a trade, I'd doubt you would see someone else released. Ryan Perry is the only real candidate to be optioned out, and I don't see that happening yet. Freddy Dolsi has been having a very good year in Toledo, and can provide depth in the bullpen to fill Lyon's role once a starter is moved out.

And make no mistake, a starter must be moved out. The way it stands, Detroit figures to carry 7 or 8 starting pitchers on their staff, for only five slots. The cost of moving Robertson or Willis will probably mean a trade could be on the horizon, likely involving a less expensive pitcher, like Miner or Galarraga.

The Tigers are also in need of a left handed bat to hit in the middle of the order. From what I've seen, Jeff Larish is not the answer. I'd like to see him as part of a package to Colorado, maybe with Miner and some minor league arm to try to get Brad Hawpe. I wonder if that would be enough?

Lefthanders Provide Blueprint for Bonderman

Jeremy Bonderman is working his way back to Detroit. He is making progress toward becoming a major league pitcher again. The righthander first appeared in the big leagues as a 20 year old flamethrower with a wicked slider, and learned on the job for the 2003 Detroit Tigers, losing 19 games as a rookie. The potential for greatness has always been there. Bonderman was acquired by Detroit in a 2002 trade the sent Jeff Weaver to the Yankees, Ted Lilly to the A's, and Carlos Pena, Franklyn German, and Bonderman to the Tigers. His best season was in 2006, when the then 23 year old lead the AL with 34 starts, posting 202 strikeouts and a 14-8 record for the surprise pennant winners. But consistency has eluded Bonderman throughout his career.

Although he featured a mid-90s fastball and high-80s slider, he has never been able to master a quality third pitch. Early in the 2008 season, it was apparent Bonderman was losing velocity. He was diagnosed with a clotting disorder in his throwing shoulder and had season ending surgery after just 12 starts.

Bonderman's numbers in his past few minor league starts have been very encouraging, with the exception of the number on the radar gun. The nerve damage in his shoulder has been corrected, but the velocity has not returned. The guy who used to be able to touch 98 with his fastball, has routinely been clocked 10 MPH slower. This has been cause for alarm for many, including Bonderman himself, but he has been making adjustments. He is now featuring a changeup, a pitch he has toyed with unsuccessfully in the past. Reports form Toledo have been encouraging regarding his location and command of his off-speed pitches. With an 88 MPH fastball, Bondo knows he needs to become more of a pitcher, less of a thrower if he plans to get hitters out consistently.

Like Bonderman, Frank Tanana got the big leagues at an early age. For parts of six seasons with the Angels, Tanana dominated the AL. Although teamed with Nolan Ryan, it was Tanana that posted the better numbers for much of their time together. Tanana suffered an arm injury in 1979, and faced many of the demons now facing Bonderman. The lefthander with the great fastball was gone, left behind was Tanana to rebuild his game.

Eventually, Tanana re-emerged. Armed with a big, slow curveball and high-80s fastball, he once again became an effective starting pitcher. The southpaw had routinely racked up 200 strikeout seasons before the injury, but would never again top 160 in one season. Still he pitched 14 years after the injury, and finished his career with 240 wins over his 21 seasons.

Bonderman's old velocity may yet return, or it may not. At this point, he will have to make due with the arsenal he has. Bonderman has been in contact with Kenny Rogers. The former Tiger and 200 game winner had similar surgery during his career, and was able to come back as a finese pitcher when he returned to action.

Bonderman will need to heed the advice of Rogers moving forward. If he is to become a successful pitcher again, it may be that the career paths that Kenny Rogers and Frank Tanana took are the same as the one Bonderman needs to take. Bonderman must learn to pitch without his old velocity. He will no longer be able to overpower hitters. He'll have to mix his pitches, change speeds, and spot his fastball on the corners. He'll have to pitch like a "crafty lefthander", but he'll have to do that from the right side.

A Final Goodbye to Tiger Stadium

Today is a truly sad day for Tiger fans. But its a day that was perhaps long overdue. It was announced today that the final remaining piece of historic Tiger Stadium will be leveled, at the behest of the Detroit Economic Growth Commision. Much of the stadium was brought down last year, and the remaining structure, spanning dugout to dugout, could be demolished in as few as two weeks.

For the past ten years, following the Tigers' move to Comerica Park, there has been great debate about what to do with the near century old ballpark. Ideas for a museum fell flat, as did proposals that included apartment complexes, shopping centers, and even featuring the field as a ballpark for kids to play on. In the end however, a struggling Detroit economy simply could not justify the cost of upkeep on the vacant building.

Originally Navin Field, the stadium was opened for play in 1912, on the same day the the RedSox began play at Fenway Park. Through 87 seasons and many changes, both to the name, and structure, the park at Michigan and Trumbull was home to the Detroit Tigers. For the past ten seasons, the stadium has stood unoccupied, and poorly maintained.

I do not live in Detroit, and never have. I grew up two and a half hours south on I-75, in Lima, Ohio (coincidentally nicknamed "Little Detroit" for some of the city's less flattering elements). But every year, my father, my grandfather, and I would make the trip to Motown to see our Tigers play. The trip happened at least four times per season, but was always the same. Dad and I would get into Grandpa's car, though he was a terrible driver, and head north, always stopping on the way to eat in Perrysburg, Ohio, at the same Big Boy restaurant. Upon our arrival, we would park along the street, on some small side road across the interstate from the stadium, so we didn't have to pay for parking. Then we would make our way across the walkway above I-75, stop for peanuts, and head inside. We always got there early enough for batting practice, and our seats were usually just to the left field side of the fence the separated the reserved seats from the bleachers, in the upper deck. The memories I have of those trips are easy to recall. Through the great seasons in the 80's into the lean years of the 90's, those trips were always my favorite days growing up.

Once I finished high school, those trips came to an end. I enrolled in college in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the shorter distance meant more trips to Detroit for me. Several of my roommates were Indians fans, so the voyage always took place when the Tribe came to town.

My final trip to the stadium was on September 20th, 1999, when the Indians came in for the final home-stand in the park. Dwight Gooden, one of the idols of my youth, started for Cleveland. Dean Palmer hit a bomb in the first, Todd Jones blew a save, Bobby Higginson robbed a homerun with a leaping catch at the wall in right, and the Tigers won in the bottom of the tenth. It was a perfect way to say goodbye for me.

The trips to Comerica have been fun, the stadium is beautiful. But each trip coming from the south on I-75 leads you past the battered old park, and each time I pass her, I can only shake my head at what once was. The stadium had a long and glorious run, but now stood as an empty building, no longer living, but still in existence.

Several years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and his health began to fail. My family watched his memory fade and his health slip until he passed away earlier this year. His illness left behind a shell of the man he once was, and although his passing was difficult, my pain was eased greatly with the knowledge that I would forever have the fond memories that I will always keep with me.

Tiger Stadium, like my Grandpa, will stand forever in my mind, and in my heart, with all of the memories of all the summers spent driving to Detroit.