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.
Showing posts with label Edwin Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edwin Jackson. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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!
Friday, July 3, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
This Just In: Zach Greinke is Really Good
For five innings yesterday, Edwin Jackson was up to the task against Kansas City. Jackson knew runs would be at a premium and he did his part to keep the Royals off the board. A throwing error by Jackson and some well placed ground balls through the infield in the sixth gave Kansas City all the runs that Zach Greinke would need, as the Royals bested the Tigers 6-1 to pull within three games of the division lead. For the most part, Jackson pitched well, certainly well enough to win on most nights, but tonight he was facing the only pitcher currently in the discussion for the Cy Young award (apologies to Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander).
How good is Zach Geinke? He hasn't allowed a homerun since last September. He improved his record to 8-1 with yesterday's win, it was his league leading fifth complete game. Greinke has allowed 12 walks this year. Read that last sentence again. 10 starts, eight wins, 12 walks. With his performance yesterday, Greinke watched his ERA rise from 0.82 to 0.84. You know you're having a good year when you allow one run over nine innings and your ERA goes up.
How do you beat this guy? His only loss this season was a 1-0 decision against the Angels' lefty Joe Saunders. For the first five innings it looked like the Tigers planned to follow that blueprint, but once the Royals smelled blood, they went for the kill and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead by the end of the sixth. They added on in the seventh and eighth, but anyone watching knew the game was probably over when Mitch Maier's groundball got past Placido Polanco to plate the first two Kansas City runs. The Tigers had their chances early, but three double plays lead to their demise, as they were unable to capitalize on the early scoring chances. The Tigers' offense that had pounded out 19 hits in the series opener was held to just six hits versus Greinke, who finished his gem with eight punchouts.
How good is Zach Geinke? He hasn't allowed a homerun since last September. He improved his record to 8-1 with yesterday's win, it was his league leading fifth complete game. Greinke has allowed 12 walks this year. Read that last sentence again. 10 starts, eight wins, 12 walks. With his performance yesterday, Greinke watched his ERA rise from 0.82 to 0.84. You know you're having a good year when you allow one run over nine innings and your ERA goes up.
How do you beat this guy? His only loss this season was a 1-0 decision against the Angels' lefty Joe Saunders. For the first five innings it looked like the Tigers planned to follow that blueprint, but once the Royals smelled blood, they went for the kill and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead by the end of the sixth. They added on in the seventh and eighth, but anyone watching knew the game was probably over when Mitch Maier's groundball got past Placido Polanco to plate the first two Kansas City runs. The Tigers had their chances early, but three double plays lead to their demise, as they were unable to capitalize on the early scoring chances. The Tigers' offense that had pounded out 19 hits in the series opener was held to just six hits versus Greinke, who finished his gem with eight punchouts.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Willis Key to Divisional Race
Dontrelle Willis left today's contest after 6.2 innings allowing 7 hits and 3 runs, he walked a season high four batters. Willis (1-1, 3.57ERA) was good enough today. He was good enough to be a major league pitcher, he was good enough to keep his spot in the rotation, and although he didn't match the outing he had versus Texas, he was good enough to beat the Rockies. Unfortunately for Willis, the offense managed just six hits and one run against Jason Hammel, and the Tigers fell 3-1. But today, Dontrelle Willis showed again that he is ready to resume a once-promising major league career. The addition of Willis to the Tigers' already formidable rotation should help secure Detroit's place as the favorite to win the AL Central. The division is littered with tough left handed hitters, Mike Jacobs and Alex Gordon in Kansas City, Jim Thome in Chicago, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel in Minnesota and Grady Sizemore in Cleveland. Willis provides the Tigers with a lefty starter they otherwise lack. His success could make the difference in what figures to be a season long race for the playoffs.
The rest of the rotation stacks up well versus the Central division contenders, and the impending return of Jeremy Bonderman figures to give them another boost. Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.99 ERA) leads the AL in strikeouts and has been dominant for most of the season. Even through his first few starts, when his ERA sat at 9.00, his stuff was there, and his outings were marred by one bad inning. Verlander has since eliminated the bad inning and has shown a return to the form that saw him win 35 games in his first two seasons. Verlander will oppose Gil Meche (2-4, 4.42 ERA) in tomorrow's series opener in Kansas City.
Edwin Jackson has finally fulfilled his vast potential. Jackson won 14 games for the surprise AL Champion Rays last season, but was left out of the post-season rotation. Tampa traded him to the Tigers in the off season for outfielder Matt Joyce. Jackson (4-2, 2.55 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched and has shown the will of an ace in his last two starts, returning after an hour long rain delay to throw three more innings against Oakland on May 15, followed by a 132 pitch effort against Texas on Thursday. He has been the staff's most consistent starter this season.
Rick Porcello has been an absolute revelation for the 2009 edition of the Tigers in much the same way that Verlander was to the '06 version. The 20 year old rookie had never pitched above A-ball when he made the big club out of spring training. The first few starts were bit rough, but he has settled in nicely, not having allowed a home run this month, after allowing six long balls in April. Porcello (5-3, 3.55 ERA) leads the team in wins and seemingly gets better with each start.
Armando Galarraga has struggled mightily in the month of May, after roaring to a 3-0 start to the season. The second year righthander had a slightly improved effort Saturday against Colorado, but may only get one more start before Bonderman returns from injury and pushes someone out of the rotation. Right now, the smart money is on a Galarraga (3-4, 5.74ERA) trip to AAA Toledo to try to work out his problems in the minor leagues. Galarraga was easily the best of the staff in 2008, finishing 13-7 as a rookie, but something as been amiss in his past several starts and he needs to get right if the Tigers are to use him in a major league role.
Despite consecutive losses to the Rockies over the weekend, the Detroit Tigers head into Memorial Day in first place in the AL Central, three games better than the Kansas City Royals. Detroit travels to Kansas City for a three game series starting tomorrow afternoon. The Tigers finished 2008 in last place in the division, one game worse than the perennial cellar-dwelling Royals. The main reason for the early season success for both teams has been the performance of their starting rotation. Kansas City, lead by Cy Young candidate Zach Grienke, leads the American League with a team ERA of 3.87, while Detroit ranks third with a 3.96. The Tigers, meanwhile rank second in the league in opponents batting average at .247, with the Royals on spot behind them at .256 (stats ESPN.com). The Tigers offense, currently ranked in the bottom half of the American League, will need continued strong performances from Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge, but will also need to see a return to form from Magglio Ordonez and injured DH Carlos Guillen to keep the pressure off the starting rotation, and to keep the pressure on the rest of the division, as the Tigers attempt to pull away.
The rest of the rotation stacks up well versus the Central division contenders, and the impending return of Jeremy Bonderman figures to give them another boost. Justin Verlander (4-2, 3.99 ERA) leads the AL in strikeouts and has been dominant for most of the season. Even through his first few starts, when his ERA sat at 9.00, his stuff was there, and his outings were marred by one bad inning. Verlander has since eliminated the bad inning and has shown a return to the form that saw him win 35 games in his first two seasons. Verlander will oppose Gil Meche (2-4, 4.42 ERA) in tomorrow's series opener in Kansas City.
Edwin Jackson has finally fulfilled his vast potential. Jackson won 14 games for the surprise AL Champion Rays last season, but was left out of the post-season rotation. Tampa traded him to the Tigers in the off season for outfielder Matt Joyce. Jackson (4-2, 2.55 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched and has shown the will of an ace in his last two starts, returning after an hour long rain delay to throw three more innings against Oakland on May 15, followed by a 132 pitch effort against Texas on Thursday. He has been the staff's most consistent starter this season.
Rick Porcello has been an absolute revelation for the 2009 edition of the Tigers in much the same way that Verlander was to the '06 version. The 20 year old rookie had never pitched above A-ball when he made the big club out of spring training. The first few starts were bit rough, but he has settled in nicely, not having allowed a home run this month, after allowing six long balls in April. Porcello (5-3, 3.55 ERA) leads the team in wins and seemingly gets better with each start.
Armando Galarraga has struggled mightily in the month of May, after roaring to a 3-0 start to the season. The second year righthander had a slightly improved effort Saturday against Colorado, but may only get one more start before Bonderman returns from injury and pushes someone out of the rotation. Right now, the smart money is on a Galarraga (3-4, 5.74ERA) trip to AAA Toledo to try to work out his problems in the minor leagues. Galarraga was easily the best of the staff in 2008, finishing 13-7 as a rookie, but something as been amiss in his past several starts and he needs to get right if the Tigers are to use him in a major league role.
Despite consecutive losses to the Rockies over the weekend, the Detroit Tigers head into Memorial Day in first place in the AL Central, three games better than the Kansas City Royals. Detroit travels to Kansas City for a three game series starting tomorrow afternoon. The Tigers finished 2008 in last place in the division, one game worse than the perennial cellar-dwelling Royals. The main reason for the early season success for both teams has been the performance of their starting rotation. Kansas City, lead by Cy Young candidate Zach Grienke, leads the American League with a team ERA of 3.87, while Detroit ranks third with a 3.96. The Tigers, meanwhile rank second in the league in opponents batting average at .247, with the Royals on spot behind them at .256 (stats ESPN.com). The Tigers offense, currently ranked in the bottom half of the American League, will need continued strong performances from Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge, but will also need to see a return to form from Magglio Ordonez and injured DH Carlos Guillen to keep the pressure off the starting rotation, and to keep the pressure on the rest of the division, as the Tigers attempt to pull away.
Friday, May 22, 2009
132 pitches, but who's counting?
In yesterday afternoon's 4-3 Tiger victory over the formerly hot Texas Rangers, Edwin Jackson pitched 8 full innings and left after his 132nd pitch of the game. Jackson had begun the eighth with a 3-1 lead and after a walk to David Murphy on his 110th pitch, Jim Leyland strode to the mound, chatted with his starter, and then headed back to the dugout without making a pitching change. It would be another 22 pitches from Jackson before the eighth inning came to a close, with the game now tied at 3-3, thanks to a 2 run double from Nelson Cruz.
There was some serious second guessing during the game in the live game thread at BYB, and several posts written about Leyland's decision since. Billfer gave his take, so did Ian. I however, will choose to respectfully disagree with both gentlemen. I'm not trying to be one of those who will tell you that pitch counts don't mean anything, but I don't think they mean as much as most people seem to think. People seem to get caught up in a pitcher throwing 100 pitches and then having to come out. Why? Because 100 is a nice round number? Isn't that the same reason the Cubs were supposed to have won the world series last season? I guess someone forgot to tell the Dodgers that it had been 100 years, and it was now time for the Cubs to win. The emphasis on pitch counts has been put into effect for many reasons; the evolution of the closer (don't get me started on what the save has done to managers), the expansion of the bullpen, and the fact that those middle relievers get paid too, so you might as well pitch them, but most will cite the possible injury to the guy doing all that pitching. Dusty Baker has long been blamed for "abusing" young starters and driving their careers into the abyss. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood have seen their share of injuries since their early years pitching for Baker, but you won't hear either of them doing the blaming. The simple fact is that some pitchers are going to get hurt every year, throwing a baseball overhanded is not a natural motion and does put considerable strain on the shoulder and elbow. Some pitchers get hurt, some seemingly don't. Jack Morris, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, Dwight Gooden, Jaime Moyer, Randy Johnson, and Al Leiter all pitched very long careers, much of their careers before pitch counts "mattered", and never had serious arm injuries. I do agree with Billfer when he said that an individual pitcher must be looked at case by case, and previous injuries should be considered. I'm not here telling you that Rick Porcello should be throwing 140 pitches tonight, his arm has not been stretched out yet to accommodate that type of work load. And I'm not arguing that Jackson was still effective in the eighth, but I will tell you that a successful team must have starting pitchers that can pitch deep into games. The mentality of the starting pitcher used to be that if he got the ball it was his game to finish, it is that mentality that Leyland is trying to instill in Jackson and Justin Verlander. Recently, that mentality has eroded across the majors. Now if a starter goes 6 innings and gives up 3 runs, it's called a "quality start". I would call that a #5 starter with an ERA of 4.50. Nolan Ryan would call that a poor performance. In a recent article for ESPN.com, Rick Sutcliffe noted the success of the Rangers staff this season and credits Ryan, along with the philosophies of Mike Maddux, for de-emphasising pitch counts as part of the improvement.
I applaud Leyland for not always adhering to conventional wisdom and pushing some of his starters deeper. Jackson and Verlander will need to be counted on as guys that can work deep into games. They will need to do what they have been doing in order to protect the workload of the young Porcello. If Dontrelle Willis continues to make strides with his performances, I would bet you'll see him pitching deep as well. And the Tigers will be a better team because of it. Injuries can happen to any pitcher at any time, but if Jackson comes up with a bad shoulder sometime soon, you won't hear me blaming Leyland, or the 132 pitches that Jackson threw yesterday.
There was some serious second guessing during the game in the live game thread at BYB, and several posts written about Leyland's decision since. Billfer gave his take, so did Ian. I however, will choose to respectfully disagree with both gentlemen. I'm not trying to be one of those who will tell you that pitch counts don't mean anything, but I don't think they mean as much as most people seem to think. People seem to get caught up in a pitcher throwing 100 pitches and then having to come out. Why? Because 100 is a nice round number? Isn't that the same reason the Cubs were supposed to have won the world series last season? I guess someone forgot to tell the Dodgers that it had been 100 years, and it was now time for the Cubs to win. The emphasis on pitch counts has been put into effect for many reasons; the evolution of the closer (don't get me started on what the save has done to managers), the expansion of the bullpen, and the fact that those middle relievers get paid too, so you might as well pitch them, but most will cite the possible injury to the guy doing all that pitching. Dusty Baker has long been blamed for "abusing" young starters and driving their careers into the abyss. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood have seen their share of injuries since their early years pitching for Baker, but you won't hear either of them doing the blaming. The simple fact is that some pitchers are going to get hurt every year, throwing a baseball overhanded is not a natural motion and does put considerable strain on the shoulder and elbow. Some pitchers get hurt, some seemingly don't. Jack Morris, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, Dwight Gooden, Jaime Moyer, Randy Johnson, and Al Leiter all pitched very long careers, much of their careers before pitch counts "mattered", and never had serious arm injuries. I do agree with Billfer when he said that an individual pitcher must be looked at case by case, and previous injuries should be considered. I'm not here telling you that Rick Porcello should be throwing 140 pitches tonight, his arm has not been stretched out yet to accommodate that type of work load. And I'm not arguing that Jackson was still effective in the eighth, but I will tell you that a successful team must have starting pitchers that can pitch deep into games. The mentality of the starting pitcher used to be that if he got the ball it was his game to finish, it is that mentality that Leyland is trying to instill in Jackson and Justin Verlander. Recently, that mentality has eroded across the majors. Now if a starter goes 6 innings and gives up 3 runs, it's called a "quality start". I would call that a #5 starter with an ERA of 4.50. Nolan Ryan would call that a poor performance. In a recent article for ESPN.com, Rick Sutcliffe noted the success of the Rangers staff this season and credits Ryan, along with the philosophies of Mike Maddux, for de-emphasising pitch counts as part of the improvement.
I applaud Leyland for not always adhering to conventional wisdom and pushing some of his starters deeper. Jackson and Verlander will need to be counted on as guys that can work deep into games. They will need to do what they have been doing in order to protect the workload of the young Porcello. If Dontrelle Willis continues to make strides with his performances, I would bet you'll see him pitching deep as well. And the Tigers will be a better team because of it. Injuries can happen to any pitcher at any time, but if Jackson comes up with a bad shoulder sometime soon, you won't hear me blaming Leyland, or the 132 pitches that Jackson threw yesterday.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Another Day, Another Shutout
Tigers 4 Indians 0
Another brilliant performance from Edwin Jackson, just as many of his efforts have been this season. Once again, he entered the seventh without allowing a run, and once again, he got himself in trouble in short order. But disaster was averted with a David Delucci liner that found the glove of Brandon Inge who quickly flipped the ball to second to double off Shin Soo Choo and effectively end the threat. More small ball from the Tigers had gotten the scoring started in the top of the inning, with RBI's from Gerald Laird on a ground ball out and Ramon Santiago on a clutch 2-out single through the middle. After that, and the double play by Delucci, The Tigers tacked on 2 more in the eighth, with Zumaya and Rodney finishing off the Tribe for the second shutout victory is as many days.
For Once, I get to second-guess the other teams manager
Now that Curtis Granderson occasionally hits in the middle of the order, I can more completely turn my attention to Eric Wedge and his out and out refusal to move Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot. Much as with the Granderson situation, Sizemore was hitting leadoff because the Tribe really didn't have another great option there and the had very productive middle of the order hitters. Also, like Granderson's situation in the Tigers order, however, has been the dwindling production from former mainstays at the "run-producing" spots in the order. The disappearance of Travis Hafner and the lack of production from Jhonny Peralta has left the Tribe with exactly one bat, Victor Martinez, in the middle of the order that should scare anybody. Choo and Mark DeRosa are nice players, but they don't frighten me with runners on base. But Sizemore sure does. Everyday the Indians lose a game, I thank Eric Wedge for not dropping Sizemore in the order, they have a talented team, but as long as Wedge continues his stubborn misuse of the pieces he has been given, the Tigers, and the rest of the Central, should have little problem keeping them in the rear view mirror.
And Furthermore:
What's up with the Indians conceding the run in the top of the seventh? Do they not realize that they hadn't scored a run in 16 innings to that point, and the way Jackson was pitching, they couldn't have expected to hang two runs of the board quick. It shocked me and I'm sure it shocked the Tigers. I mean when Inge drops the bunt to set the table for Laird, who was one for his last twenty-freaking-four, by the way, that's a roll of the dice that Laird is going to come through. So when Rod Allen points out that the Indians are playing back up the middle, I'm dancing in the streets, as was Laird, who quickly fisted a soft ground ball to short scoring the tigers first run. That was all they would need.
A sweep of the Indians would be awfully sweet, wouldn't it? Couple that with the games being in Cleveland and it makes it a little better. Probably asking too much, but how about a shutout sweep? That's what Rick Porcello will try to get done for the Tigers when the teams finish a three game set at Progressive Field today at 1:05pm. Anthony Reyes goes for the Tribe, sporting an 8.51ERA at home this season. Maybe the Tigers can break out a little offense today.
Another brilliant performance from Edwin Jackson, just as many of his efforts have been this season. Once again, he entered the seventh without allowing a run, and once again, he got himself in trouble in short order. But disaster was averted with a David Delucci liner that found the glove of Brandon Inge who quickly flipped the ball to second to double off Shin Soo Choo and effectively end the threat. More small ball from the Tigers had gotten the scoring started in the top of the inning, with RBI's from Gerald Laird on a ground ball out and Ramon Santiago on a clutch 2-out single through the middle. After that, and the double play by Delucci, The Tigers tacked on 2 more in the eighth, with Zumaya and Rodney finishing off the Tribe for the second shutout victory is as many days.
For Once, I get to second-guess the other teams manager
Now that Curtis Granderson occasionally hits in the middle of the order, I can more completely turn my attention to Eric Wedge and his out and out refusal to move Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot. Much as with the Granderson situation, Sizemore was hitting leadoff because the Tribe really didn't have another great option there and the had very productive middle of the order hitters. Also, like Granderson's situation in the Tigers order, however, has been the dwindling production from former mainstays at the "run-producing" spots in the order. The disappearance of Travis Hafner and the lack of production from Jhonny Peralta has left the Tribe with exactly one bat, Victor Martinez, in the middle of the order that should scare anybody. Choo and Mark DeRosa are nice players, but they don't frighten me with runners on base. But Sizemore sure does. Everyday the Indians lose a game, I thank Eric Wedge for not dropping Sizemore in the order, they have a talented team, but as long as Wedge continues his stubborn misuse of the pieces he has been given, the Tigers, and the rest of the Central, should have little problem keeping them in the rear view mirror.
And Furthermore:
What's up with the Indians conceding the run in the top of the seventh? Do they not realize that they hadn't scored a run in 16 innings to that point, and the way Jackson was pitching, they couldn't have expected to hang two runs of the board quick. It shocked me and I'm sure it shocked the Tigers. I mean when Inge drops the bunt to set the table for Laird, who was one for his last twenty-freaking-four, by the way, that's a roll of the dice that Laird is going to come through. So when Rod Allen points out that the Indians are playing back up the middle, I'm dancing in the streets, as was Laird, who quickly fisted a soft ground ball to short scoring the tigers first run. That was all they would need.
A sweep of the Indians would be awfully sweet, wouldn't it? Couple that with the games being in Cleveland and it makes it a little better. Probably asking too much, but how about a shutout sweep? That's what Rick Porcello will try to get done for the Tigers when the teams finish a three game set at Progressive Field today at 1:05pm. Anthony Reyes goes for the Tribe, sporting an 8.51ERA at home this season. Maybe the Tigers can break out a little offense today.
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