Archive for the '2008 Tigers' Category

With just over a week until opening day, the Tigers tied the team that should be right there with them in the AL Central this year.  Travis Hafner belted a solo shot in the sixth inning to tie it 3-3 and nobody else scored from then on.  Yorman Bazardo had a nice outing with three perfect innings and it was Denny Bautista who gave up that solo shot to Hafner.

Gary Sheffield provided the bulk of the offense with a two run blast.  Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco were the only Tigers with two hits and it’s not ironic that those were the two guys to pick up 200 hits last year.

Nate Robertson has looked sharp this spring and he gets the start tomorrow against the Nationals.  Still no further word on the Cabrera extension but the physical is supposed to go down tomorrow.

I saw this over at Rotoworld first, but it looks like Tigers fans got a nice little Easter present.  Apparantly the team is close to inking Miguel Cabrera to an eight year, $153 million deal and all that’s left is a physical.  This is a huge commitment but they have one heck of a player in Cabrera.  This also blows away any other contract the Tigers have ever made (although they may have to come close when they have to deal with Justin Verlander’s free agency).

More on this as it develops.  We probably won’t get much until after the holidays.

Florida is an odd state weather wise, and this is coming from somebody from Michigan.  Whenever we’re down there, we could pretty much expect a short, torrential rain storm at some point during the day, regardless of whether it was a nice day or not.  It could be perfectly sunny when a big rain cloud plows through, gets everything wet and moves on only to bring the sun back.  And every once in a while, the rain can be more substantial and go on for hours.

That must have been what happened during the Tigers/Phillies game today because they lasted just four innings. Kenny Rogers got in a few innings but the scary news was seeing Curtis Granderson getting nailed by a pitch.  He got his on the hand and while he’s expected to get some X-rays done, it looks like he’s okay.

And without a game to write about, Jason Beck talks about the Tigers pursuit of bullpen help.  Fernando Rodney is on the shelf as is Joel Zumaya, while Francisco Cruceta is still in the Dominican Republic.  That leaves guys like Bobby Seay, Tim Byrdak and Denny Bautista with big roles going into the first couple of weeks of the season.

Dontrelle Willis was solid through three innings but then a four run fourth inning knocked him out of the game.  In all, he gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks with a strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.  Zach Miner threw 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief while Aquilino Lopez continued his exceptional spring with a hitless eighth inning.

Gary Sheffield and Ivan Rodriguez both went deep in the 5-3 loss.  For Pudge, it was his seventh long ball of the season.  He had just eleven homers all of last season.  Unfortunately for the Tigers, those two homers accounted for half of the Tigers four hits in the game.

Kenny Rogers get the starts tomorrow against the Phillies and the Tigers’ hitters will be going up against a familiar face.  Chad Durbin will be that familiar face.

Denny Bautista has looked pretty impressive this spring but he finally ran into a road block in the Braves tonight.  He gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to blow a 2-1 Tigers lead.  It was the first time all season he’d even given up a run and despite the rough outing. Bautista could still be a huge part of solidifying the Tigers beat up pen.

Todd Jones threw two shutout innings but his ERA is still well north of eleven.  Justin Verlander gave up a solo homer to Chipper Jones in 5 1/3 innings.  He did walk four which was a little bit out of character but he gave up just three hits.

Placido Polanco had two of the Tigers six hits and both were doubles.  He and Timo Perez drove in the Tigers runs.  Brandon Inge spent some time behind the plate and it oddly didn’t affect his hitting because he singled in his only at bat.

Tomorrow is a day game against the Jays and the game is FSN.  Dontrelle Willis gets the start.  At this point, you’ll be seeing more and more of the starters as the Leyland makes his cuts.

The Tigers made some cuts yesterday and while the names many not be surprising, it’s interesting that they’re starting Rick Porcello in Lakeland.  This just signifies what the Tigers think of first round draft pick and with a good showing, he could even see some late time at Erie.  I figured he’d at least get his feet wet with the White Caps but he must have impressed enough to skip right by that level.

My Tigers preview at the Hardball Times was posted today.  It’s nice that at least a couple of the questions I pose are positive ones.  I began doing these back in 2005 when things were less rosy.

The Tigers lost both of their games today and neither were pretty.  Dontrelle Willis got the start on the road and I was able to watch some of this game on MLB.TV.  Willis got through the first couple of innings with no problem but then he ran into trouble in the third and gave up three runs.  Zach Miner and Bobby Seay each gave up a pair of runs while Aquilino Lopez was the lone pitching star when he struck out two in two hitless frames.

Marcus Thames hit his third homer of the spring but unfortunately that accounted for half of the Tigers offense.  Gary Sheffield doubled and scored while Edgar Renteria went one for one with two walks.

The Tigers also lost to the Mets 7-4.  Yorman Bazardo and Freddy Dolsi were each tagged for three runs while Virgil Vasquez looked sharp with 3 1/3 solid innings of relief.  Carlos Guillen hit his fifth homer While Ivan Rodriguez was a perfect three for three batting leadoff.

It’s the Reds tomorrow as the Tigers play another day game.  I’ll have to take a late lunch tomorrow because the game’s on FSN.  Kenny Rogers gets the start.

The Tigers tied the Braves 6-6 and most of the Tigers offense came from the top of the order.  Gary Sheffield belted a two run homer, his first of the spring, while Placido Polanco had two hits, two runs and two RBIs.  Magglio Ordonez was a perfect three for three and he drove in a run.

Jeremy Bonderman was roughed up and he lasted just four innings.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Freddy Dolsi was tagged for two runs while Francis Beltran pitched two shutout frames to close out the game.

Tomorrow is the Tigers first night game.  It’s a 7:05 start on the road againt the Astros with Nate Robertson getting the start.

Ivan Rodriguez appears to be getting used to hitting in the eight slot.  He led the way in an eleven run, twenty hit attack that saw the Tigers demolish the Astros 11-4.  Rodriguez finished with three RBIs and the two homers bring his spring total to six.  Carlos Guillen had a team high three hits while Placido Polanco and Edgar Renteria both went yard.

Kenny Rogers pitched five strong innings.  He gave up just one run on three hits with two strikeouts.  Virgil Vasquez was touched up for two runs in his two innings while Tim Byrdak gave up a run in the final two frames.

The Braves come to town this afternoon.  Jeremy Bonderman gets the start and with this being his fourth time on the mound, you’d expect him to go five innings like Kenny Rogers did.

Miguel Cabrera and Ivan Rodriguez both belted solo shots in the Tigers 4-3 win over the Nationals today but it was Joe Bowen who was filling in at catcher and who came up with the late inning heroics.  His ninth inning RBI single broke a 3-3 ties that gave the Tigers the win.  Cabrera finished the day with two hits and two RBIs while the Brandon Inge watch saw him getting the start out in centerfield.

Justin Verlander and Armando Galarraga both threw three shutout innings in the win.  Zach Miner gave up all three Nationals runs in his two innings of work while Freddy Dolsi threw a shutout ninth and he picked up his third save of the spring.

The Tigers split things up tomorrow.  Dontrelle Willis gets the start at home against the Reds while Yorman Bazardo hits the road to take on the Indians.  Rick Porcello is supposed to throw in that Indians game as well.

It took ten innings and nine runs but the Tigers walked away with a 9-7 win over the Pirates this afternoon.  Nate Robertson did his job and he gave up just one hit in four shutout innings but the pen was less then stellar.  Four of the six relievers used gave up runs with Todd Jones having another tough outing.  He gave up four runs in just 2/3 of an inning while Aquilino Lopez struck out two in a shutout frame in relief of Robertson in the fifth inning.

Freddy Guzman had the big hit with a walk off three run blast in the bottom of the tenth.  Carlos Guillen also went yard with his third of the spring.  He finished two for three with two runs and two RBIs.  Brandon Inge played both third base and right field and he doubled and drove in a run.

Justin Verlander gets the start tomorrow.  It’s another day game and their first night game isn’t until this Friday.  Their first televised game is a week from tomorrow but that week, they have three games on the tube.  Monday and Friday are on FSN while Tuesday’s is on ESPN.

I got my Baseball Book Blog up and running and I’d appreciate any comments.  There’s not much there at the moment but hopefully over time I’ll find the time to get some quality content up.

I just got my copy of the Bill James Goldmine and after flipping through it, it looks like a solid buy.  It’s supposed to harken back to his Baseball Abstract days and while I only have a few of those, it’s a welcome addition to a growing “Annual” book market.  There’s also a new website, Bill James Online.  I took the tour and for $3 a month, I’ll probably sign up and check it out this season.

I’m listening to the game.  Tigers and Jays are tied 3-3.  They’ve been held to just two hits both of which are solo homers.  Mike Hessman and Placido Polanco both hit their first homers of the spring.

Ivan Rodriguez broked out of his spring slump in a big way with three extra base hits in the Tigers 9-6 win over the Braves.  He doubled twice, homered, drove in two and scored three times.  Brandon Inge got the start at third base and he homered for the first time this spring while Carlos Guillen, Ryan Rabun and Freddy Guzman all had a pair of hits.

Kenny Rogers had a tough start and he didn’t even make it through his three innings.  He gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings while Virgil Vasquez both blew his second save and won his second game with 2 2/3 innings.  Tim Byrdak didn’t allow a baserunner in his inning of work.

The Tigers continue their afternoon games tomorrow against the Jays.  Jeremy Bonderman gets the start and with this being his third start, he should throw more then just a cursory three innings.  It’ll be on the radio.

It looks like quite a few Tigers have their share of nicks.  The leg injury to Gary Sheffield is particularly troubling.

The Tigers split their pair of games yesterday but the big news was a near no-hitter by the Braves.  Former Tiger Jair Jurrjens led the way with three shutout innings and it wasn’t until the ninth inning when the Indians finally picked up a hit.

After winning their first three spring games, the Tigers have now dropped their last three with the last one being an 11-10 loss to the Astros.  Ivan Rodriguez and Wilkin Ramirez both homered and Placido Polanco and Freddy Guzman had three hits a piece.  Magglio Ordonez pitched in with two RBIs despite not getting a hit.

Nate Robertson threw three shutout frames in a nice start but it went downhill from there.  Todd Jones gave six runs in his one inning while Macay McBride gave up four.

This afternoon, the Tigers play split squad games with Justin Verlander getting the start against the Phillies and Yorman Bazardo pitching against the Pirates.

Brandon Inge has always been one of my favorite players but you wonder how many fans he’s going to keep if he doesn’t keep quiet.  He’s not helping his trade situation any and now he’s saying that, while he doesn’t want to catch, he actually does.  Or at least he’s willing to.  Also, Matt Mantei has ended his comeback attempt and he’s going to call it a day after another injury.

Also some book news.  I got two boxes yesterday and it turned out to be both my copies of Baseball Prospectus 2008and the 2008 edition of the ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. I started flipping through both but that’s over 2,400 pages of baseball. Now I just have to make room for them on my shelf. My copy of the Bill James Goldmine is on the way. And with all of the baseball books I’ve been reading, I think I’m going to start a new blog about baseball books. Hopefully I’ll get it ramped up before the start of the season.

Finally, Tigers Corner 2008 is out.  I got to work with a lot of great people on this and I think the final product turned out to be a success.  You’ll notice some familiar names in the table of contents (not just mine) including several local bloggers.  Being on the inside of the process for a book like this was definitely a learning experience and if you ever plan on putting together a book like this, drop me a line because I can tell you both some of the pitfalls as well as the many pros.

David Pinto over at Baseball Musings is having his annual fund drive in the month of March.  David is one of the pioneer baseball bloggers and his website is an invaluable tool for not just me, but for a ton of fans and bloggers.

It seems like everytime someone brings up the Tigers, the conversation steers to the bullpen.  Joel Zumaya and now Fernando Rodney are both out and Todd Jones, love him or hate him, is still the closer.  The Tigers have some guys who could step in to those vacant key roles, but for now, you have a lot of untested pen warriors.

I have a different concern though, and that’s the rotation.  In 2006, when the Tigers had arguably the best pitching staff in baseball, their starters threw 976 1/3 innings while their relievers threw 471 2/3.  That’s almost a two to one ratio.   Last year, despite a bullpen that didn’t perform as well as in 2006, the pen threw 515 innings compared to 932 innings for the starters so that ratio narrowed.  A less effective rotation means some back end relievers see more time then is neccesary.  Combine that with the injuries to the Tigers pen last year and it makes for a tough combo.

Anyway, if you’re a glass half empty kind of guy, here’s what the Tigers rotation looks like heading into 2008…..

1)  Two pitchers who had an ERA in 2007 north of 5.00 (Bonderman and Willis)
2)  One pitcher who logged all of 63 innings because of two stints on the disabled list (Rogers)
3)  One pitcher who’s had just one winning record in four seasons as a starter and has never had a WHIP lower then 1.300 (Robertson)
4)  Justin Verlander, who has had two solid seasons but has also thrown more then 200 innings in the past two years (counting the 2006 playoffs).   Verlander’s career first half ERA is 3.16 and is second half is 4.50.  If he ever gets off to a tough start to the season and shows the wear of a young pitcher in the second half, it could make for a rough season.

Not to get too negative, I just think way too many people are taking the rotation as a forgone conclusion.  Throw in the fact that we don’t have an established sixth starter to fill in if someone goes down and what should be a less effective defense then in 2007 and it makes for a brutal combination.

Will the Tigers a lot of games with that lineup?  I bet they will but what will determine whether they make the playoffs will not be the pen or the lineup, it’ll be those five guys throwing on a regular basis.

Kenny Rogers gave up three baserunners but didn’t allow a run in his two innings of work as he finished off the Tigers rotation circuit today.  Four other Tigers threw shutout innings in the 3-1 loss and it was Matt Mantei who was tagged for a pair of runs.  Jason Grilli also had a tough time in the eighth inning and he gave up the final of the three runs.

Brandon Inge got the start at catcher and he also led off the game.  Matthew Joyce drove in the lone run and Michael Hollimon had the lone extra base hit with a double and he scored the only Tiger run.

Jeremy Bonderman gets the start tomorrow against the Rays.  The Tigers will still be playing in the afternoon so it’s a 1 pm start. 

The Tigers are still undefeated but they didn’t win today.  They finished a ten inning 3-3 tie that saw Dontrelle Willis get tagged for a run but Denny Bautista, Preston Larrison and non-roster invitee Chris Lambert each threw two shutout frames. 

I listened to most of the game on the radio and there was a little scare in the sixth inning when Miguel Cabrera came off the field gingerly.  The announcers didn’t think it was a huge deal because there wasn’t a mad scramble in the dugout to see what was wrong.  Jim Price seemed to think Cabrera was just annoyed because he shattered his bat on the swing.  Cabrera did double in a run in the contest.

Brent Clevlen and Ramon Santiago were the two Tigers with two hits.  I wasn’t able to see it (again, the radio) but Clevlen made a nice play out in centerfield.

Tomorrow is a rematch that’ll see Kenny Rogers make his spring debut.  Quite a few Tigers starters will be making the road trip to Winter Haven for the game.

The reason I was in the car during most of the game was I took my son to the Plymouth Historical Museum to see a neat baseball exhibit.  There was plenty of Tiger memorabilia as well as some information on a semi-pro team that played in Plymouth in the 19th century.  One of my favorite local baseball authors, Peter Morris, is going to be presenting at the museum on April 13th.  Morris has a new book out called But Didn’t We Have Fun which deals with the very earliest days of baseball.

« Previous Entries | Next Entries »

Powered by
WordPress

Click to advertise

http://every1bets.com