Daily Roar - 2/27/08 and 2/28/08

Yesterday, the Tigers played a watered down version of the Mets in their second exhibition game of Spring Training 2008. Detroit got the win 4-2, but from the sounds of it the game wasn't pretty for the Tigers stars.

The good news about yesterday's game was that the bullpen looked very solid. Grilli, Miner, Byrdak, and Bautista all threw a scoreless inning or two, and the first three didn't even give up a hit. It may be a promising sign, or it may be that we faced all of the Mets' backups.

The bad news about our exhibition with the Mets is that, once again, Jeremy Bonderman struggled in the first inning. He ended up pitching two innings, giving up two runs on four hits and one walk. If Bonderman isn't already seeing one, the Tigers franchise needs to sign him up with a sports psychologist immediately. This can't go on.

Michael Rosenberg of the Free Press has a pretty good article this morning explaining why Detroit should hold on to Brandon Inge. After reading his points, I completely agree with him at this point. I also found an article by Tom Gage of the Detroit News, and he says the same thing.

Back to the bad news, it seems that Fernando Rodney's shoulder is still bothering him. Leyland has decided to rest him until next week and even said that he's "concerned." Hopefully this ongoing saga will quietly go away, but I'm doubting it.

I was excited to read yesterday that Leyland has announced his batting lineup. Like I've been calling for, Miguel Cabrera will bat fifth with Sheffield and Ordonez batting 3rd and 4th. If all goes well, Miggy should have some staggering RBI numbers.

Joel Zumaya was able to throw his first session since his shoulder surgery, and claims that his shoulder was pain-free. I usually would want Leyland to rest him as long as possible, but with Rodney's shoulder falling off, its seems that we need Z sooner rather than later.

John Donovan of SI.com has a fun piece on Dontrelle Willis. One thing that I got out of this article is that Willis had his best years in Florida when the guy catching for him was none other than Pudge Rodriguez. Maybe Dontrelle needs Pudge's guidance to get him back to top form again.

Curtis Granderson has a quick blog post about Black History month and how kids in the inner cities aren't playing baseball anymore. He doesn't really say anything new, but since Curtis is my boy I will always link to his new blog posts.

In a quick Q and A with the Detroit News, Granderson says that he'll be attempting more bunts this Spring Training.

I'm out of town this week, but I'll try to get a weekend links up if I find the time. Next week, look for both the starting pitching and bullpen previews. Have a good weekend.

Daily Roar - 2/26/08

The biggest news of the day: Miguel Cabrera hit a home run that cleared the 420 sign in center in his first at bat as a Tiger today. Here's the Free Press explanation as well as a video of his blast. OH YEAH.

Jayson Stark of ESPN has a fantastic piece on the Tigers today. It's pretty long, but it's worth the whole read. Make sure you check out the video too. It'll get you excited.

I almost forgot. If you're wondering, the Tigers smashed Florida Southern College today 17-4. Gee, I hope so. Polanco and Inge also hit homers. The only disappointing thing I noticed in the box score is that Jordan Tata gave up all four runs in 1 and 2/3 innings. Shaky start for a guy hoping to be in the bullpen mix.

Looking for a new Tigers wallpaper? Here's a solid photo gallery of today's game.

Another interesting story from today's exhibition is that Tiger legend Al Kaline's grandson played against Detroit today. It would have been nice for the kid to get a hit, but he finished 0-4. Good luck to Colin Kaline; it would be cool to see him succeed and put on a Tiger uniform some day.

2008 Preview - Outfielders

This is Part II of my 2008 Positional Preview. Look for Starting Pitching and Bullpen Previews coming in the next few weeks.

Left Fielders: Jacque Jones, Marcus Thames, Brandon Inge
Grade: C+

Our biggest offensive question mark going into this season has to be Jacque Jones. Since it seems likely that he will batting ninth, hopefully some of the pressure may be taken off him. Jones has hit .285 exactly in his last two seasons, but his power numbers fell dramatically from his 2006 season when he hit 27 home runs and drove in 81 runs. In Comerica, Jones will more likely be a gap hitter and his decent speed gives him upside as a second leadoff hitter at the bottom of our lineup. Leyland has been giving him a lot of praise so far this Spring Training. Let's hope he lives up to some of it.

Marcus Thames is a nice ace up our sleeve. He can fill in for Jones against tough lefties, he gives us another source of power, and his defense isn't a huge drop off in return. I would expect Thames to bat higher in the lineup when he starts, probably switching places with Edgar Renteria (switching from 7 to 9). When he's on his game, Thames gives us another feared bat in an explosive lineup.

Along with third base and catcher, we can throw Brandon Inge into the mix as a backup left fielder as well. My guess is this situation would happen if we are facing a lefty, and Marcus Thames is getting a start at DH to give Sheffield a day off. Inge's ability to play the outfield gives Leyland the kind of roster flexibility a lot of ball clubs would love to have. This is, of course, if Inge is still in Detroit this season.

Center Fielders: Curtis Granderson, Jacque Jones, Ryan Raburn
Grade: B+

It will become quite obvious in this blog as the year goes on that Curtis Granderson is my favorite baseball player. I've felt for the last two seasons that the Tigers go as Curtis goes. His defense in the spacious Comerica outfield has been both steady and spectacular. The way he runs the bases ranks him with the leagues most exciting players. Even his power out of the leadoff spot gets me out of my seat. Now, if he could just figure out how to hit lefties consistently, Granderson will become a mainstay alongside Grady Sizemore as the American League center field All-Stars. This is a big year for Curtis, the pressure is on him now more than ever.

With the loss of Omar Infante, I'm having a hard time figuring out who Granderson's main backup will be. Jones is listed as his backup, but since he is a lefty as well, Granderson will not get benched against lefties for Jones. I see Jones as his backup if Granderson was injured, but that's it.

My best guess as a fill-in for Granderson against a lefty would be Ryan Raburn. The strange thing here is that Raburn hit only .258 against lefties, while thriving at .338 against right-handers. I'm sure Leyland has something up his sleeve, I just don't know what it is yet.

Right Fielders: Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Marcus Thames
Grade: A-

When asked about Magglio Ordonez's 2007 season, Jim Leyland said, "I've never seen one like that." You know how impressive Magglio's season was when Leyland says that; he's been around a while. If Ordonez can hit anywhere near the pace he hit last year, AL pitching is in for a world of hurt. There's no way we can expect Maggs to hit .363 again, but with this lineup, a healthy Ordonez can definitely aim to match the 139 RBI's he hit a year ago. With speed (Granderson), consistency (Polanco), and patience (Sheffield) hitting ahead of him again, I like Magglio's chances of getting MVP votes again this year. Unless Miguel Cabrera's numbers end up being better.

While Leyland has already announced that he would rather not play Gary Sheffield in the field much this year, it's likely that Sheff will get a few days in right field here and there to rest Ordonez. I agree with Leyland that I would rather he stays in the DH spot, but Sheffield did show in limited time last year that his defense is still pretty decent. His health is too important to risk just to test him, though.

On days that Magglio needs a rest, I would rather see us go to Thames as a replacement in right. I realize that Marcus does not exactly have a lot of experience in right, but he's less of an injury risk. And he can't be that much worse than Ordonez defensively anyway, right?

Designated Hitters: Gary Sheffield, Marcus Thames
Grade: B

When healthy, I still think Gary Sheffield ranks in the top three of the league's best designated hitters behind only David Ortiz and Travis Hafner. When Sheffield came to Detroit, the thing that jumped out to me the most is how many walks he takes. Sure, his swing is lethal, but I don't know how many times I've watched him fall behind in a count only to battle a pitcher into throwing four balls. It's this knack that makes me want Leyland to bat Sheff third in our lineup. Of course it's important to get Cabrera a lot of at-bats, but I think batting Miggy fifth gives him the most chances to drive in runs. Sheffield staying healthy is a top priority for our success this year.

I've already mentioned Thames quite a few times in this post, so I'll keep it short. But if Sheffield is not able to stay healthy this year, Marcus will finally get his chance to prove his worth as an everyday player. His broken bat home run last year was one of the most impressive displays of power I've ever seen. Hopefully Thames' patience these last few years will help him to take over Sheffield's DH spot next year and for years to come.

Daily Roar - 2/25/08

Matt Crossman of the Sporting News gives his take on the improved Tigers squad. Tiger players continue to try to to temper expectations. Crossman's expectations are almost as high as mine.

Mack Avenue Tigers has a unique blog about our lineup against right handed hitters. The table really makes our lineup look impressive.

For the fantasy baseballers like myself, these shortstop rankings by FanNation give Edgar Renteria their most improved award and rank him #11. And what about Ramon Santiago? He's listed under "Don't Even Think About It."

For our daily Free Press articles, we have Jim Leyland praising Cabrera's extra conditioning as well as Justin Verlander looking to be on track as our opening day starter.


Finally, just for fun, here's a photo gallery of my main man C-Grand.

Look for my Outfielders Preview in the next day or two.

Weekend Roar - 2/23 and 2/24

Danny Knobler's MLive blog lets us know that Pudge is likely to bat 8th this season. A quick excerpt into our lineup:

• Leyland doesn't like to discuss his lineup publicly in the spring, and he didn't provide any other details. But batting Rodriguez eighth likely leaves Jacque Jones in the ninth spot. Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco will bat first and second, and Magglio Ordonez will remain in the cleanup spot. Gary Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera will hit third and fifth, one way or the other, and Carlos Guillen and Edgar Renteria will hit sixth and seventh.

More on our most likely lineup, the Detroit News says Sheffield is the best bet as our 3-hitter. I'm a huge fan of Sheffield, Magglio, Cabrera hitting 3-4-5 because of Sheff's patience and ability to take a walk. The more guys we consistently have on base for Maggs and Miggy, the better.

The Free Press has an article on how Curtis Granderson's likeability is off the charts. Women want him and men want to be him. Is that cliche enough for ya?

Another Free Press article about the Tigers' number one prospect Rick Porcello. He has the makings of a future star. You gotta love our ability to draft Scott Boras' guys.

I usually end up forgetting about the "player to be named later" in Tiger trades. Here's a look at one of our PTBNL's in the Mike Maroth trade. Apparently he threw a one-hitter over six innings in Triple-A Toledo last year.

Ryan Raburn is doing everything he can to stay up with the big boys this year. Now that even includes catching. With Vance Wilson's injury starting to look worse for the start of the year, this is a smart move by Raburn.

The Macomb Daily sheds some light on the price of putting together a team with this much star power. Sounds like our roster has a nice collection of wheels.

One of the biggest wildcards the Tigers' lineup has this year is the play of newcomer Jacque Jones. The Detroit News writes that Jim Leyland likes what he sees in his new left fielder. I've had the chance to watch Jones in the Metrodome quite a few times and he can look spectacular at times and a below average starter at times. A nice season from Jones would make our lineup ridiculously deadly.

Daily Roar - 2/22/08

There's not a lot of good content out there on this Friday, but I have a few interesting links for you:

He hasn't been pushed too hard yet this Spring Training, but the Detroit News say that the Tigers are optimistic about Miguel Cabrera's glove at third. It would be fantastic if Miggy became a pleasant surprise in the field this year.

We all know that Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya heat up the radar gun readings, but Bless You Boys has a more detailed look at how they compare with the rest of the league.

The Detroit News also has an article that says the same thing I mentioned in my infielders preview; Edgar Renteria is getting overlooked as a big pick up. They even go as far as comparing Renteria to one of my childhood heroes: Alan Trammell.

The Cutoff Man blog has a blurb (I guess it's really a Free Press article) about Zach Miner someday becoming our closer. I'll believe that when I see it.

Brandon Inge is handling the Cabrera trade with class. The Free Press takes a look at how Inge is interacting with our new big-timer. I respect Inge more now than ever.

Daily Roar - 2/21/08

Some scary news out of Lakeland, as it seems that Fernando Rodney is having shoulder soreness. The Free Press reports that Jim Leyland isn't overly concerned, but concerned nonetheless.

Bless You Boys has their own take on the Rodney situation.

...and a third story on Rodney in a different tune from the Detroit News.

MLive lets us know that Jim Leyland does not think the Tigers should be viewed as the team to beat in the AL Central.

The Free Press covers another Gary Sheffield comment that will keep him in the headlines.

The Detroit News has a happy little fluff piece about Magglio.

Danny Knobler's blog on MLive gives us the good news about the Tigers TV Schedule.

2008 Preview - Infielders

This will be the first of a few 2008 preview posts organized by positional groups with grades for what I expect out of them this year. The grades are based on what they did last year and my gut feeling of their team impact in 2008. I plan on similar posts for outfielders, starting pitching, and bullpen. Stay tuned.


Catchers: Pudge Rodriguez, Vance Wilson, Brandon Inge
Grade: B

In my opinion, Pudge Rodriguez coming to Detroit has been the most important addition of any Tiger in my lifetime. He's changed the losing culture to one that is a blue-collar, win-at-all-costs, championship-level. Now, he may not be the same player that he was when he won a World Series in Florida, but he is still our rotation's leader in the field and a verifiable threat at the plate. His batting average may have dropped 19 points last year, but what team in baseball has a better 8-hitter than Pudge? His years are running out, but there's only a handful of catchers in the league I'd take over him for this season.

Vance Wilson missed all of 2007 after undergoing elbow surgery. If healthy, Wilson is a guy that the Tigers can count on for around 60 games, 150 at-bats with a little bit of power, and some decent defense behind the plate. He won't amaze you, but if he can get through games without us noticing him, that's probably a good thing.

That's right, Brandon Inge is back behind the plate in Lakeland at Spring Training 2008. And he's not too happy about it. I would love to see Inge stay in Detroit as our utility man, but I feel the trade winds a-blowin'. More on Inge in a moment.

First Basemen: Carlos Guillen, Marcus Thames, Mike Hessman
Grade: B+

One of the biggest storylines at the beginning of this offseason was the announcement that Carlos Guillen would be moving to first base full time. I love it, I love it, I love it. His defense at short had slipped to hair pulling depths, playing first will be easier on his knees extending his career, and keeping that .300 - 20 homer - 100 RBI bat healthy is crucial to our lineup. The downfall is that Sean Casey was a fantastic glove at first and his charismatic self will be missed in Detroit. But that's it. Enjoy the Mayor Boston, we'll be OK.

Marcus Thames has fallen into a spot where he has not been able to play himself into a starting role. I'm not a big fan of his defense at first or in the outfield, but I do love the fact that he hit 18 dingers in only 86 at bats last year. He's a nice fill-in to rest a guy and he's a top notch pinch hitter. That's what he should be, and that's where he is.

When Mike Hessman started a few games for Detroit last year, I had no clue who he was or where he came from. After watching him, he kind of reminded me of a right handed Matt Stairs. He's not a great talent, but he swings the bat hard. Real hard. And for that, I liked him. I'm rooting for him to get another chance this year.

Second Basemen: Placido Polanco, Ryan Raburn
Grade: A-

I don't know how there could possibly be a more underrated player in baseball than Placido Polanco. I mean who plays 144 consecutive games without an error, bats .341, and is rarely talked about as one of baseball's best? He's the perfect 2-hitter, rarely striking out, laying down great bunts when needed, and has enough speed to play a great hit-and-run game on the basepaths. There's a reason Detroit fell apart down the stretch in 2006. Polanco was hurt. He's absolutely vital to our success.

If, disastrously, Polanco gets hurt this year, the most likely replacement would be Ryan Raburn. At 26 years old, I like Raburn's chances at becoming a productive pro. He has a decent glove, shows some pop with the bat, and even managed to hit .304 in 138 at bats last year. No one will mistake Raburn for an All-Star, but I'm a fan of him as a seldom-used replacement. And who could forget his huge blast at Fenway last year. One of the highlights of the 2007 season.

Third Basemen: Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge
Grade: A+ with Inge staying, A- without him

What can I say that hasn't already been said? We added a 24-year old that hit .320 with 34 jacks and 119 RBI's to the middle of a lineup that was third in runs scored last year. Wow. I love Dave Dombrowski. I know giving up Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller is a load, but Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis are proven players and are only a few years older. If you think that's a bad move, you're crazy. Cabrera's defense is not in Inge's statosphere, but the fact that he's lost some weight this offseason is promising. I'm definitely a bit giddy to see what Miggy can do.

Brandon Inge has been the top of many a story in Detroit this offseason. With the addition of Miguel Cabrera, Inge became expendable and because he wants to be an everyday third baseman, he's politely asked to be traded. I don't blame him. He's a fantastic defensive player who has gotten used to playing for a winning franchise. Always a hard worker, Inge endured the rough years in Detroit as well. The only problem is the fact that he makes close to $5 million a year and can't even hit .240. That makes him a difficult guy to trade. If a trade becomes available that can beef up our bullpen, I hope we jump all over it. But giving Inge away for nothing would be ridiculous. He's too versatile a player to throw away. I hope the best for Inge.

Shortstops: Edgar Renteria, Ramon Santiago
Grade: B

Of our new additions, Edgar Renteria has flown way under the radar. Whenever I've brought him up in conversation this winter, it seems that people are forgetting he's even on our roster. I'm very interested to see what kind of range he still has at short and if he's able to come close to matching his .332 average last year. The fact that he struggled under the pressure in Boston definitely concerns me. His addition made the Guillen move to first a reality, which I love, but I'm still a little skeptical that Renteria will come through for us. Man, I hope he proves me wrong. If he plays well, Renteria could be an amazing second leadoff hitter at the bottom of our lineup. We'll see.

With the news that Leyland will avoid using Guillen as a backup at shortstop, it seems that Ramon Santiago will find a roster spot in Detroit again this year. He's definitely the closest thing this roster has to an automatic out at the plate, but if can play a lot of errorless D on Renteria's off-days, I can't complain about him too much. He did have a hot streak at the plate early last year (that's why his average ended at a respectable .284), maybe he can make it last for a full year. I doubt it, though.

Daily Roar

Roar of the Tigers takes a look at Miguel Cabrera's socks. I have to agree with them. It just looks weird.

The Free Press has an article on Placido Polanco's ability to rarely strike out. That's why he's the best 2-spot hitter in baseball.

Sports Illustrated rates our GM Dave Dombrowski as the league's 3rd best boss in baseball. Personally, I think that's too low. Their writeup on Dombrowski:

• 3. Dave Dombrowski, Tigers. He's willing to take big gambles, and they usually pay off. It doesn't hurt to have the $140-million payroll of owner Mike Ilitch, whose own good instincts were more responsible for signing Magglio Ordonez and Pudge Rodriguez.

Danny Knobler at MLive lets us know that Carlos Guillen will remain at first base and will rarely play short. This clears up the fact that Ramon Santiago will most likely make the roster as a backup shortstop.

Daily Roar

This is my first take at Daily Roar, my name for the best links I can find about the Tigers each day.

The Tigers official site has a fun fluff piece about Miguel Cabrera's first day at Spring Training with Detroit. The part I found most exciting is about his weight:

• Others feel similarly about him. Ivan Rodriguez, his teammate on the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins, gave him a bear hug. Dontrelle Willis, his longtime teammate in Florida who came to Detroit in the same trade in December, patted Cabrera on his belly as he hugged him on his way in. There wasn't much to pat.
  
  "No belly," Cabrera said with a smile.
  
  As good as he looked during TigerFest, having lost at least 15 pounds since last season by most estimations, he looked even better on Monday. Cabrera wouldn't give a number as to how much weight he had dropped, but said he's actually slightly under his playing weight right now. He credited his work with a personal trainer for making the difference."

Another Cabrera article from John Lowe of the Free Press.

Danny Knobler of mlive.com has a quick take on Placido Polanco's 2007 season.

Sports Illustrated gives the Tigers some credit for their great offseason.

Apparently, Gary Sheffield will play a lot of outfield during interleague play, and hopefully that's about it.

An interesting look at the crazy situation we have with Brandon Inge and how he's handling his own trade demands.

Finally, Curtis Granderson (he's my Tiger) updated his insightful ESPN blog.

Spring Training is here...and we're loaded.

As I was exploring the internet this afternoon, a rush of excitement came over me. I'm beginning to realize that the MLB season is not that far off and as a Tigers fan, I can't remember a team in Detroit with this much potential.

I was two years old when the Tigers won their last World Series. I grew up loving Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson and Jack Morris. Yet, I was far too young to understand what was really happening when these stars were in their prime in Detroit. I do remember Tram and Sweet Lou towards the end of their career and Gibby and Jack winning World Series games for other teams, but all I really know of the great early '80s Tigers teams come from reading about their greatness. Or watching videos like this:



Now it's 2008, and I have a feeling inside my gut that the same kind of greatness Detroit enjoyed in '84 will be seen again. Just a quick glance at our projected lineup and I think, "Damn, there are no holes." Edgar Renteria batted .332 last season, and Jim Leyland will probably bat him 7th!

Between Miggy Cabrera's added pop to an already solid lineup or the consumption of innings and electric charm that Dontrelle Willis brings as our new 4th starter, there is plenty to be optimistic about.

Sure, there are issues. Can Jeremy Bonderman figure out how to get through first innings unscathed? Can Kenny Rogers' 44-year old body endure another icy Detroit spring? Will the loss of Zumaya put too much pressure on Grilli, Rodney, and Jones? Plenty of questions that are too early to answer.

What we do know is that we have speed, contact, average, and power hitters. We have a true ace in Verlander, with a couple young power pitchers and a couple cagey veterans. We have experience in the bullpen and we're led by the sharpest manager alive. Watching Detroit baseball in 2006 was one of the best times of my life. Now it's our time to finish it off and go all the way.

Are you excited?

I sure as hell am.