Monthly Archives: August 2006

2006 Season, Roster Management

Roster Shuffling – Andrew Miller’s up

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The Tigers made several roster moves today.

Brent Clevlen was sent back to Erie and Alexis Gomez was called up.

And on the pitching side, Colby Lewis was returned to Toledo and Andrew Miller will be joining the bullpen. Also, tenderness in Mike Maroth’s elbow will mean that Wil Ledezma will take Maroth’s spot on Wednesday in New York.

I suspect these moves are highly fueled by setting up the playoff roster. As near as I can figure to be eligible for the playoff roster, a player must be on the active roster or the disabled list as of 9pm August 31st.

Essentially the Tigers believe that they’d rather have Alexis Gomez than Brent Clevlen for the playoffs. This is certainly a debatable point given what Clevlen has shown. In terms of defense, Gomez is solid, but Clevlen certainly can hold his own. Offensively Clevlen showed quite a bit during his MLB stretch, but keep in mind he’d only been hitting 220 at the time he was called up. Sample size issues abound. Also, Gomez has been hitting very well for Toledo going 308/360/681 in August. I’m not taking sides on this move, just presenting information.

The good news for Clevlen is that this demotion will only be until Friday when the team can expand its roster.

As for Miller, his first few games have certainly been impressive in Lakeland, and he very well may be ready. But this is a huge jump for any player. It’s not just moving to the big leagues from essentially college, but doing it for a team intent on locking up a post season spot.

Now back to that playoff eligible roster thing. There are loop holes in that a player of the same position (OF/OF, IF/IF, P/P, etc) can replace a player that is on the 60 day DL. I believe (but I’m not sure) that the Tigers could add a minor leaguer, such as Tony Giarratano, to the 60 day DL and then be able to replace him on the playoff roster with any other infielder in the organization – say Chris Shelton. Now I bring this up because the recall of Gomez means a 40 man roster spot needs to be created. Mike Maroth’s activation will also require a 40 man roster spot.

2006 Season, Game Post

Game 131: Tigers at Indians

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PREGAME: For the 3rd time in the last 3 weekends the Tigers come into Sunday looking to avoid a lost weekend. It will be Kenny Rogers and Cliff Lee today.

On another note, I’ve been bombarded with spam comments over the last 12 hours – to the tune of 300. The spam filters are catching many, and others are being held for moderation, but still too many are getting in. I’m considering switching to a system where you’d have to register with the site to leave comments. Would any of you be opposed to that?

Game Time 1:05

POSTGAME: Sigh. Last night the Tigers put a hit and run on, and the ball was hit right back up the middle – right to the 2nd baseman covering on the play. That’s pretty much what the Tigers fortunes had been for the last 20 games. Today, in the 6th inning with Kenny Rogers trying to end a threat with runners on 1st and 2nd induced a foul ball bouncer down the third baseline. Inexplicably it bounced back fair right before the bag, and right into Brandon Inge’s glove. Inge stepped on 3rd and the rally was thwarted. Like the ball changing directions, hopefully the Tigers fortunes will be also.

The Tigers needed a pitcher to put a stop to the bleeding, and they turned to the old man with the history of 2nd half collapses to shut down a very potent offense. Rogers gave the team 7 innings or 1 run ball when they needed it the most. If nothing else it tells you how ludicrous it is to have discussions about post season rotations before the All Star break.

Marcus Thames got a rare start, hit a homer, and was of course lifted for a pinch hitter. I don’t get it.

Curtis Granderson really seems to be getting his stroke back with a homer, double, walk, and most importantly no strike outs. Strike outs typically don’t bother me, especially if they come with a high OBP or big power numbers. Granderson hadn’t been providing those other elements making the K’s more of a concern.

Another good day for Omar, hope he enjoyed it. He had a couple hits and made nice defensive plays to both the glove and barehand sides.

Uncategorized

Tigers Minor League Wrap – August 26th

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Louisville 13, Toledo 2
Chad Durbin started and allowed 3 runs over 6 innings. Bobby Seay, Steve Green and Lance Davis allowed 10 runs in 3 innings of relief. Chris Shelton had the night off.

Binghamton 7, Erie 4
Kody Kirkland hit his 21st homer and made his 22nd error. Jon Connolly allowed 7 runs, 6 earned in 4 1/3 innings.

Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 0
Jeff Larish doubled and Brent Dlugach singled for the entirety of the L Tigs offense. Eleazar Aponte allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 K’s. Andrew Miller pitched 2 scoreless innings allowing 1 hit and fanning 3.

West Michigan 3, Fort Wayne 0
Cameron Maybin hit his 8th homer. Burke Badenhop allowed only 5 base runners and none came around to sore. Anthony Claggett who has assumed the closers role pitched a scoreless 9th.

Lowell 3, Oneonta 1
Deik Scram had 3 hits and Scott Sizmore was 1 for 3 with a walk. Tom Thonrton allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Casey Fien pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief. Randor Bierd pitched one inning striking out the side.

2006 Season, Game Post

Game 130: Tigers at Indians

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PREGAME: This afternoon I watched Tiger Town. You remember the movie right? A made for TV, Disney Sunday night movie about Billy Young, a Tiger legend who was nearing the end of his career and the boy that believed in him.

I only bring this up because if Roy Scheider can lead a team from 16 games back to capture the division, than anything can happen right?

Tonight the Tigers once again turn to Justin Verlander to play the role of stopper. Last month he pitched in Jacobs Field when the Tigers bullpen had been pretty worn out and went toe to toe with CC Sabathia for the victory. Here’s hoping he can have the same fate against Jake Westbrook.

Game Time 7:05

2006 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap – August 25th

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Toledo 10, Louisville 4
Mike Maroth made his 4th rehab start. He allowed 2 runs on 7 h its, 1 walk, and 4 K’s while throwing 79 pitches over 6 innings. Ryan Ludwick was 2 for 4 including his 27th homer and Alexis Gomez singled and doubled twice. Chris Shelton was 0 for 3 with a walk and 3 K’s.

Erie 3, Binghamton 2
Jair Jurrjens pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 5 K’s.

Binghamton 5, Erie 0
PJ Finigan started and allowed all 5 runs on 8 hits. Chris Maples picked up 2 singles, which was exactly half of the team’s offensive output.

Lakeland 7, Fort Myers 6
Jeff Larish was 1 for 2 with 2 walks. Kevin Ardoin allowed 5 runs over 5 innings. Kevin Whelan picked up the save fanning 4 of the 5 batters he faced.

West Michigan 3, Fort Wayne 2
Matt Joyce homered and Cameron Maybin was 2 for 4. Matt O’Brien allowed 2 runs, both unearned, over 6 innings.

Oneonta 12, Vermont 3
Ronnie Bourquin and Brennan Boesch each had 3 hits. Scott sizemore took a rare 0 for 4. Zach Piccola allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, over 6 innings. Jonah Nickerson allowed only a walk and a solo homer in 3 innings of relief.

2006 Season, Game Post

Game 129: Tigers at Indians

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PREGAME: The Tigers head to Jacobs field in search of their first weekend win since, well since the last time they played the Indians and swept them with late inning heroics.

Jeremy Bonderman meanwhile will be in search of his first August decision – preferably a win of course.

He’ll be opposed by Jeremy Sowers who’ll be facing the Tigers for the first time this year.

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: The silver linings are getting harder and harder to come by. At least Omar Infante made the most of his opportunity for whatever it’s worth.

2006 Season, Managing & Strategy, Minors

Tiger links and such

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  • Management by Baseball commends Jim Leyland from a management perspective. This isn’t a discussion of baseball tactics, but of how Leyland’s response to being swept by the White Sox was dead-on and helped lead to the Red Sox series victory.
  • There’s a great story about the challenges that 10 year minor league vet and Erie Seawolve Jackson Melian has encountered since being a top Yankee prospect. Early in his career, both parents were killed in a car accident while accompanying Melians team on a roadtrip.
  • The Tigers have announced their Arizona Fall League contingent. Jair Jurrgens, Preston Larrison, Jordan Tata, Kevin Whelan, Mike Rabelo, Kody Kirkland, and Brent Clevlen will be representing the Tigers and playing for the Phoenix Desert Dogs
  • .Carlos Guillen has signed on with Scott Boras. Fortunately the Tigers still have Guillen through 2007.
2006 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap – August 24th

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Toledo 8, Indianapolis 7
Jack Hannahan had 2 doubles and a homer. Alexis Gomez doubled and singled. Chris Shelton was 1 for 5 with 4 K’s.

Erie 7, Binghamtom 6 (10 inn in progress)
Eulogio De La Cruz went 6 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (2 of which were homers) but he did fan 9. Jackson Melian doubled and homered. Kody Kirkland, who is back at Erie, homered as part of a 3 hit night.

Lakeland – DNP

Fort Wayne 5, West Michigan 0
There weren’t many offensive highlights. Mike Hollimon reached base 3 times (2 walks and a single). Cameron Maybin was 1 for 4. Erik Averill allowed 4 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings.

Vermont 5, ONeonta 3
Scott Sizemore had 2 hits. Ronnie Bourquin had 2 walks and a single. Christian Martinez allowed 1 run over 6 innings.

2006 Season, Game Post

Game 128: White Sox at Tigers

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PREGAME: The Tigers play their final home game against the White Sox and will be sending Nate Robertson out against Jon Garland.

Garland has turned in quality starts in 6 of his last 8 outings, so runs could be at a premium. Then again, Robertson has a string of 4 straight quality starts so hopefully the White Sox won’t exactly have an easy of day it either.

Game Time 1:05pm.

POSTGAME: That was a good old fashioned thumping. Any time you’re looking at a 5-7-3 out, it’s probably a bad sign. At least it is hard to pin this one on Neifi Perez. Another positive sign is that slumping Curtis Granderson picked up 2 hits.

Yes this game today wasn’t fun. A 7.5 game lead would have been a lot more comfortable, and a series win would have been nice. But at the same time the White Sox played 4 games with a chance to gain on the Tigers, but in the end they are right where they were at the beginning of the series – but with less games left on the schedule.

The pennant race is a new experience for Tiger fans. The day-in-day-out is proving to be a grind from a fan’s point of view. Yet there are still 6 weeks of season left. I don’t like the losing or the way the team has been struggling. My mechanism for coping will be to try and relish the anguish and excitement because this team is finally playing those “meaningful games” at the end of the season.

2006 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap – August 23rd

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Toledo 7, Indianapolis 3
Jordan Tata had a strong outing as he shut out the Indians until they broke through for 3 runs in the 8th inning. Preston Larrison who was recently promoted to Toledo walked the only batter he faced in the 8th before Chris Spurling picked up a 2 inning save. Alexis Gomez picked up 3 doubles and Ryan Ludwick was a triple short of the cycle. Chris Shelton was 2 for 3 including a double.

Erie 5, Trenton 1
Virgil Vasquez pitched a complete game and allowed 1 run on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 6 K’s.

Lakeland 7, Dunedin 1
Jeff Larish homered, singled, and drove in 3. Dallas Trahern allowed 2 hits, 3 walks, and 1 run over 5 innings.

West Michigan – DNP

Oneonta 7, Lowell 3
Jeff Kunkel, Ronnie Bourqin, and Brennan Boesch each had 2 hits. Brendan Wise allowed 1 run over 5 2/3 innings. Brett Jensen allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk.

GCL Tigers – Season Over