Yearly Archives: 2006

Pitching, Roster Management, Spring Training

Verlander and Zumaya Are In

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It appears that the rotation is set. Leyland hasn’t announced the 5th starter, but the common belief is that the job is Justin Verlander’s. Verlander was the favorite going into spring training, and after a couple shaky outings, has pitched very effectively. Today he only pitched two innings due to the rain, but in those two innings were 19 strikes on 26 pitches as all 6 hitters were retired.

Knobler also indicated that it appears that Joel Zumaya has made the team via the bullpen. Again, there isn’t an official announcement but given the way Zumaya has pitched, it would be hard not to take him. He also pitched two scoreless innings allowing only a bunt single.

A bullpen role may have some definite benefits for Zumaya. First, it might prove an effective way to break him into the Majors. Second, at age 21 there could definitely be some long term benefit to his arm only accumulating 100 innings or so.

My only concern is that Zumaya becomes pigeonholed as a reliever. While many believe this will be his best option long term, I want to see him given a chance as a starter. Given his performances at the higher levels of the minors as a 20 year old, I want to see what he can do in the rotation.
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Roster Management, Spring Training

Tigers cut nine

Detroit trimmed its roster by nine players today, none of which were really surprises. On their way to minor league camp are:

  • Wilfredo Ledezma
  • Chad Durbin
  • Lee Gardner
  • Kevin Hodge
  • Brian Peterson
  • Max St. Pierre
  • Josh Phelps
  • Ryan Ludwick
  • Reggie Taylor

It was hoped that Ledezma could either compete for the 5th spot in the rotation, or provide a second left handed option in the bullpen. Unfortunately he struggled and is headed back to Toledo for more seasoning. If the Tigers keep a second lefty, it looks like it will be Bobby Seay or Hector Mercado. Or there is always that possiblity of a trade.

Phelps, Ludwick, and Taylor all had very solid springs, but found themselves on the wrong end of a crowded situation.

This cut also thinned out the catching ranks with Peterson and St. Pierre heading to AAA. Brian Peterson remains an interesting option. He has a reputation as a defensive catcher, but in 2004 posted 300/361/444 line for AA Chattanooga in the Southern League at age 25.

The remaining 11 cuts will be much more interesting as Detroit sorts out the Thames/Gomez/Logan situation in the oufield, as well as the bullpen options.
detroit tigers

Pitching, Players, Previews, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Off Day Tiger Round Up

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The Tigers still have 45 players in camp, so there are a couple of sizable cuts coming.  The next one will probably be before the end of the week.  Until then, here are some items of note:

The rotation is set – sort of

Jim Leyland had already decided that Kenny Rogers would take the first turn, followed by Bonderman.  Now it appears that Nate Robertson will be the number 3, with Mike Maroth being number 4. There’s still no decision on Detroit’s 5th starter of course. While Leyland has said Joel Zumaya still has a shot (and really, he’s pitched good enough to deserve it), he’s slated to come out of the bullpen on Thursday. According to John Lowe, Zumaya could be the one to come in and face left handers, in lieu of another southpaw in the pen.
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2006 Season, Previews

Tiger Seasonal Previews

A couple of looks at the 2006 season from fellow baseball bloggers…

Simulation

The Replacement Level Yankees Weblog has run 1000 seasonal simulations using 3 different projection systems: ZiPS, PECOTA, and Diamond Mind. With each of the 3 systems, Detroit was projected in 4th place, with approximately a 500 record.

Diamond Mind was the biggest fan of the Tigers projecting the Tigers with a 81-81 record, and had Detroit making the playoffs in 11% of the scenarios.
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Uncategorized

Book Review: The Last Nine Innings

I just finished reading Charles Euchner’s book The Last Nine Innings. The book takes a very in-depth look at the factors that are changing the game of baseball. The setting for the book is the dramatic Game 7 of the 2001 World Series between the Diamondbacks and the Yankees.

The main elements that Euchner identifies as revolutionizing the game of baseball are the globalization of the game, scientific analysis of baseball movement, and statistical analysis.

Euchner does a commendable job breaking down all the minute elements of a game, while framing it in a dramatic context. Even as an avid baseball fan, I enjoyed the examination of different preparation methods, gamesmanship, and the fractions of seconds or inches that seperate success from failure. The physical, and mental demands of baseball are well documented with scientific, as well as practical explanations.
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Front Office

Tubeless Tigers

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Lynn Henning covers the lack of Tiger games on TV again this year, and rips the Ilitchs in the process.

The Tigers are notorious for having been latecomers to the table. It was the biggest reason why Channel 50 had to say sayonara a year ago. A television station needs, at some point, to get on with its programming life. Why Ilitch fails, annually, to understand this is hard to fathom.

Channel 50 ran into another dead-end during the offseason. Net result: Those folks who can’t swallow a monthly cable bill — and they are many — can stretch their imaginations and visualize what the field and the players look like as they tune into Dan Dickerson and Jim Price on local radio. That is, assuming you’re in one of those areas where radio reception along the Tigers network isn’t fuzzy or non-existent.

We’re not finished. FSN Detroit would have at least soothed the cable-payers with its ambitious offer: 140 games, minimum, for 2006. FSN’s lavish package moved up the ladder at Tigers headquarters and straight to Ilitch’s office. There it died, for reasons no one seems to understand.

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Injuries

Training Regimen

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For the second time in a week, Detroit Tigers strength and conditioning coach Javair Gillett has received national press. This time it was part of a Wall Street Journal profile on new workout routines in Major League Baseball (WSJ reg required)

Javair Gillett, the Tigers’ strength coach, says the team has long visited players during the off-season, but he has stepped up his travels lately, even flying down to Venezuela this winter to see shortstop Carlos Guillen. Drills he runs in his visits include one in which the player stands on an unsteady platform and tosses a medicine ball back and forth with a partner, which works the abdominal muscles, the back and the arms while also aiding hand-eye coordination and balance. Mr. Gillett follows up with players once or twice a month by phone and also consults with personal trainers that some players hire for themselves. “If they don’t come back stronger and faster and quicker, that looks bad on me,” Mr. Gillett says.

It’s nice to hear about the efforts that Gillett and the Tigers’ organization have made to keep the players ready to perform. It becomes especially relevant for a team that is playing veterans at so many physcially demanding defensive positions (catcher, shortstop, second base).
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Pitching, Roster Management

Tigers have too much pitching

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Joel ZumayaWell, no team ever really has too much pitching, but right now it looks like the Tigers have enough talent to build decent rotations in both Detroit and Toledo. There are still 4 legitimate candidates for the 5th starter spot, and none of them are making the decision easy on Jim Leyland. Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Jason Grilli, and Roman Colon seem unwilling to surrender their shots at the position.

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander started off the spring shaky, but has made improvement with each start. That improvement culminated in yesterday’s outing against the Dodgers. Granted, the team LA fielded was devoid of starters, but 4 scoreless innings with no walks and 3 strikeouts is still impressive. The Dodgers managed 3 hits, two of which were bloop singles.

Verlander certainly would be a sexy pick for the rotation. He has Rookie of the Year potential, and it is always exciting to see home grown talent excel. The argument against is that if there are other capable arms, why rush someone with only one year of pro experience.
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Injuries, Offense, Previews, Roster Management, Spring Training

St Patty’s Bracket Busting Tiger Round Up

The Boys are Back in Town

	
Detroit	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Granderson, CF	3	1	1	1	1	0	1	.364
Guillen, SS	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.250
Santiago, SS	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	.281
Ordonez, RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.222
Taylor, RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.379
Young, D, DH	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.429
Pena, 1B	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	.194
Inge, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	4	.308
Gomez, LF	4	1	2	1	0	0	1	.317
Wilson, C	3	1	2	1	0	0	0	.400
Peterson, B, C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Infante, 2B	3	0	1	0	0	1	1	.455

How about that lineup? It’s nice to see some regular names in there. Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez saw their first action since Venezuela was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic. The game also marked Dmitri Young’s return to the lineup from his quadricep injury. Todd Jones should be on his way back, and we should also be seeing Pudge Rodriguez shortly. That leaves only Placido Polanco and Fernando Rodney MIA.
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