Monthly Archives: April 2008

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 14: Twins at Tigers

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PREGAME: Last night’s win was great and dramatic and uplifting. It reminded me in some respects of a dramatic come from behind victory against the Blue Jays last September. The win was supposed to propel the team back into the playoff hunt. Instead Chad Durbin came out and gave up 5 runs without making it out of the 3rd inning. So there’s some pressure on Nate Robertson tonight to let last night’s effort emotion carry over.

Robertson hasn’t been sharp in his first 2 outings, but not awful either. Working in his favor are 11 K’s in 10.1 innings. Not working in his favor are 19 baserunners and 198 pitches in those 10.1 innings.

Scott Baker is taking the mound for the Twins. He turned in a gem of a game in Comerica Park where he lost a 1-0 duel on an 8th inning Marcus Thames homer. That might be part of the reason Thames is in the lineup over Jacque Jones tonight despite Baker having 846 OPS allowed against lefties as opposed to .735 for righties.

MIN @ DET, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: Now that is the powerful middle of the order in action. Sheffield-Ordonez-Cabrera-Guillen, or 3-4-5-6 all went deep tonight. Maggs doubled in the tying run and the foursome accounted for all 6 RBI. Continue reading Game 14: Twins at Tigers →

2008 Season

Hey Detroit, baseball is fun again

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It’s amazing what a big come from behind victory can do for the spirits of a team, or a fanbase, or a blogger. I was freezing in the stands for this game. Cracking sarcastic remarks about the fates of our Tigers. I saw a glimmer of hope when the team plated 4 runs in the 6th inning to cut the lead to 1 run. I seethed in the top of the 7th as I began to compose my post game report in my head. Needless to say it had a very different working title. But then everything turned around as the Tigers batted around in the top of the 8th inning.
Continue reading Hey Detroit, baseball is fun again →

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 13: Twins at Tigers

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PREGAME: Jeremy Bonderman and Nick Blackburn.

The mind is a strange thing, men. We must begin by asking it…

…”What is losing?”

Losing is a disease…as contagious as polio…

Losing is a disease…as contagious as syphilis…

Losing is a disease…as contagious as bubonic plague…

… attacking one… but infecting all.

But curable.

from The Natural

I’m off to the game.

MIN @ DET, Monday, April 14, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05

2008 Season, Managing & Strategy

When managers attack: Part II

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With the Tigers struggling the first two weeks, there has been a lot of grumbling that manager Jim Leyland needs to light into the team. Well, Mount Leyland erupted following today’s game.

Leyland had previously downplayed such a tactic saying that it can’t be a show. It has to be something that is real and genuine. As I watched today’s debacle, specifically the Zach Miner sequence that involved an intentional walk, followed by a wild pitch, followed by an unintentional walk, followed by a grand slam I wondered to myself how could Leyland not muster up the necessary vitriol. Not that Zach Miner deserved to be the sole recipient, it’s not like the team was even in the game up to that point. It was just a glaring manifestation of the poor play that has overtaken this team.

Details of the rant are scant but it sounds like Leyland and the players have been doing some soul searching.

“We look bad,” he admitted Sunday. “You always feel from a manager’s standpoint that you’re not pushing the right buttons. Are you saying the right things? You beat yourself up harder than anyone else. You ask yourself whether you’re doing something different from what you did the last two years.”

We all remember in 2006 when Leyland went off on the team following a lackluster effort on get-away day against the Indians. It was credited with propelling the team forward. My own take is that the rant probably played a small role, but a come from behind win against the A’s a couple days later was the bigger factor. Still, with the last two games coming on top of a 7 game skid to start the season, something or anything is needed. And let’s pray it works. It’s the kind of tactic that you can’t go to over and over again.

2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 4-13-08

Toledo 6 Buffalo 4
Jeff Larish doubled twice and walked. Brent Clevlen and Matt Joyce each homered. Derek Wathan and Jackson Melian each had 3 hits. Eddie Bonine went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 4 K’s.

Erie – PPD

Lakeland 0 Clearwater 5
Rick Porcello had his roughest outing to date lasting only 4 innings. Still he allowed all of 4 hits and 2 walks while fanning 5 so only 2 runs crossed the plate. Cale Iorg had 2 hits to lead the “attack.”

West Michigan 2 Clinton 6
Chris Carlson had 2 hits, and that was the only noteworthy performance. Jon Kibler pitched 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, a walk, and 5 K’s.

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 12: Tigers at White Sox

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PREGAME: Now that the first pesky win is out of the way, as is the second win, can we get a series win? Am I being greedy?

The Tigers send out Kenny Rogers who was fairly efficient his first time out against the Royals, but who labored against the Red Sox. Javier Vazquez will be throwing for the Sox. He notched a quality start his last time out against the Twins, but allowed 9 baserunners over 5 innings in his season debut against the Indians.

DET @ CHW, Sunday, April 13, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 2:05

POSTGAME: At least they didn’t hit into any double plays today.

I’ll have more later tonight.

2008 Season, Minors

Tigers Minor League Wrap 4-11-08

Toledo 0 Buffalo 3
The Tigers weren’t the only team to get blanked today. The Mud Hens were held to 3 hits. Chris Lambert took the loss allowing 3 runs in 5 innings on 7 hits, a walk, and 3 K’s. Casey Fossum threw 2 scoreless innings fanning 2.

Binghamton 11 Erie 10
Max St. Pierre was one of 5 Seawolves with 2 hit games. St. Pierre homered for one of his hits and he also drew a walk. Andrew Kown allowed 10 runs in 4 innings on 12 hits.

Lakeland 5 Clearwater 4
Cale Iorg had a 4 hit day and Michael Bertram added 3. James Skelton singled and walked twice. Jeramy Laster had 2 hits and 2 stolen bases. Luis Marte struggled with control walking 4 in 4 innings leading to 3 runs. Freddy Dolsi struck out 2 in picking up the save.

West Michigan 7 Clinton 8
Cory MIddleton had 2 hits. Justin Henry singled and walked and Kyle Peter walked twice. Kody Kaiser tripled and walked. Manny Miguelez didn’t make it out of the 2nd inning before allowing 6 runs on 3 walks and a strikeout.

2008 Season, Injuries, Roster Management

Willis slips on to the DL, Guillen to miss time

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Dontrelle Willis is landing on the disabled list because he didn’t land correctly on Friday night. The initial diagnosis was a hyperextended knee and that was confirmed today by an MRI that revealed no structural damage. He’s not expected to miss significant time, but he wasn’t going to make his next start. Armando Galarraga will get the call, but he hasn’t been placed on the roster yet. That spot went to Ryan Raburn who will provide some positional flexibility to Jim Leyland.

Miguel Cabrera has been hobbled for the last week, and Carlos Guillen strained a hamstring that will require him to miss a few days. With uber sub Brandon Inge set to give Pudge Rodriguez his first day off behind the plate, Leyland would probably like to have someone man 3rd and do the same for Cabrera. Plus, Raburn deserves to be on the team regardless.

But back to Willis, this leg injury may be a blessing in disguise. We know the story about the 7 walks in his first start, and he wasn’t close to the strike zone in his limited time in the second start. An extra week might not be sufficient to find that elusive control, but it certainly can’t hurt. As for Galarraga the fact he’s contributing is a surprise. If he’s productive the trade in which Dombrowski acquired him might be his best of the season. All the Tigers gave up was an A ball hitter Michael Hernandez who they signed out of a tryout camp. Hernandez was subsequently released by the Rangers.

MRI reveals no tears but Willis placed on the DL; Galarraga will start | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Guillen’s injury not serious enough for the DL; Inge to catch for first time this year | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

2008 Season, Game Post

Game 11: Tigers at White Sox

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PREGAME: You know, after that 0-7 start the Tigers have been playing .667 ball. I’m just sayin’. They’ll try to improve that to .750 ball this afternoon with Justin Verlander taking on Gavin Floyd.

The Tigers can’t seem to hit Floyd at all so something needs to change. Floyd held them to 3 runs (all driven in by Brandon Inge) when he faced them on Saturday.

Verlander struggled in his last start, but wasn’t helped by poor infield defense. Including Carlos Guillen dropping a Miguel Cabrera throw. That won’t happen today because Guillen is out of the lineup due to the hammy he tweaked last night.

Your lineup courtesy of Jason Beck:

1. Thomas, CF
2. Polanco, 2B
3. Sheffield, DH
4. Ordonez, RF
5. Cabrera, 1B
6. Jones, LF
7. Renteria, SS
8. Rodriguez, C
9. Inge, 3B

Game Time 1:05

DET @ CHW, Saturday, April 12, 2008 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

2008 Season, Injuries

Finding a 6th starter

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On the second batter of the Friday night’s game Dontrelle Willis slipped and hyper-extended his knee. It’s unclear at this point whether the knee injury will cause Willis to hit the DL, but given his control problems this year it might not be a bad idea regardless. If the Tigers do need a new starter, who could they turn to? Up until Friday afternoon I thought that it would be Yorman Bazardo, but now Detroit will have to turn to someone else.

Virgil Vasquez

Vasquez made a couple spot starts for the Tigers last year, with some rocky results. He was rocked at the Metrodome, and had a short outing against the A’s. In between was a 5 inning, 2 run effort against the White Sox. He’s been solid in his 2 starts so far with an impressive 14:2 K:BB ratio for the Mud Hens.

Armando Galarraga

The right hander was acquired for minor leaguer Michael Hernandez. In his first two starts he has a .67 WHIP and has 11 strike outs versus 1 walk for Toledo. Detroit Tiger Thoughts mentioned Galarraga as a candidate for a bullpen call up as well.

Rick Porcello

Controversial? Yes. But I have to believe it would be considered. Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland have been willing to rapidly promote (or rush) players through the system. He’s had an easy time of it in Lakeland in his first 2 starts – ever. And that’s the rub. He has two professional starts under his belt. While the scouting reports indicate he probably already is capable of pitching at the big league level the bigger question is should he? I’m inclined to say it would be a bad idea because he needs time to develop and do you want to thrust that on a kid? Conversely though if his stuff is ready, and if he is as poised as he appeared in the spring training appearance I saw (and by all accounts he is), would there be an adverse effect for him to collect a handful of starts?

I still think it will be Vasquez. He’s done it before and it is the sensible pick. But don’t fool yourself if you think that Porcello wouldn’t be at least discussed.