PREGAME: We have ourselves the first FS Detroit televised game of the spring today. I thought we’d mark to the return of Rod and Mario with a game thread for those who are able to watch along (I won’t be one of those).
Zach Miner starts for the Tigers today and he will be followed by Brandon Lyon, Bobby Seay, Freddy Dolsi, and Ryan Perry.
Game Time 1:05 from Joker Marchant Stadium. The game will be replayed on FS Detroit at 7:30.
Also, it sounds like cuts are coming today, but none are major. Jon Kibler, Rudy Darrow, and Jeff Kunkel were in the first round.
Hey Billfer, would you be willing to do an interview for my website to talk about the Tigers? If you are, please get back to me.
What new Rod-ism will emerge in 2009? I’m sure he’ll be testing out his new material today.
I’m about ready to condemn Miner to the bullpen based on this one inning alone.
I think that Miner is giving us a brief look at what every 5th day will be this year.
Yeah, looks like Zach is getting lit. Incidentally, I had forgotten that the Cardinals picked up Khalil Greene.
Just got home. Glad I missed the 1st inning.
Finally, to be able to see real baseball.
Nobody but Porcello seems to want that 5th spot. It could get even scarier if Bonderman doesn’t get healthy this year.
*yawn* Can we fast-forward to Ryan Perry, please?
Well, Timo is certainly putting on a show!
I saw this on the AZ website and thought I would pass it along:
James Skelton: Skelton entered camp as the favorite to nab this spot (25th man), because as a Rule 5 Draft selection, he would have to be offered back to the Tigers. Though slightly built for a catcher, Skelton has impressed behind the plate with his soft hands and strong arm. Against the Dodgers last week, he threw out a runner from his knees. He has played some second base this spring and done a decent job there. He will likely get a look at third and possibly in the outfield as the spring progresses. At the plate, he has not swung the bat well (2-for-17), but as the scouting reports said about him, he’s shown a good feel for the strike zone, walking four times while fanning twice. The organization was very high on Skelton when it took him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he’ll be given every opportunity to make the team.
After watching Perry, I can’t imagine he’s far away from being on the club. That fastball is absolutely devastating. Hard, over-the-top, with good sink. Oh, and at 97-99 mph.
I hate to say this, but Perry’s control of his fastball is far better right now than I think it ever has been for Zumaya.
If he has any kind of average off-speed pitch (I don’t think I saw him throw one), he’s got a great shot at being a power closer.
Btw, Lyon looked pretty good too with a nice mix of stuff.
Rhymes with the winner!
He flashed serious glove in the top of the inning. He may have had Ankiel at first.
Hah caught the ending
It was a nice bottom of the 9th comeback
I’m gunna rewaaatch it at 7:30
Mott and Perry were both nasty (Did you know Mott is from Port Huron MI?), me thinks Perry should be with da team
Saw Sheff WALK AGAIN, what a jokester
Rhymes glove play was downright sick Polanco never woulda been close, I’m like there’s no way he gets this and BOOM he got it and almost nabbed him at first
Nice to hear Rodrigo and Luigi, Mariod, Rodrio w/e back on the tele…
Where was INGE =( missed him
Did I see that right, that Rhymes is 5-6 155?
Busta?
…and the award for biggest payoff for shortest post goes to…
Ken from Vegas! Come on up Ken!
whooo whoooo whad he win Andre? Tell him what he won…
Sheffield perhaps 😉
on another note To answer Kevie in the Lone Star State
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/Will-Rhymes.shtml
5 foot 9 155lbs His rating for contact and speed is hella high… for not hearing much about him
looked da%mn good today
Choose the best answer
By filling in the blank
(kill, hill, nil, still, bill, krill, pill, ill, dill, fill, quill)__________ rhymes with Will
So Will could kill the Cardinils without any pill (or injection ;)), he had a olde english D above his bill, he almost took a hit away from a Redbird and still won the game to make the opposing pitcher look ill.
Somebody beat that
ok
Lots to like in that game yesterday, but Miner’s outing wasn’t real inspiring. Still, given his body of work in a Tigers uniform, I’d put him behind Bonderman and Porcello, and ahead of Willis and Robertson on my list of SP preferences.
But let’s think outside the box here… If Bonderman isn’t ready to go until late April (not a crazy assumption), who gets his starts in the meantime? I’m presuming the other 4 spots go to Verlander, Galarraga, Jackson and Porcello. If the Tigers know it’s going to be a short-timer assignment, I’m guessing it’s between Miner and Lambert (who is on the 40-man roster). Robertson seems to be a lost arm, and Willis can’t be trusted yet. Lambert’s no great shakes, but it’s an option the Tigers can afford to burn.
But I suppose we have weeks to go yet…
Don’t know if anyone watched the Venezuela/Puerto Rico game last night, but the entire broadcast seemed dedicated to what a hard time Maggs has been having with the fans at the WBC. Hopefully his play won’t be affected starting April 6.
That’s a real shame what’s been happening to Magglio. I can’t believe that Venezuela can’t keep politics and sports separate from one another, but I also just don’t understand the culture. Magglio has struggled so far at the plate, and I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to see another year of regression from him this year. It’s probably more likely that he regresses than advances, but by how much?
BTW, I haven’t been able to catch much spring training action this year, as I’ve been 100% focused on Michigan basketball, but how is Sheffield looking? Anything that the stats don’t tell? Does he at least appear healthy? We really need him to produce this year.
Judging by the limited number of AB’s I’ve seen from Magglio in the WBC, I think he’ll be fine going forward. He’s looked like he always looks. It’s just a shame that his own countrymen have seemingly turned on him for his support of Chavez. I don’t recall there being outrage at Curt Schilling for supporting Bush, who was equally as unpopular a leader if not moreso. But, like you said it’s a different culture so I won’t pretend like I know what I’m talking about.
Anyhoo, his success at the plate will probably be defined by his luck on swinging at the first pitch. 2008: .295/.284/.400, 2007: .496/.491/.835. His career average is .355/.361/.586 so if he gets closer to that, he should have another quality year.
A lot of you have probably seen this, but Jason Stark in his column on ESPN:
Not encouraging stuff. At the same time, Gammo called Sheffield a potential “comback player of the year” based on how he’s looked in the spring.
40 year old comeback player of the year?
My arse
He would have done well to COMEBACK to first a little sooner before getting thrown out from right field yesterday!!!!!!!
Guy blows chunks hard and is a racist bum. Tigs woulda won quite a few more games last year if Thames or Raburn or Hessman or Skelton or insert milb player here or heck maybe even Dtrain would have gotten his ABs
The fact that they still plan on starting him at DH is baffling to say the least.
the only thing he produces is walks and once in a blue moon a hr plus a ton of ground outs, double plays, caught stealings, strikeouts( both looking and violently swinging), popups to short, oh yes and fights with Daniel Cabrera
You watch the guy swing, he is soooo off balance, and doing that crazy bat waggle as well =(
It is just plain infuriating watching him be given a chance time after time when we have quite a few young cheapies or guys like Hessman/Thames who could easily outproduce him for like 1/10th or 1/20th the cost
Hey don’t diss the fight with Daniel Cabrera. That little skirmish resulted in a) a HR that was a 10.0 on the F*#& You Scale and b) a 3 month tear where Sheffield would post a .303/.410/.560 batting line along with 21 HR. If he’s healthy enough to recapture those 3 months, look out.
Sheffield was discussed as a potential darkhorse MVP candidate in 2007 prior to his injury. I think that’s stretching it a bit, but it is accurate to say he was having a very good season. If he’s healthy, I think he can be productive. At 39-40 your body doesn’t recover as fast as it used to, but Sheff’s had a year and a half. Maybe he doesn’t recover at all, but if he does, I agree with Chris in D that he’s capable of being a middle-of-the-order hitter.
Dammit – I knew the Tigers gave up too much in the Cabrera trade…
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/6_tool_player_sings_like_an?utm_source=a-section
(Picture unrelated)
Today
Sheffield 0-3 with a walk
Timo Perez 2-5 😉
Fine Chris wanna take those #s into account?
How about the .675 OPS in April and the .545 in August and .580 in September
He had a total OPS of .840
That was 2 years ago as a DH
Last year his was .726
Now I am not saying OPS is a be all end all stat, but you used it so I’ll counter
Heck lets look at the last few years, where he got at least 400 abs
2003 age 34 OPS 1.023
2004 age 35 OPS .927
2005 age 36 OPS .891
2006 age 37 OPS .805 (doesn’t qualify due to 151 at bats)
2007 age 38 OPS .840
2008 age 39 OPS .726
2009 age 40 OPS ???
That doesn’t look at all like a trend to you?
PLUS HE IS OLD and most likely still hurt
I’m not a huge fan of Thames but when it would come to those 2 I’d take him in a heartbeat
Lets say Thames puts up his career average of .800 it still would most likely be much better than what a 40 year old Shef could muster
Or heck you could put Guillen at DH and put a guy like Timo Perez (mini Poly but much faster) in the OF
That way Guillen most likely stays healthy and puts up 100+ RBIS and you get some offense/speed/D out of left field
Or put Ordonez at DH
If Shef plays and gets over 400 Abs and puts up an OPS higher than 800 and scores and drives in at least 90 I’ll be the first to say I’m wrong
But I’d bet $$$ (and I rarely bet) that nothing close to that will happen
Just watch the guy, he isn’t at all what he used to be, not even close
+ guys who are even good DHs put up OPS usually in the ballpark of .900 not .800
I’m not saying that Sheffield hasn’t looked brutal for most of his Detroit tenure – he has. It’s a combination of his pushing 40 and not being healthy since mid-’07. You can’t do anything about 40, but if his health is back he’ll be better than Thames would be.
His OPS has been trending downwards (he is aging), but his OPS+ still plants him above the league average for most of the last 6 years (162, 141, 137, 107, 120, 90). The 107 was the injured year in New York, and he just flat sucked in ’08.
Funny you bring up Timo Perez, as Neyer blogged about him this afternoon. Looks like the skipper thinks he’s the best pinch hitter on the club, except that the team rarely pinch hits…
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3990551&name=Neyer_Rob
Anyhoo, a lot will have to go right for the Tigers to bust 90 wins, and Sheffield’s production is one of those many wild cards. I give him a 40/60 shot of doing something along the lines of .285/.380/.500. Keep in mind it is a contract year for the guy. If he still wants to play in 2010, he may step it up a notch. We shall see.
Saw that article already…
There is NO chance he posts up anything close to that line you put up unless he started injecting himself with brotard doses of Deca and Dbol, even then I doubt it.
You’re right he is just one of the many factors (and pitching being more important).
Contract year or not, he WAS TRYING HARD last year and the year before. I’m not talking about his effort. He is just
1) TOO OLD and has regressed significantly ( lost what he had)
2) STUPID and resistant to changing his approach (ie going to RF a bit, not trying to kill the ball every time)
You might as well say Inge will lead the AL in batting average, Verlander will win 30 games and Cabrera will get 200+ RBI
The best, I repeat THE BEST he does is post near a .760 OPS…
If he gets over 400AB I would have him pegged at around a .690-.730
He was fabulous in ’07 for us. Hope he can be that way again!!!!
Oh, btw, I’m watching Puerto Rico vs USA right now and was shocked to see how much weight Pudge has put on……..at least 25 pounds.
Dude, PECOTA has Inge hitting .438 this year. Where have you been? 🙂
Haha if only if only
I’m hoping he hits north of .250 with pop, without swinging at too many balls and turns in a web gem daily – I’d be happy with that, and I think the Tiger brass would as well 🙂
Plus he is no Cobb 😉