This is the easiest one of the year, only the GCL is playing…
GCL Tigers 6, GCL Braves 5
Luis Arlet hit 2 homers in 4 at bats. Gorkys Hernandez seems to be slowing a little bit with back to back 1 for 4 nights. Audy Ciriaco continues to struggle with an 0 for 4, 2 K night. Matthew Righter allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, in 5 innings. Paul Hammond pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief. He didn’t allow a baserunner and fanned 3.
Category Archives: 2006 Season
Keeping an Eye on… Predictions
Prior to the season I did a series of posts on items or storylines that I thought could be key to the Tigers success. Here at the break, I thought I’d Keep and Eye on my Keeping an Eye on series
Chuck Hernandez and the Pitching Staff
With the best ERA in baseball, I think it is safe to say that Hernandez has worked out okay as a pitching coach.
One of the stats I wanted to observe were K rates and pitches per plate appearance, as Bob Cluck was an advocate of pitching to contact to conserve pitches. Well, in the case of Jeremy Bonderman his strikeouts are at a career high 8.35) and his pitches per plate appearance are at a career low (3.52). Nate Robertson’s numbers are in line with his career, as are Mike Maroth’s. Interestingly, Verlander is allowing 3.77 pitches per plate appearance, which is more than Robertson or Bonderman, but striking out fewer.
In terms of the minor leagues, we’ve the the organization reward solid pitching performances with the early promotions of Jair Jurrjens, Jon Connolly and Humberto Sanchez. We also saw Jordan Tata jump a couple levels. The system has seemed to be slow to promote in the past (see Jordan Tata at Lakeland all year).
Finally we haven’t really seen or heard that much of Hernandez. Leyland seems to make more trips to the mound than Hernandez. Hernandez just gets the occasional trip to talk mechanics or scouting reports, but those seem to be few and far between which may be a testament to improved preparation.
Kevin Rand
Ah, the injury watch. The Tigers have been hit by injuries, but the training staff has done a good job keeping players on the field. The Tigers lost Mike Maroth for probably 2-3 months, and of course Craig Dingman and Troy Percival were lost before the season. Dmitri Young strained his hamstring, not to mention alot of other stuff that was beyond the realm of physical rehab. And Craig Monroe was sidelined for a couple weeks with an ankle sprain.
Yet the nagging injuries have been kept in check. Carlos Guillen had some knee pain, but didn’t miss significant time. Ordonez had a bruise that only slowed him for a couple games. Placido Polanco had a back injury that limited his performance but he was able to work through with out missing time. Marcus Thames had knee tendonitis but it didn’t slow him down.
The training staff and some well timed rest have kept the key cogs in the lineup. Now everybody find some wood to knock on it until your knuckles are bloody.
Productive At Bats
Jim Leyland called for more productive at-bats and better situational hitting. I’m not really sure the Tigers have improved in this area. In terms of strikeouts – which are for all intents and purposes are completely unproductive – the Tigers still whiff a ton. In terms of plate discipline, their ratio of 2.7 K/BB is the same as it was last year.
The biggest change in offense has been an increase in power. Their ISO went from 157 last year to 184 this year. They are also a little bit better at not making outs with the OBP going from 321 to 330.
But in terms of productive outs and manufacturing runs…it doesn’t feel any different, but I can’t quantify it one way or the other.
The Erie Seawolves
My thinking here was simple, a bunch of players who could help the team in the future (or in trade packages in the present) would be at Erie. The results have been mixed. Erie’s offense has been largely non-existent as Brent Clevlen (103 K’s, 319 SLG) and Kody Kirkland (109K’s) have struggled to make contact. Kirkland has decent power numbers (17 homers), but that is it. Tony Giarratano has been up and down and may now have a torn ACL. Jeff Frazier started off well, but has faded badly (231/272/339). This group has recently been joined with fellow 40 man roster-ees Don Kelly and Nook Logan who were struggling mightily in Toledo.
The pitchers have had more success. Jordan Tata who was slated to head to Erie instead went all the way to the pro’s and now finds himself succeeding at AAA Toledo. Humberto Sanchez (1.76 ERA, 86 K’s, 71 2/3 IP) did so well he earned a promotion and a start in the Future’s Game. Eulogio De La Cruz (3.75 ERA, 46 K, 57 2/3 IP, 1 HR) started the season getting shelled, but has calmed down considerably. And Jair Jurrjens who started in A ball has earned a spot in the Erie rotation and is having considerable success for a 20 year old in AA (3-1, 2.00 ERA).
Chemistry is a tough subject
Jim Leyland has been widely praised for gaining control of the clubhouse. All the players are saying all the right things. Team chemistry couldn’t be better, whether or not that is due to Leyland or winning is open to debate. In any case everybody is happy right?
Not anymore. Continue reading Chemistry is a tough subject
Tigers Minor League Wrap – July 10th
Toledo – All Star Break
Altoona 7, Erie 1
Erie only mustered 3 hits last night. Jair Jurrjens allowed 4 hits and 3 unearned runs in 5 innings of work. He walked 2 and fanned 3.
Lakeland – PPD
Cedar Rapids 6, West Michigan 5
Michael Hollimon had a 2 for 3 night and Pedro Cotto was 2 for 4. Sendy Vasquez only lasted 4 innings and he gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 6 hits and 3 walks. Loren Fraser allowed a walk and solo homer in 3 innings of relief as he fanned 5.
Jamestown 6, Oneonta 1
Again, not much offense to report here. Brennan Boesch had a double in 4 at-bats. Chris Krawczyk fanned 4 of the 7 hitters he faced in 2 innings of work allowing only a walk. Brett Jensen added another scoreless inning and another strikeout.
GCL Tigers 6, GCL Phillies 5
Luis Arlet was 2 for 4 with a double and Gorkys Hernandez doubled in 4 at-bats. Kyle Sleeth made another short appearance – but with better results. He allowed 4 hits and 2 unearned runs in 2 innings walking none and striking out 1. He was followed by Christian Martinez who went 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits.
Open Thread: Hope and Surprise
There was a request for some open threads during the All Star break. I’m happy to oblige. Here are today’s topics for discussion:
- At what point did you become a believer in this team?
- What or who has been the biggest surprise of the first half?
- Who do you think will have the biggest impact for the Tigers after the All Star break?
- What has been your favorite Rod Allenism of the first half?
Tigers Minor League Wrap
Indianapolis 6, Toledo 2
David Espinosa was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 stolen bases. Colby Lewis threw 7 strong innings allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits. Bobby Seay wasn’t as strong as he and Jason Karmuth combined to allow 4 runs in 1 inning of work. CJ Nitkowski picked up the win for the Indians.
Altoona 5, Erie 4
Vincent Blue was 2 for 4 with a walk. Don Kelly tripled and walked. Dmitri Young was 0 for 4 with 2 K’s and a walk. Virgil Vasquez fanned 7 and walked none in 6 innings of work limited Altoona to 2 runs on 2 solo homers.
Lakeland 4, Tampa 3
Jeff Frazier and Clete Thomas each had 2 hits and a stolen base while Jeff Larish was 1 for 3 with a walk. Kevin Ardoin allowed 1 run on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 6 innings. Kevin Whelan struckout 2 in a scoreless inning of work.
West Michigan 11, Cedar Rapids 8
Matt Joyce went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a walk. Yet he was topped by Michael Hollimon’s 4 for 4 day as he hit for the cycle plus walked. Lucas French was hit hard and not helped by his defense. He allowed 6 runs, 3 earned, in 4 innings.
Jamestown 4, Oneonta 3
Ron Bourquin was 2 for 4 and Deik Scram added a singe and a triple. Jeff Gerbe allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, in 5 2/3 innings on one walk, 5 hits, and 3 strikeouts.
Game 88: Tigers at Mariners
PREGAME: The All Star break is here. I can’t believe how fast this season is going, and yet I’m ready for a break. Meanwhile the Tigers and Mariners Pilots are turning back the clock to 1969. The Mariners will be sporting Seattle Pilots garb from the Pilots only year of existence. The Tigers will be wearing throwbacks as well from that same season. The Tigers road grays from the era featured a block Detroit in blue lettering.
As for the game it will be Nate Robertson against Gil Meche.
With a win today, the Tigers will keep pace with both the 1911 and 1984 Tiger teams through the 88 game mark. A loss would tie them with last year’s White Sox.
POSTGAME I dug the throwback uniforms, but not so much the result. Nate Robertson pitched a heck of a game, and really it should have been an unearned run in the 7th because it should have been an error on Brandon Inge. But then again the Mariners should have scored in the 8th inning if Adrian Beltre would have taken 3rd when Magglio Ordonez kicked the ball aroundin the corner. As it was, Alexis Gomez was able to make a fine play gunning Beltre at the plate.
And just when I declare Shelton back on track, he fans 3 times. Baseball is a humbling sport, and blogging about baseball is humbling as well.
The Futures Game
The Tigers top 2 prospects will be on display amongst other minor league stars today. Humberto Sanchez will be the starting pitcher for the World team while Cameron Maybin looks to contribute to the US team.
Unfortunately the game begins at the same time as today’s Tiger tilt and it will air on ESPN2. Unfortunatel-ier I won’t be around to watch either and my DVR has only one tuner. I’ll be recording the first 45 minutes of the Future’s game before switching to the Tigers.
If you happen to tune in, feel free to post any observations or comments here.
UDPATE: After watching my recording, Humberto Sanchez was – dare I say – filthy. He carved up Stephen Drew, Howie Kendrick, and Alex Gordon with an impressive mix of low 90’s heat and breaking pitches. He fanned Drew and Gordon and made it through the inning on 12 pitches – 9 of which were strikes.
Unfortunately my recording cut off before Maybin hit so I missed him with the bat, though he had a number of routine flyball opportunities early.
Tigers Minor League Wrap – July 8th
Toledo 7, Indianapolis 6
Josh Phelps picked up 3 hits including a double and homer, and is now hitting 314/373/540. Dustin Mohr also singled, doubled, and homered. Lance Davis lasted only 4 2/3 innings as he was touched for 7 hits and 4 runs (3 earned). After 2 1/3 scoreless innings from Mark Woodyard (1 H, 1BB, 3 K) Chris Spurling came in and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits.
Erie 3, Altoona 0
Nate Bumstead allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 in 7 shut out innings. Dmitri Young continued his rehab with a 1 for 2 night plus a walk. Brent Clevlen and Kody Kirkland were both 1 for 4.
Tampa 5, Lakeland 3
Clete Thomas was 2 for 5 with a double. Jeff Frazier’s slump continues with another 0 for 4 night and he’s now hitting 228/269/337. Eddie Bonine went 5 innings allowing 5 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits.
West Michigan 1, Cedar Rapids 0
Burke Badenhop allowed on 2 hits and 3 walks in 7 innings of work. Anthony Claggett pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief lowering his ERA to 0.46. He has a 40/13 K/BB mix in 39 1/3 innings. Michael Hollimon was 2 for 3 and Matt Joyce added two singles and a walk. Cameron Maybin had the night off.
Oneonta 9, Jamestown 6
Ron Bourquin was 1 for 3 and walked 3 times. He now has a 13/15 BB/K ratio in 60 at-bats and a .434 OBP. Deik Scram added 3 hits and 3 RBI. Chris Cody allowed 1 run on 5 hits and a walk over 4 innings. Derek Witt finished the remaining 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits.
GCL Indianas 10, GCL Tigers
Alredo Figaro allowed only 1 hit in 4 innings. Guillermo Moscoso followed with 3 innings of one hit ball before giving way to Eric Beattie. Beattie is still looking for his first taste of success. He was the 2nd round selection in the 2004 draft, and has struggled to say the least. Last night he allowed 3 hits and 2 walks and only retired one batter.
This, That, and The Other
News and links that just don’t seem to fit anywhere else…
- It’s old news now, but Magglio Ordonez is an All Star, Justin Verlander isn’t, and Kenny Rogers might be starting the All Star game based on availability. I’m happy Rogers made the team, but he probably isn’t the most deserving even amongst his Tiger teammates let alone the rest of the AL. He’s a possibility because of the timing of his last start. Now the pitchers probably won’t be throwing more than an inning or two, so why would any of the pitchers be more available in the first inning than the 5th?
On another note, I’m not one of those bemonaing the inclusion of Mark Redman. I still like every team having a representative. The problem isn’t Mark Redman keeping more deserving players off the team, it is Ozzie Guillen (and other manager’s before him) keep more deserving players off the team.
- Reader Chris sent me a heads up on this ESPN Page 2 article that compares all of the AL teams to 1984 Tigers. It’s hardly an in depth piece, but it is fun nonetheless.
- My ESPN the Magazine came today and featured a large article by Buster Olney about the Tigers and how their play is effecting the city. It is insider content online, but there is a picture of Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and Curtis Granderson on the carousel that is worth making a point of checking out at your local convenience store.
- I was looking to get 4 tickets for the weekday afternoon game against the White Sox on July 20th. It turns out if one wants 4 tickets you are already relegated to standing room only.
- I caught this on the MotownSports message boards as well as on 1270, but Ken Rosenthal said today that the Tigers have been pursuing Alfonso Soriano. He isn’t the best of fits in terms of need, but he is a heckuva player. He has a rep as a hacker at the plate, as do many Tigers, but his OBP is better than 4 of the Tigers current starters. Plus he brings speed to the team. I know the desire is a left handed bat, but it is better to get a good hitter from any side, than to settle for someone based on which side of the plate they stand on.
Game 87: Tigers at Mariners
PREGAME Tonight the Tigers play their final West Coast night game – at least of the regular season. The also look to ensure a winning road trip by securing their 5th win of the 9 game swing.
Zach Miner looks to continue surprising everyone and win his 6th straight game. He’ll be opposed by Jarrod Washburn. The lefty is a flyball pitcher and the Tigers are a home run hitting team. Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, and Marcus Thames all have a history of success against Washburn.
Game Time 10:05pm
UPDATE: Omar Infante is starting in centerfield and leading off.
POSTGAME: I confess, I went to bed early last night because I’m fighting a cold. I also confess that I woke up at 6:45 and couldn’t fall back asleep because I wanted to know who won. After watching the game through the magic of DVR, there’s a lot to comment on.
Miner was very good again, if not particularly efficient. He was lifted after 5 innings and 100 pitches. I love that the entire bullpen contributed, and as Anne pointed out a full inning of work for Jamie Walker. Fernando Rodney got back on track and Todd Jones got that coveted 1-2-3 inning albeit with more drama than one would hope for.
Chris Shelton appears to be back. I know I’ve thought it before, but he has sustained this over his last 8 games now.
I love Marcus Thames, but he really is better suited to DH as two balls got by him tonight.
As for the various arguments, the right calls were made. Tip to Ichiro – don’t swing at balls that bounce and then stare down the ump. While Raul Ibanez didn’t foul the ball, it was a swing nonetheless. I guess the M’s had an argument that the wrong call was made, but it resulted in the right outcome. And as for Ted Barrett, an umpire should never need to be seperated from an agrument by his crew chief. I hate when umpires carry on arguments.
I really like Yuniesky Betancourt as a player, but this clearly wasn’t his best effort. He botched the double play ball and then getting caught with premature celebration is embarassing to say the least.
Tigers Minor League Wrap – July 7th
Toledo 5, Indianapolis 1
Brian Peterson homered twice and Josh Phelps added a homer and a single. David Espinosa chipped in his 7th triple of the year. Chad Durbin started and went 7 2/3 innings. He allowed 7 hits, 1 unearned run and fanned 8 while walking none.
Altoona 5, Erie 4
Dmitri Young is working his way up the organization on his rehab stint. He started at first base and was 1 for3 with a walk. Brent Clevlen homered in 4 at-bats. Dpn Kelly continues to struggle and was 0 for 4 with 2 K’s and 2 errors. Jon Connolly started for Erie and allowed 9 hits in 5 2/3 innings for 4 runs ( 3 earned).
Tampa 14, Lakeland 8
Chris Robinson and Nic McIntyre both went 3 for 5. PJ Finigan was knocked around for 8 runs, 7 earned, in 3 2/3 innings.
Cedar Rapids 7, West Michigan 0
The Whitecpas managed all of 4 singles. The offense was supplied by Cameron Maybin, Pedro Cotto, Mike Hernandez, and Dusty Ryan. Erike Averill lasted 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while walking one and fanning 7. The majority of the damage came off of Loren Fraser in relief.
Oneonta 12, Tri-City 1 18 innings
The O-Tigers have to be a little bit sleepy this morning. Brennan Boesch was 4 for 7 with a walk and Ron Bourqin was 3 for 8. Matt O’Brien went the first 8 innings and allowed 1 run on 6 hits. He was followed by some impressive relief appearances by Chris Krawczyk, Casey Fien, Jose Fragoso, and Brett Jensen.
GCL Tigers – PPD Rain