“I (Roger Craig) also help out with the Diamondbacks in spring training, and if they had someone like this, he would be in Double-A and Triple-A before going to the majors, simply because of the pitchers they already have at the major league level,” Craig said. “But the structure here is different. I don’t know what will happen with Bonderman, but they have a situation where if they want to they can bring him right to the big leagues.
“I’m not going to force it on anyone, but I’ll talk to everyone about it,” said Craig, the former Tiger pitching coach and split-finger guru who will spend the next week working with the Tigers.
“I introduced him to the players, and later on in the meeting used him in one of the examples of hitting strategy,” Trammell said. “Some of our players will be asked — or forced, I guess would be a better term — in certain situations to take a pitch. “Lou was a good guy to talk about this. When he was a leadoff hitter, he learned how to take pitches and forced himself to learn to hit behind in the count.”
“The owner threw the plan out the window,” Smith said. “An owner’s ability to stay patient and stick to his convictions, to me, is the most crucial thing in an organization. The plan can be constantly evolving. But if it is constantly changing in different directions, the organization has no chance to be successful.”
While 224 strikeouts in two pro seasons suggests a free-swinger, his 117 walks in that same span do not. His 62 walks last year split almost evenly between home and road. Moreover, his .357 on-base percentage was a far cry from his .245 average.
Palmer feels strong and healthy In Palmer’s mind, there’s no question now that he’s healthy. The Tigers medical staff considers him healthy enough that he begins spring training with absolutely no restrictions on his activity. For the first time since the spring of 2000, he won’t be on his own program but will take part in all the drills with his teammates.
Sometimes I wonder if sportswriters actually go to spring training each year, or if they just keep publishing the same pieces. Tomorrow, we’ll have an extensive look at the Tigers new attitude. All kidding aside, the Tigers need to get Dean Palmer back and healthy. He’s the only somewhat legitimate power threat in their lineup.
Newcomer Gene Kingsale joins holdovers Hiram Bocachica, George Lombard and Andres Torres on the list of candidates to open the season in center. Manager Alan Trammell said each will have an equal chance. “Best spring wins,” Trammell said.
2003’s Top 50 Prospects – Baseball Primer The only Tiger to make the list was Jeremy Bonderman at #39. This is similar to Baseball Prospectus’ rankings of the Top 40 and Bonderman was an honorable mention. Before Tiger fans get discouraged though, 9 teams had nobody on the list. Before Tiger fans feel too relieved, the Twins and Indians each have 4 players on the list.
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