|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170
I have gas. 2000+ posts
|
OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
Well, here we are. It's MLB 2005! You know we're gonna be in for one of the more talked about, controversial pro baseball seasons EVER that doesn't involve labor negotiations. I thought about kicking things off with the latest about the whole 'roids controversey, but I'm sick of it already and I know we're gonna be debating that back and forth all season.
So let's start off with some predictions:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
East: Yankees, Red Sox (Wild Card), Orioles, Blue Jays, Devil Rays
Central: Twins, Indians, White Sox, Tigers, Royals
West: Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Athletics
NATIONAL LEAGUE
East: Braves, Phillies (Wild Card), Marlins, Mets, Nationals
Central: Cubs, Cardinals, Astros, Brewers, Reds, Pirates
West: Giants, Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Rockies
World Series: Yankess over Cubs
jafabian's fantasy player to watch this week: Jeremy Reed, OF, Seattle
Okay, I'm a homer. I went for a player off my home town team. But he's already been pencilled in as the Mariners #2 hitter and starting CF for opening day. This kid is a contact hitter and with Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre and Bret Boone behind him he's gonna have opportunities to score runs. He was very impressive in the call up last season, hitting .397 in 18 games, and it will be interesting to see what he can do over a full season this year. Each time I do this I'm gonna post the name of a player to keep an eye on for all those fantasy baseball participants out there.
I do think the AL West might be the only division where all the teams have winning records at the end of the season, barring any mishaps. But I think the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California on the West Coast of the United States of America in the Western Hemisphere really improved in the off season. However, as always, the Yanks are the teams to beat. Though I expect the Red Sox to pull off a deal to shock the world at the trade deadline.
If the Astros are out of it, would the Red Sox deal for the Rocket? We'll see...
Here's some updates off of
Peter Gammon's column on ESPN:
Quote:
# The Mets are very pleased with the work of Jose Reyes and Kazuo Matsui thus far. "It's early, and I want to watch a lot of games," said Willie Randolph, "but Matsui has showed me great hands, very quick feet which should enable him to make the double play and a lot of agility. I'm impressed. I understand there probably was a big transition coming from the turf in Japan to grass here. Reyes has a world of talent. That arm. Whoosh. He's going to make mistakes, but that's all right." Reyes had five walks in 220 at-bats and an on-base percentage of .271, but hitting coach Rick Down sees progress in his discipline. "In his first game he got to 3-and-1 and swung at ball four," Down said. "But the thing to me is that he got to 3-and-1. He'll learn. He's got more plate discipline than Alfonso Soriano, and he's a pretty darned good hitter."
# The Astros keep pestering the Mets about Mike Cameron, but it is looking less and less likely that New York will move Cameron because they have to get a strong corner bat in return, and right now there may not be any on the market." One possibility for Houston is Terrmel Sledge, as Washington is looking for a bopper and will move Sledge and/or Endy Chavez. Right now, if Craig Biggio moves back to second base, as he would like to do, then until Lance Berkman comes back, the 'Stros outfielders are Jason Lane, Willy Taveras (who has temporarily given up switch-hitting), possibly Chris Burke and Orlando Palmeiro.
# Houston has four bubble pitchers out of options: Tim Redding, Carlos Hernandez, Peter Munro and Brandon Duckworth. … Oh yes. On Friday, the first four Houston pitchers were Clemens, 42, John Franco, 44, Dave Burba, 38 and youngster Russ Springer, 36.
# One watch of Cardinal rookie Anthony Reyes and it's easy to see how he punched out 140 in 111 innings in the Florida State and Southern Leagues. Wow. The veteran pitchers claim he could be a tremendous hitter. "He has a swing like Albert Pujols," Mulder said. Strong words.
# Jose Valentin does not think third base will be a problem. "I played there a lot with the White Sox, so there's no transition." Incidentally, both Puerto Rican League player-owners, Valentin and Carlos Baerga, fired their managers after losing seasons.
# Good news with the Nationals: Tony Armas and John Patterson are both throwing well. Patterson said this is the best the ball has come out of his hand since before he got hurt in the Arizona organization. "John really started to throw well last season when he hurt his groin," catcher Brian Schneider said. "He can be very good for us."
# To not read Will Carroll's spring Team Health Reports and his in-season Under The Knife is to miss perhaps the best column in the business.
# La Russa says "one of my favorite thing is to watch infielders take groundballs. It tells you a lot about them." And who is his favorite of all time? "No question," La Russa said, "it's Alan Trammell. He did everything perfectly. He could and would hit anywhere in the order because all he cared about was winning. How he's not in the Hall of Fame is a mystery." Because nowadays too many people voice -- and in some cases scream -- opinions without seeing players or knowing that they are human. There are numbers players, and there are winning players, and Trammell, who should have been the MVP in 1987, was simply the winning player.
I'll try and put this up late Sunday night, every other week. Animalman should be doing next week's column. Let's talk baseball...
Last edited by PenWing; 2005-03-07 2:47 PM.
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000
5000+ posts
|
|
5000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000 |
Quote:
jafabian said:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Central: Twins, Indians, White Sox, Tigers, Royals
I see you are playing it safe by placing the Tigers in fourth. I read an article on MLB.com that pointed out something very interesting. Here is an excerpt from Bullpen could save Tigers' day, by Jim Molony:
Quote:
...
The Tigers improved by 29 wins last season, tops in baseball, but also tied Cleveland for the league lead with 28 blown saves.
That glaring weakness was addressed, with the Tigers adding free agent closer Troy Percival, acquiring hard-throwing right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and keeping Ugueth Urbina.
With those three, Detroit will be less likely to squander as many leads this time around. If the Tigers had managed to convert just half of those blown saves last season, they would have had a winning season and a second-place finish. Had they been able to save 75 percent of those chances, they would have notched 93 wins, or one more than the AL Central Division-winning Minnesota Twins finished with last year.
...
Now, like he says in the next paragraph, "if" is a big word. But, there is no reason not to believe that the Tigers will win at least half of those blown saves this year, and there is no reason to think they won't win at least as many games as last season without winning some of those blown saves. Plus, they should get increased production from their lineup, and they should also have fewer errors on the season at every position. The only real question mark this year is the starting rotation, since the bullpen looks to be very strong, and there is no way the Tigers will trade away Urbina, like some rumors suggest. That would just create a new hole in place of an old one. I don't know that the Tigers will win the division, and I don't know that will even finish in second place. But I do believe that they will be in it down the stretch, at least through August. It's easy to write them off because they have been so bad, and it's easy to overlook them because the other teams have made improvements. But if the Tigers would have had Urbina and Percival last year to pitch the 8th and 9th innings, they just might have won the division. That potential (even though that's all it is at this point) can't be overlooked.
Last edited by PenWing; 2005-03-07 5:35 PM.
<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionRDCW Profile"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170
I have gas. 2000+ posts
|
|
OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
Quote:
I see you are playing it safe by placing the Tigers in fourth.
I debated putting them in third, but I like the White Sox getting Podsednik and then getting Dye helps offset the loss of Ordonez. With Buehrle, Garcia and El Duque in the rotation I think they can stay ahead of the Tigers. I don't see the Tigers doing enough moves to significantly improve the team. You'd think with a park as big as theirs, despite the fact the fences were moved in a few years ago, they could atrract some better free agent pitchers. Especially for the bullpen. But Percival sure was a huge boost. I see the Tigers as two years from being where the Twins are now.
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000
5000+ posts
|
|
5000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000 |
Lynn Henning, of the Detroit News, pointed out that the Tigers' are overloaded with pitching talent right now. They have three pitchers who are out of minor league options: Steve Colyer, Gary Knotts, Franklyn German. Of the three, Colyer is a hard throwing lefty, Knotts is a former starter who couldn't find consistancy until he moved to long relief last year, and German has a powreful arm that is finally finding the strike zone this spring after tearing up the minors over the last few years.
The problem? Trammell only plans on taking 11 pitchers back to Detroit. The five starters will be Jason Johnson, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth, and Wilfredo Ledezma. So far, the billpen consists of Urbina as the 8th inning set up man, with Percival as the closer. Kyle Farnsworth will be the right-handed set up man, and Jamie Walker will be the left-handed set up man. That leaves two more spots. Knotts has the spot unless he messes up this spring. He's too valuable as the lone long reliever, and if necessary, he can start. He's happy to be a part of the organization, and instead of complaining when he lsot his starting job, he made the most of his relief appearances. There were times last year when he kept the Tigers in games at long relief, only to see the the next reliever blow the game. That means the final spot is most likely down to Colyer and German. Walker is the only lefty in the bullpen, and even though he is very consistant, he doesn't have a strong arm anymore. So, if Colyer can have a good spring, he should logically get the final spot. That leaves German. The Tigers can't let him go for nothing.
Something else to note: Maroth, Robertson, and Ledezma are all lefties. Maroth has probably shown everything he's got, with nowhere else to go at this point. He is what he is. Robertson is going to be a strike out pitcher. He's clearly got the goods, and is probably just a half to a full season away from finding his consistancy. Ledezma has a lot of potential, but is likely going to have a season similar to how Robertson performed last year. That means the Tigers will need a dependable long reliever.
Where am I going with this? The Tigers need another starting pitcher. They have a lefty starter in Maroth, and what could turn into an outstanding closer in German (unless they decide to only go with one lefty in the bullpen, and give up Colyer), plus some solid prospects that they could package together to get the kind of right-handed starter they need to lead this rotation. Someone will be available by the end of the month, before the Tigers have to give up one of their relievers, and Dombrowski is very good at pulling of these kinds of deals.
This article, along with other local writers, thinks the Tigers will trade Urbina, but I think that's suicide. With just the top four relievers, the Tigers have an amazing bullpen that will be ready to go at the end of the 6th inning (if necessary) and for sure in the 7th. Urbina makes that possible. Lose him, and this bullpen loses a lot of credibility, since Farnsworth has yet to provide the type of consistancy the Tigers need at 8th inning set up. Again, just having Urbina around takes a lot of preasure off Farnsworth. That can't be overlooked.
Will the Tigers pull off a trade? I don't know. I don't even know who's out there that might be available (probably someone with a larger contract than what a team wants to keep).
And, don't forget that the Tigers have three left fielders fighting to stay on the team. Craig Monroe isn't going anywhere. Trammell believes in him, and he has shown nothing to doubt Dombrowski. Bobby Higginson is good defensively in both right and left field, and Trammell said he looks like he's found a consistant swing. Plus, he's played through nothing but losing seasons, and he really wants to stay here and win with this club. To that end, he's said he'll do whatever is necessary to stay on this team. That leaves Rondell White, who also happens to be the most tradable player on the team. Oh, and he's batting .700 so far this spring.
There must be a team out there that wants to trade a good starting pitcher (who makes a little too much) for a lefty (Maroth), a future closer (German), and a power hitter with a great batting average (White).
That's the deal I see. I know there is talk that the Tigers need to trade for a centerfielder, or a third baseman, but I don't see that. Curtis Granderson is looking great so far. He will start the season in AAA Toledo, and he'll probably stay there. But next year, he should find his way to Detroit. A pleasan surprise has be Dewayne Wise, who not only looks great defensively, but has also been hitting well. He has made the majors the last two seasons, but he has never found a consistancy at the plate. If he can do that this year, he will steal center from Alex Sanchez, and the Tigers are really only looking for a one-year solution. As for third base, Inge wants to play it, and he is going to be fine there. People are saying the Tigers need better hitting at third, but Inge had a great average last season, and there is no reason to think he won't at least match it. He has finally found his swing. Sure, he can play other positions, but the Tigers have depth at every position, so why do they need one guy playing utility all sesaon? If injuries arise, as they always do, and if they need Inge to play another position, he can, and he will. But with Vance Wilson backing up Pudge at catcher, he won't need to move back behind the plate.
No, the Tigers are looking for a starting pitcher, and they just might get a good one before the start of the season.
(I forgot to mention Fernando Rodney. He's probably going to start the season in AAA Toledo, but he's got the goods to make it back to Detroit very quickly if his arm is 100%. He's a righty, and that means Colyer or Knotts could also be used in a trade to make room for him. Again, the Tigers have a lot of pitchers that they can't afford to lose for nothing.)
Last edited by PenWing; 2005-03-08 3:56 PM.
<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionRDCW Profile"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Nice work, jafabian. Looks good. Quote:
jafabian said:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
East: Yankees, Red Sox (Wild Card), Orioles, Blue Jays, Devil Rays
Central: Twins, Indians, White Sox, Tigers, Royals
West: Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Athletics
NATIONAL LEAGUE
East: Braves, Phillies (Wild Card), Marlins, Mets, Nationals
Central: Cubs, Cardinals, Astros, Brewers, Reds, Pirates
West: Giants, Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Rockies
The only picks I'd dispute would probably be the Rays behind the Jays, the Mariners and Athletics placement in the AL West, and the Dodgers behind the Padres and D-Backs.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 45,820
cobra kai 15000+ posts
|
|
cobra kai 15000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 45,820 |
i honestly think this year will be great for the mets -- not necessarily playoffs good, but certainly close.
willie randolph is good things. very good things. he's got the tuttelage of joe torre, sweet lou pinella, captain don mattingly, and his own brand of coaching styles that rose him to being a captain. he'll make smart moves all through out the season, starting with the new infield rotations.
the defense has been upgraded, and the offense has received a major boost. granted, over the past few years, the mets have made similar moves with less than desireable results, but this team seems to have a much nicer mix of chemistry, rather than the post-2000-yankees-like hodge podge.
according to the hype, the pitching, with the arrival of pedro, should be significantly better. but a combo of glavine and leiter should have been amazing enough, and that never really set a standard.
certainly, home attendence will be up, and that can only help enthuse the team. that, along with bringing in additional income, which can only help the mets new mini-steinbrenner.
...mets aside...
a yankees vs cubs series sure would be fun.
the 2003 post season will forever go down as one of my favorite, simply because of all the legacies involved, the curses involved, the stadiums involved... not to mention the "david vs goliath" attributes of the world series.
seeing a wrigley vs. yankee stadium match up while rocket was goin for his 300th was pretty damn cool ... i'd love to see that atmosphere duplicated in the big 7
giant picture
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
PenWing said:
Lynn Henning, of the Detroit News, pointed out that the Tigers' are overloaded with pitching talent right now. They have three pitchers who are out of minor league options: Steve Colyer, Gary Knotts, Franklyn German. Of the three, Colyer is a hard throwing lefty, Knotts is a former starter who couldn't find consistancy until he moved to long relief last year, and German has a powreful arm that is finally finding the strike zone this spring after tearing up the minors over the last few years.
The problem? Trammell only plans on taking 11 pitchers back to Detroit. The five starters will be Jason Johnson, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth, and Wilfredo Ledezma. So far, the billpen consists of Urbina as the 8th inning set up man, with Percival as the closer. Kyle Farnsworth will be the right-handed set up man, and Jamie Walker will be the left-handed set up man. That leaves two more spots. Knotts has the spot unless he messes up this spring. He's too valuable as the lone long reliever, and if necessary, he can start. He's happy to be a part of the organization, and instead of complaining when he lsot his starting job, he made the most of his relief appearances. There were times last year when he kept the Tigers in games at long relief, only to see the the next reliever blow the game. That means the final spot is most likely down to Colyer and German. Walker is the only lefty in the bullpen, and even though he is very consistant, he doesn't have a strong arm anymore. So, if Colyer can have a good spring, he should logically get the final spot. That leaves German. The Tigers can't let him go for nothing.
Colyer has always had stuff, but he hasn't been much of a pitching prospect in years. If he's traded, it will most likely be as a throw-in.
Urbina was the biggest trade-chip the Tigers had on the block, so he's probably the one who will be departing soon.
Quote:
This article, along with other local writers, thinks the Tigers will trade Urbina, but I think that's suicide. With just the top four relievers, the Tigers have an amazing bullpen that will be ready to go at the end of the 6th inning (if necessary) and for sure in the 7th. Urbina makes that possible. Lose him, and this bullpen loses a lot of credibility, since Farnsworth has yet to provide the type of consistancy the Tigers need at 8th inning set up. Again, just having Urbina around takes a lot of preasure off Farnsworth. That can't be overlooked.
The problem with a team like the Tigers is that you need flexibility with your pitchers. Injuries and youth-struggles are inevitable with their rotation, so they'll need to have bullpen guys capable of filling in or replacing starters.
Obviously, Urbina would be helpful, but they don't really need him(there are many bullpens that succeed without three starters the caliber of Percival-Farnsworth-Urbina), and if they can package him, with a prospect or two, for either another starter, or an everday player, that player will have much more of an impact on the team's success.
Quote:
Will the Tigers pull off a trade? I don't know. I don't even know who's out there that might be available (probably someone with a larger contract than what a team wants to keep).
Urbina and prospects for Mike Cameron is an example of what I've heard, since the Tigers are quickly becoming put out with Alex Sanchez, just as the Brewers were when they traded him, and the Mets have been shopping Cameron in the wake of the Carlos Beltran signing.
Quote:
There must be a team out there that wants to trade a good starting pitcher (who makes a little too much) for a lefty (Maroth), a future closer (German), and a power hitter with a great batting average (White).
The list might not be as long as you think. Maroth's a back end of the rotation starter on most teams, German's star is a lot less bright than it was in 2002(though I do think there would be teams willing to take a chance on his enormous potential), and White is 33, injury-prone, and has regressed in just about every aspect of his game.
Unfortunately, the Tigers don't have a strong farm system, either.
Quote:
That's the deal I see. I know there is talk that the Tigers need to trade for a centerfielder, or a third baseman, but I don't see that. Curtis Granderson is looking great so far. He will start the season in AAA Toledo, and he'll probably stay there. But next year, he should find his way to Detroit. A pleasan surprise has be Dewayne Wise, who not only looks great defensively, but has also been hitting well. He has made the majors the last two seasons, but he has never found a consistancy at the plate. If he can do that this year, he will steal center from Alex Sanchez, and the Tigers are really only looking for a one-year solution. As for third base, Inge wants to play it, and he is going to be fine there. People are saying the Tigers need better hitting at third, but Inge had a great average last season, and there is no reason to think he won't at least match it.
Granderson was always seen a tweener prospect(not enough power for the corner outfield, not enough speed for center), so his position is unclear at this time. I think the Tigers would definitely benefit from having a speedy centerfielder, given the number of flyball pitchers they have.
I like Inge, but hustle or no hustle, the .793 OPS he had last year simply is not good for a third baseman, and that was far and away his best season.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
|
|
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240 |
STEEEEERRROOIIDDDSSS.................Baseball ..blehhhhhhhh..
Although the Reds will get 2nd or 3rd in their division..mostly because no one on the team does steroids.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
according to the hype, the pitching, with the arrival of pedro, should be significantly better. but a combo of glavine and leiter should have been amazing enough, and that never really set a standard.
Leiter had a great year last year, and Glavine was pretty respectable, as well.
In any event, Pedro Martinez, even now, is the best pitcher the Mets have had since the days of David Cone, Sid Fernandez and Dwight Gooden, and they'll have Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano all year. If Glavine simply can repeat his 2004 performance, the Mets' rotation will be fine.
Quote:
seeing a wrigley vs. yankee stadium match up while rocket was goin for his 300th was pretty damn cool ... i'd love to see that atmosphere duplicated in the big 7
That Wood vs. Clemens matchup was one of the most memorable regular season games I've seen. It definitely felt like a World Series game.
Quote:
Pig Iron said:
Although the Reds will get 2nd or 3rd in their division.
Sure.
Up until May.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,142
5000+ posts
|
|
5000+ posts
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,142 |
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
i honestly think this year will be great for the mets -- not necessarily playoffs good, but certainly close.
willie randolph is good things. very good things. he's got the tuttelage of joe torre, sweet lou pinella, captain don mattingly, and his own brand of coaching styles that rose him to being a captain. he'll make smart moves all through out the season, starting with the new infield rotations.
I like Randolph, but I half-expect him to go through the same ordeal as Bryan Trottier when he took over the Rangers. Randolph's a Yankee...the guys you say he got "tuttel"ed by are Yankees. It's bad karma.
...on the other hand, Randolph did spend his last season as a player in the majors as a Met. So maybe he'll fare better.
And that's terrible.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000
5000+ posts
|
|
5000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,000 |
Quote:
Animalman said:
Urbina and prospects for Mike Cameron is an example of what I've heard, since the Tigers are quickly becoming put out with Alex Sanchez, just as the Brewers were when they traded him, and the Mets have been shopping Cameron in the wake of the Carlos Beltran signing.
The problem with Cameron is that he hits for power, and that's a nono in Comerica Park. He may be good for 30 homeruns anywhere else, but if comes to Detroit, he's looking at half that, if he's lucky. He may do something stupid like adjust his swing and get himself messed up everywhere else, too. If he was closer to a .300 hitter, then it would be worth it, but he hits in the mid .200, and the Tigers already have enough of those.
Quote:
Animalman said:
The list might not be as long as you think. Maroth's a back end of the rotation starter on most teams, German's star is a lot less bright than it was in 2002(though I do think there would be teams willing to take a chance on his enormous potential), and White is 33, injury-prone, and has regressed in just about every aspect of his game.
Unfortunately, the Tigers don't have a strong farm system, either.
No they don't, but it's slowly looking up. The previous GM (I will not mention him by name) destroyed the organization. Still, Dombrowski drafted some good pitchers in Kyle Sleeth and Justin Verlander.
Quote:
Animalman said:
Granderson was always seen a tweener prospect(not enough power for the corner outfield, not enough speed for center), so his position is unclear at this time. I think the Tigers would definitely benefit from having a speedy centerfielder, given the number of flyball pitchers they have.
The reason everyone is so high on Granderson is that he has a great head for the game. He was a corner outfielder who was converted to center field because of his ability to anticipate where the ball will be. He may not be fast, but he's smart. Same thing with his base running. He's been learning to notice the little things, like when a pitcher has a high kick. Things that Snachez doesn't seem to pay attention to. And he hits for average, not power, so he's all about getting on base. His smarts and hitting ability could land him the lead off spot in the line up next season. Time will tell.
Quote:
Animalman said:
I like Inge, but hustle or no hustle, the .793 OPS he had last year simply is not good for a third baseman, and that was far and away his best season.
The thing is, if the Tigers can find the offense elsewhere (which they just might have), then as long as Inge can match last season's stats and play strong, error free defense, he's exactly what the Tigers need. I am hoping that Dean Palmer still has something left to make the team, because he would be a great tutor to Inge on how to play third.
<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionRDCW Profile"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
PenWing said:
The problem with Cameron is that he hits for power, and that's a nono in Comerica Park. He may be good for 30 homeruns anywhere else, but if comes to Detroit, he's looking at half that, if he's lucky. He may do something stupid like adjust his swing and get himself messed up everywhere else, too. If he was closer to a .300 hitter, then it would be worth it, but he hits in the mid .200, and the Tigers already have enough of those.
Half that? I think you may be overestimating Comerica Park's influence(they did move in the walls). Shea Stadium is a pretty big pitchers' park, itself, and Cameron still managed to hit 30 homers playing half his games there, despite playing through nagging injuries in the second half of the season.
Cameron is not a contact hitter, but his power gives him better offensive value than any of the Tigers other centerfield options, and defensively, he's one of the best in the game.
Quote:
No they don't, but it's slowly looking up. The previous GM (I will not mention him by name) destroyed the organization. Still, Dombrowski drafted some good pitchers in Kyle Sleeth and Justin Verlander.
Sleeth and Verlander certainly have the talent, though Sleeth has not progressed as well as most draft gurus expected, considering he was the "safe" college pick. The Tigers' development of those pitchers may go a long way in determining just how successful the franchise is in the future. Randy Smith's drafting set the organization back years, especially with first round dissapoiments like Matt Anderson, Eric Munson, Kenny Baugh, Matt Wheatland, etc.
Quote:
The thing is, if the Tigers can find the offense elsewhere (which they just might have), then as long as Inge can match last season's stats and play strong, error free defense, he's exactly what the Tigers need. I am hoping that Dean Palmer still has something left to make the team, because he would be a great tutor to Inge on how to play third.
Third base is an offensive position, though, and for that position, Inge is a below-average offensive player. Baseball isn't really a sport where having too many offensive weapons is a problem. Every position hits.
Even though the Tigers were in the middle of the pack in runs scored last year, I'm not sure they have enough offensive stability to risk giving a lot of at bats to a below offensive player. Carlos Guillen's 2004 season was so much better than anything he'd done before(OPS 170 points higher than his previous high), at an age where improvements that drastic don't usually occur, one would almost have to expect some offensive regression, perhaps a lot. Ivan Rodriguez's 2004 season was also a lot better than his 2003 season, and he's now 33 years old, with 14 seasons under his belt(a lot of mileage for a catcher). Magglio Ordonez's true health status is anyone's guess.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170
I have gas. 2000+ posts
|
|
OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
I'm wondering if the Tigers are shopping Urbina because they believe he has purely the makeup of a closer only. That if he's used as set up or long relief he just won't be nearly as effective. I know the Mariners tried that with guys like Alfonseca and Mesa in the past and they were lousy. But make them a closer and they're an All Star. Percival is a better closer than Urbina, so that makes Urbina expendable. Or at least available.
I think the Tigers need an OF with speed to cover all that ground in Comerica. Having players in the OF who can do that makes things so much easier for the pitcher.
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 53,734
Educator to comprehension impaired (JLA, that is you) 50000+ posts
|
|
Educator to comprehension impaired (JLA, that is you) 50000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 53,734 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
jafabian said:
I'm wondering if the Tigers are shopping Urbina because they believe he has purely the makeup of a closer only. That if he's used as set up or long relief he just won't be nearly as effective.
I've never heard of that being the case.
Frankly, I think a lot of the "mental makeup" stuff is hokey, but I do think that, in some cases, there are pitchers who simply aren't cut out to be closers.
However, if you can close effectively, there's no reason to think you can't pitch in less pressure-packed situations. That doesn't make any sense.
Quote:
I know the Mariners tried that with guys like Alfonseca and Mesa in the past and they were lousy.
Antonio Alfonseca was never with the Mariners organization. Do you mean Armando Benitez? Both Benitez and Mesa are two of the biggest headaches bullpen coaches have ever encountered. They've had bad seasons as closers as well as middle relievers. Mesa was Seattle's closer in '99, and despite saving 33 games he had an ERA near 5.
Quote:
I think the Tigers need an OF with speed to cover all that ground in Comerica. Having players in the OF who can do that makes things so much easier for the pitcher.
I agree, especially when you have as many flyball pitchers as they do.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170
I have gas. 2000+ posts
|
|
OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
Quote:
Antonio Alfonseca was never with the Mariners organization. Do you mean Armando Benitez?
Oops. My bad. Yeah, I meant Benitez. I get all those latino names mixed up!
Quote:
Mesa was Seattle's closer in '99, and despite saving 33 games he had an ERA near 5.
The M's weren't all that good that year. The next year Sasaki pushed him to middle relief and his ERA was 5.36. He then went to Philly and his next two years he had 2.34 and 2.97 for his ERA and saved 42 and 45 games respectively. Benitez had a 1.93 ERA with the Yankees. Was Rivera hurt at the time? But when Benitez went to Seattle it jumped up to 3.14. Then he's the closer for Florida and he goes down to 1.97 and 47 saves. You would think it shouldn't make a difference, but all closers will tell you otherwise. I suppose it's like being a DH. You'd think the production should be the same whether you DH or not, but almost all players will tell you that ain't so.
When Sasaki came back from injury his last season with the M's they tried him at middle relief to ease him into it and he was terrible. He complained that he needed the rush of the closing situation to get into the game. I suppose it's more mental than anything else, but isn't that what makes the closer the closer? Seperates middle relief from closing?
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896
10000+ posts
|
|
10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
jafabian said:
The M's weren't all that good that year. The next year Sasaki pushed him to middle relief and his ERA was 5.36. He then went to Philly and his next two years he had 2.34 and 2.97 for his ERA and saved 42 and 45 games respectively. Benitez had a 1.93 ERA with the Yankees. Was Rivera hurt at the time? But when Benitez went to Seattle it jumped up to 3.14. Then he's the closer for Florida and he goes down to 1.97 and 47 saves.
Like I said, he's inconsistent. His performance as a closer has fluctuated, as well. In 2000, his ERA was 2.61. In 2001, it was 3.77. Then, in 2002, it was back down to 2.27. All three years he was the Mets' closer.
Mesa was the same way. His first three years as Cleveland's closer, his ERA's were 1.12, 3.73 and 2.40. The last three years, spent with the Phillies and Pirates, his ERA went from 2.97, to 6.52, then back to 3.25.
Quote:
You would think it shouldn't make a difference, but all closers will tell you otherwise. I suppose it's like being a DH. You'd think the production should be the same whether you DH or not, but almost all players will tell you that ain't so.
I think closers might say they like closing more, because it makes them feel more important. I don't think they'd say it affects their pitching, though.
Quote:
When Sasaki came back from injury his last season with the M's they tried him at middle relief to ease him into it and he was terrible. He complained that he needed the rush of the closing situation to get into the game. I suppose it's more mental than anything else, but isn't that what makes the closer the closer? Seperates middle relief from closing?
Well, if you can't get a rush pitching in the major leagues, you don't belong. That, along with injuries, is probably why Sasaki isn't in the MLB anymore.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
