Breaking Down the Robertson Trade

Posted on March 30, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

In December 2006, I approached Nate
Robertson at a local sports store. This wasn’t an autograph signing
session, he was holiday shopping.

During our brief conversation, he was completely courteous, and I
was the one who terminated the conversation, wishing him a happy holiday
and expressing my hopes that the Tigers would take it all in 2007. I
believe if I hadn’t ended it, he would have continued to allow me to
talk ad-nauseam. He could have easily brushed me aside, but he didn’t. I was impressed with him.

Simply put, Robertson is a good guy.

But in baseball, personality and performance are bipolar. If they
weren’t, there would be a lot of teams with nice guys who couldn’t hit
— or pitch.

So, putting personal perspectives aside, let’s look at the numbers,
along with a few facts.

Relegated
to the bullpen in 2008, Nate Robertson had his share of disappointments
on the mound.  Publicly, he was unhappy with the shift to the bullpen
and has been trying to find his way back into a starters role.

This
spring Robertson is 2-1. He pitched 19 innings. He gave up 18 hits, 8
earned runs, hit 2 batters and struck out 19. His spring ERA is 3.66.

Dontrelle
Willis has contributed nothing to the Tigers since coming here in the
deal that also brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Problems with his
command have plagued him since his arrival here.

This
spring Dontrelle Willis is 2-0. He has pitched 19 innings and has an ERA
of 3.26. Willis has allowed 16 hits, 7 earned runs and walked 12
batters. Five of the earned runs in his line came this afternoon against
the Orioles. He didn’t figure in today’s win.

In 2008,
Jeremy Bonderman had a blood clot removed. Experiencing pain in his
pitching shoulder, he was placed on the disabled list after only one
start in 2009.

Jeremy
Bonderman has a spring record of 1-1. He has a 6.92 ERA. He pitched in
13 innings. Overall he has given up 20 hits and 10 earned runs.

Reaction to the trade has been mixed. Most are satisfied with Bonderman’s
role as starter. It comes down to Willis and Robertson.

The three pitchers vied for one of two spots remaining in the
rotation. Quite frankly, none of their numbers were strong enough to
place one above the other.

But with time running out, the Tigers coming down to the wire needed
to decide who would fill the positions.

The Tigers certainly want to get their money’s worth out of Dontrelle
Willis. If his spring outings have shown anything at all, they have at
least provided us with a glimpse of the pitcher they thought they were
getting in 2007.

We have a lot of confidence in him (Dontrelle Willis) coming
back. He’s done a lot. He’s pitched well (in spring training). I looked
the other day, and he was third in all of major league baseball in
ERA. He’s throwing the ball well, too. He’s worked hard. We feel
comfortable he’ll do a good job for us, said Dave Dombrowski. (Detroit
Free Press)

As for Jeremy Bonderman, pitching pain-free this spring was the
decisive factor. The Tigers believe he can get back to his 2006 form.
But he has to stay healthy.

Nate Robertson was likely headed to the bullpen — again.  That would
have made him an unhappy player. He has made it clear that he wants to
be a starter. The Florida Marlins can give him that.

The question — is this move good for Detroit? Unfortunately, I have
my doubts. As much as I want to see the former NL Rookie of the Year win
20 games in 2010, I wonder can he really come through for the Tigers?

Over the course of spring training he has been his former self, but
this afternoon he showed the all too familiar side that made Detroit
fans cringe.

So, I guess the even bigger question to ask is — which Dontrelle
Willis will we get in the regular season? At this stage of the game,
there is no answer, only speculation — and a good deal of nervousness.

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Detroit’s Opening Day Lineup

Posted on March 28, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

On Saturday, Tom Gage of the
Detroit News posted the Detroit Tigers opening day lineup.  I won’t
rehash what  was said in the article, but I have placed a link to the
original article at the end of this post.

There aren’t any surprises here. Finally, the lineup is no longer
conjecture, it is fact, and according to Jim Leyland — “safe to print”
(which probably means it will change prior to April 5th).

THE 2010
DETROIT TIGERS OPENING DAY LINEUP

CF AUSTIN
JACKSON

LF JOHNNY
DAMON

RF
MAGGLIO ORDONEZ

1B MIGUEL
CABRERA

DH CARLOS
GUILLEN

3B
BRANDON INGE

C GERALD
LAIRD

2B SCOTT
SIZEMORE

SS ADAM
EVERETT

In addition to the lineup making news, Dave Dombrowski confirmed that
there is plenty of interest from the other ball clubs in Tigers
pitching (tigers.com).

From the beginning, I have thought that Jeremy Bonderman and Nate
Robertson could be used as trade bait if they were to show improvement
this spring, which both pitchers have done. It is also possible that
there is interest in Dontrelle Willis. The final two spots on the roster
have not been filled. Maybe this has something to do with that.

Also, there have been rumors that the Tigers were uncomfortable with
Scott Sizemore at second, and might be looking to upgrade. Not so, at
least for now.  (tigers.com)

A MESSY ONE

The Detroit Tigers faced the New York Yankees in Tampa this
afternoon. Max Scherzer was supposed to start the game, but because of
the impending rain, Jim Leyland put Michigan State star Jon Kibler in to
start. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it out of the first inning.

Facing only seven batters, Kibler gave up three hits, three walks,
and six runs.

Undoubtedly, he would have preferred to watch his alma mater play
basketball. This afternoon, MSU beat Tennessee, 70-69 in the Midwest
Regional final.

During the game there was some confusion, and a few laughs, over an
incorrect call by the umpires. With Yankees pinch runner Eduardo Nunez
at first base, Robinson Cano hit the ball to left-center.  It appeared
Jackson caught the ball, and one of the umpires called Cano out. That is
where the confusion began. Nunez rounded second, and was headed toward
third. Cano stopped at second. Then thinking that the ball was caught,
Nunez raced back to first. At one point, Cano and Nunez were together at
second base. I was listening to Yankees broadcasters John Sterling and
Suzyn Waldman (WCBS), who referred to the play as “daffy.”   (See it
here — yankees.com)

Things began to get uglier as the game played on, and prior to the
game being called, Tigers beat reporter Jason Beck sent out these
tweets,

Not gonna lie, this game is now a mess. #Tigers just left
the field a minute ago before umps call for tarp. Leyland yelling at
umps.

Leyland
said he did not call #Tigers off field.
“It looked to me like [Scherzer] slipped a little bit, and I got real
nervous,” he said.

The misery ended in the bottom of the fourth with the Yankees ahead,
8-0. BOXSCORE

LEYLAND IS “THRILLED” TO MEET GERE

Before the start of today’s game, Jim Leyland had a chance to meet
Richard Gere, attending the today with his wife, actress Carey Lowell,
and their son, Homer.

(Jim Leyland Finalizes Tigers Opening Day Lineup — The
Detroit News.)


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Countdown to Opening Day

Posted on March 26, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

The warm temperatures of the past
two weeks did little to prepare me for the 23 degree rude awakening I
received this morning. However, it did remind me that (when it comes to
the weather) March is a fickle month. There’s no way around it.

I had hoped that the change of seasons was permanent, and with
Opening Day just nine days away maybe spring had perched upon the Motor
City. There is still every reason to believe that it has. Unfortunately,
there is still every reason to believe that it has not. The not knowing
part is the fun part of a Michigan spring.

Regardless, we will still revel in the official/unofficial rite of
seasonal passage. Opening Day!

With around a week of spring training yet to go, let’s take a quick
look at how the Detroit Tigers are beginning to shape up.

I must admit I was pessimistic about Detroit’s chances in 2010. The
Tigers let Placido Polanco go, had traded Curtis Granderson and Edwin
Jackson, and seemed more concerned with rebuilding than winning. That
was in January.

Amid encouraging reports from Lakeland, I am more optimistic about
this season.

By all accounts, center fielder Austin Jackson is impressive. He has a
.358 batting average, and according to Jim Leyland — has a good eye
for working a pitch count.

Having been given the “green light” a number of times this spring, he
is a speedy base runner. Expect him to be a stealing threat anytime he
lands on base.

In nearly 100 innings Jackson is perfect in the field – making 40
put-outs in 40 chances. He is eager to show that he can handle the
daunting outer reaches of Comerica Park.

Someone somewhere dubbed Austin Jackson “Granderson 2.0.” — seems as
though that may be fitting.

Despite a batting average of only .225, starting second baseman,
Scott Sizemore is a promising fielder. Unfazed by the size of the shoes
he is filling, his fielding percentage this spring has been perfect. He
has turned eight double plays, 25 assists, and 20 put-outs. I just hope
his ankle holds out.

A rehabilitated Miguel Cabrera (.320), along with Magglio Ordonez
(.350) and Brandon Inge (.346), seem in good form.

Gerald Laird is showing some punch at the plate. Adam Everette is
not. I picked up both players in my fantasy league, so you can see I am
not too concerned about either in the regular season.

The defensive positions are all but set. That is something that can’t
be said of the Detroit Tigers starting rotation.

It was reported by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated that Jeremy
Bonderman is a lock as the fourth starter.


Jeremy
Bonderman won the No. 4 spot in the Tigers’ rotation. It appears that
Nate Robertson may have a slight edge over Dontrelle Willis
for the No. 5  job, with the loser going to the bullpen. So at least
Willis has made the team. (Sports
Illustrated)

During today’s televised game on ESPN, Jim Leyland seemed to
still be making up his mind.

Whichever way the rotation winds up (yes, pun intended), this
pitching staff will be competitive.

I am going to hold off releasing my predictions for 2010 until the
day before the start of the season.

Once the line-up, defensive positions, and pitching rotation/staff
are determined, we will have a better feel for what to expect from this
Tiger’s team.

Right now, I have to say that it looks pretty good.

(Photo credits; Comerica Park, DeeTownTigers.)

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Galarraga Optioned to Toledo

Posted on March 18, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond


The Detroit
Tigers optioned pitcher Armando Galarraga to Triple-A Toledo, and Jacob Turner to
Class-A West Michigan today. The move was disappointing for many fans who were
pulling for Galarraga, hoping that he would regain the pitching heights he had seen in 2008
(13-7/3.23 ERA).

In 2009, Galarraga pitched in the World Baseball Classic and came into the regular
baseball season looking good. In his first four starts he was 3-0, with a
1.85 ERA. Afterward, he began to take a turn for the worse.

This spring, Galarraga
had auditioned for a role in the Tigers starting rotation.

“He has every right to be disappointed,”
manager Jim Leyland said. “But at the same time, he has to understand
that he struggled a lot last year. He struggled a little bit this
spring again.” (From tigers.com)

A pleasant surprise this spring has been the pitching of Dontrelle Willis, who also
has competed for a role in the rotation.

While
pitching today he experienced back spasms and was hit in the knee by a
line drive.

“I started to feel spasms,” Willis
said after trying to snare a liner while facing the second batter. “It
feels all right, but I was just trying to have some fun out there. You
have to be mentally
tough and have confidence in yourself. My ability is there, so just
let it go.” (from espn.com)

Willis
pitched three scoreless innings without giving up a hit. He struck out
two, and walked only one. He is continuing to improve, mentally
and on the mound. It is beginning to look like he might make the cut.

ERNIE
HARWELL LIFETIME
AWARD

This week the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association announced that
it would honor legendary Detroit Tiger’s broadcaster Ernie Harwell, making him the first winner of the Ernie Harwell Lifetime Contribution
Award.

Every
year the association will choose someone from the broadcast industry to
honor with this award.

Harwell,
who was the voice of the Detroit Tigers from 1960 – 2002 will receive
the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports
Broadcasting on May 5, 2010.


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The Detroit Tigers All-Decade List

Posted on March 15, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

Bobby Higginson.jpgHave you seen the Detroit Tigers All-Decade
team? A panel of judges compiled the list that ranks the top Tigers
players, in their respective positions, throughout the past decade.

The
list is interesting because of who is on it and who is not
on it.

Although
baseball existed in Detroit prior to 2006, you wouldn’t be able to tell
that from looking at this list. Most of the players are from the 2006
team.

Sure,
the Tigers didn’t give us the best of years before then, but should
players like Tony Clark and Robert Fick be excluded from it?

By the way,
Bobby Higginson did make the list. He is one of only three
players on it that were not on the ’06 team.

Don’t
get me wrong. Ask anyone and they will tell you that the 2006 Tigers
were my favorite team of players. They had determination, and always
displayed a come-from-behind attitude. When their season began, we only
hoped that they might reach .500 — never expecting they might reach the
World Series. So, it is nice to see many of those names on it.

But if
you are going to compile a list spanning ten years, shouldn’t that list
have more diversity?

From the Detroit Tigers website:

DETROIT TIGERS ALL-DECADE TEAM

  •  
    C     IVAN RODRIGUEZ
  • 1B  
    MIGUEL CABRERA
  • 2B 
    PLACIDO POLANCO
  • 3B 
    BRANDON INGE
  • SS 
    CARLOS GUILLEN
  • OF 
    MAGGLIO ORDONEZ
  • OF 
    BOBBY HIGGINSON
  • OF  
    CURTIS GRANDERSON
  • DH 
    DIMITRI YOUNG
  • SP 
    JUSTIN VERLANDER
  • SP 
    KENNY ROGERS
  • SP 
    JEREMY BONDERMAN
  • SP 
    NATE ROBERTSON
  • SP 
    JEFF WEAVER
  • SU 
    JOEL ZUMAYA
  • CL 
    TODD JONES
  •  M 
    JIM LEYLAND

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Pitchers Get the Message

Posted on March 13, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

DTRAIN.jpg

The
rain fell hard all day in Lakeland, Florida — exactly five inches of
it.

With
no immediate end in sight, Friday afternoon’s slate of spring games was
canceled.

Workouts
moved indoors, and manager Jim Leyland used the opportunity to let his
pitchers know his thoughts about a couple of things.

“I told them how critical the next 10 days would be, what I
expected, and how I went about my judgments, so they’re very aware of
my feelings on what good pitchers do,” said Leyland, who has been
hammering home the point that any pitcher who expects to make his staff
must throw strikes, and get batters out throwing those strikes. “I
think they got the point. I wanted to give them thoughts that I have. I
don’t want to surprise anybody. I wanted them to be prepared for
expectations.” (From The
Detroit News)

Today
brought sunshine, and along with it, the promise of baseball.

The
Detroit Tigers played a split squad game with the New York Yankees and
Mets.

The
good news story of the day is that the Tigers beat the Yankees, 6-2,
behind the solid pitching of Dontrelle Willis. En route to picking up
the win, Willis pitched 3 innings, and etched out an impressive line — 4
hits, 1 earned run, and 1 walk. His spring ERA is a slight 1.29. (No,
that is not a misprint.)

At the
beginning of spring training, I expressed the thought that his major
league days might be over if he didn’t show signs of a resurgence.
Everyone wants him to put his problems in the past so that he can be the
player that we saw with the Marlins. Most likely, he will never have a
year like 2005, when he won 22 games and pitched seven complete games.
He does appear to be on the right track to turn things around so that he
can become a vital part of the 2010 Tigers.

When
Dontrelle’s day was done, Jeremy Bonderman came into the game. he struck
out two batters and gave up only one run.

Nate
Robertson and Jose Valverde also pitched. During their stretch on the
mound, each hurler struck out three.

GAME
ONE BOXSCORE

The
Tigers lost to the Mets in the other scheduled game, 9-1.

Max
Scherzer pitched four innings. He allowed one hit and struck out five.

The
bad news story of the day was about Ryan Perry (10.38ERA). He was hit
hard during the two-thirds of an inning that he pitched. He gave up
three home runs. Then adding to the misery, after relieving Perry, Zach
Miner gave up another home run.

GAME
TWO BOXSCORE

All of
the pitchers know that Jim Leyland means business. If they want to
travel north with the team in April – they also know they have to
perform — now.

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Author Mike Lupica – The Bat Boy

Posted on March 12, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

Stories that can capture the essence of baseball tend to capture my
attention. On the Today Show this morning, author Mike Lupica was
interviewed about his latest book, The Bat Boy.

The story is about Detroit Tiger player Hank Bishop, a former steroid
user, who is befriended by a bat boy for the team.

Bishop is fictional, however Lupica says that he is based on various
real life players. He doesn’t say which ones.

Lupica has a love for baseball and writing stories for young adults
that center around the game.

The Bat Boy, along with his other books: Safe At Home,
Million Dollar Thrower, and The Big Field, are available at amazon.com.

If you decide to read it, let me know what you thought of it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

Mike Lupica on NBC Today. – Watch more Videos at Vodpod.
Posted in Dailies | Tagged | 2 Comments

Spring Training Review Week 1

Posted on March 8, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

The
first week of games is nearly over and it is worth taking a look at some
of the players and how well they did – or didn’t – play.

Keep
in mind that spring training doesn’t mean much when it comes to a
players performance. They are working on technique, and possibly new
ways to become better players on the field and in the batter’s box.
Spring training is all about getting ready. I don’t expect to see
perfection and neither should you.

But,
in some cases, we might be able to get a peek into what we can expect
come opening day.

JEREMY
BONDERMAN

Bonderman
pitched two scoreless innings Wednesday afternoon against the Toronto
Blue Jays.  As you know, Bonderman missed most of last season due to
problems with his right shoulder. In two innings, Bonderman threw 34
pitches, gave up one hit and struck out three batsmen. On opening
day, he wants to be one of Detroit’s five starting pitchers. Although
Bonderman downplayed the appearance, Wednesday was a good start toward
that end.

I’m not satisfied with having one good outing. This is a long
haul for me. It’s one day at a time.

He is
correct – it is only one outing. But, it is an encouraging outing.

NATE
ROBERTSON

In
contrast to Bonderman, Robertson had a tough time. Pitching only 1-1/3
innings, Robertson managed only two strikeouts en route to 2 earned runs
on 3 hits. He walked three batters.

It
appears his woes on the mound have followed him into Lakeland.

DANIEL
SCHLERETH

Schlereth
was part of the three-team trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the
Yankees and Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks. Many fans are watching to
see what we picked up, and are asking the question, “was it worth
trading Granderson?”

The
answers won’t be coming soon.

Schlereth
picked up the win in Wednesday’s 7-6 victory over Toronto,
unfortunately that was the best part of the afternoon for him.

He
gave up a home run (Chris Lubanski in the 8th), 4 hits, and 4 earned
runs.

An
interesting fact – while with the Diamondbacks in 2009, Schlereth
pitched 18 innings over 21 games and he allowed only 1 home run.

Again,
remember this is spring training, and the stat is only for your
personal edification.

RICK
PORCELLO/DONTRELLE WILLIS

Porcello
pitched two scoreless innings in the Tigers loss to the Blue Jays on
Thursday.

The
D-Train walked only two batters in his two innings. He is looking like a
pitcher with confidence – something he needs to maintain if he is going
to be a vital part of the pitching staff.

MAX
SCHERZER

Scherzer
gave up six hits and the Blue Jays scored three runs. Over the next
several weeks expect him to find his groove.

ARMANDO
GALARRAGA

Like
Jeremy Bonderman, Galarraga wants to be back in the starting rotation.
Thursday’s battering shows that he still has some work to do, and he
knows it.

My slider was not in the strike zone, but I had good velocity.
I feel good. I’m healthy, and that is most important. I’ll put things
together.

Fingers
crossed!

JOEL
ZUMAYA

In the
perfect world, he will be the set-up man for closer Jose Valverde.
Zumaya gave up three runs to the Astros yesterday.

He was
clocked at 98 mph in the spring opener against Florida Southern. Jim
Leyland, who is keeping a close eye on Joel, wants him to vary his
pitches to keep batters off-guard.

I don’t want to change his personality — he’s an adrenaline
guy, but we can make him more effective by (having him) use his curve a
little more and use his change once in a while to start a hitter.
Throw one 86 m.ph. the first pitch, and then throw 98 or 100 on the
next pitch.

Joel
is a fan favorite. We all want to see him get back to form and back to
throwing in the triple digits. That shouldn’t be a problem – as long as
he stays healthy.

AUSTIN
JACKSON

Austin
Jackson is looking good, reaching in three at-bats during Thursday’s
game. He was hitless in yesterday’s game against the Astros.

SUMMARY

This
review, as you can see, is no where near complete. (I’m saving Scott
Sizemore for tomorrow’s post!) One week will not determine the season.
These were the players that were being watched most closely – by the
Tigers organization, and of course, the fans.

We
have waited since the trade to see what some of these players looked
like. During this week, there were some bumps in the road, so to speak,
but all indications are that the Tigers will be on track by April.

As the
spring schedule is played, I’ll continue to look at the new players,
and the rest of the team.

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Signing With the Tigers “A No Brainer”

Posted on February 7, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

There
is no more mystery, no more drama. We can all breathe a collective sigh.
Ready? Ahhh.

We
knew it was going to happen. We just didn’t know when it was going to
happen. Today, the Detroit Tigers made it official-pitcher Justin
Verlander signed a five-year, 80 million dollar deal.

Break
it down, and it looks like this – in year one, Verlander will receive
6.75 million dollars. In the second year of the contract – 12.75
million, and then 20 million for the following three years. Included in
the package is a $500,000 signing bonus.

Not
bad for a guy who played his first major league ball game a scant five
years ago. (But that only shows the kind of talent he has.)

So the
big question is – are the Tigers serious about being competitive in
2010? Verlander believes they are,

“I want to win. That’s first and foremost. And I feel like
this organization wants to win, and they’re going to put this team in a
position year in and year out. That’s all I can ask for, to be part of a
team that goes out there and has a chance to win our division and play
in the playoffs. That was a major consideration for me.”

Verlander
said it was “a no-brainer” signing with the Tigers. Once again, a
collective sigh – Ahhh.

Let’s
look at what he has accomplished.

Last
year Justin Verlander’s record was 19-9, a tie for first among AL
pitchers. He struck out 269 batters, which is more than Cy Young winner
Zach Greinke (242). His 3.45 ERA, earned him sixth place among  his
peers.

The
2006 AL Rookie of the Year was nominated three times for the Cy Young
Award (2006, 2007 and 2009). Additionally, he is a two-time All-Star (
2007 and 2009)

Of
course, there is also that little gem of a game against the Brewers in 2007 at
Comerica Park.

This
is the right move for Detroit. No doubt about it.

Keeping
Verlander here – long term – helps Detroit on a number of  levels. This
puts the Tigers on solid ground, and positions them in the right
direction. Verlander is key to their future success on the field, and
with the fans.

In
2010, he will be “the straw that stirs the drink.”

Congratulations
Justin!

You
have proven your worth. You deserve the contract.

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Justin Verlander and Tigers Agree on Deal

Posted on February 3, 2010 by mlblogsskiponsecond

(Source AP)

It isn’t official yet, but sources are saying that Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have  agreed to a five-year, 80 million dollar deal.

Tigers fans, still reeling from the loss of center fielder Curtis Granderson, wanted Verlander signed long-term. In a previous post I said,

He
(Verlander) is a guy who will continue to get better over time, and
will undoubtedly rank among baseball’s pitching élite. It is in the
best interest of the Tigers to sign him to a long term deal.

Another piece of the 2010 puzzle is finally placed.

Good!

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