| Jump to bottom |
Trade Granderson....Yes
Now the GM is acting as if this isn't a rebuilding-transition year.
Granderson should go: he's not a lead off hitter, and can't hit left handed pitching to save his life. What could help him would be to steal more, but in this day in age station to station baseball rules. We have a few prospects down in the minors capable of hitting; we can give Granderson one more year at his peak, or we can move on and get better powerhitting outfielders.
Brookens is named Tigers' coach
The manager-team transition plan has begun.
Brookens is a good hire for coach, but this is the first step to plant him in the managers chair as a replacement for Jim Leyland.
By at least 2011, most of the prospects Brookens had managed at Erie will be in Tiger uniforms; there won't be a period where the players and the manager will have to get to know one another.
Of course if Leyland suffers a set back next year, then Brookens get plugged in right away.
Putz as closer
No.
We already have injured relievers. Makes no since to bring in another injured reliever during tough economic times just to see that 'maybe' he still has it.
We either resign Rodney, resign Brandon Lyon (Can't sign both), or we live with what we have and Ryan Perry occupies the closer spot with Zumaya as set up man. Next season begins a transition process.
All I can say is start now: it will end quicker.
Marcus Thames' time with Tigers is over
Thanks for your service, Thames. You were good when you were good.
But the reality is this: you were practically given half a season to 'get in a groove' and, as always, you didn't show up. You are a half-season monster, but his past season you were a week.
Economics of Gullien's contract was not the only reason you were let go.
Scott Sizemore's promotion still likely despite injury
Sizemore's injury will be a set back to his defensive development.
However, Polanco's bad back is having an affect on his defense as it is on his bat. At his age, surrounded by others at his age, we're going to have to let him go.
Sizemore will come into his own. Derek Jeter is not a very good defensive player either: surround him with others that can field and the problem is unnoticed.
Tigers won't lose all free agents
Welcome to the coming transition season: it's going to be brutal.
Out of Lyon, Rodney, and Polanco, I keep Lyon.
Polanco's late surge in the season raised that batting average, but at what cost to his chronic lower back, which is becoming more and more of a problem. He won't have those power numbers next year to justify keeping him in the lineup.
Rodney is due to have a bad season because this is his M.O.: it appears he has it figured out, but then he goes through a stretch where the strike zone he's throwing at is in a state where MLB is not played. His worse than Todd Jones: too shaky.
Lyon had his early season issues but he's proven to be a good out of the pen. He was stable, very stable. With him you can afford to work Ryan Perry into the spot Rodney gives up in the bullpen. And there is always that chance that Zumaya will be back throwing hard again next year.
Take stability: take Lyon, because everyone needs pitching, but good pitching can get you offense in a pinch.
Lynn Henning fills out Tigers' lineup card for 2010
I fill out the line up card, Henning:
Against right handed pitching
1. Ryan Raburn, left field
2. Magglio Ordonez, right field
3. Carlos Guillen, designated hitter
4. Miguel Cabrera, first base
5. Alex Avila, catcher
6. Curtis Granderson, center field
7. Brandon Inge, third base
8. Scott Sizemore, second base
9. Adam Everett, shortstop
Against left handed pitching
1. Magglio Ordonez, left field
2. Ryan Rayburn, right field
3. Carlos Guillen, designated hitter
4. Miguel Cabrera, first base
5. Brandon Inge, third base
6. Scott Sizemore, second base
7. Ramon Santiago, shortstop
8. Gerald Laird, Catcher
9. Curtis Granderson, center field
Missed hit-by-pitch call costly to Tigers
That missed call doesn't matter: it does not excuse why we left so many runners on base, and why at the top of the 12th inning Alex Avila, a left hander, was not used instead of Gerald Laird against right hander Joe Nathan.
Twins send Tigers packing in 12 innings
It's a what-if game, baseball.
Rodney is a one inning relief pitcher (note: not a one inning closer). Getting three official innings out of him was two innings too much. Hopefully he wrote himself out of here: even with his save numbers we don't need hope and prayer every time he's called in from the bullpen.
That's on the Skipper, though, tonight.
This is why I hate National League managers in the American League: they can put too much of a premium on defense at the wrong time. Maggilio should have never been pulled for a inept Clete Thomas (Gee, imagine that). Alex Avila should have batted for Gerald Laird there late in the game. I like Rayburn's bat, but what's the point in having him play defense if he can't play defense. And cripes: there was times I wanted Granderson to be pinch hit for!
And what's wrong with our other starters? Again, Rodney for three innings? Shove Nate out there, or Galarraga, or Bonine.
Police: Drunk Cabrera picked up, released after 911 call from home
Just another reason why we didn't clinch the division.
Clearly, Miguel, after not hitting for two days you are no Babe Ruth.
I didn't realize playing for this ball club can make anyone so drunk, but he's not helping the situation he's hurting it. Makes you wonder how many times he played hung over.
Just another reason we're going to lose Tuesday to the Twins: no real discipline.
By the way: Linking the Granderson Slumping, Maggs Option kicking in.....
I have more confidence in Magglio hitting now than I do Granderson. Even if it is just singles, Maggs is getting on base, which base runners create more problems for the pitcher than the one swing of the bat for a homerun. As I said Grandy's becoming a 'homer or nothing' hitter like Marcus Thames and, dare I say his name, Carlos Pena of Tampa Bay (Formally the Tigers) who has more homeruns than singles with a batting average only ten points about his playing weight.
I say, boldly, if Maggs wants to be a singles-hitting machine now, then put his butt in the leadoff spot, and put Granderson in the fifth hole in front of Thames. Maggs is not a base stealing threat needed for leadoff, but really Grandy hasn't been getting that done either because he hasn't been on base anyways.
Tigers will allow Magglio Ordonez's hefty 2010 option to kick in
As I said before if the Tigers were out of it this year they would have dropped Maggs before that option kicked in.
Now we'll see if Maggs becomes Dimitri Young.
The trade for Aubrey Huff
Good trade for many reasons:
1.) Carlos Guillen may be picking it up at the plate, and he's played a position now by rotating DH with Miguel Cabrera. But as the Bostom series showed with Cabrera getting injured while still batting through an injury, and Guillen one hustle play away from the DL again, you need a fill in at first and DH you can count to score runs. Marcus Thames is not doing it, not when it matters most.
2.) Guillen gives you that left handed power bat, but if he goes down again the left-side offense falls back on the shoulders of Curtis Granderson, Clete Thomas, and Alex Avila. Granderson can't hit left handed pitching: Thomas is unpredictable with his streaks; Avila has a history of having valleys as well as peaks in his performance. We can do with Avila's defense, and so far he's a better bat than Gerald Laird, but Huff's got better experience and numbers in the clutch on offense.
3.) IF -- big IF -- the Tigers fall out of first place in the central, and Guillen is not injured, before that contract clause is activated on Mags then Maggilio Ordonez is released. We have too much overcommitments to pitchers not pitching at the major league level with no way out of those contracts: Mag's contract gives the Tigers a chance to correct an error.
4.) The boys in the minors have good examples of defensive petigrees, but defense is not the problem: offense is. Sizemore and the rest have not quite showed that consistent power bat, and right now we need power bats, not more Gerald Lairds, Ryan Rayburns or Thames.
5.) If Mags was not picking it up lately, with this trade, Rayburn is history with his play and bat as of late.
Lack of success on road is killing Tigers
This team is reminding me too much of those old Boston Red Sox teams: they're put together offensively to fit the ball park.
Although its not showing this year at all, this team's offense is doubles oriented: we saw that for the past few years with Maggs, Polanco, Gullien, and Granderson. Adding Cabera was a heavier dimension.
But like those old Red Sox teams they live and die by their home ball park with no team speed: instead of legging out doubles they have to hit the ball very hard: such hard swings lead to over swings, which lead to slumps, which lead to offenses not geared for Away games.
Polanco's future still uncertain
I do love Polanco, but I understand the Tigers crossroads problem with him: this is a byproduct of their bad signings the last few years, and specifically the breaking down of Carlos Gullien and the lack of production from Maggilio Ordonez. At 33 years old, Polanco could be just having a bad year, or he could be a victim of a poor hitting Curtis Granderson in front of him (Not Granderson's fault, he's outgrown lead off; power for third spot, not first spot, in the line up), or he could be on the downward slope of his career. It was not too long ago Bobby Higginson dropped off on the field once he had achieved his career highs, after signing a big contract.
We can live with Polanco for at least one more season, but he won't be looking for a one year contract, and 4 million plus a year will not be what he is looking for either; with his resume, and this poor year for him hitting, he can gain another million and half a year.
I say we can keep him long term IF, big IF, we can get a stronger bat somewhere else in that lineup. Right now our lineup is too light hitting. So I believe Polanco is resigned based on what happens around Decemeber 18th, whether Maggs or Marcus Thames or Ramon Santiago are still around.
| Jump to top |
