http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/striped-delight/

by John Brattain
January 11, 2008

It’s as good a time as any for this (no, I’m not quitting THT so put that champagne back).

To begin with, a little background—my fandom has led me to rooting interests in both leagues. I was in kindergarten (best five years of my life) when the Expos were born and they became my NL team. Just recently, I’ve picked a new team in the senior circuit to follow—the Phillies. As my readers (both of you) know, I’ve been a Blue Jays fan since their inception.

However, as you probably have never wondered, I did have an AL team pre-1977—the Detroit Tigers.

I maintain a soft spot for the Tabbies and took regular pilgrimages to the corner of Michigan and Trumbull until it was abandoned for … that other place. I still pull for them when they’re not playing the Jays. Their recent resurgence under Dave Dombrowski is well deserved for their fans. They suffered much, especially under Randy Smith’s stewardship (hello to Alex Dureich, a friend and eloquent critic of Smith‘s work) and it’s nice to see them among the AL elite. I would have preferred Miguel Cabrera to come to Canada; nevertheless, Motown will suffice.

At any rate, it’s like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Give me five bees for a quarter," you’d say.

Now, where were we? Oh yeah—the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those…

Sorry, I’m rambling; it’s time to get to the point.

With the Hall of Fame vote concluded for this year, once again I was amazed that no member of the mid-'80s Tigers was voted into Cooperstown. The 1984 club was a thing of beauty. The Tigers had five players who could make a decent argument for induction. I’m not saying all five belong. I am stating, however, that at least two absolutely should be inducted.

Let’s review our "fab five" and see why they have decent cases. They are Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish and Darrell Evans.

Jack Morris

Morris, in my opinion, was better than the sabermetric group says he was; by the same token, he wasn’t as good as the traditional stats crowd opines, either. There’s been some debate over at Baseball Think Factory as to whether the only reason Morris is in the picture is Game Seven of the 1991 World Series. At the time he was active, Morris was widely viewed as an ace pitcher. I remember several times folks speculating whether he was on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

It’s not just 1991.

Using the BBWAA’s general methodology (read: traditional stats) Morris looks promising. For starters, his 254-186 record, three 20-win seasons and durability (175 complete games) are impressive. From 1979-1992 Morris is first in innings pitched (by more than 500 innings), games started (32 more than anybody else), and complete games (62 more than No. 2 Fernando Valenzuela). Simply put, he was indisputably the premier workhorse in MLB—nobody took the ball more often and went deeper into games than Morris.

While many have debunked the myth of his ability to pitch to the score, the right hander did rise to the occasion in big games. While some hold the 1992 postseason against him, it looked very much that it wasn’t a matter of him not coming through so much as he was through. After a complete game loss in the first game of the 1992 ALCS, Morris pitched 308 innings more with an ERA of 6.08 and was finished. Up to that point (end of Game One of the ‘92 ALCS), in pennant races and postseasons, he tossed 322.2 very high-leverage innings while posting a 2.98 ERA.

He might make it via the Veterans Committee. He wouldn’t be the worst pitcher in the Hall and not a wholly unreasonable selection (from a traditional stats point of view)—but that’s hardly an endorsement.

Lance Parrish

The following catchers have hit 300 or more home runs: Mike Piazza, Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and Parrish. Stop and think about it—in major league history, only six backstops have topped 300. Save for Piazza (who is a mortal lock) only Parrish is not in the Hall.

Only Piazza had fewer at-bats than Parrish in reaching the 300 milestone. He was a solid defender who copped three Gold Gloves and was an eight-time All-Star. He played superbly in his only postseason appearance and has a World Series ring. For a dozen seasons (1979-1990), Parrish batted .259/.319/.451. That may not seem impressive until you consider that .248/.311/.372 was average for the position. On top of that, a league-average batter hit 143 homers over those 12 seasons and an average backstop weighed in at 133 four-baggers. Lance Parrish went yard 268 times from 1979-1990.

I find it odd that he didn’t do better in Hall of Fame voting. Good-fielding catchers with that kind of thump have been scarce in major league history. He may fare better with the Veterans Committee, but I feel strongly that he should be in line behind Bill Freehan (11-time All-Star, five Gold Gloves). In the final two years of the pitcher’s era of the 1960s, league average for a catcher was .224/.293/.325 and Freehan batted .272/.377/.450 with 95 extra-base hits (45 HR). He's an overlooked star that one day I’ll devote more time to lobbying in his behalf.

Darrell Evans

Okay, to open, I really don’t think he has a good case but I want to make a point regarding probable 2009 inductee Jim Rice:
Player AVG OBP SLG Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI GIDP RCAA Evans .248 .361 .431 1344 2223 329 36 414 1354 133 301Rice .298 .352 .502 1249 2452 373 79 382 1451 315 270
Obviously, Rice had a better career but the distance between him and Evans isn’t that large. If Jim Rice goes in next year, then Evans' case suddenly becomes viable. After all, third base is higher on the defensive spectrum than left field. Now what do you say about a third sacker who was almost as valuable offensively as a Hall of Fame left fielder?

See where this could end up? If Rice goes in then what about “Dewey” Evans—does he deserve induction? Not only did he play a more important defensive position, he copped eight Gold Gloves while doing so. Personally, I feel that Rice wasn't even the best outfielder on his own team.

Player Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS+ RCAA GIDPEvans 1470 2446 483 73 385 1384 .275 .372 .481 127 374 192 Rice 1249 2452 373 79 382 1451 .298 .352 .502 128 270 315
Yeah, I’m a little steamed over Tim Raines and Andre Dawson falling short—the point stands, though. If Rice makes it, then a lot of guys suddenly become candidates.

Moving on…now for the "no-brainers:"

Alan Trammell

It’s hard not to make a case that Trammell is among the top five shortstops in American League history. Trammell is (in AL history at his position) third in extra base hits/total bases, fourth in hits/doubles/reaching base, fifth in HR/RBI, sixth in runs, seventh in total bases. He was a six-time All-Star in the era of Cal Ripken, won four Gold Gloves and was robbed of the 1987 MVP. And, in about the same number of at-bats, he grounded into half as many double plays as Jim Rice (sorry—well not really, they’re on the same ballot). Since I’m ragging on Rice, let’s toss this in:

Player AVG OBP SLG Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI RP* GIDPTrammell .285 .352 .415 1231 2365 412 55 185 1003 2049 156Rice .298 .352 .502 1249 2452 373 79 382 1451 2318 315
*Runs Produced—hey, the BBWAA uses this stat.

When you consider that they were contemporary players, does it make sense that the spread between a probable Hall of Fame left fielder and a Gold Glove shortstop is that narrow? Is it logical that the left fielder garnered 293 more votes than the shortstop?

Lou Whitaker

Were you aware that Bill Mazeroski never had a single year in 17 seasons where he was better than league average offensively? He is a Hall of Fame second baseman. After a 32-AB cup of coffee as a 20-year old in 1977, Whitaker played 18 seasons and was better than league average offensively in all but one of them. Yes, Dazzlin’ Maz was historically great defensively, but Whitaker was no slouch himself, copping three Gold Gloves. Whitaker’s three awards came in the middle of the era of another amazing gloveman—the K.C. Royals' Frank White, who is often compared to Mazeroski.

From 1969-1999, Lou Whitaker, among major league second sackers, is first in hits, doubles, extra base hits, RBI and total bases. He is second in runs, home runs and reaching base and third in three-base hits, walks and RCAA. Simply put, he has a case in determining the best second baseman of his particular era—or at the very least, best in the AL. He is eclipsed somewhat in the high-octane offensive levels after the strike, but the years under consideration include four seasons of the "juiced" era.

Heck, while we're at it...


Player AVG OBP SLG Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI RP* GIDPWhitaker .276 .363 .426 1386 2369 420 65 244 1084 2226 143Rice .298 .352 .502 1249 2452 373 79 382 1451 2318 315

He's even closer to Rice than Trammell is (with about a half season's worth more AB) and Whitaker didn't last a year on the freakin' ballot. While neither were high percentage base thieves (Sweet Lou stole at a slightly higher success rate), Whitaker stole almost 90 more bases.

I didn’t spend much bandwidth making the case for Trammell and Whitaker because it should be self-evident to the BBWAA. All you have to do is touch on the highlights and it becomes clear that they are overqualified for the Hall. There should be a much wider gap between an unremarkable defensive left fielder in the Hall of Fame and a Gold Glove second baseman—especially since they're contemporary players.

Quite frankly, it will be an absolute joke—one so bad that even I can't top it, a travesty, an example of one of the severest case of rectal-cranial inversion in BBWAA history—if Rice is inducted before Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker. Frankie Frisch was downright King Solomon-esque on the Veterans Committee compared to this level of sheer boneheadedness.

I hope that if the BBWAA continues to miss badly on the '80s era Tigers the Vets Committee will rectify the oversight … at least as far as that magnificent keystone combination went.

References and Resources
Am I the only one who thinks it would be incredibly awesome if they were inducted together and shared a plaque?

Tune in every Wednesday at 4:40 PM EST on ESPN 1450's (http://www.1450espn.com/home.php) The Mike Gill Show (http://www.themikegillshow.com/) where I'm a weekly guest. For a distinctive Canadian flavour you can read my coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays (as well as other baseball matters) at Sympatico/MSN Sports (http://sports.sympatico.msn.ca/MLB/). Also be sure to check out baseball’s hottest blog as mentioned by the voices inside my head: The Progenitor of Severe Gluteal Discomfort (http://tonycastillocausedmyfacialtic.blogspot.com/). Please forward all flames, complaints, whining, accusations about my mother, inferences of habouring an Oedipus complex, demands to engage in coprophagy before shuffling off this mortal coil, and anatomically impossible suggestions here (jkbrattain@sympatico.ca).

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Very good article. He made a lot of good points. I'd love to see Tram and Sweet Lou make the Hall.

http://mvn.com/mlb-fantasy/2008/02/06/2b-player-profiles-6-10-breakout-candidates/

6. Placido Polanco, DET
I will preface this by informing you that when Derek and I were game-planning the second base rankings, he said something along the lines of “you know how shallow of a position it is? Placido Polanco is sixth.” Send the hate mail his way, Tiger fans, not mine: I think Polanco plays well as a fantasy second baseman in 2008.

He scored over 100 runs while sitting down for 20 games last season. And then Dave Dombrowski decided to add Miguel Cabrera to Detroit’s high-powered offense. He might not hit .341 again—his career average is .305—but even if Placido Polanco comes back to earth, he’ll be a plus contributor in two categories.

The 67 runs batted in were a career high. Homers and steals won’t miraculously appear, but the projection systems are in agreement: Polanco has another good season up his navy blue sleeves.

2007: .341/.388/.458, 105 R, 9 HR, 67 RBI, 7 SB

I will never understand how Polanco won't get love from anyone other than Detroit fans. He does everything the team needs him to do and more.

Those fuckers don't even give him credit for hitting .341. I've come to the realization that he will never be appreciated for how good he actually is. Which is fine by me.

I was so excited when the Tigers got him. The guy does everything. I never expected him to hit .341, but even without that the guy is a stud at 2nd base.

I will never understand how Polanco won't get love from anyone other than Detroit fans. He does everything the team needs him to do and more.

Those fuckers don't even give him credit for hitting .341. I've come to the realization that he will never be appreciated for how good he actually is. Which is fine by me.

But isn't this a fantasy based article? Defense doesn't matter in fantasy, and batting average is only one catagory. What he's saying is he might be one of the best 2B in the game, but he'll only give you a couple catagories in fantasy play.

Marion is always at or near the top in fantasy numbers. There probably isn't one expert that puts him in the top 5-10 players in the NBA though.

I have not ever played in one fantasy league. So you may be right. But that's exactly the reason I hate Fantasy Leagues - because the best players aren't the best fantasy players.

I agree with MoTown

Tigers Team Report
Yahoo! Sports

Inside Pitch


It's a good time to be a minor-leaguer in the Tigers' system -- they're going to get plenty of playing time this spring as manager Jim Leyland tries to get to the start of the regular season with no injuries to his starters.

The Tigers have an incredibly deep lineup, so deep a Hall of Fame-bound catcher (Ivan Rodriguez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/4680/;_ylt=Aqnw7sVqNydIiZmINaPe1IfurZJ4)) will bat ninth most of the time. Largely veterans, Leyland simply wants them to get their one or two at-bats per game in and then let them do the rest of their work at their own pace.

Rotation members will be brought along gently -- but not so lazily that they won't be ready to go seven innings by Opening Day.

Leyland's biggest questions concern the bench and the bullpen.

Will he be able to find enough at-bats to keep Brandon Inge (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6681/;_ylt=ArBqOxPBgibE9NpWqZ4XDwnurZJ4) relatively happy? Can Inge be content for one year to play all over the field? Will Inge resist the organizational urge to line him up as the successor to Rodriguez?

And what about Vance Wilson (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6064/;_ylt=AhMZsFnXInoVx9tm3xRSaNvurZJ4)? Will he be able to throw anybody out after missing 2007 because of Tommy John surgery? The interested observer in the questions about Inge and Wilson is utility man Ryan Raburn (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7454/;_ylt=Al9_Gni2rYzSO.6KveAuP7LurZJ4), who might wind up in the minors for one more season if both are healthy and ready to go. Detroit also might decide to peddle outfielder/first baseman Marcus Thames (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6943/;_ylt=AmSif_9UaCjA_XhlWeWKaHburZJ4) and keep Raburn because of his versatility.

The bullpen was made shaky when a box landed on Joel Zumaya (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7630/;_ylt=ArEALiqMnR6v8_SYSHLVjvPurZJ4)'s right shoulder, requiring surgery to repair the AC joint. Zumaya might be able to return by midseason, but the surgery is so rare there's little track record for predicting where his fastball will be at that time.

Meantime, Detroit brings back a veteran bullpen but also one light on the rocket-throwers the organization prefers. The Tigers' relievers are competent but not spectacular. Many of them are also out of options, so the Tigers face the problem of trying to put 10 cans on a seven-can shelf.

Lefties Tim Byrdak (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6071/;_ylt=AjuytU7Pa6NuzQcGa5OK5RfurZJ4) and Bobby Seay (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6780/;_ylt=Aud1ovdXcdjJEGcJFzzYTnvurZJ4) are assured of jobs, as are right-handers Todd Jones (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5082/;_ylt=Au14BhJUKOY8uwWjnvM9WXTurZJ4) (the closer) and Fernando Rodney (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6922/;_ylt=AoqSTFs_mf4.rlWMUpYNmx7urZJ4). Right-handers Jason Grilli (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6466/;_ylt=Ap2_lkz2Xe1P9nr6V2.JdwjurZJ4) and Zach Miner (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7783/;_ylt=AkKhYgAOjlRrQVKpy_WmsJ_urZJ4) have track records, and the club wants to keep right-hander Yorman Bazardo (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7554/;_ylt=ApQcWVHzuZTSba5HxoiGptTurZJ4) in case it needs a starter at some point.

That leaves a lot of pitchers, such as Francisco Cruceta (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7431/;_ylt=Amsipu.aDjQS0HjXHptC04XurZJ4) and Denny Bautista (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7338/;_ylt=AjSvBd8SHvLApSisTkfG2sjurZJ4), looking for a trade or injury to crack the door open for them.

Leyland also must plot out his rotation. It would seem his young no-hit prodigy, right-hander Justin Verlander (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7590/;_ylt=Am33nRzqdNj4gAoIBZYFbejurZJ4), would be in line for his first Opening Day start, but Leyland might opt to go with veteran left-hander Dontrelle Willis (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7133/;_ylt=AqbMYWwrmcf8NlPqktKMUGzurZJ4).

Having three lefties in the rotation means Detroit will have to back-to-back two of them. Leyland will look at the matchups for the first week or so to decide that, but he also likes to slot a soft-tosser such as Kenny Rogers (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/3974/;_ylt=At6mdzftF.mVZNGJURSdqX_urZJ4) in front of or behind a hard-throwing right-hander. Rogers might wind up at the back of the rotation to set up Verlander.

Leyland also will tinker with his batting order in the spring to see whether he likes DH Gary Sheffield (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/4268/;_ylt=AmXkYV8rkCnaKATR8yOw5ZDurZJ4) or third baseman Miguel Cabrera (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7163/;_ylt=Aub9PgBSA5h8jojHfYLCRvvurZJ4) batting in front of right fielder Magglio Ordonez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5889/;_ylt=AgcAUhtKzxod1AYhHw8jFCPurZJ4). The other will hit behind the defending AL batting champion.

Left fielder Jacque Jones (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6246/;_ylt=AuuBZT3Bq_h7Pvs2A_005EfurZJ4) will bat eighth because Leyland won't want him coming up ahead of his left-handed hitting leadoff man, center fielder Curtis Granderson (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7455/;_ylt=Ane2aESskb58bKS9yubwYBTurZJ4).

Where, When: Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Fla. First exhibition games are Feb. 26 against Florida Southern and Feb. 27 against New York Mets.

Top Candidate To Surprise: UT Brandon Inge was a major disappointment at the plate last season and is being written off as just a spare part or due to be traded. But Inge understands a good offensive season will boost his value to other teams or put him in line to take a regular job from somebody else on Detroit's roster. A good start is key because if that happens, manager Jim Leyland will find ways to work him into the lineup.

Top Candidate To Disappoint: LHP Kenny Rogers is going to lose his race against age one of these seasons, and this could be the year Father Time catches up with the athletic 43-year-old. A blood clot requiring surgery and a sore elbow limited Rogers to token starts in 2007 and the Tigers could be rolling the dice by counting on him to be their fifth starter this year. It should be noted RF Magglio Ordonez and CF Curtis Granderson can both be expected to come down off career years but still have respectable seasons.

Authority Figures: Manager Jim Leyland has guided Detroit to a 183-141 record in his two seasons with the Tigers. Leyland is a no-nonsense nice guy, if there can be such a thing, who commands the respect of his players and is known for getting the most from his teams. Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez is part of a returning staff that is strong on teaching and includes hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, third base coach Gene Lamont, first base coach Andy Van Slyke, infield coach Rafael Belliard and bullpen coach Jeff Jones.
Notes, Quotes


• CF Curtis Granderson, not even eligible for arbitration this year, has agreed to a five-year deal worth at least $30.25 million. "When you have a player of Curtis' ability and the type of person he is who represents you so well both on and off the field," GM Dave Dombrowski said, "it's an honor to have him as a member of our organization. He's one of the top young players in the game, and we're thrilled that he wanted to remain a Tiger into his free agency years." Granderson, soon to be 27, will earn $1 million this season and then get incremental raises to $10 million for 2012, the first year he would be eligible for free agency. The club has a $13 million option for 2013 (with a $2 million buyout) that could become $14 million for All-Star team incentives or $15 million for top-five MVP balloting finishes. Last year he became only the second player in major league history to have more than 30 doubles, 20 home runs, 20 triples and 20 stolen bases. "As I see it, there's always something to improve upon," Granderson said. "Right now, it's going to be in addressing how to hit left-handed pitchers more consistently and continue to cut down my strikeouts. But moving into 2009, I'm sure there will be another list of things to improve upon. I still have a long ways to go. I'll just try my best not to press too much."

• RHP Armando Galarraga (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8140/;_ylt=AhmJOdvbKBezWKpLHxL8c73urZJ4) was obtained by Detroit on Feb. 5 in a trade with Texas for minor league OF Michael Hernandez. Galarraga, 26, was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Jan. 25 to make room for RHP Jason Jennings (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6785/;_ylt=AgP7EBPRSKewG0ABE6yjvpPurZJ4). Last season he pitched three games for the Rangers but mainly was in Class AA with Frisco, where he went 9-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 23 games. Galarraga has one minor league option left and figures to pitch at the Class AAA level for Detroit this year. "Galarraga is a prospect with a quality arm," Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski said. "His acquisition adds depth to our roster, and he is a pitcher we feel will be able to help our club in the future."

• 3B Miguel Cabrera and his agent, Fernando Cuza, are expected to begin talks early next month to see if details of a long-term contract can be worked out. Cabrera hasn't played a game with Detroit but already has a good feel for what it's like from several fellow Venezuelans on the team. If a deal happens, it likely will be for terms approaching the eight-year, $140 million contract the Tigers offered Juan Gonzalez in 2000, a deal that, fortunately for Detroit, was rejected. Early estimations are the two sides will be dickering over a five-year extension to his current one-year pact for a total of more than $100 million or six years for about $125 million.

• LHP Dontrelle Willis will rebound from his poor 2007 season, says Tigers scout Mike Russell, who recommended Detroit obtain him from Florida in the deal for 3B Miguel Cabrera. Willis has seen his ERA erode for two straight years, but Russell told the Detroit News it wasn't because the quality of his pitches was declining, except for location at times. "Everybody kept talking about his stuff (quality of pitches) being down, but I never saw that," Russell said. "He had some days, I'm sure, where he was a little like, say, Justin Verlander, in that every pitcher has times when he doesn't have his 'A' game. But when I saw him, his stuff was good. His problem was two-fold: He pitched behind in the count too many times and got into fastball counts. And I wouldn't want to make excuses for him, but he was also supported by the worst fielding team in the big leagues last year (.977 fielding percentage). You take that combination of pitching behind too often and having poor play behind him -- not all the time, but a lot of times -- and his pitch counts would rise early in the game. He still got his 30-plus starts and his 200 innings (35 starts, 205 1/3 innings), but I think the other stuff took a toll on him. His location was not nearly as good last year. He was a little off as far as being able to pitch inside (to right-handed hitters). Last year, he was more middle-out, much more than he had normally been."

• Only one of the Tigers' games this season will not be televised (Aug. 2 at Tampa Bay), but only a handful will be available for viewing over free TV. Detroit's cable outlet, Fox Sports Network, will televise 151 games plus four spring training games. Eight games are scheduled for viewing on the national Fox Saturday game of the week schedule, and two are on the ESPN Sunday night schedule. The four spring training telecasts on FSN Detroit will be March 17 against Cincinnati, March 21 against Toronto, March 23 against Cleveland and March 27 against Philadelphia. All four games are 1:05 starts, but the games on March 17 and 27 will be reshown on FSN the same night at 7. A March 18 spring training game against Washington is scheduled as an ESPN telecast.

• SS Brent Dlugach, who made a favorable impression in spring training but had to miss most of last season with shoulder surgery, probably won't be able to participate in spring training this year until the end of March. However, Detroit officials believe he should be ready to play games by early May at the latest. Detroit hopes he can be the shortstop for Class AAA Toledo this year.

• RF Magglio Ordonez can't be expected to repeat his .363 AL batting championship average this season, but there shouldn't be too much falloff. Ordonez enters 2008 with a .311 career batting average, ninth best among active players. Two of his teammates are close to him. 3B Miguel Cabrera is just ahead at .313, and 2B Placido is 13th at .305.

By The Numbers: 0 -- Rookies expected to stick with Detroit coming out of spring training. The Tigers' top prospect, RHP Rick Porcello, has yet to throw a pitch in a professional game.

Quote To Note: "I'm going to get what I enjoy, and if it happens to be an extra value meal from McDonald's, so be it. I'm a real big friend of the dollar menu." -- CF Curtis Granderson, who addressed the media with a double cheeseburger off the dollar menu on the day he agreed to a new five-year, $30.25 million deal with Detroit.
Roster Report


This is a team embracing the monster expectations created by the stunning offseason deal with Florida that brought 3B Miguel Cabrera and LHP Dontrelle Willis to Detroit in return for its top two prospects. The lineup is loaded and the rotation could be formidable. The only weak spots are the bullpen and, possibly, the bench. Biggest decisions figure to be the last one or two bullpen spots and which of three players -- Brandon Inge, Vance Wilson and Ryan Raburn -- will fill two seats on the bench. This is a team built for the postseason, and not making a long run would be a major disappointment.

Arrivals: SS Edgar Renteria (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5602/;_ylt=Ai7QWTBF0rXpkVP_DkTQq3DurZJ4) (trade with Braves), OF Jacque Jones (trade with Cubs), RHP Denny Bautista (trade with Rockies), 3B Miguel Cabrera (trade with Marlins), LHP Dontrelle Willis (trade with Marlins), OF Freddy Guzman (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7405/;_ylt=AkdV1p2TSChqoks.Rs.fFyXurZJ4) (trade with Rangers), RHP Armando Galarraga (trade with Rangers).

Departures: RHP Jair Jurrjens (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8091/;_ylt=AqnM_48kt3Fgd6MynpctPmzurZJ4) (traded to Braves), INF Omar Infante (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7016/;_ylt=ApfYhCRtFEMR5yV7z2L0jkDurZJ4) (traded to Cubs), RHP Jose Capellan (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players;_ylt=Aqy0FsXXAW1_TuHF1j1CjfDurZJ4?type=las tname&first=1&query=Jose+Capellan&q=Jose+Capellan) (traded to Rockies), LHP Andrew Miller (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7847/;_ylt=Alug1FekY16fs60yaU0V8rHurZJ4) (traded to Marlins), CF Cameron Maybin (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7684/;_ylt=AsUAlxN.JKoIYGrTSyVYWV7urZJ4) (traded to Marlins), C Mike Rabelo (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7895/;_ylt=Au4KtRhjyEzwPDL.6aLjxJfurZJ4) (traded to Marlins), 1B Chris Shelton (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7259/;_ylt=Ar2oRw_r8HFBjh57AmfU4lPurZJ4) (traded to Rangers), RHP Chad Durbin (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6371/;_ylt=Ag6q51tWqDy6QgooX9_9vJ_urZJ4) (non-tendered free agent, signed with Phillies), 1B Sean Casey (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5930/;_ylt=AglUYbPYWtU5nJN5DCFtz0_urZJ4) (free agent, signed with Red Sox).

Spring Focus: The Tigers have perhaps the best top-to-bottom lineup in baseball, so deep it will have a certain Hall of Famer (C Ivan Rodriguez) batting ninth, so the idea will be to get through spring training without losing any of its regulars to a long-term injury. Pitchers will need to be ready to go seven innings right from the beginning because of questionable depth in the bullpen. Something to watch will be the competition for the last bullpen spot or two because several candidates are veterans who are out of options; look for one or more to be traded for prospects before the season begins.

Projected Rotation:

1. RHP Justin Verlander

2. LHP Dontrelle Willis

3. RHP Jeremy Bonderman (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7106/;_ylt=AmqALIl_emfsgYL04QvU3APurZJ4)

4. LHP Nate Robertson (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7014/;_ylt=AhXOAPlP13xjoPG1WhJ7Ck3urZJ4)

5. LHP Kenny Rogers

Three lefties in the rotation is a luxury few teams possess, especially three who have the potential to win 15 games apiece. Manager Jim Leyland is known to use off days to reconfigure his rotation, creating favorable matchups down the road and giving his starters extra rest. Injuries caused a lot of missed starts by rotation members last season, and Leyland will be holding his breath it doesn't happen again because there is little ready help in the minors.

Projected Bullpen:

RHP Todd Jones (closer)

RHP Fernando Rodney

LHP Bobby Seay

RHP Jason Grilli

RHP Zach Miner

LHP Tim Byrdak

RHP Yorman Bazardo

This bullpen could be good, but it would be emphatically good if it had RHP Joel Zumaya, out until at least midseason for the second consecutive year, this time because of an offseason right shoulder injury that required surgery. Manager Jim Leyland will go inning-by-inning now whereas he would have used Zumaya as a shut-down guy for up to nine outs if necessary. Bazardo is out of options and is the best current option as a replacement starter, so he'll probably beat out RHP Francisco Cruceta and RHP Denny Bautista for the last spot.

Projected Lineup:

1. CF Curtis Granderson

2. 2B Placido Polanco (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6049/;_ylt=AhoYEgH73XieyNOJa43fOO7urZJ4)

3. DH Gary Sheffield

4. RF Magglio Ordonez

5. 3B Miguel Cabrera

6. 1B Carlos Guillen (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6105/;_ylt=AhfppSoAc1qNL8VeJoQ1Xs7urZJ4)

7. SS Edgar Renteria

8. LF Jacque Jones

9. C Ivan Rodriguez

When you have a guy like Rodriguez batting ninth, you have a strong lineup. There will be some tinkering, which manager Jim Leyland likes to do, such as sitting Granderson against certain lefties and possibly flip-flopping Sheffield and Cabrera. Jones will be replaced by OF/1B Marcus Thames when a lefty is on the mound against Detroit.

Projected Reserves:

UT Brandon Inge

OF/1B Marcus Thames

SS Ramon Santiago (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6933/;_ylt=Ao1brIIXxJsv2LQmUBjxZ6XurZJ4)

C Vance Wilson or UT Ryan Raburn

Wilson will have to show he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery to make the team if Inge agrees to be the backup catcher; otherwise, he opens the season on the DL. Raburn has an option remaining, and that could be a factor in whether he makes the squad. Inge wants to be traded so he can play third base every day for somebody, but that might not happen until July, if at all.

Top Rookies: No rookie is likely to make the Opening Day roster, but several are on the cusp. RHP Francisco Cruceta, out of options, has a checkered past and a history of wildness but throws major league stuff and could make the bullpen with a strong spring. RHP Jordan Tata (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7724/;_ylt=AoEaKlkp8Pt_nQf8MedoUp7urZJ4) has had a couple of brief trials and is now a veteran of Class AAA; if the club needs a starter, he's got experience. INF Michael Hollimon is about ready for backup duty if needed, and 1B Jeff Larish, who has serious power, hopes his first exposure to Class AAA pitching will position him for a call-up, if needed.

Medical Watch:

RHP Joel Zumaya (right shoulder AC joint surgery) has recaptured 95 percent of his range of motion and hopes to begin light throwing by early February; he will be out until at least midseason.

C Vance Wilson (Tommy John surgery) reports progress in his comeback, but management doesn't know whether he'll be able to throw with any authority by the end of spring training.

DH Gary Sheffield (right shoulder surgery) has been swinging a bat and is expected to be able to hit when spring training begins.

RHP Jeremy Bonderman (right elbow strain) delayed the start of his offseason throwing program so he could strengthen his forearm and elbow muscles; he's good to go when pitchers report.

LHP Kenny Rogers (left elbow) ended the season pitching with an elbow that wasn't 100 percent and is working more on improving his arm and shoulder strength than on throwing.
RF Magglio Ordonez (sore left heel) says he's ready to go.

Top Candidate To Disappoint: LHP Kenny Rogers is going to lose his race against age one of these seasons, and this could be the year Father Time catches up with the athletic 43-year-old. A blood clot requiring surgery and a sore elbow limited Rogers to token starts in 2007 and the Tigers could be rolling the dice by counting on him to be their fifth starter this year.

Word.

I just read that whole fucking thing.

Thanks Vinny.

PS: About Rogers--I'm not sure how he'll be able to perform this year, but I will never forget his performance against the Yankees in the playoffs. Never. That was just incredible.

That was really good stuff. I should have started getting ready for class already but I wanted to finish it.

Mod powers activate...pin this Vincenzo.

Juan Rodriguez on ESPN First Take stated that Curtis Granderson is the most exciting player in baseball.

Not bad. More exciting than that Cleveland fucker Seizmore.

One of them for sure.

From the front page of espn.com:


Mega-deal puts Tigers in new culture club
By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

Updated: February 25, 2008

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis was on vacation in Mexico when he heard The News.


Miguel Cabrera was driving down I-95 in South Florida, taking his wife to the airport.

Jeremy Bonderman was hanging out at home in Pasco, Wash., when his cell phone rang.

"Hey, your team just traded for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera," his buddy told him.

"Baloney," Bonderman said (or something like that).

Meanwhile, in Pell City, Ala., a text message popped up on Todd Jones' cell phone -- "from an inside source," Jones said, chuckling.

The text read: "Merry Christmas from the Marlins. You're not going to believe who you just got."

That was Dec. 4, the day the Detroit Tigers agreed to The Deal That Shook Their Earth. Two and a half months later, these men still have trouble comprehending it.

"I can't believe this kind of deal coming to a team I was on," Jones said.

Not that Jones and his teammates hadn't heard the Cabrera trade rumors. Who hadn't? But they thought he was heading to the Los Angeles Angels.

They had heard the Willis trade rumors, too. But there was no indication Willis was even close to changing area codes.

And they hadn't heard any rumors about their team making a deal like this. For good reason. Even general manager Dave Dombrowski admitted he thought his club was done with big offseason moves.

Then this eight-player blockbuster with the Florida Marlins erupted like a tidal wave, just about out of nowhere. Next thing they knew, the Tigers had completed the most sport-rattling trade of the offseason.

There are events in the life of every franchise that feel special, life-altering. This felt like one of those moments.

Rationally, of course, we know it's too soon to tell. Cabrera and Willis have yet to show up in a single box score. So we have no standings to consult. No wins. No losses. No numbers on the stat sheet. But we do have this:

We have the ticket-buying frenzy that exploded in Detroit in the aftermath of that trade. And "frenzy" might be way too mellow a word for this insanity.

In not much more than a month after that deal, the Tigers sold the equivalent of 8,500 new full-season tickets. That's a 44 percent increase. For a team that just set its all-time attendance record (3.047 million) last year.

In a city where attendance already was up 123 percent since 2003.

In a community where the economy is plummeting toward rock bottom.

But even those numbers don't quite capture what the metamorphosis of the Tigers, from stumblebums to titans, has meant to the town in which they play.

"The one thing that really touches me," Dombrowski said, "is whenever I go around, no matter where I might be, if it's to dinner, to church, to my son's basketball games or to watch my daughter go horseback riding, the number of people who just stop and say, 'Thank you.'

"I went last night to Disney World with my wife and kids. We went to this show that they have there, at Fort Wilderness. And some man from [Michigan] stops me and says, 'I just want to say thank you very much.' … It's unbelievable. It's everywhere we go."

It's a fascinating phenomenon, when you think about it. Thank you for what?

The Tigers, as a whole lot of people in Cleveland (and other places) keep pointing out, haven't won anything yet. Heck, they haven't done anything yet, aside from a bunch of spectacular bunt drills and pitchers' fielding practice this spring. But something is happening here -- something we didn't see coming as recently as two years ago.

Yeah, two. Remember, heading into 2006, the Tigers hadn't had a winning season since the heyday of the Sparky Anderson administration. They had ripped off 12 straight losing seasons. Twelve. They had averaged 96 losses a year over the previous 10 seasons. They had averaged more than 100 losses a year over the previous five.

During those 12 years in the torture chamber, they lost 50 more games than the next-losingest team. Yep, you read that correctly. Fifty.

"And now," Dombrowski said, "people forget how many years in a row we lost."

They sure do. Now, the Tigers are a team with a payroll that could top $130 million. Now, they are a team people routinely mention in discussions of baseball's megapowers -- right alongside the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. And now, with this trade, the buzz about them feels like something out of 1984.

That's because, for those worn-down citizens of Detroit, this trade was about more than the players heading their way -- two players who, in case you hadn't noticed, had made a combined six All-Star teams by age 25.

Trades like this, you see, were the kind of thing that always happened in someone else's town, to someone else's team. Not in Detroit. Not to the Tigers. So we all should understand why, when that spins around, it's officially time for massive culture shock.

"I think for years, this organization had been in a position where 'winning right now' didn't seem like the No. 1 priority," Dombrowski said. "And I think with this acquisition, everybody knew you're talking about one of the best hitters in the game and a quality pitcher. And all of a sudden, for these people, they were part of their team. And I think people rallied around that.

"I've had people tell me stories. It's almost like one of those things: Where were you when this trade happened? I had somebody tell me the other day, 'I got off the plane in California, and I heard the rumor. It was the middle of the night back home, but I called my wife and I said, 'Is our son asleep? Well, wake him up.'

"You know, when you've been down a long time," Dombrowski philosophized, "this is what happens."

Exactly. The Tigers have won just one World Series in the past 40 years -- and that was 24 years ago. So people can forget how that feels. But now, at least they know what it feels like to "win" the offseason. And it's a sensation that feels a lot like euphoria.

There's just one minor problem with that kind of euphoria, though:

The Tigers won't be allowed to transfer any of those otherwise-uplifting euphoria points into that still-slightly-meaningful win column.

Apparently, the Tigers still are going to be forced to play out the season. For some reason.

So while even the local manager/oracle, Jim Leyland, admitted he is excited to be taking this kind of team to spring training, he is trying to guard against that euphoria, trying not to feed into it.

"Am I excited? Yes, because I think we really have a good team," Leyland said. "But does it mean anything? No. Not unless you go out and prove it. And we're not going to get caught in that trap.

"We can't help what other people say. You have to take that with a grain of salt, because the same people are going to be all over our if we don't do well. They're going to say we're the biggest fluke of the year and all that kind of stuff. I mean, I've been down this road before. So I don't pay much attention to that."

Matter of fact, Leyland drove down a road that looked remarkably similar to this one as recently as last spring. Back then, he was managing a team that had just upset the Yankees in October, gone to the World Series and looked as loaded as any club could look in February. But you know what happened.

That team had the best record in baseball at the All-Star break -- then got discombobulated and finished eight games behind the Cleveland Indians. So the manager is having none of this Detroit-is-the-team-to-beat talk

"Last year, going into spring training, we were the team to beat -- and [Cleveland] beat us," Leyland said. "We represented the American League in the World Series, so I'll buy the fact that last year we were the team to beat. But this year we're not."

That might sound like Leyland, the master psychologist, trying to transfer the pressure to the shores of a different Great Lake. But in reality, that's his way of reminding a locker room jammed with 11 All-Stars that it's a little early to be planning that World Series parade route.

"You've got to make sure you get there first," Jones said. "You can't start out selling playoff tickets in April. We've got a lot to take care of to make sure our ship is lined up, headed north, ready to go."


I know a lot of talk goes with good teams. ... But I'm also smart enough to know ... these other teams don't give a [B][hoot] about the Detroit Tigers. ... They're going about their business, and they're going to compete, just like we are.
--Tigers manager Jim Leyland

Nevertheless, Jones said, "On paper, this is the best team I've ever been a part of."

But just because the Tigers might have 110-win upside on paper, that doesn't mean there aren't lots of things that could conceivably go wrong.

"They're not perfect," one rival AL executive said. "They might score 1,100 runs, but I wonder about their pitching. Bonderman had a tough second half with that elbow. Dontrelle is not a lock to bounce back. Kenny Rogers only threw 63 innings, and now he's 43 years old."

Not to mention the roster is full of players with significant injury histories. And the Tigers' No. 1 setup relief monster, Joel Zumaya, might never be the same after a bizarre offseason box-moving accident led to reconstructive shoulder surgery. In addition, they did thin out their system by trading away eight prospects in the deals that brought them Cabrera, Willis and Edgar Renteria.

So all this talk, all this euphoria, all this buzz, is a tremendous thing for Detroit -- and for the whole sport of baseball. But for the Tigers, the real work is just starting.

"I know a lot of talk goes with good teams," Leyland said. "It should. And I embrace that kind of stuff. But I'm also smart enough to know … these other teams don't give a [hoot] about the Detroit Tigers. I can tell you that right now. They could care less. They've got good teams, and they're going about their business, and they're going to compete, just like we are."

So to all those folks in Detroit, we would say: Savor this moment. Lap up the anticipation. Enjoy the ride. But heed the words of the manager. Let your heart pump over the anticipation of what might be. But don't forget to let your head remind you how challenging the journey itself can be.

"I'm really looking forward to this," Leyland said. "But right now … we haven't done anything."



Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com. His book, "The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History," was published by Triumph Books and is available in bookstores. Click here to order a copy.

I'm not sure why they are even playing the season out. This is over already. Tigers win it all.

[hoot]

I loved that part. Because I could definitely see Leyland saying that with his raspy voice.

http://www.realgmbaseball.com/src_wiretap_archives/9484/20080226/cabrera_aloof_on_future_in_detroit/



LAKELAND, Fla. -- Manager Jim Leyland likes how third baseman Miguel Cabrera is working hard on his conditioning. But the question remains how long Cabrera will be working for the Tigers.


Cabrera is bound to the Tigers for this season and next. Soon after the 2009 season, he will become eligible for free agency unless the club signs him to a new contract.

The Tigers wouldn't have traded for Cabrera in December if they weren't prepared to sign him long-term. But for now, he hasn't given any indication of how eager he is to sign with the Tigers or test free agency.

The owner of the Los Angeles Angels, Arte Moreno, recently mentioned the challenge of re-signing Cabrera. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Moreno said he didn't feel disappointed by his club's unsuccessful attempt to acquire the player from Florida this past off-season. Then he added:

"How far do you go (to acquire him), because the question is, how do you re-sign him?" said Moreno, one of baseball's biggest-spending owners.

Unless Cabrera's hitting ability decreases dramatically, the Tigers almost certainly will have to come up with a whopping, long-term contract to keep from losing him as a free agent.

Cabrera, who turns 25 in April, was knocked last season for allegedly being overweight, but he looked fit when he arrived in camp early last week. Then he got to work with team strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett.

His work with Gillett prompted Leyland to praise both men Monday.

"Cabrera has been unbelievable," Leyland said. "He's working extremely hard -- I'm very proud of him.

"We're so lucky to have a guy like Javair. He's got the players' respect."


Not sure how I feel about this. Don't read much into it. When it comes down to it, we have 2 years before we have to worry about him leaving, but I do think it is IMPERATIVE, for DD to lock up Miggy long-term. The sooner the better, because as time goes by, the price is only going to go up.

Let's face it, we're going to have to overpay, and we're probably going to have him as deadweight towards the end of the contract, but I don't care. Given what we gave up to acquire him, and Miggy's age, you have to sign him long-term.

I trust Dave will get something done, if not this year, than definitely by next offseason. I would bet that Miggy is a Tiger past 2009...

My guess is, to keep Miggy, it will take a contract anywhere from 6-10 years in length, and probably anywhere from 165-215 million dollars...

Again, the longer you wait, the higher the price goes...