WTFchris
05-31-2008, 03:33 PM
Leyland tinkering with Tigers: Guillen headed
to outfield, Willis to get start in Oakland
by Steve Kornacki Saturday May 31, 2008, 2:15 AM
SEATTLE -- The status quo is being shaken. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said prior to Friday night's game with the Mariners that changes are coming.
"If you fish in the same lake for three weeks and you don't get a bite," Leyland said, "you change lakes. It doesn't mean you don't use the same pole or the same bait. You just tinker with it."
Leyland mulled the changes with Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski and his coaching staff this week. And after a 7-4 win over Seattle Friday night, he revealed the key moves:
• Third baseman Carlos Guillen has been working on playing left field in early practice with coach Andy Van Slyke, and could get significant playing time there with Marcus Thames. Leyland feels he needs to get Brandon Inge plenty of starts at third base and some at catcher, too.
"It's OK to me," Guillen said. "It doesn't matter. We need to find ways to win ballgames and whatever is best for the team. [Leyland's] very smart and knows what to do."
• Dontrelle Willis will start Tuesday in his hometown of Oakland with Armando Galarraga (4-2, 3.44) coming in after him to, in Leyland's words, "piggyback" on the start. Willis has been in the bullpen since returning from the disabled list, and Leyland says he has to give him a chance to start.
"(Willis) has pretty good credibility and he's not taking Galarraga's spot as we speak," Leyland said. "We've got three years (in contract) invested in him and we have to find something out.
"Willis will start four or five innings and Galarraga will come right in like a starter. It's not some permanent thing for sure."
Leyland stressed that neither Dombrowski nor Willis pressured him for the move. It's just that Willis was a 22-game winner in 2005, and Leyland is bothered by leaving him in "no-man's land."
Willis had in 10 days pitched only one inning in relief, giving up one run on one hit and two walks.
• Dropping Miguel Cabrera from fifth to sixth in the batting order also is being given a trial run.
"He had good, concentrated at-bats all night long," Leyland said after Cabrera went 3-for-5 Friday with one RBI. "That's what I want to see."
The 23-31 record prompted Leyland's moves.
"It's almost June 1st and if things aren't working you've got to make some changes or you are not doing your job," Leyland said prior to the game. "I'm going to try stuff and it goes beyond egos and feelings. They may not agree with it, but the manager is going to do what's best for this team.
"If you don't do something, you are foolish. So, you figure out how to do this from within (the current 25-man roster). I don't like the way the whole flow is going. My general manager gives me a hell of a team, and we've got to get it going."
Leyland has waited on track records to be realized, but said he "did not want to be patient to a fault."
He said Cabrera was "what I thought longest and hardest about." He's solid on sticking with his conversion from third to first base, but might DH him some and let rookie Jeff Larish play first.
Larish is getting a shot at DH with Gary Sheffield on the 15-day disabled list, and Leyland is leaning toward giving him his first start at first here on Sunday.
"This is an offense that has not clicked," Leyland said.
Right fielder Magglio Ordonez, the reigning American League batting champion, is the only regular whose hitting has been what it needs to be for the lineup to produce.
"We need our offense to compensate for other shortcomings," Leyland said. "You can live with an error here or an error there (that way)."
Detroit was expected to have one of the top offenses in recent baseball history with the addition of Cabrera and shortstop Edgar Renteria. But they entered Friday's play ranked fifth in American League batting average (.264) and on-base percentage (.335), and third in both runs scored (254) and RBI (245).
Those run and RBI totals are skewed somewhat by Detroit's all-or-nothing tendencies. It has scored 10-plus runs seven times and been shutout a Major League-leading eight times.
Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon said runs scored, followed by on-base percentage, are the most important statistics.
"Batting average is the most overrated statistic in baseball," McClendon said. "Pete Rose told me, 'When you are scoring runs, you are doing the job.'
"And we have got to get back to that."
Ordonez had scored a team-high 33 runs before Friday, and ranked 10th in the league. He was tied for second with a .327 batting average, tied for eighth with 35 RBI, eighth with a .392 on-base average and sixth with a .538 slugging percentage.
Nobody else was near the league top-10 lists, and until others start producing big numbers Leyland's lament will continue.
But the manager liked what he saw -- and even liked what he whiffed -- after beating the Mariners.
"I'm happy with the smell tonight," he said.
Strong on defense
Leyland said the defense he finished the game with is the best fielding unit he can put together: Ivan Rodriguez catching, Cabrera at first, Placido Polanco at second, Renteria at shortstop, Inge at third, Clete Thomas in left, Granderson in center and Ordonez in right.
Relievers close to returning
Leyland said Rodney likely will pitch for Toledo and Zumaya for Lakeland with extended spring training concluding this week. Dombrowski is watching both pitch this weekend in Lakeland.
Both are coming off shoulder problems and Detroit has been careful not to rush them.
They were a formidable setup tandem in front of closer Todd Jones on the 2006 World Series team, and their return to form could make a world of difference for Detroit with the starting pitching looking very good of late.
Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said Rodney will throw again today along with Zumaya. He will throw about 25 pitches and Zumaya about 35 pitches.
Rogers' start pushed back
There has been a switch in the pitching rotation, with Jeremy Bonderman moving up to Sunday at Seattle and Kenny Rogers moving back to Monday at Oakland.
"We're giving the old-timer an extra day and Bondo feels good," Leyland said. "Kenny's fine; don't read anything into that." Rogers is 21-7 lifetime against the A's.
to outfield, Willis to get start in Oakland
by Steve Kornacki Saturday May 31, 2008, 2:15 AM
SEATTLE -- The status quo is being shaken. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said prior to Friday night's game with the Mariners that changes are coming.
"If you fish in the same lake for three weeks and you don't get a bite," Leyland said, "you change lakes. It doesn't mean you don't use the same pole or the same bait. You just tinker with it."
Leyland mulled the changes with Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski and his coaching staff this week. And after a 7-4 win over Seattle Friday night, he revealed the key moves:
• Third baseman Carlos Guillen has been working on playing left field in early practice with coach Andy Van Slyke, and could get significant playing time there with Marcus Thames. Leyland feels he needs to get Brandon Inge plenty of starts at third base and some at catcher, too.
"It's OK to me," Guillen said. "It doesn't matter. We need to find ways to win ballgames and whatever is best for the team. [Leyland's] very smart and knows what to do."
• Dontrelle Willis will start Tuesday in his hometown of Oakland with Armando Galarraga (4-2, 3.44) coming in after him to, in Leyland's words, "piggyback" on the start. Willis has been in the bullpen since returning from the disabled list, and Leyland says he has to give him a chance to start.
"(Willis) has pretty good credibility and he's not taking Galarraga's spot as we speak," Leyland said. "We've got three years (in contract) invested in him and we have to find something out.
"Willis will start four or five innings and Galarraga will come right in like a starter. It's not some permanent thing for sure."
Leyland stressed that neither Dombrowski nor Willis pressured him for the move. It's just that Willis was a 22-game winner in 2005, and Leyland is bothered by leaving him in "no-man's land."
Willis had in 10 days pitched only one inning in relief, giving up one run on one hit and two walks.
• Dropping Miguel Cabrera from fifth to sixth in the batting order also is being given a trial run.
"He had good, concentrated at-bats all night long," Leyland said after Cabrera went 3-for-5 Friday with one RBI. "That's what I want to see."
The 23-31 record prompted Leyland's moves.
"It's almost June 1st and if things aren't working you've got to make some changes or you are not doing your job," Leyland said prior to the game. "I'm going to try stuff and it goes beyond egos and feelings. They may not agree with it, but the manager is going to do what's best for this team.
"If you don't do something, you are foolish. So, you figure out how to do this from within (the current 25-man roster). I don't like the way the whole flow is going. My general manager gives me a hell of a team, and we've got to get it going."
Leyland has waited on track records to be realized, but said he "did not want to be patient to a fault."
He said Cabrera was "what I thought longest and hardest about." He's solid on sticking with his conversion from third to first base, but might DH him some and let rookie Jeff Larish play first.
Larish is getting a shot at DH with Gary Sheffield on the 15-day disabled list, and Leyland is leaning toward giving him his first start at first here on Sunday.
"This is an offense that has not clicked," Leyland said.
Right fielder Magglio Ordonez, the reigning American League batting champion, is the only regular whose hitting has been what it needs to be for the lineup to produce.
"We need our offense to compensate for other shortcomings," Leyland said. "You can live with an error here or an error there (that way)."
Detroit was expected to have one of the top offenses in recent baseball history with the addition of Cabrera and shortstop Edgar Renteria. But they entered Friday's play ranked fifth in American League batting average (.264) and on-base percentage (.335), and third in both runs scored (254) and RBI (245).
Those run and RBI totals are skewed somewhat by Detroit's all-or-nothing tendencies. It has scored 10-plus runs seven times and been shutout a Major League-leading eight times.
Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon said runs scored, followed by on-base percentage, are the most important statistics.
"Batting average is the most overrated statistic in baseball," McClendon said. "Pete Rose told me, 'When you are scoring runs, you are doing the job.'
"And we have got to get back to that."
Ordonez had scored a team-high 33 runs before Friday, and ranked 10th in the league. He was tied for second with a .327 batting average, tied for eighth with 35 RBI, eighth with a .392 on-base average and sixth with a .538 slugging percentage.
Nobody else was near the league top-10 lists, and until others start producing big numbers Leyland's lament will continue.
But the manager liked what he saw -- and even liked what he whiffed -- after beating the Mariners.
"I'm happy with the smell tonight," he said.
Strong on defense
Leyland said the defense he finished the game with is the best fielding unit he can put together: Ivan Rodriguez catching, Cabrera at first, Placido Polanco at second, Renteria at shortstop, Inge at third, Clete Thomas in left, Granderson in center and Ordonez in right.
Relievers close to returning
Leyland said Rodney likely will pitch for Toledo and Zumaya for Lakeland with extended spring training concluding this week. Dombrowski is watching both pitch this weekend in Lakeland.
Both are coming off shoulder problems and Detroit has been careful not to rush them.
They were a formidable setup tandem in front of closer Todd Jones on the 2006 World Series team, and their return to form could make a world of difference for Detroit with the starting pitching looking very good of late.
Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said Rodney will throw again today along with Zumaya. He will throw about 25 pitches and Zumaya about 35 pitches.
Rogers' start pushed back
There has been a switch in the pitching rotation, with Jeremy Bonderman moving up to Sunday at Seattle and Kenny Rogers moving back to Monday at Oakland.
"We're giving the old-timer an extra day and Bondo feels good," Leyland said. "Kenny's fine; don't read anything into that." Rogers is 21-7 lifetime against the A's.