By George Eichorn
Have the Detroit Tigers turned the corner on their 2008 season, or not? A recent string of six straight victories and eight out of nine wins has many people wondering if this is the real Tigers team which experts predicted in the cold months of the winter and sunny days in Lakeland at spring training.
The Tigers are 31-37 at presstime, only six games in back of the first place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division. Just five days previous to the six wins, the Bengals were 11 games out of the lead. A three game sweep of the Sox and the same over the Los Angeles Dodgers brought many cheers and smiles to the faces of Tiger fans packing Comerica Park during the recent home stand.
As a team the Tigers are fifth in A.L. hitting at .266, fourth in slugging percentage (.421), fourth in runs batted in (315) yet only sixth in hits with 625, seventh in doubles (128), sixth in home runs (70), 13th in steals (25).
Let
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s take a closer look at the team as we near the end of June already.Outfield — Leadoff man and center fielder Curtis Granderson has just seven doubles, three triples, three stolen bases and a paltry .250 batting average. He is not performing up to expectations. His road back from a fractured wrist suffered late in spring training has been rocky. The Tigers need Granderson to start hitting consistently.
Since Jacque Jones left the team and left field permanently, Leyland has tried Gary Sheffield, Marcus Thames, Ryan Raburn and others out there. The best solution appears to be Thames who just gets the job done whenever called upon even though he has not been an everyday player. In Sunday
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s win over the Dodgers, Thames hit his third homer in three games and 10th overall in 2008.A fixture in right is All-Star Magglio Ordonez, the defending A.L. batting champ. Maggs is first among Detroit regulars with his .310 bating average and has 10 HR and 42 RBI yet everyone knows he
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s capable of batting higher than that.Raburn, Brett Clevlen, Inge and Sheffield also have contrived in the outfield to varying degrees of success. Clevlen in particular has shown he has a great arm.
Infield — The game of musical chairs has apparently stopped with Miguel Cabrera ensconced at first base and Carlos Guillen at third. Of course, Placido Polanco holds down second and Edgar Renteria shortstop. The fielding is a big question still although Guillen looked like Brooks Robinson on a couple of players last weekend against the Dodgers. Polanco has slipped a bit from his near-perfect play but no need to worry. Renetria doesn
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t have the range at short but the club must grin and bear it. Hitting-wise, you have three .300 hitters in Cabrera, Guillen and Polanco and a solid .280 or so hitter in Renteria.Catcher — Leyland was smart to rotate Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez and Brandon Inge at catcher. It allows them an opportunity to both play while especially not wearing out Pudge
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s arms and legs game in and game out. The move seems to have helped each one of them — thus far — at the plate and behind the plate.Designated hitter — Sheffield is rehabbing in Lakeland and expected to be back on the team as early as week
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s end. But can he be the Sheff on old? The Tigers are probably stuck with him unless a team has the money to pay at least some of his huge salary. Jeff Larish, up from Toledo, has filled in with mixed reviews. Leyland also uses an everyday player at DH on occasion.In the pitching department, the Tigers are just 11th in earned run average (4.60), 12th in wins (32) and dead last in strikeouts (367). Detroit is at or near the bottom of the A.L. in shutouts (1), complete games (1) and saves (14). Hence, the awful start for Jim Leyland and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and their staff.
In the pitching department, the Tigers are just 11th in earned run average (4.60), 12th in wins (32) and dead last in strikeouts (367). Detroit is at or near the bottom of the A.L. in shutouts (1), complete games (1) and saves (14). Hence, the awful start for Jim Leyland and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and their staff. Let
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s look closer.Starting pitching — The loss of Jeremy Bonderman to a blood clot and Dontrelle Willis to his wildness and eventual exodus to Lakeland hurts the Tigers immensely. The club needed 12 or more wins from each of these two young pitchers and they will not get them. This puts additional pressure on hard-luck starter Justin Verlander (just 3-9 with a 4.65 ERA), ageless Kenny Rogers (4-4 and 4.74 ERA) and Nate Robertson (5-6 and 5.46 ERA). Then there is star rookie righthander Armano Galarraga with his excellent 6-2 record and 3.31 ERA. Rookie Eddie Bonine started last Saturday and should get another look or two before Leyland can decide if he is the answer.
Relief pitching — After a very difficult start, the relievers have come along nicely. Todd Jones (12 saves) is still a roller coaster as closer as evidenced by his performance last Sunday. The good news is that more help is on the way as Fernando Rodney has rehabbed from his right shoulder tendonitis and Joel Zumaya is working his way back the parent club with his right shoulder surgery recovery.
In the meantime, Leyland calls upon righties Danny Bautista, Freddy Dolisi, Jones, Zach Miner, and lefties Casey Fossum and Bobby Seay. Aquilino Lopez and Clay Rapada were sent down to Toledo, not that they pitched poorly but just had to make room on the roster for Bonine and Rodney.
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com or write him at 33490 Groesbeck, Fraser, MI 48026.
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