Tails from the Dugout

Would Someone Please Do Something!!

Rob Sanford

It's almost a Tiger fan cliche...former manager Sparky Anderson used to say he couldn't tell about a team until its played 40 games. Well...the Bengals have reached that point and things don't look very good. Being a fan since back before I remember, I will always be faithful but I'm also realistic to realize they are digging a hole that even if they suddenly find their way..it will be tough to recover. Watching this team fail and fail and fail drives me to distraction and frustration and I wonder how long the club stands by and watch this season degenerate before something is done. Like I said in earlier posts....Gary Sheffield is over the hill, or his shoulder is beyond repair and should call it a career. Look at the Toronto Blue Jays...they waited for Frank Thomas to come around, and when he didn't they parted ways.

What a joke. The players had a "meeting" before the final game in the Kansas City series to "air things out." I remember the last time they had such a meeting and Bobby Higginson left with disgust (or was thrown out..it depends on which version you believe). Talk is cheap, and things have gone way beyond that.

So..what's wrong??? Oh...you can blame poor hitting in the clutch, or an up and down pitching staff..but I've got to believe its more than that. Jim Leyland despises the term "team chemistry".....but when you put a team together with its parts coming from a variety of different teams..how can you suddenly play together as one unit? I know teams have fought in the clubhouse and won on the field....like the old Oakland A's, and some say privately the "68" Tigers had some pretty good fights amongst themselves. But those teams are few and far between. Maybe all this team needs is time, but that's one commodity that is fast running out.

Royal Flush

Greg Bowman

The Tigers are certainly NOT getting the Royal Treatment from Kansas City this season.  The Royals have now beaten the Tigers five straight times in 2008. In the last two games, the Tigers have scored a grand total of two runs.  In 18 innings.  The Tigers have actually gotten a couple of good pitching performances in those games, with Nate Robertson and Justin Verlander only allowing two earned runs apiece. But now the hitting has gone ice cold again.  Wednesday night's game against the Royals--a two to nothing loss--marked the sixth time the Tigers have been shutout already this season. 
  One big reason for the Tigers lack of success has been the inability to bring home runners in scoring position.   Tuesday night, the Tigers left nine men on base. They stranded another eight on Wednesday.  Too many guys are coming up swinging for the fences, and winding up striking out or grounding into a double play.  The Tigers need to take a hint from last week's impressive victory over the Red Sox. They scratched out two runs in the bottom of the ninth off the usually unbeatable Jonathon Papplebon, with an infield hit, an error, a groundout, and a broken bat single over the head of the shortstop. It may  not have been as dramatic as a walk-off two run homer, but it had the same happy ending.  This team filled with superstars simply is not playing fundamentally sound baseball, and that's why they're in last place.
  It's been an especially rough season so far for Justin Verlander, who was supposed to be the ace of the pitching staff. He is now one and seven, although he could sue his teammates for lack of support. The Tigers have scored two runs or less in seven of Verlander's nine starts.  And you're not going to win many games that way.
  Meantime,  Manager Jim Leyland continues to search for answers to the Tigers' problems.   But don't look for Gary Sheffield to start in leftfield again anytime soon.  That experiment has been dropped, after Leyland decided that Sheffield would be better off back at DH, where he's less likely to put any additional strain on his sore shoulder.  That means still more changes for the Tigers, who are expected to officially release outfielder Jacques Jones on Thursday.  Expect to see more playing time for outfielder Matt Joyce, who has been hot at the plate since being called up from the minors. 

Go West Young Man

Rob Sanford

After a less than satisfactory home stand, the Tigers hit the road again, this time heading west to Kansas City and Arizona. It's painful, but you might remember the Bengals opened the season against the Royals and were swept in a 3 game series at Comerica Park. So lets hope payback is on the minds of the Detroiters.

There's been many jokes made about why the Tigers keep coming up with Arizona in the inter-league portion of the schedule, since it was supposed to have potential regional rivals play each other. In Detroit's case it would be the Cubs, Brewers, or even the Reds. Anyway, it's not so much a joke this year, since the Diamondbacks have run roughshod over the National League early this season. However they were swept by the Cubs this past week end.

I love the comments made by Tiger manger Jim Leyland when he was asked which team is the biggest surprise in the Central Division. He said the Tigers...because no one expected them to come out so flat after a winter of high expectations.

It looks like Magglio Ordonez has rediscovered his hitting stroke. Maggs has hit .356 in his last 19 games. Also this week, Dontrelle Willis is getting closer to his return, as is Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney. If these guys pitch the way they can...this is almost like winning the lottery.

I Give Up

Rob Sanford

This Tigers team defies logic. I've been a baseball fan for a long time...but I'm stumped as to what it will take to get this club off the dime and starting winning games consistently. This winter all the talk was there would be few if any vacancies to fill this season..and now it seems like anyone with a pulse is being put into action. Clete Thomas, Freddie Dolsi, Armando Galarraga, Matthew Joyce, Francisco Cruceta...it's like a bum of the week club. Oh yes, sometimes they have shown signs of life, but far too infrequent. I love the comments from Justin Verlander..."I'm just on the verge of doing something special for this club." On the verge??? You're supposed to be the Ace of the staff....start pitching like it. If you really want to feel ill...look at how Jair Jurrjens is doing for the Braves....4-2 with an ERA of 2.84. I wouldn't give back Edgar Renteria, but it is interesting.

My comments are harsh..but I would also be remiss if I didn't say the media, fans, and everyone else was saying "the window is open only a short time" to be a big winner. So President and GM Dave Dombrowski has "gone for it" and the jury is still out on how successful it will be.

This is just an idle thought...but in the past when things went south....Jim Leyland told the Pirates, Marlins, and Rockies he was "burned out" and lost his passion for the game. Is there a chance this could happen again??? I'm not saying it will happen, or even that it could happen..I'm just throwing the question out. On another Leyland note, last Sunday he said he was not looking forward to this week (facing the Red Sox and Yankees) and now we know why. Lets hope the Yankee team we saw in New York is the same one that will be playing at Comerica Park.

Who's on First? Or Third? Or Left Field?

Greg Bowman

The 2008 Detroit Tigers are, to borrow the words of Winston Churchill, "A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma."  Who can figure this team out?  After sweeping the Yankees in New York for the first time in more than 40 years, the Tigers can suddenly do nothing right again.  Just when it seemed like the hitting had come alive and the pitching was starting to come together, the whole team has fallen apart.

The biggest shock has to be the hitting. There may  have question marks about the pitching staff, but this was supposed to be the most potent offense the Tigers have ever fielded.  Pudge, Cabrera, Guillen, Polanco, Renteria, Maggs, Granderson and the rest were supposed to score one thousand runs.  This is the same team that scored a total of eight runs in three games against the Twins.   That led manager Jim Leyland  to promise a major shakeup  of the lineup. Leftfielder Jacques Jones, off to a terrible start this season, was cut loose. Gary Sheffield started in leftfield.  The  batting order was changed.  The result: more of the same.  The TIgers wasting scoring chances,  failing to move up the runners, hitting into double plays.  The pitching was okay, but not good enough.  And the bottom line:  Boston 5, Detroit 3.   What to do now?   You got me.  More trades don't seem likely because of the age and salaries of most of the Tigers.  And there isn't much help  down on the farm to bring up.   So the Tigs will have to ride it out with what they've got and hope Cabrera and Guillen can learn to play their new defensive positions at first and third. Suddenly the old Abbot and Costello routine  "Who's On First"  doesn't seem so funny.   If you've got any other suggestions, I'm sure Jim Leyland would be happy to hear from you.

The Sky is Falling...The Sky is Falling

Rob Sanford

After watching this past week end's sweep by the Twins, and how Sunday's game was snatched from the jaws of victory...I had to be talked down from a ledge. Thank goodness we live on a ground floor. On the serious side...this team just doesn't seem to have a killer instinct. After being patient at the plate and forcing Boof Bonser to throw strikes...they scored 6 first inning runs. But apparently they thought that was enough, and started swinging at first or second pitches to make easy outs. Maybe they were thinking about getting home from the road. What ever the reason, this team is violating Jim Leyland's long held mantra...."9-innings."

Last year I made frequent posts about Sean Casey and his prowess around first base. While he didn't produce enough at the plate, how many games and runs did he save by scooping up crummy throws?? I'm not a big proponent for sacrificing defense for offense. I think that's exactly what the Tigers have done, and until they realize that teams cannot survive on offense alone..they will continue to have this inconsistent play.

Ain't We Got Fun

Rob Sanford

Finally....the starting pitching is looking like we expected when the season started. Manager Jim Leyland said something this past week that made a lot of sense to me....when starters only go 4 or 5 innings every night, it puts a great deal of strain on the bullpen...therefore....they aren't very effective. I'm kind of slow on the uptake...so maybe this isn't news to you, but I guess I hadn't really thought about it much.

Reliever Jason Grilli has gone to where pitchers need professional counseling after a few outings....the home run launching pad at Colorado. Grilli was about as popular as a skin rash to many Tiger fans, and it was a mystery to me how a guy could throw 94-96 mph and get rocked. Having said that....Jason was truly one of the nicest guys in the clubhouse and never ducked an interview no matter how badly he pitched. That's not true of many pitchers....Jason Johnson and Al Levine come to mind..who could disappear in an empty room. I hope Jason does well.

In my last post...I mentioned Ramon Santiago and his surprising sudden prowess at the plate. I was listening to the Yankee flagship station...WCBS in New York...and they said that Santiago trained this past winter with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez...who helped him with his batting stroke. Thanks fellas!!

The more I watch Miguel Cabrera the more I'm impressed with him. I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he had such a good idea of the strike zone. Migs is willing to take a walk, plus has incredible power to the opposite field.

Don't get too giddy over sweeping the Yankees in New York. It was impressive....but remember the pinstripers were without A-Rod and Jorge Posada. But then again, when the Tigers were limping along with injuries, no one felt sorry for them. Thank goodness April is over...but even with a stinko first two weeks...the club is recovering and its scary to think what they could do once they really get things going.

Baseball Attention Deficet

Rob Sanford

Just some random thoughts. I said the Tigers needed a 4-2 home stand, which they accomplished, but after Friday nights one run loss....it should have been 5-1.

One reason why the Tigers lost was the lack of production of Gary Sheffield. "Sheff" came up several times with runners in scoring position, and each time he had trouble getting it out of the infield. It's nice that Jim Leyland has his back and believes in him...and maybe it will be like last season...a bad April, then he regains his stroke. I hope so...but more and more it looks like Father Time is catching up with him.

The same could also be said about Kenny Rogers. But in his case, his stuff is about the same....it's location. Maybe it's case of mechanics.

The Tigers play at Yankee Stadium for the last time this week. Next year the "pinstripes" play in the "New" Yankee Stadium. I've been a long time Yankee hater..but I'm sad the House that Ruth Built will go the way of the wrecking ball. When I think about it....baseball may be the only sport where fans are nostalgic about the stadiums where their teams have played. I seriously doubt anyone will shed a tear when they finally tear down the Silverdome, or Eagle fans miss Veterans Stadium...or Cowboy fans miss the Cotton Bowl.

Along that same vein..the day I've been dreading...the tearing down of Tiger Stadium is just about here. While I've said it hurts to see it crumbling before my eyes...and I still feel that way...it's also sad to see it leveled. But in my mind's eye...it will always exist.

This may sound self serving, since I work for the same company that originates Tiger Baseball broadcasts..I must say that Dan Dickerson has to be one of the best baseball play-by-play announcers in the game. The change is perhaps so subtle you may not notice it..but he has improved every season and has an easy way of describing the action that is pleasing to the ear. I don't know about you..but every time I hear his call of Magglio's famous homer that put the Tigs in the World Series...the hair on my neck stand on end.

By the way....Paul Carey was at the ballpark on Saturday...and it was a pleasure just listening to him talk in the press box. What a voice!! Ernie Harwell got all of the glory and rightfully so....but Paul Carey was a worthy second banana and was professional in every sense of the word.

Leyland Leaves 'Em Laughing

Greg Bowman

If Jim Leyland ever decides to quit managing,  he should become a stand up comedian. Or maybe a motivational speaker.  I was in the audience this week when Leyland and Tigers President Dave Dombrowski  addressed a crowd of about one thousand at The Detroit Economic Club.  And the Tigers manager had them laughing like crazy as he told one funny story after another.  He told the audience that he was so discouraged after the team's 0 and 6 start that he drove up to the Mackinac Bridge.  He said he thought about jumping, but then he ran into six of his other players.  "Well, at least we'll all go down together," he thought.   But then the players said "Skip, you're going first."  Leyland also said that after the team made it to the World Series,  they brought him to the Economic Club in a big limo. But this year, he said, they told him he had to ride over in a delivery truck.
    Listening to him and watching him connect with the crowd, it's easy to see why he's such a good manager and why people like him.   Looking past the jokes,  you realize why the Tigers never panicked when the team got off to such a disappointing start.   Leyland has been around baseball for a long time.  He realizes what a long, long season it is, and why you can't get too high or too low after a winning or a losing streak.   Leyland told the crowd not to get nervous about the season. "Come September and October, I'll think you'll be pleased,"  he said.    And if the Tigers don't make the post-season, Leyland said he knows fans will be disappointed.  And so would he.   Getting serious for a moment, someone asked Leyland if baseball players and other athletes should be role models for kids.  "You won't like my answer,"  he said.  "But my role model was my dad."   You know his dad would be proud of what a great manager he is.  And more importantly, what a great man he is, and how he has brought back pride, professionalism, and the love of baseball for so many Tiger fans.
  And now that the Tigers have gotten hot again, if Jim Leyland tells me that the team will be fine come playoff time, who am I to doubt him.

OMG!!

Rob Sanford

Alright...I can hear the cynics...remember it was the Texas Rangers the Tigers have just swept....not the Boston Red Sox. That's true...but even the biggest non-believer would have to admit the offensive display this week was impressive. The Bengals outscored the Rangers....37 to 10 in the 3 game series.  Magglio...Miguel....Carlos...even Ramon Santiago (Ramon Santiago??) all showed why everyone was so high about the season. I doubt many thought Edgar Renteria would be the kind of hitter he has proven out to be. Ok..enough frothing at the mouth. Injuries continue to plague this team, and not normal ones. By that I mean...Guillen fouls one off his knee...Jacque Jones goes head over heels while chasing a foul ball...it's all strange. Who broke the mirror or walked under a ladder??? I hope this curse ends soon.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the bullpen...who have suddenly seemed to have turned around a horrible start. Zach Miner looks like he has corrected whatever was bothering him and if continues...can be extremely valuable in long relief. Especially when you consider that Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, and Nate Robertson have had trouble getting through 5 innings.

I said they need at least a 4 and 2 homestand....I still stand by that...but I am hoping for better. The L.A. Angels are always tough, and their manager, Mike Scosia in my opinion is one of the best, unheralded field general in the game. His style of being aggressive in all phases of the game puts pressure on the other team to preform flawlessly or face defeat.

Even with all of their problems in the first few weeks, the Tigers are now just 3 games behind division leading Chicago. It's a good thing the Bengals weren't the only team getting off to a slow start.