Posting called on account of Tiger baseball!

The brother-in-law and myself will be dodging raindrops and sipping beers in downtown Detroit today. We'll be at the all but official state of Michigan holiday known as Tigers opening day!


I'm not sure exactly where we'll be sitting, as the bro-in-law has flipped a pair of SRO tickets for a pair supposedly in the lower deck down one of the baselines. At least that's what I've been told... No matter where we end up sitting, opening day is always a cool thing to experience.

Here's hoping for nice weather, warm temps, cold beer, and a Tigers victory!

Podcast roundtable alert!

I was asked by Mike McClary, of The Detroit Tigers Podcast, The Daily Fungo, and Baseball Blend fame, to participate in an opening day eve roundtable discussion about, who else, but the Detroit Tigers.

Joining Mike and myself were Ian Casselberry of Bless you Boys and Baseball Blend, and Mike's cohort at The Daily Fungo, John Milton.

Thanks to Mike's ninja-like podcasting skills, the roundtable is up, and ready for download! I suggest you do so immediately...

The 2008 Detroit Tigers: Contenders or the team to beat? Part 5, the bullpen

For those who you have may have missed part of my week long, half-assed, knee jerk, totally biased 2008 Detroit Tigers preview, just follow the links...

Part 1: Starting outfield and DH
Part 2: Starting infield and catcher
Part 3: Starting pitching
Part 4: Bench

It being opening day eve, I've put off long enough my previewing the Tigers' possible Achilles heel, the bullpen. Let's dive into the shallow end, and hope we make it through without your blood pressure spiking, suffering heart palpitations or enduring acid reflux. If you can survive a Todd Jones save opportunity, you should be able to make it through this bullpen preview.

Bullpen

Bobby Seay: With the surprise release of Tim Byrdak, Seay is the lone left handed pitcher in the Tigers' 2008 bullpen. He's was well used, and quite effectively at that, as the LOOGY, the lefty one out guy, in 2007. Seay did fairly well against right hand bats, who hit him at a .250 clip, but did very well facing lefties, who hit only .206. As long as the Tigers bullpen stays healthy, Seay won't be asked to stop out of his comfort zone as the LOOGY.

Yorman Bazardo: Now we start with the bullpen question marks. Bazardo was up for the proverbial cup of coffee in 2007, making 11 appearances with Detroit, starting twice, finishing 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA. He made enough of an impression last season, along with pitching well in spring training, which allowed Bazardo to make the team out of spring training.

Obviously, the odds of his making the Tigers increased significantly with the injuries to Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney. Also helping was his lacking a minor league option. It was either he made the team, or risk losing him via waivers.

As to what we can expect from Bazardo? Your guess is as good as mine. I doubt he'll be used much in high leverage situations, so he just needs to keep the Tigers in games while pitching middle/long relief. He could also be considered the Tigers' 6th starter, as Bazardo would be one of the first internal options considered if the Tigers needed a spot start during a scheduling pinch, or (God forbid) a starter went down to injury.

Aquilino Lopez: Lopez was another late season call up when injuries took their toll in 2007, finishing with no decisions, and a 5.19 ERA in 10 appearances. Much of what I said about Bazardo applies to Lopez. He's another middle/long relief guy who can be considered a question mark, being asked to pick up the slack in the absence of Zumaya and Rodney. His lack of minor league options also helped in making the roster.

He is what he is, a journeyman bullpen arm. Lopez won't be asked to do much, just eat innings and keep the Tigers close when a starter gets knocked out of the box.

Jason Grilli: Grilli is the fan's whipping boy. He was booed unmercifully at every opportunity by Tigers fans in 2007. They had plenty of reason to lay into Grilli, as he had an astoundingly high 7.96 ERA at Comerica Park. Weirdly, as bad as he was at home, he was just as excellent on the road, with a minuscule 1.91 ERA. It was as Jekyll and Hyde of a season you'll ever see.

Obviously, Grilli isn't as bad, or as good, as his splits indicate. He's another Tigers pitcher who was asked to step out of his comfort zone due to the numerous bullpen injuries, and was affected adversely. He's a middle/long relief guy who has the full confidence of Jim Leyland when used in that role. For Grilli to be used in any other way is just asking for trouble.

Zach Miner: Miner is the Swiss army knife of the Tigers bullpen. He's shown he can be quite capable when used either as a starter, or as a long or short reliever, though consistency is an issue. To start 2008, Miner will be asked to step into the Zumaya/Rodney 7th inning set up role.

The talent is there, though he doesn't have the strikeout capabilities you'd prefer to see in your set up guy. But if he keeps the ball down, Miner will be effective in the set up role. If not? Well, that will be when the Tigers' offense will have to win games 10-9.

Denny Bautista: Possibly the biggest bullpen question mark, as Bautista will be thrust into what could be considered the most important bullpen role, the 8th inning set up man. He pitched well enough in spring training for the Marlboro Man go with Bautista, instead of a more experienced pitcher, to set up Todd Jones. Then again, beggars can't be choosers.

Though he hasn't much of a MLB track record to speak of, the Tigers picked Bautista up this past off season due to his potential. They hope he can be one of those pitchers every successful team seems to find, the bullpen member who steps up from out of nowhere to become an effective setup man/closer.

Not that Bautista has the same talent, but no one expected Zumaya's performance in 2006. The Tigers' will need something similar from Bautista in 2008. He has to hit the ground running, so to speak, and shutdown teams late. The stuff is there, but it remains to be seen if he's actually capable of doing so.

Todd Jones: Ah, yes. The Rollercoaster. The smoke and mirrors closer. The closer who couldn't break a pane of glass with his fastball. A fan heart attack waiting to happen. The closer who depends an inordinate amount upon on his defense making plays. When Jones blows up, which to be honest, hasn't been all that often, to steal a line from SCTV's Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok, he blows up good, he blows up REAL GOOD!

Despite all the drama, what counts is results, and Jones almost always does the job. If Jones has a typical Jones year, we should expect 35 saves or so, with an ERA not worth bragging about. But you should also expect him to blow a half dozen save opportunities, which isn't all that bad of a ratio.

Jonesy is a one inning pitcher, that inning being the 9th, period. As long as he doesn't walk anyone, which he normally doesn't, and has a capable defense behind him, which he normally does, Jones should be fine. We fans may all have a head full of gray hair and need a pacemaker by the end of the season, but he'll be fine.

Would I prefer a better closer? Of course! Is closing overrated? Hell, yes! Which is why the Tigers can get away with Todd Jones closing.

Overall: Hopefully, Rodney will be back within a month or so, with his fastball and knee-buckling change up, intact. Better to sort out his arm issues now, than in the middle of the season, as in '07. As for Zumaya, I'm not counting on him for this year. If he comes back with fastball blazing, great! But we should get used to the idea Zoom may not return this season, or at least not at his former effectiveness.

If Rodney and Zumaya were healthy, I'd be quite happy with the Tigers' pen. The pitchers would have defined roles, and would used in situations for which they're be best suited. I'd be comfortable in saying the Tigers had one of the better pens in baseball.

Without the pair of often dominant setup men? Well, I'm nervous as all Hell about the bullpen. Your guess is as good as mine as to their ultimate effectiveness. I have a feeling there will be a long feeling out process, with the possibility of some explosive, late inning failures, before Leyland finds the right combinations.

Let's hope there is a surprise performer or two who steps up, and the feeling out process doesn't cost the Tigers in the long run. A playoff spot may depend upon it.

Introducing your 2008 Detroit Tigers!

The Marlboro Man announced the Tigers' 25 man roster tonight. It's official, Clete Thomas is a Detroit Tiger, while Dane Sardinha's major league hopes were dashed.

Here's the 25 man roster that will start the season Monday...

Starting pitchers:
Justin Verlander
Kenny Rogers
Jeremy Bonderman
Nate Robertson
Dontrelle Willis

No surprises here, as we all knew these 5 would make up the rotation once the trade with the Marlins was made official.

Bullpen:
Todd Jones
Denny Bautista
Jason Grilli
Zach Miner
Bobby Seay
Yorman Bazardo
Aquilino Lopez

Nothing exciting, as it was almost assured in the final week of spring training Bazardo and Lopez would take the final 2 spots. Still, now that we know who exactly is in the bullpen, anyone else get damn nervous? Really nervous?

Catcher:
Ivan Rodriguez

It's strange seeing just one full time catcher on the roster. Brandon Inge is your backup. He must be thrilled...

Infielders:
Carlos Guillen
Placido Polanco
Edgar Renteria
Miguel Cabrera
Ramon Santiago

Again, no surprises here, as we knew the day after the 2007 season ended this would be the Tigers' infield in 2008.

Outfielders:
Jacque Jones
Magglio Ordonez
Marcus Thames
Clete Thomas

Here's your one real surprise coming out of spring training. Clete Thomas (Clete Thomas?) is a Tiger...For about 3 to 4 weeks, anyway.

Designated hitter:
Gary Sheffield

Sheff is not to go near any glove, unless it's a batting glove, in 2008.

Infielder-outfielder:
Ryan Raburn

I'm genuinely glad to see Raburn in Detroit, he deserved to make the 25 man. He's played too well to be sent down.

Catcher-infielder-outfielder:
Brandon Inge

Thanks to his quite large paycheck, it's not a surprise Inge remained a Tiger through the spring. But his being the backup catcher still is...

Overall, the everyday lineup looks absolutely killer, the starting pitching solid, the bench pretty damn good, and the bullpen...Ah, yes...The bullpen. The bullpen gives me the shivers and the heebie jeebies...At the same time. Seriously, there's definitely potential there, but few proven performers.

Despite the bullpen shivers, and missing the injured Curtis Granderson, you do have to like the Tigers roster.

We'll soon find out if you really can go home again

Darren McCarty hits the ice wearing a Red Wings sweater for the first time in 4 years tonight. In honor of Mac's return, I had to post video of the 2 biggest highlights of his Red Wings career.

The cup clinching goal against the Flyers...



...and his beating Claude Lemieux to a bloody pulp. (Warning, the clip has a LOUD metal soundtrack)



I sincerely hope it works out for Darren McCarty, I really, really do...

The 2008 Detroit Tigers: Contenders or the team to beat? Part 4, the bench

Before we start part 4, I'd be remiss in not linking to another Tigers preview underway at the Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass.

Even though Beefshower listed me (!) as one of his enemies (Just who is on Beef's enemies list? Big Al, Jason Grilli, Lynn Henning, Sergei Kirov, Leon Trotsky, and Sovnarkom Molotov. I always thought I had something in common with Trotsky. We're both Marxists! I love "Duck Soup" and "A Night at the Opera!"), I have to say it's well worth reading. Such as his describing Gary Sheffield's base running smarts...

It was like having Alex Sanchez again only exactly the opposite.

Indeed...

I've decided to save for last what concerns me the most, the bullpen. So part 4 of my half assed Detroit Tigers preview covers their bench.

As I write this, Jim Leyland as yet to officially name the 25 man roster. Much as the final bullpen spot is still in the the air, which is another reason I'm holding off on the pen, the same can be said for the final position player on the roster. Not that it will make a ton of difference, as the 25th man who makes the team out of spring will only be in Detroit for 3-4 weeks, at most. Once Curtis Grnaderson is healthy, someone is going down.

Locks

OF/1B/DH - Marcus Thames: I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again. Give Thames 500-600 AB's, he'll go deep 40-45 times, guaranteed. Though he may not break the Mendoza line with with his BA if he started for an entire season, I'll take 40+ bombs from my corner outfielder anytime. A modern day Dave Kingman/Rob Deer type always has value.

Not that will ever happen with the Tigers, as Thames seems destined to forever be a bench player. (If only he hit left handed, there would have been no need to acquire Jacque Jones) I'm fine with that, as the Tigers would never get enough value in return in any trade involving Thames.

What he does bring off the bench is Ruthian power with a knack for hitting bombs at the most opportune times. I know, I know, there's no such thing as being "clutch." Either you can hit, or you can't, no matter the situation. But Thames does seem to hit more than his fair share of taters when games are still in doubt.

I'll be mighty sad the day Thames is no longer a member of the Detroit Tigers. But as long as he continues to make the deep fences of Comerica appear to be of Little League depth when called upon, Thames will have a role in Detroit.

IF/OF/C - Brandon Inge: Great fielder, iffy hitter, an All-Star bitcher and moaner. We all know Inge's capabilities as a player. If he accepted the role, Inge could be a Tony Phillips for a new millennium, getting 400+ at bats, while playing all over the field.

The bigger issue though, is Inge's quest to be traded. He's a throwback kind of player...If you are talking about the Inge of 2004, who complained bitterly about losing his catching gig when Pudge Rodriguez was signed. Now he's unhappy over occasionally catching. Ironic, you think?

But his value to the Tigers was shown even before the season started by his taking over center field in the absence of Granderson. Inge is the equivalent of 2 bench players, thanks to his versatility. On the field, he won't hurt the Tigers at any defensive position. But off the field, before Leyland did a little bud nipping, and toned him down, Inge was the equivalent of an angry Gary Sheffield in New York, without the talent to hit.

The Inge story will be one of the underlying constants of the Tigers 2008 season, at least up to the trading deadline at the end of July. If he shows he can hit, Inge may be the main bargaining chip in the Tigers obtaining a bullpen set up man for the stretch run. If he doesn't, Inge will remain a super-sub, as the Tigers will otherwise be unable to trade what's become an albatross of a contract.

IF/OF - Ryan Raburn: Is it safe to call Raburn Brandon Inge lite? Inge without the attitude? Inge without the anger? Inge with a better bat? Yeah, I do think it's safe...

Raburn can play every outfield position, along 2nd and 3rd base, all capably. He has done a little catching in spring training as well. If Raburn has to catch in the regular season though, it'll be due to something awful having happened to the Tigers catching corps.

Raburn has also shown he can hit big league pitching. When he came up last summer, Raburn started to hit, and never stopped. He's a lock to make the team in 2008, and should be in the bigs to stay. So what's the problem?

Raburn still has a minor league option remaining. He could be sent down, and the Tigers don't risk losing him on waivers to another team. Which could makes him extremely vulnerable later in the season, if there are bullpen or injury issues.

I hope it doesn't come to that, as Ryan "Inge-lite" Raburn has shown he belongs in Detroit.

IF - Ramon Santiago: For whatever reason, Leyland loves to have a no hit/good field shortstop on his roster. (Such as The Black Hole of Suck) All the Marlboro Man asks of that SS is to hit .230 while fielding flawlessly as a backup middle infielder, and occasionally pinch run. Nothing more, nothing less. Santiago fills the bill to a T.

He's probably the best fielding SS on the roster, but as he swings a wet noodle for a bat, Santiago will never be a major league regular. Well, he was a regular for one season. A dark, horrific, scary time we in Detroit care not to ever mention again...

On the bubble

OF - Clete Thomas: I know next to nothing about Thomas, other than he's a good fielding outfielder who K'ed a ton in the minors. Yet he's caught the eye of the Cigarette Smoking Man this spring, and with the Tigers short an outfielder thanks to Granderson's fractured finger, (And with Inge possibly catching) Thomas could be on the verge of temporarily making the team. He's ticketed for either Toledo or Erie the moment a roster spot is needed.

C - Dane Sardinha: Same as Thomas, I know little about Sardinha. He's a no hit/good field catcher, and not really a true prospect, as his upside (I'm being wildly optimistic here) would be as a major league backup. From all I've heard, Sardinha is big league ready with the glove, but when Santiago is a greater threat at the plate...Well, 'nuff said.

But with the return of Vance Wilson from Tommy John surgery still quite a ways off, and the notion of Inge as a backup catcher still a hot button issue, Sardinha has a chance to make the Tigers' roster.

(Edit 3/30/08: Clete Thomas is the winner of the golden ticket, as he starts the 2008 season as a Detroit Tiger. Dane Sardinha was sent to the Tigers' minor league camp on 3/29)

Overall: The Tigers have as good and deep a bench as any team in MLB. There's a ton of versatility with Inge and Raburn able to play several positions. All Raburn has done since his call up last year is hit, and we all know what Inge can and can't do. Santiago is an excellent fielding SS. If he's needed to play for an extended period, the Tigers have a powerful enough lineup to cover for Santiago's weak bat. Thames a threat to go deep every at bat, while adequate, at best, in the field.

But backup catcher remains an issue. Is Inge willing to don the tools of ignorance? What of Sardinha? Will Wilson be the same quality of backup if he recovers? And there's always Inge's trade demand. As long as the Tigers win, I doubt it's an issue. Otherwise, it could get messy down the line.

But as things stand, if the Tigers believe Inge will be fine as a backup catcher, Thomas makes the team for a few weeks. If not, Sardinha becomes the backup behind Pudge, and someone else goes down (Raburn? A pitcher?) when Granderson is healthy.

If you want to know more about Thomas and Sardinha, and Tigers prospects in general, I suggest you head over to Take 75 North, and read up...

The 2008 Detroit Tigers: Contenders or the team to beat? Part 3, starting pitching

It's day 3 of TWFE's Tigers preview! Well, to be correct, evening 3! Though it's late, it's up! But I digress...

One thing I'm finding as I write these previews is that it's difficult to be my normal smart assn self in regard to the Tigers.

As you know by now, being a smart ass is right in my wheelhouse, my sweet spot. But the Tigers are too good to denigrate, too talented to rip on, too well run to criticize, unlike the team I revel in destroying, the Lions. I can't go for the cheap shot, the easy joke, as they aren't there with the Tigers. It's fun, but different, if that makes sense...

So missing my snarky asshatery or not, let's move on to part 3.

Starting pitching

Justin Verlander: What superlatives are there left to say when it comes to Verlander?

They have have all been used, and then some, to describe the Tigers unquestioned number 1 starter. Verlander is everything we fans hoped Jeremy Bonderman would be. An elite number 1 starter, a top of the rotation stud, a Cy Young winner in waiting. In other words, Verlander is The kid is superdupergreatawesomekickass! He's also really, really good.

Verlander is going to be, if he isn't already, the next great Tigers pitcher. Easily the best since Jack Morris. Hell, he's already better than Morris. If all goes according to plan, I'd be surprised if Verlander didn't win 20+ games, K 200+ batters, finish with a ERA in the low 3's, and be a serious contender for the Cy Young.

Honestly, the only fear I have with Verlander is the same you have with any young pitcher who has had a relatively heavy innings workload early in his career. (387 innings in '06-'07) The health of his arm. I'm not all that worried, as the Tigers have been more than careful with Verlander, so I don't expect a Kerry Wood or Rich Harden style flame out. But it bears watching, nonetheless, as the Tigers hopes of winning it all heavily depend on Verlander being Verlander.

The Tigers will need to lock up Verlander long-term, as they have with Curtis Granderson, in the next year or two. He's on track, as was noted by Danny Knobler at Mlive today, to become a $20 million a season pitcher. And he'll be worth every penny. Actually, it's a interesting dilemma the Tigers will find themselves in, with Verlander soon to be in line for a Johan Santana sized contract, while already paying Miguel Cabrera some very serious jingle. But that's fodder for another post...

Jeremy Bonderman: Going into the 2006 season, I said the following about the mercurial Bonderman...

How many of you were expecting Bonderman to break out last year and drafted him in your fantasy league? (raises hand) Bonderman lived up to the considerable hype before the All-Star break, winning 11 games and nearly making the All-Star roster. Before the break, he pitched like the ace the Tigers have been desperately seeking since Jack Morris left. After the break, he pitched like a bad Jose Lima, without the hot wife. Bonderman's ERA jumped nearly 2 points, and won only 3 games while pitching half the innings he did in before the break. Still, he's only 23, and the Tigers are not expecting him to be the stopper, that's why the Gambler was signed. So here's the question. How many of you expect Bonderman to pitch as he did in before the 2005 break over the full 2006 season, and drafted him in your fantasy league? (raises hand) Bonderman has the stuff for 18-20 wins, but still might be a year away from putting it all together. When he does, the Tigers will have their next Jack Morris.

At the start of the 2007 season, what I said about Bonderman wasn't much different...

I've been saying for 2 years now that Bonderman was going to take the next step, and become a 20 win top of the rotation stopper, a Jack Morris for the new millennium. This season is no different. THIS is the year that Bonderman becomes that 20 win top of the rotation stopper, a Jack Morris for the new millennium. Lather, rinse, repeat. We're hearing that Bonderman may have found the off speed pitch that's been missing from his repertoire. If true, the American League best lookout.

In 2008, I'm finally out of things to say about Bonderman. Nothing has changed since 2006. He's still more potential than actual performance. He's shown in spurts (The victories during the 2006 playoffs, the first half of 2007) that he can be dominant. But no one, not even Bonderman himself, knows if 2008 is finally the year he breaks through, and becomes a top of the rotation starter.

But maybe, just maybe, what we've seen of Bonderman as a Tiger is exactly who he is going to be. A middle of the rotation pitcher, a 3rd starter who'll give you 200 innings, 12-14 wins with a 4.50 ERA, while you scratch your head wondering, "Dammit, why isn't he a 20 game winner?"

I'm at the point where I'll be happy if Bonderman becomes the Dan Petry to Veralnder's Jack Morris. Hell, even the Milt Wilcox... How about the Juan Berenguer?

Kenny Rogers: The Gambler is beginning to push his luck by going all in for 2008. Sometime soon, possibly after this season, he's going to know it's time to fold 'em. Rogers' age finally caught up with him in 2007, missing most of the season between a blood clot in his shoulder, then developing a sore elbow. But between injuries, Rogers showed he could still get major league hitters out.

Yet the question remains, was 2007 an aberration, or the beginning of a much delayed, and likely quite steep, decline? I was all for Rogers to return for one more season, because I believe he still has something left. (Then again, maybe it's the fond memories of 2006, and clinging to the hope he could do it one more time) For that matter, if Rogers stays healthy, and pitches to his capabilities, the Tigers signed a number 1 caliber starter for essentially Nate Robertson money. Thing is, as of now, it's nothing but if's when it comes to Rogers. If he recovers, if he stays healthy, if he still has his stuff, if, if, if...

Rogers has looked solid this spring, showing few signs of slowing down. For the Tigers' sake, I hope The Gambler has one more quality year left in his aged, and extremely crafty, arm. If the Tigers are going to make a World Series run, Kenny Rogers needs to stay healthy.

Nate Robertson: Robertson is what he is, a journeyman starter, a .500 pitcher. With the Tigers though, Robertson is perfectly cast as a 4th or 5th starter. He's not expected to put up exceptional stats, just eat innings while giving the Tigers an opportunity to win when it's his turn on the mound. And for the most part, that's exactly what Robertson has done as a Tiger.

If he gets a few breaks, and some well deserved and long deprived run support, Robertson could break out, and have a career season. Say...Win 15 games, with an ERA around 4.00. Possibly in the way Milt Wilcox, a career .500 pitcher, stepped up in 1984 with 17 wins. (We'll just not talk about how Wilcox, at age 34, sacrificed his arm, and for all intents and purposes, what may have remained of his career, to have that one BIG season)

Will Robertson have that big year? With the Tigers offense, it's quite possible. Robertson has been long known as the Tigers' "hard luck" starter, often starved for run support, pitching better than his record indicates. It's time Nate found himself a little good luck while on the mound.

Dontrelle Willis: We fans were thrilled the Tigers were able to land the D-Train in the trade for Miguel Cabrera. Then we saw him pitch this spring, and were no longer thrilled.

There's a reason Jim Leyland named Willis the 5th starter. He outright sucked in spring training. I hope to Hell the Tigers get the D-Train back on track. Thanks to the 3 year, $29 million contract extension the Tigers signed Willis to earlier this year, good or bad, pinpoint location or Wild Thing, he's going nowhere, other than to the mound every 5th day.

If Willis can put together a career average season (14-11, 3.78 ERA), the Tigers will be in good shape. With his personality, if Willis has the sort of year he has shown to be capable of in the past, he'll own Detroit.

Willis is still young, so there's every chance he'll find the form that won him 22 games in 2005. But with the Tigers, he's on a team where he doesn't have to be "The Man," the number 1 starter. So the D-Train doesn't need to be great, just good enough.

It remains to be seen if that's even possible, thanks to his funky delivery, and his overuse in Florida.

Overall: The rotation is talented, without question. But there there are also question marks, the D-Train being the biggest. Bigger than Bonderman's 1st inning issues, The Gambler's age, Robertson's constant hard luck, and...Well, there's no question mark in regard to Verlander.

The Tigers not knowing what they'll have from the bullpen in the late innings, thanks to the injuries to Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya, means the pressure is on the rotation to pick up much of the pitching slack. They'll need to go deeper into games to keep the pressure off of what is currently a broken bullpen.

The starters need to stay healthy and effective. I'm confident they can be, but I'm not totally convinced they will.

The 2008 Detroit Tigers: Contenders or the team to beat? Part 2, starting infield and catcher

It's day 2 of my Detroit Tigers preview, "Contenders or the team to beat?"

Actually, I hate to call it a preview, as I don't consider myself an expert. I'm no sabermatician, far from it. I'm not qualified to judge talent. I'm prone to give knee-jerk, often inflammatory, sometimes asinine, opinions.

I'm just a long time fan with a blog, who watches all the games and knows baseball pretty damn well. So take my opinions with a large grain of salt. Several, in fact. Hell, just empty your salt shakers...

With that out of the way, let's move on with part 2.

Catcher

C - Pudge Rodriguez: To put it bluntly, Pudge was not very good in 2007. He put up an abysmal OBP, his power stats were down, and was average, at best, defensively. Pudge undeservedly made the AL All-Star team on name and momentum alone. Overall, his 2007 season was, results-wise, very close to his 2005, when Rodriguez spent more time undermining the authority of then manager Alan Trammell, than producing on the field.

There were no locker room shenanigans in '07 from Pudge, as that bullshit doesn't fly with Jim Leyland. But he had tailed off so badly in all facets of the game, if there had been any sort of fall-back plan, I don't think many fans would have been overly upset if Pudge had walked in free agency. But he was brought back for another season as the Tigers decided to pick up his option.

Why? There was no other catcher in the Detroit Tigers' farm system even being remotely close to major league ready. Quality catching is in shorter supply than delegates for Ron Paul. So the Tigers brought back Pudge, and his swing at every pitch ways.

So far, picking up the contract looks like a good decision, as Pudge appears revived, and leads all hitters with 8 spring training home runs. Obviously, no one should expect him to keep up that pace, but I do think we'll see a nice step up in performance from Pudge in 2008 for one reason, and one reason only. He's playing for his next contract, be it in Detroit, or with another team.

Pudge Rodriguez is no longer one of the elite catchers in baseball. But at age 36, he still has the ability to be more than capable at, and behind, the plate for 120 games. I honestly can't think of very many catchers I'd rather see behind the plate other than Pudge. Of course, that's more due to the sorry state of big league catching overall, than anything Rodriguez can do.

Infield

1B - Carlos Guillen: I was quite vocal in wanting Guillen to remain at short for at least one more season. It was mostly due to my assuming it would be easier to find a 1st baseman better than Sean Casey, than a shortstop better than Guillen. But the Tigers surprised us all, trading for a damn good shortstop in Edgar Renteria as soon as the season ended.

With acquisition of Rentreria, and with Guillen's approval, the Tigers had their new 1st baseman, upgrading from the banjo hitter that was Casey.

Will Guillen put up stats typical of a lumbering, powerful 1st baseman? No, but he should produce more than well enough to more than hold his own offensively. Guillen will be far better than Casey at the plate, and as he grows more comfortable with the position, in the field.

Many have speculated moving Guillen away from short will actually make him more productive at the plate, as playing 1st will be easier on his injury prone body. I'm not sure if that will turn out to be true, but if Guillen puts up stats similar to 2007, around .300/.350/.500, with his typical 20 HR's and 100 RBI (elite numbers for a shortstop, but merely good at 1st), the Tigers will be more than happy.

2B - Placido Polanco: The unsung Polanco had a marvelous all around season in 2007, deservedly making the AL All-Star team. Polanco had a career year offensively, and was error free for the entire season. There may not be a better 2 spot hitter in all of baseball. Polanco handles the bat better than anyone on the team, while rarely striking out. He's the one man you want at the plate when you have to have the bat put on the ball.

But he's also 32, doesn't draw many walk, and isn't especially fast, which means it's unlikely he'll hit .341 again. That's not to say he'll have a bad 2008, but I think we've seen the high water mark for the Placidome. Polanco is still one of the best 2nd basemen in baseball. Even though his stats may drop some, he'll hit .300 with a little pop, play a flawless 2nd base, and have a very productive season.

SS - Edgar Reteria: The man who moved the Tigers' All-Star shortstop to 1st base, Renteria is a quality player. He won't hit with the authority of Carlos Guillen, but few shortstops do. But Renteria will more than hold his own at the plate. More importantly, he will be unquestionably better than Guillen in the field.

Renteria's one previous season in the AL, with the Red Sox in 2005, was considered a bust. Looking at the stiffs the Sox have played at short since his departure (Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo) it was a mistake to have let Renteria go, no matter how much the Nation bitched.

His overall stats with the Red Sox show he wasn't all that bad, considering the extenuating circumstances. Renteria replaced long time Red Sox Nation favorite, Nomar Garciaparria, and doing so in the insane media cauldron that is Boston. There will be no such pressure in Detroit, which is a much mellower place to play.

As long as Renteria plays his typically solid defense (which would be a vast improvement over Guillen), while putting up respectable offensive numbers, the Tigers are set at short for the next couple of seasons.

One more thing... It's interesting to note that the 2 players who continually turn up as "Most similar by age" at Renteria's Baseball Reference page are Alan Trammell and Roberto Alomar. Not bad company at all...

3B - Miguel Cabrera: What more is there to say about Cabrera? We've heard all the superlatives. Caberra is the best player under 25 years old in baseball. A once in a generation player with hall of fame talent.

Most tellingly, the players listed at Baseball Reference as "Similar Batters through Age 24" has hall of famers throughout. Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Mickey Mantle, and Orlando Cepeda. I thought Renteria was keeping good company, it turns out Cabrera is keeping elite company!

So it's safe to say everyone, from Tigers fans to the local and national MSM, is expecting BIG things from Cabrera. There's already talk of his contending for the Triple Crown and the AL MVP, leading the Tigers to the playoffs, doing damn near everything but winning the Cy Young. Well, that, and a Gold Glove. I'm reserving judgment on his defense till I get to see it, but from what I've seen so far, Cabrera's no Brandon Inge. Then again, how many 3rd base gloves are?

Expectations are sky high for Cabrera. Maybe too high for a kid who turns all of 25 this season.

If there is a situation for Cabrera to mature into an all time great, it's in Detroit. He's surrounded by true professionals like Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen, countrymen who can shoulder the burden of leadership Cabrera wasn't ready for in Florida. As good as he is, Cabrera is just part of the show, one of many talented players in Detroit, rather than the centerpiece.

Much as my eyes were opened by watching Gary Sheffield on a daily basis, I'm expecting the same from finally getting to see Cabrera play every day. With everything he has going for him here in the D, from being surrounded with quality players, to the security of having a big money, long-term contract, there's no reason to expect anything but elite numbers from the Tigers new star.

I can't wait to watch Cabrera grow into super stardom while wearing the Olde English D.

Overall: There's not many, in any, better infields in all of baseball. The Tigers have legitimate All-Star talent at every position. They should hit the snot out of the ball, while playing respectable defense. There's plenty of offensive pop at the corners, as there should be, and excellent defense up the middle, as there needs to be. When your infield weak link is Pudge Rodriguez, that's really saying something.

Tomorrow: Starting pitching.

The best news I heard all day...

...Wasn't the signing of Miguel Cabrera becoming official. Definitely good news, but not the best.

Nor was it the arraignment of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick this afternoon on multiple charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct. The sooner lying SOB is out of office, the better it is for not just the city, but for all of Michigan.

As good as those stories were, there was an even better one. In fact, the best news I heard all day was found in a throw away line in a Danny Knobler article at Mlive. Jim Leyland says there are two roster spots up for grabs, and a certain someone isn't getting one of them.

Leyland said he has already told Timo Perez and Mike Hessman that they won't be on the opening day roster.

Hell yes!

I'm thrilled the Marlboro Man heard my cries of Timo anguish, recognized my tears of Perez caused sorrow. The Tigers have no need for a 30-something never-gonna-be wasting space on the roster.

Remember folks, "Say no to Timo!"

The 2008 Detroit Tigers: Contenders or the team to beat? Part 1, starting outfield and DH

With the true opening day for MLB being less than a week away (and it looks as if I'll be in attendance next Monday), it's well past time I started talking Detroit Tigers. Which means it's time for my TWFE Tigers preview.

In past years, I'd squeeze my Tigers thoughts into 2 or 3 season preview posts. I've learned my lesson. Rather than give myself both a splitting headache, and carpel tunnel, with massive, novel length previews, I'm breaking my thoughts up into 5 smaller pieces. Starting outfield and DH, starting infield and catcher, starting pitching, relief pitching, and the bench. It'll be easier to read, and easier to write. We cool? Good.

Let's get started...

Starting outfield

LF - Jacque Jones: If I told you the Tigers left fielder would put up a stat line of 21 HR's, 80 RBI, .280 AVE, .325 OBP, .455 SLG, and K 119 times, you'd think I was talking about the Tigers opening day left fielder in 2007, Craig Monroe. Well, those are the career average stats of the 2008 starter in left field, Jacque Jones.

Jones is essentially Craig Monroe, with a little less power, a better OBP, and a couple of years older. Put simply, Jones is a journeyman corner outfielder who's beginning his decline. Take a look at the "Most similar" categories on Jones' Baseball Reference page, and you'll former Tigers like Rondell White, Juan Encarnacion, Jim Northrup and Bobby Higginson sprinkled throughout. All journeyman outfielders who had respectable major league careers, but were in decline by their early 30's.

I don't expect Jones to put up spectacular numbers in '08. If anything, his power will continue to decline. But he'll still have plenty of at bats, thanks to the Tigers' powerful lineup, and being one of the few left handed bats on the team. For that reason alone, Jones has value to the Tigers. Defensively, he will be more than capable.

Tigers should be OK with his manning left field the majority of the time, and hitting in the bottom 3rd of the order.

CF - Curtis Granderson: Grandy will miss the first 2-3 weeks of the season thanks to a fractured finger. Thank goodness it's not a long-term injury, as the Tigers desperately need the spark Granderson supplies. As Granderson goes, so do the Tigers.

Granderson is a smart, heady ballplayer who does everything well, both on and off the field, save for one thing, hitting left handed pitching. He's a budding All-Star who is well on his way to becoming the next "It" player in Detroit. Granderson is the sort of athlete Detroit fans tend to falls in love with, namely a humble, hard working, blue collar and extremely talented athlete in the mold of Joe Dumars, Barry Sanders and Steve Yzerman. No matter how good Miguel Cabrera is, Granderson is the future face of the Tigers.

Granderson's 2007 line of 20/20/20/20 was a statistical fluke that he'll likely never repeat, and we shouldn't expect him to. But It's very possible Granderson will be the next 30/30 man, once he moves down in the order.

The one dig against Granderson is with his struggles against left handed pitching. He may never be a holy terror upon southpaws, though I don't think he'll hit .160 against them ever again either. Granderson knows what he needs to work on, has improved every season of his career, and I see no reason for that to change in 2008.

The Tigers are set for the next decade in center field. Let the arguments between who is better, Granderson or Grady Sizemore, begin!

RF - Magglio Ordonez: Speaking of years we shouldn't expect to be repeated, Ordonez's marvelous 2007 will be next to impossible to replicate. Magglio's season was the best I've ever witnessed by a Tiger at the plate. It bears repeating..THE. BEST. EVER.

Anyone who says they anticipated his hitting .363, winning the AL batting tile, finishing 2nd in the MVP voting, while setting several career statistical highs in the process, is one lying SOB. Ordonez exceeded both reasonable and crazy high expectations, which is why it would be pure folly to expect him to repeat his '07.

Considering the talent surrounding Ordonez in the batting order, it's quite possible he'll have another sensational season. Having Gary Sheffield hitting in front of him, and Cabrera behind, Ordonez will not get pitched around. Though he's no longer a 35 HR a year threat, thanks to creeping age and playing in Comerica Park, with his ability to hit the ball hard to all fields, Ordonez will drive in runners by score.

Defensively, Ordonez is nothing special. He knows what to do in right, makes the occasional play, and doesn't embarrass himself. He rarely dives for balls, which I'm perfectly fine with, as he's too valuable at the plate to risk getting hurt in the field. Most importantly, Granderson is in center, picking up the slack in the gaps.

Though he's no spring chicken at 34, as long as Ordonez remains healthy, and as with many Tigers, it's a concern, it's safe to expect another season of a .300+ AVE, 20-25 HR's and 120-130 RBI. It's no 2007, but still awful damn good.

Designated hitter

DH - Gary Sheffield: I never had the opportunity to watch Sheff on a regular basis till 2007. I knew he was a good ballplayer, but I didn't realize just how GOOD. Once Sheff's bat got smoking hot after his early April slump, he was a marvel to watch. Sheffield has some of the best pure baseball instincts I've ever seen. Watching him play everyday, I finally understood the hall of fame talk.

Sheffield rarely had a bad at bat, while showing an astounding amount of discipline at the plate He didn't just hit the ball hard, he punished the ball. Even in his late 30's, he has bat speed to burn.

After year after year of seeing Tiger after Tiger use a "run till you're out" philosophy on the basepaths, it was refreshing to see Sheff's baserunning smarts. Though not a burner, Sheffield knew when to best run, as shown by his 22 stolen bases. If it hadn't been for the injured shoulder, he was on track for a 30/30 season, an almost unthinkable accomplishment at age 38.

Yet, there's the rub. Sheffield and injuries. As good a he was before the shoulder injury, Sheff was just as awful when he came back. Much too early, as it turned out. I'll give him credit for doing his damnedest to come back, as the Tigers were in midst of a tailspin in the standings, but it was obvious Sheffield was only a fraction of his normal sweet swinging self. He should have been anywhere but on the field.

His going down was one of the main reasons the Tigers imploded last August. Which is why we should hope Jim Leyland hid all of Sheffield's gloves, save for his batting gloves. He's too valuable at the plate to risk playing him, or his balky shoulder, anywhere on the diamond. Which is my way of saying Sheffield will have a monster year as DH.

Overall: Sheffield, Ordonez and Granderson are all legitimate candidates to play in the All-Star game. There's no reason to anticipate anything other than very good statistical seasons from all 3. If Ordonez declines some from his 2007 season, he'll still have very good year. Same for Sheffield, he'll put up numbers if he plays a full season. Granderson is a stud, and on the verge of breaking out nationally. Jones is what he is, a respectable journeyman.

So what it comes down to health. If those 3 stay healthy, there should be little to complain about. If the injury bug bites (It's already bit Granderson), the Tigers should be able to tread water with the likes of Brandon Inge, Marcus Thames, and Ryan Raburn off the bench. (More about them later in the week) All in all though, any team filling their 4 slots at DH and in the outfield with 3 All-Star quality players is in fine shape.

Tomorrow: Starting infield and catcher.

Pros and cons: Miguel Cabrera's contract

The big news in Detroit this past weekend was the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera agreeing in principal to an 8 year, $152 million plus contract. For the most part, the contract has received nothing but praise. The Tigers have the best young player in baseball locked up through the prime of his career.

But signing anyone long-term, no matter how good he may be, has risks. Even a player with hall of fame talent has issues. So it seemed like a good time to bring out a TWFE staple, pros and cons.

Now that Cabrera is as rich as Scrooge McDuck,
which player will we see for the next 8 seasons?

Skinny Miggy?

Or chubby Miggy?
Only time, and Jenny Craig, will tell...

Pro: At an average of $19 million a year, in comparison to the money given to a much older A-Rod, Cabrera's deal could be considered a below market contract.
Con: It's insane when $19 million per anything is considered "below market."

Pro: Cabrera is only 24, and likely to get even better.
Con: Cabrera was a fat 23, and there is the chance he'll get even fatter.

Pro: Cabrera is locked into spending his athletic prime as a Tiger.
Com: Cabrera is locked into spending his eating prime as a Tiger.

Pro: We'll see no more of Brandon Inge's bat at 3rd base.
Con: We'll see no more of Brandon Inge's glove at 3rd base.

Pro: Cabrera prefers to play 3rd base, and a quality bat at the hot corner is hard to find.
Con: Cabrera plays 3rd base like a left fielder, the position he is much better suited to play.

Pro: Cabrera will be a constant threat to win the Triple Crown.
Con: Cabrera will be constant threat to eat his weight in Wendy's triples.

Pro: Cabrera will be kept in line by quality Latino teammates like Pudge Rodriguez, Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez.
Con: By the time Cabrera reaches his prime, his teammates will be well past theirs.

Pro: Cabrera will consistently put up a .325/.400/.560. stat line.
Con: 325/400/560 will be his weights in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Pro: At Cabrera's Baseball-Reference.com stat page , the player "Most Similar by Age" is Hank Aaron.
Con: At the International Federation of Competitive Eating, the eater "Most Similar By Age" is Joey Chestnut.

Pro: Cabrera has received votes for MVP in every full season of his career.
Con: MVP = Most Valuable Plumper

When you look closely at the pros and cons, one thing becomes clear. The Tigers need to hire a dietitian.

A memo to the sports blogosphere

To: Sports bloggers
From: Big Al @ the Wayne Fontes Experience
Re: NCAA brackets

As one of your own, I'm going to be truthful because it's for your own good.

So you are a blogger who picked Davidson to make the Sweet Sixteen? Had Duke getting knocked off in the first weekend? Called Sparty's tourney run? Your Final four picks are still alive? Congratulations! Good for you.

Just keep this in mind. I don't care.

Sure, we all did brackets, be it online, in the office, at your corner bar with your buddies. Filling out NCAA brackets is the American way. But there is no such thing as "bracketology." It's pure, unadulterated, bullshit fueled by MSM hype.

I honestly don't give a shit...No, make that two shits...how good or bad your NCAA brackets turned out. You are in the 90th percentile? I have no interest whatsoever. Picked every upset in the first two rounds? Big fucking deal. You aren't some bracket savant, you got damn lucky.

We all hear the stories on the Monday after the first weekend. There's a secretary who has never watched a college basketball game in her life, made her picks using favorite colors as a guide, and did just as well as you. Some dude sitting in a sports bar did his brackets while drunk off his ass on Jagermeister, yet he managed to more games correct than you.

Lucky or good, idiot or genius, at least they didn't feel the need to incessantly talk about their picks.

Please, I'm begging you. Enough already. Do us all a favor, and declare a moratorium on blogging about your brackets, OK? Thanks!

Regards and salutations,

Big Al

PS: Everything I said above also goes for your fantasy baseball/football/basketball/hockey/cricket/lawn bowling teams. Got it? Good. We're cool.

Leyland's gut, Cabrera's wallet, and Granderson's finger all make headlines

It was a news filled 24 hours for the Detroit Tigers.

Yesterday began with the latest nugget of wisdom from the Marlboro Man. The Tigers' skipper claimed his "gut was telling him" a trade would be made for a relief pitcher before opening day. Jim Leyland had no other details of names or teams, just the churning of his gut.

It wasn't Leyland's get telling him a trade was on the way,
it was his larynx saying "Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!"

If you rule out Leyland's gut feeling wasn't indigestion, hunger pangs or appendicitis, this was good news. The bullpen has begun to give we fans a gut feeling, but of one closer to nausea.

A little after 10 PM last night, as I was watching Sparty take Pitt to the woodshed in the NCAA's, my RSS feed reader was bombarded by posts from the Tigers bloggers en masse. The news had broken that Miguel Cabrera had agreed to a long (8 years) and expensive ($153+ million) contract extension.

As the smoke cleared, details emerged. The deal includes the one year, $11.3 million contract signed earlier this year. The tacked on extension is for 7 years, and a tad over $140 million. That's almost exactly the mind-numbing numbers in the contract the Tigers offered that enigma wrapped inside a strained hamstring, Juan Gonzalez, back in 2001.

Though the numbers are comparable, as bad as the Gonzalez deal would have been for Detroit, giving Cabrera a similar contract is just good business. Cabrera is only 24, motivated by his teammates and countrymen, his best years ahead of him and he actually wants to stay in Detroit. Juan Gone was 30, best years behind him, and as we knew by his moaning, groaning and malingering, Detroit was the absolute last place he wanted to be.

The trade with the Marlins has stepped up from good to very good with the Dontrelle Willis extension. You may now call the trade great with the inking of Cabrera long-term.

When I drug my sleepy ass out of bed this morning, there was even more Tigers news, but nowhere near as good. Curtis Granderson will begin the regular season on the disabled list, thanks to a being hit by a pitch yesterday, fracturing his finger. Not exactly the news I needed to start my morning. Especially before I had my coffee.

On the bright side (If there is a bright side to any injury), it's not an injury that will cripple the Tigers long term, as it's expected Granderson will only miss the first 2-3 weeks of the season. On the other, it definitely crimps the Tigers chances of dealing for a pitcher before the season starts, as bargaining chip Brandon Inge just became that much more valuable to the the team. I wonder if Leyland's gut is still telling him a trade will be made?

I'm sure some combination of Inge, Ryan Raburn and Jacque Jones will man center field in the meantime. They won't handle it as well as Granderson, obviously. I have a bigger concern over over the leadoff position. The Tigers have no clearcut leadoff man, and as Granderson went, so went the Tigers.

If I were to venture a guess, we'll see Placido Polanco or Edgar Renteria hitting first. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Pudge Rodriguez leadoff, as we've seen Leyland tinker with that in the past. Why his fascination with Pudge leading off, I'll never understand.

Say NO to Timo! PLEASE!

But there is a bigger issue at hand, other than leadoff. There now may be an extra roster spot up for grabs, opening a hole for Timo Perez to sneak through. And you all know of my irrational hatred for all things Timo Perez, mostly due to Leyland's affinity to play suck ass NL expats like Timo and Neifi Perez entirely too much.

With opening day a week away, I don't need anymore 24 hour news cycles like the last 24 from the Tigers. I'm ready for them to play ball for real. The last week of spring training is good for only one thing...getting players hurt.

I hate "One Shining Moment"

We all love the NCAA Tournament. (Well, not everyone, like this Eno character) The first weekend is beer and munchies fueled heaven on a couch. But for all the drama, the days full of exciting (For the most part, even if day 1 was chalk) basketball, there are some things I just can't stand about the NCAA's.

Seeing the same commercials over and over and over and over: I love Thin Lizzy as much as anyone, probably more than most of you youngsters out there who aren't familiar with the output of the late, great Phil Lynott's band. As soon as I heard the opening chord in the Miller Lite dalmatians ad, I immediately knew "Jailbreak" was to follow. It's a great song from the 70's I've never grown tired of hearing...Till now. The damn ad runs incessantly.

Same goes for the Pontiac G8 Spyhunter ad. Just a wonderful, creative, nostalgic commercial...The first 100 times I watched it. Now it's just annoying. We're bludgeoned over the head with the same ads till our ears bleed. Enough of the chick with the caffeine buzz in the Sonic ad, the AT&T ad of the doofus shooting hoops in a bar, or any promo for a CBS show only blue hairs watch. Please CBS, stop the commercial madness!

CBS refusing to cut away to a better game, even when the home team is winning in blowout fashion: It gets frustrating as all Hell. You are stuck watching a snoozer of an early round game, while you see the close score of a much better game being shown in another region on the box at the top of the screen. Screw the home team, I want to see the better game, DAMMIT!

CBS has gotten better over the years, but they still seem to be slow on flipping the switch. I want upsets! I want drama! I want close, entertaining games! I don't want to watch Michigan State taking a team to the woodshed while a better game is going on in another region.

"One Shining Moment:" I may be on an island with this one, but "One Shining Moment" is pure, unadulterated tripe. Seriously, you have to admit it blows. It's so sappy, you'd think Mitch Albom wrote it. If the song hadn't been co-opted by CBS for the NCAA's, it would have long disappeared into the oblivion it richly deserves.

For that matter, highlight montages are hackneyed and overdone. I don't need to have my heartstrings intentionally tugged by highlight clips (Most of which I've already seen...Several times) accompanied with a bland pop song. I haven't watched the "One Shining Moment" bit in years, and don't plan on watching another.

DUKE: I hate Duke. You hate Duke. Everyone hates Duke. I don't know a single person who would consider themselves fans of the Blue Devils. Yet CBS feels the need to feature Duke at every fucking opportunity, shoving Coach K down our throats, gagging all the way.

There's always the one early weekend game that has no competition, shown nationwide, and it ALWAYS has Duke. If Belmont had knocked off Duke yesterday, the entire country would have celebrated. As the clock ran out on plucky Belmont, and the Blue Devils escaped an upset the whole nation wanted to go down, I could only say two words. "Fuck Duke."

Billy Packer: Is there a more joyless broadcasting soul than the soulless Packer? As much as the likes of Gus Johnson (Who should be calling the Final Four) and Bill Raftery are enjoying themselves, and damn fun to listen to, Packer is a dour ass crank who's a drag on the entire broadcast, and on those watching.

Jim Nantz deserves all the credit in the world for not wanting to kill himself after calling 4 games in a day with Packer. The man is evil incarnate. Pure evil. Billy Packer is the curse of the NCAA's.

Detroit fishwrap comment of the day - Sparty wins, and moves on

If there is one type of comment thread that gets real redundant, real quick, is one involving MSU or U of M. Within a couple of posts, you can expect to see old and busted put downs like scUM stinkbear, Moo U and Spartina used by the cretinous mouth breathers who tend to haunt fishwrap forums.

Call me jaded by my daily forays into the stink that is newspaper commenting threads, but to see insult after insult after insult, it becomes more tiresome than anything else. Which is why it was refreshing to see a MSU fan named msulaw quickly analyze Sparty's easy 72-61 1st round victory over Temple in the NCAA's. Nothing more, nothing less.

This was a good game by Neitzel. Sure, it would be nice if he scored more, but if teams are going to continue to double/hound him, that just frees up the rest of the team to score. Pitt will be a much tougher opponent than MSU, but I also believe that Pitt is a bit overrated. Sweet 16 is probably the best this team can expect (though Memphis is quite beatable), but maybe this team will surprise like it did 2 years ago.

Sparty did what they had to do, win and move on. I don't care if it got a little ugly at the end, or that Drew Neitzel had too quiet a game. Who cares about style points, or that Tom Izzo's team matched up well with Temple. Upsets happen in the NCAA's, especially in the 5-12 matchups, yet it didn't happen to the Spartans. The Spartans won, and winning is all that counts in the big tournament.

MSU always shows up prepared for the NCAA's, which is to Tom Izzo's credit, of which, in my mind, he doesn't get enough. With today's win, Izzo is a marvelous 24-9 in tournament games. How many coaches have a .700+ winning percentage in the tournament? I'm too damn lazy to look it up, but it can't be very many.

Which why I never understood the criticism Izzo sometimes gets from Spartans, and he got more than his fair share this year. 20 win seasons are now commonplace, along with NCAA berths. Some considered 07-08 an off season, but Sparty find themselves 26-8 overall, moving on to the round of 32, after beating Temple. That's one HELL of a season. Wolverines can only dream of such seasons.

If he Spartans continue to play solid ball like they did today, and get Neitzel going? I would not be surprised one iota to see MSU advance into the regional finals. In fact, I'd be loathe to bet against any Izzo coached team in the tournament...Unless they are playing Wisconsin.

Drew Sharp continues to flip-flop like...Drew Sharp

For those of you keeping score, the Freep's Drew Sharp has, once again, flip-flopped his opinion in regard to Rich Rodriguez's (failed) recruitment of Terrelle Pryor.

Let's look at Drew's scorecard... (The columns are no longer archived, so I've linked back to my post about Sharp's first 180 on 1/27)

January 14, 2008:

Michigan coach must beat Ohio State to nation's No. 1 recruit Terrelle Pryor

January 27, 2008:

Michigan landing super recruit Terrelle Pryor would be an overrated victory

March 20, 2008:

Jim Tressel 1, Rich Rodriguez 0

Sharp has gone from "ZOMG, Michigan must land Pryor," to "Pshaw, it's not that big a deal," and back to "ZOMG, Tressel wins again!" My neck hurts from the whiplash!

Let's look at Sharp's money quotes from his 3 wishy-washy columns.

Pryor column #1:

He must keep Pryor away from Jim Tressel.

He must do whatever it takes.

Failure is not an option.

A bit over the top, and totally far-fetched as Michigan wasn't even on Pryor's radar till Rodriguez was hired in mid-December. Michigan was, at best, a long shot in the Pryor sweepstakes. At least it's an opinion, asinine though it may be.

Pryor column #2:

Hasn't everyone learned how truly overrated these "victories" are, especially when you consider Ohio State has consistently had lower-ranked recruiting classes than Michigan the past five years, but the Buckeyes have accomplished much more during that time.

I thought "Failure is not an option?" I haven't seen someone change their minds so fast since certain Democrats voted to invade Iraq, then got called on it.

Pryor column #3

Should Pryor's performance prove remotely close to the hype that follows him, Tressel's winning streak over Michigan could double.

Damn, tUOS is going to beat Michigan 4 straight times with Pryor?

Nobody wants to imagine this, particularly on a full stomach, but Pryor could prove to be the wild card in ensuring Ohio State a third straight appearance in the national championship game.

And make the National title game again?

Drew's gone and lost it. He's channeling Beano Cook and his "Ron Powlus will win 4 Heismans" prediction, saying tUOS landing Pryor has tipped the scales in the rivalry for the next 4 years, let alone the scales in the national title picture. Sharp must have figured if you are going to flip-flop so dramatically, you may just as well predict total disaster for Michigan while you're at it.

I have some advice for the columnist we all love to hate, and hate to read. If you are going to be the designated hatchet man for a fishwrap, at least be consistent your slandering. Readers, and for that matter, this blogger, have longer memories than you realize...

Terrelle Pryor picks tUOS! Whatever, dude...

After drawing out the recruiting process to the point utter ridiculousness, Terrelle Pryor finally announced what school he was going to attend. His choice?

The "University of Ohio State." (His words, not mine...)

That Pryor picked tUOS is just another in a feather in CheatyPants McSweaterVest's already overly feathered cap.

It being a month past signing day, fans of all the schools involved (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon) were to the point of no longer giving a shit what school the kid chose, just as long as he made a decision. I'm not cheesed off Pryor didn't pick the Wolverines. Far from it, in fact. I'm fucking glad I don't have to hear or read anymore stories about an 18 year old kid milking his time in the spotlight.

From altercations with fans after basketball games, the rumormongering over totally phantom recruiting violations, to breathless daily headlines in the Detroit fishwraps about Pryor pandering to the scary recruitniks, has there been a more glaring example of what is wrong with recruiting? With college sports in general?

In my mind, the idea of adults making a very lucrative living scouting and charting high school kids, in some cases following a recruit's exploits since grade school, is disturbing. There being fans so desperate for this information that they are willing to pay for it? That's not just disturbing, it's fucked up.

It's funny that two stories exposing the ugly underbelly of major college sports (something we do our damnedest to ignore), the Pryor recruitment and the attendant media coverage, along with the Ann Arbor News' "expose" regarding the academic policies of Michigan athletes, coincides with the two best days of the sports calender. The couch potato heaven known as the 1st round games of the NCAA Tournament.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to express in that last paragraph, other than to say we place way too much importance college sports. Let alone the excessive pressure on kids barely old enough to vote.

Hell, I'm as guilty as anyone. Like most of us who grew up in this state during the Schembechler years, I treat Michigan football as a life or death event. It's silly, as I never had the opportunity to attend U of M. But I care deeply anyway. Hell, we're all hypocrites when it comes to big time college sports. I want Michigan and Michigan State to win...Just don't tell me how.

Which is my way of saying none of this ever going to change. Too many people care much too deeply about what school an 18 year old athlete attends. More often than not, all the angst is in regard to a school they never attended in the first place.

When it's put that way, you realize all the attention given to Terrelle Pryor's announcement is God damn absurd. And more than a little scary...

Detroit fishwrap comment of the day - Kool-Aid drinking morons getting a dose of reality

After all the angst, drama and seriousness at TWFE in regard to ancient columnists and University of Michigan academics yesterday, I was in the mood for something damn funny for today's COTD. And I found one that was cruel, but made me laugh out loud, at Mlive today.

In a long comment thread attached to to an AP interview with Rod Marinelli which had long devolved into a "True fans believe in Rod" / "It's the Lions, how can you buy into their rhetoric?" (Not that a word like "rhetoric" would ever be used at Mlive) flame war, Mliver bigrob44 made me laugh out loud with this nugget of wisdom.

This place is filled with Kool-aide drinking morons.

That insult is blunt, to the point, more than a little mean, and damn funny! At least it was to me, as it cracked me up! Who hasn't wanted to jump into the middle of a commenting flame war, and lay waste to both irrational sides with a snide insult?

When called out by the Kool-Aid drinkers, bigrob44 had another truth filled comeback.

doom and gloom = reality.

Folks, this is a true Honolulu blue and silver wearing, fed up with Millen, hoping for Ford to push up the daisies, tired of the bullshit, worn down by years and years of losing, rebuilding, then losing again, Lions fan! Just like yours truly, and most of you out there in the interwebs...

Thanks for the giggles bigrob44, TWFE salutes you!

It's the bullpen, stupid!

That seems to be the standard refrain regarding the Detroit Tigers this week, as noted by both Lynn Henning in his Detroit News "blog," and Tom Verducci at SI.com.

Henning: Can the Tigers bullpen be trusted?

Verducci: Keeping up with Jones - Aside from their closer, Tigers 'pen is a big concern

Both articles state the same thing, no one is sure what to expect from the Detroit bullpen when the season starts. Not the Tigers front office, the Marlboro Man, the media, the fans or even the players themselves

I've been pondering the bullpen "situation" myself, and have come up with several possible solutions. Some are a tad far-fetched, but this is a "throw shit against the wall and see what sticks" brainstorming exercise. You know what tends to spew out of my cranium, namely half-assed opinions and half-baked ideas, so bear with me...

1. The simplest answer is the right answer, the Occam's Razor solution. So the answer is simple. Score more than the other guys. Lots more. If Mike Ilitch plans on offering Miguel Cabrera $20 million a season, the least he can in return do is help the Tigers score 1000+ runs. The Tigers do that, the pen issues become moot.

2. I've come up with a take on the Milwaukee Braves old "Spahn and Sain and two days of rain" saying.

Hire a medicine man, a rainmaker so to speak, to open up the skies with torrential downpours anytime the Tigers have a lead from the 5th inning on. If that strategy worked for the Braves 60 years ago, why couldn't it work for the Tigers today?

3. Have Justin Verlander pitch in relief between starts. Even at 50%, he's better than most of the current characters populating the bullpen. On second thought, even I think that's a bit much. Only use him out of the pen on one of his off days...

4. INGE! Of course, I should have thought of him before! Send Brandon Inge to the bullpen. If he can capably play the other 8 positions on the field, there's no reason he couldn't pitch as well, right?

5. Use a time machine to go back in time, and put out the San Diego wildfires before they blew up out of control. Thus, Joel Zumaya remains healthy. If need be, go back even further in time, and take out the creator of Guitar Hero. I suggest contacting these guys. I hear their wayback machine works quite well...

See Sherman and Mr. Peabody for all your time travel needs!

6. Send in an extraction team to sneak Francisco Cruceta out of the Dominican, visa or not. The Red Wings used to do the same with Soviet bloc players in 80's (Remember Petr Klima's defection?), so Ilitch should still have a few covert contacts. For that matter, they could send their covert ops into Venezuela, and break Uggie Urbina out of prison. Crazy, fire setting, machete wielding killer or not, he's a proven reliever. Just keep him under house arrest on off days...

7. I bet Mickey Lolich could still throw an inning or two a night, I suggest the Tigers give him a call. He's retired from running the donut shop, so he's got some free time. Even at 67 years old, I'm sure Mick could strike out the side. Lolich could throw 370 innings a season, without breaking a sweat, back in the day, so what's the 60 or 70 expected from a reliever? His being in shape wouldn't even be an issue, as Mickey was the prototypical fat dude with a rubber arm and a fastball, a better David Wells of the 60's and 70's. Think about it. Who would you want to see out of the pen? Grilli or Lolich? Bautista or Lolich? I know who'd I want.

Mickey could even pinch hit!
How many current Tigers have gone yard in a World Series?

I'm ready, willing and able to help the Tigers, much in the way Bill James advises the Red Sox. I'm waiting for your call, Dave Dombrowski! I got lots more from where these brilliant solutions came from!

Above the fold - Michigan is being drug through the mud...again

From reading the comments left in the wake of the A2 News' "expose" on Michigan athletes and their academic records, I now have a splitting headache from all the arguing. You can break down the commenters into 3 categories.

1. Irrational haters: Michigan is a FRAUD! I used one of the shorter comments, as most of the "haters" wrote novel length diatribes. Here's a brief thought from a commenter named ndifranco.

I think many of you are hilarious. Your sole defense for Michigan's actions is "Everyone else is doing it too." That's some solid, solid footing.

It's good to see the high road goes nowhere through your town.

2. Those wearing maize and blue colored glasses: Michigan does no wrong. EVER! The Ann Arbor news should never have gone forward with this! The not ironically named cartythehack says...

Nobody else even dignify this blog with a response or even a view. I'm about to cancel my A2News subscription do to this unbearably biased Carty and his squad of HACKS. If you really want to do something about this, cancel your AANews subscription or don't even read tomorrow's "smoking gun"

Congratulations Carty, you are officially the most biased and uninformed "journalist" I have ever wasted my time reading.

3. Those with common sense, who realize this is not a U of M issue. It's an NCAA issue. Athletes get help at EVERY D1 school. Here's the thoughts of a w2j2.

I do not think these articles indict UM as much as they point out the universal student-athlete dilemna.

I think these articles help detail some of the history of this issue at UM, and call for a re-emphasis on helping these students.

The university should continue to focus on and help these students earn their college degree. If that takes special tutoring, monitoring, and/or independent study, then do it.

These kids physically train 42 hours per week for the univeristy. The university should, in turn, provide whatever help it takes for them to succeed academicly.

Personally, I find the irrational haters the most entertaining. He who never took the occasional very easy classes in high school and/or college, and did so voluntarily, can cast the first stone. Otherwise, can the self-righteousness.

Add me to the common sense category. Is this really as big of a deal as the A2 News is making it out to be? Not really. To think the athletes at ANY school competing at an elite level (The Big 10 is definitely elite, no matter how ugly the hoops were during the post season tournament) don't get vast amounts of help in completing their studies, sometimes pointed towards easier classes, is being delusional. To also think that the athletes at said school should be expected to complete their studies without help is being delusional.

When it comes down to it, the kids playing major college sports are working full time jobs, with plenty of overtime. It's a 40+ hour week, with a ton of travel, and plenty of nights and weekends involved. If you ask me, I don't know how those athletes simutaniously train, attend classes and study, no matter how easy or tough the classes.

They should get all the credit in the world for taking full advantage of a system (independent study, one on one with professors, academic advisers) that is essentially taking advantage of their athletic ability. If they walk away with a degree from Michigan in any major, they are off to a good start in life.

Is Michigan guilty of arrogance? To a fault. Do they claim to be an academically advanced school? Most deservedly, but not because of the athletes. Is Michigan breaking any NCAA rules? From what I've read so far, no. Are there exceptions to the rule? Of course. I'm sure there are plenty of Michigan athletes who, when looking back, may have done things differently. Christ, so does EVERYONE who's ever attended college at any level.

Big time college sports is a massively flawed system. NCAA athletes are professional in every sense of the word, save for one. They don't see any of the monstrous amounts of money their efforts generate. If any one is to blame, it's the NCAA, and the member schools, themselves, save for their scholarship. ("Scholar" being slightly exaggerated) The schools quite like getting large suitcases filled with cash from the TV networks, and don't want the exposure, or the spigot of consistently flowing cash, to stop.

If you want to see more complete dissertations of the A2 News' and Jim Carty's hatchet job, head to the Wolverines-centric blogs...

MGoBlog:

Any school other than Duke or Vandy or Stanford will take any player who meets NCAA minimums that, on a non-athlete application, would be laughed out of the admissions office, and Duke and Vandy and Stanford (and the Ivy leagues) all bend their admissions standards severely. The NCAA has instituted punishments for schools that do not keep their players in school and on track for a degree.

Varsity Blue:

Brief Synopsis of Carty's Arguments:
1) There are easy classes at the University.
2) Some athletes take these easy classes.
3) Academic advisors help athletes pick their classes.

All of these points so far are like, duh. He is actually trying to criticize advisors for doing their jobs, which... what?

Michigan Sports Center:

I'd like to thank the Ann Arbor News for pointing out the obvious. Maybe Monday they'll run a series about how water is wet and the grass is green. Also, I hear that the sun might rise tomorrow. Any truth to that?

That's "Above the Fold" for Monday, 3-17-08!

If I'm pissing off the (really) old guard, I must be doing something right

Back in early January, I wrote a piece about the Detroit News columnist Jerry Green, who had mentioned TWFE in his column (My saying "he only writes about dead people"), but didn't attribute where it came from.

As is my wont, I wrote several hundred words worth of old people jokes, while reminding the MSM in general the last thing I'd ever call myself is a journalist. I'm not fair and balanced, I'm entirely biased and partial. I'm just a fan of Detroit sports who happens to have bully pulpit, and willing to use it to call out the local MSM.

Well, 3 whole months months later, while doing a Google search, Jerry found my post. He wasn't at all happy, and decided to let me know of his displeasure. His reply arrived via email over the weekend. How do I know it was from him? It was from a personal AOL email address, and we all know AOL is the refuge of the computer illiterate, and the aged.

When I told my best friend about Jerry's pissy message, he said, "You gotta blog about it!" So I am...

Here's what Jerry had to say about my post...

I just read your memo to me, Big Al. I gave you too much credit for wanting to be a journalist. Sorry about that.

And I had to read the entire memo to learn that you did have a last night, just like the rest of us.

If you had the guts of a Drew Sharp or a Jay Mariotti, you'd top your blog with your full name.

I congratulate you for being over 40. Were you talking asge or IQ?

It is true that I am a senior. And it is true that I am technically retired. It also is true that The News kept me on to write once a week on line and that I am a curmudgeon and I write about a lot of dead people.
That is known as history.

I'm thrilled to be told that you actually do read books -- or at least that somebody reads them to you.

Oh, and some more truthes -- Millen was not the first to screw up the Lions. Fontes was not the first lousy coach that the Lions had (although he did manage to reach the playoffs and even win one). The Lions have been screwed up ever since Russ Thomas became their general manager -- and I pretty much made a career out of criticizing Russ Thomas.
Then the grandpas of today's bloggers called me negative.
It so happens that I was a curmudegon then, too.
But at least I had the guts to put my whole name on top of the articles.


Last truth: I have actually looked at TWFE twice now, both times when I checked Google.

And thanks for letting me know that Denny's has an early bird special. I presume that is a dining adventure for you.

Feel free to respond to this email.

J F G

As you can see, Jerry's not all that happy with me, essentially calling me a cowardly moron who thinks Denny's is the be all, end all. (I'll admit "Moons over my Hammy" is a delicacy!)

In response to the rest of the vitriolic message, if it made Jerry feel a little better venting his spleen, giving me a dose of my own medicine, I'm cool with that. He has every right. Being called out comes with the territory. Hell, I've been called an idiot several times over by readers of TWFE. If write something stupid, you all are the first to let me know, as I should be.

I did have to laugh when Drew Sharp and Jay Mariotti are described as "courageous." I'm thrilled I'm nowhere near as "courageous" as those two. I'd never be able to live with myself if I wrote outrageous tripe only designed to piss readers off with contrarian opinion. God forbid I ever become like them.

It's a silly comparison anyway, as it's well known that Mariotti never goes into locker rooms. He rarely, if ever, faces the people he bashes in his columns. (As much as I don't care for his columns, to Sharp's credit, he's no Mariotti, facing those he rips) To be fair, I don't either, but it's not in the blogger job description. On the flip, I'm easy enough to find. Jerry managed to do so.

As for putting my full name on the TWFE masthead, so to speak? I'll admit, he has a point. I'm quite aware it's long been a bone of contention in regard to bloggers, as seen by the recent coming out by the no longer anonymous writers of Fire Joe Morgan and The Big Lead.

Unlike those great blogs, I've never been cloaked in anonymity. I've mentioned my full name in past TWFE posts, it's in all my email correspondence and posted on my other blog, SideLion Report. Anyway, my last name is now in the "Who's behind the scenes" area of TWFE. I hope that makes everyone happy.

As for Jerry listing off his credentials as a muck raker who ticked off our grandfathers? No wonder my grandfather Pippi was so cranky! And I always thought it was me and my long hair. I'm glad we cleared that up...

I've never claimed I was a heroic brain surgeon or even a crusading journalist. Far from it. I'm just a smart ass who answers to no one other than the readers of my blogs. I'm not constrained by editors, deadlines, language restrictions or even good taste. I couldn't write any other way.

I figure I must be doing something right if dedicated bloggers like myself are pissing off the old guard journalists and columnists. It's a brave new world, the old guard best get used to it.