Tiger Geist

25% down.  3rd worst team in baseball;  Worst in the AL.  In a tale of consistency, they have identical 8-12 splits for their home / road records.  Its no longer time to sit and wait for the team to come around — they have to figure out how to generate some offense, and play better defense.  This _might_ help  keep the runs against down, and an increased offense (any threat of offense) might calm the pitchers a little more, allow them to be more aggressive.

Leyland has stated that the team is too slow to ‘generate runs’ — IE hit and run, steal bases, etc.  So lets start making some moves to fix that.  Until the power hitters start turning it around, they’re going to have to cut their at-bats so the team can be competitive.  Sorry, it just isn’t working right now.

1) Clear a roster spot.

The most sense here is putting Sheffield on the DL.  Tell him he can’t play until he’s healthy.  If it comes back that he’s not healthy and can’t play every day even as a DH, then you’ve got a $26million dollar problem on your hands.  Last year’s slow start was quite different from this year — last year he was healthy.  This year he isn’t.  It isn’t simply a timing issue, and the team can’t afford a part time DH.

If the team doesn’t have the balls to put Sheffield on the DL (and seriously, thats all it is.  If Inge couldn’t throw right now he’d have been sent to the DL in  February) then designate Marcus Thames for assignement.  Either trade him in the 10 days (if the market allows), send him to Toledo, or hope someone picks him up for his sake.  Nothing against Marcus, but he’s hitting .240 and he’s a career .240 hitter, and he has limited defense.  Leyland has demonstrated the versatility that Raburn gives him with defense, hitting and running;  Matt Joyce seems to be a very good defender with a solid left handed bat (matching Thames’ home run totals in the last 3 games alone).  Both have minor league options but both give the Tigers what they currently lack — speed, hustle, defense.

2) Call up Mike Hessman or Jeff Larish

Hessman deserves it more, but Larish gives for better matchups (and would be a better late-inning defensive replacement then moving Guillen from third over to first).  Both are hitting well and should be hungry to prove themselves.  If you see fit, and can move both Sheffield to the DL and dump Thames, then call both of them up.

3) Catch Inge more.  It pains me to write that.  But Pudge isn’t producing (not that Inge is), Inge is quicker then most backup catchers, and it might help Pudge’s batting as well.  At least 2 games / week should go to Inge.  If we’re not happy with Inge’s batting, then call up someone else.

4) Put a team on the field that is better defensively and faster on the basepaths

This isn’t easy, since your two current best hitters (Guillen and Ordonez) are slow.  But what we’re getting is too much station to station base-running.  Maybe Santiago needs to play a little more as well — its possible the combination of Renteria at short and a bad third baseman is too much to handle.

5) Management needs to step up and grow a pair.

They were bullied around by Sheffield to play in the field, who now admits his shoulder is still ailing.  They didn’t move Inge (sorry, the “aren’t we glad we didn’t move Inge” due to Granderson’s injury doesn’t work — seems like we still sucked with Inge in centerfield) when they should have in the off-season.  Same with Thames.  They don’t seem to be holding players accountable for their play — Jacque Jones played in 24 games before they made a move.  If they aren’t happy with someone’s performance, sit them.  If they ARE happy with the teams performance, then they’ve got serious problems.  But if Leyland thinks they need to generate more runs with speed to spark the team, and the current lineup is incapable of that, then someone needs to give him a team that can run.  If he’s happy with the pitching coach, then he needs to sit the pitchers who aren’t performing.  Hey — if the SF Giants can sit Zito for a start or two, then the Tigers can sit Bonderman or Robertson.

There is no way to get around this, but some moves have to be made.  Or we’ll be sellers come the trade deadline… and we don’t have anything to sell.