Tiger Geist

Slight joke there.. but good news (in terms of his physical health) of Dontrelle Willis:  Knee tendinitis.  So much for the internet reports about torn ACLs, scathing discussions of the Tiger medical staff, etc.

I don’t see Dontrelle pitching in Detroit this year.  If we’re in the playoff race, it means our fifth starter (whomever it might be at the time) is average to solid, and they won’t risk it by putting Willis in a meaningful game.  He hasn’t pitched well in a year (though his control was considerably better last year), there are rumors of his arm’s health and lack of production last year… I can’t see him turning it around in just two months.  He does throw hard enough that you’re going to either kill his psyche or the opposing batter if you aren’t positive about his ability to pitch at the major league level.

I imagine Detroit has to evaluate how to handle his mechanics, or just ignore them.  They’re at a point where they really have no idea why he’s throwing the way he does, and apparently Dontrelle doesn’t either.  Think of how Verlander was handled earlier this year:  the coaches noticed an arm slot issue, and bam, he gains a few mph and is more consistent.  Every report on Willis has the coaches saying “eh… he’s… unorthodox”.  If they can’t find some common ground for him… could we go through this wildness, in some aspect, every year?