Tiger Geist

By all accounts, Gary Sheffield was having an awful spring.  Then, after his two home run outburst against the Yankees, its revealed that Sheffield is working on regaining his old ‘swing’ from two years ago.  Sprinkle in a few more hits and walks since then, and you wonder what Sheffield can be to Detroit this year.  With his contract ending after this year anyway, was there a chance that Sheffield wouldn’t make this team?  Probably not.  But who do we expect to have a better year, Gary Sheffield or Marcus Thames?  Where is Jeff Larish’s at-bats going to come from?

Thames has been out for a few days with an injury, and I’ve wondered whether he was trade bait this spring.  Since Sheffield’s contract expires this year, if Thames gives Detroit a better shot at winning this year, there is still a _chance_ that Sheffield could be cut for a more defensive player (Brent Clevlen) or a power hitter who can field (Mike Hessman)?  However, what’s another factor that Detroit has?  A giant desire to sell tickets in April.  What is a huge selling point?  Gary Sheffield and his 499 home runs.  Have the Tigers started hyping April tickets yet based on Sheffield’s run at 500 home runs?

As an add-on, I’ve been in Seattle most of the week for work.  The local media was talking about the Mariners’ financial woes in 2008, and its beginning to make me worry about Detroit’s long term contracts.  But I’ll get over that.  In the mean time, my father & I head to Lakeland this Thursday for a 4 game trip to watch the Tigers (Nationals,Yankees, Nationals, and Red Sox included).  Exciting times.

Marcus Thames smashed another “I’m not planning on going anywhere” home run yesterday vs the Nationals, and Jeff Larish did his best “and i’m the left handed power guy on a team of right handers” with two solo shots, off of both a righty and a lefty.  Zach Miner wasn’t great, but it sounds like he might not have the makeup to be a reliever:  His sinker seems to work best when he has adequate time to warm up.  Is it mental or mechanical?  No idea.  If he’s a good starting pitcher (and history has shown he is), it may be a bad idea to force him into a different role.  Injuries (Bonderman) and ineffectiveness (Robertson, Willis) may force it anyway.

• Lynn Henning thinks Larish is a lock for this team, unless he falls hard.  This was written before the power outburst vs the Nationals yesterday.  I totally agree, and for an additional reason:  Miguel Cabrera will get a lot of action for team ‘Zuela.  He was 2-4 (with 2 more RBI’s!!) against Atlanta yesterday, with 9 innings at first base.  For health reasons, Leyland HAS to monitor Cabrera’s workload early in the season.  Let’s be honest:  Miguel is a big dude who will hit a ton of doubles.  Leg injuries linger.  Larish would be the backup first baseman.  Done deal.  And based on how things work out, I’m not sure how often you take at-bats away from Larish just for Gary Sheffield.  And Sheffield will not be taking DH time away from Cabrera.
• Similarly, Ordonez and Guillen will need rest early in the year.  Not sure if they’ll just rotate the fourth outfielder around, or if that is more of a sign that Raburn and Thames stick around.  I’m slightly nervous about Guillen’s comments about playing on turf.
• I am LOVING Jason Beck’s twitter accounts during the baseball game — mlb.com is failing me for spring training.
• Does A-rod’s leg injury (missed time reported anywhere from 10 weeks to 4 months) create more value for Detroit’s third basemen?  Mike Hessman is an obvious candidate, but if Detroit could unload Brandon Inge’s contract, would they make that move?  New York will be desperate to do well this year, after committing to hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts already in the off-season.  I don’t see the Yankees trying to convince their fans that Cody Ransome is the answer.  Oh yeah, that giant new stadium they built… they need SOMETHING to sell to their fans.

More WBC stats:

• Curtis Granderson:  1-2 in a backup roll vs Philly.  Also a stolen base!!! Wonder how he felt playing the defending champs, who plunked him on the hand last spring to begin the downword spiral of doom known as the 2008 Detroit Tiger season.
• Carlos Guillen:  0-2 with 2 walks (getting another start in left against Atlanta)
• Magglio:  1-3 with a walk and an RBI (DH’ing against Atlanta)

Finally, I always get a laugh during La Bamba, when Joey Pants’ character tells Lou Diamond Phillips about his new stage name:  Ritchie Valens.  Valens’ obviously was born “Valenzuela”.  In the movie (no idea if its true in real life), Lou Diamond Phillips mentions how he doesn’t quite like not being “valenzuela”.  Joey Pants says “hey, it could be worse.. you could be Ritchie Zuela”.  I understand that Venezuela and Valenzuela aren’t exactly the same thing, but I’m going with Team ‘Zuela for the WBC from here on out.

I’m not a huge fan of the WBC, but I like the matchup of Detroit’s backups and prospects getting playing time against solid major leaguers.  I don’t want to dwell too much on the pitching issues, since not everything is working out yet for the starters (not all of their pitches are ‘working’ yet, many starters are uncomfortable pitching in relief).  But I think yesterday’s box score is something to analyze (maybe because it favors Detroit):

• Detroit batters walked five times, with only one strikeout
• 5 RBI’s with two outs
• Detroit re-took the lead twice
• Detroit took the lead after giving it away in the sixth
• Dontrelle’s concentration didn’t falter;  while his control wasn’t there, he picked off one runner and nearly had another
• Robertson had an 8-1 groundout / flyout ratio — if he keeps that up, he’ll be alright.
• Zuela’s Miguel Cabrera (who looks strikingly familiar to the Miguel Cabrera who is paid $20million / year by Mike Illitch) had two RBI’s… he’s just an RBI machine.
• Zuela’s Carlos Guillen went 2-4.

Other spring training notes:

• The newly relaxed, refocused, and muscular Brandon Inge has had a few errors this spring (3 in 5 games).
• Brent Clevlen’s bid for backup center fielder has gotten interesting, as he’s seen a lot of time in left and right.
• Ryan Raburn hasn’t played an inning in the infield yet.  Is it possible that there is an open competition between Larish, Rayburn, Hessman, Thames, and Clevlen for the last two roster spots?
• Clete Thomas is doing his best to remind the coaches that he belongs in the majors.  I wonder how long it will take his arm strength to return (Granderson complained that he never got his back last year after starting on the DL).

Couple of home runs today have Detroit 2-2 in the grapefruit league, which of course means absolutely nothing.  Here’s the good and the not so good through four games:

• Between Bonderman’s injury, Dontrelle Willis’ inconsistency, and Nate Robertson’s Nate Robertson-ness, we see why Detroit traded for Edwin Jackson.
• Edwin Jackson doesn’t appear to suck.
• Brandon Inge’s early success (4-6) is important for one reason:  It gives him the confidence to keep working on his new batting mechanics.  We’ve seen how the old way worked.
• Gary Sheffield played.
• Carlos Guillen may be new (again) to the outfield, but he seems to be adjusting well and showing solid instincts.
• Its hard to get too excited or too down on the pitchers;  too many are pitching “out of position”.  Starters aren’t used to relieving, etc.

Other thoughts:

• Jeff Larish has a sore neck that is keeping him out a few games;  with Miguel Cabrera (and Carlos Guillen) heading to the WBC, there will be plenty of at-bats for him.
• A little foreshadowing?  Brent Clevlen hasn’t gotten a start yet, with Ryan Raburn getting a start, and Curtis Granderson getting the other three in center.  Clevlen has played well defensively, but it doesn’t appear Leyland will do him any favors on winning a spot on this team.  Sunday was the last game before the WBC squads get together, so all of the outfielder’s playing time should increase.
• Could Mike Hessman play his way onto this squad?  Doubtful.  But I don’t think he makes it back through waivers — I think San Francisco could use him at third, allowing Pablo Sandoval to move back to first.  A few of the San Francisco sports writers have talked about the Giants’ desire to make that move (Sandoval to first), though Ishikawa is lighting it up through four games.
• Not sure how it will play out, but the front office seems to have done a better job stocking the bullpen this year in case there are some injuries.
• Number:  $29.5 million.  That is the 2009 combined salaries of the three players who, at this point, the Tiger’s are unsure on their status for 2009.  Bonderman ($12.5), Robertson ($7), and Willis ($10).  Leyland may not be sweating it, but Mike Illitch has to be worried.

Quick What Ifs:

• What if Willis and Robertson aren’t the top 12 pitchers?  What if they aren’t the top 15?  Could Detroit conceivably cut them and just eat their contracts?
• What if Detroit possibly trimmed their payroll to put themselves in position to eat some contracts?  That would be wishful thinking.
• What if Brandon Inge’s new hitting style really makes him a decent hitter?  What if he hits .275?  Wouldn’t he have wasted millions of dollars by refusing to adjust it years ago?