Tiger Geist

Odd weekend series with minnesota, with victories Friday & Sunday (10-8, 8-7) and a loss Saturday (11-0).  Detroit seems to be either hitting really well or can’t buy a run.  Hopefully they can take their second straight series victory momentum into Boston, where the Red Sox will limp home after a 4 game sweep by the Yankees.  There is a lot of talk about Boston being a ‘sleeping giant’, as they may unify over the Ortiz media circus.

Thoughts from the weekend:

• Guillen is hitting so well, I don’t know why they’re going to worry about him playing in the field.  Sounds like his shoulder is still a problem throwing, and he can’t bat right handed.  Leyland also stated that he is hoping he can use Guillen as a backup third baseman.  I know Scott Sizemore appears to be the heir apparent at second for Detroit  in 2010, but I’m not ruling out an audition at second base for Guillen in the spring.  Hopefully he just needs the offseason to rest his always-ailing body, but I don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling with Guillen in the outfield yet.
• Jarrod Washburn is doing a very good anti-Doyle Alexander impression.
• Armando Galarraga is the new whipping boy.  Not much to say about it.  I’d be surprised if Zach Miner makes a surprise start, mainly since I don’t see Galarraga being very effective out of the bullpen.  I believe he does have a minor league option remaining.
• It doesn’t appear that the 2009 Chris Lambert era is as sexy as the 2009 Alex Avila era.
• Is there a chance that Jim Leyland flops Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon in September?  I think Lyon’s quietly pitching himself into a multi-year deal with some team this winter.
• Do you think that Tom Gage and Lynn Henning drink a few miller high life’s at night, and talk about what they’re going to write about?  “Hey, i’m going to say this”, followed by the other saying “yeah, yeah, thats great, I’ll, uh, just write exactly the opposite!”  Go team.
• Henning: “I’d be surprised if Jim Leyland starts Armando Galarraga in Wednesday’s game at Fenway Park.”
• Gage: “… Galarraga’s next start doesn’t appear to be in doubt.”
• Moving on from the Detroit News bland point/counterpoint, the Detroit bloggers have been producing some damn fine audio lately.  Really impressed with The Knee Jerks last week (love Big Al’s writing, and i’ve been doing some Tiger podcasting with Greg Eno over the last few months, and am always impressed with his work), and also This Week In Detroit Tigers Baseball.  Joe Dexter has a nice interview with Mike Maroth (Joe told me that Mike couldn’t have been nicer in helping set it all up), and the content is getting better and better every episode.  I hope to record a future TWIDTB episode early this week, and hopefully I don’t derail the improving quality.
• Wanted to pass along an interesting idea from Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.  He talks about how fans are against dealing prospects, when in reality most Tiger fans couldn’t pick Mauricio Robles out of a two person lineup.  Jenkins’ idea:  Play a three game (or even six game with double headers) series between your prospects and another team’s, a “get to know your team’s prospects in action”.  Do it during the all-star break.  I would definitely be in favor — Detroit vs Cleveland seems like a pretty easy matchup.