Tiger Geist

Its only the Royals, but thankfully Jarrod Washburn showed up to pitch for the Tigers last night.  Brandon Inge’s ninth inning heroics was exciting and welcome.  Not much else to say — Washburn out-dueled KC’s ace, now its time for Detroit to keep their feet on the Royal’s neck for the rest of the season.  Brandon Lyon got the win, and I’m getting more and more comfortable with his role on the team.

Lots of talk about the ‘justness’ (or lack thereof) in terms of penalties for last week’s brawl in Boston — both Rick Porcello and Kevin Youkilis got five games, both took their penalty without ‘official’ protest.  To me, it doesn’t matter — Porcello didn’t lose a start, he just got pushed back two days.  The damage was done once Youkilis ran at Porcello, and the umpires followed up by tossing both players.  That was Detroit’s best chance to win that night — with Porcello on the mound, not Chris Lambert.  So the suspensions may not have been fair, but I don’t see how it matters once Porcello was out of the game Tuesday night.

I’m a few days behind posting this, but the latest episode of This Week In Detroit Tigers Baseball is live.  Joe Dexter had myself and J Ellet Lambie as guest panelists on the show, which we recorded during the first game of the Boston series.  Among other areas, we discuss a few topics of interest related to the Boston series.  I was hoping for at least one victory, preferribly a split.  I wanted to see some close games that showed Detroit’s bullpen hold a lead.  Well… not exactly, but I’ll take Justin Verlander’s gem Thursday, including Fernando Rodney’s perfect ninth.  Could have been worse.

So tonight’s brawl was… awesome.  I generally hate fights in baseball, but sometimes I feel it brings out the best in players.  Or, in this case, the worst in players.

Exhibit A, Kevin Youkilis.  Youkilis, which of course in German means a whale’s vagina. I have no problem with Youkilis charging the mound after he was hit.  That’s his business.  I think its careless and stupid, but hey, if he takes offense to Detroit taking offense to their best player being taken out of the game, then fine, charge the mound.  That’s his perogative;  thats how baseball works.  Do I think Porcello threw at Youkilis?  Doesn’t matter what I think.  Its what Youkilis thinks.

So you have Youkilis run out to the mound, and he has, what, 40 pounds on the rookie Porcello?  Baseball-reference.com lists it at 20 pounds, but i’ll stick to 40.  And, last minute, what does Youkilis do?  He throws his helmet, hoping to stun Porcello so he can get a big hit in.  Now THAT is something I have a problem with.  What, he felt his bat would weigh him down on the run over, so he tossed the bat but kept the helmet?  In terms of the breaks of the game, sometimes you get hit.  Sometimes you get hit in retaliation for your team hitting another player.  Sometimes you take offense to it, and you can charge the mound.  But you DO NOT take cheap shots like throwing your helmet at the pitcher.  That seems rather bush-league to me.  Youkilis should be ashamed;  Boston fans should be ashamed.

My sister called me immediately after the play; she was listening to the game on the radio and wanted to know how it looked.  Yes, I said, Porcello drilled him in the back.  Yes, I imagined it was in retaliation for hitting Cabrera twice (and Inge once) in the series.  Yes, I was fine with Youkilis I explained.  Then she asked, what should Detroit do next?  I thought a minute.  I said I’d hit Youkilis every time he was at bat for the rest of the series.  I was just leaving work so no, I hadn’t been drinking.  I went so far as to say that they should put in Fu-te Ni (who was unavailable to pitch) just to hit the next batter.  Maybe that was a bit extreme; but maybe a little “hey, go thank Youkilis for this one”.

But know what?  I WOULD hit Youkilis the rest of the series.  Even better, make a statement.  Just have Leyland (who at this point is ignoring any questions about the second inning) state “hey, he should apologize.  Until he does, we’re going to hit him.  If he wants to charge the mound again, we’re going to pummel him.  Because he doesn’t respect the game”.  No it won’t happen.  But i’d be for it.  Maybe they make a statement (Ozzie Guillen sure did) but don’t hit him.  How comfortable will Youkilis be digging in against Verlander on Thursday?

Yes I recognize that what i’m writing is drastic and maybe i’ll feel differently after a few days.  Yes, many may feel different.  But I look at it from a pitchers perspective here.  If I’m going to be willing to pitch inside, or possibly, if I’m willing to protect my teammates by pitching inside or hitting a batter, I have to be willing to take the consequences.  However, batters have a different interpretation of this.  My only insight into this was John Kruk last week illustrating on MLB tonight on espn about the ‘right way to hit a batter’ — basically hit them in the fat part of their ass or something.  Kruk has a problem with going high and tight on batters.  I totally agree with Kruk on this, however, Kruk didn’t go into the ‘right way’ for the batter to vent his frustration by throwing their bat or helmet at the pitcher.  The way I see it, if a pitcher is willing to hit a batter, he should be willing to take the consequence of the batter rushing the mound.  But what Youkilis did was class-less and against whatever ‘unwritten’ rule baseball has in these situations.

Or, maybe, just maybe, Youkilis should just ask his pitching staff to stop hitting the opposing batters.  Maybe Youkilis needs to go home to learn how to fight, like Rob Lowe in Youngblood.  Because no matter the intentions (Porcello and Laird seem to disagree on what was happening)… Porcello made Youkilis look like a fool by tossing him to the ground.

So, to summarize:

1) I hope to never see Chris Lambert in a Tiger uniform again

2) I’d suggest that Kevin Youkilis (who might get suspended anyway – I agree with Keith Law here) doesn’t dig in too tight against Verlander.

3) I’d love a statement asking for an apology from Youkilis for being class-less in this instance.  Knowing the Red Sox record for apologizing for things these days, I won’t hold my breath.

4) I’m now boycotting one of the best restaurants in San Francisco.

Detroit seems to be scoring a few more runs then fans have come to expect lately, and they’ve even shown some heart coming from behind.  Tonight’s loss was hard to watch, but I guess i didn’t have a ton of expectations going into Fenway.  Most of the thoughts on the team going into the series will be covered in a This Week In Detroit Tigers Baseball podcast that Joe Dexter, J Ellet & I did during the middle of the game; it should be up soon.

Quick game thoughts:

• Magglio is hitting very well.  I assume its a combination of getting his timing down, adjusting his stance, not worrying about his wife… etc etc.  I will have to say that he’s been pressing all year, and you would assume he’d try too hard (and have it further affect his offense) trying to get his option to vest.  Instead, he’s been tearing it up (over .300 since the all-star break).
• I guess these are the trade offs you make with playing Marcus Thames in the outfield; he misses the first hit of the game (that later comes around to score on a home run) but gives you two runs batted in.
• You sometimes wonder if Jim Leyland sometimes shrugs his shoulders, looks at his bench and says “oh fuck it, warm Miner up”.
• Gerald Laird is hitting .291 in August.  Yes its still early in August… but here’s to hoping for more offense from the catchers as the workload distribution is changed.

The game was on ESPN, which quickly touted their movie “The Lost Son of Havana” to be shown after the game (at least on the west coast).  It caught my eye and I decided to watch the first few minutes of it, and I ended up watching the entire two hours.  It was a wonderfully done documentary on Luis Tiant’s return to Cuba 46 years after he was pseudo-exiled in 1961.  Totally recommended, and a great compliment to The Duke of Havana (both about Cuban baseball, but at different eras).  I loved the part where Luis walked into this city square where all the locals were talking (or arguing) baseball.  One of the camera crew members said “who is the greatest Cuban pitcher to ever play in the major leagues?”.  Near-violent arguments started… “Jose Contreras!”…. “El Duque!”.. “Livan Hernandez”.  Finally, one man said “Luis Tiant was the best”.  Of course, no one recognized Luis standing 10 feet away, and he was quickly introduced to the crowd.  I’m sure ESPN will re-run it soon; an amazing story and an amazing career for Tiant, who I was frankly unfamiliar with.

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.

A much needed win for the Tigers, both the game and the series — have to win at home.  Porcello looked great (though as Kurt mentions, ran out of gas).  Alex Avila also looked pretty good in his first action.  Magglio Ordonez’s new batting stance seems to give him more ‘pull’ on the ball.

The story here (to me) is still Avila.  Here’s what I thought:

• Certainly passes the ‘eye’ test for a catcher.
• has a great approach at the plate; sees a lot of pitches
• Had two hits in his first game;  Matt Treanor / Dane Sardinha / Dusty Ryan have a combined 7 hits this year.
• First two-hit game from Detroit’s catcher since July 8; first 2 hit game from a backup catcher this year
• Looks like he gets his hair cut by the same barber as Dusty Ryan
• Uses the old-school catchers mask, which I like.

Don’t want to get too excited; Dusty Ryan had a hit in each of his first two games (and was a few inches from homering in his first game).  But we also learned why he was demoted:  Leyland didn’t seem to trust Ryan.  Jason Beck reports that Avila will catch Galarraga and Porcello for a while… which i will assume is a lack of confidence in Dusty.

Last, I learned one more thing:  the vowels are all ‘soft’ in Avila.  Though, the way Mario kept pronouncing it on the telecast, it sounded more like a female reproductive organ.  So Alex has that going for him.

Today will be Alex Avila’s first start; its actually a pretty exciting time for Detroit and the Avila family.  Note:  FIVE, count them FIVE, catchers have started a game for Detroit this year (Gerald Laird, Matt “Misty-May” Treanor, Dane Sardinha, Dusty Ryan, and now Avila).  Thats not exactly murderer’s row, and its depressing since Treanor is the only player to bow-out due to injury.

I thought Matt at Take 75 North pretty well summed up the Avila promotion — its not that I’m against it, its just that it doesn’t make sense.  Its like Tiger management looked at the roster and said “hey, I really really like this roster, its playoff ready.  You know, however, if we ONLY had a left handed backup catcher… is there one in the Org?  Hey, Al, your son is a catcher right?  What?  He bats left handed? No shit?  How’s he doing these days?”

I hope Avila is able to play enough to make this move work for his continued development;  I think he’s a talent.  I commented on J Ellet’s blog last month that I still thought Dusty Ryan’s ceiling was more likely to be a backup to Avila, or if he can hit, a Victor Martinez type 1B / C split due to his size.

Is there any way to say it?  Yes, Detroit is still in first place.  Has there ever been more blatantly desperate moves by a first place team in August?  Ramirez up, Ramirez down, Lambert up, Avila up, Ryan down.

Ramirez recalled Tuesday, designated Tuesday evening.  Remember that part in “my cousin vinny” when Joe Pesci wakes up during the opening arguments and says “Uh… everything that guy just said is bullshit… Thank you.”  Yes, thats basically what happend to all of my thoughts / last post on the Ramirez move.  Sounds like Detroit will make a lot of moves in August between their roster and the farm team.  Maybe none of it means anything.

So, who knows what to think about the recent roster moves.  It would be nice if, I don’t know, a reporter with access to Jim Leyland, Dave Dombrowski, Mike Illitch, or maybe a waitress at the hockeytown bar could ask WTF this all means, why it happened, or what the next steps are.  But we’re all left to speculate.  Here’s what it might mean:  The management is nervous about the team.  Here’s what it probably means:  There is no money to take on a contract.  Here’s what it definately means:  Its a roller coaster from here on out.  You can’t even predict it.

Brian Sabean is on a weekly radio show in San Francisco, and its obvious that he loathes talking to the radio hosts.  But he does it every week, and has done it for the last nine years that I’ve been listening.  Is there anyone taking Dave Dombrowski to task about whatever it is his plans are?  Why are people like me pulling rabbits out of their hats trying to guess what is going on?  “hey, Dave Dombrowski, remember all of those fans you’re begging to come to the ballpark and to buy season tickets for 2010 so you don’t have to sell off Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson?  Do you want to maybe talk to them about your plans in 2009?”.  Because this statement doesn’t give much confidence:

“We knew when we made the move [with Ramirez] that this might be a day-to-day thing,” Dombrowski said.

Half of the team (maybe more?) is hitting below expectations for the entire season, but Detroit is letting them ride it out.  Wilkin Ramirez got three at-bats.  No I don’t think Wilkin is the savior, but I do think this reeks of desperation.

The Avila / Ryan move is equally baffling.  When does a rookie backup catcher positively affect a pennant race?

I am so confused.

Yes, this is what happens when you take a long lunch — Tigers recall Wilkin Ramirez, demote Casey Fien, no real explanation given.  Kudos to Ian, Billfer, and Kurt to write all of this up already, as i’m way late to the game here, but here are some thoughts)

So what do we know from this?  Or at least, what can we speculate?

• Well, looks like Brian Matusz is left handed;  Detroit obviously feels that Granderson is struggling against left handers (which he definitely is) and they had to make a move to address it (Ramirez is leading off tonight)
• Another roster move is probably coming.  I don’t know if Detroit has the balls to cut Ordonez right now or not; my gut says something related to Marcus Thames or Ryan Raburn
• I think this pretty much answers Detroit’s thought process on acquiring another bat:  if they do, it probably won’t be a corner outfielder.
• On that front, Rich Aurilia is basically available and could backup first and third.  Raburn would be a fit in SF, and Thames probably would too — SF is hurting for outfielders right now, though Thames’ defense would be rough in AT&T park.  I have little faith that Aurilia would come to the AL and hit .300, but Detroit has no real backup first baseman, and i doubt they’re excited about Raburn playing third extensively in case of an injury to Inge.  Aurilia also has playoff experience (2002 World Series), and Leyland seems to like aging veterans whether or not they can hit.
• I imagine that Casey Fien still fits in Detroit’s long term plans;  when there are so many games together and the bullpen was so strung out, its probably hard for the pitching coach / bullpen coach to get a lot of side work in for a reliever that was so effective in Toledo.  If game circumstances were different, Fien probably would have gotten some side sessions going.
• Random thought:  Lynn Henning talks about players who might see time in September.  Its probably quite premature, but I wonder if Detroit is looking at playoff rosters as well; I imagine Ramirez would fit the bill, possibly even bumping Magglio off the playoff roster.  You have to imagine Magglio’s playing time will dwindle to nothing once his option officially won’t vest.
• More random:  Interesting if Detroit includes Raburn or Thames in the right field platoon, further banishing Magglio to the bench.  Magglio’s magic number?  12.  He needs to play in 47 of the remaining 58 games to trigger his 2010 contract.  Twelve games missed and he’s a free agent this winter.

I finally received (via Netflix) There Will Be Blood, and watched it Saturday night.  The title pretty much foreshadowed Detroit’s game vs Cleveland Sunday.  Man did they suck.  So frustrating — enough that I started re-evaluating Toledo for potential starters.  Thats never a good thing so I’m taking a few days to calm down.

I mentioned on the live chat last week, its not that Detroit needs a bat, its that at times it feels like they need 3.  I’m sure some players won’t slump forever, but we’re getting past the point to expect that players such as Polanco or Granderson are going to significantly improve their average.  Considering Brandon Inge’s knees, he’s probably settling in where his average will be for the rest of the year (and now I question his power numbers going forward) — just staying in the lineup may be his best move for the team.  I imagine a move will be made before Sept 1, either via trade or from the farm system.  I just can’t figure out ‘who’ yet.

Man what a waste of a series.  Oh well.  Bring on Baltimore and see how Detroit’s newest pitcher fares against the Tiger Killer, Luke Scott (or maybe Baltimore won’t risk a lefty / lefty matchup?).

I had a lot of fun doing the Tigers’ live chat yesterday — thanks again to Billfer setting it up and of course allowing me to participate.

Quick rundown of what seemed to be the themes of the panelists and of the questions:

• Most people were happy with the Washburn trade
• Some felt Detroit gave up too much by including Mauricio Robles (and the John Smoltz talk was present)
• most frequent question asked by commentors:  Where’s the bat? / Is Detroit going to get a bat?
• In terms of a bat, many liked Adam Dunn
• Luke Scott was talked about quite a bit, but his recent slump was a cause for concern
• Lack of a proven backup for Brandon Inge (and Inge’s gimpy knees) was discussed
• The Scott Rolen trade was baffling
• Many panelists didn’t like the Giant’s trade for Sanchez (felt they overpaid).
• Many liked the Cliff Lee trade (and that was before he threw a complete game in his first start)

If you get a chance, take a read through the transcripts, as I’m probably not doing it justice.  Love to see the fan support of the team.  Of course, the White Sox / Peavy trade was not announced until after the chat, so there was no discussion around it.