As mentioned recently the fine folks at fanball.com have brought me on board to cover the Detroit Tigers through their network of new blogs covering Major League Baseball. After some tinkering and futzing around the new site is up and ready. You can visit my new home for Tigers coverage at:

www.eyeofthetigers.com

I’ll be covering the Tigers exclusively there going forward, so you’ll want to add it to your favorites or grab the RSS Feed there to get my thoughts on the boys going forward. I’m very excited about this new venture, and look forward to hearing from all of you over at the new site.

Also worthy of announcement, going forward all of my fantasy baseball related content will appear at www.fantasybaseballsearch.com in the blog section, and at some combination of www.fightingchancefantasy.com and www.fantasybaseballtonight.com

I’ve decided to take this blog back to its’ roots, a place of literary exploration. I’ll be posting new works of fiction and non-fiction here in this humble forum, but all of my baseball related work will appear as stated above.

Thank you, sincerely, for taking the time to visit me here. I hope you’ll still stop by from time to time. Your comments, emails and sense of community here have been wonderful, I hope you’ll continue to contribute at the new sites and follow the Detroit Tigers with me. Again, the new blog url is www.eyeofthetigers.com

Be Well,

John

Hazaa

The fine folks at fanball are launching a network of new blogs covering every team in Major League Baseball. I am humbled to announce that yours truly has been hired to run the new Detroit Tigers site. Fanball has been a premier fantasy sports site featuring fantastic games, analysis, contest and more for years now. This expansion will bring the resources of a tremendous sports network to blogs covering every team in MLB, including our beloved Detroit Tigers. I am proud to be a part of this new venture and will do my very best to serve you, the reader in all things Detroit Tigers.

The site is up, the groundwork has been laid, the bunting is being hung for Opening Day and soon – very soon – it will be ready to welcome you. I’m putting my personal touch on it this weekend and expect to launch by the middle of next week. As soon as everything is in order I’ll post the link so you can check it out – I think you’re going to love the name. I’ll give you a hint.

Those of you who subscribe to this blog via the RSS feed or email subscriptions for your Detroit Tigers fix will want to sign up at the new site, as I will be writing about the Tigers exclusively there. I will continue to use this site for other topics, including fantasy baseball, at least for now. I’ll make sure to provide the subscription links for the new site as soon as the icing is on the cake.

Enjoy your weekend, a happy Father’s Day to all who apply, and if you happen to find yourself at Comerica Park on Saturday for the debut of Alfredo “The Marriage of” Figaro – give a wave towards suite 110 above first base. I’ll be enjoying the Saturday festivities with family and friends in style thanks to my sister-in-law and her houghty toughty corporate connections. Thanks Annie.

Be Well everyone, and go Tigers!

Hazaa

Have a question or comment? Leave your thoughts below or feel free to drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

As interleague play rolls through the Tigers and Twins have common opponents in the NL Central division. Minnesota traveled to Chicago last weekend, taking two out of three from the Cubs before coming home to handle the Pirates in the same fashion. The Tigers meanwhile lost two of three against Pittsburgh and will face the Cubbies at home next week. Detroit barely escaped St. Louis with a win last night, leaving their interleague record to date at 3-6. Minnesota meanwhile has feasted on their NL brethren to the tune of 7-2.

nine match ups vs. the NL Central remain for each squad before the Twins take on the Royals for a three game set and the Tigers head to Oakland to battle the A’s.

Then the real fun starts.

Over the 4th of July weekend the Twins will host the Tigers in what is shaping up to a battle for first place. That is if the Tigers can find a way to win against their senior circuit counterparts. I faithfully believe in the power of the possible, but my friends, it ain’t lookin good.

Having seen the front 3/5 of their rotation chewed up and spit out by the Cardinals with but one in the win column, the Tigers will now send Armando Galarraga and Alfredo Figaro to the hill against a team that has scored 30 runs in its last three games. A team that happens to be in first place in their division as well. If the Tigers manage to escape this series still ahead of the Twins their reward will be to face the top three starters in the Cubs rotation – Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden and Ted Lilly.

The Twins on the other hand will face the cellar dwelling Astros before taking on the Cardinals. We can predict, we can project, we can speculate all we wish – but it’s fair to imagine the Tigers may be looking up at first place come July 3rd when they tangle with the Twins. It’s more than fair to believe that by the end of that holiday weekend trist in Minneapolis we will know where the power in this division truly lies.

While the AL Central is wide open I believe the Twins represent the most serious threat to the Tigers, as they seem to do every year. The White Sox have no identity, the Indians are a mess and the Royals are well, the Royals, be it a slightly better version than we are used to. I’m not ready to rule anybody out, but I’m getting close.

While the division is perhaps the weakest in the major leagues it still by rule will have a winner, and I believe that winner will be the Tigers or the Twins – Specifically, whoever plays the best baseball over the next two and a half weeks.

By July 5th when the Tigers leave the Metrodome the trade market should be clearer than it is today. The Tigers may have a new outfielder by then, or at least have one in mind. Armando and Alfredo will be looking back at three starts a piece, the organization watching closely, hoping that the bottom of the rotation is finally settled.

I can’t predict what role Magglio will have on this team at that point, if any, but I imagine the situation will have sorted itself out by July 6th. I don’t know if Jim Leyland will be back next year, but I expect I will know by that point as well.

Each season as teams battle to the death in the final days for the last remaining playoff berths we can look back, back to one stretch of games, one week, maybe two, maybe two and a half where the end result was actually decided. It is in these patches of games that winners rejoice for the effort they put forth and losers lament for that which they left behind. It’s different for every team, it’s different every year. Ladies and gentlemen I believe that time for this team is upon us.

The very identity of this team going forward is at play. If they fail hard here there will be no bonanza come July 31, no final push, no mustering of everything in the Ilitch arsenal to put another flag up in Comerica Park. However, if this team can battle through their recent failures, find a way to put it all together for a couple of weeks, then the cavalry could well be on the way.

If they simply continue to tread water it’s anybody’s guess, but in that case I believe the Twins will surpass them without breaking a sweat.

This division is waiting for someone to grab it by the throat and claim it as their own. Sometime between now and when the last fireworks have fizzled either the Tigers or the Twins should have their hands around its’ neck.

Cross your fingers Tigers fans, it can’t hurt.

Hazaa

*Note*

*Very soon I’ll be covering the Detroit Tigers exclusively through a new blog! I’m honored to say that a big name in Fantasy Sports is launching a network of team sites and has asked me to run their brand new Tigers blog. I’ll have all the details as soon as everything is up and running, so keep your eyes peeled.*

Have a question or a comment? Leave your thoughts below or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

*Very soon I’ll be covering the Detroit Tigers exclusively through a new blog! I’m honored to say that a big name in Fantasy Sports is launching a network of team sites and has asked me to run their brand new Tigers blog. I’ll have all the details as soon as everything is up and running, so keep your eyes peeled.*

I posted some of these last night in the game thread over at Bless You Boys, but for those who weren’t a part of that lovely endeavor here’s the rundown. All stats are from Baseball Reference, the place where stat geeks go to get aroused.

The Tigers swing at the first pitch 28% of the time. Only the Texas Rangers do so more often among American League teams.

The Tigers have seen the 2nd fewest strikes (5,581) of any team in the AL, trailing only Kansas City.

The Tigers have the highest percentage of any team in MLB of fly balls hit that ended in the infield (16%), I.E. pop ups or line drives caught in the infield.

Through Tuesdays game the Tigers had compiled the following offensive numbers in the month of June:

Batting Average: .222, On-Base %: .304, Slugging %: .351, OPS: .655

In games the Tigers have won this year the team has compiled the following splits (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS): .298/.374/.474/.847 – in losses those numbers are .210/.276/.331/.606

Dane Sardinha is now batting .097 (3-31), the lowest batting average of any position player in MLB with at least 30 at-bats.

Combined with Gerald Laird’s numbers (36-168, .214 average) the Tigers have the lowest combined batting average at the catcher position of any team in the major leagues  – .196.

After an 0-1 count Tigers hitters are hitting .217

With men on 1st and 2nd base the Tigers are hitting .212

In the 9th inning the Tigers are hitting .225, in extra-innings .235

While it is conventional wisdom that hitters fare better against starting pitchers the 2nd and 3rd time they face them in a game, the Tigers have disproved that so far this year. The team is hitting .264 the first time through, .250 the 2nd time through and .246 the 3rd time through.

Of the 15 teams the Tigers have played so far this season they have a batting average of .300 or higher against only two of them – the Oakland A’s and Texas Rangers. They have an OPS under .600 against three of these teams – The Rockies, Red Sox and Yankees.

The Tigers have more HBP’s (19) than sacrifice flies (14), one of only three teams in MLB with such a distinction.

Among American League teams only the Oakland A’s (24) have used more hitters this year than the Tigers (23).

The Tigers currently rank below the American League average in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI’s, batting average, on-base %, slugging % and OPS.

Only one team in the American League (Oakland A’s) has stolen fewer bases than the Tigers (34)

Only five teams in the AL have been caught stealing more (17)

The Tigers have grounded into the most double plays in the AL (66)

The Tigers have scored three runs in a game 12 times, two runs eight times, one run eight times and zero runs twice – in total the Tigers have scored three runs or less in a game 30 times, or 46% of their games.

I can’t type any more, my stomach is hurting.

Hazaa

Have a question, comment, suggestion or ridiculous idea? Leave your thoughts in the comments or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

Before I go I wanted to call your attention to a new badge on my site. You’ll find it in the upper right hand corner, it’s a colorful little thing with a Stand Up To Cancer logo.

Upper Deck has teamed up with this wonderful charity to help raise money to fund cancer research. You can support their efforts and help the casue WITHOUT SPENDING A NICKEL. Just click the Help Now button and you can pick your favorite Upper Deck trading card. That’s it. Upper Deck will donate to Stand Up To Cancer on your behalf.

As a cancer survivor of more than 9 years now I can tell you first hand that lives like mine are saved by research the likes of which Stand Up To Cancer funds. It only takes a minute and you get to check out some cool vintage sports cards.

You can also read this feature and more fantasy baseball news and notes at Fighting Chance Fantasy and Fantasy Baseball Search.

Those of you who find yourselves in need of a fantasy pick-me-up in your outfield should wander over to your league page, go to the add player link and search for Juan Rivera. Do it. Do it right now, I’ll wait.

All set? Good. Why am I so hastily pushing you in his direction? In his last 10 games Rivera is 16-40 (.400) with four home runs, 11 RBI’s, six runs scored and has struck out once, that’s right, once. Over the last month he’s hitting .354 with an OPS of 1.070 and has driven in 22 runs. I’m guessing those numbers are better than at least one of your OF options over that span. The best part? If you act quickly he’ll be available – he’s owned in only 16% of Yahoo leagues and 14% of ESPN leagues as of this morning.

Ian Stewart is still on a roll in Colorado, if you need some middle infield assistance you could do worse. In his last 15 games he’s 16-50 (.320) with five home runs, 14 RBI’s and 13 runs scored. Like Rivera he’s widely available. He’s owned in only 32% of ESPN leagues and 44% of Yahoo leagues. His dual eligibility at 2b/3b makes him a quality backup option at minimum.

Mark Reynolds hit 28 bombs and drove in 97 runs last year, but scared many owners with his .239 average and record 204 strike outs. The 2009 version of Reynolds is still a whiff machine with 90 in his first 234 AB’s, but he’s blasted 17 bombs already and is hitting a sexy .282 with a .944 OPS. If the K’s don’t hurt you in your particular league then you might want to put him on your wish list. You’ll most likely have to trade for him as he’s owned in 85% of Yahoo and 95% of ESPN leagues, but his power and eligibility at 1b/3b make him an attractive target.

Don’t look now but Scott Podsednik is making a push for fantasy relevance once again. He’s taken a rocky road in and out of baseball following his break out 2005 campaign and recently re-emerged with his old team, the White Sox. He’s picked up nine steals in 41 games to go with a .309 average and 18 runs scored. He won’t give you power, but if you need average and speed support in your outfield he’s a free agent option to consider, at least in the short term. He’s currently available in just about 90% of both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.

Matt Palmer will face off against Tim Lincecum tonight in San Francisco. Combined the two starters have a 12-1 record. Before you go nutty over Palmer and his 6-0 mark take a closer look at his other numbers. In 50.1 innings he’s struck out 30, walked 20 and holds a 4.11 ERA. Nothing to write home about. He’s getting less than 50% of his outs on the ground and half of his wins have come against Kansas City, Seattle and San Diego. Sometimes guys manage to pick up wins with less than impressive peripheral numbers on a consistent basis (see Tim Wakefield) but more often than not those guys fall off quickly. Just something to think about.

Jason Marquis is another unheralded hurler with unexpected success recently. He’s 4-0 in the last month with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Like Palmer his K to BB ratio over that time has been mediocre (21:16), but he’s kept the ball on the ground (58% ground balls on the season) and has seen significant run support lately (30 runs by the Rockies over his last five starts). He’s available in 80% of ESPN leagues and 67% of Yahoo leagues if you want to take a chance on him.

His teammate Jason Hammel also has four wins in the last month, not bad for a guy owned in 1.2% of ESPN leagues. In the month of June he’s 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 15 K’s against three walks in 18.1 innings pitched. He’s a big SOB at six foot six with a power arm and a good curve ball who came over from Tampa Bay earlier this season. I’m keeping an eye on him, you should too.

Ok boys and girls, it’s time once again for the weekly staple that keeps you all coming back to the Hump Day Look See – the top 10 hitters and pitchers of the last week. As always the lists below use the rankings from a Yahoo standard 5 x 5 roto league for the last 7 days. All stats are accurate as of this morning. Notice there are five players from the Rays and Brewers among the top 10 hitters. Also notice that Albert Pujols was the best hitter in the game over the last 7 days. Which makes sense, as he is the best hitter in the game over any number of days.

Top 10 Hitters Of The Last Week:

No 1 – Albert Pujols, STL – .381, 5 HR, 8 RBI’s, 7 Runs, 2 SB

No 2 – Alex Rios, TOR – .500, 2 HR, 5 RBI’s, 6 Runs, 4 SB

No 3 – Carlos Pena, TB – .391, 4 HR, 7 RBI’s, 10 Runs

No 4 – Ryan Braun, MIL – .379, 2 HR, 9 RBI’s, 8 Runs, 2 SB

No 5 – Ben Zobrist, TB – .409, 2 HR, 4 RBI’s, 10 Runs, 2 SB

No 6 – B.J. Upton, TB – .308, 1 HR, 3 RBI’s, 4 Runs, 7 SB

No 7 – Alberto Callaspo, KC – .478, 2 HR, 9 RBI’s, 6 Runs

No 8 – Corey Hart, MIL – .400, 2 HR, 7 RBI’s, 7 Runs, 1 SB

No 9 – Torii Hunter, LAA – .389, 4 HR, 8 RBI’s, 5 Runs

No 10 – Kung-Fu Panda (aka Pablo Sandoval), SFG – .462, 3 HR, 6 RBI’s, 6 Runs

Top 10 Pitchers Of The Last Week:

No 1 – Gil Meche, KC – 2 Wins, 17 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP

No 2 – Felix Hernandez, SEA – 2 Wins, 11 K’s, 0.56 ERA, 0.94 WHIP

No 3 – Kevin Millwood, TEX – 2 Wins, 7 K’s, 0.61 ERA, 0.82 WHIP

No 4 – Kevin Correia, SD – 1 Win, 9 K’s, 1.93 ERA, 0.43 WHIP

No 5 – Matt Cain, SFG – 1 Win, 9 K’s, 1.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP

No 6 – Jose Contreras, CWS – 1 Win, 8 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

No 7 – Dan Haren, ARI – 1 Win, 7 K’s, 1.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP

No 8 – Cliff Lee, CLE – 1 Win, 6 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.56 WHIP

No 9 – Javier Vazquez, ATL – 0 Wins, 12 K’s, 1.12 ERA, 0.25 WHIP

No 10 – Tim Lincecum, SFG – 1 Win, 8 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP

That’s all for today kiddies, but before I go I wanted to call your attention to a new badge on my site. You’ll find it in the upper right hand corner, it’s a colorful little thing with a Stand Up To Cancer logo.

Upper Deck has teamed up with this wonderful charity to help raise money to fund cancer research. You can support their efforts and help the casue WITHOUT SPENDING A NICKEL. Just click the Help Now button and you can pick your favorite Upper Deck trading card. That’s it. Upper Deck will donate to Stand Up To Cancer on your behalf.

As a cancer survivor of more than 9 years now I can tell you first hand that lives like mine are saved by research the likes of which Stand Up To Cancer funds. It only takes a minute and you get to check out some cool vintage sports cards.

Until next time….

Hazaa

Have a question or a comment? Leave your thoughts below or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

*Very soon I’ll be covering the Detroit Tigers exclusively through a new blog! I’m honored to say that a big name in Fantasy Sports is launching a network of team sites and has asked me to run their brand new Tigers blog. I’ll have all the details as soon as everything is up and running, so keep your eyes peeled.*

With just about six weeks remaining until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline the Detroit Tigers find themselves in first place in the AL Central, albeit with some gaping holes in their roster. Through ineffectiveness or injury the Tigers are struggling to fill the bottom two spots in the starting rotation, are platooning various youngsters in the outfield with mixed results and have little flexibility in the bullpen. 

Quality left-handed pitching seems to be lacking, to put it gently, and quality left-handed hitting is a problem as well. The lineup protection for Miguel Cabrera is drying up, which could lead teams to pitch around him more and more.

If this team intends on staying in first place these shortcomings need to be addressed, and quickly.

It should be a buyers market this year. The state of our economy has impacted everyone, including major league franchises. A number of teams are beyond out of the running for a playoff berth and are likely weeks or even days away from a rebuilding purge of veteran talent. This trade deadline bonanza should be as rich and fruitful as any in the last decade.

It’s too bad that the Tigers won’t be able to capitalize on it.

Adding quality talent at the deadline requires two things – prospects to trade away and money to pay the players you are acquiring. The Tigers are desperately short on prospects and have a payroll that is not only bursting at the seams, but with players who are not helping this team win to boot.

I’ve spent the better part of a week scouring the internet, searching for one reputable baseball publication that considers the Tigers farm system to be in good shape. I can’t find one.

Trades for Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis sent most of the top tier talent in the system elsewhere. The #1 prospect in the organization coming into this season was Rick Porcello, who is no longer a prospect and definitely not for sale. The same can be said for Ryan Perry, who has been elevated to the big club once again, so starved for bullpen depth. A flurry of position players have come up through the system to the Tigers thus far, with barely an impact.

It’s time to tell it like it is – the Tigers farm system, as a whole, is awful.

What little quality talent exists in the minor league affiliates is either penciled in for next season or blocked by unmovable contracts on the 25 man roster. Placido Polanco and Matt Treanor are free agents at the end of this season and Gerald Laird is in his last arbitration year. Many people, including myself, expect Scott Sizemore and Dusty Ryan to take their place in 2010, meaning they would be off-limits come trading time.

What does that leave available for the Tigers to offer in exchange for the quality talent they need right now?

Not much.

Of the top 100 prospects listed by Baseball America the Detroit Tigers have one, the aforementioned Rick Porcello.  Beyond The Box Score rated the Tigers farm system as having the least value in all of baseball, and that was including Porcello. Scouting Book has a matrix of the top 393 prospects in baseball, including their ranks with Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Aside from Porcello (19) and Perry (97) the next Tiger on the Scouting Book list is shortstop Cale Iorg at 137. He is un-ranked by both BA and BP. The same can be said for Jeff Larish (251), Dusty Ryan (254), Casey Crosby (287), Fu-Te-Ni (317) and Scott Sizemore (358).

The cupboard is bare my friends.

Major league teams looking to unload high-priced, high-talent veterans want inexpensive, young talent in return. Dave Dombrowski can’t give what he doesn’t have. Opposing MLB GM’s won’t take what they don’t want. Complicating matters even more are the debilitating contracts littering the major league roster, chained to the ankles of management like boulders.

I think it’s fair to state that Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen and Jeremy Bonderman are not helping this ballclub win very many games this year. They are however draining the Tigers cash reserves at an alarming rate.

The Tigers will pay these five players a combined $55,500,000 this year. While the contract of Gary Sheffield comes off the books for 2010 the other four remain, at a staggering $47,500,000 for next season. That’s more than one hundred million dollars over two years for five players that for one reason or another are doing nothing to help this team win. To be fair, Carlos Guillen and Jeremy Bonderman have succumbed to injuries, so the argument can be made that there was some bad luck here, although I believe these were bad contracts regardless of health. However you figure it, that money is going to be paid out, like it or not.

Even if the team were able to pull a fast one and acquire some veteran talent for nothing, the Tigers will have to pay these players. Am I the only one wondering where the money would come from?

It certainly isn’t coming from ticket revenue, as attendance at Comerica Park is down, in a big way. Last season the Tigers set an all-time record for attendance, drawing more than three million fans and averaging 39,538 fans per home game. So far this season the Tigers have drawn 795,717 fans through 28 home games, for an average of 28,418. That’s a 28% drop from last season, and the team has been in first place for weeks, something that did not happen last year.

I understand that Mike Ilitch is a wealthy man, and that he loves winning, but can we really expect him to pad a payroll that is already the fifth highest in all of baseball? When attendance is down 28%? We haven’t even explored the fact that next years payroll will be even higher.

Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and Joel Zumaya among others will be arbitration eligible and will get enormous raises. The Tigers will see Fernando Rodney, Placido Polanco, Brandon Lyon and Adam Everett hit the free agent market – meaning they will need to be re-signed or replaced, which is going to cost money.

When the big picture is examined in this light I struggle to find any rational arguments that support the Tigers being buyers at the deadline, at least for big name talent. Yes, Mike Ilitch has stated that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win, but sometimes desire alone is not enough.

I hope I’m wrong. I sincerely do. I would love nothing more than to see the Tigers add the missing pieces to a championship run and march through the playoffs unabated. I just don’t see how the organization can transform a litiny of mediocre prospects into star power, or where the money will come from to pay them. We’ll see. It’s a long summer and anything is possible. But I won’t be surprised if July 31 passes quietly in Detroit this year.

Hazaa

That’s all for today kiddies, but before I go I wanted to call your attention to a new badge on my site. You’ll find it in the upper right hand corner, it’s a colorful little thing with a Stand Up To Cancer logo.

Upper Deck has teamed up with this wonderful charity to help raise money to fund cancer research. You can support their efforts and help the casue WITHOUT SPENDING A NICKEL. Just click the Help Now button and you can pick your favorite Upper Deck trading card. That’s it. Upper Deck will donate to Stand Up To Cancer on your behalf.

As a cancer survivor of more than 9 years now I can tell you first hand that lives like mine are saved by research the likes of which Stand Up To Cancer funds. It only takes a minute and you get to check out some cool vintage sports cards.

Have a question or a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

- Earl Warren

I’m heading “up north” this weekend, as we metro Detroiters say, with the soon to be Mrs. J Ellet Lambie. A little rest and time away from the city is needed. I’ll be away from this humble forum until Monday morning or so, but before I go I wanted to share a few links, and an email I received.

 Yesterday I wrote a piece about the collision between bloggers and traditional media folks based on the story of Jerod Morris and his post about Raul Ibanez. Thanks to those of you who have emailed me already with your thoughts on the subject, including Jerod Morris himself. As I linked to his original post he found the article and contacted me yesterday afternoon.

While I disagree to an extent with what he wrote and criticized him for it in my article, I believe he acted without malice and is hardly the bottom feeder others have called him. Jerod had this to say to me, in part:

“I just stumbled upon your post while scanning through the multitudes of comments on the Raul Ibanez posts on MSF and I wanted to commend you for writing a truly fair and balanced account of what happened.  I am well aware that opinions regarding my article on Raul fall strongly on both sides, and I think you did a fantastic job of presenting those opinions within the broader context of the media at large.”

“Anyway, thanks again for writing a really nice post.  I linked to it in my article from today as I accummulate the different perspectives on this issue.  If blogging is about anything it is about fostering debate and interaction, and I certainly take it as a positive that so many people have been inspired to share their views on this issue which is about a specific blog and a specific player, but that really gets to the heart of so many bigger issues”.

While my piece was admittedly not a glaring attack on Jerod, I did say in no uncertain terms that I thought he acted irresponsibly and was hardly without blame in all of this. The fact that he reached out to me in the way that he did says a lot, at least to me. Not many of us, if put in his position, right or wrong, would have handled the backlash as well as he has. I commend him for that, and for his open-minded approach.

On another topic, big thanks go out to Ryan Hallam once again. His expanding empire of fantasy baseball coverage now includes a new collaborative site – www.fantasybaseballtonight.com. His work (and mine) is now also appearing at www.fantasybaseballsearch.com and for the time being at least still at www.fightingchancefantasy.com.

Ryan has quickly become a friend, he’s been very kind with his time and advice and has also published a good bit of my work. Take a wander over to his sites, it’s good stuff and well worth the look for you fellow fantasy baseball freaks.

Here’s what I’ve been reading the last couple of days:

Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers reported last night that Clete Thomas has been sent to Toledo and Don Kelly has been called up to the big club.

He also wrote this morning about the mystery of Ryan Perry, Jeremy Bonderman and somebody from the Tigers heading to the DL.

This one was written a week ago but I enjoyed it thoroughly and thought you might as well. Big JP from Always A Tiger had a great piece about Jeremy Bonderman needing to do his Frank Tanana impersonation going forward.

Joe Dexter over at Motor City Bengals put together an excellent profile of the Tigers 6th round draft pick Daniel Fields, also the son of former Tigers hitting coach Bruce Fields. It’s a very cool piece, check it out.

Billfer at The Detroit Tigers Weblog regularly covers the Tigers minor league affiliates, as he did here, it’s a segment I don’t miss.

Rivals profiles Luke Bailey here. Bailey is a high school catcher who caught a bad break and was drafted this past week in the 4th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. I’m rooting for this kid, if he heals up they could have a steal on their hands.

ESPN posted this last month, although I just found it yesterday. Bryan Fuller of Campbellsville University threw 21 shutout innings….in 26 hours.

Mike McClary of The Daily Fungo reminisces about the Ugie Urbina for Placido Polanco trade here, on it’s 5 year anniversary. On a side note, did you know Ugie is the only player in MLB history who’s initials are UU? It’s true.

That’s it for today kiddies. If you come across a story you think I might enjoy or should feature in the next edition of the sports pages, send it to jelletlambie@gmail.com

Until then….

Hazaa

*NOTE*

If you live in the metro Detroit area and find yourself looking for some baseball related fun Saturday morning, check out the release below from the Detroit Tigers.

DETROIT – Detroit’s favorite Mascot, PAWS, joins Eagle Sports Club’s 2009 Summer Baseball Opening Day celebration on Saturday, June 13 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The event will include a dedication ceremony for two Balduck Memorial Park baseball field renovations, made possible in part by a grant awarded last season from the Detroit Tigers Foundation and Major League Baseball’s Baseball Tomorrow Fund.

In addition to the field dedication, there will be the annual Eagle Sports Club baseball parade, an inflatable carnival ride, the Universal Antique Ambulance, a St. John Emergency “Fun” Tent, and a presentation by Detroit City Council member, Alberta Tinsley-Talabi.

The Balduck Memorial Park field renovations benefited from one of 11 grants awarded in 2008 by the Detroit Tigers Foundation. This season, the Detroit Tigers Foundation presented over $200,000 in grants to 15 organizations during an on-field, pregame ceremony in May. The grants will directly assist nearly 6,000 youth through a variety of baseball-related programs, including the renovation of 20 baseball or softball fields throughout Michigan.

The Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, was established in 2005 to enhance lives through the game of baseball. With a focus on youth, education and recreation, the Foundation aids and develops initiatives that help promote the game of baseball. Visit www.detroittigersfoundation.org for more information about the grant application process.

Balduck Memorial Park is located at 5271 Canyon Road in Detroit.

Phillies Ibanez rips blogger for PED theory

So I clicked, I read, I followed the links where they led, and read some more.

The ESPN.com headline stems from John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer and his column in which he referenced the blog of Jerod Morris. On Monday Morris, who runs a small sports blog called Midwest Sports Fans as a sideline, posted a story entitled The Curious Case of Raul Ibanez: Steroid Speculation Perhaps Unfair, but Great Start in 2009 Raising Eyebrows.  

I know, lousy title. The premise, as reported by ESPN in all of its’ entities, was that Morris proclaimed Ibanez a possible steroid user. I’ll let you read the story for yourself and make up your own mind. I have formed my opinion, which I’ll get to later.

Ibanez responded angrily when a reporter asked him about the story, which is hardly surprising or wrong. I would too. He went on to tell reporters, according to the ESPN.com article,

“Make them accountable. There should be more credibility than some 42-year-old blogger typing in his mother’s basement. It demeans everything you’ve done with one stroke of the pen.”

For the record I don’t know if Jerod Morris lives in a basement, whether said basement is his mothers and whether Raul Ibanez knows this either. I do know however that in very short order the largest sports media company in the United States made Jerod Morris big news.

ESPN invited him to be a guest on Outside The Lines to discuss the issue with John Gonzalez of the Inquirer and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, both full-time professional journalists. 

In short order both Gonzalez and Rosenthal skewered Morris with every ounce of voracity they could muster. Journalistic ethics and standards were debated, then used like clubs to bludgeon this little blogging man into a pulp. Ken Rosenthal even went so far as to invoke the golden rule in saying Morris should consider if “he would want something like this written about him” before publishing.

I had read the post in question prior to seeing the segment, something I’m not sure can be said for many people, including Ken Rosenthal. After watching the debate I returned to the article to give it another read. It was then that I noticed the barrage had begun. Comments were being posted at a blistering rate, some in support of Jerod, although the majority with a different spirit.

“Matt said:

your an idiot and an ass. cool you write a blog, prick“

Confusing, yet complimentary, I guess, maybe?

“Raul said:

Have fun in court! I hope you lose everything you own. Out there running your mouth like you know something. What a horrible article, guess its why you don’t have a real career and never will.”

I’m not sure what Morris does for full-time work, but I doubt this is the real Raul Ibanez talking.

“GT said:

How about you find a REAL journalism job instead of hiding behind an anonymous sports blog?”

Which I found interesting, as “GT” seems to be the anonymous one whereas Morris went on national television to defend himself, right or wrong. Then there are my personal favorites:

“Frank said:

YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR ASS CAUSE PHILLIES FANS ARE FUCKING NUTS AND WILL FUCK YOU UP IF THEY SEE YOU… I DARE YOUR LITTLE NERD BITCH ASS TO COME TO CITIZENS BANK PARK YOU FAGGOT“

“Rob M said:

I think I’m going to speculate your a rapist because I know other rapist from the Midwest, think I’m gonna go blog about it…. only fair right?”

Ah the eloquence of angry philly fans, tugs on your heart doesn’t it? Makes me wonder why no one from ESPN or the Philadelphia Inquirer has spoken out on the language and statements appearing from readers. The comments section of the story is part of the same link, the same published material – it’s right there below the article itself.

I would imagine if Ken Rosenthal or John Gonzalez were being threatened with violence and outright slander in a public forum they might have something to say about it. But hey, it’s just some blogger, nobody cares.

I don’t pretend that Morris is without blame in all of this. He wrote the story. He published the story. Different opinions have emerged as to whether Morris was raising a question or pointing a finger, though however you view his work you must concede that he poked the bull a little. Don’t poke the bull unless you’re prepared for the horns, right or wrong.

I understand the reasons mainstream media pundits are piling criticism upon Morris. Rosenthal and the gang feel he sullied the good name of sports writing and needs to be slapped on the wrist in front of everyone. For the record I think what Morris wrote was irresponsible. I do.

Although it was hardly as egregious as what Rick Telander wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, which is not a blog but a newspaper, which last I checked is part of the “mainstream media” so many journalists are claiming has higher standards than the blogosphere.

Telander, discussing the power surge of the diminutive Theriot, wrote:

“Sorry, Ryan Theriot, you’re a suspect. Forget Manny Ramirez and Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire and all the other hulking, accused performance-enhancing drug users.

You, sir, all 5-11, 175 pounds of you, are doing devious things.”

I would assume that he meant that in jest, as satire, that he was trying to be clever. He wasn’t clever, he was absurd. If Jerod Morris deserved to be stripped and whipped on the front page of ESPN and its’ Outside The Lines for his words, then Telander deserved much more. But there was no front page story.

Oh ESPN did have a story about it, it was on the ESPN Chicago page, in the blog section of all places, which you need a map, a compass and an Indian guide to find. Bruce Levine wrote the piece, which featured a soft and fuzzy story about Telander and Theriot meeting at Wrigley Field days later to have a chuckle and talk baseball.

Funny, there was no Outside The Lines segment demonizing Telander, a member of the “mainstream media”; Hypocrisy – plain and simple at its’ ESPN finest. At least Ken Rosenthal spoke up about it.  Rosenthal wrote on foxsports.com:

“Even respected mainstream journalists such as the Chicago Sun-Times’ Rick Telander are stretching previous boundaries. Telander began a recent column by saying, “Sorry, Ryan Theriot, you are a suspect,” and ended with the line, “When you plant cheating, Major League Baseball, cynicism will be the crop.”

Fair enough, but such finger-pointing forces players into a corner.

It’s irresponsible. It’s unfair. It needs to stop.”

Personally I find this rebuke softer than the one issued to Morris, in which Rosenthal used the same finishing line without the “fair enough” caveat, but quibbling over semantics does not solve the problem, and I respect and generally like Ken Rosenthal despite his over-the-top brow beating of Morris. I understand and agree with many of the points he made in claiming Morris to be wrong in this case. But I will say this in Jerod Morris’ defense….

At least he put his name on it.

He did not invoke an “unnamed source”, he did not site information from “A person close to the team”, he used no material obtained from a person who illegally leaked it to the press in defiance of the orders of a Federal Court Judge, dare he steal an idea from the playbook of “mainstream media” members.

Speaking of Selena Roberts, she was in the news as well yesterday. Several media outlets, including ESPN to their credit, reported that sales of her book, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, were down sharply and falling well short of expectations. It seems Ms. Roberts book has sold approx 16,000 copies, out of 150,000 in the first printing.

The story points out that her book was ranked #2,904 on Amazon.com, more than a thousand places behind the discredited memoirs of James Frey, A Million Little Pieces, which was published more than six years ago.

This is the same Selena Roberts who has been criticized heavily in the blogosphere for her reporting of the now defunct Duke lacrosse rape case. The same Selena Roberts of The New York Times, which has refused to print retractions for factual errors and misleading passages in her coverage of the scandal that wasn’t what she claimed it was.

This is the same Selena Roberts who, in her book on Alex Rodriguez, included factual errors about times and places where Rodriguez was said to be engaging in these dirty acts of cheating.

I’m counting this one in the win column for journalistic integrity, for common sense and most importantly, for the readers. The public at large seems to have sent the message mass media outlets and old-school pundits have refused to believe - that we, the readers, are tired of the dirty, devious, under-handed and manipulative tactics of giant killers and sensationalists.

We are tired of media outlets like ESPN carrying live coverage of Alex Rodriguez for more than five straight hours on the day his failed drug test became public. A failed drug test which again, was obtained from someone who remains to this day anonymous, who violated the order of a federal court judge in providing it to Ms. Roberts and the gang at Sports Illustrated.

 This was the same behavior that netted writers Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn (both now of ESPN) “the goods” on Barry Bonds, except in this case it was grand jury testimony.

Ken Rosenthal pointed out in an interview at bizofbaseball.com:

“I’m bothered by the many leaks of confidential information – the BALCO grand-jury testimony, Bonds’ positive test for amphetamines. It reeks of McCarthyism. Of course, as journalists, Lance and Mark did exactly what they were supposed to do; leaking grand-jury testimony is against the law, printing the information is not.”

I’m bothered by it too, I believe many of us are. I agree that it reeks of McCarthyism, I disagree that journalists should do it. While it is not illegal to print the information, as Rosenthal points out, it should be.

The continuance of the illegal act leaves a stain that is tough to wash away, over time we get used to it, and it becomes standard practice, but it shouldn’t be.

There are times in history when the public right to know, the public need to know has out weighed the legal calamities and ethical quandaries that resulted from a reporter running a story, but don’t even try to tell me writing about a baseball player and alleged steroid use qualifies here. If you can do it with a straight face I don’t trust you any farther than I can throw you. The first amendment is a shield, not a toy.

It’s irresponsible. It’s unfair. It needs to stop, to borrow the phrase.

This kind of abuse of journalistic power is what I’d like to see profiled on Outside The Lines, in the New York Times, in the San Francisco Chronicle, and on blogs near and far. Pundits can beat down a sports fan with a keyboard all they want and smile, thinking they are fighting the good fight for ethics and standards, but until the mainstream media looks in the mirror and adresses the farce it has become, I won’t take a word of it seriously.

They can defame non-traditional media, call bloggers names, act like the proverbial older brother and embarrass “new-media” types in front of everyone to make their point, but it’s a hollow and fruitless exercise, for neither newspaper men nor bloggers get to score the argument.

That responsibility belongs to the readers.

If the shuttering of newspaper buildings and the vast expansion of blogs and web-based news is any indication, I’d be sweating all over my typewriter if I were a fish-wrap man.

Journalism has evolved, it will continue to evolve, and as it does there are standards and ethical lines in the sand we all should abide by, many of which have been true for centuries. But no member of the media, old or new, can say with sincerity that their faction as a whole does it right.

Each instance, each story, each journalist needs to looked at on a case-by-case basis. If you feel each should be judged, so be it, the freedom of speech we all are thankful for allows us that opportunity, but remember it is the reader who will ultimately make the final decision.

Have a little faith in your audience. Remember that when people read the blog post from Mr. Morris they will form their own opinion. They will ask the questions, they will look for the answers. We don’t always need to tell them how to react, they are quite capable of letting Jerod know if he was right or wrong.

As of the moment I type this his post on Raul Ibanez has been read some 13,445 times. There are 220 comments and counting, more negative than positive in case you’re wondering. Funny, in three days his post on a blog nobody had ever heard of last week has been read by almost as many people as Selena Roberts’ blockbuster book on A-Rod. At least I think it’s funny.

But what do I know, I’m just a blogger.

Hazaa

Have a question or an opinion? Leave your thoughts in the comments or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

If your roster has been ravaged by injuries lately (like many of mine) there may be some good news coming soon. Pat Burrell and Jason Bartlett of the Rays are both expected to return within a week, giving some punch to the Rays and fantasy lineups everywhere. While Burrell is middle of the road fantasy outfielder Bartlett has been among the best shortstop options in the game so far this season.

Chris Iannetta has returned to the Colorado Rockies, now if only his batting average would do the same. In all seriousness, he has eight home runs so far in 108 at-bats. If he can even get the average back to the .264 level of last season and stay close to this power pace he could be a solid reserve backstop option going forward.

Ricky Nolasco recently returned from his brief “get it together” trip to the minor leagues. In his first start back with the big boys Nolasco lost, I know, I’m shocked too. Kidding aside, he allowed 10 hits and three walks in seven innings while fanning four and surrendering two earned runs (three total). It could have been better, it could have been worse.

Rich Harden will come off the DL Saturday and face the Minnesota Twins that night. Hopefully he can make it through next week without returning to the disabled list.

Marcus Thames returned to the Tigers lineup this past Saturday after missing seven weeks with an abdominal injury. He’s 5-14 with one home run, one RBI and two runs scored since then. He’s swinging hard and well, and could provide a little short-term pop while your remaining DL’d outfielders heal up.

The last week has been a good one for Colorado Rockies with middle infield eligibility. Ian Stewart is the #1 ranked player in all of Yahoo fantasy baseball over the last seven days, hitting .419 with four bombs and 12 RBI’s. Teammate Clint Barmes hasn’t been far off the pace with 10 RBI’s and a .483 average in that span.

Nobody has struck out more hitters in the last week than….you guessed it, Scott Baker of the Minnesota Twins. What, you didn’t guess Scott Baker? Don’t worry, nobody did, but alas he’s fanned 18 in the last week while picking two wins. Before you get overtly excited, remember that accounts for half of his 2009 total and that his record now stands at 4-6 with a 5.59 ERA.

Now let’s get to the hump day staple, the top 10 hitters and pitchers of the last week in Yahoo Fantasy Baseball. As always players are listed by rank, according to Yahoo, not me, based on the stat categories in a standard 5×5 roto league. Note that Josh Beckett is the #1 pitcher for the second consecutive week. I’m going to mail him a cookie.

Top 10 Hitters of the Last Week:

#1 Ian Stewart, COL — .419, 4 home runs, 12 RBI’s, 9 runs, 0 SB

#2 Adam Lind, TOR — .500, 4 home runs, 7 RBI’s, 8 runs scored, 0 SB

#3 David Wright, NYM — .647 (11-17), 1 home run, 5 RBI’s, 6 runs, 2 SB

#4 Scott Podsednik, CWS — .323, 1 home run, 2 RBI’s, 6 runs, 4 SB

#5 Andre Ethier, LAD — .435, 4 home runs, 6 RBI’s, 5 runs, 0 SB

#6 Prince Fielder, MIL — .500, 3 home runs, 6 RBI’s, 6 runs, 0 SB

#7 Lyle Overbay, TOR — .455, 2 home runs, 9 RBI’s, 6 runs, 0 SB

#8 Hunter Pence, HOU — .391, 2 home runs, 6 RBI’s, 6 runs, 0 SB

#9 Chipper Jones, ATL — .450, 3 home runs, 9 RBI’s, 4 runs, 0 SB

#10 Ben Zobrist, TB — .300, 3 home runs, 7 RBI’s, 5 runs, 1 SB

Top 10 Pitchers of the Last Week:

#1 Josh Beckett, BOS — 2 wins, 17 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 13.2 IP

#2 Scott Baker, MIN — 2 wins, 18 K’s, 3.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 15 IP

#3 Jered Weaver, LAA — 2 wins, 16 K’s, 2.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 13 IP

#4 Jeff Niemann, TB — 1 win, 9 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 9 IP

#5 Jon Lester, BOS — 1 win, 11 K’s, 1.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 9 IP

#6 Ted Lilly, CHC — 1 win, 11 K’s, 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 13.2 IP

#7 Andrew Bailey, OAK — 3 saves, 6 K’s, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP, 5 IP

#8 Jonathon Broxton, LAD — 1 W, 2 saves, 8 K’s, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 4 IP

#9 Brad Bergeson, BAL — 1 win, 9 K’s, 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 15 IP

#10 Johnny Cueto, CIN — 2 wins, 8 K’s, 1.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 13.1 IP

Until next time kiddies….

Hazaa

Have a question, comment or useless statistic you want to share? Leave your feedback in the comments below or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com

Overall Record — 30-25, 1st place in the AL Central

Team Batting Average — .264, tied for 9th in the AL, tied for 14th in MLB

Team ERA — 4.13, 2nd in the AL, 8th in MLB

All three of these indicators are more positive than at the 27 game mark. The team is five games above .500 with an ERA and batting average in the upper half of major league baseball. The Tigers 4.13 ERA is down from 4.16 at the 1/6 point, the .264 team batting average is up three points. Most importantly the Tigers have moved from 2nd place in the AL Central to having a 3.5 game lead.

Let’s look a little deeper:

Home Record — 17-11

Road Record — 13-14

Division Record — 11-9

This seems to be on pace with the 27 game numbers. Coincidentally the Tigers are 14-4 against the AL West, the best statistical record of any team in MLB against a single division not their own. Let’s go a little deeper yet:

Day Games — 15-5

Night Games — 15-20

One Run Games — 6-6

Last 10 Games — 4-6

Again the Tigers play exceptional baseball in the daytime, slightly below average at night. The 6-6 record in one run games concerns me, but it could be a lot worse. Now let’s break down the pitching a bit, shall we? We’ll start with the starting pitching stats *NOTE* I’ve included Zach Miner and his numbers in the bullpen statistics. He has had four starts on the year but has appeared in nine games in relief.

Starting Pitching:

22-19 record, 3.80 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 277 hits allowed, 105 walks issued, 249 strike outs in 307.2 innings pitched.

Very respectable on the surface. The K:BB ratio of the rotation sits at 2.5:1, 34 total home runs have been surrendered by the rotation (22 by Galarraga and Porcello) and the win total would equate to roughly 88 victories over a full season. Now let’s examine the bullpen.

Relief Pitching:

8-6 record, 4.68 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 182 hits allowed, 90 walks issued, 134 strike outs in 178.2 innings pitched.

I’m not impressed. Any bullpen that is allowing more than one and a half baserunners per inning is asking for trouble. Especially when you consider that often times managers go to the bullpen when the starting pitcher has put a man or two on base in that particular frame. The bullpen K:BB ratio is very low at 1.48:1, indicating that even with multiple power arms in reserve this ballclub does not have the control required to kill an opponents rally consistently. Both the starters and relievers allow a home run approximately every 9 innings pitched (1 per 9.05 for the starers, 1 per 9.40 for the bullpen). Now let’s move on to the offense.

Team Hitting:

VS. right-handed pitching — .258 (352 for 1362), 41 HR, 195 RBI’s, .329 OBP, .402 slugging %, .731 OPS, 137 BB, 252 strike outs.

VS. left-handed pitching — .281 (135 for 480), 15 HR, 67 RBI’s, .354 OBP, .443 slugging %, .797 OPS, 51 BB, 99 strike outs.

While the Tiger’s hit 23 points higher, slug 41 points higher and have an OPS advantage of 66 points against lefties these numbers can be deceiving. When you examine the ratios of at-bats per HR, RBI, K and walk the numbers are strikingly similar. The Tigers have hit one HR every 32 at-bats against lefties, one every 33.22 at-bats versus right handers. The team has one RBI per 7.16 at-bats against lefties, one every 6.98 at-bats against righties. In terms of strke outs and walks — the Tigers whiff once every 4.85 at-bats and walks once every 10.41 plate appearances against lefties, where as they fan once every 5.4 at-bats and walk once every 10.94 plate appearanced against right handers.

The Tigers have played with more balance in this regard over the last 27 games than the first 1/6 of the season. In the first 27 games the Tigers scored one run every 6 at-bats against right-handed pitching, one run every 7.6 at-bats against left handed pitching. That split after 55 games is now 6.58/6.87 respectively.

The offense has struggled in recent walks, regardless of which hand the opposing pitcher was using. In their last 15 games the Tigers have scored two runs or fewer seven times and three runs or fewer ten times — the team scored one run five times in that span, or in 1/3 of their last 15 games.

Now let’s take a look at the studs and duds so far.

The Pitching Studs:

Justin Verlander — He leads the major leagues in strike outs with 97, has a 3.26 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and a .233 batting average against. He hasn’t lost since April 17th and should have eight wins instead of six, had the bullpen been able to do their job.

Edwin Jackson — His 2.16 ERA is the 2nd best in the AL and the 3rd best in all of MLB. He boasts a WHIP of 0.98 and a strike out to walk ratio of more than three to one. Like Verlander, he should have more than his current total of six victories, but has lost out on multiple chances due to poor bullpen work and a lack of run support. He’s allowed more than three earned runs only twice in a dozen starts.

Rick Porcello — While the youngster has looked more hittable in his last two starts he still has an ERA of 3.98 and six victories through the first week of June. It’s fair to say he’s exceeded expectations to this point and shown signs of growth that are very encouraging.

The Pitching Duds:

Armando Galarraga/Dontrelle Willis — The back end of the rotation buddies are a collective 4-9 with ERA’s of 5.31 and 6.84 respectively. Armando has shown improvement in his last two starts, Willis was impressive in his second start of the season, but both have been wildly inconsistent and more often than not they have each been well below average pitchers. While I hope that Rick Knapp can fix this pair, he’s definitely got his work cut out for him.

Brandon Lyon — I’ve heard the cries that he’s overworked and overwhelmed, I’m not buying it. With the exception of one bizarre game where he threw 60 pitches his workload has been no more taxing than a pitcher of his experience and arm strength should be able to shoulder. In 23.2 innings over 19 appearances he’s 1-3, has an ERA of 5.70 and has 13 walks against 10 strike outs. Pathetic, plain and simple.

Zach Miner — I realize he’s been asked to fill several roles, that Miner has gone along with being moved from the rotation to the bullpen and back and forth like a lawn sprinkler, and that he has done it without much complaining. That’s nice. Someone give him a sticker, but certainly not as a reward for his performance. While his record may be 3-1 he is certainly not pitching that well. His 5.29 ERA and 1.82 WHIP are atrocious. He’s allowed 44 hits and 18 walks in 34 innings. Opposing hitters are batting .314 against him. He may have a rubber arm, but that doesn’t mean we should be seeing it at the major league level.

The Hitting Studs:

Miguel Cabrera — Among regulars he leads the team in batting average (.352), on-base % (.421), slugging % (.565) and OPS (.986). While Brandon Inge and Curtis Granderson have more hom runs Cabrera leads the team in RBI’s and has a significantly better walk to strike out ratio (22 walks, 28 K’s) than either of them.

Brandon Inge — speaking of the little engine that could, Brandon has been an unexpected offensive star to this point. While his average has dipped from its’ high point in early May, he is still at .277, well above his career mark. His power numbers have been impressive, it seems his modified plate approach and patience are paying dividends.

Curtis Granderson — while his batting average has fallen to .264 he’s found more of a power stroke and has quietly stolen 10 bases in 12 attempts. He leads the team in runs scored (37), home runs (13) and is tied with Josh Anderson for the team lead in stolen bases. This is the beginning of Curtis Granderson, three hole hitter.

The Hitting Duds:

Placido Polanco — it kills me to put him on this list, but through 55 games “Polly” is hitting 52 points below his career average. His OBP is a dismal .302 and he’s provided little in the power department, which is to be expected. I believe he’ll get back on track soon, but at this point he’s been a disappointment.

Gerald Laird — a .234 average with two home runs and 14 RBI’s from a guy with 141 at-bats in this lineup is not exactly stellar. He’s playing above average defense and drawing walks (19 so far), but his bat has been slow and quiet.

Dane Sardinha — I know it’s mean to pick on both the starting and back-up catchers, but seriously, he’s hitting .115 with 13 strike outs in 26 at-bats. I’m fairly certain random fans pulled from the Comerica Park stands could put up these numbers.

The Grades:

Offense — C.  The Tigers have scored 277 runs to date. The league average in the AL is 274. They have scored the third most runs in their division, behind Cleveland and Minnesota, ahead of the White Sox and Royals. The Tigers rank 9th in the AL in batting average, 11th in hits, 9th in OPS, 8th in strike outs, 8th in walks and 8th in on-base %. Certainly sounds like a middle of the road, average set of numbers to me. In the last two weeks the Tigers offense has been offensive to watch, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Defense — B plus. The Tigers rank 3rd in the AL in fielding % (.988), 2nd in defensive efficiency (.705), have made the 3rd fewest errors and have turned 53 double plays, good for 5th in the league. Gerald Laird and Dane Sardinha have thrown out a combined 29% of attempted base stealers, which is tied for 5th in the AL. After some early struggles the defense has rebounded nicely. The youth and range in the outfield have helped the pitching staff more than their inexperience has hurt it. Brandon Inge is making highlight reel plays on a regular basis, Adam Everett and Placido Polanco seem to be playing well together and Miguel Cabrera is getting better every day.

Pitching — B minus. While Verlander and Jackson have been spectacular and Porcello has been a pleasant surprise, there are many question marks behind them. The back end of the rotation has been hit and miss, as has the bullpen. I contemplated grading lower here, but when considering that 40% of the rotation (Verlander and Jackson) are 10-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 104 K’s since May 1st, it just seemed a bit too harsh. The staff as a whole is a bit overrated and needs some tuning up, good thing I have faith in Rick Knapp.

Management — C. For every positive surprise there has been a negative reality. If I were grading Jim Leyland alone I would go higher, perhaps a B- based on how many veterans he’s been without and how many other veterans he surely wishes he was without. The organizational side is included here and frankly, I’m not pleased with Dave Dombrowski at this point. Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, Carlos Guillen, Brandon Lyon and let’s not forget Gary Sheffield are on the payroll, with huge financail consequences, with very little if any positive impact to the team on the field. If this team aims to contend management will have to make changes, until it does the grade will stay in this general vicinity.

Overall — B minus. Yes, I realize this team has a 3.5 game lead in the AL Central. I also realize it is early June and that lead is thanks in large part to a pair of starting pitchers being unhittable for six weeks. If either Verlander or Jackson comes back to earth this team could sink like a stone. The defense is improved, the offense should get better and the bullpen is a crap-shoot. All in all while the team is atop the standings, they have played like a 4th place team many times this season. To be fair, there have been nights where this club could have beaten any other in the major leagues, but not nearly often enough. The Detroit Tigers are at a fork in the road,, in 27 more games we should have a good idea which path they’ll take on the home stretch.

Going forward — In the next 27 games the Tigers will face the following opponents: Chicago White Sox (4), Pittsburgh Pirates (3), St. Louis Cardinals (3), Milwaukee Brewers (3), Chicago Cubs (3), Houston Astros (3), Oakland A’s (3), Minnesota Twins (3) and the Kansas City Royals for 2 games, three total in that series. 19 of these games will be on the road, where the Tigers are one game under .500. The combined record of these opponents as of this morning is 246-258. Only three of these teams currently have a winning record, the Cardinals, Brewers and Cubs.

In the last installment I predicted the Tigers would be 30-24 at the 54 game mark, turns out I was wrong, they were 29-25. After yesterdays victory in game 55 the Tigers are 30-25. I’ll take being off by one game. As the 81 game mark is the numerical half-way point of the season I’ll predict at that juncture the Tigers will be 44-37, meaning they will win 14 of their next 26 games.

Also in the 1/6 mark review I predicted Placido Polanco would pull out of this uncharacteristic funk and be hitting .300 by this point. Oops. Looks like I missed the boat entirely on that one, as his average has actually sunk to .252. I’m going to stick with a prediction of improvement here, although I don’t think he can add 48 points in 26 games. Instead I’ll say he’ll reach .300 by the 108 game mark, or 2/3 of the way through the season.

It should be an interesting month and change until the all-star break. From there the non-waiver trading deadline will sneak up on us and we’ll be in the middle of pennant race time before you know it. Here’s hoping the Tigers will be a part of all of these exciting events.

Hazaa

Have a question or a comment? Leave your thoughts below or drop me a line at jelletlambie@gmail.com