Miscellany

Lynn Henning writes that Brad Thomas has had a good spring. He attributes the stellar play in part to adjusting to the smoother surface on baseballs in MLB, as opposed to those used in Korea, where he played before returning to American ball last season. The smoother baseballs led to Thomas' breaking ball having reduced spin last season, which made it more hittable. With some grip modifications, Thomas' breaking pitch's effectiveness has been restored.

It's always reassuring to find out that there was a concrete reason for a player's struggles. It's much preferred to the mysterious disappearance of skill, because something can be done about it. I'm glad to see that Thomas did identify the issue, and was able to make corresponding adjustments.

Speaking of the mysterious erosion of baseball ability, Dontrelle Willis is a non-roster invitee for the Cincinnati Reds this Spring. He is fighting for a bullpen spot, and not a place in the starting rotation. He had a bit of a setback in his last outing, walking two, and giving up two hits and two runs in only 1/3 of an inning, before rolling his ankle trying to back up home plate (possibly stepping on a bat). Previously, however, he had two very solid outings of two scoreless innings each. For more on Willis' Spring, click here. He's feeling confident and comfortable, and Cincinnati may have a spot for him as an innings-eater in the 'pen.

If you watched the Tigers game that was televised on ESPN on March 3, you may remember Bobby Valentine saying that Brennan Boesch is battling Ryan Raburn for the starting left-field job. Uh, did he pull that out of his baseball cap, because Jim Leyland has asserted all along that the starting job is Raburn's. Now, maybe Valentine hallucinated the whole thing, and maybe he misspoke and meant that Boesch is battling for a roster spot. That he is, and playing pretty well (in the small sample size thus far). In fact, that outfield reserve position has quite a few contestants. Casper Wells and Clete Thomas are also hopefuls. I'm not including Don Kelly, because he is pretty much assured a spot as utility guy and emergency catcher. Let's take a look at how Boesch, Wells, and Thomas are playing so far.

Boesch .333/.459/.467/.926 over 10 games and 30 AB

Thomas .321/.355/.357/.712 over 12 games and 28 AB

Wells .391/.533/.783/1.316 over 11 games and 23 AB

To begin, we have way too little data to go on thus far. It's just a little snapshot, and doesn't mean much. Wells is probably out of luck, because Boesch and Thomas are both lefties, of which this lineup is short. He would have to sustain his current raking over the remainder of Spring Training and play out of his mind on defense as well to beat out the pair of left-handers. I think that if Boesch and Thomas end with similar lines, Boesch will probably get the spot, since the club may want to see if he can play like he did the first half of next year. Thomas can play all three outfield spots, but so can Don Kelly (sort of), who is already pretty much a lock. Who do you want to see snagging the outfield reserve roster spot?

Games Attended 2009: The Final Chapter

I hear those sighs of relief that this series is coming to a close. I'm having a hard a time as you waiting for baseball season to roll around. It hurts doesn't it? Soon, soon, it will be here. I'm going to Spring Training for the first time ever this year, so I'm not going to have to wait as long as some.

This post will look at the performance of My Tiger Magglio Ordóñez at games in which I was in attendance. It's a very self-indulgent post, I know, but I couldn't help myself, and it's my blog, so you can stop reading now if you don't like it.

Magglio appeared in 15 of the 22 games I attended. Here are his numbers:

Mon. Apr. 27, 2009, 3 AB, groundout, K, HR, 3 RBI

Sun. May 17, 2009, 4 AB, flyout, double, K looking, fielder's choice, BB, 0 RBI

Fri. June 5, 2009 4 AB, groundout, double, K, single, 1 RBI

Sat. June 6, 2009 3 AB, single, groundout, BB, GIDP, 1 RBI

Tues. July 7, 2009 4 AB, groundout, groundout, K, K, 0 RBI

Tues, July 21, 2009 3 AB, grand slam, BB, groundout, FC, 4 RBI

Wed. Aug. 5, 2009 3 AB, single, home run, GIDP, defensive replacement Ryan Raburn in the 8th inning, 1 RBI

Sat. Aug. 29, 2009 4 AB, K looking, single, fielder's choice, single, pinch runner Clete Thomas in the 8th, 1 RBI

Tues. Sept. 1, 2009, 3 AB, BB, K looking, single, flyout, 0 RBI

Wed. Sept. 2, 2009, 4 AB, single, flyout, single, single, 1 RBI

Thurs. Sept. 3, 2009 pinch hitter 7th inning for Aubrey Huff, 1 AB, K, BB, 0 RBI

Mon. Sept 14, 2009, 4 AB, BB, flyout to left, single, groundout to short, single to left, 0 RBI

Fri. Sept. 25, 2009, 4 AB, GIDP, groundout, single, flyout, 0 RBI

Sat. Sept. 26, 2009, 6 AB, flyout, flyout, double, single, single, popup, 2 RBI

Sun. Oct. 4, 2009, 4 AB, double, single, home run, single, 1 RBI

Magglio's batting average at games I attended was .444. So glad to know I was a rabbit's foot for Mi Magglio too. Again, if you want to help fund season tickets for your team's lucky charm, feel free.

On a side note, I happened to be at the game in which Magglio hit two home runs in one inning back in 2008. It was pretty great, except for the fact that I missed the second homer. After the first home run, my son was begging me to go out to the ferris wheel, so I relented. Imagine my horror as we batted around that inning, hearing the cheers of the raucous crowd, stuck inside a giant baseball spinning around and around. Oh well.

Games Attended 2009 Part Deux

Rewinding again to the season of 2009, I bring you more fascinating statistics from games I attended. I know, right, couldn't I come up with anything better to blog about in the offseason? Anyway, if you're up for it, here are some more useless facts.

Tigers starters lasted on average 5.9 innings at games I attended.

The dubious honor of the shortest start goes to Armando Galarraga with a sorry 2/3 of an inning on May 17. On the bright side, we won that game 11-7, so he didn't have to feel quite so dejected over getting the early hook. The Athletics sent ten batters to the plate that first inning, and scored 5 runs, all of them charged to Galarraga. Zach Miner came in and got a strikeout to end the inning. Miner stayed out there through the fifth, allowing two runs (including a solo shot to Orlando Cabrera in the fifth), Lucas French took the hill for the sixth and seventh, tossing scoreless frames, Perry set up in the 8th, and Rodney closed it out in one of his infamous non-save situations. Except that he was good in this particular non-save, allowing no hits, no runs, no walks--wow! Interesting about this game is a note scrawled across the bottom of my scorecard by my son stating "I want to go home, I want to go home." What kind of nine year old doesn't want to be at the ball game? What is wrong with my child? I'm still working on him. Sigh.

I did get to see a complete game by a Tigers starter last year, and it was thrown by Edwin Jackson on June 6 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. That hilarious moniker is actually on the scorecard by the way. This game was a 2-1 affair, which should come as no surprise, given the paltry run support Edwin got all year. Edwin gave up one run in the first, was then very efficient (only in the 4th did he not face the minimum batters), and struck out the side in the NINTH inning, for a grand total of 109 pitches. Gerald Laird cut down Chone Figgins after he led off the sixth with a single (Figgins stole 42 bases in '09 and was caught 17 times according to Baseball Reference). Notably, ALL of the game's runs were scored in the first. Polanco singled, and Clete Thomas walked, then Ordóñez and Granderson (who was batting fifth that day--Josh Anderson led off and played left), singled and sacrificed Polanco and Thomas home.

More unbearable rehash is on the way.

Sand in My Shorts

I was driving home from Warren Dunes on Sunday afternoon, quite literally encrusted with sand, sunburnt and having the worst hair day imaginable. I was happy as could be though, having gotten my Great Lakes fix. I didn't even know the outcome of the Friday and Saturday games. I had made a couple half-hearted attempts to find out, but to no avail. I asked some guys on the beach if they followed baseball, they said yes and I asked whether they knew who won the Tigers/Indians contest on Friday. They all shook their heads negative, and one said he followed the Cubs.

Once in the car, I started scanning stations for the Tigers game, and found one, albeit with a little static. I tuned in just in time to hear Clete Thomas and All-Star Final Vote winner Brandon Inge go yard back to back. Well that was a nice way to find my way back into the Tigersphere. I still got no word about the other games, however. Well, we started piling on the runs after that, and I had to search for stations now and again straining through the static, so everything was very spotty. I did hear Dan and Jim pretty much lambasting the Indians pitching staff. I feel for Eric Wedge, because I don't feel he's really at fault. Early on, decimated by injuries. Now, a bunch of guys are WAY underperforming (Carmona, Perez to name a couple). Finally, after we won, I heard Dan or Jim mention that we took the series. Then I knew we had one won, lost one.

Wow, the Tiger blogosphere was busy producing world class content while I was away. Impressive. Check out the links on the blog roll at right for some great reads.

Four in One

Sorry to say it, but the gaudy stuff does grab the headlines.  Clete Thomas broke a 5-5 tie, and put the game out of reach this afternoon with one mighty swat.  It was the first grand slam of his career, and he sure picked a dramatic spot.  After getting swept by the Red Sox, we most definitely didn't want to lose the series to the Halos.

This game was tense throughout, we were down early, came back to lead 4-3, walked in the tying run, etc.   Pretty Little Ricky did a nice job steadying himself after giving up three in the first.  Not a great performance, but I like grit, and he sure gave us that through five. 

So, when we tied the game (nice bluff home to induce the errant throw, Raburn!) and then loaded the bases with two outs (we can send the Angels pitching staff a fruit basket for issuing four walks in that inning), I found myself wound a wee bit tight, worrying that we'd strand the bases juiced, and I would leap off the edge of sanity into some pitiful state of lunacy.

Clete Thomas decided that shred of sanity was worth saving (and for that, I thank him).   He wouldn't even come out for a curtain call, when the fans were imploring him with chants.  Aw.  His humility seems quite genuine, so it's pretty durn adorable.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder about our Skipper a little.  I guess maybe he has to do it (but I don't think he really does), but why, why I ask, does he keep putting Rodney in the game for the now fabled "non-save situations?"   It would be laughable if it weren't so maddening.  Even FSN had the hideous splits plastered all over for the viewing masses to see.  Actually, in this game, Perry, Seay, and  Zumaya had already pitched, so maybe it was better than watching Brandon Lyon trot out of the pen.  But still, it's a valid question for Skip, no?

Clete Thomas, I'm Sorry

In my ode to defense, I forgot to mention Thomas' brilliant assist, throwing a strike from right field to gun down Nelson Cruz at the plate.  Most excellent, Clete.  And now, you get your own post out of it, so it works out in your favor, see?

Gimme a D!

I had to DVR this game and then bury my head in the sand to avoid hearing the outcome.  I didn't finish watching until well after 11:00 pm.  What a worthwhile little endeavor that was.

Brandon Inge.  I must now extol the virtues of his vertical.  He saved a run and a certain Sardinha error with that leaping snare.  I have to admit, I was giggling with delight after that play.

Kinsler was putting on a one-man circus on defense as well.  Step right up, see second baseman run down a ball in foul territory, making a diving basket catch.  See him pinch the lead runner, ranging to his left and getting off a spot-on throw.  Step right up--you'll get your money's worth with the Ian Kinsler show, baseball fans.

Not to be outdone, Jarrod Saltalamacchia throws Jeff Larish out at second in the fourth inning.  Better, though, was him losing a foul pop in the sun and covering his head with his mitt in defense of his noggin.  Even the umpire was smirking to himself afterward.

In a not so sparkling defensive play, Clete Thomas misses a deep fly off the wall in the eighth, putting the tying runs in scoring position.  To be fair, it was a tough-ish play, and rightly not scored an error, IMO.  Mr. Jackson nearly extricated himself from the inning before giving up a double to Nelson Cruz to put things all square at three.  Jim Leyland decides to test Edwin Jackson's grit by letting him have a go at finishing the 8th with runners on first and third.  He triumphed on his 132nd pitch by striking out Saltalamacchia.  Jackson was staring off into space shaking his head ever so slightly in the dugout afterward, as if in disbelief that he was left out there so long, that he threw that many pitches, that he got out of it without surrendering the lead.  Oh the glory of it.  Hey, that's still a quality start.

I loved that Millwood and Jackson were both out there dueling in the 8th, and each in hot water.  It added to the drama.

And, oh, such a cute little bloop single by the mighty Cabrera to score Polanco.  You cannot script this stuff, and that's why this game is so intoxicating.

Finally, our use-me-only-in-save-situations-or-I'll-breed-many-ulcers-in-your-stomach-lining closer Fernando Rodney comes in to try to obtain his eighth save in as many opportunities.  Does he convert?  Oh, he does, you doubters.  Yes he does.  Does he give us an ulcer anyway, as vengeance because he's been used in many non-save situations lately?  Yes he does.  And again, it goes back to defense as we turn a lovely 4-6-3 double play to end it.

Bless you boys!

TigerFreeze 2009

Here are a couple snaps from TigerFest yesterday.  To say it was cold does not express the depths of frozen-ness we endured.  We got to the stadium at about 10:20, and had to wait outside the gates in an ever lengthening line for at least 30 minutes.  Inside, they did have sheeting up and portable heaters blowing in some warmth, so those areas were fine.  You did have to walk through various unheated concourses and stairways at times.  Those areas were frigid.  

Lines were very long-about 1.5 to 2 hours.  We only waited in one of the autograph lines.  As you can see, we got Carlos Guillen, and Clete Thomas.   I got in one other autograph line at the end of our time there, but didn't have the heart to put my son through it after learning it would be over 1.5 hours.

My son enjoyed the whiffle ball home run derby--he hit at least 3 "home runs."

If my son hadn't been there, I would've gone to the clinics/panels/interviews with players.  I heard those were good. 

All in all, it was just OK.  The cold diminished the fun, and the lines did also, but both were to be expected.

There wasn't quite as much kid stuff as I thought there would be.  It was just a few things in the concourse behind right field.

Touring the clubhouse was ok.  There wasn't much in it, so it seemed kind of sterile.  I'm not sure if they were letting people in the dugouts this year.  We didn't do that if they were.

Anyone else have stories to share?

Flaking Out

I hate to bring anything personal into this blog, and I really hate to flake out at such a critical juncture in the off-season, but I'm hosting a Christmas party on Saturday.  I'm more than a little behind on such things as cooking, baking, cleaning and decorating.  So....I won't be posting much here until Sunday when the tinsel settles.

I must make a quick comment on the most recent of Tiger moves.

Aaaaahhhhh!

I'm not happy to lose the services of young Mr. Joyce.   I think we'll be regretting swapping him away.  I don't know, maybe Clete Thomas will be great this year, but.....

I don't know a lot about Edwin Jackson, but several other bloggers have put up some good info, so see the blog links over at the right.

Enjoy the last of the Winter Meetings, y'all, and here's hoping we sign that closer--Brian Fuentes???  Don't you feel comfortable with DD saying we do have Rodney who could close?   I don't hate on Rodney as badly as most people do, but he's been injury-plagued and then had some spectacular implosions last year, so....

I'll just trail off into the snowflakes until Sunday.