It's Looong Gone!

As I type, I'm watching Gary Sheffield's at bat in an MLB Network live look in at the Brewers/Mets game.  It's 4-3 Brewers in the 7th, with no outs and nobody on.  Specially hologrammed balls are being used for each of Sheff's at bats, to enable authentication, thereby allowing some lucky fan to cash in on the historic 500 ball (I mean, so the ball can be donated by some benevolent lover of baseball to the Hall of Fame).   On a 2-2 count, Sheff rips two balls foul , then takes ball three, a close one just outside.   He then fouls one back, and then jacks 500 wearing number 10, his first hit as a Met, gets an ovation from his new teammates, followed by hugs and high fives, and a warm welcome from his manager Jerry Manuel.  Adding to the drama is the fact that the home run ties the game 4-4.

Now I made no bones about the fact that I'd wished Sheff would've hit 500 in the last game of season last year.  He got an extra at bat after Magglio tied the ballgame in the 9th, but no it was not to be.  My hopes for him hitting that dinger were not strictly unselfish.  I thought perhaps if he hit it, he'd retire on top of the world and free up $14 million off our salary for 2009.  Not to mention the fact that I was at the game, and it would be really exciting to be there for such a milestone.

I'm happy for Gary, and hope he enjoys all that goes along with such a crowning achievement.  If there are any shadows of such things as PEDs, well, Gary must learn to live in their shade.  If experience tells me anything, Sheff can talk himself and anyone who will listen into believing that the cream and clear were simply liniments applied like so much Icy-Hot.

Prophesy!

Well, not five minutes after I wrote my last post, I read Jason Beck's blog, and lo and behold, my prediction about Sheffield has already come true.    Not that it was too difficult to foresee, but, I'll still take credit for the prophesy.

Sheffield Thou Art Loosed

Too bad the $14 million we owe him isn't also loosed.  Oh well, it's a freeing move for the Tigers notwithstanding the monetary loss.  We're freed up to retain Marucs Thams, and to DH Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordóñez more often.  We're also liberated to bring Jeff Larish up with the club.

Now, I admit I'm protective of my own guys, so I was more than a little rankled when a local sports radio personality said today that Magglio Ordóñez was probably the worst right fielder in baseball.  Excuse me, Bobby Abreau played right field in the WBC and Magglio played left--making Abreu the lesser fielder.  There--at least one who's worse!  I admit he's a liability, but when Josh Anderson and Curtis Granderson play with Magglio, the center-fielder will be freed up to drift right, savvy?

Well, Sheff's tenure with any club is bound to be colorful, so it'll be interesting to see where he lands, and with whom he hits the big 500.  New grudges are sure to be birthed in moments of self-aggrandizing drama.  I'm sure we'll soon be hearing how the Tigers held him hostage at DH when he had all the desire and ability to play the field.

I always loved Sheff's bat through the years, and coveted it for the Tigers.  Old clichés ring true--be careful what you wish for...

Take a Spin on the Rumor Mill

You may have thought the ride was over now that Spring Training is in full swing, but no...the rumor mill has not ceased operation.  Listen to what I heard today, and see if it doesn't get you feeling a bit woozy.  

I was listening to Karsch & Anderson this noon, who were broadcasting from Lakeland.  One of them says that he's heard that perhaps the Tigers will dump Sheffield and his $14 million dollar contract to ensure that Jeff Larish has a spot on the roster.   

To be honest, I don't put a whole lot of stock in this news, thunderous as it may be.  My jaw did drop, true, at its hearing, but actually believing it is a whole other thing.  Their current proximity to the Tigers does not really serve to enhance the veracity of the tale.

Also, as if to prove it wrong, Sheff busts out with two homers in today's game against the Yanks.

In the concrete news realm, Verlander walks four in two innings, and allows 4 runs (2 earned) with two strikeouts.  Oh Justin, is efficiency out of reach?  Are Tiger starters (other than Porcello) incurably addicted to the base on balls?

As if Tigers fans needed more news to prompt ledge-seeking, Marcus Thames has an abdominal strain.  Both Curtis Granderson and our team Venezuela representatives made it through to round two of the WBC, so we are a little short on player personnel here, you know?

Let's look at it this way, maybe we're getting out all the bad stuff here in the pre-season, and we'll be injury and walk free during the regular season.   Wishful thinking, I know, but my workplace doesn't have any ledges, so I've got to keep positive somehow.

Hurlers Making us Hurl

Well Justin Verlander is up to his old tricks, requiring 50 pitches to get through 2.1 innings against a Yankees lineup that was without Jeter, A-Rod and other regulars.  You'd think he'd be attacking the strike zone relentlessly this spring in an effort to reverse last year's inefficiency.  Yesterday's outing had 29 of 50 pitches going for strikes.  Not exactly confidence-inspiring, but again, not cause for ledge-walking.  I will be keeping a weather eye on Justin, however.

At least we got some good news on the Bondo/Zumaya injury-watch fronts.  Geez, if they'd both had bad reports, it would be difficult to find a ledge not crowded with despairing Tigers fans.

On to our young prospects, who are defying conventional time-tables and threatening to make a run at the big club.  I like Kurt's take on Porcello over at Mack Avenue Tigers.  Porcello's situation fills me with a scary mixture of excitement and caution.  I don't want to see him rushed, but some folks are just flat out ready.  Also, Ryan Perry has impressed.  See Sean's piece on Perry.  Could we have a crowd of would-be closers at the end of Spring Training?  I'll take that problem any day of the week.

One last non-pitching related note.  I wish I could have seen yesterday's game in which Sheff was HBP twice (not by the same pitcher).  Was he threatening revenge on Yankee-dom?  Will he have his hands full this season lurking in dark corners, waiting for an opportunity to get his hands on his countless enemies?  Why watch the soaps?  It doesn't get much better than Sheffield and his self-created drama.  And, imagine that, there will be some on-field drama as well as we follow the chase for 500.

Bright Spots?

I've been wracking my brain today trying to think of some bright spots from our failed season to cheer myself up.  It's been a little tough.  Most of the things I come up with fall a little short.

For example, Magglio Ordoñez "almost" won a second consecutive batting title.  Don't get me wrong, he had another very good year, and was one of the few players who lived up to expectations, but almost doesn't quite qualify for this little rah rah list.

Gary Sheffield "almost" joined the 500 home run club.  It got exciting, because he served a four-game suspension right at the end of the season.  Everyone was like, "there go his chances at 500 this year."  Then he steps in and launches two in his first game back.  I really thought he'd get there then.  Again, no, he fell short.

Even Miguel Cabrera's home run title has to be qualified, because Carlos Quentin of the White Sox went down with a broken wrist on September 5.  He already had 36 at that point, and Cabrera ended with 37.  That being said, Cabrera really smoked some balls this year.  Two of his massive jacks were caught less than a row away from me in right field behind the 365 corner -- impressive opposite field knocks.

Marcus Thames went on a tear, and hit eight home runs in seven consecutive games in June, a club record.  There's a bright spot for you.

Matt Joyce came up, showed us what he's got, provided a lefty bat, and rescued a black kitten from the batting practice cage.  If that doesn't cheer you up, stop reading now.

Todd Jones got demoted as closer, but still retired with class, and the organization gave him a worthy send-off during the second-to-last home game.  Jones literally and symbolically took off his jersey and handed it to Mike Illich to signal the passing of the guard.

Small things, I know, but I'll take a little solace from them and hope for a whole lot more in 2009.

499

This season, Gary Sheffield fell one dinger short of reaching the career milestone of 500 homers.  I was at the last home game of the year, and I was hoping with all I had that Sheff would become the 25th player in MLB history to hit 500 home runs.

I have to admit, good will toward Sheffield was not the only motivation for wishing so hard.

I've been a pretty strong supporter of Sheffield throughout his thick and thin tenure here.  I've always admired him as an all-around hitter, and his base-running instincts are really something to behold.  Even now as he knocks on 40's door, he's a good baserunner.

One of the most entertaining things about Sheff is that he thinks his eye is flawless.  If he takes a pitch (other than the first pitch, which he almost never swings at), he figures it's a ball, and better be called as such.  No kidding, watch his at bats--if he takes a pitch and it's called a strike, he either turns away from the umpire to calm himself down and mask his disgust, or lets the ump know what he thought of the call.  It's a lot of fun to watch.

Anyway, back to 499.  I did want Gary to get 500 this year for the achievement, but I'm sorry to say more selfish factors played into it as well.  First, it would be great to see him do it in a Tigers uniform.  Second, and more importantly, it might cause him to retire, saving us $14 million off our payroll next year, and freeing up the DH spot for one of the many DH types still on our team (most prominently Carlos Guillen).  Finally, it would've been a great way to end a brutal season.

I'm sorry, but Leyland stayed with Sheff way too long this year, when it was obvious to me that he should've been on the 60 day DL.  He was clearly hampered with the shoulder, and simply should not have been in the lineup.

Like I said, I like Sheff, and his career has been incredible.  He did show some signs of being more back to himself at the end of the season, but at his age, and the history of shoulder trouble, and the many designated hitters waiting in the wings, it's $14 million too much on our payroll.