Herrington stretched spike consolable perceptibly …

I’ve been a big advocate for taking it slow with Verlander… I think the possibility of him getting severely rattled at the major league level is all too real; I think the gap between low minor league batters and major league batters (even a usually light-hitting Cleveland squad) is pretty wide; I have no evidence that he has any unusual level of maturity (read: Bonderman) that would mean he’d be unharmed, mentally, by getting knocked around in the bigs this early.

Plus (and I’m not clear on this, a-cause me stupid), wouldn’t that start his arb clock?

And they wouldn’t be using an option year because it was already used during spring training.

The only problem with this plan is Verlander is scheduled to pitch Friday. There is no chance in the world he would pitch on short rest, so if he skips his Friday start at Erie, it would be 9 days since his last start if he pitches Monday.

My opinion if you want to use Verlander, wait to use him on his normal schedule. Pitch him Friday night vs. the Yankees at the CoPa!!!! I guarantee it will sell out the place if it isn’t already. Then use Bonderman Saturday, Douglass Sunday, and use Robertson and Johnson on normal rest for Monday.

Bringing Ledezma back up for a day might not be a bad idea either. It would give him a confidence boost to know that he’s still on the Tiger’s radar screen.

He’s only worked 14 innings in AA-ball, and granted, he’s been outstanding, but there is no reason to rush it. You bring him up and he pitches well, and you’ve got a lot of people asking why we’re sending him back down, and he’s probably wondering the same thing. You bring him up and he gets shelled, and you risk a blow to whatever confidence he’s built up so far.

And as Chris said, he’s scheduled to pitch friday, so you have to take that start away from him, and make him wait. Why you would want to do that when he is pitching out of his mind down in Erie right now, I have no idea. Leave him alone, and let him dominate batters down in Erie.

This shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion right now. Honestly, I don’t want to see him up at all this year, but I’ll understand if he’s here in September. But right now? Absolutely not. Give Ledezma the ball and a chance to prove he still belongs, make sure he knows he’s important to this club.

Let Ledezma or Ginter or Baugh start.

Baugh and Ginter will be on normal rest for Monday with Ledezma on 3 days if he starts tomorow for Toledo. One of those three seems most realistic.

I’m leaning toward Ginter because I think that was the reason they sent him down, for him to get his arm stretched out with some longer outings.

15 hits and only three runs?!!!

Let him get his work in this season at Erie, then give him an opportunity to make the club next spring. It’s not as if we’re one arm short of a pennant in ’05.