Comments on: Debunking and validating the week of crapitude http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/ News, views, and analysis on the Detroit Tigers and baseball Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:53:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mark in Chicago http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78949 Mark in Chicago Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:26:04 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78949 If it's any consolation, most of baseball history did not include the Wild Card possibility, and in fact, until 1967 had only one division in each league and thus only two playoff teams total. So to say that teams starting 0-6 hardly ever make the playoffs is not really a good comparison since we aren't accurately comparing eras. It's still tough to make the postseason, especially in the AL, but it's not impossible. Once you're in, it's really just a crapshoot. Let's win one and take it from there; no sense writing off the season yet. If it’s any consolation, most of baseball history did not include the Wild Card possibility, and in fact, until 1967 had only one division in each league and thus only two playoff teams total. So to say that teams starting 0-6 hardly ever make the playoffs is not really a good comparison since we aren’t accurately comparing eras.

It’s still tough to make the postseason, especially in the AL, but it’s not impossible. Once you’re in, it’s really just a crapshoot. Let’s win one and take it from there; no sense writing off the season yet.

]]> By: Chris in Nashville http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78945 Chris in Nashville Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:21:14 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78945 This team needs one good inning on offense, one win and they will take off. Mark it down, write it down, take a picture. You can't extraploate trends one week into the season..I'm sorry, you just can't. One of my good buddies, who is a Cardinals fan texted me Sunday Night and said..."remember this game when you are drinking champaigne in October"...call me crazy..but I still believe him! This team needs one good inning on offense, one win and they will take off. Mark it down, write it down, take a picture. You can’t extraploate trends one week into the season..I’m sorry, you just can’t.

One of my good buddies, who is a Cardinals fan texted me Sunday Night and said…”remember this game when you are drinking champaigne in October”…call me crazy..but I still believe him!

]]> By: greg http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78944 greg Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:05:05 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78944 Watching Guillen play defense, the last 3 years, has been one of the most painful things to witness during my spectator career. At SS, he made Hanley Ramirez and Derek Jeter look like Ozzie Smith. At 1B, he makes Sean Casey look like a graceful swan. He was the White Sox secret weapon Sunday night, just like he was for the opposing team 20+ games last year. If official scoring had any credibility, it would charge 8 of the first Runs to Guillen, not Verlander. Verlander was pitching a gem and clearly became unraveled seeing Guillen botch routine plays. I think Johan would melt down having to deal with Guillen's D behind him. Guillen singlehandedly blows, by a very conservative estimate, a dozen games every year, and that's being kind, its probably more like 2 dozen. And no, his bat does not make up for it. Yet, he struts around like he's a demigod. In reality, he has no business playing anything but DH Unfortunately, I don't see it happening any time soon, but if they were to trade him, what joyous, glorious day that would be. Watching Guillen play defense, the last 3 years, has been one of the most painful things to witness during my spectator career. At SS, he made Hanley Ramirez and Derek Jeter look like Ozzie Smith. At 1B, he makes Sean Casey look like a graceful swan. He was the White Sox secret weapon Sunday night, just like he was for the opposing team 20+ games last year. If official scoring had any credibility, it would charge 8 of the first Runs to Guillen, not Verlander. Verlander was pitching a gem and clearly became unraveled seeing Guillen botch routine plays. I think Johan would melt down having to deal with Guillen’s D behind him.

Guillen singlehandedly blows, by a very conservative estimate, a dozen games every year, and that’s being kind, its probably more like 2 dozen. And no, his bat does not make up for it. Yet, he struts around like he’s a demigod. In reality, he has no business playing anything but DH

Unfortunately, I don’t see it happening any time soon, but if they were to trade him, what joyous, glorious day that would be.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78942 Jeff Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:08:38 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78942 <i>If there’s a silver lining it’s that he’s making contact with 89% of the pitches he’s offered at so he’s not being fooled badly.</i> But it still gets back to what a hitter should be doing on a 0-0 count. Batting isn't Pong. With two strikes you've got to protect the zone. With no strikes you should only be swinging if it's a pitch you can drive. It's better to risk taking a low and outside strike than it is to swing at it and tap a roller to the first baseman. If Maggs was hitting .400 with an .800 slugging percentage on first pitches, then, fine, go ahead. But he's not, contact or no contact. A fine hitter like Ordonez (or Polanco) probably can make contact with most pitches around the plate, but he's not going to be an effective hitter if he goes up there with an 0-2 protect the plate mentality from the get-go. If there’s a silver lining it’s that he’s making contact with 89% of the pitches he’s offered at so he’s not being fooled badly.

But it still gets back to what a hitter should be doing on a 0-0 count. Batting isn’t Pong. With two strikes you’ve got to protect the zone. With no strikes you should only be swinging if it’s a pitch you can drive. It’s better to risk taking a low and outside strike than it is to swing at it and tap a roller to the first baseman.

If Maggs was hitting .400 with an .800 slugging percentage on first pitches, then, fine, go ahead. But he’s not, contact or no contact. A fine hitter like Ordonez (or Polanco) probably can make contact with most pitches around the plate, but he’s not going to be an effective hitter if he goes up there with an 0-2 protect the plate mentality from the get-go.

]]> By: Blake http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78940 Blake Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:48:44 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78940 An Alex Sanchez reference? Wonderful. An Alex Sanchez reference? Wonderful.

]]> By: tiff http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78939 tiff Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:28:47 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78939 I would be more apt to blame the bullpen if we were giving them the lead with no runners on base. They haven't blown an opportunity to "save" a game yet. I would be more apt to blame the bullpen if we were giving them the lead with no runners on base. They haven’t blown an opportunity to “save” a game yet.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78938 Andrew Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:57:52 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78938 Well, luck be a Tigers win <strike>tonight</strike> this afternoon ;) Well, luck be a Tigers win tonight this afternoon ;)

]]> By: Pete G http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78937 Pete G Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:56:06 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78937 No, Guillen has not looked good at first base. Despite what Joe Morgan said, first base is difficult to play. He needs more time to get used to the position. Right now his fundementals are not there. His timing on flips to the pitcher covering is off and is foot work is horrible. There have been instances where he has his right foot on the bag and his left foot is on the first base line when he takes a throw. He's going to get run over and break his leg or something. He's also taken throws and THEN looked for the bag. Why he let 2 balls get by him that Sean Casey would have had, on Sunday, is a mystery as well. Again, I'm sure more reps will help and he's a great athlete, but right now he's a defensive liability. Cabrera should be the first baseman. No, Guillen has not looked good at first base. Despite what Joe Morgan said, first base is difficult to play. He needs more time to get used to the position. Right now his fundementals are not there. His timing on flips to the pitcher covering is off and is foot work is horrible. There have been instances where he has his right foot on the bag and his left foot is on the first base line when he takes a throw. He’s going to get run over and break his leg or something. He’s also taken throws and THEN looked for the bag. Why he let 2 balls get by him that Sean Casey would have had, on Sunday, is a mystery as well. Again, I’m sure more reps will help and he’s a great athlete, but right now he’s a defensive liability. Cabrera should be the first baseman.

]]> By: billfer http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78935 billfer Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:19:02 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78935 Scotsw - You're right about the pitching - at least that first time through the order. Verlander went over 100 pitches in his 2nd start and his velocity looked to be okay on the TV gun at least. But the drop off in Bonderman's first start was very pronounced. In Robertson's case it had taken him a lot of pitches just to get to that point. Not sure if the Tigers did anything differently this year in terms of stretching guys out. As for the hitters I don't know whether or not it was a lack of prep coming out of Lakeland or more likely just a collective slump combined with bad luck. Scotsw -

You’re right about the pitching - at least that first time through the order. Verlander went over 100 pitches in his 2nd start and his velocity looked to be okay on the TV gun at least. But the drop off in Bonderman’s first start was very pronounced. In Robertson’s case it had taken him a lot of pitches just to get to that point. Not sure if the Tigers did anything differently this year in terms of stretching guys out.

As for the hitters I don’t know whether or not it was a lack of prep coming out of Lakeland or more likely just a collective slump combined with bad luck.

]]> By: Mike R http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/04/debunking-and-validating-the-week-of-crapitude/#comment-78932 Mike R Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:53:44 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=2621#comment-78932 It's just A LOT of factors like Bill said. The team BABIP is .278, so it's not overly unlucky but unlucky enough to be frustrating. I still hate the way Leyland mishandles the bullpen what feels like everyday and the fact that he's going with the whole "Ivan Rodriguez leading off against LHP." If that continues, I will be insanely pissed off. What's the deal with Sheffield? Why not shelf him on the DL? And why is Cabrera playing in the cold of a night game in April with a bad quad? (more questionable decisions from Leyland who I just call "Hunches" moving forward because that's his only logic -- his hunches.) Still, I'm not pressing the panic button -- just 6 games into the season and it's not like the Indians are exactly on a tear (lost on a walk off grand slam as Joe Borowski looked TERRIBLE tonight and CC's struggled as has Betancourt out of the chute) and really, does anyone think that the Royals (who I actually like in terms of how they're turning things around) or the White Sox are going to run away and hide with this division? No, i don't think anyone here thinks that at all. And honestly, if CC struggles and Carmona regresses like he should (a sinkerballer that doesn't get the amount of K's to lessen the luck of a sinkerballer), the Indians pitching suddenly doesn't look that formidable and the division really becomes "who can slug the most," and even with the struggles offensively through 6 games, I like our odds in that sort of race. It’s just A LOT of factors like Bill said. The team BABIP is .278, so it’s not overly unlucky but unlucky enough to be frustrating.

I still hate the way Leyland mishandles the bullpen what feels like everyday and the fact that he’s going with the whole “Ivan Rodriguez leading off against LHP.” If that continues, I will be insanely pissed off.

What’s the deal with Sheffield? Why not shelf him on the DL? And why is Cabrera playing in the cold of a night game in April with a bad quad? (more questionable decisions from Leyland who I just call “Hunches” moving forward because that’s his only logic — his hunches.)

Still, I’m not pressing the panic button — just 6 games into the season and it’s not like the Indians are exactly on a tear (lost on a walk off grand slam as Joe Borowski looked TERRIBLE tonight and CC’s struggled as has Betancourt out of the chute) and really, does anyone think that the Royals (who I actually like in terms of how they’re turning things around) or the White Sox are going to run away and hide with this division? No, i don’t think anyone here thinks that at all.

And honestly, if CC struggles and Carmona regresses like he should (a sinkerballer that doesn’t get the amount of K’s to lessen the luck of a sinkerballer), the Indians pitching suddenly doesn’t look that formidable and the division really becomes “who can slug the most,” and even with the struggles offensively through 6 games, I like our odds in that sort of race.

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