I know it’s tempting to finger a fall guy, and there is a lot of that going on here, but when all you have left at the end of the day are dubious decisions from the guy pulling the strings, those decisions will get called into question a hell of lot more when the team can’t win. This team played horrible in KC, but in my mind, I can honestly say without falling into the fall guy trap, that the Tigers should have taken at least one of the three games. Leyland blew it in the first game by pulling Robertson after 82 pitches. The series still would have sucked, but 1 of 3 is certainly better than being swept.

I’m well aware the game may have turned the same tide if Roberston pitched in the eighth, but I honestly think the Tigers would have won that game with solid managing. They had the momentum the entire game, were hitting in every inning — they just didn’t get the key hit. If the game went into extra innings, the Tigers would have won. If the team is in a nasty funk in a vertical nose dive to suckitude, it can’t afford a much as one game-costing mistake in managment if it hopes to turn it around before it’s too late.

Aside from that, Leyland is simply not getting it done motivating these guys. Yesterday the KC camera crew focused in on the Tiger dugout in the late innings, and all you saw were Maggs and Inge and some other guys joking and laughing. I don’t know about you, but if KC was throwing my team an ass whoopin’ for the second straight series, the last thing I’d be doing in the dugout is laughing and joking without a care in the world. Have ‘em study film, send them to a yoga retreat, bring in Tony Robbins as a consultant, I don’t know. Anything! If you’re not utterly embarrassed by being dominated by the KC “friggin’” Royals (to quote Kevin in Austin, I believe), please hide it a little better. Leyland could and should set the tone just a little better.

As this team continues to sink into the quagmire I’m starting to feel like this team would be improved just by removing a few guys from the roster entirely. That’s depressing. When you start believing that your team would actually be better by cutting high priced talent.

Gary, is that you? Damn it, I told you that you could come to my office any time. My door is open. Has it come to this, where two proud, stubborn men have to take their problems to a web log?

Say, have you given any thought to playing first base?

Who’s to say you’re not Leyland? In which case you now know exactly what to do

Anyway — I’m available for service at any time. We can discuss compensation later.

What you say sounds right. But with the writing having been on the wall a few days ago, I wonder why Leyland hasn’t had that conversation with Sheffield already.

The first problem is health. Zumaya, Rodney, Bautista, Willis, possibly Bonderman’s elbow. That’s pitchers. Also Polanco’s back, Guillen’s knees, Cabrera’s quad (which I still think is bothering him), Sheffield’s shoulder, Sheffield’s fingers, Granderson’s finger….

The second problem is age: Todd Jones, Rogers, Sheffield, PUDGE!!!, all declining a little or a lot.

The third problem is simple, below-grade performance: Polanco for much of the season, Cabrera, Granderson, Cabrera, Renteria, Cabrera, Grilli, Jacque Jones, Verlander, Bonderman, Cabrera, Cabrera and Cabrera.

Now, I’m not saying that Leyland has handled all of this ideally. But it might be a bit much to ask anyone to deal with that ideally.

I do think that the team left Lakeland unprepared for primetime, and not mentally or physically ready for real games. But after a month and a half, that’s not the issue now.

Much of this is on the players. None of these problems in isolation would hurt this team too much.

But yes, put Sheff on the DL, let his body heal up for a few weeks, and give a kid a chance. DH Guillen and Cabrera to let them mend, and improve the defense at the same time.

Maybe he could give us a month or so of solid(Sheltion) production

It looks like Leyland is walking the balancing bar on the Sheffield issue. Here are the variables:

1. Bloated contract/No Trade Value
2. Underpreforming/Downright NOT performing
3. Wildcard in Clubhouse
4. Potential Play Maker

If you DL him you likely risk taking the full loss on the contract — even if its only a 30 day. You’re basically dissing him (in his mind) –deservedly so — but the risk is creating a monster, or as Billfer says, “erupting Mt. Sheff” and creating a cancer in the clubhouse of a team already in a huge funk. You have a guy who has every track record of shooting his mouth in public, saying the wrong things, openly criticizing the organization/teamates — whatever. All of sudden maybe Guillen starts to become disenchanted for getting his chain yanked all over the infield — maybe Raburn and Thames start become disenchanted for their red-headed stepson roles on the team — maybe Cabrera starts to regret the move to 1st — maybe Inge rehashes old wounds, and on and on. One bad apple could set off a chain reaction. In which case it forces your hand — you have to write of the bad investment. For sure he’ll likely never produce again cuz the baditude. Anyway, it’s absolutely ridiculous to be taken hostage like that, but this is what is in the back of Leyland’s mind when “coddling” the veterans.

So… instead of going there, he’s basically playing yet another hunch. He’s hoping Sheffield’s bat will come alive sooner than later and the problem will go away by itself. Unfortunately, that’s not really happening.

If I were Leyland, I’d just take him into my office (inbetween puffs) and tell him frankly and like it is: “…Sheff, you’re going on the DL. Until your shoulder is 110%, for both in field play and DH, this team can’t afford to rehabilitate you on the 25 man roster. You’re my best option for DL, if you’re at 110% — but until then, there is little margin for error.”