Comments on: The 8th Inning – 2008 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/ News, views, and analysis on the Detroit Tigers and baseball Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:06:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Chris in Dallas http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105847 Chris in Dallas Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:54:36 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105847 <b>I can’t get my mind around wasting a roster spot on an injury-prone guy who can’t even play the field, try as I might.</b> Well, Sean, at least this is an American League team so playing in the field isn't a requirement for 1 roster spot. I can’t get my mind around wasting a roster spot on an injury-prone guy who can’t even play the field, try as I might.

Well, Sean, at least this is an American League team so playing in the field isn’t a requirement for 1 roster spot.

]]> By: Smoking Loon http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105843 Smoking Loon Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:58:00 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105843 Here's one possible version of the low-budget (so to speak) 2009 Detroit Tigers: DH Guillen 2B Polanco CF Granderson 1B Cabrera RF Ordonez LF Joyce/Thames (platoon) 3B Hessman/Inge (platoon) C Inge/Ryan (platoon) SS Santiago Bench (besides Thames & Ryan): 2B-SS Hollimon OF Clevlen (Thomas when he's ready) SP Verlander, Galarraga, Bonderman, Garcia, Lambert, Willis, Robertson (at least one guy will fall by the wayside in the spring, and they should go slow with Bonderman anyway - he might not be ready to begin 2009) RP Rodney, Zumaya, Seay, Rapada, Dolsi, Cruceta, Glover (at least one guy will fall by the wayside in the spring) Sheffield just has to go. I can't get my mind around wasting a roster spot on an injury-prone guy who can't even play the field, try as I might. Will someone take him and pick up his contract if the Tigers give them Miner and Raburn as well? That's my latest desperate scheme. Here’s one possible version of the low-budget (so to speak) 2009 Detroit Tigers:

DH Guillen
2B Polanco
CF Granderson
1B Cabrera
RF Ordonez
LF Joyce/Thames (platoon)
3B Hessman/Inge (platoon)
C Inge/Ryan (platoon)
SS Santiago

Bench (besides Thames & Ryan):

2B-SS Hollimon
OF Clevlen (Thomas when he’s ready)

SP Verlander, Galarraga, Bonderman, Garcia, Lambert, Willis, Robertson (at least one guy will fall by the wayside in the spring, and they should go slow with Bonderman anyway – he might not be ready to begin 2009)

RP Rodney, Zumaya, Seay, Rapada, Dolsi, Cruceta, Glover (at least one guy will fall by the wayside in the spring)

Sheffield just has to go. I can’t get my mind around wasting a roster spot on an injury-prone guy who can’t even play the field, try as I might. Will someone take him and pick up his contract if the Tigers give them Miner and Raburn as well? That’s my latest desperate scheme.

]]> By: Chris in Dallas http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105842 Chris in Dallas Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:50:34 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105842 I imagine we'll see pretty much the same team in 2009 as we've seen in 2008. The whole idea with all of the blockbuster moves last winter was to give them a 2 year window to win it all, more or less. The first year of that window sucked, but there's enough talent on this team to believe that they will be markedly better in 2009. Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson and Justin Verlander all need to figure out what the eff went wrong this year. Jeremy Bondo and Joel Zumala should be healthy. Maybe Freddy Garcia will return and pretend it's 2005. Lots of ifs and all, but I think there's room for optimism. I imagine we’ll see pretty much the same team in 2009 as we’ve seen in 2008. The whole idea with all of the blockbuster moves last winter was to give them a 2 year window to win it all, more or less. The first year of that window sucked, but there’s enough talent on this team to believe that they will be markedly better in 2009. Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson and Justin Verlander all need to figure out what the eff went wrong this year. Jeremy Bondo and Joel Zumala should be healthy. Maybe Freddy Garcia will return and pretend it’s 2005. Lots of ifs and all, but I think there’s room for optimism.

]]> By: ron http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105841 ron Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:47:36 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105841 First get rid of Leyland and then make those "tweaks" that he so aptly suggested and we'll do just fine. First get rid of Leyland and then make those “tweaks” that he so aptly suggested and we’ll do just fine.

]]> By: Smoking Loon http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105840 Smoking Loon Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:26:32 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105840 Any thoughts on what the Tigers do for 2009 if there is no blockbuster trade or big free agent signing, no Ordonez-for-whatever payroll dump? Any thoughts on what the Tigers do for 2009 if there is no blockbuster trade or big free agent signing, no Ordonez-for-whatever payroll dump?

]]> By: Smoking Loon http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105839 Smoking Loon Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:05:44 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105839 "I think some tough choices will have to be made. The question is, will they?" The more I look into it, the more it seems like they are hamstrung (get it? - HAMstrung) by contractual and payroll issues. Quite a sticky wicket. They probably can't even afford to be in the market for pitchers like Sabathia and Fuentes. And does it make sense to try to buy your way out of a problem you bought yourself into? “I think some tough choices will have to be made. The question is, will they?”

The more I look into it, the more it seems like they are hamstrung (get it? – HAMstrung) by contractual and payroll issues. Quite a sticky wicket. They probably can’t even afford to be in the market for pitchers like Sabathia and Fuentes. And does it make sense to try to buy your way out of a problem you bought yourself into?

]]> By: Smoking Loon http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105838 Smoking Loon Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:45:51 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105838 My wild guess for September was 19-7, leading to an 85-77 finish. I should probably abandon that hope. But I still think the Tigers can get back to .500, for what that's worth. My wild guess for September was 19-7, leading to an 85-77 finish. I should probably abandon that hope. But I still think the Tigers can get back to .500, for what that’s worth.

]]> By: Chris in Dallas http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105836 Chris in Dallas Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:24:34 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105836 Quick correction: Mike Hessman is 30 and will turn 31 in the offseason. Quick correction: Mike Hessman is 30 and will turn 31 in the offseason.

]]> By: ron http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105821 ron Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:16:48 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105821 Vince, you said it all. Vince, you said it all.

]]> By: Vince in MN http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/the-8th-inning-2008/#comment-105815 Vince in MN Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:42:35 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/?p=3314#comment-105815 Back in June I suggested a possible finish of 77-85 for these guys. A finish of 7-9 will get them there. I see no reason to expect a better result in the last "inning", and they could do worse. The 4th & 5th innings they were 23-13, but that was when they went 13-5 vs. NL, so 10-8 vs AL. In other words, in the 8 "innings" that mattered, they were over .500 once (by 2 games). They were bad at the beginnng, bad in the middle and they're going to bad at the end. With the exception of a few outstanding individual efforts (Granderson, Cabrera, Galarraga) not much went right for this team. I don't buy the bad luck argument. This team had major failures in all aspects of the game (game prep, conditioning, focus, front office managemant, on field management, etc.). They ALL need to take a good hard look at what happened this year and then make the requisite changes to turn things around. I think some tough choices will have to be made. The question is, will they? Back in June I suggested a possible finish of 77-85 for these guys. A finish of 7-9 will get them there. I see no reason to expect a better result in the last “inning”, and they could do worse. The 4th & 5th innings they were 23-13, but that was when they went 13-5 vs. NL, so 10-8 vs AL. In other words, in the 8 “innings” that mattered, they were over .500 once (by 2 games). They were bad at the beginnng, bad in the middle and they’re going to bad at the end.

With the exception of a few outstanding individual efforts (Granderson, Cabrera, Galarraga) not much went right for this team. I don’t buy the bad luck argument. This team had major failures in all aspects of the game (game prep, conditioning, focus, front office managemant, on field management, etc.). They ALL need to take a good hard look at what happened this year and then make the requisite changes to turn things around. I think some tough choices will have to be made. The question is, will they?

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