explanation of rankings and other team previews here
2008 Record: 74-88
Offseason Additions: Edwin Jackson, Brandon Lyon, Gerald Laird
Offseason Subtractions: Kyle Farnsworth, Edgar Renteria, Kenny Rogers
Ranks (MLB):
Line-Up – 10th
Rotation – 14th
Bullpen – 23rd
Defense – 5th tier (out of 5)
Baserunning – 4th tier (out of 5)
KEY PLAYER: JUSTIN VERLANDER
Verlander was one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball last year. He went 18-6 with a 3.66 ERA in 2007 behind his blazing 100mph fastball, leading many (myself included) to pick him as a candidate for the 2008 Cy Young. Instead? He flopped, and the Tigers flopped with him. He pitched the same number of innings in 2008, but gave up 16 more hits, 31 more runs, 20 more walks, and struck out 20 less than 2007. There was speculation that his arm was tired or injured, but he’s had no surgery. New Tigers pitching coach, Rich Knapp, thinks that he has found a tweak in Verlander’s mechanics that will enable him to pitch better well into the season. The Tigers don’t just need him to pitch better, they need him to be an ace. He’s got the stuff for it, but can he put it all together this year?
PLAYER TO WATCH: JOEL ZUMAYA
Who knew that Guitar Hero would be the end for Joel Zumaya? Zumaya (pictured, wearing the best uniform in baseball) was the break-out star of the 2006 playoffs with his ridiculous 102mph fastball. That is, until he missed 3 games of the ALCS because he was rockin’ out too hard. He and Fernando Rodney were supposed to be the best 1-2 punch in the 7th and 8th going into the 2007 season. But Zumaya never seemed to regain his previous form, pitching only 33.2 innings with a 4.28 ERA. In 2008, he couldn’t shake the injury bug again, pitching only 23.1 innings. This season, Zumaya has declared that the Tigers can “count on him” for 2009. He’s only 24, so it’s not like these past 2 seasons have killed his career. Phillies fans now know what a shut down 8th inning guy can do for a team, and the Tigers hope to get the same from the Zumaya this year.
PHILLY ANGLE
I’ll take Charlie, they can have Jim
I was working in ticket sales for the Phillies when we hired Charlie Manuel prior to 2006. 70% of that job is selling season tickets, 30% is listening to people scream about how much they hate the team, what horrible decisions they make, and how they don’t care about winning. The fans don’t have a place to call and tell the Phillies how they feel, so they call the ticket office and yell at the reps. One of the biggest points of contention among Phillies fans while I was there was the fact that we hired Charlie Manuel over Jim Leyland. People felt that the organization didn’t want Leyland because he would shake things up and Charlie would be a company man. I didn’t entirely disagree. Given the choice at the time, I would have taken the proven Leyland over the inexperienced Manuel. I told people I agreed with them, but to give Charlie a chance. As the year went by, Leyland took the Tigers to the World Series, and Charlie took the Phils to another disappointing finish. It certainly seemed as if we made the wrong hire. But, over the next 2 seasons, Manuel improved as a manager and helped develop and bring along our young stars. Meanwhile, Leyland’s abrasive style soured on the Tigers and they put together 2 straight disappointing seasons, including a last place finish in 2008 after acquiring Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield and Dontrelle Willis. Of course, it all can’t be attributed to, or blamed on, a manager, but after watching the Phillies celebrate as a unified team last year while the Tigers tried to pick up the pieces, I couldn’t help but think about how things had looked after the 2006 season. I’ll take Charlie, they can have Jim.
QUICK HITS
Worst Contract: Gary Sheffield (2 yrs, $28 million, ends in 2009)
Best Pitch: Joel Zumaya’s fastball
Best Player in a Contract Year: Magglio Ordonez, OF (team option for 2010)
Top Prospect: Rick Porcello
Best Individual Season: Ty Cobb, 1911 (.420 BA, 8 HR, 127 RBI, 47 2B, 24 3B, 248 hits, .467 OBP, .621 SLG%, MVP)
Worst Uniforms: 1927
Where’d They Come From?
– Trade, 8
- Draft, 3
- Free Agent, 3
- Amateur FA, 1
2009 OUTLOOK
3rd AL Central, 7th AL, 13th MLB
I picked the Tigers to win it all last year, and they made me look like an idiot, so despite the fact that I think they could be in the thick of the division race this year, I couldn’t put them higher than 3rd. Their success is going to hinge on a lot of people improving over last season, most noticeably Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield. Even AL HR leader Miguel Cabrera didn’t perform up to expectations, with his OPS dropping from .966 to .886 in the AL. Other players, Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez, are on the downside of their career and the Tigers will be happy to keep their numbers stable. New arrival Edwin Jackson, and 2007-rotation-saver Armando Gallaraga are 2 young arms that will be relied on heavily and could end up being a strength. The talent is there with this team, but their age infers that they are going to need some luck to win the division.
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