When The Smoke Clears: Notes From The Manager’s Desk – Will The Real Detroit Tigers Please Stand Up Edition

“We didn’t know much about him, but we jumped on him pretty good,” Leyland said of the 6 runs the Tigers scored last night against Texas starter Justin Grimm.

“He threw him a good one, boy,” Jim Leyland said. “That was a big situation. Things happen fast, particularly in this ballpark. I mean, look how fast we got five.” Leyland said this about Porcello’s strikeout of Napoli with the bases loaded last night.

The Tigers are in the midst of a stretch of winning 10 out of their last 15 games but also just ended a four game stretch where they scored one run in three games and two runs in the other game.  Last night, however, was a great example of what can happen when they can string a few hits together and get some participation all the way through the lineup.  A lot more nights like last night will be needed to continue inching closer to first while playing series against Texas and Tampa Bay.

Injuries continue to be a problem.  It looks like Avila’s problems aren’t solved yet and he will likely need some additional rest after a diagnosis of tendinitis in his knees.  Dirks is still a little ways off from a return; as of June 20^th he was still in a walking boot.  Valverde is back and was available for yesterday’s game.  Smyly has returned and will get the start tonight.  The pitching staff (starters and pen) seems to have settled in a bit and have provided more consistency to go along with a generally good bill of health.  The absence of Dirks has been easier to handle with the continued performance of Quintin Berry and Laird’s consistency in the backup role has helped ease the pain of Avila’s injuries (and underperformance).

A win in the first game against Texas was much needed considering we face Darvish, Oswalt, Shields, and Price in the next four games.  So far we are 2-2 on the current road trip with 6 games to go….anything close to a .500 record on the trip would be a step in the right direction.  Following that is a homestand against Minnesota and Kansas City, so a strong week this week against tough competition could leave a first place Tigers team at the All-Star break as a real possibility. 

Pretty amazing that all of the disappointment, bad calls, poor hitting, confusion, injuries, poor fielding, frustration, and anything else that could describe the 2012 Mud Hens’ Tigers’ season thus far and we are still only 2 games out of first place!

Go Tigers!

Upcoming Matchups – week of June 25th

6/26:      Tigers v Rangers – Smyly (2-2, 3.96 ERA) v Darvish (9-4, 3.45 ERA)

6/27:      Tigers v Rangers – Fister (1-4, 2.72 ERA) v Oswalt (1-0, 1.35 ERA)

6/28:      Tigers v Rays – Scherzer (6-5, 5.12 ERA) v Shields (7-4, 3.99 ERA)

6/29:      Tigers v Rays – Verlander (8-4, 2.52 ERA) v Price (10-4, 2.95 ERA)

6/30:      Tigers v Rays – Porcello (3-4, 4.86 ERA) v TBD

7/1:        Tigers v Rays – Smyly (2-2, 3.96 ERA) v Cobb (3-4, 4.73 ERA)

Go Tigers!

I See You, Andrew!

The Tigers have signed first baseman Andrew Allen from Cal State-Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent. He is the son of Tigers TV broadcaster Rod Allen.

This Week in Tigers History- Mr. Tiger Debut Edition

On June 25^th, 1953, an 18 year old Al Kaline made his major league debut when he entered the game as a late inning replacement against the Philadelphia Athletics in which he went 0-1 from the plate. Mr. Tiger would eventually get his first hit, when he singled on July 8^th against the Chicago White Sox, and would go on to win the batting title two years later, as a 20 year old. Kaline would be selected to 15 all-star teams, receive 10 gold gloves and have 3007 career hits leading to him being selected as a first ballot hall of famer in 1980. The numbers speak for themselves, but what is maybe more impressive was the way he played the game and carries himself. He is a class act and has the uncanny ability to make anyone who grew up watching him light up with the mention of his name. Al Kaline is our father’s hero.

When The Smoke Clears: Notes From The Manager’s Desk – Interleague Rocks Edition

“I’m talking about just trying to get him going, I probably shouldn’t have done that. I probably screwed that up.” Leyland said of putting Raburn in positions where he can succeed to allow him to get going instead of just playing him as much as he can.  Glad Jim finally figured that one out.

“It was a great game for nine innings,” Leyland said of Friday night’s 12-4 10^th inning loss to the Rockies; “Really, all heck broke loose,” he said of the 10^th. 

“All of a sudden, that gives your team a little different swagger,” Leyland said. “When they know Doug Fister is going out there, that’s a little bit different than some kid where you don’t know what you’re going to get. That’s not to make excuses for anybody, but that’s also in the back of the players’ minds. They know.”

It’s good to have swagger, and it’s good to have Doug Fister back.  Fister went 6 innings on Saturday allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, no runs and striking out 6 using a very efficient 82 pitches to help the Tigers to a 4-1 win.  And probably the most satisfying part of it all was when Fister showed up on Sunday saying he felt good. 

Joining Fister in the back-from-his-injury-and-having-a-significant-impact category is Austin Jackson.  In the 8 games since returning to the lineup on June 9^th, Jackson has 9 hits, 7 walks, 10 RBIs and 6 runs scored.  With Quintin Berry continuing his hot start in the majors and Jackson coming back and getting on base, the top of the Tigers lineup has quickly become a strength of the team.

Coming up is a series against the defending champs who are currently sitting a game over .500 in 3^rd place in the NL Central right now.  However this is the same team who has scored the most runs in the NL so far this year so Tigers’ pitching is going to have a tall order to keep that offense in check.  Following that is a series in Jim Leyland’s hometown against the Pirates who have given up the 3^rd fewest runs in the NL so the Tigers’ hitters will be up against some potentially tough pitching.

The upcoming week is a big one for Verlander because A) he is going against a leading NL Cy Young candidate tonight in an expected pitcher’s duel, and B) on Sunday he will face the Pirates a month and a week after he pitched 8 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against them – both should be considered must-see-TV…..unless of course you go to the game.  Also his parents wrote a book that is a step-by-step guide on how to make your child an MVP and Cy Young winner (ok….that’s not exactly what it’s about…..check it out here)

Also watch for Jacob Turner’s first start of the year on Thursday.  Whether this is the next step in filling out the Tigers 2013 and 2014 rotation or just a chance to display a valuable trade chip prior to the deadline, it will be interesting to see how Turner’s start goes against the Cardinals this week.

Go Tigers!

Upcoming Matchups – week of June 18th

6/19:      Cardinals v Tigers – Lynn (10-2, 2.42 ERA) v Verlander (6-4, 2.66 ERA)

6/20:      Cardinals v Tigers – Westbrook (5-6, 4.27 ERA) v Porcello (4-4, 5.18 ERA)

6/21:      Cardinals v Tigers – Lohse (6-2, 2.98 ERA) v Turner (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

6/22:      Tigers v Pirates – Fister (1-3, 2.68 ERA) v Burnett (7-2, 3.52 ERA)

6/23:      Tigers v Pirates – Scherzer (6-4, 5.17 ERA) v Lincoln (3-2, 3.82 ERA)

6/24:      Tigers v Pirates – Verlander (6-4, 2.66 ERA) v Correia (2-6, 4.43 ERA)

Go Tigers!

When The Smoke Clears: Notes From The Manager’s Desk – Turning Point Edition

“That’s natural for people to talk about. I hope they’re right,” Leyland said. “I’m not saying they’re not. Who knows? … I don’t know. This is certainly a nice step in the right direction, to take two out of three from a first-place team, and a heckuva team.”  The skipper’s comments are in reference to whether he feels like Sunday’s win could be a turning point for the Tigers.

“Everything’s day to day with us this year,” Jim said after Boesch’s ankle sprain put him in question over the weekend.  Luckily the injury was not severe enough to keep Boesch out of a pinch hit opportunity where he got a single on Chapman’s second pitch during Sunday’s 8^th inning rally against the Reds.

“It’s the worst one I’d ever seen in my life,” Leyland said.  Of all the things from this Tigers’ season that he could’ve been talking about, his comment was actually in reference to the blood blister that formed on Drew Smyly’s finger after 3 innings of work during Sunday’s game.  You can judge for yourself thanks to Smyly’s pic from Twitter:

Pretty gross, huh?

It’s a little scary to call a two-game win streak a “turning point” for this team, but there were some things that happened over the weekend that got some people talking.  All season the Tigers have dealt with guys being injured, making poor plays on defense, inconsistent pitching, and trouble scoring runs.  The difference this weekend was that they still dealt with all that but managed to overcome it and squeak out a couple of much needed wins (following a tough extra-inning loss on Friday that even seemed to feel a little better than other losses).  

Injuries continue to hold up the team getting on track.  Fister will hopefully be back to fill in for Smyly if he needs to miss a start.  Boesch will hopefully be ready to go for the Cubs series and Dirks should be back later this week.  Avila will not be available this week and Dotel is listed as day-to-day.  Add Victor Martinez and Al Alburquerque to that and Leyland really has quite a bit of juggling to do.  Keep in mind those are just the injuries; that doesn’t include the guys who are showing signs of anxiety disorder (read: underperforming). 

However, this would be an appropriate time for a “turning point” considering the Tigers are historically one of the better teams during Interleague play.  Chalk that up to luck, easier schedule with the absence of a true rival, or the fact that Leyland has American League hitters but a coaching instinct rooted in the National League.  Regardless of the reason, the Tigers play well against National League teams and now have the opportunity to face the worst one of them all (ok, so technically the Padres are a little bit worse than the Cubs, but still…) followed by a visit by the 24-35 Rockies.  If the Tigers can come back against one of the best bullpens in the National League, surely they can do the same against one of the worst…….or hopefully they won’t have to come back at all.  Hopefully they have turned the corner and will start looking like the team we got a glimpse of during the opening series against Boston. 

Go Tigers!

Upcoming Matchups – week of June 11th

6/12:      Tigers v Cubs – Scherzer (5-4, 5.88 ERA) v Maholm (4-5, 5.10 ERA)

6/13:      Tigers v Cubs – Porcello (3-4, 5.03 ERA) v Garza (2-4, 3.99 ERA)

6/14:      Tigers v Cubs – Verlander (5-4, 2.69 ERA) v Wood (0-2, 4.71 ERA)

6/15:      Rockies v Tigers – Francis (0-1, 21.60 ERA) v Crosby (1-1, 9.35 ERA)

6/16:      Rockies v Tigers – Friedrich (4-2, 5.85 ERA) v Smyly (2-2, 3.96 ERA)

6/17:      Rockies v Tigers – Guthrie (3-4, 6.35 ERA) v Scherzer (5-4, 5.88 ERA)

Go Tigers!

When The Smoke Clears: Notes From The Manager’s Desk – 1 Game Out of 4th Place Edition

“I’d never forgive myself if he sat back down and keeled over,” Leyland said of his decision to pull Avila from last Thursday’s game after Avila took a foul tip off the mask that cut his nose and caused concern of a concussion.

Leyland said “I’ll pay his fine,” after 1^st base coach Tom Brookens was ejected from last Thursday’s game for arguing a questionable call of Boesch being out at 1^st on a close play. 

“I’ve got a bench but I have no one to sit on it.” Leyland said after the 5-1 loss to the Yankees on Sunday when Ramon Santiago was the only healthy player on the Tigers bench.  At the time, Dirks, Avila, Laird, and Jackson were on the active roster but not healthy enough to play.

“We’re doing the best we can right now. They’re battling their tails off, and I truly believe we’ll come out of this.” Leyland said in defense of his team that has struggled in all aspects of the game throughout this season.

At this point, the injuries are really starting to become a hindrance to having any chance of getting the team on track.  While Avila has struggled this season and this group of bloggers’ POV on Laird has been made fairly clear, the need to use Omir Santos helped me realize how important it is to have a catcher that is familiar with the staff and can call a good game (catching foul pop-ups helps too).  Missing Jackson hasn’t been as noticeable since Berry has filled in extremely well, but when you pile on Dirks, Fister, and Benoit’s injuries, it starts to look a lot like a Toledo Mud Hens teams taking the field most days (including tonight’s game with Berry leading off and Matt Young batting 2^nd with a start in LF).

Cabrera and Fielder are an amazing 3-4 combo, and I predict that Delmon Young’s surge (13 hits in his last 10 games) will help Fielder even more.  Unfortunately those guys aren’t able to carry the team – even though Cabrera tried to with about 900 feet worth of home runs on Saturday.  The only hope right now is that guys like Berry, Santos, Matt Young and Casey Crosby can fill in for the time being and help the Tigers get a few wins while the other guys get healthy.  Avila, Peralta, and Boesch need to get some things going too.

The White Sox won’t continue to win 9 out of every 10 games for the remainder of the season, and the Indians are already starting to slow down just like they did last year.  The Tigers aren’t out of it by any means, but “It’s early” is no longer a relevant statement and they are in danger of continuing a slide that will put them out of the running way too soon. 

Once upon a time Tony Gwynn said “We know we’re better than this, but we can’t prove it.”  The Tigers still have a chance to prove it, but they better get to work soon.

Go Tigers!