Well, the Red Sox showed us who's boss.  For now at least.  After dropping three of four to the defending champs, the Tigers will try to regroup against a Yankees team that is hindered by injuries right now.  The Tigers will also miss Wang and Mussina in the Yankees rotation,  which has me feeling like this could be a good three days in Detroit.

However, one stat has me worried concerning the Tigers start.  They are 0-18 when scoring four runs or less.  0-18.  That's unbelievable to me.  The offense has taken it's share of bullets because of inconsistency, however, that one stat indicates the the Tigers need to start pitching better.  We have already seen proof that there will be nights that the offense will be quiet, regardless of how many all-stars you have stacked up.  That applies to any team, not just the Tigers.  The staff has an A.L. high 5.10 ERA and has allowed 199 runs, more than any other A.L. team.  When the Tigers begin to pitch better, they can start to make the climb to .500 and beyond.  Until then, they will rely on an offense that at times has been feast or famine.

 

I'm not sure there is anything more satisfying than rolling into Yankee Stadium and sweeping the Yankees.  Before yesterday's series ending win, Jim Leyland mentioned that he was very pleased with the way the Tigers are playing the game.  Last night there were some great examples of how tough this club will be to beat.

Four times in the series, the Tigers either fell behind or gave up the lead. Each time they responded in the very next inning with some runs.  That to me is the mark oBLEEPreat club.  I can't remember seeing a Yankees club that seemed to display so little confidence.  I understand they are BLEEPed up, but the Tigers haven't exactly been the picture of health either.

Some observations:  Placido Polanco is back.  You can tell it in the way he walks around the clubhouse and by his demeanor, he feels good physically....Nate Robertson was still taking grief on the flight to Minny last night for his belly-flop on the field...Ramon Santiago is a much better player than he is given credit for.  When used as Leyland is using him, he gives you a great effort every time out.  Miguel Cabrera seems happy-go-lucky on the field, but he is a MAN...Magglio Ordonez continues to be a quite force in the league.  He's not flashy and loud, just good.

Funny story.  Last night on the flight to Minneapolis, Francisco Cruceta took a seat on the plane next to Nate Robertson.  Nate went on to explain to Crucetta that everyone that has sat next to him is no longer with the team.  First it was Gary Knotts.  Gone.  Then it was Chris Shelton.  Gone.  Then Sean Casey.  Gone.  Ryan Raburn sat next to Nate for the first few flights and then decided not to test fate, so he moved.  What did Crucetta do?  He go outta Dodge and took a seat in the next row next to Denny Bautista.

After watching the last week of Tigers baseball, I am really amazed at the amount of walks we are seeing American League pitchers give up.  In the last seven games the Tigers have played, a total of 76 walks have been issued by both the Tigers and their opponents combined.  The just completed three game series between the Rangers and Tigers featured the two pitching staffs that have allowed the most walks in the American League.  However, walks league-wide are on the rise. 

Through games of April 23 last season, A.L. clubs issued a total of 870 walks.  Through the same span this season, the total jumped to 1044 base on balls.  Walks are responsible for higher pitch counts, less hair on the heads of pitching coaches and inflated time-of-game totals.  It makes you really appreciate strike throwers....

Curtis Granderson wasted little time in showing what he brings to the table.  Now that the Tigers lead-off man is back in the line-up, his combination of speed, power and presence gives the Tigers an an extra dimension.  What's amazing is that it took Curtis no time at all to find his stroke.  Three hits, including his first home run and four runs scored have made for an impressive debut....

The Tigers bullpen deserves some much needed credit.  After hearing how terrible they were as a group coming out of spring training, the pen has given the Tigers a huge lift.  The numbers they posted in the Toronto and Texas series' were flat out awesome.   Hats off to the pen.

Looks like the Tigers have arrived. Last night's pounded of C.C. Sabathia in Cleveland provided a glimpse of what this offense is capable of. Consider they did all of that damage with a lead-off hitter that went 0-6.

I've talked about Gary Sheffield's impact on the offense in the past, and again last night he showed his worth. There is a tremendous value to taking a walk that often is overlooked. In the fifth inning last night, Sheff put together a 10-pitch at-bat that led to a seven run inning and eventually the ouster of Sabathia. Making C.C. work that hard had a strong effect on how he approached the rest of the inning. The 10-pitch at-bat resulted in a walk and the Tigers began to roll.

Makes you wonder what this offense will be like when Grandy returns. This line-up is already a nightmare for opposing pitchers to deal with, but Granderson adds another dimension. His speed and running ability gives the line-up more balance and quickness. More offense leads to more relaxed starting pitching, and that's a good thing.

Sunday's loss to the White Sox in Chicago was about as bad as we have seen from the Tigers in quite some time.  There was plenty to be disappointed about in this one.  From the rapid fire way the Tigers made outs at the plate when the score got lopsided, to the poor pitching performance  that put the Tigers in a hole early.

It's embarrassing for anyone connected with the club to watch a team with this much talent struggle on a nightly basis.  There are many reasons for the Tigers sputtering start.  However, on Sunday, one stuck out like a sore thumb in particular.  Walks, walks and more walks.  The Tigers staff has surrendered 62 walks in the first 12 games.  That's an average of over five per game.  The 62 walks are the most in all of baseball, not just the American League.

The Tigers are also averaging 158 pitches per game (the most in the A.L.) and threw 212 in one game at Boston.  The starters ERA is a combined 6.54.  Is the slow start entirely the pitching staff's fault?  Not by any stretch.  This offense has already been shutout four times.  However, with the offense struggling as mightily as it is, the pitching has not been able to step up.

I still think this club will turn the corner at some point.  I also believe they will do it before it's too late.  There is not one team in the A.L. that has gotten off to a blazing start.  Maybe the two games at home will jump start this club.  Maybe the tongue lashing after Sunday's games by Jim Leyland will.  I hope it does, because this can still be an exciting summer.

Just landed in Boston for the start of a three game series here against the Red Sox.  Should be an interesting series.  The Sox have to be gassed with all of the travel, including the opening series in Japan, they have endured.  It is also their home opener tomorrow which carries extra stress.  Here is hoping the Tigers can take advantage of a tired Boston team and play well at Fenway.  Boston didn't look too good against the Jays.

The road may be just what the Tigers need.  Hopefully starting tomorrow afternoon, the bats come alive and we can forget about this start.  The plane ride here was pretty normal.  No sign that anyone is about to jump off a cliff.  Here's hoping Kenny can get the ball rolling for the Tigs tomorrow.

When the Tigers made their run to the World Series in 2006 , they did so by staying relatively healthy.  The key to making a run was an ability to keep everyone in the lineup.  The only significant injuries were Mike Maroth and Dmitri Young.  Last year, injuries to Kenny Rogers and Gary Sheffield significantly hurt  the Tigers chances.

This year, the bumps and bruises are already starting to accumulate.  Sheffield, Wilson, Rodney, Zumaya, Granderson, and on and on.  The good thing is that the Tigers are relatively deep in all areas except the rotation.  They can ride out a stretch without Granderson and Sheffield.  My only concern is that the injuries don't hit the rotation.  The recent trades of Andrew Miller, Jair Jurrjens, Eulogio de La Cruz and Dallas Trahern have left the system a little short on depth.  Several major injuries to the starting rotation could have a major effect on the Tigers chances this year, loaded line-up or not.

Let's hope the Tigers can ride out the current wave of injuries and at the same time keep the starting rotation healthy.  If you see Jim Leyland pull Kenny Rogers out oBLEEPame a little early this season, don't freak out.  He can't be greedy with his veterans.  He has no choice but to make sure his rotation has enough gas to go the distance and stay healthy.  Managing a pitching staff is one of the toughest tasks a manager has,  This year, it is imperative that the skipper gets at least 30 starts from everyone.  That takes some planning.  As Leyland likes to say, "It's not always the best pitching staff that wins, it's the healthiest."

Lost in yesterday's loss to the Royals was an outstanding day at the plate by Gary Sheffield. At first glance, in may not look very sexy. Sheffield failed to put a ball in play in five plate appearances. He finished 0-1 with a strikeout and four walks. Believe it or not, he had a great day at the plate.

Most fans admire Sheffield's ability to hit the ball a mile and his vicious swing. I do too. While it's fun to watch him turn on a good fastball, I also love to watch Gary turn an 0-2 count into an inning-extending walk. Assuming he stays healthy this year, Sheff will hit his 25-30 homers and knock in 90-95 runs. Yet, for me, it's the walk totals and runs scored that are just as important and under appreciated.

Here is Sheffield's day: First inning, he draws a two-out walk to extend an inning. In his third at bat in the fourth, he drew a base loaded walk to drive in a run and extend the inning for Magglio Ordonez to hit with the bases loaded. In the seventh inning, he walked to lead off the inning with his team down by one run. In the ninth, Sheff walked with two outs to extend another inning.

This is precisely why Jim Leyland chose to bat Sheffield third in his dream team line-up. His plate discipline and willingness to take his walks is what makes him a much better hitter than I ever imagined before he joined the team last season. It is also what makes this offense go. With Ordonez, Cabrera and Guillen following in the line-up, Sheffield is a lock to score 100 runs this year. Gary told me last year that his goal every game is to account for two runs, whether he knocks them in or scores them. Taking his walks helps him accomplish that goal.

Here is an assignment while you watch tigers baseball this season. Keep track of how many walks Sheffield ends up with after he falls behind in the count 0-2. I'll bet it's a lot.

With Tigers fans hyperventilating over the way Tigers starters have been roughed up over the last few days, I thought I'd sprinkle in a little perspective.  First let me say that I have no problem with fans showing concern about Justin Verlander's last outing and Dontrelle Willis' spring numbers.  I must admit, I'm scratching my head as well. 

However, and you know there is always a however, fans across the country are freaking out at some of the inflated ERA's of many stud pitchers in the league.  Tigers fans, you are not alone.
For every fan complaining about Verlander's 5.85 ERA and Willis' 8.64 mark, there are just as many Giants fans wondering about Barry Zito's 10.31 ERA.  Yankees fans can't be too thrilled about Chien-Ming Wang's 8.04 earned run average.

Here are some others:  Ben Sheets (9.56), Brandon Webb (8.50), Cole Hamels (7.16) and Erik Bedard (8.63).

I find it hard to believe that all of the names listed above will continue to struggle this mightily once the bell sounds.

On a side note.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of  the Angels Preston Gomez.  The former manager and current assistant to the General Manager was hit by a car Wednesday morning in Blythe, CA.  He is in critical condition in a California hospital.  Gomez was hit at a gas station on his way back home from spring training in Arizona.  Preston is perhaps the nicest person I have met in the game of baseball.  Always concerned about people and their families.  I can't imagine not seeing him on our trips to Anaheim.  Please get well Preston.

Just the other day, we had Dave Dombrowski on the air with us during our telecast against the Blue Jays.  One of the first things I asked him was about his team's health.  "Knock on wood Dave, your team is pretty healthy aside from the bullpen issues," I said.  Nice.  Way to jinx the team. 

I'll admit, Curtis Granderson's hand injury is my fault.  You never talk about injuries this close to the end of camp.  Fortunately it doesn't appear that the injury will keep Curtis out of the line-up for more that a couple of weeks.  That's great news considering all indications pointed toward Granderson having another All-Star type year.  I think we all noticed last year that when Granderson sat against tough lefties, the offense just didn't look the same.  He is a vital part of the line-up. 

Enter Brandon Inge.  Inge started in center field today and made a nice diving grab.  Could he see some time in CF while Granderson heals?  Maybe.  That's why I think it would be great to see Inge stay.  Every team has an injury or two throughout the season.  Inge can play a lot of positons and that is very valuable.

I need to put my jinxing skills to better use.  I think I'll go tell Mark Shapiro that Fausto Carmona looked really strong today and is on his way to a Cy Young Award.

Jim Leyland had some thoughts today on some of the minor league prospects he had a chance to evaluate this spring. Contrary to the belief that the Renteria and Carera/Willis deals left the system empty, the Tigers still have some good talent remaining.

Tops on the list is right hander Rick Porcello, who proved in his spring outings that he is legit. Leyland feels he could pitch in the big leagues right now. He is that far advanced, even at age 19. He also feels the prudent thing though is to take some time with him and let him gain more experience at the minor league level. His ability though, is unquestioned. "He has tremendous mound presence and all of his pitches are big league ready," Leyland said.

Jeff Larish showed Leyland enough to elicit this response: "He has a great future, he just need to refine his swing." Larish was only 2-16 this spring with 3 RBI, but his power potential is intriguing.

Brent Clevlen continues to impress with his physical tools. Clevlen had a good spring hitting .419, but, as Leyland put it, "I told him he was a top notch prospect, but at some point it has to translate into the regular season. I think he is going to have a great season this year."

Virgil Vazquez has been considered one of the clubs better pitching prospects and after a couple of stints in the big leagues, he still has some work to do. "I saw some improvement," Leyland said. "He had some good outing here, but he also had some outing where he didn't keep the ball down. He needs to work on keeping the ball down."

Scott Sizemore caught the skipper's eye this spring. The infielder out of Virginia is "going to be a hard-nosed player in the big leagues" according to Leyland. He just need to improve his foot work and continue play (in the minor leagues).

Good news by the way on Michael Hollimon. The infielder from Dallas, Texas injured his shoulder in yesterday's game in Sarasota. Leyland said his rehab will not take a long time and that no surgery will be needed. That is great news considering how the injury looked yesterday.

As the Tigers prepare to face the Yankee in Lakeland today, here are some ramblings from the skipper's office.

Base running was a hot topic today. Leyland feels that the Tigers are not a very good base running team yet. Interestingly enough, Leyland has brought some base paths philosophy over from his days with the Cardinals. "When the Cardinals were in their wining years, they were the best base running team in baseball," he said. "We've brought some of that over here."

This spring, the focus has been on making the Tigers a better team on the bases. Not necessarily faster (that's not possible according to Leyland), but better. "When you don't have a lot of speed, you have to emphasize better base running," he said. "We've worked on secondary leads a lot down here."

One of the better base runners the Tigers have had in recent years is Kirk Gibson. My first year broadcasting here in Detroit, Gibby was my broadcast partner and he constantly talked about getting better secondary leads and how much of a difference it can make in BLEEP-BLEEP plays at the plate. Leyland agrees. "If Curtis Granderson and Sean Casey got the same lead off second base, Granderson probably scores on a single, but Casey would need to cheat a little with his secondary lead to score."

In my opinion, Gary Sheffield is the Tigers best base runner. Not the fastest, but the best. At age 38 last year, he stole 22 bases. A great example of how you don't need blinding speed to be a good base runner, just good instincts.

Leyland was asked who he felt were the best base runners he has seen in his career. His answer: "Andy Van Slyke and Larry Walker. They had the best instincts I've ever seen."

Jim Leyland's pre-game press conference was filled largely with talk of the Tigers pen with just a little over two weeks left in camp.

The main topic was Fernando Rodney.  Leyland said that at this point it is unlikely that he will be ready for the start of the regular season.  "I'm not going to push the envelope with him.  As the minutes go by, it's less likely that he'll be ready, " Leyland said.  "We're only going to take him if he is 100% ready to go."

Regardless, the Tigers will have only two left handers is the pen.  Bobby Seay and Tim Byrdak are on the team and barring injury, that's all for the lefties.

Denny Bautista continues to impress this spring.  His numbers are outstanding (8ip 3h 0r 3bb 8k), but his ability to throw strikes has opened some eyes.  Control has been an issue in his career, but his stuff has never been questioned.  As Leyland said today, "If he can throw three pitches for strikes, he'll be in the big leagues longer than I will manage."

No matter how the pen shapes up, Leyland pointed out the fact that if his starters can give him even 1/3 or 2/3 innings more in a game, it would be a big factor.

Watching the Tigers dismantle the Astros in Lakeland today, I'm getting an early primer as to what to expect on our telecasts this season.  Lots of games with lots of home runs.  With a 11-4 lead in the eighth inning, the Tigers have hit four home runs.  The two that stick out the most for me though, are the pair that Pudge Rodriguez hit. 

Pudge now has 10 hits this spring, six of them are home runs.  I get the feeling that Pudge has something to prove this season.  He has been tabbed to hit eighth in the line-up this year, and while he says he understands, you know he can't like it.  Pudge is headed to the Hall of Fame once his career is over.  He is one piece to a very impressive puzzle and quite honestly his spot in this version of the line-up is probably warranted.  However, I think he is out to prove he can still hit at a high level.  He is a career .300 hitter and this season he may show why. 

The Tigers announced their first cuts of the spring season today with no surprises.  Among those sent out were Macay McBride, Rick Porcello, Jeff Larish, Matt Joyce and Wilkin Ramirez.

Leyland said before today's game against the Astros that McBride's future is as a starter.  He will more than likely head to Toledo this season and start every fifth day.  According to Leyland, McBride is better suited for the rotation because he can use all of his pitches.  Out of the bullpen, you tend to use only two pitches.  They like his arm and potential.

Larish meanwhile needs to work on making more contact.  The Tigers understand that strikeouts go hand and hand with power, but in order stick with the big league club, it's all about making adjustments.

More to come with updates on the game today.