The announcement today that the Tigers have traded for Seattle lefthander Jarrod Washburn has energized the Tigers clubhouse.  Washburn gives the Tigers a legitimate trio of starters heading down the stretch and hopefully into the playoffs.

I know Washburn well having broadcast his games from 1998 to 2001 in Anaheim.  I can guarantee that the Tigers just traded for a fierce competitor that is having one of the finest seasons of his career.  Washburn has plenty of post season experience, which is a big part of what he brings.  He has pitched in pressure games and has a World Series ring, which he earned in 2002 after winning 18 games with the Halos.

Rick Adair is Seattle's pitching coach and a former Tigers coach.  Washburn has given Adair plenty of credit for his outstanding season.  Apparently Adair told Washburn to make a slight adjustment in the way he rotates his hips during his delivery.  The result has been a stunning improvement in his sinker.  As Wasburn said, "My sinker actually started sinking."

So the Tigers have made a significant addition to their staff and I believe to the emotional state of the club.  Recently Justin Morneau stated that it was frustrating that year after year the Twins stand pat at the deadline.  Many won't say it, but it frustrates players on contending teams when the club is not able to add some pieces.  Dave Dombrowski has done just that, bolstering the pitching staff and adding some pep to the clubhouse as well.  I think the Tigers just added a winner, and hopefully a key piece to a division champion in 2009.

After a clean sweep by the Yankees this weekend, it's clear the Tigers have a need for another bat in the lineup.  What's really strange is the Tigers inability to get it done offensively on the road.  The home/road splits for the club show just how much better the Tigers play at home.

                        Home                     Road

Ave.                  .276                       .243

SLG%               .456                        .393

OB%                 .353                       .307       

 

And, I'm not even going to get into RISP.  I suppose the good news is, the Tigers have played ten more games on the road this year then they have at home.  They will play at Comerica Park a lot in the second half.  They can't, however, waste the type of perfomances they got from the rotation in New York.    At this point, the Tigers really don't know what they will get in Carlos Guillen when he returns.  They hope it's the guy capable of driving in 100 runs, but they don't know.  And, while Miguel Cabrera has had a nice season, he may have to carry this team on his back a lot more as the season progresses.    With the trading deadline approaching, every contender hopes to add a piece or two.  Based on the Tigers current payroll, logic tells us they should have enough on the current roster.  This past weekend however tells another story.

As for the New Yankee Stadium, it is truly an impressive structure.  Maybe too impressive.  The thing that hit me this weekend, is that the new park is far less intimidating than the old one.  When you walked into Yankee Stadium in the past, you could actually feel the history and mistique of the franchise.  I'm not sure it's the same anymore.  It actually seemed too polished.  Still, very impressive.

The BranTorino marketing campaign is officially a success.  Today Brandon Inge officially became an all star when he was announced as the winner of the internet vote in the American League.  Along with Shane Victorino in the National League, Inge was voted in with the help of a shrewd marketing idea by the Tigers and Phillies.   Phils fans would vote for Inge if Tigers fans would vote for Victorino.  The results were impressive.  Victorino lead all players with a record 15.6 million votes, while Inge checked in with 11.8 million votes, the most ever by an American League player.

While the process of the vote is open for debate, the fact remains that Inge was deserving of an All Star selection this year.  He leads all A.L. third basemen in home runs, and is second in RBI, slugging percentage and runs scored.  Add to the mix his defensive abilities and he will represent Detroit very well.

 

Congratulations to Luke French on his first big league win.  French has given an already strong starting staff and big lift in the absence of Bonderman and Willis.  An eighth round pick in 2004, French has fought his way to the big leagues based on his strong performance this year.  The Tigers have been known to take the guy who was pitching the best in the minor leagues when a need arises.  It happened last year when Armando Galarraga got his shot.  That turned out pretty well.

 

 

As the Tigers shift their focus to the death pit known as the Metrodome the next three days, a different kind of black hole has developed for the club this decade.  It's called the West Coast, in particular, Anaheim and Oakland.  For some reason the Tigers have really struggled when heading out west since 2000.  Including the first half of this season, the Tigers are 10-32 at the "Big A" and 15-29 at the Coliseum.  That's a lot of losses.  Granted, the Angels have had some really good teams this decade and the A's were not too shabby either in the Zito, Hudson and Mulder era, but the Tigers have been pretty competitive since 2006.  Their record in those two parks since '06:  8-18

So why is it so difficult for teams from the midwest and east coast to win in California?  Could be the time change.  The grind of the schedule is difficult enough to deal with, but losing three hours is a tough adjustment for the body.  Just when you get used to west coast time, you move on to the next city and time zone.  One other theory that I have, and admittedly it might be a little out there, is that so many players are from California.  When they roll into town, their friends and families are waiting, and that may be a bit of a distraction.  Not a bad one, but a distraction nonetheless.  I have seen many a player scurrying around the clubhouse trying to scrounge up extra tickets to accomodate everyone.   Does this explain why the record is so bad out west?  No, but it does play a role.  I've seen it time and time again. 

As for the next challenge, the Tigers have to find a way to get a win or two this weekend.  The Twinkie Dome is only as tough as you make it.  Yes, the Twins have sculpted their teams to fit this park and yes Ron Gardenhire is a terrific manager that knows how to use this field to his advantage, but the Tigers have Jackson and Porcello going in two games here.  They need to forget the past.

By the way, the next time you are in San Francisco, make sure to stop and one of my favorite places on the road, the Buena Vista Cafe on the corner of Hyde and Beach.  They are famous for their Irish Coffee.

 

With the new 2009 season on the horizon, the Tigers have a new direction in the pitching department.  New pitching coach Rick Knapp is already busy putting his fingerprints all over the Tigers staff.  As you know, Knapp comes to the Tigers from the Minnesota Twins organization.  With the Twins, Knapp was busy overseeing the likes of talented pitchers like Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins, just to name a few.  The main message he delivered to all of them was simple.  Throw strike one,  the best pitch in baseball.  As a result, Twins staffs generally allow the fewest number of walks in the major leagues.

Last season, Twins pitchers allowed 406 walks the entire year.  That was by far the lowest total in major league baseball.  Moreover, the Twins staff threw an average of 15.7 pitches per inning, the fewest in baseball.  By contrast, the Tigers allowed 644 walks, the fourth highest total in all of baseball.

Knapp's message to his staff is really quite simple.  Trust your stuff and throw strikes.   The Tigers defense should be improved with the return to Inge to third base and the addition of Adam Everett to play short stop.   It's one thing to invite the opposition to put the ball in play and another thing to catch it.  The improved defense and an emphasis on throwing strikes will hopefully translate into more victories in 2009.

The Tigers 2009 telecast schedule is now posted at foxsports.com/detroit ... it includes 4 spring training telecasts (March 16, 19, 22, 29).