 
Emu_steve
Member
Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 709
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 - 5:54 pm: |    |
In a perverse sense the '09 spring training should be fun.
In '08 all of the starting position and pitch slots were pretty well set.
On March 1 this looked like a sure bet to be a contender with no obvious problems. Stay healthy and win 90+ games.
On March 1 '09 there should be competition for a number of positions and more so with the pitchers.
As Rob has mentioned there will be the Arizona Fall League and there will be free agency and then the actually spring training when the kids make their play to play.
Just think of pitching. ?s abound. Yikes!
Rogers? Willis? Jones? Garcia (assuming signed)? Bondo? Robertson? Zumaya (health?)? Rodney? Farnsworth? |
Raptor56
Member
Username: Raptor56
Post Number: 430
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - 1:02 am: | |
The Tigers have given up on 2008, so why don't we? Bring on '09!•••••
p.s. aside from one inning today, that was one of my top 5 boringest Tigers games to sit through. Luckily my out of town coworkers were impressed with Downtown as a whole, because the game was totally uninspiring... |
Emu_steve
Member
Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 710
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - 4:35 am: | |
It does look, according to the Freep, that Rogers may not even make it until Sept. |
20043_stotter
Member
Username: 20043_stotter
Post Number: 496
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 - 5:23 am: | |
I'm already looking to 2009 too, for the obvious reasons. I have faith in next year. |
Daddeeo
Member
Username: Daddeeo
Post Number: 100
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2008 - 5:34 pm: | |
There won't be so many season tickets sold for next year. This team could go either way which is pretty sad considering how well they did just two years ago. |
Defendbrooklyn
Member
Username: Defendbrooklyn
Post Number: 1021
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 10:54 am: | |
They gave up! |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1143
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 2:58 pm: | |
Rick Knapp Named New Tigers Pitching Coach
Not a Leo Mazzone or Dave Duncan, but I hope the team knows what they are doing...heh!! |
_sj_
Member
Username: _sj_
Post Number: 2685
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 3:05 pm: | |
I actually don't have a problem with this hire. He comes from a respected organization that develops pitchers. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2843
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 10:19 pm: | |
Oh yeah, I admit that I would leap at any chance to be optimistic, but I think we have good reason to feel fairly up-beat about this move. |
Emu_steve
Member
Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 727
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 9:52 am: | |
Will we see Veritak in a Tigs' uni next year? |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 842
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 10:20 am: | |
Let's hope not. Tigers won't sign a .220 hitter on the decline unless he's strictly a back-up expected to play no more than 50 games. And certainly not for 5 million a year. It's tough to find catching help but other guys could do a similar job for less money and do you want to see Santiago (or similar), Inge and Varitek at the bottom 3rd of the order? |
Leannam1989
Member
Username: Leannam1989
Post Number: 89
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 - 8:21 pm: | |
Apparently Renteria would like to stay in Detroit. |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 891
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2008 - 9:50 pm: | |
I can see by the lack of posting the excitement is not yet building for our new bottom third of the order: Laird, Inge and Everett/Santiago. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 1699
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Monday, December 08, 2008 - 11:36 pm: | |
I'm stoked, Laird is a solid backstop, and everett is a nice ss,
for the time being |
Emu_steve
Member
Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 733
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 4:35 am: | |
Yep, Laird is critical. Tigs put themselves in a big bind when they let Pudge go.
The big question is how much $ will they spend for a closer?
Without a solid C and closer Tigs would have been doomed again. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2961
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 5:13 am: | |
I feel pretty good about these two acquisitions. I was not feeling OK about starting next season with Dusty Ryan as our Catcher, so I'm glad to have Laird, even though I expect that he is not going to be much of a hitter. Never was before...
I am actually somewhat excited about Everett, though. He is a light hitter, for sure, but if his defensive history holds up, he could be a major upgrade in a spot where we badly need one. If the plan to return Inge (yes, still my favorite Tiger) to 3B goes ahead, right-handed opposing hitters are going to see a whole different situation in our infield.
Part of my pleasure, over the Everett pick-up, is caused by the apparent emphasis on defense. (The plan to put Inge back at 3B was prior evidence.) I absolutely believe that games are won with pitching & defense. Since I'm not even sure that God knows what our pitching (so much of which we are stuck with and from which we have no idea what to expect) will end up looking like, the effort to tighten up the infield is, for me, very encouraging.
...Which raises a final question: If the Tigers are willing to sacrifice some offense from SS, in order to improve the defense at SS, what was all of that, "Oh, Santiago's a great fielder, but if we make him an everyday starter, he won't hit so good" talk, about? Why the hell wasn't Ramon given the job? Yertellin me that Everett is a much better hitter than Santiago? Hah?
Everett is older than Santiago. Everett's had more than twice the career AB's that Santiago has had, but the career percentages come out relatively similar. Last season, however, they had almost exactly the same amount of AB's, and here are the results. OBP: Everett .278, Santiago .411; SLG: Everett .323 (which, even as an OBP, would stink,) Santiago .460; AVG: Everett .213 (dreadful,) Santiago .282.
Looking at the defensive stats, both have very good Range Factors, but Ramon's is a little better, actually.
The only way it makes sense is if some other team has been making serious inquiries about Santiago and the Tigers are fairly certain that they will be moving him.
If that is not what is going on, then I don't much like the Everett pick-up, as it would seem like an unfair, and foolish, nose-thumbing at Ramon Santiago, who has always been there, for us, when we needed to replace somebody else, and who has always played like he's giving you the best he's got (and in 2008, that was pretty good.) |
Cheddar_bob
Member
Username: Cheddar_bob
Post Number: 2223
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 1:54 pm: | |
The Tigers will still need more pitching or else these moves will mean little. I just hope the kids they gave up don't blow up somewhere else. |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1378
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 4:41 pm: | |
Jones retired, Rogers is gone, Bonderman is likely unavailable until after the ASB, Robertson ended the season with a 6 plus era, Willis is a freakin' basket-case, recently stating that he plans to be a 15 game winner for the team in 09..LMAO!! Hey Don'trell...how about baby steps first..for example, getting through just ONE inning w/o giving up a BB?? Verlander had a junior slump, and has a terrible career record vs every team in the CD with the exception of the Royals. Galarraga could be the Tigers ace like last season, or have a sophomore slump. The BP is the Keystone Kops. We will Seay how much their new pitching coach Knapp can do with all of the "projects" he has to deal with.
Speaking of pitching coaches, I noticed that Chuck Hernandez was hired by the Indians as their BP coach. He can probably give some tips to the Tribe batters on how to hit the Tigers pitching, not that they haven't been successful at doing so before...
(Message edited by Flanders_field on December 09, 2008) |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2965
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 5:02 pm: | |
Don't worry about that. Hernandez can give them all the tips he wants. It won't help them, because the truth is that our pitchers never know what the hell is going to happen after they release the ball. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 1700
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 9:42 pm: | |
Bobby Seay-sick
Lets see if K-Rod going to the mets helps us getting Putz...which I would very much like |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1382
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 11:56 pm: | |
I am a fan of Putz as well, and he is a Michigan native who grew up in Trenton. The Tigers might have to give up leftys Larish and Joyce, along with perhaps a pitching prospect though. Pretty steep price, as the Tigers need LHB, maybe the could offer Thames instead of Joyce, and let him play LF in a platoon, resting Guillen or using him as DH.
I remember that JJ was pretty angry when Leyland yanked him in the bottom of the 9th of the '07 All-Star Game after he gave up 2 run homer to Soriano and then a walk with two outs. Putz got his revenge in the very next series after the ASB vs the Tigers, getting two saves, and Ked the side in the top of the 9th in the final game of the series. |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 893
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 6:20 pm: | |
I wouldn't mind at all if the Tigers gave up both Larish and Joyce for a closer. Along with a couple of major comebacks from a couple of the starters, we need a good closer if we are to have any chance of competing again with this current core of players. These guys are far from quality prospects. The local media have a long history of overating Tiger position prospects just because there are usually so few to talk about. Both these guys have 30 homer "potential" but have long, slow swings with big holes and are below average defensively with no foot speed. Larish is a 1st baseman who will never have the quick feet and soft hands required to play 3rd. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 1701
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 10:49 pm: | |
Edwin Jackson to Detroit...boo-ya |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 884
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 4:51 pm: | |
Surprised there's not more talk about what a great deal this is. We get a 25 yr old solid no. 3 pitcher who won't hurt this yr's payroll for Matt Joyce? Clearly the Rays think the guy has a lot more potential than I do. Baseball is a strange business. The Tigers threw a boatload of money and prospects to get Willis, the Yankees are apparently offering career .500 pitcher AJ Burnett 80 million bucks and yet the the Tigers get Jackson for almost nothing. Excellent week of work Dave. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2887
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 11:07 pm: | |
401don, I've been distracted, for a few days, but I agree with you on the Jackson deal. I know that he might not make a big splash, but I think there is a good chance that he's a guy who took a few seasons to hit his groove, has hit it, and might be ready to put together a solid season's worth of work.
Some of the folks calling in to radio shows and whimpering about how we shouldn't have let Joyce get away are demented. I'm not downing Joyce; maybe he will turn out to be a good player. That's fine, but I think it is rather silly to find fault with a trade where we give up an unproven leftfielder and acquire a starter who, last season, showed considerable progress and won almost half of his starts. (Winning half of your starts may not sound so great, but when you think about it, that's a solid accomplishment.)
The trade to whine about was the Jurrjens/Renteria slip-up. However, if this one works out, I think we could-- maybe-- let DD off the hook for that one.
I'm sorry; I have to say this:
I think one of the elements involved in the whimpering about Joyce's departure is race-related. Not in an ugly way, or anything like that; it's just that I believe the heavy influx of Latin players, combined with the fairly moderate amount of Black American guys, has caused some white fans to look upon white players with favor which is, maybe, not much about how good the player is, so much as it is about feeling a special warmth for white fellas that seem more like the guys who they grew up watching.
I know that statement was a grammatical disaster, and a clumsy way of explaining what I mean to say, but I figure that most of you will know what I'm saying: Some fans see a white guy, especially if he's a big farm-boy from the central part of the country (although Matt is from Tampa, meaning that the trade probably makes him feel pretty good,) and they kind of want to cling to him, and want him to succeed, because it's all well & good to have the black guys, and it's not that the fans have a problem with the Latin guys, but they just have a special fondness for the regular ol' white guys, and there is not anything so wrong with that, after all, but I'm not sure that all of the fans who feel that way realize that the main reason why they like a particular guy is that he's white!
Just goes to show ya that, sometimes, things can be racially-motivated in ways that are not ugly or mean-spirited.
At any rate, I wish good luck to Matt Joyce, and I wish even better luck to Edwin Jackson, because the color I really care about is navy blue-- the color of the Olde English "D" on our team's uniform. |
Hornist9
Member
Username: Hornist9
Post Number: 179
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 11:23 am: | |
They have got to get a legitimate closer! Last year's pen couldn't keep a lead to save their lives. I can't see Rodney doing the job, he's just too inconsistent. Zum Zum looks like he's gonna be the next Bird (too bad, his rookie season was so good, but now he's been injured and on the shelf). I hope Dombrowski can pull another deal and get something, or it's going to be a very long summer. |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 890
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 5:47 pm: | |
I'm sure Dombrowski will find a closer before the season starts but if I had to pick someone off the roster right now I would be more inclined to choose Miner over Rodney. He would be a Todd Jones type. He throws strikes with some movement and doesn't walk too many. He would give up a few homers but at least he wouldn't walk half the batters like Rodney. |
_sj_
Member
Username: _sj_
Post Number: 1627
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 11:07 am: | |
They have focused on the bullpen, they are just not prepared to pay the price that Free Agents or Trade partners were demanding.
There was an article on ESPN.com about the Tigers, I see if I can find the link that did not paint a pretty picture of the Tigers and their chances. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 9062
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 12:20 pm: | |
Tigers pick up Treanor as backup catcher on 1-year contract.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20081218/S PORTS0104/812180428 |
Raptor56
Member
Username: Raptor56
Post Number: 667
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 1:25 pm: | |
Is this the final bitter end of Vance Wilson? On a brighter note, maybe we'll see more female beach volleyball players in the stands now. Treanor is married to the legendary Misty May-Treanor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =KfzoQC-jMa0 |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 9065
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 1:32 pm: | |
Oh that's right! I totally missed that, Misty May-Treanor of recent (and previous) Olympic gold medal fame. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2908
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 7:25 pm: | |
Raptor, Vance is no longer on the roster. After 2006 (when, as you probably recall, he was quite handy,) they signed him to a two-year contract, yeah-'bout all of which he spent on the DL. |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1411
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 11:03 pm: | |
Yeah, too bad about Wilson, his injury and re-injury plagued un-availability over the past two seasons hurt the Tigers as much as Zumaya's did.
Ironic that the Tigers threw the switch-hitting (using the term "hitting" in the literal sense only) backup catcher Mike Rabelo into the trade with the Marlins for a year ago, Wilson never was able to play, and the Tigers used Inge as backup until Pudge was traded. Now they get a RH batting backup catcher with just about the same lack of power and Mendoza-line batting average who played for the Marlins last season.
There won't be many HR balls hit from the catcher position in the batting lineup again next season, at best maybe 8 or so. The bottom third of the lineup with Inge, Treanor, and Everett, will be going 1-2-3 often, and won't be getting many extra-base hits or coaxing many walks either, the latter even with Laird catching.
Tigers definitely improved the leftside and center of the infield defense, though. Losing Joyce means that the team is even more RH batter heavy. |
Detroitej72
Member
Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 970
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 11:14 pm: | |
As much as I enjoy home runs and cheered the Tigers huge pick ups last year, as the season wore on, I started to think the White Sox's had a better plan.
Solidify the defense with a couple of under the radar trades and signings, and you have the right mix of offense and defense.
I'm hopeing that perhaps this will be a good way back into the post season in 09. |
Emu_steve
Member
Username: Emu_steve
Post Number: 727
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 5:08 am: | |
If hitting, pitching and defense are equal thirds, Tigs were 1/3 of a team last year.
maybe they will be '2/3' of a team this year.
Bad pitching ('08) and bad defense ('08) = bad team (even with good hitting) |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 899
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 7:23 pm: | |
Flanders, you're right about that bottom 3. I think the Tigers are going to need to pinch hit more this yr and desperately need a left handed bat to do so. If Thames remains as our 4th outfielder and the team carries 12 pitchers that means Raburn has to go, which is not good because he's valuable for his ability to play both infield and outfield. My personal opinion is that if your pitching is so bad that you have enough work for 7 guys in the pen then you're not going to win anything anyway. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2914
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2008 - 7:59 pm: | |
I'm with ya on that one, 401don. If a team has seven guys in the bullpen-- let's count it as six, subtracting the closer (you know, the one we don't actually have)-- that probably means that at least four of them are completely undependable.
I hope they don't carry twelve pitchers. Really, I think it's a shame to need eleven. It seems like you ought to be able to make it with four guys who are (exclusively) starters, a "swingman" who is your fifth starter when you need one and works out of the bullpen the rest of the time, a closer, two righties and two lefties. That's ten, and if the ten guys you have are qualified major-league pitchers, that should be enough, dammit.
But then, I don't buy into some of the shit they do now. For instance, it is becoming generally accepted that a squad should have a "set-up" guy. I mean, if you have a guy who is effective in that role, well hell yes that's great, and that's the method you should go with, but I think it is silly to act as though you "need" a set-up guy; you either have one or you don't. Teams, like the Tigers, who don't even have a reliable closer are in no position to fool around trying to figure out who will be their "set-up" guy.
Further, I don't entirely go for this business of carrying a "left-handed specialist" who is brought in to face one, or two, batters. Again, as with the "set-up" role, if you have a guy who does that job admirably-- Jamie Walker was terrific with it-- that's great. Otherwise, isn't it kind of damned stupid to carry, and use, a guy as your "left-handed specialist," if there's nothing special about him?
It comes back to the same point you made, 401don. If ya got a sorry pitching staff, you're in trouble, and carrying one, or two, extra guys will not help. The net result of carrying those additional guys is little more than the divvying up of shitty innings among a larger group of schlumps.
If a guy isn't lowering, or at least maintaining, the Team E.R.A., you don't need him, and you shouldn't want him. Not as a starter, not as a "specialist," not as a "set-up" guy, not as a closer.
And finally, I think guys who maintain a nice-looking E.R.A., but habitually allow lots of inherited runners to score, are a total pain in the ass, which is why I felt no pangs of regret when I heard that Aquilino Lopez was cut adrift. |
Ggores
Member
Username: Ggores
Post Number: 508
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 12:24 am: | |
bump |
Raptor56
Member
Username: Raptor56
Post Number: 672
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 12:55 pm: | |
I said it last year, and I'll say it again now: Trading Mike Rabelo was a bad idea. I always thought he was an up and coming catcher and had a decent bat. Plus, he was cheap on the payroll |
Jonesy
Member
Username: Jonesy
Post Number: 508
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 8:17 pm: | |
I can't wait to see Action Jackson on the mound. |
Flanders_field
Member
Username: Flanders_field
Post Number: 1446
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2008 - 4:43 pm: | |
Pitching...pitching...pitching !!
If the Tigers can lop off a half-run from their team ERA of 4.90 last season, they will be competitive, three quarters of a run, and they could be CD contenders, a full run and they could be AL/WS championship contenders. Their fielding was horrendous as well, finishing near the bottom in the AL. Their batting was AL top five, it could even slip to the lower top 10, but with good pitching it wouldn't hurt them as much as their pitching remaining the same or becoming worse.
Verlander needs to improve his pitching vs the rest of the teams in the CD, with the exception of the Royals, he is for the most part, their bitch. for the past three seasons, averaging a basehit per inning. A SP CANNOT be considered an ace, if he cannot wIn more games than he loses overall vs teams in his division. (17-24 career) For some reason JV has pitched the fewest innings (56) vs the Twins, perhaps Leyland yanked him quickly before he could get shelled. Galarraga will need to prove that he is the real deal, Tigers have had a few one season wonders over the years. Bonderman, I hope that he is not trying to come back too soon, he claims that he will be ready to pitch in ST, I was not expecting him to return until next June. Robertson has declined dramatically since '06, over a full earned run on average 07-08. Willis? He could not even pitch well consistently vs A batting in the minors last season. Barring a miracle comeback, he will become one of the top 5 worst contract signings in Tigers history, IMO. Jackson hopefully will become the pitcher the Tigers counted on Willis to be last season.
Tigers BP is overwhelmingly RH, and underwhelmingly sub-par. They have no full season(s) experienced closer...if or as of yet. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2933
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2008 - 9:02 pm: | |
Flanders_field, your sudden and merciless hard-nose, tough-love attitude toward the Tigers has resulted in a bluntly worded post which I thoroughly enjoyed and lordnose how could anyone argue with your comments?
Absolutely, the 4.90 is the poison.
The decisions and moves made since season's end suggest that the Tiger brass learned, the hard way, that they need to put more emphasis on tightening up the defense.
You know you're gonna hear this from me, of course:
Brandon Inge is one of the best 3Bmen I have seen play for the Tigers, and I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I know he doesn't hit dependably, but he anchors down that side of the infield, with Polanco anchoring the middle. With the two of them out there the defense would, automatically, improve. If Everett is healthy-- and of course, he says he is-- the Tiger infield will be OUTSTANDING, and unless Cabrera falls asleep over at 1B and tips over, the tightening up of the infield should really help the pitchers.
Not enough to much lower that 4.90, though, and as Flanders_ suggests, a team with an E.R.A. anywhere near that Will Not Win.
Speaking of Cabrera, it would be insane to be anything but thrilled to have him here, but I happen to believe that the Cabrera acquisition and the resulting adrift-cutting of Inge came as a morale-shaking shock. I don't mean we made a mistake by acquiring Cabrera; I'm saying that I think it caused a problem. Turns out, it looks like playing 1B is O.K. with him, which is great news, because it sure as hell is O.K. with me if he plays there. He & Teixeira are hitters in the Manny Ramirez mode, and that is high praise. Obtaining Cabrera was almost like obtaining Ramirez, but ten years younger.
Disturbing fact: The Tigers scored 821 runs. That's good. (Nowhere near the Rangers' 901, naturally, but since the Rangers make it a point to never have any pitching and have recently insisted on having a Team E.R.A. even worse than ours, I'm not congratulating the Texas Wrongers for ANYthing.) Anyway, the Twins (playing a 163rd game) scored even more than us: 829 (3rd in AL, behind Texas and Boston.)
Detroit Tigers Team HR: 200
Minnesota Twins Team HR: 111
I think I was happier before I saw that one. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 9087
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 - 10:28 am: | |
Ravine I agree with you 100% about Inge. Inge is a great baseball player, I don't think he gets recognition for it much of the time. He is not the best hitter, but I would say one of the best all-around players out there. Especially, of course, third base.
Last season, I thought Inge's role would be perfect for him, filling in wherever needed, since he CAN play all those positions quite well. He is the perfect relief player. He ended up with a lot more playing time than I think he expected (lots of grumbling at the beginning). Now I realize he needs to be at third. Too many times I watched balls fly by Cabrera or Guillen, or throws to 1st off the mark or not in time, and said "not if Inge had been there". |
Kenp
Member
Username: Kenp
Post Number: 1307
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 - 10:42 am: | |
If Inge would try to be a contact hitter it would really help. He wants to swing for the fences to much. He reminds me of Eddie Brinkman. |
401don
Member
Username: 401don
Post Number: 910
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 - 3:52 pm: | |
Inge does have trouble with breaking balls (like pretty much all non .300 hitters) and with high fastballs. He has had success in the past when he tries to drive the ball back up the middle, which tends to keep you from over swinging. He's never going to be a spray hitter. I think he should just focus on those line drives up the middle and he can still turn on the occasional belt high fastball or hanging breaking ball. I'll be happy with 15 homers, 65-70 ribbies and .250 with his defense. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 9093
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 - 4:54 pm: | |
It seemed like he was developing a new stance with some success in 08, but the general stankness of the team quickly snubbed out whatever traction that was going to have. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3761
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2009 - 5:01 pm: | |
Stankness. Is that a word? If not, it should be. |
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