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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Dombrowski: ‘Now we need to fix it’

in seven(ty) easy pieces…ala Detroit Cobras style!

“I’m embarrassed,” Dombrowski said before the Tigers-White Sox game, a makeup from an earlier rainout that needed to be played because of the tight AL Central race. “I’ve had a bad year. There were a lot of things anticipated that I missed on.

“We had a bad year as a team,” Dombrowski said of a team that finished last, a game behind the Royals. “Now we need to fix it.”

...Each player’s offense, however, must pick up from this year’s levels, Dombrowski said.

“Carlos Guillen has to hit more than 10 home runs and knock in more than 54,” Dombrowski said of a key player whose season ended weeks ago because of back problems.

Asked if Inge ever would hit closer to his 2006 totals, when he belted 27 home runs, Dombrowski said, “I hope so. As good as Brandon plays (third base), it’s tough to play any spot and hit .200.”

Repoz Posted: September 30, 2008 at 02:06 PM | 25 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: September 30, 2008 at 02:41 PM (#2961125)

So he's not planning to tear down and rebuild.

2. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: September 30, 2008 at 03:20 PM (#2961165)

Detroit is in kind of a funny place. They have a couple younger guys with a ton of talent surrounded by declining but mostly not terrible vets. With better pitching they could have contended this year, and could still contend next year.

Renteria just does not belong in the AL.

3. Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

Posted: September 30, 2008 at 03:23 PM (#2961170)

Renteria just does not belong in the AL.

What special AL skill is he lacking or do you mean he's not performed in the AL for whatever reason?

4. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 30, 2008 at 03:29 PM (#2961175)

He's allergic to the designated hitter. Close proximity in the lineup makes his airway constrict.

5. Jimmy P Posted: September 30, 2008 at 03:40 PM (#2961183)

What special AL skill is he lacking or do you mean he's not performed in the AL for whatever reason?

He's not that good?

6. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: September 30, 2008 at 03:53 PM (#2961190)

This was an ugly team--they had four 13 game stretches (no overlap) where they went 3-10, 2-11, 3-10 and 1-12.

Talk about cold streaks.

Best Regards

John

7. Rough Carrigan

Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:00 PM (#2961199)

Renteria's terrible going to his right, so bad that he probably can't really play shortstop anymore.

8. RMc's grumbling has gone far enough Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:12 PM (#2961207)

Renteria just does not belong in the AL.

Actually, for an AL SS in 2008, an 84 OPS+ wasn't that bad. Peralta (108) and Jeter (105) were the only ones (AL, 80%+ games at SS, 502 PAs) that were above 100 this year. (Aviles had a 116 in 441 PA.)

This was an ugly team--they had four 13 game stretches (no overlap) where they went 3-10, 2-11, 3-10 and 1-12.

Damn. If they had just played freakin' .500 ball in those 52 games, the Tigers would've won 91 games...and the division. (Hell, they'd've have home field in the ALDS...)

9. Gern Blanston Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:40 PM (#2961254)

(Hell, they'd've have home field in the ALDS...)

?

They'd have still been the 3 seed, no? (Depending on how many of those extra wins were against the Angels/Rays/Red Sox, of course...)

10. Poochie Mahoney Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:57 PM (#2961278)

An odd team this. I don't think blowing it up is the answer--while a little long in the tooth and missing a few components, I think it can still contend. What's a good analogy here? The 1959 Yankees?

11. Cris E Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:11 PM (#2961298)

They have some studs, Dave D seems to have commitments to LF (Guillen) CF (Granderson) RF (Ordonez) 1b (Cabrera) 2b (Polanco) and maybe Inge at 3b. That leaves C and SS and a lot of pitching to address. With the thin SS market they may need to go the trade route for a decent one (unless they choose the Good Field No Hit model.) Do they trade one of the three young "disappointments" (Bonderman Verlander Willis) or wait for a rebound? And how much turmoil will there be in that pen? Dombrowski said a new closer would be a target, but when Leyland went to a starter last night instead of anyone else it indicated there's a lot of discomfort with the guys down there. This will be a fun team to watch this winter just to see how the old master plays his hand.

12. SugarBear Blanks

Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:18 PM (#2961305)

Damn. If they had just played freakin' .500 ball in those 52 games, the Tigers would've won 91 games...and the division. (Hell, they'd've have home field in the ALDS...)

Verlander stopped being an ace, which made it tough to stop the losing streaks in their tracks. I'd also argue the hitting tended to go cold together, the non-randomness of which is, of course, sabermetrically unprovable.

They started the year with statues at 3B and SS, and had to go the whole year with a statue at SS. Pudge declined horribly, they didn't have a lot of speed, and the bullpen was brutal.

Just a craptastic year all around. There's no indication the payroll's going to get cut horribly and there's still a lot of talent there. By already announcing the move of Inge to 3B and Guillen to LF, Leyland has made it clear he's not going to put up with another slow, sluggish, defensive wreck of a roster. He and DD work well together. I'm cautiously optimistic for '09.

13. Moloka'i Three-Finger Brown (Declino DeShields) Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:45 PM (#2961333)

I totally missed the boat on these guys. Regardless of the pitching, I figured they could just pound the living crap out of all comers, at least within the division. Whoops.

As good as Brandon plays (third base), it’s tough to play any spot and hit .200.”

Inge has done an uncommon amount of that. Granted, most of his suck was at the outset of his career, but roughly 1/3 of his career ABs have been spent in seasons where he basically hit the Mendoza Line.

14. Srul Itza Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:48 PM (#2961336)

Pudge declined horribly

Yeah, but that decline occurred after he got to the Yankees.

With Detroit he put up a .295/.338/.417 line, good for a 99 OPS+, which is not bad for a catcher, and marginally better than last year's .281/.294/.420, which was good for an 85 OPS+.

15. Best Dressed Chicken in Town Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:48 PM (#2961338)

Would Inge be capable of playing SS? Or more importantly, an above-average SS?

16. Dan Posted: September 30, 2008 at 05:51 PM (#2961341)

I think he could. He has a great arm, good reactions, and he's fast enough to play a solid center field. I don't see any reason to think he couldn't be a good SS. Even if for some reason he can't hack it at SS, he could probably play second with Polanco playing short.

17. Srul Itza Posted: September 30, 2008 at 06:01 PM (#2961351)

This was Sheff's last year under contract with Detroit, right? Think anyone will give Sheffield a job next year? Or is he going to finish his career stuck on 499 home runs?

18. RJ in TO Posted: September 30, 2008 at 06:09 PM (#2961359)

This was Sheff's last year under contract with Detroit, right? Think anyone will give Sheffield a job next year? Or is he going to finish his career stuck on 499 home runs?

I'm pretty sure that Sheffield has another year under contract. He was traded from the Yankees with one year left on his deal, and he made the Tigers agree to a two year extension in order to keep him happy.

At least that's how I remember it, but I could be wrong.

19. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: September 30, 2008 at 06:11 PM (#2961361)

Would Inge be capable of playing SS? Or more importantly, an above-average SS?

He was definitely an above-average college shortstop. But that was a while ago.

This was Sheff's last year under contract with Detroit, right?

Sheffield is signed for $14M for 2009, with $4M deferred and a limited NTC.

20. Tom Cervo, backup catcher Posted: September 30, 2008 at 06:16 PM (#2961365)

This was Sheff's last year under contract with Detroit, right? Think anyone will give Sheffield a job next year? Or is he going to finish his career stuck on 499 home runs?

He's under contract for $14M in '09.

21. Srul Itza Posted: September 30, 2008 at 06:21 PM (#2961372)

I thought there might be another year, but I couldn't find a reference. Thanks for the info.

Now, do they play him or do they try to dump him?

22. Poochie Mahoney Posted: September 30, 2008 at 07:39 PM (#2961439)

Well, you gotta at least let him hit #500. I know it sounds silly, but I sincerely think Sheff has one borderline MVP-type season left in him.

23. chemdoc Posted: September 30, 2008 at 07:47 PM (#2961448)

So what's the trade value of Marcus Thames?

24. fra paolo Posted: September 30, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2961474)

I think I'd be inclined to try Inge at SS. His anaemic hitting wouldn't be quite such a handicap, and it might be easier to get a stopgap at 3b, especially if you could get a 3b with good range. I guess it depends what's available.

The Tigers are quite high on Cale Iorg as a long-term solution, so they're only looking for 1-2 seasons of temporary SS.

25. Walt Davis Posted: September 30, 2008 at 09:58 PM (#2961540)

Wow, hadn't realized Inge had hit so poorly the last two years. Hard to see any reason to have him start anywhere although, yes, that's not disastrous if an average or better C or SS.

Trade him to the Cards ... LaRussa will be ecstatic with that sort of versatility.

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