Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

He might have eaten the profits.

And Denny McLain can have a heart attack and die anytime. Sometime yesterday would be good for me.

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

From Tom Gage this morning:

Wouldn't you love to transport yourself two years into the future and see what the Tigers look like on this date in 2012?

The only current contracts on the books for 2012 are Miguel Cabrera's, Justin Verlander's, and that of last June's draft choice Jacob Turner.

There's also a club option in Rick Porcello's contract - and Jose Valverde's.

But that's it. Repeat, that's it.

[Malts18]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

I thought Lynn Henning's article in the Detroit News on Friday was pretty telling... you usually don't have a writer this close to a team rip/call out a player like Granderson very often. Granderson was much loved here, but, you know what? Henning was right.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...-more-puzzling

From Henning's article....

The perception has always been that dealing Granderson was a payroll issue. Then why trade the most popular player on Ilitch's team, and on some days its most important performer, when he was only being paid $5.5 million for 2010?

It doesn't make sense in light of the other expenditures. It will make less sense if the Tigers sign Johnny Damon for $7 million or more. That's what they will pay Damon for 2010, if they ever agree on a contract that is hung up on money and length (Damon and Scott Boras want a second year).

So, once and for all, let's get the story straight on Granderson:

It wasn't about money.

The real story

It had a financial component, but only tangentially. The Tigers saw a way to get younger and less expensive by making Granderson part of their big December three-way deal that netted them three good, young pitchers and a center-field prospect, Austin Jackson, who has yet to prove he's ready for the big leagues in 2010.

But more and more it becomes clear the Tigers preferred to go forward minus Granderson after he let them down in 2009.

And will that line make a few fans choke on their ballpark hotdogs.

A man who was "the face of the team," as fans like to say? A center fielder who hit 30 home runs and who made that phenomenal catch against Grady Sizemore in Cleveland?

Just whom did he let down?

Well, objectively speaking, his team.

It had to do with that .249 batting average in 2009. It remains an ugly statistic for a leadoff batter of Granderson's skill. The only harsher numbers confirmed how he hit, or rather failed to hit, against left-handed pitching -- .183.

Factor in another statistical clunker, a .327 on-base average for their supposed spark plug, and you know why the heat was on Granderson once the Tigers began reviewing 2009, not that Granderson's showing was a mystery.

But for one game ...

The Tigers missed going to the playoffs by one lousy ballgame. And for all the flak the bottom third of their batting lineup took, deservedly, for being a waste of at-bats, it was what happened at the No. 1 spot that combined with some less-than-stirring play in center field to put serious scrutiny on Granderson.

Finances became a beneficiary as the Tigers crafted their big December trade, but had Granderson played last year with the skill and game-changing ways he displayed in 2006 and 2007, and even into 2008, he never for a moment would have been included in any offseason deals by the Tigers.

No chance.

-----------------

Very interesting... almost like he was airing what fans who really know the game and don't let emotions rule decisions probably were thinking ever since Game 163 @ Minny.

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

The thing is, more than a few writers around town wrote nearly the same thing two months ago when the deal went down.

I'm not a fan at all of Lynn Henning, either as a man or as a writer. Lynn is the perfect first name for a man who writes like he has a vagina. Shoot him an email questioning one of his articles and then you really get to see what a sorry puss he really is.

[Malts18]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

The thing is, more than a few writers around town wrote nearly the same thing two months ago when the deal went down.

I'm not a fan at all of Lynn Henning, either as a man or as a writer. Lynn is the perfect first name for a man who writes like he has a vagina. Shoot him an email questioning one of his articles and then you really get to see what a sorry puss he really is.

Fair enough... but I didn't recall any ripping of Granderson quite so straightforward as that. But, if they did, I agree with them, too.

[3W]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

His name was dropped on the last page, but the O-Dog signed with the Twins this week. Figures.

[streaker]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

The thing is, more than a few writers around town wrote nearly the same thing two months ago when the deal went down.

I'm not a fan at all of Lynn Henning, either as a man or as a writer. Lynn is the perfect first name for a man who writes like he has a vagina. Shoot him an email questioning one of his articles and then you really get to see what a sorry puss he really is.

My feelings exactly. He suffers from Gage-envy.

As far as their opinion on Granderson- fine- but that still leaves a big ? in CF, even if the guy did his best Laird imitation against LH pitchers.

[streaker]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

I thought this was a nice short piece on Paul Carey:

http://www.freep.com/article/2010021...ter-the-Tigers

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

Paul Carey = One of the most underrated broadcasters in baseball history.

ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting that the Tigers are the high bidder for Johnny Damon at 1 yr, $7 mil.

Hmmph.

[bronconick]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

Paul Carey = One of the most underrated broadcasters in baseball history.

ESPN's Jayson Stark is reporting that the Tigers are the high bidder for Johnny Damon at 1 yr, $7 mil.

Hmmph.

I heard on the radio that Illitch okay'd a two year deal at 7 million per as well.

Trading Granderson makes so much sense now.

[streaker]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

I heard on the radio that Illitch okay'd a two year deal at 7 million per as well.

Trading Granderson makes so much sense now.

Which just lends credibility to Henning's assessment that he was not going to be the answer to their offensive issues, and that there were other factors. Riiiiight.

[MaizeRage]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

Nothing about Damon playing for the Tigers excites me whatsoever. But isn't it two years from now when a ton of money to old guys comes off the books?

I guess if the strategy is try to be competitive for the next two years and maybe eke out a win in a weak division, and then head into the winter of 2011-2012 with Cabrera, Verlander, and a mountain of cash to use on their best Yankees' impersonation in the free agent market to rebuild the team, I can live with that.

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

Well, that and a slew of young pitchers and outfielders. By 2012 we'll know about Casey Crosby, Andrew Oliver and Jacob Turner in the rotation, as well as Ryan Strieby, Casper Wells and Brandon Boesch in the outfield. You'd think that at least some of these guys are going to pan out, or we're going to have a disaster on our hands in about 2-3 years.

I still question the sanity of giving a 36 year old outfielder with a weak arm and not-the-greatest-power a 2-year deal, at any price.

Oh, and the money starts to peel off the books after this season.

[streaker]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

Well, that and a slew of young pitchers and outfielders. By 2012 we'll know about Casey Crosby, Andrew Oliver and Jacob Turner in the rotation, as well as Ryan Strieby, Casper Wells and Brandon Boesch in the outfield. You'd think that at least some of these guys are going to pan out, or we're going to have a disaster on our hands in about 2-3 years.

I still question the sanity of giving a 36 year old outfielder with a weak arm and not-the-greatest-power a 2-year deal, at any price.

Oh, and the money starts to peel off the books after this season.

Desperate move at best, which will probably blow up in their faces. Damon is washed up, and he'll have to learn to be a slap hitter again at Comerica. Better off with Granderson, Thames and Polanco if they wanted to win in the short term. Depending on how well Austin Jackson, Sizemore and the young arms do will alter how they spend in two years.

[Hammer]

Re: Detroit Tigers, 2009, Part III: How long does it take for Leyland to screw this up?

I don't have a problem with Marcus Thames leaving. When he's hot he looks like the next coming of Willie Horton, but when he's off he makes Rob Deer look like Tony Gwynn. And there's no happy medium with him. He's either hitting balls to Windsor or he's a windmill big enough to make the Dutch jealous, and nothing in between.

I still think the biggest mistake the Tigers made this offseason was failing to offer Polanco arbitration. Looking back I doubt that he would have signed anyway, as he took a 3 year deal to go play THIRD BASE in Philly, but I would have wanted the pick had he still walked away.

I would have liked to have seen Orlando Hudson in Detroit as well, if for no other reason, to have a Plan B at 2B if/when Sizemore is not ready for the majors yet. We've got two ticking time bombs in our lineup: CF and 2B. There's no Plan B for either position if things do not go as the front office planned.