2013 Detroit Tigers Talk

**401don** · November-13-12, 06:59 PM

Tigers are apparently close to signing Tori Hunter. This is exactly the kind of player we need. Not only is Hunter a solid hitter, defender and clubhouse leader, he's the kind of exciting athletic player the team is sorely lacking. Aside from Jackson, the Tigers are a bunch of plodders. Last season I complained Fielder was another slugger that would clog up the bases. As the season wore on I grew to appreciate his hitting talent, but I still feel that money could have been better spent elsewhere. Hunter is going to command 18 million plus per year for 2 years. That's now 4 guys earning a total of 80 million. More when Scherzer gets his. You would hope this would be enough to get us back to the Series but the closer situation is still up in the air and may not be solved until well into the season.

**ggores** · February-01-13, 08:08 PM

Other than some dramatics around signing Sanchez, the Tigs are having a good off-season. Thankfully, no more Inge or Rayburn controversies, and I'm happily to debate the merits of Andy Dirks. Really looking forward to the return of V Mart also. Cabrerra still can't hardly speak a lick of English. "oola oola bla blah blah, we win, gooya gooya gooya, I hit, oopla oopla, and win... and ummmmm... goy goy goy , I hit" etc.

**kenp** · February-02-13, 10:56 AM

Hopefully Martinez comes back and produces.
Who is going to close, thats a big deal

**ggores** · February-02-13, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by kenp

Who is going to close, thats a big deal

Ah yes, the old smoke and mirrors. The back-end has really been a major disappointment. So, Valverde is gone to pasture. Now we have this Rondon. I never heard of the guy until Dombrowski started his usual boasting about these "hidden gems" in the farms. Apparently, the closer role is no big deal. The closer is set. The cat is clocked at 101 mph and he's young. Too young, in my opinion.

Over the decades, the Tiger's biggest nemesis has been Tiger's pitching. However, Jim Leyland might be able to focus more of his attention on tinkering with the closing staff this season.

Benoit is the closer. He has to be.

**softailrider** · February-10-13, 09:05 PM

On paper this team looks real good, great starting rotation, great hitting, solid D with the addition of Hunter. My boycott of Comerica Park is over, get me some right field seats, bring on April, this team looks solid as all hell.

**Bong-Man** · February-12-13, 12:48 PM

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching !!

We certainly have the starters, but the bullpen was the problem last year, and what have we really done to improve it ? I find it hard to believe that after the money Illitch has spent that the Tigers are really going to start the season with Rondon as their closer. That can't be the plan....no way no how. As it stands, we're built to win the division, but they are missing an important piece in order to go all the way. You can't rely on a rookie closer, and closing by committee negates all the money Illitch has spent elsewhere to build this team.

**401don** · February-12-13, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Bong-Man

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching !!

We certainly have the starters, but the bullpen was the problem last year, and what have we really done to improve it ? I find it hard to believe that after the money Illitch has spent that the Tigers are really going to start the season with Rondon as their closer. That can't be the plan....no way no how. As it stands, we're built to win the division, but they are missing an important piece in order to go all the way. You can't rely on a rookie closer, and closing by committee negates all the money Illitch has spent elsewhere to build this team.

The plan is to see if Rondon can cut it as the closer. If not, and Benoit can't either, then they can get one at the trade deadline fairly easily. It certainly didn't make sense to overpay for Soriano and there wasn't much else out there. I'm more worried about the overall bullpen depth. Benoit and Dotel are getting old and Albequerque and Villareal have very suspect arms with their deliveries.
The rest of the division looks weak enough that the Tigers should be able to win the division and add any missing pieces before the playoffs. Of course that's what we thought last year.

**kenp** · February-12-13, 04:19 PM

Lets see how it goes with Rondon and Benoit. We have Porcello or Smyle as trade bait along with one of our extra outfielders.

**Ray1936** · February-17-13, 09:16 PM

Play the starters every day. Each one pitches two innings. Not a problem.

**ggores** · February-25-13, 10:15 PM

Ah, Spring Training. Now before we get down to the serious business of the season, I'd like to throw a grand old joke out there. No, I do not mean Jim Leyland.

What do ya do to an elephant with three balls?

Walk him and pitch to the rhinoceros.

Play ball.

**401don** · March-28-13, 09:04 AM

Rondon sent to Toledo this morning. Looks like it's closer by committee for now. Rondon clearly needs more work on his command but I also think he needs confidence to know he can get major league hitters out consistently which may mean bringing him up in a 6 or 7 innings role for a month before returning to closing. I have more confidence in Smyly as a closer than Coke but they will want to keep him stretched out for when he's needed to start.

**Lowell** · March-28-13, 06:14 PM

I'm glad to see Rondon go down. He was way too young for a pressure situation on a front-runner team. A few bad outings could have crushed his confidence.

He has hardly pitched at triple A, so it will be good for him and eventually for the Tigers. If the committee flops he can come up without having to meet high expectations or being the cause of the problem.

If the Tigers were rebuilding i.e. going nowhere, it might have been okay to throw him into the fire.

I would like to see Smyle high up on that committee. I was impressed by his poise as a reliever in the playoffs.

**firstandten** · March-30-13, 06:29 PM

Just remember Jim Leyland's style is not going to change he is going to sit people when we think they should be playing, play people when they should be sitting and just frustration us when the Tigers are in second place when we think they should be in first place leading by 5 games. However after everything is said and done I feel they will be in the World Series again.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-31-13, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

On paper this team looks real good, great starting rotation, great hitting, solid D with the addition of Hunter. My boycott of Comerica Park is over, get me some right field seats, bring on April, this team looks solid as all hell.

I agree, they look solid. But you still have to play the games, and they don't need a slow start like last year. KC and Cleveland have improved so it's important for them to get off to a good start. I don't think it's going to be the cakewalk everyone is predicting in the Central.

**Thruster315** · April-04-13, 04:36 PM

All of this hope and optimism- and we go back and get Papa Grande again? We have the best damn pitcher in MLB, the most feared hitter around, possibly the most potent 3-4-5 hitters around, a starting rotation of note... and we still can't get a closer worthy of a damn.

It's almost like buying a hot tricked out sports car and settling for just the AM radio sound system. UGH.

**Lowell** · April-04-13, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by Thruster315

All of this hope and optimism- and we go back and get Papa Grande again? We have the best damn pitcher in MLB, the most feared hitter around, possibly the most potent 3-4-5 hitters around, a starting rotation of note... and we still can't get a closer worthy of a damn.

It's almost like buying a hot tricked out sports car and settling for just the AM radio sound system. UGH.

Good points. I would happily have spent the money they put in Torii Hunter for a closer, if I was playing god.

They have a big, big problem. Now we have to hope the spurned Papa Grande will pull us up or the lineup can so out-slug the other teams that a closer won't be needed.

**ggores** · April-05-13, 08:27 AM

I don't think Valverde will get farther north than Toledo if he cannot deliver a consistent 94 mph fastball for strikes. I'm still totally baffled about how he completely lost that pitch last season. But if he can get his groove back then he and his jig will be back to help secure all those nail-biting 3-2, 4-3, etc. victories. I'd prefer to not have to rely so heavily on the closer anyway, there are bigger fish to fry.

**401don** · April-06-13, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Good points. I would happily have spent the money they put in Torii Hunter for a closer, if I was playing god.

They have a big, big problem. Now we have to hope the spurned Papa Grande will pull us up or the lineup can so out-slug the other teams that a closer won't be needed.

I disagree. Hunter was a great signing for 26 million/2yrs. The dumb signing was 80 million for Sanchez, a career sub .500 pitcher. Valverde lost his splitter last year, not his fastball. That meant batters were just sitting on it and if he missed location he got clobbered.

**ggores** · April-06-13, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

Valverde lost his splitter last year, not his fastball. That meant batters were just sitting on it and if he missed location he got clobbered.

Yeah, I had it bass ackwards and you nailed it.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · April-06-13, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

I disagree. Hunter was a great signing for 26 million/2yrs. The dumb signing was 80 million for Sanchez, a career sub .500 pitcher. Valverde lost his splitter last year, not his fastball. That meant batters were just sitting on it and if he missed location he got clobbered.

I agree. That money they gave Sanchez was bananas. They should have signed Soriano instead, and they would have their closer.

**gnome** · April-14-13, 06:57 AM

If jim price can't afford to get a better upper plate, I am going to start a kick starter for him. The thing clanks, whistles and makes obvious sucking sounds. Jeeze. Losing your teeth is not a crime, but having ill-fitting dentures is.

**Thruster315** · April-26-13, 01:21 AM

.500 ball with this amount of talent? At this time of the year?? Am I missing something here but we should be so loaded with arms and bats, that we should be going wire to wire. Where's the urgency or are we going to have to squirt it out in the end like last year??

Screw the drama. Just whip the snot out of the other teams and run the table already.

**Wingnatic** · April-27-13, 07:16 AM

Was last night good enough ? lol Who would have though Sanchez would set a Tigers record [[17 strikeouts ) the best is yet to come . I attended the game , Comerica Park was alive ! I sat 12 rows up from the field by the Braves dugout [[took a Braves fan with me) and it was a shame that only 2 players from Atlanta signed autographs .

**401don** · May-08-13, 12:51 PM

Trivia: Which former teammate of Brandon Inge is currently the majors' saves leader with 13?

No, not Fernando Rodney.

Hint: He's also Inge's current teammate.

Answer: Jason Grilli