Are The Tigers in Trouble?

The story of the winter was undoubtedly the Detroit Tigers.  They were going score 1,000 runs and break every major offensive record in the process of going 162-0.  They had this thing locked up.  Why even play the games?  Now, fast forward to the second week of the season and the Tigers sit at 0-7, and all of the sudden the same choir is belting out doomsday chants, deeming this team extinct.  All of the sudden Miguel Cabrera is a bust, Jacque Jones isn’t worthy of his jockstrap, and Magglio Ordonez is washed up.  So what’s the deal?  Are the Tigers as good as advertised, or is Dave Dombrowski the captain of a sinking ship?

First and foremost, everyone needs to settle down and realize that this season is a week old.  Sure, the big goose egg isn’t what everyone had expected, there was a lot of anticipation surrounding this team, along with some extreme expectations.  So it’s understandable why some might be standing outside Comercia Park ringing their bells predicting the end of the world.  It’s just not reasonable.

I don’t think that any of the 30 teams have entirely showed us who they are yet, although, we aren’t entirely without knowledge.  It’s far too soon, far, far, too soon, to pull the plug on this team.  Right now I’d rather be 0-8 with their line-up than be 5-1, and in first place in the East, with the Orioles line-up.

By all accounts, if the Tigers don’t make the playoffs they are going to be considered a colossal bust.  Even though they have one of the most talented and potent offenses assembled this decade, they are vulnerable.    

“If we’re going to be good, the bullpen has to come through and I think they’re very capable,” Leyland said. “If they’re successful, we’ll be successful. If they’re not, it’ll be a little rough.”-Jim Leyland on the Tigers’ bullpen.  April 1, 2007

It’s not exactly a secret that their bullpen is horrible.  Everyone just figured they’d slug their way out of any and all deficits, in effect, minimizing their shortcomings in this area.  We should have known better.  Anyone that gives the ball to Todd Jones in an attempt to preserve a lead has problems.  Although, their pitching problems aren’t quarantined to the pen, the starters have been equally as bad.  Of the 38 runs they allowed through their first eight games, 23 came at the hands of the rotation.  The difference is, the starters should get better, they’ve underachieved.  I can’t say the same for the relief pitchers.

Simply waiting for the return of Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney is not the cure.  Everyone in Detroit is sitting back, anxiously awaiting their return, including the front office.  Don’t they realize that the odds of Zumaya coming back from a major operation and throwing the ball 102mph come in at about, oh, 1,000 to 1?  Even if he can get his fire back, these same people have repeatedly said that they are going to make him take it down a notch.  Not good news for a guy that makes his bones throwing heat.

It should also be noted that this kid only has 82 healthy innings under his belt.  With youth on his side he has a better chance at a full recovery, but I wouldn’t feel entirely comfortable placing the hopes of an entire city on the surgerically repaired shoulder of a 23-year-old kid.  The same kid that missed three games of the 2006 ALCS after injuring himself while playing “Guitar Hero.”  I’m just saying…

“For whatever reason, there is something of a lethargic approach,”
-Jim Leyland following the Tigers’ 0-6 start

Besides Zumaya and Rodney, the Tigers’ spark plug, and lead-off man, Curtis Granderson, is also on the disabled list until at least mid-April with a broken finger, which is a bigger loss than you might imagine.  Without him they don’t have an adequate table setter on their roster. 

Trying to fill the void in the line-up has been interesting to watch, to say the least.  Rookie Clete Thomas, who was called up from Double-A Erie, has actually done an adequate job, putting up a .467 OBP.  The problem is, his batting average is also .467, as he is yet to take a walk, which suggests that there is no way he will continue on to produce as he has.  Edgar Renteria tried to fill the void twice and failed each time (.226 OBP) as did Pudge, yes Pudge, Rodriguez (.148 OBP).

Placido Polanco, the club’s number two hitter, is also another player that refuses to take a walk.  He was one of the game’s best hitters last season, but when he isn’t making contact he isn’t getting on base.  This is one of those times (.115 OBP).  Without anyone setting the pace and getting on base, RBI oppurtunities have been scarce.  Even though Cabrera, Ordonez, and Sheffield haven’t been making much contact, when they do, no one is on base.  Once these guys start finding their way to first, the runs should follow.  Someone besides Ramon Santiago has to get a hit with runners in scoring position at some point.

“We’ve tried the laid-back approach, and it isn’t working. We need to start developing a go-get-them approach.”
- Justin Verlander following the Tigers’ 13-2 loss to Chicago

Everything is magnified this time of year, and the truth is, everyone is making way too much out their rough start.  We’re a week into the season, yet everyone wants to write this club off for some reason.  After each loss ESPN bring up a graphic stating how many teams have made the play-offs after starting the season defeated, as the Tigers total went up, the historic number decreased.  It now resides at zero.

So what does this mean?  Nothing, noting at all.  What team doesn’t have a losing streak at some point during the 162 game season?  When it happens doesn’t really matter.  A loss is a loss, the reason so much is made out of it now is because it’s the beginning of the season, as long as they don’t allow this to set the tone for their season, I don’t see why it should matter. In fact, 5 of the last 7 World Series Champions had losing streaks of 6 or more games during the regular season, and several of them exceeded six or more- multiple times.

“This is not a team full of guys who have only done things one time.  This is a team that has a track record, and you expect more than we’re getting from players like that.”
-Leyland on the Tigers

That’s the bottom line right there.  This team is proven.  Their payroll is $138.7 million, they are far too good to keep struggling.  Eventually they are going to have a monster inning to get the ball rolling, and they won’t stop. 

This team has had some warts all along, they were never as good as we made them out to be, but they aren’t as bad as everyone is making it seem now.  This is just a regular team, with regular problems.  They have to be taken seriously as a contender, they could easily win the Series, but they aren’t up there with the all-time greats.  They’re just one of the most talented teams in baseball today, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Even if they continue to struggle, it’s not going to be for long.  Their front-office is among the most dedicated in the league, and they aren’t afraid to spend money.  A lot of people carry this misconception that rosters have to be finalized by opening day, and then again at the deadline.  There’s four months there for him to make a move, and with Granderson out, they are able to showcase and shop Brandon Inge, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

All it’s going to take is some health, good luck, and maybe an extra arm in the pen.  The team you really need to be worrying about is the Rockies.  Were they for real, or just a 22-game fluke?  You decide.