Location: Detroit, Mich. | Ballpark: Comerica Park (41,000) | Spring Training: Lakeland, Fla.
Owner: Mike Ilitch | GM: Dave Dombrowski | Manager: Jim Leyland | World Championships: 4
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POWER RANKINGS
Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
07/07/2009
9
4
Intelligent organization alert: the Tigers are skipping Rick Porcello's next start so as not to overtax his wondrous young arm. If Porcello pitched for the Royals, he'd not only make that start but also do a multi-inning stint out of the 'pen on Sunday.
06/30/2009
4
5
I have less of an idea what to make of the Tigers than I do any other team in the majors. On paper, the lineup is anorexic and the pitching staff is shallow. Yet here they are on the last day of June, eight games over .500 despite only outscoring their opponents by 21 runs ... Of course, the .500 Twins have outscored theirs by 25, meaning that the Tigers have enjoyed some fine luck ... It's too bad the Tigers lack the cash to add any non-discounted player, as Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit here ... I'm not going to riff on the names of Alfredo "Opera Al" Figaro or Fu-Te "Futey Knee" Ni. Nope. Not me. I'm better than that and so are you.
06/23/2009
5
6
Smart call by the Tigers giving Jim Leyland the contract extension he's craved for the last 16 months. The organization has a bunch of young talent on the way up and Leyland is an able prospect-whisperer ... Of course Magglio Ordonez was benched because of the contract escalators that kick in with a certain number of plate appearances. Do you want to pay a 35-year-old who misplaced his ability to drive the ball $33 million over the next two seasons, when younger, better players like Matt Holliday and Jason Bay might not get that much on a per-season basis? Still, it's a move that's easily justified by Ordonez's .343 slugging percentage alone.
06/16/2009
6
7
They need a hitter more than they need another starter. You can get by with whatever flotsam they elevate from Triple-A to replace Dontrelle Willis or Armando Galarraga, but the lack of production from the DH is an every-game scourge ... Jeremy Bonderman is back on the DL with, and I quote, "continued rehabilitation from thoracic outlet compression syndrome." Translated: "we activated him too early and can't play the 'anxiety' card again quite so soon" ... Speaking of which, I'm still waiting to hear a reason to keep Willis in the rotation that doesn't involve the phrase "we're paying him too much to sit on his ass."
06/09/2009
7
7
Preservationists are sure going to the mat to save what's left of the old Tiger Stadium from the wrecking ball. Don't get me wrong: I liked the right-field overhang as much as the next guy, but the only ones who should be protesting its demise are the feral, panther-sized rats that once called it home. ... Ryan Perry got sent down to work on his control, but it's not like Joel Zumaya -- throwing 113 MPH again, according to the local TV station's impartial radar gun -- isn't issuing plenty of walks of his own. ... Pundits can yap all they want about how the Tigers should cut Magglio Ordonez with great prejudice, but I don't see any other sure-fire DH options on the organizational depth chart about now. Saying "get rid of this guy" makes a lot more sense when there's a palatable Plan B waiting in the wings.
06/02/2009
7
7
As I remember it, Edwin Jackson used to walk tons of guys and disappear for innings at a time. This year, improved command of his angry, angry fastball makes him one of the five best pitchers in the AL in my book (off the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody, the other four are Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez). ... As it currently stands, they won't hit enough to sustain their current run. More than any other contender not located in Boston, they need someone, anyone who can rescue the DH slot from oblivion.
05/26/2009
7
9
They scored 13 runs on Monday after plating 12 in their last four games ... Rick Porcello has quietly strung together several effective starts ... Damn, I love Jim Leyland: "That's the great thing about the game. In spring training, I didn't know Luke French from Sammy Spanish. Then all of sudden here's Luke French." ... Dontrelle Willis' control isn't entirely back yet, but he is "having fun again" and "has a bounce in his step." We need to relax the rules to allow smiley-face icons in his game recaps.
05/19/2009
9
6
They have to feel pretty OK about heading into the litmus-test series against the Rangers with Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson pitching two out of three games. I do, however, fear what the Rangers hitters might do to Dontrelle Willis, whose return to the majors last week received lots of gentle non-reviews ("he showed lots of grit and poise out there," "his body language was encouraging," etc.). ... "Clete Thomas" is a heroically blunt baseball name, right up there with "Buddy Bell" and "Butch Hobson." ... I hope Jim Leyland gets his contract extension. The game's more fun and less dumb when he's holding court.
05/12/2009
6
10
Over three games against the Indians last weekend, Tigers' starters allowed one earned run in 21 innings, with 23 strikeouts and five walks ... That said, let's not get carried away with the "Tiger pitchers roar again!" headlines. After all, the team is preparing for Dontrelle Willis' return by equipping fans right behind the left-field fence with protective head gear and lining the costume of team mascot (Repo the Dream Snatcher) with a layer of Nerf-like foam ... Props to the Detroit radio announcer for his comparatively understated call of Curtis Granderson's game-saving, over-the-wall catch of a Grady Sizemore blast in the ninth inning last Friday. Had Brett Gardner made a similar grab, the Yankees' b'cast crew would have gone with something like "Folks, we just witnessed mankind's finest moment. Western civilization has crested. It is all downhill from here."
05/05/2009
10
7
Sooner or later, opponents are going to realize that Miguel Cabrera has no protection in the batting order. When they do, he'll start averaging two walks per game ... Ryan Perry and Rick Porcello need more minor-league seasoning -- like, a full season's worth of seasoning ... I don't doubt that anxiety disorders are very real and very difficult to cope with, but it sure seems that Detroit's rehab minions are concentrating more on Dontrelle Willis' shake-your-tailfeather mechanics than his noggin.
Preseason Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
02/16/2009
22
-
Based on his offseason grumbles, I have a feeling we're going to see the "please put me out of my misery" Jim Leyland of 1998 and 1999 rather than the one who otherwise ranks among the game's great modern-era skippers. ... Hey, didya hear? Dontrelle Willis isn't an unhinged lardbucket anymore. Now, about that whole throwing-strikes thing. ... Except for the genial, serene Curtis Granderson, this team is a migraine waiting to happen.
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