A look at the Tigers-Offensive Edition

So we’re 91 games into the season. If in April, someone had told me that Detroit would be .5 games behind Cleveland, I would have been fucking pissed. If they would have told me that we were behind Cleveland by .5 games, and were in second place? I would have offered to chip in on whatever it was you were on. Seriously, I got five on it. Add to that the fact that we are 4.5 up on the White Sox and 7 up on Minnesota, and….well, I dunno. I don’t think anyone knows what to think of the AL Central right now.

So how did we get 5 games over .500, and still have so much uncertainty? Let’s start with the offense. Seeing Miguel Cabrera and Verlander in the All Star game is pretty unspectacular. They are perennial All Stars, so it’s not that big a deal. I mean, congrats for sure, but hardly earth shattering news.

Well, the Tigers have 2 other All Stars on offense. Whoever had Jhohhnyh Peralta and Alex Avila playing or starting in the All Star game back in March, please raise your hands. Put your fucking hands down, liars. Granted it took a Twitter campaign from Verlander and an injury to Jeter, but here we are. Martin and Jeter did not deserve to be there, much less starting. Avila, Matt Weiters, AJ Pierzinski, Mike Napoli, and Carlos Santana are more deserving than Martin. And I won’t get into how over rater Jeter is now-a-days. But as long as MLB lets fans decide the home field advantage in the WORLD SERIES!!!!! and lets fans vote in guys like this, then I can’t take MLB serious. But anyway… Let’s take a look at the Tigers position by position.

CATCHER

Detroit easily has the best catching combination in baseball. How easily? Avila is  headed to Arizona for the All Star game. Martinez is hitting .316. Granted, Martinez is mostly a DH, but still. Avila has shut me up. I didn’t think he was an everyday catcher. Mea Culpa.

FIRST BASE

Another position of strength, as Cabrera joins Adrian Gonzalez and Mark Teixeira as the big three. This year, Teixeira drew the short straw. This also brings up another stupid fucking rule I hate about the All Star Game. The “Hippy, everyone gets a representative, as long as we all tried hard nobody loses “rule. Also known as the HEGARALAWATHNL. Teixeira is easily more deserving than….I just can’t do it anymore.

SECOND BASE

The positivity train has derailed. The Detroit second basemen are awful. How awful? I miss Scott Sizemore horrible. Raburn, Santiago, Rhymes, and Worth just aren’t viable major leaguers at this point. Whether it’s due to a down year (Raburn), youth/talent (Rhymes and Worth) or talent (Santiago) they have to have more production out of this position. This statement will become a disturbing trend in the coming positions. A trade has to be made. Soon.

THIRD BASE

Inge and Kelly have played like Inge and Kelly. Great defense and putrid offense. Binge is hitting .186, which is less than such stalwarts as Omir Santos, and well everyone really. No, I really mean really. He is last on the team among non-pitchers in batting average. He has hit one home run. Kelly is Ruthian by comparison. He is batting .247 with 3 bombs. But they at least provide plus defense. The offensive output can only go up, so the defense saves them. For now….

LEFT FIELD

I will list Boesch here, since he has the second most starts in LF behind Raburn.  Boesch is having another impressive 1^st half offensively. He killed it in the first half last year before going all Inge on us. (Too soon?) .306 average with 12 jacks and 43 RsBI. (I hate when people say RBIs. Runs batted ins? Run batted ins? No. It’s Runs batted in. /Rant over) Let’s just hope he keeps it moderately up after the All Star break. Fingers crossed. Breath not held.

CENTER FIELD

Austin Jackson is playing like Willy “Mays” Hayes. Unfortunately it’s the Omar Epps/Major League 2 version, and not the Wesley Snipes. If there was a WMH in Major League 3, I have no idea. I went through years of therapy to suppress any memories of that movie. He just isn’t hitting. At least not like a leadoff hitter. He has 15 steals which ranks 13^th is the AL, and is ironically tied with Granderson. Not bad. His OBP ranks 9^th. Not in the AL, but on the Tigers. Not good enough for a leadoff hitter at any level. Add in his 100 strikeouts (2^nd in the AL) and you are taking RsBI opportunities away from Cabrera, Boesch, and Martinez.

RIGHT FIELD

Boesch was covered earlier. Obviously his bat plays well in RF as well. I’m guessing, if Leyland had his druthers, Magglio would be the everyday right fielder, so I will focus on him. Fuck. He deserved the one year, $10,000,000 contract they gave him. He has done a ton for the Tigers. But he is no better than a pinch hitter right now. Why not let him rest until the playoff push?  Casper Wells can handle it defensively, and Andy Dirks deserves a shot. I would start Dirks 5 times a week until Maggs is ready or he proves he can’t handle the job full time. I am a big fan of Dirks if I wasn’t being clear.

BENCH

I covered almost everyone. Dirks, Kelly, Raburn, Wells…yep. They have a typical bench. Good defensive replacements, few good pinch hitters.

MINORS

Will Rhymes must have killed Dombrowski’s dog or something. He is hitting .321 with a .381 OBP in Toledo. He isn’t worth a shot at 2^nd? That’s about it. There are a few 1B/DH candidates, but those positions are manned and manned well. At AA, Francisco Martinez is raking. Well, close. He is batting .286 with 7 HR, and plays third. That sounds so-so until you realize he is only 20 years old. It’s too soon to call him up, but he’s one to watch.

MANAGEMENT

Here’s where it gets fishy. I love Leyland. I love his arguments. I love his smoking habit. I hate his batting orders. He continues to bat AJAX leadoff for some reason. I never got the fastest guy has to leadoff. I am a big “put a guy with a propensity to get on base in front of the sluggers” guy. So who would I bat leadoff? I figured you would ask. I would bat Boesch at leadoff. He has a .362 OBP and can run a little bit. He could set the table for the Big Guns. In fact, my everyday lineup would be…

1.       Boesch-7

2.       Avila-2

3.       Peralta-6

4.       Cabrera-3

5.       Martinez-DH

6.       Ordonez-9

7.       Raburn-4

8.       Inge-5

9.       Jackson-8

It puts the best hitters in a position to get the most at bats. And it puts Jackson 9^th, so his speed will be on the base paths in front of the sluggers.

OVERVIEW

There is a lot to like about this lineup. Cabrera is a Top-5 hitter in baseball. Martinez is a great hitter. Peralta and Avila are the best hitters at their position in the AL right now. Boesch is off to a great start again. Raburn and Inge have to hit better, right? Right? Please tell me I’m right. Ordonez, when healthy, is at the very least average. I’m Mr. Brightside.

But there is also a lot to not like. Jackson couldn’t hit a bad driver with a fire hose on an Ohio freeway. He strikes out too much to use his speed.  Inge and Raburn have done nothing to show signs of turning it around. Avila and Peralta are playing out of their minds. Can they keep it up? I am Jack’s pessimistic gall bladder.

I think come September, this team will fall short as it stands. Chicago and Minnesota had horrible starts, and they didn’t take advantage. And they also have those pesky Injuns to contend with. They should be leading the Central by 8 games right now.

SOLUTION

Well, trades have to be made. 2^nd, 3^rd, and CF are gaping holes. (Don’t Google image search that at work. Trust.) The defense at 3^rd and in Center is enough to deal with the production. Second base is my bugaboo. If they don’t think Rhymes can do it, make a trade. Some candidates that may be available are…

(Note- I am listing good players on bad teams. I would love Rickie Weeks or Robinson Cano, but it ain’t happening.)

Ben Zobrist-Tampa Bay-Tampa is still in contention, but they are broke, and should lose ground on the Yankees and Red Sox fairly soon. He’s hitting .271 with 10 steals and 10 HR.

Neil Walker-Pittsburgh-The Pirates are surprisingly in the hunt, but it can’t last. Walker is young (25) and hitting .258 with 8 HR. Not great, but an upgrade.

Danny Espinosa-Washington-A leading ROY candidate in the NL, he probably isn’t available. But he has 14 HR. It would take a ransom, but I would consider it.

Ugh…That’s about it. But it proves my point. The good teams get good production at second base. So should we.

I will look at the pitchers soon, along with a look at the most valuable trade chips in the organization. So long.

EDIT-I for some reason had Martinez as an All Star. My bad. Fixed.

Pistons draft Brandon Knight

Well, A+ Joe D. It took some luck and predictably unpredictable drafting, but you got Brandon Knight. He was one of the 4 players I didn't we had a chance of getting. Granted, it's another guard, but you gotta take the BPA. This grade goes higher if you can get rid of Rip, Gordon, or Stuckey. Higher than an A+ you ask? We will have to invent one. Z? Do you think it just rolls around to Z?

COLLEGE CAREER

As for the type of player Knight is, he averaged 17.3 points and 4.2 assists per game as a freshman at Kentucky. He will not be a classic pass-first PG, but more of a scorer like Derrick Rose or even Chauncey B-B-B-B-BILLUPS!!! He also improved dramatically as the year went on. He was named Most Outstanding player of his region in the NCAA Tournament. All SEC, All SEC Freshman team, and actually broke last year's Kentucky Freshman scoring record. Dude is legit. Oh, and he eliminated Ohio State.



HIGH SCHOOL


I am a big recruiting fan, so I have known about Brandon Knight for a long time. And Knight was the number one player in the country for a majority of his senior season. He was also only the third junior to be named Gatorade Player of the year, joining Greg Oden and Lebron James. He won the award again as a senior. When the final recruiting rankings were released, he was the #6 player over all to both Scout and Rivals.

NEXT SEASON


Who knows? Tracy McGrady averaged 23 minutes per game. Will Bynum? 18.4. Then add in starters Rip and Stuckey. Something's gotta give. I have to hope Knight gets major minutes, if not starts from day one. You now have 2 legit building blocks in Knight and Monroe. Austin Daye and Jerebko are nice pieces. That's it. I would keep Stuckey if I could get rid of Hamilton and Gordon. Imagine a starting 5 of Knight, Stuckey, Daye, Monroe and Big Ben. Good and young with Ben's defense. Is it a playoff team? Probably not, but it's a start. Plus they have two more picks. The third pick of the second round (#33 overall) and the 22nd of round 2 (#52 overall).

Overall, I give it an A+. He wasn't supposed to be there at #8. Hell, he didn't even work out for Detroit. But it was like Nick Fairley. I didn't even consider him when Detroit was on the clock, because I never thought he would be available. Until I say Jay Bilas' "Best Available" ticker, I figured we would draft a Morris brother, or Kemba Walker. I am stoked. I also wouldn't be surprised if he's traded soon. He doesn't fit the biggest need right now.

2011 NBA Draft Primer

It’s that time again, Pistons fans. Time for Joe Dumars to throw a dart and select the newest members of our team. For every triple-20 (Monroe, Jerebko) he throws, he also hits the wall (Darko, Daye, the narcoleptic Walter Sharpe).  Rarely does he hit a solid 15 to close it out (Stuckey). So it is more exciting than the NFL draft in that you never know what’s gonna happen.

My love of the NBA draft started in 1991 when Larry “Grandmama” Johnson was drafted by Charlotte first overall. I watched him beat Duke in the NCAA Final, and was a huge fan. Plus I had a teal starter Hornets jacket. This one in fact...

I thought I was the SHIT in that jacket. And as it turned out, I was. I got pooped on by a seagull on the left shoulder while feeding the fish outside Reflection's restaurant in Belleville. Ironic, huh Alanis?

Anywho.... My love continued when Chris Webber went number one overall in 1993. Timeout aside, I loved Webber. I saw him play in Ypsi when he was a senior at Country Day when my sister sang the National Anthem. Then he got traded right away for Penny Hardaway. My first introduction to the business side of sports.

Up next was 1995. I was at my dad's softball game when I heard the Pistons got Grant Hill. As much as I hated Duke (and still do for that matter) I liked Grant Hill. Of course had I known the teal era was forthcoming, my excitement would have been tempered.

The next big one for me was 2003. Darko. Fuck.

So now I will provide my guide to tonight's festivities.

The Pistons draft 8th (barring a trade, more on that in a bit) in one of the weakest drafts in recent memory. How weak? A mormon that will shoot anytime after he reaches mid-court is a lottery-lock.

There are 4 players that have a less than 1% chance of lasting until 8th.

Kyrie Irving-PG Duke. Almost a lock to go #1 to Cleveland.

Derrick Williams-F Arizona. High floor/ low ceiling.

Enes Kanter-C Kentucky/Turkey. Looks like a randomized create a prospect from NBA Live.

Brandon Knight-PG Kentucky. Joins Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and John Wall as Calipari PGs.

Any of those guys in Detroit would get an A+ in my book. Another way to get an A+ is for Joe D to get rid of any of the following: Rip, Ben Gordon, Villanueva. They are expensive and shitty. Give up what you have to. Take on bad contracts. Just ship them out.

Assuming Detroit still picks 8th, there are some talented players available. I will break them down into grade-levels.

A

Jonas Valanciunas- Lithuanian (hello bias) C with huge upside. He has buyout concerns, so he may slip. Otherwise he's a top-5 talent.

Bismack Biyombo-Conganese. Congolian? Congan? He's from Congo. He brings blocks and dunks. A local favorite.

Jan Vesely-Huge Czech SF that projects to Andrei Kirilenko when he was still good.

These guys have A upside and huge bust potential. This team needs to swing for the fences.

B

Kemba Walker-UCONN PG. Undersized, but can definitely score. Led UCONN to the Title.

Chris Singleton-Florida State SF. A personal favorite, but may be a reach at #8.

Tristan Thompson-Texas PF. Meh. Should be good, not great.

Kawhi Leonard-SDSU SF. Like Thompson with slightly more boom/bust potential.

C

Marcus Morris or Markieff Morris Kansas PFs. Twinsies that will be seperated. How will they react. Marcus is the better player, fwiw.

Klay Thompson-Wash. St SG. Son of NBA player. Drug charges. Skinny. Good shooter.

F

Jimmer Fredette-BYU SG. National sensation. Adam Morrison but short. DO. NOT.WANT.

Anyone else gets an F as well. I can't see it being anyone else which means it will be some 5'6'' Eskimo with great intangibles.

Why Justin Verlander will win the AL Cy Young

With Adrian Gonzalez killing it in Boston (told you so), Miguel Cabrera will probably be on the outside looking in when the MVP is announced. Granted, it's only June but these things can be predicted this early. But Verlander is absolutely killing it in 2011.  Here is a chart of the important pitching categories:

Category	Value	AL Rank	ML Rank
Wins	9	T1	T1
ERA	2.54	4	7
WHIP	0.85	1	1
K	110	1	3
CG	4	T1	T1
QS	14	1	1
QS%	0.88%	2*	T2*
K/9	8.93	7	22
K/BB	4.23	4	7
BAA	1.81	2	2

Yeah.

The asterisked values for Quality Start Percentage are because the leader has only 1 start on the year. You will also notice the severe drop-off in K/9. Welcome to the advantages of pitching in the National League. His number 7 ranking isn’t great, but he’s top-5 everywhere else.

But as we all know, it isn’t all about the stats. Also in JV’s favor are:

       His No-Hitter

       His recent track record of success, dating back to 2006

       Being the “Ace” on a team in playoff contention

       His closest competitors are CC Sabathia and Jon Lester

       CC isn’t a real name

       Jon Lester rhymes with molester

       Shit. The stats above were from last night.

So, as you can see, I have made a Perry Mason-esque argument for JV to win. This means he will need Tommy John surgery in August.

TresseLOL is no more

FIRST REACTION-

SECONDARY REACTION-

Fuck. Wait, what?

The head coach of your biggest rival resigns amidst major accusations of player misconduct, and you are upset? The same coach that is was 9-1 against Michigan? The same coach that consistently lands top ranked recruiting classes months after playing in BCS Bowl Games? The guy that did for sweater vests what The Fonz did for leather jackets?

The exact same one. James Patrick Tressel. Coverer of facts. Look-a-liker of Owls. Molder of young men.

Yep. It saddens me a little. I foolishly thought he was clean. I knew Pryor was a "well compensated student athlete." Everyone did. Everyone whose school he was considering knew there was a fairly decent chance he would end up driving nicer cars than the coaching staff. Hell, I was happy with my 2008 Impala until he was seen driving around in this....

This picture is titled "pryor-fucktard.jpg" which is nice

But I thought Tressel would suspend him(or anyone else doing what Pryor does/did) for a season and regain his institutional control. I figured he would reach the Sugar/Rose Bowl with Braxton Miller and all would be forgiven. He could send a message to everyone that his big fish weren't above the law. I thought he was truly just looking out for his players. I thought UM-OSU was finally on the right track.

I thought wrong. It happens. Often.

Instead, it seems that he resigned before the real hammer comes down. Pete Carrol must have better timing than Tressel, since he landed in the NFL. Tressel will likely land in either airport hotel lobbies, or ESPN. I am already signed up for a "Prospering in college sports when dealing with inner city athletes" seminar with a yet-to-be-announced speaker.

I signed up early, so I got two free drink coupons. I can't see him ever coaching again. At least not in college, and let's be honest, he wouldn't make it in the NFL. 

So why, after all that, am I upset he's gone? Because he left on top. At least over Michigan. Sure, the eligibility of his players is in question, but on the field? He kicked our asses 9 out of 10 times. Ok, maybe 8/10 (thanks Shawn Crable "late hit" call in '06).  And we will never be able to get revenge. Ever.

Whoever they bring in next will be given the requisite 2-3 years, so even a win won't smell as sweet. And if it's Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Jon Gruden, or some other top tier guy, they won't need much more than a year. And, yes, we may steal a few recruits this year. Tressel did such a good job that they can absorb a bad recruiting season. National Signing Day is months and months away.

I am a big fan of analogies, so imagine this. You have been getting bullied for years. The last few years, you had a broken arm which inhibits your ability to fight back (RR era). Now you got your cast off, and have been working out non-stop to regain your strength (Hoke-A-Mania). So you march over to the bully's house, and he has moved out. Joined some religious cult, and travels from airport to airport handing out literature. He has changed his name to escape the demons of his past. He's essentially disappeared.

Is his current situation revenge enough for you? Wouldn't you feel more fulfilled if you had been able to unleash a good 'ole fashioned ass-whooping? I know I would.

My 7 apologies

For the 7 people who read this site with any regularity, I want to apologize for the absence. I should be back to posting regularly within a few days. I traded the admin duties for a handle of cheap vodka and a carton of unfiltered Pall Malls thinking the rapture was coming. I still think I got the better end of the deal.

But seriously, I was car searching and starting a spring semester. I am taking Spanish, and was incorrect when I thought I could get a B just by knowing how to ask for beer and directions to the bathroom.

The car search was tougher than dollar store toilet paper, but we bought a brand new(ish) 2008 Impala. Thoughts on the OSU situation, Tigers, WNBA Draft, and more to come.

Good Night Sweet Prince