[ The Daily Fungo: Detroit Tigers Baseball ] » Edgar Renteria

Sheff Checks Out

Mike McClary — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:50:09 +0000

So Gary Sheffield is calling it quits.

Had he not played for the Tigers, I wouldn’t give this much thought, but he did, so I do.

That’s because there’s been no other Tigers player in my lifetime that has left me wanting more than Sheff.

Sure it would’ve been nice to see something, anything from the likes of Edgar Renteria, Juan Gonzalez or Fernando Vina, but Gary Sheffield was a superstar at just about every stop in his career — and he was bringing his act to Detroit. This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

But a collision with Placido Polanco in July 2007 essentially ended what was shaping up to be a Sheff-like season: .265, 25 home runs and 75 RBI over 133 games. His OPS that season was a hefty (Shefty?) .819.

Alas, we were robbed of what could’ve been three of the most quote-rich years in club history.

In ’08, he appeared in 114 games and hit just .225 but still smacked 19 homers.

Sheffield finishes his career with 509 home runs, 1,676 RBIs and a .292 career batting average. He is 24th on the all-time home run list and 25th on the career RBIs list.

(snip)

Sheffield will be eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame after the 2014 season.

“I am sure it will be mentioned and debated but from my standpoint I know who is in the Hall of Fame,” Sheffield told the newspaper. “A lot of them don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. If someone wants to debate me, check the stats.”

If Sheff had three full, healthy seasons in Detroit, the stats would’ve been more impressive than they already are.

As it was, this quote from him after the ’07 injury pretty much sums up his Tigers career:

“I can’t be myself,” Sheffield said. “Guys throwing 88 miles per hour, and I can’t do nothing with it.”

Even though he was always one perceived slight from becoming a team’s bad seed, he
was an exceptional player — even though we only saw glimpses in Detroit.

I think Gary Sheffield’s a Hall of Famer. Do you?

The Non-Sequiturs: Trick or Treat Edition

Mike McClary — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:21:40 +0000

Each October, I’m astounded to learn that Halloween is the second-largest retail holiday of the year. I’m not a fan of Halloween, though I do like the occasional, or frequent, Kit Kat.

It’s a treat to be able to watch the World Series on Halloween, though the Aubrey Huff and Edgar Renteria sightings are undoubtedly the “trick” part of the equation.

In our highest vote-gettin’ poll of the season, Fungo readers were emphatic on what the Tigers’ next offseason move should be: target Nationals’ slugger and free-agent-to-be Adam Dunn.

Twenty-four percent (148 voters) of the 628 readers casting votes selected Dunn as their top choice. Here are the runners up:
- Sign Jason Werth (16%, 103 Votes)
- Sign Victor Martinez (15%, 97 Votes)
- Trade for a starting pitcher (14%, 88 Votes)
- Pickup Jhonny Peralta’s option (14%, 88 Votes)
- Sign Magglio Ordonez (12%, 73 Votes)
- Other (5%, 31 Votes)
Thanks to everyone who voted and a special thanks for those that left comments. It was a great discussion. Keep those comments rolling in.
As we noted earlier this week, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson named Alan Trammell as his bench coach. It didn’t take a genius to see this as a possibility once Gibby was given the job full time.

On Thursday the Dbacks made it official – along with the hiring of Don Baylor as hitting coach and Charles Nagy as pitching coach – and here’s what new GM Kevin Towers had to say about Tram (courtesy of Nick Piecoro’s blog):

I go back to ‘Tram’ in the late ‘80s. At the end of my playing career, I was a free agent and I had four or five different options to go to different ballclubs and that offseason there was a workout and conditioning program that they always held in San Diego. It was mainly young minor league players and the only big league player was Alan Trammell. He was the first one there, the last one to leave. When it came to running, he led the running every time. When it came to make my choice, I said, If this is what the Detroit Tigers are all about – here’s a guy who has been an All-Star, is one of the premier players in the game. If he puts this type of time and effort into his game in the off-season, if they breed those kind of players, that’s the type of organization I want to be with.”

And Gibby on his new bench coach:

“I probably talk more baseball with Alan Trammell than anybody. I think we share similar beliefs and philosophies. We have the same foundation. We were taught the same way in the Detroit organization with Sparky (Anderson). He’s a very trusted friend of mine, a great baseball man, a great competitor and he has high standards. I wasn’t sure that was going to work out and I think many took it for granted that he would be on my staff, but I know KT can attest that was one of the things I didn’t want to do. I wanted to make sure I hired Alan or anybody on my staff for the right reasons. Interviewed several other guys for that position and in the end felt that Alan was the right pick.”

On this date in 1984, Willie Hernandez won the American League Cy Young Award, edging fellow reliever Dan Quisenberry of the Royals. Hernandez posted a 9-3 record with 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA. Hernandez becomes only the third reliever — and only the second Tiger — to win the award

Finally, Happy Birthday to the Fonz. Henry Winkler turns 65 today.

Familiar Faces in Playoffs for Tigers Fans

Mike McClary — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:38:45 +0000

Not sure if this makes the postseason more or less interesting to you, but if you watch each league’s division series you’ll likely to see lots of former Tigers:

Yankees

Curtis Granderson
Marcus Thames

Rays

Carlos Pena
Matt Joyce
Gabe Kapler

Rangers

Matt Treanor
Colby Lewis

Giants

Aubrey Huff
Edgar Renteria
Cody Ross
Andres Torres

Braves

Kyle Farnsworth
Jair Jurrjens
Omar Infante

Phillies

Placido Polanco
Chad Durbin

How are Former Tigers Faring in 2010?

Mike McClary — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:12:15 +0000

Looking around the majors there are plenty of former Tigers doing well — and some not so well. Here’s a look at some of the more notable players and their current numbers:

Placido Polanco, Phillies: .314 avg., 6 HR, 42 RBI, .348 OBP. Currently fifth in the N.L. in hitting, which is just another reason the Tigers (and fans) are regretting his departure.
Omar Infante, Braves: .347 avg., 7 HR, 37 RBI, .837 OPS From Rob Neyer: “At the moment, he doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify [for the batting title]. To reach 502, he needs another 169 in the Braves’ 38 remaining games.”
Andres Torres, Giants: .287 avg., 13 HR, 57 RBI, .869 OPS. Torres is the embodiment of stick-to-itiveness. Nearly a decade after he was touted as a centerpiece of the Tigers new wave of young talent, he’s downright essential to the Giants offense. Good for him.
Aubrey Huff, Giants: .300 avg., 22 HR, 75 RBI, .922 OPS. Infuriating.
Curtis Granderson, Yankees: .249 avg., 14 HR, 41 RBI, .761 OPS. I haven’t followed Granderson closely this year but it seems that his best series of the year came agains the Tigers last week. Still, it looks like he’s got a great chance of winning a World Series ring.
Edwin Jackson, White Sox: 8-10, 4.44 ERA, 1.42 WHIP. Jackson’s back in the A.L. Central after half a season languishing in Arizona — his 149-pitch no-hitter notwithstanding. He was 6-8 with a 5.16 ERA for the Diamondbacks. With the Sox, he’s 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA.
Brandon Lyon, Astros: 6-5, 3.34 ERA, 8 saves, 19 holds, 1.35 WHIP. Think the Tigers could’ve used Lyon in the bullpen this season? Me too.
Pudge Rodriguez, Nationals: .270 avg., 2 HR, 35 RBI, .637 OPS. Pudge has gotten lots of praise this year for his mentorship of the Nationals’ young pitchers, including the now-shelved Stephen Strasburg. The question is, can Pudge squeeze one more season out of his aging body. He’ll need more than one year, though, to collect the 201 hits he needs to reach 3,000.
Fernando Rodney, Angels: 4-1, 3.83 ERA, 6 saves, 21 holds, 1.45 WHIP. Angels’ closer Brian Fuentes‘ roller coaster, injury-plagued season created an opening for Rodney. He hasn’t exactly seized the opportunity.
Cameron Maybin, Marlins: .235 avg., 5 HR, 21 RBI, .636 OPS. Sure-thing Maybin appears anything but at this point. He’s spent parts of this season in Triple-A New Orleans (in fact he was again recalled earlier this week). The kid is still just 23, so he’s got time and upside. Given how Miguel Cabrera‘s worked out for the Tigers, Maybin is but a distant memory for Tigers fans.
Jair Jurrjens, Braves: 5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.29 WHIP. Imagine Jurrjens in the Tigers’ rotation last season or this season or next season. You already have? Never mind.
Edgar Renteria, Giants: .278 avg., 2 HR, 21 RBI, .706 OPS. For $10 million, the Giants have in return received just 58 games from Renteria this year. Lucky them.
Jeff Weaver, Dodgers: 5-1, 5.21 ERA, 4 holds, 1.42 WHIP. Yes, he’s still in the majors and is only 34. Weave is currently on the disabled list.

I’m sure there are others I’ve missed, but these were the biggest names that I could think of. Who did I miss?

Report Card: Tigers at the Quarter Mark

Mike McClary — Wed, 26 May 2010 07:05:16 +0000

Note: I began writing this report card at the 40-game mark but ran into computer troubles and wasn’t able to post it. Though the Tigers have blown past that milestone I’ll still submit it for your consideration.

If you’ve followed the Tigers for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with Sparky Anderson’s old saying about giving a team 40 games before drawing any conclusions. Last Wednesday night Justin Verlander handcrafted the Tigers 5-1 win over the A’s on Wednesday and gave the Tigers a 23-17 record at the 40-game mark. So, is it time to draw conclusions?

Why not?

First, let’s look at where the Tigers sat after 40 games over Jim Leyland’s previous seasons:

2010 – 23-17, 2nd place, 1 game back
2009 – 24-16, 1st place, 4 games up (Finish: 86-77, 2nd place)
2008 – 16-24, 5th place, 5 games back (Finish: 77-84, 5th place)
2007 – 24-16, 2nd place, 1 game back (Finish: 88-74, 2nd place)
2006 – 27-13, first place, 1 game up (Finish: 95-67, 2nd place, Wild Card, lost to Cardinals in World Series)

The Report Card

Offense

Though the starting rotation rapidly emerged as the Tigers’ number-one concern in April, it was actually the offense that concerned most fans and observers. Where will the runs come from?, we asked.

Lo and behold, after 40 games the Tigers had one of the American League’s a top-five offenses — a .269 team average, just .003 behind the third-ranked Twins. Detroit ranks eight in the majors. (It delights me to see the White Sox in the MLB basement with a .230 team average.)

And don’t forget that the Tigers are near the top of the division without Carlos Guillen who was hitting .311 when he went on the DL in April.

Pitching

Now how about that pitching? Despite all the well-document woes surround the starting five — hello, Max Scherzer — the Tigers after 40 games ranked sixth in the A.L. but 14th in MLB with a 4.14 ERA. Verlander course-corrected in a hurry after a clumsy start and was 5-2 with a 3.43 ERA. Sure, his high pitch counts are at times infuriating but Verlander’s done nothing less than pitch like an ace. Now if Rick Porcello can stop giving up so many hits, he might have it figured out too.

You can have your pick of the great stories taking shape out in the bullpen: Joel Zumaya‘s resurgence. Phil Coke‘s reliability. Ryan Perry‘s maturity. Eddie Bonine‘s 3-0 record and 1.59 ERA. And, of course, there’s the closer that many Tigers fans didn’t want: Jose Valverde. In 19 games he’d failed to preserve just one of 11 save opportunities — and surrendered just two runs.

One-quarter of the way through the 2010 season it’s clear that the bullpen is the main reason the Tigers are where they are in the standings.

Defense

Here’s a somewhat rhetorical question: What happened here? The 2009 Tigers had a vastly improved defense over the 2008 nightmare — we’re looking at you, Edgar Renteria — but this year’s team has regressed to a stunning degree.

Last year, they finished sixth in the A.L. with a .985 team fielding percentage. So far this year? Worst in the A.L. — .978 — and next-to-last in the majors. Meanwhile, the Twins are the best-fielding team in either league at .994. In fact, Minnesota as a team had just nine errors at the 40-game point — three more than Scott Sizemore had in 30 games.

Adam Everett has been flawless so far and Austin Jackson has been committed just a single error.

The Tigers can hope for better pitching, more consistent offense and more of the same from the bullpen, but if they don’t lockdown the defense, there’s no way they can continue to hover around first place.

The Conclusion

So far, the 2010 Tigers have been thoroughly entertaining if not a complete package. They have to be thankful that the White Sox and Indians are off to sluggish starts and look unlikely to compete for the division title — for now. And the Tigers look like legitimate contenders — for now.

If the Tigers can tighten the D, get Scherzer and Armando Galarraga untracked, keep Guillen healthy, and beat up on the White Sox, Royals and Indians, they can keep the Twins from running away with the Central.

Yeah, yeah, I know: that’s a lot of ifs. But so far this season this Tigers team has earned the benefit of the doubt.

What do you think?

Bonus!

Just for fun, I researched where the Tigers were after 40 games during seasons in which they reached the postseason. Thanks to the awesome Baseball-Reference.com, here’s what I found:

1987 – 19-21, 5th place, 7 games back (Finish: 98-64, lost to Twins in ALCS)
1984 – 35-5, 1st place, 8.5 games up (Finish: 104-58, defeated the Padres for World Series title)
1972 – 23-17, 1st place, 1.5 games up (Finish: 86-70, lost to A’s in ALCS)
1968 — 24-15, 1st place, 1 game up (Finish: 103-59, defeated Cardinals for World Series title)
1945 — 24-16, Tied for 1st place (Finish: 88-65, defeated Cubs for World Series title)
1940 — 23-17, 3rd place, 3 games back (Finish 90-64, lost to Reds in World Series)
1935 — 22-18, 4th place, 3.5 games back (Finish: 93-58, defeated Cubs for World Series title)
1934 — 22-18, 3rd place, 1.5 games back (Finish: 101-53, lost to Cardinals in World Series)
1909 — 24-16, 1st place, 3 games up(Finish: 98-54, lost to Pirates in World Series)
1908 — 21-19, 3rd place, 1/2-game back (Finish: 90-63, lost to Cubs in World Series)
1907 — 24-16, 3rd place, 3 games back (Finish: 92-58, lost to Cubs in World Series)

Edgar Renteria Comes Clean on His Awful Season. No, Not 2008.

Mike McClary — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:56:58 +0000

We’re not one to hold a grudge — ahem — but after reading this about Giants’ shortstop Edgar Renteria …

… [He] played all last season with a bone spur in his right elbow, about the size of a piece of pea gravel.

– snip –

Renteria hit a career-low .250 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 48 RBIs in 124 games before the Giants turned to hot-hitting Juan Uribe as they fought for a playoff berth down the stretch. It was the fewest homers for Renteria since 1998 and resulted in a season that he called simply “embarrassing.”

… don’t you wonder how he would characterize his 2008 season with the Tigers?

In case he comes up short, here are a few suggestions: slothful, unprofessional, disrespectful, arrogant, dreadful.

Any I missed?

Friday Freehans: Trades, Memories and Salt for Your Game 163 Wound

Mike McClary — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:48:53 +0000

This, that and the other after a long blogging layoff:

So where were you two years ago today? You were probably glued to ESPN or the Web reading all you could about the eight-player deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit. Time flies. (And just a year ago today Edgar Renteria spared Tigers fans a second season of his mediocrity by signing with the Giants.)

I’ll miss Placido Polanco more than I’ll potentially miss Curtis Granderson but I still don’t want the Tigers to deal him â€“ or Edwin Jackson. (For what it’s worth, I own the bobblehead shown here. Guess I’ll have to store it alongside my Pudge bobblehead.)

On Dec. 4, 1952 the Tigers traded Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the year, along with P Hal White and outfielder Johnny Groth, to the Browns in exchange for second baseman Owen Friend, outfielder Bob Nieman, and outfielder/ catcher J.W. Porter. How could they trade a pitcher good enough to throw a pair of no-no’s? Easily it turns out. Apart from his no-hitters, Trucks won only three other games that year — against 19 defeats. Somehow he kept his ERA below four (3.97).

On this date in 1976, Aurelio Rodriguez became the first American League third baseman since 1959 to beat out Brooks Robinson for the Gold Glove Award.

Yesterday you might have seen him on C-SPAN railing on Fed chief Ben Bernanke, but on this date in 1963 you would’ve seen Jim Bunning pack his bags as the Tigers traded him to the Phillies for catcherÂ Gus Triandos, pitcher Jack Hamilton and outfielder Don Demeter.

About a year late, MLB Network will be broadcasting from the Winter Meetings next week in Indianapolis. (Why they didn’t launch the network at last year’s meetings is still a mystery. No, go ahead and launch on January 1. Nothing else is on TV that day…) Anyway, here’s a preview of the network’s “Hot Stove at the Winter Meetings” program. And be sure to weigh in on the latest Fungo Pulse Check poll in the sidebar –>

Here’s a question: When are we going to find out which member of the White Sox was in the bar with Cabrera during that dreadful last weekend of the year?

Speaking of a year too late, I’m glad that Chip Caray will no longer be allowed to butcher baseball games for TBS. However, if you are a glutton for punishment you can relive Game 163 from the Metrodome by purchasing it for $1.99 on iTunes.

We’ll be back with more on the Winter Meetings next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend.

Wednesday Walewanders: Non-Sequiturs Galore

Mike McClary — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:35:59 +0000

Celebrate Nate! I might be the only person in the Tigers Fan Universe looking forward to Robertson’s return to the rotation. Ian?

Today’s Walewanders are fueled by Almighty Blend coffee from Ann Arbor’s Mighty Good Coffee Roasting Co., sent along by the aforementioned Mr. Casselberry.

Confession: When the Tigers lose, I don’t read the game stories, I don’t listen to The Baseball Today podcast, I don’t seek out game highlights. Frees up a lot of time and I recommend it.

Today’s game marks the last time the Tigers face the Angels in the regular season. That means you’ll have to wait until next year to hear Rod Allen gush over Torii Hunter.

While we wait for Aubrey Huff‘s bat to arrive from Baltimore, let’s review the performance of Tigers players that have worn #19 this decade:
- 2009: Huff, .083, one RBI
- 2008-09: Jeff Larish, .242, 6 HR, 23 RBI
- 2005: Exavier Prente Nook Logan, .264, 31 stolen bases
- 2003-04: Alex Sanchez .304, 63 stolen bases
- 2002: Worn by hitting coach (and Flint native) Merv Rettenmund
- 2001: Roger Cedeno, .293, 11 triples, 55 stolen bases
- 2000: Juan Gonzalez, .289, 22 HR, 67 RBI.

Brandon Inge‘s tattoos. Methinks he’ll regret that decision when he’s 65. If not sooner.

I don’t care that Ramon Santiago and Adam Everett are hitting a combined .247. Give me their defense and occasional base hit (or homer, as Everett showed today) over Edgar Renteria.

Two homers in Oakland or not, I don’t want to see Ryan Raburn batting third ever again. Ever.

Enough of the Magglio Ordonez bashing already. The Tigers had to overpay players to come to Detroit in 2004 and ’05 and this is the (steep) cost of doing business. Live and learn. Though, the overpaying of Dontrelle Willis makes one believe the “learn” part of the equation needs more attention.

Speaking of The Baseball Today, on this morning’s episode, host Eric Karabell says he can’t see the Tigers beating the Yankees or Angels in first-round series. It’s beginning to sound a lot like 2006…

Marcus Thames isn’t on the 2010 Tigers, is he?

As for the postseason, I’m dreaming of a Tigers/Rockies World Series – my two favorite teams, baby. Well, Tigers/Dodgers would be sweet, too. In fact, even sweeter. Never mind.

The Porcello/Youkilis Summit seems like a distant memory and for that we should all be thankful. Here are the results of our recent Fungo Pulse Check poll in which readers ranked the brawls. The question: Tale of the Tape: Which Tigers Brawl Ranks as Your Most Memorable?
- 1982: Dave Rozema’s Kung-Foolery (37%, 10 Votes)
- 2000: Sixteen Ejected at Comiskey (37%, 10 Votes)
- 1980: Al Cowens’ Payback to Ed Farmer (19%, 5 Votes)
- 2009: Porcello v. Youkilis (7%, 2 Votes)
Reader Ed reminded me in the comments here about the fight in Kansas City (was it 2001?) in whichÂ Jeff Weaver plunked Mike Sweeney. That’s when we all realized how much Weav’s teammates loved him…very little.

Finally, Happy 45th Birthday to Chad Kreuter — who also wore #19 (and hit .263 for Detroit from 1992 through ’94).

Need a Edgar Renteria Bobble Head?

Mike McClary — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:49:51 +0000

Get yours for 21.4% off (or so) at the Tigers.com Shop — through Monday.

Any takers?

The Top 10 Tigers Stories of 2008: #9 – Edgar Renteria Can’t Play

Mike McClary — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:18:50 +0000

Sure, it hurt when the Tigers sent Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez to the Braves for Edgar Renteria. There was some — i.e., a tad — concern about Jurrjens’ durability and, well, to get a player of Renteria’s caliber at such a vital position you have to part with some value.

We know how that worked out.

In 2007, Edgar Renteria hit .332 with 12 homers and a .390 on-base percentage. The most glaring part of the Failed Renteria Experiment was his .977 fielding percentage; but that tells only half the story. His fielding percentage was virtually .000 on balls he should’ve had. He and Miguel Cabrera and then Carlos Guillen helped give the Tigers one of the most ineffective left-sides of the infield in the majors.

If not for a strong second-half of the year, Renteria would’ve finished nearly 80 points below his ’07 average. (He batted .254 before the All Star Game, .296 after.)

Now he’s the Giants problem — maybe for two years. For Tigers fans, it only felt like two years that Renteria played in Detroit.

Discuss.

Shortstop Shopping

Jim Craddock — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:26:30 +0000

If the Tigers are dead-set against using Ramon Santiago as their everyday SS in 2009 (and I really don’t understand why they are), what are their options? Well, with Edgar Renteria (thankfully) in San Fran helping Zito form the All-Bust All-Stars, and Khalil Greene going to St. Louis, the field has narrowed a bit.

The trade route could yield Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh, who has to be better than Renteria defensively. But who would he cost the Tigers? At least a mid-level pitching prospect, most likely.

There are some interesting free agent shortstops out there. Rafael Furcal is probably out of the Tigers’ price range. It’d be a hoot to bring in Renteria’s nemesis, Orlando Cabrera, but his range is comparable to Renteria’s and he’s a Type A who’s been offered arbitration, so he’d cost a draft pick.

I’d like to submit a suggestion: Nick Punto. He’s relatively young (31), which gives him an edge over 3/4 of the FA shortstops out there. He’s versatile, having played 3B and 2B for the Twins, as well as SS. He won’t hit a ton, but he’s a solid fielder with good range, and he has played the past five seasons in a Minnesota system that stresses fundamentals and doing the “little things” that win ballgames. And let’s face it, there isn’t enough of that in the Tigers’ current lineup. And whenever Minnesota has one of those maddening water-torture rallies to beat the Tigers, Punto seems to be right in the middle of it.

They could do worse, and have before.

The Monday Report

Mike McClary — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:03:25 +0000

We waited and waited and waited for news about the Tigers’ shortstop. And after all that waiting, all we get is who the shortstop won’t be next year? Oy vey. Take heart. There’s more to talk about this week:

Schatzeder, who turns 54 today, pitched for the Tigers in 1980 and '81.

On this date in 1961, the Tigers made the only Dec. 1-trade in their history by trading righthanders Bob Bruce and Manny Montejo to the Houston Colt .45s for righty “Toothpick” Sam Jones. (Baseball-Reference.com claims that on Dec. 1, 1955, the Tigers brought back pitcher Virgil Trucks in a trade with the White Sox for third baseman Bubba Phillips. But the Tigers media guide has the trade taking place on Nov. 30. A tie goes to the team media guide.) Something else you likely didn’t know: This was the only trade between the Tigers and the Colt .45s. Now, the Tigers and the Astros, that’s another tale altogether.

With the Baseball Winter Meetings just around the bend, Tigers fans can expect (hope?) for some trade or free-agent activity to come out of Las Vegas. In a recent Daily Fungo Pulse Check, 80 readers responded to the question: If the Tigers could address only ONE position this offseason, which would you choose? Here’s the final tally:
- Premier closer: 44% (35 votes)
- Starting shortstop: 39% (31)
- Starting catcher: 18% (14)
We certainly haven’t heard much about the closer options — at least compared to what we’ve heard about shortstops — and nothing at all, really, about catchers. Should be a fun month. (Be sure to weigh in on our latest poll, shown in the sidebar –>.)
I’d finally given up any hope of Jack Morris being voted into the Hall of Fame and then this appears.

Finally, Happy 54th Birthday to Dan Schatzeder, Jim Campbell‘s long-coveted southpaw starter. Traded from Montreal for Ron LeFlore, Schatzeder spent two unremarkable seasons in Detroit: 17-21 and a 5.04 ERA. On Dec. 9, 1981, he was traded with Mike Chris to the Giants for Larry Herndon. Now that’s a better trade.

Wheels Begin to Turn

Mike McClary — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:19:10 +0000

Edgar Renteria gets a $3 million goodbye, Gary Glover and Dane Sardinha get shipped out, and advance scout Bruce Tanner gets a bump to Major League scout.

Catching Up on a Week of News

Mike McClary — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:44:51 +0000

Every time I sat down to write about a bit of Tigers news in the past five days, another shoe would drop and I’d think “I’ll write about both of those items.” Then another and another, etc.

So, as I wait out this Tigers/White Sox rain delay from bright, sunny Phoenix, it’s time to weigh in on:

Todd Jones’s Retirement. The decades-old joke in Detroit is that the most popular person in the city is the Lions’ backup QB and/or the Red Wings’ backup netminder. I think we can now add the Tigers’ setup man to that punch line. Detroit is unusually cruel to its closers. Less than a year after Willie Hernandez won the 1984 Cy Young and MVP awards, he started getting booed and it’s never stopped. Mike Henneman did too, but to a much smaller degree. The Tigers were so unwatchable during Todd Jones‘s first tour of duty in Detroit, that often he was the only bright spot. Come to think of it, he was a welcome sight then because it mean the Tigers were in line for a rare win.

But what was it about Jones in his second stint as a Tiger? What made it so infuriating? Sure, he got 93 saves in just under three seasons but his ERA was always around four and … ah, what’s the use? Jones is a good guy and I’m sure he’ll be missed by his teammates. I guess. For me, though, I’ll never be able to forgive him for not being Joe Nathan.
Inge Returns to Third. This move makes the Tigers’ infield defense significantly better next season. With the range he covers, Inge is essentially a third baseman and a half. So even if they decide to bring back Edgar Renteria, Inge makes the left side if not a plus than definitely not a minus. Now, about that average…

Guillen to Left. As I wrote here, I think it’s more likely that we see Carlos Guillen back at short than in left field. Why? If they put Guillen in left and a light-hitting guy at short, the Tigers lose the potential production of Matt Joyce. And, if you put Guillen in the cavern that is Comerica Park’s left field, what are the odds on him pulling a hamstring before May 1? Not good.

Chuck Hernandez Firing. I know that Doug and others have been calling for Hernandez to lose his job as a result of the pitching staff’s tank job. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a wuss when it comes to firing coaches or managers. The rhetorical question I always ponder is: How much impact does a coach have — or can a coach expect to have — at this level? Was Hernandez, the genius of 2006, suddenly a lousy coach? I don’t think so. He was nothing more than a vessel caught in the perfect storm of Jeremy Bonderman‘s injury, Dontrelle Willis‘s loss of … everything, Kenny Rogers‘ age, Justin Verlander‘s growing pains, and Nate Robertson‘s wrought-iron physiology.

I suppose the decision was also based on the bullpen’s lackluster year. Where do you start there? In fact, I think Hernandez should get a raise for having to deal with Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya, Aquilino Lopez and the rest. According to an article in the Free Press, Jim Leyland wants to go with a pitching coach and bullpen coach from the within the organization. I’m sure Joe Coleman, A. J. Sager and Ray Burris are good coaches, but if the Tigers want to show their serious, go after rockin’ Leo Mazzone or Rick Peterson.

Jeff Jones’s Firing. I remember when Lloyd McClendon was named the Tigers’ bullpen coach for 2006. My reaction was “What does he know about a bullpen?” The answer, it would seem, was nuttin’. And if you read into this comment from Leyland, that’s precisely what the skipper wanted:

“It was a weird situation, and I won’t say for sure, but I doubt that I’m going to have a pitching coach as my bullpen coach. It’s worked very well in some places, but I think it makes people uncomfortable from time to time.”

Hmm. I would’ve thought being a pitching coach would help in guiding the bullpen. But now that I think about it, it probably makes about as much sense as having two hitting coaches – one for day games, one for night. Well, maybe not that example but perhaps there was some yin-and-yang between Hernandez’s approach and that of Jones which made Bobby Seay incapable of retiring a left-handed hitter?

Sheff’s 500th Homer. The most entertaining parts of the weekend series against the Rays was watching Gary Sheffield‘s family — including Uncle Dwight Gooden — stand up and wave homemade signs for every at bat. My favorite: “Gramma Says 500″. I sure hope Sheff gets number 500 today in Chicago. There’s been no player in my years of following the Tigers on which I’ve turned 180Â° like Gary Sheffield. (By the by, I loved Leyland slotting Sheff in the two spot in the order on Sunday.)

Finally, I relied heavily on DirecTV’s Extra Bases Game Mix channel over the weekend to track the playoff races. It’s one screen with eight games shown at once. I kept going back to the Mets and Marlins game, hoping to see the Mets force a playoff with the Brewers. That didn’t happen, of course, but what I did see was Cameron Maybin catch the final out at Shea Stadium.

No Surprise: Renteria’s Option Declined

Mike McClary — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:45:07 +0000

So much for Edgar Renteria‘s beggin’ and pleadin’ for a job on the 2009 Tigers. Word from Dave Dombrowski today is that Detroit won’t pick up #8′s option.

Dombrowski wouldn’t rule out re-signing Renteria as a free agent, but said the club would look at other options.

While the Tigers don’t have a viable option at short — well, they sorta do; Ian and I agree that we could just see Carlos Guillen back at short when all is said and done — but methinks that Dombrowski will be hesitant to bring back Renteria for another dismal season, rubbing more salt into the Jair Jurrjens wound.

Another thought: they could deal for the Rockies’ Clint Barmes or drop David Eckstein into the mix for a year.

Chances are that Renteria will be back in the National League and will somehow manage to hit .330.

Enough Already with the Jurrjens Remorse

Mike McClary — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:45:20 +0000

Last night Armando Galarraga made his 22nd start of the year for the Tigers, defeating the Rangers 11-3 and improving his record to 12-4 and 3.17 ERA. As little as thereâ€™s been to cheer about this season, one would think that Galarragaâ€™s emergence as a bona fide starter would be one of them. Instead, Tigers fans seem more fixated on a 22-year-old pitcher whoâ€™ll make his 25th start tonight at Shea Stadium, the one with an 11-8 record with a 3.15 ERA: Jair Jurrjens.

Granted, itâ€™s hard not to think about Jurrjens when Edgar Renteria makes an error, lofts another can of corn to left field or otherwise leaves runners stranded. But the reasons — at the moment they made the deal — Detroit sent Jurrjens (and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez) to Atlanta were a) the Tigers needed an upgrade at shortstop (stop laughing), and b) the organization was pitching rich. Also, there were some concerns about Jurrjens durability.

Bottom line: This trade made perfect sense at the time, less sense when Andrew Miller, et al, were shipped to Florida, and no sense when the Tigers find themselves two games under .500 in late August.

It’s too early to say whether Galarraga will be a Jurrjens — or vice versa — but knowing that the former’s likely to be a mainstay on the Tigers staff for the foreseeable future makes watching Jurrjens on TBS a bit more palatable.

Game 125: Rogers Enjoys the Home Cooking

Mike McClary — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:11:15 +0000

The Score: Tigers 8 – Rangers 7

The Gist: Gary Sheffield hit his 493rd career jack and went 3 for 5, and Curtis Granderson drove in four as the Tigers escaped with an 8-7 win in Arlington. Kenny Rogers eeked out a win thanks to two four-run outbursts by his teammates in the seventh and eighth. (And Rogers struck out seven in his six innings…usually a sign of impending doom. But not on Monday.) Kyle Farnsworth, a model of consistently sub-optimal pitching since his return to Detroit, made it too interesting in the eighth but Fernando Rodney pitched not awfully and sealed the deal.

The Quote: “[I]t would be the biggest mistake of his life if he goes on the mound hoping to show the Rangers something. That’s high school [stuff].” — Jim Leyland on Tuesday’s starter and former Rangers farmhand Armando Galarraga.

The Stat: 12. The number of errors by Edgar Renteria so far this season. He leads all A.L. Central shortstops in flubs — but not by much. Orlando Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta each have 11. The Twins’ trio of Adam Everett, Nick Punto and Brendan Harris average about six. KC’s Tony Pena (8) and Mike Aviles (6) roundout the Central.

Up Next: Tigers @ Rangers

Armando Galarraga (11-4, 3.11) vs. Vincente Padilla (12-6, 4.85)

The Doug Report: Adjectivially Speaking

Doug Hill — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:51:51 +0000

Sun!

That was my first thought as my Frontier Airlines jet touched down at Phoenixâ€™s Sky Harbor International Airport early Thursday evening. It seems as though for we Michiganians glimpses of the sun outside the months of July, August, and â€“ maybe â€“ early October are random and fleeting.

Warmth!

That was my second thought. Despite the best efforts of the aircraftâ€™s cooling system it was quite evident I was no longer in Michigan.

This fact was made even clearer later that evening when a call home elicited this comment from my soon-to-be 7-year-old son Jake: â€œDad, will you please bring back some warm air. Every baseball game I have itâ€™s always cold and wet.â€ (Included in my luggage home was a one Zip Lock baggie filled with 85-degree Arizona evening warmth!)

Friendship!

That was my third thought as I spotted Mikeâ€™s red Infiniti easing onto the North Curb outside baggage claim; Mike and I go back to my sophomore year of high school when I was the 13th man on the Lakeview High junior varsity basketball team and Mike â€“ younger brother of Husky great Tom â€“ was a freshman trying to make a name for himself.

How else â€“ beside friendship â€“ can you explain someone leaving his family near dinner time to drive 45 minutes one way to pick you up at the airport? And then put you up in his guest house for a long weekend.

Uninspired and inconsistent!

Is there any other way to categorize the Tigersâ€™ performance of late? The two nights I saw in the desert only served to verify this description. The list of transgressions on Friday was lengthy:

Magglio not running hard out of the box on that second-inning double-turned-single-and-throw-out;
Cabrera lollygagging (cue Robert Wuhl) after the pop up back of first;
The lack of communication between Renteria and Guillen in the seventh;
Guillenâ€™s total aim job of a throwing error (also in the seventh); and,
Leylandâ€™s decision not to insert Brandon Inge for defensive purposes with a three-run lead and Guillen not due up for three more innings.

Of course Saturday came along and there was Raburnâ€™s dropped double-play ball; Cabrera running for that very same pop up; Pudgeâ€™s savvy dropped pop up bunt in the eighth; and Leyland making the necessary defensive substitutions in the ninth.

Fellowship!

Could there be a better place for men to be men than at a baseball game on a warm summer evening? Thatâ€™s what I thought of as I sat there under the stars and slowly cooling evening air with John, Mike, and Tom.

Just talking baseball, reminiscing about glory days (cue Bruce), and quoting guy stuff like Fletch, The In-Laws, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Slapshot, Bull Durham, and the like.

Ridiculous!

Thatâ€™s what I thought most of Saturday about the sizeable group of 20-somethings that tried to be Tigersâ€™ fans sitting in front of us. Drink flowed from the moment they arrived and they thought nothing of getting up and changing seats â€“ or leaving â€“ during game play.

Itâ€™s a pet peeve of mine, but I was brought up to respect the game and its fans. That meant you didnâ€™t leave your seat until between innings or pitching changes; the same was true of your return. If you want to socialize and not watch the game, then do everyone a favor and do it on the concourse.

Trust me when I say no one wants to see you â€“ no matter how much you paid for your new chest or how nattily attired you may be; we all paid decent money to watch the game.

Lucky!

As I pen this on an old-fashioned steno pad at 38,000-feet, I realize how lucky I am to have a wife and two children who allow me to do something foolhardy like traveling 2,000 miles across the country to watch a pathetically underachieving baseball team and hand with the fellas for a few days. To them I say thank you!

Game 39: An E for the Day*

Mike McClary — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:08:03 +0000

The Gist: Nate Robertson finally showed up but the offense took the night off (do I hear an echo?) and Edgar Renteria, well, Edgar thought it was a good idea. Let’s put it this way: if it worked, a definite top-five Web Gem. If it didn’t, Esteban German would come around from second to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth — and the Tigers would lose 3-2. You know the rest. Matt Joyce hit his second career homer. If only he’d hit his third.

The Quote: “Jose Guillen has had a lot of success against Nate Robertson in his career.” — Royals’ TV announcer Ryan Lefebvre mere seconds before Guillen unloaded a game-tying, two-run double in the third.

The Stat: 4. The number of errors by Renteria in 2008. How many did he have in all of 2007? How about 11?

*Yes, I’ve used this headline before. Not only is it appropriate but it’s also a nod to a goofy sociology teacher fellow Fungo scribe John Milton and I had in ninth grade.

Tigers Feeling Buyer’s Remorse?

Mike McClary — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:37:33 +0000

The other day I sent an instant message to Ian Casselberry asking if, perchance, the Tigers may be feeling some buyer’s remorse regarding the Miguel Cabrera trade.

I admitted to Ian that it’s way early but that doesn’t mean that panic is not setting in everywhere around Comerica Park — but never at Fungo HQ!

So, I’m lobbing it out there: Are the Tigers wondering what they signed themselves up for over the next seven years?

Maybe.

Fast-forward to this afternoon and the latest installment of Jayson Stark‘s Rumblings and Grumblings on ESPN.com. This time he reviews the off-season trades and the Tigers’ deals are getting anything but passing grades.

6. Braves-Tigers (RHP Jair Jurrjens and OF Gorkys Hernandez for Edgar Renteria): “At this point, Atlanta has won that deal,” said one scout. “Jurrjens [4-2, 2.84] has been their most consistent starter.”

Ouch.

And if you think that’s a harsh assessment, get a load of this:

9. Tigers-Marlins (Miguel Cabrera and LHP Dontrelle Willis for LHP Andrew Miller, OF Cameron Maybin, C Mike Rabelo, RHP Burke Badenhop, RHP Eulogia De La Cruz and RHP Dallas Trahern): We won’t be able to judge Florida’s half of this deal until about 2010. And Willis has been a mess. But the surprise is that Cabrera has been: (a) an offensive disappointment, (b) such a defensive disaster at third base that he had to be shifted to first within three weeks, and (c) so lackadaisical that players on other teams are privately questioning whether he flicked on his cruise-control switch after signing an eight-year, $153.3-million contract this spring. “I expected him to come in there and be superman,” said one scout. “He’s been anything but that.”

Ugly stuff.

Ready for more? Each week Stark touches base with big-league scouts on what they are seeing and hearing. It sure looks like no one likes what they see from Cabrera.

“For $150 million, you’d like to at least see him run a ball out. I watched him for a week, and I think there was one ball all week where he tried to extend himself. That was a double-play ball, and he was still like 4.8 [seconds] getting down the line. On a routine ground ball, he’s 5.2, maybe 5.1. It’s ridiculous to even pull the clock out.”

So, is it too soon to call this trade a blunder? Of course it is. And it would be a lot worse if, say, Cameron Maybin were tearing up the National League.

But you have to wonder if the Tigers brass is wishing they could take a mulligan…if not on the mega-deal with the Marlins, then at least on the month of April.

What do you think?