[ The Daily Fungo: Detroit Tigers Baseball ] » Gary Sheffield

Tigers Today: March 31, 2011

Mike McClary — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:42:24 +0000

Tigers Record: 0-0

Today’s Game:

Tigers @ Yankees | 1:10 p.m. ET | On the air: ESPN HD, FSD, AM 1270 & 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup
Justin Verlander vs. LHP CC Sabathia

Tigers History Lesson

Birthdays

Tracy Jones, 50

Bill Denehy, 65

On this Date in Tigers History

2009 — The Tigers released Gary Sheffield, who is one home run shy of 500 for his career. Sheffield, a 9-time All-Star, is 25th on the all-time home run list and 27th in RBI (1,633). He was owed more than $10 million in ’09.

1998 — The Tigers defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the new franchise’s first game, 11-6. Justin Thompson went six innings for the win, and Luis Gonzalez went yard for the Tigers.

1994 — The Tigers acquired catcher Alan Zinter from the Mets for first baseman Rico Brogna.

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?

Three for Thursday: Forgettable Randy Smith Trades Edition

Mike McClary — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Would it surprise you to learn that in his six-plus years as Tigers’ GM, Randy Smith made 60 trades? To offer some perspective, from 1983-95, the year Smith took over the front office, the Tigers made 62 deals — roughly the same number of trades in twice the time.

On this date in 1997, Smith made a pair of humdingers during the Expansion Draft:

On this date in 1997, the Tigers acquired righthander Matt Drews and infielders Joe Randa and Gabe Alvarez from the Diamondbacks for infielder Travis Fryman. The D-backs turned around and peddled Fryman to the Indians. The Tigers also acquired righthander Tim Worrell and outfielder Trey Beamon from the Padres for lefthanders Dan Miceli and Donne Wall and infielder Ryan Balfe.
On Nov. 18, 1963, the Tigers sent outfielder Rocky Colavito, pitcher Bob Anderson, and a reported $50,000 to the Kansas City Athletics for second baseman Jerry Lumpe and pitchers Dave Wickersham and Ed Rakow.
Happy 42nd birthday to Gary Sheffield. Sheff, we hardly knew ye.

The Detroit Tigers Podcast #123: The Fake Gary Sheffield Twitter Account

Mike McClary — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:12:07 +0000

Welcome to The Detroit Tigers Podcast. This is Episode #123, a 70-minute podcast about the Detroit Tigers recorded live from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Asheville, N.C.

In this episode we touch on:

Will Rhymes, internet sensation?
Rhymes v. Scott Sizemore
Should Carlos Guillen stay or go?
Miguel Cabrera, MVP?
2011 schedule released; highlights and observations
Most 100-loss seasons since 1973? Your Detroit Tigers!

…and much more.

Show Notes

Links to articles and items referenced in this episode:

Fake Gary Sheffield Twitter account
Former Tigers DH Keith Moreland on the University of Texas football radio broadcast team

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

Comments?

Leave a message on the listener line: (602) 903-5174. Or, reach us on Twitter: @TigersPodcast

We’ve also got a growing Facebook community: www.facebook.com/TigersPodcast

Reach the hosts via:

Mike: @DailyFungo, @MikeMcClary and www.DailyFungo.com
Ian: @IanCass, SB Nation Detroit and MLive’s Tigers Blog.

Theme music for the podcast produced by Paul Minshall.

The Detroit Tigers Podcast is not affiliated in any way with the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club or Major League Baseball.

Good Decisions by the Tigers? Huzzah!

Mike McClary — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:40:36 +0000

On Monday, Sports Illustrated‘s Jon Heyman wrote a column in which he highlights the top-20 decisions made by MLB teams in the past year. In Heyman’s view, the Tigers made two of the top decisions:

3. The Tigers’ acquisition of Austin Jackson, Max Scherzer and Phil Coke in the three-team trade with the Yankees and Diamondbacks for Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.
This was the most unpopular of moves at the time in Detroit. It’s way early to say for sure, but as of today it looks boffo, with Granderson starting slowly (.240 average) in New York and Jackson (4-6, 5.05 ERA) doing the same in Arizona. Austin Jackson is a Rookie of the Year candidate, providing Gold Glove-type defense, perhaps the most valuable piece in the deal that saved the Tigers beaucoup bucks. Scherzer has shown only flashes of greatness, and Coke is a middle reliever. But the Tigers look like they received a star, while setting themselves up to improve their offense (by getting Johnny Damon) and bullpen (Jose Valverde) with the money that was saved.

And, here’s the other:

11. The Tigers’ decision to let Magglio Ordonez’s contract vest.
They could easily have not played Ordonez to save themselves a lot of money, but they did the proper thing by fielding their best lineup, which included Ordonez, as they tried, ultimately without success, to secure a playoff spot.

[snip]

His wife was going through a cancer battle last year, so Ordonez understandably underperformed. And the Tigers did the right thing by standing by him.

Rob Neyer takes a closer look at this one today.

I wonder if the Tigers releasing Gary Sheffield last spring training and DFA’ing Dontrelle Willis last month were anywhere on Heyman’s list.

What do you think about Heyman’s assessment — and Neyer’s?

D-Train DFA’d: The D Stands for Disappointing

Mike McClary — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:08:44 +0000

Wow.

So that’s how the Dontrelle Willis Era ends in Detroit? With him being designated for assignment? Who thought he’d be the Tigers’ version of Brian Glynn*?

In my post from Saturday in which a I speculated about the fallout from Max Scherzer‘s recall, an anonymous commenter was stunned — to the point of calling me a dufus! — that I didn’t include Dontrelle in the list of possible roster moves. I suppose that’s fair.

But here are the two reasons why I thought the Tigers would stick with Willis come hell or high water:

His contract. The Tigers played all kinds of shenanigans with the roster over the past two seasons to make sense of Dontrelle and I thought that after Mike Ilitch ate the contracts of Damion Easley and Gary Sheffield, he wouldn’t have the stomach for Willis’s $12 million deal.
The Nate Robertson trade. This one still puzzles me. Tell me again what the Tigers got in that deal? A fringe minor leaguer and the honor of paying virtually all of Nate’s contract. Did the Tigers honestly believe that Willis would be a more solid bet for this season over Robertson? Don’t you think they’re wishing they had that one back?

The Tigers are now on the hook for about $22 million to pay two left-handed pitchers that aren’t even in their organization.

At the risk of sounding like Jim Price, I’ll say it again: Wow. In all, the Tigers got a pair of wins from Dontrelle Willis in his three-ish seasons in Detroit.

I’m drawing a blank about another high-profile Tigers acquisition that flamed out as badly as Willis. Sure, Juan Gonzalez didn’t put up MVP numbers in his one season but he hit .289 with 22 homers, and is hardly in the class of the D-Train.

Nope. This has got to be the worst.

What’s next for Willis? It’s tough to see there being much of a market for him. The only scenario that makes sense is that he goes to a club that has a pitching coach with reputation for reclamation projects. Perhaps the Cardinals’ Dave Duncan.

Or maybe he goes to a team that’s so awful — Houston? Arizona? Milwaukee? Pittsburgh? — that they can afford to take a risk. Or maybe he signs with his hometown Oakland A’s for a chance to put it together in front of friends and family.

Or, as the Free Press‘ John Lowe writes, “there’s bound to be talk now that Willis — a talented hitter — should start over somewhere as an outfielder.”

I guess.

If he’d even been only half as good as his best seasons with the Marlins, Dontrelle Willis could’ve owned the City of Detroit.

Instead, we’re left to think about what could’ve been and hope that a man who’s still only 28 can put it together again.

*You don’t remember Brian Glynn? He was the Hartford Whalers’ throw-in in the trade that brought Brendan Shanahan to the Red Wings. Glynn had about as much an impact on the Wings (zero games played) as Willis had on the Tigers.

Tigers Today: March 31, 2010

Mike McClary — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:03:20 +0000

Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 15-10-1

Today’s Game:

Tigers vs. Pirates | 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland | On the air: MLB Gameday Audio (Pirates’ broadcast)

Pitching Matchup: Justin Verlander (1-3, 5.63 ERA) vs. Zach Duke, (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Phil Coke and Brad Thomas

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Orioles 9 | Box Score

Mere moments after the Nate Robertson trade was announced — which secured Dontrelle Willis‘ rotation spot — D-Train celebrated by surrendering five earned runs in 4.1 innings — his worst outing of the spring.

Offensively, Miguel Cabrera hit about 1,000 feet worth of homers with one in the first and another in the fifth. Scott Sizemore and Don Kelly also went yard.

Tigers History Lesson

Birthdays

Tracy Jones, 49. Sparky Anderson once said that Jones had intensity on the field that reminded him of Kirk Gibson. Jones hit .246 for the Tigers in 96 games for the Tigers in 1989-90.

On this Date in Tigers History

1994 – Acquired C Alan Zinter from the Mets for 1B Rico Brogna

1998 – The Tigers defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in their first-ever game 11-6 at Tropicana Field. Justin Thompson got the win.

2003 – The Tigers opened their worst season ever with a 3-1 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park. Get a load of this star-studded lineup:

Gene Kingsale, CF
Omar Infante, SS
Dmitri Young, LF
Bobby Higginson, RF
Dean Palmer, DH
Carlos Pena, 1B
Eric Munson, 3B
Brandon Inge, C
Ramon Santiago, 2B
Mike Maroth, P

2009 – The Tigers stunned just about everyone when they released DH Gary Sheffield — who was one homer shy of 500 — and ate his $14 million contract.

Adding 327 Words to The Wordless Game Summary: Twins 6 – Tigers 2

Mike McClary — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:16:04 +0000

Remember in Spring Training last year when Jim Leyland was concerned about some Tigers “taking off” at bats knowing that someone else in the powerful lineup would likely back them up?

Maybe that’s what plagues the 2009 Tigers. Except for the powerful lineup thing.

Other thoughts on the game:

Don Kelly did not lose this game for the Tigers. The offense, yet again, is to blame. But you knew that.
My local Fox affiliate aired the Dodgers-Giants game today so I listened to the entire game on MLB.com. If you didn’t listen, you missed Dan Dickerson‘s call of the ball Kelly lost. I think Dickerson is terrific and the entire game he was warning listeners that games in the Metrodome tend to result in odd endings and comebacks.

So when Kelly’s miscue was unfolding, Dickerson’s call embodied the “oh-dear-lord-he’s-lost-it-in-the-roof-and-the-Tigers-are-going-to-get-screwed-again” feeling of everyone listening back in Detroit. And he reported that the Twins lead was 3-2, and said it as if it was actually 30-2 — which it essentially was.
How about that Gerald Laird? I don’t care if he hits .200 forever, keep nailing those runners.
Edwin Jackson probably sat there watching Justin Verlander dominate with only a pair of runs and thought, “Welcome to my world.”
I know the announcers have ads and promos they’re required to read on air, but Jim Price‘s friendly reminder of Comerica Park suite availability for the Division Series is just asking for it. Need proof? Not long after he read the ad, it came: “(Orlando) Cabrera lifts a high fly ball to left…” Karma.
I wonder if somewhere Gary Sheffield saw Kelly’s flub and said to anyone in earshot: “I’da caught that!” Here’s hoping.

Tomorrow’s game is the last one I ever have to watch the Tigers play in the Metrodome. Oh, sure, there might be a one-game playoff or something, but come on. Do you honestly think I’d subject myself to watching that game?

Tuesday Tananas: Feeling the Moment, Power Poll Respect and Steve Kemp’s Pain

Mike McClary — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:29:58 +0000

Just saw the news that Fernando Rodney has been suspended for three games for his inexplicable heave-ho of the ball after Friday night’s win. Well, it was inexplicable to me; Rodney says he was only “feeling the moment.” Still, a three-game suspension? Please.

Anyway, enjoy him, folks. He’ll be frustrating another team’s fans next year.

And now this:

How well are things going for the Tigers? They at last moved into the top eight of The Sporting News‘ power poll (last week they were #10). Breaking through that barrier means the Tigers, at least for this week, aren’t a division-leader sitting behind better-rated, non-playoff teams. And maybe — maybe — Detroit is starting to gain some respect out there. TSN’s take:

8. Tigers. The Tigers are finally starting to play like a team grabbing control of the division title instead of backing into the division title.

Other polls: ESPN #7, last week #11; Fox Sports #9 (#10); SI #10 (#10); CBS SportsLine #11 (#13).

On this morning’s ESPN Baseball Today podcast Peter Pascarelli gives the Tigers big props (he rates them #5 on his list) and he says he’d take Justin Verlander over Cliff Lee in a World Series matchup. On both points Eric Karabell disagrees — big time. Oh, and Karabell thinks the Rockies are a better club than Detroit. Pascarelli doesn’t buy that. Neither do I.
Here are some notable Tigers historical nuggets from Baseball-Reference.com:
- On this date in 1967, the Tigers moved into a first-place tie with the Twins. Eddie Mathews and Jim Northrup hit home runs and Mickey Lolich out dueled the White Sox’ Tommy John 4-1 at Chicago.
- On Sept. 8, 1983, Yankees (and former Tigers) outfielder Steve Kemp was struck in the face by an Omar Moreno line drive during batting practice in Milwaukee; Kemp misses the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone. Kemp hit just .242 with 12 home run and 49 RBI in the first year of his five-year, $5.45 million contract.
- In 1995, the Tigers traded Juan Samuel to the Royals in exchange for a player to be named. A week later, the Royals sent Phil Hiatt to Detroit to complete the deal.
- And on this date a year ago, Gary Sheffield hit a grand slam for the official 250,000th homer in MLB history. The blast is Sheffield’s second of the day and his 13th career grand slam. Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Mike Hessman also homer as the Tigers outslug the A’s 14-8. I was there for that game and, man, was it wet, cold and blustery.

If you’re a Twitter person, be sure to follow us and you’ll get Tigers birthdays, trivia and historical notes — all in a crisp 140 characters. Find us at @DailyFungo.

Monday Night Lite

Mike McClary — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:18:14 +0000

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Checking in from the land of Google and Apple, on the border of Mountain View and Cupertino, Calif.:

It’s a shame that I read the USA Today only when I’m traveling, as I am today. There’s usually one or two outstanding pieces in each edition and this morning proved it: a feature on the Tigers by Bob Nightengale.
Juan Rincon, a victim of a roster numbers game last month — we’re looking at you, Nate Robertson, has been recalled by the Rockies from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Embrace the humidor, Senor. (Oh, and now that the Rox have run off a late-2007-like streak recently, do we all feel a tad better about them taking two of three from the Tigers? Didn’t think so.)
He might not chuck it as hard as Ryan Perry, but it’s close enough and I, for one, am glad Freddy Dolsi‘s back.
Did you happen to catch this nastygram from Ken Rosenthal about the Tigers benching Magglio Ordonez? The zingers about Gary Sheffield are amusing but I don’t think anyone in the Tigers front office regrets the decision to cut him loose. And for what it’s worth, I hope that Ordonez finds his stroke soon and that he doesn’t wind up on the Red Sox, poking homers over The Green Monster at Fenway.
Speaking of hitters, here are the results of our most recent Fungo Pulse Check poll. The question: Which of These Sluggers Should the Tigers Go After?
- Matt Holliday: 35% (12 votes)
- Brad Hawpe: 32% (11 votes)
- Adam Dunn: 29% (10 votes)
- Jeff Francouer: 3% (1 vote)
- Carlos Lee: bupkis
Be sure to vote in our new poll, available in the sidebar –>
Finally, I didn’t weigh in on the Jim Leyland extension when it happened: I believe it came a few weeks too late, but I’m delighted that he re-upped. I don’t want to see the Tigers become the Verizon Wireless of Major League Baseball, with a new manager every two years or so. (If anyone should’ve been shown the door as a result of this clunky roster, it should’ve been [should be?] Dave Dombrowski.)

Have a great week.

Must-See TV: Sheff in the Field on Wednesday

Mike McClary — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:22:31 +0000

If you have a curiosity about how Gary Sheffield will fare as an outfielder with the Mets, you’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see Sheff patrolling right at Citi Field, so says ESPN.com’s Rumor Central [$]:

For the second time this week, coaches hit fly balls to Sheffield in the early afternoon to get him acclimated, after he served as DH with Detroit. Sheffield has suggested a pinch-hitting role would be acceptable, but Manuel reiterated that performance would dictate who starts in right field and noted that players need semi-regular starts anyway in order to remain sharp for pinch-hitting duty.

This I gotta see.

Oh-for-Sheff

Mike McClary — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:54:19 +0000

In case you were wondering, Gary Sheffield hasn’t gotten a hit yet this season.

Even if you aren’t interested in the Sheff Saga, click the link to see some lackluster Photoshopping by Mets.com designers.

Tigers Tighten “Letting Another Player Wear Alan Trammell’s #3″ Policy

Mike McClary — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:03:15 +0000

Last July 9 I attend a Tigers/Indians game at Comerica Park — the one when the Tigers came back from six runs down to win it in the ninth on a Miguel Cabrera line-drive homer — and found myself utterly transfixed on the father and son duo sitting in front of me.

The dad, possibly sauced, assuredly angry, took every opportunity to rip the Tigers’ DH that night, Gary Sheffield. His major beef was the wasted talent sitting on the bench in the person of Marcus Thames. His poor teenage son looked weary and sat mute as dad ripped Sheff — who, by the by, went 2 for 4 that night. In other words, at least four times he tore into Sheffield and twice he had to pull back a bit.

Until the bottom of the ninth.

That’s when Thames appeared from the dugout as a pinch hitter for Clete Thomas — and promptly shot a single to left. Even before Thames got to the plate the duo jumped — jumped! — into the cool evening air, missing each other with high-fives and spilling dad’s fifth beer. They became even more giddy with Thames’s single and, man, did pops lob a rapid-fire series of I-told-you-so‘s toward Jim Leyland. Two hitters later, Cabrera went yard and the father and son went home vindicated.

With the news of Sheffield being jettisoned this morning, Marcus Thames is now the Tigers’ more-or-less regular DH and we’ll see if he really can hit 30-plus homers if given the chance. (Actually, I thought we learned last year that the Thames-as-Hank-Greenberg theory carried no weight, but I guess we’ll see…again.)

If you stayed with me through that circuitous tale, I owe you one.

Now, what to make of this roster move. I’ll admit it falls into that category of surprised but not surprised for me. I wanted Sheff to succeed in Detroit and thought he would. Even in 2009. The basis of my reasoning, at least in the past six weeks, were reports from Lakeland that he was scalding the ball again.

Or, as we learned today, not.

Either way, I tend to agree with Lynn Henning that getting Sheff was a wise move at the time. The Tigers had just lost the World Series and wanted to add another weapon to a lineup that slept through that painful week against St. Louis.

I don’t know that I agree with Henning that the Tigers will regret it later this season. The move was made for versatility reasons and, if that’s the story, then not having Sheffield clogging the DH spot and freeing-up more at bats for Jeff Larish and others is a good thing. Probably a great thing.

Yet, it’ll be interesting to see where Sheff lands. (My hope is that it’s not with the Blue Jays where he could hit #500 off Justin Verlander on Opening Day. Oy.) And can you imagine if he goes to the Phillies and underachieves? Think the Philly fans would be forgiving? Woo-doggie. And if the White Sox sign him, look out.

As the Tigers’ DH, Marcus Thames will make about $12 million less than Sheffield this year. But ultimately, the move was about giving the job to a younger guy who can produce at a higher level. The Tigers believe it’s Thames.

And I know of at least two fans who agree.

2009 Player Profile: Gary Sheffield

Mike McClary — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:10:33 +0000

Gary Sheffield #3

Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 215
2008 Stats: .225 – 19 HR – 57 RBI

Gary Sheffield entered the 2008 season looking to improve on a sub-par debut campaign in Detroit. A shoulder injury sustained in an outfield collision in â€™07 required surgery and off-season rehab, and it slowed Sheffield at the plate during the season’s first two months. A left oblique strain landed him on the disabled list at the end of May, leaving little time for a strong first-half finish. Sheffield posted a .217 average and just five home runs before the All Star break.

The second half featured flashes of the power stroke â€“ 14 homers in 220 at bats â€“ that might eventually put Sheffield in the Hall of Fame. Tigers fans are still waiting for the Gary Sheffield of old to arrive in Detroit, but at age 39, they are in for a long wait. Still, he remains a dangerous presence in the lineup and at the plate, lashing pitches down in the zone and scorching line drives to the left side of the diamond.

Sheffield begins 2009 one home run shy of 500. If he can stay healthy, watch for this motivated veteran to make up for lost time â€“ and hits.

The Non Sequiturs Return: “Play Ball!” Edition

Mike McClary — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:51:38 +0000

If you’ve been a long-time Daily Fungo reader, you know that I’ve posted a semi-regular series called The Non Sequiturs. More recently I’ve posted similar items under the Wednesday Walewanders banner (or Friday Fungoes, Three for Thursday, etc.). You may ask: What’s the difference? Truth is, there isn’t any. Just thought I’d come clean on that.

Without further ado, here are the first Non Sequiturs of the 2009 season powered, as usual, by a fresh pot of Peet’s Coffee:

We have our first box score of 2009 for the Tigers. Enjoy it in all its linear glory.
Did you catch the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 Days” program focused on the Tigers on Monday? (If you missed, catch it here.) I caught the West Coast replay and, like so many things related to the fledgling network, I was underwhelmed. I enjoyed the interviews, seeing Gary Sheffield‘s beard, watching Al Kaline say absolutely nothing interesting, etc., but if you’ve followed the Tigers even in the most casual way this offseason, chances are you learned nothing new.

But, in the spirit of a positive mental outlook, I determined that these shows likely aren’t produced for the hardcore Tigers fan. They’re for everyone else. If I watch the episode on, say, the Marlins, I’ll probably learn a lot. In the end, the show was worth watching for these three nuggets:
- Mitch Williams picking the Tigers to win the division.
- Dan Plesac picking the Tigers again to finish last (this after raving about how great a manager Jim Leyland is).
- Plesac somewhat butchering a nice attempt at complimenting Ernie Harwell‘s “he stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by.”
Not that you care, but I’m booked for three Cactus League games next week in metro-Phoenix and in Tucson. Fungophile John Milton and our friend Steve will be coming to Arizona for games Friday (Indians/Brewers), Saturday (Giants/Rockies) and Sunday (Rockies/Padres).

The Friday game is of interest mainly because it will be at the Indians’ new Spring Training facility in the middle of nowhere also known as Goodyear, Ariz. We also wanted to attend that game because, let’s face it, seeing the Indians 19 times against the Tigers this summer just isn’t going to be enough. Of course, the Saturday game will give us one more chance to boo Edgar Renteria at close range.
Be sure you add Ian Casselberry‘s Morning Prowl at BlessYouBoys.com to your daily reading agenda. Ian reads it all, summarizes it neatly and we’re all the better for it. Now if only he’d do the same for The New York Times and ESPN.com…
Happy 45th birthday to once-heralded Tigers catcher-o’-the-future Rich Rowland. After four partial season and 83 at bats with Detroit, he was dealt to the Red Sox for John Flaherty on April 1, 1994.

Finally, I stumbled on this gem from The Onion. It’s from 2007 but it’s still funny and, very likely, still relevant. Here’s the lede:

Following their game against the Twins Tuesday, Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez and second baseman Placido Polanco stayed in their hotel room all night, giddily discussing their favorite in-game hitting situations.

Friday Fungoes: New Year’s Style

Mike McClary — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:05:34 +0000

It’s not often I go a full week without posting something here at the The Daily Fungo but there were circumstances beyond my control, namely my computer. It went kaput in December and only after the most drastic of all measures — erasing the hard drive and starting over — was I able to resuscitate it…until Monday. I knew that a grinding sound coming from a car was bad, but from a MacBook Pro? That’s even worse.

So, here I am working on a — gasp! — PC trying to get some stuff done. (There’s more on my Windows Vista experience here.) I offer this not as a self-handicapping thing, but as a legit reason. Honest.

On with the Fungoes:

There’s been much to talk about in recent weeks and it centers on an infuriating lack of activity by the Tigers. Kerry Wood? Gone — to the Indians. Carl Pavano? Gone…to the Indians. Jason Giambi? Gone. Brian Fuentes? John Smoltz? Trevor Hoffman? Gone. Gone. Gone. What’s worse is that these guys, for the most part, were considered low-cost, low-risk investments for the teams they joined. Are the Tigers suddenly so cash poor/talent rich that they can’t take a flyer on the likes of Giambi — a solid lefty bat — or Pavano who could actually be an upgrade over Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis? I would love to know what the master plan is down on Witherell.

The Padres pick Virgil Vasquez off waivers today from the Red Sox. Let’s hope Double-V gets some appearances in San Diego who will definitely need help when Jake Peavy gets dealt.

Thereâ€™s nothing like some distance from the past baseball season to provide some perspective on how good or bad a player was. Two examples in each category from the 2008 Tigers:
- The Good: Magglio Ordonez – .317, 21 HR, 103 RBI for the season but he hit .330 in the second half.
- The Bad: Gary Sheffield – .225, 19 HR, 57 RBI. He hit a meager .217 in the first half and .232 in the second. Yeah, I know, he wasn’t completely healthy but still, if it weren’t for his 500th homer chase, Sheff would’ve been persona non grata at Comerica Park in 2008.

Perhaps you heard that former Tigers pitcher Dave Roberts passed away today at 64. He was acquired by the Tigers on Dec. 6, 1975 when the Astros traded him along with Jim Crawford and Milt May to Detroit for Leon Roberts, Terry Humphrey, Gene Pentz, and Mark Lemongello. Roberts appeared in 48 games for the Tigers in 1976 and ’77 — all of them starts. In 1976, he posted a record of 16-17 and a 4.00 ERA with 18 complete games. The following year he made 22 starts for the Tigers going 4-10, 5.15, before his contract was purchased by the Cubs on July 30. According to the MLB.com story, Roberts died from lung cancer.

Roberts’ death came after a struggle with lung cancer that had developed from exposure to asbestos — a mineral with toxic fibers — earlier in his life, according to a report by the Associated Press. He had worked as a boilermaker years ago, which likely exposed him to the toxic substance.

How things have changed. You certainly don’t hear of any journeyman lefty relievers working as boilermakers in the off season anymore just to make ends meet. Today Roberts would be making $4 million a year.

Finally, Happy Birthday today to Freddy Dolsi, 26; Ivan DeJesus â€“ what? You didnâ€™t know he played for the Tigers? He did: 1988 â€“ and Phil Mankowski, both 56.

Sheffield, Texas Ranger?

Mike McClary — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:37:31 +0000

Rumblings of the Texas Rangers showing interest in DH Gary Sheffield?

Frank Catalanotto is one player Texas might attempt to trade. He has a guaranteed $6 million left on his contract, including $4 million in 2009 and a $2-million buyout (or $5-million salary) the next year.

As someone I worked with once said: “Two words: what. ever.”

Exactly.

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.

Gary Sutherland, You Say?

Mike McClary — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:33:40 +0000

Happy 64th Birthday to the man who wore number 3 before Gary Sheffield and Alan Trammell:

Gary Sutherland.

Baseball Poetry, Courtesy of Sheff

Mike McClary — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:33:45 +0000

Our friends at Bardball.com recently posted some contemporary verse spoken by His Eloquence, Gary Sheffield. Here’s a taste:

I can be in the outfield and play every day.
I donâ€™t want to DH.
I donâ€™t feel like a baseball player
when I DH.

Read the rest on Bardball.com. It’s worth it.