While Tigers fans were reeling from the news of Victor Martinez‘s season-ending knee injury, owner Mike Ilitch (likely to the dismay of Dave Dombrowski) was having back-channel conversations with agent Scott Boras. As we’d soon find out, those conversations centered on the last remaining free-agent slugger that could soothe the wounds of losing Martinez and inject more oomph in the lineup. Nine days later, ba-da-boom, Prince Fielder is the Detroit Tigers first baseman … for the next nine years. Shortly after the Martinez news, Dombrowski and Jim Leyland brushed aside any interest in Fielder who was being rumored to end up with the Rangers, Mariners or Nationals, among others. After the Tigers announced last Wednesday morning that Martinez was lost for the upcoming season…
About four weeks before the Tigers convened in Lakeland for spring training, the club’s outlook instantly went from brimming with confidence and optimism to soaked in despair and gloom. That’s when Dave Dombrowski received word from Florida that Victor Martinez suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and would eventually be lost for the season. The Tigers’ front-office boss put on a brave face when he talked to the media after hearing the news: “After you feel sorry for yourself for a day or so, you move on,” general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “We have a good club. We’ve got a lot of players who will step up.” But Tigers fans knew the impact this would have on the lineup and most likely…
It’s not often Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski gets loose and talks at length about the club’s plans, but on Sunday in Baltimore he did just that, breaking some news and confirming a few long-anticipated decisions: Brandon Inge gets offered an extension. As Ian wrote this summer, Inge is either loved or loathed in Detroit — with little in between. But I think even those of us who are frustrated by his lack of a strategy when he’s at the plate feel better about third base next season and maybe in 2012, too. In our recent Fungo Pulse Check, 79 percent of respondents (207 of 263 votes) preferred bringing back Inge over Jeremy Bonderman. Magglio Ordonez might be back. This isn’t a surprise. The Tigers…
Thoughts on the news out of Comerica Park today: Johnny Damon. I don’t care that the Tigers are going nowhere this season, Damon has been a good soldier for the Tigers and, based on what we read, he’s provided clubhouse leadership and mentorship for a youthful team. As of this writing, the Tigers are running roughshod over the Royals and likely to return to the .500 mark. With Damon’s decision to stay, he makes the Tigers a better team by his mere presence if not his on-field production. Right now we can only hope that this once-promising season ends with the Tigers north of .500 and they have a much better chance of achieving it with number 18 in the lineup. Magglio Ordonez. Over…
