2021 - The Best Losing Season I've Seen

Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. To be honest, it is hard to believe it's been five years of rebuilding. In some ways, it doesn't seem like it's been that long, and in other ways, winning seasons and teams seem like a distant memory. I cannot believe what I watched this year!

The Tigers should not have done as well as they did. We dug ourselves a hole in April and never quite got out of it, but we got close to .500 a couple of different times. The last week to 10 days of the season were disappointing, to say the least, especially with how September started. But we had four winning months and we could have been much, much worse.

Imagine with me for a moment, if we had not had Tyler Alexander. What if Mize/Manning/Skubal had gone through rookie struggles or regressions? Can you imagine what our season would have looked like? Each time we had an injury that could have sunk us, someone (or multiple someones) stepped up. Help came from places you wouldn't have expected. Late in the season, we lost two of our late inning guys and the rest of the 'pen closed ranks. Could we have won some games we ended up losing if we had Soto and Cisnero? Maybe, but it's just speculation. Maybe they would have had rough days for those games too.

I'm sure there are some really ugly numbers for the 2021 season. I know there are areas that still need improvement. One that everyone will be talking about is offense. During the last two weeks, especially, we left way too many guys on base and in scoring position. We could have won if we could have scored those runners. But I submit to you that we have a VERY young offense. We have young guys and guys with not much Major League experience. Our catchers for most of the year were rookies. Our outfield is mostly rookies or guys with only a few years of experience. Commentators want more home runs but we tried that recipe for almost 10 years and it didn't work. Now we have a team who can walk, steal bases, and still hit some home runs. Want to know which team had the most triples this year? The Tigers. In all of baseball! Home runs are not everything. If you can't get guys on, you only score one run at a time. Not the best recipe for winning. 

I'm not saying don't sign guys if they can help, but I'd rather see the Tigers work with some of the talent they have to improve hitting. Don't go after a guy if all he does is hit for power. I would love to see guys who walk and hit doubles. Guys who are smart about the strike zone. Remember, we have a very young team. Learning the strike zone takes time. It takes practice. It takes experience. 

There will be new faces next spring, but I hope we don't walk away from what got started this season. I think there is a lot of promise here; a lot of hope. The Tigers have grit and that goes a long way too. All things considered, this was the best losing season I've lived through. Everyday felt like a chance to win. We had things to play for and, of course, don't forget about the season Miggy had. 2021 was an exciting baseball season and here's hoping it is the catalyst for even better seasons, starting in 2022.

What Am I Watching?

 Am I dreaming? Who are these Tigers? We had dug ourselves into such a deep hole at the beginning of the season that it seemed like we'd never escape and now there is a glimmer of hope. We haven't had more than a 4-game win streak all year but we've had several 5-game losing streaks and one awful 7-game losing streak. There are surprises in every area of this team and they are exceeding all expectations and hopes.

 

The Veterans and the Rookies

Robbie Grossman is the best free-agent signing the Tigers have had in many years. From the beginning of the season he has been an infusion. He walks like there is no tomorrow and he is one of our home run leaders! His defense is nothing to sneeze at either. He's not overrated or flashy but he's so solid and dependable and I am just thrilled with what he's brought to this team.

Jonathan Schoop has also been a nice surprise. Despite never playing first base until joining us, he's been really good there and his bat, especially lately, has been huge in the middle of the lineup. Having these veterans, along with Cabrera (obviously), has been a major blessing for a team that is so young and inexperienced. 

When it comes to rookies, no one is more green than Akil Baddoo. Our Rule 5 pick has barely played above Low-A ball before this year but you'd never be able to tell based on how he's done this year. Yes, he's cooled off from the torrid start, but what he's doing is, frankly, insane. He's even knocked Grossman out of the lead-off spot!

Our starting rotation is now our top three rookie prospects, a guy who is starting for the first time in many years, and a bullpen guy who being stretched out to start. And yet, we are pitching amazingly well. Losing Turnbull and Boyd (for the season and a long stretch, respectively) could have dealt us a death blow but somehow they have soldiered on and you almost forget that you're missing two of your best pitchers.

Everything Is Clicking

Pitching, both starters and relievers, is humming. Defense is flashing. The bats are spraying all over the field. Our running game is a level that I don't think I've seen in 10+ years of following Tigers baseball. I was just thinking the other day about how we have been thrown out at the plate a lot more this year. You'd think you would be losing runs and I don't have hard data but I think we probably are scoring more than in the past because we are forcing the issue. We are taking the extra base more and that will mean getting thrown out more. We also have a lot of young players who are still learning the finer points of running the bases but it's been impressive to watch. 

There have been so many times over the years when it seems like our pitching is on point but the bats can't hit anything. Then our bats heat up and the pitching slumps. We never could get multiple things going at the same time but that's not been the case much this year, especially right now.

This Is Fun

Maybe this is just a fluke but maybe it isn't. May and June showed a team that had promise. We never put a huge win streak together but the signs were there that things were different. The end of the first half was a deflating loss of momentum but the break seemed to bring out the best in everyone. Whatever happens in the rest of the season, this is a really fun moment and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Should The Tigers Trade Spencer Turnbull For A Big Bat? // My Response To Lynn Henning

 My family knows that I am not a big fan of Lynn Henning. He rarely writes anything I agree with and when he does, it's a big deal. His latest piece was right after Spencer Turnbull's no-hitter and he voiced on his opinion that the Tigers should probably trade Turnbull for a big bat. Unfortunately, I cannot link to the article like I wanted to but you can try searching "lynn henning spencer turnbull trade" and see if you can find the piece.

To begin, we have to look at where Henning is coming from. April was a terrible month for the Tigers. We dug ourselves quite a hole with a lot of losses. Our bats were almost non-existent for long stretches. It was bad. But there is more going on than quiet bats.

It Starts With Pitching

The Tigers radio announces have, for years, talked about how winning teams start with pitching. If you don't have pitching, you will struggle. During our rough stretch with the bats this year, our starting pitching was SUPERB!!! They kept us in each game. It was hard to be constantly losing 1 or 2 to nothing, but those scores meant we had the chance to win. Spencer Turnbull is part of that great pitching and it would be foolish to breakup a pitching staff that is doing so well on a team that is still rebuilding but getting close to being competitive again. This is not a veteran pitcher; Turnbull is young still so there is no urgency to trade him.

Our bullpen has had its ups and downs and wasn't great during our quiet bat stretch, but we know it can be better and it is showing improvement.

 

Defense Loses Games

You know what else was sterling during the bat struggles? Our defense. This makes sense because great defense goes hand in hand with great pitching. Teams who aren't making the plays and/or are making errors will give up more runs, leading to more lost games. The defense is part of the equation to keeping those games low-scoring and giving us a chance to come back.

And Then There Are The Bats

Let's talk about our bats. We are a cobbled-together team. There are a few veterans but they are here on a one or two year contract. The turn-over of veterans has been crazy during this rebuild. Then we have the youngsters who, even though many of them are in their third or fourth (or more!) year in the big leagues, are still learning. Many of them have gone up and down over those years between Detroit and Toledo and we also don't have much in the way of set positioning for these guys. It's a lot. 

We weren't scoring runs, but that doesn't mean we weren't in the position to do so. The Tigers are walking and stealing bases at a rate that I don't remember ever seeing in the ten or so years that I have been following the team. It's a different brand of baseball than Detroit is used to, but is that a bad thing? 

Another thing that Jim & Dan talk about on the radio is how the best teams are the ones who take the extra base and play small ball just as much, if not more, than they hit home runs. They talk about how a team who hits doubles is going to hit home runs. The Tigers hit doubles. And we have guys who have the power and potential to hit home runs. Are any of them going to be 30 home run hitters? No, probably not. But we tried for years to win it all with power hitters and fell short. Maybe it is time to try something different.

The Tigers are a different team. We are walking, stealing bases, and taking the extra base. That did not happen in the past. Our starting pitching, defense, and baserunning have all been excellent, for the most part. Our bullpen and offense has scuffled a bit but is starting to pick up. We have guys with power who can hit the occasional home run. So do we need a big bat? That depends on your goal and what style of baseball you want to play. This team is not going to be a home run team. Why get rid of a part of what's working to add a piece that isn't your style of baseball? I think Henning is looking at things from the perspective of the Tigers teams from years past but that's not who we are anymore. 

I don't think we need to be trading for a "big bat". I think we need more consistency for our players (knowing where they are playing, for example) and I think we need to change our mindset to be one of every 90 feet and smaller ball. If you expect home runs, then you'll be disappointed. If you expect smart baseball, welcome to Detroit.

One Month In...

We are just about one month into the season, so let's see where we are at, shall we?

First, I think that the schedulers can not give any scheduled off days in April and maybe even May, since the weather will give you them anyway. Save those off days for later in the season when we're making up all these rain/snow-outs and need a break. But that's not about the Tigers.

I know, it's still early, but the Tigers are blowing all the expectations away. I don't think anyone was expecting this. Really early on, it was our pitching and defense carrying the team and all our wins came when Shane Greene closed a game. (Seriously, how amazing has he been? Did anyone see that coming?)

The rotation was kind of in flux after losing Michael Fulmer. And don't get me wrong, we still miss him. Just imagine how much better we'd be with him. But Zimmermann looks like he just might be good this year, Moore and Ross were turning out to be surprisingly solid (before we lost Moore), Boyd is just astonishing and is going to be our rock it seems, and Turnbull is performing amazingly well for a guy who has barely started above Double A before joining the rotation. With Moore out, now Norris will finally get a chance to show what he can do when he's healthy. I'm excited for him.

The bullpen hasn't been too shabby! Besides Greene's dominance, we've had surprising contributions from guys like Farmer and Alcantra. VerHagen has been injured for a few weeks, so he is a bit behind the others and our Rule 5 guy, Reed Garrett, is holding his own so far (future blog post on the RUle 5 to come). Jimenez is scuffling right now but he'll figure it out and get back to being our lock-down eighth inning guy.

You look at the Tigers' position players and it's not that impressive. We don't have a lot of big names but these guys come to play and play with grit. Our catchers are throwing out everybody! It's not going to be long before teams just stop running on us. Early on, (and this is actually still the case), it all came down to pitching and defense. If either or both were having an off-day, we probably weren't going to win.

Ahh, the offense. It's an enigma. Once again, the contributions are coming from surprising places. Christin Stewart, before he got hurt, and Niko Goodrum were two of our best bats early on. Pretty much everyone is struggling to get going. Castellanos and Cabrera are still homer-less. It's odd but not worrisome. No one expects this to go on much longer. Harrison getting dropped from the lead-off seems to be helping him and hopefully he can take this back when he gets moved back up.

We've had quite a few injuries already this year, some that have taken out our guy for the season, but we were a cobbled together team to begin with, so more young guys doesn't change much. No one expected much from this Tigers team but they don't care what anyone expects. They come to play and give it their all. So far, it's keeping them relevant and interesting to watch. You have a feeling they can win almost any game. Most of their games have been close and they are doing well in the late innings and extra innings. It's exciting and I think even the most dour critics are having to sit up and take notice.

There is a lot of season left and anything can happen, but so far, this Tigers team is encouraging and fun to watch. They make you believe they just might be a force in the Central. Playoff bound? Probably not. But making other teams sweat and work for their places? Sure thing! 

Welcome to 2019!!!

It's been some time since I've had anything to write about.

The offseason was fairly uneventful for the Tigers. We said goodbye to some players (James McCann 😢) and signed a few guys to small deals. Nothing earth-shattering.

No one expects the Tigers to do well at all this year. I don't imagine us winning anything, but I don't see why we have to have a losing season. Time will tell, but so far, things are very encouraging.

Our pitching is PHENOMENAL!!!!! We don't have Fulmer and Norris isn't in the starting rotation. Two of our starters were guys we were taking a chance on and one is essentially a rookie and MAN! They are just dominating every. single. game. And not just the starters. Our bullpen has been fantastic. The pitchers are keeping us in every game.

Defense has been sparkling. We've made some errors but overall it seems to be going well and there have been some really fantastic plays when it counts (late innings of the last game in Toronto, anyone?). In addition, it sounds like our baserunning is much improved. I'm hearing guys take the extra base, move up on throwing errors, even steal! It's been fun.

Okay, now you'll want to talk about the bats. Guys, the bats are the least of our worries. We are actually starting to hit and now we need to score the guys who get on, but we can't have it all at once, can we? We're probably not going to be bombing the ball, but doubles are just about the best thing ever, plus, we are walking a lot, which is always good.

Here we are, eight games in, and the Tigers are 5-3. We've played scrappy and have had a chance to win almost every game. We are not getting blown away and we have a lot of young guys. It's a long season but it's off to a great start.

Looking Back // 2018 Season Recap

I feel like this season went better and worse than expected. Guys, I'm really frustrated and there were a lot of tears of frustration cried. Some days, I almost wish Jim's "baseball gods" existed, just so there was someone to blame; something that might be causing this, rather than just dumb luck.

The Tigers were not going to be making a playoff run. I didn't expect that. But we were down and then we were kicked lower. Oh, you already have a young team? Well, play most of the year without Miguel Cabrera. Let's injure your rotation a bunch, have your over-paid veteran continue to underperform, and your other two pitchers not be all that great. 

We basically played the entire year with a Triple - A team. 

Super frustrating. 

But we were a much better team than the numbers indicate. Despite not having a good rotation for most of the year, despite having a Triple - A team, despite not having Miguel, we played hard. Here's a number for you: 52.

We played 52 one-run games. Yes, we lost more than we won, but we were in those games until the last out, many times having the tying or winning run on base. Some might say that those facts show how bad we were. I disagree. Our Triple - A Tigers fought hard. 

There were mistakes. Grueling mistakes at terrible times. There was awful luck, when everything was going wrong for us and right for the other teams. Nothing would land for us and every bloop and blimer landed for them. For some reason, that's the way things tend to go. If you're bad, everything possible is going to seem to go wrong. If you're good, it all goes right. (Unless you're the Tigers. Then it doesn't matter. Sorry, still bitter from 2013). 

This was a year of personal development. Castellanos continues to improve and mature. And, I'm sorry, but I just don't understand how he grades out so poorly. He's supposedly one of the worst right fielders in the game. Sometimes I wonder if the numbers accurately represent reality. 

The bullpen, guys! The bullpen was really pretty good. Guys made leaps and bounds out there. Don't worry about Greene. No one is more upset than he is and I have to believe that he'll figure it out this off-season and come back like the 2017 Shane Greene. Jimenez is looking impressive and a bunch of other guys either solidified their standings as solid relievers or really showed up. 

It was a brutal year. But every day it was a new day and I could believe (for the most part) that we could win that day. It's been said that the White Sox are a year ahead of the Tigers in the rebuild process. Well, guess who was ahead of whom at the end of the year? People keep saying it's going to be years until the Tigers are even decent again. After this year, with what I saw and heard, I don't believe it even more than I did at the beginning of the season. 

Look, really look, at how we played. Think about what could happen if most of these guys stay here and play again together next year under the same coaching staff. You know they'll all be working hard this off-season, many of them playing winter ball to grow even more. We just might win more of those 1-run games and maybe even be a threat to teams. I'm not saying we win the division, but maybe put some pressure on the leading team. I don't think it's that much of a stretch. 

Especially if a couple of things actually go our way for once. Baseball is skill, yes, but it sure seems to be an awful lot of luck as well. 

All - Star Break Review

I expected to post way more this year, but I get busy and don't make this blog a priority. We're halfway through the season and I thought I really needed to put some thoughts out on our season. Here goes.

The Team

I think that our record does not accurately reflect our team. We are way better than we were expected to be at the start of the year, and we have played really hard. The argument can be made that a good team would win the close games that we've lost, but when you look at all the young guys we have on our team, exacerbated by all our injuries, and I think we are doing well, all things considered.

The losses are frustrating. I get it. I feel it too. It's no fun to listen to us lose all the time. But I focus on the positives, like the young guys learning and improving game after game. Like the scrappiness and fight that the Tigers show so often. The "experts" were predicting years of suffering for Detroit baseball. But based on what I'm seeing this season, I don't see it taking years. No, I don't think we'll be in the World Series next year, but a year or two, at the most, and I think we'll be back in contention; a team to be reckoned with. Maybe that's my optimism speaking a little bit, but I think the projections are on the negative side. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Surprises

We all can agree that there have been some major surprises on this team. Leonys Martin, Victor Reyes, Jeimer Candelario - who are these guys? There were question marks up and down the lineup and in the bullpen. It's not been the smoothest sailing, but I've been impressed at where the help has come from over this first half. I honestly think that's why the projections were so bad. We had all these unknowns, so people were giving us low expectations. But the Tigers don't like low expectations. These guys aren't accepting the defeat written out for them at the beginning of the season. It might be inevitable, but they aren't going down without a fight. 

Two of the biggest surprises might be Jordan Zimmermann and Joe Jimenez. Let's just be honest - most people, including me, wondered if Zimmermann would ever be good for us. Even now, I'm a bit wary of crying 'victory' just yet, but the signs are definitely encouraging. 

After what happened with Rondon, I was cautious with my expectations of Jimenez. I'm wondering if he saw all that occurred in the situation with Rondon and learned from it. He's looking like he might actually make it as a closer. I hope he can because that would be amazing for the team moving forward in this rebuild.

Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez

If you want evidence that life is not fair, look no farther than baseball. Miggy is finally healthy for the first time in a couple of years, and he has a season-ending injury in a year when we already have enough to deal with. These types of frustrations make me half wish Jim Price's "baseball gods" were real so I could have something to be mad at. 

The other side of this coin is, like in the past couple of years, the Tigers are getting a taste of what life without Miggy is like. No one wants to really think about this fact, but Miggy won't be here forever. We have to learn to hit and win without him, or we're really going to be hurting after he retires. I hope we don't have to live without him permanently anytime soon, but these stretches that he's been on the DL are a taste of what will be coming, whether we want it to or not. 

Victor Martinez is the new Anibal Sanchez for me. I appreciate him as a player and all the things he's done for us in the past. But now he's just hindering the team. Starting last year, I've been saying that one thing that might help Miggy is not playing nine innings in the field. He'd make a great DH, but he can't move there as long as we have Victor. I like Martinez. He was a great player. But I'm ready for him to retire. 




Those are some of my thoughts at halfway through. What do you think? Let's talk (please keep things clean and civil). 

If you have not signed these petitions yet, take a look. If you like what you see, please send them on to others who would be interested as well. Thanks!

Tell The MLB Commissioner "No Pace-of-Play Rules"

https://www.change.org/p/joe-torre-stop-major-league-baseball-s-in-game-rule-changes