Official 2009 Detroit Tigers Thread:

A nice positive article to get us started on what will hopefully be a year better than last year:

Saturday, April 4, 2009
Lynn Henning
A dozen reasons the Tigers might be better than you think

Atlanta-- What Tigers fans will notice in 2009 about Detroit's baseball team that they might not have picked up from spring camp's box scores:

Ryan Perry's tailor-made personality for pitching late-innings relief: Perry is smart, with the right blend of toughness and devil-may-care looseness that could make him the Tigers closer in a very short time. He has an excellent array of pitches and knows where to throw them. Promoting Perry, 22, to the big club was one of the easiest of the Tigers' spring decisions.

Adam Everett's defense at shortstop: Fans accustomed to Carlos Guillen and Edgar Renteria will not believe how much more ground Everett, 32, covers. He has an arm to go with his range and, with his wingman, Brandon Inge, at third base, Everett will make the difference in as many games as lockdown left-side defense can make in a big league baseball season.

Edwin Jackson's power arm and rising reputation: OK, after the Tigers sent Jair Jurrjens to the Braves, they needed a make-up acquisition. They got him in Jackson. He is just entering the prime of what could be a distinguished pitching career. The best thing you can say about Jackson, 25, is this: If you're a hitter, you hate batting against him.

Rick Porcello's excellence: Sometimes, true star talent can, in fact, be identified even before it gets to the big leagues. That's the rare case with Porcello. People who believe Porcello was taken north out of desperation, or because the Tigers were willing to trade his long-term development for short-term games, fail to understand how exceptional he has been from the start.

One year ago, Porcello had the best stuff in camp of any Tigers pitcher. The organization let him grow up for a year, and when he showed them the same skill this spring, it was time to confront reality and make him a big leaguer. Good decision for a 20-year-old who would not have gained anything substantive by sending him to Double-A Erie for however long.

The Tigers' offense: There are concerns. Magglio Ordonez is 35 and at some point will begin showing it. Carlos Guillen turns 34 before this season is over and I'm not sure he's the hitter he once was. If the top six batters in the lineup sag in any given game -- and plenty of times they will against good pitching -- this team will have its issues scoring runs.

Miguel Cabrera's mastery: I saw something the other day on ESPN.com from some unnamed American League scout who said Cabrera, 25, is nothing more than a designated hitter playing first base. For the sake of the team for which this scout allegedly works, I hope this charlatan is up for a job review soon. He needs a different line of work.

Cabrera will be the toughest hitter in the American League this year -- bar none. And his play at first base is becoming steadily brilliant.

The quiet quality of the Tigers' catching: Gerald Laird, 29, and Matt Treanor, 33, remove all the negatives from the catching equation. They block pitches. They have decent arms. They know how to call a game and what to say to a pitcher. Laird will be a bit better offensively than most people appreciate; Treanor well below the norm.

Brandon Inge's potential for a big 2009: Defensively, nothing has changed. He cuts off hot grounders that are otherwise base hits. He backhands the hot shot at the bag and rifles a throw to Cabrera at first. Offensively, much has changed. No more sweeping and upper-cutting at the ball. He is making good contact, hitting the ball hard, and could have an offensive year to match 2006. In fact, the safe bet is Inge, 31, will hit for a higher average -- something in the .265 range.

Justin Verlander's consistency: He won 17 games in 2006, 18 games in 2007. Flip a coin as to which of those two numbers it will be in 2009. Verlander, 26, looks like the same pitcher who a couple of years ago already ranked as one of baseball's upper-tier right-handers.

Josh Anderson's speed. He has been in camp for less than a week and already his speed has influenced every game in which he has played, offensively and defensively. The Tigers have so little locomotion on their roster that Anderson, 26, who is a genuine burner, stands out in great part because on this roster he has a rare gift.

Juan Rincon's experience: This could go down as a parallel to last year's quiet acquisition of Armando Galarraga. Rincon, 30, is healthy after a couple of tough years and was as steady as a heartbeat during spring camp. He gets by with enough quality pitches, and even more guile, which makes him the opposite of all those young arms and scary relievers (Fernando Rodney) on which the Tigers often will rely.

One team's capacity to fool the prognosticators: I suspect the forecasters are as misguided about the Tigers this year as they were last year. One thing about national analysts: They're invariably shaped by what happened the previous season. They don't often take into consideration how much a team has changed with lower-profile additions.

The biggest difference in the Tigers is significant: the way the left side of the infield shuts down ground balls, and the effect two kid pitchers named Porcello and Perry will have on a pitching staff. Throw into the mix a new starter, Jackson, and this team has made moves that not all of the national evaluators are acknowledging.

So, what does all of the above translate into?

After rigorous crunching of the data -- and deciding instead to go with a gut feeling -- I have the Tigers finishing 85-77, which in the American League Central Division will be good enough to keep them in a playoff chase into September.

There you have it. Let's play ball.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

I was going to start an official 2009 MLB thread

Don't try to talk yourself into liking this guy. He's toast.

Go for it before Ellis does.

and so what if i did? you wouldn't post in it? wouldn't that be a blessing, you knob.

Typical insightful post.

Great article! Thanks for posting it.

Here's hoping they look more like the World Series team than last year's version.

verlander looked great.

i think the sox will trade mike lowell for miggy if you wanna dump some salary.

Very, Very cool.

April 8, 2009


GM will share fountain presence with Ford, Chrysler at Comerica Park

By COREY WILLIAMS
Associated Press Writer

The familiar — “General Motors” — will stay put this upcoming baseball season just beyond the centerfield wall at Comerica Park.

But joining the struggling Detroit automaker on the prime advertising spot GM once paid handsomely to occupy are its two U.S. competitors: Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.


Amid sinking profits and the threat of bankruptcy, GM has discontinued sponsorship of the popular General Motors Fountain, which sends up showers of water with every Tigers home run.


Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has given the spot to each of the area’s car companies this season at no cost, instead of selling the space to other bidders, the team's vice president of communications, Ron Colangelo, said today.


“It’s a community decision, not a business decision,” Colangelo said of Ilitch’s benevolence. “He cares about the city of Detroit. This is something he wanted to do. It’s for the Big Three.”


As Detroit prepares for Friday’s home opener against Texas, finishing touches were being made to the stadium’s interior.


Some of GM’s vehicles were displayed in past seasons at the fountain. So far, there are no cars, trucks or sport utility vehicles this year. Ford and Chrysler logos have been erected on each side of the “General Motors” name. Underneath is a sign that reads: “The Detroit Tigers support our automakers.”


GM’s World Headquarters along the Detroit riverfront is visible over the ballpark’s rightfield wall and seats.


GM and Chrysler are slashing costs during massive restructuring while trying to rebound with billions in government aid.


“We have discontinued our sponsorships of a number of MLB teams, including the Tigers, as part of the significant cuts we’ve made to our advertising and promotional spending,” GM said today in a statement.


“GM and the Tigers have had a long relationship, and this was a difficult-but-necessary decision as we work through the current business challenges.”


The automaker said it appreciates Ilitch’s gesture. “Thanks to Mr. Ilitch, we still have a presence in the park,” GM said.

maybe that money could have been put into R&D?

just a thought, keep enjoying mediocrity. (check the spelling on that for me would ya?)

Probably would be but I don't work for GM, so nice try.

not sure that makes sense.

just like starting another thread for the tigers when they've got a very small following on here. Most other teams have 1 thread that have rolled over to multiple seasons. i think you could do us the favor of just recycling that useless thread from last year. i mean, seriously, it was just you posting articles that if anybody was interested in i think said people would find them and read them on their own.

Holy Miguel Cabrera.

what happend, did he eat somebody?

nope, just a grand slam off of Kris Benson.

hope his wife likes Arlington better than Baltimore!

Tiger fans,

should i proceed with what worked so well in '06, or not?

Please do, and while you're at it tell Ellis to go eat another Dick.

GALARAGGA!!!
CABRERA!!!
ELLISGOEATANOTHERDICK!!!

mountain oysters ain;t bad....

He went to Denny's for breakfast. w00t!