BIG D GRADES THE TIGERS!

Before I begin with the Tigers and their grades I just want to wish Mathieu Schneider well as today, he signed a 2 year deal with the Ducks but I’d also like to congratulate the Red Wing front office for wasting no time in finding Schneider’s replacement. In ex-New Jersey Devil – Brian Rafalski, the Wings get a proven defensemen with a nice shot from the point, experience and strong veteran ability. The fact that they signed him for 5 years says it all. This was obviously a signing that was needed and I am more then happy. I also sense the Wings aren’t done making moves yet either. What am I doing? This is baseball season not hockey season. On that note…The Big D isn’t a teacher. I’m sure we’ve all figured that out by now. But being a die hard Tiger fan through all their thicks and thins for the past 25 plus years gives me the right to act like a teacher…somewhat…at least for today. After a bit of a hiatus, Teacher Big D is back with some first half grades for our Detroit Tigers. Whether it’s school or baseball, where there’s a way, there’s an A! But does this team have enough to make it back to the World Series and put A+ grades across their report cards? Well let’s see shall we? Here are my Tiger grades for the first half of the 2007 season…

OUTFIELDERS
RF – MAGGLIO ORDONEZ – Reportedly the players on this Tiger team are in awe of him and why not? He has MVP numbers at this stage and he’d be a lock for it in the first half if it wasn’t for some guy named Alex Rodriguez. Maggs is hitting in the .370’s? Are you kidding me? He’s not a true blue clean-up hitter (I think Sheffield is more suited for the spot and Maggs more suited for the 3 hole) due to the fact that he isn’t a true blue long ball hitter but his almost 70 RBI’s speak volumes. What I am most impressed with is his adjustments now. Hitting Coach, Lloyd McClendon is doing an excellent job with these Tiger hitters and with Maggs it’s been no exception. Ordonez shortens his swing and sacrifices power numbers with flat out hitting the other way and getting on base now whereas due to injury and all else in previous seasons, he wasn’t able to do that. Maggs has 34 doubles at this point and that’s unbelievable! The fact that he plays in one of the deepest parks around will help that number in the 2nd half of the year. I’d like to see his power numbers higher but who can argue with such a high RBI total? Defensively he is very deceiving and has made some great catches in the first half. He doesn’t have real great speed or range out there but they say his jumps on fly balls off the bat are exceptional and that often bails him out. He’s the Tiger MVP easily after the first half of the season and that can mean only one grade! GRADE – A+

DH/OF – GARY SHEFFIELD – I’d give him an A+ if he wouldn’t have had such a horrendous start. Manager, Jim Leyland was never worried about him knowing that he’s a proven hitter and it would just take time. Shef has exploded with 18 HR’s and 52 RBI’s despite a non-existent April. There is no one with faster bat speed and he’s just a flat out scary hitter. He’s got a great eye and although he will occasionally give away at bats (like Ordonez), he can flat out crush the ball. As a defensive outfielder, I personally think he plays the position better then Craig Monroe, but being as Shef is a DH, that’s what he should be graded on for the most part. Take away his April and he’s without a doubt an A+. GRADE – A

CF – CURTIS GRANDERSON – He’s done a nice job as a complete player. His defense has almost been flawless despite the odd throwing error. They have had no one else come in and look near as comfortable leading off or in center then he has. I’d like to see more stolen bases then 9 or 10 at this point but he’s still learning. His flirting with .290 average is respectable and he basically does everything well. He’s truly one of the superstars of the future for this organization and he will probably hover around the high .200’s for batting average for the rest of the season. He’s as complete a young player as anyone out there and he’ll only get better. GRADE – A-

LF - CRAIG MONROE – He’s really struggled at the plate and he’s one Tiger whose days are numbered thanks to can’t miss prospect, Cameron Maybin who they think is almost ready. Monroe might be traded before the deadline. Reportedly, Maybin will get his chance at some point this year and Monroe’s time as a Tiger is fading because of it. The fact that Marcus Thames, Omar Infante or even Sheffield can provide adequate enough backup in LF, I expect Monroe to be traded soon and if not, Detroit probably won’t re-sign him anyway. A batting average of just .229??? Monroe’s power numbers (9 HR’s and 41 RBI’s) are down too. Monroe has looked shaky at times in left but he’s also looked very good. It all depends on what C-Moe you get. As mentioned, Detroit has more talent then Monroe in their organization so how much longer they can keep giving this guy chances is a question that will plague them at the beginning of the 2nd half and for much of the rest of the season if he isn’t dealt by the deadline. GRADE – F

INFIELDERS
2B – PLACIDO POLANCO – To me he’s a prototypical 2nd hitter because of his ability to work a pitcher right to the end of the at-bat. In the first half of the season, a lot of the Tiger’s success was due to forcing opposing starters to throw a lot of pitchers early in games and Polanco was clearly one of the reasons for that. It helps that he hits in front of Sheffield (obviously) but with his all fields hitting style and his ability to fight off dam near everything, he’s almost perfection in the 2 spot. He only has 2 HR’s and an RBI count around 40 but he isn’t a power guy anyway. His .300+ BA speaks for itself and he’s a terrific defensive 2B. In grading Polanco you have to look more at what his job is and how well he does it then look at his entire statistics. He gets an awesome grade from me here because he does what he’s supposed to do to an absolute par as far as I am concerned. Every single team in this league needs a Polanco. GRADE – A+

SS – CARLOS GUILLEN – As a hitter he’s got a great approach, a great swing and the fact that he’s good from both sides of the plate tells all. He’s demonstrated more power from the right side this year too. He has a great eye and will also work a pitcher. Defensively I don’t care for his nonchalant style and all the errors he makes but he’s a great clubhouse guy, he’s very baseball intelligent, he’s well liked and like Pudge he’s a true leader on a baseball team that certainly has lots of them. He’s still a good all around player. If his defense improved he’d be one of the best but I like how he has played on the whole. Every Tiger game I wonder at least once just what the hell is in Seattle’s heads that they would send this guy away. And I thought Philly was retarded for saying goodbye to Polanco. Ah yes, the genius of Dave Dombrowski! GRADE – B+

C – IVAN RODRIGUEZ – One must take into consideration how tough it is for a day in and day out catcher to be a good hitter in the first place. Now take Pudge’s age into consideration and you can’t really give him all that bad of a grade. He’s not a HR hitter and Detroit knows that. His .280 average should be better but he’s flirted with .300 for much of the first half. What has disappointed me the most is that more and more runners are stealing on him now and defensively he’s starting to go downhill a bit despite how heavily he’s still built up in that area. The biggest thing about Pudge though is that he’s been there and done that. He has great experience, he’s a flat out leader and he gets timely hits when you least expect it. The fact that he can strike at anytime and go on hitting streaks makes me think that he’s poised to have a good 2nd half. I think he’s done a good job at working pitchers a bit more this season then simply swinging on the first pitch, grounding it to an infielder, getting thrown out and simply jogging off to sit on the bench again. Pudge is at his best when he’s working pitchers, hitting the gaps and throwing out runners at catcher. We don’t see the complete Pudge too often anymore but he’s good enough that we don’t always have to. He’s a destined hall of famer and the leader that this team was initially built around. Enough said. GRADE - B

1B - SEAN CASEY – The obvious stat that shoots out at me is his horrendous lack of power numbers at a position that MUST excel at it. For that reason, I don’t think Casey will be in Detroit next season. Jeff Larrish is someone in the minors who Detroit might look at and there have been rumors (although they are just that…rumors at this point) that Detroit might make Texas 1B – Mark Teixera an offer at season’s end should he be a free agent at that point. One thing is for sure though…1 HR and 30 RBI at this point is not what a 1B should be hitting. That being said, his average is flirting with .300 and his defense is as good as you’ll find so Detroit has no problem making due with a guy like Casey for now. He’ll hit more HR’s in the 2nd half if he’s not traded but for all the good Casey gives you with his hitting for average bat and outstanding glove, he has many downfalls such as the aforementioned lack of power and he’s also ridiculously slow. Casey is one of the nicest, most well liked/respected players in baseball though. The players all love him but his lack of power will eventually ship him out of town one way or another. His disgusting month of April makes giving him a good grade very difficult. GRADE – C+

3B - BRANDON INGE – He’s tough to figure out because as a complete player, some days he can look like a world beater and the next he can look very nonchalant. His defense is out of this world because of his range, glove and arm but for every dazzling play he has made this season, he has certainly done the opposite and made the odd easy play look very difficult. Up to bat, he has a nice swing but in my opinion, a very weak one. When he’s in a streak he is an alright hitter. When he’s in a slump, anyone can get him out. Jim Leyland thinks he has the ability to be a superstar but I disagree with that. What you see out of Inge this season is what you’re always going to get as far as I am concerned. At third, you need better hitting production and Inge just won’t give that to the Tigers. That being said, he’s adequate if you have no one else in the organization who is as talented, which Detroit doesn’t. GRADE – D+

BENCH
Utility - OMAR INFANTE – Probably the best overall talent on the bench because of his ability to play almost ANYWHERE defensively and he’s probably the best hitter out of what the Tigers have left. He doesn’t have much power but at times he’s been a great little fill in player and he’s hit close to .320 for much of the year thus far which is more then adequate off the bench. He fills in nicely on the infield and he’s Granderson’s back-up when teams throw a leftie at Detroit. I like this guy but he’ll never get a chance to be an everyday player on this team…much like Thames. GRADE – B

C - Mike Rabelo – In a very limited role, he’s backed up Pudge due to Vance Wilson’s injury which has lasted longer then expected. He’s shown the odd signs of hitting ability but he just has to learn. Defensively he’s above average and he’s good at calling a game for pitchers. Depending on what the Tigers do with Pudge in the future, this could be Detroit’s future catcher sooner then later. From what I have seen thus far he lacks power but could be a strong defensive player for years to come. GRADE – C-

Utility - MARCUS THAMES – He’s been a bit of a disappointment besides the odd HR in a learning role season at 1B. He’d play more on other teams but Detroit has too much talent. His low .200’s BA isn’t all that impressive but the fact that he seldom plays at all and has 7 HR’s to show for it isn’t bad. He has generally played when a leftie is on the hill and gets taken out in favor of Casey when right-handers are throwing. There just isn’t a spot for him on this Tiger team unless he accepts a back-up role. That is unlikely so expect him to be traded at some point. He just never really fit in but he is expendable defensively and he is a scary hitter with a ton of power. He just needs to play more often. This isn’t the team where that will happen. GRADE – D+

INF - Neifi Perez – He’s adequate defensively when players need a break but THAT’S IT. He’s been an offensive disappointment since coming to Detroit. A dismal .180 BA off the bench is all he’s done but as long as he remains a back-up there could be a spot for him. His days as a starter are probably over. He isn’t a very well liked Tiger by the fans either. It’s pretty hard to fail a guy that doesn’t play all the time though, so I won’t. His lack of hitting makes it close though. GRADE – D-

STARTING PITCHING
JUSTIN VERLANDER – When you consider his age, his talent and his ability to throw 3 above average pitches for strikes, it’s pretty obvious Detroit has a real diamond in the rough in this kid. His no-hitter a couple of weeks ago further proved it. Although he won’t admit it, at times I think he still gets too full of himself because he’s just so talented and at times I think it gets the best of him because sometimes things just come so easy for him. He had a rough game against Minnesota on June 29th and he’s had a few minor lapses along the way this season, but at 9-3 with a 3.18 ERA at this point, who’s arguing with that? When it’s all said and done he could be the absolute best in baseball. Some would argue for Bonderman but it won’t be long before Verlander is the ace of the best pitching staff in baseball. Again, when you talk about how young he is and how he basically has had tremendous success in just his 2nd season, there is really only one grade you can give him. His last start wasn’t very impressive but who cares? Enjoy the All-Star game, Justin. GRADE – A+

JEREMY BONDERMAN – He’s perhaps the quietest 8-1 in the league because, for his standards, he could be even better. The lucky thing for Bondo is that when he’s been sub-par, the offense in front of him hasn’t and that’s been a big factor for his success. He continues to basically ride 2 pitches and his fastball continues to be a bit above average. His slider/slurve is still probably the best single pitch in the major leagues and it bails him out, BIG TIME. He’s still developing the change-up and believe it or not, at times I think it’s actually looked pretty good. Seeing him throw that pitch is still a rarity though. He’ll be yet another Tiger All-Star without question. The funny thing is, as impressive as his record is, I think he could be a lot better at this point. His achilles heel is still the first inning of every game. I still don’t get that for the life of me but hey, Detroit knows what to expect from him. His consistency is what gets him the A. If Bondo was better at the beginning of games I’d without question give him the A+ I gave Verlander. I could see both him and Verlander winning 20. GRADE – A.

KENNY ROGERS – Since he’s been hurt all season, he can only really be judged on the 2 games he’s thrown so far and then his injury has to be factored into the equation a little bit. I can’t believe how dominant he’s been since his return. He still mixes pitches very well with pinpoint location, strong pitch selection and he has a tremendous glove for a pitcher. If he stays healthy for the 2nd half of the season he could be the key to Detroit making the playoffs. You can’t give someone who’s been hurt for much of the year an A but based on what I’ve seen thus far from him since his return, you can’t deny him of a B. GRADE – B+

ANDREW MILLER – He has a major league fastball but he has been overusing it because he hasn’t been able to successfully locate his other pitches. To be as good as he’s been by simply throwing variations of one pitch for the most part is really something. Again, based on his age he’s a special talent. He hardly seems nervous or phased by what’s in front of him. Once he learns to get his secondary stuff over and stops relying on the fastball he has the chance to be dominant because hitters are already saying how tough he is to pick up due to his cross body motion and tall body frame. He’s got a 3.81 ERA and a 3-2 record after 5 starts but most of that is due to a bad outing vs. Minnesota. Other then that he’s been pretty good considering he’s only 21 years old (just turned)? GRADE – B+

NATE ROBERTSON – He’ll tell you he’s been a disappointment and in my opinion he’s fortunate to still be both a starter and even a Detroit Tiger at all at this point. It was him or Maroth and Detroit decided on the latter. The fact that he’s been hurt doesn’t help his grade either. A 4-6 record and a high ERA of almost 5 tells the story. He has decent stuff for a lefthander and it was said before the season that he was on the rise because of an improving slider but he’s basically gone the other way. He tends to lose his confidence very quickly at times but he made a nice rebound start last week against Texas in a game that the Tigers should have won so perhaps it was just a minor injury thing. If he can bounce back and be a solid 5th starter, without a doubt he’d be the best 5th in the league. For now though, with his injuries and his sub par pitching in the first half, I simply can’t give him anything decent. GRADE – D

BULLPEN
CHAD DURBIN – He proved himself as a 5th starter and didn’t deserve to be sent to the bullpen but as made clear by Jim Leyland, it wasn’t punishment but rather a matter of having no choice. So far I think he’s been a bit above average as a middle reliever but I feel much better about this shaky, inconsistent bullpen knowing that he’s now a part of it. At 6-3 and 4.21, he will allow his share of runs but he’s more of a ground ball pitcher (similar to Zach Miner) so he lives and dies on the opposition hitting it at someone. The thing is, they didn’t know what they’d get with him at the beginning of the year, only what he was capable of. He gave them that and more from the 5th starter position and he’s definitely earned his spot on this staff as a starter or reliever. He obviously isn’t as talented as the front line pitchers on this team but who is? Adjusting to the bullpen will be a bit tricky for him for awhile but eventually I could see him making a solid transition and having a strong 2nd half. GRADE – B

ZACH MINER – He throws a lot of slow breaking stuff like Durbin but I am more then happy to see him back off the DL and ready to go again because like Durbin, he can pitch some quality innings out of the bullpen for middle relief (a spot most important to this team at this stage). He’s 0-1 with a 2.38 ERA but really hasn’t pitched enough to be accurately graded. The worth of both Miner and Durbin at this stage could prove to be a huge difference in the 2nd half of the season, particularly if they don’t get Zumaya back as planned. GRADE – C+

MACAY McBRIDE – He’s only pitched for 3 innings in 2 games and he has looked every bit as shaky as Wil Ledezma who they traded away to get him. They thought McBride was a better leftie to get leftie’s out as opposed to Ledezma but it hasn’t been proven completely yet. He’ll be a big part of the bullpen in the 2nd half and will be very important late in the year to combat bats like Sizemore, Hafner, Morneau, Mauer, Thome, etc. when it means the most. GRADE – C+

TODD JONES – What Todd Jones are we talking about? Surely not the one that’s 1-4 with a 6.03 ERA despite his 19 saves. He was pretty solid for about 3 quarters of the first half of the season but began to lose his consistency and since that point he’s been mediocre. The thing is, this is exactly what you can expect from him. He’ll always have a high ERA but a high save total and he’ll never get you a smooth 9th inning unless he’s in the groove I spoke of. He just doesn’t have it in him to be the front line consistent closer of say a Joe Nathan or Mariano Rivera any longer but when it’s all said and done Jones will probably be the one to get the last out when it all counts and for all the heart attacks he’ll give you during the year, I guess it’s worth it in the end. GRADE – C

JOEL ZUMAYA – He’s only pitched in 13 games before going on the DL so grading him isn’t easy. By his standards he was just OK in April. They expect him back in August at some point and it can’t come soon enough. His intimidating, hard throwing, freestyle character is obviously the glue that keeps this whole bullpen together. Zumaya’s leadership and importance to this entire team has been proven by what this team noticeably lacks when he is not a part of it. He could be the entire key to Detroit making the playoffs again. His return is huge. GRADE - C

TIM BYRDAK – He was basically called up when they had injury troubles and he started out like gangbusters. His role is a lot like Seay’s but he can also go a couple of innings if need be and at times he’s really helped out. He seemed to lose all of his early success and never fully got it back in the first half but what would you expect from such an inconsistent bullpen? Still though, at 3.66 he’s probably been the best middle reliever the Tigers have had to this point (even though that’s saying absolutely nothing). GRADE - C

BOBBY SEAY – It’s hard to grade situational lefthanders because they are usually in there for such a short time but Seay is necessary on this team at this point. Besides, he’s every bit of or even more consistent then Grilli when Leyland chooses to let him pitch to more then just 1 left handed hitter and that’s not all bad. His 3.80 checks in as decent but this whole bullpen is shaky so good grades aren’t coming anytime soon. GRADE – C

FERNANDO RODNEY – He’s a lot like Jason Grilli in that he never has any smooth trips to the mound any longer. He’s nowhere near the same pitcher he was last season and he’s been on the DL twice with a tired arm. Like Grilli, he’s only really got a couple of pitches. Although his change-up is phenomenal, he seems to always walk batters and have control troubles. His confidence is also very shaky and an ERA at 5.40 tells all. Based on what he did last season, there may not be another Tiger who’s been more disappointing to me this season then Rodney. GRADE – F

JASON GRILLI – He doesn’t have enough pitches to be as successful as he’d like and he can’t consistently throw his fastball at mid to high 90’s. He had a way better season last year. This time around he’s constantly down on himself and you can see his confidence is rattled. His 5.97 ERA is proof. He’s just not getting the job done and he’s been a disappointment. GRADE – F

COACHING STAFF
In my opinion, the grade of a coaching unit is determined almost strictly on a team’s record. The Tigers are in double digits for games over .500 but haven’t looked as impressive as they should have both at home and vs. teams in the AL Central. That will come back to hurt them later in the year if they don’t start playing better when it counts the most. Jim Leyland has had a ton of injuries in front of him though so he definitely deserves a good BIG D grade. Gene LaMont and Andy Van Slyke are both well respected and appreciated by the players, as is past defensive specialist, Rafael Belliard. As mentioned, hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon has done a terrific job and it’s certainly shown. As well as the Tigers have played, I still think they can do much better, but this entire staff deserves some credit. It isn’t easy to win when half your team has injuries. They’ve done a nice job adjusting to it. GRADE – A-

Well there you have it. There weren’t too many A’s but their certainly weren’t many F’s! Best of luck to our Tigers in the second half of the season!!!

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