The Detroit Tigers were swept in Minnesota after another disappointing loss to the Twins, 7-6.
After sweeping the New York Yankees, you would think the Tigers would have good momentum going into the Metrodome. Not the case.
Today the Tigers again looked flat—similar to the first two games when Tigers' bats were silenced by great pitching performances by Livan Hernandez and Scott Baker.
In my opinion, the Tigers have been struggling because of the poor decisions being made by manager Jim Leyland.
Carlos Guillen at third? How's that working out for ya, Jim?
The move at the beginning of the season to have Carlos Guillen at first base rather than shortstop sounded good considering most aging hitters who have lost a step in their giddy-up make the transition smoothly.
Not in this case. Guillen tends to play first base like he was playing over the bag at short. Jim Leyland figured he had better move him before Guillen or someone else (a baserunner) got hurt or worse. The fundamental errors he makes at first are just to much too bare, and kind of comical to watch—in a sadistic way.
So the easy fix would be?
Move Carlos to third and move all-star third baseman Miguel Cabrera to first. That seemed to be a good idea at the time but you forgot one thing—Carlos has to learn how to play third base first.
Third base is all about positioning yourself in front of the ball when it comes off the bat. You cannot charge the ball and get it on a short hop like you would at short or second base.
After watching Guillen at third and all the errors (seven this year) he has committed and his direct hand in causing losses (I count four), you would think Leyland would have seen enough.
Bottom line: What do you do with him?
Carlos Guillen is a huge bat in the Tigers' lineup, and we cannot afford to have him out of it.
Therefore, this one should be easy—DESIGNATED HITTER!
Guillen claims he cannot hit as well if he is not fielding. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
When you DH you have nothing else to do but concentrate on hitting. If poor fielding caused good hitting I might buy that.
This is not my first rodeo. All aging, leg-hurting, shoulder-aching players try to hang on to their dignity as long as they can—just ask Gary Sheffield.
And speaking of Gary Sheffield (one of my favorite players), he is currently batting .179 and struggling with the bat and shoulder problems.
Sit him down! Let him heal—we may need him down the stretch. Right now he is not helping this team. Carlos Guillen's bat is, just not his fielding.
Can the Tigers sacrifice a little in hitting to put Brandon Inge back at third? I would think it might not be a bad idea as long as you had a back up catcher for Ivan Rodriguez.
When Pudge needs a rest you put Inge behind the plate, put either Cabrera or Ryan Raburn at third. Not Guillen.
Let's not forget that Jim Leyland is the manager for the Detroit Tigers at the moment. I think he is truly a great manager for the Tigers. Just not today.
Carlos Guillen is making errors at third base and causing us to lose ballgames. Let's not blame him for the errors or the lost ballgames—remember who put him at third and supposedly prepares this pro ball club to play at the best of their abilities.
Go get 'em, Leyland!
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2 months ago
The Tigers are celebrating Stinko de Mayo today.
2 months ago
indeed
2 months ago
I agree, the Tigers are struggling right now. But no one in the Central Division is running away with the gonfalon. Last I looked, no team in the Central was above .500. So, Detroit could catch fire and leave the rest in the dust. Or it could be Cleveland or Chicago who run away from the rest. It promises to be an interesting season.
However, I don’t think Leyland’s decisions are costing the Tigers wins. He doesn’t pitch, and he’s not replacing positional players with pitchers. The pitching staff combined does not have a winning record. Granted, with a little more run support that might not be the case, and had Granderson not started the season on the DL, chances are the Tigers would not have started at 0-7.
The problem Leyland has, as I see it (and what manager wouldn’t love to be in his place?), is that he has too many options. With Inge, Santiago, Renteria, Cabrera, Sheffield, Guillen and Thames, he can mix and match till his heart is content, but he’s not going to please everyone (players and fans alike). I love Inge at third, and questioned the Cabrera acquisition (still do). If Inge could only keep his batting average above .270 (something he might be able to do if he didn’t bat ninth), Cabrera might be playing for someone else.
I agree, Guillen looked terrible at first base, and I wonder how playing third, where he doesn't look comfortable either, will be less stressful on his knees and back than playing shortstop. Inge commits a lot of errors at third, too, but he has greater range and gets to more balls than does Guillen. And Inge is a human highlight reel.
But it’s your comments concerning Sheffield that I truly disagree with. Coming off the bench to pinch hit has for decades been described as the single most difficult task in baseball. So it should not come as a surprise that many players have the same difficulty in the DH role. I’ve heard many designated hitters complain of the difficulty of keeping focused on the game when all they do is sit on the bench and watch the game as a spectator while their team mates take the field and they simply wait to go out and hit. Sheffield really began to lobby to play outfield when he realized he was recognizing beer vendors and fans because his concentration on the field was waning. Sure he gets paid to hit, but it's a proven fact that, in the business world, if you give someone more ownership responsibility, their productivity increases. Why should it be any different in the baseball world?
I guess the bottom line is this: Leyland doesn’t pitch; he doesn’t hit, catch, throw or run the bases. Truly, as Sparky Anderson once said, a manager’s decisions only influence a small number of games throughout the season, usually games decided by one run. The Tigers right now are not losing many ballgames by one run.
And next month, hopefully the Tigers will catch fire and this discussion will be forgotten.
Thanks for sharing your opinions.
J.
about 1 month ago
I am not saying that Jim Leyland is costing them " wins" and I realize it is the players that have to perform.
However it is Jim's job to prepare this team to be in a position to win.
Defense is a big part of baseball and as we speak Leyland has already made the change at third putting Inge there and DHing Carlos Guillen.
Which is what a lot of fans wanted including you and I.
So my point must have hit home somewhere... (not that Jim Leyland reads my articles...maybe Todd Jones ....ha)
I am hoping the Tigers can get out of the fix they are in quickly and get the team in the field we can count on.
On Sheffield ....Leyland has put him in leftfield as of yesterday.
In baseball I know its hard to adjust to any new position especially DH. But where else do you go when you cannot field well?
Brandon Inge is by far a better third baseman than Guillen ever will be. That was my main point I was trying to put out there for fans to comment on .
As for defense, the players don't know where they are playing next.
In a "business world " you can't give a premotion one day and demote the next without someone gettin an attitude.
The Tigers need to be given time to find comfort in their positions.Wherever they may be.
Leylands juggling cannot go on for very long or this team will be gone by the all-star break. Give them some time to get acclimated.
Let em play. Thats all Leyland can do at this point. With a line-up like this they will come around sooner or later. That was my other point. But what line-up? I think Leyland has a much tougher job than even you think right now. I personally don't envy his position with this line-up because someone must sit down. His answer..... They release Jaque Jones! I don't know if I agree with that one. I guess they need a scapegoat. WE can talk on that one some other time.
The pitching and everything else is a whole other story. I hope Sheffield can handle it and not hurt himself like before.
I am pretty sure the Tigers will be okay as long as they hit.
Thanks for your comments , it's nice to know that there are others here as passionate about the Tigers as I am and I am looking forward to more dicussions with you in the future. Very nice Opening Day article.
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