In 2006 Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya were a big part of the success of the Detroit Tigers and their eventual run at the post season. This year, due to injuries, the bullpen tandem has been out of the lineup since the beginning of the season.
In June, their long rehabilitation is over, as they have rejoined the Tigers seemingly at a crucial time where the Tigers are poised to make a run at being a .500 ball club just before the All Star break.
Fernando Rodney had his debut with the team during interleague play against the San Francisco Giants.
A pre-game interview with Tiger manager Jim Leyland revealed that Rodney was feeling great and ready to go, but was he? Leyland told the media that he was going to use him in non-pressure situations only, and that he would slowly bring him back.
A three-run homer and a loss later, it showed that Leyland was pushing the envelope a little too soon. I would think that after that poor display, Leyland may choose a different route of deception.
But was it all Leyland's fault? I believe it was a combination of three things that went wrong.
First, let's start by saying that Fernando Rodney has two pitches: a mid-90s fastball and a knee-buckling changeup. He struck out a hitter on five straight unhittable changeups. The most they could do with it was foul it off.
Every time Ivan Rodriguez called for a fastball, they ripped a base hit, because his fastballs were elevated and in the wheelhouse. If I am a hitter facing Rodney, I'm sitting on a fastball.
The three things are: One, Leyland should not have had him out there in the first place. Two, Pudge called the wrong pitch. And three, Rodney has to keep his fastball down. I haven't seen him do it in a while, even at Toledo.
Bottom line: work him in slowly. I know everyone wants this team back on track, but don't give away ball games just to give the kid some work.
The same for Joel Zumaya: work him in slowly and let him build his confidence.
The Tigers finished up their interleague road trip with four straight series victories and two of them were sweeps.
With Marcus Thames hitting cannon shots and Curtis Granderson beginning to come around, we could see the team most analysts were projecting to be World Series contenders. But first, let's get to .500.
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