Springing The Detroit Tigers Back to Life

Spring training is back again in Detroit and fans are looking forward to a better baseball season than last year. With the disappointment of last year's Tigers, the winless Lions, and slumping Pistons, Motown fans would like something else to cherish besides a Stanley Cup win.

There is a legitimate shot for the Tigers to win the AL Central this year, as none of the five teams appear any stronger than the other. The downside is that there has been little shakeup this offseason. 

Manager Jim Leyland will return this year, bringing new acquisitions Brandon Lyon and Adam Everett. Lyon will bring a little more consistency to the closer's role and Everett provides great defensive presence in the infield.

The return of Joel Zumaya from nagging injuries also brings hope to a city desperate for something positive.

The bad news is the pitching, which, aside from the arrival of Lyon and the retirement of Todd Jones, really isn’t much different from last year.

The Tigers' strengths this year are mainly based around hitting. Magglio Ordonez is back and still dangerous. Miguel Cabrera still can hit and anchors this potentially explosive roster. The names, and the bats that are synonymous with those names, are still the same as the 1,000-run expectation of last year.

Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen, Cabrera, and Ordonez have what it takes to make a run at another Series, but hitting was not really the issue last year. Pitching was the downfall.

While the outlook seems to be better than last year, there are many questions surrounding this year’s pitching staff in Detroit.

Can Lyon actually be a consistent closer for the Tigers?

Is Jeremy Bonderman actually healthy enough to pitch a full season?

Will Justin Verlander be able to regain his form that has been missing since the World Series run?

Can Zumaya and the middle relief keep the Tigers in ballgames?

The ninth-inning situation should be much improved with Lyon replacing Todd Jones, but Lyon is in no way a dominant closer. The defense will be relied on to get the Tigers the final outs, as Lyon, much like Todd Jones before him, is a groundball pitcher.

Detroit needs a miracle right now to spark some life back into a sports city that is giving Cleveland a run for the title of the most disappointing sports city. As was the case last season, the Tigers have the potential to make it deep in the playoffs. But can a team that has been a model of inconsistency and sloppy play when it matters most piece together a full season of baseball?

Injuries have been another issue for the Tigers. Losing Zumaya last season was tough. A major void in the bullpen never was filled, not even close. But there is always a silver lining. Armando Gallaraga came out of nowhere last season, cementing himself as the second starter behind Verlander.

The rest of the rotation appears shaky. Sure, Verlander is a terrific pitcher, but he needs some help. Bonderman appears to have the third spot in the rotation. He showed he can pitch, and pitch well, but the Tigers need him to watch his pitch count and buckle up for the long season.

The bottom half of the rotation leaves a lot of room for doubt.  Edwin Jackson has potential to be great, but he has struggled in long seasons, with an ERA over 5.00 for his career. The last spot in the rotation appears to be a three-pony race, with Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, and Zach Miner all vying for that spot.

Willis is back from a knee injury, but his career had derailed long before that mishap.  Robertson has gotten worse every year since the trip to the Series, and Zach Miner seems to be a model of mediocrity in Motown.

Detroit has what it takes to make it big this season. Leyland is a phenomenal manager who knows how to withstand long seasons. The bats have been there, but they are needed now more than ever. The loss of Pudge Rodriguez hurt last year too, but the Tigers will rebound from that.

If they can have a few pitchers return to form, the team will be strong. Only time will tell if the Tigers can make this happen, but until then, a haze of expected disappointment lies like a plague over the city of Detroit. The only way out is up.

No pressure.