The Tigers pounded out 20 hits in yesterday's Spring Training constest.
I started the ultimate race on wagerline.com yesterday by picking the Tigers.
Granted, you have to pick a Spring Training game, but normally, I would stay away from the Tigers because my heart is in it, and it clouds my judgment, but when I looked at Woody Williams Spring Statistics for this season, I just knew this is where we would get the offensive explosion we've been waiting for.
Well, for once, I was right. Gary Sheffield finally got a hit. Pudge hit not one but two home runs. Renteria and Polanco both homered as well. It was what I've been waiting for.
As far as the pitching goes. Kenny Rogers looks strong. Verlander looks stronger. Willis doesn't look bad. Neither does Robertson. Bonderman is, well, Jeremy Bonderman. If he can stop giving up the big inning, he could win 20.
More good news from Fernando Rodney. He looks like he'll be fine, which is good because Zumaya ain't gonna be around for a while. However, the relief pitching looks problematic. Hopefully, the Tigers won't even need any. They'll just put 11 runs a game on the board like they did yesterday, and the pitcher will go eight, and Jonsey will come in with an eight run lead, give up five runs, and the Tigers will win 11-8.
Sounds good.
Then Zumaya comes back, and becomes the closer in save situations and the Tigers win 100 games anyway. Sounds good to me.
But realistically, the Tigers need some more relief to come around now. There's about two weeks left until the season starts and, besides a couple of guys looking pretty good, the rest is to be desired. Jones needs to go three outings without giving up a run. Rodney needs to get to the point where he pitches two days out of three and doesn't get in trouble, and someone needs to come out of the woodwork and show up.
For about five seconds there, I thought it was going to be Rick Porcello. Thank goodness he got sent to minor league camp yesterday. He looked great. Yes, it was spring training, but Woody Williams is a seasoned veteran and he can't get anyone out. Porecello looked ready to pitch a game in the bigs.
What he is not ready for is to go 200 innings. He needs to pitch a season of A ball where he throws about 120. No September call-up for fun, even if the Tigers are 15 games ahead. He needs to shut it down after that. Then, next season, he can slide between AA and AAA. Get about 160 innings in. If the Tigers need a spot start in August or something, give him a shot depending on the race. Maybe call him up in September, but don't go over 160 innings. Let him face Ichiro or David Ortiz or something in a game situation, so he's ready.
Then, let him try to crack the rotation in 2010. Willis and Bonderman will still only be 28. Verlander will be 27. Robertson will be 33. If they keep all four, they will be the best in baseball by then. Porcello can be Justin Verlander (but better) four years later.
As much as I liked what he was doing, its great to see the Tigers make the right decision. Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin aren't ready for the big leagues just yet, but they will likely start for a not so great Marlins team this year. They will be like Bonderman and Mike Maroth were in 2003, learning as they go. It's great for them to get the chance, but if the Marlins aren't committed to winning in three or four years like the Tigers were, then it could wreak havoc on their careers. The Tigers may have helped themselves in the best way possible, but they may have kept especially Maybin from becoming the superstar he could have been in 2010 in Detroit.
