Lefthanded Pop Would Be Nice September Addition
I don't know if anything can be done, anymore, to pull the Tigers up from the undertow that's dragged them down since sweeping the Twins in Minnesota in late July -- a series that has appeared to have cursed them. They are 11-23 since that sweep. When the wheels appear to be coming off, a quick, easy fix isn't an option.
But if I was GM Dave Dombrowski (and if my facial structure and eye color changed, and my chin was indented, then MAYBE I might look like him), I'd be in search of another bat, preferrably a lefthanded one.
What, no pitching? Well, it would seem to be far more likely to find a hitter than an arm at this point of the season. Plus, as inconsistent as the pitching has been, it's been the team's maddening inability to get, in manager Jim Leyland's words, "a lousy single, or even sacrifice fly" at crucial moments that has cost them more ballgames than the pitching has. Time and time again, Tigers hitters are coming to the plate with a runner on third base and less than two outs, or a runner at second base. And time and time again, those hitters are popping up or striking out. Maddening. And unacceptable.
The Tigers' current #3 hitter, Casey, has three homers. That's unacceptable.
Outfielder Craig Monroe is gone, mainly due to such shenanigans. He was hitting in the low .200s, and in the low .100s since mid-June. But Monroe may have the last laugh. He's in Chicago now, traded to the Cubs. The first-place Cubs.
With Gary Sheffield out for an undetermined amount of time, the need for another bat, preferrably an experienced one, is almost mandatory. And one that swings from the left side of the plate would be even better. With the exception of Curtis Granderson and Carlos Guillen, the Tigers are woefully punchless from the left side. Sean Casey has three home runs. Backup catcher Mike Rabelo has none. All the power hitters are righthanded, making the Tigers' suddenly inadequate offense even more susceptible to good righthanded pitching, which the AL is full of.
I'm not suggesting that the Tigers have to now rely solely on home runs to score. But a decent lefthanded power hitter would make the lineup more balanced and keep opposing pitchers a little more honest. I'm hoping that one can be had at this late juncture.
It still might not be enough to save the season, but one thing's for sure: it can't hurt.
But if I was GM Dave Dombrowski (and if my facial structure and eye color changed, and my chin was indented, then MAYBE I might look like him), I'd be in search of another bat, preferrably a lefthanded one.
What, no pitching? Well, it would seem to be far more likely to find a hitter than an arm at this point of the season. Plus, as inconsistent as the pitching has been, it's been the team's maddening inability to get, in manager Jim Leyland's words, "a lousy single, or even sacrifice fly" at crucial moments that has cost them more ballgames than the pitching has. Time and time again, Tigers hitters are coming to the plate with a runner on third base and less than two outs, or a runner at second base. And time and time again, those hitters are popping up or striking out. Maddening. And unacceptable.
The Tigers' current #3 hitter, Casey, has three homers. That's unacceptable.
Outfielder Craig Monroe is gone, mainly due to such shenanigans. He was hitting in the low .200s, and in the low .100s since mid-June. But Monroe may have the last laugh. He's in Chicago now, traded to the Cubs. The first-place Cubs.
With Gary Sheffield out for an undetermined amount of time, the need for another bat, preferrably an experienced one, is almost mandatory. And one that swings from the left side of the plate would be even better. With the exception of Curtis Granderson and Carlos Guillen, the Tigers are woefully punchless from the left side. Sean Casey has three home runs. Backup catcher Mike Rabelo has none. All the power hitters are righthanded, making the Tigers' suddenly inadequate offense even more susceptible to good righthanded pitching, which the AL is full of.
I'm not suggesting that the Tigers have to now rely solely on home runs to score. But a decent lefthanded power hitter would make the lineup more balanced and keep opposing pitchers a little more honest. I'm hoping that one can be had at this late juncture.
It still might not be enough to save the season, but one thing's for sure: it can't hurt.
posted by Greg Eno at 1:20 PM
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