Morning Prowl: Lloyd McClendon, Zumaya's Health, The Power Thames, and Useless Articles

by Ian Casselberry on Oct 19, 2009 6:01 AM EDT in News Comment 29 comments

For those wondering why the Tigers didn't fire Lloyd McClendon as hitting coach after the season, perhaps the team reached many of the same conclusions as Bill Ferris did at The Detroit Tigers Weblog. Did Tigers batters perform below expectations, compared to preseason projections? The answers might surprise you.

Dave Dombrowski told the Detroit News' Lynn Henning that there's "no question" Joel Zumaya will be 100% healthy by Spring Training.

Here's a thought: How can anyone ever not have a question about Zumaya's health?

Were the Tigers actually the third-best team in the AL Central, despite their narrow second-place finish? Beyond the Box Score's Power Rankings say yes. This may be why these baseball teams play the games.

John Lowe doesn't come right out and say it in the Freep, because a decision hasn't been made. But if Marcus Thames's main job is to hit home runs, and he didn't hit any after mid-August, is there any way he has a spot on the Tigers roster next year?

SI.com's Jon Heyman fills out his awards ballot (also including his picks for worst performances of the year). He thought very highly of one Tiger, while eliminating another entirely from consideration.

I believe we shot down any interest in Scott Podsednik last week. But just in case any curiosity lingers, consider that South Side Sox hopes Podsednik either ends up as their fourth outfielder or doesn't return to the team at all.

Ernie Harwell finds himself high on the list of Richard Deitsch's Media Power Rankings for the month of September.

Sometimes, bloggers attempt to write a post, only to talk themselves out of the argument they originally tried to present. Or they just reach a dead end. I wonder if something similar happened to the NY Times' Ben Shpigel when he wrote this article.

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No room for Thames

Thames is making too much money now and if Maggs moves to DH then there is no room for Thames. Maggs and Thames both have no range in the outfield. I would not be surprise if his arb is turn down unless there is a trade that leaves a spot open.

by Barry2 on Oct 19, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

Nontender Marcus.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it woulda ben nice...

2 get some1 of somekinda value 4 him. idk we have alot high salaried players, some of which hardly even played last year & we probably couldn’t pay anybody to taker them off our hands. And with all kinda of talk about what a great value Adam E was & how Polly might not be back @ 3 or4 mil? That guy was, besides Cabby, 1 of the only consistent guys on the team last year. & Everette was consistently terrible @ the plate, sure he can field alright, but when it costs the team an out 5 outta 6 times, he’s a liability & 1$1MIL’s way 2 much 2 pay him. to me there’s guys out there who can field just as good, if not better, & they can hit the ball with some consistency & sure it wasn’t only his fault, it was a team effort, that constantly stranded guys on base & consistently failed to drive in runs, I think some of it was a lack of aggresiveness by the 3rd & 1st base coaches. Get some guys who can hit as well as play defense.

by LTownDown on Oct 19, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

can you use words and sentences please?

pretty please?

My Music: Some Sorta Giant

by madpoopz on Oct 19, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

I couldn’t even get past your first “sentence”. It’s difficult to read.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 20, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I had assumed

it was a foregone conclusion that Thames would be non-tendered. I am a big fan of his, but there really isn’t a spot on this team for him. I would like to see him catch on somewhere else and get a chance to play everyday.

Tigers Tracks

by BigJP on Oct 19, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I had assumed he would be non-tendered as well.

And, like you, I like Marcus and I hate to see him go, but I’m not sure there’s much else you can do with him (except maybe try to trade him and see if you can get someone for him, if that’s at all possible; I’m not well-versed on the ins and outs of arbitration).

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 19, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Doubtful

If he goes to arb, I believe you have to wait to deal him. Plus I doubt he’d be worth anything anyways, but who knows. We did get something awesome for Jason Grilli…

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

basically

they will try to trade him before December when they must decide to either tender him an offer or not. if they do, he remains the property of the Tigers since he is not yet eligible for free agency. If they choses not to offer a contract, he becomes a free agent. But they don’t have to make a decision until December, so there is time to make a deal. If a club wants to make sure they get him, a trade could happen, more than likely, though, those clubs would wait until he is non-tendered so they don’t risk having to pay him $3 million or so in arbitration.

Tigers Tracks

by BigJP on Oct 19, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the explanation

I was not sure if a player could be traded before being offered arbitration (I’m trying to remember if we were technically the ones that offered Edwin Jackson arbitration or if the Rays were) but it would make logical sense for a team to wait if they are convinced (as we are) that he will be non-tendered.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 19, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jeez

We desperately need an actual DH, or another hitter for the corner OF rotation. What’s Hideki Matsui up to?

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Also

Raburn as platoon partner with Granderson in CF. Takes all the bats against lefties.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also from the Henning article

“The Tigers won’t say, but they likely recovered somewhere in the vicinity of 50 percent of Willis’ $10 million salary in 2009, because of insurance protection clubs uniformly take out on players of Willis’ stature and expense.”

This may be why he stays on the DL instead of getting non-tendered. At least we recoup some of the funds.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fine by me

Keep that exploding gas can the hell away from Detroit.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 19, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

two things

i think thames being only warning track strong for the late part of last season is going to have him leave the tigers organization. too many issues with the lack of offense to keep a guy whose job is to hit bombs, then doesn’t do so in clutch situations.

secondly, the tigers should give zumaya one last chance. but if he’s hurt or is just as erratic as before, he’s got to be gone. no sense taking up space with an often-injured, barely accurate thrower.

I Like Pie

by mrsunshine on Oct 19, 2009 12:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Zumaya one last chance for sure.

Pitch Joel. Don’t throw.

My Music: Some Sorta Giant

by madpoopz on Oct 19, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, Justin Verlander finally learned how to pitch, which means so can Zumaya

(I love JV, but he’s so incredibly stubborn sometimes).

Zumaya does still have minor league options, no?

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 19, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Except Zumaya keeps getting injured

…and hasn’t put in any decent big league service since 2006.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 19, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with both of these sentiments

No Run Support

by allikazoo on Oct 19, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Didn't we already do that?

I thought this year was his last chance. I’m completely over Joel Zumaya.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 19, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm giving him a do over with that first shoulder injury...

it was a freak accident. Not really his fault.

My Music: Some Sorta Giant

by madpoopz on Oct 19, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just want to see Marcus playing full-time

so he can have a Russel Branyan type year. I don’t care what team it is.

by StringTheory on Oct 19, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I would like to see Thames get a full-time position

I agree though, on someone else’s roster.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 19, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yikes, Heyman needs to chill out.

“Miguel Cabrera is omitted from my AL MVP ballot entirely because it’s obvious he didn’t care enough to give full effort. There is no excuse for a 6 a.m. bender when the pennant’s on the line, never mind all the other shenanigans that went along with it.”

Yeah, I guess all those games he played in he was just drunk as a skunk and it’s completely meaningless. Sounds like someone is just way too crabby over something that honestly didn’t matter much.

Side note, off topic: SI.com can fuck off. When I pasted in the quote above, it dropped in a link to the article and a damn ad for Sports Illustrated… even though none had been copied.

2100 Woodward and Twitter

by john.kmiecik on Oct 19, 2009 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, was the cheap shot against Cabrera really necessary, Heyman?

If he just didn’t mention Miguel at all, I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of it. Then again, I guess maybe he thought he needed a contrast to St. Joe Mauer. An incredibly stupid error in judgment does not necessarily mean you have zero dedication and it certainly does not mean the rest of your season was garbage. It’s time for Heyman to drop it and move on. Most of us already have.

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Oct 19, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the thing people have to remember about thames and santiago both

is that they’re just not full time players. When put into the positions to succeed, they certainly can. If the positions aren’t chosen wisely, they’ll be exposed.

Thamesy gave some great memories, but it’s just time to make a roster spot for a player who can contribute more.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Oct 19, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Oct 19, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed...

they are not full time players. Thames needs consistent AB’s to be successful though his defense keeps him from being a starter. Santiago has the glove to be an everyday SS or 2b but his bat keeps him coming off the bench.

Santiago in my opinion has more upside to him because I think he’s a more versatile batter. And his glove makes him definitely a keeper. To me Santiago has given this team something positive whenever he plays. He’s just steady. He does what he does and he does it well.

My Music: Some Sorta Giant

by madpoopz on Oct 19, 2009 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't get to my point...

I think we can find a more versatile player to bring off our bench in place of Thames. We have other players that we need to plug into the DH everyday (guillen, ordonez). So a player that we can bring in with a decent bat and a nice glove in the outfield would be more preferable for the role Thames would hold next season. On top of it all, another player would be cheaper probably.

My Music: Some Sorta Giant

by madpoopz on Oct 19, 2009 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs