Polly for the at-bat and G$ for the heads-up base running (hey, he has wheels.. sometimes)… could have pulled it off.

Every once in a while Ramon will pull a long, disciplined AB out of his pocket. Maggs, Polly, and Miggy could get the hit, but not the stolen bases. Grandy would have stuck-out on the slider.

I like this sort of thought provocation.

As much as I ponder, I just can’t think of a Tiger who could manage both the hit and the baserunning. When healthy, Guillen is probably the best at producing long ABs and fouling off tough pitches. As StringTheory stated, Polanco and Maggs might also be capable of getting the hit (since they’re both contact hitters who don’t strike out that often), and Miggy’s just that good of a hitter. But I don’t think any of those guys would have managed the baserunning (although somehow Miggy did end up with six stolen bases, and if I remember correctly, several of those were stolen without a throw). Granderson has the speed but probably would not have been able to produce the long AB. Laird is a very good baserunner (and, as Alli pointed out, he runs pretty well for a catcher), but again, I don’t think he would’ve gotten the hit. The only plausible scenario that I can think of is that if Guillen or Maggs (and only those two) had gotten the hit, they would almost certainly have been pinch-run for (likely Clete Thomas, but maybe Ryan Raburn). Whoever was PRing might have been able to steal second, but I don’t see either Clete or Raburn being heads-up enough to take off for third.

It’s worth pointing out, though, that Damon was able to get to third because the Phillies had the shift on for Teixiera, and there is really no Tigers hitter against whom opposing teams employ that “lefty pull-hitter” shift. They did do that on Aubrey Huff, but he wouldn’t be playing since this game would have no DH.

but I can’t think of anyone who would have taken 3rd like Damon did. I’ve never seen anything like that. If any Tiger would have done so it would have been Sheffield (and that probably doesn’t count). I think he was the best base runner the Tigers have had in a while.

There’s no Tiger on the roster with the combination of baseball IQ, base running skill and plate discipline it took to pull off what Damon did in the 9th inning.

I wholeheartedly agree with murrajo, By far, Gary Sheffield was the best base runner to come thru Detroit in years. I could see Sheff, who had great baseball instincts, pulling it off.

For plate discipline and baseball IQ, he’s the guy who could make the most of his skills. Would he be faster than the third baseman with the ball? Not sure.

But as has been said, Gary Sheffield for sure would have been the guy in the past.

Guillen actually came to mind as I watched. The baserunning play? Well, not Guillen, among the worst baserunners alive. Laird is a heads up guy and might have been able to do that, though he doesn’t spend much time on the basepaths.

Nobody on the roster could’ve done that.

if a Tigers hitter could’ve pulled off what Damon did, but I’m 100% certain that they have several relievers who could’ve played Lidge’s part…

No, I will not let this one go until the day Polanco is gone from the team. Which I hope will be in December 2011 some time.

Clete Thomas pre-All-Star break could have done that too.

Let’s not kid ourselves, no one on the Tigers team could have pulled off that two-bag steal though.