Lunchtime Prowl: The Fu-Te Ni Mixtape, All-Star Picks, Same Ol' Maggs, and Bobby Seay's Holds
Mack Avenue Tigers has more on Detroit's newest reliever, Fu-Te Ni, including a video clip "mixtape" that gives you a look at his sidearm-type delivery. It looks similar to Clay Rapada's to me, but if Ni has better control than Rapada, that obviously works in his favor. I'm very curious to see how he'll perform against the likes of Jack Cust and Jason Giambi, and Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer after that.
(On a personal note, my mother has been asking me for years, "Why don't the Tigers have any Asian ballplayers?" I mention Hideo Nomo and Masao Kida, but those names do nothing for her. Now, finally, Fu-Te Ni has settled this particular issue within Team Casselberry. I just hope Mom stays up to watch these games in Oakland. [She won't.])
Adam Everett is among Jon Heyman's list of the best free agent signings. Kerry Wood is on the "worst" list, which might mean that the Tigers dodged a bullet in losing out on him this winter.
Heyman also praises two of the moves Dave Dombrowski made in the offseason, both of which have been significant additions to the Tigers' starting rotation.
Want more national love for the Tigers? Yahoo's Gordon Edes has the column for you, marveling at how well Detroit has played despite the big names that have either underperformed or were told their services would no longer be required.
Always a Tiger is taking a look at Tigers history "by the numbers." BigJP's first post featured Lou Whitaker, and his latest looks at Charlie Gehringer. See how this is going? Number one, number two, etc.
Jon Paul Morosi filled out the All-Star pitching staffs for both the American and National League rosters, and both Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson are on his AL team. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal has quite a different take on the All-Star rosters, and gives the Tigers just their one obligatory representative.
Fire Jim Leyland checks out Alfredo Figaro's two starts through Pitch F/X, and finds that Jim Leyland's assertion that Figaro wasn't pitching aggressively was pretty spot-on. (Differences between Comerica Park and Minute Maid Park should be taken into consideration, however.)
FJL also takes a look at Luke French's pitching repertoire, and seems less than impressed.
Bobby Seay's been doing a good job out of the Tigers' bullpen, and rightfully gets a feature from Jason Beck on tigers.com. It's all about the slider. But I wasn't aware Seay currently leads the majors in holds with 16. Were you paying closer attention?
The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers has had enough of Carlos Zambrano, and wonders if the Cubs feel the same way. Would you like to see the Tigers get into that business or is a potential head case the last thing Detroit's pitching staff needs? (Thanks to Zappatista for passing this along.)
Lynn Henning has seen what I think many of us have also perceived since Magglio Ordonez returned from his "indefinite" hiatus: Nothing has really changed. (Here are the cold numbers.) Maggs still isn't driving the ball, and that home run last Thursday was due more to a terrible pitch by Ted Lilly than any adjustment made by Ordonez.
Remember Yorman Bazardo? Pitched in 14 games for the Tigers between 2007 and 2008? (I miss him, because I no longer have a reason to post my Bizarro picture whenever he pitches.) FanGraphs wonders why he's been in four organizations over the past four seasons.
We can't really blame Armando Galarraga's struggles on the World Baseball Classic, can we? Nevertheless, MLB Daily Dish lists a number of pitchers who have performed poorly this season, and each of them have something in common.
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Hey, Ian
67MARQUEZ here visiting from Athletics Nation. Shot you some questions this morning to your e-mail. Hope you have some time to get to them. Sorry for the late notice.
Go, um, A’s?
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Jun 29, 2009 12:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I Think If Anyone.....
….should have been sent down its Galaraga…..Hes been more tenative then Figaro was….hes been struggling more then Figaro has been…..And he stil has one option…..Should been Armando going down.
by BennieBladesFan on Jun 29, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Elfin Ken Rosenthal
Ian, while that article was updated yesterday, I think it’s from the ’08 game. Check out the poll and mentions of Clint Hurdle and Tito Francona as the managers.
by freetz on Jun 29, 2009 12:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ah, nice catch
I should’ve looked over those rosters more carefully, instead of just looking for the word “Tigers.” Milton Bradley is still listed with the Rangers, for example.
by Ian Casselberry on Jun 29, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the funny thing is
other than removing the injured players or two or three who swiched leagues, you can pretty much keep his rosters!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was wondering about the lack of Matt Cain from the NL pitchers, but I didn’t really fully reaIize something was badly amiss with that Rosenthal article until I read the Heynman article that Ian links to, where he mentions that Giambi is hitting .204 this year.
Yes, even as a Tigers fan, the lack of Verlander/Jackson/Porcello from Rosenthal’s proposed roster and notable omissions didn’t elicit much more than a Rodney Dangerfield-esque complaint from these quarters….
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
by ahtrap on Jun 29, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Err.
I was about to rip Ken Rosenthal a new one, but then I see that you all have pointed out that article is outdated. I was pretty fired up, too.
by rcpratt on Jun 29, 2009 12:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I Think Ya Can....
….blame Armandos problems on the WBC…..He didnt get consistent innings
by BennieBladesFan on Jun 29, 2009 12:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
All I know if WBC was in 2006 and the Tigers went to the world series. The WBC is back in 2009 and the Tigers are in first place. I like that pattern. I’d like a yearly WBC!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd put up with a *crappy* pitcher from the WBC
if it means a WS appearance!!! good thinking!
by wepri31 on Jun 29, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was about to question the Rosenthal article as well...
…especially since he didn’t have ANY of the Tigers pitchers and stated that both Jason Giambi and Justin Morneau are “more deserving” than Cabrera, but then I noticed his AL Roster had K-Rod and Manny Ramirez, among others. It’s confusing, because the top of the article said it was “last updated” yesterday.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 29, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Just say no to Zambrano
Talented pitcher, but so many loose screws that his head rattles when he shakes off a pitch.
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Jun 29, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Poor Maggs.
Because it needed to be said. So very sad. :(
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Jun 29, 2009 1:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
that was a nice piece on Lou Whitaker, he’s my favorite Tiger of all time
and as someone that lives in the Chicago area, I’ve seen a lot of Zambrano… and I think he’d be a great addition to the rotation, loose screws be damned!
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jun 29, 2009 1:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lou.....
….And Chet Lemon were my fav players
by BennieBladesFan on Jun 29, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m always in favor of adding more talent to the roster, so I’d back a Carlos Zambrano trade. That said, I’m not sure we have the pieces to make such a deal — nor the ability to pay the remaining $73 million he’s owed from 2010-2012 + a vesting player option for 2013 given the contracts that are still shackling us (Thanks Dave!) like Willis and Magglio and Guillen and Robertson — though some of those are up in the next year or two.
Then again, like I read over at Driveline Mechanics in a break down of the recent Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez CLE-STL deal:
…if you combine this year’s deal with last year’s deadline trade, Shapiro has essentially swapped five months of a versatile .270/.340/.455 rental player in exchange for Carlos Santana, Chris Perez, Jonathan Meloan, and a fourth player. In comparison, Jim Hendry dealt six months of that same player for two old, generic relief prospects and a young one with poor control.
…Maybe it won’t take as much as I think?
by Mike Rogers on Jun 29, 2009 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
And as always Ian, thanks for the link to FJL!
by Mike Rogers on Jun 29, 2009 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I haven’t toyed around on SBNation yet, but how do I add in my site as a signature when I post comments, like Kurt and Ian have?
Providing a sabermetric and pitch f/x slant on the Detroit Tigers
by Mike Rogers on Jun 29, 2009 3:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
you have to be one of the special ones, Mike
Actually, you just go to your profile and one of the edit profile links should provide a space to put your web site’s name and address.
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
or maybe you have to put it in your signature, actually
it’s been awhile!
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ahhh, I see. I’ll toy around with it. Thanks.
by Mike Rogers on Jun 29, 2009 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, I was aware Seay had the lead in holds
by Tagne13 on Jun 29, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
where did you Seay that?
groan
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is often Seayn on the pregame show...
…during the Just For Men segment.
http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 29, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that commercial is so discriminatory against the Bearded Lady.
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 29, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We count holds in a couple fantasy leagues I'm in
Rest assured I own him.
by Tagne13 on Jun 30, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
many thanks Ian
I always appreciate the links
Always A Tiger
by BigJP on Jun 29, 2009 5:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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