Edwin Jackson talked to David Laurila in a Q&A for Baseball Prospectus. Topics discussed include Jackson's transition from outfielder to pitcher early in his professional career, changes he made in his game from 2008 to 2009, and his own expectations.
Unfortunately, the interview was conducted back in August, when the Tigers played in Boston. So there's no reflection on the way the season ended, Jackson's problems with his slider, or his September struggles. But it's a reminder of how good Jackson's overall performance was, and how improbable it all seemed back in December when he was acquired.
At Minor League Ball, John Sickels is doing some rookie reviews. On Friday, he reviewed Alex Avila's 2009 season. What initially looked like a desperate move to some (myself included) ended up working out pretty well for the Tigers, though Jim Leyland rode his veteran players hard down the stretch, which kept Avila on the bench for long stretches.
What's interesting is that Avila hit for more power in his brief major league stint than he did in the minors, but that could change next year if pitchers throw him fewer fastballs. Avila also maintains rookie eligibility for next season, as he only got 61 at-bats. (130 is the cutoff.)
DesigNate Robertson has its 2009 End of Season Awards ready for you. Rogo's choice for AL Cy Young was an interesting one, though he makes a good case. And I especially enjoyed his pick for Most Improved Tiger. His choice for Tiger Blog of the Year also gets a ringing endorsement.
(And on a serious note to Rogo: Thank you for the kind words and your support throughout the season.)
Since demondeaconsbaseball took a lot of crap for suggesting Milton Bradley be a part of the 2010 Detroit Tigers (and not just on this blog), I thought it was worth pointing out that Patrick Hayes had a similar idea at It's Just Sports. The differences in each suggestion are who would be traded to get Bradley, and which position Bradley would play.
Following up on that point, Fire Jim Leyland also likes the idea of getting Bradley and crunches the numbers on what his value would be to the Tigers next season (assuming he can stay healthy and is due for a rebound in his offensive numbers).
"Squander!" was a popular outcry in BYB GameThreads this season. But did the 2009 Tigers score as many runs as they were supposed to? Tiger Tales applies a formula called "weighted runs created" to Detroit's offensive output this past season, and the results might surprise you.
At The Spot Starters, Blake gives Ryan Raburn his due. If the Tigers' roster looks much the same next season, should Raburn be the favorite for the left field job?
With Dave Dombrowski seeming to imply that Scott Sizemore will be Detroit's second baseman next season, the Freep's John Lowe looks at Sizemore's career in the Tigers' organization thus far.
Also handing out postseason awards are Tigers Tracks and Mack Avenue Tigers. John named a winner for major award in both leagues, while Kurt kept his picks to the American League for now.
(SB Nation will announce their bloggers' picks for the major awards after the conclusion of the World Series, I believe.)
While Tigers fans (and baseball fans) likely won't join the Star-Tribune's Joe Christensen in saying a sentimental goodbye to the Metrodome, this photo posted on Big League Stew could warm a few hearts in this chilly autumn weather.