Verlander Keeps the Tigers Alive for Game 6

The Tigers came to hit in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.  Thanks to a couple of home runs from injured Tiger Delmon Young, Justin Verlander had a 4 run lead to work with and used it well going deep into the 7th inning saving the bullpen.  Young is leading all Tigers in slugging in the post-season with a scalding .767 slugging average! (see below)  Better news may also be that the big boys (Cabrerra and Martinez) are getting into the game.  Miguel Cabrerra had a hit and 2 walks in the game to bring his post-season batting average up to .290.  Cabrerra is hitting .375 against Texas in the Series so far.  Victor Martinez is also on a 3-game hitting streak that includes a triple and a home run. See below for full post-season numbers to date (as of Game 5) on all the Tiger players.

So will the Tigers live to fight for a World Series birth in Game 7 against Texas?  With Texas leading the American League Championship Series 3 games to 2, the Tigers will have to win..and win BIG in Game 6 for that to happen.  Can they do it?  "It's Possible".. IF Max Scherzer can keep the Texas from getting men on base.. and IF the Tiger batters decide to break out.. it's possible..it's just possible.  Cabrerra, Martinez, Young, Peralta, and Avila will have to lead the way.  Look for a surprise hit in Game 6 from an unlikely hero (Dirks?)...and there MAY even be an unlikely hero on the mound as well (Penny? Alburquerque? Schlereth?).  Who knows....

Whichever way it turns out.. it's been a GREAT year for TIGER BASEBALL!

GO TIGERS!    ---Rob Hall Tigers PostSeason(2011) Gm5

Fister Dominates Texas in Game 3 of the ALCS

Doug Fister or Cy Young?  I'll take Fister.  Yes the Tigers take Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in grand fashion with Fister pitching a gem of a game.  Fister only gave up 7 hits while striking out 3 and walking none in 7 and 1/3 innings, and the Tiger hitters finally came to play with Home Runs from Martinez, Cabrerra, and Peralta to give the Tigers the win.   Stats on Tiger pitchers and hitters as of the ALCS Game three follow below.  Porcello leads the board for Starters, Benoit for Relievers and Ryan Raburn followed by Delmon Young and then finally Cabrerra for the hitters (see below).   GO TIGERS!   ---Rob

Tigers PostSeason(2011) Gm3

YES! Tigers Beat the Yankees.. Now Texas?

Delmon Young - Strained Oblique

A tense Game 5 against the Yankees went the Tigers way due to great pitching and a lack of hitting by the Yankees.  Now the Tigers are on to Texas where they dropped Game 1 of the American League Championship Series to the Texas Rangers due to a lack of hitting against the Texas right-handed relievers who came in to replace the lefty-starter C.J Wilson against whom the Tigers tallied 2 runs and 6 hits until the rain delayed the game and ended his outing.

Ordonez - Finished.

Bad news followed the Division Series against the Yankees and the first game of the American League Championship Series against the Rangers.  Delmon Young who was leading all Tiger hitters except Magglio Ordonez came up hurt after the Division Series with a strained oblique muscle.  Worse yet, Magglio Ordonez, after leading the Tigers hitting .385 in the post-season so far has re-broken his right ankle and is done for the season.

That leaves Ryan Raburn, Don Kelly, and Brandon Inge as unlikely batting average leaders at .375, .333, and .333 respectively (see below).  What is unusual is the fact that Cabrerra, Martinez, Peralta, and Avila have yet to start hitting.  Yet even so, the Tigers beat the Yankees in the Division Series.  If these bats heat up (and they aren't hitting so far..see below), then the Tigers should take the Rangers if Tiger pitchers can hold the Rangers to 2-3 runs as they did in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

Prediction for Game 2?  Cabrerra, Martinez and Peralta will hit big-time against the lefty-starter (Derek Holland) that the Rangers are sending out to meet them.  Avila will continue to struggle, but look for his bat to come alive against the Texas relievers who follow the left-handed starter.  Andy Dirks will get to play (and hit) against the Texas relief pitchers.                     GO TIGERS!    ---Rob

Dirks gets a shot.

Current numbers for Tiger Hitters and Pitchers...
Tigers PostSeason(2011) 2

Post Season - Can the Tigers Beat the Yankees?

 So far it's a dead heat.  After 4 games the Tigers have split with the Yankees 2 games apiece. They've also been outscored by the Yankees 26-14 thanks to a dismal outing by the bullpen in the Game 4 loss to the Yankees by a score of 10-1.  Throw that one out (don't we wish) and both teams have played pretty tight (16-13).  Can they win in Game 5?  No professional team likes to get embarrased the way the Tigers just did, so it's possible.  Below are the playoff numbers on the Tiger players to date.  We can see some issues with performances so far.  Based on how they've played, let's lay out what COULD be a good lineup and a scenario for winning Game 5.  (see below)Tigers PostSeason(2011)

Starting Pitching has actually been pretty good.  Porcello takes the lead so far after a decent outing giving up only 4 runs and walking only 1 batter facing the Yankees in Game 4.  Normally that's enough runs for a Tiger win.  Fister's first outing was the only one where a Tiger starter got hit hard with 7 hits and 2 walks in his 5 inning appearance.  Even then he looked good enough, with only 2 walks and a 3-1 strikeout to walk ratio.  He should rebound in Game 5, showing more of the same high strikeout, low walk pitching we've come to expect.

The bullpen has been the big letdown so far.  Coke, Alburquerque, and Schlereth could not hold the Yankees to the 4 runs Porcello handed them.  Valverde has been VERY dangerous in the 9th-inning base runners he has allowed, even though he managed to get the Win for Scherzer in Game 2 and the Save for Verlander in Game 3.  Let's hope Game 5 will be a different story.

Hitting has been the real issue.  The numbers so far do NOT look like the Central Division Champion hitters.   Inge, Raburn, and Kelly are at the top, instead of Cabrerra, Martinez, and Avila.  The Yankees are going after Victor Martinez and it shows in his batting average (only .214 in the post-season so far).  They have also contained Cabrerra... who has only hit .250.  It appears the strategy is to pitch away from Cabrerra and take their chances with Martinez, and it's working out. In the meantime Alex Avila is 0 for 4 games.

That has to change.  For the Tigers to win Game 5, Cabrerra, Martinez, and Avila have to show up to hit.

So.. what would be the ideal?  How can the Tigers line up to win?  What pitchers need to step up?

First.. Fister has to have a good outing and get through the 6th inning, and the 7th.  If he can do that, Benoit and Valverde should be able to handle the 8th and 9th.  If he can't..and bows out early.. look for Brad Penny to step in for a couple innings, and perhaps Ryan Perry or Daniel Schlereth can get it to the 8th inning for Benoit.  I would be surprised if Coke or Alburquerque show back up after the performances in Game 4.

Hitting?  Look for some changes in the lineup.  Austin Jackson(CF) leading off, Magglio Ordonez back in the lineup in RF.  Santiago just doesn't cut it behind the plate so look for Ryan Raburn to get the start at 2nd.  Betemit is 0 for 3 games with 4 strikeouts in 8 at-bats.  Inge (or Kelly) will get the start at 3rd.  The Tigers will hope that Avila, Cabrerra, and in particular Martinez have finally figured out the Yankees.  If they come to play big.. it will be a game to be remembered.

GO TIGERS!   ---Rob

Final Regular Season Stats Posted

Folks, The Final Regular Season 2011 numbers have been posted.

See these pages:

Regular Season (2011) 

Pitcher Trends

Hitter Trends

Former Tiger Players:
Former Tigers (2011)
Former Tiger Player Trends

Final Week of the Season! BIG Cats? Kittens?

Who are the BIG Cats?

Yes.. the final week of the Regular Season is upon us!  So.. who on the Tigers are the BIG Cats?  Who are the Kittens?  How was July, August, and now September?  Have they been BIG Cats the entire second half?  Who has been.. and when?  Are they peaking now? (too soon? too late?)..or are some BIG Cats showing up just in time for the Post-Season?  Are some of the Tigers turning into Kittens.. exactly at the WRONG time?  or are they turning from Kittens into BIG Cats just in time?  Who were the Kittens of July and August?  Are they still?  We will answer these questions and MORE in the final Regular Season posting of..  "The Rob Hall Report"..  Enjoy!

Who are the kittens?

  
So who was a BIG Cat in July? Who wasn't? Coming off a record 5 players going to the All-Star game the Tigers had a few Big Cats acting like kittens.  Miguel Cabrerra only hit .250 for July after a great June.  Alex Avila definitely wasn't feeling like an All-Star either.. since he hit a major slump and could not even hit .200 for July, registering a record low for him hitting only .197 for the month.  Brandon Inge continued his terrible slide only managing 0.059 in July precipitating what would happen next.

As hard as it may seem to believe there WERE some Big Cats stepping up for the Tigers in July.  Starting Pitcher Rick Porcello for instance was 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA.  Right-fielder Magglio Ordonez looked to be totally over his injury as well, hitting .294 for the month, and journeyman infielder Ramon Santiago hit .346 in games he played.

Weaver complains.

Perhaps the Biggest Cat of all in July though was Justin Verlander.  "JV" went head to head with the next best pitcher in all of baseball at the time Jered Weaver for the Angels on July 31st.  Verlander won that game almost throwing a no-hitter (the Angels got one hit), with help from veterans Magglio Ordonez (2-run home run) and Carlos Guillen (solo home run) and a notable stare-down from Guillen to Weaver who complained about Ordonez watching his home run earlier in the game. (Ordonez was looking to see if it stayed fair and went out.)
That game was a turning point for the Tigers season.  They beat the one of the best pitchers in baseball with a better pitcher.. Verlander.. and from then on there was no turning back, and no 2nd half slump as in previous years.

Big changes were coming for the Tigers.. starting with the July moves that set up August and September. The first of which was to send down to AAA the pitcher they got from Oakland in the Scott Sizemore trade. David Purcey had a horrendous July with the Tigers giving up a 15.00 ERA and getting hit at a .360 rate by opposing batters resulting in 6 loses in the 8 games he pitched in relief, and the Tigers couldn't get him off the team fast enough.  Purcey was the first to go, but other changes would have even more impact.  Quality starting pitcher Doug Fister pitching at a 3.33 ERA clip for Seattle was picked up with fellow Mariner right-handed reliever David Pauley in a trade that sent lefty starter Charlie Furbush to the Mariners with outfielder Casper Wells.  Brandon Inge was mercifully given the option to clear waivers or go to AAA Toledo.  He chose to go to Toledo to work on his hitting.  Switch-hitting third basemen Wilson Betemit was obtained from Kansas City to replace Inge at 3rd.   July also saw the debut of rookie phenom Jacob Turner who pitched 5 quality innings in his MLB debut.

August came in with a bang, and the new look Tigers took off.  Some very Big Cats came to play, and play they did.  Led by Alex Avila who threw off his July slump like he was tossing off an ill-fitting coat.  Avila hit .360 for the month of August while catching every game after Victor Martinez sprained his knee.  Miguel Cabrerra came to play as well, hitting even better for a .390 average in August!  Even Ryan Raburn found his 2nd half stride hitting .323, and newcomer Wilson Betemit hit .310 over the same time span.  Reliever Phil Coke finally settled into his relief role with a passion posting a 0.00 ERA in August while the Tigers went 11-2 for games in which he appeared.  Setup man Joaquin Benoit followed suit holding opposing hitters to a .125 average against him while the Tigers went 12-2 in his games.

Who were the kittens in August? How about the same two hitters that helped Justin Verlander beat Jered Weaver at the end of July?  Carlos Guillen hit only .094 in August while dealing with an injured wrist, and Magglio Ordonez could only manage .213 prompting another move by the Tigers.  Starting Pitcher Rick Porcello had his worst month yet posting a 6.82 ERA for the month and allowing a .353 average to opposing batters, only winning one decision in the 6 games in which he started.

Delmon Young

The biggest change for the Tigers in August was the acquisition of Left-fielder Delmon Young who arrived in town with the Minnesota Twins for a game against the Tigers, only to appear in the Tiger clubhouse in a last-minute trade that found him in the opposing clubhouse and Tiger reliever Lester Oliveros being sent to Minnesota.  Magglio Ordonez was suddenly looking at minimal playing time, until lefty slugger Brennan Boesch develped an issue with a ligament in his thumb needing surgery sending him to the DL.  August also saw the return of Brandon Inge to the lineup after hitting over .400 while in AAA Toledo.  Now suddenly the Tigers had left or right handed hitting at 3rd base, and with the addition of Delmon Young hitting permanently in the 3rd spot of the lineup the Tigers were set for September.

September has found the Tigers hitting on all cyclinders.  Big Cats this month are almost too numerous to list.  Miguel Cabrerra is chasing a hitting title and has hit .405 in September.  Magglio Ordonez is making the most of his time in the field as well, hitting .405 too!  Carlos Guillen may have gotten over his wrist issue, hitting .385 before being sidelined with a calf issue.  Ryan Raburn continues his 2nd half spectacular hitting .378 for the month.  Brandon Inge has shown he CAN hit, hitting .355 part time while getting more time with Wilson Betemit (hitting only .233 for the month) out with a tweaked knee.

Fister 0.69 ERA in Sept.

Doug Fister has shown why he is the #2 guy in the Tigers rotation since being picked up from Seattle in July.  So far in September, Fister has posted a 0.69 ERA going 4-0 with opposing batters only hitting .132 against him.  Those are Verlander numbers!  Jose Valverde appears ready for the post-season posting a 0.90 ERA for the month while the Tigers are 10-0 in games he closed, and opposing hitters only managed .118 against him.  Al Alburquerque is back in the bullpen after recovering from an elbow issue briefly in July and being hit in the head with a ball in August, and looking just as good with an 0.00 ERA and .200 average against in the 5 games he appeared in during the month.

Concerns?  Who's turning into a kitten at the wrong time?  Starter Brad Penny posted a 5.83 ERA in August and made an even worse showing with a 7.20 ERA in September to finish out the season (probably his career) as a Tiger.  Lefty reliever Duane Below pitched in 3 games and posted a horrendous 12.00 ERA (4 runs in 3 innings) in September.  Let's hope he has it out of his system, the Tigers will need lefty relief in the playoffs.  Right handed reliever Ryan Perry took a nose-dive as well giving up 4 runs, 4 walks and 8 hits in 7 innings of relief in September.  There may be a concern about hitting too.  A KEY player is bordering on changing from a Big Cat into a kitten in September.  Jhonny Peralta has gone from hitting .316 at the end of July to .270 by the end of September.. a 46 point drop!  He could become the weak link in the post-season lineup if he doesn't turn it around.

September changes show the Tigers bringing up catching relief in Omir Santos (.306 for Sept), and infield relief in Danny Worth (.143) and Will Rhymes (.273).  Jacob Turner joined the club again as well and posted two starts, not faring as well this time out, 11 runs on 14 hits and a walk over 7 and a third innings for a 12.27 ERA in September.  Rhymes and Santos may have a chance to make the post-season roster because of needs at 2nd base and catcher.

Predictions for players on the post-season roster?  Jacob Turner won't be on the roster, and Danny Worth won't be either.  After that it's a toss up.  Ryan Perry still is not consistent enough in relief, and Duane Below had a terrible couple of outings.  The lefty Below is needed.. with Alburquerque back, the right-handed Perry is not.  Omir Santos as mentioned above might make the roster as injury insurance for Avila.  Will Rhymes won't make it either if Guillen is healthy.  If not, then another 2nd basemen hitting left handed allows Leyland to take Raburn out of the lineup when facing a good right-handed pitcher.


That's it for now.  I'll try an post final numbers for the season before starting something for the post-season.  Enjoy!  and....

GO TIGERS!   ---Rob

Mo-town and Chi-town Showdown in the Motor City!

Welcome Back Sports Fans!  Yes, the Rob Hall Report has been on a unplanned Hiatus since just after the All-Star Break this year..SO there's some catching up to do!   Posted this past month were the numbers and trends for the Tiger Players for the Month of July.  I'll start this article with a "story so far" description of what happened in July, followed by August and bring you up to the Playoff run here in September.  Which started with a BIG weekend SWEEP of Chicago in Comerica Park...the Tigers won BIG outscoring the White Sox 35-11 in the three game series.  GO TIGERS!

Disabled List Common Theme for Former Tigers

Polanco with back issues.

Jair Jurrjens started the season with an injury before posting phenomenal numbers before the All-Star break.  Fernando Rodney has spent more time ON the DL than not.  Brandon Lyon started the season in trouble and is done for the year with shoulder surgery.  Gerald Laird just returned to St.Louis after fracturing a finger.  Placido Polanco had an elbow issue early in the season and lately his numbers plummeted as he developed a back issue which landed him on the DL last week.  "Pudge" Rodriguez is coming off of the DL after a right oblique muscle issue.  Marcus Thames struggled with leg issues all season before being outrighted by the Dodgers, and Adam Everett started the season with a thumb issue, struggled mightily to put up good numbers for Cleveland before being released in favor of a young third base prospect getting his Major League debut.  Not a very good season for Former Tigers, although Curtis Granderson continues to improve with the Yankees, Johnny Damon has had the best 1st half of the season he's had in years, and Matt Joyce led all Major League hitters in April, May, and June before his hitting tapered off in July.  (See the Former Tiger Player Trends page for details, and the Former Tiger Players (2011) page for current numbers.)

Adam Everett released by Cleveland.

Below are summaries for recent activity involving these and other former Tiger players courtesy of "MLB Fantasy Baseball News"...

Kyle Farnsworth (P)

Farnsworth excels in first year as Rays' closer

July 12, 2011 at 4:29 PM ET

Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth finished the first half 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, 17 saves in 19 tries and 25 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings.

Farnsworth had just one save in his last four years prior to this season, but he's stepped into the closing role with ease. The veteran reliever is succeeding by keeping runners off the bases. Opponents are batting just .209 off Farnsworth and he's posted a tidy 1.3 BB/9 ratio. Look for more of the same from the 35-year-old in the second half.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=150035>

Jair Jurrjens (P)

Hanson's second-half start bumped up one day

July 14, 2011 at 9:19 PM ET

Manager Fredi Gonzalez has decided to push All-Star pitcher Jair Jurrjens back one day, and fellow right-hander Tommy Hanson will take his place for Saturday's start against the Nationals.

Jurrjens pitched 1 2/3 innings in Tuesday's All-Star Game, retiring the first six batters he faced before departing after Kevin Youkilis hit a two-out single. Hanson and Jurrjens will follow Tim Hudson before Derek Lowe and Brandon Beachy start the first two games in Colorado.

Jair Jurrjens finished the first half at 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 65/25 K/BB ratio in 110 2/3 innings.

Jurrjens ends the first half leading the NL in ERA and wins. The right-hander's K/9 ratio has fallen from 6.7 to 5.3 from this year to last, coinciding with a decreased BB/9 ratio of 2.0 from last season's 3.2. The improvement in control is a welcome change, but the fewer strikeouts put Jurrjens' sterling ERA and WHIP in peril as they really don't mesh with his skillset.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=457453>

Fernando Rodney (P)

Rodney not progressing well

July 2, 2011 at 9:25 PM ET

Reliever Fernando Rodney isn't progressing as well from injury as the Angels hoped as the right-handed reliever -- placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 13 with a strained upper back -- was scheduled on Friday to throw his second bullpen since suffering the injury but wasn't able to.

"He's still having some symptoms, even though they're minor from where they might have been 10 days ago," manager Mike Scioscia said. "But his progress has been slow." Rodney, who started the season as the Halos' closer before rookie Jordan Walden took over, hasn't appeared in a game since June 8 against Tampa Bay. He's recorded a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=407845>

Edwin Jackson (P)

Jackson consistently average in first half

July 12, 2011 at 8:28 PM ET

White Sox right-hander Edwin Jackson goes into the All-Star break with a 5-7 record, 4.30 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 92 strikeouts over 106 2/3 innings.

Jackson allowed four earned runs in three of his past four starts and mixed in seven shutout innings against the Nationals. He has been consistently pretty average in the first half, posting a high strikeout total, but he will need to lower his WHIP.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=429719>

Brandon Lyon (P)

Lyon's season ends after countless struggles

July 14, 2011 at 12:12 AM ET

Astros reliever Brandon Lyon closed out the first half 3-3 with a 11.48 ERA, a 2.40 WHIP, four saves in eight tries and six strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.

Lyon tripped right from the start, giving up three earned runs while recording just one out in a blow save against the Phillies on Opening Day. After failing in a comeback attempt from the DL that saw him post a 36.00 ERA over three outings in June, Lyon headed to the DL again on June 18. Lyon is not expected to pitch again this season after undergoing shoulder surgery on June 30.

June 30, 2011 at 9:29 PM ET ET

Astros relief pitcher Brandon Lyon underwent surgery Thursday in Pensacola, Fla., to repair the detachment of his right biceps tendon and to also mend a tear in his labrum.

The surgery was performed by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and assisted by Astros orthopedist Dr. David Lintner. Lyon will start motion exercises in approximately two weeks and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. Lyon blew four saves in five chances, including Opening Day in Philadelphia, before going on the DL. Lyon, 31, went 6-6 with a 3.12 ERA in a career-high 79 games for the Astros last year, saving 20 games in 22 chances. He allowed only two homers in 78 innings, but this season he had allowed four homers in 13 1/3 innings.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=407193>

Curtis Granderson (OF)

Granderson triples home two in loss

July 14, 2011 at 10:38 PM ET

Curtis Granderson went 2-for-5 with a two-run triple in Thursday's loss to the Blue Jays.

The All-Star picks up the second half right where he left off. Granderson is up to 65 RBIs on the year, with an impressive 25 of those coming vs. lefties. He's having a dream season.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=434158>

Matt Joyce (OF)

Joyce goes deep, swipes base in loss

July 16, 2011 at 7:56 PM ET

Rays outfielder Matt Joyce went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Red Sox.

Joyce goes deep in his first start of the second half. In the midst of a career year, Joyce is batting .295 with 13 homers, 43 RBIs and six steals.

July 12, 2011 at 3:35 PM ET

Rays right fielder Matt Joyce finished the first half batting .290 with 12 long balls, 41 RBIs, 45 runs scored and five steals.

Joyce came out of the gate mashing, leading the league in batting average as late as June 7. By the end of May, the lefty-swinger owned a smoking-hot .370 clip with nine home runs and 30 RBIs. Since then the 26-year-old has fallen on rough times, batting a paltry .164 (17-for-104) with three big flies and 11 RBIs.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=459964>

Johnny Damon (OF)

Damon finds success with Rays

July 12, 2011 at 3:22 PM ET

Rays DH Johnny Damon wrapped up the first half batting .279 with nine dingers, 41 RBIs, 42 runs scored and seven steals.

Not many saw this type of first half coming from the 37-year-old veteran. Damon has already surpassed last year's home run total (8) and will make run at 80-plus RBIs for just the second time in five years. Damon is streaking heading into the All-Star break, batting .352 (12-for-34) with a tater and seven RBIs in his last eight contests.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=113028>

Cameron Maybin (OF)

Room for improvement on Maybin's solid first half

July 12, 2011 at 10:46 PM ET

Cameron Maybin is hitting .259 with five homers, 12 steals, 38 runs scored, and 21 RBIs through his first 74 games as a Padre.

Maybin looks unlikely to realize the superstar potential that made him a top prospect with the Tigers and Marlins, but he could still develop into a useful player. He’s on pace for 11 homers and 27 steals, and if he can continue cutting down his strikeouts and increasing his walks, his numbers will improve. There’s more in the tank for the 24-year-old, but it’s uncertain how quickly we’ll see it.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=457727>

Gerald Laird (C)

Laird looks good in return to action

July 9, 2011 at 8:00 PM ET

On Friday night, backup catcher Gerald Laird made his first start since returning from the DL.

Laird, who fractured his right index finger on May 22, went 1-for-4 in the Cardinals' 7-6 loss to the D-backs. One of three catchers on the roster, along with All-Star Yadier Molina and rookie Tony Cruz, Laird is hitting .217 with five doubles, one triple, four RBIs, five runs scored and a .308 on-base percentage.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=408042>

Aubrey Huff (1B)

Huff rings Bell's bell with game-tying homer

July 15, 2011 at 2:04 AM ET

Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a game-tying solo home run on Thursday vs. the Padres.

Huff's clutch long ball off of Heath Bell was the first time he's gone yard since that epic three-homer game way back on June 2. The 34-year-old is batting just .238 with nine homers and 46 RBIs.

July 12, 2011 at 8:24 PM ET

After an MVP-caliber 2010, Aubrey Huff is hitting just .236 with eight homers, though he’s driven in 44, scored 30, and stolen three times.

Huff showed some life with a .291 average and four homers in June, but he’s just 6-for-39 in July and it’s looking as though we may get a season closer to his mediocre 2009 than his stellar 2010. Huff’s made a career out of being inconsistent, so don’t rule out a turnaround yet.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=333492>

Placido Polanco (2B)

Phillies place Polanco on 15-day DL

July 15, 2011 at 9:14 PM ET

The Phillies placed Placido Polanco on the disabled list on Friday, retroactive to July 4, and looking forward to July 20.

The All-Star third baseman insisted on Friday that he will be ready to go on Wednesday in Chicago, and said that he was currently operating at about 90 percent.

July 12, 2011 at 1:41 AM ET

Placido Polanco closed out the first half hitting .274 with four homers, 39 RBIs and 34 runs.

Polanco, who didn't play last week due to back pain, has struggled since he hit scintillating .398 in April. From June 1 onward, the All-Star hot corner man hit .183 with just three extra-base hits.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=135784>

Scott Sizemore (2B)

Sizemore finds home in Oakland

July 13, 2011 at 8:14 PM ET

A's third baseman Scott Sizemore finished the first half hitting .261 with four homers, one steal, 18 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

Sizemore struggled to take over the second base job with the Tigers before they finally gave up on him, shipping the 26-year-old to the West Coast. Since joining the A's, he has hit .287 and has taken over the bulk of playing time at third base.
 

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=502003> 

Ivan Rodriguez (C)

Pudge OK after feeling tightness in oblique

July 16, 2011 at 8:13 PM ET

Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez took 25 swings off a tee on Saturday afternoon, but had to shut it down after feeling tightness in his right oblique.

The tightness is not considered serious and, according to manager Davey Johnson, Rodriguez believes he will be ready to play when he's eligible to come off the disabled list late next week. When he is activated, Rodriguez will play once every three games, while Wilson Ramos will get the bulk of the work behind the plate.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=121358>

Marcus Thames (OF)

Dodgers acquire veteran outfielder Rivera

July 12, 2011 at 5:07 PM ET

Trying to address their hole in left field, the Dodgers on Tuesday acquired right-handed hitter Juan Rivera and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named or cash. Outfielder Marcus Thames was designated for assignment in a related move.

Rivera, 33, was hitting .243 with six home runs and 28 RBIs when he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on July 3. But he was hitting .327 against left-handed pitching, with a .909 OPS. "Juan will be the right-handed counterpart to Tony Gwynn Jr. in left field, and he can fill in at first base," said general manager Ned Colletti. Thames was signed to a $1 million free-agent contract to be a right-handed-hitting platoon left fielder. While dealing with leg injuries, he has hit only .197 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Pasted from <http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/index.jsp?player_id=407801>

Adam Everett (SS)

Indians release veteran infielder Everett

June 30, 2011 at 5:59 PM ET

Indians infielder Adam Everett cleared waivers Thursday and was released, the club has announced.

Everett, 33, was designated for assignment Monday after hitting .217 (13-for-60) in 34 games with Cleveland. He is a career .242 hitter and has spent parts of 11 seasons with the Astros, Twins, Tigers and Indians.

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Photo Credits:

Placido Polanco by Mark Cunningham - Getty Images

Adam Everett by Robin Buckson - Detroit News

All Player head shot photos by MLB Fantasy Baseball News.

Ch-ch-Changes...Tigers get roughed up by NL Teams..pitching suffers.

The Tigers have just finished a BRUTAL stretch of Inter-league play as the first half of the season winds to a close.  They took 2 of 3 from the Diamondbacks at home, and then Jose Reyes and the Mets came to town and ate Tiger pitching alive scoring 32 runs in 3 games taking 2 of 3 from the Tigers.  Next the World Champion SF Giants came to town and shut down Tiger hitters winning 2 of 3 and lighting up Tigers pitching for 15 runs in one of the wins.  All told Tiger pitching gave up 51 runs in 5 games spanning the Mets and Giants series' and much like a starting pitcher getting knocked out of the game early, the Tigers Pitching Coach Rick Knapp was fired at the end of Inter-league play being asked to "hand over the ball" to Tigers Bullpen coach Jeff Jones.

The current road trip started with a series against the LA Angels where the team proceeded to drop the first 2 of 3 games, but then recovered and won the last game carrying the momentum into the road series against Kansas City winning the next 2 as well for a 3-game win streak, before giving up 13 runs to KC in game 3 of 4.  Verlander finishes out the last game against KC and the 1st half of the season before heading into the All-Star break this coming week.

After the All-Star break the Tigers will be facing the American League Central and West starting with a 3-game weekend series against the White Sox followed by a 2-game matchup with the Oakland A's both at Comerica Park.  Next are road trips to play a 4-game weekend series against the Twins at Target Field followed by 3 more against the White Sox before returning home for a 4-game weekend series against the Angels once again.

Rick Knapp packs his bags.

There have been a lot of changes on the Tigers roster during the latter half of June and beginning of July.  Most notable is the coaching change mentioned above after the inter-league play, and Tiger pitchers will have to be better from here on out against their American League counterparts.  Since mid-June we've seen Brandon Inge return from the DL, righty reliever Ryan Perry return from AAA Toledo, Adam Wilk being sent down to make room for Perry, and Carlos Guillen start his rehab assignment in Lakeland and then Toledo.  We've also seen Daniel Schlereth be replaced by Brayan Villarreal after struggling against the Mets, and Phil Coke struggle and finally be relagated to the bullpen having his rotation spot taken by Charlie Furbush.  Then right-handed late-inning stopper Al Alburquerque went on the DL with arm soreness being replaced by Lester Oliveros in the bullpen.  Finally righty Brayan Villarreal was sent BACK to AAA Toledo about the same time Rick Knapp was fired and lefty reliever Adam Wilk was recalled from AAA less than 2 weeks after being sent down to make room for Ryan Perry.  LOTS of changes, as the Tigers struggle to settle the pitching staff down.  We will hope the revolving-door attitude with the pitchers will stop soon, otherwise it will be a long 2nd half for the Tigers.

Good news, bad news.. who's improving, who isn't?  The latest trends are posted to the Pitcher Trends and the Hitter Trends pages.  If you look closely you'll see some good signs..and some concerns.  Current season-to-date numbers are also listed on the Regular Season (2011) page.  Pay attention to the green and red colored numbers.  These are above or below average indicators.  We like to see a lot of green.. particularly with the pitchers.

Valverde Slipping?

So who's up? Who's down?  We'll start with Pitching.. and looking at the trends for the latter half of June you can see MOST of the pitchers struggled against the NL teams.  David Purcey in particular was awful during the appearances against the NL teams.  It also becomes obvious looking at Al Alburquerque's numbers taper off that he was having issues before heading to the DL.  One area that should STILL be a concern however is Jose Valverde.. he has been in a tailspin since his peak on June 17th, and has just barely managed to stay alive in his latest save opportunities.  Could be trouble ahead.  The good news is that starters Porcello, Scherzer and Penny appear to be rebounding.  Porcello has had two good outings, Penny has been steady in his last two and Max Scherzer finally put a decent game together winning against Kansas City.  Phil Coke has also found his home again in the bullpen and started trending up.  Even reliever Ryan Perry (ranked dead last on the team) who started terribly has found a way to improve, although only slightly so far.  David Purcey may even have corrected his month-long slide.  Let's hope so, because right now the trade of Scott Sizemore to Oakland for Purcey is looking like Oakland got the better deal (Sizemore is hitting .300 since being traded).

Cabrera slumping in July? (.161)

Hitting is another area of concern.  Even as well as the Tigers have been hitting there are some troubling indicators.  First of which is the noticeable slide in the top Tiger hitters.  Peralta has stayed consistent, but Cabrera (.161 in July), Avila and Victor Martinez have all been slipping.  Martinez has even taken a nose-dive over the last week or so.  Cabrera and he (the heart of the Tiger order) have been striking out more than you would normally see.  One has to wonder if Martinez' bruise on the right shoulder suffered behind the plate on July 2nd might have something to do with it?  Avila seems to be sliding heading into the All-Star break as well.   Let's hope the Tigers two catchers recover for the second half of the season and the trend is only temporary.

Magglio is back!

Good news on the hitting front is that finally Ryan Raburn is showing signs of turning the corner. He has trended up for the last week or so.  Magglio Ordonez has also been on the upswing.  Magglio has hit .281 since returning from the disabled list and is showing no signs of slowing down.  The other good news is that switch-hitting Carlos Guillen is due to return from his rehab assignment (hitting .286 in AAA Toldeo) after the All-Star break.  So even if the current hitters go cold (Avila, Cabrera), a fresh veteran bat should be back in the lineup soon.  In the meantime, the part-timers.. Kelly, Santiago, Wells, Dirks.. all seem to be filling in admirably and improving.  Wells and Dirks in particular are hitting at a decent level.


That's it for this week. 
GO TIGERS!      ---Rob

Photo Credits:

Rick Knapp by Fabrizio Costantini - Wall Street Journal

Jose Valverde by John T. Greilick - Detroit News 

Miguel Cabrera by Robin Buckson - The Detroit News 

Magglio Ordonez by Robin Buckson - The Detroit News