"PLAY BALL!".. Spring is here!

Joker Marchant Stadium

Yes, the annual rite of Spring has begun with Tigers baseball kicking off here in Lakeland, Florida. The initial games kicked off the 75th season of Tigers baseball in Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland with ceremonies in the ballpark including Willie Horton and his grandson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to start Monday's game against the Yankees.

Justin Verlander

I was fortunate enough to be here to watch that game, a 6-2 Tigers victory.  Always a good day when the Tigers beat the Yankees, even in Spring Training.  Verlander pitched and looked shaky, walking two during his outing. Porcello had early trouble in the top of the fourth giving up a lead-off double, a walk, and a single while striking out one to get himself into a bases-loaded one-out jam. However, he showed some true grit by striking out the next batter and induced a line shot to Boesch in left for the final out, leading to a fist-pumping end to the inning.  Charlie Furbush got his welcome to the big leagues against the Yankees too, and predictably had trouble getting them out... giving up the only two runs the Yankees scored.  After that it was all Tigers hitting and relief staff finishing the Yankees off..but not before Tigers pitcher Daniel Schlereth hurt his leg trying to cover first on a potential double play ball while trying to avoid first baseman Ryan Streiby who was heading back to the bag after the throw to second to make the play himself.  Overall it was a very nice team win over the Yankees.


This week new pages have been added and we will start tracking Tiger players progress during the Spring and beyond.  Please see the updated "Spring Training (2011)" page for the numbers on the Tigers players so far, and also check out the "Where Are They Now? (2011)" page for former Tigers progress during the Spring.


New this week are the Pitcher and Hitter "Trends" pages, as well as one for the "WATN" players. These Pitching and hitting trend pages will graphically display the player rankings every week, and allow tracking the changes each week as hitters and pitchers get better, worse, or stay the course.  Watch them closely to see how the guys are doing.

Charlie Furbush

How are the guys doing so far?  The pitchers haven't put in enough innings to be able to show us much, but there are a couple of highlights for those putting in at least 2 innings. It looks like Verlander is getting off to a slow spring so far, but watch him over the next two weeks and we'll see if his extra preseason work has helped get over his annual April slump.  Porcello put in some good innings against the Yankees striking out three during his two-inning outing.  Early highlights also include the newcomer Brad Penny giving up only one hit while striking out one in his two-inning Tigers debut.  If he holds to this pattern through the Spring, the Tigers will not be calling him a "fifth" starter much longer.  A potential sleeper in the reliever ranks may be non-roster invitee Brendan Wise who did not give up a hit nor a walk while striking out one over two innings.  We'll have to watch him.

Magglio Ordonez

How about those hitters?  Good news.  Lots of hitting so far.  Bad news.  Not from the hitters you would expect.  Ryan Raburn appears to have picked right back up from where he left off at the end of the regular season, and so far is tearing up Spring Training in his first couple of games.  Clete Thomas is back from injury and his early hitting looks promising.  Non-roster invitee lefty-hitting outfielder Andy Dirks has made an impression with his bat, as has Tigers first-base prospect Ryan Streiby.  These are two early prospects to watch.  In the "lackluster" start category we can put two key Tiger hitters who have started slow, and hopefully (for the team's sake) will get in the grove before Spring is over.  Magglio Ordonez coming off of a shortened 2010 has yet to get "in step" only hitting .111 so far and Miguel Cabrerra does not appear to be over his DUI just yet.. as of March 1st he was only hitting a paltry .167 to match Ordonez in starting slow.  We will have to watch these two key Tigers.  If they fail to get going in March and falter into April, it may not bode well for the Tigers starting the season on the road in Yankee Stadium, and then again on the road against a resurgent Baltimore Oriole team.  

Miguel Cabrerra

The standings in Spring Training so far favor the Tigers.  They currently lead all Spring Training teams with 5 wins.  The aforementioned Orioles however have not lost a game of their first three putting them technically 1/2 a game ahead of the Tigers.  I'll still take the Tigers.


Watch for one more post from me Friday after attending the Atlanta game on Thursday (televised on ESPN) at the nearby Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.


GO TIGERS!   ---Rob




Photo credits: All photos - Rob Hall