Tigers by the Numbers, pt 2

At the All-Star break, the Tigers find themselves in the 1st place, 3.5 games clear of the White Sox. With negligible contributions from the massive salary drains of Bonderman, Magglio, Robertson, Sheffield, Dontrelle, and Guillen, compounded by subpar offensive production from Polanco and Granderson, it's a damn miracle this team is above .500.

Credit must go to Jim Leyland who wasted little time in benching Maggs in favor of Clete Thomas and Don Kelly, who provided instant impact. Yet, watching this team, it's clear the wins aren't due to the bats. It's the defense. In the offseason, Dave Dombrowski signed unheralded Adam Everett for a bag of balls, and named Inge the full-time 3rd baseman. Those two guys were unbelievable defensive upgrades from a year ago.

In 2008, the Tigers were 2nd worst in the AL in fielding percentage and errors. This year, they are third best! The 2009 Tigers are also 3rd best in team ERA. I must give them credit for that. Yes, the bullpen needs a lot of work, but the starters carried the load in the first half.

Of course, the road ahead could be very bumpy. How long can they rely on Rodney? Will Zumaya every regain his control? Can Inge maintain his torrid HR pace? And Maggs... what, oh what to do? Many questions linger, but they're in first! Well done.

Summer League
For those unaware, the NBA conducts a summer league for incoming rookies and other young free agents looking for a chance to impress NBA scouts. It's difficult to gauge how a star in the rookie league will fare in the NBA. The competition level is dramatically different. But this much I do know... if you don't star in the rookie league, you've got no chance in NBA. Thus far, the Pistons 2nd round pick, Dajuan Summers appears to be the real deal. He's beaten up the competition as a solid all-around scorer. Piston blogger extraordinaire, Dave Dial, put together a nice recap of the first two summer league games.

Evidently, Austin Daye, the Stones first round pick, did well in Game 2, playing the entire 40 minutes. He's got the upside. Now he needs to put in the hours, working out, shooting, getting in shape. I'm convinced that's what sets starters apart from the end-of-bench dudes. They've all got the talent -- but do they have the work ethic?