Who were those guys?

Buy that man a coke
A strange version of the Tigers battled the Rays last night at Tropicana field.

The Tigers were outhit 11-8. For most of the night, the Tigers were outpitched too. Yet, after Phil Coke got Zobrist to ground out to first base, the Tigers escaped with a 2-1 win, perhaps their most impressive road win of the season.

It wasn't great baseball, though. It was impressive because the Tigers beat a good team's ace, while playing without Boesch, Benoit, and Valverde. The Rays' David Price cruised most of the game. The Tigers finally broke free in the 7th. Delmon Young led off with a single, and then Cabrera got his first ever hit against Price - a souble to deep right. (Yes, I created a new hit specifically for Cabrera - the "souble". It's basically a double that's hit so hard that Cabrera doesn't have enough time to make it to 2nd base, so he's stuck with a single.) Delmon Young advanced to 3rd. V-Mart followed with a hard hit grounder to 3rd. Delmon was off on contact, and the Rays' easily threw him out at home. As I've said before, I've never seen a team thrown out so often at home. These guys got to stop running on contact. It's killing them. But it didn't kill them last night. Avila saved the day with an RBI single. Then Peralta hit a sac-fly, scoring V-Mart.

They got two runs off Price, while Penny somehow limited the Rays to 1. It was a bizarre game for Penny. The Rays got hits in every one of his innings but one. He fell behind almost every batter. Yet, he somehow escaped with just one earned run. It was reminiscent of Nate Robertson. The bulldog.

Leyland took out Penny with one on in the 7th. Schlereth notched one more out but then gave up a single and a walk to load the bases. No Alburquerque, no Benoit. So Leyland handed the ball to Ryan Perry, the wayward star from '09 who spent most of this season with Toledo. Facing another star from '09, Evan Longoria, Perry took his 6.29 ERA and got Longoria to pop out, ending the inning.

Coke took over from there. It wasn't any easier for him, though. In the 8th, Coke struck out the side but not before giving up a double and a walk. Then, in the 9th, he struck out two more but then gave up a double to Johnny Damon, an intentional walk to Longoria, and then allowed them to advance to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch. Leyland's ulcer went into overdrive, and you could see him begging Gene lamont for his Marlboro-flavored Tums. The Tigers survived, though, as Coke got Zobrist to ground out to Cabrera. Cabrera fielded the sharp grounder and narrowly beat Zobrist on a foot-race to first. Game over. And the Tigers pulled off a strange win by somehow limiting the Rays to just one run despite giving up 11 hits.

I should note, though, that Honeymoon's over for Brandon Inge. The guy who .182 for the season resurfaced last night. Inge had two chances to tack-on runs. He came up with two men on in the 7th and struck out. The Rays walked Raburn to get to Inge. Then in the 9th, with the bases loaded, Inge popped out. Still, his defense was solid. I'd prefer for Inge to come on only when the Tigers have a lead, as a defensive replacement, but I guess we'll have to live with him platooning with Betemit. After a win like last night (when the Tigers were mostly outplayed), I'm not going to complain a ton.

Swing Players

We all know what Verlander can do. Same with Cabrera. Even if they don't perform up to their All-World ability, they'll still be pretty darn good. Same with Victor Martinez and Papa Grande. They may not be All-World, but they've still proven to be top-shelf players.

We also know what to expect from guys like Porcello, Penny, Austin Jackson, and Raburn. Porcello's gonna get rocked on occasion but also throw a 1-hit gem to keep the naysayers at bay. Penny's gonna give up 3+ pretty much every time. The question is whether that's over 3 innings or 7. As for Jackson and Raburn, they'll strike out most times, but, every now and then, they'll deliver a key hit.

For most of the Tigers, we know what they can and cannot deliver. Yet, there's a handful of players that remain unknowns. Their potential is still undetermined. Perhaps their ceiling is high. Perhaps they're just on a hot/cold streak. These are the swing players. They're like the state of Ohio or Florida in an election year. Their play determines the outcome.

Who qualifies?

Brennan Boesch, Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila. Peralta and Avila are in the midst of their first All-star seasons. Boesch is cementing his status as an everyday player. Last season, we all know he delivered strong enough numbers to warrant an All-star spot, but then he slumped drastically in the second half. This season, his average waffled between .270 and .290. He goes through hot and cold streaks, but nothing compared to his dreadful second half of 2010. One worrisome thing about Boesch is that his batting average with 2 outs and runners-in-scoring-position is .180. Yet, I suppose that's a sign of stats not telling the whole story. He almost single-handedly won this game as the rain poured down. It was such an impressive at-bat that Papa Nofrownmotown declared, "If they trade Boesch, I'm through with the Tigers!"

The kid's a fan favorite. He came to Detroit with little fanfare and has delivered. Much hope rests on his shoulders. Avila, though, takes on even more responsibility. Avila is the only catcher in the clubhouse. Victor Martinez, still smarting from a knee-injury, can't catch. Avila's caught 15 games in a row. And yet he continues to hit at his All-star pace. Currently, he's at .302, with 14 HR, and 59 RBI. This incredible season is on the heels of a 2010 campaign in which he hit .228, with 7 HR, and just 31 RBIs. Incredibly, his On-base-plus-slugging (OPS) is up to .911 from .656. Avila's hit rockets at the plate, and he'll also block the plate like a cliff breaking-up waves:

And Peralta... who saw this coming? Last season, the Tigers acquired Jhonny for Giovanni Soto. Nothing against Soto, but the kid's still battling in rookie ball. Peralta's hitting .313 with 18 HR and 65 RBIs. He made his first All-star team. He's still just 29 years old and in his prime. With all these cats, especially Avila and Peralta, are these seasons just aberrations? Or are they a sign of things to come? It's too soon to tell.

One thing is for sure, these kids came to play in 2011. Without them, the Tigers would struggle. The Tigers do not have much depth, so they need consistent production from these three to make noise in the pennant race. Cross your fingers and hope the happy days continue.

More on Leyland

I couldn't have said it better myself:

How Leyland is hurting the Tigers

The No Fun Team

It's called defense, and it helps win ball games
Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise? Another losing series to the Twins reminded Tigers fans how little separates the 1st place Tigers from the 4th place Twins.

Do the Tigers deserve to be in 1st place? In the Central, they're as deserving as anybody else. Maybe they've sucked the least. When it comes to batting, the Tigers are the strongest in the Central. Yet, they're close to last in pitching and defense. And they're definitely last in baserunning and team speed. I've never seen a Tiger team thrown out so often at home plate. It happened again last night, and it makes me wonder how Gene Lamont remains 3rd base coach. He has one friggin' job, and he fails over-and-over again.

Yet, Lamont's failings are just the beginning. Last night's loss to the Twins was the perfect opportunity for arm-chair managing/second-guessing Leyland.

It started with the lineup. Prior to the game, Leyland announced that Don Kelly (.231) would get the nod at 3B over Wilson Betemit (.288). Despite Betemit's superior numbers, Leyland said he'd platoon the two. Betemit is no savior defensively, but he's at least Kelly's equal. Neither offers much power, but Betemit has already provided clutch hits in his short time as a Tiger. This one should be a no-brainer.

In the early innings, Brad Penny pitched very well. He allowed just 1 run through 6 innings - another Jim Thome homer. The Tigers didn't fare much better. While they had base runners almost every inning, they couldn't string together a rally. They took a 2-1 lead on a Jhonny Peralta home run, but Minnesota took the lead right back on Penny's last pitch -- a 2-run HR to recently-called up Rene Tosoni.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Tigers had an opportunity to do more damage. With Boesch on 1st and Santiago on 2nd (and two outs), Cabrera rocked a shot off the wall in right field. Santiago scored easily, but the ball was hit so hard that Cabrera didn't even have time for a double. That didn't stop Gene Lamont from sending Boesch home. Minnesota's SS, Nishioka, took the relay and even had time to pause before realizing the Tigers were actually trying to score. His throw home easily beat Boesch. Horrible, horrible base-running and coaching by Lamont. Especially considering Victor Martinez (3 hits on the night) was up next.

Then in the 8th, Duane Below gave up a double to Mauer before retiring the next two batters. So, with two outs and a runner on 2nd, up came Jim Thome. With first base open, Leyland decided to still pitch to the guy who already had 3 home runs this series. The only surprise is that his hit wasn't a home run. It was a single. But it still scored Mauer.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs. Betemit pinch hit for Kelly and hit a sacrifice fly. That was the only run they managed that inning, but it at least tied the score. Then Leyland continued his run of awful decisions on the night by bringing in Jose Valverde in the non-save situation.

Now, you'd think a good pitcher is a good pitcher, regardless of situation. Yet, if you follow baseball, that's simply not true. I'm not sure why it is, but some guys thrive as relievers and suck as starters. Some only fare well against lefties. Some only work in the 8th inning but not the 9th. For Jose Valverde, he only works in save situations. It's mental. I can't explain it.

Still, Leyland opted for Valverde in the top of the 9th with the score tied. Thanks to two errors (one from Betemit and a very painful one from Valverde), the Twins loaded the bases with no outs. Valverde heroically struck out Plouffe and Joe Mauer. But the final out proved difficult. Justin Morneau hit a clutch single to score two. And that was the game.

Just another ugly loss by a team desperately clingling to 1st place in the worst division in baseball. Pennant races are supposed to be fun, but John's posting last night summed it up perfectly. We're all once bitten, twice shy. Why get excited by this team? They don't have the goods. They've got Verlander and Cabrera and handful of other fine players (VMart, Papa Grande, Boesch, Avila, and Peralta). Then it's a big drop-off. Their margin for error is extremely thin. So when the manager hurts the situation with a bone-headed hunch (Kelly, Valverde in the 9th), it drives us nuts.

This weekend, the Tigers welcome the Tribe to Detroit. A sweep by either team could spell disaster. Are you psyched? Got pennant fever?

Biding their time?

Over the past several months, the good folks at Nofrownmotown have led you to believe that our beloved Tigers are nothing but pretenders waiting to proven as such. Much of the negativity seems to stem from a "once bitten twice shy" way of thinking. That is, until I found the following. Finally, irrefutable proof that the Tigers are nothing more than poseurs awaiting their utilmate fate: failure.

Please note the runs scored for and against for the various division leaders.

Your 2011 Detroit Tigers

The 2011 Detroit Tigers were on display last night, warts and all. An outsider might think that I bitch too much about a first-place team. There may be some truth to that. The Tigers' situation would be much worse if they swapped spots with the Royals. So why can't we all just enjoy the ride? Part of the problem is Leyland. We're in Year 6 of the Jim Leyland experiment. His teams flirt with greatness, only to ultimately disappoint. While the Tigers are in first place, everybody knows they're nothing more than mediocre.

So, in light of last night's ugly loss to the Twins, when all the Tiger flaws were exposed, let's break down the 2011 Detroit Tigers. What do they lack? Where do they excel? And, note that I'm judging the Tigers against other playoff teams.

Tiger flaws

Starting pitching: It's quite ironic that the team with the leading Cy Young contender would list starting pitching as a flaw. But outside Verlander, the team has no reliable starter. Let's look at August stats. ERA's for August: Scherzer-5.00, Porcello-8.44, Penny-6.00, Fister-6.14.

Yuck. In the last six games, the Tigers have given up 10, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9 runs. This is a key stretch of the season, and they're averaging 6.5 runs/game. Now, there was a point earlier in the season when the starters were among the strongest in the league. Then the bottom fell out. Scherzer did exhibit a strong resolve in Saturday's victory over Baltimore. Perhaps that comeback win will energize him going forward. The Tigers desperately need one of the other starters to carry some of the load.

Bullpen: Just like the starters, the bullpen has one ace (Papa Grande) and a bunch of ne-er do wells. For a few wonderful months, the Amazing Al Alburquerque helped shoulder the bullpen load. Since his injury, the Tigers don't have reliable help in the middle-to-late innings. Case in point: last night. With the game on the line, Leyland calls up lefty-specialist, Dan Schlereth, who was on a role of 5 straight games without a run. Schlereth proceeded to walk his first batter, allowed him to steal 2nd, then gave him 3rd base on a wild pitch. Then walked Justin Morneau. Then gave up a 3-run bomb by Jim Thome. It's not just Schlereth. We've seen similar implosions from Coke, Benoit, Pauley, etc. These cats don't get rocked every game, just enough to lose.

Defense: In fielding% and errors, the Tigers rank 4th-to-last in the AL. This shouldn't be a surprise when the team trots out sub-par defensive players at every position other than CF and C. Last night, the Tigers entered the 3rd inning with a 1-0 lead. The first Twin batter bunted. Wilson Betemit fielded the bunt cleanly but his throw sailed to the wall, granting the batter 2nd base. The next batter hit a grounder to Raburn who bobbled it. Everybody safe (at 3rd and 1st). The next batter scored the runner from 3rd on a ground out (to Peralta). Then two doubles and the Twins had a 3-1 lead.

In that inning, the Twins somehow scored 3 runs on 2 doubles and a bunt.

Team Speed: Or lack of. This should be no surprise, but the Tigers are last in the majors in stolen bases. On the flip-side they've also been caught-stealing the fewest times in the majors. Still, the lack of speed costs the Tigers runs. How many runs? My completely unsubstantiated guess would be roughly 0.5 runs/game. If they had more burners on base, they could score more regularly on singles. Simple as that. A walk could lead to a stolen base. Then a single scores that runner. Yet, the Tigers don't have that luxury. Instead of a run, they'd have a man on 1st and 2nd.

Tiger positives

Overall batting average: While they're not the most clutch team in the league (0-7 with RISP again last night), they do tend to hit the ball well. As a team, the Tigers rank 4th in the AL in batting average. With Maggs now out of the lineup, that average may rise. They're 5th in the AL in runs. So, despite the bad pitching, the team sometimes ekes out wins due to the bats.

Verlander and Papa Grande: Both dudes are having great years, especially Verlander. Take those dudes out of the lineup and the Tigers say hello to last place. They'd fall as quickly as an anvil on Wile E Coyote.

So, that's the 2011 Tigers in a nutshell. They can hit pretty well, but, if Verlander ain't starting, they'll usually lose (46-49).

Throwing Blanks

"The Kid" got lit

Most of the complaints following yesterday's blowout loss to the Tribe will focus on Jim Leyland's inexplicable lineup choices. For reasons unknown, Leyland continues to give days off to All-star Jhonny Peralta, and he also rested 2B Carlos Guillen in what has become - to date - the most important series of the year.

With two games in the bag, the majority of the damage is done. The Tigers' 4 game lead over Cleveland shrunk to 2. Worse, the Tribe maintain a psychological edge. This was the Tigers 13th straight loss in Cleveland. 13! And Cleveland is doing it with rookies and 2nd year players. This isn't the Yankees or Red Sox. This is Jason Kipnis going 5 for 5 (career at bats: 56). This is Cubs' castoff Kosuke Fukudome blistering Porcello for 3 hits (2 doubles).

All told, the Tribe notched 18 hits off Tiger pitching. Don't let Leyland's crappy lineup distract you -- it was the pitching that shoulders responsibility for this disaster. This game was Porcello's most important of the season. Not only was he facing the arch-rival Indians, but the bullpen was shot from the night before. The Tigers desperately needed innings out of this guy. The Indians were in the same boat, and they got 8 strong innings out of Jimenez. Porcello? He gave the Tigers nothing.

Technically, Porcello threw 3.2 innings, but he might as well have stayed home. The Cleveland hitters teed off on Porcello for 11 hits and 8 runs. This game was over in the 4th.

Now, Porcello gave Cleveland an early 1-0 lead in the first. We all hoped he'd settle down. But he came back in the second and gave up 3 more. Still, the Tigers fought back in the fourth. Thanks to a Raburn (!!) triple, the Tigers clawed back to make it 4-3. It seemed the game was ON. Nope. In the bottom of the 4th, Porcello gave up hit after hit. Then Dirks joined the fun by airmailing a throw into the camera well, turning a routine single into an RBI triple. Porcello proceeded to let the runner on 3rd score thanks to his wild pitch. Cleveland fans erupted in a chorus of "DETROIT SUCKS!".

Who can argue with them?

When the Tigers needed Porcello most, he failed. Now, every pitcher has off days. I'm not ready to write this guy off. Yet, this is one of the reasons I hoped the Tigers would be sellers at the trading deadline. Despite his problems, Porcello would command quite a steep price in a trade. He's only 21 and has proven to be a legitimate MLB-caliber pitcher. That has value. Even if the Tigers somehow win this Central (big IF), I don't see them doing any damage in the playoffs. Talent-wise, they are light-years behind the other division leaders, especially Boston and Philadelphia - a team overflowing in riches with Roy Halladay (15-4, 2.51 ERA), Cliff Lee (12-7, 2.83 ERA), Cole Hamels (13-6, 2.53), and Vance Worley (8-1, 2.35 ERA).

Tonight, the Tigers unleash Verlander. Perhaps they can salvage one win and come home feeling a bit better about themselves. As a fan, though, it really doesn't matter. It's clear to me at least that the team is not elite. They're lucky to be where they are. To rub salt in the wound, Curtis Granderson hit his 30th home run yesterday. That's more than Detroit's outfield (Maggs, Jackson, Boesch) combined. As Mrs. Nofrownmotown said yesterday, "If the Yankees want one of your players, perhaps that's a sign that you should keep him." I'm a Dombrowski fan, but man that trade still makes me angry.

0-7

With Mrs. Nofrownmotown out of town at the moment, I've been on single Dad duty. I honestly don't know how folks do it. A little one year old has me run ragged.

As a result, I've had less patience than normal. So when I saw the Tigers couldn't get a friggin' clutch hit last night, I had no difficulty changing the channel to avoid more misery. Now, the team did manage 2 runs. The first run came compliments of a ground out by Don Kelly. With the bases loaded, Kelly hit the ball just soft enough to avoid both the double-play and a throw home. Next up was Austin Jackson. Jackson as well hit a soft ground out that allowed a run to score.

And that was it for clutch "hitting" for the night. The rest of the game -- all 14 innings worth -- the Tigers went 0-7 with runners in scoring position. They left 10 men on base.

This was the first game in a 3-game series with the Tribe. No doubt this series is a chance for the Tigers to lock down first place. Yet, if the first game is any indication, the Tigers are due for another late summer swoon. Six of the Indians nine starters were rookies or 2nd year players. The Tigers' lineup is perhaps the most powerful it's ever been. Yet, when the game was over, the Indians were victorious. That's baseball. And that's the Tigers.

Getaway Game

Raburn at the plate, the crowd waits with baited breath
Mrs. Nofrownmotown and I drove out to the park yesterday to catch the Tigers vs. Rangers game. We braved the 79 degree sunshine and landed decent seats along the right foul line.

Upon taking our seats, I glanced up at the giant scoreboard with the Tigers' lineup:

Dirks, CF

Kelly, 1B

Boesch, LF

Cabrera, DH

Martinez, C

Guillen, 2B

Betemit, 3B

Raburn, RF

Santiago, SS

Now the prospect of staring at Raburn's backside in right field was daunting enough. Worse, Leyland opted to rest four regulars against the 1st place Texas Rangers. With an opportunity to put some serious separation between the Tigers and the rest of the Central, Leyland inexplicably opted to take his foot off the gas.

I can understand resting Jackson in favor of Dirks. Jackson isn't offering much offensively this season. In fact, he's second in the AL with 120 strikeouts. Why he's leading off is anyone's guess. I also understand Martinez catching instead of Avila. It's common practice for the catcher to rest the day game after a night game. Still, Avila was swinging a hot bat. Why not DH the guy?

Leyland also opted to rest Magglio and Peralta. The "logic" in that decision must've been due to the opposing pitcher - Alexi Ogando. Righties are hitting just .178 against the dude. Yet, it's not like lefties are much better. They're hitting just .235. Basically, Ogando is shutting everyone down. After watching Leyland play the righty vs lefty game for five years, I'm convinced it's much ado about nothing. A good hitter is a good hitter, regardless of who's on the mound. Despite his low batting average, Magglio has proven to be a good hitter. He knocked a 2-run home run off the top ERA man in the AL last weekend (Weaver). And Peralta's been one of the hottest hitters on the team all season. This lineup simply can't afford to take those bats out, in favor of Santiago and Raburn.

If Leyland wanted to reward Raburn for his great game the night before (and he did win the game for the Tigers with an 8th inning HR), then, fine, play him. But don't rest Peralta and Avila AND Maggs. That's too much firepower on the bench.

It's like Leyland threw up the white flag before the first pitch was thrown.

Not surprisingly, the Tiger hitters struggled. They struck out 9 times. Cabrera and Martinez managed five hits between them, but the rest of the lineup went 4 for 27 (.148) - all singles. It was a blah game on the heels of three awesome, heart-pulsing wins. Perhaps Leyland's own heart couldn't take another squeaker, so he assured a loss?

Busy weekend in Tiger Town

Crazy game yesterday, as the Tigers dusted off the Angels, splitting the 4-game series.

Verlander dueled with fellow Cy Young-hopeful, Jered Weaver. Both pitchers excelled, though Weaver lost his cool in the 7th. Tension had been brewing since Magglio hit a 2-run shot in the 3rd. Weaver thought Maggs spent too much time admiring his home run, and he jawed at both Maggs and Cabrera, the next batter. (Maggs, by the way, claimed he was waiting to see if the ball was going to curve foul.)

When Guillen hit a solo homer off Weaver in the 7th, Guillen... well... did this:

When Weaver threw at Avila's head in the next at-bat, the ump sent him off.

But this was just one of many sub-plots. Through it all, Verlander was pitching a no-hitter! He carried the no-hitter into the 8th. Erick Aybar led off the inning with an attempted bunt. Verlander fielded the bunt but sent his throw wide of first. Error. Aybar later was caught in a run-down between 3rd and home. He scored after Kelly muffed his throw home. Then the Angels officially broke up the no-hit bid with a single with 2-outs in the 8th.

Papa Grande pitched a scoreless 9th to seal the win.

With the drama, sub-plots, and - in general - awesome pitching, this was perhaps the best game of the year. On these rare-occasions the Tigers look like legitimate playoff contenders. It's no coincidence that these "rare-occasions" usually happen every five games when a certain ace is on the mound. The Tigers show no such excellence otherwise. I've seen this team enough to know that they are no true contender for the World Series.

I've got no trouble with their bats. In fact, it may be their strongest offense this decade. They're 4th in the AL in team batting average. 5th in runs. My concern, of course, is with the pitching and defense. Outside of Verlander, they have no consistent starter, and the bullpen is, in a word, dreadful. If the starters don't carry the game through the 8th inning, the other teams must salivate at the prospect of facing David Purcey (7.23 ERA, 2.20 WHIP (!!!)), Lester Oliveros (5.63 ERA, 1.5 WHIP), Phil Coke (4.85 ERA, 1.5 WHIP), and Daniel Schlereth (4.50 ERA, 1.5 WHIP).

Various other pitchers took their turn in this bullpen merry-go-round: Brayan Villareal (6.75 ERA, 1.94 WHIP), Enrique Gonzales (10.00 ERA, 2.11 WHIP), Chance Ruffin (4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), Robbie Weinhardt (10.80 ERA, 2.4 WHIP). They've got no answers. Defensively, the Tigers are 4th in the AL in errors-committed. Austin Jackson patrols center field with grace and poise. Yet, no other Tiger fielder will contend for a Gold Glove. In fact, they struggle for mediocrity.

This team has holes. Lots of them. This is why I was hoping they'd be sellers at the trade deadline. I know it goes against common sense to be a seller when you're in first place. But this is a very tenuous first place. Currently, the Tigers are 57-51. Their run-differential is -6. For comparison sake, the Red Sox are a +143. The Rangers are +90. The 4th place Blue Jays are a +17!

All month long, we've heard how pitching is at a premium. If the Tigers wanted another starter, they'd have to give up a ton. It's a sellers market. So why can't the Tigers fleece somebody looking for pitching help? I have no doubt Porcello or Scherzer would command a steep price. Instead, Dombrowski gave up a few more young players: Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells, and minor-leaguer Francisco Martinez.

I understand shipping out Furbush and Wells. Neither had a firm spot on the roster. Furbush didn't fit the Dombrowski mold of power-arm. Wells, despite solid defense, didn't heat like last season. I always liked his game, and he may prove to be a competent .280 hitter with power. Yet, he didn't have a spot with Boesch and Dirks ahead in the pecking order. And Wells had more market value than a guy like Raburn. The real killer, though, is third-baseman, Francisco Martinez. The Tigers don't have many decent field players in the minors. Martinez was groomed to take over 3rd next season with Inge likely out of the picture. Martinez spent this season in AA Erie, as a young 20 year old. Through 90 games, he hit .282, with 7 HR and 46 RBI. Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but they're decent for a 20 year old. By contrast, when Boesch was at Erie, he hit .275 with 28 HR and 93 RBI. But Boesch was 24 years old. It's a bit disappointing that the Tigers had to part with any competent field player.

In return, the Tigers received starter Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley. To be fair, they both may significantly help this team. Fister, despite a dreadful 3-12 record, sports a sterling 3.33 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. In his 3 year career, Fister has a 3.81 ERA. Not too shabby. As a Mariner, though, he's not pitching in pressure-packed games. The numbers may change dramatically as he enters this pennant race. Perhaps I'm just gun-shy after Jarrod Washburn. He came to Detroit from Seattle in 2009. After a brilliant 1st half with a 2.64 ERA, Washburn got lit as a Tiger, going 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA. He hasn't pitched since.

As for David Pauley, he may be the unheralded key. Out of Seattle's bullpen, Pauley has a 2.15 ERA and superb 0.99 WHIP. He's having a great season and will step in and be Detroit's 7th inning man-of-choice. When Alburquerque recovers from a short injury spell, the Tiger bullpen may improve significantly.

Still, this is contingent on the new Seattle men pitching according to form. Their new uniform may bring out the worst in them. Let's hope these guys are more Doyle Alexander and less Jarrod Washburn.