Leading Off

Maybe, just maybe
This post-season has provided many revelations to Tiger fans. We spent weeks watching the Tigers compete with the AL Central, pummeling them into submission. It was easy to overlook Tiger deficiencies when they're in the midst of a 12 game win streak.

Now, though, they're facing the very best. Dave Mayo posted on mLive prior to the ALCS that the Rangers are a 5-tool team. That has held true. They hit for average and power. They've got team speed. They can defend. And they can pitch. They've got arms to handle innings 1-9. If a starter gets knocked around? No worries. The 'pen can pitch 7 shutout innings, no problem.

Yeah, they're a strong team, built for playoff success. The Tigers? Not so much.

That's not a horrible slight. The Yankees, with their massive payroll, aren't built for playoff success any more than the Rangers. In fact, the Yankees and Tigers are quite similar. While the Tigers have slightly stronger starting pitching, the Yankees have slightly stronger bats. It's a decent balance and explains why the ALDS could've gone either way.

Yet, the Rangers proved through five games to be the superior team in most facets of the game. Now, this is sports, and, of course, anything can happen in Games 6 and 7. The Tigers may catch fire. Who knows? But if the Tigers are to build for long-term success, they need some alterations. And I think Dave Dombrowski knows clearly what to address when he heads to the Winter meetings in December.

The good news is that the starting pitching definitely stepped up in the clutch. Even if Max gets bombed in Game 6, that does not discount his stellar performances to date. I think it's safe to say that the Tigers move forward next season with JV, Fister, Max, and Porcello. The last two exhibited a ton of inconsistency, but they also exhibited serious moxie. The fifth starting spot is up in the air.

In the field, the Tigers are set at every position but 2nd base. Carlos Guillen's big contract comes off the books, and I doubt the Tigers re-sign him, unless it's a minor-league contract. Guillen may just retire after multiple injury-plagued seasons. Santiago is a fine 2nd baseman, but he's more valuable as a utility infielder. He doesn't mind the role, and his bat seems to be fine playing every 2 or 3 days.

I'd love to see an opening at 3rd base, but Inge has one more year on his contract. After his heroics in the playoffs, I can't imagine Dombrowski replacing him. It's possible the Tigers may re-sign Betemit as insurance. Betemit may not draw a ton of interest elsewhere, and the Tigers could use his switch-hitting ability. He's failed in the playoffs, but he was excellent in the regular season. He hit .292 with 19 RBIs in just 40 games with the Tigers. With Inge, Don Kelly, and perhaps Betemit, third base is set.

In the outfield, the Tigers have options. Delmon Young and Austin Jackson will return in left and center, respectively. And Boesch will likely be the first choice in right field. Backing up those fellas will be Don Kelly and Andy Dirks. No need to break the bank for a free agent at these spots.

As for catcher, the Tigers desperately need a backup to Avila. And that player is not Victor Martinez. V-Mart's bat is way too valuable to risk his body to injury by playing catcher. V-Mart should spell Cabrera at 1st base, and that should be his only spot in the field. Emergency catcher perhaps. But if V-Mart could spend ample time at 1st, that would give Miggy some rest after playing every-single-friggin-day.

Offensively, the Tigers are mostly set, with one gaping hole. Leadoff.

Austin Jackson and his strikeouts are not cutting it. That may just be the Tigers' biggest deficiency when compared to these other teams. Austin provides incredible defense and, for that, he deserves a spot on the team. But he's a true #9 hitter.

So, the Tigers need a 2nd baseman, a backup catcher, a leadoff hitter, and a 5th starter.

Ideally, the 2nd baseman can also be the leadoff hitter. There are capable options out there. I dug through the list of 2012 free agent 2nd baseman, focusing on on-base percentage and stolen bases. The top option is Brandon Phillips. He hit .300, with 18 HR, and 82 RBI. 14 stolen bases, and a .353 on-base percentage. The bad news is that the Reds have a $12M club option to retain him. They'll likely use it.

Another option is Omar Infante. He had a down year after his first All-star season, hitting just .276 with a weak .315 OBP. He's not a base-stealing threat, with just 47 for his career. Yet, his OBP for '09 and '10 averaged .360. That's solid. He's not an ideal lead-off hitter, but he'd be an upgrade from Jackson.

Perhaps the cheapest option is to take a flyer on 36 year old Orlando Cabrera. He could platoon with Ramon, should the Tigers opt to keep him. Cabrera's best days are behind him (only 8 stolen bases in '11), but he may fit in a limited role. It wasn't long ago ('08) that he hit .281 (.334 OBP) with 18 stolen bases. Perhaps he could regain the magic for another season.

Better options exist for trade, but the Tigers don't have many pieces to offer in exchange. Would they be willing to part with a starting pitcher? Doubtful. Or a prospect like Jacob Turner? Perhaps. But their minor league system is not deep. DD will likely focus on free agents.

The 5th starter spot is where I think DD has best chance to make a splash. With Maggs' and Guillens' salaries coming off the books ($23M!!), the Tigers should have money to spend. The best candidate in my opinion, is the first name on the free agent list - Mark Buehrle. He's a lefty and still somewhat young (32). He plays for the rival ChiSox, but, with Ozzie Guillen gone, perhaps Buehrle wants a change of scenery. Management sorta gave up on the Sox last season. That might sway him to sign with a different team. The Tigers desperately need a lefty starter. Buehrle would give the Tigers a very strong staff, perhaps the strongest in the AL, if Fister and JV continue their run of form.

If not Buehrle, there are other options, but none as enticing. Sure, CJ Wilson (who we saw with the Rangers) is a free agent. But I can't imagine him leaving. Former Tigers Edwin Jackson and Freddy Garcia are available. They'd likely be better than Penny. So, my guess is we'll see DD make some deal. The only question is how BIG a deal.

To The Pain

If you're reading this blog you're likely familiar with The Princess Bride. And if you're familiar with the movie, you'll hopefully recall the duel Westley proposes with Humperdinck:

Humperdinck: First things first, to the death.

Westley: No. To the pain.

Humperdinck: I don't think I'm quite familiar with that phrase.

Westley: I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog-faced buffoon.

Humperdinck: That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me.

Westley: It won't be the last. "To the pain" means the first thing you lose will be your feet, below the ankles, then your hands at the wrists. Next, your nose.

Humperdinck: [losing his patience] And then my tongue, I suppose. I killed you too quickly the last time, a mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.

Westley: I wasn't finished! The next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by your right —

Humperdinck: [exasperated] And then my ears. I understand! Let's get on with it —

Westley: WRONG! Your ears you keep, and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God, what is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. That is what "to the pain" means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.

Nelson Cruz and the Rangers have cut the Tigers to the pain. Not a simple death thrust sweep where fans of our beloved Tigers never get their hopes up. No, this series has been close - agonizingly close, yet the Tigers are down 3 games to 1 with a completely dejected fan base. They're slowly, methodically ripping away hope.

The Comerica Park faithful endured nearly 3 hours of rain delay to watch what was supposed to be an afternoon game end near midnight. And as payment for waiting, cheering, hoping, rooting, putting on rally caps, and believing, they saw the home team come tantalizing close to a win, only to erupt in flames and give the game (and the series?) to the Rangers.

Part of me wants to rail on Leyland for continuing to bring Valverde in in non-save situations, I could go on and on about his failures there, but quite frankly, I don't have the energy. Likewise, I don't have the energy to discuss Gene Lamont's failings as a base coach, or the Tigers' collective baserunning faults, we could go there, but that's not the point.

Going into this series, Mr. NFMT and I discussed the relative strengths of the Rangers and the Tigers, and with the exception of Verlander, it appeared that the Rangers were simply a stronger team. Yet, even with Justin losing game 1, the Tigers appeared to have some life in this series. Every game has been close (even if the final scores of the extra inning games belie that). Yet, the closeness feels simply like the Rangers are dueling the Tigers to the pain.

"Dear God, what is that thing?!"

That, my dear, is a Tiger fan. With his heart ripped out, left in anguish, wallowing in what-ifs forever (or at least a winter).

Bronx Baseball Bubbly

The Tigers did the unthinkable. They somehow beat a strong Yankees team in a deciding Game 5 at Yankee stadium. This was no New York City mugging. This was a sly pick-pocket, worthy of the Artful Dodger on his best day.

Don Kelly and Delmon Young got things going early with back-to-back bombs. That was a good sign for the Tiger faithful. With the way Nova owned the Tiger lineup in Game 1, it was a relief to get some knocks on him. At the time, though, the first two Tiger runs were seen only as the first of many. The Tiger bats would need to keep pounding away if they had any chance to beat the Yankees, right? Prior to the game, I felt the magic number was 6. The Yankees would likely score 4 runs off the Tigers' starter, Doug Fister, and then get 1 more off the 'pen. So, if the Tigers managed 6 runs, they had a great shot to win.

Well, they didn't come close to 6. They managed just half of that. And still won. Thanks to some clutch, gut-wrenching pitching by Fister, Scherzer, Benoit, and Papa Grande.

Fister pitched in stress all night. With the series on the line in a setting as raucous and intimidating as Yankee Stadium, that's no surprise. The Yanks went 1-2-3 in the first inning. Then didn't go 1-2-3 again until the fateful bottom of the 9th. The Yankee bats continued their mastery of the strikezone. They simply did not swing at balls. Their patience was something to behold. They forced the Tigers to throw a whopping 173 total pitches. But the Tiger arms did just enough.

Fister lasted 5 innings, giving up one run on a monster HR by Cano. The 5 innings may not seem like a strong start, but, for a kid earning the league minimum facing off against the $196 million Yankees, Fister's 92 pitch gem impresses me as much as a regular season no-no. Scherzer, the hero of Game 2, entered in relief and continued his unlikely good fortune against the Yankee lineup. Scherzer left after registering just 4 outs, but it's fair to say he pitched a whale of a game. That's how tight every at-bat, nay, every pitch was in this tense affair.

Benoit relieved Scherzer in the 7th after Scherzer notched 1 out and then ceded a swinging bunt single to Jeter. And it was another roll of the dice by Leyland, hoping Benoit could last the 7th and 8th. Benoit immediately gave up a single to Granderson, and then a swinging bunt knubber by Cano. The bases were loaded with one out. I had a dreadful feeling the Tigers' season would be decided by two swinging bunts! The ultimate irony against such a powerful offense as the Yankees. But fortune smiled on the Tigers last night. Benoit struck out Alex Rodriguez. Then walked Texeira (giving the Yanks their 2nd and last run of the night) and then struck out Nick Swisher.

Benoit's job didn't get much easier in the 8th. The Tiger bats fell silent after the 5th inning, and it looked like tack-on runs were unlikely to say the least, Benoit had to make that one-run lead hold. Benoit quickly got the first two outs. Then gave up a single to the pesky Brett Gardner (batting .412 for the series). The next batter, Derek Jeter, took Benoit's first pitch and sent it deep into right field. Don Kelly raced back to the warning track. He turned around, just a foot or two from the wall. As the ball floated onward, Kelly inched backward. He said, "I could feel the fans breathing." It was an agonizing few seconds. Kelly stopped inching backward, and the ball fell calmly into the soft-bound stitching of his mitt.

New York fans threw their arms up in despair. How much closer can they get?! They left the bases loaded against Fister. Then again against Benoit. Then a warning track tease by Jeter!

After such dramatics, it was a massive come-down to see Mariano Rivera need just five pitches to register all 3 outs in the top of the 9th. Clearly, the Tigers had no choice but to let Valverde decide their fate. Could he save their butts for the 51st time in a row?

This was indeed the 2011 Detroit Tigers. Never easy to watch.

Papa Grande did not disappoint. He left his theatrics in Detroit this time. Curtis Granderson worked a full count, but eventually flied out. Then came Cano. He surprised everyone by swinging at the first pitch, which sawed off his bat. The ball flew toward Austin Jackson. Jackson had a little difficulty judging the trajectory then calmly caught the curving liner near his hip. 2 outs. With Alex Rodriguez looming.

A-Rod flubbed his chance in the 7th inning with the bases loaded. Now was his shot at redemption. Standing in his way was a beer-belly (that would make Homer Simpson proud) and a wicked split-finger fastball. Papa Grande did not waste time. Strike, strike, ball, and then the glorious strike three.

Valverde celebrated, but it wasn't his usual dance-reel highlight. It was a shout and jump of pure elation. The moment provided all the theatrics necessary.

In the locker-room, with champagne pouring down his head, Valverde looked penitent. He clearly regretted his prediction after Game 2 that the series was "over." He talked no trash and radiated no boastful confidence. He was relieved and thankful that his pitches made their way over the plate.

Now the Tigers move on, to face perhaps an even stronger team. It's tough to match the Yankee bats, but the Rangers certainly come close. JoKo thinks the Rangers are stronger. That's possible. The Rangers do boast a much stronger pitching staff than the Yankees. Despite pitching in a hitter-friendly park, the Rangers have a team ERA of 3.79. The Tigers? At Comerica? 4.04.

How good are the Rangers' starters? Well, they didn't even use their rookie starter Alexi Ogando, who absolutely dominated the Tigers during the regular season. The Rangers have arms to spare.

But this is the playoffs. As the Tigers proved in Game 5, anything is possible.

B**** Slap

Granderson makes us pay

First off, let me apologize for my absence.
I intended nofrownmotown to be a daily or near-daily dose of Detroit-centric sports commentary. Lately, though, my available time to write diminished. I wrote every other day, then twice a week, then nothing. It's a pattern that I hope to reverse. At what point, I'm not sure. But nofrownmotown will return. That, I promise.

On to the Tigers.
Man, that was ugly. In the first inning of Game 4, I commented to Mrs. Nofrownmotown about how smart the Yankees are. With Jackson on third and two outs, AJ Burnett quickly fell behind Cabrera 2-0. At that point, the Yankees opted to intentionally walk the big man. Most times this season, teams opted to pitch to Cabrera only to regret it later. The Yanks felt no shame in the intentional walk. And, thanks to a stellar catch by Granderson, they escaped the inning with no runs allowed. That would be the theme of the night... at least early on -- great play by Granderson kills Tigers. Whether it's an acrobatic catch or a 2-run clutch double, Granderson simply punished Tiger fans. It's brutal to watch. He was everyone's favorite Tiger. The fans didn't want him traded. And now Curtis is rubbing salt in the wound.

At work yesterday, I overheard a co-worker say, "I guess we're gonna play Texas" after the Rangers took down Tampa Bay. It was at that point, I knew the Tigers would lose. A casual comment like that reverberates loudly in the karmic sporting world. Why jinx it like that? Because the media has piled on AJ Burnett like he's Dontrelle Willis? This is not a perfect Tiger team. They have holes. Man for man, the Yankees are superior. It's really not much of a comparison. Should it be any surprise the Yankees won the game off Kid Rick? Not really. We just all really hoped the Tigers would clinch at home. It would be a feel good story in what has been an incredible autumn season in Detroit.

So now the Tigers head back to New York. Fister matches up against the rook Nova -- the same dude who dominated Tiger bats in Game 1. It doesn't look good. The Tigers must not only beat Nova but also the frenetic Yankee fans, the ageless Derek Jeter, and the superhuman Curtis Granderson. It's a tall order. Still, I contend the Tigers have a chance. They've surprised us all season long. Just when we'd write them off, they'd pull off something special. Is it probable? No. Is it possible? You bet.

Some things need to go their way, of course. The Tiger lineup simply can't afford those wasted at-bats by Wilson Betemit and Alex Avila. Both players look simply lost. I can't believe I'm writing it, but Inge should start at third. I guess Leyland knew what he was doing all along. Inge has been vastly superior to Betemit in this series. With Avila, there's no other option. He must start at catcher. But he's a smart enough player to understand he's got to improve. If he's not seeing the ball well, at least force the pitcher to throw strikes. Maybe he can foul off a couple to ramp up the pitch count. He just can hack away at the first pitch. I'd also bring Maggs back in. The Tigers need to bring their top bats to the table. That includes Magglio. My lineup:

CF Jackson
RF Magglio
LF Delmon
1B Cabrera
DH Martinez
SS Peralta
C Avila
SS Santiago
3B Inge

It's possible Leyland swaps out Raburn for Santiago, but otherwise I think that's what we'll see Thursday. They need to jump on Nova early. Don't let him find a rhythm. And pray that Fister finds some magic.