Yesterday was a tough day for Miguel Cabrera. And Tiger fans.
Not only did the Tiger representatives go a combined 0-5... and not only did the American League lose, but the parade of former Tigers at the All-star game was an ugly gut-punch.
Now, I'm a Dombrowski apologist. I remember the days before he arrived. The Tigers were mired in obscurity, not unlike the Lions. True, Dombrowski sacrificed the entire '03 season, trotting out a Triple-A squad at Comerica. But at least that dreadful '03 season allowed the opportunity to draft Verlander. Slowly, Dombrowski did bring the Tigers back to respectability. He overpaid to bring in Pudge and Maggs - two guys key to the rebound and the incredible run in '06. He also convinced Ilitch to open his checkbook to sign young draft picks that were too pricey for most other teams (Verlander, Porcello, Perry, Jacob Turner). He traded Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller for the best hitter in the American League. Yet, that trade also brought in Dontrelle Willis and his train-wreck of a Tiger career.
When most folks fault Dombrowski, it's usually due to his trade record. Dombrowski made a brilliant trade in '05 bringing Polanco to the Tigers for Uggie Urbina. Urbina finished the season with the Phillies and then found himself in a Venezuelan prison after an attempted murder. But Polanco flourished with Detroit. He was a premier 2nd baseman. Polanco wanted to stay with the Tigers. Yet, Dombrowski, inexplicably, opted not to sign Polanco after his Gold Glove '09 season. Does DD regret that decision? I would venture he does every time he hears the phrase: "Starting at second base... Ryan Raburn."
Placido Polanco was perhaps the most painful player for Tiger fans to watch in the All-star game. Next on that list? Jair Jurrjens.
Now Jurrjens is usually Exhibit A in the case against Dombrowski. For many Tiger fans, Jurrjens may be the toughest player to watch succeed elsewhere. Yet, for me, I didn't loathe the Jurrjens trade at the time. The Tigers called Jurrjens mid-season in '07. He started 7 games, going 3-1 with a 4.70 ERA. That's not a sparkling ERA by any means, but he did show potential with a 1.1 WHIP. Atlanta thought enough of Jurrjens to take him in exchange for Edgar Renteria. That season, Renteria was one of the best hitters in all of baseball with a .332 average. The Tigers needed a short-stop to replace Carlos Guillen who's body was breaking down and no longer had short-stop range. Acquiring the professional hitter Renteria for Jurrjens seemed a no-brainer.
Renteria flamed out as a Tiger, hitting just .270, while Jurrjens rewarded the Braves with progressively awesome stuff, leading to his first All-star appearance this season. He's currently 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA. Those numbers surpass even Verlander. Once again, the Tigers gift the Braves an ace.
A lesser-but-still-painful player to watch in the All-star game was Curtis Granderson. The only consolation to the Granderson trade is that the jury is still out. Last season, most Tiger fans were content, as Granderson underperformed and Austin Jackson finished 2nd in rookie-of-the-year voting. Phil Coke, a throw-in for the deal, also seemed to have a bright future. Everything flip-flopped this year. Granderson put up MVP-level numbers, with 25 HR, 63 RBI, 15 SB. Austin Jackson spent most of the first half hovering around .200, and Phil Coke was demoted to the bullpen after a failed attempt at starting. At least the Tigers saved money. Granderson's take-home is 2,954% larger than Jackson's.
Unfortunately, we're still not done.
Another ex-Tiger in the All-star game -- and perhaps the biggest surprise of them all -- was Matt Joyce. Some Tiger fans fell in love with Joyce's big bat in the Summer of '08. Joyce stepped into the spot vacated by Greg Monroe and provided decent pop (12 HR) for a part-time player/rookie. And he was a lefty! But Dombrowski had other plans. He parlayed Matt Joyce - a moderately successful rookie - into a certified big league starting pitcher, Edwin Jackson. It seemed a brilliant stroke, and, in many ways, it was. Starters are tough to come by. Tougher, at least, than a power-hitting outfielder. Jackson dominated as a Tiger, making his first All-star team, but faded surprisingly late in the season. Jackson's issues in August and September of '09 were amplified due to the pressure-cooker of a pennant race. He simply didn't deliver in crunch time. Jackson was sent packing for Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth. The jury is still out on Scherzer. He's shown flashes of absolutely dominant stuff. Yet, he's also been lit up like a Christmas tree. Which Scherzer is the real Scherzer?
Matt Joyce, meanwhile, started slowly with the Marlins. This year, he finally put it together, hitting .290 with 12 HRs. Those aren't stellar All-star numbers, but he made it nonetheless. I admit, I was pretty surprised to see him walk up to the plate last night. It seemed a bit bizarre -- Matt Joyce, American League All-star. But he did well and notched a hit. He kills the Tigers every chance he gets, further angering Tiger fans. Yet, I bet every GM in the league trades Matt Joyce for Max Scherzer straight-up. Starters are that valuable. Even inconsistent ones.
I have no problem with some of the players DD gets. Even Renteria. Who could have guessed the level of his suckiness and then the next year he's the World Series MVP. My issue with DD is the money he pays which then handcuffs him to the player. It seems like he rewards players for past performance instead of current performance like Nate Robertson (he was a bulldog on the mound) and then paying him to play for another team. And I liked Nate. Shouldn't there be more stipulations in these contracts, like, if Willis has a mental breakdown, he is only give 40% of his contract for that year.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that would be nice. It's one of the disparities between MLB and NFL. Somehow, the players in the NFL have just a fraction of the power of those in the MLB. Contracts, somehow, are guaranteed in baseball. Even if you have a mental breakdown (D-Train). Or get injured all season (Troy Percival). Or just start sucking (Nate).
ReplyDeleteIn football, if you get cut, you get nothing (in most cases). That's why the signing bonuses are so huge. Perhaps the players union in football should talk to their counterparts in MLB?
And to add insult to injury, there was the oblique strain Miggy picked up. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHad the Tigers not made the Renteria deal, Jurrjens would have been in the Cabrera trade, not Andrew Miller.
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