Tiger for Life

Strikeout King returns!

The Tigers announced that they agreed to a 2-year extension for Mr. Brandon Inge, aka Strikeout King, Inge=HOF. According to the mLive article, the K King now lives in my neck of the woods, so it's possible I may run into him at Meijer. Should I tell him to choke up?

To be fair, we don't know the dollar figure, and, as discussed previously, Inge is one of the better options available at third base this year. At 2-years, the Tigers aren't committed long-term to El Rey de K.

Inge will suffice, provided the Tigers do upgrade in other areas. Yesterday, mLive reported that the Tigers will be among the teams pursuing free agent catcher Victor Martinez. As a 4-time All-star, Martinez should command somewhere in the $10M-$12M range. Perhaps higher if it's a one year deal. My guess is that he'll return to Boston, but expect Dombrowski to make a push. This is a bit strange considering Martinez never hit well in Comerica, and he's a poor defensive catcher. Should the Tigers, so prone to costly errors, downgrade yet another position? Martinez would be a massive, massive upgrade offensively from Laird and Avila, but at what price?

My hope is they pursue a cheaper, more balanced catcher like John Buck. Buck hit .281, with 20 HR and 66 RBI. He also made his first All-star team this year, so he's entering free agency at just the right time. Yet, he's a career .240 hitter, with not a ton of power lifetime. I'd be wary of over-committing to him, but he might be worth a big payday (in the $7M range) for one or two years. With a stronger glove, he's a better fit for the Tigers.

I hold out hope, though, that the Tigers focus their attention more on corner outfielders. There are some real free agent gems for that position. Or, as Grand Slam posted a while back, why not throw ridiculous money at a Hall of Famer like Cliff Lee? With a staff made up of Lee, Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello, the Tigers could potentially mow teams down. In 2006, the Tigers won with defense and pitching. Sure, the 2011 Tigers may be tough to watch at the plate, but they need to play to their strengths. Comerica Park caters to speed and pitching. Build the team around that.

More of the same

No, the title is not in reference to the Lions' 20th consecutive loss at Lambeau Field. It's actually in reference to Dombrowski offering Strikeout King a multi-year contract. According to the article, Inge is "ecstatic". He should be. I doubt any other team will pony up as much cash as the Tigers.

As much as I poke fun at Strikeout King, I don't hate this move. It's a weak year for free agent 3rd basemen. Inge might be top 3 among that group. Furthermore, the team definitely missed Inge when he was out with an injury. The dude and his alarming strikeout rate were still superior to his Triple-A replacement (Scott Sizemore). The article also stated that Dombrowski would like Peralta back, though not necessarily at the $7.25M club option. When Peralta signed that contract with Cleveland, the economics of baseball were much different. The going rate for Peralta (.249BA, 15HR, 81RBI) would likely be in the $6M range.

So what about Inge? How much should he be worth? This past season, Inge hit .247 with 13 HR and 70 RBI. Those numbers are somewhat comparable to Peralta's with the exception that Inge struck out significantly more often (23% of his at-bats vs 17% for Peralta). Peralta's also hit 80+ RBIs the past three seasons and is only 28 years old. Inge surpassed the 80 RBI plateau once and is 33. Inge may have better defensive range than Peralta, but he also plays an easier position.

How does Inge compare to other 3rd basemen? Seattle's Jose Lopez hit .239, 10 HR, and 58 RBI, all numbers are close to Inge's (albeit not as good). Lopez is significantly younger than Inge, but - like Inge - is a one-time All-star. Lopez will make $4.5M if the Mariners pick up his option for 2011. Oakland's Kevin Kouzmanoff matched Inge's offensive output almost exactly, hitting .247, 16 HR, and 71 RBI (and struck out 40 fewer times despite more at-bats). Kouzmanoff earned $3.1M in 2010. The Dodgers' Casey Blake signed as a free agent this year for $6.25M. He finished the year hitting .248, with 17 HR, 64 RBI, and more strikeouts than Inge. Blake is scheduled to make $5.25M in 2011. I'd say Blake is overpaid.

Part of the reason for Blake's inflated salary is age. As a 36 year old, he's entitled to more cash. As a 33 year old, Inge will also demand more cash than Lopez and Kouzmanoff. My guess is that Dombrowski will shoot for a contract between Lopez's $4.5M and Blake's $5.25M. Inge-haters in Detroit will still think he'd be overpaid at, say, $5M/year, but that would be the going rate.

Heck, Johnny Damon made $8M this season, and only hit 8 HR and 51 RBI (he was also a dreadful .209 with RISP). Damon will not be back next season. No doubt signing players 35+ is a crap-shoot. So, assuming Inge and Peralta return to round-out the infield, with Guillen at 2B and Cabrera at 1st, Dombrowski should still have some cash to throw at the deep outfield free agent pool. My guess is that Dombrowski will at least make an offer to Maggs (again, more of the same), but he should also get in the hunt for Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.

Era of Good Feelings Over

The tide has turned on Jim Schwartz. I guess Lion fans decided his 2-17 record as head coach was not acceptable. Folks around here are not pleased, and, for the first time in two years, his coaching ability is now under the microscope.

Puh-lease.

So, we're gonna blame the head coach again? I will admit that Schwartz made some bone-headed decisions against the Vikings, and I do fault him for some draft picks. Yet, is firing the coach really the answer? It seems to me that bringing in a new coaching staff just sets this franchise back another few years. If Lion fans want something to feel good about, how about the fact that they haven't once this season found themselves down 21-0. They're also not last in Team Defense (they're 3rd to last). So at least they're moving in the right direction.

The problem is that fans of the NFL are repeatedly told that the league is geared for quick turnarounds. Barry Sanders retired in 1998. That's 12 years and counting for the Lions' turnaround. It's nowhere in sight. The fans want wins. They don't care that Stafford is out. Or that Calvin can't get open. Or that the secondary is populated by my middle school teammates. They just want a taste of that elusive W.

Foolish, foolish fans. Have they learned nothing? I didn't claim to be any Nostradamus when I said the Lions would lose to the Bears. Nor was I any wiser when I guaranteed they'd lose to the Vikings. Folks, predicting the Lions will lose is like predicting the Earth will rotate around the Sun. It's just a given. The franchise is the worst in all of sports. No coach, no quarterback, no running back will change that. I'm sorry... that's just the way it is. And guess what? They're going to lose next week too. I know... shocker.

In happier news, the Tigers swept the Twins. If ever there was a time for the Tigers to actually beat up the Twins, you knew it would be in late September after the Twins already clinched the division title. Damn them. Regardless, I'd still rather have the Tigers win than lose, even if the wins don't mean much. James Schmehl of MLive wrote a good piece on the Tigers' offseason. Should be interesting.

And, oh yeah, Brandon Inge is the new strikeout king of the Tigers. Huzzah!

Inge=HOF

With the Tigers officially out of contention, there remains one more reason to watch:

MLive poster neifiperez commented that Inge is shockingly close to setting the Tigers' record for most career strikeouts.

I couldn't believe it, so I checked baseballreference.com. Indeed, it's true. Lou Whitaker, the brilliant Tiger second baseman through the 80s and 90s, currently holds the dubious strikeout lead at 1099. Sweet Lou played 19 seasons, was a 5-time All-star, and won 3 gold gloves. His Hall of Fame chances took a massive hit when he failed to receive enough votes to stay on the ballot, but the former Rookie of the Year could still sneak in with the Veteran's Committee. The same will likely not be said for Mr. Inge.

The one pockmark on Sweet Lou's resume - Tiger strikeout leader - will soon vanish, perhaps as early as this week. Brandon needs a mere eight more Ks to surpass Whitaker and set the Tiger record at 1100. And it may only take Brandon eight more at-bats to accomplish this feat!

Now, I don't want to pile on Inge=HOF. He's been a decent Tiger. But that strikeout record took Whitaker 19 full seasons. HOF will do it in 10.

HOF will be a free agent in the offseason, and Dombrowski will likely make him an offer. I'd vastly prefer DD seek out a different third baseman. Yet, HOF is so dang popular. Folks love this guy, and I do love what he does for the community. I'd love him more if he could hit a friggin' sacrifice fly.