Chicago Cubs

Enough Already with the Jurrjens Remorse

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:45:00 +0000

Last night Armando Galarraga made his 22nd start of the year for the Tigers, defeating the Rangers 11-3 and improving his record to 12-4 and 3.17 ERA. As little as there’s been to cheer about this season, one would think that Galarraga’s emergence as a bona fide starter would be one of them. Instead, Tigers fans seem more fixated on a 22-year-old pitcher who’ll make his 25th start tonight at Shea Stadium, the one with an 11-8 record with a 3.15 ERA: Jair Jurrjens.

Granted, it’s hard not to think about Jurrjens when Edgar Renteria makes an error, lofts another can of corn to left field or otherwise leaves runners stranded. But the reasons — at the moment they made the deal — Detroit sent Jurrjens (and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez) to Atlanta were a) the Tigers needed an upgrade at shortstop (stop laughing), and b) the organization was pitching rich. Also, there were some concerns about Jurrjens durability.

Bottom line: This trade made perfect sense at the time, less sense when Andrew Miller, et al, were shipped to Florida, and no sense when the Tigers find themselves two games under .500 in late August.

It’s too early to say whether Galarraga will be a Jurrjens — or vice versa — but knowing that the former’s likely to be a mainstay on the Tigers staff for the foreseeable future makes watching Jurrjens on TBS a bit more palatable.

Oh…

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:12:00 +0000

…and Happy 38th Birthday, Bobby Higginson.

Talking with Johnny Grubb - Part I

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Yesterday was Johnny Grubb’s 60th birthday. Yes, 60th. I recently had the pleasure of talking with him while doing research for SABR’s book on the 1984 Tigers. (I’ve written the biographies of both Grubb and outfielder Rusty Kuntz.) We spoke about his entire career and focused a lot, of course, on the ‘84 team.

In honor of Johnny Grubb’s birthday, here’s the first of two installments of the discussion. Beginning with the trade that brought him to the Tigers from the Rangers for reliever Dave Tobik.

Mike McClary: What was your mindset coming to Detroit in 1983?

Johnny Grubb: Well, [Rangers manager] Doug Rader called me in his office in spring training when I was with Texas and he told me that they had made a trade.

He used to call me Grubsteaks. He said, ‘Grubsteaks, you’re going to like where you’re going.’ I said, ‘where’s that?’ And he said, ‘Detroit.’

And, of course, if you get traded, that would be a good team to go to because we knew they were strong and getting better each year and right on the verge of being a real, real good ball club. So I was happy to go there.

MMc: Did you know anything about the team in terms of who your new teammates were going to be or Sparky’s reputation?

JG: I knew Sparky’s reputation as a manager from playing against him in the National League. And then, of course, they did have a boy on the team, Mike Ivie, that goes back to when I played minor league ball. He was a teammate of mine, and he was a player with Detroit then. So I was going into a ball club there that at least I knew one guy real well.

MMc: Anything in particular that you needed to do as a player to adjust with Opening Day around the corner?

JG: Actually, I hadn’t had much playing time in spring training in Texas, so I knew something was going to happen. Either they were going to just release me or make a trade. And I didn’t think they would just release me because I felt like I could still play. But I knew because of the lack of playing time in spring training that something was probably going to happen.

So when Doug called me into his office, I figured then this was it. When I went to Lakeland, I didn’t feel like I had to prove anything because Sparky should have known me as a player and pretty much understood my role when I got there. If you can hit, they will find a place for you somewhere, and I felt like I could still swing the stick. So all I had to do is just show them that I was healthy and I could still swing the stick.

MMc: When you got to Lakeland, did Sparky call you in and talk about how he saw you fitting in with the team?

JG: He pretty much called me in and welcomed me to the ball club. He knew I was a veteran player, so you pretty much said the same thing. But I know you’re going to be glad to be with this team. It’s a great bunch of guys, and we’ve got a real good team, we’re real close. So he made you feel good about being part of a team.

Sparky always had a good knack for doing that where he made you feel like he was picking good people that were going to get along together as teammates and always encouraged everybody to go out and work hard. He was a good motivator.

MMc: So that 1983 season, your first year in Detroit, you could probably see the makings of the ’84 team. You had finished behind Baltimore that year. What was the mood of the team and your thoughts going into the off-season in ’83?

JG: Well, I was thinking that we were right there. I mean, we were real close. And knowing the makeup of all your teammates, that first year you get to learn a little bit more about the guys.

So we had a couple guys that left, [John] Wockenfuss left and Glenn Wilson and some of those guys from the ’83 team. But, I mean, my feeling was that we were so close and everybody on the team were hard workers that if we put our minds to it, we could win the whole thing. I think that’s the way most of the guys felt. We work hard, we could win it.

MMc: As a player in the ’83 season finishing in second, was that about as close to first that you were in any point in your career? Obviously, when you got traded to Texas, they were still in the hunt. But was that kind of a first?

JG: Yeah, that was the first team in the major leagues that I played on that we were that close to going to playoffs or anything. San Diego, we never came close. Cleveland, no, and Texas we did that one year when I got traded over there. Of course, that was a month to go. Well, I take it back. I think there was one other team in Texas that we had a chance. And I think because of the strike, we ended up getting shortchanged that we lost a game to Milwaukee that kept us out of the playoffs. Had we won that game, I believe we would have been in the playoffs.

But we had a good team in Texas a couple years. But Detroit, I really sensed that we could get to the playoffs and do well. We had the right group of guys.

Tomorrow: Johnny Grubb talks about the 1984 season.

Pudge Asked for the Trade

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Now this makes sense (from Bill Madden’s column in The New York Daily News):

How could [Yankees' GM Brian Cashman] know the Detroit Tigers’ perennial All-Star and Gold Glove catcher had become disconcerted over the decision of his manager, Jim Leyland, to give an increased percentage of the catching role to Brandon Inge? It seems nobody had an inkling of this until Rodriguez, who is a free agent after the season, asked for a meeting with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski at the team hotel in Cleveland, at which he was the one who suggested a trade to the Yankees.

“They need a catcher and I want to catch every day,” Rodriguez reportedly told Dombrowski. “Why don’t you see if you can work something out?”

And here’s a zinger:

From Cashman’s standpoint, the Yankees had already been asking a lot of Jose Molina, a career backup, and there was also private concern that he might eventually break down. With Rodriguez coming in, those fears have been alleviated, but it remains to be seen how the Yankee pitchers, all of whom apparently love working with Molina, will interact with Rodriguez. Despite Rodriguez’s Hall-of-Fame credentials, his reputation is that he catches for himself.

Not surprisingly, we find out that Scott Boras was just being Scott Boras:

When Dombrowski got to the ballpark in Cleveland, he called Rodriguez into Leyland’s office at which time they made a courtesy call to Rodriguez’s agent Scott Boras, who, predictably, immediately started making demands for compensation to his client in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause. At that point, Rodriguez reportedly got on the phone and told Boras to butt out; that this was his wish and that everything had already been signed off on.

And that about wraps up that story. For now.

A Year Ago Today on The Daily Fungo

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:58:00 +0000

Here’s what we were talking about last year at the Trade Deadline:

Harwell still swinging for the seats
Putting the “Dead” in Trade Deadline
What ails the Tigers? Well, for starters

Three for Thursday

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:14:00 +0000

If you listened to Dave Dombrowski’s comments yesterday, you might believe that he was approached by Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman about trading Pudge Rodriguez. Not so, at least according to the New York Times‘ story:
[A]t 10 a.m. … Cashman received a call from Dave Dombrowski, the president of the Tigers. Cashman says he has always appreciated Dombrowski’s direct style, and Dombrowski hit him with a thunderbolt: he wanted Farnsworth for Rodríguez.
Last night I sent an instant message to Ian Casselberry asking that if the Tigers found a way to win the game, would it (could it?) be considered a possible defining moment for this team? Everything pointed to a loss — especially given the Tigers’ apparently fragile collective psyche. [Insert excuse -- the heat, the cold, fatigue, high expectations, Pudge trade -- here.] Nevertheless, they battled and won. If the stars align and this team is still in the hunt in late September, perhaps this game will be considered a big factor. Then again, let’s see how they respond in today’s finale.
The Tigers enter play today at 13-12 for the month. How bad would they be if not for the 19-8 month of June?

Buster Olney on the Pudge Trade

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:19:00 +0000

10.86059%

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:46:00 +0000

That represents the Tigers’ chances of making the postseason according to BaseballProspectus.com’s postseason odds rating for the Tigers. That’s just Detroit’s odds of making the postseason.

According to BP’s ratings, the Tigers have a 2.08640% chance of winning the A.L. Wild Card, and 8.77418% of winning the World Series.

[Insert cliche here.]

Pudge Follow-up

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Watching ESPN’s report about the Pudge trade to the Yankees. Peter Gammons says:

The Tigers-Pudge relationship “had run its course.”
Jim Leyland told him that the Tigers can’t run Zumaya and Rodney out there every night and the team needed bullpen depth.
The Tigers believe Brandon Inge is ready to take over behind the plate.
“On that stage in New York” Pudge will be inspired to play great.

When you think about it, the fact that Pudge has remained in Detroit this long is astounding. So unhappy was he during the Alan Trammell Era (especially 2005), most wouldn’t have been shocked at a trade back then.

Trading Pudge a No-Brainer

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:36:00 +0000

At the trade deadline in 1996, the Tigers sent Cecil Fielder, the only tradeable commodity at the time, to the Yankees for Ruben Sierra and RHP Matt Drews.

That trade was a no-brainer. The Tigers weren’t going anywhere in ‘96 — little did we know it would be another 10 years before they’d post a winning record — and the Tigers had a young Tony Clark set to take over at first base.

But today’s trade of Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees for former Tiger Kyle Farnsworth raises a much more pressing concern: Who’s going to catch? The easy answer, Brandon Inge. But that’s tonight.

What about next week when Inge needs a night off? Dane Sardinha. Okay. What about next year? Inge? All year?

It could be that simple. And I think it is. The Tigers could be rewarding Inge with the full-time catcher’s role four years after Pudge arrived from Florida and took Inge’s job.

The Tigers know that Inge is still smarting from his third-base job being taken by Miguel Cabrera in the offseason and then Carlos Guillen in May. I don’t think they can afford to yank his chain again.

So Brandon Inge is the Tigers catcher.

And between now and Spring Training, Dave Dombrowski will be looking high and low for a seasoned backup as well as a long-term solution.

Of course, Dombrowski may have another trade in the works, perhaps one including Guillen in a trade for a catcher. Then, Inge moves back to third. But I doubt it.

As for Farnsworth, he gives Jim Leyland another cannon in the bullpen for the seventh and eighth innings. All in all, I think it’s an even swap. Like Pudge, Farnsworth isn’t likely to return to Detroit next year, but who knows?

My heart says it’s tough to see Pudge go. It’s almost a cliche now, but it also happens to be true: His signing with the Tigers in 2004 gave this team instant credibility and served as the foundation for a pennant winner. No minor accomplishment.

My head says, this one, just like Big Daddy to the Yankees in ‘96, is a no-brainer.

The Detroit Tigers Podcast #56: An Interview with Author Bill Anderson

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Welcome to The Detroit Tigers Podcast, the podcast for Tigers fans, by Tigers fans. This is Episode #56, a 59-minute podcast about the Detroit Tigers recorded live from Scottsdale, Arizona U.S.A.

Listen to show in the sidebar podcast player —>

In this episode we talk with Bill Anderson, the founding director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, and the author of The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers History, published by Wayne State University Press.

His other books include:

They Died to Make Men Free: History of the 19th Michigan Infantry
We are Sherman’s Men: The Civil War Letters of Henry Orendorff

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

•••

Comments? Leave a message on the listener line: (602) 903-5174.

Theme music for the podcast produced by Paul Minshall.

The Detroit Tigers Podcast is not affiliated in any way with the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club or Major League Baseball.

Game 106: Tired Tigers Wake Up

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:05:00 +0000

The Score: Tigers 8 - Indians 5

The Gist: Armando Galarraga is to the Indians as Paul Byrd is to the Tigers. Well, not quite, but Galarraga beat the Tribe for the third time this year, Tigers hitters were spared batting practice and turned it on, you know, during a game. But back to Galarraga: three runs over 5.1 innings to earn his ninth win of the year — more than Justin Verlander, folks. (For now.) Brandon Inge stroked three hits including a two-run homer and a double. Miguel Cabrera also went yard as he, Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen and Matt Joyce collected two hits apiece.

The Quote: “We keep winning, we can come in at 6:15 every night for all I care. The guys liked it, so we’ll have a little fun with it and keep them fresh at the same time.” — Jim Leyland on the Tigers skipping BP on Tuesday night.

The Stat: 20. The combined number of balls thrown by Freddy Dolsi and Fernando Rodney — out of a total of 36. Both threw 18 pitches, eight of them strikes. Sigh.

Up Next: Tigers @ Indians

Nate Robertson (6-8, 5.63) vs. Cliff Lee (14-2, 2.29)

Tigers Interested in LaTroy Hawkins?

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

So says Jason Beck:

He’s owed little more a third of his $3.75 million salary that he signed with the Yankees. Interest in Hawkins has also been linked to the Twins, his original team with which he spent the first nine years of his big-league career. The 35-year-old right-hander went 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA with New York this season, allowing 42 hits over 41 innings with 17 walks and 23 strikeouts.

A ho-hum move or just about right?

Will Work for Runs - Cubs 2 Marlins 3

admin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:01:00 +0000

Game One Hundred Three - Cubs 2 Marlins 3
WP - Justin Miller (3-2) LP - Bobby Howry (3-4) Save - Kevin Gregg (21)

Bases loaded in the 6th....2nd and 3rd in the 7th....and 2nd and 3rd in the 8th, the Cubs had their chances but could not buy a hit when they needed one the most. Lou Piniella's crew left 6 runners in scoring position in 3 of the last 4 innings and a total of 11 left on base on Friday afternoon at the Friendly Confines. The Cubs out hit the Marlins but lost in the column that matters most.

Lou Piniella was fired up for obvious reasons after the game. Piniella said, "The defense is fine. What we need is offense. OFFENSE! We need some hitting. I'm looking for people that can hit....that's what I'm looking for. We need to put runs up with a little more consistency."

Ryan Dempster gutted out a decent performance on a day he struggled with his command. Dempster walked a season-high 6 batters but gave up only 2 hits and made the big pitch when he needed one. Dempster allowed only 1 run in 6 innings and when he turned the game over to Jeff Samardzija he was in position to win his 12th of the year.

Jeff Samardzija made his Major League debut in the 7th inning with mixed results. Samardzija hit the high 90's consistently with his fastball and struck out Alfredo Amezaga, the first batter he faced. Samardzija gave up a single to Hanley Ramirez on a 0-2 pitch then allowed Ramirez to take 2nd on a pitch out, Samardzija threw the ball over Geovany Soto's head. With the tying run on 2nd, Luis Gonzalez flied out to center, Ramirez advanced to 3rd and scored on a double to left by Jorge Cantu. Samardzija blew the save but might have given Lou Piniella a power arm in the pen that can throw strikes. The Shark retired the Marlins in order in the 8th and struck out 2 without a walk in 2 innings on 31 pitches, 23 for strikes.

When asked about Samardzija following the game Piniella said, "The new kid threw the ball well. Good stuff and showed some good poise. He's going to help us."

The Cubs offense continued to struggle and has yet to show any consistency in the second half. The 2 runs they scored came off solo home runs by Geovany Soto and Reed Johnson. Soto's 17th in the 2nd tied the game and Johnson's 5th gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the 5th. Derrek Lee appeared to add a tack on run in the 5th with a 2-out single to left but Alfonso Soriano was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Many will point the finger at Bobby Howry for Friday's loss and while he gave up the pinch-hit home run to Jeremy Hermida in the 9th, and has been horrible of late, he should have not been on the mound in a 2-2 game....the offense had plenty of chances to put the game away before the game's final inning.

The Cubs lost for just the 13th time at home this year and slipped to 17 games over .500 on the season.

The Final Five

admin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:47:00 +0000

Crain's Chicago Business has identified the Final Five bidders for the Cubs. They are:

Mark Cuban
Tom Ricketts
Hersch Klaff
Leo Hindery
Michael Tokarz/Fred Malek

The final two on the list are combining their previously individual bids. Unless something outlandish occurs, the Cubs new owner is likely on the above list.

It's just too bad none of them look like Tricia Helfer.