Team Dynamics and possible problems

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tigers: Notebook
Tigers won't get too comfy
Leyland vows neither hitters nor pitchers will pass the responsibility onto their teammates.
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Every big league team has its challenges, and just maybe, the Tigers have a new hassle brewing.

It's that batting order for 2008.

At certain ironic moments in a game, there might be too muchpotential offense in their lineup.

Manager Jim Leyland spoke of a conversation he had in the past month with ex-Yankees coach Don Mattingly, who mentioned seasons when the Yankees had dynamite hitters throughout the lineup.

"Every now and then," Leyland said, quoting Mattingly, "you'd see batters think that the next guy would drive the runners in.

"It's kind of an individual thing," said Leyland, who believes any temptation to get overly relaxed on the part of the Tigers' hitters will be isolated and quickly handled by the manager.

"I'll be on top of it," he said.

Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez said the same potential exists with Tigers pitchers.

Hernandez wants the starters and relievers to make double sure no one gets careless with any pitches just because Miguel Cabrera, Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones have joined a batting order that already was hefty.

"We can't get complacent about our offensive capabilities," Hernandez said.

It appears as if a stern class in Tigers Psychology 101 is on tap for the early weeks of spring training when the team convenes next month in Lakeland, Fla.


The new digs

Cabrera got a fresh look at Comerica Park during Saturday's TigerFest.

"A lot of doubles," the Tigers new muscular third baseman said, grinning as he acknowledged the extreme acreage in the stadium's outfield.

Cabrera will be adjusting to another reality associated with Detroit: cold weather. It promises to be a more regular experience than a native Venezuelan had playing for his old team, the Florida Marlins, who dealt with 30- and 40-degree temperatures only during road games.

"When I play baseball," he said, "I don't care how cold or hot it is."

He added: "We've got hot coffee, too."

A writer among them

Tigers closer and part-time newspaper columnist Todd Jones intends to keep a daily log during the upcoming season, and he is considering turning it into a book if the team's fortunes suggest such a venture.

Jones is more inspired by the offseason crush of ticket-buyers who threaten to turn the Tigers' home schedule into a season-long sellout.

"I can remember years I'd get so (ticked) off at Tiger Stadium," said Jones, who pitched for the Tigers during an earlier -- and far less glorious -- stint, from 1997-2001. "Cleveland would be sold out, so all the fans would come up here."

Now, Jones said, Tigers road games could take on an even more friendly atmosphere than they often did during the 2006 and '07 seasons, when transplanted fans and traveling rooters showed up in big numbers for road series.

"People are gonna have to travel to other towns to watch us now," Jones said, although, for the record, ample seats will be available for all Comerica Park home games when single-game ticket sales begin March 1.

For starters

Hernandez has thoughts on the challenges facing all of the Tigers' starting pitchers next season, including newcomer Dontrelle Willis , a left-hander who had an off-year in 2007.

"One thing that stands out with him," Hernandez said, "is that when he's good, he has the ability to get the ball in on right-handers.

"He can stick a fastball up here," Hernandez said, indicating a high and tight area of the strike zone. "Coming out of a left-hand delivery, that's a good part of his equation.

"But especially in this league," Hernandez said, speaking of the American League and its use of the designated hitter, "if you make mistakes, those mistakes don't return (don't stay in the ballpark)."

He had other thoughts, too.

On right-hander Jeremy Bonderman 's progression: "I've got a lot of confidence in him. I guess I have more than any (fans).

"But as he wasn't feeling good last season, things deteriorated. That guy pitched with a bad elbow for a long time."

On the matter of Nate Robertson , and the left-hander's reputation for losing tough-luck games: "He shouldn't have that tendency any longer. I don't think with this team we need to make that a discussion."

You can reach Lynn Henning at (313) 222-2472 or lynn.henning @detnews.com.

Team chemistry is tough to control, but very important. I hope Leyland does as good a job as I think he will handling all our talent. I am dying to start the season...