Leyland planning 'drastic' lineup shakeup

05/04/2008 3:15 PM ET
Leyland planning lineup shakeup
Tigers manager has 'drastic' changes in mind for Monday
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The lineup changes Tigers manager Jim Leyland slept on Saturday night yielded one move for Sunday's series finale against the Twins at the Metrdome. First baseman Miguel Cabrera moved into the third spot in the order for the first time this season.

That's it for the lineup changes ... for now.

"I'm going to shake things up a little bit here shortly," Leyland said Sunday morning.

By shortly, he means Monday at home against Boston. The shakeup won't include personnel changes, but like Cabrera, the bats that have been in the lineup all along could find themselves in different spots.

"Same pieces," Leyland said, "but quite a bit different."

Or as he later put it, "I think you'll find it pretty drastic."

It'll mean little, of course, unless the Tigers can get different results from it than they've had so far.

Cabrera batted fifth in all 30 of his previous games this season. However, he hit third for most of the past two years with the Florida Marlins. Leyland went into Spring Training saying he would bat either Cabrera or Gary Sheffield in the third spot, with the other batting fifth. He soon settled on Sheffield at No. 3, in part for the slugger's ability to work pitchers and get on base.

Sheffield had Sunday off, a day of rest that Leyland had already been planning the past few days. Sheffield started the past eight games after returning from shoulder problems.

Leyland talked about shaking up his batting order after Saturday's 4-1 loss. The Tigers entered Sunday's series finale having scored just two runs over the first two games of the set. They had gone scoreless for 14 straight innings when Curtis Granderson hit a solo homer in the eighth inning Saturday. Minnesota starter Scott Baker and reliever Brian Bass had held Detroit scoreless for seven innings combined on four singles.

Those struggles prompted Leyland to bemoan the Tigers' at-bats after the game, calling them lethargic and inconsistent. His opinion didn't change with a good night's sleep.

"I just think our offense is better than this," Leyland said. "I know it's better than this. I've seen a couple things that surprised me."

One has to go beyond the basic statistics to find the ailments. Detroit entered the day fourth in the American League in scoring, first in slugging percentage and second in on-base percentage and home runs. However, the Tigers have been shut out four times -- already more than all of last season -- and held to one run on four other occasions. They've scored eight or more runs in eight games, winning all of them, but they've been held to three runs or fewer far more often. In those low-scoring situations, they're 0-14.

Part of the problem, Leyland explained, is that they don't have the speed or athleticism to do some of the tricks a manager might try to manufacture runs, such as hitting -and-running, stealing bases or taking an extra base.

That could explain some of the lethargy.

"You don't look like you have energy when you're not running around the bases," Leyland said. "We're tough to watch sometimes."

The other problem Leyland has noticed is no sense of urgency to get going.

"There's just not that extra kick in the pants to get you over the hump," he said. "I think it will happen. I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't."

He's not disappointed now, not yet. But what he has seen is about as far from what he expected as it is for fans.

"I'm shocked, really," Leyland said. "This offense is better than it showed."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

How'd that work out for you, Leyland ole buddy?

Bet Leland does not sleep well tonight! I would also hate to be on the plane ride back to Detroit! He may not be very nice to be around!

It is a scary prospect!

I think I would like it better if Sheff went to the bottom of the order or better, not in at all, I dont like him one bit. I think we should DH Los and have Inge at third, and maybe put Clete in the outfield somewhere.

'Shocked' Jim Leyland decides to shuffle struggling lineup as Boston comes to town

MINNEAPOLIS -- Declaring that he's "shocked" by his team's inconsistent offense and that he at times finds it "tough to watch," Jim Leyland said Sunday that he will shake up the lineup tonight against Boston.

The Tigers manager said his revised lineup will feature shuffling, but not any new players from off the bench or elsewhere.

"Same pieces, but quite a bit different (in the order they hit)," Leyland said. "I think you'll find it pretty drastic."

He mentioned no names and gave no hints. But one thing to keep in mind is that Leyland has said in the past that leadoff man Curtis Granderson eventually could be a middle-of-the-order hitter.

Granderson hit 23 homers last season, and he now has five homers in the 1 1/2 weeks since he returned from the disabled list. When Leyland has spoken about Granderson someday hitting in the middle of the lineup, he has mentioned how as Pirates manager he had Barry Bonds hit leadoff for the first four seasons of his big-league career before he moved him to the middle of the order.

Granderson's last 23 homers have been solo homers. Leyland might be eager to see Granderson get more at-bats with runners on base.

Leyland decided to change the lineup after the Tigers were held to one run in each of their losses in Minnesota on Friday and Saturday. For Sunday's series finale, the manager stayed with what basically has been his standard lineup except for Gary Sheffield, whom he had announced a few days before would have Sunday off.

Leyland indicated he didn't unveil the lineup change Sunday because he hadn't yet talked to all the players who will be involved.

In many of the Tigers' defeats this season, their offense has seemed to primarily consist of a parade of routine outs.

"We're tough to watch play sometimes," Leyland said. "We can lull you to sleep sometimes. I can live with that. But that's why we've got to hit. We've got to hit the ball in the gaps and stuff like that. ...

"A lot of it has to do with we're not a motion team, we're not a first-to-third team -- guys aren't going first-to-third and sliding and making it on a close play. We've got to do better at that. Our secondary leads (the lead a player takes after the pitcher releases the ball) -- we're going to have to keep harping on that.

"You'd like to see a little more excitement. But you can't snap your fingers and make this team the Go-Go White Sox of '59. We're not that kind of team."

Leyland added:

"I don't want to come off like I'm disappointed in my players or in the effort. That's not true.

"It just seems like for whatever reason up to this point -- and I don't know why -- that we haven't had that sense of urgency that you need.

"It's almost like, 'We win a couple, and it's OK if we lose a couple.' That's not good enough.

"I'm not mad at anybody. I don't think there's anybody in here that's not trying. It's just not that extra kick in the (butt) that gets us over the hump. I think it will happen. I will be very disappointed if it doesn't. ...

"We're a very capable team. We have a very good club. I mean, I'm shocked, really."

Third baseman Carlos Guillen said he senses that the Tigers need something to make them more consistent, and he said he understood Leyland's desire to change the lineup.

"In this game, you have to try everything," Guillen said.

Quote :

"A lot of it has to do with we're not a motion
team, we're not a first-to-third team -- guys aren't going
first-to-third and sliding and making it on a close play. We've got to
do better at that. Our secondary leads (the lead a player takes after
the pitcher releases the ball) -- we're going to have to keep harping
on that.

Well who fault is that Leland! Either the coaches and manager changes that, or we change to players who DO WANT TO HUSTLE! Big bats mean nothing when the players just slowly trot to 1st on a ground ball! We need more:

:ryan: :curtis: :thames: type players!

And note a common thread amongst
:ryan: :curtis: :thames:

No big fat contracts, although they are making good salaries. Just gogetters that want to win!

If Sheff don't start hitting soon, Maybe the Tigers should call Barry Bonds!

Something has to give;


Yesterday's game was complete horseshit

Why we put out in the first inning and then got cold is beyond anybody!!

Not sure a major shake up is needed for Tigers

Do you think Jim Leyland necessarily needs to “shake up” the Tigers lineup and what would be your improved “dream” lineup?

Three days ago, I wrote in this very space that the bats had come around and that these were the Tigers I expected. Sorry, I guess that’s what a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium does to me. So no, I don’t think a shake-up is necessary. We’ll see what happens, but it sure sounds like Leyland is prepared to knock our socks off with this announcement. Hopefully it will work out the same way for the Tigers as the famous Miguel Cabrera – Carlos Guillen shift. How’s that working for the Tiger defense these days? Are they actually worse?

Here’s what I would do. First, put Gary Sheffield on the 15-day DL. Move Guillen to DH and insert Brandon Inge at third. Is that dramatic enough? Probably not, but it makes the most sense right now. Why the reluctance to DL Shef? I have no idea. And while I’m at it, I’d bench Jacques Jones in favor of either Marcus Thames or Ryan Rayburn. But it sounds like Leyland’s announcement has more to do with where guys bat in the line-up and less to do with defense or personnel. (Clearly defense never entered Dave Dombrowski’s mind during the off-season.)

A lot of Tiger observers and bloggers are theorizing that Curtis Granderson may be dropped to the middle of the line-up. He’s had a lot of pop in his bat since he returned from injury and he could generate more offense in the middle of the order. I agree that makes sense, but I’m still keeping him at the top of the order. Why? Well first of all, the Tigers got nothing from the lead-off spot without him. And two, don’t they have enough in the middle of the order with Cabrera, Guillen and Magglio Ordoñez? The old expression goes “stealing from Peter to pay Paul”. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I’m pretty sure it applies here. Why make the top of the order weaker to strengthen an already strong middle?

I’m avoiding the question. Here’s my lineup (with Sheffield going to the DL).

1. Granderson – CF
2. Polanco – 2B
3. Cabrera – 1B
4. Ordoñez – RF
5. Guillen – DH
6. Renteria – SS
7. Thames/Rayburn – LF
8. Pudge – C
9. Inge – 3B

Maybe drop down Renteria and hope that he can get on to almost give the Tigers an extra lead-off man, but that’s what I’d go with.

didja post that on the other board, bobrob?

laprimamirala wrote:

didja post that on the other board, bobrob?

It's been posted twice. I also asked the question "over there" but haven't gotten a response yet.

You and saint are the best posters over there! Informed and able to deflect all the trolls!

Sheffield in LF? Inge to 3rd, Guillen to DH? click

geez this is a nightmare! Where does Jones go now?

Guillen and Sheffield switch spots in new Tigers lineup
FREE PRESS STAFF REPORTS • May 5, 2008

Tigers manager Jim Leyland has released his new lineup and the biggest difference is the switch at the No. 3 and 6 spots.

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez is now hitting in the ninth spot.

Third baseman Carlos Guillen is now hitting third and new leftfielder Gary Sheffield is in the six-hole for tonight's game against the Red Sox at Comerica Park.

Sheffield is now in left after the Tigers released Jacque Jones today.

Matt Joyce, who the Tigers recalled from Triple-A Toledo, is in rightfield tonight, hitting seventh, as Magglio Ordoñez is the designated hitter, still in the cleanup spot.

Tonight's lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Carlos Guillen, 3B
4. Magglio Ordoñez, DH
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
6. Gary Sheffield, LF
7. Matt Joyce, RF
8. Edgar Renteria, SS
9. Ivan Rodriguez, C

laprimamirala wrote:

Tonight's lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Carlos Guillen, 3B
4. Magglio Ordoñez, DH
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
6. Gary Sheffield, LF
7. Matt Joyce, RF
8. Edgar Renteria, SS
9. Ivan Rodriguez, C

Well, that one didn't work...

bobrob2004 wrote:

7. Thames/Rayburn – LF

THIS has got to be a joke! These idiots get PAID to cover the DETROIT TIGERS and they can't even spell a player's SIX LETTER name properly. It's Ryan RABURN. There isn't a single Y in his name (other than the one in his first name). RYAN NEIL RABURN. This reporter should be fired. If I was in charge of that paper he would be - he's garbage.

Yeah! What cat said! I'm getting an ulcer...

Jamie Samuelsen wrote that garbage article. Off with his head! Seriously though off with his job!

FIRE SAMUELSEN!

At least they got Raburn's first name correct!


They could have said Gene Rayburn; the late host of the old Match Game.

You know what's REALLY sad. In Oakland the scoreboard said Ryan Rayburn. The other scoreboard got it right but the one that Topps was in charge of spells it Rayburn, too. Even Topps is too stupid to spell it right.

If they can't spell Raburn properly I'd hate to see them try and spell Saltalamacchia.

He's probably long gotten used to misspelling by now...