Who knew?

Falling stars: Blame Cabrera, Verlander for Tigers' decline
Drew Sharp
Detroit Free Press
May 19, 2008


Who knew it?

Sean Casey was the irreplaceable clubhouse savior. Jair Jurrjens was really John Smoltz's fraternal pitching twin and Brandon Inge was the most valuable .230 hitter in major league history.

The only things more ridiculous than the most eagerly awaited Tigers season in my lifetime crashing and burning into flames before Memorial Day are some of the rationalizations for such a humbling fall.

It's not about absent role players or potential No. 3 starters.

It's about the young stars not performing. Period.

Where's Justin Verlander?

Where's Miguel Cabrera?

Any team that gets little to nothing out of its top pitcher and top hitter rarely succeeds because of the negative ripple effect throughout the team. Those aspiring to fill the void press, pushing themselves beyond their capabilities and their production diminishes as well.

Role players fill in the pieces. They complement the stars, but their effectiveness remains largely predicated on the performance of those stars.

If Verlander were 7-1 or 6-2 with an earned run average closer to 3.00 instead of 1-7 with an ERA just north of 6.00, don't you think the entire starting rotation would have benefited? It would have opened opportunities for those to step forward and settle in at the still uncertain No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the rotation. Instead many are attempting to compensate for Verlander's difficulties.

Is that perhaps asking too much of somebody in only his third major league season?

It probably is.

But isn't that precisely why everybody considered Verlander a truly special player?

Cabrera remains an equally special player, regardless of his early disappointment here. He doesn't rank among the league leaders in any significant offensive category, but he remains worth every penny because he and Verlander represent the future as well as the present because they're both 25.

Everyone's looking for blame for a 16-25 record entering this weekend's series against red-hot Arizona. It's a natural reflex considering the massive financial and emotional commitment made to this team this season, but you can't rip Mike Ilitch and Dave Dombrowski for demanding excellence this season with the moves they made.

Criticizing aggressiveness means that you're endorsing fear -- the fear of falling shy of expectation, the fear of failing.

It doesn't make sense though. Have the Tigers ceased drafting? Have they not adequately replaced the prospects they dealt for veterans they thought would get them a World Series championship?

You can't attack Ilitch, Dombrowski and Jim Leyland for executing a plan that failed, especiall when some contiually forgive William Clay Ford and Matt Millen when the Lions fail because of the lack of a logical blueprint.

laprimamirala wrote:

[
Sean Casey was the irreplaceable clubhouse savior. Jair Jurrjens was really John Smoltz's fraternal pitching twin and Brandon Inge was the most valuable .230 hitter in major league history.

how true.

hey swiss!
I totally agree with this article. Should be retitled, "Why does greed have to mess with a good thing?"

Just another Drew Sharp article I disagree with...

bobrob2004 wrote:

Just another Drew Sharp article I disagree with...

please expound?

laprimamirala wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

Just another Drew Sharp article I disagree with...

please expound?

Drew Sharp is probably the worst Tigers writer for the Free Press. I disagree with about 90% of what he writes.

As far as this particular article; Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera are young. The reason for their not succeeding has to be blamed on the coaches. If they were veterans, like Rogers, then no, they should have to figure it out on their own. If the Tigers still had Jurrjens I would be inclined to think that he would also be suffering just like Verlander because of the differing pitching coach. The reason for the Tigers losing is not because they've replaced Jurrjens, Casey and Inge with Willis, Cabrera and Renteria (again, if you look on paper, it's an improvement). The hitting coach and pitching coach get blamed for their underachieving. Leyland gets blamed for not motivating them to work together as a team.

Good on paper, bad in reality.

This team needs a "personnel" shake-up, starting with the coaches....

This was a blog entry on the freep:

"The Detroit Tigers won the 2008 ALCS and World Series during Spring training in Lakeland (with the medias help) a few months ago. They're barnstorming now where they can show off their new players which won it all in Lakeland. They look very comfortable and complacent on the field in their losing ways (do these games count ?) Someone must tell the team that the real season has once again started ."


exactly how I felt watching them down there!

Wait...These games count?

bobrob2004 wrote:

Wait...These games count?

I hope not

they didn't act like it!