JEREMY BONDERMAN - RH PITCHER - #38 - (2002-2010)

2007 SEASON

Completed his fifth season at the major league level with the Tigers, starting 28 games -- marked his fewest number of starts since he started 28 games during his rookie season.

• Posted 11 victories, marking the fourth straight season he reached double-digits in wins -- longest such streak by a Tigers pitcher since Brian Moehler also did so in four straight seasons (1997-2000).

• Fanned 3.02 batters per walk, 12th-best in the American League.

• Received 6.25 runs per nine innings, seventh-best in the American League.

• Rated as possessing the best slider in the American League by Baseball America.

• Did not factor in the decision in his second career Opening Day start on April 2 versus Toronto -- held the Blue Jays to three runs in six innings of work.

• Recorded a quality start in each of his first four starts of the season April 2-18 -- along with Justin Verlander, it marked the first time a Tigers pitcher had done so since Steve Sparks posted a quality start in each of his first four starts April 3-19, 2002.

• Did not register a decision in each of his first five starts of the season April 2-24 -- first Tigers pitcher do so since Brian Bohanon also did not factor in the decision of his first five starts May 20-June 9, 1995.

• Worked nine innings on April 13 at Toronto, but did not figure in the decision as the Tigers suffered a 2-1 loss in 10 innings -- first Tigers pitcher to toss nine innings and not record a complete game since Mike Maroth did so on July 31, 2004 versus the Chicago White Sox.

• Won eight straight starts April 30-June 20, establishing a career-high winning streak -- first Tigers pitcher to win eight straight starts since Dave Mlicki also won eight straight starts August 6-September 13, 1999.

• Finished fifth in the American League with 39.0 innings pitched during April, while he tied for eighth with 33 strikeouts -- posted a 1-0 record and 3.69 ERA (39.0IP/16ER) in six starts during the month.

• On the disabled list May 9-24 with a blister on his right middle finger -- marked his first stint on disabled list in his career.

• Won all three of his starts during May, compiling a 2.66 ERA (20.1IP/6ER).

• Suffered his first loss of the season on June 25 versus Texas -- snapped a 17-start stretch dating back to September 10, 2006 in which he did not lose...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, his 17-start stretch September 10, 2006-June 20, 2007 without a loss is the longest by a Tigers pitcher since Bobo Newsom did not suffer a loss in a club-record 18 straight starts April 25-July 17, 1940.

• Tied for second in the American League with four wins during June -- in five starts during the month, he finished 4-1 with a 4.99 ERA (30.2IP/17ER).

• Lost six straight decisions over a seven-start stretch July 24-August 25.

• Seventh in the American League with 35 strikeouts, while he tied for 10th with 39.0 innings pitched -- finished 2-2 with a 5.31 ERA (39.0IP/23ER) in six starts during the month.

• Was shut down for the remainder of the season with inflammation of the lateral aspect of his right elbow following his start on September 9 versus Seattle.

• Posted a 9-1 record and 3.48 ERA (106.0IP/41ER) in 16 starts prior to the all-star break -- tied for 10th in the American League with 98 strikeouts prior to the break... compiled a 2-8 record and 7.38 ERA (68.1IP/56ER) in 12 starts following the all-star break.

• Fourth in the American League with 12 wild pitches.

MAJOR LEAGUE CAREER

Established career highs with 34 games started, 214.0 innings pitched and 202 strikeouts in his fourth season with the
Tigers in 2006.

• Tied for the lead in the American League with 34 games started, while he was second with 202 strikeouts and 8.5
strikeouts per nine innings, eighth with 3.16 strikeouts per walk and ninth with 214.0 innings pitched.

• His 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings are third-highest in Tigers single-season history.

• Fanned 202 batters during the season, becoming the first Tigers pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in a season since Jack Morris fanned 208 batters in 1987.

• Rated as possessing the second-best slider in the American League by Baseball America.

• Posted a six-game winning streak June 3-July 24, compiling a 2.54 ERA (67.1IP/19ER) over the 10-start stretch.

• Fanned 12 batters in consecutive starts June 14 versus Tampa Bay and June 19 at Milwaukee, becoming the first Tigers pitcher to post consecutive outings with 12-or-more strikeouts since Mickey Lolich fanned 14 batters in back-to-back starts July 31 and August 4, 1971 -- Bonderman fanned six straight batters in his outing on June 19, the first Tigers pitcher to do so since Nelson Cruz also struck out six consecutive batters on July 8, 2000 at Milwaukee.

• Earned Tigers Pitcher of the Month honors for June after finishing 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA (35.2IP/7ER) in five starts during the month -- tied for the league lead during June with 44 strikeouts, while he was third with a 1.77 ERA and sixth with a .201 batting average against (27x134).

• Lost a season-high four straight decisions July 30-September 10.

• Tied for second in the American League with four wins during July, while he was third with 38 strikeouts -- compiled a 4-1 record and 3.66 ERA (39.1IP/16ER) in six starts during the month.

• Fanned 37 batters during August, tied for fifth-most in the league...in six starts during the month, he was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA (36.2IP/22ER).

• Started 18 games prior to the all-star break, posting an 8-4 record with a 3.46 ERA (119.2IP/46ER) -- fourth in the American League with 111 strikeouts prior to the all-star break...finished 6-4 with a 4.87 ERA (94.1IP/51ER) in 16 starts following the break.

In his third season at the major league level with the Tigers in 2005, he established a career best with 14 wins.

• Tied for second in the American League with four complete games, while he tied for ninth with 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings...tied for eighth in the league with 13 losses.

• Made his first career Opening Day start on April 4 versus Kansas City, earning the win -- became the youngest pitcher to start Opening Day for the Tigers since Josh Billings on April 11, 1928 at age 20 and in the majors since Dwight Gooden for the New York Mets at age 20 in 1986.

• Matched a career high with a three-game winning streak April 27-May 7...posted a second three-game winning streak June 11-21.

• Earned Tigers Pitcher of the Month honors in April after posting a 3-2 record and 3.82 ERA (35.1IP/15ER) in five starts -- fifth in the league with 27 strikeouts during the month, while his three wins were tied for sixth-most.

• Tossed a complete game on July 1 versus the New York Yankees -- according to the Elias Sports Bureau, at the age of 22 years, 246 days he became the youngest pitcher to throw a complete game against the Yankees since May 26, 1990 when Kansas City’s Tom Gordon, then 22 years, 189 days, accomplished the feat.

• Received a five-game suspension from Major League Baseball, which he served July 25-31, for his role in a benchclearing brawl on July 17 versus Kansas City.

• Posted a 4-2 record and 3.40 ERA (45.0IP/17ER) in six starts during July to garner Tigers Pitcher of the Month honors -- tied for fourth in the league during the month with four wins, while he was eighth with 31 strikeouts.

• Forced from his start on August 24 versus Oakland in the fourth inning after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Marco Scutaro -- X-rays were negative as he suffered a bruised right wrist...did not miss time with the injury, making his next scheduled start on August 29 at Cleveland.

• Finished 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA (26.2IP/20ER) in five starts during August -- tied for the league lead during the month with four losses, while his 6.75 ERA was seventh-highest.

• Following his complete game effort on September 4 at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox, he missed two starts with lateral elbow soreness.

• Returned to the mound on September 19 at Kansas City -- shut down for the remainder of the season following the outing for precautionary reasons.

• Compiled an 11-5 record and 3.99 ERA (121.2IP/54ER) in 18 starts prior to the all-star break -- first Tigers pitcher with 11 wins at that point in the season since Bill Gullickson also had 11 victories in 1991...in 11 starts following the all-star break he was 3-8 with a 5.61 ERA (67.1IP/42ER).

• Worked six-or-more innings in 25 of his starts during the season, including 24 times in his first 25 starts of the season.

• Posted a 1.52 ground ball/fly ball ratio (312 ground ball outs/183 fly ball outs), seventh-best in the league.

Established career bests in nearly every category during his second season with the Tigers in 2004.

• Fourth in the American League with 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings -- fifth-best strikeouts per nine innings ratio in Tigers history at the time.

• Tied for fifth in the league with a .242 batting average against and tied for sixth with 168 strikeouts.

• Tied for the league lead with two shutouts, while he tied for eighth with two complete games.

• His 13 losses tied for sixth-most in the league.

• Sixth among league pitchers with 8.22 hits per nine innings.

• Averaged 90.34 pitches per start, second-fewest among all league starters.

• Limited the opposition to three earned runs-or-less in seven of his first nine starts April 7-May 23, going 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA (56.0IP/29ER), before allowing 14 runs on 19 hits in 5.1 innings over the course of two starts May 29 versus Baltimore and June 3 against Kansas City.

• Forced to leave his first start of the season in the sixth inning on April 7 at Toronto after being struck on his right calf by a ball hit back up the middle by Vernon Wells -- he suffered a contusion on his right calf and made his next scheduled start on April 13 versus Toronto.

• Registered the victory on May 1 versus Seattle, allowing two runs on six hits in 7.2 innings -- retired 16 straight batters after allowing a lead-off single to Ichiro Suzuki and he allowed both runs in the eighth inning.

• Held Philadelphia to one run on one hit over seven innings to earn the win June 15 -- fanned eight batters in the start and retired the final 10 batters he faced.

• Ejected by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom on July 4 at Colorado for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout ...ejected from his start on July 25 at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox in the second inning by home plate umpire Kevin Kelley after Kelley thought Bonderman hit Chicago’s Aaron Rowand intentionally.

• Left the game on August 1 against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning with a left shin contusion after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Jose Valentin...X-rays were negative and he made his next scheduled start on August 7 versus Boston.

• Fired the first shutout of his career August 23 against the Chicago White Sox, fanning a career-best 14 batters -- his 14 strikeouts were the most by a Tigers pitcher since Mickey Lolich fanned 15 batters on October 2, 1972 versus Boston...first Tigers pitcher 21-or-younger to toss a shutout since Dan Petry on August 8, 1980 at Texas.

• Over his final eight starts of the season August 23-September 30, he was 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA (58.0IP/15ER) and 60 strikeouts -- limited opposition to a .198 batting average (42x212) during the stretch.

• Tossed a four-hit shutout in his final start of the season in the first game of a doubleheader at Tampa Bay on September 30 -- fanned nine batters and issued one walk in the win.

• Earned Tigers Pitcher of the Month honors for September/October after finishing 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA (42.2IP/12ER) and 42 strikeouts -- tied for third in the league during this time with 42 strikeouts, while he finished fourth with a .199 batting average against (31x156), tied for fourth with four wins and seventh with a 2.53 ERA ...was one of only seven league pitchers with a shutout during the time.

• In 17 starts prior to the all-star break, he was 6-6 with a 6.03 ERA (94.0IP/63ER)...following the all-star break, he was 5-7 with a 3.70 ERA (90.0IP/37ER) in 16 games (15 starts).

• Limited righthanded batters to a .223 batting average (65x291), third-best in the league...lefties hit .255 (103x404) with Bonderman on the mound.

• Compiled a 4-6 record and 5.07 ERA (76.1IP/43ER) in 14 starts at Comerica Park...finished 7-7 with a 4.76 ERA (107.2IP/57ER) in 19 games (18 starts) on the road -- tied for eighth in league with seven losses on the road.

• Allowed 86.7 percent of baserunners attempting to steal (13x15) be successful, third-highest in the league.

Earned a spot in the Tigers rotation for the 2003 season during Spring Training after pitching at the Single A level in his only other professional experience...became the youngest Tigers player to break camp with the club since Alan Trammell did so at the age of 20 in 1978.

• Topped the Tigers staff with 108 strikeouts, becoming only the sixth rookie to lead the club in strikeouts...Bonderman joined the following five pitchers: Felipe Lira (89, 1995), Tommy Bridges (105, 1931), Hooks Dauss (107, 1913), George Mullin (78, 1902) and Ed Siever (85, 1901).

• His 108 strikeouts topped all American League rookies and are the most by a Tigers pitcher in club history age 20-or-younger... his 28 games started matched Dave Rozema (1977) for most in franchise history by a pitcher age
20-or-younger, while he finished third with 6.00 strikeouts per nine innings, behind Denny McLain (6.30, 1964) and Hal Newhouser (6.02, 1940).

• Second among all league rookies in games started and innings pitched (162.0).

• Finished second in the AL with 19 losses and 12 wild pitches, while his 118 runs allowed were sixth-most... allowed the third-highest batting average (.294) and on-base percentage (.352) in the league, and the second-highest slugging percentage (.482)... surrendered 10.72 hits per nine innings, third-most in the league.

• Threw 3.54 pitches per batter, sixth-fewest among all league pitchers... suffered from the second-worst run support in the league, 3.67 runs per nine innings.

• Induced 0.94 ground into double plays per nine innings, seventh-best in the league...25 stolen bases allowed were second-most in the league, while he tied for fourth with nine caught stealings.

• Averaged 2.22 total chances per nine innings, ninth-most among league pitchers.

• Made his major league debut on April 2 versus Minnesota, taking the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in four innings... was the youngest Tigers pitcher to start a game since Bruce Robbins in 1979, who was 19 at the time of his major league debut on July 28, 1979...became first Tigers pitcher to appear in the majors without the courtesy of game action at both Double A and Triple A since Jon Warden appeared in 28 games in relief during the 1968 season... Bonderman was the first Tigers pitcher to start a game without experience above Single A since Joe Sparma in 1964.

• Earned his first major league win April 23 at Oakland, limiting the A’s to one run on three hits in a career-best eight innings -- retired 17 straight batters after allowing two hits with two out in the second inning before a triple by Terrence Long in the eighth ended the string...one of two victories against 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito, with the other coming August 7 at Comerica Park.

• Dropped nine straight decisions over an 11-start stretch May 10-July 3, matching Mike Maroth for the longest losing streak by a Tigers pitcher in 2003...posted a 4.57 ERA (65.0IP/33ER) and 49 strikeouts over the stretch.

• Posted seven straight quality starts June 6-July 9, winning just one of his seven decisions and posting a 3.89 ERA (44.0IP/19ER)...lone win during the seven-start stretch on July 9 versus Chicago snapped his nine-game losing streak.

• Fanned a career-high eight batters in 6.1 innings on June 18 versus Cleveland -- retired 13 of the first 15 batters faced, including seven on strikeouts, before allowing three runs in the seventh inning to take the loss.

• Issued two walks (one intentional) on July 3 at Kansas City -- snapped a string of 32.1 innings pitched without a walk dating back to June 6 at San Francisco.

• Matched his career high with eight innings pitched July 26 versus Kansas City -- carried a shutout into the ninth inning and was relieved after allowing a run in the inning...earned the win, allowing one run on three hits.

• Assigned to the bullpen after his start on September 2 versus Cleveland -- five of his final six appearances of the season came in relief...posted a 1.69 ERA (10.2IP/2ER) in those five relief appearances.

• In the first three innings of games, the opposition hit .328 (111x338), while opponents batted .260 (72x277) from the fourth inning on.

• Lefties batted .306 (117x382) with 14 home runs with Bonderman on the mound, while righthanded hitters hit .277 (76x274) with nine home runs against him.

• Posted a 1.42 ground ball/fly ball ratio (251 ground ball outs/177 fly ball outs).

• Named the 20th-best prospect in baseball prior to the season by Baseball America.

MINOR LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS

Pitched the majority of the 2002 season at Single A Modesto in Oakland’s organization before being sent on August 22 to the Tigers organization as the player to be named in the July 6 trade between the two clubs... combined to fan 170 batters, fifth-most in Single A and eighth-most in the minors.

• Finished fifth among all Athletics minor leaguers with 160 strikeouts and sixth with a 3.61 ERA.

• Fifth in the California League in strikeouts (160).

• Fanned seven-or-more batters in 14 of his 25 starts with Modesto, working six-or-more innings in 15 of the starts.

• Posted a 2-5 record with a 4.37 ERA (57.2IP/28ER) in 11 starts during April and May...fanned 63 batters during the two months, holding California League opponents to a .249 batting average (55x221).

• Struck out a season-high 11 batters on May 23 versus Stockton, but he suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in seven innings.

• Limited the opposition to a .179 batting average (21x117) in five starts during June, going 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA (31.2IP/11ER)...struck out 37 batters during June.

• Won each of his final four decisions with Modesto July 24-August 17... posted a 1.24 ERA (29.0IP/4ER) with 32 strikeouts during the four wins.

• Finished 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA (37.1IP/11ER) in six starts during July, striking out 39 batters.

• Fired a complete game in the first game of a doubleheader August 12 versus Bakersfield, striking out 10 batters in seven innings for the win.

• Held righthanded batters in the California League to a .230 batting average (85x369), while lefties hit .238 (44x185).

• Assigned to Single A Lakeland after joining the Tigers organization on August 22.

• Made his debut with Lakeland as the starter in the second game of a doubleheader August 24 against Daytona...did not figure in the decision after allowing three runs on five hits in five innings.

• Suffered the loss in a complete-game effort August 31 in the first game of a doubleheader versus Vero Beach, surrendering five runs on six hits in seven innings.

• Started one game for Lakeland during the Florida State League playoffs, picking up the win...fanned seven batters in seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits.

• Named the fourth-best prospect in the California League following the season by Baseball America.

• Named the top prospect in the Tigers organization following the season by Baseball America.

• Rated as possessing the best slider in the Tigers organization following the season by Baseball America.

• Named the seventh-best righthanded starting pitching prospect in baseball following the season by Baseball America.

Selected in the first round of the June 2001 draft by Oakland...signed on August 22, too late to be assigned to an Athletics minor league affiliate.

• Named the seventh-best prospect in the Athletics organization following the season by Baseball America.

• Rated as possessing the best breaking ball in the Athletics organization following the season by Baseball America.

PERSONAL/MISCELLANEOUS

He, his wife Amber and daughter Mailee Blaize (6/2/06) reside in Pasco, WA during the off-season.

• Was 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA in two games for Team USA at the 2000 World Junior Championships.

• As a junior at Pasco High School in 2001, he went 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 35.0 innings.

• Became the first player to ever be selected after his junior year of high school when he was selected in the first round of the June 2001 draft by Oakland.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Tigers' Bonderman hunts for elusive season-long consistency
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

November has been a complete and blissful break from baseball for Jeremy Bonderman. In the grain fields of eastern Washington he can sit in his blind and fire away at fat, tasty Canada geese that have been dropping with regularity since the Tigers right-hander settled into his autumn hunting routine.

"Been going about three days a week," said Bonderman, explaining that he has been taking his share of geese to a neighborhood butcher, who combines the goose flesh with beef to make a delectable version of pepper steaks. For Bonderman, the eating has almost been as good as the hunting. Hunting geese is also less frustrating than taking aim at home plate and firing a baseball that, ideally, misses a hitter's bat. Then again, after his 2007 season, just about any off-season pursuit would be more gratifying than Bonderman's big-league pitching experience during the second half of
last season.

Before last July's break, Bonderman was 9-1 with a 3.48 ERA. He came within a whisker of making the American League all-star team, which would have made his second-half numbers all the more glaring: 2-8 with a 7.38 ERA.

The difference had to do with Bonderman's right elbow. It felt fine during the season's first three months. It felt anything but fine after July. It explains why Bonderman's off-season routine, apart from hunting, has included a conditioning program designed to strengthen the forearm and triceps muscles that flank his right elbow.

"I think it will, I feel stronger, I feel good right now when I start throwing," Bonderman said this week, speaking from Pasco, Wash., where he lives with his wife, Amber, and 18-month-old daughter Mailee Blaize. "I actually felt good toward the end of the year, playing catch. If I can strengthen it (his elbow area) during the off-season, I should be good for the year."

The Tigers appreciated, to an extent, Bonderman's play-with-pain motivation during the season's second half. But they have since let Bonderman -- and all their pitchers know in no uncertain terms -- that pitching with an ailing arm does neither party any good.

In the view of Tigers manager Jim Leyland, and those in the Tigers front office, Bonderman let his sense of duty override his better judgment. He needed to rest, not exert, an elbow that by mid-season was hurting beyond the normal discomfort any big-league pitcher experiences during a long, taxing season.

Team player

"There's a fine line there," Leyland said. "You can expect a pitcher to throw with some discomfort, but not with pain. "I'll be having a serious conversation with him (Bonderman) in spring training. He's such a good kid, and he doesn't want to let down his teammates, and he doesn't want to let down me. But he's got to be healthy and honest with us. "It's just that he's such a wonderful kid. He's one of the best kids I've ever managed."

Bonderman made only two starts during September, allowing 14 hits and nine runs in 6 2/3 innings, before the Tigers shut him down for the remainder of the season. Bonderman still can't pinpoint exactly when his elbow began to hurt excessively, except that it was there at mid-season and seemed to get worse as the weeks wore on.

"There's just kind of no real reason why it happened," he said of the discomfort, as well as pitches that began to flatten out. "I lost a lot of movement, and a lot of it had to do with the fact I couldn't get through the ball.

"My elbow was barking. But there's no real reason why it (the season's second half) went so bad. You get paid for being consistent, not just having spots where you do really well. I need to get where I can throw full seasons."

What became obvious as the summer months waned was Bonderman's fastball was no longer moving in the darting fashion that had become his trademark. He no longer was commanding the outside of the plate with a bat-busting fastball, which in turn compromised his out-pitch: a slider that, when on, is about as wicked as anyone in the American League throws.

"There were games where you could see the activity on the ball was not the same," Tigers pitching coach Chuck Hernandez said. "The velocity wasn't much different. But when a pitcher is injured, he can still create velocity, but not same the same activity on pitches. Then, all of a sudden, instead of a weak ground ball to third, you've got a sharp single past the third baseman."

Bonderman said his sinking, two-seam fastball was particularly affected.

"It didn't have a lot of downward action," he said. "It was just kind of flat, running side to side instead of having a little tilt. When that happens, the ball stays up and gets hit a little bit. "I did that pretty much the whole second half. But that's not to make excuses for myself. I've got to find a way to change things. I feel like I'm going to do what I can do to help the guys out and give them a shot in every game I pitch."

Big change

A separate issue, his notorious challenge in throwing a change-up, Bonderman believes has become a non-issue. He adopted a different grip toward the end of the season and was throwing more change-ups -- and throwing more of them successfully -- than at any point in his five-season big-league career.

It had become obvious to Bonderman that an off-speed pitch did not have to be a Fernando Rodney-caliber change-up to be effective. Simply being able to throw a well-located pitch, 5 mph or so slower than his slider, was enough to give hitters a frustrating third option to consider as they swung.

Hernandez says Bonderman's change-up, in fact, improved significantly in 2007. He saw it dip about 3 mph in speed, from a range of 86 mph in 2006 to something closer to 83 last season. Hernandez believes Bonderman steadily will become a consistent, three-pitch starter. And Bonderman agrees.

"I feel good about it," he said of his new disposition toward a slow-poke
pitch. "I changed the grip at the end of the year, and actually threw it consistently those last few starts. I feel like it'll be there for me when I need it. I feel like I can establish a four-seamer (fastball) in to lefties, and a sinker down and away, and I should be able to have a second half as good as that first half (of 2007)."

Leyland says the change-up is Bonderman's only soft spot. "For him to get over the hump and be the great pitcher he can be, he's going to have to master that change-up," Leyland said. "If he doesn't, in my opinion he'll be a good pitcher. But if he can master the change-up, he's going to be the great pitcher he can yet be."

Bonderman turned 25 last month. It is a tender age by baseball's calendar, but not by Bonderman's, or by the timetable Tigers fans apply to a right-hander whom they believe should be a dominant starter and not a pitcher so prone to inconsistency and notoriously tough first-inning experiences.

"I don't blame 'em," Bonderman said of his impatient fans. "You make a lot of money to do the job. I do the best I can, but I'm learning every year. I'm learning every game. And I've learned a tremendous amount the last five years."

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Friday, February 15, 2008
Bonderman is feeling good
Offseason regimen, altered change-up leaves Tigers starter at ease
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Revealing -- that scene in the Tigers clubhouse late Thursday morning as unofficial workouts came to a midday close at Marchant Stadium.

Sitting in front of their lockers, kibitzing about everything from umpires to players they had faced, were pitchers Jeremy Bonderman, Dontrelle Willis, Justin Verlander, Fernando Rodney and Jason Grilli.

The dialogue was typical of the banter and bonding that takes place all the time between big league teammates, who, in time, tend to become friends. But this session was particularly poignant.

Willis, who has just joined the team after December's trade with Florida, was talking and joking as if he had been with his new crew for years.

For his part, Bonderman seemed equally at peace. He laughed easily. He darted in and out of a five-way conversation that the men collectively enjoyed so much it went on for nearly a half-hour.

"Got a pretty good, close group already," said Bonderman, whose feelings about Willis already have been decided.

"Great guy," he said.

Reclaiming place

Thursday's tableau might be the start of something big for a pitching staff in need of Bonderman to occupy a starring role in manager Jim Leyland's starting rotation. No pitcher will be as vital to Leyland's starting rotation as a 25-year-old right-hander who, amazingly, is beginning his sixth full season with the Tigers.

He has a few things to prove in 2008. First and foremost is the issue of his health. Bonderman spent September on the sidelines as part of a second-half disaster brought about by strained muscles flanking his right elbow.

He began the season with a 9-1 record and 3.48 earned-run average, which nearly landed him on the American League All-Star team. After midseason, he was 2-8 with a 7.38 ERA.

A thick-trunked pitcher who had seemed almost indestructible in his early seasons with the Tigers finally showed some wear and tear. Tigers trainers sent him home, to Pasco, Wash., for an offseason of exercises custom-designed to add strength to his forearm muscles. Six days a week, 90 minutes per session, Bonderman worked out, blending forearm concentrations with his regular routine.

"I feel good," he said Thursday. "I've thrown off the mound three times this week. I've let it go. And I feel good.

"I'm just going to get ready (for the regular season) and not rush things. I'll be ready when we break camp."

The tender trap

Bonderman's take on 2007 meshes with theories held by Tigers executives. The belief is that a young pitching staff in 2006 had probably hit the wall by the end of the regular season. Another month spent pitching in the playoffs and World Series further taxed arms that were still on the tender side.

Nate Robertson also appeared last year to have been a casualty. He was on the disabled list at midseason because of a tired arm. Although he, too, surpassed 200 innings in 2006 (208 for Robertson, 214 for Bonderman), an overly aggressive offseason regimen a year ago might have been more to blame for Robertson's fatigue.

Bonderman began his exercises last October and followed the training staff's instructions during a 4 ½ -month break that he spent, apart from workouts, hunting geese in the grain fields of eastern Washington.

"I got a little more rest," he said. "After that World Series year, I probably didn't prepare myself as I should have for last season. But I'm more rested, and more focused now."

There will be focus, above all on taking his team deep into games in 2008, preferably with a lead the bullpen can protect. Getting to that point will depend in part on how Bonderman's perennial project, his change-up, develops. He felt better about his off-speed pitch after getting a tip last season from Kenny Rogers, who showed Bonderman how to throw a more comfortable version of a "circle" change-up.

"It's like a four-seam change-up," Bonderman said, referring to the common fastball grip. "I get the feeling of the ball coming off my hands. Maybe that's all I needed."

What he needs most of all coming into 2008, he agrees, is good health. Bonderman figures he has the physical stuff in place as official workouts begin today.

Now it's a matter of winning. And, maybe, relaxing. If Thursday's scene was any indication, Bonderman is off to a safe start there, as well.

You can reach Lynn Henning at lynn.henning@detnews.com.

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Monday, March 3, 2008
Spring training: Rays 10, Tigers 9
Effective change-up will make Bonderman great, Leyland says
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Mention Jeremy Bonderman to manager Jim Leyland, and chances are the subject will turn to the right-hander's still-developing change-up.

That's what took place Monday before Bonderman worked three scoreless innings of a game the Tigers eventually lost 10-9 on a run in the top of the ninth to the Tampa Bay Rays.

This was the first slugfest of the spring for the Tigers, who now are 3-2-1. It also was their first loss at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Marcus Thames and Wilkin Ramirez hit three-run home runs for the Tigers, but Virgil Vasquez allowed four runs on six hits in two innings and Jordan Tata also was roughed up, allowing three runs in one-third of an inning.

Bonderman, meanwhile, allowed two hits in his second start while continuing his attempt to master the change-up.

"If he does," said Leyland, "he'll go from being a good major league pitcher to a big-time winner, in my opinion."

When it was mentioned that Bonderman threw some change-ups in his spring debut last week that pleased him, Leyland said, "we were pleased last spring, too, but you have to get it down and you have to be consistent with it.

"You're not going to have it every time, I understand that, and I'm complimenting him: I think he's one consistent change-up away from being a huge major league winner.

"He's been working on it for a long time. If it doesn't come, he'll always be a good major league pitcher. If it comes, I think he has a chance to be an outstanding major league pitcher.

"It's a matter of him improving it first, though. If you improve the pitch, you have more confidence throwing it. That's the final piece of the puzzle for him."

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Tigers' Bonderman pleased with pitching
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

DUNEDIN, Florida -- He gave up three runs on five hits in four innings. So why was Jeremy Bonderman in an excellent mood on Saturday after his start against the Toronto Blue Jays?

His change-up, that's why.

It's the pitch that will elevate him, in manager Jim Leyland's opinion, from being a good major-league pitcher to something special -- but he has to improve it first.

On Saturday, he improved it.

"I'm not happy about giving up three runs," Bonderman said, "but my change-up was probably the best I've ever had. I'm very happy with the way I threw it."

Bonderman couldn't recall how many change-ups he threw, "but I threw it a lot," he said. " I got Vernon Wells with one. I felt really good about it."

Was it good enough to throw in the regular season?

"One hundred percent," Bonderman said.

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Article from the Wall Street Journal

Fixing a Pitcher's Quirk
By ALLEN ST. JOHN



Jeremy Bonderman of the Detroit Tigers is one of the best young starting pitchers in baseball -- from the second inning on. Throughout his career, Mr. Bonderman has exhibited one of the game's most puzzling quirks. Last season, his earned run average in the first inning was a nightmarish 11.57. For all other innings, it was an admirable 3.75.

In 151 first innings in his career, Mr. Bonderman has given up 200 hits, 47 doubles, 27 home runs and 66 walks with an ERA of 7.09. Hitters facing him in the first have an All Star-caliber .316 batting average. In the second inning, their average drops to .216.

That's why a Detroit Free Press columnist called Mr. Bonderman "a hostage to first-inning difficulties" and a blog called The Roar of the Tigers created a graphic of Mr. Bonderman's brain in which regions devoted to eating and sleeping are dwarfed in size by "screwing up the first inning." On MLB.com, a fan's blog post summed up Mr. Bonderman's plight in two words: "head case."

For the Tigers organization, Mr. Bonderman's mysterious problem has been the subject of hushed conversations, some unusual drills, a few pep talks and at least one unconventional theory (it's the umpires' fault). This season, the stakes are high: The Tigers are one of the preseason favorites to win the World Series, but they will need Mr. Bonderman's help. In his starts last year in which he pitched a scoreless first inning, the Tigers went 7-3. In starts where he didn't, their record was 8-9.

So how do you help a 25-year-old pitcher fix such a delicate problem without making it worse? "The first line of defense for a pitching coach would be not to mention it," says Robert Cluck, Mr. Bonderman's first big-league pitching coach, who noticed the problem in 2003, when the 20-year-old rookie went 6-19. Mr. Cluck's hope? That the problem would go away on its own. Drawing undue attention to a problem could trigger a mental meltdown like the one that ruined the career of St. Louis Cardinals prospect Rick Ankiel, who had to give up pitching after losing the ability to control his throws.

When ignoring the problem didn't work, Mr. Cluck tried to adjust Mr. Bonderman's pregame routine. During his 35-pitch warmup, Mr. Cluck would stand in the batter's box against the pitcher's 95-mph fastball, mimicking each opposing hitter's stance. "It was kinda scary for a 60-year-old man," he recalls. It didn't help.

Next, Mr. Cluck trotted out a strategy that had worked for Houston's Darryl Kile. He made Mr. Bonderman pitch a simulated first inning in the bullpen, then sit down, hoping that his first inning on the mound would feel like his second. No luck there, either. Given the young pitcher's talent and value, Mr. Cluck hesitated to go further. "You experiment with a guy who's going to get released in two weeks if he doesn't get somebody out," explains Mr. Cluck. "You don't pull out the tricks on a guy like Bonderman."

When the Tigers fired Manager Alan Trammell -- and Mr. Cluck -- after the 2005 season, Chuck Hernandez took over as pitching coach. Mr. Bonderman's troubles seemed to abate, for a time. Sticking with a conventional warm-up -- stretching, running, long toss, then 40 pitches from the mound -- Mr. Bonderman's first-inning ERA dropped to 3.97 in 2006. But in 2007, the first-inning issues roared back, as he allowed a career-worst .374 opponent batting average and struggled with elbow problems.

Tigers Manager Jim Leyland says he plans to encourage his star to relax. "I'm going to talk to him," he says. "He's a street fighter, and it's sometimes hard to channel that stuff." This spring, Mr. Hernandez is also working to help Mr. Bonderman improve his changeup. Last year, in the first inning he threw his fastball 67% of the time and his slider 29% of the time -- while throwing only 4% changeups. "As a hitter, I can guess fastball or slider, and I've got a 50-50 chance," Mr. Hernandez explains.

Then there's the umpire theory. Mr. Cluck, now a scout for the San Diego Padres, says he has recently noticed that umpires, like hitters, can be fooled by pitches that have late, drastic movement. He thinks Mr. Bonderman's lively fastball and deceptive slider may be hard for umps to gauge in the first inning. (Baseball's consolidated umpiring system means umps see pitchers less often than they once did, which could be amplifying the problem, he adds.)

The stats seem to support this theory. The last seven times Mr. Bonderman faced an ump for a second or third time in a season, he allowed first-inning runs only once. On opening day last season -- when the first three batters he faced all scored -- the umpire behind the plate was Rick Reed, who hadn't seen him in nearly a year.

Mr. Bonderman says he hasn't noticed a trend. "Every umpire has a little different strike zone," he says. "You've got to adjust to them. They don't adjust to you." So far this spring, he has allowed only one first-inning run in five exhibition starts and says the problem is "not that big of a deal."

"It's not like I go out there and give up four or five runs in the first," Mr. Bonderman adds. "If something like that starts happening, I'll start looking at it."



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08/09/2007 10:02 AM ET
Bonderman: Can't top Tigers' offense
MLBPLAYERS.com

You can't ask for better support as a pitcher than you get from our club. I would stack up my club's lineup against any lineup for any team in baseball. If we're not the best offensive club, then we're certainly one of the best.

That's not taking anything away from any other team, but I like our lineup one through nine as much as I like the Yankees', the Indians', etc. You name them and we're right there with them.

One of the keys to our lineup is our depth. When you look at it from a pitcher's perspective, there's no taking a hitter off; there is no breathing room. In other words, you can't just blow by someone.

There are a lot of excellent one-two punches in the game right now, but I feel that the combination of Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez, the two guys in the middle of our lineup, are as good as any combo. Both guys are proven and both guys are producing at a high rate right now. They are both great, professional hitters who also possess a lot of power at the plate.

Our catalyst, Curtis Granderson, is a one-of-a-kind threat at the top. He can hit for a lot of power; he hits a lot of triples; he steals his fair share of bases, and at a very successful rate; and he can motor from first to home on a double. He has the sort of tools that can quickly change a game. He improves our chances of scoring runs and winning games.

As a pitcher, when you give up only a few runs, you know you have a good chance to win the game. You know you're probably going to get strong support.

If I had to face our lineup, I would do it like I attack any other good lineup. I would attack them and try to put the hitters back on their heels.

We're in a tight race and it remains to be seen whether our offense will be able to help carry us all the way to October. I know one thing: I wouldn't trade our offense for anybody else's offense.

Jeremy Bonderman, the 26th overall pick out of high school in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, is 10-4 with a 4.50 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 136 innings for the Tigers this season. He won 14 games in each of the previous two seasons.

MLBPLAYERS.com is the official Web site of the Major League Baseball Players Association. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

2008 Highlights

...Limited to 12 starts with the Tigers during the 2008 season before landing on the disabled list for the remainder of the season on June 7 with thoracic outlet compression syndrome.

...Walked a career-high seven batters on April 24 versus Texas.

...Recorded a quality start in each of his final four outings of the season May 16-June 1, compiling a 1-0 record and 3.42 ERA (26.1IP/10ER).

...He was examined at the Detroit Medical Center on June 6 and it was determined he had a blood clot of the axillary vein due to thoracic outlet compression syndrome -- he underwent a thrombolysis that night, followed by an angioplasty on June 7 performed by Dr. Monte Harvill under the supervision of team physician Dr. Stephen Lemos.

...Underwent successful surgery to correct thoracic outlet compression syndrome on June 30, a procedure performed by Dr. Greg Pearl in Dallas, TX -- the procedure included a first rib resection and veinous bypass.

reserved

Tigers close door on bringing Bonderman back
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 02/01/11 6:14 PM EST

DETROIT -- What little opening the Tigers left for Jeremy Bonderman to return has now officially closed. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski told the Detroit News that the club will not re-sign it right-handed rotation member for the past eight years.

"We are not signing Jeremy Bonderman," Dombrowski told the paper.

The Tigers had left open the possibility of bringing back Bonderman on a Minor League contract this winter, but it has been known for a while that Bonderman has been seeking a Major League deal, something he might well be getting with another club. At the heart of the issue, the Tigers had already moved on, having filled out their rotation by signing free agent Brad Penny and trading Armando Galarraga.

Had Bonderman returned to camp with the Tigers, he would've been an extra pitcher on the outside looking in on the rotation, more likely battling for a long-relief spot. The opening he could find on other clubs simply wasn't here. Yet at age 28, he hasn't exactly been an aging pitcher struggling to hold on.

Bonderman finishes his Tigers tenure with a 67-77 record and a 4.89 ERA in 207 appearances, 193 of them starts. Fifty of those wins came in a four-year stretch from 2004-07, including his career-best 14-8 record and 4.08 ERA for the 2006 American League champions.

Bonderman went 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA in 29 starts and a relief appearance for Detroit last year. It was a successful comeback from two years of injuries and surgery to relieve a circulation condition in his shoulder.

He badly wanted to turn that into a new contract in Detroit, the only city he has called home as a Major Leaguer. But as his promising first half turned into second-half struggles -- he went 3-4 with a 6.50 ERA after the All-Star break -- his chances of sticking around seemed increasingly remote. He suggested in late July that he might retire if he wasn't back, but those comments were simply out of frustration.

Bonderman did not respond to a text message Tuesday.

Dombrowski also ruled out any speculation the Tigers might have any interest in free-agent hitter Vladimir Guerrero. Though some tried to suggest he would be a good fit in Detroit, the fact that the Tigers weren't looking for a full-time designated hitter and already had their primary DH in the just-signed Victor Martinez pretty much made that idea nothing more than idle speculation.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.