Tigers Cabrera, Guillen switch positions -- for good

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tigers Cabrera, Guillen switch positions -- for good
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- In a surprising shakeup for the Tigers defensively, manager Jim Leyland has made Miguel Cabrera the team's new fulltime first baseman and Carlos Guillen the starter at third base.

"It makes us a better team," Leyland said after the Tigers beat the Rangers, 10-2, in a game Guillen started at first and Cabrera started at designated hitter.

Cabrera, who this year has been playing first base for the first time, has looked very comfortable there.

Guillen, who moved from shortstop to first after the offseason trade for Edgar Renteria, has struggled with his foot work there, often ending up in the runner's way.

The move is believed to be permanent.

Well, who knows? Maybe this could be a good thing. So I hope at least. But, I think it was a good idea.

This should really piss Inge off! First he loses 3rd to Miggy, now to Carlos! It's getting to be round and round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!

Yeah, but the way I see it, it should inspire Inge as well, make him work harder for a starting spot.

I'm not really sure why this is such a huge shake-up. Like Verlander said after the announcement during the interview, first and third aren't terribly different from a fielding standpoint.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tigers 10, Rangers 2
Defensive shakeup follows Tigers' rout
After victory, Leyland says Cabrera is moving to first base, Guillen to third.
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The Tigers hit three bombs during Tuesday night's 10-2 victory over the Rangers, but announced a bigger one after it.

In a major positional switch -- stunning one, actually --Miguel Cabrera is moving to first base and Carlos Guillen to third.

"It makes us a better team," said manager Jim Leyland, who took no questions about his decision.

Cabrera has started three games at first this season for the Tigers, and it can be fairly said that he's played first much better than he's played third, where he's made five errors.

Guillen has had occasional footwork problems at first after moving from shortstop, but nothing the Tigers didn't think he wouldn't overcome.

They wouldn't make this move, however, if they didn't think it improved them at both positions. As for Cabrera's preference to play third, he appears over that already.

"It's cool," he said about the move. "I feel good over there."

One of these days, though -- and perhaps this switch will be another push in that direction -- the Tigers will look like they're rolling, and actually be rolling.

They've pecked at progress on occasion this season winning three in row, but losing three of the next four; clobbering the Indians 13-2 one night, losing 11-1 the next.

But what do you think? Is this their time? Is this the start?

Or would you faint if it's just another feint?

On the eve of what could be a lot going right for them at once, such as Curtis Granderson's return, the Tigers got their first victory from Justin Verlander, their best game from Jacque Jones, Ramon Santiago's first home run since 2003 which capped a three-dinger third, all of it over the struggling Rangers.

Struggling, you say? The Tigers and Rangers came into the game with the same record. They were 7-13. On the down elevator, though, the Rangers now have lost five in a row and will be throwing pitchers with a combined 0-5 record the next two games.

The Tigers, meanwhile, have won two in a row, Verlander finally is in the win column, aches and pains are lessening, and while it's too early to say they're finally headed up, they could be.

Why? Because in the near future, Leyland is going to grab for a lineup card and be able to write down the lineup. Not a lineup, the lineup. There's a big difference.

He's not had Granderson all year. He's lately had neither Placido Polanco nor Gary Sheffield. Not only that, but as recently as when Polanco returned from Toronto over the weekend because of a numb left leg and a stiff back, a worrisome combination, there was no telling when the Tigers lineup might be together for the first time this season.

But it might be together soon with the season eminently salvageable.

Make no mistake, the Tigers love it when one of their most popular teammates, as Santiago is, goes deep. He's a little guy, and it doesn't happen often despite the fact that once upon a time, he hit two in one game against Boston, one of them off Pedro Martinez.

And also hit a home run the next day.

That was back in 2002, though, and until he connected for this two-run shot, those three home were half his major league total.

This was a better-than-most nights-have-been for many Tigers, however. Keep in mind, Verlander came into the game with a 7.03 ERA in his first four starts.

Keep in mind, as well, that Jones was hitting .178 without an extra-base hit.

There were blanks to be filled in. But to do so, the Tigers had to get to Vicente Padilla, who'd been pitching well for a team otherwise not pitching so well.

Initially, Verlander didn't look much better than he's been. The Rangers got a pair of two-out hits in the first without scoring, a leadoff home run from former Tiger Frank Catalanotto in the second and, just to show he's not completely changed his bewildering spots, Verlander needed 27 pitches to get through a sloppy fifth inning when he had a six-run lead.

He's not all the way back, by any means. But at least he's part way.

Jones, meanwhile, walked and scored the Tigers' first run in the second, tripled to extremely deep center in the third and doubled in the fifth.

Consider those blanks filled.

Equal parts of implosion and explosion, the third inning decided the outcome. With one out, Magglio Ordonez hit a no-doubter into the left-field seats, his third home run of the year, but of more note, the 1,000th RBI of his career.

Not to rush things, but that's two-thirds of the way toward Hall of Fame consideration.

Cabrera followed with a sizzler over the fence in left and, after Jones tripled and Edgar Renteria singled for one of his four hits, Santiago went yard to right, nothing cheap about it.

Thinking back, there was nothing cheap about his home run off Martinez, either.

Six years ago.

You can reach Tom Gage at tom.gage@detnews.com.

GO TIGERS!

At least Carlos can't hurt himself at first anymore as i thought he would a couple of times.
I hope he can control his feet better at third!

swiss_tiger wrote:

At least Carlos can't hurt himself at first anymore as i thought he would a couple of times.
I hope he can control his feet better at third!

Actually, that's what I was thinking. Wasn't that one of the reasons they got Carlos off of shortstop? So he'd stop killing himself?

I think the switch will be good for him.

True. The switch is good for him and good for the team. Defensivley Inge would be better though.

Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera to swap infield spots in move that 'makes ballclub better'
By JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 23, 2008

It seemed the Tigers biggest infield surprise of the night had come from Ramon Santiago. He started at second base and hit his first homer in five years to finish off the Tigers’ three-homer third inning in their 10-2 win over Texas.


Then, after the game, manager Jim Leyland unveiled a bigger infield surprise.

He announced that Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen are swapping positions.

Effective immediately, Cabrera is the first baseman and Guillen is the third baseman.

Guillen has started 96 games at third base in the majors, but Cabrera had never played first base in the majors or minors before this season. He has appeared there in seven games this season, three of them starts.

Leyland had little to say about the switch. He didn’t give a timetable for a minimum of how long it might last. But he spoke about it with an air of permanence.

Leyland didn’t hint whether it was the defensive play of Cabrera or of Guillen - or of both - that prompted the change. Perhaps he wanted to avoid giving the impression that he thinks Cabrera can’t play third base. With Cabrera under contract through 2015, there may come a day when the Tigers again need him at third base.

“We think we’re making a move that makes our ballclub better at this time,” Leyland said. “When you see things as a staff and as a manager and as a general manager and you see things that believe are the right thing to make your club better, you make the move.

“Both players were talked to, and both players were very quick to say, ‘Whatever makes us the best team, do whatever you want.’ ”

Cabrera was a full-time third baseman throughout the two previous seasons with Florida. But he has looked better at first this season than at third (where he has made five errors).

Guillen played shortstop for his first four Tigers seasons. Leyland announced at the end of last season that Guillen would move to first base this season. The club acquired Edgar Renteria in the off-season to play short.

Guillen’s last regular-season action at third base came with Seattle in 2003. He started 32 games there that season. His other action at third in the majors came in 2000, when he started 64 games there for Seattle.

I wish they would keep Brandon at third. I can see getting Carlos outta there...he's just not fitting in, especially with footwork. THIS ALL COMES BECAUSE THEY GOT RID OF CASEY!

laprimamirala wrote:

I wish they would keep Brandon at third. THIS ALL COMES BECAUSE THEY GOT RID OF CASEY!

That's true...however...Cabrera had already hit more home runs in the second week of the season than Casey hit all last year. Not to mention....Casey ran the bases about as fast a school bus with a flat tire. From an offensive point of view...it was the right thing to do.

Ohios#1TigerFan wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

I wish they would keep Brandon at third. THIS ALL COMES BECAUSE THEY GOT RID OF CASEY!

That's true...however...Cabrera had already hit more home runs in the second week of the season than Casey hit all last year. Not to mention....Casey ran the bases about as fast a school bus with a flat tire. From an offensive point of view...it was the right thing to do.

It was for the business of baseball...but Sean seemed to be the glue, the unifying force that held the team together. Someone else will need to step up now for that role...

Oh...there's no doubt his presence is being missed...but from a managers standpoint...I can see why they let him go. We needed more offensive production. Makes me wish they could have kept him as a bench player...or even a coach of some sort. His personality is 2nd to none.

Morale Coach!

why not? they have a coach for everything else!

And the shocker is Casey is playing super, this year, with Boston! Except for that crall safe to 2nd he did, that as speedy base running...

I wish he could've gotten it done here is all....but so goooooooood to see him flourishing!

Flip-flopping Cabrera's position is problematic

The Tigers are making the right call by moving Miguel Cabrera to first base and Carlos Guillen to third. The changes improve their infield defense, giving them a better chance to recover from their 2-10 start.

That's the narrow view, anyway.

The broader perspective is more troubling.

The Tigers committed $152.3 million to Cabrera through 2015 before discovering that he couldn't play third.

They committed $29 million to Dontrelle Willis through 2010 before determining whether he could succeed in the American League.

Now they're infuriating their best defensive third baseman, Brandon Inge — who is under contract though 2010 — by again layering over him at third.

Inge, who reluctantly accepted a utility role after the Tigers acquired Cabrera, is livid that he remains blocked at third even though Cabrera is moving to another position, major-league sources say.

A series of early season injuries created frequent opportunities for Inge, but the imminent returns of center fielder Curtis Granderson and designated hitter Gary Sheffield are expected to reduce Inge's playing time dramatically.

The Tigers' problem is that they can not clear third for Inge unless they keep Guillen at first and move Cabrera to left field — an impractical solution, according to general manager David Dombrowski.

"(Cabrera) doesn't run very well," Dombrowski says. "Our ballpark is really big in left field. If you put a heavy-legged left fielder in our ballpark, it's going to catch up to you."

Thus, first base makes the most sense for Cabrera, who committed five errors and showed limited range in his first 14 games at third with the Tigers.

His offensive value is just as high at first as it is at third. But if Cabrera can not handle third at age 25, then how long will he even last at first — a position he had not played until this season — before he needs to be a full-time DH?

The Tigers, who have Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez and Guillen ahead of Cabrera in their eventual DH pecking order, profess to be unconcerned.

They initially considered using Cabrera at first and Guillen at third after they acquired Cabrera from the Marlins in December. But the momentum for the switch only started to build after Guillen sat out with a right hamstring strain on April 12. Manager Jim Leyland gave Cabrera his first career start at first base, in part because Cabrera was suffering from a sore left quadriceps.

"We are not moving Cabrera," Leyland said then.

Well, injuries are the mother of necessity, necessity is the mother of invention and Cabrera looked much better at first than he did at third.

This move isn't about Guillen, who was adequate at first and started 96 games at third for the Mariners in 2000 and '03.

Nor is it about shortstop Edgar Renteria, whose range to his right is below-average, increasing the need for a mobile third baseman.

It's about Cabrera.

"You can see that he's a tremendous player, but he's still young — he has a lot of exuberance, a lot of vim," Dombrowski says. "Once in a while at third base, maybe his concentration wanes a bit. But at first base, it appeared that didn't happen at all. It can't — you're involved all the time."

The difficulty of playing first base is consistently underestimated, but Cabrera has a good arm and good hands. He once was a shortstop, and began his major-league career as a left fielder with the Marlins in '03.

Perhaps Cabrera will follow the example of the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, who moved to first base full-time in 2004 due to his elbow condition, only to evolve from a below-average defender into a Gold Glove winner through hard work and determination.

Then again, when Cabrera trimmed down for his first spring training with the Tigers, he seemed committed to improving his defense at third; his biggest problem last season was that he was overweight, limiting his ability to field slow rollers.

Turns out he was not much better than before.

He's only 25. And he's already restricted to first base.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Flip-flopping Cabrera's position is problematic

Now they're infuriating their best defensive third baseman, Brandon Inge — who is under contract though 2010 — by again layering over him at third.

Inge, who reluctantly accepted a utility role after the Tigers acquired Cabrera, is livid that he remains blocked at third even though Cabrera is moving to another position, major-league sources say.

Absolutley correct. I'm sorry for Brandon! I really like this guy. He deserves better than this mess about third base. I wish he could play on a daily basis!

Very good article Bobrob. Thanks for posting!

Well, in the even that Sheff isnt productive and/or Guillen's leg starts hurting again, I'm sure that Inge would be the first one that they go to. Or they could DG Los and put Inge at third.

I wouldn't like to be in Leylands shoes.... He has so many possibilities he can choose from.

My guess is that Gary is on the way out to permanent DL a la Rodney or Zoom. Overcompensating on the other shoulder now? Geez, gimme a break. That guy is a train wreck, sad to say.

New Cabrera-Guillen alignment to debut; still no reason why from Leyland

The scene will be played out many times on coming days at mid-afternoon: Miguel Cabrera (first base) and Carlos Guillen (third base) were out for early work at their new defensive positions Wednesday.

“Today, we worked with Miguel on the double play,” infield coach Rafael Belliard said. “With Carlos, we worked on the double play, slow grounders and bunt plays. They both love to work, and I love to work.”

Leyland continued to decline to give any specifics on why Cabrera and Guillen are switching positions. Cabrera never played first in pro ball before this season. Guillen last played third in 2003, with Seattle.

Leyland emphasized he doesn’t expect Guillen to play third as well as Brandon Inge did for the Tigers the last few years. Despite now being at first, Cabrera in effect still replaces Inge in the lineup.

“Brandon Inge is the best _ or close to the best _ defensive third baseman in the American League,” Leyland said. “It’s not fair to compare Carlos’s defense at third to Brandon’s. Cabrera and Guillen are going to play, and we think this is the best option.”

The new Cabrera-Guillen alignment will make its debut today, Leyland said. He also said that Magglio Ordonez will serve as D.H. today, that Brandon Inge will catch and Marcus Thames will play right. The manager hopes that D.H. Gary Sheffield will return from his shoulder woes Friday.

The funny thing is, Brandon Inge will end up getting PLENTY of playing time at 3B this year.

this sure is a weird situation!

"Days of our Tigers"

tigersaint wrote:

"Days of our Tigers"