THE SATURDAY SURVEY

July 31, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 11 Comments

The Saturday Survey offers readers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic. So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our baseball-lovin’ peeps.

Today, we center the discussion on Miguel Cabrera and how he has started the season offensively.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please vote and then submit your reasons (4 sentences max!) for how you voted in the usual comment box. Don’t forget to come back later and view the results!

Through the first tenth of the season, Miguel Cabrera has been struggling at the plate, hitting .091 with 1 HR and 2 RBIs. Then on Thursday night, Miggy hit 2 HRs. Through his first 7 games, he’s now hitting .154 in 26 at-bats with 4 hits, 3HRs and 8 SOs.

The season is still very young and prepping for this very strange season has been problematic. However, Miggy is now 37 and has battled a number of injuries including back and knee issues.

To his credit, he has lost a significant amount of weight since the 2019 season and had a fine spring training back in March.

Please participate in the survey in order to convey where you stand on Miggy and how he has started the season.

Totally Tigers loves your comments! But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements. Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length. Please become familiar with all of the rules at: https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

SO YOU WANT TO BE THE MANAGER?

July 30, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 12 Comments

Once again, readers get a chance to make their own decisions about the Tigers. Our newest blog, So You Want to Be the Manager? offers you that opportunity.

The segment tests our readers in determining how they would handle decisions as the skipper. So, here is your next assignment as Tiger manager. Let’s get to it!

JaCoby Jones is not only the hottest hitter in the Tiger lineup, he is among the American League leaders. With a batting average sitting at .421 and 5 extra base hits heading into Thursday night’s game, it is safe to say he is among the hottest #9 hitters in all of baseball.

So, if you are the manager, what would you do? It’s your team and your lineup to put together. Would you make any changes based on Jones’ success at the plate?

Please participate in the survey in order to state your case for the starting rotation. Don’t forget to come back and check the results and include your comments that support your choice.

RAPID FIRE

July 29, 2020July 29, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 10 Comments

By: Holly Horning & Kurt Snyder

The Tigers have completed their very first series – and won it as well. Based upon this very small taste, what are our two bloggers first impressions?

Holly and Kurt are answering 5 questions but only have 2 sentences for each in which to share their observations. And, as always, neither of them share their comments in advance with each other. Let’s get to it!

The Tigers won their very first series of the year. Does this give you any hope that they will be somewhat competitive this year?

HOLLY

No, there are simply too many holes, esp. in the pitching rotation and too many players who have consistently struggled at the plate over the past couple of years without improving. There is still not a single player, outside of Matthew Boyd and Miggy, who we can say are worthy of staying with the team beyond this year.

KURT

I know they won 2 out of 3, but with 40+ strikeouts in a 3-game series, it is a disturbing continuation of a problem they had all of last season. Sure, they hit some key home runs that won them a couple games, but as a whole, their offense was, well, offensive.

What are your thoughts about the pitching rotation so far?

HOLLY

Despite knowing that Zimmermann would have another disastrous year, Fulmer was coming back after a 2-year absence and Norris would again be unpredictable, the Tigers performed less than the bare minimum by only signing 2 journeymen pitchers. Yet, they still don’t have the 4th and 5th slots filled and if they don’t bring up some of the youngsters after 7 games (to render service time moot), what exactly are they waiting for?

KURT

The pitching rotation is what you would expect from a losing team, frankly. All we are really doing is biding time until a couple of the young guns come up, make some starts, and start to prove that they are what we hope there are.

Who has been your favorite player so far?

HOLLY

JaCoby Jones has made some tremendous plays in CF, hit several dramatic HRs and has the best slash line so far. The news that he has hired his own hitting coach gives me hope that his athleticism and potentially-improving offensive skills will allow him to stick with the team beyond this year.

KURT

I know he is one of Holly’s favorites, but so far this year, he is one of mine as well. JaCoby Jones has been great defensively and has hit the ground running with the bat, and speaking of running, the Tigers are a better team when he gets on base – speed creates havoc.

What is your greatest concern about the team?

HOLLY

The common theme is about just how many members of the current roster, combined with their top prospects, continue to struggle offensively and are racking up strikeouts at a record pace. If the Tigers don’t completely overhaul their hitting coaches throughout the organization, all those #1 draft picks won’t do much for a team that says they are trying to rebuild.

KURT

All the strikeouts are disturbing and the most glaring issue with the team right now. The team has been horrible with runners in scoring position and we can’t hide behind a few home runs and pretend to be encouraged (that means you, Craig Monroe).

Which player(s) will be most helpful to the team in this short season?

HOLLY

It is a weird, unsettling and disconcerting season with no fans to cheer them on, routines disrupted and worries about C-19 outbreaks. This is where age and leadership play a bigger role and Cameron Maybin, with his energy and enthusiasm and Miggy, with his love of the game and playfulness (aka “Miggy being Miggy”) will help keep the spirits high and the players a little more relaxed.

KURT

As much as we have questioned Miggy’s leadership in the past, this team will need it from him; this year more than ever. And we are seeing it, even after just a few games, as he has been doing a good job keeping things light in the dugout and encouraging guys the only way he knows.

DATED AND HATED WAYS

July 28, 2020July 28, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 23 Comments

By: Holly Horning

The Tigers set a franchise record in their first series of the year.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the good kind. It had to do with strikeouts.

The players struck out 46 out of 81 at-bats in the series with the Reds. Double digits for each game – 13 SOs, 17 SOs and 16 SOs.

An average of 15.33 SOs per game. An average of 1.75 SOs per inning.

And even if you include Monday night’s game, they still lead MLB in SOs. Comfortably.

Last year, they set the MLB record, averaging 9.8 SOs per game with a total of 1,595 times. But so far, it appears they will take this record to new levels in 2020.

If the season goes to 60 games, it puts them on a pace to SO 920 times, more than the 1987 Tigers and on a par with the 2003 team.

Yes, it’s that bad.

For the past 3 years, the Tigers have had the worst offensive stats – at or second-to-last – in MLB. That just happens to coincide with the return of Lloyd McClendon as the team’s hitting coach.

But now he’s been removed (actually, just shuffled around) with Ron Gardenhire citing that (sic) “he needed a break” because he’s (sic) “exhausted.”

Maybe it’s the Tigers hitters who really need the break.

One of the most significant issues is that Detroit also led the league last year in Chase% and SwStr% (swinging and missing) combined with average exit velocity and you end up with a “team that pitchers were willing to attack seemingly with impunity” according to writer Jules Posner (who knows a thing or two about the game, to put it mildly.)

Posner goes on to write that “the numbers would indicate that it is not the physical side of hitting that the Tigers’ seem the struggle with the most. It is planning and swing decisions that they struggle with.”

But now that Joe Vavra is the hitting coach, Posner suggests that Vavra will not have complete autonomy over offensive game planning because McClendon is still involved.

And when you’ve got a rebuilding team, with new prospects coming up since 2019, this is not good news at all. Just look at all the articles about Candelario, Stewart, Daz Cameron, Derek Hill and others who are on the cusp of whether or not they are going to stick with the team because of their offensive struggles.

Other rebuilding teams, like the Giants, have embraced “swing changes”, a progressive philosophy that all competitive teams have adopted. But not the Tigers. Despite last year’s struggles, those Tigers mentioned above are still using the same swings.

Posner states that their swings lack depth and they practice swinging down on balls in order to create backspin. It was taught to them by Lloyd and a theory that is widely disputed by the vast majority of hitting coaches.

Even worse, last year McClendon got rid of Jeimer’s “hitch” which produced his worst year yet with critics saying Lloyd broke what wasn’t broken.

Posner goes on to say:

“Baseball is changing. The Tigers are changing slowly. Jeimer Candelario and Christin Stewart may be the victims of an organization that fails to fully embrace new ideas.

“It is unfortunate that Jeimer Candelario, Christin Stewart and other Detroit Tiger players put their careers and trust into an organization that is so married to old and incorrect ideas. There is no guarantee that these adjustments would turn their careers around, but at this rate, they should be considering making these changes. Their current swings got them to the Major Leagues, but they are not helping them stay there and Lloyd McClendon did not do them any favors.”

Now let’s look at the evidence that a number of Tigers are now hiring their own independent outside coaches because they no longer trust those working for the Tigers.

Jake Rogers just hired his – Doug Latta.

And last year, JaCoby Jones listened to a scout about changing his swing. This scout told him to hire his own coach.

We saw Jones earlier in the year also getting hitting advice from Miggy which seemed to pay off early on until a stint on the IL threw him off-track. And when the video showing Miggy working with JJ aired nationally, the Tigers went into overdrive to deny that anyone other than Lloyd was responsible.

Of course, management would never admit that Jones had his own hitting consultant.

In 2018, JJ hit 11 HRs. After his swing change, he hit 10 HRs in 3 months.

And this year? He’s hit 2 HRs in 3 games and leads the team so far in hits, RBIs and slash line. I know, I know, it’s a handful of games, but it’s a promising start.

What was interesting – but also disturbing – is that Ron Gardenhire told him in that one game to bunt. No teams bunt anymore because it is a weak and outdated theory in which you give up an out in order to advance a runner. Analytics shows it to be highly ineffective for today’s game.

Hello, Ron, 2002 is calling. They want their baseball strategy back.

But Jones ended up realizing what he needed to do and went against his manager. He swung away, hitting a 2-run homer and winning it for his team.

Yet another example of a team unwilling to enter the 21st Century when it comes to how to play the game and win. Dated and hated philosophies on how to advance runners and how to hit.

And the same old people from decades ago still in charge, teaching the same old stuff.

The majority of baseball teams now have their own independent hitting coaches either on staff or on retainer. But not the Tigers. Their players are forced to hire their own coaches if they are smart enough to realize that Detroit is not providing competent coaching.

You’ve got other rebuilding teams, like the Giants, who are revamping their entire organization, courtesy of wunderkind Farhan Zaidi. They have hired 3 top hitting coaches – “a hitting brain trust to help the influx of young hitters and veterans maximize their abilities” according to Posner.

The Tigers also have an influx of young hitters but all of them are struggling. It’s too soon to write the book on JaCoby Jones with his new coach. But Jake Rogers now has hired his own so this will be interesting to watch.

In the end, it may not matter how many #1 draft picks and highly-touted prospects the Tigers select if they don’t have coaches well-versed in the latest and proven skills. Let’s not forget that Detroit has the oldest collection of coaches in MLB and you know what they say about old dogs learning new tricks….

How many of the youngsters now on the roster have impressed us with their offensive skills?

Let’s hope that Jeimer Candelario and Christin Stewart, among others, start asking their former and current teammates, scouts and others for hitting coach references.

And let’s pray that the Tigers coaching braintrust doesn’t ruin Spencer Torkelson.

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, KUDOS & CONCERNS

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 17 Comments

By: Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

Today, our writers take another look at the events of the past week and see in what direction the needle has moved.

We have just one choice as we look at the previous week through Sunday. Was the most memorable thing we saw happen worthy of praise, observation or a warning?

Let’s find out…

KURT

KUDOS

It was only three games and I understand that, but I want to give credit where credit is due. Austin Romine is a really good catcher and a great pickup for the Tigers and I guess I really never knew much about him when he was playing for the Yankees.

Fundamentally, he does all the right things behind the plate; he gives the pitcher a good target, moves well for a big guy and has a good arm with a quick release.

Lastly, there is no ignoring his leadership skills and he demonstrated it during the opening weekend, knowing when to visit the mound to settle his pitcher and continuing the conversation on the way back to the dugout.

All in all, he is a good, solid, veteran catcher when the team needed one the most.

HOLLY

CONCERN

Last week, a media analyst said that the teams headed to the World Series this year would not be the most talented – nor those who got off to the quickest start – but those who practiced the new health and safety protocols the best and had the most disciplined players when it comes to C-19 prevention.

And his comments were right on the mark after we watched the first weekend of games and then heard about outbreaks of Covid with the Marlins and concerns with a couple other teams.

The Tigers looked horrifically bad as we watched them break the rules consistently over the weekend – many of them high-fiving the third base coach and teammates when scoring as well as making hand-to-hand contact in the traditional end-of-game receiving line.

Ron Gardenhire, sans mask and huddled with his coaches despite several health concerns and their oldest-in-MLB coach rankings, failed to enforce social distancing in the dugout where we saw only a couple players, 1 trainer and 1 coach practicing appropriate safety measures.

When you compared the Tigers’ behavior to that of the Reds and saw a marked difference in safety procedures, you’ve got to wonder when, not if, there will be a Covid outbreak on the team.

OPEN MIKE!

July 25, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 15 Comments

Readers on deck to take the wheel! It’s the only way to end the month. Sunday is the one day during the month (normally) where you get the opportunity to comment on the Tiger topic of your choosing.

This is the one day of the week where we open up the comment parameters for you, so you can really get those juices flowing. Comments on THIS DAY ONLY can be expanded to a maximum of 8 sentences. So pick a topic and let us hear from you! What’s on your minds?

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

July 24, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 4 Comments

The Saturday Survey offers another readers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic. So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our baseball-lovin’ and starvin’ and pleadin’ for the crack of the bat peeps.

Today, we center the discussion on Casey Mize and how he should be handled this season.

With less than 24 hours before Opening Day, the Tigers just finalized their starting rotation but clarified that things may change during this short 60-game season. They have named their starters for the first 3 games but have not decided on who will start their 4^th and 5^th games.

Dario Agrazal, Matthew Boyd, Ivan Nova and Spencer Turnbull have been named with the potential of teaming Michael Fulmer and Tyler Alexander as “openers” to fill the 5^th slot.

Jordan Zimmermann is not expected to make it back given that his IL stint is 45 days in a 60-game season and Daniel Norris just made his first appearance at Spring Training 2.0 and is not yet ready to pitch.

Casey Mize, who appears to be ready by many of the analysts who have seen him, was not named to the roster. It was expected since that move would start his service clock. However, if the Tigers wait a mere 7 games and then add him, the clock would not start this year. He was not named to the taxi squad and will stay in Toledo training and playing simulated games with other Tigers.

Please participate in the survey in order to convey where you stand on Casey Mize and in what manner you feel he should be used this season.

SO YOU WANT TO BE THE MANAGER?

July 23, 2020July 24, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 4 Comments

Once again, readers get a chance to make their own decisions about the Tigers. Our newest blog, So You Want to Be the Manager? offers you that opportunity.

The segment will test our readers in determining who they think should win position battles heading into the season. So, here is your next assignment as Tiger manager. Let’s get to it!

Yesterday, the Tigers released their 30 man roster, which included 16 pitchers.

Ron Gardenhire has made his choices for the team’s starting rotation. But for today, Gardy is not the manager, you are! So who is your starting rotation? Did the Tigers include all of your choices on the 30-man roster? If not , feel free to go to Toledo to fill out your rotation.

Please participate in the survey in order to state your case for the starting rotation. Don’t forget to come back and check the results and include your comments that support your choice.

THIS IS AN UPDATED POLL – IF YOU ALREADY VOTED, PLEASE VOTE AGAIN. IT NOW INCLUDES A 5TH STARTER. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.

RAPID FIRE

July 22, 2020July 22, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 18 Comments

By: Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

Take 1 hot-button topic. Add 2 bloggers and 5 questions to make……Rapid Fire. The challenge is for our two bloggers to state their opinions in just 2 sentences. Let’s get to it!

Opening Day is tomorrow! In anticipation of it, Kurt and Holly are offering their views on what they are looking forward to seeing during this shortened season.

What clue will tell you the most about how seriously the Tigers see this shortened season?

KURT

I believe the overall demeanor in the dugout can tell you a lot about how serious this team is taking the season. But more than anything, how hard they work on the field will be very telling and if they work hard, that’s all we can ask for during a season that has been labeled as having no meaning whatsoever.

HOLLY

With only 24 hours to go before their first game, the Tigers still haven’t figured out who will be on their 5-man rotation, so I’d like to see how seriously they intend to solve this problem. Will they move to yet another year of duct-taping – combining 2 or more pitchers for 1 game – or will they seek out a single legitimate starting pitcher?

What one new change for the year will you enjoy seeing?

KURT

I don’t know if the word ‘enjoy’ is what I would use to describe this change, but I will be intrigued by how teams will adjust to the new 3-batter rule for relievers. As I have said many times before, this is not a changed that eliminates strategy, it changes strategy, which should prove to impact the game, hopefully in a good way.

HOLLY

Having watched a couple televised games already, I’m really enjoying the quiet that comes without the walk-up music and crowd noise. I find that the peace allows one to fully focus on the game and the details that are missed when noise often proves to be a distraction.

Piped in crowd noise or not?

KURT

MLB teams need to give up on any attempt to try to make this season normal, when it is, in so many ways, far from it. Piping in crowd noise reminds me of attending a concert, hearing a piano playing, but there is no piano player on the stage, much less a piano!

HOLLY

No, no, no to noise which is too artificial and an insult to fans by telling them how excited they should feel at any given moment. I am thoroughly enjoying listening (and learning) to players bantering and even Miggy who was laughing as he ran the bases the other day.

What one goal do you want to see the Tigers reach this season?

KURT

During another season of rebuilding, the one goal that dominates all of them is the development of players for the future. This season offers young prospects opportunities they may not normally get in the big leagues and one way or another, we need see them start moving the needle.

HOLLY

I need to see at least 1, maybe 2, of the promised rookies we’ve been hearing about forever come up and play more than a couple games. Whether with the taxi squad or being called up at a time when the service clock issue is moot, we need to see some proof that there is real, not hyped, potential with some of these prospects.

What will make you happiest to see this season?

KURT

Well, I will treat this question as a subset of the last one, where the goal of seeing the young players develop will make me the happiest. This season especially, is not the time to be concerned about wins and losses; what would be pleasing is to see the rebuild take a step forward by seeing the young guys validate some of the good things that have been said about them.

HOLLY

This is a dress rehearsal for the future so the Tigers should treat it as such. Take some chances, make some bold(er) moves, bring up as many prospects as possible to give them a taste (or more) and see exactly how close – or how far away – this team may be from being competitive.

A MERCIFUL ENDING

July 21, 2020July 22, 2020 / totallytigersblog / 21 Comments

By: Holly Horning

The IL list for the past 5 years reads like it belongs to a team…but it is for a single player.

4 years of neck strains

Strained groin

Back stiffness

Right lat strain

Multiple years of right shoulder impingement

Shoulder strain

Elbow injury

Core muscle surgery

Multiple years of forearm strains

There was not a single year since early 2016 that he wasn’t on the IL at least once.

You know who I’m talking about.

And really, it’s been heartbreaking to watch the systemic demise of Jordan Zimmermann. Painfully slow and played out in public and on social media. Especially since he had little to no control over the breakdown. Especially since he appeared to be a nice guy, a hard worker and was well-liked by his teammates.

It had to be an absolutely excruciating 4+ years for him in Detroit.

It’s hard when the nice guys go down. Even harder when some fans blame him for what happened and how he “took” the Tigers’ millions. If you were offered $110 million for 5 years, you’d accept it, too.

Zimm had 1 great month – his first month – and then spent the rest of his tenure going downhill. His final stats as a Tiger stand at 25-41 (.375%). A 1.431 WHIP and a 5.61 ERA, the second-worst in Detroit’s history.

It works out to have cost the Tigers app. $4.4 million per win.

So, really, where should we be pointing the finger when it comes to this travesty?

To anyone associated with the Front Office who signed off on the signing of JZ.

And to anyone within the Tigers organization who didn’t see the urgency in adopting analytics until 3 years ago when 27 other teams had already introduced it.

When you don’t bother to collect the tools that everyone else has, you are automatically at a disadvantage. You have less information. And “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

And you make bad decisions. Sometimes, even really bad decisions.

The year 2015 brought about the “release” of Dave Dombrowski, who hated analytics, btw. It also brought about the rise of Al Avila.

And Al was ready to make his first big move – a notable free agent signing. So ready, in fact, that the Tigers were the first team to hit the ground running before the last of the champagne sitting in the bottom of the World Series trophy (you know, that “piece of metal” as Rob Manfred called it) had been swilled.

And potentially, Avila was also being pushed by owner Mike Ilitch to add a splashy signing in his urgent quest to win that ring.

JZ had exactly 2 offers – from the Nationals and the Tigers. Detroit ended up getting him after topping DC’s offer.

And it was a really big one considering his TJ surgery and the expected follow-up surgery after a certain time that would have coincided with his time in Detroit.

If you look at his record in Washington, Jordan had one really good year and one decent year. No more. Especially significant considering that he was pitching for a solid and star-studded team in DC where his record really should have been better.

And this is where the analytics part should have come in. But the Tigers didn’t have it.

Many believe that analytics is only used for stats, but a big part of it is employed by Front Offices to determine future performance, durability and injury risk.

If the Tigers had kept up with the rest of MLB, they probably would have seen at least a couple red flags. Fangraphs, for instance, has documented the consistent decline of Zimmermann’s pitch speed and strikeout ratio starting 2 years before he left DC.

It’s interesting that the 2 teams who actually made him offers were both teams that didn’t possess analytics at the time.

Which now begs the question as to whether the Tigers would have signed Zimm back then if they had those diagnostic tools. Maybe we can get Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd to go Back to the Future one last time and find out……

It was Avila’s first – and last – big free agent signing. Justin Upton, who ended up being traded less than 2 years after signing, came to the team because of Mr. I’s push.

More than one national media outlet includes the Zimmermann signing in their top 10 list of worst free agent signings for the past decade. Quite frankly, can you think of another expensive free agent signing in Detroit’s history that was a complete bust? At least the Tigers were able to trade Prince Fielder and his enormous salary and get Ian Kinsler in return.

For most MLB teams, when your GM wastes $110 million of the owner’s money, it usually results in a pink slip.

But in Detroit, it gets you a multi-year contract extension of unknown length.

Where can I sign up?

Totally Tigers

Unique Analysis–Timely Topics–Better Baseball

Month: July 2020

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

SO YOU WANT TO BE THE MANAGER?

RAPID FIRE

DATED AND HATED WAYS

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, KUDOS & CONCERNS

OPEN MIKE!

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

SO YOU WANT TO BE THE MANAGER?

RAPID FIRE

A MERCIFUL ENDING

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: