In a short period of time, the Detroit Tigers have gone from several wins above .500 and 2 games out of 1st place to a 5-game losing streak and sit in 4th place, 10 games out and 4 games under .500.
As has been the case, the lack of offense is their #1 problem. Overall, the team is hitting .231/.301/.364/.655 (through Thursday). Out of their regular 8 positional players, only 2 of them are hitting over .250, 1 is under .200 and 5 are hitting between .207 and .235.
PoBO Scott Harris has repeatedly said that “the kids need to play” but given the current situation, should he be modifying this strategy given its failure so far?
Or will the team’s hitting get better as the younger players gain more experience? Do they need to continue to wait this out?
Or is this simply one of those stretches in which the team plays poorly and then rebounds for awhile?
How concerned about the team’s performance for the year overall should we be?
Or should the team pivot and start to shuffle the lineup, bringing up another player or two from Toledo in the hope that there may be another Wenceel Perez ready to break out?
What should Harris do?
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THE BEST COMMENT FROM YESTERDAY’S BLOG:
from McWatt: “Rather than pizzas as bench cushions someone should apply the spear to the posteriors of underperforming hitters. Got to break this slump soon or we’ll all be echoing Casey Stengel’s line, “Can’t anybody here play this game?” “
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Shuffle away because it’s the only way to find the true “keepers”. Perez, like Carpenter before him, is a delightful surprise and Keith seems to be coming around. But I’d be looking to either demote Torkelson or trade him to a team that thinks he can be salvaged.
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Can Torkelson and Greene be sent down until they get their hitting groove back? Meadows and Dingler starting to hit with Toledo; maybe give them a chance.
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I wrote last year to not expect anything this year because this is the same team that cannot hit. We are 29th in HRs, and we’re still not good enough to string three hits together in an inning to score a run. If Jung and Malloy aren’t given at least a two-month tryout this year then we’re looking at another evaluation year next year.
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I voted shuffle the roster because the coaches don’t really know who will handle the MLB. Twenty years ago, I asked a retired MLB player friend why some guys do great at AAA, but can’t cut it in the MLB. He said most the guys at AAA have MLB physical talent, but the space between their ears can’t handle facing boyhood idols, 40,000 people in the stands and 20 reporters at your locker each night, none of which occurs in the minors.
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It seems no more than two players can hit at any given time. One heats up, another cools off in counter balance. It’s maddening, but there really is enough hitting talent to compete. Try a couple more Mud Hens, and if they respond well a couple veterans can deal with reduced roles.
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Shuffle away also, I don’t think they have the people at the MLB level to help these guys once they are brought up. Greene, Tork and Meadows showed signs of getting better at times but their best hitter now is Carpenter and he got where he is by going outside the organization. When the roster has been turned over under the current manager and the ineptness of the offense doesn’t improve, you have to face reality, time for a change.
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it appears once again they aren’t going to compete for a playoff position this year so why not let the kids in Toledo play. Maybe they can get their MLB jitters out of the way sooner and get on with becoming MLB players.
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With the standings at 10 games back before the end of May something needs to happen. Why not shuffle the roster, what can it hurt? Besides Ibanez, Perez and Carpenter there’s not much going on.
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There have to be consequences for poor performance. Two months is more than enough time and chances for these guys to hit. You have to try something different and give others a chance. What do they have to lose?
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That is precisely the problem—the kids aren’t playing. Baez, Rogers, Torkelson, Canha, and McInstry are playing instead of Jung, Workman, Dingler, Malloy, and Hiura. By the way, Trei Cruz, SS for AA Erie is on a tear, hitting .353 with an OBP of .436 in May.
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I see no value in demoting Torkelson, so package him in a deal with Flaherty (and perhaps others) which kinds of smokescreens the comparatives of any trade. We need to move on from Torkelson now, while he may still possess a very small sliver of value. As of Keith, he looks like he is learning and growing, so keep on keeping on, with him!
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Shuffle, SH however is going to stick to “don’t bring them up until they’re ready” mantra. The front office’s seems to lack any speed in terms of the current lack of offense.
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