Jered Weaver Drops His Appeal, Takes A Shot At Carlos Guillen

Los Angeles Angels Jered Weaver made news when he threw at Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila after Carlos Guillen blasted a home run off him and gave him the evil eye. After that little incident Weaver was suspended for six games. Of course Weaver filed an appeal which he decided to drop, coincidentally after his start Friday night. Isn't this how it always happens.

After dropping his appeal, Weaver took a shot at the Tigers' Guillen, the oft injured second baseman.

When Weaver was asked why he didn't wait to face Guillen next year -- the Angels have no games remaining against the Tigers this season -- Weaver said, "Who knows if I'm going to be able to face him again? Is he going to have a job next year?"

Is this guy a sore loser or what? I would hate to beat him in a poker game or Monopoly. He might shoot me. He should be careful what he says. Although it's a longshot, Guillen could wind up with the Angels next season.







   

Valverde Denies Role In Spit-Gate

There's always a lot of back and forth between athletes and fans at a sporting event. Most players take it in stride, some fans take the heckling to a different level and which leads to atheletes lashing out. Ask Ron Artest and Vernon Maxwell about that. Recently the mild mannered, good guy Grant Hill even went after a fan. What is the world coming to?

Thursday night Detroit Tigers closer Jose Valverde was accused of spitting on a Baltimore Orioles fan. Valverde denies that he did it. He did say he spit in that direction but not at the fan. Fellow reliever Daniel Schlereth backed his claim which is basically saying the fan's claim was bogus. I wasn't there so I wouldn't know. I'd like an Orioles fan to clue me in on this one. Valverde said the fan was yelling at him all game. He shouldnt've spit in that direction as it is, that way you're not going into self defense mode.

"This guy's drinking and drinking, and he doesn't know what's going on in the game," Valverde said. "He started doing a lot of stuff, BS. The thing is, you have to sometimes leave it alone, because they pay for that. There's nothing you can do. He paid for the ticket. He can do whatever he wants to. But after a while, he ticked me off …

And sometimes you have to ignore it and be the bigger man. Well Valverde probably already is the bigger man.

"They're shouting, 'You [stink], you piece of …' And I'm tired of that. Everybody's tired. And I tell them, 'You know what, you want to do something? Come on. Come here.' And he told me, '[Forget] you. [Forget] your mother.' He talks about my mother, and I said, 'OK. God bless you.'"



As a fan there are lines you don't cross. Say anything you want but leave family out of it.






  

 

Brad Penny's Fiancee To Pose In Playboy

Karina Smirnoff of  "Dancing With the Stars" fame, who is Detroit Tigers pitcher Brad Penny's fiancee, will be posing for Playboy magazine, according to reports.

Hugh Hefner broke the news via Twitter of course.

"The May issue of Playboy is unforgettable with Dancing With The Stars' Karina Smirnoff on the cover & nude inside."

Smirnoff and Penny have been engaged since November and they are planning to wed early next year.

I wonder how Brad feels about it.

Leyland Better Get Used To The Cabrera Questions

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland says he's tired of all the questions about slugger Miguel Cabrera. Earth to Leyland: Get used to it. The questions aren't going away anytime soon. At least right now anyway. That's what happens when your best player acts like a buffoon while drinking himself into oblivion. What in the world made him go into a restaurant threatning to shoot and kill people. I never mad those threats on my wors drinking night. Usually you try to make it somewhere to pass out.

Team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski is hitching his and Leyland's immediate future to Cabrera. And how does Cabrera repay them? By going out and behaving like some college frat boy. Right now they look like enablers which isn't a good thing. Which means that reporters and writers will be asking questions about him as long as the Tigers haven't hardlined Cabrera, and that day ain't coming anytime soon.

It'll be hard for the general public to move past Cabrera follies, if you want to label it as such, as long as the organizational powers enable him to act in an irresponsible manner. The Tigers hired Raul Gonzalez to babysit Cabrera for this season. Whether this works or not I don't know. I call it more of a smoke screen. Cabrera can still go out and get blasted, and have Raul drive him home and help him to his couch and make sure he gets to the ballpark on time the next day. I think it's more of an enabling process than trying to help the guy. And yes he does need help.

There will be more questions coming and no matter how pissed you get Jimmy they're gonna keep coming. The vague answers aren't good enough. The reporters don't want to hear about what shape he's in or how he's gonna have his best season ever. What they want to know is whether you guys are going to give him some legitimate help off the field. What they want to know is if he's a functioning alcoholic, if he does this all the time or are his previous incidents just a blip. I'm betting that it's more of a problem than Leyland or Dombrowski are letting us know.

As a Tigers fan I won't be hypocritical, because I know I'll be rooting for the guy on the field. I don't expect anyone to agree with me. But he really needs to get it together off the field and they need to get him some real help and not a babysitter. By doing that all they're doing is enabling his activity and saying he doesn't have a problem, which is what Cabrera's probably saying to the Tigers.   

Cabrera Needs To Lay Off The Sauce

After giving a Florida cop the middle finger, baseball star Miguel Cabrera shouted at police, “Fucking shoot me, kill me” when ordered to drop to his knees so that officers could handcuff him, according to a sheriff’s report.


The 27-year-old athlete, busted last month in Fort Pierce for drunk driving, also stated, “Fuck you. Do you know who I am? I’m Miguel Cabrera, I play for the Detroit Tigers, you don’t know my family.”

A second document--a statement given to cops by bar manager Fletcher Nail--recounts an incident shortly before Cabrera was arrested at the wheel of his Range Rover. Nail recalled that Cabrera arrived after last call and refused to leave Cowboys Bar-B-Q & Steak Co.

Nail said that Cabrera “leaned down close to my face” and said, “I will kill you.” Nail added that the ballplayer looked around the bar and added, “I know all of you, and I will kill all of you and blow this place up.” Another witness, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agent, told investigators that Cabrera threatened him and Nail “by saying he had a gun in his bag for us.”

The investigative reports were included in documents released today by prosecutors in response to an open records request. Cabrera, who has previously acknowledged abusing alcohol, was busted for DUI, resisting arrest, and having an open container of alcohol in his car.


Source: TheSmokingGun.com

Ordonez: Cabrera Must Act Like A Superstar

If anyone on the Detroit Tigers is going to show Miguel Cabrera some tough love, it looks like it'll be Magglio Ordonez. Ordonez hasn't been named captain or anything it's just that he seems like he's the most critical of Cabrera's actions that may possibly send him to rehab after being arrested for alledgedly drunk driving, resisting arrest, and basically being a jackass.

Ordonez told John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that Cabrera "must act like a superstar".

“Miguel is the franchise player of this team,” Ordoñez said. “He understands that they are building the team around him. He needs to pull everything together. “He is a superstar, and he needs to act like a superstar. He needs to work hard. I told him before, and I will tell him whenever he shows up”.

It's clear that Ordonez supports his teammate and fellow Venezuelan. On the surface it looks like he'll sit Cabrera down and lay down the law. The Tigers desperately need Cabrera to be clean and on his best behavior. If he's going to keep having alcoholic relapses the Tigers would be wise to get rid of him.

No one knows what he does or what's going on off the field. He may have problems that we the fans or even teammates know the extent of. Whatever it is he has to figure it out and realize what's most important in his life. Ordonez says that he predicts Cabrera will pull it together. But will he do it for the greater good of himself of will he do it just to salvage his baseball career. His teammates are behind him, so he has support. There's no reason that I know of for him to pull the stunt that he pulled Wednesday night.    






 

Victor Martinez's Lavish Ride

Professional athletes usually don't tool around in "luxury" cars that the average man drives around in. Consider the case of one of the newest Detroit Tigers, Victor Martinez. I've heard about Justin Verlander's Ferrari, but to me Martinez's Rolls Royce Ghost takes it.

The car is retailed at $250,000 before customization. I'd have to work a lifetime to get one tire off of it. It is a nice car, but Martinez won't be in the major leagues forever bagging $12 mill a season. Be smart with that money.

Tigers pitcher Robbie Weinhardt had an interesting take on the car.

"Awesome," said pitcher Robbie Weinhardt, "My signing bonus ($15,000) probably pays for nothing on that car. Maybe the air freshener."

I guess you can buy those kind of items when you get big money deals like the one Martinez signed this past offseason.

A Viola Grows In Brooklyn

I haven't heard the name Frank Viola in years. Even when I think of the Minnesota Twins his isn't thefirst name to come up. He was a long time Twin and tormented my beloved Tigers for years. He was one of the best pitchers in the American League and won a Cy Young in 1988. He was one of the main cogs when the Twins won the World Series in 1987.

After retiring in 1996 you didn't hear much of him. He has resurfaced again as the new pitching coach for the  Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Mets Class A outfit. Before that he was coaching high scholl ball in Orlando, Florida and doing some work for Red Sox broadcasts.

"We are excited to welcome our new staff to MCU Park," said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen. "It's a wonderful thing to have a Cy Young Award winner like Frank Viola guiding our young pitchers, and we look forward to a great 2011 season with all of our coaches."


The Mets are betting there will be some "Sweet Music" in Brooklyn.

Penny Is Ready To Roll

After an injury plagued 2010, the newest Detroit Tiger, Brad Penny, wants a chance to prove that he's healthy and ready to go. The Tigers better hope he's healthy because that's when Penny is at his best. I know baseball is the ultimate team game, but it all starts with pitching. If the stars align right and everyone stays healthy the Tigers will have as good a staff as any. As spring training rolls around Penny is slated to be the number five starter. He might be the best number five starter in the league, if he's healthy.

Penny says he had offers from other teams, but the Tigers gave him the best chance to compete for a starting spot and he also felt the Tigers had a chance to win. Penny has been on a World Series winner and would like to get a shot at another one.

“I had some offers from teams that I didn’t think were able to compete,” Penny said. “I would have been more in a role of teaching young kids how to go about business, but I’m at a point where I want to win.”

“I was leaning towards Detroit most of the time, but I had a few offers that I had to consider."

Penny matches up well with other fifth starters in the American League and everyone knows that there aren't too many fifth starters with Penny's credentials. Sure he had a rough time in is first stint in the American League. But I think pitching in Comerica Park will help him out.

That's good for the Tigers since they had an obvious need for a number five starter. And Penny wants to prove he still has something left and isn't simply playing for a contract.  

Verlander Needs To Get Off To A Quick Start

One of the keys to the Detroit Tigers' season is the success of Justin Verlander. That's fairly obvious to anyone who watches the game of baseball. What Verlander needs to do in particular, is get off to a good start. That's something this team is going to need from their number one starter. If that happens the Tigers can surprise early.

In the past Verlander has struggled early. Not where he can't get the ball over the plate, but he ges knocked around a bit early in the season. I don't have the stats sitting here in front of me, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. He gets some early wins but not enough for others to doubt his status as the staff ace. His record usually hovers around .500 for his first six to eight starts before he hits a midseason run where he looks unbeatable before looking kinda ordinary toward the end of the year. He has Cy Young stuff and ability, he just needs more consistency from end to end.

Verlander is clearly the key to the rotation. If he can battle hard enough the offense will get him enough run support. I don't doubt his ability to be a top of the line starter, sometimes he makes me wonder though. I still feels like he has his moments where he wants to dial it up and try to blow everyone away. He's been around long enough to know that's not the way to pitch. If he wants to be in the Cy Young conversation, he has to get rid of that mentality. I'm not saying abandon the bread and butter fastball. Just don't rely on it to get you out of a jam. You gotta let the players behind you make plays sometimes. I know, for the Tigers that might be a stretch since some of the players in the field are better suited to a beer league. But you just can't  keep pumping fastballs over the plate. Verlander is good. The rest of the staff is good. But they can be a whole lot better and having Verlander off to a quick start may be the key early on.

Tigers Dance Off

During Tigerfest, pitcher Jose Valverde and shortstop Ramon Santiago had a dance contest. The final result was that Valverde ended up the winner.

The Tigers To Retire Sparky Anderson's Jersey

It's about time. The Detroit Tigers are finally going to retire Sparky Anderson's number 11 jersey. The date of the retirement is yet to be determined.  The Tigers will have a patch on their jersey to honor Anderson and raise a flag with his name on it at the home opener. Anderson led the Tigers to their last World Series title in 1984.

Anderson was one of the greatest managers of all time, and that is validated by his three World Series championships and Hall of Fame induction. He also led the Cincinnati Reds to world championships in 1975 and 1976. He acheived a rare feat by winning championships in both the American and National League.

Anderson managed the Tigers from 1979-1995. I remember when he started he said he would bring a championship here in five years. He brought them that title in 1984. He was became disappointed with the game before he left the Tigers and believed he was forced out because he didn't want to manage replacement players during the strike. There were rumors that there were feelings of ill will between himself and owner Mike Illitch.

Although Anderson had a habit of pumping up young players (Kirk Gibson was the next Mickey Mantle) he knew his baseball. It's great to see him get some long overdue recognition from the franchise. Hopefully they'll put a statue of him in Comerica Park someday.

Matt Anderson Gets Another Chance

Matt Anderson is getting what amounts to a last chance in the major leagues. The Philadelphia Phillies signed the former Detroit Tigers pitcher to a minor league deal. Which means if he performs well he can pitch in the big show again.

Anderson was the top pick in the 1997 baseball draft out of Rice by the Tigers. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005 and his last season was in 2008 with Triple-A Charlotte. He has 15 appearances and a 5.60 ERA. He'll need to do much better than that if he wants to stick with the Phillies. His best year was back in 2001 when he posted 22 saves for the Tigers.

Anderson's most famous moments were hitting 103 mph on the radar gun and having his name dropped in a sexual harassment lawsuit in 2001. Good luck Matt, you'll need it since you haven't been the same since injuring your arm in 1999 ( there was a contest at the ballpark to throw an octopus the farthest and win tickets to a Red Wings playoff game - Anderson tossed an octopus and suffered an injury from which he never seemed to recover).

A Penny For My Thoughts

Brad Penny signs with the Detroit Tigers. For one year and $3million plus incentives. That's the kind of deal I was referring to when the free agent frenzy was going on. This was what i would call a smart signing. Not overpaying someone that might or might not be able to help. For once they spent money wisely.

Penny has been plagued by injuries for a lot of his career. But when he is healthy he can be very good. I know there are skeptics out there that will say he had his best years in the National League. I agree with that assessment. When he came to Boston he got shelled and was replaced by Tim Wakefield in the rotation. He ended that season with a 7-8 record and a 5.61 era. He pitched much better when he signed with the San Francisco Giants after being released by the Red Sox.

He gives the Tigers a solid number five starter and at best gives Armando Galarraga some competition at the back end of the rotation. I believe they'll give him the fifth starter's spot unless he proves he can't do the job. If he can't the Tigers don't get beat out of a lot of money. Penny is capable of being a number five starter, possibly a four. Best case scenario is that Penny is solid in the rotation, Galarraga is a capable long reliever and spot starter, and prospects Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner get more seasoning in the minors and aren't rushed. This could be one of the best steals of the offseason.

Tigers Re-Sign Ordonez And I'm Still Not Sold On Them

When I heard the Detroit Tigers made a free agent signing my ears perked up with a bit of enthusiam. Then I heard what the signing was. It was Magglio Ordonez coming back for one year and $10 million. A good signing, but not exactly a discount deal. It's more than I would've tried to re-sign him for. Don't get me wrong, I like that they brought him back. I just feel they could've done more with their money.

When I say they could've done more with their money, here's what I mean. The Tigers still have some holes. I've stated that they should've looked at some low cost free agent options. Be creative. Sign a younger player that has a track record of some success. Incentive laden, minor league deal with an invite to spring training, or whatever. I don't know the ins and outs of a major league front office, but when I see Austin Kearns helping the Yankees last year and available on the market, I ask myself why not sign him. Like I said before, if he can't cut it, cut him. It's all at minimal cost. Obviously the Tigers don't operate this way. I'm not saying they would win the division or be a World Series contender this way, but this team isn't getting any younger nor is there immediate help from within on the way.

This team looks a lot like last year's and they're still trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Meaning, they keep trying to recreate 2006 and that just isn't going to happen. They still need another starter and bullpen arm. Also a solid corner outfielder and second baseman would help. I know there doesn't appear to be much out there on the market but sometimes someone just needs a change of scenery. I'm not sold on Phil Coke and Armando Galarraga as the fourth and fifth starters. Hell, why not bring Jeremy Bonderman back and keep working that experiment. I'm not sold on Carlos Guillen being able to last a whole season at second base or anywhere else for that matter. I'm not sold on Brandon Inge at third either. For the "power arms" the Orioles gave up to get Mark Reynolds from Arizona, the Tigers could've given up something. He may have whiffed about 200 times, but you would have some more thunder in the lineup.

Simply put, I'm glad Ordonez is back. I'm just not too thrilled with how the team is constructed. It's going to take a lot to sell me on this team being a contender. Being competitive into September isn't good enough.         

It's Time For The Tigers To Lower Their Sights In Free Agency

Forget the Carl Crawford pipe dreams. The only way the Detroit Tigers improve their current roster is going to be through trades or lower cost free agents. I'm not going to get too much into it because I've described who I would go after. The problem I see with the Tigers is they want to operate like a big budget club. They don't have big budget dollars though. Then when things go terribly bad (see 2007) they end up having to cut costs.

My soultion is still to take flyers on low cost one or two year deals. Someone like Orland Hudson, Lastings Milledge, or Xavier Nady isn't going to cost you too much to see if they can play and cut bait if they can't. The team itself isn't getting any younger. I know they're trying to win now, but they need to be wise with their money. If they break the bank and fail then you have to start from square one and the Tigers don't have youth down on the farm to start over.

Tigers Still Need to Round Out Their Team

The Detroit Tigers have made the first major free agent signing of the year by bagging Boston Red sox free agent catcher Victor Martinez. This does help their team as he can catch or DH. They also need a few more signings or trades that can round out their roster. They signed Tampa Bay reliever Joaquin Benoit to a 3 year $16 mil contract and they're not sure that they will offer Joel Zumaya arbitration. The Benoit and Martinez signings are solid, but the Tigers need to do more if they are to be thought of as serious contenders for next season.

First, I'd try to find a starting pitcher. Someone that may be a reclamation project or a solid number five that can eat some innings. I'd even look at the number four spot in the rotation since I'm not sold on Phil Coke as a starter. Maybe a Chris Young, Erik Bedard, Jon Garland, Jeff Francis, Jorge De La Rosa, or Vincente Padilla could help. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but who else do you have. Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner aren't ready and you never know what you're gonna get from Armando Galarraga, Alfredo Figaro,etc. I say look for someone on the cheap that could actually help.

Maybe try to get another reliever. Right now I call it a long shot since they signed Benoit and they will see what they can get out of Zumaya. Throw a bone to Octavio Dotel, J.J. Putz, or Kerry Wood and see what happens.

Last but not least, try to get an affordable position player or two on the cheap. They won't get Adam Dunn. I'd be shocked if they do. But how about Xavier Nady, who can play the outfield and give Miguel Cabrera a day off every once in a while. They do have a need at second base and Orlando Hudson is available. Maybe David Eckstein could work out. If they fall out of the Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth sweepstakes, which i suspect will happen, Pat Burrell, Bill Hall, or Austin Kearns could go platoon in left. In right try to bring back Magglio Ordonez at a reduced price or throw an incentive laden deal at Andruw Jones or Jeff Francouer.

It's not my money so I can't spend it. I'm just saying that if you can catch the big fish, look at possible lower cost alternatives. If they suck, cut bait with them and move on. If they can get the job done it buys time for a pretty bad minor league system to grow. It may not be the most practical solution, but it can't be any worse than what they did in 2008.

Francoeur Could Be A Low Cost Option For Tigers

I'm not gonna sit here and act like a scout or GM. I just think that since Jeff Francoeur cleared waivers and is now a free agent, he could be a low cost option for the Detroit Tigers. It wasn't that long long ago that he was highly thought of. They don't have a lot of outfield options, at least none that are gonna cost less than $15 million. I say take a chance since they don't have nothing to lose by signing him for a few mill. It could turn out to be a bargain signing that works out. Hey, its just a thought.  

Rest In Peace George "Sparky" Anderson

I had to pay my respects to former Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson. He made baseball matter in Detroit again. He will bw missed.

It Could Be A Big Offseason In Detroit

If the Detroit Tigers want to give their fans hope for next season they'll need to pony up some big dollars to bring the likes of Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford, or Victor Martinez to town. According to a report on ESPN.com that could be their line of thinking.

As far as we know, the Tigers were not one of the Michigan companies that received some form of government bailout. But at least one report says the Tigers may still have some money to spend.


Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe says the Tigers are very interested in free agents Victor Martinez and/or Carl Crawford, which could put them on a collision course with the Boston Red Sox.

Abraham says the Tigers have their eye on Martinez after light hitting Alex Avila did their catching last season. As for the outfield, the Tigers see a Crawford-Austin Jackson combination giving them premier defense.

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch is 81 years old and not short on cash, so there is no reason for Detroit fans not to think big.

If the Tigers fall short of their pursuit for V-Mart or Crawford, Tom Gage of the Detroit News says that free agent Jim Thome would be a solid fit.

Personally I would like to see them add a pitcher that can eat up some innings and win about 12-14 games.