Prospectus Today: Ange... (04/03)
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April 5, 2008 Prospectus TodayValue Judgments
A promising season, one that began with hopes of a championship and visions of a thousand runners crossing the plate, ended ignominiously this week. The Detroit Tigers, dubbed by some as a World Series contender, lost four games in a row to see that dream die. There’s no one culprit in the stunning end to the Tigers’ year. In four games, the Tigers scored just 10 runs. Although they were missing center fielder Curtis Granderson atop the lineup, the absence of their leadoff hitter can’t explain sub-.200 batting averages by Gary Sheffield (.143), Jacque Jones (.091) and Placido Polanco (.105). As a team, the Tigers hit just .234 with a .309 OBP and .358 slugging, far below expectations. Fans will point to injuries to Sheffield (finger) and Miguel Cabrera (quadriceps) that cost each a game as well as to Granderson's absence for the falloff, but the team scored more runs in the games each missed (six) than they did in the two in which they both played (four). The Tigers were built to outscore, not outpitch their opponents, making the ill-timed four-game losing streak that much more frustrating, because their pitching was acceptable. No one will issue an award to a team that allows 5.25 runs a game. Neverthless, that figure is in line with expectations, especially of a team missing two key relievers. Kenny Rogers provided a quality start, and Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman each pitched into the seventh inning before tiring; Nate Robertson was the only starter to get bombed. The bullpen, considered the team’s weakest link, has been fairly good: 14 2/3 innings, six runs, 11/6 K/BB (after intentionals), one homer allowed. Only Jason Grilli, who allowed five hits on 22 pitches in the final game, was a disaster. The failure of the Tigers to live up to the expectations created by the game’s best offseason stings, not least because it marks the second year in a row in which the team wasn’t able to build on its 2006 World Series appearance. That team, which went 7-1 in reaching the Series, clearly had a quality that the last two have… Wait, it’s not October 5th? It's April? Well, that changes things.
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