I know this isn't Thumb related, but it does involve the Tigers...
I'd like to know what Thumb Tiger fans think should be done with the team next season.
Here is my take on next season's team.
1B – Cabrera - One of the top 5 players in the game today.
2B – Rhymes - He's shown me enough to give him the edge over Sizemore and Guillen.
SS – Peralta - I think he likes it here and could be a 20 homer, 80 RBI guy who hits .275.
3B – TBA – As much as I think Brandon Inge is a great guy, I think his days are done in Detroit. An upgrade is necessary.
C – TBA – I would really like to see an upgrade here, too. Avila has shown enough to give him another shot, but Laird has not. He has to be gone. Victor Martinez is out there, but he may be overpriced.
CF – Jackson – Hopefully he is here for another 15 years.
RF – Ordonez – I think he deserves at least another year. Boesch, while he's been terrible in the second half, is a suitable backup.
LF – Raburn - He's got 14 homers and 59 RBI in just 107 games. He deserves a shot to win the job.
DH – Damon/Guillen – Yes, they're old, but they also - if healthy - can hit. Both need to realize they are not the players they were even a few years ago.
Pitchers
No. 1-2 - Verlander & Scherzer – When they are on, it's as good as it gets for Nos. 1 and 2.
No. 3 – Porcello – I hope he's learned a lot this season. I still think he needs to trust his stuff. He nibbles on the corners too much.
No. 4 - Galarraga – He's been a roller coaster, but I think he deserves a shot at No. 4.
No. 5 - TBA – If Bonderman is around, he should have a shot. I have heard they would like to convert Coke to a starter. That means Schlereth needs to step up and become a workhorse.
Turner and Oliver - top draft picks - are probably still a year or two away from the big leagues.
Bullpen
A strength to start the season has become a question mark in my mind in 2011. Valverde was great in the first half, terrible in the second half. Perry has been erratic. The futures of Zumaya and Seay are up in the air. I am not sold on anyone else right now, including Thomas, Bonine, Weinhardt, etc.
I thought the Tigers had a great shot at winning 90-plus games this season and winning the AL Central. Instead, injuries and some shoddy stretches of pitching did them in. To me, next year is make or break for Leyland. If they don't make the playoffs, he needs to go. I will give him this year, but there is too much talent on this team to be done in August.
So, who else wants to play GM?
CLEVELAND (AP) — Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is done for the season.
Manager Jim Leyland announced Wednesday before the start of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians that Cabrera, whose 126 RBIs leads the majors, will not play again in 2010 because of a sprained right ankle.
“It seems strange not putting Cabrera’s name in there,” Leyland said. “It wasn’t broken. That’s a blessing. He’s got a long time to heal up.”
Cabrera was injured on a pickoff attempt at first base Monday night and hoped to return during Detroit’s final six games. An MRI exam performed Tuesday night revealed a high ankle sprain and Cabrera will not accompany the team to Baltimore for its final four-game series.
Leyland said if the injury had occurred earlier in the season that Cabrera, who is wearing a walking boot, would have been placed on the disabled list and would miss at least three weeks.
Cabrera is tied for second in the AL with 38 homers and is hitting .328, third in the league. Leyland thinks he should win the voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
“I think he’s been the best player in the league this year,” Leyland said. “I don’t want to be on a soap box. I think he’s the MVP and I’ll leave it at that.”
Cabrera’s production has come despite being intentionally walked a league-high 32 times.
“He probably gets more respect from an offensive standpoint than any hitter in the league,” Leyland said. “There aren’t many guys who can do what he can do. They’ve been trying to pitch around him and he’s still hitting homers.”
