DETROIT TIGERS
| The Tigers have a new park and a new two-time MVP outfielder, but otherwise are just the same. The pitching is underwhelming, and there will be a lot of pressure on young guys who may or may not be healthy. The lineup has some pop, but their best leadoff hitter is still Luis Polonia, and Gregg Jefferies is still around. The Tigers have a chance at reaching the .500 mark if things go right, very little chance of making the playoffs. |
| GABE ALVAREZ (3B, 26, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AA 114 427 128 28 2 14 71 78 51 64 300 376 473 1 1 1998 AAA 67 249 68 15 1 20 37 58 30 60 273 350 582 3 1 1999 AAA 110 410 117 24 0 21 70 67 57 80 285 373 498 1 3 |
| Alvarez has proven that he can hit home runs in Toledo, but he didn't fare well when the Tigers gave him a shot in 1998. He might get another chance; the Tigers are not overflowing with talented players. Alvarez should hit around .250 with some power and some walks; if he doesn't do that this year, he will likely become Jeff Manto. |
| MATT ANDERSON (24, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 DET 5 1 42 0 0 0 0 44 38 31 44 327 1999 DET 2 1 37 0 0 0 0 38 33 35 32 568 |
| Throws hard, can't throw strikes. Anderson is still very young, and can still mature into a good pitcher. I think he will; last year was probably just a blip on the screen, and that he will be better in 2000. Expect him to pitch like he did in 1998, but with more innings, and possibly better control. |
| BRAD AUSMUS (CA, 31, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 HOU 130 425 113 25 1 4 45 44 38 78 266 326 358 14 6 1998 HOU 128 412 111 10 4 6 62 45 53 60 269 356 357 10 3 1999 DET 127 458 126 25 6 9 62 54 51 71 275 365 415 12 9 |
| His power was up a little in 1999, probably due to a change in ballparks, but otherwise he had almost the exact same season he had in 1998. A very consistent player, durable, solid behind the plate and decent with the bat...hell, what I am I saying? This guy was an All-Star last year!! Has more speed than the average catcher; will continue to play at the same level. |
| RICH BECKER (CF, 28, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 MIN 132 443 117 22 3 10 61 45 62 130 264 354 395 17 5 1998 BAL-NYM 128 213 42 5 2 6 37 21 43 76 197 337 324 5 1 1999 MIL-OAK 129 264 68 8 2 6 36 26 58 81 258 395 371 8 2 |
| Look up "disastrous" in the dictionary, and you will see Becker's 1998 season. Last year he played better, doing the things he should be doing like hitting .250 and drawing walks and running the bases well and scoring runs. He strikes out too much, but he is also a fine defensive player; as long as he doesn't hit .197 I would want Becker on my team, maybe even as a regular. |
| WILLIE BLAIR (34, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 DET 16 8 29 27 2 0 0 175 186 46 90 417 1998 ARI-NYM 5 16 34 25 0 0 0 175 188 61 92 498 1999 DET 3 11 39 16 0 0 0 134 169 44 82 685 |
| His record the last two years is horrible, and he is probably finished, but Blair's control is still good enough that I think he can have a good year with a good team. Problem is, what good team is going to want him? |
| DAVID BORKOWSKI (23, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 A 15 3 25 25 4 2 0 164 143 31 104 346 1998 AA 16 7 28 28 3 1 0 179 204 54 97 463 1999 AAA 6 8 19 19 3 0 0 126 119 43 94 350 |
| Borkowski is one of the Tigers' better pitching prospects. He pitched very well for Toledo last year; he also got some starts with Detroit, and was bad, but not embarrassing. He should be a decent pitcher; he just needs to get his feet on the ground, and learn to throw strikes to major league hitters. He also hits a whole lot of batters with pitches, which may or may not tell you something. |
| DOUG BROCAIL (33, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 DET 3 4 61 4 0 0 2 78 74 36 60 323 1998 DET 5 2 60 0 0 0 0 62 47 18 55 273 1999 DET 4 4 70 0 0 0 2 82 60 25 78 252 |
| Had a brilliant year as a setup man, and was one of the best in baseball in that role. Brocail has pitched well with the Tigers for three straight years, and there is every reason to think he will continue to succeed in 2000. It's getting a little late for him to get a closer's job, but Mike Jackson and Jeff Shaw were able to make the transition in their mid-30's, so Brocail still has time to get the money job. |
| TONY CLARK (1B, 28, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 DET 159 580 160 28 3 32 105 117 93 144 276 376 500 1 3 1998 DET 157 602 175 37 0 34 84 103 63 128 291 358 522 3 3 1999 DET 143 536 150 29 0 31 74 99 64 133 280 361 507 2 1 |
| Clark is prone to huge slumps and sizzling hot streaks, yet manages to finish each year with almost the exact same numbers. Last year he got off to a horrible start, then smoked the ball the second half of the season. He's a good player, and should play well for several more years; I don't anticipate any great change in his production. |
| DEIVI CRUZ (SS, 24, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 DET 147 436 105 26 0 2 35 40 14 55 241 263 314 3 6 1998 DET 135 454 118 22 3 5 52 45 13 55 260 284 355 3 4 1999 DET 155 518 147 35 0 13 64 58 12 57 284 302 427 1 4 |
| He was just a baby when the Tigers made him their regular shortstop in 1997. He was a horrible hitter three years ago, but has made remarkable progress since then. Last year he was a good player, maybe a very good player. Cruz has no command of the strike zone, and I wouldn't bet on him to get any better than he was last year... but he has tweaked my curiosity. He is an excellent defensive player. |
| DAMIAN EASLEY (2B, 30, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 DET 151 527 139 37 3 22 97 72 68 102 264 362 471 28 13 1998 DET 153 594 161 38 2 27 84 100 39 112 271 332 478 15 5 1999 DET 151 549 146 30 1 20 83 65 51 124 266 346 434 11 3 |
| His power was down a little, and his RBI total dropped, but his walks were up, so you could argue that Easley played as well as in the previous two years. A solid defensive player, and ranks among the better second basemen in the AL. He has been remarkably consistent for three straight years now, and he looks like a good athlete, so chances are he will play at the same level again this year. |
| JUAN ENCARNACION (OF, 24, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 DET 40 164 54 9 4 7 30 21 7 31 329 354 561 7 4 1999 DET 132 509 130 30 6 19 62 74 14 113 255 287 450 33 12 |
| Encarnacion has been very highly touted in Detroit. He is very young, and has both power and speed. Right now he is not a good player, and I think that his potential is limited. His K/BB ratio is horrible, and I doubt that he will improve much with such little discipline at the plate. At best, he might develop into a Juan Samuel-type player. |
| ROBERT FICK (CA, 26, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 A 122 463 158 50 3 16 100 90 75 74 341 429 566 13 4 1998 AA 130 515 164 47 6 18 101 114 71 83 318 401 538 8 4 |
| A talented young hitter, Fick missed most of the season with a shoulder strain. When he returned in September, he had 3 homers and 10 RBI in only a few games. If he is healthy, Fick should get a lot of playing time; the Tigers still have Ausmus behind the plate, but they don't have a regular DH. Fick could be a key addition to a lineup that is already much improved. |
| KARIM GARCIA (RF, 24, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AAA -- 262 80 17 6 20 53 66 23 70 305 361 645 11 - |
|
Garcia was a super-hot prospect with the Dodgers, about the same time
that Jackie Robinson broke into the league. It seems like he has
been around forever, but apparently he is just 24 years old. He has
failed with three different organizations, which can't be a good
thing, and his attitude doesn't have a good reputation. On the other hand, he does have some power and speed, he is apparently very young, and he made small improvements in just about every area of his game last year, so I guess he has a chance to be good. |
| JUAN GONZALEZ (RF, 30, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 TEX 133 533 158 24 3 42 87 131 33 107 296 335 589 0 0 1998 TEX 154 606 193 50 2 45 110 157 46 126 318 366 630 2 1 1999 TEX 144 562 183 36 1 39 114 128 51 105 326 378 601 3 3 |
|
He had the highest OBA of his career; apart from some injury problems,
he probably played better than in either of his two MVP seasons. Obviously, he
is a devastating hitter who is fast-tracking to the Hall Of Fame. Has an excellent
shot at 600 home runs, and will probably hit 700 barring an unforeseen
development, like a dejuiced ball or a wider strike zone. Gonzalez has, of course, been traded to the Tigers. It is impossible to speculate on how this will affect his performance, as we don't even know what kind of park the Tigers will be playing in. I think he will have a difficult time driving in 150 Tiger runs. |
| SETH GREISINGER (25, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AA 10 6 28 28 1 0 0 159 194 53 105 520 |
| Greisinger missed the whole season with surgery on his arm. He was never much of a pitcher in the first place, and his chances of making a successful comeback are slim. |
| BOBBY HIGGINSON (RF, 30, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 DET 146 546 163 30 5 27 94 101 70 95 299 379 520 12 7 1998 DET 157 612 174 37 4 25 92 85 63 101 284 355 480 3 3 1999 DET 107 377 90 18 0 12 51 46 64 66 239 351 382 4 6 |
| Higginson did not play well; he had troubles with his toe, and eventually had surgery on it. He is capable of doing better, and probably will. With a new park and Juan Gonzalez in the lineup, baseball should be interesting in Detroit this season; expect Higginson to hit around .280 with 20+ home runs. |
| ERIK HILJUS (27, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 2 3 42 0 0 0 2 66 49 35 85 370 1999 AAA 2 3 33 0 0 0 5 59 49 16 73 440 |
| Hiljus was a promising young pitcher whose career was derailed by a shoulder injury in 1997. He has come back throwing strikes, and had a great K/BB ratio at Toledo last year. The Tigers don't have a great bullpen, so a job should be available for Hiljus. If he is healthy, I expect him to pitch well. |
| GREGG JEFFERIES (DH, 33, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 PHI 130 476 122 25 3 11 68 48 53 27 256 333 391 12 6 1998 PHI-ANA 144 555 167 28 3 9 72 58 29 32 301 336 411 12 3 1999 DET 70 205 41 8 0 6 22 18 13 11 200 258 327 3 4 |
|
He was the hottest of hot young players with the Mets about a dozen
years ago... but you knew there was trouble when they tried him at several
positions, and he couldn't play any of them. The Cardinals finally put him
at first base, and for a couple of years (93-94), he was a great player. Now, he doesn't do much of anything well, and had a simply atrocious season for the Tigers. Someone will probably be willing to give him another chance, though I can't imagine why; there must be a hundred kids in the minors with a bigger upside than Jefferies. Unless he plans to start hitting .330 again, and just isn't telling us, I suspect his career will be over soon. |
| TODD JONES (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 DET 5 4 68 0 0 0 31 70 60 35 70 309 1998 DET 1 4 65 0 0 0 28 63 58 36 57 497 1999 DET 4 4 65 0 0 0 30 66 64 35 64 380 |
| Jones is the Tiger's closer, and he's not awful, so he will probably have the job again next year. Expect 25-30 saves. |
| MASAO KIDA (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 DET 1 0 49 0 0 0 1 65 73 30 50 626 |
| Kida is a veteran from Japan who pitched poorly in his first season in the majors. I know nothing about his career overseas, but he is not young, and there is little in his record to suggest he might turn things around and have a good year. |
| DAVE MLICKI (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 NYM 8 12 32 32 1 1 0 194 194 76 157 400 1998 NYM-LA 8 7 30 30 3 0 0 181 188 63 117 457 1999 LA-DET 14 13 33 31 2 0 0 199 219 72 120 461 |
| Mlicki's career appeared to be in danger until he went on a hot streak in Detroit, and finished the year with a winning record. He has an outside chance of having a good season, but more likely will start to struggle again, and have a losing record (or even be dropped from the starting rotation). |
| BRIAN MOEHLER (28, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 DET 11 12 31 31 2 1 0 175 198 61 97 467 1998 DET 14 13 33 33 4 3 0 221 220 56 123 390 1999 DET 10 16 32 32 2 2 0 196 229 59 106 504 |
| It was a tough year for Moehler; he got hit hard, walked more batters than he should, and was caught with sandpaper on his glove. He is still young, and he wasn't too bad; he even threw two shutouts. I suspect he will pitch well again in the future. It was a tough year for a lot of pitchers. |
| C.J. NITKOWSKI (27, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 HOU 3 3 43 0 0 0 3 60 49 23 44 377 1999 DET 4 5 68 7 0 0 0 82 63 45 66 430 |
| Nitkowski has pitched very well the past two seasons, which is a bit of a surprise. His control isn't great, but his other numbers are good. He is also not limited to getting only one out at a time; Nitkowski is equally effective against left-handers and right-handers, and can even help out with the occasional spot start. He badmouthed manager Larry Parrish in public, but Parrish is gone and he's still around, so I guess that's not a bad thing. I would like to have Nitkowski on my team. |
| HIDEO NOMO (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 LA 14 12 33 33 1 0 0 207 193 92 233 425 1998 LA-NYM 6 12 29 28 3 0 0 157 130 94 167 492 1999 MIL 12 8 28 28 0 0 0 176 173 78 161 454 |
| Nomo supposedly had a comeback season, but pitched about as well as he did the previous two seasons. He is no longer a dominant pitcher, but he is solid and could still surprise with a big season. I expect 10-14 wins from him again. |
| DEAN PALMER (3B, 31, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 TEX-KC 143 542 139 31 1 23 70 86 41 134 256 310 445 2 2 1998 KC 152 572 159 27 2 34 84 119 48 134 278 333 510 8 2 1999 DET 150 560 147 25 2 38 92 100 57 153 263 339 518 3 3 |
| His 38 homers matched a career high, and are pretty much his only asset. His average isn't great, he doesn't get on base much, he can't run, he strikes out, and he's a terrible defensive player. He's good if he hits 35 homers in a season, but I don't think he helps you if he hits 25, and he doesn't strike me as the type of player who will age very well. |
| DANNY PATTERSON (29, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 TEX 10 6 54 0 0 0 1 71 70 23 69 342 1998 TEX 2 5 56 0 0 0 2 60 64 19 33 445 1999 TEX 2 0 53 0 0 0 0 60 77 19 43 567 |
|
Patterson is a quality pitcher, but got hit hard last season, and fell
down the depth chart in the Rangers' bullpen. He is capable of pitching
better, and probably will in 2000. ADDEUDUM: Patterson is in Detroit, so at least he won't be buried behind quality pitchers. |
| LUIS POLONIA (OF, 35, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 DET 87 333 108 21 8 10 46 32 16 32 324 357 526 17 9 |
| Polonia had not played in the majors since 1996, but returned from Mexico to have one of his best seasons. He can still run, and he is a career .294 hitter; most of his power last season was at Tiger Stadium, and he likely won't hit so many homers in their new park. He can be a valuable bench player, but I wouldn't want to give Polonia regular at bats if I could help it. He has a very limited future. |
| SEAN RUNYAN (26, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 DET 1 4 88 0 0 0 1 50 47 28 39 358 1999 DET 0 1 12 0 0 0 0 11 9 3 6 338 |
| Runyan led the league in games pitched in 1998, but lost last season to shoulder surgery. A quick comeback would be optimistic, especially when his control was never that good in the first place. |
| JEFF WEAVER (24, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 DET 9 12 30 29 0 0 0 164 176 56 114 555 |
| Weaver was rushed to the major leagues after making only six starts in the minors, and spent the whole year in the Tigers' rotation. He got off to a good start, then struggled the rest of the way. If he stays healthy, then he should be a magnificent pitcher. |