DETROIT TIGERS
| Dusty Allen (1B/OF, 29, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA-AAA 129 446 117 31 5 22 72 87 63 106 262 360 502 1 2 1999 AAA 128 454 124 30 3 18 68 69 79 143 273 381 471 3 5 2000 AAA 92 312 89 19 4 16 61 67 63 77 285 407 526 0 2 |
| Allen has been stuck in the minors for a few years, slowly improving as a hitter. He made his major league debut with the Padres during the summer, then was dealt to the Tigers. He doesn't have much of a future, but he hits a little bit, and is a better option than Hal Morris or Gregg Jefferies. |
| Matt Anderson (25, R) |
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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 2000 DET 3 2 69 0 0 0 1 74 61 45 71 472 |
| Anderson is a prized young pitcher whom the Tigers rushed to the big leagues a couple of years ago; so far, the gamble appears to be paying off. Anderson has stayed healthy, and last year started to look like a fine young pitcher. He still walks too many batters, though his control improved a great deal last year. The trade of Brocail means that Anderson should step in and become the setup man in 2001, and will possibly be the closer within 2-3 years. |
| Rich Becker (OF, 29, L/L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 OAK-DET 115 285 69 14 0 8 59 39 67 87 242 384 375 2 2 |
| Becker was released by Oakland in May, then signed by the Tigers. I wonder why Oakland released him... sure, he doesn't hit for a high average, but Becker gets on base and hits for some power and runs the bases well and plays very good defense. He's an ideal fourth outfield, and he can play on my team anytime. |
| Adam Bernero (24, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 A 8 4 15 15 2 1 0 96 75 23 80 254 2000 AA-AAA 5 6 17 17 1 1 0 109 88 34 83 265 |
| Bernero is a young pitcher who has been in pro ball only two years, but he has moved quickly through the Tigers' system. He looks very good, and if he stays healthy he will likely become a fine pitcher. I would like to see him spend a few more months at Toledo. |
| Willie Blair (35, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 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 2000 DET 10 6 47 17 0 0 0 157 185 35 74 488 |
| Blair was not someone I expected to have a winning season last year, but strange things happen when you throw nothing but strikes. It was only his third winning season since 1990, and he's never had two in a row. He's a survivor, probably shouldn't be in the starting rotation, but can thrive in the same role he had last year, piling up innings in long relief while making some spot starts. |
| Dave Borkowski (24, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 DET 2 6 17 12 0 0 0 77 86 40 50 610 |
| Borkowski is one of the Tigers' best pitching prospects, but he had a disappointing season that ended with bone chips being removed from his elbow. He is still very young, hasn't been rushed, and bone chips aren't the worst thing in the world; he's a good prospect, but probably won't make an immediate impact. |
| Javier Cardona (CA, 26, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA 46 163 54 16 1 4 31 40 15 29 331 387 515 0 0 1998 AAA 47 162 31 4 0 5 12 16 9 32 191 238 309 0 0 1999 AA 108 418 129 31 0 26 84 92 46 69 309 384 569 4 2 2000 AAA 56 218 60 10 0 11 29 43 15 33 275 325 472 0 1 |
| A pair of awful months in 1998 with Toledo set Cardona's career back a year. Last season he got his second chance at playing with the Mudhens, and fared better. He's a decent young catcher who can hit a little, and who might develop surprising power. |
| Roger Cedeno (OF, 27, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 LA 105 240 58 11 1 2 33 17 27 57 242 317 321 8 2 1999 NYM 155 453 142 23 4 4 90 36 60 100 313 396 408 66 17 2000 HOU 74 259 73 2 5 6 54 26 43 47 282 383 398 25 11 |
| Cedeno's only season in Houston will be remembered mostly for a ruptured tendon in his finger; he missed half the season, and stole only 25 bases. When he was in the lineup, he was solid... although he hit only 2 doubles. How does that happen? Only 15% of Cedeno's extra-base hits were doubles; I wonder if that is a record? |
| Tony Clark (1B, 29, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 60 208 57 14 0 13 32 37 24 51 274 349 529 0 0 |
| Clark had a dismal start to the season, then rescued his statistics with a blazing hot streak. This was not a surprise; he is usually either ice-cold or sizzling-hot, and rarely something in between. His playing time was cut last season by three trips to the DL, two of them caused by back problems. Clark is a fine player, but I'm wary of 6'7" players with bad backs. |
| Deivi Cruz (SS, 25, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 156 583 176 46 5 10 68 82 13 43 302 318 449 1 4 |
| Cruz continues to make quantum leaps forward as a hitter. He is vastly better than he was three years ago, and at age 25 is among the better shortstops in the league. My guess is that he can't get any better than he is now, unless he learns to take a few more pitches... but for the moment, he is a terrific player. |
| Damian Easley (2B, 31, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 126 464 120 27 2 14 76 58 55 79 259 350 416 13 4 |
| Easley's a good, solid second baseman. His batting and slugging averages have declined the past two years, but his OBA's have gone up. He spent some time on the DL with a rib cage injury, the first injury he had had in four years as the Tigers' second baseman. He's above average, provides a little bit of everything, and is probably due for a better season in 2001. |
| Juan Encarnacion (CF, 25, R/R) |
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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 2000 DET 141 547 158 25 6 14 75 72 29 90 289 330 433 16 4 |
| Encarnacion is one of the Tigers' better players, and he played much better in 2000 than before. He doesn't do any one thing particularly well; he doesn't hit .300 or hit for power or draw many walks or steal a whole bunch of bases. He's an okay player, does a bit of everything... I still think he's a little like a young Juan Samuel, though I doubt he will be as good or last as long. |
| Rob Fick (CA/1B, 27, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA 130 515 164 47 6 18 101 114 71 83 318 401 538 8 4 |
| Fick is a hitter who underachieved in 2000. Left-handed catchers who can swing the bat are always in short supply, and Fick can make a lot of money if he plays as well as he is capable of. |
| Shane Halter (IF/OF, 31, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 AAA 127 474 130 22 3 6 77 35 60 90 274 354 371 19 18 |
| On the last day of the season, Halter played every position in the field, including catcher and pitcher. He became only the fourth player in major league history to do this... but the second of 2000 (Scott Sheldon had performed the feat earlier in the year for Texas). On the field, Halter is a capable utility player, nothing special. |
| Bobby Higginson (LF, 31, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 154 597 179 44 4 30 104 102 74 99 300 377 538 15 3 |
| Higginson had his best season, in what is shaping up to be a pretty solid career. Of his 30 homers, 18 were hit on the road... but he adapted well to the large confines of Comerica Park, batting .333 with 28 doubles at home. He also proved again that he has one of the best throwing arms in baseball, leading the majors with 19 outfield assists. A terrific player, should be due for another fine season in 2001. |
| Erik Hiljus (28, R) |
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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 2000 AAA 5 3 46 0 0 0 2 71 67 20 81 344 |
| Hiljus had a disappointing season, spending almost the who year at Toledo despite pitching well. I think he has a good arm, and he can be a valuable asset to anyone's bullpen. That the Tigers, of all teams, should not have room for him on their roster, is puzzling. We'll have to wait and see what they decide to do with him this year; the good news is that Hiljus can pitch well in any uniform. |
| Chris Holt (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 HOU 5 13 32 26 0 0 1 164 193 57 115 466 2000 HOU 8 16 34 32 3 1 0 207 247 75 136 535 |
| The new Mike Morgan, Holt now has a career record of 21-42 after four major league seasons. He was acquired by the Tigers during the winter, and will presumably be a key part of their starting rotation... he's not the worst pitcher in the world, but there is no reason to think that he will suddenly get better. |
| Gregg Jefferies (1B, 34, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 41 142 39 8 0 2 18 14 16 10 275 344 373 0 2 |
| He announced his retirement after the season, apparently annoyed by the fact that he can't play anymore. Jefferies began his career as a super-prospect for the Mets, played for 14 years, pounded out 1593 hits... but his two seasons in St. Louis (93-94) were really the only outstanding ones in his career. He still might decide to "unretire" and make a few bucks, but he really doesn't help a team win anymore. |
| Mark Johnson (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 5 14 26 26 2 0 0 142 147 60 120 462 1999 AA 9 3 16 15 0 0 0 88 88 39 52 368 2000 AAA 2 11 17 17 1 0 0 100 142 26 48 657 |
| A young pitcher with the Tigers who offers little hope for the future. Johnson didn't look too bad with Norwich in 1999, but was just awful last year with Toledo. Two of the past three seasons have been disastrous for Johnson; there's very little reason to think that he will contribute in 2001. |
| Todd Jones (33, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 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 2000 DET 2 4 67 0 0 0 42 64 67 25 67 352 |
| He had a surprisingly good year; Jones was among the better closers in the league, and tied for the AL lead in saves. To be honest, most of the saves he had were pretty easy ones, but after four years with Detroit he has established himself as a solid closer. He has good control, gets strikeouts, gives up too many hits and is vulnerable to left-handers. |
| Masao Kida (33, R) |
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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 |
| The Kida Era in Detroit ended abruptly in June when the Tigers sold him back to Japan. He wasn't even pitching badly at the time, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. |
| Rod Lindsey (OF, 25, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 A 85 313 85 11 8 7 69 34 39 96 272 375 425 60 12 1999 A 120 485 129 20 8 7 81 51 25 129 266 323 384 61 20 2000 AA 114 393 88 11 4 0 57 20 38 100 224 308 272 46 14 |
| Mediocre young Tiger prospect. Lindsay has speed, but doesn't have much else to offer. He has moved very slowly through the minors, and his first year at Double-A was a poor one. He doesn't have much plate discipline, though he does a good job of getting hit by pitches. Not much of a future. |
| Jose Macias (IF, 27, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA 128 511 156 28 10 12 82 71 52 46 305 372 470 6 9 1999 AAA 112 438 107 18 8 2 44 36 36 60 244 306 336 10 5 2000 AAA 33 130 30 5 0 0 19 8 17 17 231 322 269 2 3 |
| Macias' career has stalled badly the past two seasons, but at least he showed the Tigers that he can hit a little against big league pitching. He plays all over the field, but doesn't do much with the bat except hit triples; if he keeps his average over .250, he will be will suited to a utility role. |
| Wendell Magee (OF, 29, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 126 507 147 30 7 24 86 72 46 102 290 349 519 7 7 1999 AAA 142 566 160 34 2 20 95 79 55 124 283 346 456 10 8 |
| Magee spent most of the season on the Tigers' roster, and did a good job off the bench. He can play all three outfield positions, and he can hit a little, and those are good skills to have. |
| Allen McDill (30, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AAA 6 4 61 0 0 0 4 60 54 24 62 239 1999 AAA 1 3 42 0 0 0 18 48 45 17 46 372 2000 AAA 1 2 39 0 0 0 0 43 45 24 43 291 |
| McDill is a veteran minor-league southpaw whose duty is to get out left-handed hitters. He could probably do the job as well as anyone else, but if the Tigers decide that Sean Runyan is ready to come back, I expect that McDill will start the year back in the minors. |
| Mitch Meluskey (CA, 28, S/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 121 397 140 41 0 17 76 71 85 59 353 465 584 2 0 |
| It took awhile for Meluskey to arrive in the big leagues, but his rookie year was an impressive one. He's a switch-hitting catcher who can hit, and that should keep him employed for a few years. He's moving from Houston to Detroit, from a good hitters' park to a bad one. His ability to stay healthy is also a question mark. |
| Dave Mlicki (33, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 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 2000 DET 6 11 24 21 0 0 0 119 143 44 57 558 |
| Mlicki had a miserable season, and also suffered off the field with a chronic sinus infection. He has good control, and that's about the only good thing I can say about him; I don't expect many wins in 2001. |
| Brian Moehler (29, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 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 2000 DET 12 9 29 29 2 0 0 178 222 40 103 450 |
| Moehler was slowed down early in the season by an appendectomy, but otherwise had another good year for the Tigers. He's a solid pitcher with very good control, probably won't get much better than he is now but is always capable of winning 12-15 games. |
| Eric Munson (1B, 23, L/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 A 69 258 69 16 1 14 42 45 38 48 267 380 500 3 1 2000 AA 98 365 92 21 4 15 52 68 39 96 252 348 456 5 2 |
| Munson is a prized prospect in the Tigers' organization. So far, he has shown an exceptional ability to get hit by pitches, but not much else. He is still very young, and he will be expected to make some big improvements this year. |
| CJ Nitkowski (28, L) |
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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 2000 DET 4 9 67 11 0 0 0 110 124 49 81 525 |
| Nitkowski struggled a bit; he was very effective against southpaws (.218 batting average), but got whupped by right-handed hitters. He's a decent pitcher, doesn't have good control but usually keeps the hits down. If he continues to have problems against right-handers, he could always be effective in a more limited role in the bullpen. |
| Dean Palmer (3B, 32, R/R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 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 2000 DET 145 524 134 22 2 29 73 102 66 146 256 338 471 4 2 |
| Give Palmer credit for being consistent. He hits home runs, strikes out a lot but keeps his average over .250, and is an awful defensive player. He's a solid player, not a star; his drop in power numbers last year can be attributed to the Tigers' move into the vast confines of Comerica Park. |
| Danny Patterson (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 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 2000 DET 5 1 58 0 0 0 0 57 69 14 29 397 |
| Patterson recovered from a rough 1999, and was a key member of the Tigers' fine bullpen last year. There isn't very much that is impressive about him, but he is a control pitcher working in a big ballpark, and he should be able to survive another season. |
| Matt Perisho (26, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 AAA 15 7 27 27 2 0 0 156 160 78 150 461 |
| The Rangers stuck with Perisho the whole year, and he responded with a dreadful season. The Tigers acquired him during the winter; apart from the fact that he is moving to a good pitchers' park, there is very little to suggest that Perisho can pitch. |
| Sean Runyan (27, L) |
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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 began the road to recovery from shoulder surgery last season, but he had problems getting people out at Toledo. He's a lefty whose job it is to get left-handers out, one batter at a time. As soon as he proves that he can do that on consistent basis, he'll be back, soon. |
| Steve Sparks (35, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 2000 AAA 5 7 16 14 1 0 0 91 86 41 44 377 |
| He's a knuckleballer whose career was on the rocks when the season started, but he ended up making some fine starts for the Tigers late in the summer. The key to his success was vastly improved control, and if he could keep throwing strikes he could have a good year. But how many knuckballers do anything consistently? Still, Sparks is a decent pitcher, has probably pitched at least as well as Tim Wakefield the past three years, and he can help a team out. |
| Kevin Tolar (30, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA-AAA 1 3 62 0 0 0 1 66 58 54 68 421 1999 AA-AAA 5 4 55 2 0 0 1 67 69 52 78 441 2000 AA-AAA 6 2 41 0 0 0 2 64 44 34 61 254 |
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You might remember this guy if you live in Salinas or South Bend or Sarasota; he played with those teams about a decade ago. He has also played with Utica, Lynchburg, Carolina, Canton-Akron, Binghamton, St. Lucie, Nashville, Indianapolis, Chattanooga, Jacksonville, Toledo, and finally Detroit. His control is terrible. He's a left-hander, and he gets strikeouts, but walks have always killed him. But he performed well at Toledo last year, so who knows? A southpaw who gets strikeouts can always get a job, no matter how old he is. |
| Jeff Weaver (25, R) |
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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 2000 DET 11 15 31 30 2 0 0 200 205 52 136 432 |
| An outstanding young pitcher with the Tigers, Weaver's second season was a big improvement on the first. I'm a little worried that he has thrown a lot of innings the past two years, plus he also seems to have a bit of a funny pitching motion. But if he is healthy he is going to be terrific. |