Why the Detroit Tiger Outfield Doesn’t Matter
I’ve been accused on not understanding the Tigers and the AL Central on a FanLaughs thread. OK, here goes my first try towards advanced divisional dynamic comprehension:
The “very touchable” Austin Jackson lines up atop the Detroit batting order, but manager Jim Leyland is understandably non-committal about the kid’s future:
“He’s hit everywhere he’s been,” Leyland said. “What’s going to happen up here, I don’t know, but his consistency in the minor leagues was pretty good. I’ve always believed that if he’s hit for four or five years in the minor leagues, he’s probably got a good chance to hit in the big leagues.”
Leyland is a card player. And, for a team that’s as concerned with speed and defense as the article supposes, he hasn’t been dealt too many good cards to play. Johnny Damon is a left-handed bat who can’t field, and possibly won’t run too often, while the speed “additions” take the form of two rookies (Jackson and solid-hitting Scott Sizemore). Stealing in triple-A is a soft stat to rely on as, very often, runners aren’t even held on. In any event, it is wise not to heap too much expectation and responsibility on young talent. All kinds of crazy things can happen. IMO if you’re trying not to s**t the bed a second year in a row, add neither the very old nor the very young, but the just right.
Unfortunately, the great Leyland is not getting the help from management like his rival Ron Gardenhire is.
Justin Morneau is taking things slow this spring training. The Minnesota Twins spent last September politely and methodically showing Detroit the door, while down one of their biggest bats in Morneau’s back injury. The team finished with winning records versus each of their division “rivals”. This year, even as the great Joe Mauer reaches for eternity, just about the entire team (save Morneau, Joe Nathan, and Scott Baker) is either in free agency or faces a club option after the 2010 season and that’s a perfect storm for that division with an eye very perfectly centered.
In case you haven’t noticed, I really haven’t gone too far into depth regarding the Tigers’ outfield. That’s because after September 30th, it won’t really matter.
Happy B-day, Johnny Blanchard!
Johnny Blanchard spent seven seasons with the Yankees on the great clubs of the early 60’s and was born on this day in 1933 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died of a sudden heart attack on March 23rd, 2009, in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
Blanchard was primarily a back-up catcher to Yogi Berra and Elston Howard but saw action in the outfield and at third base. He was also favored by manager Casey Stengel as a pinch hitter.
Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest interviewed Johnny not long before he passed. Here’s an excerpt of the excellent hour-long interview:
Mike: Did you ever what if you played every day what kind of career you would have had?
Johnny: No, Mike it never entered my mind…We had such a good relationship, and a good team, good bunch of guys, that it never entered my mind about “play me or trade me”…I was in five straight world series, how can you complain about that?…I knew that when I got to NY there was no way that anybody, I don’t care who it is, are gonna beat them [Howard and Berra, both MVPs] out behind the plate. So on my own, what I did in batting practice I would go in to right field, left field, and all the pitchers were shagging in batting practice you know Mike, and I would tell them ‘hey guys let me get every ball I can get to’…I played batting practice just like a game, I would simulate in my mind – ‘ball hit down the right field line, where do I go with it if there was man on first base, hit the cutoff’ and so forth. I was never told to do that, I did that on my own.
His tenacious approach to his role with the club and his humble bearing earned him both the respect and friendship of more widely-known and talented players. Mickey Mantle and John were great friends. In All My Octobers (co-authored by Mickey Herskowitz), Mickey wrote:
When John Blanchard was a rookie, and nervous about getting around, I talked him into staying with me. When he checked into the hotel, the desk clerk told him the room rate was $125 a night. The next thing I knew he had picked up his bags and was heading for the door. “I’m gonna ease on down the street, Mick,” he said. “This place is too rich for my blood.” I said, “Tell you what. I’ll pay the hundred and you pay the twenty-five.” That’s how we did it.
Of the death, Yogi Berra told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:
This is a sad day. Johnny was a good friend and a great teammate. He was proud of being a Yankee and always fun to be around. We’ll miss him.
Although John never had 250 at-bats in a single season, he nonetheless made an offensive mark by hitting four home runs in four at-bats over three games in 1961, tying a Major League record. Later that season, he would have a great performance in the World Series versus the Cincinnati Reds, which the Yankes won in five games. In the final game, John had a double and a home run out of the cleanup spot (that year, Roger Maris hit 61 home runs and Mantle followed with 54; on their off-days, there were very big shoes that needed filling). Johnny would finish that season with a career high 21 home runs. He would later tell Baseball Digest in 1986:
“It was a team (1961 New York Yankees) that had a lot of pride and confidence. It didn’t matter if we were ever behind in a ball game. The team always felt they could come back and win. We never went into a game thinking we could lose.”
The Yanks traded Johnny in 1965, and he would not return to the majors in 1966 for an eighth season in the sun. He was widely regarded as tried-and-true Yankee and the fans showed him a special recognition in the many Old Timers’ Games that he returned to Yankee Stadium for. He planned to return to the South Bronx for Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium in April, 2009. His son Tim told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
He lived a life people would dream of living. He had a good life.
Read Johnny’s obituary in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and then hit his Baseball Almanac page for a baseball card picture and more facts.
Spring Training Quotables – Mark Teixeira
The New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira on repeating …[bracketed] quotes were removed by MLB.com but retained hereunder for accuracy:
“Because we’re the [gosh darn] Yankees,” Teixeira said. “If you get complacent, it’s going to be a tough year for you. Once you taste a championship and taste that victory, [gahhhhleeee] it just makes you want it even more. You realize it’s everything you’ve ever hoped for.”
“We have to feel that way every single [fudgin'] season,” Teixeira said. “We feel like we’re just as capable of defending our [dang-gum] championship as we were winning it last year. We have a great team, the core group of guys are back [and a bunch of black guys are here, too!], and hopefully we all get a little bit better [I mean those boys fly!].”
“[Shoot,] I don’t know how many times I told my wife how nice it is I don’t have to worry about the future [while she's ironin' my jersey and sweepin' the porch],” Teixeira said. “The last couple of years, it’s always been, ‘Where’s my family going to be? Where are we going to live? [Where'd ya put my dang-gum fishing pole, Mama?]‘
“This year, it was really, ‘What [funny-soundin'] restaurant are we going to go to? Where are we going to take the kids [where't don't smell like pee]? What shows are we going to watch?’ I think that was a nice change for my family [I mean, how much catfishin' will an 8-year-old take before he grows himself a set a' gills?]“
“Everyone kind of tries to tell you … ‘You have to change something, [quit starin' at the sun! poop sittin' down!], but be yourself,’” Teixeira said. “Whoever it is, they’re in this room for a reason [even that Robbie Cano, I suppose]. You have talent, they’ve performed on the highest levels. When you come to the Yankees, there’s more eyes watching [kinda like gettin' lost in the swampy place where the hill people are, blinkin' in the trees, don't go there!], more people that care — which is great. You go out and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
“For us, I think it’s ‘Let’s keep doing what we’re doing,’” Teixeira said. “That was our motto last year during the playoffs — ‘Keep up the good work and let’s keep working hard and playing good baseball.’ [My other motto was "an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Alex!"] That’s what we’re going to try to do this year.”
Spring Training Pictures (Care of Jrz)
Jorge Posada is ready already.
Jrz snapped some shots in the practice complex of some early scenes from pitchers and catchers, thanks to the Big Guy, and enjoy!
Easy swingin'
Head is right down on the ball. IMO Posada is a fine hitter.
Ready for another! Throw me the junk!
Thanks again to Jrz!
Make sure you hit Uncle Sal’s for more of the collection! Great Yogi pics there as well.
