tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76166514180615928242012-02-16T10:24:50.189-05:00Evaluating the Tigers through a Sabermetric lensMike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-80497178998590673482012-01-24T21:37:00.000-05:002012-01-24T21:37:04.651-05:00

The Tigers have filled the void of Victor Martinez by signing Prince Fielder to a huge 9-year, $214 million deal. I'm not going to fully defend the deal. It is an over payment. You cannot get around that. Will this deal be an albatross at some point in the future? Possibly. Will he be an over paid, under-skilled baseball player for the latter half of the deal? Probably. Show me a deal this large

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-85390688078731130442011-08-31T22:29:00.001-04:002011-08-31T22:30:34.768-04:00

Strikeout-to-walk differential is something Tom Tango has written a couple times about as a nice -- and better -- alternative to strikeout-to-walk ratio. I'm going to call it Net Strikeouts or Net K's for simplicities sake. Essentially, you take a pitcher strikeouts and subtract out unintentional walks and hit-by-pitches from the total. I thought this would be a fun list to make for this year and

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-54781578233678144262010-09-20T20:18:00.001-04:002010-09-20T20:20:23.656-04:00

It's no secret that the offense has been inconsistency surrounding one consistent rock: Miguel Cabrera. Miggy (I refuse to call him Cabby) is having his finest offensive season of his career, and arguably his best overall season as well. There's a refrain amongst Tigers fans about him winning the MVP -- something that Lee touched on pretty eloquently. For me, it comes down to how you credit his

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-42835983726077764372010-07-29T01:54:00.003-04:002010-07-29T01:58:16.493-04:00

The Tigers have had awful production from the catcher position this year as Laird/Avila have combined for a dismal .560 OPS when the American League average is .691. There are some potential upgrades to be had and one some Tigers fans come back to is John Buck. Buck's been part of the home run barrage going on north of the boarder. He's slugged out 14 already, 4 off of his career high of 18 he

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-68905052201028433752010-07-28T19:59:00.003-04:002010-07-28T20:02:54.035-04:00

The Tigers made a move to help bolster an infield that's half missing due to injury, and another spot that was never really filled this year (SS) by nabbing Jhonny Peralta. I LOVE this move... if it were still 2008. Facts are that Peralta's batted ball data has shifted from a once-ground ball heavy (50.2% in 2008) to a fly-ball heavy hitter (33.9% this year). Due to this, his BABIP has dropped

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-82743698670341939922010-07-27T09:00:00.002-04:002010-07-27T09:00:09.021-04:00

Bill Ferris of Detroit Tigers Weblog fame announced he's stepping aside today from being a daily blogger on the Detroit Tigers. KJ at The Only Colors briefly talked about Bill's impact on him and Kurt briefly did the same at Bless You Boys. If you ask Matt Wallace and Lee Panas, I'm sure they'd both echo KJ and Kurt's thoughts as well. So, I felt the need to write a few words about Bill and how

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-84836225077779393162009-12-18T12:50:00.000-05:002009-12-18T12:50:12.507-05:00

Well, now that the cat is out the bag, I can formally announce that I'm moving on over to Bless You Boys.What this means is that I'm 99% sure I'll be abandoning this blog for the duration that I'm at BYB. It's been fun since I've started to write semi-regularly in here and I hope anyone that stops by here follows on over there where I won't be changing a thing as I bring the nerdy math, PITCHf/x

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-5857237457644906032009-12-09T22:53:00.000-05:002009-12-09T22:53:18.456-05:00

I have no silly intro for this. I've been mulling it around since I wrote about the very first rumors of a Granderson trade bubbled up a few weeks ago: Should the Tigers shop Justin Verlander? I'm only inspired to write this after Eddie Bajek and Kurt both made similar statements on Twitter. Safety in numbers I suppose. Here's why I think it is time: *** I had said: The Tigers everyday lineup

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-73753592498907699052009-12-09T14:46:00.002-05:002009-12-09T14:51:48.248-05:00

So today is the day all the media has their reactionary pieces to easily the biggest deal of the Winter Meetings thus far (and likely to be the biggest one of the Winter Meetings once they conclude). This little nugget, via Ian, really, um, intrigued me: The way I heard how the Granderson trade began was that Arizona was trying to get Edwin Jackson at the GM Meetings and was told Max Scherzer

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-644388686425116952009-12-08T20:47:00.003-05:002009-12-09T02:20:25.900-05:00

I was going to write this earlier this afternoon after news broke that the Tigers have agreed to deal Curtis Granderson, but I couldn't collect my thoughts enough. Bill, Lee, Matt, Kurt -- and I'm sure Ian, too -- all have thoughts from the emotional side of the issue. They're far more eloquent than I am, so I won't re-hash the things they've said already. But, being this is Tigers by the

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-4287674615219210382009-12-07T19:33:00.002-05:002009-12-07T20:18:46.245-05:00

We've got our shortstop. Adam Everett has returned for the paltry price of $1.55 million. He apparently was looking in the $3 million range, but signs for half of that. Do we get our money's worth? Basically, if he repeats his 2009 season, we easily get about 4 times the surplus value of Everett. But, I'm going to say this: he needs to play more. I know, I know, his bat is awful. It's a pain to

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-71711093347282672362009-12-06T19:29:00.002-05:002009-12-06T19:37:55.319-05:00

After much thought and consideration, I've decided to grab a domain name. Due to this, I've dropped the previous "Fire Jim Leyland" moniker. It was a more difficult decision than it probably should have been, but I was willing to give up the 5-6 hits I was getting from people typing in a combination of fire, Jim, and/or Leyland in a search engine. Also, you probably noticed, but in case you

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-18455894627630634092009-12-06T17:07:00.001-05:002009-12-06T17:09:22.821-05:00

Here's a look at a few graphs that should explain whether getting Bobby Crosby is a good move or not:    

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-18618535587790226772009-11-25T23:24:00.001-05:002009-11-26T00:26:56.374-05:00

Around this time last year, I took an interest in trying to adjust the offensive numbers put up in the college baseball landscape so I could get a grasp on what constitutes "good" offensive numbers in college baseball. With the metal bats, 300+ division 1 teams, and a talent pool that is very, very spread out, the elite college hitters put up offensive numbers that compared to what we're used to

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-55923953737319992562009-11-24T03:35:00.001-05:002009-11-24T03:54:36.877-05:00

One of the 308 college relievers that the Detroit Tigers took in the 2008 draft is Robbie Weinhardt. He spent the last couple of months in the Arizona Fall League pitching for the Peoria Javalinas. Because of this, we get some decent-sized amount of data on how good of stuff the former Oklahoma State Cowboy features as parks in Peoria and Surprise, Arizona were fitted with PITCHf/x cameras.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-28025803058159702822009-11-17T15:51:00.000-05:002009-11-17T15:51:38.730-05:00

Just wanted to take a moment to pass along this fantastic link. Chris Jaffe, a writer at The Hardball Times, has a book coming out about baseball managers and their tendencies. It seems like a great read and something I'll be looking to pick up. Well, today's excerpt was about former Detroit Tigers manager, Billy Martin. It focuses mostly on his time with the Twins, but it's a fantastic look

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-35643734769869384432009-11-16T18:01:00.000-05:002009-11-16T18:01:33.476-05:00

Like I mentioned in my last post, the CHONE projections for hitters have been released. Sean Smith does a ton of good work from the CHONE projections, to TotalZone defensive metrics for the minor leagues, to the Wins Above Replacement database Lee is using for his top 20 tigers series. So head on over to Sean's site and waste away your afternoon looking at various CHONE Projections that I don't

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-24571481275199088402009-11-15T23:35:00.000-05:002009-11-15T23:35:45.206-05:00

The media and internet has been quite a-buzz with rumors of Curtis Granderson potentially being shopped by the Detroit Tigers. I want to say this right off the bat: I think Dombrowski is listening to offers, not shopping him. There's a difference between the two. And I see no reason for Dombrowski to not listen. You don't know if someone's willing to trade you the moon for him if you're not open

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-15664389356328925182009-11-15T22:27:00.004-05:002009-11-16T15:03:37.841-05:00

There is some ground-swelling amongst all of the Tigers bloggers to bring back what is known as DIBS: Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes. It's being headed up by Kurt Mensching of Mack Avenue Tigers (and ESPN Tigers-independent blogger!) fame. Recently we all voted for the Hitter and Pitcher of the year as well as Breakout Player of the Year and Most Improved Player, and the results can be read

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-71711710765839640362009-10-26T22:42:00.002-04:002009-10-26T22:52:23.316-04:00

Given the slow amount of news that trickles out at this time of the baseball season for non-playoff teams, I figured that it'd be the best time to take a break from toying around in Excel and posting about the Tigers. But, I'm back now and here to continue my Anatomy of a Player series (which can be found in the right side bar). Below the jump, you'll find graphs on the value that Placido

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-36320824847615043852009-10-14T20:03:00.021-04:002009-10-26T21:29:23.014-04:00

Update: I had to change some of the graphs as I had the data in the wrong chronological order. It should be fixed now. I had stared a series I was going to call Graphic Value but I've decided to change the way I'm going to attack breaking down the Tigers. I'm going to start on an individual basis in something I'm tentatively calling Anatomy of a Player and you will be able to find the series in

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-50777718478610503682009-10-14T02:04:00.000-04:002009-10-14T02:04:20.140-04:00

The Arizona Fall League started up and there will be PITCHf/x cameras turned on in Surprise and Peoria, ARI. Tigers 2009 draft pick, and one part of the Big Four they signed to over-slot deals, Andrew Oliver has made his debut under the bright, uh, lens of the cameras. Before that though... Andrew Oliver is probably best known for his battle with the NCAA over representation and the MLB draft.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-5571345720002237162009-10-11T17:53:00.000-04:002009-10-11T17:53:06.625-04:00

This off season, one of the things I've got planned is a break down of the components of each aspect of the game as they relate to the Tigers players. My plan is separate as many components apart and graph them to make them easier to understand. I've never had a problem looking at a set of numbers and picking out what part of that player's game drives most of their value. This will be a series

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-73269822589771730712009-10-09T22:09:00.001-04:002009-10-09T22:10:48.058-04:00

Over at MLive, Patrick Hayes has his thoughts on how the Tigers should be fixed. It's a lot of stuff that I plan to be covering in the future (tentative plans, I should say) but here's his Right Field solution: Right Field: The outfield needs a makeover, and it's going to start here. Trade Jeremy Bonderman to the Cubs for Milton Bradley. Both make roughly $10 million per year. Bradley is signed

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-57683309981867198302009-10-09T21:36:00.000-04:002009-10-09T21:36:14.751-04:00

So, Andy Van Slyke has been asked not to return or is going to explore other opportunities. Who knows what the real reasoning is and who initiated the parting of ways, but the only coach leaving the coaching staff is Van Slyke. As the Tigers 1st base coach, he handled the base running and the outfield positioning and defense. So, what has Detroit done under Van Slyke in those two categories?

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-4011123485309829172009-10-05T15:46:00.002-04:002009-10-05T21:21:02.375-04:00

Ian, Kurt, J. Ellet have all discussed the Miguel Cabrera incident(s) over the weekend. I think there are some key things to keep in mind when discussing this: 1) The incident with his wife is of no business to us, the fans/public. The only information on it that we are "entitled" to (for the lack of a better term) is the public information that is known through the police. It's his home, his

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-53517105434051229872009-10-01T14:39:00.000-04:002009-10-01T14:39:10.080-04:00

And I love it. I have zero problems about this and wish it was always this obvious. It's these cat-and-mouse games that make baseball so fascinating.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-90336713888193324102009-09-29T03:38:00.001-04:002009-09-29T03:42:37.254-04:00

I'm currently engrossed in learning how to use MySQL, a database program, which will help me do some great lists of the best _____ in Tigers history. Whenever I get it figured out and the code working, I'll be creating a series of the ten best Catcher's in Tigers history, ten best first basemen in Tigers history and so on and so forth. Those will all be in the side bar to the right, just  below

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-28088018123600704722009-09-23T11:55:00.003-04:002009-09-24T20:35:00.192-04:00

I am going to be on the Radio tomorrow around 11:30 AM on WXOU Radio to talk Sabermetrics and the Tigers.Edit: You can listen to my appearance on WXOU Radio this morning right here.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-74362751747498944442009-09-21T20:06:00.012-04:002009-09-21T20:47:39.469-04:00

Inspired by these cool graphs, I've taken to a less-asthetically-pleasing graph of value breakdown. I don't have a cool graphing program, so these are just Excel graphs. I also couldn't decide which I liked better -- horizontal or vertical bar graphs -- so I've got them both, for your view pleasure.Click on both images to enlarge.What these graphs show is, obviously, how each player I've looked

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-33497187348971790452009-09-21T17:30:00.004-04:002009-09-21T17:32:06.773-04:00

So, I had to cancel my radio spot last Thursday, but there's good news: You can hear me mumlbe about sabermetrics and the Tigers as I've been invited again despite having to cancel at the last minute, and should be on the air this Thursday. I'll give specific times in the next day or two, but the show runs (I think) from 11-2, so you can listen live at WXOU Radio. Please pass it around!

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-19343199766700602082009-09-16T15:19:00.003-04:002009-09-21T17:30:03.713-04:00

Got some free time tomorrow around lunch time? Flip on your internet and listen to me mumble through Tigers related topics and sabermetrics on WXOU, the Oakland University radio station. My friend Kyle's offered me the chance to come on anytime I would like tomorrow, so tune in starting at 11:30 am. You can listen live right from the WXOU website. Pass it around!I unfortunately had to cancel at

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-51218029908640543512009-09-15T18:05:00.009-04:002009-09-15T19:03:15.217-04:00

So there's been much scuttlebutt about trading Curtis Granderson. Ian's covered this once before and did so again today. Kurt covered it in-depth today as well. I'm sure Billfer and Lee will chime in with thoughts at some point. This all comes in relation to Lynn Henning writing his weekly "Detroit should trade _____" articles, and he picked Granderson to be the focal point. He's not new to this

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-35405807032637727332009-09-10T00:47:00.007-04:002009-09-10T01:09:47.002-04:00

Jeremy Bonderman's had a couple of relief appearances in September and I've been meaning to put the PITCHf/x nerd in me to good use with his couple outings. Billfer's covered the raw numbers, so I'm here to bring the visuals. Last time we saw Bondo, he was bad in a June start against the White Sox. I took a look at Bonderman through the PITCHf/x lens in July when he was reported to be a potential

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-63032497901788960322009-09-05T01:26:00.002-04:002009-09-05T01:41:03.792-04:00

I'm not sure how I should go about this. I'm a Tigers fan, thus, I am an obligatory Ernie Harwell fan. He's revered by both Tigers fans and the national baseball media. He's quiet, unassuming, humble, and always went out of his way to keep the focus of anything he did on or near a baseball diamond on the actual game. Like the cold rebuffings he kept giving when brought into the booth by FOX

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-71681547870661129182009-09-01T01:14:00.003-04:002009-09-01T18:43:34.931-04:00

UPDATE, 6:33 PM: In replying to the comments, here's Washburn's Hit Tracker Online card. True home run distances of the 10 HR's allowed (one wasn't measured and it was in Anaheim) are as follows, starting with the most recent:355409392354360439441447382450And of those, only the 441 foot bomb from Cuddyer, 360 foot bomb from Mike Sweeney, and the 354 foot shot from Kenji Johjima were labled "JE"

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-89435954801327036132009-08-24T18:07:00.002-04:002009-08-24T18:10:05.682-04:00

Tom Tango's been running his Fans Scouting Report for the last few years and he's got the balloting open again. Hopefully every blogger links to it, as it's a great wait to supplement the UZR defensive data that's cited daily around the blogosphere.Before you vote, please keep this in mind: Try to judge 'average' not as an average player at that position, but an average player at any position. If

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-24889549310249158912009-08-23T19:21:00.004-04:002009-08-26T22:47:47.663-04:00

So, I stood alone on the Jarrod Washburn acquisition at the trade deadline. I felt it was a latteral move at best, and I understand the whole "veteran presence" and not having a rookie's innings limits like French will have. Being very stats-based, I'm prepared to go against the grain on certain moves (like the Aubrey Huff deal, as well...). So, let's revisit it.First off, it's pretty premature

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-33334355144966070772009-08-21T16:30:00.007-04:002009-08-22T01:29:32.063-04:00

I don't plan on doing this for every email that gets sent my way, but the chance to write for Beyond the Boxscore and a prospect site like Project Prospect does give this little ol' blog some exposure. I guess I should've addressed the name of it in a side bar, but I didn't, and I won't. I feel the content speaks for itself.But, it's good to know that I'm officially a blogger of some sort on some

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-52751854710780551092009-08-18T18:25:00.001-04:002009-08-22T01:30:10.651-04:00

I just penned a piece over at Beyond the Boxscore about the Huff deal. After sleeping on it, I'm far less enthused about this deal. Given the lack of positions for him to play, and the likelyhood that he won't be a major upgrade (or an upgrade at all), I feel it was a move to just make a move. I find it unlikely to make a major impact on the club.Here's to hoping I'm wrong and he goes on a

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-70189537083370456862009-08-17T21:27:00.003-04:002009-08-17T21:51:08.171-04:00

Here's a nice look back at Rob Deer and that era of baseball over at American Polymath -- a monthly online magazine. I found it a good, quick read that hopefully has interest among other Tigers fans.I'm only 23, so guys hitting 30 homers are common place to me. So, for someone like Rob Deer to hit 21 home runs in 8 straight seasons, and have it be quite the accomplishment is something that I

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-36319176375318357742009-08-17T16:10:00.010-04:002009-08-17T17:12:22.064-04:00

We got our left-handed bat that everyone clamored for at the trade deadline, it just took a couple of weeks. It comes in the form of lefty-slugger Aubrey Huff from the Baltimore Orioles.But, what should we expect?Well, the ZiPS projections for the remainder of the 2009 season has him projected for a slash line of .265/.331/.439 which would be a wOBA of .334. The league average wOBA is currently

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-91996787797927905612009-08-06T15:18:00.002-04:002009-08-06T15:59:26.542-04:00

It's no question that Placido Polanco's struggled with the bat this year. Judging from his advanced numbers, it's a bit luck (low batting average on balls in play [BABIP]), but part of the low BABIP is due to hitting about 3% more fly balls than normal.But, that aside, is it time to move him down in the order? He's at -5.7 Weighted Runs Above Average this year at the dish. Polanco's value with

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-32138983570881257732009-08-05T01:05:00.003-04:002009-08-05T01:19:48.923-04:00

And it comes in the form of Alex Avila.Wait, what? A Double-A catcher who has become the teams best prospect and is just about 13 months removed from being drafted is getting the call to the show? Apparently. Billfer, Ian, and Kurt all have their reactions (and I'm sure Lee and Matt will chime in soon, too) posted, and I encourage you to read them since I'm going to echo all of their

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-64755442001324827262009-08-04T15:57:00.002-04:002009-08-04T15:59:20.320-04:00

...But look at me! I'm writing for Beyond the Boxscore now. Truly puzzled at how it came to be and entirely thrilled at the opportunity. My first article was a look at the Jake Peavy trade on deadline day. Go scope it out, if you would.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-76828751334203528362009-08-02T03:00:00.006-04:002009-08-02T03:19:03.175-04:00

Rick Porcello didn't get the win after being rightfully taken out for Fernando Rodney (yes, I do back the move Jim Leyland made), but he had a great start. First, the numbers:8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 91 pitches (67 strikes), 15 groundouts, 6 flyouts.Porcello was dominant tonight and kept the ball on the ground when he didn't record a strikeout. Now, because I love graphs and am trying to learn

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-66422957743974952442009-07-31T17:41:00.002-04:002009-07-31T18:03:48.226-04:00

So, the Tigers acquired Jarrod Washburn today in the only move they made. I've already voiced my opinion on this trade both in the chat, at Bill's site, and on Beyond the Boxscore's comment section. Let me lay this out:Luke French: young, cost-controlled lefty with average stuff pretty much across the board. His move to Triple-A Toledo this year led to a jump in K's and in overall performance.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-23766853581731396442009-07-31T13:55:00.003-04:002009-07-31T13:56:05.857-04:00

I will be joining Billfer, Kurt, Lee, Ian, and Big Al as a panelist in the Tigers Trade Deadline chat. You can chat here or at any of their respective (and great) sites.Tigers Trade Talk

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-62134764203925397142009-07-31T01:52:00.004-04:002009-07-31T02:22:10.258-04:00

Bill already beat me to this, but I was planning on taking a look at Roy Halladay's value versus the package we'd be giving up. The reported package asked for was Rick Porcello, Casey Crosby and Ryan Perry. Bill's got Halladay at possibly adding about 4 wins to the Tigers the rest of the way. Sky Kalkman's Trade Value Calculator had Halladay at 3 wins the rest of the way as of July 15th. He's

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-23259121822881505982009-07-29T00:53:00.004-04:002009-07-29T01:25:45.130-04:00

In the comments of my Casey Fien Scouting Report, Harry Pavlidis had some insight. Since he knows how to better classify pitches than myself, I heeded his advice and re-classified the pitches.First, the strike zone plot:The differences were that the "change-up" is actually a slider. Harry also said that he threw two four-seam fastballs (FF) and the rest of the heaters were of the two-seam variety

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-39992809931316254322009-07-27T16:47:00.011-04:002009-07-27T17:23:35.987-04:00

There's been talk of Jeremy Bonderman possibly getting into the Detroit Tigers bullpen when he's ready to return to Major League action. First question is: Can he be effective? Second question is: what should we expect?Well, to answer the first question, I figure we must look at some PITCHf/x data.First, let's look at the average pitch flight for Bondo's pitches in 2008 (click all images to

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-36288158338046992192009-07-27T02:01:00.006-04:002009-07-27T03:20:52.957-04:00

Detroit Tigers newly called up reliever Casey Fien made his major league debut tonight against the Chicago White Sox. First, here's a look at him by the numbers:2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 29 pitches, 17 strikes, 2 ground outs, 3 fly outs.And now, the release points (click all images to enlarge):Fien is releasing the baseball at a shade under 6-feet high on average. Given his 6-foot-2 frame,

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-41268830790031932142009-07-24T17:56:00.005-04:002009-07-24T18:10:51.524-04:00

With Eddie Bonine set to start the night cap of the double header against the Chicago White Sox in about an hour, I figured it'd be a good time to remind everyone (and give myself a chance to play around with the Pitch Flight Generator that Harry Pavlidis has provided us) about Bonine's arsenal through PITCHf/x. Click all images to enlarge.Release PointsHe seems to have a relatively consistent

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-47560032950361847682009-07-24T14:07:00.003-04:002009-07-24T14:26:40.366-04:00

Carlos Guillen was called up from Triple-A Toledo and Josh Anderson got designated for assignment. My first reaction is "yes!" However, my second reaction is: is this really an upgrade?The Tigers are struggling to score runs. We all know that frustration. But, how much does Carlos Guillen help that? Add in that he can't even bat right handed and he won't be playing in the outfield (but that's

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-25373826609049680182009-07-23T02:47:00.003-04:002009-07-23T03:12:04.507-04:00

The steroids discussion has been beat to death by more bloggers, journalists, and fans than I could ever attempt to link to. But, this one is going to be a special one -- one dedicated to the dearest Bill Plaschke.See, Bill has been the most ardent anti-Manny voice in the entire universe after his drug bust and subsequent suspension. He's such a man of character, such a man of integrity, and such

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-7685224752627079592009-07-19T17:35:00.003-04:002009-07-19T17:45:23.093-04:00

So Tom Gage breaks the news the other day that Joel Zumaya's shoulder popped on him, but he kept-on a-pitchin'. While I admire the determination and whatnot, but athletes need to realize that them playing through injuries do not help teams. Joel definitely 'gutted' it out against the Yankees, but he shouldn't have. This mentality is counter-intuitive as guys want to win and there's the whole

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-1204636602766578252009-07-15T19:45:00.002-04:002009-07-15T20:15:21.842-04:00

In the comments of one of my last posts, John B., appeared to have some confusion over Magglio's options years and I think I can word it better than I had previously.Magg's contract runs out after this year. He has options for the 2010 ($18 million) and 2011 ($15 million) seasons -- both of which are club-options. However, the option years can be guaranteed if he reaches a couple of benchmarks

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-74165295149701815122009-07-13T17:10:00.003-04:002009-07-13T17:23:07.170-04:00

In my third part of the series of turning defensive data from The Hardball Times into a runs value moves over to the Hot Corner.First, team leaders: Team 3B LAA 19 MIN 18 WAS 17 OAK 14 SEA 13 DET 13 TOR 13 LAN 6 MIL 4 ATL 3 COL 2 HOU 2 NYN 1 TB 0 SF -1 PIT -2

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-76334985573421414612009-07-13T02:39:00.012-04:002009-07-13T03:44:02.300-04:00

So, Eddie from Tigers-Thoughts has updated his Elias Rankings for MLB Trade Rumors. Here's the list.Magglio Ordonez just might be the most interesting Tigers-related story in the second half of this 2009 season. I know, the whole division title thing is intriguing to, but he's getting platooned now with Clete Thomas. How long that lasts is up to Jim Leyland and his lineups change as often and he

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-67335919888774573142009-07-13T00:51:00.004-04:002009-07-13T01:07:57.999-04:00

In part two of turning the Hardball Times defensive data into runs series, I'm looking at 2nd base. First, the team totals at the keystone corner: Team 2B TOR 20 MIL 16 TB 10 LAA 8 ARI 8 TEX 7 NYA 6 BAL 5 CIN 5 PHI 3 WAS 2 BOS 1 LAN 1 SF 1 DET 0 HOU -2 COL

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-50059287759736096502009-07-12T04:31:00.005-04:002009-07-12T04:58:54.611-04:00

Last year, Myron Logan (former author of Friar Forecast and current author of Another Padres Blog) penned this article at Baseball Analysts about turning Revised Zone Rating into a defensive runs saved number. After I read it, I contacted him and he had sent me his spreadsheet and I used it as well to calculate defensive data from 2008.Now, Fangraphs publishes UZR data, so why bother? Well,

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-72360650093686009062009-07-07T21:15:00.002-04:002009-07-07T21:18:10.874-04:00

So, Harry Pavlidis profiled the two new arms in the bigs this week over at Beyond the Boxscore. Fu-Te Ni was one of those two. Head on over there for the graphs and whatnot. He says this:First up, Ni's release points. The reason some folks have noted a different release point for Ni's change, relative to the fastball/slider, is actually set-up by uneven usage of the pitch against left- and

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-43844247421259209382009-07-06T19:45:00.005-04:002009-07-06T20:48:27.494-04:00

Well, Lucas French made his debut as a starter in the major leagues on Friday in the Metrodome -- you know, that 16 inning game that Detroit won? Before we get to the graphs, let's look at the numbers:4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HR allowed, 81 pitches, 50 strikes, 1 ground out, 10 fly outs.When I grabbed the gameday data, it classified a lot of cutters and only 3 sliders. I don't know if

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-24743462092253206702009-07-02T20:49:00.002-04:002009-07-02T21:17:57.634-04:00

Is it time we can quit getting caught up in the whole "velocity is key" for pitchers? I don't want to hear "if this guy threw 94 instead of 91, he'd be a top ten pick in the draft," or similar statements about major league pitchers. Need proof? How about this post from Dave Cameron at Fangraphs:This is just nutty. In his last appearance against the A’s, his fastballs went like this.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-77745478712676094212009-07-02T02:39:00.006-04:002009-07-02T03:55:17.937-04:00

I graphed out Fu-Te Ni's second appearance for the Tigers so I could see if the multiple arm-slot from my post on his debut was a one-time thing or not. So, I felt I should share this graph, too.First, for reference, here's his graph from his debut:And here's his graph from his second appearance:His line from today's game:0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 ground out, 0 fly outs, 10 pitches, 8

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-74062980673778852002009-06-30T00:05:00.004-04:002009-07-01T04:14:20.320-04:00

So, Taiwanese-born Fu-Te Ni made his major league debut. First, lets look at him by the numbers:34.2 IP, 139 TBF, 31 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR allowed, 32 K, 9 BB, 39% GB%.And tonight's line for Ni was:1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR allowed. 27 pitches, 21 strikes, 0 ground outs and 2 fly outs.And that homer was a bomb to Ryan Sweeney into deep right-center.Now, let's get to the southpaw's pitch

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-12445238890075763222009-06-29T02:50:00.004-04:002009-06-29T03:38:34.679-04:00

I just realized that I never graphed out Lucas Frenchs' two outings when he was up in mid-May for Nate Robertson's first go-round on the disabled list. We only have 50 pitches from his two outings, so to say the sample is small is being kind. As always, click the chart for a larger view.The FastballIt averaged 89.01 MPH in his two outings and seems to have decent tail. Remember, we're looking at

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-17246306449949046442009-06-29T01:36:00.008-04:002009-06-29T03:38:19.813-04:00

So, Alfredo Figaro has one bad start and gets sent down. Dontrelle Willis makes 15 before he gets shelved and even then it's only to the DL. Ahh, the joys of terrible contracts that were terrible from the get-go, as well as, playing the odds as Bill points out: we face the Twins soon and they're stacked with left-handed bats, so the left-handed Luke French will be taking Figaro's spot. And, kudos

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-48783024754874700142009-06-24T01:22:00.002-04:002009-06-24T01:26:14.017-04:00

So, I took a look at Edwin Jackson's stuff a few weeks ago using Harry Pavlidis' template. Well, the man who runs the brilliant Cubs FX which I read every day has looked at Jackson as well. The main difference? He's using a pitch f/x database and recoded pitches with his own custom classifications and he also has a ton of nifty charts and graphs that I don't. THe main difference is that Jackson's

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-66857925847222808942009-06-21T00:34:00.006-04:002009-06-21T01:04:59.384-04:00

Well, this blog was once started way back when on a late August night in 2007 after a meltdown against the Cleveland Indians in which I blamed Jim Leyland for the loss and, subsequently, the end of our Division Title chase. Since then, I've never posted more than 17 posts in a single calendar year; to say posting here is sporadic would be a compliment. Over the last year-and-a-half I've gotten

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-5584098661795623382009-06-07T02:41:00.005-04:002009-06-07T03:08:25.890-04:00

Justin Verlander was the other Tigers starter I was most interested in comparing 2008 pitch flights to his 2009 pitch flights. Again, thanks to Harry Pavlidis, I can now do this.The StatsIn 2008, Justin Verlander posted an FIP of 4.18 last year which is better than the 4.84 ERA he carried last year. So, his peripherals weren't as bad as they appeared to be, however, they weren't stellar. He

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-48365190362323229672009-06-07T01:17:00.006-04:002009-06-07T01:27:57.171-04:00

So, I took a look at Edwin Jackson's 2008 self versus his 2009 version already. He just threw a complete game, allowing 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, while striking out 5 LAnaheim hitters over the course of 109 pitches (67 strikes). That's a pretty light work load considering the types of outings he's had recently. So, I figured it'd be a good time to look at his Pitchf/x pitch flights for the game

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-86848101438032067082009-06-03T22:58:00.008-04:002009-06-03T23:36:51.392-04:00

I made it no secret that I did not like the Edwin Jackson for Matt Joyce swap. To this point, I have been wrong as I thought Edwin Jackson was, at best, a back of the rotation starter. To say he's exceeded my expectations would be understating it. Jackson's been the Tigers second best starter behind the unreal start that Justin Verlander's gotten off to.With the help of Harry Pavlidis, I've got

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-51281580254734095732009-05-17T03:50:00.002-04:002009-05-17T04:29:44.424-04:00

Over at Beyond the Boxscore, Erik has three different posts looking at the Wins Above Replacement totals for each player in the first round of the 1994, 1995, and 1996 drafts. This, inspired Justin to take a look at all of the Reds 1st round draft picks and their total WAR's since the draft came into existence in 1965. Well, that made me want to look at the same thing for the Tigers history in

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-88680076012186089262009-01-15T00:54:00.003-05:002009-01-15T01:12:18.239-05:00

Sky Kalkman has updated his WAR Spreadsheet and thus I am re-doing the WAR Projections I've made in my last post. Bill noted that I had Everett as a negative fielder which was just an inputting error as I meant to have him at +1.25 and not -1.25. That's been fixed. The spreadsheet can be found here and has the Tigers winning 79.5 games this year (round up if you're feeling optimistic!), or being

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-65496824385909051532009-01-09T02:49:00.007-05:002009-01-09T17:31:47.787-05:00

Wins Above Replacement have caught on like wildfire around the blogging community thanks to Fangraphs popularizing the method. With this in mind, and a handy spreadsheet from Sky Kalkman, I entered in the PA projections from Marcels. This put me over the recommended "outs" limit on the spreadsheet, so I adjusted various positions (with each position equaling 700 PA's), to get the outs as close as

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-50193063647027387892008-12-18T18:27:00.004-05:002008-12-18T18:36:16.975-05:00

Sean Smith, who blogs on baseball and the Angels, has released his 2009 CHONE projections for hitters. He's in the process of getting this all set up on a new hosting site as his old one just stopped working (why, I'm not sure and from what I know, neither is he). The CHONE Defensive projections are what I had been using in my previous attempts at valuing a player, and those are currently gone.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-11044953560869106462008-12-11T16:34:00.004-05:002008-12-11T16:58:36.859-05:00

There have been many things written already on the Edwin Jackson-Matt Joyce swap that occurred last night. I am not a fan. Not in the least. He's similar to getting the remote control car that you've wanted for the last three Christmas' and then you finally get it. Open it up, play around with it and realize that the shiny outer-coat is just a facade and that the gift is a cheap knock-off of the

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-64749793026859899692008-12-08T15:18:00.003-05:002008-12-08T15:58:12.229-05:00

Tom Tango released his 2009 Marcels Projections a few weeks ago. I just got around to downloading them. The projections (along with projections from Bill James) can be found on each players page on Fangraphs, the best baseball site online in my estimation.I have quickly turned the 2009 projections in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for both hitters and pitchers, and then turned that into a runs

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-46757937508955054212008-12-08T01:21:00.002-05:002008-12-08T02:09:59.518-05:00

With Fangraphs adding the very lauded UZR fielding metric invented by Mitchell Lichtman, I decided to now use that into my evaluations on Jack Wilson, Cesar Izturis, Adam Everett, and with talks in the comments section on Bill's site, I'll throw in Nick Punto, as well.To keep this short, I'll just go with the nitty-gritty method.Jack WilsonMarcel's 2009 wOBA: .311CHONE 2009 defensive projection:

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-71041769742293375072008-12-04T22:47:00.013-05:002008-12-04T23:47:28.454-05:00

Well, Billfer mentioned Cesar Izturis and Adam Everett as other options that have been linked to the Tigers. Well, lets look at how they stack up, in dollars, with Wilson and each other.Adam EverettThe hands-down best defensive shortstop in baseball just a couple seasons ago, a couple injury-plagued seasons have left his once +40-something plays above-average defense down to just +18 plays in

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-84638487417247579922008-12-04T16:47:00.005-05:002008-12-04T23:28:06.726-05:00

There's been rumors that a deal for Jack Wilson was done between Detroit and Pittsburgh, and that the deal was never finalized and that they're still talking. Whether it's done, not done, or not even being talked about is only mildly important until we know the value of Jack Wilson.So, let's evaluate him. His Marcels projection has him posting a .311 wOBA in 418 plate appearances in 2009.First

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-32839347175226219602008-11-06T23:04:00.005-05:002008-11-06T23:41:48.593-05:00

David Pinto has started unveiling his Probabilistic Model of Range data over at Baseball Musings. Basically he takes the data from Baseball Info Solutions and using some criteria winds up with some numbers that he releases to judge their defense/range.So far, Pinto has released the data for Shortstops and for 2nd baseman. Using some simple conversions, we can turn this data into a runs total.

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-57770054732196358692008-08-28T22:44:00.006-04:002008-08-28T23:33:52.430-04:00

With the Detroit Tigers out of the playoff chase (and just trying to hang on to 4th place in the Central), I've seen it bandied about that Justin Verlander is the 'ace of the staff' and deserves a fair share of the blame for the starting pitching being terrible. That as the 'ace' he's supposed to go deep in games with numerous quality starts -- something that hasn't happened much.This has dug at

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-69183514266674857792008-08-11T03:49:00.002-04:002008-08-11T04:08:15.249-04:00

In my previous two posts, I've looked at the Tigers infield defense and outfield defense. Now, it's time to put those numbers in to perspective.We've learned that the Tigers currently (as of August 9th) are at a very poor -18.93 runs defensively. But this number doesn't tell us much other than they are 19 runs below-average. How many other teams are below average defensively? How many are below

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-21510590893344666662008-08-11T03:32:00.004-04:002008-08-11T03:51:10.103-04:00

My previous post looks at the Tigers infield defense. If you haven't read that, please do. I'll wait. It'll help you understand how these numbers are tabulated. Done? All right then. Let's continue this look into the Tigers defense by focusing on the outfield. Without further adieu, the Tigers outfield defense as of August 9th, 2008:Left FieldClete Thomas: 3.15 runs, 139 inningsRyan Raburn: 2.16

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-9853883951130054362008-08-11T03:02:00.003-04:002008-08-11T03:32:54.627-04:00

Last year, Justin Inaz used the public defensive data available at The Hardball Times into a defensive metric that produces a runs value for each defender. Well, Myron Logan, author of Friar Forecast, a blog on the San Diego Padres, used Justin Inaz's method and produced a spreadsheet of defensive rankings by position, players, teams, etc etc. He wrote a little ditty up for the Baseball Analysts

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-51649026345806685802008-06-17T01:02:00.002-04:002008-06-17T01:20:17.587-04:00

I think what may just be the biggest downfall of the Detroit Tigers is going on the road. It's then when Jim Leyland makes the weirdest (read: dumbest) decisions. Maybe it's the comfy private jet travel you get with the Tigers or the comfy hotel rooms or just a belly food of some great restaurant food, but some very interesting decisions get made by Leyland on the road.Whether it's his confusing

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-69877788534590189082008-06-01T23:32:00.005-04:002008-06-02T00:18:55.314-04:00

Is that a lengthy title? Yeah. Is it appropriate? Absolutely.Jim Leyland moved Carlos Guillen to Left Field today. Because, hey, who doesn't want someone moved off of the Shortstop position because of a terrible throwing arm and bum knees to start running down liners in the gap and throwing baseballs 350+ feet to home plate on occasion?Or, maybe he's just looking out for your fantasy team where

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-66932676303977264022008-05-28T00:32:00.008-04:002008-05-28T01:16:14.015-04:00

It's funny, I was sitting here just earlier today hoping I could come in and run my mouth (or fingers, I suppose) about how incompetent of a manager Jim Leyland is. You know, just hoping for back-to-back crushing, walk-off losses to the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles, California of the Northern Hemisphere, Milky-way.And hopefully we do it in awesome fashion, too. Like a wild pitch to allow in one

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-84471202798142107642008-05-25T23:09:00.007-04:002008-05-25T23:46:07.790-04:00

In my last post, I discussed Jeremy Bonderman and what percentages, on average, he's throwing his fastball, slider, and change up as well as how it compared to his 2007 campaign.Well, I fully intended to use the Gameday and PITCHf/x data from his start on May 16th in Arizona where he looked good -- Jeremy Bonderman Circa this time last year good. Bonderman had some control problems in the game

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-80626078533868551872008-05-17T00:54:00.005-04:002008-05-17T01:14:29.080-04:00

Everyone has their theory around why Jeremy Bonderman has struggled so mightily in this 2008 campaign. Everything from decreasing velocity, to diminishing stuff, to possible injuries. Speculation runs just as rampant as one of his 2-seamer's he's had so many problems controlling this year.Well, here's what I've figured out about Bonderman: He's not using his slider nearly as much. Stunning

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-34662533802188935162008-05-13T22:53:00.005-04:002008-05-13T23:37:19.874-04:00

Well, I had held off on this blog thinking I'd been over-the-top with my reactions calling for Jim Leyland's firing last August. I'd even resisted the attempts to write up some blurbs about the decisions he's made this season that have cost us ball games. And, even through all my indifference towards the Tigers now 16-23 start, I've found that the only thing that riles me up anymore is Jim

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-432546194224866082007-10-08T23:55:00.001-04:002008-05-13T22:53:23.498-04:00

Well, after my last post about the Detroit Tigers Shortstop vacancy, Matt, one of the Tigers Minor League bloggers asked if I'd look towards left field and who the Tigers should pursue.Well, I gave it a shot. The guys I examined were Marcus Thames, Timo Perez, Raul Ibanez, Adam Dunn, Shannon Stewart. The first two, Thames and Perez, are the most likely in-house platoon. Shannon Stewart is a

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-46250859046610549442007-10-03T22:42:00.000-04:002007-10-05T17:54:46.801-04:00

Now that the baseball regular season is finished, I figured it was as good a time as any to take a look at replacement shortstops as it's official that Carlos Guillen will shift to 1st base full time making SS a legit hole that needs to be filled.This is my first quantitative analysis of a position, so bear with me. But, I feel this should give a good rough estimate of what we could expect from a

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-38002313994766600942007-09-17T23:29:00.000-04:002007-09-18T00:34:08.673-04:00

You cannot teach and old dog new tricks. Especially a stubborn, should-be-retirement-home-bed-ridden, chain-smoking man named Jim Leyland. Or, as I like to call him, "Hunches" Leyland. You know, at least bring some colorful nickname to the party to help negate the crushing feeling of giving away a 5-1 game after a series of mistakes all game long continually put the Tigers in the worst position

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-82336774045765063202007-08-31T04:07:00.001-04:002007-08-31T04:15:46.643-04:00

According to this article by Tigers beat writer Danny Knobler, Andrew Miller is done starting games for 2007. Miller was optioned back to High-A Lakeland but was told not to report and take a few days off and when the Tigers return from their series in Oakland, Chuck Hernandez and Andrew Miller will work together.How does this relate to Jim Leyland? Well, he has admitted he pushed extremely hard

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616651418061592824.post-43838676384919702092007-08-30T14:38:00.001-04:002007-08-31T04:16:09.821-04:00

I'm not normally this hasty. I like to give things time and see what plays out. But, after the debacle that has been Jim Leyland "leading" this baseball team, it's already time for a change. I don't care how much of a motivator you are, if you continue to put the ballclub in the worst position to win a game (routinely bringing in Jason Grilli to throw meatballs when he was struggling, playing

Mike Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122078407388133304noreply@blogger.com0