Same Manager, Same Story, Same Results, New Season

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 Leyland.

I don't want much from a manager. I don't even think a manager can be worth more than 3-5 wins over the course of a 162-game season. Except when they continually put teams in the worst positions to win baseball games.

Tonight, in the Tigers 3-2 loss in Kansas City, Jim Leyland again put the Tigers in a terrible position to win a baseball game. Tigers were tied at 2-2 after a solid outing by Nate Robertson -- 7 innings, 10 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks -- helped along by two double plays and a pickoff of John Buck, and Jim Leyland decides that's the time to sit Robertson and move to the bullpen. This is a fine move -- get Nate out of there after he had given a great night and some 110+ pitches.

But Nate didn't throw 110+ pitches. Or 100+ pitches. Or 90+ pitches. He threw 82. 82 pitches. Eighty-two pitches. 53 for strikes. 64.6% of his pitches were strikes tonight. Yes, the 10 base runners in the game are concerning, but with some luck and a nice pickoff move Nate toughed his way through those innings with great efficiency. Clearly this is a night when you rest your bullpen and ride Nate as long as possible.

Apparently, that line of logical thought process is not what lands you a job paying you multi-millions to fund your smoking habits.

Then, there was the move to take out Miguel Cabrera in the top half of the 8th inning. Brandon Inge replaced Miggy on 2nd base which is a move I actually can understand the reasoning for. Inge has some of the better wheels on this team and in the late innings you improve your defense with his elite level D taking over at 3rd base, and Cabrera's had a quad problem that continually plagues him. On the flip side, you take out your $153.3 million investment who was 2-for-2 with 2 walks. Still, I don't have major qualms about the move, however, it's not one that I would have made (then again, I would have Sheffield on the DL, Guillen at DH, Inge at 3rd, Miggy at 1st), but it's one that I can buy the reasoning behind it.

Is tonight's loss solely Jim Leyland's fault? Absolutely not. Again, like I explain in most of my ramblings on Leyland's terrible decisions, the games can spin on any one pitch before or after Leyland's decision. The Tigers left 9 on base and failed to capitalize on multiple chances to score and knock Royals starter Zack Greinke out of the game sooner than he left. Also, Edgar Renteria attempting a backhanded flip to Placido Polanco that was 5 feet wide of 2nd base when he should've just pocketed the baseball is responsible for the game winning run crossing home plate.

That said, all I want a manager to do, in game, is make the moves that improve the team's position to win games. And when a pitcher is as efficient as Robertson was tonight, you don't reward that with a pat on the back and a "hit the showers while we throw some gasoline on this fire to see if we can lose this game."

Fire Jim Leyland.