2012 MLB Season

[pmoehrin]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

Well they recently inquired on Darwin Barney with the Cubs and some Cub scouts have been at Detroit's AA games. A possible Garza and Barney package in the making?

That wouldn't be bad at all. Barney right now leading the NL is defensive WAR.

Still doesn't attack the weak spot of that infield (at least defensively), but it would give them a major upgrade up the middle both in the field and at the plate.

I have a feeling the Cubs are going to demand a pretty big ransom for Barney though.

[rroy0824]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

Well they recently inquired on Darwin Barney with the Cubs and some Cub scouts have been at Detroit's AA games. A possible Garza and Barney package in the making?

Which would be great if they don't have to give up Nick Castellanos, who I think will be a very good player.

Polanco is a name that always gets brought up with Tigers fans because of the history. I don't think he will ever come back. It just won't happen. Besides, he has been playing third the last few years. He probably could play second still, but he's not coming back to Detroit.

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

I don't completely disagree. Cabrera is what he is. He fields whats to him, but has a hard time making plays. Prince is terrible at first, but if he hits 30 or so homeruns, you can deal with it. Jhonny Peralta is solid at short, may not make a ton of big plays, but gets the job done. He just needs to hit around .270-.280 and I could live with it. Is it great? No, but it will do. They need a full time player at second. Honestly, Ramon Santiago plays good infield, but doesn't hit well enough to be there. Raburn just sucks all around and should be in Toledo, where he still would hit about .200. Get a solid player at second and I think they are okay.

Well I've been suggesting moving Cabrera back to first and having Prince since they made the signing.

To have that as your corner infield I feel is insane and I think you see the results. Their defense is without question the biggest liability on that team and I don't think they have either the pitching or the hitting to overcome that. Both are good but neither is great.

The Prince at DH argument doesn't work because V-Mart is going to come back some day. He can't catch everyday, so he has to be the DH. At least this way Cabrera gets experience, even if this is a throw away year. There is no quick fix. The defense is going to suck. No way around it.

[Lights Out]

The Tigers are living proof that defense is still a huge market inefficiency in baseball nowadays. That team is so stacked, yet they're mediocre because their defense sucks - in all of baseball, Detroit is second to last in team UZR (-27.2), dead last in team UZR/150 (-10.2), and among the worst in team DRS (-28). They have no fielding range and they can't save runs.

Meanwhile, the Jays are like the bizarro Tigers. Nowhere near as stacked (some of that has to do with injuries, however), but their ability to save runs is single-handedly keeping them around .500. They are far and away the league leaders in DRS, saving 79 runs to date, 42 more than the Braves and Rays who are tied for second.

[rroy0824]

The Tigers are living proof that defense is still a huge market inefficiency in baseball nowadays. That team is so stacked, yet they're mediocre because their defense sucks - in all of baseball, Detroit is second to last in team UZR (-27.2), dead last in team UZR/150 (-10.2), and among the worst in team DRS (-28). They have no fielding range and they can't save runs.

Meanwhile, the Jays are like the bizarro Tigers. Nowhere near as stacked (some of that has to do with injuries, however), but their ability to save runs is single-handedly keeping them around .500. They are far and away the league leaders in DRS, saving 79 runs to date, 42 more than the Braves and Rays who are tied for second.

You are 100% correct. The team is suffering because of the defense. But what I am saying is there is no way to fix it right now. They are kind of stuck. Prince and Cabrera are not going anywhere and as long as they are there the defense will suffer. They built a softball type team and if they don't score a ton of runs, they won't win. The only thing they can do is find someone for second and hope he hits.

Also, they are now an above .500 team!

[Funky Bunky]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

Steroids do nothing but help you maximize your workouts. Steroids allow you to workout more, and workout harder. You still need to bust your ass in the gym for the steroids to have any effect.... and then you still have to be a good baseball player. there are too many people who think steroids will automatically make you stronger.

/rant

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

Cool... just curious, what were you able to do that made you feel like superman? I've never taken steroids, so the only knowledge I have is second hand.

[Cujo]

NL slugger Giancarlo Stanton: OUT. Clown boy Byrce Harper: IN.

[Kramerica Industries]

I still think that a rotation with Verlander, a reliable guy in Fister, and a combustible K machine like Scherzer, coupled with a lineup headlined by Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, is a very scary team in the playoffs.

Which is why I'm hoping Chicago wins that division. Solid team in their own right, deep rotation and a much longer lineup with Youkilis now, I just don't see the same ceiling in them that Detroit has. But I guess, as the logic goes, anything can happen come October. The Cardinals are proof of that in the past half-decade.

[HedleyLamarr]

NL slugger Giancarlo Stanton: OUT. Clown boy Byrce Harper: IN.

So by my count, that's 4 of the NL's 5 participants in the "Final Vote" that are now in the All-Star Game: vote-winner David Freese, Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn, and now Harper.

Who was that 5th guy? Besides "Unlucky Bastard".....

[Breakwood]

NL slugger Giancarlo Stanton: OUT. Clown boy Byrce Harper: IN.

So by my count, that's 4 of the NL's 5 participants in the "Final Vote" that are now in the All-Star Game: vote-winner David Freese, Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn, and now Harper.

Who was that 5th guy? Besides "Unlucky Bastard".....

Aaron "2 cycles in a few days" Hill.

[infrared41]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

Cool... just curious, what were you able to do that made you feel like superman? I've never taken steroids, so the only knowledge I have is second hand.

Well, one example is I had lots of extra energy. My TV station was in the middle of high school football season when I was put on the steroids. Normally, setting up for a game is pretty tiring. It takes about two hours and it requires going up and down the bleachers quite few times with equipment cases, cameras, etc. We'd start at 3:30 so we'd have a nice long break before the game started at 7:30. When I was on the steroids, doing a set up was effortless. After the set up, I felt exactly like I did before we started. It was like it required no energy. I never got tired, I only needed about 5 hours of sleep per night and I felt great all the time.

Keep in mind those were the results I got on a very low dose of steroids; one 10mg pill per day. What I was taking was nothing compared to the anabolic stuff baseball players were taking. Does that give you an idea?

[pmoehrin]

NL slugger Giancarlo Stanton: OUT. Clown boy Byrce Harper: IN.

That's also pretty much it for the Marlins as well.

11th in the NL in OPS and you just lost by far and away your best hitter for an extended period of time? Season over right there unless all of a sudden their pitching staff turns into the '95 Braves. And they're also 11th in ERA, so I don't see that happening either.

[ElwoodCuse]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

except they don't

http://steroids-and-baseball.com/

20 homers? give me a break. If steroids meant 20 more dingers, every player in baseball would be juiced out of their minds.

[CS85]

If steroids meant 20 more dingers, every player in baseball would be juiced out of their minds.

RE: baseball during the 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's

[Funky Bunky]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

Cool... just curious, what were you able to do that made you feel like superman? I've never taken steroids, so the only knowledge I have is second hand.

Well, one example is I had lots of extra energy. My TV station was in the middle of high school football season when I was put on the steroids. Normally, setting up for a game is pretty tiring. It takes about two hours and it requires going up and down the bleachers quite few times with equipment cases, cameras, etc. We'd start at 3:30 so we'd have a nice long break before the game started at 7:30. When I was on the steroids, doing a set up was effortless. After the set up, I felt exactly like I did before we started. It was like it required no energy. I never got tired, I only needed about 5 hours of sleep per night and I felt great all the time.

Keep in mind those were the results I got on a very low dose of steroids; one 10mg pill per day. What I was taking was nothing compared to the anabolic stuff baseball players were taking. Does that give you an idea?

That's amazing... it almost makes me want to take steroids.

I still believe (and know) that you'll actually still have to workout to gain anything from the whole ordeal. The thing about steroids that I've read is that it helps you with energy and recovery, which in turn helps you perform in the gym. More gym time and more effort in the gym. It doesn't just make you automatically stronger or a better athlete (hitter/pitcher)... which I said in my original post.

From the insane energy levels and recovery time, players on steroids are able to work out even more and spend more time practicing, which in turn helps that pitcher throw a few mph faster and that hitter hit with a bit more power. It's not going to directly help your hitting or pitching abilities. These guys like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens are still going to be great ballplayers, the steroids just help them get the most out of their abilities.

[pmoehrin]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

except they don't

http://steroids-and-baseball.com/

20 homers? give me a break. If steroids meant 20 more dingers, every player in baseball would be juiced out of their minds.

That website throws out alot of numbers, but it does a downright awful of explaining them or what they really mean.

What exactly is the "power factor"? The website never really explains how they came up with that figure. They generalize how they came up with it. So I can't tell you if its relevant data or not. For instance they present a theory that the ball may have been juiced. Ok. So how much of an effect would that have on the so called "power factor"? Well they never bother to explain that.

I personally from my own reasearch on the subject can tell you there's a pretty major jump in the number of home runs per AB hit from 1993 to 1994 that's pretty well maintained over the next decade plus. Overall batting average doesn't change much, but this could be explained by the drop in the number of basestealers. (aka speed/contact hitters) Did this site bother to account for that or take into account the possibility of that? I have no idea. But if your not going to explain where you got your data from its pointless. You can name drop all you want as that website did. But I want to see the actual math.

[Kramerica Industries]

What a huge surprise that an umpiring crew headed by Joe West would come off as standoff-ish and grandstanding.

I mean, when has Joe West ever been considered too big for his britches, as far as baseball goes?

[infrared41]

I still believe (and know) that you'll actually still have to workout to gain anything from the whole ordeal. The thing about steroids that I've read is that it helps you with energy and recovery, which in turn helps you perform in the gym. More gym time and more effort in the gym. It doesn't just make you automatically stronger or a better athlete (hitter/pitcher)... which I said in my original post.

From the insane energy levels and recovery time, players on steroids are able to work out even more and spend more time practicing, which in turn helps that pitcher throw a few mph faster and that hitter hit with a bit more power. It's not going to directly help your hitting or pitching abilities. These guys like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens are still going to be great ballplayers, the steroids just help them get the most out of their abilities.

You can believe all that if it makes you feel better but it's complete BS. Look at the numbers before and after steroid testing. Now are you really going to try to tell me that steroids had a negligible effect on players and stats?

[infrared41]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

except they don't

http://steroids-and-baseball.com/

20 homers? give me a break. If steroids meant 20 more dingers, every player in baseball would be juiced out of their minds.

Wow, I'm impressed. If I go out and find some random website that says the opposite, does that mean I win?

[HedleyLamarr]

I still believe (and know) that you'll actually still have to workout to gain anything from the whole ordeal. The thing about steroids that I've read is that it helps you with energy and recovery, which in turn helps you perform in the gym. More gym time and more effort in the gym. It doesn't just make you automatically stronger or a better athlete (hitter/pitcher)... which I said in my original post.

From the insane energy levels and recovery time, players on steroids are able to work out even more and spend more time practicing, which in turn helps that pitcher throw a few mph faster and that hitter hit with a bit more power. It's not going to directly help your hitting or pitching abilities. These guys like Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens are still going to be great ballplayers, the steroids just help them get the most out of their abilities.

You can believe all that if it makes you feel better but it's complete BS. Look at the numbers before and after steroid testing. Now are you really going to try to tell me that steroids had a negligible effect on players and stats?

I've never been completely sold that steroids were the most influential impact in the rise of power-hitting numbers in baseball. They were a factor, but there was a perfect storm of other factors that helped hitters put up the numbers they did:

1. Watered-down pitching due to expansion.

2. Tighter-wound baseballs.

3. New stadia being built with smaller dimensions (or in areas of higher altitude).

4. Better strategy in using the DH.

5. Hitters no longer having shame in striking out.....i.e. being encouraged to "swing for the fences" even with two strikes.

6. Hitters generally being vastly fitter than baseball players of the past.

Steroids weren't this magical potion that suddenly allowed a player to play the game better.....if I took steroids, I doubt I'd be able to hit a 95mph fastball. They helped in getting strength up and helping players recover faster, as well as assisting in the psychological aspect of a player's mindset.....but I don't think steroids were any more a factor in the rise of power numbers than the other factors I listed.

The ballparks alone were a big contributor in the rise of homeruns. The Astros went from playing in the uber pitching-friendly AstroDome to playing in hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park (or whatever it's called now). Teams like the Phillies, Reds, and Pirates went from spacious multi-purpose venues to hitter-friendly parks. The Rockies didn't start using the humidor until around 2007 or so.

[rroy0824]

I still think that a rotation with Verlander, a reliable guy in Fister, and a combustible K machine like Scherzer,

Due to injury or whatever, Fister has not been all that relibale this year. For the Tigers to have a shot he needs to turn it around.