MLB FanHouse

Dontrelle Is Probably Done for the Year

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:08:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries

Though I suppose you could argue Dontrelle Willis was done for the year before ever throwing a pitch this season.

Anyway, as you may remember, Dontrelle hurt his knee back on April 11th when throwing a pitch and had to be placed on the disabled list. After returning from the injury, Willis was used out of the bullpen, but that didn't last too long. Willis rejoined the starting rotation after only one relief appearance for two starts before the team just pulled the plug on him and sent him to the minors. He hasn't pitched for Detroit since.

Now, as the coup de gras of Dontrelle's 2008 season, he's had a setback with his knee injury and will likely be done for the year.

Willis was scheduled to return to Detroit early this week to have his right knee examined, the team said Monday. That is the same knee he hyperextended in April, forcing him onto the disabled list for the first time in his big-league career.

The setback reduces the chance Willis will pitch again in the majors this season.

What's really worrisome here is that I'm not sure Dontrelle will be any better next season after he recovers from this knee injury. After all, I'm not sure his struggles in Detroit can be attributed to the knee seeing as how he walked seven hitters in his first start of the season before ever hurting the thing.

I think Willis is just suffering the effects of being ridden like a horse down in Miami all those years, and I don't know that he'll ever be the same again. Good thing the Tigers gave him that contract extension.

Dontrelle Is Probably Done for the Year originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Miguel Cabrera Heading to the DL?

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors

Just when you think things are starting to go right in Detroit, the Tigers take another big blow. Sure, the Kitties are two games over .500 now, have won their last six, and are only five games out of first place, but as I told you yesterday: not all is well in Tigerland.

Detroit had to place Magglio Ordonez on the disabled list on Sunday, and now 48 hours later, they may have to do the same thing with Miguel Cabrera.

Cabrera left in the third inning with a "tight left hip flexor," an injury that may or may not knock Cabrera from manager Jim Leyland's lineup. Cabrera had to leave the game after wobbling through some defensive maneuvers at first that appeared awkward and included one of Detroit's three errors.

"He's had this before," Leyland said of Cabrera, who was limping on and off the field in the early innings. The Tigers won't know until today if Cabrera will join Magglio Ordonez (disabled list, strained oblique muscle) as the latest middle-of-the-order bat to vacate the order.

Needless to say, if Cabrera has to join Maggs on the disabled list, it's probably going to temper any talk of the Tigers making a run at the White Sox for a while. The two of them have combined to hit 23 homers and drive in 98 runs in the first half of the season.

Is Miguel Cabrera Heading to the DL? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not All Is Well in Tigerland

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:18:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries

If there is any team that's incredibly sad to see interleague play end in 2008, it would be the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers feasted on their senior circuit competition, going 13-5, and have now won 17 of their last 21 games. They're finally over .500 for the first time this year at 41-40, and are within five games of the White Sox in the AL Central.

Of course, before catching the White Sox the Tigers will have to pass the Twins, and it so happens that they're starting a three game set in the Twinkiedome tonight, and play Minnesota four more times next week. It's the perfect chance to climb in to second place. If only they had Magglio Ordonez to help them out.

The Detroit Tigers placed right fielder Magglio Ordonez on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled muscle in his right side on Sunday.

Ordonez pulled his oblique muscle in the third inning of a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

That's got to be a kick in the teeth for Tigers fans who were just starting to get excited about this team.

Ordonez had his worst month of the season in June, hitting .266/.343/.403 with three homers and 15 RBI, but now that the Tigers are starting a stretch where 19 of their next 27 games are against division opponents, this isn't exactly the best timing. The team has called up Matt Joyce to replace Ordonez on the roster, but it's doubtful he can replace his production.

Not All Is Well in Tigerland originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Todd Jones Is a Rain Delay Ar-teeeeest

Will Brinson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, MLB Fans, MLB Video

The upside of doing a Magglio Ordonez impersonation is that it's relatively easy; you just need long, curly black hair and a Detroit Tigers uniform to pull it off and anyone that watches much baseball is going to know what you're doing.

The downside is, who has time these days to stand around in a Tigers uniform and make semi-mock Mags? That would be our good friend Todd Jones, who took advantage of the recent rain delay at Comerica to do his best 2006 ALCS-winning home run impersonation of Ordonez.

Okay, okay. For all my dislike of Jones (for fantasy reasons), I probably need to rethink the way I feel. Because that impression alone should be worth a lifetime of a 3.00 WHIP. Oh, and is there anything hotter than rain delay entertainment right now? Anything remotely close?

H/T: LBS

Todd Jones Is a Rain Delay Ar-teeeeest originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Inge Hits the Disabled List in a Pillow-Lifting Related Incident

Will Brinson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries

In fairness, Brandon Inge is not blaming his inability to properly lift a pillow for the entire extent of the injury that has him headed to the disabled list. The injury has been bugging him for a while, and this just put it over the top. Because, lifting pillows can be a pretty dangerous activity.

Inge said he aggravated the injury moving a pillow for his three-year-old Monday night. He said if not for that mishap, he probably would have tried to continue to play with the injury, which he said has bothered him since he suffered it on June 1 in Seattle.

Told of Inge's account of the pillow, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "That's a first."

Yes indeed it is. There are tons of horrible injuries in baseball (meaning stupidly ridiculous ways that the players get hurt) but this is kind of absurd. I mean, sneezing (Sammy Sosa) and Guitar Hero (Joel Zumaya) are at least respectable.

Okay, not sneezing. But if you move your three year old's pillow around and see a vertabrae lying on the ground when you're done, just pull a Vladrad and tell everyone it happened while you were lifting weights or something.

Via FanIQ

Brandon Inge Hits the Disabled List in a Pillow-Lifting Related Incident originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Todd Jones Doesn't Like Henry Schulman

Tom Fornelli — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Media Watch

The Detroit Tigers may be playing their best baseball of the season right now, winning eleven of their last fourteen games to move withing six games of the White Sox, but closer Todd Jones and his teammates have something else on their minds right now: San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat reporter Henry Schulman.

While the Tigers were in San Francisco last week, Schulman wrote a column in which he referred to Ryan Raburn as a "scrub" after Raburn hit a home run off of Jonathan Sanchez. Well, Jones writes a column for the Detroit Free Press, and in his latest effort he explains why he and his teammates do not appreciate such remarks.

When we read that, we lost our collective minds.

Henry Schulman just called one of our teammates a scrub.

Isn't that a little harsh? I can't think of anybody who has ever played in the major leagues as a scrub -- not even Bob Uecker.

When Tigers manager Jim Leyland saw the article, he was livid. We all were.

Ryan just laughed it off. What else could he do? He'd just been humiliated by a guy he'd never met.

The proper term for what Ryan does is: "A role player or backup." He's actually very useful. He plays outfield and infield in the big leagues. (I wonder if Schulman could do that?)

Sure we've got thick skin, and reporters don't bother us for the most part. But when it's a personal attack on a guy's ability or perceived place in this game, enough is enough.

I'd rather be a scrub than be a guy who sits on the sideline and watches what happens and then writes about it. How about next time, Mr. Schulman, you just report on the game and you show Mr. Raburn and the hundreds of players on all clubs that fill out the big leagues some respect and call him a backup or a utility player.

Okay, so if writers can't criticize players anymore, can we at least criticize the way they write? Don't think I didn't notice all those two sentence paragraphs, Todd, I know you're just trying to fill space (Come after me, Jones! I'M A MAN! I'M 27!).

Todd does have a point, though, that there are no scrubs in the Major Leagues. You don't get to the show by sucking a lot, it's just that once you're there, there are a couple of hundred players who are just better than you. Still, Schulman's job is to cover baseball, and it's one he's been doing for a while. If he's of the opinion that Ryan Raburn is a scrub, then he has every right to share that opinion.

Maybe Todd's skin just isn't as thick as he thinks it is. Now if he's talking mustaches....

(Via BBTF)

Todd Jones Doesn't Like Henry Schulman originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marcus Thames Doesn't Have Time For Singles, Doubles, and Triples

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Gossip

The Detroit Tigers six-game win streak came to an end last night in San Francisco when John Bowker welcomed Fernando Rodney back to the bigs with a three-run homer to give the Giants the win, but that doesn't mean every streak in Detroit died on Monday night. Marcus Thames took Tim Lincecum deep in his first two at-bats thanks to a hanging curveball and a belt-high changeup, making Monday the fourth game in a row that Thames has gone deep.

Still, that's not the streak I'm talking about. Since June 7th, Thames has gone 7-for-29 (.241) which is very much in line with his .257 average on the season. Of course, his slugging percentage since June 7th is .966 because all seven of those hits have been home runs.

No singles. No doubles. No triples. All Mr. Thames has done lately is plant balls in the seats.

Now what I'm trying to figure out is, how impressive is this? Is it even impressive at all? I kind of has to be doesn't it? Sure he's not hitting well overall, but when he does he's really making it count. He says he's never been on a streak like this, and his manager Jim Leyland says he's never seen anything quite like it either.

Though it could just be that all Thames is good for is hitting home runs, as while this seven-hit streak is rather odd, it's not exactly anything new for Marcus. After all, he only has 29 hits on the season and 12 of those have been home runs.

Marcus Thames Doesn't Have Time For Singles, Doubles, and Triples originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stop Comparing Dontrelle Willis to Rick Ankiel

Pat Lackey — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:47:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

I suppose the comparison is inevitable. Rick Ankiel was a stud pitching prospect who completely lost the strike zone, stopped pitching forever, and moved to the outfield. Dontrelle Willis is a decent hitting pitcher who's seemingly lost his stuff. One plus one equals two, right? Among other people, Mike Celizic sure seems to think so.

I've got one word for everyone that's drawing the comparison: stop. There have been a million pitchers and pitching prospects that have flamed out over the last 50 years and exactly one of them has become a serviceable player at another position. Rick Ankiel's career arc is so unique it's crazy to think that another pitcher can duplicate it just because he hits well and stopped throwing strikes.

When Ankiel quit pitching, he was 24. Willis is 26. Ankiel had a very public meltdown, elbow surgery, and clearly a mental block to throwing strikes. He wasn't just wild, he was beyond help. When he switched to the outfield, he told the Cardinals in no uncertain terms that he was no longer a pitcher, no matter what the team wanted from him. The Cardinals were nice enough to provide a spot for him in the minors, and that afforded him the chance to turn himself around.

Willis, on the other hand, is already 26 years old. If he were to quit pitching right now and go on the Ankiel trail, he probably wouldn't be back in the majors until he was in his 30s. GIven the amount of money the Tigers are paying him (almost $10 million a year between 2008 and 2010), do you really think they're going to be quick to sign off on a position switch that would almost guarantee he won't play in Detroit during the life of that contract?

Willis is still a very talented pitcher that hasn't lost much on his fastball. That means there's hope for him. Maybe he won't be the pitcher he was in 2005 again, but to write him off right now and comparing him to Ankiel isn't fair. At this stage he's either going to fix whatever's wrong with him, or his career is going to end. That's all there is to it.

Stop Comparing Dontrelle Willis to Rick Ankiel originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not Everything Is Going Wrong in Detroit

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

While the failures of Dontrelle Willis in 2008 have been well documented here at FanHouse the last couple of days, it turns out not everything is going horribly awry in Detroit for the Tigers. After all, Willis was basically just a throw-in (a $27 million throw-in, but a throw-in nonetheless) in the deal the Tigers made to bring in Miguel Cabrera, and after he got off to a slow start to the season, his bat has been catching fire as of late, as have been the other bats in Detroit's lineup.

Cabrera hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give the Tigers a 2-1 win over the White Sox this afternoon, and help complete a sweep of the AL Central division leaders. The win was Detroit's fifth victory in their last six games, and they've crept to within striking distance of the White Sox, moving to within eight games.

Of course, even though the Tigers offense is starting to come to life now that the weather is warming up, the real key to whether or not the Tigers are going to make a run is still, and always will be, their pitching staff. Which is why they have to be happy with what they saw in their three games against the White Sox.

The trio of Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander, and Kenny Rogers combined to go 23.1 innings while allowing only five runs, 16 hits, and three walks (Verlander's performance being a work of art on Wednesday night). This against a team that had been averaging over eight runs a game during a seven-game win streak. It's only been six games, and the loss of Jeremy Bonderman isn't going to help, but if the Tigers pitching can keep this up, their offense will put runs on the board (it's just too talented not to) and Detroit may just get back into this thing after all.

Not Everything Is Going Wrong in Detroit originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fire Sale in Detroit?

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:23:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Rumors

Now that we're almost halfway through June and the Detroit Tigers still haven't shown any signs of coming to life this season, it probably isn't that crazy to think that it's just not going to happen this year. Despite all the veteran talent on the Tigers roster, there just haven't been any signs that things are going to turn around. If anything, it seems as though things are only going to start getting worse.

Jeremy Bonderman is done for the season and could miss the start of next season as well, and Dontrelle Willis has pitched so well he's been sent down to single-A in hopes that he can find home plate while he's there. It's enough to make you wonder when the Tigers are going to wave the white flag, and according to SI's Jon Heyman, rumors of an impending fire sale have already begun.

Insiders are speculating that the Tigers might start trading pieces before the deadline. But their pitchers have been awful, and many of their every-day players are stars who recently signed big contracts and are underachieving. To sum up, I'm not sure where they'd begin a fire sale.

Heyman brings up a good point, because while I'm sure the Tigers wouldn't mind dumping some players come the trade deadline, I'm not exactly sure how many parts they have that other teams are going to want.

Magglio Ordonez seems like the biggest trade chip the Tigers have, but even he might not be that easy to move. After all, he's still owed $33 million over the next two seasons and has options for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, plus he's 34 years old. Still, he's hitting .314/.387/.494 on the season with nine homers and 39 runs driven in, so somebody may be interested.

Other than Maggs, though, I don't see much that the Tigers can do. They have plenty of people they'd probably like to move (Ivan Rodriguez, Edgar Renteria, Nate Robertson, Kenny Rogers) but I don't know if they'll be much interest in them. All of them except for Robertson share high salaries and higher ages, while Robertson just has the big salary over the next few seasons.

Teams may be willing to make deals for these guys, but I wouldn't expect the Tigers to get much in return for any of them.

Fire Sale in Detroit? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dontrelle Willis Continues to Suck

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:41:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

When the Tigers traded for both Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the offseason my initial reaction to the deal was about the same as everybody else: holy crap this team is going to be unstoppable. That being said, my fear of the Tigers had a lot more to do with their offense once they placed Cabrera square in the middle of that lineup, and not so much to do with the addition of Willis.

After seeing the way Dontrelle had struggled his last two seasons in Miami, going 22-27 after a 22-10 campaign in 2005, I wasn't exactly convinced he was going to revert back to his old form in Detroit. The Marlins rode him like a horse while he was there, and I didn't think adjusting to the American League was going to be very easy for Dontrelle. Which made me think that the contract extension the Tigers soon signed him to was a mistake.

Well, the season didn't start off very well for the Tigers or Dontrelle (or Miguel either, but I have a lot more faith in him turning things around) as he walked seven batters in his first start of the season against the White Sox. Then in his next start, also against the Sox, Dontrelle hurt his knee delivering a pitch after walking the first two hitters of the game and was placed on the disabled list.

Then, after recovering and rehabbing in the minors, Detroit brought Dontrelle back as a expensive arm out of the bullpen, and in his only outing he walked two in one inning of work. It was such an improvement over his previous performances that it earned him a spot back in the rotation.

In those two starts that Dontrelle has made since rejoining the Tigers rotation, Dontrelle has thrown 5.1 innings, allowed 8 runs, and walked another 10 batters. That's 21 walks in only 11.1 innings of work this season for the D-Train, and I'm not sure he's ever going to get back on track.

After getting blasted for 8 runs in 1.1 innings of work against the Indians yesterday, Dontrelle's manager wasn't in much of a mood to talk about his troubled starter.

"I'm going to say this once and stop at that," Jim Leyland said. "Dontrelle obviously had a tough time throwing strikes. He let up to get the ball over the plate and they hit a couple of long balls. That's the end of the Dontrelle conversation. It was a long, ugly night."
Actually, Jim, it's been a couple of long, ugly months for the Tigers and I don't think Monday is going to be the end of that conversation. Dontrelle's contract runs through 2011 after all. Enjoy him while you can, Tigers fans.

Dontrelle Willis Continues to Suck originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tigers Lose Bonderman for the Season

Matt Watson — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries, MLB Transactions

This was the last thing the Tigers' beleaguered pitching staff needed: Jeremy Bonderman will almost certainly miss the rest of the year following emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his right shoulder. From Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press:

Bonderman underwent a thrombolysis to break up the clot on Friday night, and then an angioplasty this morning at the Detroit Medical Center.

Kevin Rand, the team's head athletic trainer, said Bonderman could be discharged from the hospital as early as this afternoon, but he may need to have another procedure once it is determined what caused the clot to form.

The culprit may be the first rib on his right side, and if doctors determine that the rib needs to be removed, Bonderman's season is most likely over. Kenny Rogers missed the first three months of last season following surgery to remove a blood clot in his left shoulder, but he was lucky in that he didn't need to have a rib removed.

The phrase "blood clot" brings to mind a lot of worse-case scenarios, but Rand indicated that Bonderman's condition is not life-threatening and said the pitcher could be released from the hospital as soon as today. Nevertheless, he's already been placed on the 15-day disabled list. Armando Galarraga will take his spot in the rotation on Sunday, with Dontrelle Willis going on Monday.

Tigers Lose Bonderman for the Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Last Days of Tiger Stadium

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch

The skirmish between the city of Detroit and nostalgic fans of Tiger Stadium appears to have finally come to an end. And that means that starting this Friday, demolition teams will begin tearing down the now defunct stadium.
The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, a non profit group dedicated to keeping Tiger Stadium around, failed to meet their fund-raising deadline, and will now likely have to watch the landmark as it is shredded in the middle of downtown.

Sunday was the city's deadline for a nonprofit group, which includes Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell, to produce $369,000 and proof of a solid $12 million to $15 million plan that could save the baseball diamond and 3,000 seats, house Harwell's prized collection of sports memorabilia, and develop some retail or office space.

The OTSC is not the first group to fail in attempts to save the Stadium either. Detroit has been asking for several years now for a plan to utilize the stadium effectively. Such plans have included conversion to everything from a Wal-Mart to a Kronk Gym.

But the Economic Growth Corporation, which may or may not actually be a publicly funded group, says the time has officially run out now and demolition crews will begin tearing down the stadium starting this Friday. There is still the chance that only part of Tiger Stadium is razed, leaving a small portion for a historical museum.

The chief issue at hand, between the city and it's residents, is the care, or lack thereof, for the stadium since it closed in 1999. Jim Hawkins claims in the Oakland Press that in 1999 he "conservatively" valued all the memorabilia in Tiger Stadium at $10 million.

Most citizens claim that the city has heavily neglected the landmark (hello, forthcoming lawsuit!) while the city points out that ample time and opportunity for renovation have been granted to the full public.

The OTSC claims it will make a last ditch effort this week to try and save the stadium, and that Friday is their "real" deadline. That seems overly optimistic though; the reality is that Detroit's baseball landscape changed almost a decade ago and this is the final closing step in the move.

The Last Days of Tiger Stadium originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Guillen Continues to Tour the Diamond, Leftfield Is the Next Stop

Josh Alper — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

June is here so it's well past time for the Detroit Tigers to write anything off to a slow start. It's getting later and later and if they're going to make a charge for the division title, it has to start right away. That means doing anything possible to get their best team on the field, even if it means moving Carlos Guillen for the third time since the end of last season.

Guillen moved from short to first full-time to accomodate Edgar Renteria after the trade bringing him to Detroit from Atlanta. Then they moved him to third when Miguel Cabrera's errant fielding made the hot corner too toasty for comfort. Now Guillen is moving to leftfield, starting with today's game against Seattle, so that Jim Leyland can get Brandon Inge's power and excellent glove into the lineup a little more often.

He did say that the move wouldn't be permanent but the manager is running out of ways to jumpstart his team. He's dropped Cabrera in the lineup and rejiggered the defense but nothing has worked. The biggest reason why is that none of those moves has to do with the three-fifths of the rotation currently posting ERAs north of five. Unless Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson start turning in effective starts consistently, nothing in the lineup will help the Tigers climb out of the ditch they've dug themselves.

Carlos Guillen Continues to Tour the Diamond, Leftfield Is the Next Stop originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Guillen Needs Some Preparation H

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Injuries

You know, this baseball season started out with some pretty odd, and no doubt, painful injuries. First we heard the tragic tale of Felix Pie and his twisted testicle, and that story was followed shortly with the epic battle between Kaz Matsui and the evil anal fissures.

Since then, though, we've had nothing but the same old boring hamstring and sore shoulder injuries. That is until Jim Leyland explained the problems his third baseman Carlos Guillen has been having after he committed two errors on Tuesday night.

"He can hardly move -- he's got hemorrhoids so bad," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday. "He's been playing with hemorrhoids that probably need to be lanced. He probably shouldn't have been out there (third base on Monday)."

Leyland said the hemorrhoids have been bothering Guillen for about four or five days, but they have gotten worse in the last few days. "He could hardly walk (Monday night)," Leyland said.

And with that, we now know more about Carlos' ass than I think we ever hoped to. Thanks, Jim.

I've never had hemorrhoids myself, so I can't say for sure how painful they actually are, but anytime you need to have anything lanced, it doesn't sound like much fun. Looking on the bright side, maybe Guillen can spin this whole thing into an endorsement for Preparation H. "Hello, I'm Detroit Tigers third baseman Carlos Guillen, and when I play baseball I like to make sure my butt feels nice. Sitting on that hard wooden bench between innings can really tear a man's booty up, and that's why I never come to the ballpark without my Preparation H with cooling gel."

The commercial would then show Carlos hitting a home run and as he crosses the plate to high five his teammates, he gets a slap on the ass from Ivan Rodriguez before turning towards the camera, flashing a smile, winking, and giving a thumbs up.

Carlos Guillen Needs Some Preparation H originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 13:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim Leyland Will Follow the Rules Even if They Wind Up Killing Him

Mullet — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, The Word

So Bud Selig has gone and put out the edict to speed up baseball games. Seems that games on average are going a bit too long for ol' Bud's tastes. Fine and dandy. But Jim Leyland thinks that speeding up the game might jeopardize his health.

One edict drawing his interest: "Conferences on the pitcher's mound will be broken up more quickly, especially when the visitor is not prompt to the mound." Leyland read that to mean coaches and managers must jog out to the mound.

"They want me to run to the mound and I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day?" asked the Marlboro man.

He then noted that he had the "utmost respect" for Commissioner Bud Selig and will comply by jogging to the mound. But he then jokingly added that his wife will sue Selig if the physical stress causes a heart attack, and that he will do "jumping jacks and cartwheels" if directed to do so. (...)

"It's silly stuff," Leyland said. "This is not a timed sport, and baseball is like going to a movie. If it's a good movie, you stay. If it's horse-(bleep), you get up and leave."

So how many times has Leyland wanted to get up and leave this season watching the Tigers? I'm guessing at least twice.

Jim Leyland Will Follow the Rules Even if They Wind Up Killing Him originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dontrelle Willis Is Back as a Very Well Paid Mop Up Man

Josh Alper — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

The Detroit Tigers will be getting Dontrelle Willis back from the disabled list today or tomorrow but don't go rushing to your television to watch his next start. It might be a while. The Tigers are going to use the D-Train as baseball's most expensive long reliever while they try to work out the problems that plagued him before his injury.

It's been a while so we'll review. Willis walked nine batters and struck out none over two April starts with the Tigers before he landed on the DL. He did a bit better in Toledo during three rehab starts, seven walks in 16 innings, but the need to repair his pitching this soon into his Tiger tenure raises the question about how well that three-year, $29 million contract the Tigers gave him will hold up.

Willis is still young but he got ridden quite hard by the Marlins from a very young age and has shown some signs of breakdown. His exploding walk rate, regressing strikeout rate and nagging injuries all point to Willis being more likely to continue feel the impact of being pushed at a young age than recovering the 2005 form that's getting pretty far in the rearview mirror.

That said, if he recovers enough to become something in the neighborhood of league average, the Tigers will have a spot for him. Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson have been brutal and it's gotten late early in Motown.

Dontrelle Willis Is Back as a Very Well Paid Mop Up Man originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jason Grilli Still Ticks Jim Leyland Off From 1,300 Miles Away

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:24:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Gossip

Before the Detroit Tigers had their bi-weekly offensive explosion on Tuesday night against Seattle (one their bullpen did everything in their power to blow), manager Jim Leyland was asked about some comments made by former Tiger reliever Jason Grilli.

Grilli was traded earlier this season to the Rockies, and was recently asked by some reporters out there what he thought was going wrong back in Detroit, where the Tigers have failed to live up to expectations. Grilli's response was that he thought the Tigers hurt their team chemistry by bringing in new stars, and letting go of clubhouse favorites like Sean Casey. Jim Leyland was not amused.

"You have to be kidding me. I mean, please," Leyland said before the Tigers' 12-8 win over the Mariners on Tuesday night. "Jason Grilli ought to just worry about Colorado.

"Jason Grilli's not here any longer because Jason Grilli didn't pitch good under pressure situations and didn't pitch very well in Detroit. You want to tell it like it is? When players want to start talking, I'll start talking."

Leyland's reaction to Grilli quickly became somewhat of a warning to the rest of his team just in case anybody gets the bright idea of popping off about the team.

"I'm a grown man. I can take my heat, and I deserve some for the performance of this club. But you better be careful when you're a player. If you're hitting .200 and .220 and striking out, you shouldn't be popping off.

"They want to play games, I'll play games. I'll quit protecting some of these guys night after night after night after night. And I'll put some names to it."

Quick, somebody get that man a cigarette! Only the soothing taste of tobacco and the calming influence of nicotine is going to keep The Black Lung from ripping somebody's heart out of their chest.

As I said in our roundtable discussion about managers earlier this week, the more I listen to Jim Leyland, the more I hear a man who's growing tired. I think the fact that he knows there's really nothing he can do to turn this team around is weighing heavily on his shoulders, and at the age of 63, I wouldn't be surprised if he walks away if things don't turn around. He did it in Colorado, why wouldn't he do it again?

Of course, that being said, a nice 5 to 8-game winning streak can do a lot to change that.

Latest MLB Photos

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Skip Schumaker makes a diving catch to rob San Diego Padres' Kevin Kouzmanoff of an extra base hit in the fifth inning of their baseball game Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in San Diego. The catch came with a runner on base. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Cincinnati Reds' Corey Patterson reacts after diving for a Los Angeles Dodgers' Russell Martin hit to center field for the the third out in the fourth inning of their MLB baseball game, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Cincinnati Reds' Corey Patterson dives for Los Angeles Dodgers Russell Martin's fly ball to center field for the the third out in the fourth inning of their MLB baseball game, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

St. Louis Cardinals' Troy Glaus watches his two run single slice into right field against the San Diego Padres in the third inning of their baseball game Wednesday May 21, 2008 in San Diego. The hit resulted in a play at home plate in which Padres' catcher Josh Bard was injured and forced to leave the game. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

San Diego Padres catcher Josh Bard is walked through the dugout on his way to the clubhouse as teammates look on following a collision at home plate with St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols in the third inning of their baseball game Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Los Angeles Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin, right, is late with the tag as Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips scores in the fourth inning of their MLB baseball game, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Minnesota Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez dives for a pop fly off the bat of Texas Rangers' Brandon Boggs in the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Minneapolis. The Rangers won 10-1. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez gestures after their 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Houston Astros' Lance Berkman, left, heads to home plate ahead of the ball and Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto to score from second base on a Geoff Blum double in the fifth inning in a baseball game Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Jason Grilli Still Ticks Jim Leyland Off From 1,300 Miles Away originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 12:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Armando Galarraga Better Not Lose His Spot

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Rumors

Remember when the Tigers made that huge trade for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, and Tigers fans everywhere began putting aside money for World Series tickets? Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? As we're all well aware of at this point, the Tigers kind of suck this season. Cabrera has switched positions due to his lack of mobility, and he's not exactly tearing the cover off the ball either. Dontrelle has been on the disabled list for a while now, and has struggled with his control in three minor league rehab starts.

So the question is, now that Dontrelle is just about ready to rejoin the Tigers, what the hell are they going to do with him? Willis' agent thinks that Dontrelle will be taking his old spot in the rotation.

"I'd imagine that he's going back into the rotation, but I haven't heard anything definitive," said Willis' agent, Matt Sosnick. "He felt like he threw the ball well and that his body felt good."

Yes, well, I don't care how well he thinks he threw down in Toledo, he didn't throw as well as the kid who replaced him in the rotation, Armando Galarraga. In a season that's been filled with nothing but frustration and disappointment for the Tigers, Galarraga has been a lone bright spot.

Armando has started six games for Willis, and he's 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in those starts. In other words, he's been the best starter Detroit has had. Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland aren't saying what their plans are for Willis when he returns, but if they include taking Galarraga out of the rotation, they deserve a swift kick in the nuts.

Armando Galarraga Better Not Lose His Spot originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 13:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Todd Jones Remembers the Good Old Days

PostmanR — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

It's common knowledge that baseball clubhouses sometimes veer into boy's club territory. (Just ask the White Sox!) And, after some unfortunate events last season, teams took a long hard look at their clubhouse alcohol policies. Nowadays, things just ain't the same.

Well, Todd Jones longs for those lost times when you got drunk after a ballgame, damn it.

... it's not the same today as it was 15 or 20 years ago.

Guys nowadays show up earlier than we used to and leave way earlier than we used to. I can remember when guys would hang around until 2 or 3 in the morning after every game. An older player would call a team meeting, so to speak, and guys would grab a garbage can full of whatever guys drink, sit down and figure out whatever was going on that particular night. If it was 2 a.m. when everything was figured out, then everybody would shower and leave. If it was 4 a.m., then it was 4 a.m. The best times in my career have been with teammates figuring it out. Now, any figuring out that needs to be done is taken care of before the game.

Yes Todd: "figuring it out" is what it's all about. In fact, I plan on "figuring it out" with my friends tonight and tomorrow night . Some of the best times of my life, too. See: ballplayers are just like you and me.

Todd Jones Remembers the Good Old Days originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 11:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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