Tigers keeping busy is a good thing

ON BASEBALL

Who are these guys? The Yankees?

Seriously. Since when do the Detroit Tigers make two lineup-altering trades before turkey is served on Thanksgiving? Since when do the Tigers not fret about a $100-million payroll?

Since last fall, Alex. That would be the answer.

And as long as GM/president Dave Dombrowski continues to hold the reins, I don't sense any slowing down in the pursuit of perfection (isn't that some company's slogan?).

It's even difficult to keep up with the Tigers' transactions these days. Not only has Dombrowski dealt for shortstop Edgar Renteria and outfielder Jacque Jones since the conclusion of the World Series just over two weeks ago. He also re-signed closer Todd Jones to a $7 million, one-year contract on Tuesday, the first day of free agency.

Apparently Dombrowski's mother never preached, "Patience is a virtue."

But that's all right, because in this case the GM's quickness to act is a good thing. In a slim free agent market, and with trades never easy to complete, Dombrowski simply gets the job done.

Are the moves risks? Of course. Just about any off-season acquisition or re-signing comes with a set of "ifs." For instance, will Jones, 39, hold up health wise and be the closer he's been the past two years. Is the left-handed hitting Jones really an upgrade from Timo Perez, who hit a scorching .389 last season in 29 games? Will Renteria, 32, hold up any better in the middle of the infield then converted first baseman Carlos Guillen, also 32, did?

There are plenty of questions. And, for now, no answers. Those won't arrive until baseball is back in full swing.

Then we'll know, for sure, if Dombrowski made the right moves.

But just the fact that he acted to make the acquisitions — and now is trying to re-sign veteran pitcher Kenny Rogers — says something about what he's attempting to build heading toward the season.

"We’re trying to win now,” Dombrowski said in the Detroit Free Press. “This fits with what we’re trying to do.”

Yes, trying to win now. Not in two years, not in five years. Since that miracle 2006 season, Dombrowski n' Co. have adopted a few pages from the Yankees' philosophical guide — the "win now" chapter. Last fall Dombrowski traded away a few talented — but unproven — prospects for the proven thunder stick of Gary Sheffield. While injuries derailed the slugger's season, that didn't make the acquisition a poor one. A hurting Sheffield still did much more than any of the traded prospects, none of whom made it to the Bronx.

Now Dombrowski has shipped away another promising prospect in pitcher Jair Jurrjens, sent to Atlanta in the deal for Renteria. Jurrjens was stellar in a few starts for the Tigers last season.

But Dombrowski knew he would have to sacrifice a talent to procure Renteria, so he sucked it up and made the move — stabilizing Detroit's infield in the process. There will be more Jurrjens, he must think. The window of winning a World Series with older players such as Sheffield, AL batting champ Magglio Ordonez and Gold Glove second baseman Placido Polanco, on the other hand, is closing.

Which comes back to the "win now" doctrine. It is now officially a motto of the Tigers organization, which has to rub off positively on the players. Close to no one wants to play for a "rebuilding" team. Just about everyone wants to play on a team like the Tigers.

A team that will take risks to improve itself during the off-season. A team that has one goal each season — to win the World Series.

Must be talking Yankees, right?

Surprisingly enough, I'm not. I'm talking that team in Motown.

Yes, the same Tigers who lost 119 games in 2003.

It's nearing gut-check time for Tigers

ON BASEBALL

Maybe that is what will finally awake the Detroit Tigers out of their August slumber.

A four-hour rain delay followed by a four-and-a-half-hour game. A 3:30 a.m. walkoff home run by Carlos Guillen.

No, you don't see that more than once in a lifetime.

The Tigers have been flailing for over a month now. Their starting pitching has been anything but advertised. Their bullpen has defined "shaky." And their lineup really isn't that scary anymore.

Sill — and I can't believe I'm saying this — after Friday night's eight-and-a-half-hour affair — a 9-6 win in 11 innings over the Yankees — the Tigers find themselves a mere game and a half behind the Central Division leading Indians (mostly because Cleveland has been almost as bad as Detroit of late).

Detroit hasn't won a series since it swept the Twins July 17-19. It hasn't even won back-to-back games in two weeks.

So, yes, Saturday night's game against the Yankees is huge. The marathon victory Friday night won't mean a thing if the Tigers can't wipe the sleep from their eyes and focus clearly enough to win this second game of the four-game set.

No, a loss Saturday night wouldn't mean the end of the season. Heck, losses in the final three games to the Yanks wouldn't diminish all hope, but it sure would tighten the noose. The Tigers need momentum. They need to get the car moving instead of conking out every block. Who knows if Guillen's long ball was the beginning of a change in direction.

It's gonna take a team effort
It is clear, with Joel Zumaya finally back, that the presence of one player isn't going to determine the Tigers' fate. Sure, Zumaya's return was such a big deal that it was featured on the front page of the "Detroit Free Press," but he went on to allow all three runs just two days later in a devastating 3-1 loss to the Indians (if the Tigers could have pulled that game out, they'd be in first place right now).

The same can be said for Gary Sheffield. Yes, the Tigers miss his veteran presence in the lineup right now, but he alone is not going to push the team back into the postseason. Especially if his shoulder continues to bother him.

It's going to take both a team effort from the pitching staff and the batting lineup — starters 1-5, hitters 1-9... all the relief pitchers — to be playing when the leaves change colors. That was evident on Friday when the bullpen didn't allow a run in more than six innings of work. Everyone did their job — even Tigers' fans whipping boy, Jason Grilli.

A big concern for the Tigers has to be Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, who simply isn't close to the hitter he used to be. As a veteran at the age of 36, you'd expect Rodriguez to display patience at the plate, however that is far from the case. When he walked Friday night (actually, it was Saturday morning), the radio announcers woke up from their night dreams to talk about how surprising of an occurrence it was. After all, it was just Rodriguez's seventh walk of the year compared to 78 strikeouts. His .289 on-base percentage is even more of a concern.

With Sheffield out, Rodriguez struggling, Brandon Inge even worse, and Cameron Maybin still getting used to the majors, no one can say anymore that the Tigers' lineup is devoid of holes.

But, still, Detroit should have enough offense to get back to the postseason... providing its starting pitching gets its act together.

And that's the big question: What has happened to that rotation? Jeremy Bonderman has struggled. Kenny Rogers is injured. Justin Verlander hasn't been the same since his no-hitter back in June. Nate Robertson has been up and down.

Of late, the Tigers' best starter has been Jair Jurrjens, who gave up a single hit in Detroit's 2-1 win over Cleveland Tuesday night. That's not a good sign. Now is the time for last year's top guys to step up and lead this team. Not Jurrjens, or Andrew Miller, who didn't make it out of the fifth inning Friday night.

Good performances from those two will be bonuses. Bonderman, Verlander, Robertson and Rogers (when he returns) need to start lasting longer into games (at least six innings) and giving up less runs (as simple as that sounds).

Maybe Friday night was a start. Maybe the Tigers will build on the extra-inning, extra-time victory. But, then again, the game didn't exactly showcase the main ingredient the Tigers need to gain momentum — good starting pitching.

I'm sure team members aren't thinking about that, however. At this point in the season, a win's a win — however the Tigers might come upon it.

Friday, 7/13/07's main point: Makeup calls can be partisan

On BASEBALL

We know it when we see it. It's as obvious as a walrus in an ice cream parlor. The makeup call.

It's been perfected by officials in all professional sports. Well, "perfected" might be the wrong word, because if that was the case, maybe it wouldn't be so transparent to even the casual fan.

It made a grand appearance during Thursday night's Tigers-Mariners game. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seattle's Adrian Beltre singled with the bases loaded, scoring two runs. As the ball sailed toward home plate in an ill-advised attempt to throw out the second run, Beltre alertly dashed for second base.

The only problem was Detroit catcher Mike Rabelo (who was filling in for the ejected Ivan Rodriguez) had cut off the throw and quickly fired the ball to Carlos Guillen. The shortstop appeared to tag Beltre at least once after Beltre continued toward third after somehow sliding under Guillen's initial tag. Beltre was ruled safe, however, by the second base umpire, allowing Richie Sexson to score what turned out to be the game-winning run.

A moment later — with Beltre standing on third base — the Tigers touched second base in an appeal, and the same umpire who had ruled Guillen didn't tag Beltre, called Beltre out (suggesting that the Seattle third baseman hadn't touched second base).

Replays showed, however, that Beltre had clearly touched the bag before continuing on his way. So, obviously, the out call was a makeup call.

In most cases a makeup call is as harmless as a pet rabbit. In this case, though, it cost the Tigers the game. If Beltre had been ruled out when Guillen initially tagged him, Sexson wouldn't have scored and the inning would have ended 2-2. Instead, Seattle led 3-2, which turned out to be the final score.

While Beltre had every right to be flabbergasted when the umpire said he didn't touch second base, he should be thankful that he wasn't called out when he actually was out.

I'm out.