As we are approaching the mid-way point of the 2013 season, it should be apparent that all is not well in Tiger Town.
Right now, the Tigers are 42-35 with a 3 game lead on the Cleveland Indians but something needs to be done with the Tigers if the this 29 year World Series drought is going to end.
The Tigers are getting no production from the 5th spot in their lineup. I wanted to give Victor the benefit of the doubt but we are running out of time. In addition to hitting a paltry .228, his on base percentage is .286. This is ridiculous.
If there is no appetite for a trade or a trade to be made, the Tigers need to try something new, something unconventional. I don’t want to tinker with the slots Peralta and Infante are hitting in, because if something is not broken, don’t fix it. But the 5 slot is broken and must be fixed.
I offer you my solution, Don Kelly, DK. I know what you are thinking, DK? He’s not an everyday player, he doesn’t have the power. These things may be true but is he going to do any worse? In only 92 at bats DK is hitting .228 the same as Martinez. DK’s OPB is .333 compared to Victor’s .286. DK is slugging .380 to Victor’s .337. And what is even more important, DK busts his ass down the line where VMART acts like he’s skipping through a flower bed.
Some may say, VMART can’t run, he’s knees are shot. I say, I can tolerate that if you’re hitting over .250 with power but not when you’re hitting .228 and slugging .337. The Tiger’s need to find a different way, a new alternative, to the conventional thinking of the last 29 years. DK might not be a classic 5 hitter, and he might not even work out, but at this point Victor is not working out either and the Tigers just finished a 10 game home stand 4-6.
To add insult to injury the Tigers just got swept, in the 6 game season series, by an Angels team that BLOWS. This is the same Angels team that got swept in a four game series, at home, by the Houston Astros. And to really rub salt in the wound, game two was decided by a two run homer by that sawed off, little, jerk, Erick Aybar after a visit to the mound by pitching coach Jeff Jones.
And here’s some advice for Jeff Jones, next time you get a good idea, like the one you had before the Aybar at bat, sit back down and chew on tin foil, you Dummy!
“God, I love baseball.” – Roy Hobbs | The Natural
Flashin' Leather 
Well now Crippy you may have just kicked the bigger gorilla than the closer….dose VM have problems…….well he sure ain’t what he was his WAR is-1.2 and minus ain’t good. However these are the Tigers that kept plugging Ryan Rugburn in cause he got HOT (once upon a time) in the second half….so what will they do? Can’t play him at first…can’t play him at catcher..so he is a DH and if you set him down than catch 22 is he just gathers more rust. So I suspect you have pointed out a problem that I don’t think they will/can fix until they have let it go to far and by that time they will have traded Aviasail Garcia for pitching and maybe they can platoon DK & Tui in the outfield and someone/anyone in the batting order if Victor won’t wake up?
Nebraska, how about putting Garcia in the 5 spot. TRY SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is asinine!!
I hate messing with Karma, but go by the numbers alone and put Peralta(or Infante) in the 5 spot. But don’t completely remove V-Mart. yet. I’ll still wait a little longer for a career .300 hitter. And as far as offensive production goes, SMALL BALL! Have you been watching the College World Series? I’m sick of hearing that the Tigers aren’t built to play small ball. Most teams aren’t. So lets call it Fundamental Baseball. And I’m not hung up on a proven Closer either. Use your best match up. Or like said about the offense, go with the numbers. Smyly has composure beyond his age. What the hell. Better yet, with the offense we have, lets not have an abundance of Close situations.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!!!!! FUNDAMENTAL BASEBALL!!!
And, if the Tigers keep playing like this, the won’t NEED A CLOSER!!!
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