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2008 Detroit Tigers preview
An off-season that saw the Tigers pick up Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera has the city of Detroit thinking World Series. After a disappointing 2007 season following a World Series birth in 2006, the Tigers are hoping that the blockbuster trade that sent young prospects such as Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller to the Florida Marlins is enough to get them back to the Fall Classic. Also new to the Tigers are Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones, both of whom bring experience to an already experienced team.
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The key will be staying healthy, as injuries were a big factor in the Tigers missing the playoffs a season ago. Going into the season, pitching is the biggest concern, as injuries and inconsistency plagued the pitchers from last season. The offense should be as good if not better then last seasons, when the Tigers batted in 867 runs, good for third best in the majors. The biggest question coming into the season involves the pitching. Will Dontrelle Willis be able to return to All-Star form after a disappointing season? Will Kenny Rogers be able to shake off injuries and return to normal? Will Jeremy Bonderman be able to solve his early game struggles from a year ago? Will Joel Zumaya ever return from injuries? Those four questions could be the difference between the Tigers walking away world champions or missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
2008 Tigers Starting Pitchers
Tigers ace Justin Verlander (18-6, 3.66 ERA) leads the team into the 2008 season, a year after throwing a no hitter. After Verlander, questions arise. Jeremy Bonderman (11-9, 5.01 ERA) will most likely be the number two starter. Bonderman is coming off an inconsistent year, where he struggled very early in games before settling down in later innings. He finished the season on the DL. Dontrelle Willis (10-15, 5.17 ERA) looks to have a bounce back year after switching from the National League to the American League. He never received much help from his offense in Florida, so coming to the games third best offense should give him a boost. 43-year-old Kenny Rogers (3-4, 4.43 ERA) hopes to bounce back from an injury riddled season, which saw him try to come back from surgery too soon. It is unsure where Nate Robertson (9-13, 4.76 ERA) will be at in the pitching order, although he hopes to be able to last longer in games than what he has in the past. Whether this part of the team can return from and avoid injuries will be a big deciding factor on how far the Tigers make it into the postseason.
2008 Tigers Bullpen
Detroit’s bullpen hopes to improve upon a season that saw them rank 23 rd in bullpen statistics. The Tigers were dealt a huge blow when it found out that set-up man Joel Zumaya will have to miss about half of the season due to shoulder surgery. Zumaya, who missed most of last season due to an injury he sustained while playing a video game, would have been counted on as the team’s number one set-up man. He injured his shoulder while moving boxes from a home he had in California during the horrendous forest fires that forced people to evacuate their homes. Todd Jones returns after saving 38 out of a possible 44 games. Often times, Jones is criticized for letting teams get a few hits off of him before he finishes off the game, though he gets the job done more times than not. Former fill-in starter Zach Miner returns to the bullpen, as does Jason Grilli and Tim Byrdak. Fernando Rodney returns, hoping to improve off a season ago when he finished with a 2-6 record, and a 4.26 ERA.
2008 Tigers Infield
New to the Tigers infield will be Miguel Cabrera (.320 avg, 34 HR, 119 RBI), who will be taking over for Brandon Inge at third base and Edgar Renteria (.332 avg, 12 HR, 57 RBI) who will be taking over shortstop for Carlos Guillen, who will be sliding over to first base. Guillen is coming off a stellar season that saw him bat .296, with 21 homeruns and 102 RBI. After a gold glove winning season, Placido Polanco returns to second base. Polanco was also recognized as the 2007 American League Silver Slugger after batting .347, while hitting nine homeruns and batting in 67 runs. Coming back for another season behind the plate is catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who the Tigers decided to exercise their option for another season. Though Rodriguez’s catching stats have gotten worse the last couple years, (he had seven passed balls last season) the Tigers still believe he can be productive It is unsure what will happen to Inge, who has also played different positions in the past. He has said that he “wants to play everyday,” meaning he wants a trade. But during spring training he said he would “ do whatever they want me to do.” After playing shortstop for most of his career, Carlos Guillen switches over to first base to make room for Renteria. Sean Casey, last year’s first baseman, signed with the Boston Red Sox during the off-season.
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2008 Tigers Outfield
Curtis Granderson, who will bat leadoff for the Tigers, is coming off a remarkable year that saw him hit 38 doubles, 23 triples, and 23 homeruns. He also stole 26 bases while hitting .302 with 74 RBI. After the breakout season, the Tigers rewarded Granderson with a five-year contract worth $30.25 million. Next to Granderson in right field is Magglio Ordonez, who is coming off an MVP-type season. He finished second in the overall MVP voting behind Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. He batted .363, which was 12 percentage points higher than the next closest person. Playing left field is Marcus Thamaes, who is coming off a season in which he played in only 86 games. He managed to hit 18 homeruns and 54 RBI. Controversial slugger Gary Sheffield will be the designated hitter for the Tigers. Last season, he hit 25 homeruns with 75 RBI. He only played in 133 games due to injury, though he is coming off surgery during the off-season. Joining the outfield is Jacque Jones, whom the Tigers acquired during the off-season. It is unsure where he will get the majority of his playing time.
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2008 Detroit Tigers Outlook
Playing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball (A.L. Central), the Tigers biggest concern for the upcoming season is health. After being plagued by injuries late last season, they went out and added depth to the team with the additions of Renteria and Jones. The biggest question mark heading into the season has to be with the pitching staff. Kenny Rogers is coming off an injury-shortened season and is getting up there in age. Dontrelle Willis had his worst season in the majors last year. Jeremy Bonderman struggled early in games last season. Set-up man Joel Zumaya will not be available for at least half the season. Offensively, the Tigers could even improve on last year’s third best offense with the addition of Cabrera who, offensively, is much stronger than Inge. With the buzz surrounding the city since the big off-season deals, anything less than a World Series championship will be a disappointment. Also, with Johan Santana departing from the Twins, the division gets a bit weaker. With the additions of Willis and Cabrera to an already solid lineup, look for the Tigers to approach 100 wins. As long as they can stay healthy, they should win the division.
2008 Tigers - 102-62, 1st in AL Central
By Anthony Fontana
ProBaseball-fans.com Guest Writer
> View all of the 2008 MLB team previews from Pro Baseball Fans
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