Big League Chatter Salutes Todd Jones. May 27, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in ..Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies.add a comment
There are thirty closers in the Major Leagues at the beginning of each season. Chances are at the end of the season one-third of the original closers will no longer be in that position. It is impressive to see a closer retain his job year after year. Todd Jones is one of those guys who has been on top of the mountain, leading the American League in saves with 42 in 2000, and has also been in the depths of the sea barely hanging on in the Majors in 2003. Jones doesn’t have electric stuff but he has been a reliable relief pitcher for most of his career and that’s why we salute Todd Jones of the Detroit Tigers.
Todd Jones was born April 24th, 1968 in Marietta, Georgia. Jones attended Osborne High School in Marietta and went on to attend Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Todd was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 1989 Major League draft. Jones started his career for the Astros in 1993 going 1-2 with 2 saves, 28 holds, while posting a 3.13 ERA in 37.1 innings. He got his first shot as a full-time closer in 1997 for the Detroit Tigers. Jones saved 31 games for the Tigers that year while posting
a 3.09 ERA in 70 innings. Jones’ best season was in 2000. He was chosen to be a member of the American League All-Star Team and was named the "Rolaid’s Reliever of the Year" by saving 42 games. The Tigers even sold a t-shirt that said, "Only the Lord saves more than Todd Jones." Todd went on to save 142 games for Detroit from 1997-2001 before being traded to the Twins. Jones floated from team to team from 2001 till 2005 playing for the Rockies, Red Sox, Reds, and Phillies before landing in Florida in 2005. Todd replaced Antonio Alfonseca as the Marlins closer after Alfonseca succumbed to injury. Jones revived his career as a closer by saving 40 games posting a 2.10 ERA in 73 innings for the Marlins. After the 2005 season Todd was viewed as a valuable commodity again and was signed by his former team the Detroit Tigers to a two-year contract. Jones’ Tigers came out of nowhere in 2006 to win the American League pennant before losing to the Cardinals in the World Series. During the 2006 season Jones became the Tigers all-time saves leader passing former Tiger great Mike Henneman. Todd saved 37 games for Detroit in 2006 while posting a 3.94 ERA in 64 innings. On September 16th, 2007 Jones became the 21st member of the 300-save club by tying Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter.
Todd Jones will never be remembered as a dominant closer, in fact many refer to him as "the roller coaster" for his close calls in the ninth inning. But he always seems to get the job done no matter what situation presents itself. Todd has never been one to receive high accolades from the media. But looking at his total body of work it is easy to see that he has had a nice career. Jones is known for more than being a successful closer in the Major Leagues. He writes a weekly column entitled "The Closer" for the Sporting News. Todd is also a devout Christian and is outspoken about his beliefs. Jones isn’t flashy but he gets the job done and he is one of the really good guys in baseball on and off the field. That is why we salute Todd Jones of the Detroit Tigers
Men of Faith May 24, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers.add a comment
In Major League Baseball there are players who suffer injuries on a fairly routine basis. Many times injuries come due to collisions, misplayed line-drives, or any number of circumstances. Rarely do we see an opposing player show genuine concern for their opponents.
On Wednesday night Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols smacked a line-drive in the face of Padres hurler Chris Young. As soon as time was called Pujols rushed to the mound to check on Young. Pujols, a professing Christian, began to pray along with Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. As much as we hate to see someone injured it is refreshing to see players gather together and lift up their concerns to the Lord.
Last season a young man by the name of Josh Hamilton came out of no where to contend for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Hamilton, a former first round draft pick, was a rule five draft pick by
the Cincinnati Reds. Josh had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse before making a comeback last
season. After many attempts to get sober Josh decided that he couldn’t do it alone. He decided the only way to turn his life around was to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Now Josh is a role model to people from all different walks of life. Not only is Josh a positive role model, he is also vying for the coveted "Triple Crown" for the Texas Rangers this season. XM’s "Baseball This Morning" did several interviews with Hamilton last season and instead of talking about baseball he wanted to talk about his relationship with Jesus. His success is secondary in importance to his faith which is a rarity in our society today. Josh has a wonderful testimony and God is using him to reach others through baseball.
There are others around baseball who have been outspoken about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Last year’s National League Champion, Colorado Rockies, had several players who spoke candidly about their faith. Rockies first baseman Todd Helton and left fielder Matt Holliday were very upfront, during their incredible post-season run, about their relationship with Christ. Former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell was very instrumental in coordinating church services for Major League players through a ministry called Baseball Chapel. Baseball
Chapel has a website, www.baseballchapel.org that lists a number of players who participate in their ministry. This website has personal testimonies and ministry opportunities in the game of baseball. Among those mentioned on the website are Angels outfielder Garett Anderson, Tigers closer Todd Jones, Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, and Padres pitcher Jake Peavy. Two books that are a must read for the "Christian Baseball Fan" are Safe at Home and Safe at Home 2. These books can be purchased at most Christian book stores. Also Fellowship of Christian Athletes has a site www.fca.org with information about sports and players. There are a lot of good resources out there that bring sports and faith to the forefront. With so many negitive things portrayed in the media it was encouraging to see Pujols and Gonzalez showing their faith on the field of battle.
No Chemistry in MoTown! May 20, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Detroit Tigers.add a comment
USA Today put out an interesting article today entitled "Amid big expectations, they’re just paper Tigers." The article shed some light on some things Tiger fans already suspected. There were several quotes from current Tigers including Brandon Inge, who seemed to hit the nail on the head when he said, "We used to pride ourselves on beating those high-dollar teams. We wanted it more. We played hard. We hustled. We ran everything out. We fought for nine innings. Now we’re that team we used to beat. I don’t want to get into it, but it’s just different now." Detroit added some big names in the off-season in Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Jacque Jones. After Detroit’s slow start many fans are now wondering if it was really worth it. The main reason Detroit didn’t make the post-season last year was because the Cleveland Indians were "red hot" winning 96 games. The Tigers won 88 games last season and that was without a good bullpen. Some think if Detroit wanted to add some pieces and trade away their prospects, they should have gotten some bullpen help. Cabrera and Renteria are fine offensive players but pitching wins championships. Also, why trade a promising young starter in Jair Jurjens to Atlanta for a poor man’s version of Carlos Guillen. Renteria and Guillen have similar defensive skills, so if Guillen’s knees can hold up why not leave him at shortstop. Another curious move was the failure to resign Sean Casey. Casey signed a one-year deal with the
Boston Red Sox for $800,000. In today’s market $800,000 isn’t very much money for a player the caliber of Sean Casey. Sean brought so much more than baseball skills to the Tigers. He was a calming presence in the club house not to mention he was voted by his peers "the friendliest player in baseball".
Ex-Tiger’s pitcher Jason Grilli had this to say about his former team,"It seems like they kind of broke up our team chemistry when they got rid of Sean Casey and good people like that," says Grilli, now with the Colorado Rockies. 
"You wanted guys like that around. You wanted a guy like Inge playing behind you, knowing he would go through a brick wall. Talent-wise on paper, that is one of the greatest teams assembled, but the atmosphere was stale and stagnant. You kept losing, losing and losing, and everybody became distant. I have good friends over there, and I feel badly for them." On the surface those comments from Grilli seem right on. But Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland was extremely upset over Grilli’s comments and although he didn’t mention him by name he was upset over Inge’s comments also. According to the Detroit Free Press, Leyland thought that the comments players were making were ridiculous. He felt that the problem was the performance between the lines and had little to do with chemistry. Leyland said, "There are some guys who need to look in the mirror."
Regardless of their problems, the Tigers are stuck with a majority of these players. There are many players who are locked into long term contracts. Also there are several players who are in the twilight of their careers. The Tigers are built to win right now and if they can’t do it this season their window of
opportunity is rapidly closing. Maybe the USA Today article will light a fire under the Tigers much like Leyland did two seasons ago after a horrible loss to Cleveland. Another hot topic for the Tigers is what to do about their pitching. Dontrelle Willis is soon to come off the DL and the Tigers will have to decide who will come out of the rotation. Willis’ replacement Armando Galarraga has been the Tigers most reliable starter this season. This leaves the question, who will leave the rotation? With the bullpen in shambles maybe it’s time to see if Jeremy Bonderman can make it as a reliever. He has been a serviceable starter thus far in his career but he has never realized his full potential. Maybe his skills could be better utilized as a reliever. Bonderman has an electric arm but his stuff hasn’t translated into consistent results on the mound. There are so many questions surrounding this club it is hard to say what exactly would solve their problems. But for the Tiger fans let’s hope that they figure something out soon!
Could Barry be a Tiger? May 1, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Detroit Tigers.add a comment
Detroit announcer Rod Allen was interviewed today on XM’s "Baseball This Morning" and was asked the question is Barry Bonds going to become a Tiger? Allen said that Bonds’ name has been mentioned but in all likelihood he will not become a Tiger. In Allen’s opinion the only way Bonds will become a Tiger is if Gary Sheffield decides to throw in the towel. Sheffield has had a rough start to the season and he is still feeling the effects of off-season shoulder surgery. Allen said, "Sheff is in a lot of pain and you never know when enough is enough." There is no doubt that Bonds can still hit and due to the history he has with Tiger manager Jim
Leyland there is a possibility that they could be reunited. Mark Patrick and Buck Martinez asked Allen if he thought Bonds would disrupt the Tigers clubhouse. Allen thought that Barry would not be a distraction and that Bonds would appreciate a second chance to play baseball. He felt that Barry would be humbled by what has happened over the past year with the "Mitchell Report" findings. There is no doubt that Bonds could help out whatever team, if there is a team, that signs him. Is he really worth the hassle? That is the question every GM has to ask and it’s the question Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is asking himself right now.
Sometimes the best trades are the ones not made. April 12, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in ..Trade Rumors, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers.add a comment
For most baseball fans the "Hot Stove League" is a very exciting time of year. This past off-season we saw several big name players that were dealt. But what about those players who were rumored to be dealt but were not. Among those who were supposed to be traded were Joe Crede, Brandon Inge, Brian Roberts, and Coco Crisp just to name a few. As fans, we are often times eager to pull the trigger on these deals when we see a younger, cheaper option present itself. Or in the case of Inge, whose position was taken away from him due to a trade. In a 162 game season it is hard to predict what will happen or who will get hurt. In an era where players will not play hurt or management won’t let them, depth is becoming a key to a successful season.
In spring training Tigers center-fielder Curtis Granderson suffered a broken bone in his hand, leaving Detroit 
looking for a replacement. Here’s where Brandon Inge comes into play. Inge, who is probably one of the best all around athletes in the game, fits nicely into center-field to replace Granderson. Inge can also play a gold glove third base and is slated to be Pudge’s back up at catcher. With the acquisition of all-star Miguel Cabrera it was pretty much assumed that the Tigers would deal Inge. But with the way that this season has started Inge could turn out to be their MVP in 2008.
White Sox third baseman, Joe Crede has been slated to be traded since he went down last season because of back surgery. Josh Fields came up from the minors and filled in for Crede the rest of the season. Fields hit .244 with 23 home runs and 67 RBI’s in 373 at bats in 2007. Even though Josh didn’t hit for a high average his power numbers were off-the-chart for his number of plate appearances. White Sox GM Ken Williams was aggressively shopping Crede until opening day, although he may change his mind after a hot start from Crede. Joe has opened the season hitting .408 with 3 home runs and 11 RBI’s. Until last season
, Crede was viewed as a top tier third baseman. When injuries rob a player of almost a whole season it seems like fans and management forget what that player has done in the past. Just ask Jorge Cantu. Cantu was an up and coming star for the Tampa Bay Rays until he fouled a pitch off his left foot and was out for the better part of 2006 and wasn’t given a chance to play much in 2007. He is now getting a chance to start at third base for the Florida Marlins. Unlike Cantu, Crede has retained his starting job with Chicago. When healthy, Crede will produce; and after a horrible 2007 season the Sox could use all the offense they can get.
The Baltimore Orioles were supposed to trade Brian Roberts to the Chicago Cubs for a host of young players. For some reason both sides couldn’t come together on a deal. With the direction that the O’s are going, one would figure that Robert’s and his salary would become expendable. Brian is the heart and soul of the Baltimore team and his leadership will prove to be invaluable for the younger players if they 
decide not to trade him. Even though it is early in the season the O’s are the first place team in the AL East at 6-4. Most experts are predicting the O’s to finish last in the East and they may, but a player like Roberts is the type of player that any manager would love to have around.
The Boston Red Sox have a problem that every team would love to have, an abundance of depth. Case in point, Mike Lowell was recently put on the 15 day disabled list. An injury like this would leave most teams scrambling to find a replacement. Not Boston, they simply moved Kevin Youkilis to third base and brought Sean Casey off the bench to play first. On a lot of teams Casey would be a starter but he decided to take a lesser role to be a Red Sox. That is the same position Coco Crisp is in. Crisp is a talented player who could be a starter on almost any other team. Right now he is sharing time with
Jacoby Ellsbury. Crisp would like to be an everyday player and the Sox have entertained offers to move him, but the depth that he adds is what separates good teams from championship teams. Plus the Red Sox are not hurting for money so there is no reason to trade him unless the right deal is presented.
The major league season is a long one, filled with ups and downs. It is hard to predict who will stay in the lineup for the entire season. That is why it is so important to have depth within an organization. There are two ways teams can have depth. One way is to trade high priced talent such as the Twins did with Johan Santana. Minnesota got three younger, cheaper players in return for Santana. The other way involves keeping home grown talent in the organization. Almost every team in the majors can afford to take on the salary of an Alex Rodriguez. Therefore teams can afford to keep their higher priced talent, if so desired. It isn’t as important for a team to cut salaries like it was ten years ago. Obviously there are situations where a trade is the best solution for both teams. Even so, the smaller market teams get millions of dollars each year in revenue sharing from the bigger market teams. So there is plenty of money to go around and that is why sometimes the best trades are the ones not made.
Detroit Tigers Review March 14, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Detroit Tigers.add a comment
The Detroit Tigers are looking for a return trip to
the post-season after a disapointing 2007 campaign where they finished
88-74, 8 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians.
Detroitstarted the off-season with a bang by trading Jairr Jurrjens to the
Atlanta Braves for shortstop Edgar Renteria. The Renteria deal allows
Carlos Guillien to move to first base in order to save his ailing
knees. GM Dave Dombrowski then made a splash at the Winter Meetings
by making the biggest deal of the off-season by trading a host of young
players including Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller to the Florida
Marlins for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera.
Although the Tigers made huge gains in the off-season there
are many concerns regarding their pitching, primarily the bullpen. The
biggest concerns are RHP Joel Zumaya, who had shoulder surgery and is
expected back mid-season, and RHP Fernando Rodney who is expected to
start out the season on the DL. RHP Todd Jones, age 39, will anchor
the bullpen after a serviceable 2007 season. Others vying for a
bullpen spot are RHP Zach Miner, LHP Tim Byrdak, LHP Bobby Seay, RHP
Yorman Bazardo, and RHP Jason Grilli. The starting rotation seems to
be set with RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Kenny Rogers, RHP Jeremey
Bonderman, LHP Dontrelle Willis, and LHP Nate Robertson. Barring
injuries the Tigers should have one of the best rotations in the AL
Central.
The Tigers offense should have no problem scoring runs this
season with an All Star lineup that includes names like Ordonez,
Sheffield, and Cabrera. The Tigers projected lineup should look
something like this:
1B Carlos Guillen
2B Placido Polanco
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Miguel Cabrera
C Ivan Rodriguez
LF Jacque Jones/Marcus Thames
CF Curtis Granderson
RF Magglio Ordonez
DH Gary Sheffield
Another hot topic for the Tigers is the Brandon Inge
situation. Inge is too good to be sitting the bench all season. GM
Dave Dombrowski knows this, so look for the Tigers to either deal Inge
for some bullpen help or groom him to take over for Pudge when he
retires. Inge would make a great backup catcher for this season. And
remember, catcher was his original position before moving to third base.
American League Pennant. The key to their success this season will be
the effectiveness of the bullpen and the consistency of the starting
rotation. The player who could have the most impact on this season is
Jeremy Bonderman. Bonderman has electric stuff. But can he put it all
together for a full season? The only complaint with the Tigers
off-season moves was that they let Sean Casey walk. Even though Casey
would not be the starting first baseman, he could be sitting the bench
just as easily in Detroit as he will in Boston. Plus he’s the Mayor,
and we all know that Detroit needs a good Mayor!
