Posts Tagged ‘Edgar Renteria’
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Disappointments AboundAugust 7th, 2008
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Could it be new All-Star shortstop Edgar Renteria? What about legendary slugger Gary Sheffield or former 22-game winner Dontrelle Willis? Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers posted impressive years in 2006, but bullpen stalwarts Todd Jones and Fernando Rodney are certainly strong candidates…
If you’re still oblivious to the topic du jour, or maybe more appropriately, de la saison, who most greatly deserves the designation “biggest disappointment” in Detroit this year? Here are your candidates: Read more
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Julio Lugo: Another Sunk Cost At Short?May 14th, 2008
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Ever since the eleventh-hour deadline deal that shipped Nomar Garciaparra off to the Cubbies as part of a three-way trade machination and, along with it, sent a Red Sox fandom into knee-jerk hysteria—then eventual baseball ecstasy three months later—general manager Theo Epstein has aggressively engaged in a seasonal pursuit for Boston’s next long-term shortstop.
But for the past four winters—each filled and followed by one fruitless search after another—Epstein’s hunt has seemingly mirrored the life and times of Elmer Fudd. Far too elusive to nab, that wascawly shortstop has evaded the grasp of the Sox GM at every turn—only self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the form of failed signings left in all the aftermath.
So, to say the shortstop position under the Epstein-era has seen more ups, downs and (public relations) spin than a merry-go-round wouldn’t be much of an understatement. In fact, by now, some Red Sox supporters might prefer a daintily handcrafted carousel horse to the club’s incumbent shortstop, one Julio Lugo.
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Anatomy of a Train WreckApril 18th, 2008
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“We’re a long, long way from home, Bobbie. Home’s a long, long way from us.”
Bruce Springsteen’s “Devils & Dust”
We’re going to acknowledge it once, and then we’re going to forget that road trip, one of the worst in recent memory, ever happened, ok? David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution does a nice job of surveying the wasteland.
We can add to that list, of course, the fact that Peter Moylan’s elbow is most likely going to require season-ending reconstructive surgery, and that despite John Smoltz’s five beautiful innings last night, he, Tom Glavine, and Tim Hudson combined innings for eight innings in their last respective starts. Still, it’s always darkest before the dawn, and immediately after, you drop two out of three to a team with a $21 million payroll. Let’s find some silver lining to get us through this rough patch.
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Detroit’s Attendance Not SufferingApril 13th, 2008
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Fan support in Detroit has not dwindled despite the Tigers’ rocky beginning. Expected to sellout a majority of the 81-game home schedule, Detroit drew a Comerica Park record 44,934 fans on Opening Day. The new mark was made possible with the addition of 778 seats over the winter, including a new section of bleachers atop the Pepsi Porch in right field.
Perhaps more impressive than Opening Day, 37,032 fans showed up for the second game of the season, the highest attendance ever for a second game in Detroit. Excitement for the team peaked in the off-season after the acquisitions of Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Edgar Renteria. Increased media exposure and ticket demands provoked a surge in sales—at least 26,000 tickets have already been sold for each contest. More than half of the 41,782-seat stadium will be accounted for all season long.
With so many tickets secured, it will take much more than a bad couple weeks to scare people away from the park. Neither a series sweep at the hands of the long-suffering Kansas City franchise, nor temperatures in the forties and fifties turned Tiger fans away last week. Detroit hosted the Chicago White Sox in their second series and welcomed over 34,000 people to each game. The middle match hosted 42,381 fans, the second largest crowd of 2008.
A total of 222,197 have already walked through the gates of Comerica Park, compared to 180,903 at the same point last year. Experts believe, as long as the Tigers stay competitive, they will beat last year’s season attendance record of 3,047,124.
So far, Detroit fans have proven that no matter how ugly the reality, they will continue to show up. At 2-9, Comerica Park is sure to be packed when the Tigers return home April 14 against the Twins. April tickets are the hardest sell of any month, but Detroit has drawn at least 32,000 for each game to date.
Perhaps backup turnstiles should be ordered for the summer.
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Red Sox Win Series, Lose LowellApril 11th, 2008
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The Red Sox may have won the home opening series against the Tigers, but they did so at a cost.
That’s because before Boston doubled up Detroit in a 12-6 slugfest Thursday night, the team found out it would be minus the services of third baseman and five-hole hitter Mike Lowell until at least April 25 as a result of a sprained left thumb suffered on a diving stop in the top of the first inning of Wednesday’s contest.
With Lowell, last year’s World Series’ MVP, landing on the 15-day disabled list, the team purchased the contract of 23-year-old Jed Lowrie from Triple-A Pawtucket. The switch-hitting Lowrie, rated by Baseball America as the organization’s fifth best prospect, has so far been groomed as Boston’s shortstop of the future or even trade bait in the right deal. Yet he does have experience all over the infield from the minors.
Although off to a cold start with zero runs batted in over nine games, the loss of Lowell will present the Red Sox with their first real challenge on the young season while also testing the team’s depth as they head into a weekend series against the Yankees.
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Stop! Don’t Panic YetApril 10th, 2008
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The Detroit Tigers upped their payroll from $95 million in 2007 to $138 million this season, making theirs the second highest in baseball. This splurging has so far proven ineffective.
After adding coveted veterans Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Edgar Renteria to the books, owner Mike Ilitch has been blessed with just one victory in Detroit’s first eight games.
Is it time to panic? Conventional wisdom says no.
If the 2007 season showed us anything, it is that slow starts do not set the tone of a season. Just ask the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Colorado Rockies. They all rose from the ashes to reach the playoffs last year. The less-than-impressive Phillies began 3-10 and stormed past the free-falling Mets in September. The flailing Cubs once dropped six in a row, falling to 22-31 but pulled themselves up by season’s end to capture the NL Central. And the Rockies completed one of the most impressive runs of our generation, streaking all the way to a World Series after compiling an 18-27 record. Read more
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Red Sox, Daisuke Tame Tigers in Home OpenerApril 10th, 2008
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Amazing what an off day and the Fenway crowd can do. Not to mention some new jewelry.
After a lost weekend in Toronto that saw the Red Sox drop three straight to the Blue Jays in rather lethargic fashion (outscored 23-9 while committing six errors), the hometown nine from Boston, at long last, returned to the Fens for yet another opener—only this time, their own.
Yes, it took a while; 19-days and some 16,000 air miles spread across the Far East, West Coast, and the provinces of Central Canada to be exact. But with the tiring three-nation tour now behind them, the Red Sox undoubtedly enjoyed the ceremonious Back Bay homecoming.
Packed with stars and filled with pre-game festivities, the dual-purpose opener officially rang in the new baseball season for the Red Sox while also capping off the World Series run from a year ago with the raising of another championship flag and the handing out of diamond- and ruby-studded rings.
Yet it was another prized jewel on display April 8 that ended up stealing the show as Daisuke Matsuzaka delivered a shutout performance against the still winless Detroit Tigers in his 2008 Fenway debut, earning his second victory on the young season.
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Unprecedented Off-Season Leads to Increased Optimism in DetroitApril 3rd, 2008
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Baseball season is back in Detroit, and accompanying the new Tiger players are higher expectations. Long before barbecue grills flare up around Comerica Park and streets swell with excited fans, two major trades over the off-season sent shock waves across baseball, adding three former All-Stars to Detroit’s roster.
On October 29, 2007, the Tigers acquired Edgar Renteria for prospects Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez. This move stunned most fans, as many held Jurrjens in high regard. Unfortunately, Guillen’s poor defense at shortstop, his weakening knees, and the wealth of talented pitchers in the farm system made Jurrjens expendable. With the expected shift of Guillen over to first base to replace Sean Casey, the Tigers pursued and came away with a former Gold Glove winner in Renteria. He has quite an impressive resume over his 12-year career, including two Gold Gloves, five All-Star selections, and a walk-off single in game seven of the 1997 World Series. Reunited with Jim Leyland, the manager of the 1997 Florida Marlins, he adds another bat to the Tigers highly potent line-up. Tiger fans commended GM Dave Dombrowski for his quickness to address the glaring need at shortstop; his acquisition solidified the left side of the Tigers infield.
Thirty-six days after adding Renteria, the most significant move of the off-season stunned baseball fans nationwide, catapulting the Tigers into national spotlight. On December 4, Dombrowski sent six minor leaguers to the Florida Marlins in exchange for superstar Miguel Cabrera and former All-Star Dontrelle Willis. Detroit became an instant force to be reckoned with. Though this deal shipped several highly-touted prospects out of town, most notably Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, it lowered the average age of Detroit starters. Cabrera and Willis, both under the age of 27, are perceived as players who will be productive for many years to come.