Posts Tagged ‘Nate Robertson’
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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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Randy still mows ‘em down, still wows the fansMay 21st, 2008
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Whenever you’re heading out to the park, there are always questions that come up.
“Where are we sitting?”
“How much is a beer in here?”
“Wanna try to sneak down to a box?”
“They want how much for a beer?!?”
But, ultimately, there’s always one question that’s much more important. Someone always asks it, and for good reason.
“Who’s pitching tonight?”
It’s the single most exciting variable before any game. Who’s pitching. And the answer can severely swing your interest in the game. If it’s a long reliever filling in due to injury, the intrigue severely swings down, whereas a veteran, an exciting rookie or a future Hall of Famer will always lead to greater interest and, often, more butts in the seats.
I always like to know who’s pitching, and I’ve made decisions on whether or not to head out to the park based on who will take the hill, on days when I’ve been on the fence about driving out, paying for parking and buying a ticket.
Take last season’s interleague match-up against the Boston Red Sox. Saturday featured a pitching duel of Julian Tavarez against the Diamondbacks’ Micah Owings. Sunday’s game? Randy Johnson vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka. On the surface, which game sounds more interesting to you? Me, I’m a sucker for the marquee match-up.
Which brings us to a discussion of the Big Unit and his place in baseball, its history and this current version of the D-backs.
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Indians Shoot Up the Standings, Tigers WatchMay 16th, 2008
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Don’t look now, but finally there is a team taking control of the American League Central. Unfortunately for Tigers fans, it’s not your team.
The Cleveland Indians have recovered from their first month’s struggles, taking reign over what many expected to be baseball’s most competitve division. Much press has been devoted to the remarkable string of games the Indians rotation has put together, not surrendering an earned run in 48 1/3 consecutive innings. Cliff Lee has forgotten he’s Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia has shrugged off his horrendous beginning, and Fausto Carmona has given up more than three runs in a start just once. This leads to the obvious question, why can’t Tiger hurlers overachieve?
Appearing to be destined to disappoint, Detroit starting pitching looks both inexperienced and old. Wild, ineffective, and wildly ineffective would also sum the group up. Kenny “The Gambler” Rogers is now called The Gambler because every time he takes the mound, he is gambling not giving up three runs in the first inning. Speaking of giving up a boatload of runs early, Nate Robertson has put together one good start in eight games. Jeremy Bonderman has not grown out of his first inning troubles, but is earning a hefty $8.5 million this year. And Dontrelle Willis cannot fairly be judged because of injuries, though his first start was unique and unimpressive—five innings of one-hit, seven walk baseball. That leaves Justin Verlander, the supposed ace of the staff. He is two-for-nine in quality starts and has mysteriously lost five miles per hour on his fastball.
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Scuffling Rotation Soon to Subtract Its’ Most Productive MemberMay 14th, 2008
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The Charlotte Knights shelled starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis on Monday, spoiling his second rehabilitation start for Triple-A Toledo. Expected to be his second-to-last outing before being recalled to Detroit, Willis gave up 5 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Against a less-than-impressive Charlotte squad, the six-year veteran and former Cy Young Award runner-up could not escape the sixth inning. After retiring three straight batters in the opening frame, Willis gave up two homers in the second. He fought back to retire the next three in sequence and did not give up another hit until the fifth. In the sixth, he surrendered four hits and an intentional walk, leading to three more earned runs. Though he pitched well through five innings, can Detroit afford to add another starter who cannot fight past the fifth or sixth inning?
Manager Jim Leyland said Willis will replace Armando Galarraga after one more rehab stint against Columbus on Saturday. Selected to remain in the rotation are Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, and Nate Robertson. Excluding Bonderman, each pitcher sports an ERA above 5.80, with Verlander topping out at 6.43.
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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