Time may be running out for hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. Tigers hitters are still struggling to find consistency with what should be a dynamic lineup. Based on Leyland’s quotes following last night’s loss, Lloyd might be held accountable.
“Sometimes it almost appears we’re sitting around waiting to be beat. We act like a club that’s afraid to knock in a run, like we have no plan at the plate. Like we have no clue how to knock a run in, for whatever reason.
“This game lies solely on the offense. We should have scored eight or nine runs for sure. We’re just not getting it done. It’s very confusing, to be honest with you.”
Look for the first scapegoat of a horrendous season to be sacrificed soon.
“This game lies solely on the offense”
Boy, I sure hate that quote. In my opinion, this game lies solely on the pitching staff. 5 runs should win ballgames, not 8 or 9. I realize this TEAM should score 8 or 9, but that’s not what the GAME lies on.
I’m starting to think we should throw ‘em all out. The Ol’ Skip is claiming confusion as a general excuse. I’m not sure the guy in control should be so confused.
I think all of the coaching staff should go. I’m serious, I think a total jackass could coach this team. Unfortunately, I don’t think a slightly senile one can.
i agree with Tom Z, Jim Leyland brought us to the World Series in 2006, but that wasn’t even his team! It was Alan Trammel’s! Our team was perfect, but Alan Trammel just wasn’t fit to be the tigers manager. After 2006, we started to trade away all of our players that the Tigers what they were in ‘06.
I think that the first Jim Leyland screwup was getting rid of Sean Casey. He left the team and took all of our chemistry with it. We have lots of good players with lots of potential, but if they can’t play together, they won’t win ballgames.
The next screwup was trading for Edgar Renteria. We paid a hefty price (Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez) for Renteria, and he has definitely disappointed. Though his fielding has an excuse for being subpar, due to his age and his hamstring problems, his hitting has simply been unacceptable, with a .264 average, 6 home runs, and 42 RBIs, compared to his 2007 .332 average, 12 home runs, and 57 RBIs.
One of the worst Jim Leyland screwups was the trade for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. We traded valuable prospects for the two Marlins, and Cabrera didn’t start to produce until after the All-Star break, and Dontrelle Willis posted a 0-1 record with a 10.32 ERA in 4 starts before being sent down to the Lakeland Tigers (Class-A). Money well spent, huh?
Another screwup, though it isn’t as widely thought about as it is in my family, is the use of Todd Jones. Though he finished his last three seasons with 35+ saves, during the ‘08 season he is just simply failing to produce. To prove my point, I just finished watching the series opener of the Tigers-Orioles series, and though we were losing (the score was only 5-2 Orioles), Jones was brought in and, by the end of the top of the ninth, it was 11-2 Baltimore. Generally, I would say give the closer’s role to another pitcher in our bullpen, but Fernando Rodney hasn’t been pitching to his full potential, and Joel Zumaya simply isn’t ready to close games. I believe that our bullpen is our biggest weakness, even with the addition of Kyle Farnsworth.
The last screwup is one that happened very recently. This happened right before the trade dealine. The trade of Pudge Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth. This was a terrible idea, because not only did we trade away the best catcher currently in Major League Baseball, and perhaps one of the best in history, for a lowly relief pitcher in Kyle Farnsworth, but the Pudge Rodriguez/Kenny Rogers pitcher-catcher combination was unstoppable. With Kenny Rogers’ pickoff move (96 career pickoffs, first all-time) and Pudge’s arm, only 2 baserunners had stolen a base off of them in the last two years.
Farnsworth was supposed to give some depth to our struggling bullpen, but with the Tigers this year, he has posted a 6.35 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched and 6 strikeouts. Not what you could call the best time.
With these trades, I believe that the Tigers have lost all of their World Series/Postseason chances. Jim Leyland has definitely disappointed Tigers fans everywhere, and I think that he and the entire coaching staff should be replaced by more competent coaches.