Detroit Tigers news and notes

	Detroit Tigers Stories
	Detroit Tigers closers over the last decade Today it became official Jose Valverde has become the Detroit Tigers closer for the 2010 season. Looking back over the last ten years of Tigers history and we find that Valverde joins a motley collection of closers, and to be perfectly honest the bar for Valverde is set kind of low.
	Tigers and Verlander headed to arbitration The Detroit Tigersand pitching ace Justin Verlander are far away on a new contract. Verlander has filed for arbitration, and the Tigers now have about two weeks to get a deal done to avoid that possibility. Either way Verlander is going to get a very substantial raise. More than likely the Tigers will try and get Verlander signed to a one year deal, and after a few of their bad contracts come off the books in 2011, work to get him locked up long term.
	Who was better the ’68 or ’84 Detroit Tigers? Let’s face it there is a big divide amongst Detroit Tigers fans on which World Series Champion team is better the 1968 version, or the 1984 version. Current Tigers owner Mike Illitch obviously has concluded that the 1968 version is superior as many of those players now serve in the front office, and the 1984 members were fired, some of them twice.
	How much do we miss Tiger Stadium? To start any decision on the history of sports in the city of Detroit, we have to start with Tiger Stadium. Tiger Stadium was the longest-standing stadium in Detroit, and its site of Michigan and Trumbull hosted baseball contests for a century worth of history.
	Tigers are pursuing Valverde as their closer On the surface this looks like an ok move, offer free agent close Jose Valverde, a nice contract to come to Detroit and be the Tigers' closer. However, when we look at what else has gone on with this team since the end of the season. In fact this move seems outright contradictory to what the Tigers front office has been trying to sell to its fans.
	Detroit Tigers catcher, Gerald Larid, Arrested According to Sporting News Today, Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird has been arrested following a disturbance at a Phoenix Suns game. According to reports calling it a disturbance may not be very accurate, as the Sporting News is calling it a brawl.
	Don't call it a fire sale, but isn't it? Detroit Tigers fans are all upset that Curtis Granderson is gone; however they get even more upset when we call what the Tigers have done this off season a fire sale. Whatever you want to call what has happened this off season, it is clearly a salary dump and when we look at the available evidence it really is a fire sale.
	Yankees, Tigers, and D-Backs agree on three way blockbuster trade On the second day of the MLB Winter Meetings three teams pulled off a blockbuster trade that shows three different organizations, trying to accomplish very different things. While the trade is not final, as players are taking physicals, and teams are crossing their T’s and dotting their I’s, they have agreed to terms, and here is a look at what each team will get:
	Tigers, D-Backs, and Yankees working on mega deal Major Leagues Baseball kicked off its Winter Meetings Monday in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Detroit Tigers were the subject of many rumor as they look to unload some talent, and some pricey contracts. OF Curtis Granderson and P Edwin Jackson have been the subject of most of the rumors, since the Tigers have let the other teams know that they are available should another club meet their asking price. While we don’t know what that price is, it is sure to include some solid bullpen help, and a few blue chip prospects.
	Detroit Tigers enter baseball Winter Meetings in fire sale mode The annual Baseball Winter Meetings opened today in Indianapolis, Indiana, and to on ones surprise the Detroit Tigers spent the day as the focus of the rumor mill. Several rumors swirled around that the Tigers have dealt Pitcher Edwin Jackson to the New York Mets, and while those rumors were mostly debunked, another rumored surfaced that the Tigers were ready to deal both Jackson and Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees.
	Detroit Tigers let Placido Polanco slip through their fingers This is yet another major strike against Dave Dombrowski, General Manager of the Detroit Tigers. He has let the Tigers’ starting second baseman, and 2009 Gold Glove Winner, leave town without even offering him a contract or salary arbitration. This leaves a huge hole in the middle of the Tigers defensive infield, and a hole at their #2 lineup spot. The Tigers were afraid that Polanco wanted 8 million dollars a year plus, but signed with the Phillies for far less and to serve as their everyday third baseman. The biggest mistake made here by the Tigers front office is that by offering Arbitration to Polanco the Phillies would have had to send the Tigers a first round draft pick in next year’s MLB draft for signing him.
	Tigers add four to their 40 man roster In preparation for the start of free agency tonight, and the Rule Five draft and the Winter Meetings in December, the Detroit Tigers added four players to their 40 man roster. That is significant since it will be these forty players who are protected from the Rule Five draft, but it may signal something a little more troubling for Tiger fans. If a team does not have an opening on their 40 man roster they may not participate in the Rule Five draft. For the Tigers who don’t appear to be big players in free agency, adding players via the rule five draft would have allowed them to possibly find some talent on the cheap.
	Are the Detroit Tigers in fire sale mode? In 2009 the Detroit Tigers had the fifth largest MLB payroll, and they failed to win their division, and they failed to make the playoffs. They are now facing a 201 season with a lot of dead money on the payroll, and since they are located in a state with double digit unemployment figures it surely means that their attendance will fall. Therefore the Tigers have to save money where they can, and since a lot of their bad contracts come off the books after the 2010 season, the front office appears willing to write off the 2010 season all together trade away a few pieces and look to rebuild for the future.
	2009 MLB season in review: Detroit Tigers For the third year in a row this team collapsed in the second half of the season. Going way back to 2006, when this team won the American League pennant, they were unable to win their division with a late season series versus the lowly Kansas City Royals. Last year at the, All Star break they were in first place, and ended up finishing in last. This year their collapse took the entire regular season, and even a 163rd game. After being in first place for much of the year, this team failed to even make the playoffs. They made a couple of low key moves and the tirade deadline that simply did not work, and their fans are left to wonder why can’t this team finish strong?
	Detroit Tigers complete epic collapse The 2009 season is going to forever irk Detroit Tigers fans. This team just completed an epic collapse, and it is not the first time that this team has stumbled down the stretch run of the regular season. Sitting here right now, as a lifelong Tigers fans, I have to expect that big changes are in store for this team. On September 7th of this year the Tigers had a 7 game lead over the Twins, with four games to go in the 2009 season the Tigers had a three game lead. Now on October 6th the Tigers once again fail to win their division and will not make the post season.
	Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera invovled in a domestic squable Last Friday night after going 0-4 and stranding four runners on base, in a game his team needed to win, Detroit Tigers first baseman decided to go out to the bar with members of the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers were in the final series against this team and needed to win two of the final three games to insure a Central Division title and a trip to the post season. After drinking to a point where his blood alcohol level was higher than .26 he went home and was then involved in a domestic squabble with his wife. There are also some reports that Tigers President and General Manger, Dave Dombrowski was the person to pick up Cabrera from the drunk tank and take him home.
	Tigers turn to Bonine as fifth starter Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has made a decision. He will use Eddie Bonine as his fifth starter for the rest of the season, passing over ineffective Nate Robertson and struggling Armando Galarraga. While this may not seem all that important, but this decision could very well make or break the 2009 Tigers season. Leyland says Bonine is the fifth starter for the rest of the year, and he will get three starts over the final 12 games of the year.
	Ordonez nears number that will pay him 18 million Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez is about 30 at bats away from a plateau that will activate a clause in his contract guaranteeing him an 18 million dollar salary for next year. Now the Tigers have an important decision on their hands, do they continue to hit Ordonez and pay him the 18 million? Or should this team sit him since they have the Division title virtually locked up? Since Ordonez doesn’t figure into the Tigers long range plans, having to pay him 18 million dollars next year may impede this team’s ability to go out and sign other free agents.
	Detroit Tigers’ Rodney to face suspension Major League Baseball has given Detroit Tigers Closer, Fernando Rodney, a three game suspension for actions during a game last Friday night versus the Tamp Bay Rays. After almost blowing a late game lead, Rodney threw a baseball into the crowd that ricocheted off into the back of the press box. Thankfully no one was injured, but throwing things into the stands is not something the MLB can condone.
	Could Washburn have been injured prior to trade? News came down today that the Detroit Tigers are going to skip Jarrod Washburn’s next scheduled start. Starting pitcher Armando Galarraga will be taking his spot will get the start Saturday at the Tampa Bay Rays. Apparently Washburn has some discomfort in his knee, and has had it for the past few months. The question then becomes did the Seattle Mariners hide this fact from the Tigers, or did the Tigers not ask the right questions before trading for him?
	The case against Detroit Tigers GM Dombrowski Dave Dombrowski is considered by many to be a baseball genius. He built the Montreal Expos into a potential winner, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins, and he has taken the Detroit Tigers to a World Series. However now that he is finishing up his 8th year as head of the Detroit Tigers it doesn’t seem that he is the man to turn this club into a bonified contended year in and year out.
	Detroit Tigers 2009 payroll, not exactly money well spent Right now the Detroit Tigers are in first place; however that does not change the fact that they have a serious problem on their hands. Their payroll is inflated and the attendance has dropped off. Of course some will blame the terrible Detroit economy for the lack of attendance but this problem goes much deeper than that.