Now is the fun part.  The part where we have to start asking ourselves some questions.  Have any of the moves made thus far created any positive buzz?  Has it changed their on-field performance at all?  Early indications point to no, so what really needs to be done?  If we can’t depend on Jim Leyland to make some tough decisions that may rock the boat, or if Dave Dombrowski’s hands are tied due to an all of the sudden abundance of high-profile contracts, who can suggest the proper changes?
ME!!!

 THE SPIRIT OF DETROIT BABY!!!

Move #1:
Get Gary Sheffield out of left field.  You can do this in a couple of ways.  Either use a platoon of Marcus Thames and whichever farm-hand you decide to call up.  Or another solution…didn’t a certain Mr. Cabrera play left field earlier in his career?

Move #2:
Can we please stop experimenting with defensive alignments?  Let’s put the best defensive players where they should be.  This teams infield should simply be:
C - Pudge
1B - Guillen (footwork or not, he’s gifted enough to learn)
2B - Polanco
SS - Renteria
3B - Inge
LF - Cabrera
CF - Granderson
RF - Ordonez
DH - Sheffield/Thames
Why experiment anymore?  The shuffling obviously isn’t working.

Move #3
When Dontrelle Willis comes off the DL, shift Nate Robertson to the bullpen (I know, another left arm in the pen isn’t necessarily desirable) and KEEP Armando Galaraga in the rotation until he does something to lose his spot.  Last night being an exception, he has yet to pitch any worse than any of the other starters, and incredibly leads the team (if anyone can believe that) in quality starts.  Now, I am fully aware that should Dontrelle continue to struggle, they’ll have an even tougher decision with three lacking left-handed arms in their rotation, but we’ll deal with that once he gets another couple of starts under his belt.

Move #4
Can we please do the right thing and move the Tigers best hitter into the number three slot?  Look, I really like Carlos Guillen, and think that Sheff has earned the right to try to get himself out of the slump.  However, having Miguel Cabrera lose a potential at-bat a game is taking away valuable opportunities for this team to win games.  He is the crème de la crème on this roster, 24 or not and deserves to get as many AB’s a game as he can.  Granderson at lead-off makes sense as he has the most speed on a slow running team.  I love Polanco in the two spot, and insert Cabrera and then follow that up with Maggs in the clean-up spot leaving Guillen to hit in the fifth slot, like last year.  Allow Sheff, Renteria, Pudge and insert the number nine batter as you see appropriate. And Finally…(at least for now)

Move #5
Can we at least analyze the possibility that pitching coach Chuck Hernandez may not be the guy that makes this teams’ pitching staff tick?  There seems to be too many lingering problems within the rotation that stick out like a sore thumb which make me comfortable having #55 as their “leader”.
Be it Verlander’s all of the sudden drop in velocity, or Bonderman’s continued struggles in the early innings, or Robertson being much below sub-par or any of the bullpen issues, the list unfortunately goes on and on.  Hernandez hasn’t shown an ability to repair any of the issues that this teams’ pitchers display, and there seems to be some signs of complacency now that most of them are locked up in long-terms deals.
This magnifies the fact that the strengths this staff displayed in the magical 2006 season may have been the anomaly, while today sitting near the bottom of MLB in most pitching statistics is more than likely the norm.  Well you know what?  I’m not good with that.  This line-up and better yet, the fans deserve better, PERIOD!

So, there you have it folks.  The first of what may be a regular view into what could, should or needs to be done to our beloved Tigers.  Just a little note to Mr. Dombrowski, I am available for a minimal consultation fee, should you have any interest.

Until next time…