Notes: Eyeing more productive at-bats
03/14/2006
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Last year, the Tigers had the fewest RBIs with runners in scoring position, the third-fewest RBIs in close and late situations, and the fewest walks in the American League in just about any situation.
After a couple weeks of Spring Training games, new manager Jim Leyland can see why.
"I can see why we failed in a lot of situations last year offensively," he said Tuesday morning. "It sticks out like a sore thumb."
Detroit batters hacked away with glee Tuesday afternoon while the wind blew out and pop flies became home runs. But that's not what Leyland's looking for when he judges his lineup.
He has emphasized situational hitting since position players reported last month and tried to make his hitters think about the situation they're in. He has reminded his hitters about the situation when they step out of the dugout or when they step to the plate.
After all that emphasis, he still sees a lot of room for improvement.
"I talked to them this morning about some things, and it's time to start applying them," he said. "We're basically good hitters. We should've scored eight, nine runs [Monday against the Phillies in Clearwater] and we scored two. We're getting in games where we're a couple runs down and we're [in a] 2-0 [count] and we're swinging at pitches that aren't good.
"When we need a guy to get on base, you've got to start thinking baseball. It's about time to do that. We're getting a couple weeks away. I've been turning them loose at 3-0 and everything else so far, but here shortly we start playing regular baseball games where we have to start getting with the program."
The program includes a lot of fundamental work in all areas of the offensive game. Leyland had his players running the bases Tuesday morning before batting practice, and he wants his hitters thinking more often about taking the extra base instead of settling for station-to-station baseball. He wants them to look at the outfield alignment, realize who the outfielders are and judge ahead of time whether there's an opportunity.
The problem is, he doesn't think this team has done that for a while.
"They haven't done it real good, to be honest with you," Leyland said. "They haven't done it real good for a few years, obviously. Those are the things we're pressing upon. It's one thing to listen. It's another thing to hear."
Those situations weren't easy to point out on a day when homers were aplenty, but some examples stood out. Nook Logan, who has struggled at the plate, tried to bunt on his own with Ramon Santiago on third base and one out. The bunt didn't work, but Leyland credited him for trying. An inning later, both Vance Wilson and Ramon Santiago kept running on Santiago's pop fly to shallow center that Jason Michaels nearly caught but saw roll out of his glove. Santiago ended up with an RBI double as Wilson scored from first base.
Those situations will become more clear when they encounter chilly nights in April with Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia or just about any White Sox starter on the mound. When runs aren't going to be easy to convert, Leyland wants his players to think about what they're doing and battle for that run that might be the difference in a game. He has not seen enough of that yet.
"When you start facing good Major League pitchers, which is what we're going to do, you have to grind out every at-bat," he said. "What you try to do you try to boost your average against the mediocre stuff and you try to fight your [tail] off against the good stuff so you can get a hit. What happens is you have to hope that hit comes at the right time.
"If some guy's just nasty on a given day and he gets you out a couple times with nobody on, you have to battle harder when that guy's on. You can't give those at-bats away. I think we give too many at-bats away. I'm not going to get into that because it's Spring Training, but it sticks out."
Part of that involves thinking about the situation at hand. The other part, Leyland said, involves thinking positively in the face of a difficult matchup.
"I've always believed that psychologically, when the hitter gets in the box and the pitcher gets on the mound, one of them psychologically has given in a little bit. I don't know which one, but you can tell. ...
"That's one of my pet peeves. I know they're tough, but this is the big leagues. I can't ask the other manager not to pitch him."
Dmitri close to return: Dmitri Young took part in regular activities Tuesday and is poised to return to Spring Training action. He has missed about week and a half with a strained left quadriceps suffered March 4 against Italy.
Leyland said he wants to give Young "a couple more days" to ensure he's fully healed.
"He was all smiles when he came in," Leyland said of Young. "I learned a long time ago that when they say they're ready, to probably give them two more days and then do it. He's ready to go."
Shelton scratched: Chris Shelton was a late bump from Tuesday's starting lineup after complaining of light-headedness during batting practice in the morning. Shelton said afterward he could've played, but Leyland decided to hold him out as a precaution. Shelton felt fine after the game and isn't expected to miss any more time. He was already scheduled to miss Wednesday's trip to St. Petersburg.
Tip of the cap: With three World Baseball Classic gamees on television Monday night, Leyland was able to watch many of his regulars playing for their national teams. He saw Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez hitting for Venezuela, Ivan Rodriguez leading Puerto Rico and Fernando Rodney earn a wild save for the Dominican Republic against Cuba.
He also saw Rodney's cap lined up nearly sideways as he pitched. "I can promise you one thing," Leyland said. "He won't wear his hat like that for the Tigers. But I don't know, maybe there's something to it. If I'm a hitter and I look out and the guy's like that, it might mess me up."
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Last year, the Tigers had the fewest RBIs with runners in scoring position, the third-fewest RBIs in close and late situations, and the fewest walks in the American League in just about any situation.
After a couple weeks of Spring Training games, new manager Jim Leyland can see why.
"I can see why we failed in a lot of situations last year offensively," he said Tuesday morning. "It sticks out like a sore thumb."
Detroit batters hacked away with glee Tuesday afternoon while the wind blew out and pop flies became home runs. But that's not what Leyland's looking for when he judges his lineup.
He has emphasized situational hitting since position players reported last month and tried to make his hitters think about the situation they're in. He has reminded his hitters about the situation when they step out of the dugout or when they step to the plate.
After all that emphasis, he still sees a lot of room for improvement.
"I talked to them this morning about some things, and it's time to start applying them," he said. "We're basically good hitters. We should've scored eight, nine runs [Monday against the Phillies in Clearwater] and we scored two. We're getting in games where we're a couple runs down and we're [in a] 2-0 [count] and we're swinging at pitches that aren't good.
"When we need a guy to get on base, you've got to start thinking baseball. It's about time to do that. We're getting a couple weeks away. I've been turning them loose at 3-0 and everything else so far, but here shortly we start playing regular baseball games where we have to start getting with the program."
The program includes a lot of fundamental work in all areas of the offensive game. Leyland had his players running the bases Tuesday morning before batting practice, and he wants his hitters thinking more often about taking the extra base instead of settling for station-to-station baseball. He wants them to look at the outfield alignment, realize who the outfielders are and judge ahead of time whether there's an opportunity.
The problem is, he doesn't think this team has done that for a while.
"They haven't done it real good, to be honest with you," Leyland said. "They haven't done it real good for a few years, obviously. Those are the things we're pressing upon. It's one thing to listen. It's another thing to hear."
Those situations weren't easy to point out on a day when homers were aplenty, but some examples stood out. Nook Logan, who has struggled at the plate, tried to bunt on his own with Ramon Santiago on third base and one out. The bunt didn't work, but Leyland credited him for trying. An inning later, both Vance Wilson and Ramon Santiago kept running on Santiago's pop fly to shallow center that Jason Michaels nearly caught but saw roll out of his glove. Santiago ended up with an RBI double as Wilson scored from first base.
Those situations will become more clear when they encounter chilly nights in April with Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia or just about any White Sox starter on the mound. When runs aren't going to be easy to convert, Leyland wants his players to think about what they're doing and battle for that run that might be the difference in a game. He has not seen enough of that yet.
"When you start facing good Major League pitchers, which is what we're going to do, you have to grind out every at-bat," he said. "What you try to do you try to boost your average against the mediocre stuff and you try to fight your [tail] off against the good stuff so you can get a hit. What happens is you have to hope that hit comes at the right time.
"If some guy's just nasty on a given day and he gets you out a couple times with nobody on, you have to battle harder when that guy's on. You can't give those at-bats away. I think we give too many at-bats away. I'm not going to get into that because it's Spring Training, but it sticks out."
Part of that involves thinking about the situation at hand. The other part, Leyland said, involves thinking positively in the face of a difficult matchup.
"I've always believed that psychologically, when the hitter gets in the box and the pitcher gets on the mound, one of them psychologically has given in a little bit. I don't know which one, but you can tell. ...
"That's one of my pet peeves. I know they're tough, but this is the big leagues. I can't ask the other manager not to pitch him."
Dmitri close to return: Dmitri Young took part in regular activities Tuesday and is poised to return to Spring Training action. He has missed about week and a half with a strained left quadriceps suffered March 4 against Italy.
Leyland said he wants to give Young "a couple more days" to ensure he's fully healed.
"He was all smiles when he came in," Leyland said of Young. "I learned a long time ago that when they say they're ready, to probably give them two more days and then do it. He's ready to go."
Shelton scratched: Chris Shelton was a late bump from Tuesday's starting lineup after complaining of light-headedness during batting practice in the morning. Shelton said afterward he could've played, but Leyland decided to hold him out as a precaution. Shelton felt fine after the game and isn't expected to miss any more time. He was already scheduled to miss Wednesday's trip to St. Petersburg.
Tip of the cap: With three World Baseball Classic gamees on television Monday night, Leyland was able to watch many of his regulars playing for their national teams. He saw Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez hitting for Venezuela, Ivan Rodriguez leading Puerto Rico and Fernando Rodney earn a wild save for the Dominican Republic against Cuba.
He also saw Rodney's cap lined up nearly sideways as he pitched. "I can promise you one thing," Leyland said. "He won't wear his hat like that for the Tigers. But I don't know, maybe there's something to it. If I'm a hitter and I look out and the guy's like that, it might mess me up."
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
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