04-16-2008, 12:31 PM
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 | Contributor | | Last Online: 11-20-2008 09:29 PM Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posts: 5,895
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| Re: TIGERS 08 SEASON THREAD
Quote:
This is how serious things are in Detroit at week's start:
• The Tigers already have been blanked one more time this season than they were in all of 2007. They're averaging just 2.75 runs a game, by far the worst in either league. Even in the games in which they scored, they're averaging just a tad over four runs a game. That would still put them deep into the bottom half of all teams.
• Their pitching is just as bad. The staff gave up two grand slams to the White Sox on Sunday and is allowing 6.5 runs a game, worst in the American League by a run and a half.
• Since their 0-7 start the Tigers (2-10) actually have lost a half-game in the standings. If they are to win 92 games they have to go 90-60 the rest of the way. That's a .600 clip. By the way, it has taken an average of 97 wins over the last three seasons to win the vastly improved AL Central.
It's unclear precisely what set off Leyland after Sunday's debacle. Indications are that he feels his hitters -- whom many predicted would produce a record number of runs this season -- are simply not being smart at the plate. They are swinging at too many bad pitches, especially early in the count.
"I do think there's a possibility," Leyland told the Detroit News, "that we're already falling into the trap of thinking our offense is so good, the next guy will do it."
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