Did the Tigers Manage to Upgrade Their OF?

So, what you’re telling us is that trades can and do happen after the trade deadline?  That’s what the Twins and Tigers are saying after the Twins sent Delmon Young packing to Detroit for left-hander Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.  It’s the kind of deal that would be barely worth mentioning if not for the name-cache of the players involved.  Magglio Ordonez (indirectly involved in the trade) was once a legitimate star player in the league, even if that star has dimmed.  Young was once Baseball America’s top-rated prospect and did have at least one productive season, hinting at his former (?) abilities. 

The Tigers seem intent on improving the team’s offensive production, particularly from the outfield, where Young will presumably take at bats away from Ordonez (among others).  Ordonez currently owns a .2223 batting average, .280 OBP and .295 SLG—all representing career lows for the former All-Star.  Despite making millions and millions of dollars, the writing is on the wall for Ordonez that if the end isn’t here, it’s decidedly near.  He isn’t helping the Tigers in their 2011 playoff push, and it’s time for him to step aside for a better player.

Anyone getting excited about the notion of Young stepping in as the missing piece in the Tigers outfield may want to consider his numbers.  His .266 batting average, .305 OBP, and .357 SLG are only marginal improvements.  Oh, sure, a lot of people will point to Young’s 112 RBIs from 2010as definitive proof that he’s a better player at this stage in his career than Ordonez.  However, the argument here isn’t whether Young is better; it’s all about how much better.  Delmon Young offers a positive contribution (0.6 WAR), but the difference between he and whatever the Tigers already had lying around is negligible.

Left field is the domain of Brennan Boesch, who has been dealing with an injured thumb lately.  Boesch’s .809 OPS is easily the best among any OF-eligible player on the Tigers roster.  He’s not going to be displaced by anyone right now, especially not Young.  The speedy Austin Jackson is a fixture in center field, and even though his 2011 production (batting average in particular) has been largely a disappointment, he’s not going anywhere either.  Hell, Jackson is the only person on the Tigers roster capable of playing center, something he actually does rather well.

Andy Dirks has been far better than advertised.  In limited playing time (171 at bats) he’s totaled six home runs and four steals—both outpacing Young on the year (305 at bats, no less).   Don Kelly has produced numbers that look eerily similar to Young’s (.235, 3 HR, 2 SB) and in far less playing time.  If Young has one advantage, aside from his former prospect-pedigree, it’ the simple fact that he’s a right-handed hitter.  Dirks and Kelly both bat from the left side, and Young does offer a different option for manager Jim Leyland, albeit a pretty mediocre option.

It's All in Morneau's Head

Reports out of Minnesota indicate that former American League MVP Justin Morneau’s surgically repaired neck isn’t bothering him.  While he had surgery back on June 29 to repair a herniated disc in his neck, it looks like he’s already eyeballing a return to the Twins.  In fact, he’s set to begin a rehab assignment in AAA Rochester.  Hopefully this is the Rochester where the Mayo Clinic is located, because there’s more than just a neck injury to worry about with Morneau.  This is a player who just hasn’t been himself since suffering a concussion on July 7, 2010—an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season.  Since returning, he’s hit just .225 with a .281 OBP and .338 SLG.  His limitations are the obvious result of post-concussion syndrome (PCS), an ailment that has ended many a professional athlete’s career before his time.  The general medical consensus is that symptoms that don’t dissipate after one year are likely to be permanent.  That’s right; Morneau could be forced to deal with this for the rest of his days on Earth.

That’s a prospect none of us would want to face.  Regardless of how post-concussion syndrome affects Morneau’s playing career, it’s likely to be an obstacle in his day-to-day life—something to which everyone can relate.  Imagine going through each day with severe headaches, dizziness, and even blurred vision, all without getting drunk the night before.  It’s like a hangover that never ceases—unrelenting in and painful.  There are also lasting psychological effects that have been linked to PCS, including anxiety, irritability, and depression.

Alas, this is what Justin Morneau now faces.  He assures his adoring fans that he’s feeling better and pledges to get back to doing what he loves most (playing baseball) in life as soon as he can.  However, Corey Koskie loved baseball too, and after being diagnosed with PCS in 2006, he had to walk away from the game just a year later.  Mike Matheny was best known for his four Gold Gloves behind the plate, but he too was driven from the game by PCS. 

In fact, as more and more becomes known about the lasting effects of concussions, the game of baseball will have to find a way to address the issue before it grows to epic proportions as we’ve seen in other sports, specifically football and hockey.  In those sports, concussions are an everyday occurrence, and as science tries to keep pace with the escalating financial commitment of sport, it’s important to pay attention to the way in which player’s lives are being affected.  Mind you, in a win at all costs society, and with a prevailing “rub some dirt on it” mentality in sports, generally, it won’t be easy to change the existing culture. 

To the Suddenly Optimistic Twins Fan

It may be foolish to point this out, but the Minnesota Twins are suddenly the hottest team in baseball.  That’s right, the last place Minnesota Twins…them.  Oh, for sure, any time a team goes 7-1 over any stretch, you have to stand up and take notice.  It’s especially noteworthy when the team in question has been the worst team in the game for most of the season.  With Houston and Oakland also struggling mightily, the Twins failings still stood out amidst lofty expectations to begin the season.  It’s been a long hard road for Minnesota.

Okay people, before your noodles get all excited over the Twins recent run of success, do be aware that six of those wins came against Kansas City (26-36) and a rapidly retreating Cleveland team that’s gone 4-11 over their past 15 games.  Oh, sure, the Indians are still 34-26 and are the creme de la crap that is the American League Central.  Make no mistake, however, these is just not the same Indians team that was lengths in front of the pack to begin the year.  As for the Royals, well, they’re the friggin’ Royals, okay?  They have lots of young and exciting players making their way to the Major Leagues at this very moment, but their glory days still lie past the horizon.

Let’s not forget, too, that the Twins are still dead last in the whole American League, even after their recent success (.387).  This is a team with the worst run differential in all of baseball (-70), meaning their win probability is as embarrassing as their actual won-lost record.  And the hits just keep on coming.  The Twins team OBP (.301) ranks next to last in baseball, with only the Mariners turning in a worse mark.  Sadly, their team SLG (.349) isn’t much better, ranking 27^th, the exact same ranking as their staff ERA.  This should tell you that the Twins struggles aren’t simply a matter of hitting, or lack thereof.  Their pitching staff ranks dead last in the game in total strikeouts (355).  Sure, the Twins as an organization teach their hurlers to pitch to contact, but it’s working a little too well, for the opposition anyway.

Some will be quick to point out that a lot of the Twins struggles can be traced to their inability to field a healthy team.  It’s a valid point; it really is.  No, really.  As if this team wasn’t already beset by injuries, with the likes of Joe Mauer, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Joe Nathan, Jim Thome, Glen Perkins, and Kevin Slowey all on the disabled list in some capacity, the Twins just placed Denard Span on the 7-day DL with a concussion.  That’s not good news—not for Span and not for his team.  Ask Morneau how impactful concussion symptoms can be, influencing balance, depth perception, and vision—all things that are pretty important when it comes to playing baseball.  So, yah, it’s really that bad.

Three-time AL batting champion, Joe Mauer, is on the verge of returning as both he and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (fractured leg) are rehabbing in Class A Fort Myers.  Somewhat sadly, the foolishly optimistic will look to their triumphant returns as a sign of future success.  Alas, there is no future—not in 2011.  The Twins need absolute certitude that Mauer is fully healthy before asking him to return, especially if that means assuming full-time catching duties.  If that means sitting him out for the reas of this year, so be it.  The least they should do is keep him engaged in a rehab program until they have a better grasp on the nature and severity of Mauer’s mysterious leg weakness.  While they’re at it, go ahead (a head) and make sure Morneau and Span are free of their concussion issues before placing them at additional risk in hopes of finishing anywhere but last place.

You hear it all the time: one season does not a career make.  It’s true of an organization too.  One season cannot and should not define the Twins.  They won’t be thrust back into the dark ages of the waning days off the 20^th century when they were being discussed for contraction.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  This is team that has built its foundation upon cogent decisions aimed at long-term, sustainable success.  The immediate gratification of grasping at a few wins in 2011 runs contrary to the very philosophies that have guided the team to almost a solid decade of championship caliber baseball.  Change course now, and you run the risk of paddling against the current until either the boat or the boatmen can continue no longer.  Right the ship…the right way.