SB Nation - Wilkin Ramirez

Lunchtime Prowl: Dombrowski In-Depth, Granderson Rumors, Centerfield Options, and Magglio's Homer

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:21 -0000

This week at Mack Avenue Tigers, Kurt Mensching takes an in-depth look at Dave Dombrowski's work as general manager since he's been in charge of the Tigers. How does he approach his work? How has he remade the franchise in his eight years with Detroit? How has he developed the minor league system? What is his approach to making trades?

Dombrowski's taken quite a bit of criticism so far this offseason, so this "big picture" look at his tenure as Tigers' GM comes at the right time. And maybe it clues us in as to what can be expected in the weeks to come.

The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers had three Tigers-related notes in his Sunday "Whispers" column: 1) The Brewers were interested in Curtis Granderson before they dealt J.J. Hardy to the Twins, but Detroit wanted more than a shortstop in return. 2) The Cubs want Granderson, but not at the cost of Carlos Marmol or Starlin Castro. 3) The Tigers are one of several teams scouting Jake Fox (11 homers in 241 plate appearances this year).

If Granderson was traded, who takes over in centerfield? Jason Beck addresses this question, and eliminates Wilkin Ramirez from consideration. Mostly because he's played all of two games in center during his minor league career.

Beck also says signing a veteran centerfielder, such as Mike Cameron, would be another possibility. (I wish Detroit would sign Cameron to play left field.) But Cameron made $10 million this season. Even if he took a pay cut, he'd probably cost more than Granderson.

One more note from Beck: The Tigers received $590,731.18 in postseason shares for their second-place finish in the AL Central. (The Twins got $1,772,193.48 for winning the division.)

Big League Stew ranked the 10 best "big moment" home runs of the past decade. Magglio Ordonez's 2006 ALCS-winning homer is on the list. But would you have ranked it higher or lower, or did 'Duk get it just about right?

Top prospect rankings are en vogue this time of year. Lynn Henning takes a crack with his top 20 Tigers prospects, and it's interesting to compare his list to others. Casper Wells, for example, rates higher with Henning than Kevin Goldstein.

If eight teams are interested in reliever Takashi Saito, as NPB Tracker says (I'm going to trust their translation), could the Tigers be one of them? This year with the Red Sox, Saito struck out 52 and walked 25 in 55.2 innings. He posted a 3-3 record and 2.43 ERA, all for $1.5 million.

(via MLB Trade Rumors)

This isn't Tigers-related, but Big Al's our buddy, so we link to him when we can. His explanation of the most annoying types of Lions fans is spot-on. And unfortunately, it hits a little close to home with me. I often talk about how the Lions have broken me as a fan and I intend to switch my allegiances elsewhere.

In my defense, however, as much as I talk about becoming a Seahawks or Jets fan, to name a couple of dalliances, I never actually follow through. I wish I could quit the Lions.

Friday Night Frights: Tigers 4, Rays 3

Ian Casselberry — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:37:28 -0000

More photos » by Reinhold Matay - AP

Against a sea of empty blue seats in Tampa, Detroit's Miguel Cabrera came up with a big, game-tying homer in the sixth inning.

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I don't know if you've heard, but... the pennant race is on.

Last night's game had that kind of feel, as Justin Verlander and Jeff Niemann once again locked up in pitching duel. And much like last Sunday in Detroit, the two fought to a virtual draw, only to let their respective bullpens decide the game.

Niemann must be wondering what he has to do to beat the Detroit Tigers. The easy answer is probably "Don't face Verlander." "Don't hand it over to the bullpen" would also be acceptable. In two starts against Detroit, Niemann has allowed three runs in 14.2 innings, yet doesn't have a win to show for the effort.

Verlander, however, didn't fall behind the way he did last Sunday. Over eight innings, he allowed one run on four hits, while also striking out seven Rays batters. So this time around, the Tigers didn't have to stage a comeback. But they most certainly rallied in the top of the ninth.

Tampa's bullpen fought the walk, but the walk won, putting Ryan Raburn and Marcus Thames on base. Adam Everett singled to bring in Raburn and break the 1-1 tie, but things got even better from there. Curtis Granderson can't hit left-handed pitching? Not when the lefty tosses an 86 m.p.h. fastball, as Randy Choate did.

Grandy smacked the pitch to right field, and Wilkin Ramirez - pinch-running for Thames - zoomed home from second, making one of the slickest slides you'll ever see. Ramirez slid away from the plate to avoid Dioner Navarro, but at the last second, stuck his left hand out to catch home plate in front of the tag. (You can see a replay of the slide via MLB.com Gameday.) Placido Polanco followed with a sacrifice fly to give Detroit a three-run lead, which became a very important margin.

As you know, Fernando Rodney has never been what you would call a "lights-out" closer. 1-2-3 innings aren't a regular occurrence when he comes in for the save. It's usually pretty annoying, and a bit more suspenseful than we'd all prefer. But Rodney put on a horror show last night.

Maybe he wasn't sharp after three straight days of work (he warmed up on Thursday, though he didn't pitch). And as pointed out in our GameThread, he was also squeezed pretty badly on several pitches by the home plate umpire. (Though Tampa's off-set centerfield camera view was extremely deceiving, making those pitches look off the plate.)

Nonetheless, Rodney walked his first two hitters and the roller coaster was in motion. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria drove both runners in, putting the tying and winning runs on second and third. Rodney got two strikeouts in between those plays, however, meaning he only had to get Willy Aybar out to finish off the game. Fortunately for the Tigers, Aybar chased a change-up off the plate and grounded out to first.

It wasn't pretty. And it may have been one of Rodney's worst outings of the season. (That's something we could surely parse and pick apart, but does anyone really want to?) But since he did get the save, we probably can't call it his worst.

The Tigers didn't suffer what would've been a crushing loss. They beat a good team on the road. And they also increased their lead in the AL Central, thanks to the Twins losing. Despite the terrifying finish, this story had a happy ending.

Comment of the Night:

Admit it

Someone was about to question why Everett wasn’t pinch-hit for.

by SabreRoseTiger

Bonderman Among Tigers' Six Minor League Call-Ups

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:01:20 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Jeremy Bonderman gets another chance to sit next to Edwin Jackson in the Detroit Tigers' dugout, as one of six players the team called up from the minors.

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The Detroit Tigers will add six players from the minors, once rosters can officially expand tomorrow. Pitchers Jeremy Bonderman, Eddie Bonine, and Casey Fien, along with outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, catcher Dusty Ryan, and shortstop Brent Dlugach, are the minor league call-ups. Jason Beck reported the names via Twitter.

All three pitchers had earlier stints with the Tigers this season. Bonderman allowed six runs (and three homers) in four innings for a spot start in early June. Bonine posted a 7.07 ERA in five appearances, though allowed three runs over seven innings for a start in late July. And Fien compiled a 9.00 ERA in four games, also in late July.

Bonderman finished his minor league rehab assignment with a 2-4 record and 3.95 ERA. He struck out 30 batters and walked eight in 41 innings. Bonine's record with the Mud Hens was 4-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 17 starts. And Fien pitched in 42 games for Toledo, notching 14 saves and 66 strikeouts (with 15 walks) in 55 innings.

On the position side, Ramirez had two one-and-done call-ups earlier this season. In his first game, he hit an impressive home run into Comerica Park's centerfield shrubs for his first major league hit. The second time around, he went 0-for-3. Ryan didn't see much game action as the back-up catcher, getting into 11 games and batting .160/.276/.200. But bringing him back allows the Tigers to use Alex Avila as a pinch-hitter more often, rather than holding him back in case of emergency.

This season with Toledo, Ramirez hit .258/.326/.444 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs, playing mostly in left field. Ryan batted .261/.361/.462 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. And Dlugach compiled a .294/.348/.448 average, adding nine homers and driving in 59 runs.

Dlugach wasn't on the Tigers' 40-man roster, so the team has to make a move to accommodate him. I'm assuming Jeff Larish will be shuffled to the 60-day disabled list in light of his wrist surgery to clear a spot.

EDIT (11:25 a.m.): Michael Hollimon was moved to the 60-day DL. (Thanks to TMadison25 for posting this in the comments.)

The Alex Avila Era Now Begins

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:30:32 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

If it wasn't captured in a photograph, would you have remembered that Dusty Ryan actually played in an occasional game for the Detroit Tigers?

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The Detroit Tigers' 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles quickly became the second story of the night, as the team announced several roster moves following the game. Hello and goodbye, Wilkin Ramirez. He was sent back down to Toledo, along with catcher Dusty Ryan.

Pitcher Chris Lambert takes the bullpen spot that opened up when Casey Fien was demoted earlier today. But the big surprise is who's taking over for Ryan as back-up catcher. Alex Avila, probably the top prospect in the minor league system right now, is being called up from Double-A Erie.

This season with the Seawolves, Avila batted .264/.365/.450 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. From all accounts, his left-handed bat is major league ready, but it's his defense that needs work. (Unfortunately, I can't really find any numbers to support that.) So is playing back-up to Gerald Laird really going to help him with that? Or is this an indication that Laird is about to lose some playing time? Another theory is that Avila could see some time at DH, if Carlos Guillen is ready to play left field.

But doesn't this feel like calling up Cameron Maybin in 2007? Too soon? And probably too desperate, as well?

(demondeaconsbaseball has more thoughts on Avila in the comments of our last post.)

Lambert, meanwhile, compiled a 6-7 record and 3.55 ERA, adding 106 strikeouts and 31 walks in 126.2 innings. But in his last 10 starts, he's 4-2 with a 2.07 ERA, which is probably why he got the promotion. (And it's probably a temporary one, until the Tigers figure out what they can get out of Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson.)

When these roster moves were announced, my initial thought was that I didn't understand calling up Ramirez at all. What was the point? But if you thought he was in the Tigers' lineup tonight solely to face a left-handed phenom, then you're probably correct. I mean, isn't it completely obvious after another one-and-done big league appearance?

I'm guessing that Detroit was ready to swap Fien for Lambert, but saw an opportunity to go with a short-handed bullpen with Jarrod Washburn presumably set to pitch deep into the ballgame. And with an unfamiliar Brian Matusz pitching for the Orioles, why not bring in another right-handed bat? Unfortunately, Washburn gave up six runs and Ramirez went 0-for-3, so neither move ended up working out for the Tigers.

And where exactly does Dusty Ryan stand in the Tigers' organization? (Billfer doesn't see much of a future for him.) He was supposed to give Detroit some more punch in the back-up catcher role, right? Hitting .160/.276/.200 hardly provided that. Yet Ryan only played in 11 games since joining the team in mid-June. Did Jim Leyland just not trust his defense? Did he think he could turn Laird's bat around by keeping him in the lineup? Instead, Laird wore down and Ryan become a non-factor.

So what do you think? Is the air thick with desperation around Comerica Park? Would you have liked to see Ramirez remain with the big league club? Is calling up Avila too hasty a move, or does the excitement of getting to see the Tigers' top prospect overshadow that concern?

Wilkin Ramirez Recalled; Casey Fien Demoted

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:56:52 -0000

Per the Detroit Tigers Game Notes, outfielder Wilkin Ramirez has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo. To clear a spot for him on the roster, reliever Casey Fien was sent back to the Mud Hens.

There were rumblings this afternoon (via Twitter and elsewhere) that the Tigers were getting ready to make a move. Looks like we have it. Although you have to wonder if this is the only one that happens, with the bullpen now a man short.

Ramirez was hitting .274/.351/.455 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 347 at-bats with Toledo. In a cup-of-coffee appearance with the Tigers earlier this year, he went 1-for-3 with a home run.

Fien, meanwhile, was something of a disappointment (especially to those of us that were excited to see him pitch) in his four games with the Tigers. He allowed four earned runs and six hits in four innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

UPDATE: MLive.com's Steve Kornacki reports that Ramirez will bat leadoff tonight and play left field.

Evening Prowl: St. Louis Heat, The Ubiquitous Kurt, the Market For Pedro, and Wilkin Ramirez's Value

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:20:17 -0000

With tonight's temperatures in St. Louis expected to hit the upper 90s, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold passes along a story Jim Leyland told him about losing 11 pounds while catching a doubleheader in the heat of Savannah, GA.

The revived It's Just Sports chatted with Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers for their "Better Know a Blogger" series. What are his thoughts on blogging? How does Kurt balance his experience as a journalist with that? And who might he like to see take one of those back spots in the starting rotation? (Hint: he's currently a free agent.) Check it out.

Those hoping the Tigers might show interest in Pedro Martinez might be disappointed that Detroit is not among the four teams supposedly taking a look at him, according to both Gordon Edes and Ken Rosenthal. Martinez will throw for those teams tomorrow in the Dominican Republic.

Would the Tigers be better off using Wilkin Ramirez as a trade chip to bring in a big bat (Aubrey Huff or Luke Scott) for this season? Or would Ramirez provide the same benefit next year, if the Tigers held onto him? Jon Paul Morosi poses this query at FOXSports.com.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff breaks down the trade market for starting pitching, listing seven names who likely won't be available, and another five that might be.

If you were in last night's GameThread, you might remember that John dropped several random factoids (such as how often Detroit batters swing at the first pitch) about the Tigers' offensive ineptitude. He's collected those, along with several other troubling numbers (such as how many double plays the Tigers have hit into) at his blog, Hazaa.

Lynn Henning wonders why Leyland still hasn't been given a new contract, and suspects this hints at tensions between the Tigers manager and his boss, Dave Dombrowski. (That's something we heard from a couple of national baseball writers - Buster Olney and Jayson Stark, I believe - during the offseason.)

Speaking of Stark, he notes that Rick Porcello was the youngest pitcher to have a multi-hit game since a 20-year-old Steve Avery went 3-for-4 in 1991. He's the youngest AL pitcher to get two hits since 1971.

Always a Tiger mentions Eric Hinske as a low-cost option for some added offense. I have to admit, I had no idea he was playing for the Pirates until last weekend. BigJP cites his versatility and power as two appealing aspects. I also like that he has a lot of experience playing in the American League, and wouldn't have to make much of an adjustment.

Hinske hasn't played much this season, but has a .270/.393/.393 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 107 plate appearances.

Kurt's not done with us yet. He was also part of a four-blogger roundable at Bleacher Report, answering five questions that the Tigers will have to address this season.

What would Blake do if he was Mike Ilitch? Over at The Spot Starters, he lists six moves he'd like to see the Tigers' owner sign off on. (I was kind of hoping he'd have some Little Caesars suggestions, as well. New pizza toppings? Different styles? Shut down those dumb "Don't forget the sides!" commercials?)

Today's non-Tigers note: Did Raul Ibanez strain his left groin while getting indignant over that whole steroids, media-vs-blogger manufactured controversy last week? Or maybe he hurt himself finding some other substance from his body that could be tested to prove he's clean.

High Five: Tigers 5, Rangers 3

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:40:12 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Ten! Ten! Ten! That's how many times Joel Zumaya and the Detroit Tigers have beaten the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park since September 2007.

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Five in a row. That's the Detroit Tigers' current winning streak. 10 in a row. That's how many games the Texas Rangers have lost at Comerica Park.

The Rangers tried hard to avoid that 10th straight loss in Detroit, but they ultimately couldn't overcome the four runs scored by the Tigers in a decisive sixth inning. That's when the home team brought out the boomsticks.

Wilkin Ramirez introduced himself to Detroit in the best way possible, blasting his first major league hit for a home run deep, deep, deep to center field. Into the shrubs! "Big boy territory," as Rod Allen calls it. We can mark off that territory approximately 433 feet from home plate, because that was the measurement on Ramirez's home run.

Two batters later, Brandon Inge followed up with a two-run homer, and that was more than enough for Justin Verlander to get his fourth win in his last five starts. (Of course, it should be five straight wins.)

He didn't reach double-digit strikeouts again (and tie any sort of record that isn't really a record, but still impressive nonetheless), but did strike out eight Texas batters. And though a high pitch count once again took him out of the game an inning or so earlier than Jim Leyland probably would've preferred (especially when Brandon Lyon and Joel Zumaya each gave up a run), he kept the Rangers' bats quiet for the second straight night.

Roar:

See, if I were Ramirez, I'd just retire right now. Do it like George Costanza, and walk off on a high note. Can it get much better than one hit, one home run? Of course, Ramirez is probably smarter than me and will stick with this baseball thing. Become the Tigers' next great outfielder, and get a chance at the glory and the big money.

The other guy who smacked a long ball tonight? Ryan Raburn, who's now homered in his last three games. He's probably going to be in the lineup the next time the Tigers face a left-handed pitcher. Unfortunately for him, that won't be for at least the next four games.

Whimper:

There was quite an argument in the GameThread about Lyon, and whether or not he's pitching that well for the Tigers. I think I agree that he's been better than his numbers might indicate (and also think it's kind of mean for the home fans to boo him). But when you come in and immediately do this...

... it does not help your cause, Brandon Lyon.

Comment of the Night:

if we win

6 game streak overall, 10 game in comerica park, right?

my ex boyfriend is a rangers fan so i want to talk smack accurately

by okie for michigan

I've always said the GameThreads are part sports bar, part support group. We do whatever we can to help.

Four More Tigers Assigned to Minors

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:11 -0000

As expected, the Detroit Tigers reassigned a handful of players to the minors today, though the actual number of cuts may have been fewer, and no big names were among those leaving major league camp.

Courtesy of Jason Beck's Twitter post, he most notable cut was Wilkin Ramirez, who's been optioned to Triple-A Toledo. But that was practically a formality, with Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, and Curtis Granderson returning from the World Baseball Classic this week.

Assigned to minor league camp were infielder Don Kelly, catcher Max St. Pierre, and outfielder Alexis Gomez.

With the cuts, the Tigers' roster now stands at 38 players. Brent Clevlen, Ryan Raburn, and Clete Thomas live to fight on. Though neither Clevlen or Raburn were likely to be among the cuts, since they're both out of minor league options. You might also wonder - as MacRae asked earlier this week - if Eddie Bonine still has an outside shot at the starting rotation or a long relief role, with Jeremy Bonderman's stamina needing work and Dontrelle Willis... well, you know.

Any names you were expecting to see among the cuts today that are still alive?

Detroit Tigers Batting Stances, Past and Present

Ian Casselberry — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:15:41 -0000

It seemed like kind of a slow news day in Tiger Town today (Michael Hollimon might need a fingernail removed, and Wilkin Ramirez had a collision at first base), which gives me a chance to post a video that I saw on Facebook a week ago. (Thanks, Don!) You may or may not be familiar with Batting Stance Guy, but he can do some pretty funny stuff:

I'm mostly wishing I'd have thought of this myself. If YouTube had been around 12-15 years ago, I could've been a contender. Anyway, here's his take on several Detroit Tigers past and present.

So what did you think? Not sure about the Maggs or Grandy, but the Trammell and Tettleton stances were pretty good.

But really, I was disappointed in the Tony Phillips stance. Remember how he used to pump his bat up and down before setting his hands? (Eventually, he got rid of that, with some prodding from Sparky.) And no spitting? Personally, I think mine would be way better. (I also did a great Gary Carter, but this might be the wrong crowd.)

Trading For J.J. Putz Could've Been a Bad Idea

Ian Casselberry — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:00:07 -0000

If Detroit Tigers fans didn't like trading Matt Joyce for Edwin Jackson, it could've been worse. Oh, could it have been worse. According to the Freep's Jon Paul Morosi, this is the three-way deal that the Tigers were discussing with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays involving J.J. Putz:

One proposal involved the Tigers sending Matt Joyce to Tampa Bay and outfielders Wilkin Ramirez and Casper Wells to Seattle. Putz was the only player the Tigers would have received. (Contrary to what was reported in Thursday's Free Press, infielder Jeff Larish and right-hander Freddy Dolsi were not involved at that stage.)

Are. You. Kidding? For one (maybe two) years of Putz? Not getting him might not look so bad, after all.

Who exactly would've been around to play corner outfield in 2012 if Joyce, Ramirez, and Wells were all gone? (And that's assuming that either Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen - or both - are able to play the outfield in 2011.)

I wonder where Jackson would've gone in that scenario? He must have been involved for the Tigers and Rays to turn around and make the deal they made.

(Oh, you know we're using that clip again.)