Nice research by StringTheory here. BYB has the best readers! -- Kurt

Recently, I came across this "Think Along with Your Favorite Hurler" blog post, and I knew I had to do the same analysis for a Tigers pitcher. The following graphs show Verlander's pitch selection in specific counts to either a left-handed batter or a right-handed batter. I've grouped them in categories of behind, even, and ahead in the count.  The first graph is behind in the count (the image is linked to the full size version).

In case it's not obvious: FB = Fastball, CU = Curveball, CH = Change-up, and SL = Slider.

Once in a great while you'll see a pitcher not throw a fastball 3-0. Zack Greinke, for example, threw offspeed pitches 6 percent of the time in 3-0 counts this year. But that's not the case here with Verlander. Also of note, I think, is that right-handed batters behind in the count are more likely to see his new slider than his curveball.

Now to full, even, and empty counts after the jump.

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The idea of using Raburn as the everyday left-fielder is certainly not a new one. Even Lynn Henning joined the bandwagon today:

But for now, the Tigers are going with Guillen. I have my thoughts on that matter (it has to do with seniority and paying an esteemed Tigers player proper respect), but if performance means anything, Guillen will DH in 2010 and Raburn will be playing left field.

To realize the need for better defense in left field, I wanted to explore the fly-ball tendencies of our presumed starting four pitchers: Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer, and Bonderman.

The outfield sections are broken down according to the Project Scoresheet diagram used at baseball-reference.com. The larger black number indicates the amount of in-play balls hit in each outfield section. The smaller gray number is the number of those fly balls caught by the left or right fielder (some are caught by the center fielder, but that number is not added to the total). Home and away data is combined. On to the numbers:

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First of all, sorry for the image. It's christmas break, my tiny list of shopping is done, and I'm only working ten hours a week. Anyway. Onward.

With Lyon already gone and Rodney's chances of returning near zero, I went through past drafts to see what kind of talent can actually come from sandwich round picks. So here they are. The most notable sandwich picks over a twenty year period:

1987 - Travis Fryman - Tigers - 30th overall
1988 - Brian Jordan - Cardinals - 30th
1989 - Todd Jones - Astros - 27th
1991 - Trever Miller - Tigers - 41st
1992 - Johnny Damon - Royals - 35th
1996 - Jason Marquis - Braves - 35th
1998 - Aaron Rowand - White Sox - 35th
1998 - Mark Prior - Yankees - 43rd
1999 - Brian Roberts - Orioles - 50th
2000 - Aaron Heilman - Twins - 31st
2000 - Kelly Johnson - Braves - 38th
2001 - David Wright - Mets - 38th
2002 - Mark Teahen - Royals - 39th
2003 - Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Braves - 36th
2003 - Adam Jones - Mariners - 37th
2004 - JP Howell - Rays - 31st
2004 - Huston Street - Athletics - 40th
2005 - Clay Buchholz - Red Sox - 42nd
2006 - Chris Coghlan - Marlins - 36th
2006 - Joba Chamberlain - Yankees - 41st
2006 - Chris Perez - Cardinals - 42nd
2007 - Julio Borbon - Rangers - 35th

Roughly, one sandwich pick a year goes on to become an above average major league player (or a good prospect, in terms of some of the more recent picks). I was obviously loose with my criteria for some of the players. This quick search was just initially meant to satisfy my own curiousity, but I thought I would share.

Sources: baseball-reference.com (draft), SI.com (images)

This is something I wish I had done in 2006, so when things started looking good in May, I took screen captures of almost every positive Tiger headline on the MLB dot com front page. I thought I would share them, so here they are, divided by month:

May

June

July

August

September, October

I needed some extra words to be able to publish this. So, um. I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for looking.