Follow-up on Magglio

All I've got to say is thank god.!!!!!!!! I fear that it is a loss that we could not sustain for very long, the way his bat is rolling.

Would have been an insurmountable loss to have lost the best hiter in baseball this year.

Tigers are on a roll, winning blowouts and pitching duels. The bullpen has done the job very effectively the past few days. Perhaps no one wants to be the guy sent down when Nate comes back Tuesday. :-) Actually, I think it will be McBride.

After tomorrow, they are home until the All-Star break, starting with four against Texas. Seems like it would be a good opportunity to extend this run. Of course, they have another late Sunday game followed by travel, so Monday's opener could be more difficult than it needs to be. Anyone know why there are two weekday afternoon games in the Texas series?

I hope you all enjoyed watching the game today. I got stuck with the Yankees-Giants for some reason. I'd think we'd get Atlanta in the Washington region. The Fox Saturday games have become my chief pet peeve this season. I bought every subscription available, and still can't see these Saturday games. Brent, what game did you get in your neighborhood?

The Tigers are definitely starting to become the dominant force we all know they can be. Glad to see that "Mittens" did well! Out in AZ we had the Yankees-Giants, so I couldn't watch the game. Drives me nuts!!!! At least tomorrow's game will be on ESPN so those of us out here will be able to watch.

rlpressley - I believe that the game on Wednesday is in the afternoon because of the Fireworks on the waterfront in Detroit that night. I don't think that they want the fireworks going off at the end of the game, not to mention they close a lot of the roads down going into Detroit in the late afternoon because of the fireworks. (just throwing that in incase you are not from the Detroit area.) And of course Thursday is a travel day and would always be an afternoon game.

By the way did McGarver on the Foxs sportscast drive anyone else nuts but me. He almost seemed pissed at the Tigers or something. THe other guy was fine but Tim was aweful.

Ah, the Freedom Festival fireworks. Thanks, GK. Yeah, I'm from the area for 50 years, but now I'm down here.

I remember in 2005 they played a game on fireworks night. It was an extra inning classic with the White Sox, and everyone in the park could plainly see the fireworks when they started up. I have a mental image of young Chris Shelton holding on a runner at first and also staring up at the latest blast.

Thanks also for reminding me that I didn't have to listen to Tim McCarver today. Thank heavens for small favors. :-)

That was a complete team effort. The results show everyone did their job. Rodney and Jones as well.
Granderson has a rough one and I was a little puzzled when Byrdak was marched out in the 8th after letting Verlander hit for himself in the 7th (BTW nice bunt dude!) and whiffing the last two batters in the 7th.

But it all worked out in the end.

Guillen was the main man today with some big help by Casey.

Think we will see Monroe in CF tonight? Maybe Infante?
Probably a good idea not to make Curtis hit against a LHP tonight after he had a bad day yesterday. Give him a day off.

I figure JL will have Marcus at 1B.

I don't see much point in playing Monroe in CF now that interleague will be done. Infante maybe. The problem with C-Mo is he doesn't hit lefties particularly well.

The Nationals took 2 of 3 from Cleveland, and were a Cordero blown save from sweeping the series. The "Sons of the Cuyahoga" aren't hitting anymore. I still think the Twins are the chief rivals for the division.

These guys are really playing well right now, and I'm not just talking about the hitting. You'll notice they rarely make a mistake, no mental miscues, consistently making the correct play, and coming through in the clutch. And when Maggs executed that perfect hit and run, I laughed out loud.

The offense is bound to take a downturn at some point, as numbers like these are practically unheard of. The pitching should improve just in time to take care of that.

I liked the use of Durbin tonight. You oldtimers will remember back in the day when all pitchers were starters but some were relegated to the bullpen. A guy would enter a game and stay there as long as he was effective. No setup, no closer, no specialists, no book. Tonight reminded me of that, and now we have a totally rested bullpen beginning the long homestand.

Everybody okay with Miller? :-)

It should be pointed out that while the Tigers swept both Washington and Atlanta, Cleveland lost 2 of 3 to both teams, thus the current two game lead.

They've done a great job of battling through the injuries, the April hitting slump, and the bullpen woes to keep themselves in good position and now it's paying off.

As Vern in the junkyard in "Stand By Me" said, this is a good time.

As great as it was to see Andrew do that well it was even more interesting to see what Durbin did. It may only be one performance but he was truly awesome. This could be a sea change in the bullpen.
We probably won't hear much talk about Gagne and Otsuka for a few days now.

Infante had a good game as well--the drop down bunt to take advantage of Jones' mobility was a thing of beauty--and the after effects won the game.

Guillen sparkled once again.

Welcome home Tigers.

It could be a physically "down day" tonight with the late night travel and such but the next 4 games see the Tigers facing very mediocre pitching. I hope we will see a couple of guys take the opportunity to start to tee off.
The top of the order is slowing down a tad so it would be nice to see Curtis and "Rock" start to get on base again.

Tonight -- Kameron Loe (3-6, 6.34)

Tuesday -- Vincente Padilla (3-8, 6.69)

Wednesday -- Kevin Millwood (4-6, 7.31)

Thursday -- Jamey Wright (1-1, 7.43)

Again--Chad Durbin was amazing last night, this was one of the most encouraging performance I have seen all year. His determination was evident even in his at bat.

I was surprised that JL left him in and really surprised to see him trot out in the 9th. He just may answer a lot of questions about the bull pen.

I think Durbin's performance was the highlight of last night's game- so glad they left him in for the 9th. Did I miss something, or did Jason Beck not even mention Durbin in his write-up about the game?

No, Beck didn't mention Durbin. I was looking for it too. Disappointing ... I am really happy for Chad and glad he was sent to the Tigers pen rather than another team.

He did get a nod in the photo caption though ... I didn't realize it at first, but "first save" meant "first career save."

I hope Maroth doesn't get shelled tonight.

Putting a wrap on interleague play, I thought Leyland did an excellent job of game management, and I expected nothing less from him. I'm thinking a large reason for the Tigers' interleague success is that there are few teams as deep as they are. JL can call on Infante, Granderson, Casey, Monroe, Thames, Perez, etc., and it makes the moves usually work. I don't think he ever got caught lacking in any situation faced over the last few weeks. And it was fun to try and manage along with him, too.

You're right, Chris, I'm going to have to switch back and forth some to keep on eye on Mike. He should do very well over there. I wish they'd traded him to the Nationals.

FIRST things FIRST:
1st inning get through it!!!

Then start throwing that slider and sinker (is it a split finger fastball?

Jeremy Bonderman has the potential to be one of the top pitchers in the game. He is still learning. What is the consensus on his change-up? Seems like he has developed it to a degree that it is effective and gives hitters 1 more thing to think about.

Well we are due for a bad one. Did Jeremy take PFP this year?

Bad game, they played like they didn't really care to me. It seems like sometimes when they get ahold of a bad pitcher they get a little lax don't capitalize in the early opportunities and then the guy gets in a groove and they cannot get any offense. They got four runs in two innings after they had two outs. Pathetic. Hopefully they get a good night sleep and decide to come and play tomorrow.

Loe pitched very well. He stayed ahead in the count which is about the only way to stop Detroit hitters. The Tigers were a little hazy, it seemed, but the thing about that was the Rangers arrived in Detroit three hours after the Tigers did.

Bondo gave us all a nice trip down memory lane to last year's WS. Right after I said they rarely make mistakes, too. Shut up, Rich.

Funny that many people on many boards had all but penciled in de la Cruz as setup man, if not closer. Now those same folks will probably want him shipped to Erie on a canal boat.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if runs are at a premium for awhile. This would be an excellent time for Monroe to bust out.

Maroth goes 7.1 and allows one run and two hits to the Mets. I'll bet no one is surprised at that.

Gee--the club has been smokin' and they lose one and it starts to feel like we are entering a danger zone again. Funny how that works.
Polanco is in what is for hime, a bad slump. And it would be a good thing for some of the guys to sart finding home run distance again. Other than Guillen, no one is really hitting the long ball.

Bonderman had a pretty good outing but I hope he is not developing an OBI syndrome. (One Bad Inning)

De la Cruz is pretty raw and you can't expect too much from someone with that little experience. The keys to the bullpen are in the hands of Jones, Rodney and Zumaya-----still. I do think that Durbin could come in and do something special in almost any role he may be thrust into.

We were due for a stinker and maybe it's out of their system now.

Nice to hear that about Maroth.

Rich- I was out of town (in NY) so I didn't see which game was on television in DC- I live on Capitol Hill. I've watched very few games on television this year-- I got XM and have really enjoyed listening to the games on the radio. I know I miss a lot without the TV, but I get a lot more done when just listening to the radio. I used to listen to Ernie with my dad while out fishing so I guess its nostalgia reaching out to me.

As far as the trade this weekend, I'll have to admit that I was bummed to see Maroth go. Perhaps this will turn out to be a good baseball trade but I think that the Tigers traded one heckuva guy that I enjoyed rooting for. Mike plays the game the right way and I'll miss him. Additionally, while some have questioned his ability, I'm afraid that Mike may become the next Jamie Moyer-- with the way Mike pitches, he could pitch well into his forties and, if he can refine his stuff a bit more, I think he'll become a better pitcher as he ages. No doubt, he'll never scare anyone with his fastball but there's a reason they call it "pitching" not "throwing." Best of luck to Mike and his family.

As far as the Tigers go, I still think they have one heckuva team and I believe that Dan has touched the key ingredient: Durbin and Miner are the key to shoring up our bullpen. Like it or not, Jones and Rodney will be the two closing out our games until Zumaya comes back. While this may cause me some heartburn and a few strokes, I think we can win with them at the end. The key is that we need to have some reliable pitchers that can get us to the 8th/9th inning without imploding. Ledezma and Grilli proved that they can't be relied on for consistent outings. If Miner and Durbin can address this problem and the rotation stays healthy, I think we could see a dynamite second half from the pitching staff.

Anyway, I'm glad to see the Tigers in first place and really hope they can buckle down at home and head into the break with a nice division lead.

Wow-- Rodney's back on the DL? I didn't see that one coming. Here's hoping that Durbin get some chances in the later innings. I think he did an admirable job as a starter and deserves a chance to prove himself out there in meaningful situations.

Jason- on another note, any word on the Tiger's talks with Porcello/Boras? I know its early but with the new deadline for signing contracts, I wondered if talks have been moved up at all. I was pumped to see him fall to the Tigers and I hope they can get him signed.

I think you're right about Maroth Brent. His trade will turn out to be a good one for St. Louis. He did a lot for the Detroit community too. Anyone else bummed? There must be more of us.

Mike Maroth is a quality individual. Does that mean the GM should have kept him on the roster? No.
This may work out to be a good trade for the Tigers but the in any event it will work out best for Mike Maroth.

Dombrowski has a roster problem and this solved it----temporarily anyway. Today Rodney goes on the DL and Nate is making that look like another gem of a move.

I'm not keeping ou too much hope for de la Cruz and I still think we may see a trade.

Nice job so far Nate.

Lot to talk about in this game.
Jones in and gives up a 2 strike hit when he had Sosa eating out of his hand. Grilli not being able to hold the fort. Vulnerability of Byrdak. Robertson's very nice 5+, Casey's huge hit, the errors. Like I said a lot to talk about.

Sure hope Jones can get the job done--he makes things too difficult, too often.

Oh yeah--that's the Jones I know.
Can anyone honestly say that he is really an ingredient in a post season formula?

This guy will break our hearts if he is allowed to continue as "closer".

JL is taking the closer out. I gotta think that is a bad sign for TJ. This is not something Leyland is in the habit of doing.
The way Jones is pitching he can truly say he is the BP king. And the BP doesn't stand for Bull Pen in this instance.

He has let his team down too many times this year and a couple of times when they have battled back into a game against a tough opponent. I pity the media that try to interview either Jones or Leyland tonight.

Just when you think that the Tigers have worked out their bullpen problems, well I guess they haven't.?? How can they play so well in the national league and then this against a pretty bad Texas Rangers club??? I don't know a little bit of uninspired playing. I like Todd Jones and I have got to believe that he has the ability to do what he did last year, however it seems as though the first two outs are easy for him it is the last out that gets him.

And now Cleveland came back in the bottom of the 9th to win. That is what we did last year. It is like we had the MOJO last year came back and won game, Cleveland has the MOJO this year. There is a lot right with this team but there is also a lot wrong. Two errors and the bullpen. I will be at the games on Thursday and Friday hopefully they will play to their ability. I swear if they lose this series to Texas and have Minnesota, Cleveland and then Boston coming in?? Wow they really need to win this Texas series. Pathetic???

Polanco is not getting on base. Seems like as he goes so does the offense, and the team. We all see the problems the bullpen is having. It's a problem that is mercifully concealed by the offensive firepower. It rears itself in games like this when the Tigers aren't scoring big. Very flat play tonight. Not very patient at bats. Shefield is pushing I think. I thought Nate was yanked a tad early. He would have only been facing the tying run. I think in the 6th that's not too much to ask. Maybe JL is over estimating the soundness of the bullpen. At any rate another loss. To be fair,this is not a bad Texas team on a 6 game winning streak. I have to continue to disagree with you on Maroth Dan, but we might as well drop it. It's done. Time will tell I guess. One thing I'm about ready to agree with you on is trying someone else as a closer....and it's not de la Cruz at this point imo. Without Zumaya or Rodney(yikes) then who?... Come on Placido, we need you on base.

Well the worst thing about this is that I think we are going to have to deal with some fractured feaelings and possible clubhouse dissension. It's gonna happen if this kind of late innings meltdown continues.
JL pulling Jones is a MAJOR event--especially when he bringsin lefty specialist to face a RIGHT HAND BAT! Whoa---JL said a lot without moving his lips with that.

Okay well, I don't want to talk about Todd Jones again. I'd prefer to discuss the bullpen as a whole. First off, I think they traded the wrong guy, and I'll probably think that forever. When you look over the members of the bullpen, can you honestly say that all of these guys are better than Mike Maroth? Is there some rule that says a starter can't become a relief pitcher? Here we're supposed to have this surplus of good pitching, so we trade Maroth for lord knows who, then try to win games with Grilli and several guys who started the season in the minors. And now we're going talk about trading to get pitching? If anyone can explain this to me, I'd appreciate it, because it confuses the heck out of me.

Looks like Rodney's radar readings I noted in Philadelphia were an indication of injury. I'd much rather have a guy confess to an injury than to keep going out there and costing his team games. He's done absolutely nothing this year, nothing. He should have been traded when his value (read reputation) was up.

Was Nate done in the sixth inning? Hard to say without being down in the dugout, but there have been some pretty quick hooks in a situation where starters needed to go longer into games.

As far as Texas being a bad club, a lot of teams start out a season bad then improve. We learned that last year if we didn't know it before. Nothing will be easy.

Anyway, it's nearly July and the pennant race grinds on and all that, and there will be a big mid-season set with Minnesota this weekend. I still see them as the chief competition. I sure would like to see the Tigers play better at home. How do you figure that?

To say that Shef is pressing after he has a 3 walk night might be a stretch I admit. Still it seems he has missed the key hit lately. Looking at the scoreboard and seeing 5 0's through 5 then crooked numbers after that, if your starter is essentially done after 5 and has a lead, you need a guy who can come in and hold for 2-3 innings. Without Miner JL doesn't have that guy. Instead he has to cobble together 4 innings of relief. It's not working. Inge and Monroe's errors didn't help either.

Dan, read your note after posting mine. Seems to me that Seay and Durbin are the best bets of the current bullpen but neither one of them are CLOSERS. You have to have a CLOSER. Each MLB team is allowed one CLOSER and we have ours. Same with a SETUP MAN. You can have one SETUP MAN, sometimes two for short periods. If you don't do that, you threaten the space/time continuem and life as we know it may cease.

Hey, that homeplate umpire had quite a strike zone tonight, didn't he? In fact, he had several of them.

I am starting to think that something about being in first place makes the Tigers lose baseball games.

Maroth as a reliever makes no sense to me. He can't overpower hitters at all...

Jones is playing his last season as a closer I think, and last as a Tiger, I hope...

Zumaya, whereareya?

Dan what you said about club house dissention is the same thing that I have been thinking for a few weeks. The offense can go out there and get all the runs and still the bullpen blows it.

Now today, yes the bullpen was bad, but without the two errors from Monroe and Inge we may not even be talking about the bull pen? And Bondo's error yesterday, same thing. Between errors and lack of timely hitting, and relief pitching the last couple of days there are a lot of places to put blame on these two games. SAD SAD SAD.

And there is no reason to start crying for Zumaya he may never be the same again, he may not be your future closer, and definately not this year.

Rich, I totally forgot about Durbin. JL DOES have a quality long relief guy, and no one corrected me! Not sure if anyone on the relief corps has prototypical closer type attributes, but neither does Jones, and he has been doing it successfully (notably not lately) for a few years now.
As you said GK, those errors will kill you. Take those away last night and the game situations measurably change. Not much has been said about them here.

I don't see a couple of losses, albeit sloppy ones, as a big problem. Neither do I see any clubhouse dissention with this group, at least not anything of note.

The bullpen has been the long term problem for the entire season, and that's what may bring the team down, since they won't continue to hit as they have been. They'll still hit well, but nothing like these slow pitch softball games like we've been seing in interleague play.

So why does a relief pitcher have to be overpowering? Is that another new "rule"? Maroth could get you a doubleplay, he wouldn't be hitting batters, he wouldn't be constantly behind in the count, and is just overall a much better pitcher than the guys left in the pen. He would have been one of only three relievers who I'd have any confidence in, the others being Seay and Durbin. Perhaps Miner can help, but that's not a sure bet.

Okay, I won't beat the Maroth issue anymore. I just want to be on record as saying it was a bad trade, and we may pay because of it.

In 100% agreement with you Rich. About Maroth especially. I don't see any clubhouse dissention but there have to be some players disappointed in his leaving. These guys are no different than anyone else, they develop friendships and closeness as a unit. It's got to be tough. As for Jones, while the team may be frustrated with his results, I would think they are still in support of him. They have to go out and take the next 2 from Texas, and it has to be a total team focus and effort. JL gets paid to keep these guys on track.

I guess we can put the Maroth issue to rest as it is proverbial water under the bridge now. The deal was a bad one for the Tigers in that they received nothing in return that they can use NOW. And we actually have a few holes that could be filled now. I do think it will be a good trade for Mike himself. He will get a chance to pitch regularly and really has a chance to utilize his best stuff in the NL.
I didn't mean to say there is dissension in the clubhouse only that if the trend continues it could develop. These are athletes with a fair amount of testosterone who badly want to win it all. They want to be thought of as champions and not a cohesive Pony League team with a Three Musketeers mentality. If you have guys playing their tails off and other guys (figuratively) dropping the ball--there will be problems.

One inescapable fact is that the bullpen has not performed and does not appear to be able to self correct. Leyland was not pi$$ed about about the inane questions and criticisms of media and fans, he is ticked off at his players. You can bet that things are going to change and quickly.

I think the club is at a point where it does not have the luxury of waiting for a bullpen messiah to emerge. They need to complement the offense with an effective relief staff in order to repeat as post-season contenders. I don't see DD sitting back and wishing that things improve.

I hope the whole ball club can come out today and Rally Round Rogers. The way the Rangers are playing they are going to give Kenny a tougher challenge than he had with the Braves. That is not to minimize what he did--it was phenomenal and almost unbelievable.

Another thing hurting the team right now is the lack of power. The 3 run homer impact has all but evaporated.

Dan that is a good point regarding the lack of homers. Although I like an inning much more if you get a lot of singles, doubles and have rallys like that where you can pick up 4 -6 runs and inning, but there has been little homerun power by anyone this month except Guillen. There have been guys getting them here and there. Ordonez (be it for me to complain about his hitting) has not gotten a run since June 2, Monroe since June 1st, Pudge only 2 in June and none since June 15th. Sheff has 5 in June and none since June 10th. Inge 3 in June and none since the 12th. and Granderson 2 in June and obviously got one last night. But there has been less than you would expect in June since they have a lot of power. Interesting thought?? It isn't as though we have been facing any great pitching this month.?

I think we will see a trade.

There are 31 games between now and the end of July. Can the Tigrs afford to gamble with those 31 games to see IF Zumaya is healthy, Rodney is an option or Jones can effectively throw well 3 out of 4 times?

Byrdak has done relatively well though his walks are a little high. Grilli has hung around far longer than I expected him to. Seay has real problems with right handed hitters. McBride is a question mark. So is De La Cruz. Durbin is learning a new craft but he looks like he will be OK in the role. Miner is probably dependable.

Jones is struggling mightily and as improbable as it may sound, I think his confidence is shaken.

They can engage in more wishful thinking and bring up a guy or 2 from the farm. But they need more than stop-gap measures at this stage of the season.

Yeah, Jonesie is as confident as they come, but at his age, I wonder if that nagging doubt that "this is it" might set in. Impossible to say. Lately, he looks like the guy who bounced from team to team during the early 2000's. Realistically, he hasn't had that sharp control he usually carries out there, and that's his chief weapon. But I think we're all agreed that unless they make a trade, he's it. For better or worse.

In the "isn't that funny" category, there was a huge amount of discussion about obtaining Otsuka. So of course the guy goes out there last night and implodes. :-)

Interesting about the homer drop. Could be just coincidence, or could be that they've all concentrated so much on being better hitters that they've done just that, become hitters and not sluggers. Inge is a case in point: his average has risen to acceptable levels now, but few long balls. Maggs appears to take one shot per AB at a long one, then takes the hitter approach, which is pretty smart. I think I prefer the hitters myself. You can't argue with the production, that's for sure.

BTW, I want to commend Monroe for finally getting that darned sac fly last night. He has struggled in that regard.

Postponed till Sept 11 day night double header.
Why--There is a day off on Sept 13. Why not schedule it then?

Dan although we have an off day, Texas has a game in Oakland on the 13th. I was wondering to so I checked.

They're lucky Texas is even returning to Detroit. A lot of teams only visit once.

I've been hearing a lot of negative sounding comments from players, announcers, managers, and other MLB related people who don't sound too happy with interleague play. Think there will ever be a day when it's eliminated? Perhaps after Selig is gone?

Thanks GK. Duh! Sometimes I amaze myself with my brain density.

Wonder if DD and Jon Daniels spent anytime together on the phone?

I personally think that there are several Tigers that are available, so to speak. Monroe, Thames (Raburn and Maybin are not far behind), Grilli, and possibly Nate. Hessman is hitting for major power in Toledo and might be attractive to someone as well. Shelton's value has diminished but I'm sure he still has a few GM's out there that like him.

The reason I bring this up is that I think Leyland has his bullpen on a short leash. He does not want to see crucial victories show up as defeats in the standings. He needs bulls in that pen and not wait for the cows to come home.

August may be too late.

Cleveland has problems in the pen as well and if there is anybody out there that can shore up a bullpen Cleveland has a vested interest in keeping us from getting him ahead of us. If something does develop on the hot stove they will have to take advantage of it quickly.

Ryan Raburn, Mike Hessman and Timo Perez all made the International League All Star team. Congratulations to them.

Perez has been an excellent fielder this year, has shown some power and does not strike out much. He's been around awhile so one has to wonder if he will ever get another shot. Raburn is ready right now. He's just 26 and is pretty versatile. Even still a few bases for you.

Hessman has a whack of HRs and RBIs and hasn't turned 30 yet. Jack Hanahan has been hot lately too.

I'll talk some trades with you, Dan. I'm afraid some of our guys aren't looking as attractive as they were earlier, however......I'll put up Monroe because we have guys in the minors that can match his contributions. Thames has actually made himself more valuable by learning firstbase. Of the pitchers, I'd put up Grilli and Rodney, keep Seay for the LH specialist, thus freeing up Byrdak to move. I don't think trading Nate would be a good idea, especially after the Maroth giveaway. Did you have a replacement starter in mind, or are you thinking of obtaining one in trade? Anyway, these are some guys I could move, but I don't know what we'd get in return for them. Oh, and I forgot to include Jones if we acquired a closer. I wonder, could Jones perform in any other capacity but closer?

I saw in today's washed out lineup that Thames was hitting second while Perez replaced Polanco. Marcus was in LF, too. Interesting after that botched liner by Monroe last night. I continue to dislike the power guy in the two hole, but I don't know who else you plug in there if Polly's not playing.

Leyland was angry last night! I stuck around for the postgame show but he never made an appearance during it. I was expecting something similar to what he said. Well, he's within his rights. Texas is playing much better right now but there's no point in just handing them a game.

Maybe the Tigers should stay in a Detroit hotel when they're at home. :-)

"It's a long season" has never been truer than right now, as we stand to move back into first place with the rainout.

I figure it will take a starter (Nate) and Jones in order to get an Oksuta, Gagne or equivaalent closer.
They have to do something. They just can't keep shuffling Mud Hens in and reintroducing guys from the DL and hope for the best. It's not working and it is kept this club from running away with the division IMO. Wit the starters, the hitting and a mediocre bullpen, we'd be way out in front. It's not just Jones - the whole bullpen is poor pretty much from top to bottom.

They have blown 13 saves this year already. 5th worst among 30 teams. By contrast Cleveland has 5 and Minnesota 4. The pen is 9-14 with the 3rd worst ERA in baseball. They are 2nd worst in runs allowed. Rodney and Jones have lost 9 games between them.

Monroe is expendable with Raburn sure to be a Tiger next year, and (hold your hats) maybe Maybin too.

As far as replacing Nate--I figure that job would fall to Durbin at least for this year.

I don't want to see Nate go but realistcially, other clubs will see him as having value and really wouldn't be too interrested in anybody else that isn't an untouchable.

If Monroe were to be traded I think it would be wise to hang on to Thames.

I would not be surprised to see a trade with Texas.

"Three Mud Hens to Start in Triple-A All-Star GameToledo

-- The Toledo Mud Hens are proud to announce that they will be sending three players to the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 11 in Albuquerque, N.M.

The following three players will start for the International League All-Stars:

• 3B Mike Hessman

• OF Ryan Raburn

• OF Timo Perez

The trio was selected by league managers, league general managers, media members and fans. The International League All-Star representatives will take on the Pacific Coast League All-Star at Isotopes Park, home of the Albuquerque Isotopes. The Isotopes are the Triple-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins.

Hessman has had a sensational season thus far, leading the IL in home runs (23), RBI (75) and extra-base hits (45). The 29-year-old is batting .268 in 76 games with the Hens with 51 runs, 21 doubles and 36 walks. Hessman is in his twelfth professional baseball season, his third with the Hens. This is Hessman’s first trip to the All-Star game.

Raburn is also among IL leaders this season. In 77 games with the Hens, the 25-year-old is batting .302 with 21 doubles, three triples and 49 walks. Raburn is third in the IL in home runs (15), second in RBI (59), tied for second in hits (86), third in extra-base hits (39), and first in runs scored (55). Raburn is in his seventh professional baseball season, his third with Toledo. This will be Raburn’s second trip to the All-Star game. He participated in last year’s game at Fifth Third Field.

Perez has had a solid season for the Hens. The 32-year-old is leading the IL in hits (92), doubles (27) and is fourth in the IL with extra-base hits (36) and second in runs scored (52). This is Perez’s thirteenth professional baseball season, his first with the Mud Hens. This is Perez’s first trip to the All-Star game."