Willis line - 5 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 7 walks, 0 K's on 89 pitches (46 strikes).

 

You knew those walks were going to come back to bite him. He got away with 5 of them until the 6th when Thome made them hurt.

 

By the way, those 7 walks a career high for him.

Did he come out of the game with an injury? They mentioned something about an injury or something on FOX.

So both of them are already being hunted with injuries today, our DL list would had look as bad as last year if they stayed here.

Did he come out of the game with an injury? They mentioned something about an injury or something on FOX.

 

I think it was the fourth inning when the trainer and everybody came out to look at him. He stayed in the game so he either convinced them he was fine or it wasn't anything serious. The reason he got pulled in the sixth was because of the way he was pitching, not because of injury.

And for the record he left the game with the Detroit up 3-1 and the reliever inherited his runners on 1st and 2nd. He technically allowed 3 runs but just looking deep into the box score...

While I've been skeptic of his ability for awhile now, I must admit that he just joined a new, more offensively packed league.

While I've been skeptic of his ability for awhile now, I must admit that he just joined a new, more offensively packed league.

 

That doesn't account for his apparent inability to throw strikes. The fact of the matter is, Dontrelle's motion and mechanics have deteriorated for the last few years and lead to his inconsistency. He needs some serious work to recapture half of what he used to have.

I'm just going to repost what I posted in the other thread...

 

That was the luckiest I've ever seen someone pitch. D-Train pitched 5 sh*tty innings and managed to luck his way into not giving up a hit. He didn't strike out a single batter, every single batter just hit the ball to the wrong spot. He ended throwing more than 90 pitches, with 50% being balls. He walked SEVEN BATTERS!

Dontrelle is the perfect exemplar for all that is wrong with the Tigers.

 

Outside of Zoolander the starters just won't be consistent enough to compete with the division, much less the AL. (Cleveland's starters, anyone?). And as troubling as the starters are, that's the least of their worries. The bullpen is full of the usual suspects, a'la Cliffhanger Jones and China Syndrome Grilli. You got to be scared when hopes of bullpen improvement hinge upon Zumaya and Rodney, who appear to be made out of porcelain.

 

Plus, Dombrowski should of realized the minute he moved into his office in CoPa that outslugging people ain't gonna work in the AL, especially when you play half of your games in a cornfield.

 

2nd highest payroll in the league, and they aren't gonna finish in the same zip code as CLE, NYY or BOS, let alone sniff the playoffs.

it going take Dontrelle time to get use america league is not same as national league even miggy not as same when he was with florida

Dontrelle is the perfect exemplar for all that is wrong with the Tigers.

 

Outside of Zoolander the starters just won't be consistent enough to compete with the division, much less the AL. (Cleveland's starters, anyone?). And as troubling as the starters are, that's the least of their worries. The bullpen is full of the usual suspects, a'la Cliffhanger Jones and China Syndrome Grilli. You got to be scared when hopes of bullpen improvement hinge upon Zumaya and Rodney, who appear to be made out of porcelain.

 

Plus, Dombrowski should of realized the minute he moved into his office in CoPa that outslugging people ain't gonna work in the AL, especially when you play half of your games in a cornfield.

 

2nd highest payroll in the league, and they aren't gonna finish in the same zip code as CLE, NYY or BOS, let alone sniff the playoffs.

 

I agree that the Tigers need to figure alot of things out, but I'm not ready to write them off yet. Let's not forget that this is a lineup that has 4 guys who have been in batting races as recently as 07 (Cabrera, Renteria, Ordonez, Polanco) with one of them having won a title. If you take their averages from 07 they've combined to hit .335+ between the 4 of them. They got off to a rough start offensively but with a lineup like that, don't expect it to last long. When those bats come alive, its gonna be raining base hits.

 

This shouldn't be a team that has to outslugg people to win. With the kind of quality hitters they have its not like the're depending on the long ball to bail them out. They are veterans who can play small ball and hit with RISP.

 

The bullpen is probably their main weakness, its the reason they will have to battle for a playoff spot. After they got Cabrera and Willis it seemed like everyone was picking them to go to the WS. I don't doubt that they can do that, but alot of things will have to fall into place and the division won't be handed to them.

they'll still win games tho, the Yankees have had some of the worst pitchers in the past 2-3 years and that offense had carried them to the playoffs, I am no saying the Tigers will go to the post season, but the offense will return to what it should be and will stay competitive.

Amazing how Dontrelle has gone from being a Cy Young candidate to a hitting tee.

Dontrelle's release point is a mess right now. The 7 batters he walked in his 5+ innings last night are actually an improvement over how he performed in Spring Training. He needs to pull himself together, or else he will need to be sent to AAA to work out his mechanics.

 

I didn't like having Andrew Miller in the rotation because his control was total garbage, and at this point, Dontrelle looks worse.

 

Cabrera has looked like crap to start the season, too. He's been an automatic double play or pop out at the plate, and a statue on defense. With his track record, I think he'll turn it around, though.

it going take Dontrelle time to get use america league is not same as national league even miggy not as same when he was with florida

 

I expected D Train to get off to a good start in the AL, until the hitters figured out his motion. The NL had already done that. Basically, the book is just don't chase and you will walk or get something to smoke.

I am sure Willis will make a lot of money in his career by selling the idea he could revert to 05 form , I however think as a pitcher he is not nearly the money he has already commanded from the Tigers and will command once/if he becomes a free agent . At this stage I wonder if he is a 3rd starter on most teams. I dont base this opinion on this start butthe last two years Willis has pitched a like a middle of the road pitcher.

I am sure Willis will make a lot of money in his career by selling the idea he could revert to 05 form , I however think as a pitcher he is not nearly the money he has already commanded from the Tigers and will command once/if he becomes a free agent . At this stage I wonder if he is a 3rd starter on most teams. I dont base this opinion on this start butthe last two years Willis has pitched a like a middle of the road pitcher.

I'm not so sure Willis will make a lot of money in his career. I think he will, as a solid inning-eater 3rd or 4th lefty starter, but things could spiral out of control if he doesn't get his mechanics under control. He needs to make the transition from his herky-jerky youth to a more disciplined style, still with the ability to hide the ball. He needs to use his legs less as he gets older.

IMO, he will figure things out, and do fine. And I'd still like to have him on The Marlins to eat up 220 innings while allowing the young arms more time. I still believe that his inclusion in the trade was merely a salary dump. IMO Miggy would have commanded ALL the players we received. He's worth that and more. It's not everyday that a player under 25 who's already a perennial all-star and projects to be HOF gets traded.

In a very small sample size, Miller for Willis straight up is pure insanity. Miller has been the poster child of "needs to go back to the minors ASAP"