Baseball Guru
02-06-2002, 11:04 AM
Halter, Young take over full-time; Easley a Gold Glove candidate
DETROIT -- first thing you'll notice about the Tigers' infield this season is what you won't notice.
Rather, those you won't notice.
Tony Clark, who played first base more than any other Tiger the last six years, is gone. He'll be playing for the Boston Red Sox. Dmitri Young is the Tigers' new first baseman.
Deivi Cruz, the Tigers' starting shortstop the last five years, also is gone. He'll be playing for the San Diego Padres.
Jose Macias, who started the most games for the Tigers at third base last year, will be starting in center. Shane Halter, who started the second most games at third base, also won't be back at third. But you won't have to look far for him. As matters stand, Halter will be the Tigers' starting shortstop.
Newcomer Craig Paquette will be at third if Dean Palmer can't start the season there, but even if Palmer lives up to his own expectations and returns to this old position for the entire season, it's not as if he's been a familiar sight with a glove recently.
Slow to recover from shoulder surgery, Palmer didn't start a single game at third base last year. In addition to Macias and Halter, the Tigers started Cruz for seven games and Jarrod Patterson for 12 games, but Palmer hasn't been able to play third base for well over a year. There are those who wondered if he'd ever be a third baseman again.
Palmer wasn't one of the doubters, though. Through his entire ordeal, his plan was to reclaim his position.
There is one constant in the Tigers' infield, however, and that's Damion Easley at second base.
Acquired in 1996 from the Angels for Greg Gohr, the addition of Easley for an underachieving pitcher who soon retired, still ranks as the best trade Randy Smith has made as general manger of the Tigers.
Easley hasn't been a Gold Glove second baseman for the Tigers, but this could be his year.
"With (Roberto) Alomar out of the American League," said Smith, "I don't see anyone blocking his way."
Easley's not coming off his best year, however. He made six errors two years ago, but 14 last year. At the plate, his batting average dropped to .250, his low as a Tiger.
It was a season of definite ups and downs for Easley. On the up side was the cycle he hit for on June 8 against Milwaukee, just the second cycle by a Tiger since 1950. And on Aug. 8, Easley became the first Tiger since Ty Cobb in 1925 to get six hits in a nine-inning game.
Toss in an inside-the-park home run he hit May 11 against Anaheim, and there were plenty of offensive accomplishments.
But on the down side, there was the .217 he hit after the All-Star break, the .191 he hit in July and the .236 he hit against left-handers after previously being a .268 career hitter against lefties.
Easley was an All-Star in 1998 when he hit 27 home runs with 100 RBI, but his numbers have leveled off since. He's averaged 15 home runs with 63 RBI the last three years.
Is that what the Tigers can expect from him again?
"I wouldn't be surprised if we see Damion improve on those numbers," said Smith. "We have to get him back to using the entire field, especially at Comerica Park. I think Merv (the Tigers' new hitting coach Merv Rettenmund) will be good for him. He can be a very positive influence."
It should be encouraging that Young didn't make an error at first for the Reds last year. Granted, he played in only 38 games at first, 17 of them starts, but he handled all 238 chances flawlessly.
"Dmitri's a big man, but he can play a number of positions, and he prides himself on playing them well," said Smith.
Young struggled at third base last year. He started 33 games at third and had just an .890 fielding average, but it's doubtful he'll have to play any third this season.
"First base is the spot I like best," he said.
Halter feels the same way about shortstop. The Tigers have used the handy Halter everywhere in his two years with the team, but this is the first time in his career that he's headed into the season as a major-league starter.
"I think he'll do fine," said Smith. "He has better range than Deivi did and there's no question he has a strong arm."
If numbers are any indication, Halter will be a slight improvement over Cruz: He had a .967 fielding average at short last year compared to Cruz's .964.
As for the Tigers' depth, there's plenty at first base, but not so much elsewhere if Macias remains the starting center fielder. That's one of the reasons the Tigers wanted so badly to sign Kenny Lofton: Macias then would have been freed to provide the same kind of infield depth he did last year.
Where the Tigers are particularly thin is at short. If Halter struggles or gets hurt, and if the Tigers are reluctant to hurry Omar Infante, one of their top prospects, to the majors, then they'll be scrambling for a backup shortstop.
In the past, it was Halter. In fact, he was so versatile in the past that the Tigers are going to miss him in that role. That's understandable: Halter replaces Cruz, but who replaces Halter?
It's one of the questions the Tigers will try to answer in spring training.
DETROIT -- first thing you'll notice about the Tigers' infield this season is what you won't notice.
Rather, those you won't notice.
Tony Clark, who played first base more than any other Tiger the last six years, is gone. He'll be playing for the Boston Red Sox. Dmitri Young is the Tigers' new first baseman.
Deivi Cruz, the Tigers' starting shortstop the last five years, also is gone. He'll be playing for the San Diego Padres.
Jose Macias, who started the most games for the Tigers at third base last year, will be starting in center. Shane Halter, who started the second most games at third base, also won't be back at third. But you won't have to look far for him. As matters stand, Halter will be the Tigers' starting shortstop.
Newcomer Craig Paquette will be at third if Dean Palmer can't start the season there, but even if Palmer lives up to his own expectations and returns to this old position for the entire season, it's not as if he's been a familiar sight with a glove recently.
Slow to recover from shoulder surgery, Palmer didn't start a single game at third base last year. In addition to Macias and Halter, the Tigers started Cruz for seven games and Jarrod Patterson for 12 games, but Palmer hasn't been able to play third base for well over a year. There are those who wondered if he'd ever be a third baseman again.
Palmer wasn't one of the doubters, though. Through his entire ordeal, his plan was to reclaim his position.
There is one constant in the Tigers' infield, however, and that's Damion Easley at second base.
Acquired in 1996 from the Angels for Greg Gohr, the addition of Easley for an underachieving pitcher who soon retired, still ranks as the best trade Randy Smith has made as general manger of the Tigers.
Easley hasn't been a Gold Glove second baseman for the Tigers, but this could be his year.
"With (Roberto) Alomar out of the American League," said Smith, "I don't see anyone blocking his way."
Easley's not coming off his best year, however. He made six errors two years ago, but 14 last year. At the plate, his batting average dropped to .250, his low as a Tiger.
It was a season of definite ups and downs for Easley. On the up side was the cycle he hit for on June 8 against Milwaukee, just the second cycle by a Tiger since 1950. And on Aug. 8, Easley became the first Tiger since Ty Cobb in 1925 to get six hits in a nine-inning game.
Toss in an inside-the-park home run he hit May 11 against Anaheim, and there were plenty of offensive accomplishments.
But on the down side, there was the .217 he hit after the All-Star break, the .191 he hit in July and the .236 he hit against left-handers after previously being a .268 career hitter against lefties.
Easley was an All-Star in 1998 when he hit 27 home runs with 100 RBI, but his numbers have leveled off since. He's averaged 15 home runs with 63 RBI the last three years.
Is that what the Tigers can expect from him again?
"I wouldn't be surprised if we see Damion improve on those numbers," said Smith. "We have to get him back to using the entire field, especially at Comerica Park. I think Merv (the Tigers' new hitting coach Merv Rettenmund) will be good for him. He can be a very positive influence."
It should be encouraging that Young didn't make an error at first for the Reds last year. Granted, he played in only 38 games at first, 17 of them starts, but he handled all 238 chances flawlessly.
"Dmitri's a big man, but he can play a number of positions, and he prides himself on playing them well," said Smith.
Young struggled at third base last year. He started 33 games at third and had just an .890 fielding average, but it's doubtful he'll have to play any third this season.
"First base is the spot I like best," he said.
Halter feels the same way about shortstop. The Tigers have used the handy Halter everywhere in his two years with the team, but this is the first time in his career that he's headed into the season as a major-league starter.
"I think he'll do fine," said Smith. "He has better range than Deivi did and there's no question he has a strong arm."
If numbers are any indication, Halter will be a slight improvement over Cruz: He had a .967 fielding average at short last year compared to Cruz's .964.
As for the Tigers' depth, there's plenty at first base, but not so much elsewhere if Macias remains the starting center fielder. That's one of the reasons the Tigers wanted so badly to sign Kenny Lofton: Macias then would have been freed to provide the same kind of infield depth he did last year.
Where the Tigers are particularly thin is at short. If Halter struggles or gets hurt, and if the Tigers are reluctant to hurry Omar Infante, one of their top prospects, to the majors, then they'll be scrambling for a backup shortstop.
In the past, it was Halter. In fact, he was so versatile in the past that the Tigers are going to miss him in that role. That's understandable: Halter replaces Cruz, but who replaces Halter?
It's one of the questions the Tigers will try to answer in spring training.