Tag: Austin Jackson

Detroit’s Austin Jackson Continues To Play Amazing Defense

If you are going to play center field in the very spacious Comerica Park, you better be able to cover some ground. Detroit Tigers’ CF Austin Jackson has been covering ground all year and has been playing spectacular defense.

Over the last two games, Jackson has taken his defense to another level.

 

I wish I could share with you the two catches Jackson has made over the last two games, but Major League Baseball doesn’t allow their fans to share videos promoting their product.

Jackson made a catch in the ninth inning of the Armando Galarraga/Jim Joyce game that was Willie Mays-eque. He covered so much ground to his right on that play it was jaw dropping.

Then he was at it again yesterday in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians. Jackson tracked down a drive by Luis Valbuena, but this time to his left.

For those following Jackson all year, these catches and this high level of defense is nothing new. In a short period of time, Jackson has already established himself as one of the better defensive center fielders in the game.

Jackson has only made one error so far this season and currently ranks sixth amongst all center fielders with a 4.1 UZR. His defense in center has been better so far than defensive standouts like Torii Hunter and Adam Jones.

While Jackson’s .341 average will probably garner most of the headlines, it’s his defense which might win him the AL Rookie of the Year award.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Breaking News: Bud Selig Will Not Reverse Blown Perfect Game Call

In a fairly unsurprising move, Bud Selig has announced that he will not in fact reverse the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce that cost Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. 

Selig did say “that Major League Baseball will look at expanded replay and umpiring”. This is an improvement over the current system in place, but it doesn’t change the fact that a young pitcher has been robbed of baseball immortality. 

We have been spoiled with three perfect games over the past year and two in the last month. The recent successes of Mark Buerhle, Dallas Braden, and Roy Halladay might make the rarity of a  Perfect Game a little less legendary than we once thought.

We can often forget that there was a 34 year gap between perfect games at one point and the last perfect game before Buerhle’s gem, was back in 2004, thrown by Randy Johnson. 

Some of us could be old men before we see another piece of perfection.

Is that a reason to reverse the call? No, but it puts into perspective the magnitude of Galarraga’s accomplisment.

Or Joyce’s blunder. 

I didn’t expect Selig to reverse the call. The man is a spineless commissioner who makes far too much money. The man’s legacy will largely be made up of things he didn’t do, rather than his own accomplishments. 

Selig largely did nothing to punish the players who juiced up to win World Series, earned fat paychecks, and stole our love and loyalty, which was then spoiled due to events such as the BALCO scandal and the Mitchell report. 

I don’t expect Selig to be as bold as to reinstate Pete Rose, but for God’s sake, do something to earn your $18 million a year. 

None of us are really ready to call this the worst call of all time, but it very well may be. The perfect game is one of baseball’s elite accomplishments and Galarraga was denied his place in history by an admitted botched call. 

Overturned calls are rare and don’t really happen that often.

Perfect games are also rare.

There has never been precedent for a situation like this, which is precisely why Selig should step in and and reverse this mistake. 

With great power comes great responsibility.

Bud Selig has the power to do the right thing.

He just doesn’t really seem to care.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Ken Griffey Jr’s Retirement Gets Trumped by Jim Joyce, Armando Galarraga

Last night, as I was sitting at home, I saw the news come across that Ken Griffey Jr., one of the best players in the game, at least in this era, had retired.

I remembered watching his first years in Seattle and being so awestruck by not only his effortless left-handed swing but also by the speed he had in the outfield. He made highlight reel play after highlight reel play that will continue to be watched by the next generation of fans.

Not only that, but he survived the steroid era and proved that a player can be great without using illegal supplements to do it.

His 22 seasons, 630 career home runs, 11 Gold Gloves and 13 All-Star appearances are evidence enough for what kind of player Griffey was. His numbers spoke to the kind of athlete he was on the field, but the way he went out last night spoke to the kind of person he was off the field.

Instead of going out complaining about his lack of playing time or making excuses for the kinds of numbers he was putting up this season, he told the media in a prepared statement that he didn’t want to be a distraction to his teammates. He said that he had told the Mariners, prior to them signing him this season, that he didn’t want to become a bigger story than the team.

So, with that said, Griffey decided that enough was enough and said good-bye to the game that he had dominated for so long. The unfortunate thing for Griffey is that his constant injuries may have kept him out of the 700 home run club and prevented him from putting up bigger career numbers in other categories.

Griffey rode off into the sunset as the top news story in sports last night. It was supposed to be his night. Fans and the media would talk about and celebrate his career, talk about his Hall of Fame potential and just when that phone call might come.

A few hours later, however, another news story made Ken Griffey Jr’.s retirement back page news.

In Detroit young pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going against the Cleveland Indians. A perfect game saved in the ninth inning thanks to a spectacular catch by outfielder Austin Jackson, a catch that would have made Willie Mays stand up and cheer.

So, with two outs in the ninth inning, Galarraga got Indians’ shortstop Jason Donald to ground just to the right of first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera fielded it perfectly and flipped it to the covering Galarraga, who beat Donald to the bag.

It should have been a perfect game; it should have been a historic night for the 28-year-old right-hander. Instead, umpire Jim Joyce saw it differently and called Donald safe at first, sending the Detroit fans and players alike into a frenzy.

Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland, along with Galarraga’s teammates, attempted to argue their case to Joyce but to no avail. The call would stand.

After the game, Galarraga tried to answer questions, but he was unquestionably upset about being robbed. Who wouldn’t be?

Even Jason Donald, when asked after the game, told reporters , “I didn’t know if I beat the throw or not. But given the circumstances, I thought for sure I’d be called out.”

Saying all that, most umpires would try to defend themselves and say they got the call right because they don’t want to admit to being wrong. Joe West, are you listening?

But Jim Joyce showed a lot of class by doing exactly the opposite. In fact, he owned up to being wrong while answering questions after the game.

“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the (stuff) out of it,” Joyce told reporters after the game . “I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.”

Joyce continued and said he didn’t blame the Tigers one bit for how they felt. “I don’t blame them a bit for anything that was said. I would’ve said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would’ve been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me.”

In fact, Joyce took it one step further and sought out Galarraga after he spoke with the media.  He gave the young pitcher a hug, admitted to being wrong, and asked for forgiveness.

“You don’t see an umpire after the game come out and say, `Hey, let me tell you I’m sorry,”’ Galarraga said after talking with Joyce . “He felt really bad. He didn’t even shower.”

That’s a real show of class by an umpire who got the call wrong and changed what could have been one of the highest highs for Armando Galarraga into a “what could have been” kind of night.

Still, I give Joyce a lot of credit for owning up as well as for apologizing to Galarraga personally. It’s not often you see an umpire go to those lengths after a blown call like that.

So, a night that started with the celebration of a great player’s career ended with controversy and anger at an umpire.

The one question that will be burning up the airwaves today, especially in Detroit, is whether there is a need for more instant replay in baseball. Though home runs can be reviewed, that’s as far as the rule goes.

Baseball is already looked at as one of the longest sports out there. Adding more instant replay will only further that opinion, regardless of how much it’s needed.

I think of it this way. How often would instant replay really be used? Does baseball know when to stop? Instant replay could have given young Galarraga a perfect game last night, but what if this one hit had led to an Indians come-from-behind victory? In that instant, do you really take a win away and change the course of one team’s season?

This debate is going to be a hot button topic for a long time to come until either baseball adopts full instant replay or comes to an agreement that it can only be used in situations like this.

Either way, situations like this will continue to rear their ugly head.

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Is It Too Early To Call The Detroit Tigers One Of MLB’s Best Teams?

The Detroit Tigers are fresh off two wins in M.C. Hammer’s old stomping grounds—Oakland, Cal.

Justin Verlander was dominant Wednesday night against the Athletics, and Miguel Cabrera, who bats .349 against the A.L. West, broke his 0-11 slump with a round tripper Thursday.

So far so good.

Detroit (24-17) finds itself in familiar territory—battling with Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins for top billing in the American League Central.

Tiger fans have seen this before, and then waited for the walls to come crashing down.

But is this year different? Is it too early to get excited about contention?

With the way that rookies Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch have been playing lately, it’s within reason to say that Jim Leyland’s club has two legitimate A.L. Rookie of the Year candidates.

Yes, it’s early.

But it’s hard to deny the pair.

Especially Jackson. He’s amongst the league leaders in hits, and is nearly automatic when it comes to getting on base.

And he has the “hustle” quality, unlike a Florida Marlin that has been in the news recently.

Boesch, well, he has to work on his glove above all. He has committed three errors in 17 games, and that has the potential to overshadow his prominence at the plate.

Verlander, Cabrera and Jose Valverde are in the top-five in vital categories that pertain to their respective positions.

Cabrera is tops in Major League baseball with 38 RBIs, and fifth in the A.L. with a .340 batting average.

Verlander is second in the league in wins with five.

Valverde, the animated “Papa Grande” himself, has 11 saves, which is good enough for fourth best in the majors.

Hot players. Hot stats. Hot team?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

We’re just over 40 games into the 162-game season, but it’s not too early to pile the Tigers in the league’s elite category.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


The 10 Things We’ve Learned From the Detroit Tigers’ Offseason Thus Far

The Tigers have played 39 games in the 2010 season. They recently shook up their roster in a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. Struggling SP Max Scherzer and 2B Scott Sizemore were shipped off to exile in the minors. The pair have given fans ample opportunity to scratch their heads and wonder about some of the offseason moves the Tigers made.

Well, I figure 39 games is enough of a sample to evaluate and second guess everything the front office did over the winter. Let’s see what David Dombrowski got right for this season, potentially for the future, and what he perhaps bombed out on.

Begin Slideshow


Casper Wells Slated to Be Called Up

The Hammer Toss has returned from an extended absence borne of computer-less-ness. No time to waste, let’s churn up the Detroit baseball scene.

It has been leaked via Twitter that outfielder Casper Wells is slated to be promoted to Detroit from the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. 

No official announcement was made Thursday, but expect it to be made prior to Friday’s series opener against Boston.

Wells is regarded as one of the top prospects in the Tigers’ organization. He stuck in major league camp during spring training, in the running for a spot on the opening day roster. 

Wells did not fail to impress in spring camp, either, hitting .385. Had Johnny Damon not been signed, he may have been the opening day left fielder. 

Alas, Wells was assigned to Toledo to begin the season. He has struggled at Toledo, hitting only .203. He has 5 HR and 12 runs driven in, but 37 Ks to only 24 hits. However, he appears to be set to join the Tigers for a weekend series against the Red Sox. 

So why Wells? If he has not been performing at Toledo, why bring him up?

A few reasons exist, actually. 

Foremost, the need for an additional position player since the need for an extra pitcher has (somewhat) expired. 

With Dontrelle Willis missing Monday’s start, Brad Thomas was forced into a spot start of three excruciatingly inefficient innings. Eddie Bonine was left to pick up the pieces. Coupled together with a doubleheader on Wednesday, the bullpen was taxed.

Alfredo Figaro was summoned from Toledo as reinforcement, at the cost of Ryan Raburn. The need for a 13th pitcher has passed, but MLB rules cite that Raburn cannot be recalled from Toledo until 10 days after he has been sent down. Ergo, it has to be someone else.

Undoubtedly, Detroit manager Jim Leyland wants to get a look at Wells in a few regular season games.

Wells is also getting the nod because he bats right-handed. The other bench options in Detroit are two lefties and a switch hitter (Don Kelly, Alex Avila, Ramon Santiago).

Finally, his call-up will probably be short lived anyway. Because of the doubleheader, Willis is getting moved up to starting Saturday. This leaves a hole in the rotation for Sunday’s finale against the Red Sox. 

Presumably Wells will be sent back down in place of Sunday’s spot starter. My best guess is Armando Galarraga. 

However, we have now entered the section of the story where The Hammer Toss takes a right turn for a wild speculation.

What if Wells’s promotion is permanent? 

Could the Tigers be preparing to sever ties to oft-injured “slugger” Carlos Guillen? It is possible. After all, a year ago the Tigers ate almost $14 million to send Gary Sheffield packing. Perhaps the front office has tired of his inability to stay on the field and contribute. All he contributes now are medical bills while collecting a high salary. Sound familiar, Dean Palmer?

Part of the future of the Tiger outfield has already become the present, in the body of Austin Jackson. Are the Tigers ready to take the next step?

This whole crazy notion was borne from the calendar date. 

By waiting more than 20 days into the season to promote Wells, the Tigers could then keep him on the major league roster the rest of the season without him accruing a year of major league service time. 

Therefore, he would still have to play another three seasons before becoming eligible for salary arbitration. This simple delay can save a club millions of dollars in first time salary arbitration. However, there is one caveat that goes with it; the Super 2 rule. 

The top 17 percent of second year players are awarded a third year of service time and become eligible for salary arbitration. 

While not exact, it has been determined over the years that keeping a player in the minors until around May 15-20 will prevent him from achieving top 17 percent status, thus circumventing the Super 2 rule and saving the club millions of dollars in arbitration.

This is why Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals is not on the major league roster right now, and probably will not get called up until around June 1.

Could the Tigers be doing the same thing with Wells? It is a possibility that has to be taken into account. The Tigers already know they are going to pay good money to Jackson after the 2011 season. He’ll achieve Super 2 status. 

Why not wait for Wells, and do some house cleaning at the same time?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Austin Jackson on a Fast Track to Rookie of the Year…or Is He?

Let me preface this by saying that I am not Nostradamus. I cannot predict the future and will never claim to be able to.

Now that we have that out of the way I can tell you that Austin Jackson will not win Rookie of the Year.

So far in 2010, Jackson has put together a very impressive resume. In 30 games, he has scored 26 runs and stolen six bases while sporting a fancy triple-slash line of .371/.420/.508. Not too bad considering he is currently head and shoulders above any rookie in the American League right now.

So why am I so against Jackson for the rest of 2010?

Well, his .511 BABIP is 103 points higher than the second place hitter. Historically, there have been 17 players that have recorded a BABIP of .400 or better since 1913 and a vast majority of them are either in the Hall of Fame or very close to it.

The reason for Jackson’s high BABIP  is of course his ridiculously high line-drive percentage (39.1), which is seven points higher than the second place Joe Mauer ’s (32.1).

FanGraphs.com only has data for LD percentage as far back as 2002, so I took a look at the league leaders in every season and here is what I came up with:

Jason Bartlett 26 percent (2009), Andre Ethier 26.6 percent (2008), Michael Young 27.2 percent (2007), Freddy Sanchez 27.5 percent (2006), Placido Polanco 28.2 percent (2005), Michael Young 25.2 percent (2004), Mark Loretta 30.7 percent (2003) and Todd Helton 29 percent (2002).

You will notice that the highest number recorded since 2002 was 30.7, which is significantly lower than Jackson’s mark this season. You can imagine that once he starts hitting fewer line drives his batting average will fall back down to earth. He currently is hitting .778 on line drives (not too abnormal) and a very high .429 on grounders.

All of these numbers point to a second-half slump because once the numbers start regressing towards the mean (and they always do) he will struggle mightily to get on base. He currently sports a 7.7 percent BB percentage and 28.0 percent K percentage and I would not be shocked if he ended up hitting under .300 for the season when it is all said and done.

Other rookies that will challenge Jackson for 2010 Rookie of the Year are Justin Smoak , Carlos Santana , Brett Wallace , Brian Matusz , and Wade Davis .

Who do you think will win the award?

For the original article and more up-to-date fantasy news and analysis visit us at Baseball Professor and follow us @BaseballProf .

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress