We’re one game away from the All-Star Game Break but delivering a mid-season “Report Card” on the Detroit Tigers is okay in my book. Hey, our Tigers are 90 games into the 162-game season as they prepare to complete a 4-game sweep in Kansas City over the Royals today.at 2:10 pm.
I’ve never figured out why the All-Star Game isn’t at the 81-game mark, but here’s my 90-game “Report Card” on the Tigers:
Team Chemistry: A+ … These Tigers have fun when they’re winning. Some of the celebrations have been epic. My favorite was Migel Cabrera greeting Rajai Davis between third base and home plate for a high 5 after Rajai belted the game-winning, walk-off grand slam homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Oakland A’s, who had the best record in baseball at the time.
Manager: A … The great job done by Brad Ausmus is a surprise to me. Let me assure everyone that I was bent on being critical of this rookie after being so hard on so many questionable decisions by Jim Leyland. Ausmus is a Dartmouth grad with the kind of brains managers should be required to possess before applying to run a big league club. Hiring this former Gold Glove catcher may be the best move Dave Dombroski has ever made.
General Manager: A+ … Dave Dombroski’s best move was hiring Brad Ausmus as manager but he gets rave reviews for bringing in Joe Nathan as the closer and trading to get Ian Kinsler at second base. Dumping Prince Fielder became more brilliant when he went down for the season with an injury as Kinsler who has put up All-Star numbers for the Tigers along with Gold Glove style defensive work.
First Base: A+ … Migel Cabrera may be the best hitter in the history of the game. If you don’t agree with that assessment, you must at least classify him near the top of baseball’s all-time class of hitting greats with the likes of names such as Ty Cobb, Pete Rose and Ted Williams. Cabrera isn’t quite at his Triple Crown pace, but his big numbers are staggering. He’s hitting a .309 clip with 14 home runs and 34 doubles. Cabrera has 74 RBI for first place in the American League with Nelson Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles.
Second base: A … Ian Kinsler is a big league ballplayer who demonstrates skill on the defensive side, along with consistent offensive contributions. Kinsler is hitting at a .307 clip with 26 doubles and 51 RBI. He has also swiped 10 bases Kinsler has crossed home plate 64 times, which is second-best in the American League.
Shortstop: D … Don’t be misled by the overall grade at mid-season because newcomer Eugenio Suarez has solved the problem at shortstop for the Tigers. The rookie who started the season in Double A ball has been steady in the field and at the plate. He burst on the scene with 3 home runs in his first week,and he checks in with a respectable .274 batting average despite not being counted on to contribute much offensively. Opening day hero Alex Gonzalez was a failure in the field, Danny Worth is a minor league guy and current back-up guy Andrew Romine’s .217 batting average is combined with a so-so rating in the field. Suarez made the play of the game a few nights ago in Kansas City with a defensive gem that may be one of the team’s best of the season, resembling the kind of defense at shortstop we were expecting to see from defensive wizzard Jose Iglesias who was hurt in spring training and likely won’t return all season.
Third Base: C … Nick Castellanos has been a decent addition at the hot corner, but he’s no superstar. He’s hitting .266 with 20 doubles and 34 RBI. His defense has been brilliant at times but he’s far from a Gold Glover. A strong arm overcomes what seems to be a lack of range though for this solid every day guy who was a big unknown during spring training.
Catcher: D … Alex Avila is strong behind the plate but his slump has extended beyond what turned out to be most of last season when coming off an all-star year as a rookie. Alex has been hot lately to get his average up to the .230 mark. I believe in him though, and expect him to blossom into a near .300 average guy with 20 home runs and 100 RBI every season. Let’s just hope the Tigers don’t give up on him, which isn’t likely to happen with his dad as a member of Dombroski’s front office team.
Outfielders: A … Andy Dirks has begun rehab in the minor leagues, but this year’s outfielders are so good that there’s not room to fit him into the lineup. That’s because newcomer JD Martinez is red hot with a .team-high 337 average in 54 games. He has belted 21 home runs and knocked in 54 runs while winning a full-time job. Manager Brad Ausmus can’t skip his name when filling out the lineup card every night. That reality has lit a fire under centerfielder Austin Jackson, who continues to shine on the defensive side while a hot bat of late has rallied his batting average to .253 with 20 doubles. Torii Hunter is a former Gold Glove centerfielder with the Minnesota Twins who is sparkling in rightfield and should have been invited to the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. Hunter’s batting average is .275 and he has driven in 54 runs as a solid offensive contributor, along with his stellar defense. Rajai Davis has been strong in leftfield but isn’t exactly Gold Glove quality, but who cares because of the excitement he brings to the offense. His 24 stolen bases is best in the American League and his .287 average is a pleasant surprise. Davis has turned in some clutch plays in the field, along with some clutch hitting — including the walk-off, game-winning grand slam to beat the A’s 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning in my favorite night at Comerica Park during the first half of the season.
DH: A … Victor Martinez is a picture of consistency while swinging from both sides of the plate. He has been hitting home runs like never before during his career with 21 of them. He also counts 55 RBI and V-Mart has smacked 19 doubles, too. He made the All-Star Game again this season, although an ailing back will cause him to skip the appearance. He has had a week of rest, and an extra couple days to relax during the All-Star break will hopefully get him back into the swing of things to occupy the clean-up spot in baseball’s best offensive lineup.
Bench: A … JD Martinez is the biggest reason for the high marks here, along with back-up catcher Bruce Holiday. Martinez has won a full-time job with his red-hot hitting since being called up from Detroit’s Triple A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens. Holiday is hitting a .278 clip in his part-time role and he’s proving to be one of the best bunters in baseball. Dan Kelly’s versatility is also key with an ability to play so many positions.
Starting Pitchers: A …
Morning Blog for The Morning Gazette Radio Show 
