Eric Thomas: Jim Leyland Defends The Defense

Jim Leyland was already defending the defense in his latest Lakeland, Florida media session. I suppose this is the dress rehearsal for what is sure to be the Broadway show come the regular season. Tigers fans look forward to the sight of Miguel Cabrera playing third base the same way they look forward to prostate exams. We know that it's absolutely necessary but it offers little comfort when we are gripping the paper on the table.

The skipper's defenses ranged from the economic, "We have a responsibility to Mr. Ilitch" to optimistic "I think we will catch what we are supposed to, and we will throw it accurately." But I highly doubt this is the antacid that many Tigers fans were hoping for. Leyland can offer whatever explanation he wants but most are completely unsure of this plan.

Even the most homer fan among us believe this is folly. Pollyanna viewpoints hope this whole silly exercise will vanish quickly. That more pessimistic fear that this will lead to divisiveness in the clubhouse. Say what you want about Alex Rodriguez but he moved to 3rd base when he arrived at the Yankees. Prince Fielder displaced arguably the best hitter in the game. Those mere scuffs can lead to yawning chasms in the shifting fault line of a major league baseball season.

Get used to Yankee comparisons this season because there is a train load of them on the way. The Tigers signed Prince Fielder for a long time and a whole lot of money. When listing the teams that casually spend, that list is now incomplete without the Detroit Tigers. This is not the 2006 team that featured "knock-around" veterans and promising youngsters. This is a team with a batting champion, future hall of famers, an MVP and now the shiny new big money free agent. There isn't just a lot of hope in that capital. There is also the pressure to win. Very few off season favorites actually make it to the promised land, but every time they don't people ask why.

It's too late to ask and the decision was completely unexpected, but I think we have to wonder if there was too much change here. You gotta love it when the question of "How are we going to replace V-Mart?" was answered in such authoritative thunder by Mike Ilitch. But when hearing the news most fans (me included) automatically assumed that Prince would accept a DH or outfield role and respect Cabby's seniority. I was stunned when I heard the words "third" and "base" in the presser. That had never occurred to me, and I openly chortled at fans who suggested it. Miggy was banished from 3rd because he was really bad at it, and the team in general struggled mightily as a result. So we are taking arguably the best hitter in the league and displacing him even though he is coming off a year where he would have been the MVP had JV not been a monster?

This means a lot of changes heading into the regular season so I understand if Jim Leyland wants to hit the open mike circuit to work out the kinks. When the majority of Tigers fans are simply hoping that the beginning of the season isn't going to be "too bad" the skipper probably smells trouble. Some of us are bracing for the worst while others are hoping for a spectacular fail quickly. I suppose there are some that think it's going to be successful and they are guessing just as much as the rest of us.
Many of us are just ready for baseball season to start. The last one was actually fun to watch. The Tigers were frustrating the first half of the season before reaching cruising altitude in the second half. Thatches of money was spent. Star players were displaced and injured players are healing. There is even a hoarse whisper that Victor Martinez could return in September.

At least it's going to be exciting.