Three Main Reasons The Tigers Can't Shake Their Losing Ways

By: Pat Caputo

1. The Tigers lack of basic fundamental play lately is disturbing. Their pitchers don't hold base runners well at all, they haven't been able to turn routine double plays regularly and they have this propensity to allow the other team to take extra bases on batted balls. The Tigers aren't good enough to give outs and runs away. No club is.
2. Many of the Tigers' top players, who performed so well in 2011, have had trouble repeating their performance in 2012.
3. This is meant to be more a reason than an excuse; the Tigers have had a rash of injuries. Alex Avila and Austin Jackson are out. Not only do they man premier positions (catcher and center field), but are the Tigers' best regular players defensively. Andy Dirks is also out, and he has had a very good season so far.