| Curtis A. Clark. 20th June, 2006 - 1:06 am
 Something spectacularly unspectacular is happening amid the surge of youthful developing talent in Detroit. While the focus of the Detroit Tigers success has been attributed deservingly to their manager Jim Leyland and their good young pitching staff, a few unassuming important players have gone unnoticed.
First and foremost among these deserving mentions is Kenny Rogers. Rogers is the cagy veteran who can be seen fielding his position to the tune of 4 gold gloves and keeping base running in check with the 2nd most pitcher pick offs in major league history. Rogers in Sundays (June 18th) matinee at Wrigley Field was seen diving head first off of the mound with a 6 run lead to grab a ground ball he knew was going to be played by his short stop. The 40 year old embattled major league veteran plays with the exuberance of a kid playing back yard baseball with his buddies.
Rogers has helped develop the parts of Detroit’s pitching staff that doesn’t focus on getting hitters out with power pitches. Rather Rogers has shown them how to induce the ground ball, paint the corner, and get in the hitters heads. In teaching them he has shown the young pitchers how to effectively hold runners on base with a solid pick off move, demonstrating how and when to use it to flip the pressure on the offensive team rather than the pressure a good base runner can put on a pitcher.
For example in Sundays matinee Rogers pitched over to first base 4 times in a row with the speedy Juan Pierre on, he then struck out the batter with his next pitch. The batter, waiting so long at the mound without action, swung right through Rogers next offer. Rogers used the presence of steal threat in Pierre to get the batter watching their cat and mouse rather than focusing on his at bat. These example and more are why Kenny Rogers is the best 40 year old free agent acquisition a team could ever ask for. He is teaching the Tigers 20 something aces lessons that it takes 15 years and 200 wins of MLB experience to learn.
Another key veteran has been back up catcher Vance Wilson. Wilson, possible the best back up in the majors, has had numerous big hits in Tigers rallies while batting close to .300 all year long. Wilson more importantly though has called great games behind the plate and spent time talking baseball with the young starters. Wilson only plays about once every 5 or 6 days, but he has managed to learn his arms well and scout every batter they face. Knowing he is playing behind future hall of famer Pudge Rodriguez leaves Wilson with a lot of time to teach, and he has taken advantage of that. Something that has benefited Tigers players more than even his solid on field performance
The Tigers have also been able to beat injuries due to solid depth.
Sluggers Dimitri Young and Craig Monroe have seen their bats replaced very well by Marcus Thames. Thames had to fight to make it to the majors, but now in his first real season full of regular playing time he has 14 home runs while batting .300 in only 150 at bats. Thames has DH’d effectively, played left field, and hit anywhere from 3rd to 8th in the order. In fact if Thames had close to the 250 at bats he would have from starting all season his number would be among the best in baseball.
Also overlooked has been Utility fielder Omar Infante. Infante has been a solid glove at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, SS, and OF in his years in Detroit. His bat has also been serviceable, no matter where he is plugged in the order he is a solid fast ball hitter. Infante allows Detroit the benefit of having one guy who can be play any position in the field at any time. With the injuries to two outfielders and the need to rest starters Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, and Brandon Inge Infante has racked up close to 100 at bats while player stellar defense.
Lastly would be the contribution of little known arm Zach Minor. Minor, just 24, came over in the Kyle Farnsworth trade last season with Roman Colon. Minor has replaced injured starter Mike Maroth in the Tiger’s dominant rotation. Not an easy task with the success of the Tigers staff, Maroth in particular. While Minor hasn’t been over powering he is 2 and 1 in his first three starts with an ERA of 2.65. He has really solidified a giant question mark for the Tigers moving forward. If Minor hadn’t been successful in replacing Maroth Detroit may still be searching for a 5th starter, a search that may have cost them the lead in the American League Central. Minor has proven in three starts that he is worthy of a starting spot in the majors. Though he may not keep his spot in Detroit’s rotation upon the return of Mike Maroth, Minor’s efforts will not go unnoticed in Detroit and around the league.
While the attention rightfully so has gone to stars such as Magglio Ordonez, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, the strong pitching staff, and fiery manager Jim Leyland, these 2006 Detroit Tigers would not stand atop the league standings without the help of the unassuming players that make this team solid top to bottom. Credit must be given to Dave Dombrowski who has worked the Tiger’s farm system into a great source of talent while making highly beneficial trades and free agent signings to acquire solid veterans and role players.
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