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Detroit Tigers
By John Donovan, CNNSI.com Power is wasted in a place like Comerica Park, where echoes -- and many a would-be home run -- go to die. So you would figure the Detroit Tigers might concentrate on getting a speedy, slaphappy hitting team to go with their spacious home field. Well, that's what you'd figure. But last year, the Tigers were 11th in the American League in on-base percentage (.320), mainly because they were 12th in hitting (.260). That's simply not the way to get it done in Comerica. A 96-loss season in 2001 proved it. So the Tigers go into 2002 still looking for a little speed and a little hitting as a way to get a little scoring. It hasn't been easy. Detroit lost one of the league's best base stealers when Roger Cedeno, who swiped 55 bases last season, signed with the Mets. That will be hard to replace. The best the Tigers could come up with was getting line-drive hitting first baseman Dmitri Young from Cincinnati for Juan Encarnacion. Young can also play outfield, which makes him a good fit for the Tigers, and the trade definitely tilted to Detroit's side. But Young is no base stealer, so he's not going to help them on the speed thing. No one seems ready to jump start this club, which leaves the Tigers trying to bash their way around -- not a winning proposition when half the games are played in the Grand Canyon of baseball parks. And the Tigers don't have a bunch of bashers anyway. There are some who may be able to make something happen, guys like Robert Fick (61 RBIs in 124 games), Bobby Higginson (a team-high 84 runs scored) and Shane Halter (.284 average, team-high 32 doubles). But if the Tigers are going to avoid being out of the race by July, it'll be on the strength of their pitching staff. The Tigers signed starters Jeff Weaver and Steve Sparks, along with closer Matt Anderson, to multi-year deals this off-season. Anderson saved 22 games last season, knuckleballer Sparks won 14 games and Weaver (13-16, 4.08 ERA) is the ace of the staff. Farther down the rotation, the Tigers also are hoping for big things from former Minnesota lefty Mark Redman and young Nate Cornejo. It's not as if the pitching is without its share of problems. The Tigers had a 5.01 ERA last season -- 5.14 among starters -- and gave up more hits and more earned runs than everyone but Texas. And the pitching hasn't improved any. What it all spells is another long, long year in Detroit. It's beginning to sound like an echo. Up for grabs: Halter is a stopgap at short, a needed plug after the team lost free agent Deivi Cruz to the Padres. Halter is warming the spot that is earmarked for young stud Omar Infante, who may provide the spark the Tigers so desperately need. If he's ready. Which he almost certainly won't be soon enough. Spring chicken: Infante is one of those prospects that everyone drools over -- the clichéd five-tool guy and all that, even though he seems right now to be more of a spray hitter. He, alone, won't save the Tigers. But he should provide some hope. If he shows even an inkling of promise in spring, he could make it onto the Opening Day roster. Or at least go Class AAA to get ready for the inevitable mid-season call-up.
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