'Shocked' Jim Leyland decides to shuffle struggling lineup as Boston comes
to town
BY JOHN LOWE
FREE PRESS S****TS WRITER
May 5, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/S****TS02/805050370/1050
MINNEAPOLIS -- Declaring that he's "shocked" by his team's inconsistent
offense and that he at times finds it "tough to watch," Jim Leyland said
Sunday that he will shake up the lineup tonight against Boston.
The Tigers manager said his revised lineup will feature shuffling, but
not
any new players from off the bench or elsewhere.
"Same pieces, but quite a bit different (in the order they hit)," Leyland
said. "I think you'll find it pretty drastic."
He mentioned no names and gave no hints. But one thing to keep in mind is
that Leyland has said in the past that leadoff man Curtis Granderson
eventually could be a middle-of-the-order hitter.
Granderson hit 23 homers last season, and he now has five homers in the 1
1/2 weeks since he returned from the disabled list. When Leyland has
spoken
about Granderson someday hitting in the middle of the lineup, he has
mentioned how as Pirates manager he had Barry Bonds hit leadoff for the
first four seasons of his big-league career before he moved him to the
middle of the order.
Granderson's last 23 homers have been solo homers. Leyland might be eager
to
see Granderson get more at-bats with runners on base.
Leyland decided to change the lineup after the Tigers were held to one run
in each of their losses in Minnesota on Friday and Saturday. For Sunday's
series finale, the manager stayed with what basically has been his
standard
lineup except for Gary Sheffield, whom he had announced a few days before
would have Sunday off.
Leyland indicated he didn't unveil the lineup change Sunday because he
hadn't yet talked to all the players who will be involved.
In many of the Tigers' defeats this season, their offense has seemed to
primarily consist of a parade of routine outs.
"We're tough to watch play sometimes," Leyland said. "We can lull you to
sleep sometimes. I can live with that. But that's why we've got to hit.
We've got to hit the ball in the gaps and stuff like that. ...
"A lot of it has to do with we're not a motion team, we're not a
first-to-third team -- guys aren't going first-to-third and sliding and
making it on a close play. We've got to do better at that. Our secondary
leads (the lead a player takes after the pitcher releases the ball) --
we're
going to have to keep harping on that.
"You'd like to see a little more excitement. But you can't snap your
fingers
and make this team the Go-Go White Sox of '59. We're not that kind of
team."
Leyland added:
"I don't want to come off like I'm disappointed in my players or in the
effort. That's not true.
"It just seems like for whatever reason up to this point -- and I don't
know
why -- that we haven't had that sense of urgency that you need.
"It's almost like, 'We win a couple, and it's OK if we lose a couple.'
That's not good enough.
"I'm not mad at anybody. I don't think there's anybody in here that's not
trying. It's just not that extra kick in the (butt) that gets us over the
hump. I think it will happen. I will be very disappointed if it doesn't.
...
"We're a very capable team. We have a very good club. I mean, I'm shocked,
really."
Third baseman Carlos Guillen said he senses that the Tigers need something
to make them more consistent, and he said he understood Leyland's desire
to
change the lineup.
"In this game, you have to try everything," Guillen said.
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