Sheff stirs up changes for Tigers with request to play left
May 6, 2008
By Scott Miller
CBSS****ts.com Senior Writer
http://cbs.s****tsline.com/mlb/story/10814260
DETROIT -- The moves were swift, unexpected and every bit as dramatic
as Detroit manager Jim Leyland had intimated over the weekend.
Well, intimated is probably a bit informal. A frustrated Leyland had
practically shouted from the top of Minnesota's Metrodome there would
be significant changes for his scuffling team.
Indications, though, were that it would be a reshuffling of the
lineup.
Not a significant re-striping of the Tigers.
But whatever malaise is clouding this club is refusing to release its
grip, so Leyland and general manager Dave Dombrowski yanked another
ripcord on Monday, handing a left fielder's glove to former designated
hitter Gary Sheffield and designating veteran outfielder Jacque Jones
for assignment.
The moves were decisive and, yes, a bit desperate.
Sheffield is 39, has been bothered by a sore right shoulder following
offseason surgery, and started only 12 games in the outfield in 2007.
But he's also hitting .183 this season with two home runs and five
RBI.
He signed off on DH'ing two winters ago when the Tigers rescued him
from New York.
But, now?
"I think that's a position for guys who can't do nothing else," said
Sheffield, who not only played left field for the first time this
season Monday in a 6-3 loss to Boston, but also was dropped from third
to sixth in the lineup for the first time all year. "You have to
accept it in your mind. I never realized how mental it is.
"I was noticing fans in the stands, popcorn vendors ... I was noticing
things I never noticed."
This is a huge week for the Tigers, too huge for them to be noticing
the popcorn vendors. True, each week gets bigger the longer their
sub-.500 sluggishness lasts, but when the season started, financially
speaking, there were three superpowers in the American League -- the
Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees all have payrolls north of $130 million.
This week, they're playing host to a superpowers summit in Comerica
Park, with the Red Sox visiting Monday through Thursday and the
Yankees due in Friday.
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- Scott Smith: scott.smith@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/choppersmith
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