Kaline’s Korner

        The frustration in Detroit has reached a boiling point.  Manager Jim Leyland said after the Tigers blew a 6 run lead to the Minnasota Twins that changes were coming.  The sloppy play of the second highest payroll in baseball has to stop.  Leyland true to his word has cut left fielder Jacque Jones.   Jones has played in 24 games and was batting .165 with 1 homerun and 5 RBI’s.  His defense in left field was also suspect and was often replaced in late innings with Toledo farm hand Ryan Raburn.   The Tigers called up Matt Joyce from the Mud Hens who is probably Toledo’s hottest hitter.  He was hitting .299 with 5 homeruns and 21 RBI’s in 28 games.  Joyce was a 12th-round draft pick in 2005.

         Jim Leyland not stopping there also announced that Carlos Guillen and struggling DH Gary Sheffield will be switching places in the batting order.  Sheffield who has been struggling with pain in both shoulders is hitting .189 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBI’s.  Sheffield will be moving down to the 6th spot in the order and Guillen will be moved to the 3rd spot.  You could tell Leyland wasn’t happy with the awful performance against the Twins losing three straight after sweeping the New York Yankees in the Bronx for the first time since 1966.  On sunday the Tigers scored 6 runs in the top of the first inning.  They scored 2 runs in the other 26 innings of the series. 

        The Tigers open an important home stand to hopefully stop the bleeding and get this season on the right track.  Starting monday is a four game series against the East leading Boston Red Sox’s, then three games with the Yankees and three games with the Mariners.  Tonight will be the beginning of the new line up and only time will tell.

Tonights probable starting lineup for the Tigers

Granderson CF

Polanco 2B

Guillen 3B

Ordanez DH

Cabrera 1B

Sheffield LF

Joyce RF

Renteria SS

Rodriguez C

        In other news the Detroit Tigers put Denny Bautista on the 15 day DL with shoulder tendinitis.  Dontrelle Willis pitched well in his first rehab assignment but suffered a set back when he re-injured his knee in the second start and the Tigers cancelled his rehab and recalled him to the big club.   Reports say that Willis will throw bullpen sessions to determine where they go from here.

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Last post (s) by Joel Ingram

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