MiLB.com will be visiting each Spring Training site in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues this month to report on the most significant stories involving each club's Minor League system as players get ready for the 2008 season. We'll find out who's impressing the organization, who's hot, who's not and sit down for an exclusive Q&A with a top prospect.
Team name: Detroit Tigers Burning Question Have the Tigers exhausted their farm system over the last 18 months with the deals they made to strengthen the big-league club? The steady stream of prospects that has been heading out of Detroit for the better part of two years would be enough to make most farm directors and player development people cry. Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Jair Jurrjens, Dallas Trahern, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio de la Cruz, Gorkys Hernandez, Mike Rabelo, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan have all headed to points outside the Motor City, a group exodus that would leave most organizations struggling to fill in the gaps. Yet the tears that are being shed in Detroit remain tears of joy. Not only did general manager Dave Dombrowski stock the parent club with a veritable all-star team -- the returns on those prospects were high -- but scouting director David Chadd has kept the pipeline from Toledo, Erie and points below strong with several solid drafts. Throw in the fact that the Tigers continue to develop their players very well -- both domestic and imported -- and it's easy to see that while there will be a dropoff in talent level, the fall won't be nearly as far as some skeptics think. "Everyone ought to realize that we had a lot of Minor League players to begin with," director of player development Glenn Ezell said. "And we still have a lot of young guys if they're willing to take the challenge. There are some opportunities there. It's our job as instructors and coaches to present these challenges, and they have to make them work. "We're going to be pursuing that with a whole lot of energy. We're not dry. I'm not saying we have guys who are going to be Major League All-Stars. But we have guys who are going to make themselves players -- and good ones." So unlike the Mets, who emptied an already sparse vault to land Johan Santana, the Tigers have much fewer concerns. They are stocked with gritty, capable infielders like Scott Sizemore and Michael Hollimon, they have power coming from the likes of Jeff Larish and Matt Joyce and they still have plenty of good arms, many of which are already Major League ready. #ques_include {width:300px;float:right;margin-left:5px;} #ques_content {border-top:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;padding-left:5px;} .ques_schedule {margin-top:5px;font-size:11px;} .ques_dates {font-size:11px;font-style:italic;color:#999;} 
The top of that list is occupied by last year's first-rounder, Rick Porcello. The hard-throwing former prep star has a blistering mid-90s fastball and a world of talent behind it. It wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him make his Major League debut sometime in 2009 or 2010 at the latest. So while the Tigers are clearly built to win this year, they have the parts to keep that machine working for several more to come. Detroit has a wonderful group of managers and coaches in the Minors, and the impact they've had on the bevy of talented young players has been impressive -- one more reason why this team can't be counted out of the prospect game. Other News of the Day SS Cale Iorg didn't take long to make an impression on Ezell. A sixth-rounder from last year's draft, Iorg is doing all the little things well. "You know a guy with his last name is going to have good genes," Ezell said. "He has a very good understanding of the game, which doesn't surprise me. He has very good tools." Iorg spent two years on a Mormon mission prior to getting drafted, so he's a bit older and hasn't played in a while, but Ezell doesn't seem to think that will pose too much of a problem. "He hasn't played in a few years, so he has to learn that this is an everyday battle and what that's all about. You have to figure that out and experience the routine personally. I'm sure he's experienced it through his dad [former big-leaguer Garth Iorg] and heard a lot about the daily routine, but it's not the same until you go through it." ... Don't expect Michael Hollimon to miss too much time because of a dislocated shoulder he suffered in a Major League game on Monday while attempting to make a diving stop at third base. The MRI results were negative and Hollimon should begin rehabbing in short order before heading off to Toledo. ... OF Matt Joyce figures to spend the season in Toledo alongside Hollimon. He had a bit of an arm issue early in camp while he was on the Major League side, but it hasn't been a problem over the last few weeks. Ezell praised the youngster's ability, but also said, "Joyce has to put himself in a position to be good. He just has to realize he has those tools and utilize them every day." Five Questions with Jeff Larish MiLB.com: If you could have dinner with one person from history, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? JL: Jesus, because he's the only perfect person who ever lived. I'd love to sit down with him because I'd have a ton of questions to ask him, but I can't even think of what the biggest one would be right now. MiLB.com: What's your greatest accomplishment, on or off the field? JL: Baseball-wise it was playing in the College World Series [with Arizona State in 2005]. With the team we had, with all the ups and downs we had that season and went through, it was such a great experience to go through it with those guys. Off the field, it's probably being able to keep my fiancé Julia around. MiLB.com: Who was your favorite player growing up and why? JL: I liked Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. I love to watch the way Bonds hit and played the game. He came by one day during my senior year and I got a chance to meet him and he worked with us. It means a lot when, in my mind, the greatest hitter to ever play the game shows up. He just told us to relax and trust ourselves. I went through some things my junior year and at the beginning of my senior year and I really wasn't relaxed. It was the best advice I got because it really hit home. MiLB.com: What's the last book you read? JL: The bible. I pick it up whenever I can and look through it. There's not anything that sticks out about it. When you're going through something or have some adversity, you can go and read the scripture. The bible I have has a part in the back that tells you what stories pertain to different situations. And some scriptures really help me with what I have to go through. MiLB.com: Who is the biggest character you've met during your time in the Minor Leagues? JL: It would have to be Erick Almonte. He jokes around all the time and he has a way about him. Even if he's not getting the results he wants, he's able to come back to the bench and joke around. You really need people like that on your team. Lasting Impression It's difficult for Rick Porcello not to make an impression every time he steps on the mound. The youngster whom the Tigers grabbed with their top pick last June is clearly very special, despite the fact that he's less than a year removed from sitting in a high school classroom. Ezell said he saw the teenager pitch recently and said simply, "He was very good." That said, don't go anointing Porcello as the ace of the staff in Detroit just yet. The kid still hasn't thrown an official professional inning, and there's still a ton that he has to learn. "Him in particular, he has to learn how to start," Ezell said. "The routine of pitch, off-day, off-day, throw, that kind of thing. This kid is going to be able to figure it out, though, a lot more quickly than anyone else. He has a presence about him. He's not shocked if there's a lot going on around him. "That will help him through any tough times. He has a quiet confidence and when you watch him, you see that confidence. It's like he looks at a situation and says, 'This is a challenge. OK, now watch this, watch this, watch this.' It's quite a thing to look at." Parting Shot Ezell was a bit defiant about the notion that the farm system is shot after trading for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrell Willis. Well, we all know it's not. So while the Tigers are running roughshod over the American League this summer -- imagine how many runs this team is going to score -- there will also be plenty of fireworks in Toledo and Erie as well. Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
