Kdoogie24
10-18-2006, 01:31 PM
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061018/SPORTS02/610180390/1048/SPORTS
BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
As Tigers manager Jim Leyland sets up his World Series rotation, he might want to consider the words of Jeremy Bonderman: "I suck."
Bonderman was talking about his ability to hit, not pitch. And suddenly, this matters. When the World Series moves to the National League champion's home park for Games 3-5, pitchers will have to hit, unless they can get a court-ordered injunction, and frankly Bonderman should pursue all legal avenues. In four years of interleague play, Bonderman is 0-for-19 with 12 strikeouts.
Maybe Bonderman will get lucky and start Game 2 at Comerica Park. Then he would be slated to start Game 6 in Detroit, too. And that means he can get through the World Series without having to hit, or in his case, miss.
Of the four starters -- Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Kenny Rogers and Justin Verlander -- who is the worst hitter?
"I haven't gotten a hit yet, so I've got to be," Bonderman said.
"Neither have I!" Verlander said.
True, but Verlander has only one at-bat. He flied out. It did not diminish his confidence.
"I'm going for a home run if I get in the World Series," Verlander promised. "Oh, yeah. I'm not holding anything back."
Verlander said he has hit home runs before: in a spring-training contest with reliever Joel Zumaya.
"We had a little bit of a home run derby down there in Lakeland last year," Verlander said. "We both put on a little bit of a show. I'm gonna go ahead and say he has a little bit more juice than me, but I'm a little bit more consistent in putting it out of the yard."
Verlander did not say which club he hit. But he was happy to name the staff's worst hitter.
"I'm going to have to throw Bondo under the bus," Verlander said.
If ever there was a time when the Tigers could use left-hander Mike Maroth, this is it. Maroth has four hits and two walks in 18 plate appearances. Alas, Maroth is injured and probably won't be on the World Series roster.
Maroth identified the main flaw in Bonderman's swing.
"I've seen him lose balance a few times," Maroth said. "He likes to swing as hard as he can."
That has never worked well for anybody. Yet the competition here is stiff. So tell us, Sean Casey. Who is the worst hitter on your pitching staff?
"Oh, God," Casey said. "Nate."
Casey took remarkably little time to finger Robertson, considering Casey arrived in Detroit at the trade deadline, after interleague play ended.
"I've never seen him do it," Casey said, "but I'm calling that Nate is going to be the worst. Just because I love busting on him."
While Casey ragged on Robertson at such a vulnerable moment in the pitcher's career, Vance Wilson did what catchers are supposed to do: He offered words of support to the entire pitching staff.
"They're all terrible," Wilson said. "We're in trouble if it comes down to that."
Wilson voted for Robertson as the worst hitter. Robertson is 1-for-14 in his career, which gives him a potentially insurmountable lead over Bonderman in the career hits race. Robertson's hit came against Milwaukee in June. But he lost some of Wilson's respect that day when he tweaked his knee in the batter's box.
"He obviously is too unathletic to even make a baseball swing," Wilson said. "He said he was setting the pitcher up for an inside fastball. I was like, 'What are you doing, man?' "
A good question. But as hard as Robertson tries, we're afraid we have to give the Tigers' Balsa Slugger award to Bonderman.
"Nate's got a little bit of a clue," Maroth said. "Bondo just goes up there and hacks."
As Bonderman returned to his clubhouse stall Tuesday, he found the strangest package waiting for him. It was from an equipment company.
"Look at this," he said incredulously. "They don't send me batting gloves all year. Now they send me batting gloves. Unbelievable."
I like the part how Casey nominates Nate just because he always rags on him
BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
As Tigers manager Jim Leyland sets up his World Series rotation, he might want to consider the words of Jeremy Bonderman: "I suck."
Bonderman was talking about his ability to hit, not pitch. And suddenly, this matters. When the World Series moves to the National League champion's home park for Games 3-5, pitchers will have to hit, unless they can get a court-ordered injunction, and frankly Bonderman should pursue all legal avenues. In four years of interleague play, Bonderman is 0-for-19 with 12 strikeouts.
Maybe Bonderman will get lucky and start Game 2 at Comerica Park. Then he would be slated to start Game 6 in Detroit, too. And that means he can get through the World Series without having to hit, or in his case, miss.
Of the four starters -- Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Kenny Rogers and Justin Verlander -- who is the worst hitter?
"I haven't gotten a hit yet, so I've got to be," Bonderman said.
"Neither have I!" Verlander said.
True, but Verlander has only one at-bat. He flied out. It did not diminish his confidence.
"I'm going for a home run if I get in the World Series," Verlander promised. "Oh, yeah. I'm not holding anything back."
Verlander said he has hit home runs before: in a spring-training contest with reliever Joel Zumaya.
"We had a little bit of a home run derby down there in Lakeland last year," Verlander said. "We both put on a little bit of a show. I'm gonna go ahead and say he has a little bit more juice than me, but I'm a little bit more consistent in putting it out of the yard."
Verlander did not say which club he hit. But he was happy to name the staff's worst hitter.
"I'm going to have to throw Bondo under the bus," Verlander said.
If ever there was a time when the Tigers could use left-hander Mike Maroth, this is it. Maroth has four hits and two walks in 18 plate appearances. Alas, Maroth is injured and probably won't be on the World Series roster.
Maroth identified the main flaw in Bonderman's swing.
"I've seen him lose balance a few times," Maroth said. "He likes to swing as hard as he can."
That has never worked well for anybody. Yet the competition here is stiff. So tell us, Sean Casey. Who is the worst hitter on your pitching staff?
"Oh, God," Casey said. "Nate."
Casey took remarkably little time to finger Robertson, considering Casey arrived in Detroit at the trade deadline, after interleague play ended.
"I've never seen him do it," Casey said, "but I'm calling that Nate is going to be the worst. Just because I love busting on him."
While Casey ragged on Robertson at such a vulnerable moment in the pitcher's career, Vance Wilson did what catchers are supposed to do: He offered words of support to the entire pitching staff.
"They're all terrible," Wilson said. "We're in trouble if it comes down to that."
Wilson voted for Robertson as the worst hitter. Robertson is 1-for-14 in his career, which gives him a potentially insurmountable lead over Bonderman in the career hits race. Robertson's hit came against Milwaukee in June. But he lost some of Wilson's respect that day when he tweaked his knee in the batter's box.
"He obviously is too unathletic to even make a baseball swing," Wilson said. "He said he was setting the pitcher up for an inside fastball. I was like, 'What are you doing, man?' "
A good question. But as hard as Robertson tries, we're afraid we have to give the Tigers' Balsa Slugger award to Bonderman.
"Nate's got a little bit of a clue," Maroth said. "Bondo just goes up there and hacks."
As Bonderman returned to his clubhouse stall Tuesday, he found the strangest package waiting for him. It was from an equipment company.
"Look at this," he said incredulously. "They don't send me batting gloves all year. Now they send me batting gloves. Unbelievable."
I like the part how Casey nominates Nate just because he always rags on him