djhutch
02-17-2007, 08:08 PM
I know this topic was kinda being bounced around in the Minor League Forum, but I figured others might be interested in the article. Very encouraging stuff about Sleeth. Knock on wood.
Link (http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070217&content_id=1805416&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=det)
Notes: A new crop of talented arms
Young hurlers remain cornerstone of organization
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
LAKELAND, Fla. -- A year ago at this point, Jim Leyland realized the kind of young pitching talent the Tigers had stockpiled when he saw Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Jeremy Bonderman, Fernando Rodney and Eulogio De La Cruz lined up throwing bullpen sessions. And he felt a lot better about his new job.
Leyland knows his organization better now, and much of that young talent from last year is more established. Yet he still has to shake his head in amazement every once in a while.
Some of the arms he was watching on Saturday were familiar, like Verlander, Zumaya and De La Cruz. Others, however, weren't part of that group last year. Leyland saw Andrew Miller, Preston Larrison and Kyle Sleeth and was marveling again.
"There was some pretty impressive stuff thrown out there today," Leyland said Saturday afternoon. "And I'm always very cautious about that, commenting on those guys before they pull the cage away and all that stuff. But seeing Sleeth and Verlander and Zumaya and Miller and Larrison lined up out there today, it was pretty impressive."
It underscores the point on which these Tigers have been built. Detroit traded away three pitching prospects last November to pry Gary Sheffield from the Yankees, yet they still have enough quality young arms to rival many organizations.
There's one key difference this year: While this year's crop of arms wowed Leyland, there's almost no chance they'll have a chance to win him over. Whereas Verlander and Zumaya pitched their way onto the roster last spring, the young arms this year have their tickets set for the Minor Leagues -- no matter how well they pitch.
It's why Leyland is now playing semantics a bit. When he says he'll take the 12 best pitchers up to Detroit with him, he does not necessarily mean the 12 best arms. Earlier in the day, he repeated that with the starting rotation and most of the bullpen pretty much set, the main competition for pitchers in camp is the search for sixth, seventh and eighth starters, guys who can jump into the rotation if one of the regular starters is out.
Some of those reserve starters fit into Detroit's bullpen, notably Wilfredo Ledezma and Zach Miner. The rest are younger arms trying to break into the big leagues, from Miller to Jordan Tata, Virgil Vasquez and Jair Jurrjens.
"We're kind of pitching-rich now, to be honest with you," Leyland said, "although there's a lot of truth in saying you can never have enough."
All that pitching serves more than just depth purposes. It's insurance in case of injury, but it's also potentially trade bait in case the Tigers need to swing a deal for help in other areas. It's also stability down the road if Detroit can't keep its core group of pitchers together.
"I think at this juncture for our organization now, the Minor Leagues become even more important," Leyland said. "Because it looks like we've got a little bit of stability at the Major League level. In saying that, because they've gotten good, you want to retain all your players, but who knows if financially you're going to be able to retain everybody. So I think this is a critical time for our Minor League system to stock up in case we do lose somebody or we can't sign somebody, then you've got a replacement. The wheels continue to go around. It's a never-ending process. This is a big time for that now."
Miller is the most impressive of the bunch, and the best example of the notion that taking the 12 best pitchers isn't the same as taking the 12 best arms. He worked out of the Tigers bullpen in September, but he's ticketed to begin the year at Class A Lakeland as a starter, and there's very little chance of that changing. Even as an insurance option, Leyland admitted Miller probably wouldn't be called up until later in the year.
"Obviously it's pretty unlikely he'd be on the Major League club when we break camp this year," Leyland said. "But in saying that, it would not surprise me if at some point this year, he might make the jump."
Workout wrapup: The Tigers went back to work on pitchers' fielding practice and defensive drills before the second group of pitchers threw their opening bullpen sessions. Leyland was active in the fundamental drills, emphasizing to pitchers to pick up the baseball with authority when fielding a ground ball.
"Get in the habit of doing it the same all the time," Leyland yelled.
After temperatures dipped to freezing overnight, the Tigers took a little extra time before hitting the practice fields Saturday morning. With more chilly temperatures and gusty winds forecast for Sunday morning, Leyland left open the possibility he could have his pitchers throw inside one of the hangars on the complex.
Slinging praise for Sleeth: Leyland went out of his way to praise Sleeth, whose impressive workout Saturday follows his battle back from Tommy John surgery over the better part of the last two years.
"His arm feels good, and if it stays good, it's real impressive," Leyland said. "That's the first time I really ever saw him today, and it's impressive. I don't know that much about it, but he'll be in the mix like everybody else.
"If he's healthy, he's a top prospect, there's no question about that."
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Link (http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070217&content_id=1805416&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=det)
Notes: A new crop of talented arms
Young hurlers remain cornerstone of organization
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
LAKELAND, Fla. -- A year ago at this point, Jim Leyland realized the kind of young pitching talent the Tigers had stockpiled when he saw Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Jeremy Bonderman, Fernando Rodney and Eulogio De La Cruz lined up throwing bullpen sessions. And he felt a lot better about his new job.
Leyland knows his organization better now, and much of that young talent from last year is more established. Yet he still has to shake his head in amazement every once in a while.
Some of the arms he was watching on Saturday were familiar, like Verlander, Zumaya and De La Cruz. Others, however, weren't part of that group last year. Leyland saw Andrew Miller, Preston Larrison and Kyle Sleeth and was marveling again.
"There was some pretty impressive stuff thrown out there today," Leyland said Saturday afternoon. "And I'm always very cautious about that, commenting on those guys before they pull the cage away and all that stuff. But seeing Sleeth and Verlander and Zumaya and Miller and Larrison lined up out there today, it was pretty impressive."
It underscores the point on which these Tigers have been built. Detroit traded away three pitching prospects last November to pry Gary Sheffield from the Yankees, yet they still have enough quality young arms to rival many organizations.
There's one key difference this year: While this year's crop of arms wowed Leyland, there's almost no chance they'll have a chance to win him over. Whereas Verlander and Zumaya pitched their way onto the roster last spring, the young arms this year have their tickets set for the Minor Leagues -- no matter how well they pitch.
It's why Leyland is now playing semantics a bit. When he says he'll take the 12 best pitchers up to Detroit with him, he does not necessarily mean the 12 best arms. Earlier in the day, he repeated that with the starting rotation and most of the bullpen pretty much set, the main competition for pitchers in camp is the search for sixth, seventh and eighth starters, guys who can jump into the rotation if one of the regular starters is out.
Some of those reserve starters fit into Detroit's bullpen, notably Wilfredo Ledezma and Zach Miner. The rest are younger arms trying to break into the big leagues, from Miller to Jordan Tata, Virgil Vasquez and Jair Jurrjens.
"We're kind of pitching-rich now, to be honest with you," Leyland said, "although there's a lot of truth in saying you can never have enough."
All that pitching serves more than just depth purposes. It's insurance in case of injury, but it's also potentially trade bait in case the Tigers need to swing a deal for help in other areas. It's also stability down the road if Detroit can't keep its core group of pitchers together.
"I think at this juncture for our organization now, the Minor Leagues become even more important," Leyland said. "Because it looks like we've got a little bit of stability at the Major League level. In saying that, because they've gotten good, you want to retain all your players, but who knows if financially you're going to be able to retain everybody. So I think this is a critical time for our Minor League system to stock up in case we do lose somebody or we can't sign somebody, then you've got a replacement. The wheels continue to go around. It's a never-ending process. This is a big time for that now."
Miller is the most impressive of the bunch, and the best example of the notion that taking the 12 best pitchers isn't the same as taking the 12 best arms. He worked out of the Tigers bullpen in September, but he's ticketed to begin the year at Class A Lakeland as a starter, and there's very little chance of that changing. Even as an insurance option, Leyland admitted Miller probably wouldn't be called up until later in the year.
"Obviously it's pretty unlikely he'd be on the Major League club when we break camp this year," Leyland said. "But in saying that, it would not surprise me if at some point this year, he might make the jump."
Workout wrapup: The Tigers went back to work on pitchers' fielding practice and defensive drills before the second group of pitchers threw their opening bullpen sessions. Leyland was active in the fundamental drills, emphasizing to pitchers to pick up the baseball with authority when fielding a ground ball.
"Get in the habit of doing it the same all the time," Leyland yelled.
After temperatures dipped to freezing overnight, the Tigers took a little extra time before hitting the practice fields Saturday morning. With more chilly temperatures and gusty winds forecast for Sunday morning, Leyland left open the possibility he could have his pitchers throw inside one of the hangars on the complex.
Slinging praise for Sleeth: Leyland went out of his way to praise Sleeth, whose impressive workout Saturday follows his battle back from Tommy John surgery over the better part of the last two years.
"His arm feels good, and if it stays good, it's real impressive," Leyland said. "That's the first time I really ever saw him today, and it's impressive. I don't know that much about it, but he'll be in the mix like everybody else.
"If he's healthy, he's a top prospect, there's no question about that."
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.