Lyon Is Under Control
By Blake VandeBunte • Feb 16th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Brandon Lyon, Fernando Rodney, Joel ZumayaJerry Crasnick of ESPN does a fun column called “Starting 9″ every now and again over there at ESPN.com that is usually a pretty good read. In his latest edition he touches on nine spring training competitions. Every spring, players battle each other for positions of importance like starting shortstop or of very little importance like the seventh bullpen spot.
Anyway, in this column Crasnick touches on the battle for closer in Detroit. While it seems pretty obvious that the job is Brandon Lyon’s to lose, here is what Crasnick had to say:
Lyon is primarily a contact guy, which could be worrisome for an aging team that ranked 24th in the majors in defensive efficiency in 2008.
If Lyon doesn’t seize the job in Florida, Fernando Rodney is next in line. He’s had health issues, and walked a whopping 30 batters in 40 1/3 innings last season.
Joel Zumaya, of course, has the best stuff of anybody. He arrived in camp sporting a beard, looking trimmer and tinkering with a new changeup to offset his arsenal of hard stuff.
Walks was the knock on the Tigers pen all year last season. We saw way too many runs get walked in and way too many wild pitches. Lyon is the supposed to be the cure for that problem. He has a great walk rate and his stability will probably land him the closer job.
For more on the Tigers bullpen situation go here:
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You can sure tell that this guy doesn’t follow the Tigers closely:
an aging team that ranked 24th in the majors in defensive efficiency in 2008
. . . and spent the whole off season trading offense for defensive improvment . . .
Joel Zumaya . . . looking trimmer
. . . with Zumaya and Leyland opining that he needs to gain sonme weight before the season starts . . .