Detroit Tigers – Dear Brad: Your Top 5 Ways to Fix the Offense

Dear Brad:

The Detroit Tigers are clearly in a slump and they need your leadership to guide them through to be contenders this year. I know you keep telling us that the offense “will fix it self”, that you were in denial about Justin Verlander’s injury and Victor Martinez as well and I know you want to believe that Hernan Perez will be the next big thing. But, we think it’s time you listened to us.

Here are five things that you can do as a manager that would reinvigorate the Tigers and get them back on track. If you listen to sports radio, Brad, you will hear many ideas but we’ve narrowed it down to five for you keeping it easier to focus on the results.

#5 – Fire Wally Joyner

Joyner had a respectable career as a MLB player and hitter – .289 career average, 204 home runs and 1,106 RBI.

So we’ll give him that he’s qualified to be a hitting coach in the MLB.

But let’s look at his track record. He was hired by San Diego in mid-2007. He resigned late 2008 due to the poor production. He resurfaced in Philadelphia in 2013 and they didn’t have a great year hitting and in 2014 became the Tigers hitting coach.

We see more of Wally Joyner on the phone waiting for the thumbs up or down on instant replays then we do instructing the Tigers. Let’s get someone that has can instruct some of the best hitters in the majors when they are slumping.

#3 – Play Rajai Davis and Anthony Gose every day

This seems like an obvious answer to us.   Gose’s line is .314/.355/.436 and Davis’ is .269/.350/.398. Two of the better hitters on your bench and you decide to play Hernan Perez (.061/.088/.061) and Tyler Collins (.261/.320/.304) instead?

Rotate Davis & Gose through DH and give Yoenis Cespedes and J.D. Martinez a break and platoon the four of them. This is a win-win boosting the lineup and giving your core outfield the continued day off they need.

#2 Move Jose Iglesias up in the lineup and Ian Kinsler down

Ian Kinsler is clearly not going to come out of his slump on his own. Kinsler hit .262 in May after hitting .283 in April. He’s not getting on base for Miguel Cabrera and he is making Miggy a worse hitter because of it.

Iglesias is the most consistent hitter on the team and put him ahead of Miggy. Iggy will get on more consistently and then take the pressure off Kinsler until he can get out of his slump and make Miggy more productive.

#1 – Send Nick Castelllanos down to Toledo for a bit

There’s a kid down there named Corey Jones who is playing decently at third base. His line is .290/.361/.452 with a home run and 12 RBI.   He’s had a few errors this year, but it’s worth the try. Sparky Anderson used to not be afraid to send the message that you need to perform to be on this team. While it’s doubtful that you would do this because of the respect for your veterans, but we think it sends a solid message. The batting slump can’t just fall on you or Wally Joyner, it’s on the hitters as well and they need to be working extra hard to get out of it. Corey Jones up for a bit…just might send that message.

When it’s all said and done, here is your new lineup. The beauty of it all is that it can begin immediately.

CF/DH – Anthony Gose

SS – Jose Iglesias

1B – Miguel Cabrera

RF/DH – J.D. Martinez

2B – Ian Kinsler

LF/DH – Yoenis Cespedes

DH/CF – Rajai Davis

C – James McCann

3B – Corey Jones/Andrew Romine

Sincerely, The Detroit Tiger fan base and team at Motor City Bengals

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