OT- Phil Coke Blows...

Submitted by itsbigcat on
...another one for the Tigers. What a long off season it's been, but this has to be the biggest head scratcher of my 15 year amateur career as an avid sports fan. I've never seen someone so bad, for so long, keep their job in an organization that is otherwise ran very successfully. I'm lost. Coke came in last night, put that first base runner on, and I turned the TV off and went to bed. He's dependable, to say the least, as we can always seem to depend on him to flush a decent game down the toilet. How is he still in the major leagues? How much longer is he going to be a Tiger? Has Ken Holland taken over the resigning of Tigers free agents as well? Someone please just help me understand. I have no more hairs to pull out of my head.

umichjenks

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:19 AM ^

Has neglected getting bullpen help for years. Enough of throwing Coke, Krol, Hardy or whoever the fuck we have. Trade some prospects now. We aren't getting any younger as a team.

NYC Fan

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:20 AM ^

Knowing that Joba and Nathan were unavailable to pitch, I wish Ausmus had left Porcello in and not pinch hit Rajai.  Hindsight is 20/20, but Ricky P was pitching well and had a pitch count that would have likely made him able to go 9.

BlueCube

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^

It would be one thing if you were going to bring in a reliable pitcher after.

Davis is a .300 batter which means he had a 7 out of 10 chance of not being successful while Coke gives you a 98% chance of being unsuccessful.

I can't blame Ausmus when they had the potential to break it open. Unfortunately I have confidence that Coke can undo anything good that could happen very quickly.

Bigscotto68

July 23rd, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^

Great move to force Ausmus' hand, hell Porcello could have stood there and watched strike 3 as well as the pinch hitter did. Hindsite 20/20 I guess. I told my lady we would lose when Coke came into the game, hell the only reason he got the out he did is because the line drive hit him.

LSAClassOf2000

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^

To be fair, of course, while neither Coke nor Nathan have put together a string of superb performances this season (let's put it that way), Nathan still outperforms Coke on a few rather telling metrics such as K/BB ratio, batting average against and Nathan even sports a slightly lower WHIP than Coke as well. That being said, when the WHIP of your closer is 1.53, you have some interesting issues in the bullpen, to say the least. 

Sam1863

July 23rd, 2014 at 1:07 PM ^

It was absolutely related to Max, as well as to other players. Martinez and Hunter are FA after this year (although I think it's assumed Hunter won't be back), and I think Jackson is a FA after '15. So a lot of money was going to be needed for Max and others, and it had to come from somewhere. With Smyly ready to move into the rotation (which has had its ups and downs) and Porcello ready to move up into Fister's spot (which has worked out terrifically), Fister was the logical candidate to move. I didn't mind the trade of Fister so much as I minded what they got for him: a not-yet-ready, middle-of-the-rotation starter, a lefty reliever who's had his own problems, and a utility IF/OF who wasn't here long enough to get his seat on the bench warm. Not one of Dave D's finer deals.

maize-blue

July 23rd, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^

Yup, that's the hard part, that they didn't get anyone who could help them this season, which is what they should driving at. Because like you mentioned after this season some contracts will be up and this team will probably be losing some valuable pieces.

umumum

July 23rd, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^

there is almost no way Scherzer will be a Tiger next year--and there wasn't a realistic chance when the season started.  Besides Max turned down the Tigers offer over the Winter, refuses to negotiate during the season, expects to max out his contract, is represented by Boras and has no real ties to the community--and the Tigers have enormous amounts already allocated to Verlander and Scherzer.  

It would be nice to have Fister back.

BlueCube

July 23rd, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^

extend Cabrera which they did do. At the time I hoped they would also be able to get Scherzer signed. I doubt it now. I think they will hope that Porcello and Smyly will keep making strides and either look for a cheap number 5 starter or hope Jake Thompson is ready.

I don't see them trading Scherzer because the only teams interested will be competing with them in the post season. I think they will take the draft pick and hope to select another pitcher. I wish others would look at Verlander and see that paying Scherzer that type of money is very high risk but there are always foolish teams out there.

1201SouthMain

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:44 AM ^

Those types just don't grow on trees.  And he hasn't pitched that bad lately.  I'm not defending Coke but it's not difficult to understand why he's still around.  

Tiger's will make playoffs and a hard throwing lefty would be handy to have in the bullpen.

jcouz

July 23rd, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^

Coke started it. Then Alburquerque and Kroll, who both suck as well, came in and were terrible. How does Kroll throw a meatball in an 0-2 count there? The Tigers need more than 1 reliever. They need 2. Soria, Bastardo, Benoit, etc. are all fine candidates. Dombrowski needs to go out and get 2 of them immediately.

NittanyFan

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:15 AM ^

Coke qualified for the hold because:

 

1.  He entered the game in what was a save situation.

2.  He recorded at least one out.

3.  His team did not relinquish the lead while he was pitching.

 

So never mind that he STARTED the fire, he gets the hold because he wasn't around when the fire eventually consumed the Tigers' lead.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_(baseball)

cobra14

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^

One day Tiger fans will realize you have no prospects left despite what the BS articles that are written in the Det News and Free press say,

Tigers had their chance the last couple of years. They have overpaid on JV and paid a lot for Miggy(well worth it) but in the end it's to keep butts in the seats when they have to dump other guys.

You guys really thought Nathan was the answer?!?! Come on, guy is too old. It was a huge risk.

For the record I am Indians fan that grew up in Detroit. For all the complaining I have endured over the years on Jim Leyland you guys are missing him right now.

In reply to by cobra14

WMUgoblue

July 23rd, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^

So when Joe Nathan was 38 and rocking a FIP of 2.26 and held a 10.16K/9 was he still old? Yes I personally thought Nathan would be good this year and start to fall off next season.



I would counter by saying did you guys think signing an overpaid buckeye like Swisher would work? Or the overpriced CF that doesn't steal bases any longer? 

Avon Barksdale

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^

But I wouldn't even mind the playoffs consisting of a: Max, Porcello, Anibal, Smyly starting rotation. Keep Verlander available for the 7th, 8th, and 9th and pray that he can't do any worse than Nathan or Coke.

NYC Fan

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^

The Oakland A's would love if this were to happen.  I find it amusing that you would move Verlander to the bullpen.

 

Edit:

Justin Verlander is 2nd pitcher in MLB history with 10+ K, 0 R allowed in back-to-back postseason games. Other: Sandy Koufax, 1965 WS G5+7 (2013 Series against the A's)

The last 31 postseason innings vs. the A's for Verlander are: One earned run, 43 strikeouts.

 

 

Blue In NC

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:28 AM ^

Okay, Crazy.  First, that would be a bold move to flip the "ace" of your staff to the pen (I say ace because whatever the stats, the Tigers have a long-term, huge contract with JV).  More importantly, JV is typically a very slow starter and takes a while to find his groove.  That's not exactly what you want in the pen.

Avon Barksdale

July 23rd, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

But being [not] bold hasn't worked. That's obvious, and this is not the Verlander from 2006. He has an ERA of 4.85 (which is by far the worst of all Detroit Starters.)

Judging by statistics, I'd say a rotation of Scherzer, Porcello, and Sanchez would put more fear than a rotation of Scherzer, Verlander, Porcello. I mean Verlander's ERA could be above 5 by the time October rolls around.

not TOM BRADY

July 23rd, 2014 at 10:58 AM ^

Giants did that with lincecum and he was amazing out of the pen in 2012 in the playoffs. They won the World Series. Verlander could be used as a two inning specialist. Teams feast on him the second and third time through. That doesn't happen if he is coming out of the pen and he can pitch 3 times in the series. I think it could be something ausmus could do if Verlander doesn't return to form.

maize-blue

July 23rd, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^

The Tigers are in a pinch now in regards to relief pitching, that is for sure and becoming very obvious the more the season goes on.

-Their 20ish million dollar gamble on Nathan seems to be a bust.

-Rondon’s loss for the season has been a big blow.

-Alburquerque is wildly inconsistent.

-Krol is just a pitcher.

-Coke, well everyone knows the struggles Coke has had.

-Thank god for Chamberlin.

They have tried or are trying just about every minor league arm they have to find some reliability. Their hopes now rely on these minor leaguers, a good trade or another arm coming back from surgery (Hanharan). They can’t win with the current relief staff. In the playoffs they can go to a 4 man starting rotation. Smyly can be back in a relief position at that point, but they still will need more/better help than him.

LordGrantham

July 23rd, 2014 at 10:46 AM ^

Actually, Coke has been pitching reasonably well lately.  He had a 2.92 ERA in June, and last night's runs were the first he's given up in his last ten outings.

BlueCube

July 23rd, 2014 at 11:15 AM ^

has reverted back to old habits.

July 5   1.1 innings 2 hits

July 10  1.0 innings 0 hits

July 13   1.1 innings 3 hits, 1 walk

July 18   1.0 innings 1 hit. 2 walks

July 19    1.0 innings 2 hits

July 22    0.1 innings 2 walks

 

He's been far from  shut down pitcher in July. That's a WHIP of 2.17