Fresh Prince Of Detroit

Fielder now makes not only the
transition to a new team, but
a new league.

In light of the recent injury to Victor Martinez, the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a deal that will being free agent first baseman Prince Fielder to the Motor City.

Even though Fielder would not want this to be said, he is following in his father's footsteps. After spending the first five years of his career playing for the Toronto Blue Jays and a Japanese team, the Hanshin Tigers, Cecil Fielder also was catered by the Tigers, signing a five-year $36 million contract prior to the 1990 season.

Fielder's contract is said to be worth $214 million over a nine-year period and while that is not quiet the money fellow first baseman Albert Pujols received from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, it could prove to be a better investment for this storied franchise.

Fielder, 27, will be 36 when his newly agreed upon contract expires. On the other hand, Pujols, who signed a 10-year $254 million deal in early December, is currently 32 years of age and will be 42 at contract's end.

A three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, Fielder made $15.5 million a year ago, that includes a $50,000 bonus for receiving the nod to start at first base for the National League in the All-Star Game at Arizona, something that could prove to be a challenge for him in the American League.

With Pujols and now, Fielder's addition to the the AL, there is a plethora of All-Star caliber first baseman to compete with. They join Miguel Cabrera, who is Fielder's newest teammate, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau and last year's starting first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez.

In his first ever start in the Midsummer Classic, Fielder was named the 2011 All-Star Game MVP, thanks in large part to his go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning off C.J. Wilson. His home run was the main component in helping the NL win back-to-back All-Star games for the first time since they won three straight from 1994-96.

As for his career, Fielder was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first-round of 2002 amateur player draft and where he has spent the last seven seasons paired up with 2011 NL MVP, Ryan Braun.

Fielder made his Major League debut in 2005 and from then now, he has been a prolific run producer in Major League Baseball. The 5-foot-11, 275-pounder owns a .282 career average over his first seven seasons, including 230 home runs and 636 runs batted in.

He has driven in 100-plus runs four times in his young career and has proven to be one of the most durable players in the league. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2006, Fielder has played in at least 157 games, including playing in all 162 games in 2009 and this past season.

Finishing third in the NL MVP voting this season, it's the third time Fielder has finished in the top five in the last five years. Fielder tied a career-high, batting .299, while adding 38 HRs and 107 RBIs.

He finished with a .415 on-base percentage, due in large part to his high walk total. Fielder drew 107 base-on-balls, including 32 of those coming intentional to lead the majors.

It's not the first time Fielder has led the league in major offensive categories. In 2007, he hit a career-high 50 HRs, which led the NL. In '09 and 2010, he led the majors in RBIs (141) and BBs (114), respectively.

As for the team he joins, Detroit adds one of the most premier sluggers in the game and fill a void they didn't think they would be without. Just a week ago, Martinez, who signed a four-year $50 million deal last winter, suffered a torn ACL during his offseason workouts and will most likely end his entire 2012 season before if even got started.

While Fielder looks to be the Tigers response to the injury, it poses an interesting situation for general manager Dave Dombrowski and skipper Jim Leyland.

Detroit already has a franchise first baseman in Cabrera, who has proven to be not only more than a serviceable asset, but one of the game's most feared hitters. Cabrera, 28, just like Fielder, is much too young to take on a full-time designated hitter role.

Fielder's father, Cecil, also signed as a
free agent to join the Tigers.

One logical solution seems to be that Cabrera could move back across the diamond to the hot corner. Cabrera played third base regularly during his days with the formerly known Florida Marlins before making the transition to first in 2008, his first year with the Tigers.

He has played 383 of his 1,351 career games at third, but then again, there is a reason why a change was made.

In any event, it's a problem that Leyland won't soon complain about.

In the end, Fielder along with agent Scott Boras waited patiently and eventually got exactly what they wanted, something Boras and his clients are no stranger to.

Cruz-ing Into Detroit

Cruz's power bodes well in the Texas lineup
and ballpark.

There have already been so many of firsts this baseball season and Monday's Game 2 of the ALCS proved to be no different.

Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz continued to find his stroke this postseason after struggling mightily in Texas' first-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cruz, who homered in Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers, hit a pair of home runs, both coming in most crucial moments of the game.

With the Rangers trailing 3-2 after six and a half innings, Tigers manager Jim Leyland elected to have his starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, to return for the bottom of the seventh and pitch to Cruz. With left-hander Phil Coke warming in the Detroit bullpen and lefties David Murphy and Mitch Moreland to follow, it looked as if that would be the only batter Scherzer would face, no matter the result.

If all went according to plan, Leyland could have Coke finish the seventh and then summon set-up man Joaquin Benoit and closer Jose Valverde from the 'pen, for the eighth and ninth, to seal the win. It didn't.

On Scherzer's 91st pitch of the night, Cruz hammered a 1-2 fastball up in the zone and deposited it into the left field seats for a game-tying home run.

But it would be Cruz's second home of the night that would make postseason history.

After three scoreless innings from both the Detroit and Texas bullpen, innings that included both closers walking a tightrope and escaping ninth inning bases-loaded jams, Game 2 headed to the eleventh, setting the stage for a postseason first.

Texas set-up man Mike Adams struck out the first two batters of the inning, but surrendered a two-out single to the versatile only to have 2011 AL batting champion, Miguel Cabrera, fly out to center field to end the inning.

The Rangers quickly jumped on Tigers reliever Ryan Perry with three consecutive singles to start the home half of the inning, loading the bases with nobody out for the second time in the game. The first time Detroit was fortunate enough to allude any damage, this time would be much different.

Cruz, who had been dropped all the way to seventh in the order due to his recent struggles, came to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Someone who relishes in the moment, the 31-year-old slugger blasted his second home run of the game for a walk-off grand slam, giving the Rangers a 7-3 win and a 2-0 LCS series lead.

There have been 42 walk-off home runs in postseason history, but Cruz's walk-off grand slam was the first of it's variety, adding another accomplishment to his impressive postseason resume.

Technically it should have been the second in postseason history after newly hired Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura hit a walk-off home run with the bases-loaded in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS as a member of the New York Mets to beat the Atlanta Braves, but was mobbed by teammates before he could reach home plate turning a grand slam into what we know today as a "grand slam single".

In last years postseason, Cruz hit .317 with 6 home runs, 11 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits. That is why his struggles in the ALDS, where he batted .067, came as such a shock.

An All-Star in 2009, Cruz is rapidly turning into one of the best big game performers in the majors, but injuries have halted him from becoming one of the games brightest young stars. The Monte Cristi native has taken five trips to the disabled list over the last two seasons, mainly due to hamstring issues. He has averaged only 120 games over the last three seasons with the Rangers, playing only 108 in 2010.

Texas will need to find a way to keep him healthy and his bat hot if they are repeat as American League Champions and return to the World Series.

ALCS Preview: Detroit Roars Into Texas

After one of the most exciting first rounds in recent memory with three decisive Game 5's, it's on to the League Championship Series with some of baseball's most historic franchise's.


Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers:
The last time these two teams were in the ALCS, they both advanced to the World Series, but came up short in five games. In 2006, the Tigers launched to the Fall Classic thanks to the bat of Magglio Ordonez, but it was the inability of their pitchers to make plays off the mound that saw the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their tenth World Series title. As the Rangers, they are the defending American League champions and trying to have avenge last seasons World Series loss to the pitching packed San Francisco Giants.

Detroit battled through a tough five game series with the New York Yankees, who had the AL's best record in 2011, much like they did in '06. Manager Jim Leyland chose not to pitch his ace Justin Verlander in a decisive game, which would have quite a stir if the Tigers would have lost in the Bronx. Instead, Leyland's decision looks genius as this flame throwing right-hander is set to pitch Game 1 of the ALCS.

Leyland clearly out managed Joe Girardi in
the ALDS and could do the same to Ron
Washington.

It will need to be the pitching that carries this Tigers team through the postseason's second round if they want to slow down the Rangers' high octane offense. Detroit had yet to lose a game this season when leading after eight innings. That can be contributed to arguably the best closer in baseball this season, Jose Valverde. "Paper Grande" as they call him was a perfect 49 for 49 in save opportunities during the regular year and has saved both games asked of him this postseason.

The Rangers will need to score early and often if they want different results at the end of games.

Don't forget about the Tigers offense which was one of the best in the majors in 2011. After yet another MVP caliber year by Miguel Cabrera and a late September surge that won him his second career batting title, he will be the main focus of the heavily left-handed pitching staff in Arlington. Victor Martinez was among the best in the majors with runners in scoring position and the rejuvenated bat of Jhonny Peralta could loom large in this best-of-seven showdown.

Despite all their recent offensive success, it's the bat of late season acquisition Delmon Young, who hit a franchise record three home runs in the ALDS, that will be sorely missed. Young was left off Detroit's roster after suffering an oblique injury late in Game 5 against the Yankees.

Texas is coming off their thrilling series with the Tampa Bay Rays in which they beat them for the second straight year in the ALDS. With their offense struggling most of the series, offseason acquisitions Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli caught fire. In the series-clinching Game 4, Beltre hammered three home runs while Napoli became the first catcher in postseason history to hit a home run, steal a base and throw a runner out in the same game, that coming in Game 3.


The Rangers survived the first round after a relatively quiet series from three of their main sluggers, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz. Maybe with a trip back to World Series in their sights will ignite their unusually subtle bats.

Ogando is one of the few pitchers that had

success against the Tigers in 2011.

Ron Washington's bullpen is even stronger than last season with the addition of Alexi Ogando. The hard throwing righty, who was responsible for all three of Texas's wins this season against Detroit, started most of the season for the Rangers, but has translated well back to the bullpen and could be a difference maker with Neftali Feliz still slamming the door shut in the ninth.

Poised with three young talented left-handed starters, the Rangers rotation will need to be on their game to hold down a heavy right-hander hitting offense in the Motor City.

Detroit won the season series with Texas six games to three, taking two out of three in all three series they played in 2011. But the postseason is a whole new season where anything can happen.

DET X-Factor: Jim Leyland


TEX X-Factor: Alexi Ogando


Detroit in Six