Suarez looking to get his shot
The Detroit Tigers have another hole to fill in their lineup, and this time it’s at the short stop position. Will starter Jose Iglesias out for most of the season due to stress fractures in both shins, GM Dave Dombrowski has stated that he’ll look to the organizations internal options then sign a free agent or trade for another infielder. The safe bet would be to go with Danny Worth (former ‘Cap), he has some big league experience and is having a nice spring. If Worth for some reason doesn’t get the job done, however, I’d like to see Eugenio Suarez step up and get his shot with Detroit. The only thing really against him at this point, is that he’s on 22 years old and hasn’t played above the Double-A level. Last season he split time between Erie and Lakeland, hitting .264. He had a very nice season back in 2012 with the West Michigan Whitecaps, also, hitting .288, earning 147 hits, 34 doubles, 6 home runs, and 67 RBI’s. He earned a Gold Glove as the best short stop in the Minor League that season, also. So far this spring, he’s hitting .200, with RBI’s in only 14 games of Grapefruit League action. The Tigers weren’t really expecting big things from Iglesias’ bat anyway, just a solid glove, and Suarez can provide that. He’s also the 8th ranked prospect in the Tigers’ system according to Baseball America. The other two options might be another former Whitecap Hernan Perez or new utility infielder Steve Lombardozzi. I think that Suarez has the highest ceiling, though, and Lombo will probably stay the utility guy off of the bench. The Tigers have options, it will be interesting to see which route they go.
UPDATE: This past week the Tigers acquired both Andrew Romine from the Angels and Alex Gonzalez from the Orioles to play shortstop this season. This pretty much ends any speculation, and Suarez has been optioned to Erie, Perez to Toledo, and Worth to minor league camp. This is really a slap in the face for Worth, who’s been having a nice spring and playing well at the position.
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Bombers ballpark to be renovated
Sticking with our ballpark theme this week, C.O. Brown Stadium, home to the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods League, has its own renovations in store for the 2014 season. As the scoreboard at C.O. Brown was struck by lightning last season, a new and improved one will take its place, and the outfield fences tended to. The centerfield fence will be moved and lowered, and should give the outfielders a chance to rob some home runs, but also make the ballpark a little more hitter friendly. All the fencing in the infield, will be replaced and upgraded, also, including the field and grandstand areas. There will be new poles, lamps, and lights in the outfield and infield that will improve the overall play of night games. The Bombers will also be re-vamping the parking lot on the third base side, increasing the flow of traffic before and after games. As of now, there is only on main entrance into the whole Bailey Park complex. The organization will also be re-painting areas of the ballpark, including the restrooms and visitor’s clubhouse. The Bombers expect to have all of the renovation completed by the time their opening day rolls around on May 29th, when they host the new Kalamazoo Growlers. The upgrades might not seem as grand as the ones in Lansing and Grand Rapids, but they will make Bombers’ games a better experience for the fans.
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