Hey, here's a good reason to root for the Tigers to reach the World Series: Miguel Cabrera playing third base for the first time since 2008. Here's Lynn Henning (via The Detroit News):
Batting Fourth And Playing Third Base ... Miguel Cabrera?
Getty Images
On the position side, Leyland conceded also that Miguel Cabrera would likely play third base, with Victor Martinez working at first base, in the event the Tigers make it to the World Series and are forced to abandon the designated hitter when playing at a National League park.
The Tigers began working Cabrera at third base during Wednesday's pre-game session at Kansas City.
"I'm not dumb enough to put the cart before the horse," Leyland said, "but you've got to make plans. Common sense says, if given the chance, I won't lose Victor Martinez's and Miguel Cabrera's bat.
"You can't lose one because then you lose both.
"I'm just trying to make sure we are prepared."
The latter reference was to intentional walks that would be lavished on either Tigers slugger if they were not positioned back-to-back as they have been throughout 2011.
Of course that’s a bit of a stretch; even with only one of those guys in the lineup, he would still get pitched to sometimes. There’s just no way around it. And if the enemy manager did just walk the slugger every time up, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Also, the Tigers do have other good hitters. Particularly Alex Avila. And Wilson Betemit, who -- along with Brandon Inge -- will be displaced by Cabrera at third base.
Essentially, you’re not going to sit Cabrera. You could theoretically hold Martinez as a premier pinch-hitter, start Betemit at third base in those games, and replace him with Inge for defense in the late innings. But Betemit’s a pretty awful third baseman, which is what makes the decision to bench him in favor of Martinez’s bat pretty easy.
Here’s a question, though: Why isn’t Cabrera playing some third base right now? In the 1968 World Series, Tigers manager Mayo Smith famously installed center fielder Mickey Stanley at shortstop, because he had four outfielders who could hit and a shortstop (Ray Oyler) who couldn’t. (I mean, at all. Oyler actually hit negative-.133 that season.) Stanley started the last six games of the regular season at shortstop.
I know, I know ... in 1968, teams went straight from the regular season to the World Series. If Cabrera plays third base the rest of the way, there will be a few weeks between his last game there and Game 1 of the World Series. It probably wouldn’t do much good for him to play third now. I’m just greedy.
Another bit from this piece: about the possibility of Justin Verlander pitching on less than four days of rest at any point in the postseason, Leyland said, "That will not happen."
Wow. Okay. Leyland knows his pitchers a lot better than I, and he can always change his mind later. But once you get past Verlander and (arguably) Doug Fister, there's a big dropoff in the Tigers' rotation. Verlander's a horse, and it seems to me if there's anyone in the American League who could pitch brilliantly on short rest, it's him.
See More:
