The Detroit Tigers are a much different team than they were this time last year; obviously they have a better record, but there are some fundamental differences between the two squads.
Notably gone are the heavy-hitters without much range, and in their place are smaller, faster players who emphasize defense over the long ball.
Last season, the Tigers were picked by almost every single baseball analyst to not only make the playoffs, but to win the World Series. They not only failed to make the World Series but failed to keep themselves out of last place in their division.
During the offseason, the philosophy behind the Tigers changed and evolved into something different, something that has been vacant from baseball for many years now. They became a team that focused on small ball and defense, rather than hope for the three-run homerun to outscore the other team.
Small ball wins championships; the teams that are able to play well defensively and can manufacture runs when they need to are always at the top of the divisions.
Take the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, with Manager Mike Scioscia running the show. Over the last several years, they have become an incredibly fast team that plays small ball exceptionally well.
Year after year, they finish at the top of the American League West because they are able to manufacture runs and can play defense. They have several players that are more than able to steal bases, frequently utilize the bunt, and are not afraid to squeeze when the occasion arises.
The 2009 Detroit Tigers seem to be modeled after this successful team. With the addition of outfielder Josh Anderson, the Tigers gain another piece of the puzzle that is a winning season.
Anderson comes from the Atlanta Braves, where they would make players take bunting practice. This additional measure helped the players to be comfortable when they were called upon to bunt, and they could do it correctly.
When the Tigers made the trade for Anderson, it was late in Spring Training and Anderson was unable to join the team in Lakeland. While in Toronto, Anderson could not wait to get to Detroit: Not because he wanted to see his new city, but because he wanted to catch up on his bunting routine.
The Tigers have also helped themselves by bringing up shortstop Ramon Santiago from Triple-A Toledo. Santiago has been up and down in the Tigers' lineup for several years, and each time he is on the big league team, he impresses with his speed on the bases and his ability to be able to drop down the bunt.
In the weekend series against the Seattle Mariners, Santiago was called upon twice to drop down a squeeze bunt and both times he executed them to perfection.
With this new speed at his disposal, Manager Jim Leyland should be able to better manage his team successfully. Last season, the Tigers had very little speed and were forced to play station-to-station baseball, which made them very easy to play against.
Now, Leyland can manage his team the way that he feels baseball should be played. He has already showed his affinity towards small ball with his increased use of the hit-and-runs and bunts.
As Leyland becomes more familiar with his new team and learns their traits, he will be able to better move pieces around the diamond with a greater degree of success.
After all, Leyland's World Series Championship came in the National League, when he had a particularly speedy team that could steal bases, bunt the ball, and execute the squeeze play successfully.
The Tigers speedsters are not limited to Anderson and Santiago. Other notable players are Curtis Granderson, who, two years ago, became the third ever member of the 20-20-20-20 club. Members of this club have hit 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples, and have stolen 20 bases.
Tigers' First Base Coach Andy Van Slyke said that because of Granderson's injury last season, he was unable to steal as many bases as he could have. Van Slyke added that this season, he has talked to Granderson about stealing 40 bases.
As the season continues, look for more small ball to be coming out of Detroit. This year's Tigers can fly around the bases but they still have the power to hit balls over the fences. A multidimensional team is the best thing to have during the season; that way, opponents will be unable to shut down all facets of the game.
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