If we can't attract the big name free agents because of our win/loss record, how are we to turn this thing around? They say our minor league system is broken. So where are the good players supposed to come from? I don't know if signing Beltran to as much as it takes to lure him to Detroit would be considered breaking the bank or not, but you have to start someplace. It seems to me that players like Pudge and Beltran would help attract other top of the line players. What do you think? -- Larry, Clio, Mich. I think a 29-game improvement from 2003 to 2004 is at least a start toward turning it around. Second, I don't think the minor league system is broken. It's not in great shape, justifiably regarded in the bottom half among big league clubs, but even "they" who make dire predictions admit there are still prospects there -- guys like Curtis Granderson, Kyle Sleeth, Joel Zumaya, Justin Verlander, Tony Giarratano and Ryan Raburn. Just because they aren't projected as future All-Stars doesn't mean they're worthless. Neither Nate Robertson nor Wilfredo Ledezma were rated as top-10 prospects when the Tigers acquired them. Lastly, no matter how much the Tigers would bid for Carlos Beltran, it's not going to alter the long-term plan. For all but the richest of teams, the way to contend has to include developing the majority of a ballclub from withinu Are there any ideas on which players will be at Tigerfest this year? -- Carmel, Napoleon, Ohio Not sure yet. Look for that news in the next week or two. Now that Alan Trammell and the other coaches have finished their second year with the Tigers, I haven't heard very much about Sparky Anderson. Does he still get calls from his old players for any sort of advice on baseball? With this coming year being the end of Gibson's third year, is he going to be looking for a manager's position? Does he feel like he's accomplished what he set out to do with the team? -- Tigers fan from Grant, Mich. Trammell has said he calls Sparky every once in a while, but that Sparky limited the calls to once a month or so during the season. As for Kirk Gibson, the question isn't so much whether he'll look for a manager's position as whether teams with a managerial opening will be looking for him. The Mets rumor was a courtesy that spiraled out of control. Nobody has shown any real interest yet. None of that would happen until next fall anyway. In last week's Sporting News, you wrote that the Tigers might be in the market for a center fielder. I'm in a fantasy league and I have Alex Sanchez. I was really counting on him starting -- do you think that's not going to happen? Up until now, my main concern was that Nook Logan might unseat him, but now you're saying they may go out of the organization for help. Should I cut my losses and cut him or hang tight? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. -- Steve L., Charlotte, N.C. I'd expect Sanchez to go into the season as the starter, Steve. The way the market on outfielders played out against the Tigers, they were better off keeping him. If he can clean up his occasional but spectacular miscues in center field, he's a decent weapon for Detroit. And besides, at $1.35 million he'd be one expensive backup. We often hear about activity going on in Florida during the offseason -- i.e. Rodney, Spurling, etc. -- could you elaborate on who is there, why are they there, do they have informal games, your assessment on progress on key players, etc.? Please provide any other bits of information an information-starved devout Tiger fan in Red Sox Nation could use. -- Jim S., Pawcatuck, Conn. Except for players who live nearby -- Bobby Higginson has a winter home in Lakeland, while Jason Johnson and Mike Maroth live within a short drive -- the guys at Lakeland now are mainly a few injured players who are there to rehab in the team facilities. Fernando Rodney and Chris Spurling have spent offseason time there to work their arms back from Tommy John surgery. There are also some minor league guys there doing their rehab work. For guys without a lot of family obligations, it's sometimes easier that way since the facilities and trainers are right there. The informal games ended around instructional league, though. Once Tigerfest and the Winter Caravan finish up, more players -- especially pitchers -- will show up to get a head start on Spring Training. As far as other bits of information, the average January high temperature in Lakeland is 74 degrees. The average low is 51. And there are three Steak 'n Shake restaurants in Lakeland. Excellent article on Jack Morris. Your article leaves me with one question, though. How do Jack Morris' numbers for innings pitched per season compare with other Hall of Fame type right-handed pitchers close to his era (Drysdale, Gibson, Blyleven, Schilling, Sutton, etc.)? Also, what percentage of the teams' innings pitched for the season does this represent for the championship seasons and postseason? I know that finding the answers could be a lot of work, but isn't that the point of your piece? A winning team often has a leader of the staff that not only can pitch his game but save the bullpen for future games in the process. Jack Morris, even late in his career, epitomizes that "staff leader." -- Bud Good questions. To use the names you've given and add a couple others, here are the innings pitched averages per season, courtesy of baseball-reference.com: Bob Gibson, 261 1/3 Bert Blyleven, 245 1/3 Jack Morris, 241 1/3 Roger Clemens, 238 2/3 Don Drysdale, 237 1/3 Don Sutton, 234 2/3 Greg Maddux, 234 1/3 Curt Schilling, 224 1/3 Pedro Martinez, 220 As for your second question, I'll use a few examples from championship seasons for the sake of space. Morris' 240 1/3 innings in 1984 represented 16.4 percent of the team's total innings pitched. He comprised 17 percent of the 1991 Twins' innings and 16.7 percent of the 1992 Blue Jays' innings. He didn't pitch nearly as much in 1993. Not surprisingly, Gibson's percentage was way higher in 1984 (20 percent) and lower in 1967, when he missed part of the year. Blyleven comprised 15.9 percent for the 1979 Pirates and 18.7 percent for the 1987 Twins. More recently, Maddux pitched 16.2 percent of the total innings for the 1995 Braves. Clemens pitched 13 and 14.3 percent for the 1999 and 2000 Yankees, respectively. Schilling pitched 17.6 percent for the 2001 Diamondbacks, then 15.6 percent for last season's Red Sox. I played with Nook Logan at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and was just wondering about Nook's future. Do you see him starting this upcoming year or at the least being with the Detroit Tigers for the entire season? I just hope the best for Nook and was wanting your opinion. -- Adam D., Magee, Miss. Sanchez's signing probably doesn't bode well for Nook, Adam. He could still push Sanchez in Spring Training and try to force his way onto the roster in at least a platoon role. Barring a surprise, however, he's at a disadvantage for the starting job and a reserve spot could be just as tough. He's not likely to make the team exclusively as a backup center fielder, and Trammell hasn't yet kept a guy to be a pinch-running specialist. -- ★opengoodbook 你什麽时候设我为好友啦?!XD To opengoodbook: 第一次丢你水球之後阿XD ★opengoodbook 我会害羞(跑) To opengoodbook: :P ★opengoodbook 这麽主动...... --

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