Tigers spring training woes

Here is a look at the stats of certain Tiger players this spring training who are being counted on this year to turn around last year's cellar dwellar finish.

Justin Verlander: 5.79 ERA, 9 hits, 9 walks and 6 earned runs in 9 innings. It is generally agreed that Verlander must return to form after a dismal 2008 year for the Tigers to have any chance.

Zach Miner: 9.00 ERA, 18 hits, 10 earned runs in 10 innings. It was thought that Miner would contend for the 5th spot in the rotation. Not seeing it.

Nate Robertson: 9.00 ERA, 5 hits, 5 walks, 4 earned runs in 4 innings. Reports indiate that his fastball is topping out at 86 mph. Robertson was being looked at closely to see if he could rebound from a horrid 2008 where some metrics had him as the worst starter in major league baseball. Not looking good especially the velocity.

Dontrelle Willis: 12.00 ERA, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks in 3 innings. Willis has not pitched well in 3 years and I am not a pitching coach but it just might be over for him. Unfortunately the Tigers owe him $20 million for the next 2 years. Illitch must love signing those checks.

Edwin Jackson: 5.40 ERA, 1 hit, 3 runs, 4 walks in 5 innings. The media is raving about him I believe to help bolster a bad trade the Tigers made with Tampa to get him. So far, not good.

Gary Sheffield: .167 batting average. There obviously has been a real concern as to whether Sheffield's shoulder is right. The Tiger media says it absolutely is apparently because Sheffield says it is. The jury is still out.

Oh my.