Ian Casselberry at the very fine Tigers blog www.blessyouboys.com reports that sources suggest that the Tigers hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon* may have been partly responsible for the Tigers hitting woes last year.
Apparently, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco refused to work with him and Curtis Granderson and other Tiger hitters travelled to Toledo to work with Mud Hens batting coach Leon Durham rather than work with McClendon. One of the sources refers to McClendon as manager Jim Leyland's "buddy".**
OK, NOW HOLD ON JUST ONE COTTON-PICKIN SECOND HERE!
I don't think these "sources" know who they are talking about nor do they know their history very well. Pull up a chair.
In the 1971 Little League World Series, Lloyd McClendon hit 5 home runs in a row and in the championship game after he hit his first home run, he was intentionally walked 4 times! THE GUY HIT 5 CONSECUTIVE HOME RUNS! He was an absolute beast at 12 years old! Pre-pubescent pitchers whimpered in fear when he came to the plate!
As far as replacing him as the Tigers hitting coach, if McClendon was just any old little leaguer like Kelly Leak or someone well then ok BUT THE GUY HIT 5 HOME RUNS IN A ROW IN THE 1971 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES AND THEN WAS INTENTIONALLY WALKED 4 TIMES AFTER THAT! I am sure that he did not forget how to hit! You are supposed to get smarter with age, you know.
Who are you going to replace him with? George Brett? Rod Carew? Tony Gwynn? How many home runs did they hit in a row at the Little League World Series?
Ok, then. So give it a rest.
*He is playing a really shallow "OF" in that card.
**Normally any buddy of the Marlboro Man is no buddy of mine but I will make an exception here because of McClendon's 1971 performance. Think that's a dumb reason? Think you could hit 5 home runs in a row? Case closed.
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