Fielder's Choice

The phone rang on Tuesday--it was my dad. He normally calls on Sundays, so I knew there must be something unusual going on. I hoped nobody had died. No, instead it was Tiger news. They'd signed, pending a physical, Prince Fielder. Happy happy joy joy!

I've heard all the commentary. Some people seem to think this is a bad idea, but I wonder what they're smoking. Fielder, who is only 27, has averaged 38 home runs a season. His batting percentages are .282/.390/.540. He has finished in the top four in the MVP voting three times in the last four years. He plays every day. What's the downside?

Some say he's not worth a nine-year contract, and that players with his kind of girth break down after 32-33 years old. Well, that may be, but for the next five years he figures to keep the Tigers at the elite level of the American League. When it comes to years six through nine we'll worry about that then. It's not my money. If Fielder can get a championship before he's too fat to move, it's worth it.

It's amazing how these things come about, and reminds me (and others) of how the Yankees got Alex Rodriguez. In both situations it was an off-season injury that changed things radically. The Tigers had no interest in Fielder, a first-baseman, because they already have one of the best first basemen in the league, Miguel Cabrera. But when Victor Martinez, their DH and cover for Cabrera, batting behind him, went down with a torn ACL, the Tigers lineup suddenly had a huge crater it. Names like Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, and Casey Hotchner were bandied about in the press. When Pena was signed by the Rays, I figured the Tigers would just make do. But then--boom!

This will create some interesting problems for manager Jim Leyland. Cabrera, who was approached to get his blessing before the signing, has said he will play third base, where he hasn't played regularly since 2008. I wonder if Leyland agrees. Cabrera, generously, is 260 pounds, and is not exactly cat-like. When the Tigers acquired him, they started him at third, where he made five errors in 12 games, and promptly moved him to first base, where he has remained. I think a more reasonable proposition is to have Cabrera and Fielder rotate at 1B-DH. It's only when Martinez comes back that a logjam exists, but that's a problem most teams would like to have.

Comerica Park is also not as generous in allowing home runs as Miller Park. The highest total for a left-handed hitter is 14 home runs. I expect Fielder, though, who is in his prime, will at least double if not triple that mark. No matter, he is sure to help the Tigers. It was thought Martinez was irreplaceable, but the Tigers (who one writer called "the Yankees of the Midwest") went out and got somebody better. Dumb Bill Plaschke said on Around the Horn  last night that Fielder would only add a win or two. Well, the Tigers won 95 games last year. That sounds good to me.

It's also something of a homecoming for Fielder. His father, Cecil, played seven seasons for the Tigers during the '90s, and young, roly-poly Prince was a fixture at Tiger Stadium, as seen in this photo. Father and son, I've read, have been estranged, but have recently made strides at reconciliation. I hope they do, and I hope Prince does his father proud by smashing many taters for his new club.