4 Detroit Tigers

They found a closer, but an improving club could still use some finishing touches

Imagine the kind of happiness that comes with winning the lottery or making the last mortgage payment. That was the feeling the brain trust of the Tigers experienced as they were making their pitch to free-agent closer Troy Percival on a mid-November night at The Capital Grille in suburban Detroit. The stop was the first in a planned multicity tour for Percival, who was scheduled to meet with the Indians and the Cubs over the next three days.

"I'm ready to sign," Percival suddenly announced after the salads had been delivered. Manager Alan Trammell, who was sitting next to Percival, almost dropped his fork. He wanted to be sure he had heard it right. "I'd like to get this done tonight," said Percival, who had spent the last 10 seasons with the Angels. "My agent's waiting for your phone call."

Four months later the straight-talking Percival, 35, was just as upbeat about his migration from World Series contender to a franchise that hasn't finished over .500 in 12 years. "If I didn't think we'd win, I guarantee you I wouldn't be here," says Percival, who has saved at least 32 games in each of the last five seasons, despite being on the disabled list in four of them. "I didn't come here to just finish my career. I came here to be a solution to a problem."

The Tigers swung and missed at their share of big-name free agents over the winter. Righthander Carl Pavano spurned them in favor of the Yankees, and Troy Glaus signed with the Diamondbacks. But in addition to Percival (two years, $12 million), they did land overpriced rightfielder Magglio Ordoñez (five years, $75 million). "Maybe some people don't trust us yet," Trammell says of the free agents who went elsewhere. "If we continue to keep this going in the right direction, maybe more guys will come next year."

Detroit jumped from 43 wins in 2003 to 72 last season despite a bullpen that blew 28 saves, which tied the Athletics and the Indians for the league's worst. The Tigers believe they've bolstered a dreadful setup corps with the acquisition of fireballer Kyle Farnsworth, who can throw 99 mph but never lived up to expectations (22-37, 4.78 ERA in six seasons) with his previous employer, the Cubs. The spring's big surprise, however, has been the emergence of Franklyn German, 25, who has been hitting 96--97 mph on the radar gun with what one AL scout called "an unhittable splitter."

One front office executive says the Angels didn't want to re-sign Percival because his velocity dropped in 2004. "He's going to throw 92 now, not 97," the executive said. "Look at his decline in strikeouts last year." Percival averaged 1.3 strikeouts per inning in his first four seasons in the majors; last year he had 33 whiffs in 4923 innings, an average of 0.66. "I feel great," Percival says. "I just came off the best half-season I've had in a long time." His ERA over the last three months of the '04 season: 1.74, including 0.90 with six saves in September.

To help sway Percival, the front office enlisted Al Kaline, the Tigers Hall of Famer who's now a special assistant to G.M. Dave Dombrowski. On the morning of the day he committed to Detroit, Percival received a tour of the city's tony suburbs from Kaline. "I've been a Tiger for 53 years," Kaline says, "and he seemed to get a kick out of me giving a history of the Tigers and basically telling him that whether he comes or not, we're going to win here very soon. Plus, I think he was totally knocked out by what he saw."

"I bought a house," says Percival, a lifelong Southern California resident. "I was sold."

After his team's improvement last season, owner Mike Ilitch is hungry for more--whatever the cost. Early in spring training he seemed almost mournful over Detroit's missing out on Pavano. "I'm going to keep spending," he says, "until we win." In Pavano's absence, the Tigers will rely on a young rotation fronted by Jeremy Bonderman who has promise but a 17--32 career record as well.

"Let's not sugarcoat it. We'll need some of these kids to come through to contend," says Trammell of a rotation that also includes Mike Maroth, Jason Johnson, Nate Robertson and Wilfredo Ledezma (combined ERA in '04, 4.73). "But they'll have some help. We've got a bullpen that'll put some fear in people." --P.K.

In Fact

Last year the Tigers became the first AL team to lead the majors in errors (144) since the 1997 Red Sox. Detroit had the most E's by an AL team since the Indians made 148 in '93.

Enemy Lines

An opposing team's scout sizes up the Tigers

THEY'VE COME a long way from the laughingstock they were a couple years ago. If they win 80 games this season, they could take a big step in 2006.... Pudge Rodriguez has lost about 20 pounds. He's quicker, but he's probably lost a lot of his power.... Omar Infante is coming off a breakout year, which was due in part to the guidance of shortstop Carlos Guillen, who's the glue of the infield. But Guillen has to come back from right knee surgery for the Tigers to get out of the gate well.... Rondell White can still turn on anyone's fastball. He'll be a potential trade guy.... Their depth is better than it has been, but what's going to hold them back is their starters, who are ordinary. They don't have the No. 1 and 2 guys that Minnesota and Cleveland have. The best is Jeremy Bonderman, who's growing into the role of ace.... Most teams would like to have Mike Maroth as their No. 4 or 5 starter. His stuff doesn't jump out at you, but he competes.... They would love to deal Ugueth Urbina. Trading him would open up a roster spot for one of the best kids in camp, Fernando Rodney, a fastball-changeup guy.

The Lineup

projected roster with 2004 statistics

2004 RECORD
72-90
4th in AL Central

MANAGER
Alan Trammell
third season with Detroit

Batting Order

2B Infante

SS Guillen

C Rodriguez

RF Ordoñez

DH Young

LF White

1B Peña

CF Monroe

3B Inge

CRAIG MONROE
B-T R
PVR 130
BA .293
HR 18
RBI 72
SB 3

RONDELL WHITE
B-T R
PVR 154
BA .270
HR 19
RBI 67
SB 1

MAGGLIO ORDONEZ [New acquisition]
B-T R
PVR 78
BA .292
HR 9
RBI 37
SB 0

CARLOS GUILLEN
B-T S-R
PVR 124
BA .318
HR 20
RBI 97
SB 12

OMAR INFANTE
B-T R
PVR 161
BA .264
HR 16
RBI 55
SB 13

BRANDON INGE
B-T R
PVR 141
BA .287
HR 13
RBI 64
SB 5

CARLOS PEñA
B-T L
PVR 83
BA .241
HR 27
RBI 82
SB 7

PUDGE RODRIGUEZ
B-T R
PVR 26
BA .334
HR 19
RBI 86
SB 7

DESIGNATED HITTER
DMITRI YOUNG
B-T S-R
PVR 62
BA .272
HR 18
RBI 60
SB 0

BENCH
VANCE WILSON [New acquisition]
B-T R
PVR 400
BA .274
HR 4
RBI 21
SB 1

RAMON MARTINEZ [New acquisition]
B-T R
PVR 338
BA .246
HR 3
RBI 30
SB 1

ROTATION

[originallink:10808581:720496]

213

4

5

0

1.50

4.73

New acquisition
(R) Rookie
B-T: Bats-throws
IPS: Innings pitched per start
WHIP: Walks plus hits per inning pitched
PVR: Player Value Ranking (explanation on page 69)

COLOR PHOTO

JOHN IACONO

MONEY TALKS

Unlike their division rivals, the Tigers haven't shied from throwing big dough at free agents such as Percival.

COLOR PHOTO

CHUCK SOLOMON

Rodriguez

COLOR PHOTO