With spring around the corner, Detroiters are anxiously awaiting another summer of Tigers’ baseball. The American League Champions have sky-high expectations and return much of their core. Yet, early spring training games suggest the Tigers already have a closer problem. Sound familiar?
Much of the scrutiny directed towards manager Jim Leyland last year was his unwillingness to part ways with struggling players like Jose Valverde and Ryan Raburn. This year, Leyland has taken a different approach. Bruce Rondon, a hard throwing Venezuelan was anointed closer of the future following the departure of Jose Valverde, but has already had his workload decreased. The young pitcher, known for his explosive fastball, has struggled to control his pitches and allows too many runners onto the base paths. Sound familiar?
No Detroit fans, it’s not time to panic. The Tigers play in a weak American League Central Division. In addition, the bullpen still features able relievers like Phil Coke, Joaquin Benoit, and Octavio Dotel that can close or at least fill in until the trade deadline.
On the other hand, Detroit businesses might be a little more nervous about the spring training struggles. Last year, the Detroit Tigers World Series proved not only rewarding to loyal fans but also lucrative for local businesses. Whether it’s a local hotel, bar, restaurant, or parking lot, businesses crave Tiger baseball because of the traffic it brings Downtown. An article written the in the Detroit Free Press stated the economic impact felt by Detroit during the 2012 World Series run was $72 million.
It’s way too early to panic about the Tigers, but understanding their impact on Downtown Detroit cannot be understated. Each game presents an opportunity for the city to sell itself. In the regular season, it’s at a local level for the most part, but advancing further in the playoffs allows Detroit the opportunity to sell itself to the rest of the country. Let’s hope Jim Leyland finds closure to his pitching predicament in time for another World Series run. Detroit could use it.
Pitcher Bruce Rondon
