Missed hit-by-pitch helps spark brawl

By Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Burning questions as the Tigers try to figure out what it might take to do what everybody else seems to do without much resistance -- beat the Royals.

Q: Thoughts on Sunday's brawl at Comerica Park?

A: Everything would have been fine had plate umpire Marty Foster not missed Carlos Guillen's getting hit by the pitch that preceded Guillen's getting beaned by Runelvys Hernandez.

Guillen was right to begin moving toward first base after he was first struck. It was a natural reaction to what had happened, although you can understand why Foster didn't see the ball strike Guillen. It was a low pitch that barely clipped him.

That was no excuse for Hernandez to retaliate, which pretty much everybody but Hernandez agreed happened.

Q: Why didn't the Tigers rally if they were so worked up?

A: Good question, although wanting to rally and actually rallying are different things, particularly when so many people (Pudge Rodriguez, Dmitri Young, not to mention Guillen, who was ejected) were out of the lineup. A better question is: Why can't this team beat Kansas City?

Last year, the Tigers were 8-11 against the Royals. Two years ago, they were 5-14. This year, they're 6-4, which means for the past three seasons, they are 19-29 against one of baseball's most challenged teams. At the very least, the Tigers' record against the Royals should be reversed.

Q: What should we make of Troy Percival's arm problems?

A: They're serious, indeed, and help explain why he was so bafflingly bad so many times this season. Anyone could see his pitches had minimal zip. Now we're facing the prospect (he has reinjured a torn forearm muscle and is on the disabled list) that a man soon to be 36 years old (Aug. 9) could be finished.

Invest in enough free agents and you'll see a situation turn out as badly as -- thus far -- the Percival signing has turned out for the Tigers. I don't blame the Tigers for going after him last autumn, given the situation. But the critics were loud and numerous when this deal was made, mostly because of his age and the direction his performance indicators had been heading. The past week's developments haven't quieted a single dissenter.

Q: What will the Tigers do at trade-deadline time later this month?

A: Probably not much. Lots of teams will be selling, which means if the Tigers' playoff hopes are the longest of long shots, it won't necessarily pay to begin shedding players, especially when people the Tigers would consider trading (Young, for example) have long and expensive contract options that are poison to other teams.

The Tigers could decide the wild card is within range and bid for A.J. Burnett of the Marlins. But the asking price will be immense, given that contenders are more likely to see Burnett as their ticket to the playoffs. The Marlins will drive a tough bargain there.

Q: What will the Tigers do about their upcoming free agents -- Placido Polanco and Kyle Farnsworth?

A: Polanco wants to play here. The question is whether his agent will talk reasonably with the Tigers or play hardball knowing he can offer Polanco to the highest offseason bidder. The bet here is 60-40 he sticks with Detroit.

Farnsworth will be more difficult. He is at the top of his game and will be a premier closer for anyone who wants to offer him a prestigious role and pay him the big bucks that intimidating closers command. He is from Georgia and has a National League background, and those factors make him -- in this view -- unlikely to return to the Tigers. If that proves to be the case, it would be a tough loss because this guy is dynamite.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/tigers/0...D04-251297.htm