Ron Washington calls out Prince Fielder for baserunning mistake

The lasting image of Prince Fielder with the Detroit Tigers was him committing a baserunning blunder in Game 6 of the Tigers' ALCS loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Fielder's nonchalant reaction towards the loss and his playoff performance ultimately contributed to his trade to the Texas Rangers. 

Early on in the 2014 baseball season, Fielder's baserunning gaffes are coming back to rear it's ugly head. Rangers manager Ron Washington called out Fielder for a baserunning mistake that killed a Rangers rally in an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Washington said Fielder "blew it" after Fielder stopped at third on a hit by Mitch Moreland. He failed to read coach Gary Pettis coming into third, got himself hung up between third and home and eventually tagged out, effectively squashing a brewing rally.

“Prince just blew it,” Washington said. “(Third base coach Gary Pettis) was winding, but Prince went back to the bag. … It's a different situation with runners on second and third with one out and a run in instead runners on second and third with two. You never know what would have happened. We might have only scored that one run right there, but I would have like to have seen what would have happened.”

Fielder's reaction wasn't anything dramatic even though it seems like Washington threw him under the bus.

 “I didn’t get a good jump and I didn’t pick up Gary in time. It was one of those days. We played hard, but we made a couple of mistakes. We just have to come back and be sharper,” said Fielder.

If Fielder continues making mistakes like this and has an attitude that says there's always tomorrow, Rangers fans will run out of patience with the big man in a hurry.

Omar Infante signs four year deal with the Kansas City Royals

Omar Infante is officially once again an ex-Detroit Tiger. The second baseman reportedly will sign with the AL Central rival Kansas City Royals.

Reports say the contract is for four years and around $30 million.

The Tigers went in a different direction at second base when they traded first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler.

The New York Yankees were thought to be the leader for Infante's services and reportedly offered three years for $24 million but Infante wanted four years, so he signed with Kansas City instead. It's a good pickup for Kansas City as they filled their hole at second base for good value.

Infante batted  .318 with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .795 OPS in 118 games for the Tigers in 2013. Infante has a .279 career average and a .721 career OPS.

Even though he won't be a Tiger, they'll see a lot of him within the division.

Tigers need some thunder on the bench

The Detroit Tigers don't need to do too much retooling of their roster to remain a contender. While the team does have holes in left field, closer, and possibly third base, they have enough to remain atop the American League Central.

The Tigers grabbed some payroll flexibility when they traded first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler. I'm not in the business of trying to spend someone else's money but I do have an opinion on what the Tigers should have on the bench. They do need speed, but they also need a bat or two on the bench.

When I look at the current 40 man roster I don't see anyone who isn't a regular that scares me. There isn't anyone I think that could run into one and maybe be a steady bat off the bench. Matt Tuiasosopo filled that role last season but eventually the magic ran out and he was put on waivers. They'll bring back utilityman Don Kelly and even though he's come up with some timely hits, he's not one who I would be afraid of in a clutch situation. With leftfield up for grabs either Andy Dirks or Nick Castellanos (if he's not moved to third) will be manning left. Which means one or the other will be on the bench.

I'm not calling my suggestions that I'll mention an end all, be all solution, but I do believe they could help in the short term and be cost effective.

Raul Ibanez- The ageless wonder whacked 29 homers playing on an offensive challenged team in Seattle and playing in spacious Safeco Field. You could plug Ibanez in at DH or platoon him at first with Victor Martinez if you keep Miguel Cabrera at third. His price might be too high, but at 41 you won't be tied to him too long.

Jeff Francouer- The one time hot prospect has fizzled, but two seasons ago showed some signs of life in Kansas City. He could come cheap since he was released by Kansas City. He could supply some defense with the strong arm. His drawback is that he's a free swinger and the Tigers don't need that when they need to get a run across.

Mark Reynolds and Carlos Pena- These two players are nearly identical...feast or famine. They'll get you some bombs but they'll strike out a whole lot. Both players are someone an opposing pitcher would have to be somewhat careful with.

Nate McLouth- Could be a nice, cheap bench option for a contender.

Rajai Davis- If you want a late inning defensive replacement and some speed off the bench this is your guy.

Eric Chavez- Yes he gets hurt a lot, but maybe just maybe he can hold the fort until Castellanos is ready to take over full time. At the very least keep him around to teach him a few things.

I'm not saying these are players they should be fully investing time to go after, but maybe take a flier on one of them and see can they catch lightning in a bottle and get a little thunder on the bench .  

Report: Tigers could be a player for Yankees' Robinson Cano

Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has a pretty hefty payroll. But he has shown that he's willing to spend to get that elusive World Series trophy.

The Tigers are contenders this year and might be in the market for a second baseman if Omar Infante leaves in free agency. One player that has been mentioned is New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano.

“Owner Mike Ilitch is aggressive and wants to win a championship, and while the team's priority must soon be about signing Miguel Cabrera to his next contract, Ilitch has shown he's willing to expand his budget,”ESPN's Buster Olney wrote.

Olney looked at the market for Cano and says that he expects the Yankees to be major players, the Tigers, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants might be interested in the 30 year old All-Star.

I don't see the Phillies getting in the Cano sweepstakes since they just signed Chase Utley to a contract extension. I also can't see Cano leaving the Yankees but that team is getting older and I don't know if Cano wants to play his remaining years on that might not be a playoff contender.

I don't see the Tigers spending big for Cano, but who saw the Prince Fielder signing coming. I'd love to see Cano sporting an Olde English D, but I'm afraid it won't happen. If it does happen expect the price of Hot n Ready's to go up.

Prince Fielder's mom has a book in the works

The tension in the Fielder family might get a little worse by the end of spring. Father and son already don't get along and now mother, Stacey August, is getting in the act. She has a book in the works and it could be out by next month.

The book will be title "Stealing Home On A Fielder's Choice" and is due to be available online and in stores this spring, maybe by next month.

August said the nine-chapter, 300-page, self-published book subtitled "A Revelation of a Ravished Rose," details the triumphs and adversity the Fielder family experienced throughout Cecil's professional baseball career and Prince's childhood before his rise to big league stardom.


August says the book won't be focused on the Prince-Cecil relationship although it will talk about how it changed over the years.

"I hope it gives other families a sense of hope that, at the end of the day, love may not conquer all, but it does cover all," August said. "It's a story of grace and mercy."


"It's a spiritual memoir that really talks about the core issues," she said. "It goes a little deeper for the underlying issues. It will address the situation that has happened to the two of them."


August says that both Cecil and Prince know about the book and don't have any problems with it. We'll have to see how long either of them will hold out on saying they don't like the book.

The feuding Fielders

Cecil Fielder had a lot to say when his baseball prodigy son, Prince, signed his 9 year, $214 million dollar mega-contract with the Detroit Tigers. Cecil went as far to say that the relationship has "improved" and that "time heals all wounds".

Prince on the other hand wouldn't answer questions about him and his father at his introductory press conference, instead focusing on him being a Tiger.

The common thread between the two is that both will have played for the Tigers and they're both heavyweight home run hitters. Beyond that there is nothing between the two.

In an interview in the Detroit Free Press, Cecil spoke about the still strained relationship and about Prince as a man before being inducted into the Ted Williams Hall of Fame.

“But I do not know if it’s improving,” Fielder said tonight, before being inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame with former New York Yankees teammate Tino Martinez. “I worry how he’s grown as a man.”

The father expressed “disappointment” with his son over the estranged relationship he said his son had with “the whole family.” The father said his son did not communicate with anybody on either side of his extended family.

Cecil Fielder, who said his son had him “thrown out” of a family room at Turner Field in Atlanta a couple of years ago, said he had no plans to attend any Tigers game, despite his affection for owner Mike Ilitch.

“I’m not going nowhere around it,” Fielder said. “Mr. Ilitch is my man, but there’s been some awful (stuff). I don’t want to get in the position where he throws me out of the damn stadium. I’ll have a chance to see him on TV.”

“He can’t hide behind (agent) Scott Boras with ‘no comment’ to all the questions,” Fielder said. “I say he has to grow up, and sooner or later, he will grow up. You don’t want to stay stuck in whatever cocoon you are in, stay stuck in your cocoon.”

A fractured relationship. There's a shocker. And with the gas can Cecil just broke out, it's not going to improve any time in the near future. That might've been an opinion he wanted to keep to himself and let the writers say that.

As far as Prince goes, at some point he has to extend an olive branch to his father. Yes, he did some things that might take a long time to get over, but as a man that is something you get over. I'm not saying do it right away, but sometime in the future.

I know this from personal this from personal experience and you don't want to wait until a loved one is on their deathbed to make peace with them.

In the meantime, Cecil should just stay mum on the subject of his son.