Season Preview: Detroit Tigers

Last Season: 85-69, 2nd in ALManager: Steve O'Neill (6th season in Detroit, 9th total)Offseason: It was dead silent in Detroit this winter as the Tigers feel confident in the squad that finished second last year. Starting first baseman Roy Cullenbine was sold to the Phillies, opening a spot in the starting lineup for rookie Sam Vico. Other than that, the Tigers are doubling down on their roster and think they can still compete for a pennant with what they already have.Catcher: A few years ago for the Athletics, Hal Wagner was the primary catcher and Bob Swift was the number two backstop. Now, the roles on reversed in Detroit. Wagner has the edge at the plate, helping him get selected to two All-Star games over the years, but Swift is a better defensive catcher. Both will see plenty of playing time this year.Infield: Journeyman Cullenbine had a couple of memorable seasons with the Tigers, including hitting .335 in 1946. However, that number crashed last year to .224, prompting the Tigers to ship him to the Phillies for cash. Vico will thus be one of two Opening Day starting infielders who has never played in the majors beforehand. The other is Neil Berry, filling in for Eddie Lake. Lake signed late in the spring and will miss more time due to his wife's illness. There are also rumors swirling that he may be traded, especially if Berry can take the job. The two returning starters are second baseman Eddie Mayo and third baseman George Kell. Mayo peaked during the war, finishing second in MVP voting during the Tigers' pennant run in 1945, but is still a solid hitter even as he turns 38 the weeks before the start of the season. Kell was received via trade in 1946 from the Athletics, but he has already become the offensive star of the team. He always hits for a high average and almost never strikeouts, only doing so 74 times in 570 career games.Outfield: Detroit has four outfielders worthy of starting, so one man will get the day off each game. Pat Mullin is the oldest at 30 and also hits for the lowest average of the quartet, but he also holds all the power as he led all returning Tigers in homers last season. Hoot Evers had a breakout season and will almost exclusively play in center field. Dick Wakefield, the first bonus baby, was a star for the Tigers during the war but missed their '45 run serving in the Navy. Vic Wertz had an impressive rookie season last year and will start in right field on Opening Day because of it. 42-year-old Doc Cramer is still on the roster but will struggle to find playing time in this crowded outfield.Rotation: From 1944 to 1946, Hal Newhouser had a historic run, winning at least 25 games and only losing exactly nine in each of the three seasons. Newhouser took a slight step back last year, but going 17-17 was still a surprise, especially on a second place team. Newhouser kept Bob Feller's throne warm as top pitcher in the league during the war, but the battle went in Feller's favor in '47. The Tigers have a stronger rotation overall than the Indians, though. Fred Hutchinson led the team in wins with a stat line not far off from Newhouser. Dizzy Trout has matched Prince Hal in several seasons over the last few years, but those days seem to be over. He is still a solid pitcher but will lose as many games as he wins barring a resurgence. Virgil Trucks struggled last season but can eat innings at the bottom of the rotation. The fifth man when needed will be Art Houtteman, who will also be available out of the bullpen. Houtteman is 20 but entering his fourth season in the majors.Bullpen: It's a good thing the Tigers have such a good bullpen, because the bullpen cannot be trusted. Stubby Overmire started 30 games over the last two years but moves to the bullpen to help out the team's weakest unit. The only returning relievers with any experience are Hal White and Al Benton. Maybe rookie Ted Gray can breathe new life into this squad.Outlook: Failing to add any significant players to the roster makes it hard to believe Detroit can overcome the twelve game deficit to the Yankees from last season. The Tigers are confident, but Newhouser might need to win 30 games for the team to have a shot. They do have a lot of young talent on the roster, so they should still compete this year and in the near future, even if another World Series seems out of reach.