Who is going to DH for Detroit Tigers in 2012? - MLB News
Detroit Tigers' General Manager Dave Dombrowski made some great moves during the off-season to power his team's pitching and batting line-ups. Last season, Dombrowski and his men showed great determination, fighting spirit and mental toughness to win the American League Central title. However, they were unable to maintain their impressive form in the playoffs.
Signing a multi-million dollar deal with former Milwaukee Brewer Prince Fielder, Dombrowski has already made it clear that the Tigers are ready to pay any price to win the World Series title in 2012. Fielder-Tigers contract is the fourth largest in history of Major League Baseball.
The Tigers acquired the first baseman after their designated hitter Victor Martinez went out for the entire 2012 season due to an ACL tear. Undergoing many surgeries, the striker is expected to miss most of the games next season.
Miguel Cabrera has also been moved to the third base for the upcoming season. Although many baseball writers and analysts are convinced that Cabrera is not the ideal man for the 3B job, Jim Leyland stated that the hard hitting striker has the ability and agility to perform third base duties effectively.
"I think he wants to show the world he can play third base," Leyland said. "I don't think this is going to be bad. He told me he wants to play there. Everybody is all hung up on what he looks like and the fact he's heavy. Sure, I want him to lose a little bit of weight, but I'll tell you what, not too much."
"When you get conscious of your weight, you can lose strength along with weight. You can lose some self-confidence, too, and maybe you don't perform as well. That's no good," he further added.
However, with Martinez hurt, who is going to DH for the Tigers? The truth is, the Tigers themselves don't know who is likely to get the most at-bats at designated hitting position. Andy Dirks, Don Kelly and Clete Thomas are some of the candidates eligible for the position. Leyland will be looking for someone like Delmon Young, who had a productive season in 2011.
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