The Detroit Tigers added another power hitter to the lineup this week when they signed Prince Fielder to a nine-year deal worth an estimated $214 million. That has caused a couple of good problems for Tigers manager Jim Leyland, however, as he has to decide which slugger should bat in the fourth spot in the batting order each game.
Leyland was non-committal on that earlier in the week, however, saying he wasn't sure how it was going to work out.
"Somebody asked me the question," Leyland said last Wednesday at Toledo Mud Hens Fandemonium. "Does this have an effect on Miguel Cabrera hitting third or fourth? Most likely, sure, it probably does. But I don't have the answer how it's going to work out just yet."
Leyland had a couple of days to think about it, though, and he's apparently decided on his lineup according to the transcript of Thursday afternoon's press conference provided by MLive.
2:40 p.m.: Leyland on Tigers' projected lineup: Jackson, leadoff; Boesch second; Cabrera, third; Fielder, fourth: Young, fifth; Avila, sixth; Peralta, seventh; Kelly-Dirks-Thomas, eighth; Raburn, ninth.
It would have been pretty difficult to make a mistake in this circumstance, but having Cabrera hit third, Fielder fourth and Delmon Young in the fifth spot is going to make things difficult on opposing pitching staffs.
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Prince Fielder Expected To Bat Fourth For Detroit Tigers
Jan 26
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