Dombrowski Deserves Blame...A LOT OF IT

The finger has been pointed in many directions this season as to who deserves the blame for the Tigers' woeful play.  Players such as Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn have received plenty of scolding from the fans and deservedly so.  Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon and Jim Leyland are the latest scapegoats.  All of the above do indeed deserve blame among others.  However, who is the architect of this Tiger team?  Dave Dombrowski.  When do fans realize that the root of the problem is the man who put these role players in starting roles?  Now seems as good of a time as ever.

Fans have been going crazy regarding the revolving door that is 2B.  We have seen Inge, Raburn, Worth, and Santiago.  What do they all have in common?  None of them are good enough to start every game at the position.  As much as I have been opposed to Leyland's decisions regarding the batting order,  he really has zero options at 2B.  He has tried everything.  The only thing he really can do is play Santiago everyday and bat him 9th.  That's it.  Who is responsible for there being a lack of quality options at the position?  Dave Dombrowski.  He could have had Orlando Hudson for can of jock itch spray a few weeks ago but he passed.  Now he's not the best but at least he is a legit  Major League starter at a position where you have zero.  The Tigers had arguably the best number 2 hitter and 2B in the AL a few years back in Placido Polanco but decided to let him walk in favor of the up-and-coming Scott Sizemore.  Where is this Sizemore?  Not in the organization anymore.  Not Leyland's fault.  That was Dave's call.  How much would he help in that 2-hole right now?

The Tigers' 1-4 hitters have been producing for the most part.  After that, the 5-9 hitters might as well step into the batter's box without bats.  They are essentially automatic outs that are completely incapable of moving base runners.  I think it's becoming obvious Peralta, Avila, and Young had their career years last year.  Yet, it was assumed they would replicate that production.  Who's call was that?  David Dombrowski's.  They could have had Bobby Abreu last month for bag of Bettermade Potato Chips and a bottle of Faygo Cola.  Nah, we'll just hope Raburn busts out of his slump because he can do damage.  Abreu isn't the same guy who was winning the Home Run Derby at the Copa years back but still a professional hitter and better than anybody you trot out there not named Cabrera or Fielder.  That's on Dombrowski.

When your MLB roster is not producing you can always go to your AAA for one of your young studs to supplement the lineup.  Well, too bad the Tigers' farm system at the AAA level is bone dry.  With the exception of Berry, the journeymen career minor leaguers we keep seeing are the best Dombrowski has to offer.  Who is responsible to draft quality positional players (not pitchers)?  You guessed it.  Dave Dombrowski.  He likes to draft "power arms" it seems every year in the draft.  Well, Perry, Zumaya, Sanchez, Miller etc. are no longer here (many of them are not anywhere) and Porcello looks to be another possible bust.  Just today the Tigers used their first pick to draft a high school pitcher.  Dombrowski's call.

As far as Leyland goes, he is not without blame.  His lineups that he makes off of his "hunches" and his righty/lefty match ups are enough to make fans scream.  His apparent Raburn man crush was maddening.  However, at some point you have to see that he is also working with what he has been given.  What he has been given is a team with 3 superstars in Verlander, Cabrera, and Fielder and the rest are simply role players forced to play in big spots every game.  Not to mention the team is a strictly power hitting team with zero speed in one of the biggest parks in the league.  Who has given him these tools to work with?  Dave Dombrowski.  Heck, if you are a Leyland hater, Dombrowski is the one who gave him a contract extension!  Ultimately, this is the team Dombrowski has built and thus the blame has to rest on his shoulders.