What’s Old is New Again – Guillen, Bonderman Set to Return

Some folks have desperately tried to make comparisons between this 2009 Tigers team and the whirlwind 2006 club that shocked the baseball world with an out of nowhere World Series run. While I believe these comparisons are more rooted in spirit than statistics it appears the Tigers are reaching back to the ‘06 magic in an attempt to create similar results. It was reported this morning that Carlos Guillen has been recalled from his rehab assignment and will start both games of todays doubleheader as the designated hitter, hitting fifth in the lineup. Also on the wire today, reports that Jeremy Bonderman may soon rejoin the team, and pitch out of the bullpen. Kudos to Jason Beck of mlb.com for reporting both stories first.

The prospect of adding a left handed bat with a .311 average and .867 OPS at Comerica Park is exciting. However the fact that Guillen is still unable to hit right-handed and is not ready to play the field limits my enthusiasm slightly. I did not expect Carlos to be a factor in the field, but was hoping his switch hitting abilities would bolster what has been for the most part an inflexible lineup. For his career Carlos is a .414 hitter with an OPS of 1.068 with the bases loaded, a situation this team has struggled with of late. He’ll hit behind Miguel Cabrera, hopefully forcing opposing pitchers to throw Miggy more strikes.

Jeremy Bonderman will also return to the team in a limited capacity. He’ll work out of the bullpen for the remainder of this season. Reports suggest that his return is somewhere between imminent and by the end of the season. In whatever capacity Jeremy returns it will be intriguing to see how he handles the new job. Over the course of his career opponents are hitting .312 against Bondo with an OPS of .917 in his first inning of work.  That was before, this is now, I realize and recognize that this historical data does not guarantee a rough introduction to bullpen work, but the numbers must be regarded as possible at least. I’m torn in general when it comes to believing in Jeremy Bonderman.

For the record he’s 59-67 with a 4.78 ERA over seven MLB seasons, all with the Tigers. He is however a two time 14 game winner with a career strikeout to walk ratio of 2.39:1, and has shown significant improvement from his early struggles on a horrible team. You can debate ’til dawn what his numbers suggest, whether he can stay healthy and if his bullpen presence will benefit this team. While I’m cogniscent of the numbers I will always believe that Jeremy Bonderman has the ability to dominate the best hitters in the world, because I saw him do it.

On October 7th, 2006 I sat in the right field bleachers of Comerica Park for game four of the ALDS. Over the course of some two and a half hours I watched Jeremy carve up the Yankees lineup, widely considered to be the best in the game that year, like so much thanksgiving turkey. Over 8.1 innings Jeremy limited the Bronx Bombers to five hits and two earned runs while throwing 70 of 99 pitches for strikes. Were it not for a ninth inning home run by Jorge Posada surrendered by Jamie Walker the above line score would have read one earned run (Bobby Abreu singled off Bondo to open the inning). On the biggest stage Jeremy demonstrated he was capable of being the dominant force we hope he can be once again.

Now these two veteran warriors are set to return, in new roles, at different times, with the same hope: That a little of that old magic can be rekindled.

The timing of Guillen’s return seems rushed, as if to suggest Dave Dombrowski wants to get at least a quick look at him before deciding whether or not to venture into the trade market for a left handed bat. As for Bonderman, it seems unlikely his potential return will help determine if a bullpen arm needs to be added by July 31. It appears to this writer the hope of the organization is that Jeremy could possibly be a late season lift that costs this team nothing but an audition for a new job, or simply a stop on the return road to the starting rotation next year.

Regardless of the results, this town owes both men their support on the road to recovery. As Tigers fans we have been teased by their potential and benefited from their efforts for years now. It seems fruitless to poo poo these attempts to jump start this team. Both of them will be paid whether they perform or not, both are a part of the payroll for next season as well. It makes sense to run them out there and see what they have left in the tank.

Here’s hoping this two-headed experiment can help write a new story, complete with an improbable boost that leads to the post-season once again.

Tags: 2006 ALDS, Bonderman nearing return, Carlos Guillen, Carlos Guillen recalled, Detroit Tigers, Jamie Walker, Jeremy Bonderman, Jeremy Bonderman to work out of the bullpen