So long, Mike!
posted in 2007 season, trades |The first of the longtime Tigers is gone. The man who will be more closely associated with the awful year of 2003, Mike Maroth, was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later today. For being Job, for shouldering that suffering, for being the good team member all along, for being a guy with a smile on his face and a positive word on hs lips despite everything, including being injured in the Tigers turnaround year and missing the playoff roster, Maroth will truly be missed.
But baseball is a business, and the business is based on winning. Unfortunately, Maroth was never good enough — even in the years so lowly he was considered the ace of the team. He may be the nicest guy in the world, and you want him to find success in his major league career, but he just isn’t good enough to play for a contender. There are plenty of players good enough to be major leaguers, but not good enough to play for winners. Lord knows, the Tigers are familiar with those guys. During other circumstances, maybe Maroth could have found the ultimate success in the pros with the Tigers, but when injuries and a weak bullpen started to add up, he couldn’t be carried and his soft tossing, high hit count, high ERA just wasn’t going to carry water.
We can’t feel too sorry for him. Just being in the majors may not be enough for men of great competitive nature, but it’s important to remember, he’s still living his dream. He’d had an opportunity few people have.
I know I’ll keep up with his career in St. Louis. He’ll probably turn out to be better in the National League. Good luck, Mike.
Sphere It
[...] Unloading another left-handed pitcher, the Tigers traded long-time starter Mike Maroth to the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. With starters beginning to heal up, the Tigers had the fortune of a logjam in the rotation — Maroth got the boot. He was sent off for a Minor League player to be named later, so the return should be insignificant, at least in the short term. Maroth became the young ace of the staff, losing twenty games in the infamous 2003 season, went 14-14 to go .500 in 2005, and started last season 5-2 before bone chips in his elbow took him out of action. It’s been a long ride with Mike Maroth and he will certainly be missed. Saying, “Looking back, I have nothing but special memories. It’s been a great experience. I have nothing bad to say about Detroit,” Maroth certainly has no regrets about donning the Olde English D. There was never a more fitting young man. [...]