Backup QB allowed into USA
posted in 2008 season |Those who follow Detroit sports closely know one of the most popular guys in town is always the Detroit Lions’ backup quarterback. The logic here is simple: he’s not the starting quarterback and he can’t possibly be worse.
And then he plays and more often than not, there is suddenly a new most popular man in town.
I bring this up because Francisco Cruceta’s popularity has grown and grown and grown for the simple reason that he is stuck in the Dominican unable to get his visa, rather than imploding in the Tigers’ bullpen like the rest of the relievers.
Well, that is is about to become was.
Cruceta finally got his visa. Knobler:
Cruceta can pick up his visa Thursday morning in Santo Domingo, and he’ll then report to the Tigers’ facility in Lakeland, Fla. The team will have 30 days in which to make a decision on him, but it’s a decent bet that he could join the Tigers before then.
“He’s been throwing in the Dominican,” general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “He’s been throwing in game conditions to hitters.”
If he can pitch, Jason Grilli might want to watch his back, although the way Jim Leyland’s mind works, Aquilino Lopez’s job may be in jeopardy more than Grilli’s.
I just hope we’re not anointing him the savior when he has little major league track record for us to pin our hopes to. I fear, we just like him because of what he hasn’t done, not because of what he has.
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