Tigers' manager Leyland gives fans hope at Fandemonium

Tigers manager Jim Leyland talks about his team at the Mud Hens Fandemonium at Fifth Third Field. Three Tigers and four coaches attended. THE BLADE/LORI KING Enlarge | Photo Reprints

If Fandemonium had taken place roughly three days ago, the tenor of Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland's talk to media and fans would have been very different.

But since word of the season-ending ACL injury to Victor Martinez was made public Tuesday, Leyland fielded a number of questions at the Mud Hens' annual event, which took place Wednesday at Fifth Third Field, regarding the injury and the way it will affect Detroit this season.

While Leyland said he and the organization are still dealing with the injury -- "This is so fresh, it really hasn't set in yet," he said -- the Perrysburg native said his team needs to work past that injury.

"I thought [Detroit general manager] Dave [Dombrowski] said it right when he called it a 'punch in the gut,' " Leyland said. "But if you want to stay in the fight, you take a punch. We can take a punch.

"We took the Delmon [Young] punch last year, the Magglio [Ordonez] punch last year, the Victor punch last year. We had guys hurt. If you can't take a punch, you don't belong in the fight."

PHOTO GALLERY: Fandemonium at Fifth Third Field

The bad news for the Tigers is that it will be tough to replace the bat of Martinez, who last season hit .330 with 12 homers and 103 RBIs. The good news is that they still have more than two months to find that replacement.

"It's a total shot in the dark that you're going to find someone as good as Victor Martinez," Leyland said. "If you say that it's not going to hurt us, you are lying.

"This guy is one of the best clutch hitters in baseball, one of the best two-strike hitters in baseball, one of the best run producers in baseball. Most likely you are not going to replace that."

Leyland said the potential replacements could come internally or externally, and the replacement might be a player will a different set of skills than Martinez.

"I'm just guessing, but I would guess a lot of agents called Dave Dombrowski," Leyland said. "All of a sudden, there were a lot of guys who wanted to play in Detroit."

Donny Kelly, the former Mud Hen who batted .300 in nine post-season games with Detroit last October, said Martinez provided more than just a solid bat to the Tigers lineup.

Duane Below hopes to be the Tigers fifth starter or in the bullpen this season. 'I want to feel I did everything I could to make the team,' he said. THE BLADE/LORI KING Enlarge | Photo Reprints

"Obviously we're losing one of the leaders on the team, both on the field and in the clubhouse," Kelly said. "Somebody is going to have to step up, whether it's an 'internal' guy or an 'external' guy. It's not an easy job to do, but somebody's going to get an opportunity to do it."

While finding a replacement for Martinez may be at the top of the Tigers' to-do list, it isn't the only item on that list. Another is who will serve as Detroit's fifth starter.

"I don't think we are [done making moves]," Leyland said. "There's no secret we have a hole [with our fifth starter]. We have some nice options in our organization, but that doesn't mean we won't go outside the organization with a trade or free agency."

One of those options is lefty Duane Below, and the native of nearby Britton, Mich., said he looks forward to spring training and the opportunity to compete for that spot.

"Yes, I want that fifth spot, but I know I have to earn that spot," Below said. "But if I don't earn that spot, I still want to earn a spot in the bullpen.

"If I make the team, I make the team. If I don't, I want to feel I did everything I could to make the team."

NOTES: The elevator to The Roost had a door that would not open for a time, trapping seven people for roughly 20 minutes. ... The Mud Hens sold all 250 tickets to the event, which gave fans the opportunity to take swings in the batting cage, pose with the Governors' Cup, and tour much of the ballpark. The participants were able to ask questions of those in attendance, which included Leyland, coaches Gene Lamont, Lloyd McClendon, and Jeff Jones, and players Below, Kelly, and pitcher Jacob Turner.

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, (419) 724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade, and read more at toledoblade.typepad.com/coopscoop.