Samuelsen: Nathan, booing fans both need to relax

Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the "Jamie and Wojo" show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. You can reach him at jamsam22@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter @jamiesamuelsen and read more of his opinions at freep.com/jamie.

How short of a leash should the Tigers keep on Joe Nathan?

While Tiger players work themselves into midseason form, it's good to know that bullpen angst is already there.

If you think I'm referring only to Tiger fans when I mention angst, I'm not. I'm talking about the fans and the number one target of that angst – Joe Nathan. Everyone needs to calm down. Everyone, Nathan included, needs to realize that this is spring training and there are still a few weeks left before we need to start talking about the Tiger bullpen using words like "gas can", "inferno" and "inherited runners scored."

Let's start with the fans. Tiger faithful who live in Florida or have made their way down to visit have let it be known that they're not thrilled with their 40-year old closer. After Nathan was bullied around by the Phillies on March 12th, he was serenaded by boos as he made his way to the dugout. That was a brutal outing, his worst of the spring, where he allowed four earned runs in just two-thirds of an innings. Nathan didn't make any ridiculous gestures towards the fans like he did last summer at Comerica Park. But after the game, you could tell he wasn't thrilled with the response. He said, "Fans aren't in my mind. Only people that really matter to me is my family and the people in this locker room."

Since then, Nathan has been welcomed to the mound at Joker Marchant Stadium by jeers. He was booed on Tuesday when he took the mound and delivered a perfect inning against Washington. He was cheered as he left but there is a clear pattern here. We have a fiery pitcher who isn't used to struggling and clearly isn't used to getting booed. We have a restless fan base that isn't used to watching clean ninth innings and doesn't like being told to be quiet when they choose to express their displeasure.

Can't we all get along here?

I fully support the fans right to boo. They pay the money. They cheer when things go well. Why not boo when they go poorly? But can someone explain to me what purpose it serves to boo a player when he enters the game? I'm going on the assumption that most booers are Tiger fans. If you extrapolate that a step further, you assume that those fans want the Tigers to win. In order for the Tigers to win, they're going to need someone, Nathan being a candidate, to close out games. If you want him to close out games, booing him as he takes the mound probably isn't the best way to get him in the right frame of mind to do his job. You don't have to cheer him wildly, but if you're hoping for him to perform as well as possible, it's probably a good idea to put him in the right frame of mind. Until Brad Ausmus says otherwise, Nathan is the closer. As long as he's the closer, it's in all of our best interests that he succeeds. You don't have to love him or even like him, but if you want the Tigers to win, you want Nathan to do well.

As for Nathan, he needs to calm down.

His chin-flicking act last summer was inexcusable. His tacit disregard for the fans this spring wasn't quite as bad. I don't think he was dismissing the fans outright, but he was saying that it was more important to focus on him and what he has to do as opposed to what the fans might say or do. Either way it was clumsy. Coming off the fracture between the two sides last season, it was poor judgment to say the least. To be a closer in Detroit, you're going to take some heat. If you fire back at the fans for their grumbling, you're only making it worse on everyone.

As for Ausmus, he's handled this whole situation perfectly – so far. He's made it clear that Nathan is his closer, as he should. He's also made it clear that Joakim Soria is waiting in the wings if necessary. GM Dave Dombrowski was interviewed on MLB Radio on Wednesday and said that while Nathan is the man for now, Soria and his MLB closing experience is ready if needed.

The Tigers bullpen situation is far from perfect. It's also far from settled. If the rockiness we've seen in March is gone by April, this will blow over. If not, then it will be the annual roller coaster ride of angry fans, defensive players and role shuffling out of the pen. But until that happens, everyone, fans and players alike, need to take one giant step back and let the process unfold.

Nathan may be disagreeable to most of you and you may not have much faith he can do the job. But the bottom line is this – you need him a lot more than he needs you. Remember that as Opening Day approaches.