Homerdome Hell

I do not like the Metrodome. In fact, I hate the Metrodome. It's a) a dome b) dominated by the Twins c) a ground that seemingly brings out the worst in the Tigers.

And so, after a convincing sweep of the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, the Tigers choked away today's game to finish off getting swept by the Twins. I was at work today, wasn't able to watch the majority of the game, but I could watch the scores periodically. It kind of went like this:

Tigers- 6 Twins- 0: "Fuck yes guys! We need this bad, thank god."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 4: "Aw, c'mon seriously? Nothing's ever easy with this team, I guess. Eh, it'll be OK."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 6: "You gotta be fucking joking me! What the hell guys, don't do this today."
Tigers- 6 Twins- 7: "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. AH. AH. AH. AH. AH."

I am thoroughly convinced that the Tigers are going to keep us throughly frustrated until they "Pistons" us. "Pistoning" us would be when they all collectively decide "We're so much better than everyone else, maybe we should play a tad bit harder to prove it." The Pistons have made a almost-annoying habit out of this and it seems liek the Tigers may have that same mentality - "We have the ability to turn it on and blow away anyone we want, but we just don't feel like it tonight."

So, after getting within a game and a half of Chicago on Thursday, three nights later the Tigers slip back into last place in the Central. Four games under .500, three games back, and Boston and New York are rolling into Detroit this week. Fantastic. It's amazing how in just one weekend, the Tigers can go from "unbeatable machine" to "mental nutcases that can't keep it together." And I blame this drastic change on what? That fucking un-American Metrodome.

Dear Blogosphere

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - finals week tends to cause that sort of thing. However, I'm back home now and I'll be posting daily again starting before tonight's game against the Twins.

Is It Possible That The Bullpen Isn't Really That Bad?

I was just turning this possibility over in my mind - is the bullpen possibly not as bad as previously thought? Maybe it's just because the Tigers are putting up high run totals and hitting the shit out of the ball on a daily basis, but I haven't wanted to cry when Jim Leyland walks to the mound to pull the starter in quite a few games.

Without Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya, it was widely assumed that the pen would struggle until they returned. For the beginning of the year, they weren't exactly perfect but they didn't really get helped out by the starters at all either. The pitching was just all around awful. Of course, there were a few outings that were just absolutely abysmal (see: Grilli, Jason) but that is to be expected with a team that was playing the way the Tigers were playing a few weeks ago.

But, the emergence of Aquilino Lopez, Denny Bautista, and Clay Rapada has given the pen a new core of guys to rely on. Add that to the consistent performance of Bobby Seay and Todd Jones (consistently getting the job done in frightening fashion, in Jonesy's case) and that leaves five guys pulling their weight in the bullpen. That's a pretty solid number considering the last two guys are Jason Grilli and Zach Miner-Grilli, who have morphed into one massive gas can to incite massive explosions from small fires left by the starters.

But, even Miner had a good outing yesterday with three innings of hitless ball. And Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth on Tuesday, punctuated with a strike out. Is it possible that the momentum generated by the bats is contagious and is spreading competence among the most gassiest of gas cans?

If this team ever gets healthy (probably not) and keeps the bats going as hot as they are right now (probably will), the winning will keep coming. Four games in a row right now, blasting opposing pitchers out of the park and holding onto leads that are given - these are things that good ball teams do. It still isn't May yet and the Tigers are sitting just three games below .500. Crazy things are possibly with this team, and if they can put more stretches like this together, things just might be OK.

No Review Necessary.

19 runs. On 14 hits. What more is there to say?

Defensive Shakeups And Hot Bats

Well, the Tigers poured that glass of cold water all over Vicente Padilla, didn't they? For the first time this season, and probably not the last, Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera hit back-to-back
homers and Jacque Jones almost made it three when he tripled to deep centerfield. Hell, even Ramon Santiago hit a home run. Maybe it was fortune, maybe it was Padilla, but the worm is starting to turn for the Tigers - especially with the impending return of Curtis Granderson, which is like the wait for a newborn baby at this point.

Jones' big night was especially encouraging, adding a double in the fifth inning to his triple. The guy has been mired in a slump this whole month, but the way he was swinging the bat tonight has to make me believe that he's turning it around. Jim Leyland should be rewarded for his faith in the guy.

Justin Verlander pitched pretty well in his six innings of work, allowing just the one run on a homer by Frank Catalanotto in the first. Good to see JV get his first win of the year and also put some velocity back on his fastball - he was consistently in the mid-90s tonight and dialed it up a few times when he had to.

Now, on to some surprising news. Leyland announced after the game that Carlos Guillen will be moving to third base and Miguel Cabrera will take over at first. Cabrera's quote on the matter was "It's cool", which is just awesome, but I'm not sure how Guillen will take it. He's struggled with footwork at first base, but that's natural with a position switch like that. There's no real reason to doubt Jim on this one, but I just kind of find it odd - having Guillen be a mediocre defensive first baseman wasn't really causing that much of a problem, at least for me. Maybe Carlos had voiced some opinions about playing there to Leyland in the clubhouse, I don't know, but if it makes the Tigers a better team as Leyland says, I'm all for it.

Back to tonight's game. The old Gas Can, Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth - getting a strike out for the third out and pumping his fist for good measure - while the new Gas Can Zach Miner struggled. Again. Is it possible that Zach Miner has become the new Jason Grilli while the Tigers still have Jason Grilli? Can our hearts really take having two Jason Grillis in the bullpen? Doubtful. At best. Meanwhile, Bobby Seay looked pretty good, Denny Bautista did his job even though he looked less than fantastic in the process. In all honesty, outside of the Gas Cans, the rest of the Tigers pen looks (dare I say it?) adequate. That's frightening.

Also, the Potential Bullpen Savior, Francisco Cruceta pitched three hitless and scoreless innings for Toledo tonight. Looks like we might not have to deal with the multiple Jason Grillis problem for all that long. The question is, which Grilli leaves the team and when?

As Tom Gage points out, the Tigs haven't exactly fared well after blowing teams out this season. Just last week, there was the 13-2 hammering of Cleveland and then the 11-1 hammering by Cleveland. Can the bats stay hot for two nights in a row? Remains to be seen.

Back Home

Returning home against the Texas Rangers for a three game series, fresh off of a .500 road trip, Justin Verlander will be toeing the rubber for the Tigers tonight.

Interestingly enough, the Tigers have lost the last six Verlander starts, dating back to last season. J.V. hasn't necessarily pitched badly this year, but he has looked out of sorts a bit. He's not coming any where close to his upper-90s velocity of last year, but has been "pitching" more this year than he has been just "throwing". It's really strange to see someone who was favored to win the Cy Young at the beginning of the season sitting at 0-3 to being the year.

It's going to be a beautiful night in Detroit tonight, hopefully the ball will be carrying and the Tigs can light up Vicente Padilla. Padilla is 3-0 against the Tigs lifetime with a 2.08 ERA and has had a really hot start this season. It'd be nice for the Tigers to throw some cold water on the fireballer, huh?

Solid.

That's pretty much all that needs to be said about today's game - solid. Armando Galarraga pitched solidly, not quite as spectacularly as he did in his last game against Cleveland, and got his second win in as many starts with the Tigers. He had to pitch his way out of two bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth, but escaped without allowing a run.

The bullpen - also solid. Clay Rapada did half of his job in retiring one of the two lefties he faced, Aquilino Lopez continued his terrific start, and Denny Bautista pitched a scoreless eighth. And then Todd Jones gave up a home run to Greg Zaun to start off the ninth. After that, he was fine though. If these guys keep it up, they might actually be adequate this season.

And the bats actually took advantage of the walks allowed by Toronto's staff. Lots of baserunners got left on base this whole series, and it took until today for the Tigers to move them across home in their big second inning that essentially decided the game.

.500 for the road trip, you can't really ask for more than that, right?

Back To You In The Studio

Just wanted to drop in and apologize for the weekend-long break. It was my birthday yesterday, so I was a tad bit busy for the last four days or so. I promise I'll check back in later when I'm hopefully discussing a Tigers victory.

Well, Well, Well

There we go. Fifteen games into the season and the Tigers offense full on blew up for the first real time. The game on Monday was a nice 10 spot, but going for 13 tonight, including nine against C.C. Sabathia? Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Miguel Cabrera seems to have finally come out of his "Everybody is laughing at me" thought process - five RBIs and another home run, his second in two days. Between Miggy and Edgar Renteria, new Tigers drove in all of the nine runs that Sabathia allowed. Renteria's grand slam might be the most unexpected thing that has happened this year in a pleasant way.

Well, aside from Armando Galarraga. I know that this Cleveland lineup has been struggling this year, but damn. After he allowed a home run to David Dellucci, he retired the next 16 batters before allowing some base runners in the seventh and ending his night. He basically baffled the Indians lineup for 6 and 1/3 and got his first win in a Tiger uniform in his first appearance wearing the Old English D. I think I'll be OK watching this kid pitch another game before Dontrelle can come back.

In other good news, Curtis Granderson might be heading to Toledo this weekend to begin a rehab stint with the Mud Hens. It seems like the team might have turned a corner since Jim Leyland's "Fire and Brimstone" speech, and with Grandy rejoining the team in the next week or so, maybe this team can get hot for the rest of the month and finish .500? Or better? Dare to dream right? In the same article as above, Leyland says Nate Robertson feels pretty good after leaving Tuesday's game with a lat injury and probably won't miss a start. It's like spring has finally come around and everything is right with the world.

My Version of the "What's Wrong With the Tigers" Post

After writing last night, I kind of had this strange feeling that I should have done my own piece on what I think is wrong with the Tigs thus far. It's kind of a glaring necessity once things start going wrong to voice what you think is going on, right?

The only problem is that I don't really have anything new to add. I feel like every recap says exactly the same thing - the bats weren't going, the starter couldn't put together a complete performance, bullpen couldn't keep the team in the game, and total collapse near the end. The last two wins have kind of shown that when these things go right, the team wins. What else is there to add?

I just find that the best thing about this season so far is that our friends in Cleveland are faring just as terribly as we are. Indians fans have a team that is just one game above the Tigers in the standings, completely unable to take advantage of the slow start. C.C. Sabathia has been faring as bad, or worse, than any Tigers starter, even though he's going into a contract year, as ESPN waxed so poetically.

Needless to say, this series is a big gut check. For the first time this season, the Tigs travel to Cleveland and have a chance to get out of last place. The sleeping Tigers offense awoke in the last two games in the late innings and hopefully, it will wake up a bit earlier tonight. Sabathia only had a 5.29 ERA against the Tigers and the Tigs were able to beat him up a few times. It's a great night for a rising offense to take advantage of a struggling pitcher.

Looks like another long night of following the game on the web for me, but hopefully I'll have something to say afterwards.

Injuries Update

What's better than winning a ballgame? Having your star leadoff man be pain-free after taking his first batting practice since breaking his hand. It's been a long three weeks without Curtis, but if he can come back and be effective quickly, this team could simply take off.

On the dark side, Nate Robertson just left my tape-delayed version of tonight's game with an injury. According to Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers, it's a case of soreness on his left side. Here's hoping it's nothing serious, because the Tigers really can't afford anyone else on the staff getting hurt with Fernando Rodney being apparently far from coming back and Dontrelle out for a couple starts with his knee problem.

OK, So Maybe I'm Warming Up To This FSN+ Idea

Well, it's 12:30 in the morning and I'm just now watching the bottom of the fifth inning of tonight's game. Sure, I know how it ends but that makes it worthwhile - a series win (sweep even), back-to-back wins for the first time this year, and the promise of a late-inning comeback in just two innings.

Of course, this brings me back to the one topic that has consumed Tigers fans in Case Hall at Michigan State University for the past week - I hate not watching the game live. But, you know what, seeing the game on tape delay has brought us all four wins this season. Every game on FSN proper has resulted in (mostly) terrible losses. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd rather watch the game live but a win is a win and maybe something is clicking here. We'll see tomorrow when the Tigs play Cleveland on FSN+ again.

Thankfully, the middle three Tiger hitters are starting to turn it around. Sheff, Mags, and Miggy all went yard today, Cabrera's eventually being the game winner. Rod Allen mentioned that he was taking extra batting practice yesterday and today, so hopefully him and Lloyd McClendon have finally started to fix the problems he's having. He said in the paper he felt like "everybody is sitting behind me and laughing," and I'm praying that feeling is finally gone.

I am very glad that I didn't have to watch the Todd Jones Rollercoaster today. Typical Jonesy, in all honesty - can't do anything easily, just haaaas to push the limit. I guess as long as the Tigers win, nothing really matters all that much, right?

Believe it or not, Tiger fans, the two-game series against Cleveland could pull the Tigs out of last place. Yes, Cleveland is dwelling in the cellar just as much as the Tigers are, sitting pretty at 5-9 and just lost both games against Boston. Typical "two teams going opposite ways" storyline. The only thing that would make beating Cleveland sweeter would be beating Cleveland to put them totally down into last and get all the "What's Wrong With The Tigers?" stories changed to "What's Wrong With The Indians?"

One more game, and that's a winning streak. Thank God.

I HATE FSN+ And Jim Leyland Owns

It's the magic of the Jim Leyland "Fire and Brimstone" speech, I swear to God. Nothing is scarier than a old man in spikes who will beat your ass while he smokes a cigarette and talks like Barry White. Is it really any surprise the Tigers came back and took the game in the eighth with the prospect of coming back into the clubhouse to face him? Not to me, at least.

But, tonight is reason number 63567365 why I hate "April in the D." FSN's cockeyed attempt to show every Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons game is killing me. Lord knows, I would have watched this game if I had the opportunity. Did I? Nooooo.

Why not direct people who want to watch the Red Wings to CBC, since everyone in the Metro Detroit area gets that channel on basic cable anyway? Or, why not use a local channel that everyone gets but no one usually watches instead? I just don't understand it. Especially since every time the Tigs are on FSN, they get the shit beat out of them.

So, if you're looking for commentary about how the Tigers looked, I'm sorry. Or maybe you want me to talk about about how awesome it was getting that feeling where the Tigers start rolling and cannot be stopped again. But, I couldn't get that feeling because I watched the Wings self-destruct instead.

I am totally thrilled that Jimmy gave the "Fire and Brimstone" speech on Sunday though, as the guys pretty much earned it after that epic fail. The only other one that he's given here was the famous one in 2006, and that pretty much turned around the entire franchise. All I'm asking for is back-to-back wins.

To quote Major League - "If we win tomorrow, that's called two in a row. If we win the next day, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."

Today's Game In One Picture Part II

Good God

It's really not fair for this lineup to ever have a game like this. Nearly get no-hit by a guy named Gavin and waste a perfectly good outing by Justin Verlander, who would have not allowed more than one run if the umpires had made the correct call in stopping the game in the eighth inning. Fucking ridiculous game. Thank God for the Red Wings being on at the same time, I don't think I would have been able to just watch this the whole way through.

In my own opinion, it's absurd that the umpires didn't stop the game in the eighth. There were puddles, PUDDLES, on the infield. If the home team is in the field and the Tigers are up, is it more likely the game gets stopped? Probably. If only because there's a full two innings left instead of just a few outs away from the ninth. Instead, Verlander is forced to stand around in the pouring rain and pitch with a soaked ball. How telling was it about the conditions when Verlander's fastball got up and away from him and struck Orlando Cabrera in the back of the head? Or on the next batter when Jim Thome's bat went sailing into the stands? Simply ridiculous.

Other than that, what is there to say other than everything that's been written already this year? The bats got left at the hotel, and they wasted another good start. Verlander is going to get a loss that he really didn't deserve. Anytime this lineup gets shut down by Gavin Fucking Floyd and is no-hit through 7 and 1/3, there's a big problem. Winning every other game isn't going to get this team any closer to .500. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's just a early season lull, but one thing is certain - it's getting pretty fucking difficult to watch this team.

Why Fox Sports Net Is Ruining April

It's getting pretty frustrating watching FSN Detroit these days. Living in Case Hall at MSU leaves me with Residence Hall Cable, which does not have FSN+. That means for the past two days, I've been waiting for Pistons and Red Wings games to end before getting about three innings of Tiger baseball.

Now, this wouldn't be a bad thing if it was just Wings playoff games. But, not showing Wednesday's or tonight's games because of the Pistons at this point is just ridiculous. The Stones have nothing to play for right now, except to not get injured. So, instead of watching the Tigers try and jump start their season, I'm forced to watch the Pistons play meaningless games that even they aren't interested in. Why not put these passionless games on FSN+ and throw the baseball fans in the viewing area a bone?

And there's the song.



I. Hate. This. Song. I don't know why Tommy Lee is fronting a crappy band that apparently only does commercials, but I definitely don't want "APRIL IN THE D APRIL IN THE D" repeating in my head ever freaking day. Also, I really hate whenever I hear people refer to Detroit as "The D." No, it is not The D, it is Detroit. It's really not that difficult to say all the way. Give it a shot, go ahead.

Anyway, I'm blaming FSN for the lack of a blog last night after the game. That and the fact that I was, shall we say, out. There's a good chance I won't see the majority of tonight's game either, but if you want to know about how the Pistons' scrubs look when they get a majority of the minutes, I will probably be able to tell you. Hopefully, we'll get a bit more than two innings of televised baseball tonight.

Either way, FSN is ruining April. That's all you need to know.

1-7 Never Felt So Good

Who cares about the record? Who cares about the standings? Who cares about anything right now?

The Tigers have finally won a game. And that, my friends, is all that matters.

Oddly enough, it was the exact opposite of every other game played this year. The Tigs fought back from a 2-0 deficit, they got clutch hitting, they got a great bullpen performance and, wouldn't you know it, they held on at the end. Is this a new beginning? Who knows. But, it definitely isn't another loss.

I don't think I've ever been quite has happy to put up with another Todd Jones rollercoaster ride either. Right when he started throwing, the prediction went out - "Loads the bases, gives up a grand slam, and then strikes out three." He came pretty close as well, but I'll take a rollercoaster Jonesy appearance that ends in a win over not seeing him at all in another demoralizing loss. The best thing is the punctuation that came with it - the camera panning over to Todd grimacing as the final out was made. Perfect.

It was definitely nice to see some smiles on the Tigers' faces. Miguel Cabrera went so far as to do a double fist pump, and since he's been playing like the weight of the world has been on his shoulders, hopefully he'll loosen up and play his game a bit more now.

Big players today - Bobby Seay, Francisco Beltran, Denny Bautista, Marcus Thames, Carlos Guillen, and last but certainly not least, Edgar Renteria. The first three guys put the game in lock-down mode after Bondo left the game, who got the win and pitched pretty well, and the bullpen actually looked serviceable. Not something I will probably be saying that often this season. Thames and Carlos hit gigantic home runs that got the Tigers back in the game (the former) and put the icing on the cake (the latter). Edgar went 3-4 and scored two of the Tigers' runs and is going to be a force in the back-end of the Tigers lineup this year.

Listen, as a Michigan State Spartan, I know the importance of moral victories. It's really rare that a moral victory and an actual victory coincide. But, getting that "1" in the win column is huge for this team. Now, if the Tigs can go out behind Nate Robertson and steal another one in Boston, they can get out of Dodge with a series win. Who would have thought that about, say, six hours ago?

1-7. As long as there's something on the left side of that ratio, I feel infinitely better about life.

Edit: Potential bullpen savior Francisco Cruceta, who you might remember was stuck in the Dominican Republic with visa issues, will pick up his visa in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo and can finally ship off to Lakeland to get in shape to join the team. Coincidence that this news was released right before the first Tigers victory? I think not. All hail the newborn savior!

Today's Game In One Picture

Okay, Back To Baseball

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the day off yesterday. I knew it was good for me because I think I would have broken my window in my room if I was forced to sit and watch another poor performance on the scale of Sunday. Unfortunately, that type of result feels more and more likely as time rolls on.

But, today is a new day, and it begins in Boston. I'm actually hopeful for this series, whether or not that is intelligent. The thing is, the Tigers have played pretty well in Boston the past two years, and there's no reason to not expect that trend to continue. I mean, except the whole "scoring 15 runs in six games this year and losing all of them" thing.

One thing I am glad to see is that Jim Leyland, true to himself, is pretty much even keel about the whole thing. There really is no reason to start changing things up right now - the guys in this line-up are proven even if they've had slow starts to being the year. With Curtis Granderson possibly a week from coming back, there's light at the end of the tunnel as well. Of course, the Tigers might have to start scoring 15 runs per game in order to win in spite of the bullpen, but it's possible that they can do it. I mean, hopefully.

So, let's see what Kenny Rogers can do today against this fearsome Boston line-up (who just got swept). Let's see if getting their rings today will affect the Bosox at all. Let's see if Dice-K can be the dominant force he was in Japan or the human that he was for the vast majority of last season. Let's just see if we Tiger fans can simply enjoy watching baseball again.

Embarrassing, Really.

There's nothing like watching your team tank on national TV. I had that feeling when MSU lost to Notre Dame in football in 2006, when the basketball team got blown out last week by Memphis, and now the Tigers on ESPN 2 show up and lose 13-2. Just another loss in a terrible start to the season, but it really was a terrible showing for the entire team.

Two errors by Carlos Guillen at first base, possibly because Joe Morgan hexed him by predicting a Gold Glove season over there this year. Justin Verlander got run off the mound letting a close, 3-1 game devolve into a situation that resulted in a 9-1 blow out. Miguel Cabrera had about every one of his at-bats end in a double play that would kill any type of rally. There were four hit by the Tigers in the whole game. The bullpen couldn't put out Verlander's fire. And Mark Buerhle basically just pitched the Tigers out of the park. The boo birds came out, and they had good reason.

This isn't a bad ball club, but they are playing like one. With ESPN's shots of the White Sox looking far too happy in their dugout and fans behind home plate chanting "Let's Go Red Wings", I really just feel sick.

Two sweeps. At home. Starting the season. Let's just say, I wouldn't really have picked that storyline for the Tigers to start the season with. It's like a Murphy's Law over a full homestand.

I'm just going to do my best to forget these games even happened and simply look ahead to the Boston series as a new season. Getting on the road should be good for these guys, as Miller and Morgan talked about, and I really hope that it's just a losing streak and they'll recover but damn, come on.

For once in my life, I'm actually looking to the Yankees as a beacon of hope. The past two seasons they've had slow starts to begin the year and ended up making the playoffs in both of them. God willing, maybe we can be like the Yanks in more ways than just payroll.

Ugh.

Maybe because it's a abnormally beautiful weekend in East Lansing, but I couldn't find it within myself to actually write about these past two games. Maybe that was another reason - it was physically painful to endure those types of losses back-to-back.

As the title of the last post says, watching this team is growing increasingly frustrating. From the fact that the bullpen can't get a good situation to come into from the starters, then can't put the fire out and hold the lead (as expected), to the fact that seemingly this group of 'professional hitters' decided to forget how to hit effectively for the first week of the year, it's getting to get regoddamndiculous.

Tonight's game is the first one under the lights at Comerica Park for this season. It's also the last chance the Tigers have to get their first win during a week-long homestand. It is going to be downright embarrassing if this Tiger team goes 0-6 to start the season against KC and Chicago, at home, and losing the last game on national TV. Going into Boston on this kind of run is going to be like running into a band saw.

Luckily, the right guy is on the mound to fix these problems. Justin Verlander pitched well enough to win on Monday, much like Dontrelle did last night, and usually has good showings against Chicago. If he pitches like he did on Monday and manages to avoid leaving the game with guys on base, and if the bullpen pitches effectively, then there's a chance that the Tigers can save a bit of face from the start of this season.

Personally, my theory right now is that this team just needs to get out of Comerica Park and get thrown into a rough situation in Boston. Maybe that will bring them together a little bit and will allow us to start seeing what this team is really capable of. But, until then, let's just hope we can steal one from the White Sox. God, I hope I never have to say that again.

This Team Is Becoming Increasingly Frustrating

Yeah. I don't even know. I'm not sure if I have any opinions on today's game other than I hate Jason Grilli. Yep. I hate Jason Grilli, that's about it.

Swept Away

Hopefully this will be the last time I have to write about a sweep of the Tigers this year, but there's a chance it isn't. This is by far the most unexpected start to the way this season was supposed to go, and it might be possible that the weight of preseason expectations are catching up with the squad, even though I didn't think that was possible.

The sad thing is how simple the problems this team has revealed in the past four days. Clutch hitting isn't there yet, three or four bad pitches are costing starters the lead and the patience hasn't come at the plate. It's strange because on a team full of professional hitters, clutch hitting and patience seem like the last things we Tiger fans would have to worry about. But, so far the season is playing a lot like last September - nothing has gone the Tigers way at all.

Aside from two pitches, Jeremy Bonderman was lights out today. A change-up that stayed elevated against Alex Gordon and a missed location against Mark Teahan, and boom - three runs. He looked good after being sent home yesterday and the change-up is becoming more apart of his arsenal, but he simply missed with the pitch Gordon put over the Royals bullpen in left-center. Only allowing three runs should be good enough to get a win with this team, so Bondo probably pitched well enough to get a victory.

Here's the stat of the day for me, and probably the stat that told the whole story of this series - 17 men left on base by the Tigers. Yesterday when the Tigers managed just three hits, they left seven men on base. On Monday, the Tigers left a staggering 18 men on base. The more that Tiger hitters leave guys standing on first and second or standing on third, which must have happened two or three times each today, it's going to be hard to win. Guys on base have to score in order to count - leaving them out there doesn't count guys, OK?

Things have to change soon before Buster Olney starts bragging about how he told us so on ESPN. I'd really rather not give Cleveland a head start on the division race in April, so this Chicago series coming up tomorrow ought to tell us a lot about the backbone of this team.

By the way, the division standings to the right look eerily similar with Detroit already in last place, don't they? It's like being home, in a way.

Strange Days

We've heard Mario Impemba and Rod Allen say "It's not everyday you see Placido Polanco go 0fer in a game, let's see if he gets a hit here" literally hundreds of times. Most times, Polly comes through with a hit and proves them right or something like that.

Well, now, maybe the guys are going to have to change their tune to "It's not every season you see Polly go 0-10 to start off" or something. Even rarer is going to be the "It's not everyday you see the Tigers get three hits and one guy has all of them." I think you're catching my drift.

This isn't quite what we've come to expect from the Tigers in the past two seasons, when they've had hot Aprils at the plate. But the reality is, the lack of offensive production we've seen from both the Royals and the Tigers the past two games is the far likelier result of playing baseball in Detroit April. As nice as it looked outside today, it was still bitterly cold by baseball standards and pitchers most certainly have the advantage on days like today. Yes, I'm making excuses because I really don't have any other solutions to why the 2008 Tigers couldn't score more than four runs against Gil Meche and Brian Bannister, combined. Both are good pitchers, but they aren't that good.

Going 0-2 was certainly not the type of start expected from this Tiger team, especially not against the Royals. But through all the gloom that the lineup has cast over the passed two games, there have been some encouraging signs coming from the Tigers pitching staff. Literally, if Justin Verlander gets pulled before the 7th inning on Monday and if Kenny Rogers doesn't go out to start the 6th today, the Tigers bullpen might not have allowed any runs this season so far. Even though they have been thrust into tough situations, they've performed adequately enough. Zach Miner pitched pretty well today for the first inning and two-thirds he was in until allowing a couple of runs in the eighth.

The Tigs really need to get a strong performance from Jeremy Bonderman tomorrow afternoon - a complete performance too, not one like Kenny's and Justin's where they faded near the end of their outing - to get a victory. Getting swept by Kansas City would be probably the absolute worst way to start the new campaign. Personally, I'd really really really like to see the Tigers score like, I don't know, five runs tomorrow and have more than three hits by Edgar Renteria (who looked good today). If Bondo can get through the first inning, then that might be the first sign that a new season is finally ready to start going the right way.

Let's Get Rolling

We're about 10 minutes away from the second game of the season, and with Opening Day's festivities over, it is time to get serious. Well, as serious as it gets this early in the season anyway.

Kenny Rogers is taking the hill and prepares to answer some of the doubters. It's hard to say whether or not a 43-year-old man can be a major contributor for a MLB team, but the fact that he's pitching second in the rotation shows how much Jim Leyland thinks of him. Rogers entire season is based off of the outside fastball and whether or not he's getting that call will say a lot about how he pitches in each start.

It's hard to imagine the Royals keeping the Tiger bats as quiet as they were on Monday, and it's even harder to see Placido Polanco having another 0-5 day. Brian Bannister takes the mound for the Royals and fared well against the Tigers in his rookie season last year. Hopefully, the Opening Day jitters have faded for Edgar Renteria, Jacque Jones, and Miguel Cabrera and we'll get a taste of what we expect from these three today.

It's a beautiful day in Detroit. It is most certainly time for some April baseball.

Opening Day and Why People Are Idiots

I heard Mike Valenti say on the radio on the way back up to MSU after the game "On Opening Day, the last thing I'm worried about is the game." Honestly, this really can't be more true. The mood in Comerica Park wasn't really focused on how these guys were going to start competing with Jason Grilli being the top option out of the pen, or what was happening in Cleveland at the same time.

Instead, more important issues like where the planes were during the fly-over, where the quickest bathroom line was, and who the hell is Clete Thomas were on the minds of Tiger fans. In other words, the kind of issues that usually follow 45,000 drunken people gathered together in one area.

Downtown Detroit was crawling with people, the rain was holding off, there was baseball being played, and the excitement of a winning season was palpable in the air. It was great to be in attendance for those first six innings that the Tigers held the lead. But, when Verlander left the game with two runners on and Grilli coming in, no one really minded. When those runs scored and the Tigers fell behind, everyone kind of shrugged (exception: when Guillen tied things up in the eighth, the place went nuts). And when the lead was gone for good and the game was over, everyone kind of shrugged and smiled because baseball had started again.

However, the type of fan that the Tigers are attracting now are truly baffling me. People were shocked, SHOCKED, that Granderson was not starting. Edgar Renteria was drawing the ire of the fans near me for not getting a home run or something equally impressive during his first at-bat. Brandon Inge got the loudest ovation of the Tiger starters (read that sentence over again).

Listening to the post-game radio show, people started questioning Jim Leyland's tactics in the final few innings. Why put in Thomas? Why make Inge bunt? Why bat Renteria lead off? What was he thinking, what was going on, oh God, the season is over already.

Here are the answers- Thomas was in because Leyland trusts him, and that should be all the reason we need. Look at his plays in the field and the double he hit as proof. Inge bunting with Thomas on second was the savviest call to make - guy on third, one out instead of the (especially with Inge) more probable runner on second, one out. Oh, and Renteria is batting lead-off because he's a proven professional hitter that today's 1-5 performance doesn't reflect at all.

(Rant beginning)
The on-going obsession with Brandon Inge among the casual fanbase stuns me as well. Through the whole ordeal of looking to move him, he's been bitching that he won't do certain things and that he wants out. If he wasn't being paid so much money to do such a shitty job (major leaguers making Inge's money don't hit .250), then maybe you'd be starting at third base some where, Brandon. Instead, do your job and shut up and enjoy that fat wad of cash in your wallet. Miguel Cabrera has something Inge doesn't - a Gold Glove. However, when he makes an error on his first play, the cries of "Inge would have made that play!" suddenly start coming out of the woodwork.
(Rant Over. To Inge's credit, his throw from centerfield to nail a runner at the plate in the 11th was awesome.)

The only downside of today's game for me was the realization of the team's worst fears - late game collapses. Only one earned run for the pen today, but Grilli did a great job of serving up a fat pitch to John Buck to score the tying run and Bobby Seay allowed the run to make it 4-3. Neither was earned, but those are the runs the bullpen has to prevent. Denny Bautista looked a bit shaky at times, but for the most part looked good. The hit to score the winning run was off an at-bat that he battled and battled and got a good pitch hit. Nothing he can do there.

Just one game out of 162. No reason to worry yet, just be happy to have baseball back.

Opening Day! Opening Day! Opening Day!

Today is by far the greatest day of the sports calendar for every baseball fan. The Boys of Summer pull out of their winter habitats and report back home to begin the process of welcoming back everything that is right with the world. Frankly, there is nothing like putting on three or four layers of clothing, shaking from the cold, and watching your breath hover above your head while watching a baseball game. For years and years, we Tiger fans only experienced this sensation in the spring - now it's just going to be six months until we have the chance to do it all again in October.

If the weather holds up, then there will be baseball down at the CoPa today. Yours truly will be in attendance and after the culmination of the Spartan basketball and hockey seasons this weekend, it's going to be good to have a different obsession in my life.

But outside of the personal stake that each of us has in the beginning of baseball season, all of the questions that have been asked since the end of last season will start to be answered. Can the Tigers stay healthy? How will Dontrelle pitch? How will the bullpen hold up? Can the Tigers get rid of Brandon Inge? Will Rodney and Zumaya get back to pre-injury form?

No more speculation. No more questions. Finally, this team will start playing real games that count and will dole out answers in immense servings.

Frankly, I'm just excited to feel that feeling that goes through Comerica Park when the team starts rolling. It's a special type of electricity where 40,000 people have no doubt about what they're about to see - a complete ass kicking at the hands of the Tiger bats. The second half of last season had this feeling suspiciously absent, but a few million dollars from Mike Illitch's wallet may have fixed that problem.

Today, the sun rises anew. Today, there is abundant hope. Today ... it's fucking baseball season.

For The Love Of God, Don't Rain

For the first time since 1999, I'm in line to go to Opening Day with my dad. And wouldn't you know it, the forecast calls for thunderstorms all day.

We'll see how this plays out, but don't be surprised if we're waiting a few more days for baseball in Detroit.

ESPN's First Take Shows No Love

Sometimes, it's just amazing how little respect Detroit gets nationally. Even the Detroit News' Rob Parker said on ESPN's First Take that the Indians will win the Central, and Skip Bayless said that the Indians would take the division "going away".

My response?

Fuck you guys.

Bayless said the Tigers have enough lineup power to win the wild-card. No shit, Sherlock. I'm not sure who these guys think we have starting games this year, but last I checked Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, and Dontrelle Willis aren't exactly slouches.

Keep thinking that the whole team is based on the bullpen, national media, please. This team could use some motivation.

Lynn Henning Gives You Reasons To Not Believe

In his column for the Detroit News today, Lynn Henning explored four reasons for Tigers' fans to worry about the upcoming season. It kind of disappoints me that I'm already reading negative things about this season when it hasn't even started yet. It's a tad bit irresponsible for Henning to come out of Spring Training preaching doom and stuff when none of the games that were played in the past month and a half counted. Anyway, I'll respond with my thoughts about each of Lynn's concerns and we'll see if hope matters.

An impressive team's weak link: the relievers- Well, no shit. I've been saying since November that the area that had to be improved the most was the bullpen and very little was done. The Tigs have Fransisco Cruceta, the hard throwing Dominican acquired in the off-season, stuck in his homeland with visa problems. Zoomer and Rodney are hurt. Jason Grilli still exists. All of that. The only positive I can bring out of the pen is that there is no way it can be as bad as last year. Everything that went right in 2006 went wrong in 2007 - and things seem to be shifting that way again. But I believe in karma, and the Tigers are owed some good outings from the bullpen this season since they blew enough games last year.

Another positive- Denny Bautista pitched well enough in Spring Training to take over Fernando's set-up role. He's a fireballer and, provided he controls himself and limits the walks he's noted for, should fill in admirably.

April's schedule is as frightening as the weather- Unless the White Sox, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees have all been playing competitive games for a month and a half and the Tigers are just getting started, I don't see much of a problem here. All the other teams that the Tigers play during this stretch are going to be facing the same problems- cold weather, cold arms, cold bats. As the Yanks have shown us the past two years, having a shitty April doesn't necessarily count you out of anything - they've made the playoffs both years. Henning may be worried about facing the big bats on each of those team with the bullpen in its current form, but guess what? All of their pitchers have to face off against the fucking stacked lineup wearing the Ol' English D.

Getting by without Granderson, and trading Inge- Personally, I don't see Inge leaving until at least May now. With Grandy out, Inge's athleticism is going to be needed in the outfield. Losing Granderson most certainly sucks - his defensive prowess in center and explosive capabilities coming out of the lead-off spot are unmatched on this team. But with Renteria filling in at the lead-off spot (a guy with nearly half as many strikeouts, a 30 point better average, and a 50 point better on-base percentage last year) the Tigers should be OK for a few weeks. Inge almost certainly has to go, and he'll be great trade bait later on in the year for a fill-in reliever - an almost certain necessity.

Handling the scrutiny - and the pressure- Used to be one of my few worries about the Tigers. But, let's look at the guys they've added - Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, and Edgar Renteria. Willis was used as a relief pitcher in the 2003 World Series and did an admirable job, Cabrera was the best hitter on that 2003 squad, and Renteria singled in the winning run in the 1997 World Series for the Marlins. All of these guys are battled tested and will most certainly lend a steadying hand to the younger guys on the team who haven't been part of something as strong as the Tigers are this year. Something tells me that with the good mix between veteran and young players - young players that have been to a World Series and been through a heated pennant race - there will not be that much crumbling under the weight of the world. I don't think Jim Leyland would let that happen anyway.

So there, Lynn. Take it for what it's worth. It's March 29th- there's no reason for doom and gloom yet. Opening Day isn't for another two days.

25-Man Roster Announced

The Tigers have announced their roster for Opening Day, and it looks as though there is only one surprise on it - Clete Thomas, a non-roster invitee and someone who has never gotten above Double-A will be on the team. It's true that the reason he's on the team is simply because of Granderson's injury, but congratulations to him nonetheless. The final two bullpen spots, opened because of Byrdak's release and Rodney's injury, will go to Yorman Barzado and Aquilano Lopez, as was expected.

So here is the Tigers' 25-man roster (copy and pasted from Mack Avenue Tigers. Sorry, Kurt, I just didn't feel like redoing it)

Catcher

• Pudge Rodriguez

Infield

• Carlos Guillen (1st)
• Placido Polanco (2nd)
• Miguel Cabrera (3rd)
• Edgar Renteria (shortstop)

Outfield

• Jacque Jones (LF)
• Brandon Inge (CF)
• Magglio Ordonz (RF)

Designated hitter

• Gary Sheffield

Bench

• Ramon Santiago (utility infield)
• Ryan Raburn (utility everywhere)
• Marcus Thames (LF platoon/1st base)
• Clete Thomas (OF)

Starting pitchers

• Justin Verlander (RHP)
• Kenny Rogers (LHP)
• Jeremy Bonderman (RHP
• Nate Robertson (LHP)
• Dontrelle Willis (LHP)

Relief pitchers

• Todd Jones (RH closer)
• Denny Bautista (RH setup)
• Yorman Bazardo (RH)
• Aqualino Lopez (RH)
• Jason Grilli (RH)
• Zach Miner (RH)
• Bobby Seay (LH)

Disabled list

• Curtis Granderson (CF, 2 to 4 weeks)
• Vance Wilson (backup C, ?? weeks)
• Fernando Rodney (RH setup, ?? weeks)
• Joel Zumaya (RH setup, 12-16 weeks?)

Why I'm Not Worried About Dontrelle Willis

By all accounts, Dontrelle Willis hasn't had the best spring training in history. In fact, it might not even be the best spring training during this season. The natural inclination is to consider how Dontrelle messing up during February and March will affect his pitching in April and beyond. My theory: it won't.

Willis is just 26, not quite in the prime of his career, but definitely getting close. As I said in my preview of the rotation, he's been up and down for the past few years - winning 22 games three years ago and hovering at about .500 for the past two. At the moment, he's penciled in as the fifth starter by Jim Leyland. Considering his place on the staff, is being at .500 and pitching effectively every two or three starts going to be a disappointment from a fifth starter? I say no. If D-Train pitched as he has in spring training, 8.64 ERA and all, as a trend in his career then I would probably feel differently. However, this seems to simply be an aberration.

It's important to remember what Tiger fans should expect from Dontrelle this season - he probably won't win 20 games, won't be the ace of the staff, and will not be forced to carry the team on the nights he pitches. In other words, Dontrelle isn't in Miami any more. My own personal theory is that Willis is still adjusting to the feeling of not having to be "The Man" on a team that has about 12 or 13 "The Man"s. He's pitching like he's still in a pressurized situation where he has to be at his best on a nightly basis - in reality, he only has to be good enough.

Things should settle down pretty quickly for the D-Train when the team goes up north and the regular season begins. Pitching in the cold Detroit weather that's waiting for him, he will have a natural advantage over the hitters, since making contact with the ball in and of itself is a chore when it's 40 degrees out. Once he becomes really accustomed to his new surroundings at Comerica Park and becomes comfortable with the run support he's sure to get from the bats coming to support him, Dontrelle will do just fine.

Let's just say that hitting the panic button on a guy before April seems a tad ridiculous, does it not?

Tim Byrdak Peaces Out

After Tuesday night's terrible performance, the Tigers have released Tim Byrdak. GM Dave Dombrowski said that it was a simple matter of "not being able to help the team at a big-league level", even though Tim was thought to be a lock for the bullpen.

As Kurt from Mack Avenue Tigers points out, it's hard to say what the Tigers are going to do now or what they have in mind. Obviously there has to be another lefty in the pen other than Bobby Seay, but saying who at this point is anybody's guess. I have to imagine that Dombrowski has a deal in the works or something up his sleeve, but at this point, I really have no idea.

I guess this is a solid reflection of the mentality of the organization at the moment. It's definitely a "win NOW" team and, with Byrdak's terrible spring as evidence, players who aren't going to help the Tigers in that cause are definitely in trouble. The only problem with this move for me is that there is no immediate replacement on hand- something is going to have to be done either in the minor league affiliates or going outside the organization. It may just be time to fire up those Marcus Thames trade rumors that have been going around recently.

Also, good stuff on the Tiger page of the Freep.com: the second story's headline says "Bydrak secure despite shaky 13.50 ERA" and then the next one is "Tigers release Byrdak." Good work there.

Renteria To Lead Off, Cabrera's Deal Officially Signed

In the absence of Curtis Granderson, Edgar Renteria has been handed the lead off spot by Jim Leyland. Definitely a solid choice by Leyland - Edgar has a career on-base percentage just below .350, is a .291 hitter, and is pretty much a professional hitter much in the same mold as Placido Polanco. Renteria has typically been a two-hole hitter in his career, and having him hitting higher in the order probably won't cause the Tigers to lose too much in the absence of Granderson.

Plus, since Brandon Inge has been penciled in to take Grandy's spot in center, he can report right back to his spot hitting ninth. Gotta have one automatic out in the lineup, right?

Elsewhere in the Tigers' clubhouse, after playing dumb yesterday about his contract, Miguel Cabrera signed his record contract today. It's a seven year deal worth$152.3 million, which is a bit lower price than ESPN Deportes orginally reported and a year shorted. I like what Dombrowski said about the signing, which was in essence "It's cheaper to get him now until he gets even better and costs even more." Dombrowski has made a lot of shrewd moves as GM and the trade, and now signing, of Cabrera might go down as the best one of all. I look forward to watching this guy hit during the best years of his career, not to mention showing off his arm from third base which is one of his most underrated qualities.

Rounding out the day thus far, former Tiger Cameron Maybin has been sent to the minors by the Florida Marlins. Probably the right decision since the guy shouldn't have even been brought up at all last year and considering the poor spring he was having, batting just .190, he needs a bit more time in the oven. From the looks of things, Andrew Miller is pitching pretty well and is making a bid to be Florida's Opening Day starter. He was one part of the Cabrera/Willis deal that I really didn't like seeing leave, but if he can go to a place like Florida and find some success

Yeah... The Bullpen Preview

Amid all the trade rumors, here's the official View From The Light Tower preview for the bullpen. All in all, the season is dependent on these guys. And that scares the living shit out of me. Here's the problem I've found- for all the improvements elsewhere on the field, the bullpen went basically untouched in the off-season as far as improvements go. If anything, the loss of Joel Zumaya for at least half the season has made it considerably worse, especially with Fernando Rodney now missing for the opening of the season.

So here it goes, player-by-player, the keys to the Tigers' 2008.

Todd Jones- Probably the single-handedly most frightening player on the Detroit roster. He's consistent in the fact that he's so inconsistent, everyone expects it by now. Jonesy will have his good days, his bad days, and his roller coaster days, and there's not that much new that can be said about him. I just hope that I can make it through the year.

Jason Grilli- Probably the favorite target of the boo-birds last year (myself included), and he truly deserved it most nights. One of my personal favorite Grilli nights was when Nate Robertson left the game with a 4-0 lead and Jason came in, gave up a hit and two walks, and then a game-tying grand slam. Typical. At best, he's as up and down as Jones. At worst, he's batting practice. Which Grilli will show up this year? We can only guess.

Tim Byrdak- Timmy has had a rough spring and has gotten shelled quite a few times. When he first got brought up to the big leagues last year, he was probably the best lefty we had coming out of the pen. But, he faded quickly coming down the stretch and was just another liability coming out of the pen. It's rough because he's probably one of the few guys that the Tigers really need - a situational lefty - and he's got to be able to get guys like Jim Thome and Travis Hafner out on a regular basis.

Bobby Seay- He's the other Tigers lefty who's going to be called on regularly to be the situational guy. He was probably the Tigs best reliever for the first few months of the year, but he, like Byrdak, was eventually figured out. He needs to turn into someone that can come out of the bullpen in the seventh or eighth and get a big out once every few games. Without Seay pitching well, the whole bullpen is going to suffer.

Zach Miner- Zach is a tricky guy (then again, who isn't in this bullpen, right?). Back in 2006, he started off his Major League career with a six game winning streak and then went dead cold until he was moved into the bullpen as a long relief kind of guy. He's now more of a seventh inning/eighth inning kind of guy, but, as of last year, he was still adjusting to the job. Miner has a bunch of promise and it isn't hard to imagine him figuring it out and having a good year.

Denny Bautista- This guy will be the main set-up man in the absence of Rodney and Zumaya. The knock on him is his control but he's in the mid-90s consistently with his fastball, and watching him pitch the other day against Cleveland, I was very impressed. If he can throw strikes, the sting of the duel injuries to Fernando and Joel might be soothed just a bit. Hopefully, he can be the surprise coming out of the Tiger pen.

Like I said earlier, these guys are the key to the Tigers succeeding this year. The order might score 10 runs a game, but that won't mean a damn thing if the pitching staff gives up 11. As we found out last year, the bats can't carry the team the whole season and at some point, guys are going to go through slumps. It's during times like those when the pitching has to be really on. The rotation will probably be able to handle the pressure, but the key moment will be when there's a one-run game in the late innings and the starter will be getting pulled, and no one will be worried about the guy coming in to keep the lead.

God, that sounds like wishful thinking, huh?

Grandy Starts Season On The DL

In Saturday's rained out game against the Phillies, Curtis Granderson took a pitch off of the hand and that has led to a broken finger. Meaning that another key Tiger will be starting the season on the DL. So now that's Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney, and Grandy that will all be starting the season hurt.

The two main guys who could be set to replace Granderson are Ryan Raburn and Brandon Inge. Personally, I'd love to see Brandon start off there, if only because the guy will get to be doing something other than catching and we won't have to hear about how much he hates catching. Raburn really impressed last year in his time up in the bigs, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the nod either. The Freep's Jon Paul Morosi also mentioned Freddy Guzman as a possible replacement.

It just sucks that on a day like today, when we should be celebrating Cabrera's massive signing, there's another injury to talk about. April might not shape up to be the greatest month this team will have all season, but hopefully this injury bug passes quickly and doesn't get anybody else.

Tigers Locking Up Miggy?

According to ESPN.com the Tigs have come to terms on the largest deal in Detroit history with Miguel Cabrera- eight years, $153 million, pending a physical on Monday. And I say that is money spent terrifically. I reallllly don't care about the money- a) it isn't mine and b) Mike Illitch has it coming out of his ass. Also, there's a solid chance that the money from ticket sales this year may pay all of that salary off, straight up.

Eight years of Miguel Cabrera. Wow. I'm just scared I'm going to wake up and realize it's still 2003.

"Eh" News on Fernando Rodney

As has been well-documented thus far in Spring Training, Fernando Rodney will not be ready for Opening Day. According to Fernando though, he'll be there some time in April.

There's a good chance, at least in my mind, that as good as Fernando feels, he's going hurt a bit more pitching in the cold Detroit April. Tendinitis sucks as it is, but when I had it in my heel it hurt about five times more when it was cold. I had it in my heel and that wasn't nearly as important to baseball as throwing is, especially for a pitcher.

The arm issues happening with Zumaya and Rodney are both really going to hurt this team. As many improvements as the lineup and starting rotation have had, the fucking bullpen has stayed stagnant and maybe even gotten worse with the loss of Rodney. We really might need to take 10 run leads in the early innings of every game just in case the fucking bullpen can't hold the lead. It's a legit worry of mine.

More Fun Quotes From Jim Leyland

Prior to the game today, Jim Leyland told the Detroit News that the Tigers aren't ready for the regular season yet.

There's only six games left in Florida and a little over a week until Opening Day. Leyland has to make decisions regarding the bullpen still and isn't that pleased with the way the Tigers are doing the little things.

Well, Jim, if it makes you feel any better, Detroit isn't ready for you either. It's 29 here. It's gray. It's disgusting. Not quite baseball weather. So, by all means, use this last week and savor it because you're not exactly going to be that happy to be home when you step off that plane.

If the Tigers' bats start hitting well in that first week of the season, I will be downright shocked, if only because playing baseball in a Michigan April is hell. Playing in high school, the bat felt heavier and when you make contact, it stays with you the whole way around the bases, back into the dugout, and back into the field. If the sting is gone by the time the next time you're up to bat, it's lucky.

I'll tell you what though- the Tigers might not be ready, but I definitely am.

Tigs vs. The Jays

Small reminder to everyone with access to FSN Detroit- the Tigers will be playing the Blue Jays at 1 p.m. So, if you can find time to peel your eyes from CBS and the NCAA Tournament, turn it over to FSN and take in that beautiful Florida sunshine and green grass. Check back here later, maybe I'll offer up some opinions or something on the game.

Inge to the Dodgers?

According to the Detroit News, the LA Dodgers may have renewed interest in Brandon Inge after Nomar garciaparra came down with a hand injury. Poor Nomar seems to break something every year and he really is the Fredo Corleone of the of the A-Rod, Jeter, Nomar Shortstop Family from back in the late 1990s. But this might be the opportunity that Inge needs to get his shot to play every day.

I'm not the biggest Inge fan, but I respect what he's done for the organization and for the team. I can't remember how many times I've watched him strike out to end innings or hit a home run that completely shocks me- and the problem seems it never seems to be anything in between. I don't think that Brandon would allow himself to become a cancer on the team this year, but it would simply help everyone involved to get him out of Detroit to some place that he can play and be happy.

I know every female Tigers fan would be sad to see Inge go. As I type this, my friend Lindsay is nodding her head in agreement. Then again, this is the same girl who is in love with Huston Street because he is "so hot". I just love him because he let Magglio hit that homer in the ALCS. But, back to baseball. I would gladly trade the quality of women that has been coming down to Comerica Park in the past two years for a third basemen that hits above .250. Call me crazy.

We'll see how this plays out, but the rumor is out there.

The Arms Dealers

At this point last year, the Tigers were staring down the fact that Mike Maroth and Chad Durbin were the back end of the rotation. How things have changed. Maroth has morphed into Dontrelle Willis and Durbin changes into Nate Robertson. That's what the addition of Willis and the health of Kenny Rogers has done for a rotation that, at times last year, really struggled (aside from the consistency of Justin Verlander).

In 2006, the strength of the team was definitely the pitching staff. In 2007, the lineup was probably the best one in baseball. 2008? Both are looking extremely formidable. The ace of the staff is once again Justin Verlander, who has quickly developed into one of the best young arms in the MLB. Following him is Jeremy Bonderman, who is probably the biggest headache for Detroit fans. After those two come Rogers, Willis, and Roberston. Let's give them all a look, shall we?

Justin Verlander- Justin made the leap last year, going from Rookie of the Year to top-of-the-line ace. He's one of those guys that you do your best to get down to the park or to the TV to watch pitch because anything is possible. He no-hit the Brewers last year and ended up racking up 18 wins. With a solid pen backing him up, there's no doubt he would have had 20 wins. I'm fully expecting him to reach that milestone this year- it may be a high expectation but this kid deserves it.

Jeremy Bonderman-Bondo literally gives me headaches. If he could start the game in the second inning, he might not allow a run all season. If he would sit when he was hurt instead of doing his best to pitch through it, he might have won more than one game after the All-Star break. Jeremy might be the key to the whole pitching staff- he can develop his change-up, push away the mental block that he has in the first inning, and stay healthy for a full season, he could follow in Verlander's footsteps to making the leap. Of course, everyone needs to remember that he is still a kid: he's been around forever but he's only 25. The key for Bonderman is simply staying healthy. Like Leyland says, he could go from being simply a good major league pitcher to a great one if he can just produce consistently for a full season.

Kenny Rogers- Kenny is healthy, determined, and ready to go by all accounts. I read an article in the News a few weeks ago about how after missing a line drive in a game, Rogers went to one of the practice fields in Lakeland and worked on fielding from the mound until he was satisfied. That's what I love about the guy- he demands perfection from himself and instills that same need in his teammates. With all the young guys in this rotation, he really is one of the best guys to possibly have around to nurture them. It'd be great if Kenny could win upwards of 15 games this year (and he could), but what he gives the team off the field makes his on-field contributions simply an added bonus.

Dontrelle Willis- I honestly cannot believe that I'm writing him into the Tigers' rotation. Here's one of my favorite players in the league, if only because of the way he seems to play the game with such love and passion. To have a guy like this on the roster of the team I watch every day? It's a dream come true. Dontrelle had a down year last year and had been up and down periodically with the Marlins, but something tells me that coming to Detroit will take a lot of the pressure off of him and allow him to loosen up and just pitch. Not to mention the bats he's going to have scoring runs for him. I just love that this team is deep enough that someone who could be an ace or a two starter any where else in the league, and won 22 games just three seasons ago, is in the fourth spot here in Detroit. I'm not saying that the Tigers are stacked, but I'm just saying ...

Nate Robertson- Everyone's favorite gum chewer gets stuck with the five spot in the rotation, which is amazing considering that (like Willis) any where else in the league, he's definitely a top three starter. Last year, I really felt bad for Nate because, other than Verlander, he was probably the most consistent pitcher for the Tigers down the stretch. However, his record won't reflect that because, not only did he not get the run support that other Tiger starters enjoyed, but he probably had the bullpen blow more of his games than anybody else. If Nate stays healthy and doesn't have the rough time that he had in the middle of the season last year, he's probably going to be the best fifth starter in the league, hands down.

An argument could be made that this is the best rotation in the league on paper. I'd be in support of that, if a few conditionals go the Tigers way. Barring injury, the pitching dominance that we watched two seasons ago from the starting rotation has a very good chance of making itself seen again. I think a really big part of the potential for these guys is the fact that there was no World Series run last year- everyone has another month of rest under their belts. I really think that this could be the difference between missing the playoffs and another deep playoff run, and hopefully it is.

Sheffield, Ordonez, Cabrera, Oh My!

The thing about the 2008 Detroit Tigers is that any sort of off-night will be considered unacceptable. Watching the game on ESPN yesterday, Jim Leyland set the lineup at Granderson, Polanco, Sheff, Mags, Cabrera, Guillen, Renteria, Pudge, and Jacque Jones (oh yeahhhh, him). One through eight, every one of those guys can (and probably should) hit above .300. Anybody else's mouth watering?

Let's go guy by guy in this lineup, set the expectations and such. We'll see where we go.

Curtis Granderson- There's no way that Curtis will go 20 homers, 20 triples, 20 steals, and 20+ doubles like he did last year. And he's coming off signing a massive contract in the off-season. All signs point to him having a down year, but if the strike outs keep going down and the batting average goes up, I think I'll be happy.

Placido Polanco- We all pretty much know what we're going to get from Polly by now- he'll hit .330+ and just be a professional in all senses of the word at the plate. He rivals Jeter for the best two-hole hitter in the league.

Gary Sheffield- During May, June, and early July, we got a taste of what Sheff can do. He'll say stupid things, but he will hit the ball, and he will hit it hard. His massive slump in April and injuries in August and September brought his numbers down and may have ultimately cost the Tigers a playoff spot. If Sheff stays healthy, the Tigers will be in good shape. Crazy understatement, I know.

Magglio Ordonez- There's no way Mags will have a year like last year. No way he'll come close. He's a career .312 hitter that hit .363 last year, good enough for AL Batting Champion, who was up around .390 at one point. If he stays around .300, keeps healthy, and doesn't screw up too much in right field, I'll keep my promise to make my first son's middle name Magglio.

Miguel Cabrera- Oh god, this makes me so happy. Going from Brandon Inge at the plate to Miggy is like going from driving a Volkswagen Beetle to a Ferrari. Cabrera has something no one else in this lineup has- a World Series MVP trophy. And he got that when he was 20. I just don't think it was the greatest idea to send a guy who has weight problems to one of the fattest cities in America. Stay away from American Coney Island, Miggy, and you'll be fine.

Carlos Guillen- Another guy that we know what we're getting with. I wouldn't be surprised to see Carlos' power numbers go up a bit now that he's at first base instead of shortstop, if only because it's more of a power position. The rap on Guillen has always been if he's healthy, he'll be great. On the bright side, if he's hurt, his back up is now Marcus Thames and not Ramon Santiago.

Edgar Renteria- I remember thinking before we got him that if the Tigers traded for Renteria, there was a good chance the Tigers would win the division. Looks like he was just the first piece. I'm a bit worried about the adjustment to the AL, since his one year with Boston was, shall we say, not so great. If he comes close to the numbers he had last year (when he hit .332 with Atlanta), that would be pretty good production from the seven spot. Also an understatement.

Pudge Rodriguez- Can't believe that this guy is really in the eight spot. The great thing about Pudge is that he wants to win so badly, he really doesn't care where he hits. That's the great thing about Leyland- he could tell Pudge to dive from the Goodyear blimp into the Fountain in centerfield, and he'd probably do it. I just pray Rodriguez stays healthy so the Brandon Inge, Disgruntled Catcher show doesn't make an appearance in Detroit. (Inge deserves his own post, by the by)

Jacque Jones- Honestly, I don't know that much about Jacque. I watched him for years in Minnesota and he was a pretty solid hitter, but never really scared me. He's a career .280 hitter coming off of back-to-back years of hitting .285 in the NL with the Cubbies. He's hitting about 20 homers per year, except last year when he had a down power year with just five. He's not in the Friendly Confines any more, so the homers might stay where they're at, but something tells me the Tigers won't really be hurting for those this year.

Quite simply, from one to nine, the Tigers have the best lineup in Major League Baseball. On paper. Always have to say on paper, of course. Tomorrow I'll go over the rotation. Welcome back to The Light Tower, it's finally baseball season.

Hi, I'm Back

Yes, yes, yes, it's about that time again. Baseball season is swiftly closing in and at the behest of my father, I've decided to start this puppy back up again. I'd like to apologize for suddenly disappearing last year and this time things will be different. I know it'll be hard to trust me, baby, but I know we can make it, don't worry.

I'll start previewing shit later tonight, maybe I'll do the lineup or the rotation or the fucking bullpen (which is on the fast track to become the new Neifi Fucking Perez). We'll see.

I've got the baseball bug. Do you?