Friday Fungoes

Memorial Day Weekend is here and the Tigers are in last place. A year ago, they entered the Memorial Day weekend at a much more delectable 29-18.

Bygones.

While we hope for a strong finish to May, let’s wind down the week with some Friday Fungoes:

• If you’re looking for some Memorial Day Weekend baseball entertainment outside the confines of Comerica Park, here’s a tip from Rod Nelson: Run, don’t walk, to the Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck tonight or tomorrow for the final performances of Lee Blessing’s 1991 stageplay, “Cobb“. Rod and Friend of the Fungo Gary Gillette attended the show this week. “I didn’t know if it was better writing or acting,” Rod said. “Fantastic on all counts.”
• I got to see some of the Diamondbacks/Marlins game last night on the tube and former Tiger Andrew Miller was outstanding. Check out this line: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K. Throwing serious heat in the Miami humidity, try 98 m.p.h., Miller allowed only one runner to reach second base. From the D’backs game story:
  

  “He’s one of a kind,” center fielder Chris Young said of Miller. “He was anywhere from 87 to 97 (mph). He changed speeds well. He challenged us inside. He mixed in his off-speed every now and then just to get back to his fastball, and he did a good job tonight. He’s no scrub out there.”

  As if Tigers fans didn’t know that. Meanwhile, Dontrelle Willis toils in the bullpen.

• The Tigers moved up two slots this week in ESPN.com’s MLB Power Rankings, from 27 to 25. Sadly, Detroit’s still behind the Royals and a notch above the Nationals. Here’s the blurb that runs alongside:
  

  The Tigers are a major-league worst 14-25 against right-handers and 6-2 against left-handers.

  Let’s hope the Tigers change their luck against righties this weekend; they face two in a row, Kevin Slowey tonight and Boof Bonser on Saturday. Lefty Glen Perkins goes for Minnesota on Sunday.

• You may have already caught this, but Jeff Passan has a solid article on Yahoo! Sports titled “Tigers’ Granderson redefining leadoff role”. A snippet:
  

  Granderson didn’t envision himself a leadoff hitter. Throughout the minor leagues, he hit second. Then, in 2005, the Tigers tinkered with Granderson leading off and knew they hit jackpot: 30-homer power and 30-steal speed with plenty of room to improve, if he can cut down on his strikeouts.

  Check it out.

Have a great and — most important — safe Memorial Day weekend.