So, here I am working on a — gasp! — PC trying to get some stuff done. (There’s more on my Windows Vista experience here.) I offer this not as a self-handicapping thing, but as a legit reason. Honest.

On with the Fungoes:

• There’s been much to talk about in recent weeks and it centers on an infuriating lack of activity by the Tigers. Kerry Wood? Gone — to the Indians. Carl Pavano? Gone…to the Indians. Jason Giambi? Gone. Brian Fuentes? John Smoltz? Trevor Hoffman? Gone. Gone. Gone. What’s worse is that these guys, for the most part, were considered low-cost, low-risk investments for the teams they joined. Are the Tigers suddenly so cash poor/talent rich that they can’t take a flyer on the likes of Giambi — a solid lefty bat — or Pavano who could actually be an upgrade over Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis? I would love to know what the master plan is down on Witherell.

• The Padres pick Virgil Vasquez off waivers today from the Red Sox. Let’s hope Double-V gets some appearances in San Diego who will definitely need help when Jake Peavy gets dealt.

• There’s nothing like some distance from the past baseball season to provide some perspective on how good or bad a player was. Two examples in each category from the 2008 Tigers:
  • The Good: Magglio Ordonez – .317, 21 HR, 103 RBI for the season but he hit .330 in the second half.
  • The Bad: Gary Sheffield – .225, 19 HR, 57 RBI. He hit a meager .217 in the first half and .232 in the second. Yeah, I know, he wasn’t completely healthy but still, if it weren’t for his 500th homer chase, Sheff would’ve been persona non grata at Comerica Park in 2008.

• Perhaps you heard that former Tigers pitcher Dave Roberts passed away today at 64. He was acquired by the Tigers on Dec. 6, 1975 when the Astros traded him along with Jim Crawford and Milt May to Detroit for Leon Roberts, Terry Humphrey, Gene Pentz, and Mark Lemongello. Roberts appeared in 48 games for the Tigers in 1976 and ‘77 — all of them starts. In 1976, he posted a record of 16-17 and a 4.00 ERA with 18 complete games. The following year he made 22 starts for the Tigers going 4-10, 5.15, before his contract was purchased by the Cubs on July 30. According to the MLB.com story, Roberts died from lung cancer.
  

  Roberts’ death came after a struggle with lung cancer that had developed from exposure to asbestos — a mineral with toxic fibers — earlier in his life, according to a report by the Associated Press. He had worked as a boilermaker years ago, which likely exposed him to the toxic substance.

  How things have changed. You certainly don’t hear of any journeyman lefty relievers working as boilermakers in the off season anymore just to make ends meet. Today Roberts would be making $4 million a year.

Finally, Happy Birthday today to Freddy Dolsi, 26; Ivan DeJesus – what? You didn’t know he played for the Tigers? He did: 1988 – and Phil Mankowski, both 56.

Like many readers I have fond memories of Tiger Stadium. As a teenager during the mid-1980s with a new driver’s license, a hand-me-down car, and the freedom that came with both, the corner of Michigan and Trumbull was a frequent destination for my friends and I. Simply stated, the price was right — $4 for a bleacher seat and plenty of free parking if you were willing to walk – and the product was even better.

With that said, I’ve gone back and forth on the fate of those hallowed grounds. I appreciate why so many feel so strongly about hanging onto as much of the Stadium as possible. Likewise, I understand prospective developers’ reluctance to deal with the monolithic structure as they plot the course of this piece of real estate’s future.

My solution is probably not new, but I don’t recall seeing it anywhere in the mainstream media. In this fan’s opinion, the dilemma can be solved with one clichéd coaching expression: T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More). If several organizations could set aside personal agendas, pool their talents and resources, an ending that makes many happy is plausible.

In one corner you have the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy. This group has made the most noise recently and has the iconic Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell as one of its lead spokespersons. The Conservancy’s plan is to preserve the playing field and a portion of the grandstands for future generations to play ball on.

In this corner you have the Greater Corktown Development Corporation and the Detroit Downtown Development Authority who have said the entire structure should go in order to pave the way for new development in this area.

In still another corner you have the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame which claims on its website to be looking for a new facility to house its honorees. (An aside, has anyone else noticed the MSHoF is truly a hall of fame, what with the paintings and plaques hanging in the hallways of Cobo Center?)

In yet another corner there is the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. Currently located in the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, the director told a visitor recently they have much more memorabilia to display but simply can’t get the space from the Cultural Center.

Perhaps you can see where I’m heading with this? There are others, of course, who need a facility to house the history of Detroit’s rich sports tradition. Boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward and all the history from the Kronk Gym; Ted Talbert and his Joe Louis Video Room (Really, the Brown Bomber only warrants a converted office in Cobo?); and Dr. John Kline’s Black Legends of Professional Basketball to name but three.

Why not join forces? Put egos aside and create a sports cultural center on the site of Tiger Stadium. Keep the flagpole and create a monument there for the Stadium. Preserve the dugouts and incorporate those into the exhibits. Bronze home plate and make that the entry point to the museum. Most importantly, however, give the sports fans of metro Detroit and all of Michigan a place to go to see their heroes again. What good is all this history sitting in backrooms and basements if it’s not accessible by the masses?

What to include? For starters, the MSHoF would require much of the space. The portraits of the inductees are magnificent and the plaques are well done. I’m sure, if solicited, many of those honored would have an artifact or two that could be displayed. Mr. Harwell has an extensive collection of baseball memorabilia – much of which is Tigers/Tiger Stadium centered – that would be a natural fit. I’m certain the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers would all have artifacts that could be loaned to the center. The colleges and universities from the state could also be included. We’ve already mentioned Detroit’s rich boxing tradition – from Joe Louis to Sugar Ray Robinson to Thomas Hearns – and the contribution of many of the city’s early African-American basketball players (Did you know, for instance, Detroiter Bobby “Showboat” Hall was the Harlem Gloebetrotters’ Clown Prince for 24 years?) shouldn’t go unnoticed. With the deep Polish culture in this area the Polish-American Sports Hall would be deserving of space. And lest I forget, Detroit automakers have played a significant role in auto racing. There are also the more recreational sports of angling, boating, bowling, and golf. Certainly Oakland Hills Country Club has played a major role in golf history and would be capable of loaning items.

Funding you ask? Certainly private donors and corporations would be needed, but how about 10 cents per ticket charge on the four professional sports teams? Based on last season’s attendance figures that surcharge would generate close to $5 million dollars over the next decade. If you went to a quarter per ticket that number would increase to $12.5 million. I’m not a tax expert, but if this were a non-profit cultural center (which it most assuredly should be), I believe some – if not all – of the work required for this project would be eligible for tax credits.

Finally, a center such as this would help pump new life into the Corktown area. Certainly a local establishment such as Big Boy, National Coney Island, or Tubby’s could be the in-house food service provider, but any of the three might want to have a presence around the center. Likewise, when the famed Lindell AC closed in 2002 there was much discussion about reopening in a new location. What location would be better for the Lindell than at the hub of Michigan’s sports history?

What to do with Tiger Stadium? Sadly, I say raze it, but like the Phoenix it could rise again, albeit in a new form, and create a place for all of metro Detroit sports fans to gather, reminisce, and drink in the history of the rich athletic traditions we all share.

I looked back at the World Series of the past 20 years at what the winners’ closer stats looked like compared to his. For Jones’ career, he has posted an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.41. His 867 strikeouts in 1070 innings pitched means he’s striking out just 0.81 batters per inning.

The closers of the past 20 World Series champions (with the exception of the 2001 D’Backs who never needed a closer and 1994 no Series) were 7-2 with 34 saves and an ERA of 2.23 and a WHIP of 1.09. Their 74 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched means they’ve struck out 1.02 batters per inning.

I know Jones was effective, but the key word in that phrase is was. In his last 11 outings, Jones’ ERA is 8.80 and his WHIP is 1.96. He’s converted four saves and blown three.

I’m not sold on Fernando Rodney (he got three free-swingers to whiff on ball four Sunday), but at this point he’s the best of limited options. Bottom line, Jones wasn’t getting the job done and a change needed to be made.

I’m still not in favor of acquiring new parts at this week’s deadline because of the deficiencies on the pitching staff (especially the back end of the bullpen) and the inconsistent offense. Selling off commodities to try and scrape together a run this year could well send this organization into the slide of the mid-1990s in a couple of seasons.

How can you justify running this guy out there again until he exorcises his inner-Sax/Ankiel/Saucier?

The 2008 Detroit Tigers are most assuredly not that type of team.

Wednesday’s 10-2 throttling at the hands of the Oakland A’s got me thinking about how truly inept this team is on getaway days. How inept are they? How does 2-7 on getaways sound? How does being outscored 63-24 sound? How about scoring two or fewer runs in six of those nine games?

This is definitely a team that mails it in more often than not on the day they’re heading out of town.

My advice: Throw 10 large down on this team to lose that game next Sunday against the Dodgers. The odds are certainly with you.

That was my first thought as my Frontier Airlines jet touched down at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport early Thursday evening. It seems as though for we Michiganians glimpses of the sun outside the months of July, August, and – maybe – early October are random and fleeting.

Warmth!

That was my second thought. Despite the best efforts of the aircraft’s cooling system it was quite evident I was no longer in Michigan.

This fact was made even clearer later that evening when a call home elicited this comment from my soon-to-be 7-year-old son Jake: “Dad, will you please bring back some warm air. Every baseball game I have it’s always cold and wet.” (Included in my luggage home was a one Zip Lock baggie filled with 85-degree Arizona evening warmth!)

Friendship!

That was my third thought as I spotted Mike’s red Infiniti easing onto the North Curb outside baggage claim; Mike and I go back to my sophomore year of high school when I was the 13th man on the Lakeview High junior varsity basketball team and Mike – younger brother of Husky great Tom – was a freshman trying to make a name for himself.

How else – beside friendship – can you explain someone leaving his family near dinner time to drive 45 minutes one way to pick you up at the airport? And then put you up in his guest house for a long weekend.

Uninspired and inconsistent!

Is there any other way to categorize the Tigers’ performance of late? The two nights I saw in the desert only served to verify this description. The list of transgressions on Friday was lengthy:

• Magglio not running hard out of the box on that second-inning double-turned-single-and-throw-out;
• Cabrera lollygagging (cue Robert Wuhl) after the pop up back of first;
• The lack of communication between Renteria and Guillen in the seventh;
• Guillen’s total aim job of a throwing error (also in the seventh); and,
• Leyland’s decision not to insert Brandon Inge for defensive purposes with a three-run lead and Guillen not due up for three more innings.

Of course Saturday came along and there was Raburn’s dropped double-play ball; Cabrera running for that very same pop up; Pudge’s savvy dropped pop up bunt in the eighth; and Leyland making the necessary defensive substitutions in the ninth.

Fellowship!

Could there be a better place for men to be men than at a baseball game on a warm summer evening? That’s what I thought of as I sat there under the stars and slowly cooling evening air with John, Mike, and Tom.

Just talking baseball, reminiscing about glory days (cue Bruce), and quoting guy stuff like Fletch, The In-Laws, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Slapshot, Bull Durham, and the like.

Ridiculous!

That’s what I thought most of Saturday about the sizeable group of 20-somethings that tried to be Tigers’ fans sitting in front of us. Drink flowed from the moment they arrived and they thought nothing of getting up and changing seats – or leaving – during game play.

It’s a pet peeve of mine, but I was brought up to respect the game and its fans. That meant you didn’t leave your seat until between innings or pitching changes; the same was true of your return. If you want to socialize and not watch the game, then do everyone a favor and do it on the concourse.

Trust me when I say no one wants to see you – no matter how much you paid for your new chest or how nattily attired you may be; we all paid decent money to watch the game.

Lucky!

As I pen this on an old-fashioned steno pad at 38,000-feet, I realize how lucky I am to have a wife and two children who allow me to do something foolhardy like traveling 2,000 miles across the country to watch a pathetically underachieving baseball team and hand with the fellas for a few days. To them I say thank you!

That Tiger offense tonight was punishing!

Now can they do it again tomorrow afternoon?

I figured if this Drudge fellow can have his own report, why can’t I have mine? (Plus, during the school year, once a week is about all I can muster for blogging.)

Well, here I sit staring at this morning’s paper and an 0-6 record after six home games. I haven’t even found the time to read through the Free Press and News‘ preview issues (cleverly themed “Charged” and “Detroit Lumber Co.,” respectively) touting this high-powered offense and I can tell you from my first in-person viewing last night that those two sections couldn’t be further from the truth at the moment.

About the only charge emanating from the CoPa last night was the static electricity from all the fleece in the yard rubbing together as the folks tried to stay warm while a relatively balmy spring day reminded us how it can quickly turn into a dang chilling spring night in a hurry (especially when the wind picks up).

(Side Rant: Seriously, who’s the brainiac at Major League Baseball that decided the first Tigers’ night game of the season should be an 8:05 start the first week of April? Hello! If Detroit scheduled its own games — including a Friday — as afternoon contests, don’t you think it was for a reason? Was this forward-thinking individual the same hack who decided to schedule the Atlanta Braves on a one-game road trip to Washington to open the Nationals’ new yard last Sunday?)

I shouldn’t say last night’s game was devoid of electricity. I marveled upon my family’s arrival at how electric it did feel. We were there by 7:15 and the concourses were teeming with activity. The gift shops had lines to get in, folks were milling about swilling beer, swapping stories, and, in general, enjoying the extra hour before game time. It was a marvelous environment … then the game began.

It was an embarrassment. Five double plays? The barrel of the mighty Miguel Cabrera’s bat went further than the ball his first two at bats. And how about that Edgar Renteria (he of the supposedly high OBP) first-pitch swinging in his first two trips to the plate? Ramon Santiago was apparently channeling his inner-Michael Johnson on that double-turned-out at third. What’s that old baseball rule? Oh yeah, the one I learned in Little League: Never make the first or final out of an inning at third base! Mercifully I was long gone (note gratuitous Ernie Harwell reference) by the time Carlos Guillen dropped a thigh-high throw that was by all accounts in his glove. I did, however, see the passed ball by Pudge Rodriguez on the night he was awarded yet another Gold Glove during a pre-game ceremony. Speaking of Pudge, someone needs to remind him that in your walk year you’re supposed to produce during the regular season, not just the preseason.

There is one member of the Tiger organization who is in mid-season form, however … Jim Price. Due to this glut of day games I’ve only been able to listen to a couple of innings of Saturday’s game on the radio, but Mr. Price made those two innings count: Seven “no question/no question about its,” two “scalded/scalded dogs,” three “movement/late movements,” and one “atom ball.” And speaking of another year of old Smokey in the booth I learned wilst beating my early and hasty retreat last night that it was on this date, April 7, 1967, that the Tigers purchased the contract of one Jim Price from the Pittsburgh Pirates. One question: Does anyone still have the receipt so we can look into a refund?

While Jim’s in rare form his partner Dan Dickerson, well, not so much. Perhaps it was simply a case of too many Cabrera’s on the left side of the infield during this series, but I heard him refer to Renteria as Cabrera both Saturday and Sunday.

I took solace this morning, however, when my morning friendly reminded me that four of last year’s post-season participants finished April under .500. The Rockies were six games under at 10-16. That means the Detroit needs to play .500 ball the rest of the way to keep pace.

Until next week.

Doug

Brandon Inge
If you recall prior to the 2004 season Mr. Inge acted like a petulant little child when the Tigers signed Pudge Rodriguez. He whined and complained about how the catching job was his and he wasn’t giving it up without a fight. Of course he turned into a super-sub of sorts (playing 139 games, logging 400+ ABs at five different positions) and eventually won the starting third base job.

Fast forward four seasons and Mr. Inge no longer wants to be a catcher; he fancies himself a third baseman apparently. Though not as loudly, he appears to be lobbying to move out of town now that Miguel Cabrera appears to be the Tigers’ new third baseman. I don’t believe for a minute the Tigers can trade him and the $18 million left on his contract and receive anything close to good value. With that said, I suggest Brandon close his yap, buy a few extra gloves, learn how to scoop balls at first, play all three outfield positions, and get comfortable in the tools of ignorance again. Return to the role of super utilityman for this season. Milwaukee Brewer Bill Hall logged over 500 ABs in a similar role in 2005, playing three different positions. If Inge can play 3B, 1B, OF, and even a bit of C, I would expect enough at bats will come his way to keep him happy.

The goal, or promise to Inge, is that he becomes your full-time catcher effective 2009. He’ll have this year to study the pitching staff, pick Pudge and Vance Wilson’s brains, and relearn the position. With the offense that will be surrounding him, Inge would merely have to concentrate on his fielding — any hitting would be a bonus. And if you’re really trying to do the hard sell, remind him the staff he would have to catch would include Justin Verlander, Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Bonderman, and — at some point — Rick Porcello.

Dontrelle Willis

I heard Willis’ first interview on local radio following the trade. WXYT had him on and I liked what I heard. He has a passion for the game, he has a personality, he’s energetic, and he should endear himself to the Detroit fanbase. Will he be able to pitch? The good news, I suppose, is that Detroit isn’t counting on him to be the ace. All they really need from him is 200+ serviceable innings. Ideally (with the bullpen the Tigers have) that’s what they’d like to get from all five starters — save Rogers I suppose. Chew up innings boys. The bats should get enough runs to keep this team in virtually every game.

One other item about Willis. Don’t underestimate the impact another African-American will have on the Tigers’ fan base. Willis is an inner-city kid and, like Curtis Granderson, has a personality that will make him popular. For a city that’s attempting to make a comeback, I think it’s outstanding the youngsters in town will have a couple of role models on the home team to look up to.

By the way, has anyone else noticed an entire Hispanic infield? Non hablas Espanol?

The Mitchell Report

Nothing surprises me (nor should it), but I’d like to launch a conspiracy theory on Roger Clemens. I wonder if his decision to stall his comeback each of the past couple of seasons was due merely to making sure he had it in him or rather he had it in him? I’m certainly no expert on performance enhancing drugs, but doesn’t it suddenly seem plausible that The Rocket was taking a late-winter cycle of PED’s before deciding to come back? Are unsigned free agents subjected to the testing? If not, it wouldn’t surprise me if Clemens got his body finely tuned and then gave his body time to flush the evidence before signing. So much for all those stories of his legendary workouts that I always admired as a younger man.

Mitchell Report Part II

Nook Logan? Mark Carreon? Alex Sanchez? This is our Detroit connection? No wonder our home team stunk during the Steroid Era!

Clearly Carreon wasn’t on the juice when he was a Tiger. He hit a career-low .232 that year.As for Sanchez — the first to be busted — it’s a good thing he was on the stuff, otherwise half of those swinging bunt singles he had would’ve rolled foul at the plate, right?

And Nook? Well, I got nothing for Nook.

Bullpen

If the starters can get into the seventh inning I don’t feel too bad about things. It’s that middle/long relief that gives me the Guillermos. I know Zach Miner will be serviceable and I shouldn’t fret about Jason Grilli, but neither instill a lot of confidence — especially if they get thrown into roles they’re not comfortable in.

I actually feel pretty good about the two situational lefties they’ll enter camp with: Tim Byrdak and Bobby Seay. Seay was especially effective the last half of the season when used correctly. Speaking of using folks correctly, Memo to Jim Leyland: Todd Jones can only pitch one inning this year and it should be at the start of the inning, not mid-inning with runners on base.

I’m not expecting Joel Zumaya to contribute anything this year.

And what a debut it was today: 1/3 of an inning, 1 H, 3 Rs, 2 BBs, and an ERA of 81.01. Yep, he threw 16 pitches, only six of which were strikes.

Those poor, poor Philly fans;-)

And how about ex-Tiger Tony Clark starting at first base for the D’Backs Wednesday night? It’s good to see he’s getting a taste of the high life.

Speaking of ex-Tiger first basemen, those Comeback Players of the Year names sounded familiar, didn’t they? Dmitri Young and Carlos Pena. Was Matt Stairs the AL runner-up?

And full credit to Bless You Boys’ and friend of the Fungo’s Ian Casselberry for this witty line: Your 2008 Comeback Player of the Year frontrunner has to be Sean Casey, no?

Is it just me or has Tigers’ first base quest become this millenium’s equivalent of the 1980s third base situation? Where have you gone Marty Castillo, Darnell Coles, Chris Brown, Howard Johnson, Stan Papi, et al?

Having said that, there are some interesting decisions to be made this off-season. What to do, what to do? Here’s one man’s/fan’s opinion:

Gary Sheffield — He’s signed for two more years but the shoulder is bum. He claims he won’t undergo surgery again. If that’s what gets him healthy enough to be the player he was back in May and June don’t the Tigers have some recourse with him? He’ll be back, but he needs to be healthy to be impactful otherwise he’s an albatross around the center of this lineup.

Carlos Guillen — He’ll be back, no mistaking this; but will it be as a shortstop or a first baseman? I’m thinking it’ll be as a first baseman. Which begs the questions, “Who’s on short?” I know, he’s on first.

Rodriguez — GM Dave Dombrowski needs to do some wheeling and dealing here. At $13 million for one year I don’t think he’s worth it. Of course there aren’t many options out there. How about something more manageable like $18-$20 million over two years? The skills certainly detiorated this year and that has to be taken into account when the decision is made. It’ll be an interesting month for Double D while making this decision.

Sean Casey — I’d love to see him return simply because I could still claim I’m faster than one of the Tigers. I doubt he’s back unless it’s at a greatly reduced rate and in the role of pinch hitter and occasional first baseman.

Kenny Rogers — Our memories of October 2006 are secure, but there’s no need to pay for the memories. I’m guessing he won’t be back unless he really wants to take a big pay cut.

Todd Jones – It’s been well-stated that unless he gets a Jamie Walker offer, the Tigers will likely bring him back. As upset as that may make my digestive tract, he’s still a seasoned closer who finds a way to get the job done 35 times a year. Neither Fernando Rodney nor Joel Zumaya have shown any indication they’re ready for the job. I say bring him back for a year at a reasonable price. If Zoom or Crooked Cap show signs of being ready, pedal T.J. at an affordable price near the deadline for a prospect or too.

Jim Leyland — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think it’s 100-percent certain he’s back. At times this year he seems plum worn out and was grasping at straws. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s back, but it wouldn’t shock me if he announced next week it’s time to walk away. He’d probably have some say in either Gene Lamont or Lloyd McClendon being his successor.

Tigers at D’Backs May 16-18, 2008.

Who’s in? If wet get enough, maybe we can get the highly-coveted pool seats!

Frontier Airlines for $289 RT with a stop in Denver leaving Friday morning early and returning Sunday morning.

That being said, I need to see B-Inge on a southbound train out of town this off season. The Tigers have outgrown him as an everyday player.

There are many who could be the goats (Joel Zumaya, Jim Leyland’s decision to pull Kenny Rogers, Gary Sheffield fanning on three straight iwith a runner on second in the 10th, etc.) if the Tigers wind up losing this game — it’s currently 5-5 in the top of the 10th — but in my opinion Inge is at the top of the list. Here’s why:

In the top of the fourth, Detroit received so many gifts from the Cleveland Indians you’d have sworn it was Christmas. Two errors and a Ramon Santiago safety squeeze that scored Pudge Rodriguez and it looked like a huge inning was in order. What with no one out and runners on first and second, the Tigers were poised to blow it open. Inge, the No. 9 hitter, was called upon to execute what all No. 9 hitters must do — sacrifice bunt. For at least the second time this season that I can recall he failed and this time he failed so miserably it may have cost Detroit the game and very well its last chance at the post-season. His bunt traveled all of about two feet and led to a rare 2-5-3 doubleplay that effecively ended the inning.

The last time I opined about Inge’s deficiencies I was taken to task by a TDF reader who posted that he was merely a ninth hitter. True, but ninth hitters need to do the little things like moving up runners and he hasn’t embraced or perfected this skill.

So, I’m going to eschew bidding on the Tiger Stadium memorabilia and rather offer my $279 plus tax to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski in hopes he offers an obscene amount of money to Alex Rodriguez to play third base. Make Santiago the light-hitting, slick-fielding shortstop who’ll bat ninth and sacrifice bunt effectively and move Carlos Guillen to first base.

And hey, as a bonus, if you lock A-Rod to a long-term deal now you might have him in a Tigers’ uniform when he eclipses Barry Bonds‘ all-time home run record which would be nice for Mr. I’s coffers.

There are plenty of beefs with MLB schedulers this year (check with Seattle for starters), but giving teams a holiday off is a joke.

The odd man out … I say it’ll be Jason Grilli.

This will be another example of this team “outgrowing a player (Josh Wallen, 2007).” Grilli was fine last year and at times this year, but I don’t believe Jim Leyland wants to deal with his erratic pitching the final month of the season. Durbin’s been more consistent and – along with Zach Miner - can serve the role of long-man that was previously Grilli’s.

This sets up the bullpen to look like this: Mop up/long men Durbin and Miner, lefty specialists Tim Byrdak and Bobby Seay, set up men Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney, closer Todd Jones. This is certainly what everyone envisioned at the beginning of the season.

Of course you’re now relying on a pair of fresh-faced first-year starters in your rotation in Jurrjens and Miller if Rogers can’t return.

Fellow Fungo-ite Josh Wallen and I discussed this a week ago and B-Inge is probably just the latest Tiger who this team and its tempermental fan base is about to outgrow. The five men left on base Sunday just adds to the frustration and his ineptness on any pitch after receiving his second strike continues to be a sore spot in this author’s mind. (If there was a surer bet than Inge walking back to the dugout with a look of disbelief on his face after flailing away on an 0-2 slider/curveball low and away I invite you to offer it up. And no, Craig Monroe sulking back to the dugout with a look of disbelief doesn’t count!)

Much like Monroe, Inge caught lightning in a bottle last year but hasn’t been able to duplicate that feat this season. Perhaps it’s the luxury of knowing he has a contract and full-time employment for the foreseeable future, but whatever it is Detroit needs more from him – especially when runners are in scoring position. The strength of this team has always been balance and contributions 1-9. Anymore, Jim Leyland’s lucky if 2-5 deliver regularly.

I know he’s a fan favorite and is easy on the ladies’ eyes, but Brandon needs to produce or Dave Dombrowski needs to find a suitable alternative for him down the stretch or this off season.

The beautful thing, of course, is that once on first Maybin had Clemens, Jorge Posada, and much of the rest of the Yankees wondering when he’d take off for second.

Speed kills and if this kid can spend anytime at all on base, it’ll only help this team.

Update: The home run was even more beautiful!

Lead-off single, a one-out walk, wild pitch, 21 pitches, and a side struck out in the 8th.

Granderson, along with Philadelphia Phillie Jimmy Rollins, is on pace to potentially join Hall of Famers George Brett and Willie Mays by having 20 homers, triples, doubles, and stolen bases. He’s also not grounded into a doubleplay this year which is some more rarified air.