Today’s Game: Brad Penny (7-9, 4.92 ERA) vs. Alfredo Simon (3-5, 4.08 ERA) | 7:05 p.m. – FSD/1270 AM and 97.1 FM

Penny has lost each of his last three starts for the Tigers, compiling a 7.94 ERA in the outings. He has suffered the loss in five of his last seven decisions for the club dating back to June 10.

Tonight he’s making the second start of his career at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this evening. He didn’t figure in the decision in his previous outing, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings of work

Penny’s making his 10th road start of the season tonight against the Orioles. In his first nine starts of the season on the road, he’s 3-5 with a 6.36 ERA.

On this date in 1987, the Tigers picked up veteran Doyle Alexander from the Braves for Double-A prospect John Smoltz.

Happy 49th Birthday to Urbano Lugo. Fred Hutchinson was born on this date in 1912. He won 95 games for the Tigers from 1939 and ’40, and ’46 to ’53. From 1941-45 he served in the Navy. A terrific bio of Hutch is available on the SABR.org site.

So I’ll spare them the details and provide new readers with the gist: I attended the Rockies’ first-ever home game at Mile High Stadium against the Expos in April 1993 (thanks to a grueling roadtrip with Fungo contributor Doug Hill). I attended the first-ever game at Coors Field in April 1995 – Rockies versus Mets. And, I was there for the Rockies’ first-ever postseason game in 1995 against the Braves.

What’s more, I’ve always considered Coors Field to be my favorite big-league park, though last summer the San Diego’s Petco Park might – might – have caught up to it.

With that background, please understand this: I never root for the Rockies over the Tigers.

And now this:

• The Tigers’ All-Time Record against the Rockies is 7-11. All-time at Comerica Park: 5-4; at Coors Field: 2-7.
• On this date in 1958 Ozzie Virgil, who became the first black man to play for the Tigers 11 days earlier, went 5 for 5 in his first home game at Briggs Stadium.
• According to this story over at MLB Trade Rumors, there’s a lot of interest in former Tigers number-one pick and current Red Sox reclamation project Andrew Miller. How much interest? Enough, apparently, that the word “tampering” was used to describe it. Would it surprise you that according to Peter Gammons the Yankees were involved?
• Remember this? Three years ago today Marcus Thames homered for the fifth game in a row. His last eight hits had all been home runs.

Finally, Happy 48th Birthday to Matt Kinzer, who pitched 1.2 innings for the 1990 Tigers. He gave up three walks, three hits, three earned runs in that outing – but he didn’t take the loss.

Have a great weekend.

It’s been a slow-and-steady climb but Detroit has won 22 of the club’s last 33 games dating back to May 3, a .656 .667 winning percentage. The Tigers are behind only the Red Sox (23-11, .676) over that stretch.

Let’s enjoy this run (at least until the Tigers face Felix Hernandez on Sunday). In the meantime, enjoy some links with your eggs:

• Thanks to the Tigers’ surge, there are more believers that this could be, might be the team to beat in the American League Central. The SweetSpot’s Dave Schoenfield uses Brennan Boesch as the pivot point of his take on the Tigers:

Sabermetricians are not big fans of Brennan Boesch, with a full host of reasons. He doesn’t walk enough. He doesn’t have enough power for a corner outfielder. He’s not a very good defensive player. He doesn’t exactly run like Austin Jackson. He just had a couple hot months in 2010. He’s got a weird reverse platoon split that he won’t be able to maintain.

Maybe they’re right, but on the other hand … well, maybe Brennan Boesch isn’t so bad. After wrapping a two-run homer around the foul pole in Thursday’s 4-1 victory over Seattle, Boesch is hitting .281 with eight home runs on the year.

Dave has a suggestion for improving the Tigers’ batting order that seems to make perfect sense … and have zero-percent chance of Jim Leyland implementing.

• Old friend Rob Neyer also thinks the Tigers are division favorites:

[T]he Tigers have quite suddenly become the real favorites in the Central. According to Baseball Prospectus’s Playoff Odds Report, the Tigers now have something like a 60-percent chance of winning the division, with the Indians and White Sox well behind.

(snip)

Based purely on talent, the Detroit Tigers are the best team in the American League Central and they’re now the team to beat.

As of this writing, Baseball Prospectus has the Tigers’ playoff odds at 63.7 percent, division title odds at 61.2 percent and Wild Card odds at 2.5 percent.

• If you haven’t visited The Toledo Blade‘s CoopScoop blog, written by the Blades’ Mud Hens beat writer John Wagner, I recommend it. Also check out this piece in which he talks to Magglio Ordonez about his rehab stint in Toledo.

• This morning I discovered yet another interesting nugget on Jim Northrup, this one from The New York Times in which they spotlight him and other two-sport stars on the 1968 team:

Northrup had been a standout quarterback at Alma College in Michigan. Joe Sparma, a starting pitcher for the Tigers, had been a quarterback at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. They pitched to Bill Freehan, who had played end at Michigan. Pitcher Dennis Ribant had played minor league hockey, with a Red Wings affiliate. And outfielder Willie Horton won a Golden Gloves boxing tournament at 17.

• Happy Birthday to Al Alburquerque (25) and Elias Sosa (61).

• On this date in 1976 the Tigers and Brewers swapped infielders: Detroit picked up second baseman Pedro Garcia for Gary Sutherland. Garcia was stellar: in 77 games he hit .198 … seven points lower than Sutherland was hitting at the time of the trade. But at least they both got to play behind Mark Fidrych that year.

Finally, rest in peace, Leonard Stern. The creator of Mad Libs died yesterday at 88.

Have a great weekend.

Not this weekend.

Detroit’s recent good fortune against the Sox continues. (Right?)

• Here’s a terrific piece about Sparky Anderson from someone who knew him in his southern California community for 40 years.
• Out here in Phoenix, there’s some noise about the Diamondbacks pursuing the Mets’ David Wright. All things being equal — and Brandon Inge’s mono notwithstanding — I’d sure rather see him in Detroit. What about you?
• The Tigers’ all-time record against the White Sox heading into play tonight is 1,012-996-1. Why does it seem as if  half those losses have come since 2004?
• Two tidbits about tonight’s starter Andy Oliver: 1. He was selected to participate in the Futures Game held prior to last year’s All-Star Game in Anaheim, but was unable to participate because he’d been called up to the Tigers. 2. Following last season, Baseball America named Oliver the third-best prospect in the Tigers organization, the 13th-best prospect in the EasternLeague and the 19th-best prospect in the International League.
• On this date in 1952 the Tigers acquired lefty Bill Wight, infielders Johnny Pesky, Walt Dropo and Fred Hatfield and outfielder Don Lenhardt from the Red Sox for righthander Dizzy Trout, infielders George Kell and Johnny Lipon and outfielder Hoot Evers.
• Have you been itching for a closer look at the Tigers’ platoon situations? ESPN.com’s Christina Kahrl has you covered:

The Tigers might be the team with the most potential variations, to the point that Jim Leyland could flirt with multi-positional solutions every bit as creative as [Rays skipper Joe] Maddon’s. After all, the Tigers broke in Ryan Raburn in a multi-positional utility role with a lean toward starting him against lefties in the past, and using youngsters Andy Dirks and Casper Wells as platoon outfielders now. Raburn and Brennan Boesch have struggled to stick in regular roles, opening up a host of possibilities for Leyland to try to hide some of his players from the sources of some of their struggles.

• Over at The Platoon Advantage, Bill offers up three ways to improve the All-Star Game.

Finally, Happy 61st Birthday to singer Suzi Quatro, who played Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days. Did I just date myself?

Have a great weekend.

For me, they both stink but watching them play at U.S. Cellular Field is nauseating no matter what the record. Speaking of which, the Tigers are just 2-6 against Chicago this season — including just one win in their past six — but I probably didn’t need to tell you that.

• On Saturday (Edwin Jackson) and Sunday (Freddy Garcia) the Tigers will face two former teammates. Though I’m sure Garcia left little to nothing in terms of an impression in the Detroit clubhouse.

• Tonight’s starter Jeremy Bonderman enters his start tonight with a 6.11 ERA (45.2 IP / 31 ER) in eight starts on the road this season. Lifetime, he’s 6-10 with a 4.56 ERA in 17 starts against Chicago.

• A year ago today the Tigers were 60-54, in first place with a 2-1/2 games lead.

• As pleased as Tigers fans are with Austin Jackson Yankees fans are disappointed in Curtis Granderson‘s first season in New York. Manager Joe Girardi benched Granderson, who’s hitting .246 with just 10 homers, on consecutive nights this week against the Rangers.

  Simply put, [Yankees hitting coach Kevin] Long is trying to shorten Granderson’s swing by eliminating extraneous movement, re-training him to keep his hands back, and getting him to adopt more of a rotational approach to his hitting than the weight-shift method he has used throughout his career.

  While Jackson has helped us forget about Granderson, I for one still pull for the guy — and know I’m not alone.

• A year ago today the Tigers were 60-54, in first place with a 2-1/2 games lead.

Finally, be sure to wish “Mad Men” star John Slattery a Happy 48th Birthday today.

Have a great weekend.

As luck would have it, the Angels are in Detroit and the Padres in Phoenix. There’s a chance that I can make one of the Padres/Pirates games next week.

But enough about me:

• We all know that Paul Konerko is one of the A.L. Central opponents that flat-out own the Tigers. I finally had the guts to check it out for myself. Here are Konerko’s stats against the Tigers:
  • 184 Games
  • 199 hits
  • 37 HR
  • 137 RBI

  Ouch. But, really, after all these years isn’t it time Tigers pitchers figure out how to pitch to the guy — or not?

• It’s great to see David Chadd get a nice promotion and additional duties. He’s done a nice job in turning around the Tigers’ lousy drafting since he came over from the Red Sox organization. Now, if he can just select a few position players that can make a difference at the big-league level…

• In case you were wondering, Jhonny Peralta is hitting .247 for the Tigers since the trade. Nice.

• By eating the contracts of Damion Easley, Gary Sheffield and Dontrelle Willis, I wonder if the Tigers have the appetite for Carlos Guillen‘s pact? When the guy’s healthy he’s just not the player he was as recently as 2007. When he’s hurt he’s of no use. What do you think?

• If you have any interest in who in the world of baseball is having a birthday, I created a Twitter account so that I can post random and obscure birthdays each day. You can follow it here.

• Former Tigers outfielder Luis Gonzalez is set to have his number 20 retired this weekend by the Diamondbacks. (He wore 28 with the Tigers.) In eight season with the D-backs, Gonzalez hit .298 with 224 home runs. During his single season in Detroit (1998) he hit .267 with 23 homers. Here’s a list of other players that spent time in Detroit and have their numbers retired by other clubs:
  • Billy Martin, Yankees

  • Johnny Pesky, Red Sox

  • Larry Doby, Indians

  • Eddie Mathews, Braves

  • Sparky Anderson, Reds

  • Fred Hutchinson, Reds

  • Jim Bunning, Phillies

  • Rusty Staub, Expos

  It’s too bad that the Reds feel that Sparky’s number should be retired but the Tigers’ brass doesn’t. Bush league.

Finally, wish a Happy 77th Birthday on Saturday to the great tech writer and novelist Jerry Pournelle.

Have a great weekend.

• I continue to watch with fascination how Kirk Gibson fares as the Diamondbacks’ interim manager. In this piece from the Arizona Republic, we learn about one of the first calls Gibson received upon getting the job.

• In case you were wondering, coming into this weekend’s series against the Indians, the Tigers’ all-time record against the Tribe is 1,048-1,015-12. Again with those ties…

• Brandon Inge entered Friday night’s game at Cleveland with 838 games played at third base during his Tigers career, four games shy of tying Mike “Pinky” Higgins for fourth place in franchise history with 842 games played at third base. Higgins played for the Tigers for seven seasons from 1939-46, wearing number six. Over that span he batted .280 and was an All Star in 1945.

• And here’s something I didn’t know: Alex Avila has thrown out 12 of the 29 baserunners attempting to steal this season (41.4 percent), tops among all American League catchers. And here we thought Gerald Laird was the rifleman behind the dish.

• In the latest episode of the podcast I bring up Jake Westbrook as a possible target for the Tigers, thinking he could be the Tigers’ version of the Twins getting Carl Pavano last year. Well, I checked out Westbrook’s success against the Twins and White Sox since 2007 and it’s spotty: 1-4, 5.10 ERA against Chicago; 1-1, 3.48 against Minnesota. Still, you’d have to like the makeup of the Tigers’ rotation with him in it, wouldn’t you?

Finally, wish Phyllis Diller a happy 93rd birthday this weekend, won’t you?

• As the Pirates come to town let’s do an interleague reset: Since interleague play started in 1997, the Tigers have compiled a 124-108 record, 57-33 in interleague games at Comerica Park. This year they’re 1-2.

• In a related note, here’s the good news coming into this weekend: The Tigers’ next three series are against teams that are an average of nine games under .500. Then again, their last three series were against teams that are an average of 10 games under so draw whatever conclusions you will.

• I forgot to mention that we’ve got a new Pulse Check this week. Take a nanosecond and vote, won’t you?

  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

• The other day I was thinking about what a shame it was that Jim Leyland never got to manage the Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Then I got to wondering if he ever managed at all at the old ballpark — and he did.

  In June 1997 Leyland brought his Florida Marlins to Detroit and, of course, took two of three.

  • June 16: Marlins 7 – Tigers 3 — W: Kevin Brown; L: Willie Blair
  • June 17: Marlins 3 – Tigers 2 — W: Antonio Alfonseca L: Todd Jones
  • June 18: Tigers 3 – Marlins 2 — W: Omar Olivares L: Al Leiter

  And now you know.

• I thought I was done linking to articles about Armando Galarraga but apparently I’m not. Here’s a nice story by Jon Paul Morosi on FoxSports.com.
• If you’ve lost track, stopped caring or both, here’s a look at Dontrelle Willis‘ stats in two starts for the Diamondbacks: 1-0, 10 IP, 8 hits, 2 R/ER, 10 walks, 5 strikeouts, 1.80 WHIP.

  Meanwhile, Billy Buckner has been abysmal in Toledo: 1-1, 7.15 ERA, 11.1 IP, 20 hits, 9 R/ER, 6 strikeouts, 1.94 WHIP.

Finally, today’s the birthday of former Tiger Adam Pettyjohn. A couple of years ago he returned to the majors briefly after some serious health issues. Here’s a link from the Fungo archives on him. Give it a look.

Have a great weekend.

Bygones. Here are some Tigers morsels for your consideration:

• Before the 2009 season I had begged and pleaded with the Tigers to sign free-agent reliever Juan Cruz despite his Type-A free-agent status.

  I’d watched him throw bullets for the Diamondbacks over a few seasons and thought he’d be a perfect fit in Detroit. Instead, they signed Brandon Lyon and Cruz signed with the Royals, handing the D-backs a prime draft choice.

  Today the Royals released him.

  [H]e labored through the 2009 season, blowing three straight saves during one stretch on his way to a 5.72 ERA. Cruz wasn’t much better this year, allowing all six inherited runners to score and a .391 batting average against in 5 1-3 innings.

  Just another example of why I write this blog and don’t work in a front office.

• Years ago Bill James posited that managers should use their closer at key moments in the game and not reserving them purely for the ninth inning. Last night in Anaheim, Jim Leyland took the Jamesian approach and inserted Joel Zumaya into the game when Justin Verlander‘s pitch count sailed north of 120.

  Zumaya threw 1.2 one-hit innings, striking out a pair and was all but untouchable. With Zumaya and Ryan Perry in the pen, Leyland can essentially call on three closers during any game. Nice.

• Late last month I went to a Cactus League game between the A’s and Giants and was stunned to see Andres Torres enter the game for San Fran. I was certain he was getting garbage time at bats. Wrong! He was preparing for the big-league season.

  Case in point: He’s starting in center field for the Giants tonight and batting leadoff. In nine games for the Giants he’s hitting a feathery .111, as you might imagine.

  Meanwhile, on the other coast another one-time Tigers prospect of Torres’ era is starting at short for the Braves: Omar Infante.

  No word if Justin Thompson or Raul Casanova are playing in the bigs tonight.

• Here’s a little tidbit for your cocktail party conversation this weekend: Since the start of the 2006 season, the Tigers are batting .298 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 26 home runs and 110 RBI in 16 games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

• With his double last night, Miguel Cabrera has hit one in five consecutive games. The last Tigers player to collect a double in five-or-more consecutive games since Frank Catalanotto from April 25 – May 2, 1999.

Have a great weekend and go Wings.

Tigers’ Record: 4-1

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. Indians | 1:05 p.m ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD PLUS/1270

Pitching Matchup

Justin Verlander, 0-0, 7.20 ERA vs. Jake Westbrook, 0-1, 11.25 ERA

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 4 – Indians 2

• W: Jeremy Bonderman (1-0)
• L: Mitch Talbot (0-1)
• SV: Ryan Perry (1)
• HR: Magglio Ordonez (2)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Sean Bergman, 40
• John Martin, 54
• Sid Monge, 59
• Mike Kilkenny, 65
• Barney McCosky (d. 1996)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2000 – The Tigers opened Comerica Park with a bitterly cold 5-2 win over the Mariners. Brian Moehler started the game and earned the win. Gregg Jefferies had two hits and two RBI, Juan Encarnacion also had a pair of hits. In typical fashion, Todd Jones had a 23-pitch, one-inning save.

• If you, like me, are inexplicably fascinated by the uniform numbers worn by Tigers players, you’re going to be disappointed that the Tigers haven’t yet assigned numbers to the new guys.
• Arm troubles limited Doug Brocail‘s career trajectory but not his longevity — he pitched for four clubs, including Detroit, for 15 season. (In four seasons with the Tigers he notched a 17-14 record with a 3.06 ERA; he also started four games in 1997.)

  The flame-throwing setup guy is retiring after countless surgeries and a serious heart issues. ESPN’s Buster Olney caught up with him to discuss his career highs and lows, and to my delight a lot of his best memories come from his years in Detroit. Here are a few snippets:

  “When I think about it … the best pitch of my career — the most important pitch — was getting a double-play ball in the last game that was played in Tiger Stadium. I think Joe Randa was the hitter. I loved that place.”

  His favorite park was The Corner:
  

  “I was in awe of that place. The first time I ever walked in there, it was winter, and I got to the stadium. I didn’t know how to get anywhere, and you stood there, and it was like there was this weird presence.”

  And you don’t often hear players mention Buddy Bell as a sage, but he was for Brocail:
  

  “He told me, ‘Look, dork, you’re spending way too much energy out there as a starter. You’re going to the bullpen.’ It was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

  His favorite teammate of all-time? Willie Blair.

• Happy 55th Birthday to Chet Lemon. You can read the bio of Lemon that I wrote for an upcoming book on the 1984 Tigers. In doing the research on the piece I spoke with former White Sox GM (and current Diamondbacks exec) Roland Hemond; he’s the man who acquired Lemon from the A’s and later traded him to the Tigers. Anyway, I asked him what he thought of Chet’s predilection for diving headlong into first base. “Oh, God, we hated that,” he said.

  You weren’t alone.

• Today is also the birthday of Gary Knotts (33) and the late Pat Dobson.
• Personally, I’d love to see Ken Williams and Ozzie Guillen get stuck with Johnny Damon and then try to figure out where to play him.
• Speaking of Damon, if things pan out as they seem to be headed, and Damon dons number 18 for the Tigers, it would come a surprise to respondents of the Fungo Pulse Check. Here are the results of our recent poll question, Who is the Tigers Opening Day centerfielder?:
  • Austin Jackson: 53 percent (49 votes)

  • Clete Thomas: 22 percent (20)
  • Damon: 19 percent (18)
  • Wilkin Ramirez: 6 percent (6)

  Then again, maybe they see Damon in left field. Be sure to weigh in on our latest poll, available in the sidebar –>

Enjoy the Winter Olympics and have a great weekend.

1. The Detroit News‘ Lynn Henning hosted an online chat this afternoon and I was able to sneak in a question:

   Me: Lynn, recent injuries notwithstanding, how did Jeff Larish‘s star plummet so dramatically? He was viewed as a home-grown power bat until last year. Does he have a future in Detroit?

   Henning: Ah, the Larish mystery. That one’s got everyone puzzled. A year ago, he was a hot ticket. The Mariners wanted him in that Putz deal and the Tigers thought Larish and Joyce were too much to give up. He just fell off a cliff. But it was a cliff some scouts saw coming.

2. Twenty-two years ago today Kirk Gibson left the Tigers and signed a three-year contract worth $4.5 million with the Dodgers. Even though he’d return to Detroit at the end of his career, that day still stings.

Have a great weekend.

• So where were you two years ago today? You were probably glued to ESPN or the Web reading all you could about the eight-player deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit. Time flies. (And just a year ago today Edgar Renteria spared Tigers fans a second season of his mediocrity by signing with the Giants.)
• I’ll miss Placido Polanco more than I’ll potentially miss Curtis Granderson but I still don’t want the Tigers to deal him – or Edwin Jackson. (For what it’s worth, I own the bobblehead shown here. Guess I’ll have to store it alongside my Pudge bobblehead.)

• On Dec. 4, 1952 the Tigers traded Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the year, along with P Hal White and outfielder Johnny Groth, to the Browns in exchange for second baseman Owen Friend, outfielder Bob Nieman, and outfielder/ catcher J.W. Porter. How could they trade a pitcher good enough to throw a pair of no-no’s? Easily it turns out. Apart from his no-hitters, Trucks won only three other games that year — against 19 defeats. Somehow he kept his ERA below four (3.97).
• On this date in 1976, Aurelio Rodriguez became the first American League third baseman since 1959 to beat out Brooks Robinson for the Gold Glove Award.
• Yesterday you might have seen him on C-SPAN railing on Fed chief Ben Bernanke, but on this date in 1963 you would’ve seen Jim Bunning pack his bags as the Tigers traded him to the Phillies for catcher Gus Triandos, pitcher Jack Hamilton and outfielder Don Demeter.
• About a year late, MLB Network will be broadcasting from the Winter Meetings next week in Indianapolis. (Why they didn’t launch the network at last year’s meetings is still a mystery. No, go ahead and launch on January 1. Nothing else is on TV that day…) Anyway, here’s a preview of the network’s “Hot Stove at the Winter Meetings” program. And be sure to weigh in on the latest Fungo Pulse Check poll in the sidebar –>
• Here’s a question: When are we going to find out which member of the White Sox was in the bar with Cabrera during that dreadful last weekend of the year?
• Speaking of a year too late, I’m glad that Chip Caray will no longer be allowed to butcher baseball games for TBS. However, if you are a glutton for punishment you can relive Game 163 from the Metrodome by purchasing it for $1.99 on iTunes.

We’ll be back with more on the Winter Meetings next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend.

• Jeremy Bonderman to the bullpen, eh? Whatever works.

• I’ve decided to go old school today and listen to the Tigers on MLB.com rather than watch on DirecTV. Call it The Guillen Factor. I can’t stand to see Ozzie again and can’t bear to watch Carlos’s return without wincing on every cut.

• In case you hadn’t heard, From noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the Tigers will host a “Going, Going, GREEN!” Trade Show outside Comerica Park. According to the Tigers’ press release, the event:
  

  “…is designed for Tigers fans and the public to learn more about green initiatives while viewing products and services related to environmental causes and practices of green businesses.”

  Yes, I’m a skeptic, but isn’t the industrial Midwest the least green-thinking region in the U.S.? Okay, maybe Houston then the Midwest…

• On this date in 2001, five-tool phenom/bust Juan Encarnacion, hit a home run off Ramiro Mendoza, that landed in the second row of the empty blue bleacher seats in left centerfield at Yankee Stadium. According to Baseball-Reference.com, it’s believed to be the first ball hit into that area since The Stadium was remodeled in 1976.

Finally, if you need more proof that we’re not getting younger: 26 years ago today was the George Brett Pine Tar Game at Yankee Stadium. Awesome.