If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know that I’ve been a Leyland backer — and one of Dombrowski, too. Fifty-one weeks ago I wrote a piece titled In Defense of Jim Leyland and though the circumstances are different this year than last, I still think Leyland deserves another year.

That’s not to say some of his in-game decisions don’t drive me batty. Ryan Raburn as late-inning defensive replacement? Jose Valverde in non-save situations? Brandon Inge? The featherweight lineup featured in so many getaway games?

For me, the bottom line is that Leyland knows more about his team than I do. He knows who’s got aches or pains or problems on the homefront that can affect performance. I don’t. What’s more, the players sure appear to respect the man — something you didn’t sense in the bad old days of Alan Trammell, Luis Pujols or Phil Garner.

A few years ago I went to a Tigers-Angels game in Anaheim and sat in utter disbelief that Leyland bypassed every opportunity to pinch hit Marcus Thames against a lefty for light-hitting batters. What was he thinking?!

Later that day I read in the game story that Thames had sore ribs and wasn’t available. And to think I could’ve used that my energy on the more productive and satisfying booing of Craig Monroe.

I know many Tigers fans believe Leyland has screwed up this team in one way or another for the better part of six seasons. For me, I see a guy who has the Tigers with a four-game lead in early August.

And I think he’s the guy who can lead the club to a first-place finish this year.

Okay, tell me how wrong I am.

Yahoo Sports

With the July 31st trade deadline just two weeks away, what the Detroit Tigers are going to add to the Major League roster in these next two weeks has become a hot button topic to say the least. The Tigers, like many teams, are looking for another starting pitcher. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman reported that the Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, and a few other teams are looking at Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda; Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi reported that the Tigers were in Colorado scouting Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenezon Thursday night. The Tigers are also looking for someone to plug in at third base, but haven’t been directly linked to names yet.

There is the chance, though, that the Tigers have a solution in their own farm system. I’m of course talking about the organization’s number one prospect Jacob Turner. Many Tigers fans and people around the team are worried that if he’s brought up before he’s “ready” it’ll hurt his future. Jim Leyland even told the Detroit News when asked about Turner’s chances of being called up in the next month, “Long shot speculation.” But, with Turner, Nick Castellanos and not much else down on the farm, the Tigers may be hard-pressed to find a deal that gets them more than a Jarrod Washburn redux.If the Tigers can’t make a deal for Kuroda or the Orioles’ Jeremy Guthrie without gutting the farm system, then they should just call up Turner.

With Turner pitching Friday night and the Tigers needing a Wednesday starter, there’s no reason not to call him up for that start as he is the club’s best internal option. It’s doubtful that in the last year of his contract Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski is worried about starting Turner’s service time or the possibility of him eventually earning “Super Two” status, which is something that may not even exist anymore after this next round of collective bargaining.

The biggest issue for Turner the rest of the way will be managing his innings. Turner has already thrown 100 innings at Double-A this year and the Tigers don’t want to push the 20-year-old too hard. I’d be speculating on the innings limit, but it’s probably in the neighborhood of 150. Still, even if they hold him to six innings a start the rest of the way he’d make a big impact on this team if he’s effective.

The Tigers need a pitcher for next week unless they decide to skip someone and Turner is the best option at their disposal. He may not be 100% “ready” for The Show as his secondary offerings could still use some work, but we’re talking about a 6-foot-5 power arm with plus control. As they say, flags fly forever. You don’t let premium talent work on stuff at Double-A during a pennant race. You may think I’m crazy about rushing this young kid, but there were plenty of people in Spring Training saying this young guy on Seattle still needs to work on his secondary pitches. His name was Michael Pineda and so far this year he’s outpitched teammate and 2010 Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez.

Turner isn’t going to be the horse that carries them deep into the playoffs, but the Tigers already have a guy for that job. The idea that Turner isn’t “ready” and therefore can’t fill-in as the fifth starter down the stretch is a bit of hyperbole. That seems like the perfect role for him this year.

Nick Shlain, a Journalism student at Eastern Michigan University, writes for Detroit Baseball Page.com. You can follow him on Twitter @nshlain.

Until then, here are some notable notes from around the Web:

• If you want one more Sparky Anderson photo gallery, ESPN.com is happy to oblige.

• Austin Jackson, in the eyes of Ian and many others got robbed on Monday when he finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. His catch during Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game should’ve cinched for him.

• The 1934 Detroit Tigers infield tonight was featured in a new episode of MLB Network’s Prime 9: Infields. If you missed it this evening, fret not, MLB Network airs its Prime 9 series almost on the hour in the offseason. The ’34 Tigers will be ranked alongside other infields, including the ’13 Athletics, ’27 Giants, ’75 Reds and ’99 Mets. As always, check your local listings.

• Where will Jeremy Bonderman end up in 2011? As we learned at the end of this season, there’s an outside chance that he’ll return to the Tigers. Not every team can afford Cliff Lee, which means you’d think someone like Bonderman would be an attractive and affordable option. Nosing around online I found two potential suitors: the Pirates (story here) and the Padres (story).

• On Wednesday night I’ll be taking in my first Arizona Fall League game of the year — and likely the last seeing as the season ends on Saturday. I won’t be watching Tigers prospects though. Nope. I’ll be watching the Scottsdale Scorpions and Nationals’ phenom Bryce Harper. I don’t like what I read about this kid but what the hey? When am I ever going to see him again for just $5?

Finally, Happy 60th Birthday to actor David Leisure, a.k.a., Joe Isuzu.

The strategy both simple and fatally flawed: trade a boatload of young talent for a big-name slugger to play in a cavernous, new ballpark.

Smith doubled-down when he offered Gonzalez an eight-year,$140 million contract. Thankfully, Gonzalez spurned the offer to play for the … Indians.

In case you’ve forgotten, he appeared in 115 games for the 2000 Tigers, hitting .289 with 22 homers and an .846 OPS. After leaving Detroit, Gonzalez appeared in an average of 65 games over the next five seasons — including his one, final hamstring pull in what would be his one, final at bat on Opening Day for the Indians in 2005.

Both of Smith’s big gambles that season — hiring Phil Garner as manager and the Gonzalez trade — failed spectacularly, just like the GM’s tenure in Detroit.

As frustrated as Tigers fans have been with Dave Dombrowski‘s kooky contract extensions and trades, at least he’s made them in an effort to improve the team over the long term. Smith’s trades rarely were more than moving players around — usually to Houston or San Diego — not following a plan.

In the meantime, here are some odds and ends from the last week:

• If you’re still coming to grips with the notion of Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta manning the left side of the Tigers’ infield next season, here’s something I noticed that will either make you feel better or worse – and nowhere in between.

  Based on this year’s stats, it appears that Inge and Peralta are practically twins:
  

  2010 Stats	Inge	Peralta
  Games	144	148
  At bats	514	551
  Hits	127	137
  Home Runs	13	15
  RBI	70	81
  Average	.247	.249
  On-base Percentage	.321	.311
  Slugging Percentage	.397	.392
  OPS	.718	.703

  Of Peralta, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski last Sunday said: “We don’t know what we will do with his ($7.25 million) option, but would like him back next year as our shortstop.”

  I’m like many Tigers fans: skeptical, at best, about Peralta as a full-time shortstop. True, he’ll bring more pop to the position than either Danny Worth or Ramon Santiago. But that’s not saying much, is it? As for his defense, the 2010 edition of Baseball Prospectus described Peralta as “increasingly immobile.”

  Gee, if we wanted an immobile shortstop, why not give the job back to Carlos Guillen?

  Discuss.

• Yahoo! Sports‘ Tim Brown last week gave some major love to former Tigers infielder/current Braves sensation Omar Infante.
  

  Years ago, he was run off positions and out of at-bats in Detroit by Ramon Santiago, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco and Fernando Vina, so he earned back a few swings by playing six different positions, figuring it out, surviving.

  Now 28, hardened by his positional vagabonding and inspired by the public ridicule that accompanied his surprise All-Star selection in July, Infante no longer plays from the bench. In the leadoff spot and back at third base, he has become part of a new core of Braves, that being what was left from a grueling and injurious season. From the Braves’ opening day eight, only two started game 162, a win that clinched the organization’s first playoff appearance in five years.

  All things considered, who would you rather have at shortstop for the Tigers next season: Infante, Worth or Peralta?

• Getting caught up on some recent Fungo Flash Poll results:
  • Do you like the Tigers’ decision to put Phil Coke in the rotation next season? 52 percent (115 votes) said Yes; 48 percent (107) said No.

  • If the Tigers decide to re-sign only one of these players, who should they choose? Inge: 79 percent (214 votes); Bonderman: 21 percent (56 votes)

  • With the Tigers season winding down, what are you looking forward to the most? Top three vote getters: Michigan Football, 25 percent (41 votes); Spring Training, 24 percent (40); Red Wings, 23 percent (38). I’m disappointed that no one — not a single vote! — cast a vote for my alma mater: Any Western Michigan Team Sport (0 percent, 0 Votes). Ouch.

• Some birthdays today: Patrick Leyland, 19; Jeff Larish, 28; and, Dmitri Young, 37. Today’s also the 81st birthday of George Kell‘s brother, Skeeter.

• On this date in 2006, Alexis Gomez and Curtis Granderson each hit home runs as the Tigers beat the A’s 8-5 in Oakland to take a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

• And on this date in 1944, the Tigers acquired catcher Bob Swift and infielder Don Heffner from the Athletics for outfielder Rip Radcliff.

Finally, on this date in 1975 “Saturday Night Live” debuted on NBC, which makes me feel old — and bummed out that it’s not nearly as funny as it used to be.

• Brandon Inge gets offered an extension. As Ian wrote this summer, Inge is either loved or loathed in Detroit — with little in between. But I think even those of us who are frustrated by his lack of a strategy when he’s at the plate feel better about third base next season and maybe in 2012, too. In our recent Fungo Pulse Check, 79 percent of respondents (207 of 263 votes) preferred bringing back Inge over Jeremy Bonderman.

• Magglio Ordonez might be back. This isn’t a surprise. The Tigers aren’t picking up the $15 million option on Ordonez’s contract which means he’ll be a free agent, but the Tigers are open to re-signing him. I kept thinking that sentimental Mike Ilitch would tell Dombrowski to pick up the option for old time’s sake. I hope he comes back. If he does sign elsewhere — and you know Scott Boras is already firing up his hyperbole machine — I just pray that he doesn’t go back to the White Sox.

• Jeremy Bonderman gets shown the door. In some ways this is such a no brainer. In others, you had to think the Tigers would bring him back with that “the devil you know” thing in mind.

  Bondo came to Detroit with such promise — “the anchor of the rotation for years!,” we were led to believe — that his unceremonial departure seems like a major disappointment. Remember him walking of the mound to a standing ovation in Game 4 of the 2006 NLDS? I thought his career was set to take off.

  Alas, injuries, inconsistency and — stop me if you’ve heard this one — the inability to develop a third pitch were his ultimate undoing in Detroit. My guess is that he ends up with the Mariners, Cubs or Rangers next season, even the though the Tigers are saying they might be interested in bringing him back if he’s still unsigned close to Spring Training.

  

• Johnny Damon experiment ends with a whimper. If the Tigers had sneaked into the playoffs this year, you know that we would’ve read pages and pages of stories about how his mere presence impacted the club. Instead he’ll be relegated to conversations five years down the road when people will say, “Wow, I totally forgot Damon played for the Tigers.” Kinda like Jarrod Washburn. Damon’s a good guy and you know he’ll end up somewhere next season.

  

• Gerald Laird cut loose. It’s still amazing to me that Laird was unable to hit in Detroit. He always seemed to give the Tigers fits when he played for the Rangers. Wasn’t the thinking that he could produce as a full-timer in Detroit because it wasn’t as hot and humid as Arlington? Laird is a Phoenix-area resident and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up with the Diamondbacks next season. (Oh, and Dombrowski also said that, to no surprise, Alex Avila is the club’s catcher in 2011.)

• Jhonny Peralta likely returning. Dombrowski also mentioned that the Tigers are interested in bringing back Peralta next season:
  

  “We don’t know what we will do with his ($7.25 million) option, but would like him back next year as our shortstop.”

  I guess I could live with this for a year, but this is what Tigers fans have to accept thanks to the team’s inability to develop a shortstop (apologies to Danny Worth). Personally, I’d rather they go after the Diamondbacks’ Stephen Drew but the price tag will likely be too high.

Finally, Jim Leyland said that he’s “99.9 percent sure” that Phil Coke will be in the starting rotation in 2011. Coke sure seemed to fit nicely into his relief role this season but I suppose the Tigers do need a lefty in their heavily right-handed rotation. They must feel confident in Daniel Schlereth’s development.

So, is that enough news for you? What do you think of these moves?

As a result, he’s going to Toledo. Surprised? I’m not. This move is long over due for a pitcher with such tremendous skill — and a long runway, i.e., youth. In fact, I was surprised that the Tigers opted for the skipped-start approach last week rather than send Porcello to the Mud Hens.

By now, you’ve probably read the club’s rationale, articulated by GM Dave Dombrowski:

“We think it’s the best thing for him,” Dombrowski said. “Our goals are such to get him back to be the pitcher that we know he can be — get his sinker going, get his slider improved. We saw some improvement yesterday, but not to the point we’d like it to be.”

Except he wasn’t any of those things, at least not visibly. And if we were afraid he’d be spooked, I think Kevin Youkilis can attest Porcello’s not afraid of anything or anyone.

I for one thought he’d build on his 2009 success and be as good if not better this season. That’s what makes this season — and the craft of pitching — such a puzzler.

Now the question is: how many starts does Porcello need in Toledo to correct his issues? Will it be a Max Scherzer-like quick turnaround or an extended stay?

Based on what we know of Porcello, his drive and competitiveness, he’ll want to attack the issue head-on when he gets to Fifth Third Field. But I think the Tigers will apply the brakes and tell the prodigy to take his time, get it right now matter how long it takes and come back to stay.

Because if you’ve seen any of Porcello’s recent starts, you’ve witnessed the rockets launched by hitters and probably were thinking what Dan Dickerson said during Porcello’s start agains the White Sox on June 9: “He’s not fooling anyone.”

The Tigers appear to be in the division race to stay in 2010. That’s why they couldn’t afford to send Porcello out there every five days — not the way he was pitching.

He’ll be back. And chances are, he’ll be back in fine form.

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Royals | 2:10 p.m. ET – Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City | On the air: FSD/1270-AM

Pitching Matchup

Dontrelle Willis, 0-0 0.00 ERA vs. Brian Bannister, 0-0 0.00 ERA

Yesterday’s Results

Royals 3 – Tigers 2

W: Kyle Farnsworth, 1-0  | L: Jose Valverde, 0-1

HR: Miguel Cabrera (1)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• John Hiller, 67
• Dane Sardinha, 31
• Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell, 83

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1963 – The Tigers claim Denny McLain off waivers from the White Sox.

• 2002 – After opening their season with six straight losses, the Tigers fire manager Phil Garner and general manager Randy Smith. The unfortunate Luis Pujols takes over the reins on an interim basis and sleeps through a record 156 games. Dave Dombrowski added the GM’s duties to his president and CEO title.

• 2008 – Placido Polanco‘s MLB record run of 186 consecutive errorless games and 911 consecutive errorless chances at second base ends. He commits a throwing error that allows Manny Ramirez to score on what would have been a triple otherwise.

[Tigers owner Mike Ilitch] whipped out his checkbook and, just like that, Damon became the Tigers’ left fielder for 2010.

Luckily for Dombrowski. And for manager Jim Leyland. Both are consummate pros with solid track records, but without Damon they were headed pell-mell for disaster.

Were the Tigers headed for disaster without Damon? No way; they’d have made some other move to steady the offense, but probably not as nifty a move as Damon.

On the other hand, this wire report appearing in the Miami Herald says “not so fast” in anointing Damon as the Tigers’ 2010 elixir:

As far as the Tigers go, I am not quite sure how he makes them better. People are sadly mistaken if they think he will come anywhere near the 24 home runs he hit last season.

The only real advantage I see is that he is an instant upgrade at the top of the lineup, where the Tigers were going into the season with rookies Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore at the top of the order.

But let’s face it, he is not Torii Hunter in the outfield. He may be an upgrade defensively over Carlos Guillen, but that is really not a compliment.

Not to mention, he is 36 years old

Of course, if Ryan Raburn could hit like Damon, this wouldn’t be an issue. But he can’t. So here we are.

And closer to home, Lynn Henning tells us there’s much to look forward to this season — due to and not in spite of the rookies and newcomers.

During decades of covering spring training, rarely, if ever, has one player so energized a ballclub already at camp as Johnny Damon’s signing this week lifted the Tigers.

- snip -

Damon has changed that outlook sufficiently to make the Tigers a better bet to at least break even in 2010. They have the pitching to be a solid club, and now they’re closer to having just enough offense to surprise some of the fans (and media) who aren’t expecting much in 2010.

I agree with one point in particular that Henning makes in this column: the vast majority of Tigers fans hasn’t seen Jackson, Sizemore, Max Scherzer or Daniel Schlereth perform. Ever.

So why all the angst?

Fans in Detroit have groaned for the better part of a decade about the Twins’ uncanny ability to develop their own talent and, you know, win. The Tigers embark on a similar, though smaller-scale, path and it’s doomsday.

I’m not buying it.

P.S. Happy 51st Birthday, Bryan Kelly.

• Did you see that Hall of Famer and Detroit Stars centerfielder Norman “Turkey” Stearnes will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on Friday? The article in the Nashville Tennessean begins with this anecdote:
  

  Norman “Turkey” Stearnes could work for Walter Briggs. He just couldn’t play for him.

  During the offseasons between leading the Negro League in home runsseven times, the Nashville native worked in a Detroit car factory owned by Briggs, who also owned the major league Detroit Tigers.could work for Walter Briggs. He just couldn’t play for him.

  Stearnes hit .400+ three times and posted a .350 career batting average with the Stars, the Nashville Elite Giants, the Montgomery Grey Sox, and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues.

• I’ve had it with the Johnny Damon saga. Here’s hoping that Dave Dombrowski and Mike Ilitch gave up dealing with Scott Boras for Lent. Assuming they’re Catholic, of course.

• I tweeted about this but it’s worth repeating (at least I think it is): On this date in 1995 Sparky Anderson lit the flame that burned his bridge to Mike Ilitch when he refused to manage replacement players. He was put on an involuntary leave of absence but probably would’ve been fired if someone hadn’t talked Ilitch down from the ledge. Quick quiz: Who managed the faux Tigers in Sparky’s absence? Answer: Tom Runnells.

Whew! I made it.

• I wonder if Dave Dombrowski thinks of Johnny Damon in Detroit and only sees Jacque Jones.

• I couldn’t see the Tigers making room for Jim Thome without eating another big contract — and we know that isn’t happening. Still, it would’ve been fun to see him play at Comerica Park 81 times in a Detroit uniform. But instead we’re left to hope that Carlos Guillen’s power numbers return. Sigh. (If only the Tigers had made a run at Bobby Abreu last offseason…) Oh, and what about Jermaine Dye? He’s still available.

• It bums me out that the Tigers have apparently cut ties with Lou Whitaker (as loose as those ties were). Sweet Lou was always a bit flaky but he was so good for so long — and revered by Tigers fans — the Tigers should not let him vanish. Alas, it looks like it’s a moot point. And one more thing: I still can’t believe he was a one-and-done guy on the Hall of Fame ballot. That, dear reader, is a crime.

• Happy Birthday to Phil Plantier (41), Rusty Meacham (42) and Steve Demeter (75).

Carry on.

I couldn’t watch the Twins celebrate, again, on their turf. (Still can’t.)

Think about it: the last time the Tigers were a division champion, they (and we) had to watch Dan Gladden and the suddenly despicable Twins celebrate on Tiger Stadium’s infield.

And the time the last two times the Tigers got close (2006 and ’09), we had to watch Joe Nathan and Co. dance a jig on the Metrodome concrete.

Sickening, really. This time I showed a rare combination of maturity and resignation all at once. Sort of.

So anyway, after a week of stewing and fretting, devouring three servings of sour grapes, followed by a weekend of Schadenfreude, I’m almost ready to move on. More or less.

Three things are still rattling around in my head a week later:

1. Andy Van Slyke. What a weird development this was. At first, I assumed it was not unlike when Don Slaught resigned after ’06: He didn’t want to be away from his family anymore. But the more we read about Van Slyke, and the less that was articulated, it became clear: he was fired. Why fire him? Because Curtis Granderson got picked off in a crucial moment of Game 163? Let’s hope not.

   If any coach were to be canned I would’ve guessed it was hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. Still, I liked Van Slyke as a player and liked having him on the staff; let’s see if the outfielders suddenly get better next season.

2. Placido Polanco. Reading Lynn Henning’s recap of Dave Dombrowski‘s postseason “address”, one comes away thinking we’ve seen the last of Placido Polanco in a Tigers uniform. Read John Lowe’s version in the Free Press, however, and we’re led to believe the door isn’t closed tight on Polanco’s return. I sure hope it’s not. This is one player who I do not want to see the Tigers cut loose. I think they’d regret it in the short term. Yes, some change has got to happen eventually, but is Scott Sizemore the answer? And are the Tigers prepared if the answer is “not quite”?

   I admit that I’m change-averse when it comes to roster overhauls — which usually equate to the dreaded rebuilding period — and when they involve good players that are also good guys. Then again, I do not want the Tigers to be in a position they were 10 seasons after the 1984 championship: still penciling Lou Whitaker in as their everyday second baseman. What do you think?

3. Tigers Pitching. I might be delusional, but even if the Tigers squeezed into the postseason last week I believe they could’ve given the Yankees more of a battle than the Twins did. Sure, the Tigers could’ve been the victim of some horrific calls as the Twins were, and the offense would’ve continued its slumber, but I simply don’t believe Detroit would’ve been swept away by New York. But we’ll never know.

But enough about me. How are you coping?

• He won’t be here for long, so here’s a crash course on Jarrod Washburn, who will wear number 53 for your Tigers. Specifically, let’s look at how he’s fared this season against his new division rivals:
  • Indians: 1-0, 1.35 ERA in one start
  • Royals: 0-1, 1.29, one start
  • Twins: 1-0, 0.64, two starts
  • White Sox: No Appearances (yet)

• I really want to be excited about this trade. I do. In fact, Michael Rosenberg says I’m required to like it. But…but…the Tigers traded for a guy who will help them once a week. What about the other six games — assuming the offense shows up when Washburn pitches?

• On the other hand, in two years when some of the prospects Washington, Baltimore, etc., wanted for their hitters are playing for the Tigers, I think we’ll all be glad that Dave Dombrowski held firm.

• But I still would’ve liked Luke Scott.

• Jake Peavy does not scare me.

• The Red Sox have become one of my least-favorite teams. This after years of them not even being on my radar.

• As I mentioned on Twitter, the Tigers could still land a decent hitter in August…it just won’t be easy. And it definitely won’t be as easy as the Neifi Perez trade in 2006.

• I’m no fan of Ryan Raburn these days so I’m wondering why the Tigers don’t send him down to Toledo and recall Jeff Larish. I’d rather have Larish’s chance of a home run every so often than the guarantee of a daily defensive butchering from Raburn.

• In case you were wondering about Washburn’s post-season record, it’s 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) for the Angels in 2002, ’04 and ’05.

• So were the Tigers winners or losers at the deadline? Jayson Stark apparently thinks they’re neither. (And Rob Neyer seems to like this deal from the Mariners’ perspective. At least I think he does.)

Happy Birthday to former Tigers Andy Van Hekken (30) and Howard Bailey (52), as well as to Toledo Mud Hens’ hitting coach Leon Durham (52).

Have a great weekend.

Doesn’t do much for you? Me either.

So instead of cursing the Tigers bullpen, let’s travel back 30 years to July 12, 1979 and revisit Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, courtesy of Joe LaPointe‘s article in yesterday’s New York Times.

Unlike the commonplace pyrotechnics of Zumaya/Rodney, this doubleheader included the on-field destruction of disco albums between games. Then things got, well, unruly. As Alan Trammell sums it up:

“The outfielders were definitely a little scared and Ronnie (LeFlore) wasn’t usually afraid of anything.”

The thing I remember most about that game was watching Sox owner Bill Veeck limp out on the field with his wooden leg — I had no idea he lost an appendage — to beg the rock-and-rollers to get off the field (and keep their rainchecks!). And I can still hear George Kell trying to describe the action without falling into a “kids-these-days” rant. (Or did he? Does anyone else remember?)

Even Dave Dombrowski, then a 22-year-old gopher for White Sox GM Roland Hemond, had a role in keeping the peace.

Oh, as for the games, the Tigers swept the double-dip 4-1 in the opener and then won the nightcap in a 9-0 forfeit. The victories brought the Tigers within 14 games of the division lead.

What are your memories of Disco Demolition Night?

• It’s a shame that I read the USA Today only when I’m traveling, as I am today. There’s usually one or two outstanding pieces in each edition and this morning proved it: a feature on the Tigers by Bob Nightengale.

• Juan Rincon, a victim of a roster numbers game last month — we’re looking at you, Nate Robertson, has been recalled by the Rockies from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Embrace the humidor, Senor. (Oh, and now that the Rox have run off a late-2007-like streak recently, do we all feel a tad better about them taking two of three from the Tigers? Didn’t think so.)

• He might not chuck it as hard as Ryan Perry, but it’s close enough and I, for one, am glad Freddy Dolsi‘s back.

• Did you happen to catch this nastygram from Ken Rosenthal about the Tigers benching Magglio Ordonez? The zingers about Gary Sheffield are amusing but I don’t think anyone in the Tigers front office regrets the decision to cut him loose. And for what it’s worth, I hope that Ordonez finds his stroke soon and that he doesn’t wind up on the Red Sox, poking homers over The Green Monster at Fenway.

• Speaking of hitters, here are the results of our most recent Fungo Pulse Check poll. The question: Which of These Sluggers Should the Tigers Go After?
  • Matt Holliday: 35% (12 votes)
  • Brad Hawpe: 32% (11 votes)
  • Adam Dunn: 29% (10 votes)
  • Jeff Francouer: 3% (1 vote)
  • Carlos Lee: bupkis

  Be sure to vote in our new poll, available in the sidebar –>

• Finally, I didn’t weigh in on the Jim Leyland extension when it happened: I believe it came a few weeks too late, but I’m delighted that he re-upped. I don’t want to see the Tigers become the Verizon Wireless of Major League Baseball, with a new manager every two years or so. (If anyone should’ve been shown the door as a result of this clunky roster, it should’ve been [should be?] Dave Dombrowski.)

Have a great week.

The Cleveland Clinic: Justin Verlander is once again proving that when his stuff is on, there are few better in the AL… And Edwin Jackson has proved my (and others’) skepticism about this deal unfounded. He seems to be the pitcher everyone in LA and Tampa’s front offices thought he would be.  Score another coup for Dave Dombrowski…Can Curtis Granderson have a better weekend than he did in Cleveland? This one will be tough to top, but it’ll be a blast watching him try.

Rodney Being Rodney: Watching Fernando Rodney is infinitely more nerve-wracking than Todd Jones EVER was! Watching the Tigers game Sunday, I was just about to tell my dad that seeing Rodney come in from the ‘pen didn’t make my stomach hurt as much as it used to.  The he started to do Fernando Rodney things. My favorite is when he walks guys after getting them down 0-2.  He’s a free agent after this year. For the sake of my stomach, and my heart, I hope he tests the market.

He’s My Tiger: Can we please get some love for Ramon Santiago? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Every time he plays, he does something to help the Tigers win a ballgame. Nothing against Adam Everett, but Santiago is more than the fill-in that Jim Leyland and the brain trust see him as. He deserves to be playing most of the time at short.

Tattoo You: Or me. On Saturday, I put my Tiger fandom where my…er…arm…is…

It’s real, folks.  What should my next one be?

It’s the end of the year, so that means it’s time for Top 10 Lists galore. So I thought I’d add to the list of lists with my take on the 2008 Detroit Tigers. Actually, this top-10 list — which I will reveal over the final 10 days of 2008 — is for the calendar year ’08 and, as you’ll see some are recent.

So here we go. My Top 10 Tigers stories of 2008. As always, feel free to weigh in.

#10 – Tigers trade for Gerald Laird

There are a lot of candidates for the number-10 spot on this list and few of them are what I’d call positive. So, let’s go with this one: On the eve of the Winter Meetings the Tigers acquired catcher Gerald Laird from the Rangers for minor leaguer pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo.

Looking ahead to 2009, the bullpen and shortstop situations were troubling to Tigers fans, but help in these areas is more abundant than in the catching spot. In fact, most of the help at short and in the bully will be homegrown. And let’s face it, there was no way Dave Dombrowski was going to make Jim Leyland use an untested Dusty Ryan as his everyday catcher.

In addition to a solid reputation as a catch-and-throw guy, Laird is more than serviceable at the plate. Last year, Laird batted .276 for the Rangers with 24 doubles in 344 at-bats to go with six home runs and 41 RBIs. He hit .299 with a .759 OPS away from Texas.

With Laird secured, the Tigers could turn their attention to shortstop (the recently signed Adam Everett) and the bullpen…though we’re still waiting for that.

Though Pudge Rodriguez has moved on, the Tigers will, for the sixth-straight year, start a former Texas Ranger behind the dish on Opening Day.

Discuss.

Here’s what it has to say about the newest Tiger:

It’s been more than four years since Jackson was one of the top pitching prospects in the game and out-pitched Randy Johnson in his big-league debut on his 20th birthday. He’s done little since, and remains one of the game’s mysteries. He still flashes mid-90s heat and a hard slider with two-plane break, and he still has flashes of greatness, like his four-hit shutout against Texas in August (2007). Considering his youth and stuff, the Rays can afford to give him some more chances, but their rotation is going to get crowded fast, so his time to make good is running out.

In 2008, Jackson went 14-11 with a 4.42 ERA. He pitched 183 1/3 innings, allowing 199 hits and 77 walks while striking out 108. So, we’ll see.

Oh, and here’s what Dave Dombrowski had to say about the deal:

“Everybody in baseball has known his ability and potential for years. He took a step forward last year and hopefully he’ll take a step forward for us. … We’re in a spot where we get a pitcher we think will help us. He pitched on a World Series club last year. He’s got great stuff.”

Given how the Tigers starters pitched in ’08, even good stuff would be acceptable.

Great stuff? Giddyap!

Matt Joyce is a lefthanded power bat, something the Tigers have needed for a while, who could take over at either of the corner OF spots once Sheffield was gone and either Maggs or Guillen could move to DH. I guess the Tigers think Jeff Larish can play outfield, too.

While the Tigers needed an influx of major-league ready arms, closer was the most pressing need. Edwin Jackson has a great arm, but he’s had plenty of problems finding the plate. Granted, he’s young and could come around.

Someone want to talk me down on this one? I’m all ears.

In the most recent Fungo Pulse Check poll, 67 percent of respondents said Leyland should not get an extension to ’01 and beyond. Thirty-three percent said he should. Why do I think he should get a few more years? Three reasons.

1. Leyland isn’t suddenly Luis Pujols. This past season was awful on every level but after one stinker of a year you leave a guy like Leyland hanging? The guy can manage like nobody’s business and is the victim of his own success. His problem is, his three seasons in Detroit produced won-loss records that no one expected — particularly in the order they occurred. The Tigers went from unwatchable in 2005 to a World Series in ’06 to a disappointing-but-solid ’07 to a last-place finish in ’08. The real Tigers are somewhere between the 2006 and 2007 teams — and probably better. If that’s the case, as I believe it is, I definitely want Jim Leyland managing that group of guys.

2. The Tigers don’t want to be the Rangers. Perhaps it was an aberration for Detroit to have one manager from 1979 to 1995; I’ll grant you that. But do the Tigers want to get back into the managerial-revolving-door thing again? Do they want a new manager every three or four years? I’d be surprised if the club’s answer is yes. Think about the teams that’ve experienced sustained excellence — the Angels, Yankees (until this year), Cardinals, Red Sox, Braves — they’ve all had one manager locked in and establishing his methodology for winning baseball. On the other hand you have the Rangers, Orioles, et al. The Tigers aren’t going to achieve sustained winning with another merry-go-round approach to the manager’s slot.

3. Who else is going to manage this team effectively? Seriously. Who? Lloyd McClendon? Matt Walbeck? Truth is, I’d take either one of those guys in a perfect scenario: the Tigers win a World Series and Leyland retires. Handing over the reins of a high-powered club to someone like McClendon or Walbeck makes sense. But if the Tigers think either of those two guys (whose names I pulled out of the air) can get this club over the hump, I’m not sure I want to watch what happens next.

Leyland was dealt a 2008 hand loaded with fragile pitchers and a half-dozen designated hitters. He did what he could with what Dave Dombrowski provided.

It’s up to Double D to fix the roster and let Jim Leyland do what he does best: manage the Detroit Tigers.