After a month of self-imposed baseball exile, I’ve returned to the keyboard while watching the Red Wings game and chowing on green-bean casserole leftovers.

Verlander’s Hardware Store. The Cy Young Award was no surprise, of course, but the Tigers’ ace winning the A.L. Most Valuable Player Award took me by surprise. I always assume there are enough writers in the BBWAA that loath the idea of a pitcher – and a starting pitcher at that – winning the MVP. Lo and behold, the stars aligned and Verlander won both.

Driving to work the other day I listened to Jeff Joyce and Jim Duquette on XM railing about Verlander winning the award (Duquette said that Verlander should’ve been in the top five, but not the winner.) Of course, they both raved about Verlander’s season but decided that it was not a “historically significant” season when compared to other pitchers who won both their league’s Cy Young Award and MVP. To their credit, they called out writer Jim Ingraham’s leaving Verlander off his ballot and his rationale being that J.V. didn’t appear in 79 percent of the Tigers’ games. Whatever. I didn’t expect him to win the MVP, but he did – and he deserved it, just as much as Miguel Cabrera would’ve had he gotten any support. And really, who cares about these awards a week later?

G-Moneyback. In a matter of two seasons, Gerald Laird and Alex Avila have traded places as the Tigers’ starting and backup catchers. While I would’ve preferred they’d gone after Kelly Shoppach, I can live with Laird in a backup role for one season. And with Laird on board, we no longer have to wonder if we’ll see Victor Martinez behind the plate for the remainder of his contract.

Andy Oliver got screwed by the NCAA. Last month a 15,000-word article titled “The Shame of College Sports” appeared in The Atlantic and thanks to a long flight, I was able to read it all. I didn’t expect to come across a Tigers connection but there it was, under the subhead “Restitution”:

In 2008, Andrew Oliver, a sophomore pitcher for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, had been listed as the 12th-best professional prospect among sophomore players nationally. He decided to dismiss the two attorneys who had represented him out of high school, Robert and Tim Baratta, and retain Boras instead. Infuriated, the Barattas sent a spiteful letter to the NCAA. Oliver didn’t learn about this until the night before he was scheduled to pitch in the regional final for a place in the College World Series, when an NCAA investigator showed up to question him in the presence of lawyers for Oklahoma State.

(snip)

Just hours before the game was to start the next day, Oklahoma State officials summoned Oliver to tell him he would not be pitching. Only later did he learn that the university feared that by letting him play while the NCAA adjudicated his case, the university would open not only the baseball team but all other Oklahoma State teams to broad punishment under the NCAA’s “restitution rule” (Bylaw 19.7), under which the NCAA threatens schools with sanctions if they obey any temporary court order benefiting a college athlete, should that order eventually be modified or removed. The baseball coach did not even let his ace tell his teammates the sad news in person. “He said, ‘It’s probably not a good idea for you to be at the game,’” Oliver recalls.

If you get a chance, I recommend reading the entire article. Particularly if you think college athletes should not get paid. This piece might just change your mind.

Martin Prado. If the price is Delmon Young, go get him.

The Last Boy. I’m reading Jane Leavy’s biography of Mickey Mantle and about every three pages I’m tempted to put the book aside for good. Not that it’s poorly crafted, quite the opposite. In that regard it’s exceptional. But Mantle’s was one messed up biscuit of a personal life – thanks in large part to his horrifically bad decision making and his friendship with Billy Martin. Leavy portrays a guy who kinda knows he needs to grow up but when he’s maybe tempted to do so Martin drops by to drag him out to the clubs where fights ensue and the usual stuff you’ve probably learned about Mantle years ago. If you ever thought Martin was a low-life, read this book and your suspicions will be confirmed – and then some.

Finally, this Thanksgiving weekend take a moment to learn about the appropriately named hall of famer Norman “Turkey” Stearnes.

A quiet Southerner who spent his summers blasting long balls for the Detroit Stars and his winters laboring in the Motor City’s auto plants to make ends meet, Turkey Stearnes was one of the most prolific home-run hitters in the Negro leagues.

P.S. Happy 64th Birthday to John Larroquette.

Miguel Cabrera gets most of the accolades in the Detroit Tigers’ historically top-heavy lineup, and not without reason — the first baseman’s .349 True Average (TAv) trails only Jose Bautista’s among American League batters. However, Cabrera hasn’t been the most valuable position player in Detroit this season. That title belongs to Alex Avila, a 24-year-old catcher who came up through the Tigers’ system before making his major league debut late in 2009.

Avila acquitted himself well in his initial exposure to the majors but his bat crashed back to earth last season, when he hit .228/.316/.340 while splitting catching duties with Gerald Laird. This season, however, he’s hit well enough to take over the team lead in Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP), posting a 3.4 figure to Cabrera’s 3.1.

My eyes glaze over on most of the statistical stuff, but the point of the article is interesting.

On Saturday against the Royals the Tigers will play game number 40 and, at worst, will finish that game at an even 20 and 20. So what conclusions can we draw from these first 40 games? For that matter, what conclusions can we draw from the past week, which delivered some terrific baseball?

Are they as bad as they looked against the Royals in April and the Tribe two weeks ago? Or are they as good as the club the swept Chicago at home?

I hate to punt on this, but I think we’ll know more about the Tigers after another series against the Royals, Indians and White Sox.
What do you think?

In the meantime, here’s a look at the Tigers’ record after 40 games since Jim Leyland arrived in Detroit.

• 2010: 23-17
• 2009: 24-16
• 2008: 16-24
• 2007: 24-16
• 2006: 27-13

—

As I’m writing this, Justin Verlander has kept the Royals hitless through four innings. Earlier this week I was wondering how he fared in the start following his June 12, 2007 no-hitter. Well, it was a bit different from his 12-strikeout torching of the Brewers. Verlander’s next start came against the Phillies on Sunday, June 17 at Citizens Bank Park. His final line: six innings, seven hits, two walks, three earned runs.  The Tigers won, 7-4.

—

I sure hope we haven’t seen the last of Magglio Ordonez, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list today.

“He’s been feeling the effects of his ankle off and on during the season here,” trainer Kevin Rand said. “We decided to look at it, and to err on the side of caution, we’re shutting him down.”

The stats are ugly: .172 with one home run and five RBIs in 26 games this season. I can’t believe that his hitting skills have plummeted to Gerald Laird levels simply due to age. You?

—

Buried at the bottom of the Ordonez story is this little update on Carlos Guillen.

Guillen was in the clubhouse as well and has started baseball-related activities again.

Guillen says he’s been able to hit, run and take ground balls, although there’s still no timetable for his return.

Talk about a forgotten man.

–

Finally, on this date in 1913, Joe Louis was born. He was the world heavyweight champion for a record-setting 12 years.

Have a great weekend.

For all intents and purposes, there’s no drama to speak of with most of the coverage focusing on the prospects that are shining in Lakeland.

But here are some of the things that stand out for yours truly:

• If there’s one player that makes me uneasy heading into the regular season, it’s Alex Avila. In reading Lynn Henning’s Sunday’s A-to-Z review of Tigers so far this spring, he says this:
  

  He’ll hit. But it’s OK to wonder when he’ll drive the ball the way he did during his 2009 cameo.

  This is the first time since, when?, 2003 that the Tigers have a question mark — or something close to it — at catcher. Once Pudge Rodriguez left town, the club brought in Gerald Laird and he was, well, not the answer. But we all thought he’d start hitting somewhere close to where he did in Texas (at least against the Tigers, that is.)

  Certainly having Victor Martinez around will make the catching corps dramatically less frightful, but still, aren’t the Tigers placing an awful lot of faith in a guy who isn’t long out of college? What do you think?

• I forgot to mention, or at least I think I did, when I went to watch the Diamondbacks train a couple of weeks ago, I got to see Armando Galarraga get racked in batting practice. Moments before that, I got close enough to talk to him through the fence and told him that we love him in Detroit. He said, “Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” He may not be the most devastating pitcher in the bigs, but a nice guy? That, he is.

• On March 7, 1965, Tigers manager Chuck Dressen suffered a mild coronary occlusion. He was sidelined until May 19. Coach Bob Swift served as acting manager in the meantime, And on this date in 2000, the Tigers acquired cash from the Royals for catcher Gregg Zaun. Opting instead to go with the stud backup catcher that was Javier Cardona. Zaun hit .274 in K.C. — 99 points higher than Cardona.

  Another Randy Smith gem.

• One of the reasons I like Jim Leyland so much is his deep history with the Tigers organization. He was the first manager of many players that were on the 1984 championship team. In this piece in Sunday’s Freep, we learn a bit about his relationship with one of my favorites, Jack Morris:
  

  [Leyland] said Jack Morris was as temperamental as they come.

  “You’ve got to be careful that you don’t take something away that’s a strong suit,” Leyland said. “But you can’t let a pitcher continue like a bull in a china shop.”

  Leyland managed Morris in the minors.

  “I stayed on top of Jack pretty good,” Leyland said. “He handled it well. We have a great relationship even today. I’m proud of that.

• How’s Nate Robertson doing with the Mariners, you ask? Check out this headline to uncover the answer.

Finally, my apologies for the long stretch without a post. I’ve never wanted to post just for the sake of posting — you deserve better than that.

More to come this week.

• 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?

• 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?

They lost two games to the Mariners in Seattle, then came home to lose three of four to the A’s. After a 14-10 record in April, they stumbled to 12-14 in May.

How would they fare in June? Much better, despite losses to division opponents on the both ends of the month.

Detroit finished June with a 15-12 record and gained three games in the standings; on June 1 they were 4-1/2 back of the Twins, just 1-1/2 on June 30. In between, the Tigers surged thanks to that soft spot in the interleague schedule — Pittsburgh, Washington and Arizona — allowing them to gain ground on the Twins, who were playing much tougher National League opponents.

The Tigers’ abysmal 5-10 road record in June included losing two of three at Kansas City, Chicago and Minnesota. This has got to stop if the Tigers hope to stay relevant — much less in the hunt.

While a seven-game winning streak and a 10-2 home record certainly helped buoy the Tigers’ winning ways, we can’t overlook the convergence of wins with Brennan Boesch becoming a fixture in the lineup and the awakening of Brandon Inge, Alex Avila and, to a lesser degree, Gerald Laird.

As frustrating as this team is on some nights, they still have a compelling roster, an aggressive owner and a winnable division.

Issues to watch in July will be:

• Can Jeremy Bonderman get his act together after three consecutive lousy starts?
• Will Inge and Avila maintain their respective offensive resurgence?
• Can Ryan Perry capably fill Joel Zumaya‘s role in the eighth inning?
• Will Johnny Damon finally provide the consistent hitting the Tigers expected when they signed him?

• Can they stop playing porous defense night in and night out?

Watching as these questions get answered should make this month a fascinating one. And, what we learn in July will determine whether the Tigers emerge as buyers or sellers — or neither — when the trade deadline arrives.

41-34, 1st place; 1/2-game lead

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Twins| 8:10 p.m. ET – Target Field | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Armando Galarraga (3-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Blackburn (6-5, 6.10 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 7 – Twins 5

• W: Jeremy Bonderman (4-5)
• L: Francisco Liriano (6-6)
• Save: Jose Valverde (18)
• HR: Gerald Laird (2), Jim Thome (7)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Eddie Miller, 53
• Bruce Kimm, 59
• Dizzy Trout (1915-1972)

• Bobby Veach (1888-1945)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1986 — The Tigers beat the Brewers 9-5 in the first game of a doubleheader split, making Sparky Anderson the first manager ever to win 600 games in each league. The Brewers win game two, 3-1.

• 1983 — Mark Fidrych, in the second year of an extended comeback attempt with the Pawtucket Red Sox, retires. The 1976 A.L. Rookie of the Year was 2-5 with a 9.68 ERA.

• 1968 — Jim Northrup’s third grand slam ties the major-league record for slams in a month (Rudy York, May 1938), and sets a major-league record for slams in a week. The Tigers win 5-2 over the White Sox; Denny McLain notches his 14th victory.

• 1967 — The Tigers acquired outfielder Jim Landis from the Astros for RHP Larry Sherry.

After losing two of three to the Dodgers way back in May, the Tigers ran roughshod over the dregs of the National League. Against the Pirates, Nationals and Diamondbacks, Detroit won eight of nine.

This past week the Tigers crashed back to reality while facing the top two clubs in the National League East. After losing two of three in New York, the Tigers needed to reverse that outcome in Atlanta to make it a .500 trip. Unlike the series at Citi Field, the Tigers were in every game against the Braves thanks to stellar pitching — and despite an often-dormant offense.

Friday night’s game was disappointing because of the outing by rookie Andy Oliver. He scattered five hits over six innings, walked only one and struck out four. Brian McCann‘s two-run homer accounted for the Braves’ only offense against Oliver. From what I saw, Oliver looks like the real deal and he looked right at home on the Tigers’ staff watching his offense fizzle.

On Saturday, Austin Jackson led off the game with a single to left and was stranded at second. The next Tigers hit wouldn’t come until the sixth when Ramon Santiago laid down a bunt single. Meanwhile, Max Scherzer was brilliant, if not a tad wild, pitching into the sixth inning while blanking the Braves and striking out eight. The real story, of course, emerged in the top of the ninth with the Tigers down 4-1. Magglio Ordonez lined out to lead off the inning. Miguel Cabrera followed with a 411-foot homer, inching the Tigers closer and giving them their third — and final — hit of the game. Then, suddenly, the Braves couldn’t find the strikezone. Here’s how the play-by-play recap looks on ESPN.com’s box score of the game:

• B Boesch struck out looking.
• C Guillen walked.
• B Inge walked, C Guillen to second.
• E O’Flaherty relieved T Saito.
• D Worth walked, C Guillen to third, B Inge to second.
• G Laird walked, C Guillen scored, B Inge to third, D Worth to second. (Braves 4 – Tigers 3)
• P Moylan relieved E O’Flaherty.

Johnny Damon then pinch hit for Jackson and was the victim of a call perhaps even worse than Jim Joyce‘s on June 2. Homeplate ump Gary Cederstrom (pictured above) called the 3-2 pitch a strike, costing the Tigers a run and, given the way the Braves were pitching, a likely victory. (Photo credit to Grey who posted it on Twitter.) Once again, the Tigers were left to stew about the second egregious call against them in three weeks.

When Gerald Laird smacks three hits in a game, you have to figure the Tigers are winning big or getting trounced. Combine those three hits by Laird with a Justin Verlander start and you’re looking at a victory. The Tigers’ launched a 17-hit assault, highlighted by Brennan Boesch’s 12th homer of the year — which traveled 395 feet up and out. Verlander gutted out seven innings, striking out six and raising his record to 9-5, in helping the Tigers avoid a sweep.

All told, the Tigers’ interleague performance in 2010 (11-7) could have been even better had they not lost six of nine against winning N.L. teams. Still, the wins against weaker clubs allowed them to stay close to the Twins in the division and keep this season interesting for at least another couple of weeks.

What has been the biggest surprise during the first week of the Tigers’ season?

• Justin Verlander’s curious starts (65%, 132 Votes)
• The Tigers’ comeback win against the Indians on April 11 (22%, 44 Votes)
• Magglio Ordonez‘s and Miguel Cabrera‘s hitting (11%, 22 Votes)
• Gerald Laird‘s hitless streak (2%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 204

Be sure to take our newest poll –>

The Score: Royals 7 – Tigers 3

The Gist: Rick Porcello allowed 10 hits in six innings (a Dontrelle Willis-like pace) and Royals’ starter Kyle Davies stymied the Tigers over 6.2 innings. Jose Guillen remained in the zone launching another home run. Kansas City’s bullpen showed up to ensure the Tigers wouldn’t have yet another comeback win.

The Quote: “I’m gonna do fine.” – Gerald Laird on his prospects for 2010 after a slow start.

The Stat: 1,202 – The combined number of feet Guillen’s homers traveled during the three-game series.

Up Next:

Friday: Tigers @ Seattle | 10:10 p.m. ET – Safeco Field, Seattle | On the air: FSD PLUS/1270 AM

Jeremy Bonderman (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (0-0, 3.29 ERA)

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• With the trade of Nate Robertson to Florida, Dontrelle Willis and Jeremy Bonderman (or Jeremy Bonderman and Dontrelle Willis) the rotation appears set. But for how long?

• Alex Avila has made the big club and will backup Gerald Laird. As of this writing he’s hitting .361 this spring. Avila beat out Robinzon Diaz who was designated for assignment.

• Brad Thomas joins Fu-Te Ni as a lefty relief option.

• Jeff Larish got sent down to Triple-A but will hang around with the Tigers for the last few games.

All that’s left to decide is the 25th man. Will it be Don Kelly or Clete Thomas? They both bat from the left side, so you can cross that off the list of criteria.

Today’s Game:

Tigers vs. Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland | On the air: 97.1 FM/1270 AM

Pitching Matchup: Nate Robertson (2-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. A.J. Burnett (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Joel Zumaya, Ryan Perry, Phil Coke, Robbie Weinhardt and Daniel Schlereth

Yesterday’s Results

Braves 5 - Tigers 3

The Braves’ Derek Lowe outdueled Justin Verlander (1-3), who gave up three runs and six hits in 5-2/3 innings. The Opening Day starter also struck out three, walked one and committed a balk. Brandon Inge and Gerald Laird both stroked a pair of hits.

Former Tiger Omar Infante started at shortstop for the Braves going 1 for 3. He’s batting .395 this spring.

Tomorrow’s Game

Tigers @ Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET – Legends Field, Tampa | On the Air: 97.1 FM/1270 AM

Max Scherzer (1-1, 7.15 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

Tigers History Lesson

On this Date in Tigers History

• In 1948, Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck hired former Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg as the Tribe’s farm club director.

• In 2008, former major league infielder and Tigers bench coach under Sparky Anderson, Billy Consolo died at 74.

The Score: Twins 8 – Tigers 3

The Gist: Wasted opportunities. Sure, the usual ones — stranded runners, untimely hitting — but also new and exciting storylines. Like, four errors by the Twins, a bizarrely mediocre Joe Nathan and…oh, what’s the difference? Nate Robertson pitched well enough to not lose but not much better. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez overreacted again, issued warnings, ejected Jim Leyland, Jeremy Bonderman and Gerald Laird, watched benches clear. You know, the usual playoff atmosphere.

The Quote: “Really, what is there to say?” — Yours truly.

The Stat: 0 – As in 0 for 5 for Ramon Santiago on the day, suggesting that perhaps Leyland chose the wrong day to give Placido Polanco a breather. Santiago was 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded chance in the fourth when he popped out to the catcher. The catcher.

Magic/Tragic Number: 2 – Still two.

Up Next: White Sox @ Tigers

Edwin Jackson (13-8, 3.36 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (8-6, 3.75; 2-0 with the Sox)

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Maybe that’s what plagues the 2009 Tigers. Except for the powerful lineup thing.

Other thoughts on the game:

• Don Kelly did not lose this game for the Tigers. The offense, yet again, is to blame. But you knew that.

• My local Fox affiliate aired the Dodgers-Giants game today so I listened to the entire game on MLB.com. If you didn’t listen, you missed Dan Dickerson‘s call of the ball Kelly lost. I think Dickerson is terrific and the entire game he was warning listeners that games in the Metrodome tend to result in odd endings and comebacks.

  So when Kelly’s miscue was unfolding, Dickerson’s call embodied the “oh-dear-lord-he’s-lost-it-in-the-roof-and-the-Tigers-are-going-to-get-screwed-again” feeling of everyone listening back in Detroit. And he reported that the Twins lead was 3-2, and said it as if it was actually 30-2 — which it essentially was.

• How about that Gerald Laird? I don’t care if he hits .200 forever, keep nailing those runners.

• Edwin Jackson probably sat there watching Justin Verlander dominate with only a pair of runs and thought, “Welcome to my world.”

• I know the announcers have ads and promos they’re required to read on air, but Jim Price‘s friendly reminder of Comerica Park suite availability for the Division Series is just asking for it. Need proof? Not long after he read the ad, it came: “(Orlando) Cabrera lifts a high fly ball to left…” Karma.

• I wonder if somewhere Gary Sheffield saw Kelly’s flub and said to anyone in earshot: “I’da caught that!” Here’s hoping.

Tomorrow’s game is the last one I ever have to watch the Tigers play in the Metrodome. Oh, sure, there might be a one-game playoff or something, but come on. Do you honestly think I’d subject myself to watching that game?

• 7-5, Tied for 1st Place in A.L. Central with Chicago and Kansas City
• Streak: W2
• Home Record: 4-1
• Road Record: 3-4

Streaks:

• Last 10 Games: 7-3
• Last 5 Games: 3-2

Who’s Hot from the Past Week:

• Josh Anderson: .545 avg., .615 OBP, .818 SLG, 4 RBI, 2 SB
• Miguel Cabrera: .455 avg., .478 OBP, .591 SLG, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI
• Gerald Laird: .400 avg., .500 OBP, .400 SLG
• Magglio Ordonez: .353 avg., .522 OBP, .353 SLG

Who’s Not:

• Carlos Guillen: .190 avg., .261 OBP, .190 SLG
• Placido Polanco: .182 avg., .250 OBP, .364 SLG
• Curtis Granderson: .174 avg., .240 OBP, .174 SLG

Up Next: Angels

• Today: Off Day
• Tuesday: Armando Galarraga (2-0, 0.68) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (1-1, 3.09)
• Wednesday: Justin Verlander (0-2, 7.88) vs. LHP Joe Saunders (2-1, 2.18)
• Thursday: Edwin Jackson (1-0, 2.14) vs RHP Dustin Moseley (1-0, 4.30)

Tigers vs. Angels

• All-Time Record: 297-275
• All-Time at Los Angeles: 137-150
• All-Time at Detroit: 160-125
• All-time at Comerica Park: 14-23

• 4-3, 1st Place in A.L. Central, .5 games ahead of Chicago
• Streak: W3
• Home Record: 3-0 / Road Record: 1-3

Who’s Hot:

• Miguel Cabrera: .520 avg., .586 OBP, .960 SLG, 3 HR, 10 RBI
• Placido Polanco: .346, .393 OBP, .462 SLG
• Gerald Laird: .318, .400 OBP, .455 SLG
• Brandon Inge: .304, .448 OBP, .870 SLG, 4 HR, 7 RBI

Who’s Not:

• Carlos Guillen:.182, .345 OBP, .273 SLG
• Adam Everett: .238*, .333 OBP, .286 SLG
• Curtis Granderson: .241, .281 OBP, .483 SLG

*Though, wouldn’t we all be happy with .238 for the season from Everett?

Up Next: White Sox

• Today: Zach Miner vs. Gavin Floyd
• Tomorrow: Rick Porcello (0-1, 7.20) vs. John Danks (0-0, 0.00)
• Wednesday: Armando Galarraga (1-0, 1.29) vs. Jose Contreras (0-1, 7.20)

Tigers vs. White Sox

• All-Time Record: 990-979-15
• All-Time at Home: 523-458-5
• All-Time at Comerica Park: 32-49
• All-Time at Chicago: 467-521-10

Great day today! The weather was nice. Not perfect, but a lot better than anticipated. And I’ve definitely seen worse.

Didn’t make it inside for the player introductions, so I didn’t hear what kind of reception Lyon received. The first pitch ceremony was nice. It was nice NOT to see the usual local politicians and the ritual booing that accompanies them.

Bummed that I missed the George Kell tribute, but there was just so much going on outside the park. There really is nothing like Opening Day around here.

Nice moment for Nick Adenhart. Tragic story, and so senseless.

Okay, enough with the appetizers, let’s get to the meat:

Galarraga: Doesn’t look like he’s planning on any sophomore slump. Seven strikeouts, and the run he gave up was a result of three bloop hits.

Perry: Didn’t look as sharp today. Command wasn’t there.

Cabrera: If the Tigers stay in contention, Miggy will be in the running for MVP. He is simply one of the best hitters in MLB. It is scary how well and how hard he is hitting the ball.

The whole offense: Did exactly what this team needs to do, which is punish mediocre pitching. Nice to see them taking a few walks. That game was actually cruising along before the bottom of the 7th.

Granderson: Way to work a walk after an 0-2 count! Two years ago, he’s carrying his bat back to the dugout.

Inge: How about getting those throws up a little?

Laird: Nice triple! With Sardinha’s three-bagger last year, the Tigers have cornered the market on most unlikely triples hitters.

Texas bullpen: Back to the drawing board, Rangers braintrust. Five straight walks! Ouch!

This was a typical Tigers-Rangers game (with a little less Rangers offense than I’m used to seeing), with plenty of runs, and a lengthy time of game.

All in all, a great Opening Day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go file my scorecard and read my new Tigers yearbook.

• Height: 6′ 1″ | Weight: 225
• 2008 Stats: .276 – 6 HR – 41 RBI

Before most general managers had checked into their Las Vegas hotel rooms at the Winter Meetings last December, the Tigers acquired catcher Gerald Laird to fill a gaping hole in their lineup. A career .255 hitter, Laird enjoyed one of his finest offensive seasons in 2008, hitting .276 with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 95 games for Texas.

Laird has shown a tendency to get off to a fast start at the plate, hitting over .300 in the first half of both ’08 and ’06, and as catchers often do, losing steam after the All Star Break. One can forgive Tigers fans that think of Laird as an offensive force: against the Tigers at Comerica Park last season he hit .571, but only .250 in all games against Detroit.

Looking ahead to 2009, Laird will need to lay off the curveball — and avoid chasing the low offerings — if he hopes to match last season’s output. Watch for pitchers to throw inside on him where they had the most success in ’08.

Lo and behold, today they have. Here are the numbers you’ll see in your program:

• Laird – 8
• Jackson – 36
• Everett – 4
• Treanor – 20

One number that hasn’t changed is Jeff Larish‘s number 19. In the Arizona Fall League he was wearing number 7. With Pudge Rodriguez gone, I thought Larish was making the shift. Apparently not.

Now I can get back to blogging normalcy.

Updated: I forgot to mention Brandon Lyon‘s number, 37. Looks like Kenny Rogers is retired.