[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.

This miserable experience for Tigers fans, so close to the division cough-up job in Game 162 of 2006, got me to thinking how Jim Leyland’s clubs finish. Are there any trends we can pinpoint?

For starters, I looked at his playoff teams — the 1990, ‘91 and ‘92 Pirates, the 1997 Marlins, and the 2006 Tigers. I focused on the last month or so of the season, starting with September 1. All in all, it’s pretty respectable. Here’s what I found out:

Pittsburgh Pirates

• 1990: 20-12
• 1991: 21-13
• 1992: 22-10

Florida Marlins

• 1997: 12-15

Detroit Tigers

• 2006: 12-16
• 2009: 16-15 (through Saturday night)

Being 100-percent biased by the Tigers current situation (and ‘06), I expected to see poor finishes from Leyland’s clubs. But it just isn’t the case. In fact, Leyland’s two World Series teams had the worst stretch-run records of all his playoff clubs.

Ponder this, won’t you, while you enjoy your Fruit Loops — or gnash your teeth — on the final Sunday morning of the regular season?

The Score: White Sox 8 – Tigers 0

The Gist: The Tigers didn’t show up to play Friday night, but that didn’t stop the White Sox’ Jake Peavy from dicing them like ripe tomatoes. Three hits for Detroit. Three. And Edwin Jackson was awful.

The View: One of my top-three movies of all time is Midnight Run. In one scene, bounty hunter Robert DeNiro complains of an ulcer. In his custody is Charles Grodin who tells DeNiro that he has an ulcer “because you have two forms of expression: silence and rage.” That’s how I feel about the Tigers…but without the ulcers.

The Quote: “You’re not going to get any help. Don’t expect it. If you want to win the division, you have to win two games.” – Jim Leyland via MLB.com’s Jason Beck on Twitter.

The Stat: 0 – As in 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

Magic Number: 2

Up Next: White Sox @ Tigers

Alfredo Figaro (2-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (2-4, 4.78)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

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)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

The Score: Tigers 6 – Twins 5

The Gist: Justin Verlander looked like a man on a mission but despite his terrific outing the Twins kept coming. And if it weren’t for Curtis Granderson’s homer in the eighth, the Tigers would’ve come to bat in the ninth inning of a tied game for the second time in 12 hours. Miguel Cabrera launched a bomb to open the scoring in the third and Magglio Ordonez had a key double to left — to left — later in the inning to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

The View: The Tigers are fortunate to go to bed with a two-game lead. If Joe Crede were healthy and playing for the Twins, I’m not sure that would be the case. Nevertheless, savor the split.

The Quote: “I don’t have anybody better than you.” — Jim Leyland to Verlander during an eighth-inning visit to the mound.

The Stat: 0 – The chances we’ll see Wilkin Ramirez on the field again this season.

Magic Number: 4

Up Next: Twins @ Tigers

Eddie Bonine (0-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. Carl Pavano (13-11, 4.86)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

The Score: White Sox 8 – Tigers 4

The Gist: Curtis Granderson hit the second pitch of the game out of the park and…game over. Edwin Jackson got his usual pittance of support but unlike most of the year he allowed quite a few runs himself. Then the offense went back to sleep, apparently assuming that some of the 20 hits from Saturday night could be used kind of like, I don’t know, rollover minutes.

The View: As Ian says, nothing’s been easy all year for this Tigers team, so why start now? Still, I mean, you know, it’s just, couldn’t they…ah, forget it.

The Quote: “Today was pretty much our offense, which has been mind-boggling.” – Jim Leyland

The Stat: 2 – The number of Brandon Inge errors in this series.

Magic Number: 6

Up Next: Twins @ Tigers

Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.14 ERA) vs. Nick Blackburn (11-11, 4.18)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

The Score: Tigers 12 – White Sox 5

The Gist: The Tigers swatted 20 hits — four from Miguel Cabrera, and three each from Curtis Granderson and, of course, Placido Polanco — scoring 12 runs after being down 5-0 in the fourth. Cabrera also had a homer and four RBI, giving him 100 for the year.

The View: For a while it looked like two pitchers falling into old (and opposing) habits: Freddy Garcia looked like the front-line starter he was from 2001-05 and Nate Robertson, well, looked like more like ‘08 Nate: a bullpen mop-up guy. Ultimately, both guys cratered but Nate just left earlier in the game. Thankfully.

*The Quote: from Jim Leyland.

The Quote II: “And I’m going to make it clear. It’s a bunch of [expletive] out there watching football games like a piece of [expletive] with no pride the way they play the [expletive] game, and that’s embarrassing. If you don’t have pride to play this game and you don’t care about it, get another job because I know I’m going to be all over the stinking place when I talk about this.” — Ozzie Guillen, showing all class once again.

The Stat: 5 — The number of double plays turned by the Tigers.

Magic Number: 7

Up Next: Tigers @ White Sox

Edwin Jackson (13-7, 3.25 ERA) vs. Daniel Hudson (0-1. 3.38)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

The Score: White Sox 2 – Tigers 0

The Gist: Eddie Bonine should still be out for a nice post-game dinner with his teammates after 6.2 innings of two-hit pitching. Instead, he takes the loss in yet another disaster in Chicago.

But come on, didn’t you see this one coming?

Both teams were coming off the opposite end of sweeps, but you didn’t think it would be the Tigers that would keep their streak going, did you? This one was setting up as a disappointment from the last out of Thursday night’s game in Cleveland.

Oh, and Placido Polanco had another three-hit game, but none of the other 10 Tigers to bat could solve Jake Peavy.

The Quote: “Turn the page.” — Jim Leyland, either offering sage advice to his club (and fans?) or quoting a classic Bob Seger song. Maybe both.

The Stat: 2 – The number of days remaining before Tigers fans can enjoy six months of White Sox-free living. 0 – The accuracy of the original Stat. Driven by wishful thinking, I’d forgotten about next week’s series against the Sox in Detroit.

Magic Number: 8

Up Next: Tigers @ White Sox

Nate Robertson (2-2, 5.13 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (2-3, 4.01)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

The Score: Tigers 6 – Indians 5

The Gist: Justin Verlander struck out 11 over seven innings to give the Tigers a 6-5 win and a three-game sweep of the Indians. And Fernando Rodney tried to give it away. Well, not quite, but if you missed the game trust me when I say, you’ve seen it all before. Carlos Guillen led the offense with a 3-for-3 night, and six players chipped in an RBI each.

The Quote: “Me and him tend to differ a lot on opinion.” – Verlander giving a grammatically butchered response to Jim Leyland’s view that JV was often throwing and not pitching on Thursday night. Methinks Leyland wins this one.

The Stat: 6 (x 2) — With Thursday night’s win, the Tigers completed their second six-game winning streak of the Indians this season.

Magic Number: 8 with 10 games remaining.

Up Next: Tigers @ White Sox

Eddie Bonine (0-0, 5.96 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (First start for the Sox; 7-6, 4.05 with the Padres)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

Just can’t.

• In all the blather about Magglio Ordoñez’s $18-million option trigger, one thing people failed to note has been his remarkable durability over the life of the contract.

  Other than the first year of the deal, 2005, when his knee was still recovering and a sports hernia limited him to 82 games, Ordoñez has played in an average of 153 games — 94 percent. Fact is, the Tigers didn’t expect much of him in ‘05.

  This season he’s played in 120 of 149 games (81 percent) and if he plays in the remaining 13 games he’ll play in 82 percent.

  In all, not bad for a guy who the Tigers and their fans feared might not play more than one season — at best — in Detroit.

• Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan sets his sights on Jim Leyland today:
  

  Leyland is a prisoner, and isn’t that the beauty and ugliness of being a manager: While he’s only as good as his players, they get to determine how his 2009 is viewed.

  If the Tigers win the AL Central by one game, he’s a genius, a puppeteer who took a ragamuffin team and brought it into October.

  And if the Tigers lose the Central by one game, he’s no different than those Mets and Phillies and Red Sox and Angels and Indians. A good-for-nothing choker.

• The Tigers are #10 in the ESPN Power Rankings this week. But really, who cares?

• On this date in 1935, the Tigers clinched the pennant with a doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Browns. Tommy Bridges wins the opener while Elden Auker takes the nightcap with a complete-game shutout. The Tigers don’t exactly finish strong: they go 1-6 to end the season.

• In case you were wondering, on this date in 2006 the Tigers were a half-game up on the Twins. Makes today’s lead look better, doesn’t it?

Lastly, Happy Birthday to Cecil Fielder (46), the late Aurelio Lopez, Billy Muffett (79), the late (aforementioned) Elden Auker and the late John McHale, Sr. (88).

Have a great week.

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?

• 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?

• Jim Leyland on ESPN’s PTI “Five Good Minutes” Segment
• Game 19: The Hex-stein Lives On
• Happy Birthday, Aquilino Lopez
• Polanco Day-to-Day, But Aren’t We All?

• All-Time Record: 185-152-1
• All-Time at Home: 104-64-1
• All-Time at Comerica Park: 22-18
• All-Time at Seattle: 81-88

Wait a second. The Tigers and Mariners played to a tie? In the 20th century?

This little item sent me scrambling to my favorite site, Baseball-Reference.com, for the details. Here’s what I found:

On Monday, June 2, 1980, (back when the Tigers had 8 p.m. start times) Jack Morris faced lefty Rick Honeycutt at Tiger Stadium. According to the box score, the game-time weather was rainy, which means there could’ve been a rain delay — or more than one. In fact, the 3:43 time of game indicates that it was probably a combo of weather and American League-style baseball that slowed the game.

So the game lasted 13 innings. Big whoop, right? Not so fast. Beyond the oddity that is the tie in Major League Baseball, this particular game had some interesting sub-plots. For example, take a gander at the pitching lines from that night:

Seattle

• Honeycutt: 9 IP – 9 H – 3 R – 3 ER – 1 BB – 3 K
• Shane Rawley: 4 IP – 2 H – 0 R – 5 BB – 1 K

Detroit

• Morris: 10 IP – 10 H – 3 R – 3 ER – 0 BB – 7 K
• Aurelio Lopez: 3 IP – 2 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 3 K

Yes, you read that right: 13 IP by Tigers pitchers, zero walks.

Of the 10 hits Morris surrendered, eight came from Seattle DH (and former Tiger) Dan Meyer — he went 5 for 6 but with no RBI — and Detroit native Tom Paciorek (3 for 6, 2 RBI).

As for the Tigers, their offense was sparse and scattered. Kirk Gibson, who batted eighth, hit a solo shot off Honeycutt, and Richie Hebner drove in a pair going 2 for 3.

(Side note: Tigers icon Willie Horton pinch hit for M’s catcher Larry Cox in the ninth and grounded out, pitcher to first.)

The Tigers had the winning run on third in the bottom half of the 13th after a Lance Parrish single and then two walks. But Tom Brookens flied out to right to end the threat and the game — tied at three.

Why this game wasn’t finished is a bit of a mystery — at least to me. Looking at the schedule from June 1980, the 3-3 game was the first of a three-game series which means they could have continued it before the Tuesday, June 3 game or the one on June 4.

Oddly enough, each club’s record adds up to 162 games; the Tigers finished in fourth in the A.L. East at 84-78 and the Mariners dead last in the West at 59-103. So they both got credited for a win?

The only other thing that stands out about Tigers-Mariners matchups in 1980 is the July 20 game in the Kingdome. Baseball-Reference.com shows that the Tigers won 5-2, but with a note that the game was forfeited to the Mariners. Yet, the box score doesn’t indicate anything other than a Tigers win. Who knows?

I’ve got a feeling we won’t be seeing any ties in this weekend series, but the no-walks approach is something Jim Leyland can no doubt get behind.

The dad, possibly sauced, assuredly angry, took every opportunity to rip the Tigers’ DH that night, Gary Sheffield. His major beef was the wasted talent sitting on the bench in the person of Marcus Thames. His poor teenage son looked weary and sat mute as dad ripped Sheff — who, by the by, went 2 for 4 that night. In other words, at least four times he tore into Sheffield and twice he had to pull back a bit.

Until the bottom of the ninth.

That’s when Thames appeared from the dugout as a pinch hitter for Clete Thomas — and promptly shot a single to left. Even before Thames got to the plate the duo jumped — jumped! — into the cool evening air, missing each other with high-fives and spilling dad’s fifth beer. They became even more giddy with Thames’s single and, man, did pops lob a rapid-fire series of I-told-you-so’s toward Jim Leyland. Two hitters later, Cabrera went yard and the father and son went home vindicated.

With the news of Sheffield being jettisoned this morning, Marcus Thames is now the Tigers’ more-or-less regular DH and we’ll see if he really can hit 30-plus homers if given the chance. (Actually, I thought we learned last year that the Thames-as-Hank-Greenberg theory carried no weight, but I guess we’ll see…again.)

If you stayed with me through that circuitous tale, I owe you one.

Now, what to make of this roster move. I’ll admit it falls into that category of surprised but not surprised for me. I wanted Sheff to succeed in Detroit and thought he would. Even in 2009. The basis of my reasoning, at least in the past six weeks, were reports from Lakeland that he was scalding the ball again.

Or, as we learned today, not.

Either way, I tend to agree with Lynn Henning that getting Sheff was a wise move at the time. The Tigers had just lost the World Series and wanted to add another weapon to a lineup that slept through that painful week against St. Louis.

I don’t know that I agree with Henning that the Tigers will regret it later this season. The move was made for versatility reasons and, if that’s the story, then not having Sheffield clogging the DH spot and freeing-up more at bats for Jeff Larish and others is a good thing. Probably a great thing.

Yet, it’ll be interesting to see where Sheff lands. (My hope is that it’s not with the Blue Jays where he could hit #500 off Justin Verlander on Opening Day. Oy.) And can you imagine if he goes to the Phillies and underachieves? Think the Philly fans would be forgiving? Woo-doggie. And if the White Sox sign him, look out.

As the Tigers’ DH, Marcus Thames will make about $12 million less than Sheffield this year. But ultimately, the move was about giving the job to a younger guy who can produce at a higher level. The Tigers believe it’s Thames.

And I know of at least two fans who agree.

• Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 180
• 2008 Stats: .213 – 2 HR – 20 RBI

It’s difficult to get a clear picture of new Tigers shortstop Adam Everett based on his 2008 performance with the Twins. He had just 158 at bats (which produced a .213 average) and appeared in only 45 games for the Twins defensively due to a bum throwing shoulder. However, it’s not so much Everett’s production at the plate that concerns Tigers fans – anything close to .250 would suffice – it’s his glove work.

Jim Leyland and the Tigers’ faithful look to the 31-year-old to fortify (along with third baseman Brandon Inge) the left side of the infield. But how can he inject some offense into the lower third of the lineup in 2009? By focusing on the parts of the strike zone he favors; for Everett that’s above the belt from the heart of the plate to the outside corner.

The bottom line is that the Tigers wouldn’t have signed Everett to man a keystone position if they didn’t see him as a defensive upgrade to the departed Edgar Renteria.

Without further ado, here are the first Non Sequiturs of the 2009 season powered, as usual, by a fresh pot of Peet’s Coffee:

• We have our first box score of 2009 for the Tigers. Enjoy it in all its linear glory.

• Did you catch the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 Days” program focused on the Tigers on Monday? (If you missed, catch it here.) I caught the West Coast replay and, like so many things related to the fledgling network, I was underwhelmed. I enjoyed the interviews, seeing Gary Sheffield’s beard, watching Al Kaline say absolutely nothing interesting, etc., but if you’ve followed the Tigers even in the most casual way this offseason, chances are you learned nothing new.

  
  But, in the spirit of a positive mental outlook, I determined that these shows likely aren’t produced for the hardcore Tigers fan. They’re for everyone else. If I watch the episode on, say, the Marlins, I’ll probably learn a lot. In the end, the show was worth watching for these three nuggets:

  • Mitch Williams picking the Tigers to win the division.

  • Dan Plesac picking the Tigers again to finish last (this after raving about how great a manager Jim Leyland is).
  • Plesac somewhat butchering a nice attempt at complimenting Ernie Harwell’s “he stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by.”

• Not that you care, but I’m booked for three Cactus League games next week in metro-Phoenix and in Tucson. Fungophile John Milton and our friend Steve will be coming to Arizona for games Friday (Indians/Brewers), Saturday (Giants/Rockies) and Sunday (Rockies/Padres).

  The Friday game is of interest mainly because it will be at the Indians’ new Spring Training facility in the middle of nowhere also known as Goodyear, Ariz. We also wanted to attend that game because, let’s face it, seeing the Indians 19 times against the Tigers this summer just isn’t going to be enough. Of course, the Saturday game will give us one more chance to boo Edgar Renteria at close range.

• Be sure you add Ian Casselberry’s Morning Prowl at BlessYouBoys.com to your daily reading agenda. Ian reads it all, summarizes it neatly and we’re all the better for it. Now if only he’d do the same for The New York Times and ESPN.com…

• Happy 45th birthday to once-heralded Tigers catcher-o’-the-future Rich Rowland. After four partial season and 83 at bats with Detroit, he was dealt to the Red Sox for John Flaherty on April 1, 1994.

Finally, I stumbled on this gem from The Onion. It’s from 2007 but it’s still funny and, very likely, still relevant. Here’s the lede:

Following their game against the Twins Tuesday, Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez and second baseman Placido Polanco stayed in their hotel room all night, giddily discussing their favorite in-game hitting situations.

At long last, the Tigers appeared to have developed a left-handed power-ish hitter who could take over one of the corner outfield slots perhaps as soon as 2009.

But, when Jim Leyland announced that left field would be Carlos Guillen’s position next season and when it became more apparent that Magglio Ordonez was going nowhere this offseason, Joyce’s role went from promising to fuzzy — at best.

Nevertheless, Joyce was a sign of progress in the Tigers’ farm system beyond pitching depth and maybe a budding star.

Until he wasn’t…at least in Detroit.

Three weeks ago he was dealt to his hometown of Tampa Bay for pitcher Edwin Jackson. From what we’ve read, the acquisition of Jackson will be a winning one for the Tigers. And in the end maybe it will be.

Still, it would be nice to see a young position player develop into a star — or something close to it — wearing the old English D.