ESPN’s Buster Olney checked in with Jeremy Bonderman this week, and it seems that Justin Verlander’s assesment of Bondo is spot on. And, just in time, Bonderman pinpointed some mechanical issues not long before he arrived in Lakeland:
About a month ago, he and his father, Gene, reviewed some videotape from earlier in his career and [...]

Who needs a groundhog? Two weeks until pitchers and catchers arrive in Lakeland for Spring Training.

I never doubted for a minute that the Tigers would sign Justin Verlander to a long-term contact, did you? Given the questionable extensions of recent years — Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson to name two — the Tigers were due [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Tigers 5 – White Sox 3

The Gist: You couldn’t ask for more than Justin Verlander delivered on Sunday afternoon in the Tigers’ home finale of the as-yet-undecided 2009 season. Ryan Raburn went yard twice and the resurrected Magglio Ordonez went 4 for 4 to power most of the offense. Of [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: White Sox 5 – Tigers 1

The Gist: With only a chance to avoid humiliation and the record books, the 2003 Tigers played with fire and grit in the last series of the year and managed to not lose 120 games. With a chance to advance closer to a division title, [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

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 [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

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, [...]

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Tigers 11 – Indians 3

The Gist: Hey-yo! The Tigers showed no mercy on Justin Masterson, the Indians, Eric Wedge or the drum-beat guy. Instead, they dropped 11 runs on Cleveland — thanks to a pair of Carlos Guillen homers and a 440-foot missile from Miguel Cabrera — and Rick Porcello [...]

Remember in Spring Training last year when Jim Leyland was concerned about some Tigers “taking off” at bats knowing that someone else in the powerful lineup would likely back them up?
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 [...]

Just saw the news that Fernando Rodney has been suspended for three games for his inexplicable heave-ho of the ball after Friday night’s win. Well, it was inexplicable to me; Rodney says he was only “feeling the moment.” Still, a three-game suspension? Please.
Anyway, enjoy him, folks. He’ll be frustrating another team’s fans next year.

Dan Dickerson was quick to point out that Justin Verlander’s shutout on Thursday was the first by a Tigers pitcher at Fenway Park since Doyle Alexander blanked the Red Sox in 1987. (Thanks to a tip from Fungo contributor Doug Hill, we went scrambling for the details.)

The Tigers were a half-game out of first place [...]