• I attended the Tigers Winter Caravan one time, in 1991 when I was living in Kalamazoo and had some connections with the local paper. Back then, only the media was invited. Or so I thought. I walked into a Kalamazoo hotel and saw dozens of fans asking for autographs from the players and Sparky Anderson.

  If memory serves me, Cecil Fielder was there. Recently signed Tony Bernazard was too. This I remember because I asked Sparky during the Q&A how he’d work Bernazard into the lineup without Tony Phillips losing at bats. The answer was classic Sparky and basically amounted to: “I have no idea but Tony is Tony and we’ll be all right.” Uh, yeah. (Bernazard was released in April after playing in just six games and hitting .167).

  The real story that winter was the recent firing of Ernie Harwell and, lo and behold, new Tigers President Bo Schembechler was on hand to answer questions about it. As you might guess, Bo was not happy with the first round of reporters’ questions being about Ernie and not the team. After that, he said he wouldn’t answer other questions on the topic and though people tried, he wouldn’t bite — other than to bite their head off for even asking.

  It was a great experience. If you get an opportunity to attend a Winter Caravan event, do it.

• I tweeted about this yesterday, but I think it’s worth repeating: Dave Dombrowski insists that the Tigers have no interest in Johnny Damon. Fine. But he said the same thing about Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez. Wouldn’t be surprised if Damon arrives in Lakeland in a few weeks.

• Speaking of moves, I don’t understand all the anger around the Jose Valverde signing. While he drove me nuts as the Diamondbacks’ closer a few years ago, that was mainly because of his antics after earning a save. Remember: no one could make sense of the Tigers signing Todd Jones and Kenny Rogers in the winter of 2005-06 but that worked out fine. Expect the same with Valverde.

• On this date in 1993, Tigers Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer died at the age of 89, one month after suffering a stroke. During his 19-year career in Detroit, The Mechanical Man posted a .320 batting average with 184 home runs and 1,427 RBI. In 1937, he led the American League with a .371 average.

Finally, Happy Birthday to a pair of former Tigers: Wil Ledezma,29, and Tom Urbani, 42.

He walked just two and struck out eight as the Tigers beat the Yankees 5-0 — and Rogers slew a personal postseason dragon — to take a two-games-to-one lead in the American League Division Series.

A look through the Tigers history book reveals that they’ve been quite busy on October 6 — when they make the postseason, that is. So, I thought we’d take a look and see if there’s some historical star alignment happening ahead of Game 163. Here’s a deeper look at how the Tigers have performed (or not) in the franchise’s postseason appearances from 1907 through 1987:

• 1987 American League Championship Series - The Tigers and Twins began the series on Oct. 7. And many of us are wishing it never had.

• 1984 ALCS – A day after completing a sweep of the Royals, the Tigers relaxed and awaited their World Series opponent.

• 1972 ALCS - The last gasp of the ‘68 club began on Oct. 7 in Oakland.

• 1968 World Series Game 4 - Mayo Smith’s club got creamed by the Cardinals at Tiger Stadium, 10-1. Denny McLain took the loss and Bob Gibson cruised. The Cards went up three games to one and, well, we all know what happened next.

• 1945 World Series Game 4 - Detroit beat the Cubs 4-1 at Wrigley Field behind Dizzy Trout, knotting series at two games apiece.

• 1940 World Series Game 5 - At Briggs Stadium the Tigers beat the Reds 8-0. Bobo Newsom got the complete-game win, allowing just three singles, none after the fourth. Hank Greenberg had three hits including a home run and drove in four.

• 1935 World Series Game 5 – The Cubs defeated the Tigers and Schoolboy Rowe 3-1 at Wrigley. Tigers player/manager Mickey Cochrane and his rightfielder, Pete Fox, each had two hits in the loss.

• 1934 World Series Game 4 - Elden Auker beat the Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park, 10-4. Greenberg had a monster day going 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles and four RBI.

As for the Tigers’ earliest postseason appearances: The 1909 World Series didn’t get under way until Oct. 8 at Forbes Field. The 1908 Series started on Oct. 10 at Bennett Park, and the 1907 Series began on Oct. 8 at West Side Grounds.

Add it up, and the Tigers are 4-2 on this date in history.

What’s it all mean for today? Hey, we just report the facts.

More good news here.

Whether it was Dontrelle Willis‘ sudden inability to throw strikes or Justin Verlander’s season of wild inconsistency or merely the bullpen’s tendency to do just about everything wrong, the pitching was Public Enemy No. 1 at Comerica Park and 13 other American League parks (not to mention parks across the N.L. West).

One final look at the Tigers pitching woes:

• Team ERA: 4.91 — 12th in A.L.; 27th in MLB
• Strikeouts: 991 — 11th / 25th
• Walks: 644 — 13th / 27th
• Blown Saves: 26

Oh, what the hay, let’s take a quick look at how the rotation fared:

• Verlander: 11-17, 4.84 ERA, one (and the Tigers’ only) complete game
• Armando Galarraga: 13-7, 3.73
• Kenny Rogers: 9-13, 5.70
• Nate Robertson: 7-11, 6.35
• Jeremy Bonderman: 3-4, 4.29
• Willis: 0-2, 9.38

Yep. Ugly.

But thankfully the 2008 season — and soon this list — is over and done with.

If you’re looking for a positive outlook to end your week, look elsewhere. Here’s a taste:

Aside from a younger, more athletic band of glove men, the Tigers need about a half-dozen new pitchers. Verlander and Galarraga figure to anchor a rotation that’s woefully shorthanded, with lefties Dontrelle Willis, Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson turning into pumpkins and Jeremy Bonderman now more of a perennial injury risk than a future frontline starter. The bullpen is no better, with Todd Jones retired, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney fighting to regain their lost command, and journeyman Aquilino Lopez the best of the 2008 bunch.

Now that hurts.

So, as I wait out this Tigers/White Sox rain delay from bright, sunny Phoenix, it’s time to weigh in on:

• Todd Jones’s Retirement. The decades-old joke in Detroit is that the most popular person in the city is the Lions’ backup QB and/or the Red Wings’ backup netminder. I think we can now add the Tigers’ setup man to that punch line. Detroit is unusually cruel to its closers. Less than a year after Willie Hernandez won the 1984 Cy Young and MVP awards, he started getting booed and it’s never stopped. Mike Henneman did too, but to a much smaller degree. The Tigers were so unwatchable during Todd Jones’s first tour of duty in Detroit, that often he was the only bright spot. Come to think of it, he was a welcome sight then because it mean the Tigers were in line for a rare win.

  But what was it about Jones in his second stint as a Tiger? What made it so infuriating? Sure, he got 93 saves in just under three seasons but his ERA was always around four and … ah, what’s the use? Jones is a good guy and I’m sure he’ll be missed by his teammates. I guess. For me, though, I’ll never be able to forgive him for not being Joe Nathan.

• Inge Returns to Third. This move makes the Tigers’ infield defense significantly better next season. With the range he covers, Inge is essentially a third baseman and a half. So even if they decide to bring back Edgar Renteria, Inge makes the left side if not a plus than definitely not a minus. Now, about that average…
• Guillen to Left. As I wrote here, I think it’s more likely that we see Carlos Guillen back at short than in left field. Why? If they put Guillen in left and a light-hitting guy at short, the Tigers lose the potential production of Matt Joyce. And, if you put Guillen in the cavern that is Comerica Park’s left field, what are the odds on him pulling a hamstring before May 1? Not good.
• Chuck Hernandez Firing. I know that Doug and others have been calling for Hernandez to lose his job as a result of the pitching staff’s tank job. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a wuss when it comes to firing coaches or managers. The rhetorical question I always ponder is: How much impact does a coach have — or can a coach expect to have — at this level? Was Hernandez, the genius of 2006, suddenly a lousy coach? I don’t think so. He was nothing more than a vessel caught in the perfect storm of Jeremy Bonderman’s injury, Dontrelle Willis’s loss of … everything, Kenny Rogers‘ age, Justin Verlander’s growing pains, and Nate Robertson’s wrought-iron physiology.

  I suppose the decision was also based on the bullpen’s lackluster year. Where do you start there? In fact, I think Hernandez should get a raise for having to deal with Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya, Aquilino Lopez and the rest. According to an article in the Free Press, Jim Leyland wants to go with a pitching coach and bullpen coach from the within the organization. I’m sure Joe Coleman, A. J. Sager and Ray Burris are good coaches, but if the Tigers want to show their serious, go after rockin’ Leo Mazzone or Rick Peterson.

• Jeff Jones’s Firing. I remember when Lloyd McClendon was named the Tigers’ bullpen coach for 2006. My reaction was “What does he know about a bullpen?” The answer, it would seem, was nuttin’. And if you read into this comment from Leyland, that’s precisely what the skipper wanted:
  

  “It was a weird situation, and I won’t say for sure, but I doubt that I’m going to have a pitching coach as my bullpen coach. It’s worked very well in some places, but I think it makes people uncomfortable from time to time.”

  Hmm. I would’ve thought being a pitching coach would help in guiding the bullpen. But now that I think about it, it probably makes about as much sense as having two hitting coaches – one for day games, one for night. Well, maybe not that example but perhaps there was some yin-and-yang between Hernandez’s approach and that of Jones which made Bobby Seay incapable of retiring a left-handed hitter?

• Sheff’s 500th Homer. The most entertaining parts of the weekend series against the Rays was watching Gary Sheffield’s family — including Uncle Dwight Gooden — stand up and wave homemade signs for every at bat. My favorite: “Gramma Says 500″. I sure hope Sheff gets number 500 today in Chicago. There’s been no player in my years of following the Tigers on which I’ve turned 180° like Gary Sheffield. (By the by, I loved Leyland slotting Sheff in the two spot in the order on Sunday.)

Finally, I relied heavily on DirecTV’s Extra Bases Game Mix channel over the weekend to track the playoff races. It’s one screen with eight games shown at once. I kept going back to the Mets and Marlins game, hoping to see the Mets force a playoff with the Brewers. That didn’t happen, of course, but what I did see was Cameron Maybin catch the final out at Shea Stadium.

“We’re not going to pitch Kenny. We shut him down for the rest of the season,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Monday. Leyland didn’t give a reason for his decision.

We all suspected that when Rogers was done he’d be done in a hurry. And that’s how it played out.

This team was a such house of cards. Who knew?

ESPN highlights available here.

The Score: Angels 7 – Tigers 1

The Gist: Well, Kenny Rogers certainly looks finished, doesn’t he? At least he lasted this long, which is more than can be said about his teammates who packed it in about six weeks ago. It wasn’t like watching Rick Ankiel lose it during the playoffs but this outing was painful enough. Rogers pitched two innings, faced a dozen hitters, allowed eight hits and six earned runs. At least he was democratic, giving his defense a chance to participate: he allowed no walks or strikeouts. If not for Curtis Granderson’s eighth-inning homer, his 17th, you would be hard-pressed to confirm the Tigers even showed up for this one. Then again, the seven Angels runs had to come from somewhere.

Bonus Gist: Even with a modicum of luck, the Tigers can’t cash in:

With the Angels leading, 6-0, on their way to a 7-1 victory, home-plate umpire Tim Welke reset the count at 1-2 when the scoreboard showed 2-2 after consulting with Rodriguez and Tigers catcher Brandon Inge.

Rodriguez took two balls to take it to a 3-2 count officially — when he should have walked. He remained in the batter’s box, and on the next pitch, Tigers right-handed reliever Aquilino Lopez struck him out for the second out in the inning.

The Quote: “I’m really getting sick of seeing Aquilino Lopez,” Ian Casselberry in an IM exchange.

The Stat: 10. As in 10th place, the Tigers’ standing in the 14-team American League.

Up Next: Tigers @ Twins

Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17) vs. Francisco Liriano (4-3, 3.45)

Sayeth Rogers:

“I don’t know how [other] players feel about it, but as a pitcher, I don’t like it. I think that they overshot the mark by far just because in a Yankee game, I guess, somebody didn’t get a homer.”

Rogers is referring to a disputed home run during the Yankees’ win over the Orioles on May 21. Alex Rodriguez hit a home run that cleared the fence in right-center field, replays showed, but umpires ruled it a double after conferring.

“Please,” Rogers said. “It’s happened thousands of times. It’s part of the game. It’s the beauty of the game. I mean, mistakes are made. It’s not like anybody wants to make mistakes, especially the umpire. They’re doing the best they can, and that’s always enough. The best that they can do in the end is always enough. If it’s not [enough] for certain hierarchy or whatever, I think that’s a shame.”

As moribund as the Tigers are right now, I think this adds a little zing to the mix. Keep it coming, Kenny.

The Score: Royals 7 – Tigers 3

The Gist: The Tigers got off to a fast start but the Royals decided not to lose their eighth straight on Sunday and scored seven unanswered runs off Tigers starter Kenny Rogers. Recently banished Nate Robertson pitched two-thirds of scoreless, hitless relief (huzzah!). Placido Polanco had three hits and two RBI and took a five-point edge over Magglio Ordonez for the team batting lead.

The Quote: “What should have been a good game for us turned into a not-so good game.” – Jim Leyland

The Stat: 8. The number of games under .500 that Rogers, Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and Robertson find themselves. In contrast, Armando Galarraga is eight games over. Ugliness.

Up Next: Indians @ Tigers:

• Monday: Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17) vs. Zach Jackson (0-0, 5.17)
• Tuesday: Chris Lambert (0-0, -.–) vs. Cliff Lee (18-2, 2.43)
• Wednesday: Justin Verlander (10-13, 4.42) vs. Fausto Carmona (6-5, 4.40)

The Score: Tigers 8 – Rangers 7

The Gist: Gary Sheffield hit his 493rd career jack and went 3 for 5, and Curtis Granderson drove in four as the Tigers escaped with an 8-7 win in Arlington. Kenny Rogers eeked out a win thanks to two four-run outbursts by his teammates in the seventh and eighth. (And Rogers struck out seven in his six innings…usually a sign of impending doom. But not on Monday.) Kyle Farnsworth, a model of consistently sub-optimal pitching since his return to Detroit, made it too interesting in the eighth but Fernando Rodney pitched not awfully and sealed the deal.

The Quote: “[I]t would be the biggest mistake of his life if he goes on the mound hoping to show the Rangers something. That’s high school [stuff].” — Jim Leyland on Tuesday’s starter and former Rangers farmhand Armando Galarraga.

The Stat: 12. The number of errors by Edgar Renteria so far this season. He leads all A.L. Central shortstops in flubs — but not by much. Orlando Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta each have 11. The Twins’ trio of Adam Everett, Nick Punto and Brendan Harris average about six. KC’s Tony Pena (8) and Mike Aviles (6) roundout the Central.

Up Next: Tigers @ Rangers

Armando Galarraga (11-4, 3.11) vs. Vincente Padilla (12-6, 4.85)

The Score: Tigers 6 – Orioles 5

The Gist: Gary Sheffield went yard (almost twice), as did Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge, and Kenny Rogers pitched just good enough to win the opening game of the four-gamer against the Orioles. Magglio Ordonez went 1 for 5 in his return from the DL. In the eighth, Baltimore leftfielder Jay Payton robbed Sheffield of his second homer of the game. Todd Jones freaked everyone out for his 18th nearly blown save.

The Quote: “But like I say, `If you see something, say something.’” — Sheffield on his willingness to take hitting advice from, say, a former big-league star that Jim Leyland ran into in New York this week.

The Stat: 13. The number of baserunners Rogers allowed (11 hits, two walks) in six innings of work.

Up Next: Tigers @ Orioles

Armando Galarraga (7-3, 3.27) vs. Daniel Cabrera (6-5, 4.33)

The Score: Mariners 4 – Tigers 1

The Gist: Erik Bedard looked like the pitcher the Mariners thought they were getting in the offseason trade with the Orioles and the Tigers fell back in to old habits. You know, leaving gobs of runners on base in key, tight-game situations; wasting a stellar performance by Kenny Rogers, etc. If not for a Miguel Cabrera homer, the Tigers would’ve been skunked in this one.

The Quote: “No question about it, we did a poor job of hitting.” — Jim Leyland.

The Stat: 9. The combined number of men left on base by Edgar Renteria and Ryan Raburn.

Up Next: Tigers @ Mariners

Armando Galarraga (7-2, 3.40 ERA) vs. R.A. Dickey (2-4, 4.53)

The Score: Tigers 4 – Rockies 3

The Gist: Dane Sardinha tripled for his first big-league hit and drove in two runs to power the Tigers to a sweep of the Rockies. Kenny Rogers allowed three runs in six innings and raised his record to one above the .500 mark. Marcus Thames went 3 for 4 with an RBI.

The Quote: “Couldn’t hit the kid [Dolsi] and Jones, we got him last night, couldn’t get him today.” — Rockies manager Clint Hurdle

The Stat: 42. The number of hits for the Tigers in the three-game series.

Up Next: Tigers @ Twins

Armando Galarraga (7-2, 3.32) vs. Glen Perkins (4-2, 4.47)

*If you don’t get the headline reference, click here to read about another one-hit wonder. Well, sorta.

The Gist: Kenny Rogers pitched good enough to win — only if the offense provides nine runs, of course — and Marcus Thames hit a grand slam to lead the Tigers to a soggy on the outside, sunny on the inside, second-consectuive win over the Mariners, 9-4.

The Quote: “The political answer is I’m rooting for the guy who signs the checks.” — Pittsburgh-resident Jim Leyland on his rooting interest in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stat: 31. The number of hits the Tigers have collected in the past two games. They tallied 19 in the three-game weekend series against the Diamondbacks. Go figure.

My Two Cents: Yeah, yeah. The Tigers are thumping the Mariners. They also took the Rangers to the woodshed last month and that little roll didn’t last. If the offense continues to motor through the weekend series against the Twins, maybe I’ll be more optimistic.

Did you know…? The Tigers have yet to win on Sunday in the 2008 season? Yep, they’re 0 and 6. Counting tonight’s win, the Tigers are 6-2 on Wednesdays, by far their winningest day of the week.