MLB: Detroit Tigers Baseball Guide

2008-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Good to see PAWS is out there spreading holiday cheer on behalf of the Tigers! On Tuesday he was passing out Thanksgiving baskets and on Friday he's busy serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Ronald McDonald house. Here's his schedule for the rest of the season!

2008-10-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, Detriot! It's an important election, so make sure your voice is heard.

2008-10-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Knapp's the new pitching coach. Bring some of that mojo from Minnesota with you!

Playing Against Your Old Team

2008-08-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered what it must feel like to go up against your old team. It always seems so symbolic to us fans, but then again, it might just be a job to the players.

This article about Galarraga playing the Rangers this week is about just that. Jim Leyland sums it up pretty well:

"You want to be a little pumped up because it's your [old] team? That's good," Leyland said. "I understand all that. But to me, he'll make the biggest mistake of his life if he takes the mound [Tuesday] night trying to show the Rangers they made a mistake."

I agree. Keep it cool, Armando. You've already proven to the Rangers that they made a huge mistake giving you up to us. Don't get carried away this week, and you'll be great as always!

When's Grownup Day?

2008-04-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

I was looking up some Comerica Park information the other day, and I ended up on the promotions page. You know, where they list the schedule of promotional giveaways like hats and bats.

I noticed that they have several days where kids can take the field and run the bases. Man, I loved that as a kid! But why don't they have a day when adults can run the bases? I'd get SO much more out of it now than when I was little.

Just think how fun it'd be to do that after a few beers. Maybe race your friends? I'm not saying I'd win a race these days, but whatever. I still think they should give equal time to the people that actually buy Detroit Tigers tickets and pay for that field. Makes a lot more sense, don't you think?

Well, at least there's some good news...

2007-08-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Detroit Tigers ratings remain strong

Good to see that no matter what happens, the fans are still willing to suupport the team!

Taking Detroit to China?

2007-06-01T12:11:00.001-07:00

According to the Boston Globe, Major League Baseball chief operating officer Bob DuPuy said yesterday in Beijing there is "an excellent chance" MLB will stage games in China next spring. I suppose it's cool that the sport is continuing to spread, but can you imagine the Detroit Tigers playing a home game in Detroit one week, then a game in Beijing the next? The world's getting smaller every day...

2007-01-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Tigers came to agreements with all four arbitration-eligible players, signing one-year contracts with outfielder Craig Monroe, left-hander Nate Robertson, right-handed reliever Fernando Rodney and infielder Omar Infante.

Inge Tied Up By Tigers

2006-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Tigers and Brandon Inge reached an agreement for a contract extension. Inge will be paid $24 million over 4 years. The Tigers are looking to tie up their loose ends and keep their team together that got the to the World Series in 2006.

Tigers Make a 3-for-1 Deal

2006-11-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Tigers have just added Gary Sheffield of the New York Yankees to our lineup, although they had to part with three young pitching prospects to do it. Anthony Claggett, Kevin Whelan, and Humberto Sanchez will report to Tampa, Trenton, and New York, respectively, and will continue to see what they can make of their baseball potential.

Meanwhile, we have acquired a seasoned veteran: in 19 years with the MLB, Gary has been an All-Star nine times, has a career batting average of .297, 455 home runs, and 1501 runs batted in, in 2,229 games. Will he stay at that level through 2009? Jim Leyland thinks so, and I hope so. Welcome to Detroit, Mr. Sheffield!

Finally Recovered

2006-11-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

I guess I've been in mourning long enough. My long-term perspective on the Tigers' losing the World Series is going to be...wow! We made it to the World Series!! Besides, the St. Louis Cardinals made several recent visits to the WS before winning the crown. Not to mention the fact that no team in this century has repeated as the national champion.

Meanwhile, I have the offseason to get caught up on other important world events. Apparently, it's time for another congressional election. I always vote--my favorites don't win too often, but voting gives me the right to gripe about the people who do.

The Tigers! They're GRRRRREAT!

2006-10-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

So he we are, down 2-1. No biggie. They've been down before and we want it moAr!

Short and sweet folks.

Go Tigers!!!!!!!!!!!two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wake up, Tigers!

2006-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

We need some batting power to win the Series. Please don't scare me like this. We can't afford to count on winning every other game -- do the math. One for St. Louis, one for us. One for St. Louis...etc. Where would that put us at Game Seven??

Well, you can follow the pattern for one more game: go get 'em tonight, Tigers!

Lightcycles have nothing on the World Series

2006-10-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

MCP : The Tigers must win Dillinger.

Dillinger : You know I have no control over that, but they have become strong, they are taking over the league. . . some say they are unstoppable

MCP : And what of the Cards? The Mets? Some programs are saying they pose a threat. Even Sark has voiced concern

Dillinger : Unthinkable! Their programs are weak, the command lines are flawed!

MCP : This is not a time for humor Diliinger, this matter is bigger than one rogue program.

Dillinger : The Tigers will win, thats all YOU need to know. It's time to leave it to the humans MCP. End of line.

How 'Bout Them Tigers?

2006-10-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

What can I say--it's been a long time coming! We're in the World Series again. This makes our 10th appearance there! I'm hoarse from cheering, so I'm gonna just relax and watch the National Leaguers duke it out.

I don't much care whether we take on the New York Mets or the St. Louis Cardinals. We can handle either one! I don't want another sweep, though. a) I'd like more games to watch before this sweet season finally ends, and b) the Tigers ought to win it all here in Comerica Park. Six games would do that, although it would be a dream come true if I could find tickets for the seventh game of a World Series with the Tigers!

Time to take on the As

2006-10-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well after an amusing three games with the yankees, we now find ourselves toe to toe with the Oakland Athletics. I hope everyone has tickets for this one! There seems to be quite the contigent of folks that feel this game isn't really important, yet MLB.com is playing both sides saying its the end all be all or nothing at all....huh??? I dunno you read the story and see if you find less ambiguous. Alls I really care about is winning, if that makes me narrowminded, I guess I m as narrow as they come. :dunno:

Division series game 2

2006-10-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

For the most part, Yankees fans are acting in classic style suggesting that this an exercise and thats it's more a formality than a real challenge, but even Derek Jeter pretty much said they have a strong chance. That in and of itself, though not unlike the generally amiable Jeter to say, is indicative of whats really going on here. Personally, although most of the media is calling this a series without villians, I will always see the Yankees as villians or maybe its because I spent too much time on my butt in front of huge TVs (they should have been issuing tickets, some of these peoples living rooms are the size of theaters) at friends houses in Bloomfield Hills getting to really love the Tigers, and the Wings too for that matter. I just wanna see the Tigers wrap up the year well, if that means winning it all, so be it, I won't be upset.... Verlander ftw!

Tigers Take On Yankees

2006-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers find them in the playoffs for the first time since 1987. But they have been stumbling as of late losing their last 5 games, all at home. Their first opponent will be the New York Yankees who are definitely used to playing in October. The Tigers will definitely have their work cut out for them, but this is not an impossible journey, they have proved that they can win all season.

Bruce Froemming appears in 5000th game

2006-08-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Bruce Froemming for his ongoing contribution to pro sports: Wednesday night the Boston Red Sox – Detroit Tigers game at Fenway Park marked Froemming’s 5000^th game as an umpire for Major League Baseball! His 36 MLB seasons have included well over 100 postseason games, among those five World Series. His calls have not always earned the devotion of fans, as when his “Ball four” ended Chicago Cubs’ Milt Pappas’s perfect game one strike shy of the record books. But what he has earned is respect. And Wednesday night, a standing ovation.

Wait a minute -- that game went to the Red Sox, 6-4. Hey, ump, whatcha thinkin'??

A Tigers fan with high hopes for the future.

2006-06-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers are coming off an impressive sweep of the Chicago Cubs and I couldn’t be a happier fan/blogger. It has been a long time since I have hadso much positive material to write about when it comes to the Tigers. This season has been like a dream come true. I have found myself watching more games and even more of the competition. I don’t think this next series against the Milwaukee Brewers is anything to worry about because we have Jeremy Bonderman returning to the mound. After his masterful performance on Wednesday, I am anxious with anticipation about tonight’s limitless possibilities. Go Tigers!

Symphony in D Major

2006-05-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers are doing better than they have in years. We are tied for first place with the Chicago White Sox and I couldn’t be happier. We took three games in a row and the series from the Cleveland Indians over the weekend. Mike Maroth held the Indians to one run in six innings in the final game of the series on Sunday. Even the rain couldn’t dampen my spirits last night!

My brother down in Dallas is having a similar experience with the Texas Rangers. They are doing pretty well and sitting pretty at number one in the AL West. The big D’s don’t meet up again until August though. Go Tigers!

Chris Shelton = Awesome

2006-04-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers are having an awesome season! Chris Shelton already has nine home runs and 18 RBIs; he’s hitting as well as Albert Pujols and that’s saying a lot. The Tigers did lose their last game but had a five game winning streak before that and if it wasn’t for the Chicago White Sox having an eight game streak, our Tigers would be in first place. I bet they’ll be there soon if they stay consistent and Shelton keeps knocking them out of the ballpark.

There’s no fighting in baseball. Or is there?

2006-03-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

The regular season is still a week away and already we have players that are letting their tempers get the best of them. Julian Tavarez of the Boston Red Sox punched Joey Gathright of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during a game today. Both players ended up getting ejected from the game for fighting but the always-hot Tavarez seemed to be the real aggressor.

Detroit Tigers’ Maggio Ordonez and WBC Decision

2006-03-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

do not understand why people are giving players from other countries so much flak when they choose not to play for teams from those countries in the WBC. They live and work in America and if they want to play for the US or even not play at all, we should be supporting them and not criticizing.

The Calm After the Storm

2006-02-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

While the city of Detroit calms down from the frenzy of hosting the Super Bowl, the Detroit Tigers are preparing for spring training. Our outfielders worked in the off-season to improve their games and that leaves us with a lot of options for player combinations in the outfield when the new season starts.

The Super Bowl is not the only excitement in Detroit.

2006-01-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Pistons have been outstanding this season. Their current record: 35 wins and 5 losses is practically miraculous! But until February 5th, the tickets everybody’s wishing for are Super Bowl tickets. Personally, I think the hoopla is fun, but I’m saving up for NBA Playoffs tickets!

Roethlisberger and Hasselbeck to Battle at Ford Field

2006-01-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

I am excited about Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks proved the better teams on Sunday and are going to make this Super Bowl one of the most exciting because of Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck. They are possibly the best quarterbacks in the league and it showed in their championship performances on Sunday.

Basketball Battle of the Titans

2006-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

In sports news the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets went head to head in a frenzied marathon of a basketball game on January 10, 2006. The triple overtime match was one of the highest scoring games in history. Anthony Henry of the Nuggets scored 43 points including the game winning field goal made with 2.9 seconds left. Both teams played with amazing intensity and never backed down going goal for goal throughout the extra minutes. If you are a basketball fan at all you know that this qualifies as one of the greatest games in history. My hat is off to these two great teams for the fine skill and concentration displayed in their titanic battle.

Ledezma Shows His Stuff

2006-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

Wilfredo Ledezma is attempting to make a comeback by playing in the Venezuelan League this winter. He is showing his talents and pitching style in an attempt to return to American pro ball. He has been plagued by a number of personal difficulties and injuries in previous seasons that hurt his possibilities of a role on the Detroit Tigers team. But he has been comfortable and successful in the Venezuelan league and no one can deny that he’s not giving up a lot of hits and is pitching better than he ever has. He still needs to work on walks and playing longer in games. He has the stuff to be a headline reliever in Venezuela and maybe a relief pitcher for the Tigers.

Rogers to Join Tigers in 2006

2005-12-30T12:40:00.000-08:00

Kenny Rogers believes in the Detroit Tigers and feels they are improving as a team. He is very pleased about his move to the Tigers and his 16 million dollar two year contract. Rogers has said that he feels the Tigers are very close to having a winning season and he wants to be a part of that. The Tigers approached Kenny Rogers because they wanted to add the veteran influence they lacked in their bullpen. Rogers won a career high eighteen games with the Texas Rangers in 2004 and was an All-Star in 2005.

Rogers’ name was all over the press in the summer of 2005 for shoving two cameramen out of his way while moving onto the field. The punishment for the outburst was severe and the incident was soon forgotten. Hopefully he can keep a good attitude and not embarrass the Detroit Tigers publicly.

Veteran Leadership is What We Need

2005-12-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Some fans are wondering why the Tigers didn’t take a closer look at players like Matt Morris and Jarrod Washburn when they are willing to pay these bloated salaries to Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones. We could have gained the veteran charisma and leadership that seasoned players bring into the fray. I believe they made the choices they did based on the contracts for the players rather than simply the talent of the player and the role we have open for them to fill. We can hope that the Detroit Tigers management will focus on something besides money in player acquisitions in the future. We really do need some depth and experience in the bullpen.

Two Trades at Winter Meetings

2005-12-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

Well the Winter Meetings are over and there have been a lot of changes to our favorite teams. The Detroit Tigers filled both of their needs in just two days by trading for Todd Jones and Kenny Rogers. They are both Pitchers and carry lightweight two year contracts unlike most free agents around. This will allow the Tigers to focus on pitching and getting in some young players as well. They got some veterans onto the roster and into the bullpen without the bother of long-term contracts and worry that they have few years left to their game

Drugs or No Drugs?

2005-12-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

There have been a fair amount of controversies this year surrounding the steroids and baseball scandal. Talk radio shows all over the country have been covering each new player who comes forward or denies involvement. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the morality of using performance enhancing drugs. I don’t understand why it’s so hard for people to take a side. Either they used drugs or they didn’t. It shouldn’t matter what kind of drugs they used. If we don’t want America’s youth using them, then steroid use should be considered as wrong illegal substance abuse.

Free Agents or Trades

2005-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski is on his way to Dallas for the Winter Meetings. It looks like he and his crew are gearing up for some trades at the meetings. They are bound to focus on pitching, looking for a starter and a closer. The free agents who are drawing the most attention are still AJ Burnett, Matt Morris and Kevin Millwood. The Tigers attention has been drawn by Diamondback Javier Vazquez and Yankee Carl Pavano. Would it be better for this team to be spending big money on free agents or for them to try to focus on trading first and foremost?

Let’s Focus on Pitching Please

2005-11-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

With free agency talks on the horizon, Tiger’s fans are wondering if team management is going to increase our depth in the bullpen. We badly need a new starting pitcher and there are rumors that the Tigers are considering A.J. Burnett. Talks have begun with agent Scott Boras who represents quite a few free agents and some of the current Tiger players but nobody’s talking to the fans yet. Kevin Millwood is a good prospect for our pitching squad after first choice Burnett, but there are a lot of teams courting him besides the Detroit Tigers. Pitching coach Jeff Jones will be returning is 2006.

Finally Talking Pitching Here!

2005-11-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Finally the Tigers can spend the off season focusing on pitching instead of packing on new players as they have the past few years. Dave Dombrowski believes he has good core defense and with pitchers Nate Robertson, Jeremy Bonderman, Joel Zumaya , Justin Verlander, and Mike Maroth all he needs is a good veteran starter. The loss of free agent Jason Johnson opens up many options like the possibility that the Detroit Tigers may court A.J. Burnett no matter what the financial gamble.

Set an Example

2005-06-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers second baseman, Placido Polanco, is setting a good example at the plate. Hitting couch Bruce Fields emphasizes that patience at the plate is more that just a virtue. Polanco seems to be the only one taking that advice so far. The rest of the team is being too aggressive at the plate, which causes them to get behind in the count early and gives opposing pitcher the upper hand.

Good News

2005-06-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Good news for the Tiger clubhouse. Short stop Carlos Guillen, who had missed five of the last six games, was cleared to come back to the line up on Thursday. He has missed several games due to a sore knee. Alan Trammell, the Tigers manager is very optimistic about his return and his bat will be welcomed back to the lineup.

Least Likely

2005-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Batting at .234, it is hard to believe that slumping Omar Infante would make the difference for the Tigers against the Orioles last night. Infante hopes to get back in the ‘swing of things’ at some point, but has yet to reach his coaches expectations. His biggest accomplishment this season was last night when he blasted a two-run home run in the eighth to help give his team the win.

Hall of Fame Game

2005-05-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Can we give a round of applause for first baseman Carlos Pena? During yesterday’s Hall of Fame game, Pena went 4-for-4 with a homer, pushing his team past the Boston Red Sox in 6-4 win. Although, lets not forget Derek Nicholson walk off home run which gave the Tigers their final two runs to win the game.

Unnoticed

2005-05-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

from Foxsports.com

LHP Jamie Walker's main asset used to be his ability to get out lefthanded hitters. Now, in a bullpen loaded with hard throwers, his offspeed arsenal is a legitimate change of pace. The arrival of a second lefthanded reliever in Doug Creek allows the Tigers to use Walker more like a regular middle reliever than as a specialist.

Got to have Faith

2005-05-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

You got to have faith. You just got too, and pitching Coach Bob Cluck has just that. Cluck puts his faith in right-hander Jeremy Bonderman, whose work ethic brought him a step closer in the right direction to improve his play and help his team.

Baseball is life for most these guys. So growing up and maturating mentally does not take a back door approach to this game. An example is when Bonderman showed he could correct flaws on his own. In doing so Bonderman was able fix his arm angle so it wouldn’t affect his ‘sick’ slider.

The kid is catching on…

Improving...

2005-05-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Opposing defenses are reacting to CF Nook Logan's bunting the way they did to former CF Alex Sanchez's bunting. The second baseman is shifting toward first base just before contact to cover the bag in case of a bunt, aiming to minimize confusion between the pitcher and the first baseman when they field a bunt. Expect Logan to counter by trying to slap more balls through the middle or the second base hole. . . .

RHP Troy Percival, the closer, believes his early struggles were caused by him tipping his pitches. He says he has fixed the problem, which might explain his recent improvement.

Ordonez estimated to miss 4-6 weeks

2005-04-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

Ordonez was diagnosed Friday morning with a hernia and is expected to undergo surgery next week, the team announced Friday. The All-Star right fielder will miss at least four to six weeks, but could be out much longer than that. The type and severity of the hernia isn't yet known; Ordonez will visit specialists in Montreal and Philadelphia to try to determine both before undergoing surgery.

The revelation essentially halts speculation on the All-Star right fielder's health that has basically gone on since he left the second game of the season last Wednesday with dizziness. He returned to the lineup Tuesday at Minnesota, going hitless in four at-bats to fall to 0-for-10 this season, before returning to Detroit Wednesday for tests.

Ordonez also has a viral infection as was originally believed, in addition to an earlier bout with the flu. He was originally diagnosed with diverticulitis when he reported stomach pains in the final two weeks of Spring Training.

Those other ailments ended up masking the hernia, Dombrowski said. Tests taken during Spring Training did not point to a hernia.

Dombrowski received the news Friday morning and spent most of the day learning more about hernias than he ever expected to need in a non-medical career.

What we Know...

2005-04-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

1B Carlos Pena's improvement at the plate dates back to extra hitting work that began last summer. Pena is displaying better pitch recognition, especially between fastballs and changeups, and has learned to go to the plate looking for the pitch he wants to hit. He doesn't chase pitches nearly as much. On defense, Pena has learned to stay within his territory and focus on picking out throws.

Atlanta 12, Detroit 4

2005-03-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

(AP), from Foxsports.com

John Thomson, coming off a shaky start against the Yankees, pitched six shutout innings and Julio Franco hit a three-run homer to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 12-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.

Thomson, who gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings to New York last Thursday, yielded seven hits and two walks while facing the Tigers. Before his outing against the Yankees, Thomson had a stellar spring, allowing one run over 13 innings in his previous four starts.

Rafael Furcal led off the first inning for the Braves with a homer off Gary Knotts. Franco's homer, his third of the spring, came later that inning.

Knotts gave up seven runs on six hits in two innings. Furcal added an RBI triple off Knotts in the second inning.

Pete Orr had a two-run single for Atlanta in the sixth and Ryan Langerhans, competing for a spot in the Braves' outfield, had an opposite-field two-run homer in the seventh.

Marcus Thames hit a three-run homer for Detroit in the seventh. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a strong ninth inning for the Tigers, setting the Braves down in order with one strikeout.

Camp Surprise

2005-03-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

Franklyn German, once the closer of the future, is out of options and seemed equally out of hope at times last season. After a strong winter in the Dominican winter league, he's making what was once a long shot of making the roster more of a decent chance. A change in his delivery has put him more in control as he strides toward the plate, and it reduces some of the control problems on his fastball. If he can continue that, it'll better set up one of the nastier splitters in baseball. He's still likely behind Fernando Rodney in the pecking order, but he could be the best option if Rodney isn't ready to open the season following Tommy John surgery last April.

Soft Spot

2005-02-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

The Tigers have ranked last in the league in errors and fielding percentage in each of the last three seasons. As much as that bothers manager Alan Trammell, it's just as bad for pitching coach Bob Cluck as he tries to build staff confidence. Though the Tigers will have plenty of drills in the early days of camp to address it, Trammell admits much of the problem comes down to making the right decisions in game situations. Though a set lineup should help teammates work together, missing key defensive players Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez from many spring games could cost them in continuity.

Sign 'em Up

2005-02-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

The Tigers reportedly signed Magglio Ordonez, after he surpassed the last obstacle, being his physical this past Sunday. Apparently it is a contract for 5 years $75 million dollars.

The 31-year-old is in the same situation that Ivan Rodriguez was in. The situation being the Tigers having money left over at the end of the free agent season, and a player looking for somewhere to stay long-term.

Ordonez went five consecutive seasons batting at least .300 and averaging 29 home runs with 99 runs batted in.

Infielder Analysis

2005-01-27T16:28:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

Detroit's solid infield defensively has enough aggressive hitters to punish fastball throwers. G.M. Dave Dombrowski saw enough promise from first baseman Carlos Pena down the stretch to offer him a pay raise for one more year of development. He's the most formidable pure power-hitter in the lineup, but his inconsistent pitch recognition is a problem. Second baseman Omar Infante had his own power surge in September, a product of his growing body and maturing work ethic at age 23. Carlos Guillen's steady veteran presence helped Infante blossom, but he needs to follow up his explosive season offensively for the Tigers to improve. Brandon Inge isn't the prototypical third baseman, but by simply looking for line drives up the middle, he produces a quick enough swing for clutch hits and occasional homers.

Gettis warms up in Winter Leagues

2004-12-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

The way Byron Gettis is swinging the bat, he'll have Tigers coaches looking forward to seeing him in Spring Training.

The Tigers still haven't had much of a chance to check out Gettis, whom they claimed off waivers from Kansas City just after the regular season ended in October. But his hitting so far in the Puerto Rican League has made enough of a first impression that he won't be ignored when he gets to camp.

Through Wednesday, Gettis ranked second in the league with a .395 batting average. He crept closer to the .400 mark by going 2-for-4 on Wednesday with his first home run of the winter, a solo shot to help Mayaguez to a 10-9 victory over Caguas. A day earlier, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles. He's also second in total hits and on-base percentage, has had at least one four-hit game and added several three-hit efforts.

While the power could be better, the overall hitting is an encouraging sign for Gettis, a stellar athlete and former college football recruit who was the Royals' Minor League Player of the Year in 2003. He earned that honor in part by hitting 16 homers to go with 103 RBIs at Double-A Wichita that year, but his homer total fell to six in 68 games between Wichita and Triple-A Omaha this past season. His average, however, has improved with just about every year.

While it remains to be seen whether the soon-to-be 25-year-old can blossom into a better all-around hitter -- he's already listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, so he doesn't have much growing left -- he has a chance to make the Tigers' roster picture interesting in the battle for a fourth or fifth outfielder job. Since he can't play center field, he'll have to win a job with his bat.

As for Ugueth Urbina, both the Tigers and Urbina's agents said the Tigers' closer turned setup man recently resumed throwing and is on track to pitch in the Venezuelan League for the Caracas Leones soon. He's not likely to pitch this weekend, as he'll be attending the wedding of White Sox pitcher and good friend Freddy Garcia.

When he does pitch, it'll mark his first action on the mound since he returned home to Venezuela Sept. 1 upon hearing the news that his mother was kidnapped. She remains held for ransom for a fourth month, but Urbina has told his agents and good friend Ozzie Guillen that he intends to pitch next season and report to Spring Training whether or not his mother's situation is resolved.

Although any Winter League appearance for him would be brief -- the regular season ends Dec. 27 -- it would be an encouraging sign for a potential trade market. Though president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said they'll be fine using him as a setup man, they're also exploring potential deals. None of the proposals the Tigers received at the Winter Meetings particularly enthralled them, but part of the reason for lack of interest is the uncertainty of Urbina's situation. It's believed that the fact Urbina still wants to pitch would help a bit.

Without Urbina, the Tigers are still finding encouraging news out of Venezuela. After a slow start, Omar Infante has raised his average to .290 as of Thursday with 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored in 32 games. He entered Thursday on a hitting tear, having gone 13-for-28 over his past seven games with five doubles, two triples and a trio of three-hit contests.

On the pitching side, Tigers minor leaguer Jason Karnuth continues to provide solid relief to the Aragua Tigres. He's allowed just two earned runs in 23 2/3 innings for a 0.76 ERA. Wilfredo Ledezma, meanwhile, struggled in his second start for Magallanes. Through two outings, he's surrendered seven runs on nine hits and four walks in four innings of work.

Tigers make pitch to Pavano

2004-12-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

The Tigers, once regarded in the backdrop of the free-agent market, might be first in line in more than just the order of visits for Carl Pavano.

Detroit is believed to have offered a four-year contract to the free-agent starter, who will arrive in the city Thursday night as part of his tour of American League cities over the next week.

Pavano's agent, Scott Shapiro, neither confirmed nor denied that an offer was made. However, he made both the Tigers' aggressiveness and Pavano's patience pretty clear while indicating they're nowhere close to a deal.

"Detroit has stated [its] definite, significant interest in Carl," Shapiro said. "I've made my point that we're going to let the market mature. It's basic market economics. Carl is one of the best pitchers on the market."

While the market matures, Pavano will get to know the American League. After touring Comerica Park and meeting with Tigers officials on Friday, Pavano and Shapiro will head to New York and meet with the Yankees. From there, they'll go to Baltimore, then Seattle, and finally to Anaheim just ahead of baseball's Winter Meetings next weekend.

It's at that point, Shapiro said, that they'll start weighing offers.

"Nothing's going to happen until we gather enough information and let Carl process that information to make a decision," Shapiro said.

Pavano has already visited the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, the organization that drafted him in 1994. Add in five National League teams, and interest in Pavano comes from a dozen teams.

Pavano will turn 29 next month. He owns a 57-58 career record between Montreal and Florida. Pavano emerged as an All-Star in 2004 by going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for the Marlins, who could still have a chance at re-signing him.

Tigers add Pair of Outfielders

2004-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers added two more players to their burgeoning group of outfielders on Friday by claiming Byron Gettis and Dewayne Wise off waivers from the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves, respectively.

Both spent time with their Major League clubs this past season, and Wise made Atlanta's postseason roster for the National League Division Series. Both jump onto a Tigers 40-man roster that now boasts nine outfielders, though some might be dropped before Spring Training opens in February.

The Tigers saw more of Gettis first hand than any other Major League team. Five of his 21 games played for the Royals last season were against Detroit, all of them starts. The right-handed hitter went 2-for-15 with six strikeouts against the Tigers and 7-for-39 overall.

More impressive to the Tigers was his minor league performance. He was named the Royals' Minor League Player of the Year in 2003 after he posted a .302 average with 16 homers and 103 RBIs at Double-A Wichita. Between Wichita and Triple-A Omaha this season, he batted .283 with 11 doubles, six homers and 30 RBIs in 68 games. He'll turn 25 during Spring Training.

By contrast, Dombrowski said, the Tigers consider the 26-year-old Wise more advanced as far as his chances of making the big-league club. The lefty played in 77 games as a reserve outfielder for Atlanta, batting .228 with nine doubles, four triples, six home runs and 17 RBIs in 162 at-bats. He hit .314 in 34 games for Triple-A Richmond with four doubles, six triples, five home runs, 16 RBIs and five stolen bases.Wise is out of minor league options, meaning he would have to pass through waivers to be placed back in the minors if he doesn't make the Tigers roster next spring. Gettis, however, can be optioned again.

The Tigers have made four waiver pickups in the last two weeks. Three of them have been outfielders, including Alexis Gomez -- another ex-Royal -- in the season's final week. Rondell White, Dmitri Young, Bobby Higginson, Craig Monroe and Nook Logan all are expected back next year. Alex Sanchez is eligible for arbitration, while the Tigers must make a decision on Marcus Thames. Both Wise and Gettis will compete for Major League jobs in camp.

But as Dombrowski pointed out, the developmental options at Triple-A Toledo are thin other than Logan -- if he doesn't make the big club next year -- and Curtis Granderson, who will most likely start next season with the Mud Hens. By making claims, the Tigers can add some potential young talent to Toledo -- compared to recent years when they've chosen to sign more minor-league free agents -- and give themselves more options for help on the big league club.

The moves push Detroit's protected roster to its 40-man limit. The Tigers will have to drop some players later to make room for four players coming off the 60-day disabled list -- right-hander Nate Cornejo, relievers Fernando Rodney and Chris Spurling and second baseman Fernando Vina. They'll also have to make room for any minor league players who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft that they choose to protect.

$15 million for Ransom

2004-09-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com news services

Kidnappers of Maura Villarreal, the mother of Detroit Tigers reliever Ugueth Urbina, reportedly are demanding a ransom of $15 million.

A phone call to the family in Venezuela confirmed the kidnappers' demand, according to the Venezuela Electronic News.

On Tuesday, the Venezuela Electronic News reported that detectives have traced the phone call to the location from which the kidnappers made their ransom demand. Citing police sources, no money has been handed over to the kidnappers and they haven't met the family's request to provide proof that Villarreal is alive, the media outlet reported.

Urbina's mother was kidnapped Sept. 1, when men dressed as policemen entered her small Venezuelan farm and spirited her away. Urbina, 30, left the Tigers to go to Venezuela and has not returned to the team.

The men took Maura Villarreal from a house owned by Urbina in suburban Caracas on Wednesday, said Joel Rengifo, director of the country's anti-kidnapping police force.

My prayers to the Villarreal family

Tigers' comeback bid falls Short

2004-09-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

The Tigers finally scored against Minnesota's bullpen, and somebody finally scored against J.C. Romero. But Minnesota's ability to score and Terry Mulholland's efficiency ensured it wasn't enough.

"We've played them three games," manager Alan Trammell said of the Twins, "and I don't know if there's one thing they haven't done right."

Sunday's ninth inning might be one thing, but all that did was bring out Twins closer Joe Nathan. He struck out Brandon Inge to send Detroit to an 8-5 loss Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park and their fifth straight loss to a team closing in on an American League Central three-peat.

"They've been a great team for several years now," first baseman Carlos Pena said. "It's almost like you can't pick out a player as the reason why they win. It's a team playing as a collective unit."

The bullpen, however, has been the most formidable of the units lately. The Tigers entered the ninth trailing by four and 2-for-26 against Twins relievers for the series. They hadn't scored off of Minnesota's bullpen since July 10, a stretch of 18 2/3 innings -- including Jesse Crain's 1 1/3 perfect innings Sunday -- in which they managed a total of six hits.

The Good Ole 2 Out Rally

2004-09-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Some say the Tiger's second basemen Omar Infante was the one who help put the Royals away in a 7 - 3 victory yesterday. Some even say the solo shot homerun by first basemen Carlos Pena won the game. Either way for some reason, the Tigers managed to scored all their runs on 2 out rallies. Making the pitchers job a little more nail biting than usual. It is reasonable to agree it was picther Wilfredo Ledezma who helped put the Royals away. With a rocky start in the 1st inning, Ledezma buckled down to retire the bottom of the order for the Royals. In the end, he struck out 8 of his last 10 batters in 6 innings. Ledezma has now pitched a career high of 155 2/3 innings compared to his 150 innings originally pitched per season. Keep it up Wilferdo!

Go Tigers!!!

4 Men Kidnap Pitchers Mother

2004-09-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

The mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina was kidnapped by four unidentified men disguised as police officers, police said Thursday.

The men took Maura Villareal from a house owned by Urbina in suburban Caracas on Wednesday, said Joel Rengifo, director of the country's anti-kidnapping police force. The men have not contacted family members, he said.

The Tigers said Urbina had left the club to go to Venezuela, and the team is working with major league baseball and its Venezuelan contacts to assist the pitcher.

A little update, a little preview

2004-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at what games we've seen and what games are coming up:

Last 5 Games
Fri, Aug 27 at Boston L 3-5
Sat, Aug 28 at Boston L 1-5
Sun, Aug 29 at Boston L 1-6
Mon, Aug 30 at Kansas City W 9-1
Tue, Aug 31 at Kansas City L 8-9
Next 5 Games
Wed, Sep 1 at Kansas City 8:10 pm
Fri, Sep 3 at Tampa Bay 7:15 pm
Sat, Sep 4 at Tampa Bay 6:15 pm
Sun, Sep 5 at Tampa Bay 1:15 pm
Mon, Sep 6 Kansas City 1:05 pm

But I have a feeling that tonights game is gonna be a huge win for us against KC.

The Tigers will try to win a road series against the Royals on Wednesday, sending left-hander Mike Maroth to the mound for the finale after the two teams split the first two games.

Mixed results

2004-08-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well we're 3-2 in our last 5 games:

 Wed, Aug 18	at Chi White Sox	L 2-9 

 Thu, Aug 19	at Chi White Sox	W 8-4 

 Fri, Aug 20	Seattle	W 8-3 

 Sat, Aug 21	Seattle	W 11-10 

 Sun, Aug 22	Seattle	L 3-5

But we're 11 games behind Minnesota, with no chance of closing that gap any time soon. But what those numbers don't tell is how close we were to sweeping the Mariners yesterday. From Yahoo:

The game came down to one last swing, when pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez lined to rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki with the tying runs on base for the final out, preserving the Mariners' 5-3 victory before 33,652 at Comerica Park.

"It's not easy," Rodriguez said about pinch-hitting. "I did my job, but it got caught."

Manager Alan Trammell said of Rodriguez's liner: "If anything, he hit it too well."

The loss to the Mariners -- who had won four of their previous 30 road games -- snapped the Tigers' three-game winning streak, prevented a three-game series sweep and dropped them seven games under .500.

Come on Tigers....

Tigers rally, but can't close deal

2004-08-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

It really sucks to suck so sucking much. Yesterday's loss was our seventh in eight games. Yes, that puts us at 10 games under .500. And yes, normally you would try to improve as the season progresses, not get worse.

Jason Johnson's pitching blew so hard, I thought the whole stadium might just blow away. Sort of a fata morgana type thing...

Anyway, there are worse offenses than bad pitching, and a good rally isn't one of them. But rallying and not tying it up doesn't help us much. Result: Oakland 5, Detroit 4.

Here's an interesting bit on Andy Van Hekken. You may remember him from his Major League debut w/ the Tigers where he shut out the Indians in 2002.

Brace yourselves for another couple games in Oakland - Wilfredo Ledezma will be on the mound. He'll be facing ex-Tiger Mark Redman. Hope you can catch it!

GO TIGERS!!!

Tigers suffer Texas' long ball

2004-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com:

Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers squared off in a rubber match of their own Tuesday, and the Tigers' lefty came out on the short end.
Robertson (9-6) took the loss as Rogers and the Rangers' bullpen helped Texas edge the Tigers, 5-4, in front of 19,894 at Comerica Park.

"Their pitching, when you look at their starters, doesn't have a lot of big names," Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. "But Kenny Rogers has been the guy who has stepped up. He's been great. And their bullpen -- they have some great arms out there. They've shut some teams down."

And it was that recipe, coupled by a shaky outing from Robertson, that did in the Tigers on Tuesday.

This marked the third time Robertson and Rogers faced each other this season, splitting the first two games. In the first meeting, Robertson got the better of the game, going 7 2/3 innings and allowing only one run. In the second, it was Rogers' turn to dominate, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing just one run.

In the third game, Robertson lasted an inning longer than his counterpart, going 6 2/3 innings. But it was that extra inning that cost him the game.

Jason Johnson will face Mike Bacsik of Texas on the mound tonight. Be sure to catch it!

GO GET 'EM, TIGERS!!!

Cleveland 10; Detroit 6

2004-07-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays game didn't end quite as well as their game on Monday.

The final score of Mondays game was 13-4, and the final score of last nights game was 6-10

Tonight game starts at 7:05.

Lets hope for a strong win!

here's some stats

2004-07-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

I'm too tired from a much-too-short weekend to rant about baseball right now, so here's some stats:

    	W  	L  	Pct  	GB 

 Minnesota 	54 	44 	.551 	-- 

 Chi White Sox 	52 	43 	.547 	0.5 

 Cleveland 	50 	49 	.505 	4.5 

 Detroit 	46 	52 	.469 	8.0 

 Kansas City 	35 	62 	.361 	18.5

Individual Leaders

 AVG	I. Rodríguez	.359 

 HR	C. Guillén	15 

 RBI	C. Guillén	70 

 R	C. Guillén	72 

 SB	Á. Sánchez	18 

 W	N. Robertson	9 

 SV	U. Urbina	15 

 IP	J. Johnson	131.1 

 ERA	N. Robertson	4.24

Tonight we play Cleveland at their house. Maybe we can close that 3.5 game gap between us.

Tigers getting back on track

2004-07-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

Normally you would expect to see Ugueth Urbina in a ninth-inning save situation for the Tigers. But Urbina had thrown 43 pitches in a two-inning stint Tuesday night and manager Alan Trammell didn't want to use his closer again Wednesday night.

Instead, Trammell called on setup men Esteban Yan and Jamie Walker in the ninth to seal a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park.

Walker retired the only two batters he faced with the tying runs on base for his first save. Walker saved the game for Mike Maroth (7-7), who allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. Maroth was coming off a 127-pitch one-hit shutout of the Yankees in his previous start.

"That was the most pitches I've thrown in my career, so even though I felt pretty good, I knew it probably wouldn't be a long night for me," Maroth said. "Looking long term the rest of the season, that makes sense."

Maroth helped the Tigers rebound after two tough losses to the Minnesota Twins.

"We did what we had to do tonight -- play good, solid baseball," Maroth said. "The worst thing you can do in our situation is start pressing."

Lets hope that they can keep playing some good, solid baseball.

Detroit takes a loss

2004-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

The 7th-inning Twins were too much for the Tigers last night, gaining a 3-1 win over Detroit. Mulholland was on fire to be fair, but let's not forget the squandered opportunity in the 5th with bases loaded and no outs - we only snagged one run for all our good positioning.

Tonight we'll be trying to thwart a sweep and take home a win with Bonderman at the plate. In case you weren't aware, Bonderman's had trouble against the Twins in the past (to say the least). Let's hope he can gain some confidence tonight and rip Minnesota a new one!

Good game, guys.

2004-07-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Way to win the series!
Some nice lines from yahoo sports:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers punctuated a feel-good first half by winning five of their last six games.

What a difference a year can make.

Jason Johnson pitched a five-hitter for his first career shutout, striking out a personal-best 11 and leading the Tigers to a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Now get some rest and come back with more steam.

DET 10, NYY 8

2004-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Tigers!

It's always good to see a win, somehow even more so when it isn't handed to you. Having family from Boston (and for other reasons) I have to say the Yankees are my least favorite team in the league. THe victory's even sweeter that way. Too bad Pudge, Trammell, and Sanchez couldn't share the glory too much.

That puts us at 5 games under .500, with a Twins series coming up. Perhaps we could stop getting ejected from games, guys? Minnesota is very strong right now, sitting at the top of AL central. We're going to need you, Ivan.

That's all for now. Good luck against the twins, Detroit!

New Detroit Tigers Blog!

2004-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Glad you could stop by. This is my first blog post ever, and I'm happy to be exploring the online baseball community. This blog will be dedicated to my lifelong favorite team, those baseball-playing Tigers of Motor City! I've stuck with them through thick and thin. It's a bit thin right now (39-44), and I'm right here in the stands as always. Besides, it could be way worse! And the beauty of baseball, of course, is we still have plenty of time to turn the season around. I don't know about anyone else, but I'll be watching and cheering for the Tigers!