Bonderman has good shot as All-Star

When Jeremy Bonderman makes his next start Tuesday at Minnesota, Jack Morris might be watching. That wouldn't be a surprise, since he and Bonderman had many talks in 2003 when Bonderman was a rookie and Morris was calling Tigers games on television.
Like Morris in his time, Bonderman has a competitive streak with an aggressive approach to pitching. Depending in part on how Bonderman performs Tuesday, they might have more in common soon.

With Ivan Rodriguez's chances of starting next month's All-Star Game at Comerica Park looking bleaker and no clear-cut All-Star possibilities among the Tigers' other position players, Detroit's opportunity to send a second player to the Midsummer Classic might come from the pitching staff. The more wins and quality outings Bonderman compiles, the more he looks like a possibility to become an All-Star at the age of 22 and break a drought that in some circumstances dates back to Morris' time in Motown.

The only Tigers pitcher to make the All-Star team during the Comerica Park era is ex-closer Todd Jones, who did it in 2001. No Tigers starter has been an All-Star since left-hander Justin Thompson in 1997. No Tigers right-handed starter has pitched in an All-Star Game since Morris in 1987.

Doyle Alexander made the team in 1988 but didn't pitch in the game. David Wells was an All-Star in 1995, but he's a lefty.

The seven years without an All-Star starter is the longest drought the Tigers have had in the history of the All-Star Game. Granted, the requirement of having each team represented in the Midsummer Classic makes it difficult for any team with a losing record to earn more than one All-Star spot, and the Tigers have rarely been short on hitting. Yet whether it was Morris, Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain, Jim Bunning or Hal Newhouser, Detroit has had pitchers who became regular selections.

Bonderman would like to be considered in that kind of group one day, though making the All-Star team isn't his primary concern right now.

"I'm not really worried about that," he said last Thursday after giving up a run on four hits in seven innings to help beat the Padres and improve his record to 8-4. "I want to win for the team. Yeah, it would be great to go to the All-Star Game, and eventually I'd love to be there. But to me right now, the more important thing is that I've been here when we were dogged and we weren't good, and now we're starting to play better baseball. This is a good team. We just have to get to .500 and get over it, and then we'll be fine."

Of course, few All-Star pitchers ever do worry about making the All-Star team. Fan balloting only decides the starting lineup for position players, leaving pitching staffs up to a combination of managerial discretion and voting from players, coaches and managers around the league. Without weekly balloting updates, there's no way to tell where a pitcher stands until rosters are announced a week before the game aside from statistics.

Statswise, not only does Bonderman hold his own, but there aren't many clear-cut choices on an AL pitching staff. Only Jon Garland, Roy Halladay and Kenny Rogers had more wins among AL pitchers through Sunday, and all three would seemingly be locks. Five pitchers besides Bonderman had eight wins, but only two had thoroughly better stats. Both Mark Buehrle and Matt Clement are 8-1, and the latter has anchored the Red Sox. His manager, Terry Francona, will lead the AL All-Stars.

Six starting pitchers made last year's AL roster, and two others were named as injury replacements. C.C. Sabathia and Jake Westbrook both made the club with five and six wins, respectively, at the time rosters were announced. The 2003 AL All-Stars also had six starters plus one injury replacement.

Jeremy Bonderman / P
Born: 10/28/82
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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The last Tigers pitcher to reach eight wins this quickly was David Wells in 1993, and he didn't make the All-Star team. He made it two years later with an 8-3 record.

Bonderman's teammate, Nate Robertson, was 7-3 at the time last year's AL roster was announced and didn't make the team. He entered the break with an 8-4 record, the same mark Bonderman has now.

However, Bonderman and Halladay are the only pitchers with eight or more wins whose teams do not have a winning record. And though the line score doesn't show it, Bonderman put up one of his better performances against the Red Sox in May, when he escaped a two-on, no-out situation in the third inning and a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth without allowing a run.

"He's going to be a great pitcher," Boston's Johnny Damon told The Associated Press at the time. "We had decent approaches, but that kid's really good."

The kid, who also ranks sixth in the league in strikeouts, thinks he could be better at this point.

"It's definitely nice," Bonderman said of his record, "but I'd like to be a lot better than that. I feel like I could be a lot better, but I made some bad pitches. That game in L.A. [a 5-3 loss on June 5], I probably should've won that game. The Yankees [who beat him 4-3 May 26], I should've won that game. You look back on games where I just made one bad pitch that cost the game, that hurts.

"You want to be perfect. It's not going to happen, but you want to be perfect. If you're happy being average, then that's what you'll be, average. I don't want to be just an average player. I want to be the [kind of pitcher that] when I go out to the mound, people say it's going to be a tough game."

He's certainly not average now. Whether he's an All-Star will be up for discussion over the next couple weeks.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Ordonez not quite ready

The batting-practice session Magglio Ordonez had Sunday morning typified where the Tigers stand with his comeback. On one pitch, he looked like somebody still rusty if not sore as he reached low for a ball. Just when he looked still a ways off from returning to action, though, he belted the next pitch over the left-field fence.
Wednesday will mark the eight-week point since Ordonez underwent hernia surgery in late April. Nearly everyone agrees that Ordonez is closing in on a Minor League rehab stint, but it's not necessarily coming in the next couple of days.

Manager Alan Trammell said the decision comes down to when Ordonez says he feels ready to play. Ordonez said Saturday he doesn't want to go until he feels fully healthy.

"I have to feel 100 percent," Ordonez said. "They don't have a timetable when I can do my rehab."

Trammell definitely doesn't have one, because he doesn't want it to feel like Ordonez has had a setback if he didn't make it back by the timetable. At this point, Trammell said, he doesn't see Ordonez at 100 percent. He said Ordonez continues to feel soreness when he works out, and he'll have to get past it before he can head to Triple-A Toledo.

"If you ask me today, I would say no, I just don't think he's ready yet," Trammell said. "We've waited this long. He's doing everything possible. Let's not make a mistake."

With that in mind, Ordonez will accompany the Tigers on their upcoming road trip, though he might not be with them when they finish.

"One of the things that you're going to deal with, whether it's Magglio or anybody, is that when they go on a rehab, they're not going to want to stay down there a whole long time," Trammell said. "So you want to make sure they are as close to being ready as possible. You can't simulate the games, but all the running and the throwing and having minimal soreness means you're getting close.

"He's still not quite there. He still has some good soreness that he's getting because he's doing other activities."

When Ordonez goes on his rehab stint, Trammell wants him to be able to play the outfield. "I want him to be the well-rounded player he is," Trammell said. "I don't think he wants to be the DH."

In an intriguing twist, the Tigers return home in a week to take on the White Sox, but Trammell said he does not expect Ordonez to be ready to come back for that series.

"It's something he might like," Trammell said, "but I don't see it happening."

No deal: Ordonez dismissed a report in this week's USA Today Sports Weekly suggesting he wouldn't mind being traded if the Tigers don't show improvement. Nor does Ordonez have any idea where the suggestion came from.

"They should pick another player [for the rumor mill]," Ordonez said. "That's why I signed for the long term, to be a Tiger."

Ordonez's contract and his recent health make any notion of a deal just about impossible. He signed a five-year contract worth more than $70 million in February that could become a seven-year deal if he's healthy and productive in 2009 and 2010. His knee injury scared many teams off him in the free-agent market last winter, and that was before his hernia injury this season.

Ivan Rodriguez / C
Born: 11/30/71
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Pudge plays on a Sunday: Ivan Rodriguez broke with the pattern of Sundays being a day of rest for him when he asked Trammell to keep him in the lineup this Sunday.

"I think he feels good about his stroke," Trammell said. "He wants to play, so he twisted my arm. ... Today would be an obvious day to rest him, but he's adamant about playing."

Rodriguez's three hits Saturday improved his season average to .295, including .342 over his last 18 games with 10 doubles, two homers and five RBIs. His 20 doubles tied him for second in the American League entering Sunday.

"Yesterday was really the [classic] Pudge, working the ball the other way, working inside, and I think that's Pudge basically when he's going at his best. He's using the middle of the field to right and then the occasional pull. He's been fighting that. He's been in and out."

The only regular given Sunday off was Nook Logan, currently in an 0-for-13 slump. Alexis Gomez started in his place.

Lakeland Tigers shine at FSL All-Star Game: Saturday's Florida State League All-Star Game became a showcase for Lakeland Tigers. Brent Clevlen won the home run derby, then seven Tigers were in the starting lineup for the game itself. Jordan Tata earned the nod as starting pitcher with Danilo Sanchez at catcher, Kody Kirkland at first base, Juan Francia at second, Scott Tousa at shortstop, Vince Blue in center field and Clevlen playing right. The seven starters is believed to be an FSL record, while 10 players named to the All-Star team is a confirmed record.

Francia, Tousa and Justin Verlander -- who did not pitch in the All-Star Game because he started earlier in the week -- were all promoted to Double-A Erie. Verlander will make his SeaWolves debut Tuesday.

Tigers tryouts Monday: The Tigers will hold tryout camps this Monday for players ages 16-25 at Oestrike Stadium on the campus of Eastern Michigan University and next Monday at Fifth Third Ballpark, where the West Michigan Whitecaps play.

Registration for both camps begin at 8:30 a.m., with workouts starting at 9 a.m. No pre-registration or participation fee is required, but players must provide their own glove and workout equipment. The team will provide wood bats, helmets and baseballs.

Coming up: The Tigers have a day off before traveling to Minneapolis for a three-game series against the Twins beginning Tuesday. Jeremy Bonderman will try for his ninth win opposite Kyle Lohse. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Tigers sign four more draftees

The Tigers agreed to terms with four more selections from this month's First-Year Player Draft, including their second player taken.
Third-round pick Chris Robinson, a two-time all-Big Ten Conference catcher from Illinois, was the highest-drafted of the four collegians to sign. Former Texas A&M reliever Kevin Whelan (fourth-round pick), Auburn outfielder Clete Thomas (sixth round) and Army catcher Schuyler Williamson also agreed to terms.

Robinson, Whelan and Thomas all completed their junior seasons this year, while Williamson was a senior.

Robinson earned a reputation as one of the better defensive catchers in the country with what Tigers scouts saw as a strong arm and quick release. He led the Big Ten by throwing out 43.1 percent of would-be basestealers along with seven pickoffs.

Whelan was a converted catcher who became a closer and impressed scouts last summer in the Cape Cod League. Thomas, a fifth-round pick by the Twins two years ago, projects as a speedy center fielder who hit .328 with six triples, nine home runs, 41 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. Williamson, a co-captain on the Army squad that made the NCAA regionals, batted .258 this season with five home runs, 36 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

The Tigers have signed 23 of their 49 draft picks so far this summer. The latest signings come as Detroit's short-season Class A affiliate at Oneonta prepares to begin its season.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Tigers roll over Twins in series opener

Maybe this is the roll the Tigers have been waiting for as a team. This entire season has already been the roll they were hoping to see out of Jeremy Bonderman.
"It's going to happen. I just don't know when," Bonderman said of a Tigers surge after Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Twins at the Metrodome. "No one can predict that. We're right there. We're over the .500 mark, and I think this team's going to get going. I really believe this team's going to go. We played great baseball today."

The great baseball centered around Bonderman (9-4), who pitched a complete-game five-hitter for his third consecutive win and his first career win against the Twins. Bonderman struck out a season-high nine batters.

The success carried over to Detroit's lineup, which pounded out eight hits with two strikes in the count. That included four singles on 1-2 counts in a three-run fourth to take the lead, and two more in a three-run fifth that included a two-run homer from Dmitri Young to all but seal the Tigers' sixth win in their last seven games and put them over .500 for the first time since April 29.

"Two-strike hits win games," hitting coach Bruce Fields said. "We were very proficient at it tonight, especially in our big innings. That's something we have to continue to do. If we want to turn the page and move forward, we have to be a better two-strike hitting club, and we were better at it tonight."

Twins starter Kyle Lohse (5-6) retired nine out of 10 batters through three innings before the Tigers came up with their two-strike attack in the fourth. Placido Polanco fell into an 0-2 hole before lining a 1-2 pitch into right-center field for a leadoff single, and an error by right fielder Jacque Jones allowed Polanco to advance to second.

After a four-pitch walk to Rondell White, Ivan Rodriguez lined a 1-2 offering through the middle to score Polanco. Craig Monroe hit a 1-2 pitch off Lohse's glove and into center field to load the bases, then Chris Shelton lined a 1-2 pitch into left for a two-run single.

Young's 436-foot drive to left did not come on a two-strike pitch, but rather a 1-1 offering. It did, however, come two innings after Twins center fielder Torii Hunter reached above the baggie fence in center to rob Brandon Inge of a solo homer. Hunter had no chance on Young's drive to center, which was still traveling on a line when it hit the folded-up seats beyond the fence.

"I'd never seen [Hunter rob a home run] in person until he did it to Mr. Inge," Young said. "Brandon cleared it by five feet and it got caught."

Despite that play, the Tigers cleared the Twins by enough runs to avoid the Minnesota magic that plagued them for much of the past few years. Detroit scored four runs in each game of a three-game sweep in April that included a last at-bat loss for Troy Percival one night, and a five-run first inning off Jason Johnson the next.

Bonderman didn't allow that kind of magic to percolate in large part because he worked ahead of batters. He threw first-pitch strikes to 25 of the 31 Twins he faced. Not only did he retire the final seven batters, but he didn't throw a ball to the last six. His final 19 pitches were strikes, giving him 80 strikes out of 107 pitches and handing the Tigers their first series-opening win at the Metrodome since 2000.

"I went out and attacked the zone, put them on the defensive," Bonderman said. "They made their hits on good pitches. I just tried to attack the zone and make them hit my pitches early in the game. [I tried] to get deep into [the count], give these guys a chance to win."

Both runs allowed by Bonderman came on singles up the middle. Lew Ford drove in Shannon Stewart following his leadoff double in the fourth, then Jones singled in Hunter in the fifth.

But instead of starting a rally, the hits were followed by close calls that turned into outs. Justin Morneau hit a rising fastball that Monroe caught at the track to end the fourth. In the fifth, Omar Infante ranged deep into the hole for a ground ball and flipped a toss to second, turning what looked like a Michael Cuddyer hit into a bases-clearing double play.

The last baserunner Bonderman allowed was also erased by a double play. After Inge's 12th error of the season put Hunter on first base leading off the seventh, Inge made a quick grab of a Jones liner on the next pitch, and then fired to first for the twin killing.

The Twins victimized Bonderman in his first Major League start two years ago, and he entered Tuesday's game with an 0-4 record and 9.93 ERA in five career starts and one relief appearance against Minnesota.

"They have a great team, but he's gotten better," said pitching coach Bob Cluck.

"I've been facing Bonderman for two years now," said Hunter. "I've always said once this guy figures it out, he's going to be dominant."

Said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire: "You're looking at a young pitcher with a very, very good arm and a lot of good stuff. Tonight, he showed it in the Metrodome."

In his last two starts, he's been able to show it following a Tigers victory instead of trying to stop a losing streak. For the first time this season, they see pitching and hitting coming together at the same time, and they're hoping this is the point when they can assemble a long winning streak.

"It's a long season, and now we're starting to hit our stride," Young said. "We don't know how long that stride's going to last -- hopefully a long time."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

'71 All-Star Game in Detroit a classic

The last All-Star Game in Detroit wasn't only about lots of home runs and Hall of Famers. It was about two starting pitchers making history, a city on the rebound, a league trying to end a decade's worth of defeat and one of the game's greatest hitters homering against a hometown hero.
The Midsummer Classic's return to the Motor City for the first time in 20 years came four years after the infamous Detroit riots of 1967 and three years after the Tigers' championship helped the city deal. Back then, the All-Star Game was merely the game itself rather than the week of events it is now. However, it was a major event in the city that became bigger by the level of talent that played in it.

Twenty eventual Hall of Famers were either voted onto or selected to the rosters. It was a meeting of two generations: the venerable heroes of what was arguably baseball's golden age during the 1950s and '60s, and the young stars entering their prime who would help carry the sport to new levels of prominence later in the 1970s. Some of those younger players, most notably Reggie Jackson, were replacements due to injuries.

Nowhere was that youth more on display than on the mound, where the game's brightest pitchers that year were both under age 27. What also made significant headlines at the time was that they were both African-American.

Though no African-American pitcher had ever started an All-Star Game, Oakland's Vida Blue made history thanks in part to a 17-3 record heading into the break -- at age 21. He'd end up winning the AL Cy Young and MVP awards.

Dock Ellis seemed the logical choice for the National League on the basis of a 12-game winning streak entering the break, but he created a stir in the days leading up to the game when he predicted that NL manager Sparky Anderson wouldn't select him because he didn't think Anderson liked him.

Anderson not only named Ellis the starter the day before the game, but didn't take offense to the remarks.

"I think everybody has a right to say what he wants," Anderson told The Associated Press after announcing the decision.

Both pitchers retired the side in the first before the home-run derby began in the second. Johnny Bench opened the scoring with a two-run homer, and then Hank Aaron hit a solo shot in the third for his first All-Star homer. Those were the only hits Blue allowed.

The batter who hit for Blue in the bottom of the third would help him leave with a victory and make his performance a footnote. After Luis Aparicio hit a leadoff single off Ellis, Jackson fell into a two-strike count.

"I was thinking to not strike out," he recalled recently.

Ellis offered him a slider on the next pitch. Jackson hit a drive to right that kept rising as it cleared the field. It ended up hitting the light tower atop the right-field roof. He later claimed he didn't know how far it went, but historical accounts suggest he had a good look at it.

"If you noticed," Bench told The Associated Press at the time, "he didn't even run. He just stood there and watched it. It was some shot."

Bench couldn't blame him. He called it the hardest ball he'd ever seen hit.

"If I stood at second base," Jackson said after the game, "I don't think I could hit it that far."

It's the lasting memory of the game, but the home-run barrage continued. Frank Robinson homered to right two batters later to give the AL the lead. With the shot, Robinson became the first player to homer from both sides of the plate in his All-Star career. After a few innings of relief for the outfield patrons, Harmon Killebrew added another two-run homer, scoring Detroit's Al Kaline.

That shot ended up being the difference in the game after a memorable at-bat for Roberto Clemente against Tigers lefty Mickey Lolich. Entering in the eighth with a three-run lead, Lolich struck out Bobby Bonds to bring up Clemente, who watched two pitches outside the strike zone. As freelance writer and broadcaster Bruce Markusen wrote, Clemente was determined to get a strike. So when he got a 2-0 fastball, he belted it into the right-center field seats. The home run merely provided the final margin for Lolich to get an All-Star save.

Not all the feats were offensive. Future Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose diving stops robbed Johnny Bench of multiple hits in the 1970 World Series, did it again in the fourth inning. He dove down the line to field a Bench grounder, then threw across the infield in time for the out as Bench raised his arms in frustration.

"I just asked him when he was going to let up and allow me to get a base hit," Bench told The Associated Press.

Bench finally got his hit in the seventh with a ground ball through the hole past Robinson. He was able to poke fun along the way.

"I had finally hit a ball past the human vacuum cleaner," Bench said after the game.

History would prove the AL's 6-4 victory to be even more significant. The NL had won eight consecutive All-Star Games before 1971 and won 11 more after, making this the American League's only win between 1962 and 1983.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Starters working quickly

The Tigers received a pleasant surprise with their USA Today at their hotel room doors this morning. Their pitchers are making quick work of their starts.
The newspaper tracked the length of games by each starting pitcher since the beginning of the 2003 season to determine the quickest-working starters. The Tigers were the only team to have two starters in the top seven.

Jeremy Bonderman tied for the fourth-quickest times with an average of 2 hours, 37 minutes. Mike Maroth was right behind at 2:38.

White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle topped the list at 2:31, followed by Toronto's Roy Halladay at 2:32. Six of the 10 quickest pitchers play in the AL Central; Jose Lima, C.C. Sabathia and Jake Westbrook finished up the top 10.

No other Tiger made the list, in part because pitchers needed to have at least 45 starts since the start of 2003 to qualify. But their presence near the top suggests that pitching coach Bob Cluck's program is working.

"I was real pleased with that," Cluck said. "I was kind of surprised that Bondo is in there."

Manager Alan Trammell said he's seen an improvement from Bonderman since his rookie season in 2003, when he would often slow down during struggles.

"He was very deliberate," Trammell said. "But it goes to show you that he's responded, because that's what Clucky had asked. I've talked to the team a couple of times about it.

"When Bondo pitches, see how quick he's out from the dugout. He's out there ready to go. You have to know your pitcher. When you make an out or something, you have to put that behind and get out on the field, because he's ready to go. He's out there as quickly as anybody in baseball.

"I like that he's bought into that," continued Trammell. "He wants to work fast. He wants to throw strikes. And it works. I think Clucky's made his point."

For Maroth, the list backs up an approach he's tried to take his whole career. In fact, he gave Bonderman some good-natured grief for being a minute faster, suggesting they just rounded it up to a minute. Bonderman's complete-game win over the Twins Tuesday took 2 hours, 38 minutes.

"I've always tried to work quickly, keep my defense behind me," Maroth said. "I want them on their toes. I always talk about throwing first strikes and a lot of strikes. That goes along with it. I must be something right to have quick games. At least, that's what I'm trying to accomplish. When I saw the list, I was hoping I'd be on there."

Keeping the defense on their toes is something especially important for a pitcher like Maroth, who forces a lot of ground balls. Considering pitching for ground balls early in the count is another emphasis for Cluck, who likes to preach three pitches or less for an out, pitching quickly goes hand in hand with that scheme.

Though Jason Johnson didn't make the list, both Trammell and Cluck were quick to point out he's made tremendous improvement in that regard. Other statistics prove the point. His 13.6 pitches per inning rank second-lowest among AL starters with enough innings to qualify, while his 3.32 pitches per plate appearance place him third. Minnesota's Carlos Silva leads in both categories. Johnson averaged 16.1 pitches per inning and 3.67 pitches per plate appearance last year, and his career averages are higher than that.

Maggs working hard: Magglio Ordonez ran the bases during the Tigers' off day Monday at Comerica Park, and worked out again on the Metrodome turf Tuesday afternoon. His manager can sense that Ordonez is readying for an upcoming rehab stint, but hinted that he could feasibly remain with the team when they go to Arizona, pushing his rehab stint to next week.

"You can see that he's starting to pick it up a little bit," Trammell said. "He's not backing off of anything. These are signs we're heading in the right direction.

"I'm not prepared to send him out on a rehab stint tomorrow," Trammell said. "We need to make sure that soreness has subsided."

Whenever Ordonez does go on a rehab stint, Trammell said, it will most likely last between a week and 10 days. Trammell's goal is to get Ordonez 30 at-bats before declaring him ready for a callback.

"The whole deal is we want Magglio Ordonez to be ready to play," Trammell said, "Not just two days, then off."

For what it's worth, the Toledo Mud Hens return home Friday for a homestand that lasts through July 3.

Guillen update: Both Carlos Guillen and Trammell are optimistic that the All-Star shortstop will be able to play when the Tigers can activate him Thursday. He took batting practice and infield grounders Tuesday and said the knee feels good.

Neither of them expect the artificial surface here to pose a problem for him in terms of being activated.

With one more Interleague series coming up at Arizona this weekend, meaning no DH spot will be available, Guillen must be able to play shortstop.

Verlander dazzles: Justin Verlander's Double-A debut went much like his outings at Class A Lakeland. Last year's first-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft allowed a lone hit over seven scoreless innings as Erie rolled to a 12-0 win at New Hampshire.

Verlander struck out the first seven batters he faced and retired the first 11. He fanned 11 batters on the night and reportedly topped out at 99 miles per hour.

Larish slugs it out: Jeff Larish isn't a Tiger just yet, but the Arizona State first baseman, Detroit's sixth-round pick in this month's First-Year Player Draft, is making the team anticipate his signing. He hit three home runs Tuesday afternoon, including a game-tying shot in the ninth inning, as the Sun Devils advanced in the College World Series with an extra-inning win over Nebraska.

Who's pitching fifth: Trammell reiterated that he'll go with a fifth starter Saturday at Arizona, but he could have to make a decision on who will pitch that game in the next couple days. The most likely candidate for the job, Triple-A Toledo right-hander Sean Douglass, is tentatively scheduled to start for the Mud Hens Friday night.

Coming up: Nate Robertson will try to end a personal four-game winless streak and end his recent struggles at the Metrodome when he faces the Twins and Joe Mays on Wednesday night. Game time is 8:10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Trammell, Macha named AL coaches

The American League has added a local hero to its All-Star roster for next month's All-Star Game at Detroit's Comerica Park. AL All-Star manager Terry Francona on Wednesday named Tigers manager Alan Trammell as one of the coaches for the Midsummer Classic. Francona also tabbed Oakland manager Ken Macha as an AL coach for the July 12 game.
"Picking the two coaches was a no-brainer," Francona said. "I coached Detroit in Tram's last year as a player. The guy's an All-Star shortstop, a Hall of Fame candidate and it's his home ballpark. It's a natural. Mach hired me as his bench coach in Oakland and that sort of reenergized my career. He was generous with his knowledge about managing, and being with him in Oakland gave me the itch to manage again. I wanted to honor him and thank him for all he did."

It will be the first All-Star appearance as a coach for both Trammell and Macha.

Trammell, in his third full season as Detroit's manager, was the 1984 World Series Most Valuable Player and was a six-time AL All-Star during his 20-year playing career. He piloted the 2004 Tigers to a 29-game turnaround, marking the largest win differential in the Majors from 2003.

Macha entered 2005 with a 187-137 managerial record. The Oakland manager posted 90-plus wins in each of his first two seasons with the A's.

"We had a nice year together," Macha said of his time with Francona. "A, because he was a lot of fun, and B, because he was very helpful to me as a first-year manager. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing."

Francona, whose father Tito was an All-Star in the 1961 Midsummer Classic at Fenway Park, has also asked his Boston Red Sox coaches to join him in Detroit.

Brad Mills, Dave Wallace, Ron Jackson, Dale Sveum, Lynn Jones and Bill Haselman will handle batting practice and other field duties.

Trainers Kevin Rand and Steve Carter of the Tigers will round out the AL All-Star staff.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Tigers promote Douglass

Sean Douglass won't get to enjoy that Triple-A All-Star selection. He will, however, get to enjoy wearing a Detroit Tiger uniform.
The Tigers filled their fifth starter spot as expected, purchasing the contract of right-hander Sean Douglass from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. The 26-year-old right-hander will make his first start Saturday night against the Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark.

"We needed a fifth starter," Trammell said. "I doubt that's a real surprise. He's been the guy in Toledo."

The only suspense ended up being when he would be called up. He was expected to start for the Tigers last Saturday against the Giants, but a lengthy rain delay and a short outing for Jason Johnson last Tuesday allowed Johnson to make the assignment on short rest.

Douglass still started last Sunday, only at Toledo rather than Detroit. He showed no signs of letdown, scattering a run on two hits over 7 1/3 innings to seven strikeouts.

The move comes on the heels of Douglass' selection to the International League's All-Star Team. He leaves the Mud Hens with a 9-1 record and a 2.87 ERA, striking out 76 batters against 27 walks. Opponents are batting .205 against him.

Douglass said it's his first All-Star selection at any level. "I've usually had a worse first half than second half," he said. "I've thrown well, but there's always been guys that put up better numbers than me."

Detroit will be the third Major League stop for Douglass, who came up through the Orioles system and spent parts of 2001-2003 in Baltimore before joining the Blue Jays last year. He owns a 2-8 career record with a 6.51 ERA in 36 games, 15 of them starts.

He feels more prepared for this shot than his previous ones. "Each year you get to know more guys and feel more comfortable around the guys, and you can relax more," Douglass said. "I can remember going out and throwing a bullpen [session] and being a nervous wreck for a bullpen. Today I wasn't a nervous wreck. Before I was so serious, so stressed about [what happens] if I don't do well. And I think I'm starting to have fun."

He can't guarantee he won't be a nervous wreck again Saturday, but "not as nervous as I've been in the past."

To make room for Douglass, the Tigers outrighted the contract of long reliever Matt Ginter to Toledo. Ginter, acquired at the end of Spring Training to fill Detroit's long relief void, allowed 15 earned runs on 30 hits in 24 2/3 innings, good for a 5.47 ERA.

The recent success of the Tigers rotation had drastically whittled his workload. He made just one appearance in June, a three-inning outing last Tuesday following the rain delay that knocked out Johnson.

"Is it really his fault? No," Trammell said of Ginter. "Our starters have been so good that we really haven't needed somebody."

They will, however, need another pitcher July 4 for a day-night doubleheader at Cleveland. Trammell wants to stretch out Ginter as a starter at Toledo, beginning with Douglass' original assignment Friday, and could call him back up if he performs well.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Trammell named to All-Star staff

Major League Baseball made official Wednesday what was already reported last month: Tigers manager Alan Trammell will be part of the American League coaching staff for next month's All-Star Game at Comerica Park.
Trammell will work with his close friend, Red Sox manager and AL skipper Terry Francona, for the game. So will Oakland manager Ken Macha. Francona's coaching staff in Boston, including former Tigers Lynn Jones and Bill Haselman, will also be on the staff.

"I coached Detroit in Tram's last year as a player [in 1996]," Francona said. "The guy's an All-Star shortstop, a Hall of Fame candidate and it's his home ballpark. It's a natural."

That didn't diminish Trammell's smile when he was first told of the honor in early May, when the Red Sox came to Comerica Park for a four-game series. "I'm very happy," Trammell said at the time. "I've always felt that being part of the All-Star Game festivities is an honor and that'll never change for me."

Trammell has participated in four All-Star Games and was selected to two others as a player, but none were in Detroit. The last time the Tigers hosted the Midsummer Classic was 1971.

"It's extra special being at home," Trammell said. "My feeling is I don't care where it would be."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Young makes early exit with injury

Tigers first baseman Dmitri Young left Wednesday's game against the Twins with an injured right index finger.
The injury occurred on a first-inning throwing error by starting pitcher Nate Robertson, who fielded Luis Rivas' one-out bunt and threw wide to Young's right. The ball glanced off the tip of the finger on his bare hand and carried into right field.

"He threw the ball hard," Young said, "and it had some tail to it. I thought it was bad [injurywise], because it was close range, thrown hard and it hit my finger."

Jason Smith replaced Young at first base to begin the bottom of the second.

After undergoing tests during the game, X-rays came back negative. Young is listed as day-to-day. Manager Alan Trammell said he won't play Thursday, but should be available to return Friday or Saturday at Arizona.

Young has earned the majority of the time at first base since the Tigers sent Carlos Pena to Triple-A Toledo on May 31. He's hitting .259 this season with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Tigers pounce on Mays at Metrodome

The Tigers don't expect shortstop Carlos Guillen to be activated from the 15-day disabled list when he becomes eligible Thursday. Most likely, he won't be activated for Friday's series opener at Arizona, either.
Guillen went through a somewhat rigorous day of infield drills, agility work and batting practice Tuesday. Asked how he came out of it, manager Alan Trammell said he was OK.

In this case, OK was not good. "He would've had to be perfect [healthwise the next day]," Trammell said, "and he's not."

The issue isn't the strained left hamstring that landed him on the DL last week. Instead, it's the surgically repaired right knee that has bothered him on and off all season. Trammell said the knee was "a little sore" after all the activity Wednesday.

"We've got to have a couple days in a row where there's no soreness," Trammell said. "At this point, with him on the disabled list, we're not going to rush it."

Given that, Trammell said there's "probably zero chance" he'll be activated Thursday. Since the Tigers won't take batting or infield practice before Thursday afternoon's series finale, Friday isn't probable either.

As much as Trammell would like Guillen's bat back in the lineup -- his .355 batting average would've been tied for the AL lead entering Wednesday if he had enough at-bats to qualify -- he wants to have him back on an everyday basis.

"The urgency is to get him right," Trammell said. "That's what we're looking for."

Asked whether he was concerned that the knee problems are back, Trammell said, "We're concerned, sure. We've been dealing with this for a while. But I really don't think it's going to be that much longer. But like I said, it's not going to be [Thursday]."

Magglio better, still not ready for rehab: Magglio Ordonez said he felt good Wednesday after his latest workout session, and Trammell reported that his slugger's general soreness is subsiding. However, it sounds more and more likely Ordonez won't go on a rehab assignment until next week.

"Pretty soon, I think," Ordonez said. "I think in about four or five days."

Ordonez, sidelined since April following hernia surgery, is scheduled to accompany the team to Arizona, where he'll run two more times. If he feels fine after that, he's likely ready for rehab.

That timetable rules out any return against his old employer, the White Sox, who come to town next week as part of a weeklong homestand. That's fine for Ordonez.

"I'm not focusing on the White Sox series," he said. "I just want to do good against any team. It doesn't matter who."

Ordonez said his swing feels good, evidenced by recent batting practice sessions, and it'll be a matter of getting his timing back in his rehab stint.

Whenever he does return, it'll mark his first action since he played the series opener at the Metrodome on April 12. Between his hernia and last year's knee problems, he hasn't played consecutive days since last July 21.

"I'm like a bullfighter," he said. "If the bull doesn't kill me, I'll be back."

Verlander, Zumaya make Futures Game: Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya are headed to Comerica Park, if only for a day.

The Double-A Erie pitchers were named to the rosters Wednesday for next month's Futures Game as part of All-Star Sunday at Comerica Park. The contest features many of the top prospects in baseball through various levels of the Minor Leagues.

Both Verlander and Zumaya will play on the U.S. team managed by former Royals great George Brett.

Inge not surprised by robbery: While Torii Hunter's over-the-fence grab of Brandon Inge's drive to center was the first time many Tigers had seen one of those from Hunter in person, the sight of Hunter taking away a hit is becoming familiar for Inge.

"He robbed me of a couple base hits in Spring Training," Inge said. "I had back-to-back days where it was Torii and then Andruw Jones robbing me."

The surprise from Inge was that his drive didn't go farther. "I thought I hit it better than I did. I thought it was going where Dmitri's [home run] went," he said, "but then I saw Superman come out of nowhere with his cape on his back."

Pudge throws BP: Ivan Rodriguez has made a habit of throwing early batting practice lately, doing so again Wednesday afternoon. He started out throwing to his son Dereck, but ended up pitching to Ordonez and Carlos Guillen as well.

Tigers coaches are OK with that. "I could definitely use some time off," third-base coach Juan Samuel joked.

Coming up: The Tigers and Twins finish up their series with a 1:10 p.m. ET matinee at the Metrodome on Thursday. Jason Johnson will try to avenge his April 13 beating when he takes the mound opposite Carlos Silva. The game will be broadcast exclusively on MLB.TV.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Ginter yearning for game action

DENVER -- Remember Matt Ginter?
If you don't, that's OK. That's the flip side of the Tigers' recent run of starting pitching.

Ginter is the long reliever on a team that has had a starter go less than five innings only once this month. Correspondingly, Ginter hasn't pitched in a game since giving up two runs on four hits in an inning on May 31, a 12-day rest.

It would be a interminable time sitting in the bullpen if he wasn't used to it. He went 11 days without work in late April around the back-to-back snowouts at home and one rainout in Cleveland. He went the final 11 days of the 2002 season without being used while with the White Sox, and he remembers going through a 14-day stretch earlier in his career.

"But then, I could throw four innings [next game]," Ginter said.

That's the conflict of long relief, especially for a team playing at Coors Field. Manager Alan Trammell can't give him a courtesy appearance of a couple innings because his starter could be out by the third or fourth inning the next day. Ginter's role is something few if any other pitchers on the staff can do, so he's always on call.

"I have to be prepared to start every day," Ginter said.

Between that and an eight-man bullpen, the only game action he might see anytime soon is a pretend game.

"We might have to give him a simulated game," Trammell said. "It's good and bad, but that's his role.

"It's good in that the starters are performing so well. If the starter can go seven [innings], then I'm going to [let him] go seven."

If the starter goes three, however, it's up to Ginter to try to control the damage.

"It's tough, and I think it's one of the toughest jobs in the big leagues," Ginter said. "A lot of the times, you're out there when the team is already getting beat. You go into a situation where a hitter's already hot and you have to try to slow them down. More often than not, infielders and outfielders have been out there a while and running around. I think one of the toughest parts about a long man is trying to go out there and shut the door for a couple innings."

Ginter already has the patience part down from experience. Because of that, he said he hasn't allowed himself to get frustrated over the lack of work.

"If you do that," he said, "you drive yourself nuts."

That said, he wouldn't mind seeing a hitter soon.

"You always want to get an inning somewhere," he said, "even if it's one hitter."

Douglass expected to start Saturday: Ginter could be a fallback candidate to start against the Giants on Saturday, when the Tigers need a fifth starter again after two weeks of a four-man rotation. However, that spot appears to be waiting for Sean Douglass' arrival from Triple-A Toledo, following his scheduled start for the Mud Hens on Monday.

"Douglass deserves a chance," pitching coach Bob Cluck said. "The chances are very good it's Douglass."

Douglass enters his next start tied for third in the International League with eight wins and seventh with a 3.09 ERA.

Nook goes yard: Nook Logan had a feeling going into Coors Field that this might be the place for him to homer.

"You start thinking about balls you hit at other places," he said after his first Major League homer Sunday. "Maybe if I hit one like that, I can get it out of here. But my job is to try to get on base and create things on the basepaths. But it's good to hit them whenever you do, so I'll take it."

If it was a closer game, it would've been more dramatic. The Tigers were down to their last strike when Rockies closer Brian Fuentes delivered a 3-2 pitch to Logan, who hit a hard liner with enough altitude to land in the left-field seats. The late heroics made it a 7-3 game.

"I wasn't trying to, like, pull a swing or anything like that," he said. "You just try to put a good swing on the ball. Really, you're trying to get on base at first and as you start seeing more pitches, then you start seeing the ball a little better. With two strikes, you try to put the ball in play."

Though Logan is known as a speedster, his home runs aren't a complete rarity. He had nine home runs in 547 Minor-League games, including four for Double-A Erie two years ago and two last year at Triple-A Toledo.

The Tigers were able to track down the ball for Logan afterwards. He plans to give it to his mom to put in a trophy along with some other memorabilia from his career.

Guillen hopes for Tuesday: As expected, Carlos Guillen was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game, his fourth consecutive game off. However, he was moving around better and didn't have noticeable swelling in his right knee. Trammell hopes to have him available for Tuesday's opener against the Padres, either at shortstop or DH, but the skipper is not certain that'll happen.

If Guillen is not well Tuesday, then Trammell might have to make the move he doesn't want to do: put Guillen on the 15-day disabled list.

"We get to Tuesday, and we're talking about a week [since he last played]," Trammell said. "If you do [put him on the DL], then you have only eight more days [before he can be activated]. That's certainly a consideration.

"I don't want to do it, as I've said. He's a very valuable player. But on the other side, you want to make sure he's OK."

Considering the Tigers get the DH back at home next week and still have an eight-man bullpen until Saturday, Trammell might not have to make the move.

Takeout order: If it seems like the Tigers are sliding harder into second base to break up double plays, there's a reason. It's been a recent project of bench coach Kirk Gibson.

"Gibby, he's been on that about staying up a little longer," Trammell said. "That's one of the things about aggressive play. You're not trying to do anything, but you're trying to disrupt the guy turning [the double play]. We'd like to do that more as a team, no question. It's not easy to do, but it's something we've talked about and something Gibby really, really believes in. And I believe it, too."

Detroit, which entered Sunday ranked 10th in the Majors by hitting into 49 double plays, hit into two on Friday and none on Saturday. Both Chris Shelton and Dmitri Young took out second baseman Luis Gonzalez on hard slides Friday, preventing possible double plays. Tony Giarratano wiped out Gonzalez on another slide Saturday to prevent a throw from being made.

Coming up: The Tigers get an off-day on Monday after returning from Denver. They'll begin a three-game series against the Padres on Tuesday night at 7:05 ET. Jason Johnson will take the mound opposite Jake Peavy in the Padres' first visit to Detroit since the 1984 World Series.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Tigers bullpen clicking on all cylinders

How do the Tigers spell relief? They're plenty of ways, even though none of them begin with a "U" anymore.
For all that's been made of Ugueth Urbina's departure from Detroit and the circumstances that preceded it, the Tigers would've had a harder time making the deal if they didn't feel comfortable with what they had in the remainder of the bullpen. Urbina was undoubtedly the hottest reliever on the club, having rolled off nine saves in as many opportunities in Troy Percival's absence.

Yet whether it was Kyle Farnsworth setting him up, Jamie Walker facing a left-handed slugger, Franklyn German keeping a game close or Chris Spurling following a starter, the Tigers have had hot arms from the middle innings on for the past month. Urbina topped off the bullpen, but he didn't carry it.

"There's no question Ugie has done a very good job," president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said at the time of the deal last week. "But having [Kyle] Farnsworth throw the way he's throwing, German throwing well, Walker throwing well, Spurling throwing good, Fernando Rodney close [to returning], the bullpen has been our strength."

For the first time since the Todd Jones trade in 2001, the Tigers could deal from their bullpen and do so from excess. What's left hasn't exactly fallen off in the few games since.

When the Rockies hit three consecutive RBI singles off Spurling on Sunday, it ended a scoreless streak of 12 1/3 innings posted by Tigers relievers. Even with those singles, two of the runs were charged to starter Nate Robertson, meaning the ERA for Detroit's bullpen crept up from 3.15 to 3.21. That's still third-lowest in the American League. The Tigers relievers' 2.1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season ranks second-best among AL bullpens, while their .237 batting average allowed ranks sixth.

Since blowing eight save opportunities in April, the Tigers have converted all of them since.

"Other than the first two weeks of the season, I think this has been one of the better bullpens in baseball," said closer Troy Percival, whose return from the disabled list a week ago also set up Urbina's trade. "It's not that I'm just now starting to see it. We've got great arms, and the guys down there are so competitive. Nobody's afraid to take the ball. And that's all I have asked out of any bullpen I've had."

It has become what the Tigers had hoped to assemble when Dombrowski made the bullpen his top priority last offseason. He revamped it from the late innings in hopes of closing the gap with Minnesota's vaunted relief corps.

Percival's arrival was supposed to fill a leadership gap and pace the bullpen. After a month-long stint on the disabled list, however, he has seen Detroit's young relievers set the pace instead. Farnsworth, German and Spurling range from triple digits to the low 90s, and all of them have closed. Now, they're succeeding in earlier roles.

A late February trade sent Farnsworth and his hard-throwing right arm to Detroit, a year shy of free agency and needing a change of scenery. His reputation for inconsistency showed in his first month as a Tiger. Though he began the season with 5 2/3 scoreless innings and hit triple digits on stadium radar guns, he yielded four runs in an inning of work April 14 at Minnesota. He's allowed three runs in 23 appearances since.

Farnsworth has a scoreless streak of 12 2/3 innings over his last 15 outings, scattering eight hits without a walk while racking up 17 strikeouts. He's fanned 10 batters in five innings so far in June, including three batters in the eighth inning Saturday. All of them struck out on sliders.

The difference this year, pitching coach Bob Cluck said, has been teaching him how to relax. "It's more philosophical," he said. "It's a baseball game. You go out and do your best. It's not life or death."

Percival, who talked with Farnsworth a lot in Spring Training and still tries to teach, sees a lot more composure out of Farnsworth now compared to years past. He also sees something more technical.

"I just think it's locating his fastball," Percival said. "He's not out trying to throw 100. He's just doing it, and he's locating it. He's throwing it up in the zone. He's throwing it down in the zone.

"His slider is obviously the great equalizer, but he can probably stay with his fastball all day and be just fine as long as he's locating the way he's locating."

Farnsworth's effectiveness allowed him to take over Urbina's old role of primary setup man. His 11 holds already rank fifth among AL relievers.

Farnsworth isn't the only one putting up zeroes. Spurling, just over a year removed from Tommy John surgery, posted seven scoreless innings since the end of May until Sunday's lone run allowed. Walker has allowed one run in nine appearances since May 22. Franklyn German, who entered Spring Training out of options and out of a roster spot, has one earned run charged to him in nine outings since May 24, striking out eight batters and scattering seven hits over 6 2/3 innings with his newfound control. Even second lefty Doug Creek, despite a 7.04 ERA, has allowed only one of 12 inherited runners to score, third-best among AL relievers.

In turn, the bullpen's performance has helped turn around Detroit's record in close contests. What once had been a miserable record in one-run decisions is now a more respectable 10-12.

"From the sixth or seventh, there's a few ways to go," manager Alan Trammell, "and that makes it a little easier."

Between the Tigers' strong starting pitching and their struggles hitting, they've had plenty of close games to control. That, Spurling believes, makes a difference.

"I love tight situations," Spurling said. "That's what makes me do better. The pressure, the intensity, I like that better."

Trammell could do without some of the pressure. But his bullpen is making the late innings a lot easier to stomach.

"Our goal is to be the best bullpen at the end of the year, when it's all said and done," Walker said. "As far as winning and losing, the only control we have is getting the job done."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Comerica Park fair to hitters, pitchers

DETROIT -- The outfield jokes will start arriving in Detroit before the All-Stars do:
• How does a Home Run Derby work at Comerica Park? Does the first player to leave the yard win?

• Since when did Major League Baseball play All-Star Games at national parks?

• Is the warning track in left-center that Eight Mile Road we see in the movies?

• Has anyone ever gotten lost in those shrubs out beyond center field?

Like more than a couple jokes about Detroit, though, perception is an exaggeration of reality. Undeniably, it's a long shot to get the ball out in the gaps and center field. Compared to last year's All-Star Game at Houston's homer-friendly Minute Maid Park, it'll seem like a different area code. But it's not next to impossible to homer. In fact, it's neither last nor next-to-last in home runs among American League parks.

With the All-Star Game just five weeks away, let's take a look at Comerica Park, which in its sixth season, has developed a style of play all to its own.

"This is our ballpark," manager Alan Trammell said. "We've made the conditions better. It's a fair ballpark in my estimation. When we take good swings, we've scored runs here. Last year, this wasn't the worst ballpark to hit home runs in. It was right in the middle."

The Tigers and owner Mike Ilitch designed Comerica Park in the late 1990s with the idea of making a ballpark different from cozy Tiger Stadium, the memories of which usually involved home runs. The most prevalent memory of the last All-Star Game in Detroit -- at Tiger Stadium in 1971 -- is Reggie Jackson's blast off the light tower in right field. Most visiting outfielders' recollections include chasing a ball to the warning track and waiting for it to land in their glove, only to have it land in the overhang of the upper deck.

Tiger Stadium's successor would be different. Comerica Park's outfield dimensions were deeper down the lines and into the gaps, though the deepest part of the park -- an estimated 435-foot trek to left-center -- was actually shorter than the 440-foot deep point of Tiger Stadium. Most infamous was left field, which stretched out from 345 down the line to 395 feet in the gap. It was the latter number, more than any other point of the stadium, that gave birth to the nickname of Comerica National Park.

Right-handed sluggers could put all they had into a ball, only to watch incredulous as it died on the track or hopped to the wall for a double. Left-handed pitchers, of course, relished the forgiveness it provided for a mistake pitch.

By the park's third year and president/general manager Dave Dombrowski's first, the team closed in the dimensions in left. Up went a shorter fence, knocking down the distance in the gap to 370 feet. It cost the stadium an homage to Tiger Stadium, taking the flagpole in left-center out of play, but it was a needed move.

"If we could move the fences out to the [french-fry stand] and win a pennant, I'd be all for it," Dombrowski joked at the time.

Since then, the ballpark has played less hitter-hostile yet still pitcher-friendly. Comerica Park had given up fewer home runs than any other AL facility from 2000-02. Since then, nearly 100 home runs have landed in the area in between the old and new fences, and "The CoPa" has moved from the home-run cellar up towards the middle of the pack.

The makeover of the team playing in it also helped. The Tigers hoped to build a National League style offense when the ballpark opened in 2000, and instead ended up with a team based around right-handed sluggers. Juan Gonzalez grew frustrated enough that he left town after one season.

By contrast, the ballpark has always been fair to left-handed pull hitters, who have found the 325-foot drive down the right-field line inviting and will likely have a distinct advantage in the Home Run Derby. Bobby Higginson enjoyed a career-best 30-homer season the year Comerica Park opened, and Carlos Pena led the team with 27 homers last year, though only 10 of them came at home.

When Dombrowski revamped the club after 119 losses in 2003, he found hitters who could use the space as an advantage rather than a hindrance. Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Guillen both succeeded in 2004 in part by hitting line drives to both of the ballpark's vast outfield gaps.

Therein lies the offense in Comerica Park, which has had the highest triples tendency in the Majors in each of the last three seasons. Whether it's a speedster like Nook Logan or an average runner like Guillen or Brandon Inge, a solid drive that hits the quick outfield grass and rolls to the wall almost always means three bases.

Yet it remains a long enough distance to the gaps that even Tigers players still get frustrated on occasion.

"My power is to center and right-center," Rodriguez said recently, "and it's 420 [to center] and 4,000 feet to right-center."

With all that territory, a fast center fielder is almost a prerequisite, though fan balloting isn't likely to take that into account. Nearly every Tiger to hold down center has been a natural athlete, none moreso than the speedy Logan. Twins All-Star Torii Hunter thrives there as well. Those teams without speed in center tend to pinch their corner outfielders closer to the middle, choosing to give up the potential triple in the corner to take away the gapper.

Comerica Park isn't alone in bucking the trend for homer-friendly fields. San Diego's PETCO Park brought that dimension back to the National League when it opened last season. However, Comerica Park was built around the same time as the rash of bandbox ballparks. In that aspect and many others, it's an original.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Guillen placed on DL

DETROIT -- The Tigers decided to give Carlos Guillen some rest once and for all, placing their All-Star shortstop on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with a pulled left hamstring.
Thus ended what had been a touch-and-go situation for much of the past month in regards to Guillen's health.

"He's disappointed," manager Alan Trammell said. "He couldn't tell us for sure he was going to play."

The Tigers had been sitting out Guillen in short spurts for much of the past month or so with on-and-off swelling in his surgically repaired right knee. They avoided a DL stint then in part because manager Alan Trammell wanted Guillen's offense in a struggling lineup.

Just when Guillen's knee problems seemed to be easing up a week ago, he pulled his left hamstring compensating for it while trying to score on a play last Tuesday against the Dodgers. Guillen tried running the bases on Saturday at Colorado and struggled. He saw the Tigers athletic training staff Monday without any change in his condition.

The DL move is retroactive to last Wednesday, meaning if healthy, he can be activated next Thursday at Minnesota or Friday at Arizona. Even that brief a stint of rest could help Guillen.

"It's good for everything," Guillen said, "for my knee, for my hamstring."

Asked if he had a role in the decision, Guillen answered, "It's everybody's decision."

Guillen's absence means the return of Jason Smith, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Toledo. Smith was designated for assignment May 31 and subsequently outrighted to Toledo, where he went 6-for-27 with three RBIs in eight games.

Though Tony Giarratano is expected to draw most of the playing time at shortstop, like he has for the past couple weeks, Trammell is considering giving some time there to Omar Infante. The former starting second baseman who lost his role to Placido Polanco has taken ground balls at shortstop but still showed signs that his throwing shoulder is bothering him, much as it did during Spring Training.

"I wanted to see him make throws," Trammell said, "and I just didn't see the arm strength. I know he can play the position. He's got to have a little zip."

Smith will reprise his old role as utility infielder, which he had held from early last season until he was outrighted.

Thames sent down, Gomez up: The Tigers made another change to their bench corps by sending down outfielder Marcus Thames and purchasing the contract of Alexis Gomez from Toledo.

Thames went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Sunday to extend his slump to 0-for-11 and lower his average to .188. Four of his last nine hits have been home runs, but the hits weren't coming frequently enough.

Trammell didn't want to make Thames a scapegoat for the Tigers' struggles offensively, but he couldn't ignore the numbers. "Marcus is struggling a bit," Trammell said, "and I'd like to get him some at-bats."

The other factor Trammell cited was the need for a left-handed hitter off the bench. Carlos Pena's demotion to the Mud Hens took the lone true left-handed bat out of the starting lineup, though the Tigers still have switch-hitters.

"It's really more the left-handed bat and having a little more balance," Trammell said.

Storm stories: The Tigers grounds crew has been among the busiest and most effective in the Majors through a trying spring weather for Detroit. Wednesday's long rain delay had a lot of circumstances they couldn't control, including a severe storm nobody could've quite predicted.

Between the top and bottom of the second inning, head groundskeeper Heather Nabozny went out to talk to umpiring crew chief Larry Young and warned him about a storm that was about to hit.

"Basically, I said it's on the way and could come down pretty heavy," Nabozny said after the game. "When I talked to the meteorologist, they said it basically just exploded. It was yellow and then, boom, red. I kind of pointed to the direction it was coming."

After leadoff hitter Rondell White grounded out under what was already a pretty heavy shower, on came what Nabozny called a "wall of rain."

"What it did was it built right next to us," Nabozny said. "It just exploded, and I don't think [Young] actually expected it to get that bad, either."

Considering the sky was clear along the Detroit skyline beyond center field, few expected that bad of a storm. The rain came so heavy, the winds strong enough to risk trapping people in the tarp, that grounds crew members couldn't get the tarp on completely before all that water weighed it down.

Nabozny estimated that with the water, each person trying to pull the tarp was trying to pull an average of over 500 pounds. Eventually, they had to give up moving it over the third-base line and add temporary cover.

Once the rain ended after about 10 minutes, the effort to prepare the field began. With drying substance, rakes and even some shovels, the grounds crew made the field impressively playable.

"I saw [the field] on TV. It was pretty bad," Rondell White said. "There was a lot of mud around the shortstop area, but the grounds crew did a great job."

Fick returns: The last time Robert Fick played at Comerica Park, he was in the final days of an All-Star season. It ended up being his last days with the Tigers, who non-tendered him that offseason rather than offer him arbitration.

Three teams and three years later, the winding road that has been Fick's career brought him back to the ballpark he once called home. No longer a starter, let alone an All-Star, he's become a valuable reserve for the NL West-leading Padres. He came to town with a .379 average (11-for-29), two homers and six RBIs.

He signed with the Padres near the end of last year after being released by the Devil Rays. He was Atlanta's starting first baseman in 2003 before the Braves released him at year's end.

"I've learned some lessons in life and baseball," Fick said, "tried to figure everything out and found myself being a bench player now, keeping a good attitude and just being ready to go."

Though it marked the first time Fick has faced the Tigers in the regular season, it's not the first time he's seen a Tigers game. He was in the stands at Dodger Stadium for Monday's game since he was visiting fellow ex-Tiger and current Dodger Jeff Weaver. The sneak peek cost him; he said he bought two tickets behind home plate for $700.

Douglass decision soon: Tuesday's rain delay decided Trammell's question on whether to call up Sean Douglass or pitch Jason Johnson on short rest Saturday against the Giants.

"Johnson is a lock for Saturday," Trammell said after Johnson went just two innings Tuesday.

Now the question is whether he'll go with Mike Maroth on short rest or call up Douglass for Sunday's game. That won't likely be decided until Thursday once Trammell sees how long and how effectively Maroth pitches Wednesday night.

Douglass did his part Monday. He improved to 9-1, scattering two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Knotts moved: The Tigers had one spot open on their 40-man roster for their moves. The other one came when they moved right-hander Gary Knotts from the 15-day to 60-day disabled list.

Since Knotts has been on the DL since the start of the season, constituting more than 60 days already, the move means nothing in terms of when he can be activated. Even so, he's not expected back anytime soon if at all this year.

"[His shoulder] has not improved like he would've liked," Trammell said of Knotts, whom Trammell said is contemplating surgery.

Coming up: The Tigers and Padres continue their series at Comerica Park Wednesday night with another 7:05 p.m. ET start. Mike Maroth tries to end a five-game losing streak when he goes opposite nine-game winner Adam Eaton.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Ginter pitches in to down Padres

DETROIT -- Matt Ginter could predict the precipitation. Ryan Klesko couldn't predict the wind.
A 10-minute downpour over Comerica Park led to a one-hour, 43-minute delay that made a long night for everybody. The windy conditions that followed made it even longer for Klesko, whose misplay on a sixth-inning fly ball led to two runs and a lead the Tigers wouldn't relinquish for an 8-4 win over the Padres on Wednesday night at Comerica Park.

"We lost our starting pitcher," said manager Alan Trammell, referring to Jason Johnson sitting out the game after the delay. "But nevertheless, we won the ballgame."

Descriptions like that are a tribute to long relief. Lately, games like this are the only situation for the Tigers' long reliever.

Ginter hadn't pitched in a game since May 31, a two-week span without seeing live hitting. He told pitching coach Bob Cluck that if he didn't get into Tuesday's contest, he'd like to pitch a simulated game.

But when Ginter woke up on Tuesday morning and tuned to The Weather Channel out of habit, he saw a stormy forecast for the evening. He predicted to fellow reliever Franklyn German before the game that it would rain around 8 p.m. He was a half-hour off.

The rain and wind were so severe that head groundskeeper Heather Nabozny estimated her crew was pulling the equivalent of 500 pounds per person as they tried in vain to pull the tarp all the way over the field.

An incredible job of infield repair allowed the game to restart, but the delay was long enough that starter Johnson was done for the night.

Enter Ginter, who said prophetically two days earlier that he could go days without an outing then pitch four innings. Though he would pitch three, they were critical to keeping Detroit in the game. The lone run he allowed scored when first baseman Dmitri Young dropped a throw for what would've been the third out of the third inning.

"I wasn't as sharp as I would like to be," Ginter said. "But I was kind of wildly effective."

Three of the four runs Detroit allowed were unearned to the team. Another dropped throw at first base, this one by Doug Creek in the sixth inning, set up one run and extended the inning for another on a Mark Sweeney RBI double off Fernando Rodney. That erased the lead the Tigers assembled on Brandon Inge's third-inning, two-run homer into the center-field shrubs, the first homer to clear the wall in center since Eric Munson's 457-foot walkoff homer last June.

While Detroit held back Johnson after the delay, San Diego stuck with starter Jake Peavy, who retired seven straight after Young's third-inning RBI single until Placido Polanco singled leading off the sixth.

After Rondell White drew a one-out walk, Peavy (5-2) fanned Ivan Rodriguez for the ninth of his 10 strikeouts on the night. He seemingly escaped the inning with a fly ball from Craig Monroe to short left field.

Klesko, misreading the wind, overran the ball down the left-field line and couldn't double back in time to make the catch. Polanco and White both scored on the error.

"I should've known better under those conditions than to come in that hard for the ball," Klesko said.

Klesko made no excuses, but former Padre White could relate.

"We got pretty lucky on that ball," he said. "The wind was swirling pretty good. It was tough playing the outfield tonight. We got a break."

Trammell thought the backdrop had an effect, too. "It was a really dark sky tonight," he said. "And I know, from my playing days, certain skies are difficult. I noticed Nook [Logan] was using two hands and having trouble [earlier in the game]. Really what that's saying is that a Major League popup, the ball looks like a golf ball."

Detroit broke it open in the eighth on White's RBI triple and run-scoring singles from Rodriguez and Monroe. Rodney (1-0) earned his first win since September 27, 2003, in his second appearance since coming back last week from Tommy John surgery.

Ginter earned little more than a day's work and some thanks from teammates. Considering how long he'd been sitting, waiting for a chance, that was enough for him.

"That's the thing," he said. "You just try to go in and throw up zeroes to keep the team in it. If you do that, you've done your job."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Maroth's gem, big bats lift Tigers

DETROIT -- A day after the Tigers took down one of the National League's best young pitchers, they ended one of the longest winning streaks in the Majors. In the process, the fact that they couldn't score at Coors Field five days earlier became a distant memory.
Showing they can still hit some of the best pitching in baseball when they're on, the Tigers sent Adam Eaton's eight-game winning streak to its demise with six runs in three innings on Wednesday night en route to an 8-2 victory.

"I really believe this is a good offensive club," Tigers manager Alan Trammell said. "I've talked about it, we've made a big deal out about it and it's true: We haven't scored a whole lot of runs for a while. But maybe this is the start of something good."

Even if the offensive splurge ends on Thursday, it's something the Tigers haven't enjoyed in a while. The Tigers' offense, held to nine runs over three games last weekend at Coors Field, scored eight runs in back-to-back contests for the first time since last September 17-18 against the White Sox at Chicago. The newest member of the lineup, Placido Polanco, has back-to-back three-hit efforts and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

All three of Polanco's hits on Wednesday came in the first three innings. Two of them helped the Tigers send Eaton (9-2) to not only his first loss since April 16, but his quickest exit since May 9, 2004.

All three hits were opposite-field singles. His one-out single in the first inning came before Dmitri Young was hit by a pitch and Rondell White drove an RBI single up the middle, tying the game after the Padres had taken an early lead.

An inning later, Polanco was on the other end of the rally. Brandon Inge's two-out single drove in Craig Monroe to give Detroit the lead and put runners at second and third for Polanco, who battled with two strikes to slap a ground ball past a diving attempt from Padres second baseman Damian Jackson. Both runs scored.

"We made him work a little bit," Trammell said of Eaton, whom he knows from his coaching days with the Padres. "The mistakes he made, we hit."

Eaton was out of the game by the time Polanco came up in the third, but the last of the runners he put on base was at third with the bases loaded and one out. This time, Polanco fell into an 0-2 hole before lining a 1-2 delivery from Darrell May into right field for another RBI and a 6-1 lead.

"I call him a professional hitter," Trammell said. "He knows his strengths and uses the whole field. As you can tell, he can go to right field with the best of them. He gives you tough at-bats."

Polanco doesn't put the credit all on himself. "As a team, we're all taking good at-bats and getting the key hits," he said. "The pitchers have done great for us."

It helps the pitchers to have some run support. Including Monroe's two-run homer off May in the seventh, the eight runs matched Detroit's total in Maroth's previous five starts combined, all of them losses. Five days after he suffered a hard-luck 2-0 loss to the Rockies, Maroth earned his first win anywhere since May 14 and just his second win at Comerica Park this year.

A win wasn't looking so likely after Dave Roberts hit a leadoff single and scored on Khalil Greene's double just three pitches into the game, putting San Diego ahead with another runner in scoring position for the heart of the Padres order. Maroth recovered to strike out Ryan Klesko on a curveball and fan Phil Nevin on a slider.

"After three pitches, two guys get on, you want an out. You've got to get an out," Maroth said. "It was big. To be able to strike out Klesko gives me one out, and to come out and finish up the inning without [Greene] scoring, it kind of got me going."

Maroth (5-7) didn't allow another runner in scoring position in his remaining seven innings of work, scattering four singles without a walk. He retired 17 of 18 batters following Greene's first-inning double. Only four balls put in play over that span got out of the infield.

The first-inning run the Tigers scored, Maroth said, allowed him to treat it as a new ballgame.

"Obviously, scoring the runs were huge," Maroth said. "Putting up the runs early allowed me to be aggressive. I needed to be able to do that, go right at hitters."

Maroth went eight innings efficiently, throwing 101 pitches. He told pitching coach Bob Cluck after the game that he wants to pitch on Sunday, a spot in which Trammell must use either Maroth on three days' rest or find a fifth starter.

Trammell didn't want to commit to anything on Wednesday night in case Maroth feels sore on Thursday morning, but he indicated Maroth had a good chance to make that start.

"I want to make sure it's the right thing," Trammell said. "My gosh, he's gotta feel good. That game was outstanding. Let's sleep on it."

The way this team has hit since returning home, it's hard to blame Maroth for wanting to pitch one more time before the Tigers go back on the road.

"You ask any pitcher if he wants to pitch, and he'll say, 'Yes,'" said Maroth, who has never pitched on short rest. "The decision's got to be made what's best for the team."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Brett, Hernandez to manage Futures

The alumni directory for Futures Game managers is a veritable who's who of baseball's past, complete with Hall of Famers and All-Stars aplenty.
The list consists of baseball dignitaries Goose Gossage, Fernando Valenzuela, Paul Molitor, Davey Concepcion, Carlton Fisk, Tony Oliva, Gaylord Perry, Minnie Minoso, Jim Rice, Tony Perez, Lou Brock and Luis Aparicio.

The 2005 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game will keep up that level of excellence when George Brett and Guillermo Hernandez man the United States and World dugouts, respectively, on Sunday, July 10. Rosters for both teams will be announced on an exclusive MLB.com video show from the Texas League All-Star Game on Wednesday, June 22 at 4 p.m. ET.

Brett, the longtime Royals third baseman appeared in a dozen All-Star Games, won the AL MVP in 1980 and finished with 3,154 hits. His efforts earned him enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

"I don't think people who never played realize, once you play in the big leagues, you're a part of a great fraternity," Brett said. "These Future guys will be members of that fraternity. Just because I'm an old has-been doesn't mean I'm not still part of the fraternity and won't promote it whenever I have the chance."

Hernandez appeared in three All-Star Games, all with the Tigers, who play host to the All-Star festivities this year. His best year came in 1984, when he took home Cy Young and MVP honors as the Tigers won the World Series.

"I'm very happy that I'm able to go back to the old city and see all my old teammates and old, familiar faces," Hernandez said from the Dominican Republic, where he's currently a farmer and cattle rancher. "It's something that I'm really anxious about."

Brett and Hernandez were contemporaries from the same era, but now approach this Futures Game from very different places. Brett has stayed very involved in Kansas City as the Royals' vice president of baseball operations. The invitation to manage the U.S. team -- one that's been offered in the past but Brett previously had to turn down because of a family illness -- is simply an extension of what he's already doing.

"That's the whole thing," Brett said. "I go to Spring Training for a month. I suit up, work with young hitters, work on fielding, baserunning, a little bit about everything. I'm still very attached to the game of baseball."

It'd be easy to assume that George Brett, Hall of Famer, baseball legend, wouldn't be easily impressed, that meeting Minor Leaguers wouldn't be at the top of his to-do list. It'd be a wrong assumption to make.

"I consider it quite an honor that I get to represent the United States in this game, playing against the best in the world," said Brett, who took in the Futures Game in the U.S. dugout in 2002 when fellow Hall of Famer Paul Molitor managed. "It's an honor to be invited. I'm looking forward to it, to be around the budding stars of tomorrow. Most of them will make it to the big leagues. To say that I knew that guy when he was 19, when they come through Kansas City, friendships develop.

"One guy that really stands out that I met was Pat Burrell. Now every day, I look at the paper to see how he's doing."

For Hernandez, the invitation to man the World dugout could be a means to get back into the game, something he's been eyeing for quite some time.

"I would like another chance to get back to the Major Leagues as a pitching coach, to prove that I can do the job," Hernandez said. "When I get a chance like this, I'll take it. I really don't want to spend too much time in the Minor Leagues because I feel I've paid my dues here.

"I have a lot of experience with kids here, teaching baseball and pitching. I want to train them not only with their mechanics, but their minds and their strengths as well."

Hernandez makes it clear that this managing gig will be a one-time-only affair. He wants to deal with arms only and is honest about his limitations as a skipper.

"As a manager, you have to know a lot of things; the fielding, the baserunning, the hitting, the catching," Hernandez said. "Guys like me, the pitchers, we did our own thing in the bullpen. We also messed around a little more, playing jokes, slapping each other around, but when it comes down to pitching, we know exactly what it is we need to do or look for.

"There are so many things to think about as a manager, and I'm not prepared for that. I am prepared for the pitchers, though."

The pitchers who are named to the World Team will certainly benefit from that knowledge, just like the U.S. team will undoubtedly be able to learn from Brett's vast experiences. Brett understands that while the Futures Game is an exhibition, many of baseball's decision-makers will be watching these young players to see how they perform on a larger stage.

"I was at a [Futures] Game years ago, our general manager was at the game," Brett recalled. "He said, 'George, I want you to keep an eye on that guy, we may be trading for him.' Our GM, assistant GM, and several scouts were there. It's a great place to showcase their talents. They're going up against the best of the best."

Brett won't have a long period of time to prepare them for this experience, so he'll keep the advice simple and straightforward, using a credo that served him well in two decades with the Royals: Play the game right.

"I'll tell them to have fun, and to play the game with the respect of those who played before," Brett said. "That means if you hit a ground ball, you run as hard as you can. Scouts will be out there watching you. If they see you in this exhibition with that desire, they'll know what kind of big leaguer you can be.

"You can close a lot of eyes; you can open a lot of eyes. It's up to you. The whole objective of this game is to get you to the big leagues. The best way to do that is to respect the game, hustle on and off the field, and play the game the right way."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Bonderman finishes off sweep

DETROIT -- The Tigers and Padres finally had the kind of pitchers' duel expected out of this series, and Detroit won that, too.
Instead of pitching to stop a losing streak like he has so often this season, Jeremy Bonderman was trying to clinch a sweep. He responded with a run allowed on four hits through seven innings, outdueling Woody Williams for a 3-1 Tigers win that gave Detroit its first series sweep at Comerica Park since last June and moved them back within a game of .500.

It marked the first time since May 14 that Bonderman had pitched following a Tigers victory.

"It was in the back of my mind," said Bonderman. "I knew it would be a big win if we could go out like this. I just tried to go out and battle, make these guys put the ball in play. The guys behind me played great defense. I figured if I could do that, we had a good shot to win this game."

Considering Detroit was coming off back-to-back eight-run outbursts in games started by San Diego's two best pitchers, Bonderman had reason for optimism. Detroit's offense didn't hit nearly as well against veteran Woody Williams, but it did enough, including a daring dash home on a sacrifice fly.

Bonderman (8-4) became the fastest Tiger to eight victories in a season since David Wells, who held an 8-1 record through 62 games of the 1993 campaign. Bonderman missed that pace by one game, picking up his eighth win in game 63 this year.

Much like Mike Maroth, who gave him his only run three pitches into Wednesday's victory, Bonderman fell behind seven pitches into the outing when Dave Roberts lined a leadoff home run to left. In the past, that would've led to something more against Bonderman, who often gave up big first innings before settling down in previous seasons. This time, he brushed it off with one pitch.

"I was like, 'You know what? So what,'" Bonderman said of the homer. "I wasn't going to give him a free pass. If you can give up a run early and shut a team down, you've still got a good chance of winning. It happens. But you can't let it bother you. You have to calm down, let it go and get it done."

The 22-year-old right-hander surrendered one hit over the next 16 batters he faced. Going away from his fastball later in the game, he served up inning-ending double plays in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, escaping his final inning by stranding the potential tying run on third base.

"If I don't get those double plays, you never know what happens," Bonderman said. "I was throwing a lot of sinkers, challenging guys with changeups, just trying to make them put the ball in play and let the defense work for me, because they were playing great behind me."

Williams (2-5) was almost as good, allowing six hits over seven innings. A string of three consecutive opposite-field hits in the second inning and a leadoff triple in the third proved to be the difference in his third loss in as many starts since coming off the disabled list.

Ivan Rodriguez's one-out double down the right-field line was the first of three hits to right from right-handed hitters. Craig Monroe and Chris Shelton followed with back-to-back ground balls through the right side to score Rodriguez.

Brandon Inge led off the bottom of the third with a drive that one-hopped the fence in left-center field for his sixth triple of the season. He scored on an aggressive play two batters later, tagging up on Dmitri Young's fly ball to shallow center field. He tested Roberts' arm and capitalized when the throw was cut off.

"It was a tie score at that point," Inge said. "Gotta go for it. If you get thrown out, you don't lose anything because you're still tied and you still have opportunities. I can go all the way and make him throw me out. There's a lot of things they have to do to make an out there, so in my mind I was going all the way."

Shelton's solo homer leading off the bottom of the seventh provided an insurance run in the Tigers' first home series sweep since winning three straight over the Diamondbacks last June.

Last year's sweep was part of a six-game winning streak that brought the Tigers within two games of .500 at the end of June. They lost five straight after that and never came that close again the rest of the season. Thursday's win, by contrast, puts them within a game of .500, the point at which they've hovered a handful of times this season. They reached the break-even point two weeks ago, but haven't topped it since the end of April.

As much as Bonderman likes his record, he thinks he should be better. He also thinks more about what it means for his team.

"I think this team can [get on a roll]," Bonderman said. "We have the guys to do it. The biggest thing is that if we can keep it close, we've got [Carlos] Guillen and Magglio [Ordonez] coming back. We've got enough guys already to keep ourselves in this race. But when you get two of your best players back, who knows where you can go? That's how I look at it."

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Challenge intrigues Johnson

DETROIT -- Jason Johnson doesn't know what it would feel like to pitch on three days' rest in a four-man rotation like starting pitchers of an earlier era once did. But he wouldn't mind trying.
"It's easy to say," he said, "but it's more difficult to do. It's easy for me to say I'd love to do that. But until I'm put in that situation where I do it for three weeks, four weeks, who knows, my arm might start to hurt. I don't know what it would feel like to go for a month or two on a four-man rotation.

"Until given the chance to do that, you don't know. I would like to be given that chance."

He'll get it once this Saturday, but likely not a second time. With the need for a fifth starter popping up again next Saturday, the Tigers are expected to add one soon. The question is whether the move will come this week or next, and the answer should come on Thursday after coaches see how Mike Maroth's arm feels Thursday.

Maroth told pitching coach Bob Cluck after Wednesday's win that he wants to pitch Sunday on short rest, and manager Alan Trammell said there's a "good chance" he'll get to do it. If not, Sean Douglass is expected to be called up from Triple-A Toledo.

That decision will have no effect on Johnson, who will start on short rest for the first time as a Tiger. He said he would've made an argument to start on Saturday even if he had thrown 90 pitches on Tuesday. Once rain soaked the field in the second inning of his scheduled start, it was a no-brainer.

"We sat down and made an intelligent decision," Johnson said, referring to himself, manager Alan Trammell and pitching coach Bob Cluck. "I was hoping that [the rain delay] wouldn't be longer than 45 minutes, and it was."

Johnson said his cutoff point for pitching after a rain delay is usually about an hour. Anything longer would be risking injury.

"Your arm starts to tighten up," he said. "Basically, I've warmed up to the max. I've gone out there for two innings. I've warmed up there completely. To shut it down and not do a single thing and then go back there with 20 minutes notice, I would've had to get my body back to max effort [from scratch].

"You're not going to stretch for an hour and a half or soft-toss for an hour. There's nothing you can do."

Maybin talks progress: David Chadd, Tigers vice president of amateur scouting, reported progress in contract talks with first-round draft pick Cameron Maybin, though no deal is imminent. The two sides will continue negotiations on Thursday.

"We'll iron some things out," Chadd said, "but nothing is close."

The two sides gained a reference point on Monday when the Pirates agreed to terms with their first-round pick, Andrew McCutchen. Like Maybin, McCutchen is an outfielder drafted out of high school, and he was drafted right after Maybin with the 11th overall pick.

McCutchen's Minor League contract included a $1.9 million signing bonus. Thirteen of 30 first-round picks have signed already, including seven of the top 15 picks. The closest player drafted ahead of Maybin to sign so far, Rice pitcher Wade Townsend with the eighth overall pick, did so for less than McCutchen when he inked a $1.5 million deal.

"I think for the most part, kids want to go out and play," Chadd said.

Unlike the previous couple of years, when the Tigers drafted college pitchers and took their time signing them in part because they wanted to give them the summer to rest, the team hopes to get Maybin into the system this summer. He'd start in the Gulf Coast League.

Inge centered on ball: Brandon Inge goes to the plate each time with the mindset of trying to hit the ball up the middle, but he never expects it to go quite as far as his two-run homer on Tuesday. He hit the 17th home run in Comerica Park's six-year history to clear the center-field wall, and the first since Eric Munson's 457-foot drive off the camera well last June.

Inge wasn't quite so impressed with his 428-foot shot.

"I've hit balls 10 times better than that, that landed 20 feet short of the warning track," he said. "But I'll take it."

Tigers screened for skin cancer: Tigers players, coaches and other employees underwent skin cancer screenings on Wednesday as part of the American Academy of Dermatology's "Play Smart When It Comes to the Sun" awareness campaign.

The program through Major League Baseball is intended to raise awareness about skin cancer prevention and annual testing. Both MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Padres infielder Mark Loretta underwent successful treatment for melanoma last year after undergoing routine screenings.

The program fits in with baseball because of the many hours spent by players and coaches in afternoon sunshine. Skin cancer affects one in five Americans, with more than a million new cases diagnosed each year. Other Major League teams either have had or will have testing at some point during the season.

Coming up: The Tigers finish up their three-game series against the Padres with a 1:05 p.m. ET matinee on Thursday. Jeremy Bonderman will try to become the fastest Tiger to eight wins since David Wells in 1993. Woody Williams will start for the Padres. The game will be broadcast exclusively on MLB.TV, but will be subject to local blackout regulations.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/

Polanco brings stability

DETROIT -- Between slumps and injuries, Tigers manager Alan Trammell hasn't had much of a chance for stability in his lineup. A week into his Detroit career, Placido Polanco has it.
Polanco not only has started all six games since coming over from Philadelphia in the Ugueth Urbina trade -- a victory for someone who only wanted regular playing time if he were traded -- he's started at the same position and same spot in the batting order. He's become the second hitter Trammell has felt like his club needed for a while.

It's a spot that close to Trammell's heart. "The No. 2 spot is something that I very much enjoy myself," Trammell said. "It's a [spot for a] thinking man. It's a guy that will do whatever it takes to help the team. And if you look at Polanco, doesn't it seem like he's going to do whatever it takes to help the team? That's his style of play. That, to me, is what an ideal No. 2 guy will do. I enjoy that myself."

It might be a thinking-man's spot, but it's a spot Polanco has become so accustomed to that he doesn't have to think about. Of his 839 career games, he's played 494 of them in the second spot. He's batted in all eight other spots in the order, but none more than 91 games.

"I've been doing it my whole career," he said. "And I guess they put me in the second spot because they thought what I do is what it takes."

The job description is lengthy. It involves moving the runner over, putting the ball in play, sometimes working a pitcher deep into a count. With Nook Logan batting ninth most games, the second hitter also acts at times like a run producer, responsible for trying to drive in Logan.

Polanco has essentially done that and more. Though his 14-game hitting streak ended Thursday with an 0-for-4 effort against the Padres, he's batting 10-for-24 since joining the Tigers with two doubles and four RBIs. Six of those hits have gone to the opposite field, two others up the middle. He's come up 14 times with a runner on base and advanced the runner six times.

"That's just the way my swing is," Polanco said. "It's like if you ask a cleanup hitter what makes them special, they'll say they hit home runs. You do think about it, but it's more natural for me than maybe for a power hitter."

Trammell has another term for Polanco. "I call him a professional hitter," he said. "He knows his strengths and uses the whole field. As you can tell, he can go to right field with the best of them. He gives you tough at-bats."

His transition into the American League hasn't really occurred yet. Since the Tigers are in the middle of Interleague Play, they're facing National League teams and pitchers Polanco already knows. He'll face an AL team for the first time since the trade next week when the Tigers visit Minnesota.

"Things are good," he said. "When you come to a new team, you want to show everybody that you can [help the team]. My teammates, they've made me feel welcome. And like I said before, coming to the park knowing I'm going to play second base, that's a big help."

Maroth to pitch Sunday: Mike Maroth told coaches Thursday his arm felt fine after throwing 101 pitches Wednesday night. Thus, Trammell went ahead and scheduled Maroth to start Sunday on three days' rest instead of adding a fifth starter or moving long reliever Matt Ginter into the rotation.

"It wouldn't have been done with [Jeremy] Bonderman or [Nate] Robertson," Trammell said. "But Jason [Johnson] and Mike, Bob [Cluck has] talked to them before about that. It will not put as much stress [on Maroth]. He's not a hard thrower."

This will be the only time Johnson, who pitches Saturday, and Maroth will pitch on short rest. The Tigers will go with a fifth starter when the necessary spot comes up next Saturday at Arizona.

Easy does it: Shortstop Carlos Guillen surprised Trammell Tuesday by taking infield practice the same day he was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Trammell got the message across to Guillen afterwards that they want him to take advantage of the DL time and rest his ailing left hamstring and right knee.

"We want him to take a couple days," Trammell said Wednesday.

Guillen is eligible to come off the DL next Thursday at Minnesota, though the Tigers could wait until the following day at Arizona and avoid testing Guillen's knee on the artificial turf inside the Metrodome.

Maggs timetable: Trammell reiterated the club's timetable on Magglio Ordonez, who continues to take batting practice and shag fly balls. He's expected to be back "right after the All-Star break," Trammell said.

Infante could start Saturday: Trammell wants to give deposed second baseman Omar Infante a game at shortstop now that he's seen his arm strength return. He indicated that could happen Saturday against the Giants, who'll start left-hander Kirk Rueter that night.

Tigers sign 19 draft picks: The Tigers announced they've signed 19 players selected in last week's First-Year Player Draft. All of them were college players, and more than half were college seniors.

Among those to sign were P.J. Finigan (7th round pick), Brendan Wise (8th), Kevin Ardoin (10th), Anthony Claggett (11th), Matt Joyce (12th), Louis Ott (13th), Casper Wells (14th), Michael Hollimon (16th), Agustin Guzman (18th), Burke Badenhop (19th), Matthew Norfleet (22nd), Mark Haske (23rd), Jake Baxter (25th), Will Rhymes (27th), Ryan Roberson (30th), Tim Robertson (31st), Chris Torres (32nd), Loren Fraser (33rd) and Jeffrey Hahn (35th).

Who's got tickets: Rondell White was among a handful of Tigers who planned to attend Game 4 of the NBA Finals Thursday night, including Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Monroe and Nook Logan. Trammell couldn't go because of a previous commitment, but planned to watch it on television and hopes to attend Game 5 Sunday night.

Coming up: The Tigers begin a three-game series against the Giants and former Detroit bench coach turned San Francisco manager Felipe Alou on Friday night. Nate Robertson will start opposite Jason Schmidt in the 7:05 p.m. start at Comerica Park.

Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/