Tigers News

"Perhaps it's not unusual that when a rookie left-handed hitter drills his 12th home run, it's a lead-changing three-run homer on a 1-2 pitch. But what if it happens twice in a game, and in consecutive half-innings? Such was the scenario Tuesday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers rookie who did it was Chris Davis. He connected for an opposite-field drive off Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga in the sixth, simultaneously ruining Galarraga's shutout bid and putting him two runs behind. Then Matt Joyce, Detroit's rookie lefty hitter with power, batted in the seventh with two on and nobody out. He hit right-hander Vicente Padilla's 1-2 pitch into the upper deck in ..."

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"There have been 24 players in major league history who have hit 500 home runs or more. Gary Sheffield will become the 25th. The question isn't whether he'll get to 500. He fully expects to hit many more than that. The only question will be whether Sheffield does it this year or next. The next home run Sheffield hits will be the 494th of his career. It will break the tie he climbed into on Monday night with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff with a two-run shot in the seventh inning of the Tigers' 8-7 victory over the Rangers. Of the two players he tied, Sheffield said it was far more important to him to pull even with McGriff because he's a friend of his. However, Sheffield, who went 2-for-4 ..."

"It was difficult to determine which was the worse error Tuesday night, a bases-loaded, two-out fly ball that dropped between Brandon Boggs and Josh Hamilton, or that Armando Galarraga was pitching for the Detroit Tigers. The three-run error - officially given to Boggs, who called for the ball, then backed off at the last second - capped a nine-run seventh inning for the Tigers. However, the key to the evening was a six-inning outing for Galarraga, the pitching prospect who was traded by the Rangers in February. Galarraga pushed his record to 12-4 with the Tigers' 11-3 victory. The 26-year-old right-hander, who pitched most of last season in Frisco, was designated for assignment Jan. 25 ..."

"The talk in spring training wasn't how good the Detroit Tigers would be this season; it was how many games it would take for them to win the World Series. It could have been preseason hype gone awry, or it could have been genuine infatuation with how deep their lineup was. But with all the bouquets being tossed the Tigers' way - including some in the preseason predictions of this newspaper - it seemed a foregone conclusion the team at least would make the playoffs. With the benefit of hindsight, however, the flaw in that line of thinking can be seen. The Tigers were 10 1/2 games behind the White Sox and Twins as of Sunday, chiefly because of a bullpen that everyone should have seen wasn't ..."

"Armando Galarraga was a minor leaguer when Texas traded him to the Tigers shortly before spring training. Now the right-hander is one of the majors' top rookie pitchers: He has 11 wins and is 12-for-21 in quality starts. Tonight, Galarraga is due to face the Rangers for the first time. Manager Jim Leyland read last week how Galarraga said he was looking forward to the occasion. "If you want to be a little pumped up because it's your (former) team, that's good -- I understand that (and) I don't have any problem with that," Leyland said Monday. "But to me, he'll make the biggest mistake of his life if he takes the mound trying to show the Rangers they made a mistake." The Rangers traded ..."

"Jim Leyland took umbrage to the inquisition, blasting a TV reporter after another disastrous day Sunday for asking whether the manager would return next season. He thought it was a stupid question, but Leyland has himself to blame for that line of questioning. Leyland, 63, has never been fired as a major league manager, always leaving of his own volition, usually one step before ownership applies a padlock to its wallet -- as was the situation in Pittsburgh and Florida. But he bolted from Colorado after the 1999 season with his passion for the game extinguished. Before leading an unlikely baseball revival in Detroit in 2006, his Rocky Mountain abandonment was as much a cornerstone of his ..."

"Almost as fast as Gary Sheffield can swing the bat, Kenny Rogers went from what looked like a frustration-filled loss Monday night to one of his more unlikely wins, 8-7, in a park where he has more wins than anyone With the Tigers down three runs and not having gotten a runner past second base, Sheffield drilled a two-run homer with none out in the seventh off right-hander Scott Feldman. Then Matt Joyce doubled to knock out Feldman. One out later, Brandon Inge singled in Joyce to tie the score, then scored the go-ahead run on Curtis Granderson's triple. In his Tigers debut, right-hander Gary Glover pitched a 1-2-3 seventh against the heart of the order to preserve the one-run lead. Then ..."

"Catching is a bit like oil these days. It's tougher to find and to develop. It's more expensive. The Tigers have been taking a two-pronged approach to solving their catching crisis. They moved Brandon Inge behind the plate, completing a catcher to third base to catcher circuitry that at least, for now, has provided an answer to the question of who would succeed Pudge Rodriguez. They are also busy on the farm trying to home-grow back-up help and develop long-term strategies. It is why Dusty Ryan and Alex Avila are likely to be key to Detroit's catching plans in the coming years. Ryan, who turns 24 next month, is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed hitter who has had the kind of season at ..."

"As bad as Scott Feldman pitched in his last start, he may have been the luckiest pitcher to ever receive a no-decision. His no-decision Monday night against Detroit was about as unjust as it possibly could have been. Feldman pitched two-hit ball for six innings, only to have things unravel for him and the Rangers from the seventh inning on. By the time the bullpen had finished things, there was little evidence of Feldman's quality start as the Tigers edged the Rangers 8-7. But in a season in which the Rangers have gone from playoff hopefuls to .500 hopefuls in three weeks, another solid start from the right-hander gives a struggling rotation hope for 2009. Feldman, who allowed 12 runs in ..."

"It started early with the first five Orioles to bat getting hits, and it didn't let up until the scoreboard was so saturated with crooked numbers that it looked like it belonged next door at Ford Field, the home of the defensively challenged Detroit Lions. By the end of the fifth inning at Comerica Park yesterday, the Orioles had scored 13 runs and collected 14 hits. By the end of the sixth, all nine starters had batted at least four times and gotten at least one hit, making Garrett Olson's latest outing, which manager Dave Trembley described as "disturbing for me to watch," an afterthought for at least a couple of hours. The Orioles enjoyed an offensive field day at the Detroit Tigers' ..."

"He tried. But his shoulder would not cooperate. After one outing, Todd Jones went right back on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, saying he's feeling pain again at the back of his shoulder. To replace Jones on the roster, the Tigers purchased the contract of well-traveled Gary Glover from Toledo, where he'd thrown four scoreless innings since signing with the Mud Hens on Aug. 9. The Tigers are the sixth major league team for the 31-year-old right-hander. The necessity to return to the DL comes as a definite setback for Jones, who'll work out this week in Birmingham, Ala., at the rehab facilities of Dr. James Andrews, but will not be examined by him. The Tigers hope to be able to ..."

"On the scale of reacting to disappointment, there's something more disturbing than fans' caring but booing. It's called quietly leaving early, like after five innings. Leaving early because the sun is hot and the pitching is bad or because, to put it plainly, why not take off when it's the Orioles by eight midway through and there's no sign the Tigers will find anyone who'll get hitters out? The Birds eventually won, 16-8, on Sunday, getting 22 hits to cap a Melvin Mora hitting clinic. But after five innings, it looked like the crowd of 40,566 had just been told it left the iron on at home. A large percentage of it filed out at that point. Maybe those departing just went up to the ..."

"Watching from afar as Gary Sheffield essentially turned on Jim Leyland and threatened to make an already miserable Tigers season collapse upon itself, I was reminded of a conversation with the well-traveled slugger from the spring of 2007. "Just an honest guy, man," he said of Leyland that morning in Tigertown, soon after his arrival. "He doesn't have a motive. … There's nobody I trust more." Sheff being Sheff, that trust somehow became compromised in a span of less than two full seasons. He lashed out at Leyland, one of his greatest defenders, for refusing to let him play left field at age 39 and for "platooning" him at designated hitter, even though Sheffield had started 36 of the ..."

"The Tigers won't formally pull the plug on a year that's beyond life support just for appearance's sake. When ownership spends $138 million in payroll and fans purchase more than 3 million tickets, officially surrendering three weeks before Labor Day leaves a terrible aftertaste. But the bitter truth stings, and it's time the Tigers faced it. There's no seed of a long winning streak in this team. It has a .500 mentality -- just good enough to tease, just bad enough to break your heart. The evaluation for 2009 should begin immediately. And the first appraisal must be Gary Sheffield's future in Detroit. Are his paltry offensive numbers this season the inevitable residue of age and wear or is ..."

"Cecil Cooper's spring-training rave about Miguel Cabrera doesn't seem outlandish now. Cooper, the former star hitter turned Houston Astros manager, said in March that Cabrera could win the Triple Crown this season. Cabrera wasn't near the American League lead in any of the Triple Crown categories (home runs, RBIs, average) earlier this season. Let's see how he ranks after helping Justin Verlander back into the win column, 5-3, against the Orioles on Saturday night at Comerica Park. Cabrera and Carlos Guillen hit solo homers in the fourth, and the Tigers went ahead to stay. Cabrera tied the score with a massive solo drive to left-center. It was his 25th homer, seven off the league lead, and ..."

"During his news conference after Thursday's 5-1 victory over Toronto at Comerica Park, Tigers manager Jim Leyland made an announcement. For the rest of this season -- and into 2009 -- Leyland plans to bat Magglio Ordoñez third and Miguel Cabrera fourth. Ordoñez and Cabrera have been the Nos. 4-5 hitters, respectively, much of the season. "Two great hitters," Leyland said. "I'm going to get them up there more often." Leyland said he spoke with Ordoñez recently and asked him where he would prefer to hit. Third, he said. When asked what he liked about No. 3 as opposed to cleanup, Ordoñez said, "Same thing. The only difference is I'm going to hit every first inning." Cabrera ended last season ..."

"Sitting in front of his locker this week, Melvin Mora downplayed his offensive surge after the All-Star break. He maintained that he wasn't doing anything differently. He insisted that he had been swinging the bat just as well in the first half, only his luck, as well as his health, had improved. In fact, Mora, 36, was feeling so good that day that he told a reporter he wanted to play until he was 50, and then scoffed when that suggestion was met with laughter. There is no disputing that Mora looks like a different - and more energized - player these days. He continued his tear last night with three hits, including a home run and a triple, and four RBIs, along with solid play at third base ..."

"Justin Verlander threw 130 pitches two starts back, and came out of his last start after throwing 78 with what Tigers manager Jim Leyland termed a "dead arm." The manager considered moving his next start back one day, but is sticking with having Verlander go today against Baltimore. Instead, Verlander toned down his work load between starts. "I skipped a bullpen session (Wednesday)," Verlander said. "We'll see how it goes, but I should be all right. Hey, I only threw 78 pitches the last time out." Verlander (8-13) shares the league lead in losses with Seattle's Carlos Silva and is sixth in earned runs allowed (84). But he's also tied for fourth with 25 starts and is 10th with 158 1/3 ..."

"Momentum has become a stranger to the Detroit Tigers. The Baltimore Orioles drubbed the Tigers, 11-2, here Friday night, one day after their dramatic, eighth-inning rally earned a win against Toronto. The Tigers have only a pair of two-game winning streaks since beginning their 7-14 free fall after sweeping the Royals in Kansas City some three weeks ago. Detroit was facing a rookie pitcher, Chris Waters, making his third big league start. He gave up six runs in four innings in his last outing against Texas, but the Tigers could only score twice off him in 4 2/3 innings. Baltimore scored six times in the ninth inning, with Todd Jones having a rough return game. But this one was all but ..."

"Armando Galarraga leads the Tigers -- and all rookies in the American League -- with 11 victories. Galarraga has a 3.11 ERA, which is a half-run better than Justin Verlander's mark when he was named AL rookie of the year in 2006. Galarraga arrived in Lakeland, Fla., six months ago with a royal blue glove and little apparent chance of contributing in the majors this season. The Texas Rangers, for whom pitching is a perpetual need, traded him in February. But he has been indispensable since coming up from Triple-A Toledo in April, and manager Jim Leyland said Friday that Galarraga is expected to be part of the rotation again in 2009. "As we speak, he's earned a spot in the rotation," Leyland ..."

"There was this sequence for Dontrelle Willis on Friday night: emphatically shaking off Toledo Mud Hens catcher Dusty Ryan, throwing a sinker and getting a groundout to cap a seven-pitch, seven-strike inning. There also was this sequence: Willis, after watching Jason Phillips smack a double into right-centerfield, turning to Ryan and tapping his chest to acknowledge he missed his spot. In command at times. Erratic at others. That was the struggling left-hander's report card during his start in Triple-A Toledo's 7-2 victory over the Richmond Braves. Willis, banished to the minors in June to work on his control, walked two in six innings He allowed two runs -- although both were created by a ..."

"Magglio Ordonez spiked his helmet after grounding out in the seventh inning. Placido Polanco, the mild-mannered second baseman, was ejected in the ninth for arguing a call. A discontented crowd of 40,546 on Friday night booed Todd Jones after he allowed five runs in his return from the disabled list. The Tigers lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 11-2, on what manager Jim Leyland acknowledged was a "pretty ugly" night at Comerica Park. When it was done, Leyland devoted little time to discussing an offense that stranded 10 runners or a defense that made three errors. Instead, he addressed the pitching staff -- most notably Nate Robertson. Robertson (7-9) allowed four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings ..."

"Reliever Freddy Dolsi was sent to Triple-A Toledo to clear a spot for Todd Jones' expected return from the disabled list today. Tigers manager Jim Leyland did not say when or if Jones will return to his previous role as the primary closer. (Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth in a non-save situation Thursday.) Regardless of his role, Leyland hopes Jones will fortify what has been the team's greatest weakness. The Tigers have blown 21 save opportunities, tied for third-most in the majors entering Thursday. "If you win 15 of those, you're probably in first place," Leyland said. "And that's not too much to ask. That's what bothers me. "The bad part about that is, when you lose games late like ..."

"Just as we were about to ask someone if there were one or two 'g's in juggernaut ... Five outs away from a four-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers, the Blue Jays wheezed, gasped and hit the finish line of their Comerica Park stopover out of breath, stumbling like a dehydrated Olympic marathoner. The Tigers scored five times in the bottom of the eighth on three hits, three walks and two Jays miscues to record a 5-1 win before a sellout crowd of 41,259. The superb return of Jesse Litsch -- who pitched seven scoreless innings -- was something for him to build on, but not for the win column on this day. Instead of getting a well-deserved victory, Litsch's outing was washed into the Detroit ..."

"It was a postcard-perfect day for afternoon baseball in Motown. Twenty-seven degrees and sunny. A full house. And then they had to go and ruin it by including an eighth inning. That's when Toronto was reminded how much it misses set-up man Scott Downs while's out with an ankle injury. Jesse Litsch, freshly returned from Triple-A and rearmed with a new pitch – the building-block fastball, a four-seamer – was hot from the start. For the fourth game running, the Tiger hitters were unable to find the key that might unlock a Toronto starter. Litsch blanked the Tigers on four hits through seven innings. For the first time, Detroit responded with its own standout, rookie Armando Galarraga. He ..."

"They don't always agree, as was seen by their verbal skirmish this week, but on the subject of whether he can still help the team, they do. Manager Jim Leyland and Gary Sheffield agree that Sheffield, as Leyland put it Thursday, "has a lot left in the tank." In other words, the Tigers aren't looking at Sheffield as a player who must be elsewhere next year no matter what. They see a player who, just when you think he can't handle a good pitcher anymore, is capable of hitting two home runs off Toronto's A.J. Burnett as Sheffield did on Tuesday night. Leyland also sees a hitter still respected enough to warrant an eighth-inning intentional walk, which was the case with Sheffield on ..."

"Some are going to call it the ol' "we're out of it, just try hard the rest of the way" speech. That's not what it was, however, because that's not how it was meant. Tigers manager Jim Leyland spoke briefly to his team before it displayed renewed grit Thursday by scoring five runs in the eighth inning to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 - averting a four-game sweep in the process. Do yourself a favor, though. Leave the calculator where it is. The Tigers aren't suddenly a factor again by virtue of one victory. You needn't crunch the numbers to see what it will take, either. It will take many more games like this. And even many more might not be enough. This isn't about creeping closer as ..."

"Scott Downs was down. The drive hit to Alex Rios was in his glove and then it was down on the ground for a two-base error. While the Blue Jays escaped with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, who left the tying run at second before 39,073 fans at Comerica Park last night, Downs and Rios were not the two Jays' names all of baseball were contemplating last night. The 29 other clubs were considering the names Vernon Wells and John McDonald, after the Jays asked trade waivers on both Tuesday, according to a major league scout. Wells hit a grand slam in the third inning which was enough offence. Barely. It's not uncommon for players to be placed on waivers at this time of the season and it's ..."

"The rain was only the first sign of impending danger. Toronto was happily steamrolling the supine Tigers, riding a Vernon Wells grand slam and a David Purcey two-hitter to a 4-0 advantage. Then the skies opened in the seventh. Forty-five minutes later, play resumed with the bullpen now handed the job of securing the team's third win in a row. Jason Frasor performed admirably, handing the ball to Scott Downs in the bottom of the ninth. With B.J. Ryan still only 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Downs has become the team's top reliever. Entering last night's game, he was riding a string of 17 2/3 innings without allowing a run. But this was his third consecutive outing, only the ..."

"Joel Zumaya's first thought Tuesday was that his arm had "exploded" during a disastrous relief stint in the Tigers' 6-4 loss to Toronto at Comerica Park. His next thought was darker. "I thought my career was over," the Tigers right-hander said Wednesday. He had been placed on the 15-day disabled list after tearing scar tissue in his surgically repaired right shoulder. "I was trying to be a hero. I could have ended my career." Zumaya had just thrown his last pitch of the night Tuesday during a five-batter stint in which he didn't record an out. It was a fastball. And the sound his shoulder made at release left Zumaya even more shaken than the boos that rolled down upon him as he shuffled ..."

"It began with one of those leadoff walks that the Comerica Park crowd, if not Kenny Rogers, seemed to know was going to bite them. Next was a bunt single that might not have been a single, and then a bad-hop grounder at third to load the bases. One fat pitch later and it was all over Wednesday for the Tigers against Toronto at Comerica Park as the Blue Jays dusted them off for the third consecutive night, 4-3. Vernon Wells' grand slam home run, a drive into the left-field bullpen in the third inning, was all the bashing necessary to put away a Tigers team that, until a ninth-inning outburst, seemed to have missed its energy drinks in dropping to 58-62. The Tigers were down, 4-0, and ..."

"The Tigers placed reliever Joel Zumaya on the disabled list this morning, the Free Press has learned, one night after he failed to a record an out in Tuesday's loss to Toronto. The team is expected to call up right-hander Francis Beltran to take Zumaya's roster spot. Zumaya underwent a medical examination after Tuesday's game, an ominous sign. He had reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder last off-season, and he was recently affected by pain in his upper arm. "I can assure you, I'm not going to have Zumaya for a while, even if everything checks out all right," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said late Tuesday night. "All I know is there is a problem. Joel is not himself. I can see it in ..."

"Freddy Garcia would like to be a Detroit Tiger in 2009, and possibly even this year. He's a right-handed starter with a track record, but his future depends on whether he can show the stuff that once made him an All-Star. Garcia, 32, signed a minor-league contract Tuesday with the Tigers, who will start him out by throwing on the side and in games with Class A Lakeland. He had offseason shoulder surgery and threw at an Aug. 5 showcase in Miami that attracted 40 scouts, including Dick Egan of the Tigers. Those scouts did not see the Garcia who was a two-time All-Star with the Mariners and went 117-76 with a 4.07 ERA in nine seasons. But the Tigers saw enough to think he was worth a ..."

"After pitching five textbook innings and one terrible one, Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett stalked into the dugout fuming. This morning, a defenceless water cooler bears the marks of Burnett's upset. But his mood lightened perceptibly as he watched his teammates bat in the top of the seventh. "That's three games in a row they've picked me up," Burnett said later. One four-run comeback later and the gloomy Arkansan was smiling again and accepting hugs for earning his fifth win in a row. The Jays' offence apparently weekended here in Michigan, then caught up with the club Monday after their dismal showing against the Indians. After scoring only four runs in three games against Cleveland, ..."

"The Tigers placed Gary Sheffield on trade waivers Tuesday, a procedural move that may or may not have a link to comments the slugger made recently about his role on the team. Players must be placed on waivers in order to be traded after July 31. Teams typically put most of their players on waivers at this time of year, even if they have no immediate intention of trading them. In that respect, Tuesday's move was routine. Yet the timing - two days after the Boston Globe published a story in which Sheffield said he did not want to continue as a designated hitter in Detroit - offered some intrigue. Sheffield - who homered in his first at-bat Tuesday night against Toronto - will be on waivers ..."

"Crunch time has come, but has it also gone? Or as manager Jim Leyland said, even before another frustrating loss, "We don't have a lot more time to flounder around. That's as simple as it is." With the bullpen but to be honest, mostly Joel Zumaya, about whom the Tigers are concerned after blowing a three-run lead in the seventh inning, the Tigers lost, 6-4, on Tuesday night to the Blue Jays Not because he's suddenly unpopular, but because the fans are restless with the Tigers spinning their wheels, Zumaya accomplished the improbable in this game. He was booed more than Gary Sheffield. Then again, Sheffield hit two home runs following a report he'd been put on waivers, so even when he ..."

"Yes, it could lead to something. If his arm strength improves and he can stay healthy, it's conceivable he'll be a Tiger this year or next. But right now, Freddy Garcia as a pitcher in the Tigers' organization is being viewed strictly as a can't-lose situation. Because that's all it is. The Tigers signed Garcia, a 33-year-old right-hander, to a minor league contract on Tuesday. They'll watch how he throws and progresses in Lakeland, then at Toledo -- and if they think he can be of some help next year, if not this season, a major league contract could be in the offing. "If all goes well, hopefully I'll be there soon," Garcia said on a cell-phone call. "My arm is feeling great. But I need ..."

"Crunch time has arrived and if the Tigers aren't careful, it'll soon be gone. Or as manager Jim Leyland said even before another frustrating defeat, "We don't have a lot more time to flounder around. That's as simple as it is." With the bullpen -- but to be honest, mostly Joel Zumaya, about whom the Tigers are concerned -- blowing a three-run lead in the seventh inning, the Tigers lost, 6-4, on Tuesday night to the Blue Jays. Not because he's suddenly unpopular, but because the fans are restless with the Tigers getting nowhere, Zumaya accomplished the improbable. He was booed more than Gary Sheffield. Then again, Sheffield hit two homers following a report he'd been put on waivers, so ..."

"One day after Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he was "flabbergasted" by Gary Sheffield's complaints about playing time, Sheffield was among several Tigers placed on waivers by the club Tuesday, according to a major league source. Teams aren't permitted to comment on the waiver process, so it's possible the timing is coincidental. But there were indications that the Tigers floated Sheffield's name in trade talks before the July 31 trading deadline. So it seems likely that Sheffield's latest remarks have prompted them to see if interest in him may have picked up this month in the wake of a number of injuries to prominent players on several contenders. Other teams would have until ..."

"The Tigers have signed veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia to a minor-league contract. Garcia, 33, hasn’t pitched in the majors since last June with Philadelphia. He then had season-ending shoulder surgery. The year before that, in 2006, Garcia won 17 games for the White Sox. And the year before that, in 2005, he won 14 games in the regular season and three more in the post-season, including the clinching game of the World Series in Houston. Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski termed Garcia "a chance -- we have nothing to lose." Garcia will report to Class A Lakeland. He is due to be a free agent after the season. Garcia is 117-76 in his big-league career. In the first game ..."

"The Tigers confirmed Tuesday a report that the team has signed right-handed pitcher Freddy Garcia to a minor-league contract that is expected to run only through the end of 2008. Garcia, 32, who hasn't pitched in more than a year due to shoulder problems, is expected to report to Class-A Lakeland, according to a CNNSI.com story Tuesday. If Garcia is on the Tigers' major-league roster by Aug. 31, he will be eligible for the postseason. Garcia has a lifetime record of 117-76 with Seattle, the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia. He won the White Sox's clinching Game 5 of the 2005 ALCS the year Chicago won the World Series."

"Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he was totally flabbergasted and blind-sided by a Sunday Boston Globe article in which Gary Sheffield said he did not want to be a designated hitter or platoon because it hindered his ability to lead. I can be in the outfield and play every day, Sheffield told Nick Cafardo of the Globe. I dont want to DH. I dont feel like a baseball player when I DH. I dont know how to be a leader that I am from the bench. I cant be a vocal leader. I cant talk to guys from the bench because I dont feel right about it. Leyland said he spoke with Sheffield before the Nov. 10, 2006 trade with the Yankees that brought him here: I told him, All I have is DH. If you do ..."

"With his loss to Toronto on Monday night, Justin Verlander has now lost 13 times this season, which is as often as anyone in the American League. Those losses have come in just about every variety conceivable. Verlander said there's no way to come to grips with that. "In this game, nothing is foretold," he said after Monday night's 7-2 defeat. "Nothing is etched in stone. "Everybody said we were going to score 1,000 runs and be in the World Series. Obviously, we have a long way to go to do that. "That's why this game is so funny. You can never say something is going to happen, because fluke things can happen. Tonight, there weren't that many balls hit hard, but a couple of balls find the ..."

"Describing himself as "blindsided ... but not mad," Tigers manager Jim Leyland objected Monday to Gary Sheffield describing himself as a "platoon" player. Sheffield said in response that because he isn't starting every day, he considers that to be platooning. In Sunday's Boston Globe, Sheffield said, "I don't prefer platooning here, but I understand because I got off to a slow start, that's part of it, but I feel I'm playing better now. I'm back to being a threat I need to be." "Gary Sheffield has never platooned as long as he's been here," Leyland said Monday. "A platoon is when you have a left-handed hitter and a right-handed hitter. One plays against right-handed pitching, and one plays ..."

"It will be a thrill during this Tigers-Blue Jays series to visit with Cito Gaston, who tonight will manage his first game in Detroit since 1997.

Gaston returned as manager of the Blue Jays a few months ago. Seeing him will brings to mind those days in the 1980s and into early '90s when the Tigers and Blue Jays had a real rivalry in the A.L. East. Gaston's last game as Jays skipper in Detroit before tonight was on Sunday, Aug. 3, 1997. Thanks to Retrosheet.org, I can tell you that the Tigers beat the Blue Jays, 5-2, that day. Right-hander Willie Blair got his 11th win. The Tigers got homers from Travis Fryman, Bob Hamelin and Melvin Nieves."

"Outfielder Marcus Thames is having an MRI exam today on his ailing right shoulder, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. Leyland said Thames shoulder isn't any better today than Sunday, the first day the problem sidelined Thames. Leyland said it "is only a possibility" that Thames will need to go on the 15-day disabled list. Leyland said that at this crucial stage of the season, the team likely can't afford for Thames to be inactive for about a week while taking a spot on the active roster. Updated: 10:20 p.m.An MRI exam on Marcus Thames' shoulder showed inflammation. He got a cortisone shot, and Leyland expects him to be back "within three days, at most." . . . Todd Jones threw a bullpen ..."

"Upon retaking the reins nearly two months ago, it took Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston a few days to figure out who was who in the Toronto bullpen. He recalled a moment during his first series in charge in Pittsburgh. Gaston came out to change pitchers. "The umpire asked, `Who is that coming in?'" Gaston said with a low laugh. The new manager was stymied. "I told him, `I thought you would know.'" The faces-to-names issue in the bullpen got more complicated after last night's 7-2 Toronto victory over Detroit. B.C. native Scott Richmond, who joined the starting rotation to great fanfare two weeks ago, was bumped back to relief. Richmond was 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in three starts. Jesse Litsch ..."

"Platoon or every day? Designated hitter or outfielder? On the subject of how Gary Sheffield is being used, manager Jim Leyland is not in agreement with his DH. To say the least. Making it clear not once, but 19 times that he's flabbergasted, befuddled and or was blindsided by comments Sheffield made over the weekend to The Boston Globe -- and which ran in Detroit newspapers Monday -- about his dislike for DH and that he can't be a leader from the bench, Leyland was annoyed. He said he wasn't upset with Sheffield. He just didn't understand the reason for his comments. "I was totally flabbergasted by that article, totally caught off-guard," Leyland said. "I want you to quote every word ..."

"Quietly and with the organization's usual secrecy, the Tigers are nonetheless planning for 2009. One heavy priority will be defense on the infield's left side. It remains doubtful, at best, the team will exercise its $9 million option on shortstop Edgar Renteria for 2009, instead paying him $3 million in severance and allowing him to pursue free agency. The Tigers will then decide if they must trade or acquire a starting shortstop or, possibly, promote a prospect who can play big league defense while developing his offense. The latter project has seemingly been picking up steam. Although no one in the organization will touch the subject with a pole of any length, it was noteworthy a ..."