Detroit Tigers news and notes

	Detroit Tigers Stroies
	Detroit Tigers mid season review I am not a big believer in how this team was put together, but with a 46-37 record they are somehow over coming their flaws to lead the American League Central division by a half game over the Chicago White Sox and two full games over the Minnesota Twins. It is pretty amazing when we consider that one of their starting five pitchers, starting second baseman, and starting short stop or not on this team anymore. They are relying on a lot of very young talent, but somehow they continue to find a way to win. they often get a key home run or hit, or have a dominating pitching performance get them to a win and in the end that is what it is all about.
	Damon collects his 2,500th hit Detroit Tigers outfielder/Designated Hitter Johnny Damon reached a significant milestone last night when collected his 2,500th hit last night versus the Baltimore Orioles. Sure it is a great thing for him personally, but let us be honest he is the 92nd guy in MLB history to do it. I have a hard time believing that the 92nd guy to do anything should be truly celebrated.
	Tigers get to first place, lose Zumaya This is a very good news bad news situation. The Detroit Tigers did beat the Minnesota Twins to take sole possession of first place in teh American League Central last night. However it now looks like Joey Zumaya is gone for at least the rest of this season, and quite possible the 25 year old's career is now at an end.
	Porcello tosses gem for Mud Hens Rick Porcello made a start for the Triple A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers last night and turned in a very impressive performance. He allowed just one run on one hit, in eight innings. He also struck out three batters.
	Is Brennan Boesch on the untouchable list? We are approaching the MLB trade deadline, and the question will become what should the Detroit Tigers add, and what should they delete. It seems pretty obvious that they could use another big time arm in the starting rotation. It also seems pretty likely that a trade for any front line starter is likely to cost this team Left Fielder Brennan Boesch.
	Should the Tigers pursue Kelly Johnson? Sometimes I wonder how many trades two organizations can make in one year. The Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks have been involved in two recent trades, and since the Diamondbacks are sellers at this point, looking to rebuild their team, it seems the Tigers may have an opportunity to add a piece they could desperately use.
	The present is questionable, so we focus on the future I cannot explain what is going on with the Detroit Tigers of 2010. I think serious personnel errors were made during this last off season, and I cannot get over the fact that the team is shelling out over 22 million dollars for three players who are no longer playing for this team. If they are going to cut bait on that much money, they might as well gut the entire roster and start over.
	Adam Everett is Designated for Assignment I think this is further proof that the 2010 Detroit Tigers are a poorly constructed baseball team. As of tomorrow they will designate SS Adam Everett for Assignment. This is once again a move made this off season that has failed to pan out so far in 2010.
	The 21st Perfect Game in the history of Major League Baseball Let us get something straight, and set it in stone before we move on. On June 2nd, 2010 Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers faced 27 Cleveland Indians batters, and retired all 27 of them in a row (according to the rules of this game). Regardless of what an umpire says these are the facts, and that means he just threw the 21st perfect game in the history of this sport.
	The D train heads to Arizona Dontrelle Willis needed a fresh start, and the Arizona Diamondbacks were desperate for some starting pitching help, so just days after the Detroit Tigers designated Willis for assignment (giving them just ten days to trade or release him) he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for relief pitcher Billy Buckner. The Tigers are on the hook for his 2010 12 million dollar salary, minus the 400 thousand dollars of his prorated minimum salary for the current year. For those keeping score at home the Tigers are paying nearly 22 million dollars for Willis and Pitcher Nate Robertson to play for other teams.
	Papa Grande closes in on Detroit Tigers record Without a doubt one of the biggest strengths of the 2010 Detroit Tigers is there amazing bull pen. Closer Jose Valverde is leading that effort, and has allowed just one earned run in 21 appearances so far in the 2010 season.
	Rookies key to Detroit Tigers early success Brennan Boesch and Austin Jackson are the core of an elite group of rookies that have helped the Detroit Tigers amass a 24-17 record and a share of the lead in the American League Central. We are a quarter of the way through the 2010 MLB season, and that is an important place in the minds of Detroit area sports fans. Long Time manager Sparky Anderson use to say that one cannot evaluate a MLB team until the 40 game mark. Just past that mark Jackson, Boesch along with Casper Wells, and Danny Worth are a group of rookies that are aiding the Tigers towards a stunning record.
	2010 Detroit Tigers payroll The Detroit Tigers have a clear disadvantage, and it is not a small market versus big market argument. The simple fact here is the Tigers were so bad during the 1990’s that they ruined at least one, of not two, entire generations of Detroit baseball fans.
	Should the Detroit Tigers pursue Hanley Ramirez? We have all heard of the troubles with Short Stop Hanley Ramirez, and his manager and teammates with the Florida Marlins. This has led to much speculation that the Marlins will try to move him. If that is true, we must ask if this is the kind of player the Tigers organization should go after?
	Ugly loss to the Mariners, raises some concerns In week one of the new MLB season I had concerns about the Tigers relying too much on their offense, and late inning rallies to win close games, against teams they should not be struggling to beat. In week two of the season I have serious concerns about the starting pitching rotation, and the over worked bullpen. I am also concerned about how this team will compete against the better teams in the American League.
	Detroit Tigers continue their fire sale Today the Detroit Tigers traded Pitcher Nate Robertson to the Florida Marlins for a prospect. Maybe trade is not the right word. They bought Robertson out, don’t believe me, well the Tigers will pick up 9.6 million of Nate’s 10 million dollar salary in 2010. They essentially paid, the Marlins to take Nate off their roster. In essence they paid nearly 10 million bucks to create a roster spot for Jeremy Bonderman and the wacky Dontrelle Willis.
	Tigers trade Nate Robertson Today the Detroit Tigers traded LHP Nate Robertson to the Florida Marlins for pitching prospect Jay Voss. At first glance this looks like a salary dump. The Tigers had three fairly well paid pitched competing for the final two sports in their 2010 starting rotation. Robertson was due to make 10 million dollars in 2010, Jeremy Bonderman is set to make 12.5 million, and Dontrelle Willis will make 12 million this season.
	Bobby Seay headed to the DL Detroit Tigers Relief Pitcher Bobby Seay is headed to the DL, and may have come to the end of his career. Seay has a torn rotator cuff, and will try to rehab the injury before he has surgery to repair it that could end his career.
	Can the Tigers trust Willis with a rotation spot? Dontrelle Willis has had a strong spring. In six games he has pitched 15 innings has a 1.20 ERA, has won two of the three games he has started. He has 8 walks to 10 strike outs, and given up nine hits. For me, That is a strong resume for a guy trying to make the back end of the Tigers rotation. Of course if this were any other guy besides Willis I would not feel as leery. I just don't know if this team can afford to give Willis a chance once the season starts.
	Tigers trade for Willie Hernandez, complete World Series roster March 24, 1984, may just be one of the most important dates in all Detroit Tigers history. It is definitely the most important date for Tigers fans of my generation as it was the day the Tigers front office made the trade that most directly led to their 1984 World Series title.
	Armando Galarraga sent to the minors One of the candidates for the Detroit Tigers starting rotation has been eliminated. The Tigers have announced today that Armando Galarraga has been optioned to Triple A Toledo. This move leaves Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Phil Coke, and Dontrelle Willis competing for the final two starting rotation spots on the team.
	2010 MLB season preview: Detroit Tigers It has been a crazy off season for the Detroit Tigers. Gone are 2009 All Stars Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, along with 2009 Gold Glove winner Placido Polanco. The Tiers front office sold the local fans on a partial rebuild, with an emphasis on getting the team younger. Then along comes one Johnny Damon, and even though they would not pay Polanco 5 million a season to play second and hit second, they ponied up 8 million dollars for a broken down 36 year who has no chance of covering the spacious left filed of Comerica Park and will only do as good as Polanco in the lineup if he has a good year. Tiger fans are just as confused as I am.
	2010 Detroit Tigers Starting Rotation As the 2010 Grapefruit League gets ready to begin, the Detroit Tigers have two big question marks in their starting rotation. Who will be the fourth, and the fifth starting pitcher? It seems Ace Justin Verlander, Sophomore Rick Porcello, and the newly acquired Max Scherzer are locks for the Tigers rotation leaving up to four candidates to fill it out.
	Projected 2010 Detroit Tigers lineup Man can you believe that spring training is already here? With that being said it seems that the Tigers are getting some of their issues resolved already. Manager Jim Leyland says that Carlos Guillen will accept a role as the primary DH. That means most of his bats will come from there, but he will still get some playing time in left.
	Damon to the Tigers, one year 8 million This move makes no logical sense. Sure the Tigers created a need for a top of the order hitter by trading away Curtis Granderson, and allowing Placido Polanco to leave town. We were told that these moves were necessary to cut costs and to give young prospects a chance to prove they belonged on the big league club.
	Mike Illitch is a bad baseball owner Let us put the 2009 off-season full of double talk and fire sale aside for a second and just deal with the 18 prior years of Mike Illitch’s ownership of the Detroit Tigers. While we do that let us not forget that he is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a team owner, and rightfully so, however he has overseen one of the worst periods in Tiger history.
	Tigers willing to break the bank for Damon In an off-season where Placido Polanco was not offered a contract or arbitration, where both 2009 Detroit Tigers all stars were traded away, and where we were told that the Tigers were going to cut their payroll, comes the news that they offered Johnny Damon a two year, 14 million dollar deal.
	Detroit Tigers offer Damon two years, 14 million The Detroit Tiger are a poorly run baseball organization. As a lifelong Tigers fan it pains me to say that, but facts are facts. I used to put the blame for the Tigers ineptitude at the feet of General Manager Dave Dombrowski; however it appears that Tigers owner Mike Illitch is the real problem here. He treats his baseball team like a poorly run Yahoo.com fantasy team, and continually passes the cost of acquiring high priced, broken down free agents to his fans.
	Miguel Cabrera gets a mentor I seriously hope that Miguel Cabrera can fix his problems and be the guy the Detroit Tigers signed him to be. Since he will now be one of the corner stones of the core of our team moving forward, Miguel has to step it up, and produce big numbers to go along with his big contract.
	Scott Boras wants the Detroit Tigers to sign Johnny Damon Scott Boras is one of Major League Baseball’s Super Agents, and over the past four or five years he has made a living off getting big contracts for the players he represents from the Detroit Tigers. Way back in 2004 the Tigers had to pay out big bucks to get players to come and play for them, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, and yet Boras is still trying to force his clients on the team.
	Today in Detroit Tigers history-February 6th February 6th, 2004- The Detroit Tigers signed catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a four year, 40 million dollar contract. This is significant since he was the number one sign that the long suffering of Tigers fans was finally at an end.
	Verlander, Cabrera part of a bigger plan It is kind of scary to think that in 2012-2013 Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera will eat up nearly a third of the Detroit Tigers payroll. That is assuming of course that the payroll figure stay where it is at around 120 million dollars per year. However this seems to be Tigers General Manger Dave Dombrowski's plan. He intends to build a team around his first baseman and star pitcher, and that means the Tigers are going to have to develop a few position players in their minor league system, and hope their pitching prospects work out.
	Verlander gets 5 year, 80 million dollar deal The Detroit Tigers and ace Jason Verlander have come to an agreement on a new five year, 80 million dollar contract extension. This will insure that Verlander will remain a part of the Tigers organization until 2014. It will also cover his final two years of arbitration, and barring a trade Verlander will pitch his entire career in Detroit.
	Are the Detroit Tigers for sale? For a moment I want everyone who reds this to stop thinking about the Detroit Tigers as their baseball team. I want you all to stop thinking about the Tigers as a sports team, and to think about hem as a business. Since I write a sports business column, it is a little easier for me to do so, but fans sometimes have a hard time separating the two.