Both Eckersley and the '86 winner Roger Clemens won the Cy Young as well, which puts Verlander in some very elite company. You can read more about his accomplishments at his MLB player page and in the Wikipedia entry for Justin Verlander.

On the blog front, Roar of the Tigers named Justin Verlander MVP of Everything and has a look at what hitters experienced. Kurt at Bless You Boys has some notes from the Verlander conference call and adds that Miguel Cabrera  finished 5th, battery mate Alex Avila 12th and Victor Martinez 17th.

An interesting feature on the Tigers' site relates that Verlander was by no means a shoo-in for the award due to the fact many believe pitchers can't really be compared to hitters. However, the stats are pretty compelling:

Verlander -- only the second player in baseball history to capture a Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player award over his career -- finished this season with pitching's Triple Crown. He led the AL in wins (24), ERA (2.40) and strikeouts (25), as well as innings (251) and opponents' batting average (.192). (ed: other player was Dodger Ace Don Newcombe)

...As it happened, Verlander went 16-3 in starts following a Detroit loss. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the most such victories since Philadelphia's Steve Carlton had 19 wins following a Phillies loss during the 1972 season.

That amazing statistic was one that jumped out for Morosi (Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports).

"Basically, he was the best stopper in almost 40 years for a team that won its division," Morosi said. "That's pretty good. Also, the fact that on the day that he started his 12-start winning streak, the Tigers and Indians were tied for first place. To me, he single-handedly, I think, was the difference."

Here's an AP video to take it home, we'll update if we can find a better one!

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Game 4 - Can we all agree that Nelson Cruz should not be pitched to?

It's one of the best games I've ever been involved in. Great plays by both teams. Just didn't come out the right way.
~ Detroit Tiger manager Jim Leyland

While we agree with Leyland that last night's game was one of the most exciting playoff games in recent memory, the 7-3 loss to the Rangers on Nelson Cruz's second 11th inning walkoff HR was heartbreaking and places the Tigers in a do or die situation.

With closer Jose Valverde and setup man Joaquin Benoit ruled out for tonight, it all rides on Justin Verlander's shoulders this afternoon. While the position is pretty bleak, you can certainly say that there's nobody else who should be in this position. Play ball!

Game 3 - Tigers Win 5-2!

"The only way I don't play tomorrow is if I wake up and I'm dead."
~ Victor Martinez (more on V-Mart)

Following losses in Game 1 & 2 in Texas, many were already writing an obituary for the battered Tigers. After a convincing 5-2 win last night at Comerica, "bruised but not beaten" is the verdict. Following a Victor Martinez solo shot in the 4th to even the score, the Tiger bats woke up and delivered 11 hits including three homers in support of a stellar 7 1/3 inning outing by Doug Fister. Of course there's no way we won't give you the link to this gem - Detroit legend Aretha Franklin singing the National Anthem.

Game 4 starts today at 4:19 PM, and we're declaring today & tomorrow Michigan Leave Your Workplace Early Day!

Games 1 & 2 of the ALCS Tigers vs Rangers

We had a long weekend of baseball in the series, and here's not much you can say about the 2 losses other than "At least it's a 7 game series." Game 1 was a 3-2 loss, but the real loss was rightfielder Magglio Ordonez who was lost for the rest of the season to a broken ankle. Once again a Justin Verlander outing was spoiled by rain, and the Tiger ace summed it up by saying "Quite frustrating. I really felt as a team, we were starting to get into a rhythm there. We were starting to swing the bats better, and it just killed the momentum."

Tonight's game was a hard-fought post-season classic that ran 11 innings with a great performance from Max Scherzer and Jose Valverde pitching out of a 9th inning jam. The Ranger bats proved too much for Ryan Perry who surrendered 3 singles in the 11th before Nelson Cruz hit the first official walk-off grand slam in post season history to give the Rangers a 7-3 victory in Game 2.

The series comes to Detroit for 3 games starting Tuesday night as Doug Fister takes the hill at 8:05 on FOX.

Game 5 - Tigers win the series 3-2!

Last night the Detroit Tigers went into Yankee Stadium and came out with a 3-2 victory.

Game 4 - Yankees win 10-1

There's not much you can say about last night's 10-1 drubbing at the hands of the Bronx Bombers. (except of course "Don't be sad Rick Porcello").

ESPN New York has video and this to say about the man who saved the Yankees season for at least one game:

As a ballplayer acquired in mid-career, Curtis Granderson was not favored to enhance the mythology of New York Yankees center fielders. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams -- they were lifers, men who spent every big league day under the world's most recognizable cap.

...The Yankees dealt (Austin) Jackson after their 2009 championship season because they didn't think his future would match Granderson's present. And so it was fitting in Game 4 of the division series, on a night Jackson would fail to run down the winning two-run blast from Derek Jeter, that Granderson made two catches honoring the tradition of the Yanks' most celebrated position.

Two catches definitely saving four runs, and probably saving five, in a 10-1 thrashing of the Tigers that made a most improbable winner out of A.J. Burnett and pulled the Yankees from the brink of a devastating end.

"He saved the season," Alex Rodriguez said of Granderson. "Not once, but twice."

Tiger Skipper Jim Leyland agreed that the catch was a huge out in his postgame conference. It comes down to 8 PM on Thursday night in Yankee Stadium when Doug Fister will take the mound vs Ivan Nova who shut them down in Game 1. In the Game 5 preview at tigers.com, the observe that the Yanks haven't won a decisive Game 7 or Game 5 since Aaron Boone connected off Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series. Here's hoping that streak can continue!

Game 3 - Tigers WIN 5-4!!

Ladies and gentlemen, your conductor on the Tiger Rollercoaster is Justin Verlander, who threw 120 pitches, including five straight triple-digit fastballs to A-Rod in the EIGHT INNING.

The recap on the Tigers website notes that his 11 strikeouts were the most by a Tigers pitcher in the postseason since Joe Coleman in the 1972 ALCS. His 15 pitches at 100 mph or better is believed to be a career high. Here's video highlights from last night that include some of that heat, and also some photos from Game 3. Let's not forget Leyland's decision to start Ramon Santiago and Delmon Young's continuing offensive heroics.

Roar of the Tigers has a great post (with her awesome cartoons) on the first three games of the series, what it's been like watching them. Starring (of course) Max Sherzer as (I think) Godzilla, it's a must-read!

Tonight Rick Porcello gets his first postseason start. In other news, the Tigers have ALCS tickets on sale now!

Game 3 Preview

Tonight it's a do-over of Game 1's Battle of the Aces as Justin Verlander starts opposite C.C. Sabathia tonight at 8:30 at Comerica Park. Click that image to the right for a preview video from MLB TV. Kurt over at Bless You Boys wonders how this statement from Papa Grande makes you feel...

"It's over already, (Justin) Verlander has it tomorrow. The next day we have the celebration in Detroit. They have a good team, but I think that's it for them."

--Tigers closer Jose Valverde after the game.

Game 2 - Tigers win 5-3

The Tigers took control of the series last night on the strength of a strong outing by pitcher Max Scherzer, holding off a 9th inning Yankee rally and hanging on for a 5-3 victory to even the series at 1-1.

It was a power-pitching form the Tigers saw in Scherzer when they acquired him from Arizona in the trade that sent Curtis Granderson to New York. With a fastball that topped out at 98, five miles above his regular-season average, his changeup became a dangerous swing-and-miss pitch.

"He was really good, the best I've ever seen him," Teixeira said. "Great fastball, his changeup was really, really good, and the numbers don't lie. He just dominated us."

Also check out this cool article on the Tigers' use of social media.

Game 1 - Tigers lose 9-3

Not much to say about this one. As the Detroit Tigers recap relates what Doug Fister was thinking:

It was almost surreal in the Stadium as the game resumed in the bottom of the second inning on Saturday night with the same lineups for both clubs -- sans the starting pitchers -- and the score tied at 1. In the press box, Fister was announced as the replacement for Verlander. But Fister said it wasn't so surreal for him on the field.

"For me, that was a scheduled 8:37 start, and it wasn't anything different," he said afterward. "It's tied 1-1. It's basically a 0-0 ballgame in my head, just as always. I go up there facing the Yankee lineup, and it's no different for me if it's bottom of the first, top of the first. It's all the same."

Doug Fister by Keith Allison

Game .1667

The playoff opener between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees was suspended because of rain in the second inning Friday night, wiping out both No. 1 starters for a few days. The game will resume tonight at 8:37 PM with the score tied at 1, but neither Verlander nor Sabathia will be back on the mound until they get some rest.

"I do feel bad for the national audience," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Certainly, it was really a marquee matchup. That's a little sad, but that's just the way it is." started for Detroit against in a highly anticipated matchup between two of baseball's best pitchers. The teams played for 30 minutes before the game was halted.

According to a rule adopted by Major League Baseball after rain and snow wreaked havoc with the 2008 World Series, the game is not postponed. So it will pick up Saturday night at the point of suspension - weather permitting - with the Yankees coming to bat in the bottom of the second inning.

Doug Fister now gets the start The forecast calls for rain through late Saturday night, so who knows if they will get it in!

Cabrera 1 by RichardDemingPhotography

Post-season Preview

Detroit Tiger slugger Miguel Cabrera captured the American League batting title with a .344 batting average. After batting .390 in August, Cabrera went .429 (39-for-91) from Sept. 1 onward, racking up 12 doubles, six home runs and 21 RBIs. He had just six hitless games from Aug. 1 on and carries a nine-game hitting streak into the playoffs. The Detroit Sports Site notes that the last Tiger to win the AL batting title was Magglio Ordonez who hit .367 in 2007, and that Cabrera joins Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols as just the third active player to win a batting title, HR title and RBI title in his career.

Cabrera wasn't the only person to close the season in style. Justin Verlander captured the "Triple Crown," leading the AL in  Wins (24), Strikeouts (250) and ERA (2.40). Jayson Stark of ESPN took a look at AL MVP candidates and thinks that the winner will be none other than the Tigers' just-about-unbeatable ace, explaining:

If the essential question is, "Which player has done more to change the face of his team's championship season than this man has?" the answer, for me, is: Nobody. Yeah, it may be true that if the Tigers didn't have him, they'd have some other ace. But as their GM, Dave Dombrowski, said, "I've had other aces. But they never had the year Justin Verlander has had."

Verlander certainly rolls into the post-season as one of the most dominant pitchers of recent years. Andrew Kulha of the Bleacher Report notes, however, that Verlander is not the only arm capable of mowing the Yankees down:

Since being traded to Detroit from Seattle, Doug Fister posted an 8-1 record with an incredible 1.79 ERA. Those two are arguably the best one-two pitching combo in baseball, and followed by either Max Scherzer or Rick Porcello, they create one of the best pitching rotations in baseball.

He feels that the Yankees won't know what hit them, and he's definitely right on Doug Fister who torched the competition in September, going 5-0 with a ridiculous .54 ERA for September and was named AL Pitcher of the Month. Mitch Albom and just about everybody else at the Freep expect the Tigers to surprise the Yankees.Before you cry "Homer" be sure to have a look at the picks of ESPN writers who are split nearly down the middle.

The Tigers are red hot, roaring into the post season having won 30 of their last 39, and they face the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. The opener is TONIGHT at 8:37 PM in Yankee Stadium. MLB.com columnist Marty Noble thinks the opening duel between Verlander and Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia has the makings of a classic, and the article includes great video interviews with Verlander and Sabathia. He notes as others that both teams bring an incredible amount of hitting & pitching firepower to the game. Alex Remington at Yahoo Sports has 10 very interesting numbers for the Tigers/Yankees series including a surprising "0" - the number of times a Tiger pitcher started this year on short rest. That plus an average age of 31 for Yankee pitchers means that the Bengals are bringing the fresher arms to the battle!

All post-season you should definitely tune into to some of our favorite Detroit Tiger bloggers:

• Roar of the Tigers where Samara throws down some of the most hilarious comics and posts you've ever seen, backed by a big league knowledge of baseball. Today she's celebrating the wonders of autumn from Cabrera's batting title and the simple fact that the Tigers are wicked awesome!
• Mike at the The Daily Fungo has a roundup of everyone's predictions (with special guest) and you can also follow him on Twitter.
• Over at Bless You Boys, Kurt eyes the Yankees three-man playoff rotation of Sabathia, Ivan Noma and Freddie Garcia with no small measure of trepidation. There's also a post asking for favorite Tiger playoff memories that you'll want to check out.
• The Detroit Tiger Weblog is gearing up for the post season where they will feature (just as the regular season) posts on every game.

Much (much) more Detroit Tiger news, history and links at absolutemichigan.com/Tigers and Detroit Tigers on Michigan in Pictures! We'll take you out with this hilarious video from Fox Sports Detroit of the Tigers Division-clinching celebration a couple of weeks ago. Share your links, comments and such below and Go Tigers!

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"It was up there. I mean, it was unbelievable. You know, especially early on some of those third downs, you couldn't hear yourself think and you know, that's just the potential of this city. We know that they can get behind us like that and come out and really wreck a game for another team."

Detroit is a sports fan's dream today as the Detroit Tigers play Game 2 of the American League Championship series vs the Texas Rangers this afternoon and the Detroit Lions get ready for their first Monday Night Football appearance in a decade!

Ford Field by dmitriyk

1. The Reason for the Return is Relevance. The Lions haven't hosted a Monday night game since October of 1974. The Detroit News reports that downtown hotels are booked, bars are opening early and 2,000 standing-room-only tickets sold out online in four minutes. It's the first MNF game ever at Ford Field, and Lion kicker Jason Hanson observes: You're a relevant team again. It comes with winning. You're playing a game that people are paying attention to.

Relevance also bring numbers, and the Lions are not just shooting to shatter the 62,257 for a 2007 game against the Green Bay Packers, they have a shot at the 68,206 who attended Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, 2006.

2. The last time the Lions lost a regular season game was 24-20 on December 5th at the hands of the Bears, who are 10-4 during coach Lovie Smith's tenure. While the two teams definitely don't have a storied rivalry, there's definitely little love lost. The Detroit Zoo and Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo have a little wager on the game.

3. Hank's Loss is the Lions' Gain. After the country music star compared the President to Hitler, MNF went looking for a replacement for the opening video tonight. They found Detroit Lion legend Barry Sanders. Read all about it here and tune in tomorrow for a copy of the video!

4. So how 'bout them Tigers? An early rain delay in Arlington pushed the Tigers to this afternoon as well. The extra day of rest has at least one positive after news that Magglio Ordonez is done for the season - it looks like Tiger #3 hitter Delmon Young will be in the lineup. Add an extra day for starter Max Scherzer and things are looking pretty good for the Tigers.

5. Who wins? The CBS Sports preview (video below)has 5 experts and ALL 5 select the Lions. ESPN's MNF page has the Lions all over it and their experts are mostly picking the Lions as well. MLB experts are split but one thing is for sure, it's a wonderful week to be a Detroit sports fan!

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Yesterday the Detroit Tigers powered to their 11th straight victory, a 5-0 shutout hurled by Justin Verlander, his 11th in a row as well and 23rd victory overall. The Tigers are now 12 1/2 games atop the AL Central and reduces their magic number to clinch to 4.

11 in a row ties the longest winning streak ever by the Detroit Tigers (September 9-21, 1968), and we thought it would be great to feature a little something from the other Tiger squad they are tied with, the 1968 Detroit Tigers. It's almost a half hour of footage from when the Tigers clinched the pennant and is a rare and wonderful look at one of the best baseball teams of all time.

Check out Mayo Smith at 6:30, and let's hope Jim Leyland is looking like that a whole lot over the next several weeks!

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You have one takeaway from this weekend.

Even when he is not at his best, Justin Verlander is still better than you, me, and the vast majority of Major League Baseball.

Indeed. There's a nice article on ESPN looking at Verlander's MVP case and the Bleacher Report takes a look at Verlander and his chances to hit 25 wins and take home the MVP hardware:

Verlander by OtisDude

Justin Verlander won his 20th game this past weekend. The 28-year-old right-hander now sports a 20-5 record and it's only Aug. 29. The conventional wisdom is that Verlander is going to win the Cy Young award, and there are also a fair amount of people who think that he should be the MVP. Those that feel that way almost always say the same thing: "He should be the MVP, but he won't win."

The naysayers may very well end up being right. After all, no American League Pitcher has won the MVP award since 1992 when Dennis Eckersley won it and no starter has won since 1986 when Roger Clemens took home the hardware.

It's been 19 years since a pitcher won the MVP and it's been 21 years since a pitcher hit the 25-win mark. In 1990 Bob Welch went 27-6 and won the AL Cy Young award. Verlander would need to have a great September to get to 25 wins, but at this point Verlander has provided very little reason to think he can't have a great month.

Whatever happens, it's clear that Verlander is a special player who is helping power the Here's a great interview from 2009 by Chris Rose of Fox Sports where you can learn all kinds of quirky facts about Verlander including how he checks the radar gun and why his number is 35!

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Alex Avila by by ArtCPhotos

The Detroit Tigers head into the All Star Break 1/2 game in the lead in the AL Central with a 49-43 record. That record is well reflected in the fact that the Tigers placed FIVE players on the AL roster.

Alex Avila, Catcher

In just his 3rd season, Avila makes his first All Star appearance. With 4,144,384 votes, he's the first Tiger voted to the starting lineup since 2007. He carries a .286 average into the game with 10 homers and 46 RBI. Tiger skipper Jim Leyland commented "That's a pretty good tribute to him and the job that he's done. Good stuff, and certainly well-deserved."

Justin Verlander, Pitcher

A four-time All-Star, Verlander is 12-4 and tied for second in the Major Leagues with Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens, one behind Yankees ace CC Sabathia. Yesterday Verlander also became the first Tigers pitcher to reach 12 wins by the All-Star break since Jack Morris did it in 1987. His 2.15 ERA is 3rd in the Majors, he's already tossed one no hitter in 2011 and he was named AL Pitcher of the month for June for his ridiculous dominance (.92 ERA in June). He's only lost once since April 29th.

Miguel Cabrera, First Baseman

A six-time All-Star, Cabrera makes his 3rd consecutive trip as a Tiger. With a 2011 batting average of .311, the slugger is right on his .313 career numbers and has smacked 18 homers with 59 RBI. With 1498 hits at age 27, Miguel is halfway to 3000 hits and considered a candidate for the elite 3000 hit club.

Jose Valverde, Pitcher

With 24 saves, Valverde is the American League leader in saves and has been a big part of the Tigers strong start. Now in his 9th season, "Papa Grande" makes his second straight All Star appearance. He is also one of the most animated players in the majors, as you can see in this video.

Jhonny Peralta, Shortstop

Peralta just joined the Tigers from the Division rival Cleveland Indians. Although he's in his 9th season, he makes his first All Star appearance in 2011. He's hitting .312 with 14 homers and 50 RBI. He was named to the team by AL manager Ron Washington to replace Derek Jeter.

From the Blogs....

Kurt over at Bless You Boys has some cool All Star moments including Lance Parrish throwing out 3 runners in 1982. The Daily Fungo talked with Jason Beck of MLB.com yesterday and has some good insight about where the Tigers are right now.

Also be sure to check out our post on Michigan in Pictures about the first All-Star game and Charlie Gehringer, who scored the winning run of the first All Star Game in 1933 on a Babe Ruth homer and played every inning of the first six All-Star games!

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On The First Day of the Baseball Season,
Every Team is in First Place (and other cliches)
by DetroitDerek Photography

It's probably fitting to lead off with that quote from a Yankee great as the 2011 Detroit Tigers prepare to open the 2011 baseball season in New York. This afternoon at 1 PM (after his pre-game rituals are complete), Tiger ace Justin Verlander will take the mound at Yankee Stadium, starting for the 4th Opening Day in a row. Tiger skipper Jim Leyland reports he is as unworried about his status in the last year of his contract as he is in the lineup: "People make a big deal about a lineup. It doesn't mean anything," Leyland said. "It's a simple thing. It's not complicated at all. I mean, we've got the big boys in the middle. We've got some speed up top. We have a little power at the bottom. That's what it is. There's no magic formula for a lineup."

The projected lineup for today shows that they had a solid off-season. The biggest addition is 4 time All Star and career .300 hitter Victor Martinez, who is expected to bat 5th and ensure that Miguel Cabrera gets pitched to. The Tigers are expected to contend this year, but a lot will depend on the strength of their pitching, particularly the starting rotation. The five hurlers are all in their 20s, all former top draft picks, and all able to dominate a game in different fashions if they're on. The fact that several are throwing the ball in the high 90s never hurts.

On to the blogs...

Samara at Roar of the Tigers says we have a roster, so bring on the season. As only she can, Samara highlights things that have been happening in "terrible" cartoons. She's unsurprised that Joel Zumaya & Carlos Guillen are once again on DL Island but excited about Will Rhymes getting the job at second base, his calmness in the face of werewolves and his long hair.

The News & Notes for Opening Day in the Detroit Tigers Weblog threw a link to the Freep writers' predictions for 2011. Mitch Albom pegs them at 2nd on the strength of Victor Martinez but lacking enough in the pitching department to overcome both Chicago and Minnesota. John Lowe & Michael Rosenberg both feel that the additions of Martinez, Joaquin Benoit and Brad Penny will be enough for 1st place and Rosenberg even calls for a Cy Young from Verlander. Predictably, grumpy old Drew Sharp has them in 3rd because of too many ifs, a tough early schedule and because he's grumpy old Drew Sharp.

Kurt at Bless You Boys wishes you a Happy Opening Day Morning and offers a link to Ernie Harwell on baseball, and it's great to hear Ernie on Opening Day. He also gives his and readers' Keys to 2011 including hitting better with runners in scoring position (with runners in scoring position, the team hit just .256 last year) and running more.

Mike at the Daily Fungo has Baseball Tonight's Detroit Tigers Preview and calls out starting pitcher Phil Coke as his 2011 X-Factor.

What do you think, what are you reading and are you ready to PLAY BALL? Oh yeah, almost forgot Ernie Harwell. You can see him perform Casey at the Bat for a group of kids but his traditional "first pitch" is below.

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Wikipedia says that Sparky Anderson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 76, was the first manager to win a World Series for both a National League and American League team and that he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. His plaque notes his sunny disposition and says:

His career totals include 2,194 victories, the third most in Major League history, two Manager of the Year Awards, five league pennants and three World Series crowns. His heavy use of the bullpen staff earned him the nickname "Captain Hook," but this practice has now become the standard for Major League Baseball.

The quotation above (and photo) came from the Detroit Athletic Co. blog, and Bill Dow has a nice piece entitled Special Moments & Thoughts from Sparky Anderson. Samara at Roar of the Tigers has created a tribute image and Bless You Boys has a solid roundup of articles about Sparky that you should check out including this Joe Posnanski column in Sports Illustrated about George and Sparky and a Detroit News column by Tom Gage that has a huge collection of memories of Sparky from players and friends such as fellow Tiger Hall of Famer Al Kaline who says:

"Sparky was one of the greatest people I've met in baseball. He was a leader to his players both on and off the field. He was an incredible person and I cherish the time I was able to spend with him. He was a great leader and a great baseball man."

Mitch Albom writes that losing Sparky is like losing one of the family and Ian Casselberry rightfully drills the Tigers organization for their shameful failure to retire Sparky's number, noting that he managed the Tigers from 1979-1995 and his 1,331 wins are the most in franchise history.

The Daily Fungo has gathered some great videos of Sparky Anderson that you'll want to check out including Sparky on WKRP in Cincinnati and this hilarious piece with Chuck Daly and Sparky. We also found a cool photo tribute, but the best piece out there right now is from the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Tigers with team members including Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell.

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Fare Well by .jowo

Ernie Harwell -- the voice of the Tigers -- died in the spring by Mitch Albom begins:

The Voice of Summer died in the spring, just before the Tigers' first pitch of the evening. That was fitting. Ernie Harwell never wanted to interrupt the game.

Mr. "Looong Gone" is gone now. Like the home run that lands in the seats, like the final out of the ninth inning, like the thousands of games he closed with his signature sign-offs, his genteel voice telling us he'd see us tomorrow. Gone now. No more tomorrows...

Read the rest at the Freep, read more about Ernie Harwell on Absolute Michigan and on Michigan in Pictures, and check out the great slideshow of Ernie Harwell photos that folks have been adding to the Absolute Michigan pool. Please add your own if you have them and add links and comments about Ernie below!

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Legendary Detroit Tiger broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away tonight at the age of 92. The Detroit Free Press reports:

Following Harwell's wishes, there will not be a public memorial service. However, Harwell is expected to lie in repose at Comerica Park within a few days, where fans can pay their final respects.

...Donations can be made to the Ernie Harwell Foundation, to further the endowment of the Ernie Harwell Collection at the Detroit Public Library and to fund partial scholarships to the four colleges that bestowed honorary degrees on him: the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Northern Michigan University and Adrian College.

Here's a great video tribute to Harwell and you can read more about him on Absolute Michigan, Michigan in Pictures and Wikipedia.

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George Kell Ernie Harwell 1961, photo by doctor_gogol.

For, lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land
~Ernie Harwell quoting the Song of Solomon (listen)

April 9 was Ernie Harwell Day by decree of the Michigan Senate. More below

UPDATE: APRIL 10: Friday was also the Detroit Tigers home opener against the Cleveland Indians, which the Tigers won, 5-2. Here's the awesome boxscore from Baseball Reference - seriously, it's a baseball geek's dream. Ken was at the Comerica along with Tim the Tool Man Tiger, Scott Sizemore, a sellout crowd of   45,010 and the rest of the 2010 Detroit Tigers - here's his slideshow from Opening Day 2010.

Ernie Harwell's Farewell Address - a must-watch!

The Detroit News Rearview Mirror on Ernie Harwell writes that the Baseball Hall of Fame and longtime Detroit Tigers announcer was born on January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia, was so tongue-tied as a youngster that kids made fun of him and became the only broadcaster ever traded when the minor league Atlanta Crackers traded him to the Brooklyn Dodgers for farmhand Cliff Draper.

In 1950 Harwell was lured to the rival New York Giants, where one year later he broadcast the debut of Willie Mays. From 1954 to 1959, Harwell was the voice of the Baltimore Orioles.

George Kell was finishing his Hall of Fame career as a player with the Orioles, and one day Ernie invited him into the radio booth. Kell later landed a job with the Detroit Tigers and in 1960 the Detroit club signed Harwell to become Kell's partner. "It's the best move I ever made," Ernie said. "I've been very happy in Detroit."

...Baseball author Bruce Shlain reflects: "Somehow he brings the proper pitch and phrasing to a whole season, with a rhythm and pacing that only a select few have ever commanded. In many ways a Harwell broadcast is profoundly musical, as befits a man who has published 55 songs with composers such as Johnny Mercer. Many an announcer has aspired to sounding as if talking to a friend in his living room, but Harwell effortlessly establishes the same rapport on the air as he does in person."

Be sure to check out this shot of Ernie & George Kell out bigger and see more in Doctor Gogol's Stadium Workers set. In honor of Ernie and the home opener, I suggest you settle back and watch the Tiger Briggs Stadium Detroit slideshow.

Check out more Detroit Tiger features on Michigan in Pictures and play ball!

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First Pitch by merobson

Today at 4:10 PM, Justin Verlander leads the retooled Detroit Tigers against the Kansas City Royals and 2009 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.

The Tigers had a very active offseason and it will probably take a while for folks to get to know them. Mike McClary at the Daily Fungo has a 2010 Detroit Tigers Roster Preview that will help you tell the Johnny Damons from the Scott Sizemores. If you want to go a little more in-depth, settle back for a podcast with Mike and fellow blogger Ian Casselberry that addresses the Nate Robertson trade, the Dontrelle Willis saga and their predictions for 2010.Robertson traded??

Billfer at the Detroit Tigers Weblog wonders about the whys and wherefors and wiseness of Willis/Bonderman over Robertson. He also reports that even with the down economy, Tiger home opener tickets are hot!

Kurt over at Bless You Boys looks at how the Tigers make the playoffs and opens up the floor to predictions and projections on the Tigers' 2010 season.

Over at Roar of the Tigers, Samara says she's so ready for Opening Day that she's ready to eat her own hands, which would be a shame as she'd probably be unable to produce drawings like her Opening Day 2010 drawing. Maybe she could be contented with eating the Detroit Tigers seder plate instead? You can join Samara and some other Tiger bloggers on a live chat at 3 PM today!

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ESPN has details on the trade between the Yankees, Diamondbacks & Tigers which is soon to be finalized.

Admitting that this is a business trade, Detroit Tigers Weblog nonetheless gives the emotional response:

The Tigers, the city of Detroit, and the state of Michigan had a favorite son. A guy who's off the field heroics were at the same All Star level that his on field heroics were. And yet it was a guy who was incredibly accessible, even taking the time to answer a few questions for this humble blogger. People adored Granderson, and rightly so.

Grandy by Rudy Malmquist

There was the work ethic and the personality, and the fact he could actually play the game as well. The city of Detroit for all its struggles has been blessed with a series of stars to be proud of. After Al Kaline, and Alan Trammell, and Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidstrom, and, Joe Dumars. Guys who spent their whole career representing the city of Detroit. Granderson was going to be the next one. The one to carry the torch. Granderson was from Chicago but he became one of ours

Lynn Henning at the Detroit News feels that Granderson was beloved but on the decline. I'm gonna say "John Smoltz" to that.

Yankee bloggers seem happy (which adds to the awfulness). Kurt at Mack Avenue Tigers wants you to meet the new Tigers, Austin Jackson, Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke. I will, but not today, Granderson was my Tiger.

And Curtis, you'll need those shades in New York because I'm pretty sure you'll be a star.

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I thought it would be good to open with a brief excerpt from panicky screaming with Roar of the Tigers - click through for the full version with 100% more panic. Samara says she doesn't deal well with tight pennant races ... something that could be good for some more interesting photoshopping today at Roar of the Tigers.

The 2009 Detroit Tigers have worked tirelessly over the last week to create a dramatic pennant finish. After putting the Minnesota Twins two games back, the Tigers have failed to close the race out with three straight losses and are tied with the Twins on the last day of the season. Minnesota   meets the Kansas City Royals while the Tigers face the Chicago White Sox at 1 PM at Comerica Park. The forecast is for clouds, some showers and 50s as Justin Verlander takes the mound. I suspect, however, that it will be more of a question of whether or not the Tigers bring their bats to the game today ... and especially, Mack Avenue Tigers is looking at YOU Miguel Cabrera. Here's the win/lose/tie scenarios from the Freep.

Although we've come down to the final day of the season, Detroit News columnist Jerry Green says 2009 is far from legendary as pennant races go. Some - such as 1967alpennant.com - consider the '67 race in which the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox battled to the final out.

Speaking of pennant races, Mike McClary at The Daily Fungo is trying to deal with his nervousness by looking at the exciting 1987 pennant race in which the Tigers came from behind to swipe the pennant from the Blue Jays. Here's October Surprise part 8 when the Tigers pulled ahead by beating the Jays in the 12th inning as Trammel singled home Jim Walewander (never thought I'd hear that name again). See them all in the Blast from the Past section.

If you're the optimistic sort - or you just want a chance to see some playoff baseball - you can still get tickets for the possible home games vs the Yankees on Sunday and Monday.

There's little left to say but "C'mon Tigers - let's get this job done!" ... although of course you can't say "Panic" and "Detroit" without bringing in David Bowie. Here he is in the Diamond Dogs era...

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Photo: The Corner, Kaline's corner, Michigan & Trumbull...Tiger Stadium by MichiPictureGuy

Yesterday the last of Tiger Stadium was taken down. For more than 100 years, Michigan & Trumbull aka "The Corner" was the address of Tiger baseball, home to greats from Cobb, Greenberg & Kaline to Gibson, Trammel & Whitaker.

Last night Absolute Michigan pool photographer Ken Jacoby said "I want you to do a post tomorrow titled "Tiger Stadium is no more" and it was funny to see the coincidentally titled Tiger Stadium is no more in this morning's Freep. Check it out for a cool video by Marcin Szczpanski of the final demolition.

On Absolute Michigan & Michigan in Pictures we've done a lot of posts about the old ballpark. Some of my favorites:

• Tiger Stadium at the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull
• Tiger Stadium, in Pictures
• What Will Happen to Tiger Stadium?
• A belated 97th birthday tribute to "The Corner" which features a song by Ben Hassenger
• and Photo Friday: At the old ball game... by kcjacoby which is the gateway to a ton of photos taken by members of Exposure.Detroit who were lucky enough to take a tour of the stadium two years ago.

You can get some more Tiger Stadium posts at Michigan in Pictures and also check out the Tiger Stadium slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.

YouTube has some nice videos including Talkin' Baseball: Tiger Stadium, Last Game at Tiger Stadium, and Ernie Harwell's memories of Tiger Stadium. Here's Jeff Daniels doing the Tiger Stadium segment from The Story of America's Classic Ballparks:

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"It's lonnng gone" --Harwell by b.plus

Tigers a big source of pride in Motown from MLB.com says that:

...For all the upheaval going on around this bruised piece of the Midwest, the Tigers' little piece of it has almost become a separate reality. And they've received such a boost from their fan base that they can't help but wear the Detroit name with pride.

"I've never been in anything like this," said shortstop Adam Everett, whose wife is from the area. "I just know that this is a hard-working town and people are passionate. Going through what a lot of these families are going through, it's not easy."

More than 40 years after the 1968 world champion Tigers helped unite the city and the suburbs for one tremendous summer amidst a year of civil unrest and tension in Detroit and across the country, this year's Tigers are providing a different kind of reminder of the social impact a team can have.

Nothing now will compare to the stories of Willie Horton taking to the streets of Detroit during the riots of 1967, trying to calm down rioters, or of Mickey Lolich being summoned to his post by the Michigan Air National Guard that summer. It's a different situation the city and region face now. It isn't violence, but seeming hopelessness the area is battling.

Yet it's a time when a first-place team has again become a diversion, and a source of pride in a city that others want to put down. As a team defying expectations, somehow getting through so many of its own issues, the Tigers are proving to be a fitting sanctuary for a few hours.

Click through to this excellent article for more including a video report and GO TIGERS!!!

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urban hope by buckshot.jones

Throughout each month we post items of Michicentric interest to our Michitwitter page. In case you missed them here is a look back at just a few of the items for the month June. If you find these interesting there are plenty more for you to check out. We encourage you to add any news items, events, links to vids, podcasts or whatever you find interesting about the Great Lakes State!

The photo featured in this post is from the Absolute Michigan Flickr pool and was shot by the very talented buckshot.jones. He states:

This little garden is on the near west side of Detroit. The significance for me is it may very well be on an empty lot where one of my mother's childhood homes once stood. I also find it significant because it makes a statement about the resourcefulness of the folks in Detroit- a turning lemons into lemonade kind of a thing. Around the corner, right off Cass Avenue, sits a vacant corner lot. The locals have salvaged old couches and discarded auto bench seats and have fashioned a small park with the make- do seating placed under of the shade of a few low hanging maple trees.

A Sampling from Michitwitter June 2009

The folks attempting to save Tiger Stadium lost their fight in preventing the demolition and the Freep let us know in their article Detroit commission votes to level Tiger Stadium.

A Detroit city commission has voted to demolish the section of Tiger Stadium left standing after much of the historic ballpark was knocked down last year.

The city's Economic Development Corp. board voted 7-1 today to authorize the complete demolition of the stadium.

We often talk about how the buy local revolution and urban farming is gaining popularity and that farming is once again becoming a viable career choice. The State News ran the article More students opting to take on farming opportunities in summer, as career choices.

Growing up in metro Detroit, Adam Montri, outreach coordinator for the MSU Student Organic Farm, didn't consider farming to be a career choice. “I definitely grew up in the suburbs and thought of agriculture as something you did on the weekend or after school or that kind of thing,” he said. Now, Montri, who graduated from MSU in 2001, owns his own organic farm in Bath, Mich.

In our state's quest to harness the power of wind a report was released that the Thumb area is ranked #1. From Crains Detroit Business West Michigan, Thumb best for wind energy, report says

Three regions in West Michigan and one region in the Thumb area have the state's highest potential for wind energy projects, according to a report released Tuesday by a state board.

We were shown a ray of light shining through the darkness of our current economic quagmire. The Freep reported Economist: Michigan to start to recover in 2010

Comerica Bank's chief economist predicted today that Michigan's battered economy will finally start to recover next year, aided by a rebound in the national economy.

In another positive story on Michigan's economic turnaround Michigan.gov announced Granholm Announces Companies Investing Over $247 Million, Creating More Than 11,000 New Jobs in Michigan

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that Michigan's aggressive strategy to diversify the economy and attract investment to Michigan has resulted in 15 job-creating projects, which will generate more than 11,125 new jobs, retain another 846 and bring more than $247 million in new investment to communities across the state.

One of the more interesting and unusual biit of news came from mlive.com in their story University of Michigan researchers find clues at bottom of Lake Huron to ancient hunters

University of Michigan researchers have found the first archaeological evidence of ancient human hunting activity preserved under the Great Lakes.

Using detailed government data on lake floor topography, a research vessel and a remote mini-rover equipped with a camera, scientists found what they believe are hunting pits, camps and rock structures called caribou "drive lines" on the bottom of Lake Huron.

Much discussion has been made of late that the revitalization of our auto industry would be to go back to square one and the inventors, entrepeneurs and small company jump into the game for some fresh thoughts. Wired.com brought us Tesla Motors Founder: Let Me Run Detroit

Elon Musk has tackled electric cars, space ships and modular renewable energy stations. Now he wants a real challenge: running Detroit.

“When the mess gets sorted out, I'd like to have a conversation with whoever's in charge at the time — the car czar or whoever — and say ‘I'd like to run your plants, if you don't mind,'” Musk said, starting that conversation Monday at Wired's first-ever business conference, Disruptive by Design in Manhattan.

Last but not lease Detroit's art community received some huge support and encouragement. The Detroit News reported Kresge Foundation steps up gifts to Detroit causes

Call it an artist's jackpot, or a clever gambit to help Michigan hold on to some of its best creative talent.

Today, 18 Detroit-area artists officially will win $25,000 each, the first awards of an unprecedented no-strings-attached annual fellowship program designed to keep the area's top visual artists from leaving the state in search of greener pastures.

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Last "Everything" at Tiger Stadium by RichKD

Tiger Stadium from Wikipedia

Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) is a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The stadium is nicknamed "The Corner" for its location on Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Boulevard. Many in the metropolitan Detroit area feel that the stadium serves as a living metaphor for the city.

On April 20, 1912, Navin Field was opened, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. The intimate configurations of both stadiums, both conducive to high-scoring games featuring home runs, prompted baseball writers to refer to them as "bandboxes" or "cigar boxes".

The folks behind Save Tiger Stadium tell us:

The reports of Tiger Stadium's demise are greatly exaggerated. For over a year The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has been quietly working on a plan to preserve the entire playing field and a significant portion of the beloved old ballpark. This is a plan the Detroit City Council approved last summer because we don't want to build a monument to honor Detroit's baseball history, we want to keep it.

What would a birthday be without song? So we present The Corner by Ben Hassenger

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Yesterday Mark "The Bird" Fidrych died in an accident on his Massachusetts farm at the age of 54. I read a lot of words about Fidrych, who had one magical season in 1976 at the very height of my own love of baseball. I think the best were written by Michael Rosenberg who also wrote this excellent feature on Fidrych in 2006 and said:

Mark Fidrych reminded you of your childhood, no matter how old you were when he pitched. This was his charm, his curse, his legacy. He personified athletic innocence.

His childlike love of the game is what's remembered by many, but for the 1976 season he was also a devastating pitcher who went 19-9, finished as runner up for the Cy Young, led the majors in ERA and won the AL Rookie of the Year award. From Sports Illustrated:

...he did not pitch like any 21-year-old anyone had ever seen. He had impeccable, almost freakish, control. He hardly ever walked anyone. He walked one batter in an 11-inning victory at Texas on the fifth of June, and followed it up by walking nobody his next time out against the California Angels. He won nine of his 10 first decisions. He allowed just one run against the New York Yankees on Monday Night Baseball. He threw an 11-inning shutout against Oakland on July 16.

1954-2009 by Boston Wolverine

The second best words I read were penned by Samara Pearlstein at Roar of the Tigers who also took the photo to the left and suggests:

I suggest a memorial to one of the best things about him-- his ability to bring fun to a sometimes deeply (some would say 'overly') serious sport. Baseball is, after all, a game, and it's SUPPOSED to be fun; Fidrych understood that.

So, tomorrow, go out and do a little something 'willfully eccentric' (thanks for the phrase, commenter Matt). Talk to your car. Groom the seat of your office chair with your hands. Change pens because the old one doesn't have enough great ideas in it. Smile at yourself a little, and think of the Bird.

Much more about this weird and wonderful character can be found in the Detroit Tigers statement on Fidrych, Wikipedia's Mark Fidrych entry and at BaseballReference.com's page for Mark Steven Fidrych. Please share your comments, memories and links in the comments below.

Definitely watch this interview with Mark "The Bird" Fydrich.

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Justin Verlander gets the start at 7:15 PM in Toronto. The Tigers home opener is Friday at 1:05 vs the Texas Rangers.

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“He's a seven-day-a-week ballplayer.”
— Red Rolfe

Detroit Tiger and baseball legend George Kell passed away today.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame biography of George Clyde Kell says:

George Kell worked diligently at all facets of the game, relying on constant practice to become a solid hitter and a sure-handed fielder. He batted over .300 nine times and topped American League third basemen in fielding percentage seven times. Utilizing a strong and accurate throwing arm, Kell led the league in double plays six times, assists four times and in putouts twice. In 1949, Kell dramatically captured the American League batting title when he edged out Ted Williams by less than two ten-thousandths of a point, .34291 to .34276.

You can view a nice slideshow of Kell's career [Philadelphia Athletics (1943-1946), Detroit Tigers (1947-52), Boston Red Sox (1952-54), Chicago White Sox (1954-56) and Baltimore Orioles (1956-57)] and watch a nice video biography of Kell at the Hall of Fame. For all of Kell's prowess as a player, many Tiger fans remember him as an announcer. From Wikipedia's George Kell entry:

Kell was also known for particular colloquialisms in his style, such as always referring to a high pitch near the batter's eyes as being "up in his wheelhouse", or a hard-hit home run being "tommyhawked" into the stands. A particularly good catch was exemplified by "Speared by (Aurelio) Rodriguez! Whale of a play!" His home run call was simple but delivered with rising pitch: "Long drive...way back...could be...it is! Home run! The game-ending out, whether it meant a Tiger win or loss, usually merited a decrescendo: "Fly ball to center field...this should be the ballgame... it is."

Kell also relayed stories of his Hall of Fame career in the same folksy style. A favorite story of his was about the incident when his jaw was broken by a line drive off the bat of Joe DiMaggio. "I got up, made the play at third, then passed out."

The Detroit Tigers have a tribute to George Kell that has some memories from broadcasting partner Al Kaline and other and Major League Baseball has a George Kell video with some nice footage.You will probably also enjoy this Free Press article from 2006.

We'll leave you with a video from YouTube has some photos from Kell's career and also a lot of what appear to be family photos, and good wishes to Kell's family and friends.

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Apparently, the long layoff from baseball has affected our bat speed, and we missed the opening of Spring Training 2009.   In 2008, the Detroit Tigers dropped like a fly ball at a peewee game. They began the long climb back to the top last week with spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

Brandon Inge by Peggy

Spring Training Schedule & Tickets

You can get the Tiger's spring training schedule and tickets from Spring Training Online. We used to link to MLB.com for this but they decided to go after bloggers a couple years ago and we're scared of them! The home opener is Wednesday and Justin Verlander has the start. As Roar of the Tigers reports in comic strip form, Justin also has a birthday ... and a special surprise!

Meet your 2009 Detroit Tigers

Mack Avenue Tigers has decided to take on the fool's errand of projecting the Tiger's achilles heel bullpen. He also offers his thoughts on the Tigers rotation and likely batting order. Brian at Tigerblog.net weighs in on who he thinks will assume the mantle of fifth starter for the Bengals. Ian over at Bless You Boys went on his morning prowl and found some tasty morsels including Tiger prospects, Jack "I think I belong in the Hall of Fame" Morris and a little something about Adam Everett's glove. At the Daily Fungo, Mike is profiling Tigers, wishing Tiger legends and   happy birthday and also doing an interesting podcast.

Something went haywire with the 40-man roster page at Tigers Central but you can weigh in at their forums on all kinds of topics including your expections for the 2009 Tigers.   Bob Wojnowski from the Detroit News thinks that while the quieter Tigers of 2009 have some promise, he's not going to get all giddy ... yet. The Freep takes a video look new Tiger left fielder Carlos Guillen.

Tigers on TV, Tigers on the Field

I think the MLB operatives have probably wandered off to check for steroids in the water cooler, so I'll let you know that the Tigers will be featured in MLB TV's 30 Clubs in 30 Days tonight at 8 PM. All 162 Tiger games in 2009 will be televised, mainly on FOX Sports Detroit, which will also show four spring training games on March 16, 19, 22 & 29. The Detroit Tigers 2009 Schedule has them opening away (at Atlanta on Friday, April 3) with the home opener on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:15 vs the Blue Jays. You can see more Tigers video from their web site and also

Here's a cool local blog from Lakeland, FL called "Lakeland Local". In addition to spring training coverage coverage from a Lakeland resident's perspective, the blog features photos and links to photographers, local news & blogs and a nice Lakeland area event calendar (perfect for the spring training visitor who might not be all that interested in spring training). For the duration of spring training, you'll be able to find Lakeland Local in the Absolute Michigan blogroll to the right!

photo: Lakeland Flying Tigers by Lakeland Local

Lakeland, Joker Marchant Stadium, Tiger Town and Tiger Spring Training history

The Detroit Tigers began coming to Lakeland, Florida for Spring Training in 1934 and have been coming back every year, making for the longest lasting relationship between a Major League baseball team and a Spring Training host city. According to Lakeland's page on Joker Marchant Stadium, "Joker" Marchant was the longtime and popular director of Lakeland's Park and Recreational Department. When not hosting the Detroit Tigers, the stadium and Tiger Town complex are the home of the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Also see the google map of Tiger Town and check out Ballpark Digest's visit to the Joker Marchant!

Get your Tiger on with these Bengal bookmarks...

• Mack Avenue Tigers, Detroit Tigers Weblog, TigerBlog.net, Roar of the Tigers, Bless You Boys and The Daily Fungo are all excellent Detroit Tigers blogs
• If you're looking to talk it up with other Tiger fans, check out TigersCentral.com (great history there too!) and MotownSports.com's Tiger Board
• The Tigers official web site through MLB always has great photos and video
• Photos: Keep an eye on Detroit Tiger photos at Michigan in Pictures, the Detroit Tigers photo group and recent photos tagged with "detroit tigers".
• Even MORE photos: the photostream of MLB photographer Emily Smith!
• Absolute Michigan keyword "tigers" has a bunch more Detroit Tigers stories & links.
• Got another link? Add it below! Also, if you go to spring training or come across any stories we miss, please post a comment below!

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Spikes High by Dave Hogg

The above video is from a 1930 interview of Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb with Grantland Rice. You can see some photos along with the extended interview right here.

Michigan History Magazine notes that on February 2, 1936, Ty Cobb became one of the first players selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown:

According to many observers, Ty Cobb may have been baseball's greatest player. His batting accomplishments are legendary—a lifetime average of .367, 297 triples, 4,191 hits, 12 batting titles (including nine in a row), 23 straight seasons in which he hit over .300, three .400 seasons (topped by a .420 mark in 1911), and 2,245 runs. Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," Cobb stole 892 bases during a 24-year career, primarily with the Detroit Tigers.

Much more about one of the greatest players ever to play the game (and probably one of the meanest) at Remembering Detroit Tiger Legend Ty Cobb from Absolute Michigan.

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...except for last weekend of course, when politics was a welcome relief for UM and MSU fans. After getting pasted by a combined 91-24, the state of Michigan is assured of a Big Ten victory on Saturday as the Michigan State University Spartans travel to Ann Arbor and the Big House to face the University of Michigan Wolverines for bragging rights and the Paul Bunyan Trophy. You can read all about the trophy and the game at Michigan vs Michigan State Football Rivalry from Absolute Michigan.

Over there to the right is just a bit of The Best Thing I Saw on These Internets This Week: The Season of Much Woe by Samara Pearlstein of Roar of the Tigers. Relive all the shock, all the outrage, all the Spazzosaurus and be sure to tell her how cool it is so she'll do the next installment!!

Darren McCarty by radiospike photography

The Detroit Bad Boys are getting ready for the NBA season to start and report that power forward Jason Maxiell will test the waters of free agency next year. Bummer, but hopefully that means he plays harder than ever. In their 2008-09 Pistons Preview, they say (only half-jokingly) that the biggest offseason move was the Flip Saunders for Amir Johnson trade. Over at Ball Don't Lie, crazy Canadian blogger turned crazy Canadian blogger with a Yahoo contract J.E. Skeets has a Pistons season preview that says the Pistons may miss Flip in crunch time and Need4Sheed feels it's Larry O-Brien or Bust for the Pistons core of Billups, Prince and Rasheed.

Finally, in some depressing news, the Detroit Red Wings waived 36-year-old Darren McCarty. If he clears waivers, he'll be assigned to Grand Rapids.

For those of you who are thinking that I forget to mention the Detroit Lions, I didn't.

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The photos are Double rainbow over an icon by LindaB and Comerica Park by numstead, found just a few photos away from each other in the Absolute Michigan pool.

Nathan wrote My buddy Derek took me to see the Tigers play the A's on Saturday night. This double rainbow was the crowd's reward for sitting through a 1-hour rain delay to start the game.

Linda said They say rainbows are lucky so a double one must be doubly so, all hope is not lost yet.

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How Sweet It Is -Gladwin, Michigan by jfactor1

Our Michigan April Event Calendar says that this week is pretty much the best week to plan an event if you want to be the only game in town because we've got nothing to suggest.

If you have an event to suggest, a comment on the news, a link to a cool photo or an observation about the weather, post a comment below!

The question for the week is: have you already given up on the Tigers like Drew Sharp?

Last week: March 31 - April 6, 2008 | Next week:   April 14-20, 2008

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Play Ball !!! by suesue2

The Detroit Tigers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 14-13 on their first-ever opening day on April 25, 1901 and over the 107 years of Tiger baseball since, they have compiled a 57-49-1 record in their home openers (Detroit Tigers Opening Day at Baseball Almanac).

In just 11 days (5 hours, 47 minutes, 32 seconds) on Monday, March 31 at 2 PM, the Tigers start the 2008 season vs. the Kansas City Royals at home in Comerica Park. The game will be televised on Fox Sports & WJBK. (Detroit Tigers 2008 Schedule and official MLB site). This is only the 2nd ever March home opener - the other was a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on March 31, 2003

Obviously, with some great offseason moves, the hopes and expectations for the Tigers are sky high this year. While the 2008 Tigers' roster isn't set yet, but you can warm up for the season with links and stories at Absolute Michigan keyword Tigers including bloggers Mack Avenue Tigers, Detroit Tigers Weblog and Roar of the Tigers.

PS: Sam at Roar of the Tigers wanted me to be sure to mention that Miss America, Kristen Haglund of Michigan will sing the national anthem, throw out the first pitch and probably pinch run on Opening Day and here's last year's opening day feature.

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Anyone... please sign it, photo by K'mish

Tigers Spring Training tickets go on sale this Saturday (Jan 11) at 10 AM. You can order tickets online or by calling 866-66-TIGER and get all the details on spring training from MLB.com. Check Absolute Michigan keyword Tigers for all kinds of Detroit Tiger goodness including our feature on Spring Training with the Detroit Tigers.

K'mish took this photo at Spring Training 2007 and says this is the essence of baseball - with which I heartily agree. View more photos in his Baseball set.

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On Monday morning I started looking through photos from folks I know in Detroit and started seeing all kinds of pictures from Tiger Stadium. Over this whole week, photos have been popping up from a lucky group of photographers who had the equivalent - if you're a lifelong Tigers fan like me - of a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket dropped on them.

The first photo I saw on Monday was this one, about which Ken writes:

Tiger Stadium. Now closed, but once lively with the roar of the Tigers faithful. For the past 8 years the stadium has stood, awaiting its date with a wrecking ball.

A once in a lifetime opportunity happened for me this day... I was called and informed that a small group of Flickr members were being allowed into Tiger Stadium. 8 years after the ballpark had closed, these pictures are the result of what the park looks like in its current condition. This has by far been the greatest photo opportunity of my life.

You can see many more of Ken's photos from Tiger Stadium and also connect with other photos from the September 28, 2007 outing to Tiger Stadium on Flickr (slideshow).

Ken has lots more photos of subjects including Tiger games, the Woodward Dream Cruise and the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

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comerica park by jhoneyman49

I'm not sure if this photo of Comerica Park was taken last night at the last Detroit Tiger home game of 2007, but it's a gorgeous photo of a gorgeous ball park.

With the season all over except for the last 3 game series with the White Sox (and rooting for whoever plays the Yankees) Sam at Roar of the Tigers is disappointed - not Pittsburgh Pirates disappointed of course -   but saying that if you're all puffed up with your happy lack of disappointment now, but you must have had a heart of iron with regards to the ‘06 team.

In any case, while the Tigers might not have lived up to our high hopes at the start of the season, I think all their fans have to feel that the franchise has truly returned as one of the powers of the major leagues.

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