Like Stripes on the Fur Coat of a Tiger - 03/28

  Reminding me that I really should get around to typing up some previews and predictions (I think I said the exact same thing last year), Big Al has posted his multi-part preview of the 2008 Detroit Tigers at The Wayne Fontes Experience.

Part One covers the starting outfield and designated hitter, Part Two looks at the starting infield and catcher, and Part Three is about the starting pitching.  I'm going to presume that a Part Four is soon to come.

  Also posting a Tigers preview - and doing it for the fourth consecutive year - is the Mickey Tettleton Memorial Overpass.  And no one writes a mind-emptying preview like Beefshower.  Go over there to have your brain melted, not just because you think he'll eventually be a rich lawyer.  The man is a local treasure.

  At Take 75 North, Matt looks at the Clete Thomas-Dane Sardinha roster conundrum and breaks down how the Tigers' minor league outfield situation would shake out if Thomas ends up with Detroit on Opening Day.

  Are the baseball pundits and prognosticators looking more favorably toward the Cleveland Indians than the Detroit Tigers, in lieu of the pitching problems they've shown this spring?  The Detroit News' Vartan Kupelian and Mike O'Hara say yes.

  The New York Times' Tyler Kepner left the Tigers out of his AL playoff picks (opting for the Indians to win the Central and the Angels for the Wild Card), yet predicts Miguel Cabrera win the AL MVP award.  Four days later, however, Kepner finds himself questioning those AL predictions, based on recent developments.

  FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, meanwhile, thinks Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez will split voters' MVP votes, thus costing the Tigers' newly rich superstar third baseman a trophy for his man's room.

  As Sam Mellinger predicted would happen in yesterday's interview (Have you read it yet, Zappatista?), the Kansas City Royals have sent former Tigers pitcher Mike Maroth down to Triple-A Omaha.  Even if the Royals hadn't already been leaning that way, Maroth didn't help his case by giving up five runs in three innings in his final start of the spring.