Carlos Guillen began his minor league assignment in Lakeland last night, going 0-for-3 as the designated hitter.  Guillen led off for the Flying Tigers, which I assume was so he could get as many at-bats as possible.  He was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

  Billfer of The Detroit Tigers Weblog got to spend last Friday hanging out with the Fox Sports Detroit crew, watching them go about their business of televising a Tigers baseball game.  If you've ever wondered just how much work goes into the broadcasts we watch every night, you'll surely find this interesting.

Part 1 of Bill's account is up now, which includes a tour of the production truck, a chat with John Keating, and talks to Mario Impemba and Rod Allen about their pre-game preparations.  Part 2, covering the actual game telecast, is soon to come, probably on Wednesday.  (I'm hoping he dishes some dirt on Ryan Field's hair.)

  Mack Avenue Tigers laughs at the notion of taking a break during this All-Star break, with plenty of good stuff to read during baseball's mid-season hiatus.  Yesterday, he talked to Take 75 North's Matt Wallace about Scott Sizemore's development, future Tigers to look out for, and whether or not the organization has the juice to make a big trade.

Today, Kurt talks to the Detroit News' Lynn Henning about his work covering the Tigers, how he and Tom Gage split their duties for the paper, his professional relationships with the players he covers, and embracing the internet revolution.  The man also seems to appreciate having a beer, which I think many of us can raise a glass to.

  Why are the Tigers playing so much better at home (27-13) than on the road (21-26)?  Lee breaks down the numbers at Tiger Tales, and finds that the answers are rather simple (though the "why" of it remains elusive).

  Mike McClary is pulling the plug on The Detroit Tigers Podcast three episodes short of 100.  I'm sorry to hear about his decision, both as a listener of the show and a frequent guest, but certainly understand (and sympathize) with Mike's reasons for doing so.  Unfortunately, this leaves a rather gaping hole in the Tigersosphere going into the second half of the season.

  The Daily Fungo lives on, however, as Mike points out that James Skelton was demoted to Single-A Visalia by the Diamondbacks last week.

  Danny Knobler laments the demoliiton of the Tiger Stadium press box (where he worked for 10 of his 18 years on the Tigers beat) after looking at this MLive.com slideshow of what's left of the old ballpark.

  Fire Jim Leyland has an idea for the Tigers' third base situation next year: Move Brandon Inge to short, and sign Adrian Beltre (who could be available at a bargain) to take over at third.  A bold assertion, but Mike certainly makes his case well, while acknowledging that the Tigers more than likely won't do this. 

My take is that Inge has certainly earned an entrenchment at third base for the final year of his contract next season, and I also wonder if Beltre is the third base equivalent of Brady Anderson.  (Though I definitely agree that he's fantastic defensively, and his offensive numbers are more than respectable.)

  Also from Knobler: Was the whole "Bran-Torino" thing Shane Victorino's idea?  He didn't come up with the slogan, but apparently suggested that the Phillies and Tigers team up to make a push for the two players who initially began the Final Vote in second place.

  Motor City Bengals lists a variety of relievers, starting pitchers, and bats that could be available as we near the trade deadline, though several of those names might fetch a bigger price tag than the Tigers are likely willing to pay at this point.

  Finally, a reader from Lone Star Ball will be visiting Detroit in early August as part of his annual baseball road trip (I'm so envious), and is hoping for some suggestions for places to eat and things to check out while he's in the area.  Please pass your ideas along.