Morning Prowl: Playoff Tickets, Metrodome Conflicts, Ernie's Speech, and the Roar of '84

  Remember, playoff tickets for the first-round division series go on sale today at tigers.com, beginning at 10 a.m. EST.  Are you buying?  (And does it not feel right to be doing so before the playoffs are, you know, official?)  You can also buy tickets via phone at 1-866-66-TIGER.

  And who had their registration selected in the raffle?  I know john.kmiecik did.  I lost out.  Anyone else?  Kurt has a bit more on this at Mack Avenue Tigers, asking someone with the team about the raffle selection.

  By winning Sunday in Minnesota, have the Tigers already avoided being lumped in with so-called "chokers," like the 2007 and 2008 Mets?  Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan seems to think so, but believes Detroit isn't out of the danger zone just yet.  Or does he just want to see the AL Central stay close to give baseball one tight race? 

(via The Daily Fungo)

  For all those who said their goodbyes to the Metrodome on Sunday, there's still a chance the Tigers could play another game there.  If there was a tie-breaker, one-game playoff to determine the winner of the AL Central, it would be played in Minnesota, by virtue of the Twins (America's underdog, according to Jon Paul Morosi) winning the season series over the Tigers. 

However, there appears to be a scheduling conflict with the Metrodome, as a Monday Night Football game between the Vikings and Packers is set to be played on October 5, which is a one-game playoff would take place.  So would such a game have to be played at, say, 11 a.m.?  (Of course, the Tigers could avoid all this by winning the AL Central within the regular 162-game schedule.) 

  Did the Tigers overlook the Royals in their last six games against them?  That's what Nate Robertson seems to think.

  Ernie Harwell's thank you to the fans last Wednesday at Comerica Park was entirely consistent with the way he conducted himself as a broadcaster, according to The Detroit Tigers Weblog.  As Billfer says, Harwell never overtook the moment, letting it instead speak for itself.

  If you missed this in Sunday's Freep, Jo-Ann Barnas asked several Tigers to share their feelings on Mike Ilitch.  As you might imagine, everyone had nice things to say about the guy who signs the checks (though I think all of the sentiments expressed are genuine). 

I just thought it would've been much funnier if one of the guys had said something like, "Mr. I's a great guy.  Loves baseball.  Pretty sure I caught him not washing his hands in the bathroom."  This is probably why I am not employed by a metropolitan newspaper.

  Take 75 North highlights the minor leaguers who were considered the Tigers' top prospects, and looks at their 2009 seasons.  Who met their expectations?  And what can be expected from these players next year?

  With the celebration of the 1984 World Series Championship team scheduled for next Monday, September 28, Old English D hopes you'll share some of your memories of that season.

  Speaking of that '84 season, if you didn't see it last week, Big League Stew posted a set of photos from the Tigers' championship run.  Some are unfortunate, but they're all memorable.  I'd love to have the image of Kirk Gibson celebrating the Tigers' triumph on a wall somewhere in my house.

  Tigers Tracks has reached the number 7 in its  "Tigers By the Numbers" series.  Hello, Pudge Rodriguez.

(I wonder what Pudge thought of Cecil Cooper getting canned by the Astros yesterday?)

  From last season's catcher to this year's, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo talked to a scout who loves what Gerald Laird has done behind the plate this season. 

  Fire Jim Leyland breaks down the value of each Tigers position player (for instance, how much Laird's defense is worth to the team), and has two different charts to illustrate his data.

  Murray Chass makes his case for Jim Leyland winning the AL Manager of the Year award. 

  At DesigNate Robertson, Rogo lists 33 things he'd rather do than watch another series at the Metrodome.  Really, I counted them.