Like Stripes On the Fur Coat of a Tiger - Inaugural 2008 Edition

 If you haven't seen it yet, The Detroit Tigers Weblog has an interview with Curtis Granderson.  Considering how much Grandy blew up last season, both on and off the field, I think it's impressive that he and his people have been so accessible to the peeps.  

 And just as a reminder, Granderson's charity basketball game is January 26 at Avondale High School.  A list of participants can be seen at that link.  (I would've loved to play, as I could've worn my Courtney Hawkins jersey that I bought during the one year I attended Michigan State.  But, you know... bad knee.  Plus, I doubt I'd fit into that jersey anymore.)

Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for children 10 and under.  With a student ID, high school students can get tickets for $10, as well.   Proceeds go to the Grand Kids Foundation.  

 Over at Tiger Tales, Lee has been running a tireless series on the Tigers' defensive rankings.  Pick your stat - Fielding Percentage, Range Factor, Zone Rating, PMR, etc. - and I think Lee has you (and the Detroit lineup) covered.

Which is the best indicator of defensive skill is an interesting discussion, and it seems like the answers depend on who you talk to and when.  I've probably leaned toward Range Factor when discussing defense over the past year, but admit I'm still pretty ignorant about each of these categories.  Zone Rating makes a pretty convincing case, though.  

 King of the Tigers, Master of the Motown Baseball Jungle: The Mayo Smith Society named Magglio Ordonez as the winner of its King Tiger Award this week.  The award is based on a Tiger's contributions on and off the field.

Ordonez will be presented with the award during Spring Training.  When accepting, I'm hoping Magglio will invoke Conan the Barbarian, and state the following goals: "Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."

C'mon, how cool would that be?  Maggs already has the hair for it.