Always a Tiger says a final goodbye to Tiger Stadium, in light of the news that a final preservation effort came up short, and the ol' ballpark will now be completely demolished. Mack Avenue Tigers, on the other hand, believes time of death shoud've been called on this patient long ago, and it's time to move on.
Both pieces are thoughtful and heartfelt, and definitely worth your reading time today.
Jim Leyland, meanwhile, doesn't get nostalgic or soft over old stadiums. (As we know, he doesn't like chewing on yesterday's breakfast, and this is a heaping old plate of it.) He's a modern ballpark man.
What sorts of numbers could be expected from the Tigers over the next month? Hazaa has career splits for both batters and pitchers, and some of the totals could surprise you.
Miguel Cabrera has dropped to fourth in All-Star voting for AL first basemen. When initial results were announced last week, Miggy was second behind Boston's Kevin Youkilis. But the Yankees' Mark Teixeira leapfrogged to that spot, and Minnesota's Justin Morneau has surged to third place.
You can still vote for Miggy, of course, and do what you can to change those totals. There will also be an All-Star voting party at Hockeytown Cafe on June 18.
(via the Tigers Official MLBlog)
To clear up the outfield surplus that is soon to come, with the return of Marcus Thames and Carlos Guillen, Tiger Geist wonders if Guillen might be asked to return to playing first and third base. (This would squeeze Jeff Larish off the major league roster, as well.) But would Guillen's shoulder be strong enough to handle making throws from third?
How does Detroit's record through June 2 compare to other Tigers teams of the past? The Spot Starters lists the won-loss totals for the past eight years. (Hey, they were pretty good in 2006, eh?)
Keith Law has his latest mock MLB draft up at ESPN.com. At the ninth selection, he has the Tigers taking high school pitcher Jacob Turner, a 6'5" right-hander out of St. Louis.
According to ESPN's scouting report, Turner might have the best arm in the draft after Stephen Strasberg, throwing consistently at 94-96 m.p.h. Like Rick Porcello, Turner is being advised by Scott Boras and is currently committed to pitch at North Carolina.
What does being in first place in the AL Central on June 1 usually mean for the team on top? In a Fanpost, qbdoyle1 links to a MLB.com article with some statistics that could bode well for the Tigers.