After last night's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox, Jim Leyland said he didn't pinch-hit for Adam Everett in the eighth inning, because he thought Everett would put the ball in play. Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn weren't better options, in his mind, and Alex Avila just wasn't going to be used.
Samara gives us a sample of the Red Sox broadcast from last night, including Dennis Eckersley's thoughts on Magglio Ordonez cutting his hair, at Roar of the Tigers.
At Tiger Tales, Lee thinks it's pretty likely that Magglio Ordonez is going to reach the required number of plate appearances that will trigger that $18 million option for 2010. He's less than 100 away now.
Lynn Henning has reached the same conclusion. Though Maggs is playing because he's begun to hit (while players such as Ryan Raburn have slumped), Henning wonders if this is ultimately due to Mike Ilitch saying he'll pay that $18 million option for 2010.
At The Spot Starters, Blake wonders if the Tigers' top three starting pitchers are starting to show some fatigue, judging from how they've pitched over the past two weeks.
In light of Casey Crosby's start last night for the West Michigan Whitecaps, Take 75 North takes a look at his overall season. Factor in some typical growing pains for a 20-year-old coming off major arm surgery, but Crosby's future looks very promising.
UPDATE: If you're wondering why Crosby only pitched three innings last night, it's because his index finger split open. This is according to his brother, who left a comment on T75N. Crosby just began throwing a two-seam fastball, and needs to get used to it.
Outfielder Alex Rios is now with the White Sox, after the Blue Jays let him go on a waiver claim yesterday. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune called the transaction "shocking." Both Ken Rosenthal and Keith Law think Rios will be better playing center field than he was in right field.
I still think the White Sox claimed Rios on waiver to block him from possibly going to the Tigers, but Danny Knobler writes that Williams has coveted Rios for some time. Between Rios and Jake Peavy, Kenny Williams has taken on $110 million worth of salary to be paid over the next four to five years.
Is Leyland right about fans not caring about steroids talk in baseball? Mack Avenue Tigers says yes, believing people are fatigued with the story. I'm inclined to agree with him. Fans like their home runs, they like their scoring. But most of all, I think people go to their sports for escape, and care more about what's happening on the field.
Jamie Samuelsen, however, thinks Leyland is wrong. Or does he? He takes issue with Leyland saying people who do care about steroids "probably don't like baseball." Yet he then agrees that people are tired of steroid talk. And then it becomes about... the Lions?
Rogo tries to make sense of it all at DesigNate Robertson, combing through every one of Samuelsen's words thoroughly and having plenty to say about them in response.
According to the Boston Globe's Adam Kilgore, maybe Nick Green's home run last night vs. the Tigers shouldn't have been so surprising. Since making an adjustment in his stance, he's been making good contact. And when Green connects for a home run at Fenway Park, the ball tends to go far.
Kyle Steuf (who checks in here under the screen name MitdaKayo) raved about watching a Tigers game on his iPhone (with the MLB At-Bat 2009 application) for the new AnnArbor.com. This might be the winning argument in my internal "Do I get an iPhone or Blackberry" conflict. Or maybe I'll just get an iPod Touch. I dunno.