Detroit Tigers Links: Justin Verlander's location problem & the Jose Valverde saga continues

Prince Fielder is my favorite human being I think.

Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera on Sports Illustrated cover; will that jinx team's World Series chances?
MLive.com, Brendan Savage
Ugh.

On the Beat: Rising to Giant Occasions
Baseball Prospectus, John Perrotto

The Giants have faced elimination multiple times in the postseason, yet they're three wins away from a championship.

Justin Verlander’s Location Problem
FanGraphs Baseball, Dave Cameron

So, what went wrong for Verlander? At the risk of oversimplification, his problems can essentially be traced to two factors: 1. Bad location, 2. Good hitting

Where Justin Verlander went wrong
Baseball Nation, Grant Brisbee

Short answer: He decided to be a pitcher in the game of baseball.

Park your car for $130 at the World Series! (Photo)
Big League Stew, David Brown
Just dumb.

After trial and failure, will Valverde pitch for Tigers again? 'You never know'
Out of Left Field, Matthew B. Mowery

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland kept insisting that deposed closer Jose Valverde would be a "big part" of the World Series.

Posey, Mays and why the Giants will win
SweetSpot Blog, Anna McDonald
The Giants will win the World Series because of Willie Mays. Yes, that makes total sense.

Pandas are bad and should be avoided.
Roar of the Tigers
Pandas are indeed evil, evil creatures.

Elsewhere in baseball:

Mariano Rivera "having second thoughts" about playing again
HardballTalk, Aaron Gleeman

While acknowledging it's still "probable" that Mariano Rivera will return from knee surgery to pitch next season, Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York reports that the future Hall of Famer "is having second thoughts about possibly retiring.

Cubs credibility an issue
chicagotribune.com, Steve Rosenbloom

Sometimes the Cubs can be as sanctimonious off the field as they are inept on it.