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Doing a little Christmas shopping, I’m finding it a little bit difficult to come up with creative presents to get for the members of our favorite baseball team. I could ask Santa to just give the Tigers and their fans the World Championship that they want so badly, but that’s too easy, and would make for a boring article. So, I’ve got to go through the list and find exactly what each member of the team really needs in 2013, even if they’ve already got it. Here is my Christmas wish list for the Tigers’ executives, players, media, and bloggers.
Mike Ilitch: Good health, long life, and a world series championship in 2013.
Dave Dombrowski: Verlander and Cabrera agreeing to reasonable four year contract extensions. Reasonable being ONLY as much as the highest paid players in the game currently receive.
Jim Leyland: Healthy starting pitchers routinely going seven strong innings. Bruce Rondon showing good command.
Justin Verlander: Post season performances to match his dominating regular season work
Doug Fister: Repeat last two seasons’ results for an entire healthy season in Detroit.
Anibal Sanchez: September and October stats all season, especially in September and October.
Max Scherzer: A healthy shoulder and a delivery that gets stuck on auto pilot.
Rick Porcello: A shortstop with range. And an effective slider that gets lefties out.
Drew Smyly: A solid relief pitcher and a good future shortstop. In exchange for Rick Porcello.
Bruce Rondon: Command of his blazing fastball, and no comparisons to Zu.... nvm
Joaquin Benoit: A magnetic force that keeps the baseball in the park.
Octavio Dotel: Good health, and recognition as the best pitcher in the Tiger bullpen
Phil Coke: Lots of pop flies to point at
Brayan Villarreal: A seat on the bus
Miguel Cabrera: 2011 or 2012 all over again, with an army of luddites to extol his virtues
Omar Infante: 50% left handed pitchers.
Jhonny Peralta: All the ground balls hit to his glove side, if not right at his glove.
Prince Fielder: A post season more like the regular season.
Torii Hunter: A world series ring to show Arte Moreno and Josh Hamilton
Austin Jackson: Even years production in an odd numbered year.
Andy Dirks: Proof that 2012 was no fluke.
Avisail Garcia: Let the future begin. Now.
Brennan Boesch: A one way ticket to Seattle.
Ramon Santiago: A seat on the plane next to Boesch.
Quintin Berry: Boesch to Seattle, and Kobernus back where he came from.
Danny Worth: See Santiago and Kobernus, via Berry
Kurt Mensching: A million page views and a trip to the BYB meet up.
Big Al Beaton: His own radio show, preferably sitting next to Dan Dickerson during Tiger games.
Jim Price: A one way ticket to Seattle with unlimited funnel cakes, and an autographed picture of his friend, Al Kaline.
Lynn Henning: A new Tiger shortstop
Tony Paul: A new Tiger closer
Drew Sharp: A clue
J P Morosi: A do-over for the 2012 AL Cy Young ballot. (The Price is wrong, JP!)
Keith Law: A mob of luddites, torches in hand, pounding on your front door
DNR Rogo: A new Don Kelly
Phil Coke's Brain: Dennis Miller's job
Allison Hagen: Lots of run support, and a case of Middleton Irish whiskey.
Melissa Heyboer: Drew Sharp’s job
Rob Rogacki: Triple his salary for carrying the load at BYB
BYB bloggers: A regular supply of articles by Gwilson
GWilson: A Detroit Tigers 2013 World Series Champions T Shirt
Tiger fans: Long life for Mike Ilitch, and a world series championship
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Tigerdog to everyone in the Tigersphere.