:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5620852/20120221_jel_aw8_136.jpg)
Prince Fielder is kind of a big deal; Jason Varitek retires from baseball; and David Wright upgrades his uniform. Check out today's Morning Prowl for these stories and more!
Tigers Links:
Spring Swing: Prince Fielder is the undisputed center of attention in Tigers camp - Big League Stew, Kevin Kaduk
The headline for this one screams "Grass is green, sky is blue," but 'Duk's pictures from Lakeland are well worth your time. Also, if anyone could let me know where I can get a moped like that one, I'd appreciate it.
Marksmanship of Tigers pitcher Doug Fister transfers to sharp control on mound - Detroit Free Press, Jeff Seidel
I've changed my mind. If there's one guy on the Tigers' roster that you shouldn't mess with, it's Doug Fister.
Justin Verlander DVD, Doug Fister 'growth chart' highlight Tigers '12 giveaways - Detroit News, Tony Paul
The Tigers released their promotional schedule for 2012, and it's packed full of awesome giveaways. Oh, and if anyone goes to the game on April 24th, please put in a good word for me.
The Year Ron Leflore went Streaking - Tiger Tales, Lee Panas
Lee takes a look back at the summer of 1976, when Ron Leflore's 30-game hitting streak took the city of Detroit by storm and nothing else interesting happened. OK, maybe there was some guy named Fidrych on the team too. He was decent.
Detroit Tigers' Jim Leyland still waiting for lefty Andy Oliver to 'pop' - MLive, James Schmehl
Finally, someone admits that the Tigers rushed Oliver to the big leagues. Still, at 24, Oliver has time to turn things around.
Brandon Inge, Usurper of Spring Training Headlines - Old English D, Jen Cosey
If you haven't read it yet, Jen's rant about Inge's Spring Training arrival is awesome. If you have, read it again. You know you want to.
A few snippets of spring news - Roar of the Tigers, Samara Pearlstein
Apparently Lynn Henning -- who went on a rant on Twitter yesterday about Joel Zumaya's health and youth -- hasn't seen Samara's latest work.
Expect a Bounce-Back Year from Delmon Young - Motor City Bengals, John Parent
No lie, this link is purely meant to troll Tokarz (though that's not to say it's not worth reading). Hopefully John's more positive outlook on Young's potential proves to be correct this season.
Elsewhere in Baseball:
Jason Varitek joins Tim Wakefield in calling it a career - HardballTalk, Matthew Pouliot
The Red Sox catcher and captain has decided to call it a career. While Pouliot and Craig Calcaterra look back at Varitek's stats, I'm more appreciative of a certain defining moment in Varitek's career.
Bobby V: No Beer In Red Sox Clubhouse - Baseball Nation, Al Yellon
Speaking of the Red Sox, it was only a matter of time before alcohol was banned in their clubhouse after last season's fiasco following their Wild Card collapse.
Oakland A's Brandon McCarthy is writing Moneyball's next chapter by reinventing himself with analytics - ESPN The Magazine, Eddie Matz
The title could also be "Brandon McCarthy figures out how to throw a two-seamer," but that's nowhere near as exciting. Still, a great piece here on one of the great stories of 2011 (and hopefully 2012, since he's on my fantasy team).
Broadcaster Rankings (TV): Intro and #31 - FanGraphs Baseball, Carson Cistulli
You get three guesses who baseball fans ranked as the worst announcing duo in baseball (largely due to one individual, as you might expect), and the first two don't count.
Mets' David Wright Sporting No. 16 Michigan Jersey At Practice - SB Nation Detroit, Ian Casselberry
No, Wright hasn't actually seen the light and become a Michigan fan. He was just owning up for his bet with CEO Jeff Wilpon on the outcome of this year's Sugar Bowl. I like the number selection though.