Monday's soup - Sure sign of spring
1. This might get you through the snow this week: The Tigers' equipment truck leaves for Florida on Friday.
2. Good move, Tigers: Inviting Andres Galarraga to spring training as Miguel Cabrera's mentor. It might help more than just Cabrera, though. The Venezuelan players revere "The Big Cat."
Galarraga was once such a good hitter that he was one of only three batters Hall-of-Famer Goose Gossage ever hit on purpose.
Here's an excerpt about it from an AP story written for May 12, 2008: "I'm in the eighth inning, Galarraga's up, first base is open, the game's on the line with two guys on, and I'm thinking back to the meeting before the game (about Galarraga being on a hot streak)," Gossage said with an impish grin.
"I was in my delivery when I thought, 'I'm not taking any chances.'
"Boom! I wasn't going to put him on, so I saved four pitches and drilled him as good as I can drill them. Right in the rib cage. You could hear the air go out. It was beautiful."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, though. We'll check this spring with Galarraga for his side of the story.
3. Well, well, Marcus Thames to the Yankees - what goes around, comes around. Something tells me he'll make that roster.
4. See that Snickers commercial during the Super Bowl? So that's what Abe Vigoda (almost 89) looks like now.
One more time: "Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him."
5. By the way, have you ever heard anyone talking about a World Series commercial? Me neither.
Friday's soup - big changes coming
1. Wanted: A dependable time machine. Minus the morlocks.
Wouldn't you love to transport yourself two years into the future and see what the Tigers look like on this date in 2012?
The only current contracts on the books for 2012 are Miguel Cabrera's, Justin Verlander's, and that of last June's draft choice Jacob Turner.
There's also a club option in Rick Porcello's contract - and Jose Valverde's.
But that's it. Repeat, that's it.
2. Twelve clubs hold their first spring-training workout on Feb. 18, a day before the Tigers do - but there's a method to the Tigers' schedule.
This will be the fourth consecutive year they've planned for 11 workout days before the first exhibition game. They have a program and they stick with it.
It's surprising how much spring training varies from team to team, however. The Indians, for instance, doesn't get underway until Feb. 23.
3. Justin Verlander's arbitration hearing would have been Feb. 17. Not important now, unless you were thinking his agreement was a beat-the-clock special.
4. I've become pretty numb to these huge contracts. Perhaps we all have. As Verlander admitted, his $80 million pact is a number "that doesn't compute."
But it's still astounding to think that $80 million would pay 25 salaries of $80,000 each for 40 years.
That's why it's best to remember Sparky Anderson's words: "It's baseball, not the real world."
5. Maybe it's me, but I don't laugh at late-night Toyota jokes, such as the one David Letterman made Thursday night.
Not when people have been killed because they couldn't stop.
Oh well, as I said, maybe it's me. Have a good weekend.
Almost forgot. Colts 27-20.
Thursday's soup - Verlander five years from now
1. Using whatever stats you want, where in five years do you think Justin Verlander will rank on the list of the Tigers' all-time best pitchers?
It's a lineup that currently, if I were to think of 10, would include, in no specific order, Mickey Lolich, Jack Morris, Hal Newhouser, George Mullin, Hooks Dauss (most wins as a Tiger at 222), Tommy Bridges, Dizzy Trout, John Hiller, Frank Lary - and, yes, because of his 235 saves, Todd Jones.
Feel free to adjust the Top 10 list. I know one name that many of you will remove. And a couple you might put on - Jim Bunning and/or Denny McLain.
My opinion is that in five years we'll be listing Verlander right behind Lolich, Morris and Newhouser.
2. As expected, the Tigers backloaded Verlander's contract with $20 million in each of the last three years. Up front, he's getting a $500,000 signing bonus, plus a salary of $6.75 million this season. Next year he'll make $12.75 million.
3. Found it interesting that Verlander has been throwing with Jeremy Bonderman in Florida and said "I'm excited about the life he's showing already. He's excited, too."
4. Just moved some stuff in the basement and came across my absolutely all-time favorite baseball game as a kid: All-Star Baseball, with the discs and spinner.
I wore out so many spinners that my dad made me an electric one.
Still wish my dog hadn't eaten Gus Zernial, though.
5. Oh, well, so much for the plan to drive to D.C. this weekend to visit my son. A predicted foot of snow got in the way. Any Forumites down there waiting to shovel?
Wednesday's soup - now is the time
1. We always intend to do it.
Our thoughts are well-intentioned. But we don't have a stamp.
The line at the post office is too long. Maybe tomorrow.
If you've wanted to tell Ernie Harwell what he's meant to you - but haven't yet done it. . .
If you wish to send him a card, a note, or just a few lines. . .
Do not delay.
Don't be sorry later that you didn't do it. Best wishes for Ernie can be sent to Gary Spicer, 16845 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
2. Finally getting accustomed to Peter Gammons being on the MLB Network instead of ESPN. Same good insider stuff, though. Maybe even more of it than before.
3. Betcha didn't think Marcus Thames would have this tough a time finding another job. Betcha he didn't think so, either.
4. Have been meaning to pass along this Jim Leyland-line that Mario Impemba recently wrote about in his FOX Sports column.
When asked on the Tigers' caravan what he does during the off-season to stay in shape, Leyland replied, "I try to smoke less."
5. And, with that, a happy Cordova Ice Worm Day to you all.
Tuesday's soup - Damon for Thomas
1. You might as well consider it a Johnny Damon for Clete Thomas deal if Damon signs. Thomas would be the odd man out in the outfield - at least for this season.
2. Even now, some Tigers fans will say "ouch" about this: But Jack Reed turns 77 today. A former Yankee, Reed hit one home run in his career - and that home run was hit when and did what?
3. Here's a graphic illustration of how baseball has changed through the years - specifically pitching.
Justin Verlander turns 27 later this month and has a 65-43 career record.
Elden Auker had a 66-42 record as a Tiger by the time he turned 27 in 1937. Almost identical won-lost records, in other words.
But Verlander has thrown six complete games - and Auker had thrown 58. It's as if relief pitching hadn't yet been invented.
4. Moving ahead on the time line, remember Kody Kirkland? Not a bad prospect after a decent year at Lakeland in 2005. In fact, he was in major-league spring training with the Tigers in 2006 and 2007 and climbed as far as Toledo on the organizational ladder.
In fact, in 2006, Kirkland was projected in Baseball America to be the Tigers' starting third baseman in 2010. Like, uh, now.
What's he doing? On Tuesday, at age 26 - hoping to find a job somewhere-anywhere - Kirkland participated in the first Professional Free Agent Showcase in St. Petersburg, Fla.
5. By the way, Mike McClary of The Daily Fungo had a good line last week: "I wonder if Dave Dombrowski thinks of Johnny Damon in Detroit and only sees Jacque Jones."
If that's the case, you know how this will end - no deal. Jones was an unmitigated flop in 2008 for the Tigers.
Monday's soup - the Boras buzz
1. Have to admit, it's a brilliant stroke by Scott Boras to create some talk in Detroit about Johnny Damon. That said, he's interested in more than talk.
2. This is one of the great transaction times of the entire year - as teams start picking up bargain free agents. The Tigers could do a lot worse than infielder Adam Kennedy.
Consistent at the plate last year; hit .307 against right-handers with some pop (10 home runs) against them; big September finish (.349), plus a .368 batting average with runners in scoring position.
Why the heck is he even still available?
3. Let's hear it for aunts. We laid to rest my favorite, Aunt Mary, on Saturday. If you can, call your favorite aunt this week and see how she's doing. She might even like to talk some baseball.
4. Now that I see the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City is hurting monetarily, one more word about Oneonta (NY) losing its Tigers' affiliate in the New York-Penn League.
Oneonta has taken a double hit because the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, which has been there since 1979, closed because of declining attendance and donations.
Unlike the minor-league team, it will not be moving to Norwich, Conn.
Times are tough for these specialized, but excellent, museums.
5. Are we unanimous on this? February is better than January because???
Friday's soup - are you sure about Bonderman?
1. Any of you using a pencil instead of a pen when writing down Jeremy Bonderman's name for the starting rotation this year?
He's made one start since June 1, 2008, so is it really as certain as the Tigers' saying they expect him to be fine? Of course not.
2. Oops - we forgot to observe Magglio Ordonez's 36th birthday on Thursday.
I have to say that when he was in town last year, Ordonez seemed 36 years young, not 36 years old.
And if he starts 135 games for the Tigers this year or has 540 plate appearances, he'll still be a Tiger at 37, too.
3. Weird Max Scherzer stat: He didn't have a first-inning problem last year, he had a fourth-inning problem. Opposing hitters batted .350 against him in the fourth inning, but no higher than .239 in any other inning through the seventh.
He also allowed 27 runs in the fourth inning, more than first and second combined - the second and third, too. Second time through the lineup presented problems, in other words.
4. And the winner is?
When you take the two Top Prospect lists that came out this week (ESPN's and MLB.com's, both of them very thorough, by the way) and average where the three Tiger prospects ranked, the result was: Casey Crosby 49th, Austin Jackson 54th, Jacob Turner 61st.
5. Oneonta move - Looks like the Tigers are going to benefit with the move of their New York-Penn League affiliate to Norwich, Connecticut. The facility there is said to be of Double A quality.
Thursday's soup - Governor Granderson?
1. Interesting discussion on WDFN with Dave Dombrowski, who said about:
Curtis Granderson - "I've often said it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up being President of the United States, or governor, or a senator.
"My daughter told me I traded her favorite player. She wanted a Curtis Granderson autographed jersey for Christmas - which she got."
Jim Thome - "I would rather have had him go somewhere else (than the Twins) because we all know how he haunts the Tigers. We'll have to deal with that. He just won't change divisions."
Mark McGwire - "I like him as a person, but I don't agree with his statement. I'd be surprised if (steroids) didn't help him a little bit more than he has let on."
2. Case closed: The Tigers were not interested (at all) in signing Jim Edmonds.
3. What a touching story "middle-aged, Battle Creek" shared with the forum. If you missed it, this is what it was, in response to the where-were-you question about Jan. 28, 1986 when the shuttle Challenger exploded:
"I was standing in my dad's hospital room watching him die. We had just turned the TV on and saw what happened. The room was full and we all were just shocked and horrified. I left the room for about 5 minutes when someone came and got me. My dad had taken his last breath. Crying as I type this."
We trust it's never too late to say that we're sorry for your loss, Battle Creek.
4. Name that SJ - Pitcher Steven Jackson has been outrighted to Triple A by the Pittsburgh Pirates - not to be confused with the Stephen Jackson pf the Charlotte Bobcats, or the now-in-trouble Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams.
Or the Steve Jackson of Bloomfield Hills, who played hockey at Michigan State.
Darn - thought I could find a Stephen-Steven Jackson in all four major pro sports. Anybody know any other SJ's?
5. Character actor poker - I'll see your Whit Bissell, Will S., and raise with Dub Taylor.
Wednesday's soup - you blew it, Lou
1. I'm not saying it's the entire reason, but if the Tigers aren't bringing Lou Whitaker back as a spring-training instructor because he could not be bothered attending the 1984 reunion, which is basically what he said last spring, I don't blame them.
2. Did you see Jorge Arangure Jr.'s piece on ESPN.com about Miguel Cabrera? It was particularly interesting that Cabrera "needs to repair his reputation, not only in Detroit, but also in his native Venezuela where he remains a polarizing figure."
3. Take a moment, if you will, to remember the seven Challenger astronauts who perished 24 years ago Thursday. It was one of the mercifully few where-were-you moments of our lives.
I don't know about you, but to this day whenever I watch a launch, the words "roger, go at throttle up" are still haunting.
4. Speaking of which, where were you, Dave Dombrowski?
"I remember exactly where I was. I was still in New Orleans after attending the Super Bowl and was working at a desk in my hotel room with the TV on. I was with the White Sox at the time.
"I grew up a Bears fan and they were in that Super Bowl. That's why I was there. I heard the bulletin on the TV and my heart just sank."
5. Me? I was at the Macomb Mall Sears, getting a battery for my Dodge Omni and there was a television on in the waiting room.
That said, feel free to fill in this blank but it has to be a car no longer manufactured: "I never had an Omni, but I had a ----------."
Tuesday's soup - Yankees, but not the Tigers
1. Did you see that Rick Ankiel, who signed with the Royals, said the other teams in it at the end were the Yankees, plus Washington and Florida. Would you have wanted the Tigers to show more interest?
2. Kudos to my colleague Lynn Henning for working so hard on behalf of the 9th annual Detroit Baseball Dinner - which is Saturday night at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn.
With his passion for the game, as well as for talking about the game, this has been Lynn's project from the get-go.
3. No, I don't think Gustavo Nunez will compete for the starting shortstop job at any time this year. Ask again next January, though.
4. Jason Beck of mlb.com has fessed up. He's a cheap-gas guy - like Curtis Granderson.
"But it all depends on how far you have to drive to find it," said Beck, known for multiple forms of thriftiness.
5. I used the word "transmogrify" in a story on Tuesday and quickly got a couple of puzzled emails.
Best way to define it is that Dr. Jekyll transmogrified into Mr. Hyde - "to change grotesquely", which is how I believe the Tigers' appreciation of Granderson has been portrayed.
