Who is the Face of the Detroit Tigers?

A little while ago, the folks at ESPN.com SportsNation asked me if I would be interested in participating in a series called "Face of the Franchise," in which four panelists selected their choice for the best current representative of a Major League Baseball team. The panel would consist of a writer from ESPN.com, a beat writer or columnist from that team's city, an analyst from "Baseball Tonight," and a team-specific blogger.

After briefly wondering if someone was pulling a joke on me (and doing the requisite Google search), I said "Hell yeah, I'd be interested" and started thinking hard about my choice. And when I say "thinking hard," I mean agonizing over it, like Rob in High Fidelity when the reporter asked him what his top five favorite songs were. This was going down for posterity. My name would be on this. My Tigers fan (and blogger) credibility would be at stake.

The only rule I had to follow was that my choice had to be currently associated with the team. I couldn't pick an old-timer like Ty Cobb or Al Kaline, or any of the players I grew up watching, like Alan Trammell or Kirk Gibson. A few choices came to mind right away, and I began to consider whether or not I could write an interesting paragraph on this person, and the likelihood that he could be chosen by the other panelists.

I also asked a handful of friends who they would pick as the face of the Detroit Tigers, but no clear choice stood out. Actually, that was kind of reassuring. I wasn't just being anal-retentive or indecisive.

Then I imposed a couple of my own rules. 1) My pick had to be a player. An manager, owner, or broadcaster could certainly be the face of a team. But in my mind, fans don't go to the ballpark or switch the game on because of a manager or owner. Players get us excited; they're the ones we watch. 2) Casual fans, or even people who don't follow sports had to be aware of who the player is. I probably didn't follow this rule very closely because it somewhat conflicted with the first rule. For instance, if I ask my mother about the Tigers, she'd probably mention their manager, Jim Leyland. And if I consulted a non-fan like Mis Hooz, she likely wouldn't name anyone. But if I talked to baseball fans in other cities, who might they name?

After considering all these factors, I'm not sure that my choice ended up being any different from who I was leaning toward in the first place. If you've been reading BYB regularly, you can probably guess who I picked as the face of the Tigers. But you can read the official pick here, along with those of Rob Neyer, Jon Paul Morosi, and Eric Young (whose pick will go up tomorrow).

So who would you guys vote for? Who do you think is the current face of the Detroit Tigers? It'll be much more fun to see who the fans choose, and if we'd reach any kind of consensus.

Detroit is Representin' For the All-Star Game

As I type this, there are roughly 30 hours before balloting closes for the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. And though it looks like the Detroit Tigers will be represented well in the starting lineup (and Jim Leyland - who happens to be managing the American League squad - will likely add a few more of his guys to the reserve roster), one last push certainly wouldn't hurt.

Surging support for Magglio Ordonez has rocketed him to second place among AL outfielders, and if the current vote totals hold steady, he'll join teammates Ivan Rodriguez and Placido Polanco in the starting lineup. Ichiro has a lot of fans, however, and could still move him back ahead of Maggs. He could even fall back to fourth, if Manny fans are Manny fans and vote for their guy.

What's most impressive to me, however, is the support that all of the Detroit Tigers have generated in the All-Star voting. Carlos Guillen is in second place for shortstop, and Gary Sheffield is 6th among outfielders. And both of them would be worthy selections.

But at other positions, voting totals for the Tigers have gotten a little bit embarrassing. Sean Casey is in third place for first base? He has one home run, and just hit that last week. Craig Monroe is 15th among outfielders. C-Mo is starting to look as if he's lucky to be holding a major league job. (And as Big Al points out, he's blown any trade value the Tigers could've hoped for. Keep swingin' and missin', C-Money! You're on notice, dude.)

So maybe I don't need to shill for my hometown baseball team, because Tigers fans are clearly already sending in bushels of votes for their guys. Nonetheless, that's what this post was supposed to be about, so it'll be nice if the final voting totals reflect the baseball resurgence that's taken place in Detroit over the past year-and-a-half. Vote with your heart. Vote for a Detroit Tiger.

Warning To the Seagulls

If any of those seagulls are still flying around Comerica Park, munching on moths in the outfield grass, consider this a warning:



We know the animals are planning a revolt to take back the planet. (We noticed more of your seagull brethren terrorizing the Mariners-Indians game in Cleveland yesterday.) But we are not afraid of you. We have baseballs and can throw them very hard. Back off. Let us play baseball.

Go to the Polls for Placido!

This weekend, Quo Vadimus' Scott Warheit (also familiar to Tigers fans as The Cutoff Man for MLive.com) decided to focus his outrage over the Yankees' Robinson Cano leading Placido Polanco in All-Star balloting for the American League's starting spot at second base into an organized campaign.

Despite being one of Major League Baseball's biggest disappointments so far this season, the New York Yankees continue to do well in fan voting for the 2007 Major League Baseball Star Game, with three players (Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano) leading the voting at their positions. Detroit Tigers fans and fans of baseball need to do something about that, because while Jeter and A-Rod may deserve a trip to San Francisco to start for the American League, certainly, Robinson Cano does not. And Placido Polanco of the Detroit Tigers certainly does. Polanco, as of last count was some 8,000 votes behind Cano (381,051 to Cano's 389,265 votes) which is why we need to start the "Go to the Polls for Placido!" All Star Voting Campaign [...]

I don't need much convincing to get behind that. Polanco starting at second base for the AL All-Star team might not be the definitive home run call that it may have been early in the season. I think you could make cases for Brian Roberts, Aaron Hill, or Ian Kinsler. But Polanco has been Steady Eddie (or should that be Eddie Constante) throughout the entire season, even back in April when seemingly no one on the Tigers was hitting.

The same was true last season. You can argue that the Tigers showed little statistical evidence of suffering greatly when Polanco was lost to a shoulder injury. But I think there are some things in baseball that just transcend statistics, and Polanco's steadying influence on the Detroit Tigers is one of them.

It's a surprise when Polanco has a hitless night. That's only occurred 15 times this season. Out of 57 games played. That's 26%, people. And I think it's a fair bet to say that even when he didn't register a base hit, Polanco did what he could to move runners and set up scoring opportunities. Or if someone is in a position to score, Polanco might just drive that runner in himself. He's batting .424 with runners in scoring position. If he's facing two outs in that situation, Polanco's still hitting .310. Whatever needs to be done to win a particular game, Placido Polanco is more (much more) often than not doing what's necessary.


This is speaking your piece for a guy that deserves the recognition. This is standing up for your team that warrants representation in the sport's showcase exhibition. (And it's also keeping a New York Yankee down, a fringe benefit that really shouldn't be overlooked.) Rise up and let your voices be heard, Tigers fans. Spread the word through Digg! Vote so much it can't be ignored. Polanco in 2007!

[image courtesy of Quo Vadimus and the 2007 "Go to the Polls for Placido!" campaign]

The Tigers Fan Community Mourns a Loss

The news coming out of Blacksburg, VA yesterday was just horrifying and numbing. Over at SB Nation, many bloggers were debating whether or not to post something about the tragedy, if for no other reason than to acknowledge that there are much bigger, far more serious things going on in this world than sports. I decided not to say anything, because... what can you really say?

The shootings were just such a terrible tragedy and I guess I figured if people wanted (or needed) to use sports as an escape last night, that was at least something to offer. I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with that decision a day later, however. But several other bloggers felt differently, and I'm glad they followed their hearts on the matter.

I watched much of the television news coverage this morning and was paralyzed at seeing photos of several victims, each of whom looked far too young and hopeful to have their lives taken away, and hear testimonials from those who witnessed the carnage and were trying to cope with losing friends and family members. I can't even imagine what it must feel like to be a parent, relative, or friend of anyone who was senselessly killed.

A college campus should be a safe place, where someone feels free to grow, to find him or herself, to become part of a community, to learn. For so many of us, some of the best years of our lives were spent in such environments. It should never feel like a place where you'd fear for your safety. And it most certainly should not be defined by such a heartbreaking outbreak of violence.

Within the Detroit Tigers fan community, this tragedy has unfortunately hit very close to home, as one of its own was a victim of yesterday's shootings. Brian Bluhm, a frequent commentor on The Detroit Tigers Weblog and the Motown Sports forum was one of those who had their life taken far too early, with so much promise ahead. Those who lost a good friend and fellow fan have posted tributes today to Brian.

● The Detroit Tigers Weblog

● Mack Avenue Tigers

● Tiger Tales

● Two posts at Minor League Ball

● Motown Sports

If I have missed any others, I sincerely apologize. My deepest sympathies to those who knew Brian, and condolences to his family, as well as everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. No one should have to go through something like this.

The Best Sports Day of the Year!

With it being Opening Day in baseball, the new gig is taking up most of my attention today. If you're interested, please check out my 2007 Detroit Tigers and AL Central previews over at Bless You Boys.

Otherwise, I can see that plenty of people are stopping by to see if I have anything to offer on John Beilein and the Michigan men's basketball job. Unfortunately, I just have to go with what's been reported. Michigan's offered the job, and Beilein is listening.

More on that tomorrow, hopefully (and not just because the Tigers will have an off day.) Please forgive me for the rerun, but since today is the best sports day of the year, I hope you'll indulge me repeating much of what I wrote around the same time last April (with a few appropriate edits).

Today might be my favorite day on the calendar. Christmas brings some nice presents, and so does my birthday. Halloween allows you to dress up. Memorial Day often means the first cookout of the spring.

But the first Monday in April, with Major League Baseball's Opening Day games being played in the afternoon and evening, followed by college basketball's National Championship game at night, is a sports holiday. We should all have the day off - especially if your team is playing at home today, as the Tigers are in Detroit.

Some of you might think the opening Sunday of the NFL season is more exciting. And I wouldn't argue much with that. I'm much more likely to spend the entire day in front of the TV (especially because it's a Sunday) on that day than I will be today.

I'm not saying it's my favorite time of year. That would be September, with college and pro football getting started, and the late-season pennant races in baseball. Every weekend (and most weeknights) seems to have something at stake in the fall.

But there's something about today - with the end of one season and the beginning of another - that feels more special to me. And this will be the first time in a long time that I'll really be able to enjoy it. In the last few years, I either couldn't (or didn't) get the day off from work, or I had a paper due and ended up pulling an all-nighter because I spent all day watching TV. Of course, I could never fully enjoy watching baseball and basketball with the dark cloud of a term paper and a night of no sleep looming over my head.

Not this year. The calendar is cleared. I have a big sandwich ready. The day began with picking up the Detroit Free Press baseball preview this morning, and they're on my coffee table, along with Sports Illustrated's preview, ready for my perusal. It's time to rock. Bring on the Blue Jays and Tigers!

Who's Your New Tigers Blogger?

I've been procrastinating with this a bit, but now seems like an excellent time to share what's going on. I've been asked by the fine people at SportsBlog Nation to take over their Detroit Tigers site, Bless You Boys, and after giving the matter a whole lot of thought, I've decided I'll take the gig.

Not only am I curious to see what it will be like to write for a larger sports blog network, but I'm really excited about contributing more to what has now become a formidable Tigers blog community. I'm hoping my first post - the mission statement, if you will - will be up within the next day or so. (I can only hope my mission statement leads to a better result than Jerry Maguire's.)

To be honest, I was initially intimidated by the idea of running a Tigers blog when several other people already do it so damn well. Could I possibly have anything different or interesting to say about what's now Detroit's most beloved team? I guess that remains to be seen. But besides the sense of community and camaraderie that's been created, one thing that's been so great about the Tigers blogosphere is how each writer has been able to find his or her own niche to fill. I hope I manage to find mine over the next few months.

So what does this mean for Sweaty Men Endeavors? Well, I might be naive or delusional, but I intend to keep it going. I've put a lot of work into this over the past year-and-a-half, and I'm proud of (most of) it, so I'm not letting my baby go. There's too much stuff coming up - the NCAA tournament, NBA playoffs, NFL Draft, etc. - that'll be fun to write about. My attention span needs a place where I can write anything I want, and I don't want to give that up.

I'm not sure what will happen here during the summer, as I think it's safe to assume virtually all of my Tigers-related material will be posted at Bless You Boys. (I'd also like to thank Mike McClary for inviting me to post at The Daily Fungo over the last month or so. I hope I can still contribute to the discussion over there, as well.) But there's always something going on worthy of celebration or ridicule. Plus, I love baseball, so maybe I'll try to write about what's going on elsewhere in the sport. Once football season starts up again, however, I'll want to crush the Lions (and agonize over the Wolverines) and we've established a fine tradition of that here.

If you already check in at Bless You Boys, I hope you'll bear with me as I try to find my footing there for the next couple of weeks. And if not, I'd certainly love for you to follow me over and chime in during the upcoming baseball season. I really appreciate all of the readers who stop here every day to read, and think we'll have plenty of fun to spread all over this Detroit sports blogosphere. Thank you, and let's keep this thing going.

Swings Like A Butterfly, Stings Like a Bee?

I have yet to see Gary Sheffield take one swing in a Detroit Tigers uniform, but already I'm taking a liking to the guy. Even if he causes any ruckus with his mouth this season, it'll be a lot more interesting than "no comment." I'm not sure Sheff has those words in his vocabulary. And that'll make things more fun for us.

Anyway, I posted a quickie over at The Daily Fungo about Sheffield's remarks on the George Mitchell steroid investigation. I don't think he's going to be boring to follow this summer. And I actually might be looking forward to his upcoming book.

Happy Hour 02/08: Big Head Ian and the Tigers

While surveying The Daily Fungo before my maiden post this morning, I followed a link to Jason Beck's article at MLB.com about the Detroit Tigers loading up the trucks for Lakeland. Among all the information provided in the piece, however, and the warm feelings of the upcoming season that came with it, this is the paragraph that stood out to me:

Among the highlights: A hat stretcher, believed to be an antique among Major League teams, that the Tigers take on road trips with them. The team has had it since it was supplied by the New Era cap company in the 1980s, but the machine dates back years before that.

A hat stretcher! How cool is that? And in today's Detroit News, Tom Gage provided a bit more detail on this device - with accompanying photos.

Okay, I want to know more. How exactly does it work? Does it work just as well with today's major league caps as yesteryear's? If so or if not, why? What changes in materials have made the most difference? Or is it just as reliable in stretching hats for modern day noggins as it was for the old-time melons? Does it still have a practical use today, or is it more of a ceremonial, sentimental item?

Maybe I can track down a New Era employee who can help a blogger out.

But mostly, I want to get my hands on one so I can stretch out my Tigers caps to fit my increasingly fat head. No, not that Fathead. I mean my actual cranium, the one which surely tests the strength of my neck each and every day. I tell myself that the caps are tighter because of my hair, which I've let become long, shaggy, and grizzly this winter. So maybe once I shear it all off in the spring, the Olde English D (both home and away caps, of course) will fit as snugly and wonderfully as it once did.

Or after getting that crew cut, I'll find out that my head has become frickin' HUGE, far exceeding the eight-pound parameter once explained to me by Ray Boyd, and I know it won't have anything to do with becoming a sooper geenius.

I wonder what an antique hat stretcher goes for on eBay these days... ?

(Forget it; I checked. My head needs to shrink - pronto.)

My Daily Fungo seal is broken

If you're interested, my first official post at The Daily Fungo is now up for all to read.

My nine concerns for the Detroit Tigers heading into Spring Training are the subject du jour.

Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Here Comes the Sun - or should I say Fun(go)?

Yesterday, Billfer posted a photo from Lakeland that should warm all of our torsos and limbs as we endure what's suddenly become a torturous winter.


And if the pending arrival of pitchers and catchers wasn't enough to make me smile, that photo reminded me of a favorite album cover.



Are we really just nine days away from the beginnings of Spring Training? That off-season flies by when you're excited about your team, huh?

This is also an excellent opportunity to mention that Mike McClary has graciously invited me to contribute to The Daily Fungo this season, and I'm going to take him up on that offer. I'm very excited about trading Detroit Tigers posts with Mike and Doug Hill. That doesn't mean all my baseball stuff will go over there, but I'll have to figure out how to juggle things as the season progresses. Guess I need some spring training, too.

Carlos Guillen - you have DIBS

At one point or another, perhaps you've noticed the list of websites under the DIBS banner on the sidebar here. (Unless you happen to belong to DIBS, in which case you already know about this stuff.) To paraphrase from the press release at Tigers Central, "DIBS" stands for "Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes" and is a grouping of independent blogs and websites that cover the Detroit Tigers. The community was the brainchild of Brian Borawski, Bill Ferris, and Ryan Sosin, who wanted to gather the various fans and writers producing independent sports coverage online.

In its second year of existence, the ranks of DIBS has grown, as many more sites and blogs popped up to cover the growing appetite for Tigers-related material. For instance, Sweaty Men Endeavors. I didn't start this blog until fall of 2005 (um, Happy Blog-iversary to me?), toward the end of another disappointing baseball season. Besides the fact that SME hit the scene with approximately 1/6 of the schedule remaining, I just didn't write much about the Tigers. I was all about the football. But during the winter, Billfer extended the hand of community and friendship and I gladly embraced it. (That is to say, I shook it. Figuratively. Over e-mail.)

Anyway, that's a really long-winded introduction to the point of this post, which is that each of the DIBS members got together and nominated their choices for Tigers Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Breakout Player of the Year. And since the Tigers had that nice World Series run, a selection for Post-Season Performer was also made. Here are the winners:

DIBS Player of the Year: Carlos Guillen

I believe that Guillen received first-place votes from everyone except... me. Yeah, I voted for Kenny Rogers. I know he's not an everyday player, but I thought Rogers made the biggest difference on this 2006 team, giving the team - especially the pitching staff - the guidance and leadership it'd been sorely lacking. But it's not like I'd argue with Guillen. He was the Tigers' best everyday player.

DIBS Pitcher of the Year: Kenny Rogers

Closer vote than I might have predicted here. Justin Verlander got his fair share of first-place votes, too. Joel Zumaya also received one.

DIBS Breakout Player of the Year: Justin Verlander

Also something of a close vote here, with Zumaya and Curtis Granderson getting some votes. I voted for Zumaya, which seems kind of silly with Verlander winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. But I was trying to look at the term "breakout" a bit more literally, and though Zumaya was considered a top prospect in the Tigers' organization, he really seemed to come out of nowhere and became the player everyone wanted to see. We got a taste of Verlander and Granderson in 2005.

DIBS Post-Season Performer: Kenny Rogers

Almost unanimous here, except for the one first-place vote going to Sean Casey. Hard to argue, since Casey was seemingly the only one who brought his bat to the World Series. But Rogers taking the mound at Comerica Park this post-season was a sure thing.

I'd like to thank Billfer for inviting me into what has become a damn fine collection of bloggers and webmasters. I think we've all raised the level of discourse surrounding the Tigers, and made writing a hell of a lot of fun. And as I've written here before, meeting several of the other DIBS members at a Tigers game in September was some of the most fun I had this season. I hope we get to do it again next year. A tip of the hat to everyone involved.