2nd
March
2008
Tigers weekend wrap
posted in 2008 Spring Training |Apparently every other week I work a lot, get sick and blog little. So here’s a wrap of things I missed:
Friday
- 19-year-old Rick Porcello began his path to the majors by pitching a pair of perfect innings. Lynn Henning says not to get too excited. Spotstarter Blake gets greedy and hopes Porcello has a stumble so he’ll start his career in Comstock Park, not Lakeland. I hope Blake gets his tickets early, because how long can the Tigers really keep Porcello out of Lakeland?
- Curtis Granderson homered again, and Justin Verlander had his spring debut.
Saturday
- Dontrelle Willis made his Tigers debut, allowing a run on three hits in two innings. His goal was just to throw strikes, he said. Which seems, to me, a pretty good goal. He walked way too many last season, probably out of belief he had to do it all on the mound. At least in Detroit, he knows he has some defense behind him. How much, we don’t know since 3/4 of the infield is new.
- Single-game tickets went on sale. The Tigers sold 80,000 in about two hours was the most reported figure. They sold 202,000 in eight hours. Bilfer reports how he spent his time in the waiting room.
- Brandon Inge might yet be traded. Danny Knobler reports the Dodgers might be interested. Daily Fungo Mike and Ian weigh in.
Sunday
- Kenny Rogers made his spring training debut, and the Tigers finally lost a game after opening the Grapefruit season 3-0-1. Rogers pitched two scoreless innings, but reliever Matt Mantei, who seems to be the storyline to follow in his attempt to make a comeback, gave up a couple of runs. Matt at T75N doesn’t expect Mantei to make the team, but feels like he could be a “wild card” in the bullpen.
- Brandon Inge played catcher. Apparently, he’s not a fan. (And the MLB.com headline, “Brandon Inge squats behind the plate,” cracked me up.
- “Catching right there absolutely reinforces that third-base is my all-time love,” Inge said. “It’s not even a question. If it came down to it, where I was just catching, I’d have to find a way to separate it. I don’t know if I can, because I take too much pride in the catching aspect.”
- You’ve got to like his honesty.
Judging by the posts on MTS, apparently you don’t have to like his honesty all that much
I don’t doubt it. So OK, *I* have to like his honesty
Or how about I think you should like his honesty.
We always want athletes who actually speak their minds and aren’t just robots, but as soon as Inge or Sheffield say something they’re actually thinking, we wish they’d be quiet. So I give them this much, at least you know they’re honest.