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The Tigers — at least the pitchers and catchers — took the field today for the opening of spring training 2007.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, manager Jim Leyland had the players form a semi-circle on a practice field behind Joker Marchant Stadium.

“Welcome to Tiger Town,” Leyland told them. The players were dressed in their home uniform pants and blue windbreakers to ward off the windy, 48-degree chill.

Gathered across from the players, also in a semi-circle, were coaches, training personnel, team president Dave Dombrowski, special assistant Al Kaline (in uniform) and others. One by one, they introduced themselves to the players, then the players started their first workout.

At first, it was stretching, led by strength and conditioning coach Javair Gillett. He directed the players through a series of drills on a field divided by chalk into a large grid.

“Stay tall, stay tall,” Gillett urged. “Add a little skip on the way back.”

As the players moved from drill to drill, Leyland stalked the grounds, carrying a bat.

Said Tiger closer Todd Jones: “It’s a very big day for Javair. A very big day.”

Jones, a born raconteur, had his mouth in mid-season form.

“Remember guys,” he said to no one in particular. “You can’t make the club on the first day. But you can be released.”

He added: “Been there. Done that.”
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A few odds and ends from reporting day:

1. The big thing about reporting day is that no one is really expected to ``report'' on that day. The pitchers and catchers are supposed to be in uniform and ready to work out Friday morning, and the team doesn't really care when they actually arrive in town. A few guys were at Marchant Stadium to work out this morning, and a few others came by to unpack bags and set up their lockers, but it's not like anyone was ``checking in'' to camp.

2. Does anyone look different? Well, Mike Maroth has a new haircut. He cut it short, almost a buzz cut. Said he just got tired of the way his hair was before, and wanted to try something different. On a more important note, Maroth said he feels fully healthy and sees no reason why he won't be part of the starting rotation come opening day.

3. Justin Verlander lived in Lakeland this winter, so he's been around for a while. But the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year seemed even more ready to get going than most of his teammates. He admitted today that his arm really wore down at the end of last year, and said he was especially proud of his Game 5 performance in the World Series because ``I was pretty tired that game, and I gave our team a chance to win.''

4. Al Kaline is here, of course. The thing about Kaline is that he never looks out of place in the clubhouse. I'm not going to tell you he looks like he could still play, but he doesn't look 72, either. And he is 72. You can look it up. He's also a very proud grandfather right now. Colin Kaline is a good enough baseball player at Birmingham Groves that he has signed a scholarship offer from Florida Southern College. So get ready for that Tigers-FSC exhibition next spring, when Kaline will be playing against the Tigers.
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Dingman ready: Craig Dingman, here working out most mornings since the second week of January, says he feels like he's as ready to go heading into camp as he was in any year in which he was healthy. Of course, his injury is one of the most unusual to overcome.

A year ago at this point, Dingman was battling numbness in his right arm, which was eventually diagnosed as a torn artery in his shoulder. He underwent a rare arterial bypass procedure that ended his 2006 season before it ever began.

The rehabilitation process has very little precedence, but one factor in his favor is that there was no muscular damage in his arm or shoulder. Only his pectoral muscles were damaged in the surgery, and he had a rib removed in the process. The latter has actually given him more range of motion in his arm.

"I'm ready to go, man," Dingman said. "I'm just excited to play baseball."


Sleeth update: Likewise, former first-round pick Kyle Sleeth is proceeding as if it was a normal Spring Training, even though he has spent much of the last two years bouncing back from Tommy John elbow surgery. He has found an effective release point and repeated it, throwing all the way into November and then starting it back up in January to get comfortable with his motion.

"I've been healthy since the middle part of last year," he said, "but it took me forever to find confidence in my release point, and I didn't do that until the end of the year. I had no confidence in what I was throwing after the surgery. It's been all new from the beginning. I learned how to throw, and I finally got to the point one day where it just clicked during [instructional league]. It became a natural motion."

Though he's in Major League camp, he's not fighting for a big-league spot so much as he's trying to prepare for a healthy season. Yet, he nonetheless feels like he has a point to prove to the organization that drafted him with the third overall pick in 2003, only to see him fall off the growing list of Tigers pitching prospects.

"I want to show something," he said. "I feel like I've been here for three years and I haven't shown what I can do in any of them. I want to bring back the confidence in every pitch."
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A few other Day 1 notes and observations:

1. Leyland told the pitchers what we already know, which is that there really aren't many jobs open here. The rotation is set, and so are all but one (or maybe two) jobs in the bullpen. But he said he would like to identify 3-4 more starting pitchers who can be called up in case of injury.

2. All the pitchers made it to Lakeland as scheduled. The only missing catcher was Steve Torrealba, which isn't a big deal because: A. you've never heard of him (he was in the Mexican League last year), and B. He let the Tigers know he had airline trouble and would be a day late.

3. Leyland had some interesting things to say this morning. He said what makes him most optimistic is that the Tigers have a lot of players who can improve individually, and also that the only way the Tigers don't have a good team this year is if they either have big-time injuries or ``self-destruct.''

4. As usual, a few position players are coming in early. Carlos Guillen was there today. Cameron Maybin, too.


Colon recuperating: Right-hander Roman Colon was in uniform for workouts Friday, but he wasn't participating. Colon, who underwent surgery to relieve painful spasms in his neck last fall, will see a doctor at the end of February in hopes of being cleared to resume baseball activities.

A few other Day 2 notes and observations:

1. It was much quieter in Tigertown today, now that the national media has watched PFP and left camp. Things should pick up a bit when the full squad works out for the first time on Wednesday.

2. Manager Jim Leyland reiterated today that he's looking for potential starting pitchers beyond the five who will actually open the season. He said he made a list of candidates Friday night, including Wilfredo Ledezma, Zach Miner, Chad Durbin, Andrew Miller, Jordan Tata, Virgil Vasquez and Jair Jurrjens.

3. Leyland talked about how good it feels to have so many talented arms around. ``We're kind of pitching-rich, to be honest, even though there's a lot of truth to the saying that you can never have enough.''

4. Leyland on Gary Sheffield: ``He's one of the best guys I've ever had in the clubhouse. He doesn't have a vicious bone in his body, not one. I can guarantee you these guys will love Gary Sheffield. His teammates will love Gary Sheffield.''

5. The young pitchers really impressed Leyland today, and one who caught his eye was ex-No. 1 pick Kyle Sleeth, whose career stalled because of injuries. ``He looks healthy,'' Leyland said. ``You can tell he's got a different look. If he's healthy, he's a top prospect. There's no question about that.''

6. Leyland on whether his hitters will want to face Miller in live BP next week: ``The left-handed hitters will be at the Dairy Queen. They won't be jumping in there.''


Other notes from Saturday:

* Though Leyland said both Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney could eventually become closers, he hopes they don't have to do it this year, because he Todd Jones to be an effective in that role.

* While Leyland was impressed with a lot of young arms throwing Saturday, he had particular praise for Andrew Miller. "This guy's a blue-chipper, there's no question about that," he said. "It's not going to be long for him, I don't think." Look for Miller to be one of the pitchers who comes in to pitch in spring games right after the starter goes out, at least until he's sent down.

* Other than Roman Colon's neck, the only injury in camp is a sprained ankle for Virgil Vasquez, and it's not prevented him from taking part in workouts.

* If you read the notebook on the site today, Leyland's statement about how important the farm system has become is very interesting. It's a very realistic sign about how teams have to look at pitching nowadays with the free-agent market values so high. If they can't sign somebody, they can move one of their young arms in there. Leyland didn't go into names, but the Tigers will eventually have a decision to make on Kenny Rogers, whose contract ends after this season and who would very much like to return for 2008. If Miller is ready, that decision becomes very interesting. Mike Maroth's contract is also up next winter, but the Tigers can keep him for another year by offering him arbitration.


Workout wrapup: The Tigers went back to work on pitchers' fielding practice and defensive drills before the second group of pitchers threw their opening bullpen sessions. Leyland was active in the fundamental drills, emphasizing to pitchers to pick up the baseball with authority when fielding a ground ball.

"Get in the habit of doing it the same all the time," Leyland yelled.

After temperatures dipped to freezing overnight, the Tigers took a little extra time before hitting the practice fields Saturday morning. With more chilly temperatures and gusty winds forecast for Sunday morning, Leyland left open the possibility he could have his pitchers throw inside one of the hangars on the complex.


Slinging praise for Sleeth: Leyland went out of his way to praise Sleeth, whose impressive workout Saturday follows his battle back from Tommy John surgery over the better part of the last two years.

"His arm feels good, and if it stays good, it's real impressive," Leyland said. "That's the first time I really ever saw him today, and it's impressive. I don't know that much about it, but he'll be in the mix like everybody else.

"If he's healthy, he's a top prospect, there's no question about that."

A few other Day 3 notes and observations:

1. The young pitcher who caught Leyland's eye today was Jair Jurrjens, the 21-year-old Curacao native who has gone 21-9 over the last two seasons in the Tiger farm system. ``Oh boy,'' Leyland said. ``The ball comes out of his hand nice.''

2. I know no one up North wants to hear that it's cold in Florida, but cold is relative, and when you're trying to play baseball outside, morning temperatures in the 30s and high winds feel cold. The wind was what forced the Tigers indoors today, but as pitching coach Chuck Hernandez pointed out, ``We're going North in April, not to Puerto Rico or the Dominican. We might as well get used to it.''

3. Leyland doesn't want to get into long lineup discussions yet, but he did say that Brandon Inge will probably bat 9th 95 percent of the time. That's fine with Inge, who likes the ninth spot so much that he refers to it as ``my house.'' Speaking of Inge, he's building a house in South Carolina, but is also buying a house outside Ann Arbor.

4. Leyland talked the other day about players who could improve this year. Sunday, he said two of the players he was referring to are Inge and Craig Monroe.

5. Leyland has already talked about Marcus Thames about playing first base. He's also planning to try out Omar Infante as a backup center fielder. Infante said he played center field for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs, and that he's happy to play anywhere if it gets him into more games.

6. Speaking of lineups, Leyland had his 15-year-old son Patrick make out a few, and he was impressed. ``He wrote out a heck of a lineup, probably the best one so far,'' Jim Leyland said. ``I'd be too ashamed to say I'd use it, and if I do use it, it will not have been his idea.''

7. This is the first year Inge hasn't reported with the catchers. He's now strictly a third baseman, although he unpacked a whole bunch of different gloves Sunday. ``Those are my Justin gloves,'' he said. ``Just in case.''


Leyland on Omar Infante: "Sometimes you look out and see him playing second base or something, and you're not sure where he's at. But he makes every play. He's a very instinctive, smart, kind of a casual player. I don't mean that in a bad way. He's kind of a laid-back kid, and a laid back player. But a good player. I really like him, though. I don't want to make him a rah-rah guy."


Workout wrap: Cold, windy conditions finally forced the Tigers inside for their workouts. Pitchers on schedule to throw bullpen sessions Sunday did so in the cage, and the only outside work consisted of pitchers fielding ground balls and doing some light tossing. They'll do more involved situational fielding work on Monday.


Thames to work out: Marcus Thames is expected to begin working at first base in the coming days as the Tigers try to enhance his versatility and find ways to get him more at-bats. Leyland talked with Thames, who said he's getting the hang of playing at first.

That said, Leyland is cautioning against unrealistic expectations. As he said again, Thames is not going to be Vic Power, the seven-time Gold Glove winner at first during the 1950s and early '60s.

"When you experiment with something," Leyland said, "you have to understand ahead of time we're not going to make a miracle."


Deal or no deal: While Carlos Guillen has been in every day working out, he's keeping talks about a contract extension out of his mind. It hasn't been a distraction so far, and he doesn't expect it to be once games start.

"We have plenty of time," Guillen said. "I just come here to play. I've got my agent [Peter Greenberg]. He does his work. I do my work."

Not surprisingly, Guillen said Detroit is his first choice where he would like to strike a deal. "Maybe my last choice," he said.

Leyland doesn't expect any distractions, either. As he pointed out, Barry Bonds won a National League MVP in his free-agent year in Pittsburgh in 1992.

"Everybody knows how I feel about Carlos Guillen," Leyland said. "Carlos Guillen knows how I feel about Carlos Guillen. We have an excellent relationship. He knows I want him, but that's really not my area. That's up to him and his agent and [GM] Dave [Dombrowski]. And Dave goes very well at that.

"Carlos Guillen's going to be a [heck of a] player for us this year. However it plays out in the end, will have no bearing on how he plays this year. I'm sure there's been some guys in the past who have put a little extra pressure on themselves because of the year that they're in."

Good stuff, H1, thanks.

That's a buttload of info, thanks H1.

A few other Day 4 notes and observations:

1. No big news out of Rodriguez's first extended interview of the spring. The catcher once again said he wants to finish his career as a Tiger, and that he sees no reason he can't play for at least another five years -- which would take him to age 40.

2. The weather is warming up a little in Lakeland, and even though there wasn't really much to see, a large group of fans gathered to watch the Tigers. If you're coming down here, you might want to get your tickets soon. The March 10 game against Boston is already sold out and ticket sales are 70 percent ahead of last spring.

3. As promised, Jeremy Bonderman is working hard on his changeup. Leyland said that in Bonderman's bullpen session Sunday, eight of the 10 changeups he threw were ``outstanding.''

4. I get asked every spring who's looking good, and every spring I try to explain that it's really hard to tell anything from the early workouts. If you don't believe me, listen to Leyland, who said today: ``They all look to me like they're throwing 100 mph.''

5. Leyland doesn't like the Tigers' regular-season schedule, and he's planning to say that to his team. He figures if they hear the manager complain about it, then they won't have to.

6. Ben e-mailed and asked if I'm ready to answer questions, and the answer is yes. He asked whether one of the young pitchers, maybe Jordan Tata, could beat out Maroth and begin the season in the Tiger rotation, and the answer is it's very unlikely. If Maroth is healthy, and so far, so good, it's virtually certain that he'll be in the rotation on opening day. Not only that, but he should be. Before surgery last year, he may well have been the Tigers' most effective starter.


Should there be an injury -- or a decline in productivity -- with Ivan Rodriguez or Vance Wilson, who would be the Tigers' third catcher? Is there a catching prospect in the organization?
-- Drew W., Toledo, Ohio

Chris Shelton served as an emergency catcher for most of last season, including September. If there was a longer absence, you would probably see Mike Rabelo or one of the veteran Minor Leaguers (Steve Torrealba, Dane Sardinha) called up.

It's no breaking news that the Tigers don't have a lot in the way of catching prospects. To his credit, though, Rabelo has managed to defy expectations and knock on the door of the big leagues.


Big pitch for Bondo: One established arm making something out of his sessions is Jeremy Bonderman, whose work on an offspeed pitch has begun. Leyland said he saw 10 changeups from Bonderman in Sunday's bullpen session, and eight were "outstanding."

"He's going to figure it out," Leyland said. "And when he figures it out, that's just another weapon."

Casey at the clubhouse: Sean Casey took a one-year contract and a pay cut over what he might have had on the open market because he badly wanted to come back to the Tigers. So it was no surprise that he was all smiles when he walked into the clubhouse on Monday.

"I wanted to come back here -- I really did," Casey said. "I wanted to come back to what was going on here with Jim Leyland and all these guys. I just really felt comfortable here. For me, it was just a matter of wanting to play here."

As for the money, Casey said, "For me, it wasn't about going to get a little bit more somewhere else and not be happy. I've made a lot of money in my career. This is my 10th year, and I know a good team when I see it. And that was just it for me. I really wasn't looking to break the bank or anything like that. I wanted to come back here."

The unofficial reporting date for position players is Tuesday, but Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco are the only regulars who haven't yet appeared. The first full-squad workout is Wednesday.

Workout wrapup: Better weather on Monday allowed Leyland to conduct situational defensive drills on the practice fields. It's another day of drills, but it works into Leyland's theme of disciplined, orderly, efficient workouts -- working smart as opposed to just working hard.

"I just believe that disciplined teams have a tendency to win close games," Leyland said. "And I think it starts with the organization overall. I like [camp] run precisely, and I want everybody to run where they're supposed to be. I don't want them to be waiting for anybody, and I don't want anybody waiting for an instructor."

I can't wait for the season to start. This is the most amped I've been in years. I hope to get to a ton of games this year.

Yeah, I'm going to order some tickets in advance this year in the cheap seats and go to quite a few games with some friends, I'm looking forward to it.

A few other Day 5 notes and observations:

1. With so few decisions to make this spring, Leyland will focus on improvement, and two things he wants to work on are better two-strike approaches at the plate, and better baserunning. He said he'd like players to spread out their stance and choke up on the bat with two strikes, but that he will leave the coaching to Lloyd McClendon.

2. An interesting comment from Leyland: ``I think coming into camp, we definitely have a better team. Now, will it perform better? That's up to them.''

3. Leyland said he spoke to St. Louis manager Tony La Russa often during the offseason, and then he told a story. ``He got me in the World Series, and he got me in the winter,'' Leyland said. ``He sent me six dozen World Series balls that he had signed, and asked me to sign them. He said, `You can keep a dozen.' He got me, because he got five dozen, and I got one. That doesn't seem fair.''

4. What's it worth to manage the Tigers? Well, when Leyland auctioned off a chance to manage the team for a spring training game at a charity auction in Connecticut, it went for $10,000. So what would Leyland pay $10,000 for? ``I'd pay $1,000 to golf with Tiger Woods,'' he said. ``In fact, I'd pay $5,000.''

5. Craig Dingman's comeback is on hold. Dingman missed all of last year after tearing an artery in his shoulder, and this week he felt more pain and went back to visit the St. Louis doctor who performed the original surgery.


Lots of lefties for Granderson: Though Leyland won't commit yet to batting Curtis Granderson leadoff against left-handers, he's set on playing his young center fielder just about every day, including against most lefties.

Granderson struggled mightily against lefties last year, batting .218 with a .277 on-base percentage off them compared to a .274 average and .353 on-base percentage versus right-handers.

"When I give him a break, obviously it will probably be against some nasty lefty," Leyland said. "He's in good shape. He's young. He's energetic. He needs to play, and I want him to play, so he's going to get most of the playing time."

Dingman to see doctor: Craig Dingman was excused from camp to visit Dr. Robert Thompson in St. Louis and determine the cause of fatigue in his right shoulder. Dr. Thompson performed arterial bypass surgery on Dingman last March after Dingman was diagnosed with a torn artery in his shoulder. Dingman missed the 2006 season while recovering from the surgery, but he was cleared to throw and work out as normal this spring.

Hair's looking at you: Don't expect Leyland to try to stand in the way of Magglio Ordonez and his trademark long hair with clippers. Asked if he would suggest to Ordonez that he cut his hair, Leyland said he's not that kind of disciplinarian.

"He's a grown man," Leyland said. "I don't think that's a form of discipline, to tell a grown man to get a haircut. My form of discipline is to be here on time, be ready to play hard and be ready to beat the other team. ... I'm jealous, actually. I wish I had it. He's got a nice head of hair. But do I think it looks good? No, I don't. Do I care? No."

A few other Day 6 notes and observations:

1. Sheffield had a crowd of reporters around him this morning, including reporters from three New York newspapers. If you want to read what he's had to say about the Yankees, check out this morning's New York Post.

2. Leyland said he's still not sure about the lineup, but that Sheffield will bat either third or fourth. He also said: ``However the lineup stacks up, it'll be deep.''

3. Leyland is still bothered by Dmitri Young's comments the other day. He said today that he wants players to feel free to speak out, but also to know that he'll fire back publicly if he doesn't agree with them.

4. As usual on the first full-squad day, Leyland held separate meetings with the infielders and outfielders. He said that he dealt with the higher expectations the Tigers face this year. ``My expectations are high, too,'' he said. ``That doesn't necessarily mean winning a certain number of games or going to the World Series. My high expectation is to get the best out of this club. That's a pretty high expectation. Because if we get the best out of this club, we'll do pretty well.''

5. Leyland said he worried that because the players know him better, they'll know what they can get away with. No worry, said Brandon Inge. ``I think he's more paranoid than anything,'' Inge said. ``That's why he's always one step ahead of us . . . and five steps ahead of me.''


Who's on first: With full-squad workouts under way, Marcus Thames has some long days ahead of him. On Wednesday, after spending the morning working with his fellow outfielders and coach Andy Van Slyke on fundamental drills, he headed back out to the practice fields for extra work at first base with infield coach Rafael Belliard and Lou Whitaker.

Thames spent part of his offseason working out at Mississippi State University, near his home, with some Minor League players. He'd have somebody hit ground balls to him to get him a head start.

Still, he said, "It's all brand new. Ground balls, I just have to stay down. It's different. I've never done it. I'm going to work hard at it, see if I can learn. I know it's not going to be easy for me, but I'm an athlete. If I can get over there and work at it, I'll be OK."

At least he now has a worn-in glove for it. After watching Thames take ground balls, Sean Casey gave him his backup glove.

"There's nothing more frustrating," Casey said, "than trying to learn a position with a brand new glove. New gloves don't catch. Balls bounce out of your glove and it messes with your head a little bit. So I got him a glove to work with and help him feel comfortable over there with. I'd hope somebody would help me out, too, if I was trying to learn a new position."

Said Thames: "Everybody's helping out. That's what I like about it. I'm not going over there just lost."

Ready and accounted for: Nearly all Tigers players had reported to camp by Wednesday morning, the actual reporting time contrary to the well-known reporting day. The only missing position player Wednesday was shortstop Tony Giarratano, whom Leyland said was having his shoulder checked out.

At least he now has a worn-in glove for it. After watching Thames take ground balls, Sean Casey gave him his backup glove.

"There's nothing more frustrating," Casey said, "than trying to learn a position with a brand new glove. New gloves don't catch. Balls bounce out of your glove and it messes with your head a little bit. So I got him a glove to work with and help him feel comfortable over there with. I'd hope somebody would help me out, too, if I was trying to learn a new position."

Said Thames: "Everybody's helping out. That's what I like about it. I'm not going over there just lost."

A good example of why Sean Casey is widely considered the most well-liked player in MLB.

A good example of why Sean Casey is widely considered the most well-liked player in MLB.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I really hate that he's our starting first baseman, but if we have to have an underperforming, powerless, slow first baseman, I guess I'm glad it's him.

(God, that sounded alot worse than I meant it to....)

A few Day 7 notes and observations:

1. Leyland continues to be overwhelmed by the attitude of his players. ``It's unbelievable, the cooperation we get,'' he said today. He said that any fear he had that the Tigers would be satisfied with what they did last year are quickly being taken care of. ``They're almost telling me that they can't be satisfied,'' he said.

2. It wouldn't be surprising if the Tigers try to make a minor trade or two before the end of the spring. A lot could depend on how Marcus Thames adapts to playinig first base, and how Omar Infante adapts to working in center field. But it's clear that the Tigers bench isn't ideally set up. They could use a left-handed hitter, for one thing.

3. Leyland talked more about Curtis Granderson, and he said that while he wants Granderson to cut down some on his strikeouts, he doesn't want to take away his aggressiveness at the plate. He still thinks Granderson could become a middle of the order hitter at some point in his career. He also wants Granderson to get better at stealing bases.

4. Leyland continues to be impressed by Cameron Maybin. Don't worry about where Maybin will play when he gets to the big leagues. He's not ready to play here yet, and by the time he is, they'll figure something out.


Swing away, or not: To break up the monotony of fielding practice and bullpen sessions, Leyland has let his pitchers take batting practice the last couple of days, though most of the work involves bunting. Leyland got into the act Thursday by pitching to his pitchers and letting them take their swings.

So when asked for his star of the day on Thursday, Leyland cited Joel Zumaya.

"He looked pretty good at the plate," Leyland said. "He's never going to get a chance to hit, but he looked good, anyway. He likes to hit. He's an athlete, that guy. You'd be surprised. You put that bat in his hands, he's a force. He's strong."

The BP keeps things loose, Nate Robertson suggested. "You can see who can hit, who can't," he said. "More importantly, you see who can bunt, who can't."

Just stay out of the way of flying bats. Reliever Bobby Seay was hit in the midsection Wednesday by a bat that flew out of one pitcher's hands. He was OK, but the story was still being traded around a day later.

Sunny outlook for Sunshine State: If the Indians and Dodgers follow through with plans to move their Spring Training homes to Arizona in the next few years, it'll mean two less teams for the Tigers to face in spring games. Whether or not that increases the long trips around the state for the Tigers remains to be seen, but Leyland would rather not have his players riding the bus too long.

"To be honest with you," Leyland said, "I think it's important in the spring to not get yourself in a situation where you're going too far all the time. Maybe that sounds terrible for a manager, but I really believe that. You get to Spring Training, you don't want to be making three-hour trips all the time. You like to see as many teams as possible, I guess, but geographically, you want something that's reasonable in Spring Training."

For what it's worth, Leyland prefers training in Florida to Arizona. "I'm a Florida trainer," he said. "I don't like training in Arizona. You don't sweat [in Arizona]."

A few other Day 8 notes and observations:

1. Leyland will talk to the Tiger minor leaguers in a more formal gathering later this spring, but this week he chatted with a group of the early arrivals in Tigertown. One message was exactly the point he was making about Maybin. Work hard, and if you're talented enough you will get a chance. Now that the Tigers are a good team and come to spring with a virtually set roster, it's not always easy to see how that chance will come. But it will, either here or somewhere else.

2. Here's hoping that Jamie Walker is OK. The former Tiger was hit in the back of the head by a Nick Markakis line drive today in Orioles camp. Walker was taken to a hospital, but the Orioles said he was alert and will be fine. Walker is the only player from the World Series roster who didn't remain with the Tigers, but he has many, many friends here.

3. Speaking of Walker, it's still way too early to tell who will replace him in the Tiger bullpen. Leyland said today that the Tigers might have to set up a simulated game, in which left-handed relief candidates would face only left-handed hitters. But he also reminded us that he's willing to open the season with a bullpen that includes only one lefty (Wilfredo Ledezma, most likely).

4. Leyland's early review on Marcus Thames' work at first base: ``I think from what I've seen, he might be OK.''

5. A slight correction to the spring training ticket update posted a few days ago. I said that the Boston game on March 10 was sold out. Actually, the Tigers said today that scattered singles remain, and also that standing room tickets will be sold the day of the game. The same holds true for the March 25 game against the Yankees.


More infield talk: Leyland continues to downplay expectations for Marcus Thames defensively as a first baseman, noting that somebody would've tried to move him to first earlier if he had that much potential there. Between Thames and Chris Shelton, however, he feels comfortable enough that he doesn't expect to work starting catcher Ivan Rodriguez or shortstop Carlos Guillen there like last year.

Rodriguez was an occasional starter at first last summer; Guillen started at first for an injured Sean Casey during the ALCS because the Tigers couldn't activate Shelton to the postseason roster.

As far as news and not-news on Friday:

* Again, it's just batting practice, but Brandon Inge and others were putting on shows on the practice fields. Jim Leyland spent a good amount of time again watching Cameron Maybin at the plate. He's definitely impressed, though he still has no chance of making the jump to Detroit when this team breaks camp.

* Leyland continues to caution not to expect great things out of Marcus Thames at first base. If he had that much potential there, as Leyland said, he would've done it before. Still, he's comfortable enough that he doesn't expect to use Ivan Rodriguez or Carlos Guillen at first. Thames continues to work out with the outfielders and first basemen, and Leon Durham joined in on giving him tips at first base. Durham is the hitting coach at Triple-A Toledo and a favorite hitting instructor for many who have come up through the Tigers system, but he also made the jump from the outfield to first base with the 1984 Cubs.

* A month after Leyland's comments on Neifi Perez, Leyland said Friday he thinks Perez struggled a bit from a loss of playing time. Perez, for his part, agreed with Leyland's assessment that he didn't get the job done last year. Perez obviously thinks he can play a lot better, and if he does, he'll probably get the second utility job. Leyland called him a player he has to "get ready," as in get ready for the season.

* Yes, as the photos suggest, Ramon Santiago is looking stronger. He said he did some extra training work this offseason and he tried to put on a little weight to prepare for how much he lost over the course of last season.

A few other Day 9 notes and observations:

1. Leyland was very happy with the way Bonderman threw his changeup today. Leyland predicted last October that Bonderman's changeup would be an effective pitch by the middle of this season. So far, so good.

2. As he did last year, Leyland is giving his players a chance to take one day of their choosing as an off-day this spring. Every player who was on the big-league team last year gets a choice, and Joel Zumaya chose Saturday because his family was coming to town. The only problem was that the Tigers had an autograph session at the Lakeland FanFest this afternoon, and Zumaya was asked to be there.

3. E-mailer Brian took issue with me saying that it's not yet clear where Cameron Maybin will fit in when he's ready for the big leagues. ``I don't think Monroe is a long-term answer,'' he wrote. Here's my answer: We don't know that yet, because we don't know what kind of player Monroe will be by the time Maybin is a big-league player. I'd agree that's the most likely answer now, but things have a tendency to change. A year ago, I wouldn't have thought Monroe would even be a Tiger now. Let's let this play out a little bit more.

4. E-mailer Jamara wants to know how Mike Maroth is. So far he's healthy, and he's the fifth starter. But let's let that play out, too. We'll have an answer a lot sooner than we will for the Maybin question.

5. E-mailer Chris wants to know when the Tigers will be giving out replica rings. I asked, and the answer is that the promotion schedule should be set sometime in the next week or so.


Pitcher, meet hitter: Others who threw besides Bonderman included Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, Todd Jones, Wilfredo Ledezma, Jason Grilli, Jose Mesa, Kyle Sleeth, Edward Campusano, Jair Jurrjens and Joey Eischen. The rest will throw on Sunday before the Tigers dedicate Monday's early workout to cutoff and relay drills.

"Basically, I just use it to zero on a target, get to know the strike zone," Grilli said.

The progression helps fight off some of the boredom that can settle into camp in the days just before games begin.

"Not so much the position players," Leyland said, "because they just got here and they're getting their skills and they're hitting and they're coming in early. There's work to be done. I think the pitchers [can get bored], because once the pitchers throw, obviously you can only do so much PFP [pitchers' fielding practice]. I can imagine the pitchers get a little bored."

That was part of the reason Leyland had his pitchers taking batting practice for a couple days earlier this week, though there was still a practical purpose to it.

"Truth be known, [Tigers pitchers] actually bunted pretty well last year in the National League [cities]," Leyland said. "We did a good job. This stuff doesn't just happen."

Speaking of bunting: Leyland is a fan of players trying to bunt for base hits, if for no other reason than to keep opposing defenses wary of it. He'd like to see leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson try for it more often.

Granderson would square around to bunt on occasion, then pull his bat back to take the pitch as a tactic against the pitcher.

"Obviously, not everybody's going to do it," Leyland said, "but it's just another weapon. I like it because it doesn't make sense for me with two outs and a man on third to let the third baseman play in left field, if you can do this. You don't have to be Rod Carew to get a hit out of it. I just think it's another play."

Vazquez in opener: Virgil Vasquez, who was the Tigers' breakout pitcher in the Arizona Fall League, will start Tuesday's unofficial Spring Training opener against Florida Southern College. He'll be followed by a long line of arms, including Jones, Sleeth, Ledezma, Campusano, Mesa and Jurrjens. Most will throw an inning apiece.

That is a VERY nice read...well done H1.

Anybody watching/listening to today's game vs. Mets?

Kenny gave up a 2 run HR in the 1st to Beltran.

I see that Monroe was removed from the game before even taking an at bat, was he injured in the field?

Also, the guy that played Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati is playing 3B for us today.

Anybody watching/listening to today's game vs. Mets?

Kenny gave up a 2 run HR in the 1st to Beltran.

I see that Monroe was removed from the game before even taking an at bat, was he injured in the field?

Also, the guy that played Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati is playing 3B for us today.

no, watching U of M and OSU on 360.

Monroe twisted knee or ankle going after Beltran's HR. Came out of the game with a slight limp--hopefully not to serious.

Also, Dr. Fever just hit a 3 run bomb. Tigs up 3-2.

Santiago: On Roids?

All our young pitchers are being sent back down for some seasoning:


DETROIT -- Top pitching prospect Andrew Miller (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7847) is among eight players the Detroit Tigers (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=det) cut from spring training on Monday.
Miller, a 21-year-old who played at North Carolina, has been assigned to Single-A Lakeland, in a move that was expected and is intended to give him some seasoning. The 6-foot-6 left-hander made eight appearances out of the bullpen for the Tigers last season.
The team also announced that it has optioned the contracts of pitchers Jordan Tata (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7724) and Virgil Vasquez to Triple-A Toledo and pitchers Eulogio De La Cruz and Kyle Sleeth to Double-A Erie.
The Tigers assigned pitcher Jair Jurrjens and catchers Gabe Johnson and Dusty Ryan to minor league camp.
The roster reductions leave the Tigers with 51 players in major league camp in Lakeland, Fla.