Magglio Ordonez ranks among the American League leaders in many categories, not the least being batting average and runs batted in. He is, without question, the Tigers’ leading candidate for the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award. But is he really the Tigers’ MVP? I am not so sure.
The Tigers are, if nothing else, balanced. Every year, I vote for Tiger of the Year. Last year, I voted for Carlos Guillen, who won it. If I were handed my ballot and forced to decide today, I would still vote for Guillen. And, with all due respect to Ordonez, I might put Curtis Granderson second on my ballot.
Guillen is having an incredible season. He ranks among the major league leaders in OPS and has kept his batting near or above .300 - which he does every season. Defensively, he does have some breakdowns, but he more than makes up for it with his surprising range at shortstop. As importantly, he is the one protecting Ordonez in the Tigers’ batting order.
Granderson is among the league leaders in extra base hits and slugging percentage. There is all this fuss about Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore - and I like him, too, as a player - but Granderson just might be as good. Maybe he is even better. It’s amazing, honestly, how he gets the most out of what he has to offer in terms of talent. He isn’t that fast, yet few center fielders cover that much ground, and the number of triples he has hit is off the charts. He is a smart player with an extraordinary work ethic.
Beyond those two, where would the Tigers be without Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman? They are 19-4 combined.
So even though Ordonez is having a "Norm Cash, 1961" type of season, a strong case can be made he isn’t even the MVP of his own team. It says a lot about why the Tigers have emerged as a true power.

Note: You can vote in The Oakland Press poll for the 10 greatest athletes in Oakland County history by just clicking on the Contest/Events page at theoaklandpress.com. Just write them in, 1-to-10 in order. I will be doing a series of columns counting down the Top 10 in the reader vote, combined with our staff vote, later in the month. It’s amazing when you look at the ballot how many great athletes have come out of Oakland County. Also, my audio commentary "Three-Point Stance" will be coming to theoaklandpress.com late this month or early August.

Random thoughts

- It is good for the Red Wings they were able to re-sign Jiri Hudler. I thought he was an underrated factor in their success last season and he probably deserved to play more during the playoffs.

- I do like the way the Tigers bullpen is starting to take shape. The return of Zach Miner certainly has helped, and I do believe Jose Capellan and Macay McBride are upgrades. Todd Jones has also made some nice adjustments, most notably not throwing a first-pitch fastball to every hitter. And he has been getting those breaking balls over.

- I know the Tigers have to average near sellouts for all their remaining home games, but what a terrific feat it would be if they reached the three million mark in attendance this season. Personally, I think they will - sluggish economy and all. And I remember when people questioned if this was a great baseball town.