I thought Tuesday's outing by Justin Verlander was typical in many ways of why he is a brilliant pitcher.
He didn't have his best command. He was getting squeezed by the home plate umpire. Yet, when he got into jams, he made these great "out" pitches to get out of those situations. That breaking ball he dropped in for a strikeout to get out of trouble Tuesday was one of the best I have seen in that spot. Earlier in the season, also at Chicago, he made another brilliant pitch - except it was a 100 mph fastball on the corner.
He threw seven shutout innings when it wasn't going all perfectly well for him. That defines a pitcher.

- I find it odd, maybe a tad sad, that Glen Rice's life has now been defined by an alleged fling at the Great Alaska Shootout with Sarah Palin, and his ex-wife's appearance on "The Real Housewives of Miami." I remember seeing Rice at Flint Northwestern while he was in high school playing with Andre Rison. It was the best high school basketball team I've ever seen in this state. There isn't a close second. And he was truly a great player at Michigan.

- I think Michigan State's pro combat uniforms are the best I have seen. The bronze really fits in well. But whether they symbolize good or bad will solely depend on the Spartans' performance Oct. 15 vs. Michigan.