I thought Magglio Ordonez's two-run double Tuesday night was the key hit in the Tigers' victory over the Twins, but in a way it only accented what I can't stand about baseball statistics.
A lot of people are looking at Mags and seeing a .350-something batting average since the All-Star break. I look at his stats and see only 16 RBI in a lot of at bats in that span. He might hit .300 this season, but he has only seven home runs and 44 RBI. To me, that can't be a productive season by any stretch of the imagination. I don't care what his average is...

- That was Fernando Rodney's best outing of the season Tuesday. Uncharacteristic defensive blunders by Placido Polanco and Curtis Granderson followed by absolutely clutch pitching by Rodney. He has gotten better later in the season. The Demon Drop outings have been fewer.

- Watch out for Bears running back Matt Forte. He might be the most underrated running back in the NFL and has been off to a slow start. He is due for a breakout game and it could come Sunday against the Lions.

- The best player in the Big Ten few talk about is Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker. He will be an early-round NFL draft pick and is a remarkably productive player.

- Great idea by the Pistons to have an open practice Oct. 10 for their fans.

My column in Wednesday's Oakland Press about the Michigan-Michigan State game: http://tinyurl.com/y8zrw37