Jermaine Dye was an outstanding player, but it's not a coincidence the Tigers and other teams have shown no interest in signing him.
In 212 at bats the second half of last season, he hit .179 with six home runs and 26 RBI. His slugging percentage was .297. For an idea of how bad that is, it's considerably lower than the career slugging percentages of Nook Logan (.318), Jim Price (.341) and Jeff Larish (.394).
In 212 at bats this season, much-maligned Tigers' catcher Gerald Laird has hit .182 with three home runs and 16 RBI.
Also, Dye is 36 years old and hasn't played baseball this season.

My latest column in The Oakland Press: Too little, too late for Tigers http://tinyurl.com/28whbw4

Jhonny Peralta is not a great player, but he is a major league regular.
And he is better than the Tigers have been putting on the field in most cases, and will give them a better chance to win some games and remain in contention.
He does have 43 RBI this season and has played in pressure games before. Don't forget how good the Indians were in 2007. And the Tigers didn't give up much to acquire him. But the Tigers still, in my opinion, need to make another move for an outfielder. They need another outfield/DH bat. Doesn't look like Brennan Boesch is going to come out of this tailspin any time soon.

My latest column in The Oakland Press http://tinyurl.com/28wuu2a

Count me among those who have given the Tigers' organization much credit this year for doing a good job of procuring minor league talent. It does speak well of general manager Dave Dombrowski and his staff that when the Tigers have brought up players from the minor leagues this season, they have generally shown they understand how to play the game.
But having said that, Dombrowski is clearly overplaying that card in recent days. These aren’t 4A players the Tigers are relying on in recent games, but Triple A players.
I'm talking about Brennan Boesch or Danny Worth or Alex Avila, but more Jeff Larish, Will Rhymes and Scott Sizemore.
And there is no excuse for putting minor league players in major league games. Not when you are two games out heading on a road trip to Tampa Bay and Boston.
Here’s a list of veteran players, granted flawed in one way or another, but who would have given the Tigers a much better chance of winning the last few days when they’ve been essentially the Detroit Mud Hens and given away games.
None are on contending teams. None would cost the Tigers virtually anything in terms of prospects.
Jim Edmonds, Geoff Blum, Adam Kennedy, Jason Michaels.

My exclusive on line commentary today at theoaklandpress.com - Who blame Jeremy Bonderman if he retired? http://tinyurl.com/29n8fpw

There are a number of different philosophies about the Tigers’ current plight.
Mine is based on what I refer to as the "don’t quit theory."
There is no sugar-coating what happened to the Tigers Monday night. Getting no hit is humiliating, and making matters worse, it just as easily could have been a perfect game. The Tigers did, indeed, look like Toledo North. The players called up from the minor leagues were hopelessly overmatched by Matt Garza, who essentially threw little more than well-placed fastballs to quell Detroit’s hitters.
But in the big picture, it was just one game. The Tigers are still only three back in late July.
This theory they are injury-depleted and deciding whether they should make a move based on this road trip to Tampa Bay and Boston is ridiculous. They need help NOW. There are some younger players/prospects that should be untouchable in deals - Jacob Turner, Daniel Fields, Rick Porcello, Andrew Oliver and, probably, Brennan Boesch and Charlie Furbush. After that, everybody should be on the table to make a deal for a hitter or two. The sooner the better.
Look at clubs like Pittsburgh, Washington and Baltimore, who never get into this position and are constantly rebuilding. The Tigers exist for one reason: To get to this spot and try to strike.
Given their current state, it’s unlikely the Tigers can beat out the White Sox and Twins and win the A.L.. Central. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.
The White Sox were supposed to be done early this season, and rallied without their best pitcher, Jake Peavy. The Twins haven’t pulled the chute, despite losing Joe Nathan and Justin Morneau. Just the opposite. Last season, when Morneau went out with a season-ending injury, the Twins responded by winning 17 of their next 21 games - and ultimately catching the Tigers. One major reason why: An in-season deal for veteran starting pitcher Carl Pavano.
For years, the Twins have been haunting the Tigers with "players just up from their farm system."
Here’s some unsolicited advice for the Tigers owner Mike Ilitch and his front office: Go for it, albeit in a calculated way, but go for it nonetheless.
You know the White Sox and Twins, in the same circumstance, would.

My column in Tuesday's Oakland Press: The lowdown on the Detroit Mud Hens http://tinyurl.com/2fbqh83

My latest exclusive online commentary: Lions offense way ahead of the defense: http://tinyurl.com/2fgac4n

The Tigers had neither the veteran pitching nor the young arms that were required to get Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Haren has tremendous ability, but he hasn’t pitched well this season. The Angels are his fourth team, even though he is only 29, which makes you wonder why clubs have been so quick to unload him. It probably has to do with salary. It doesn’t seem to fit Haren’s performance. Is he really worth the nearly $13 million per season his contract calls for in 2011 and 2012?
It’s why teams are looking to move him all the time - at least since his initial trade from the Cardinals to Oakland for Mark Mulder.
Haren had a below .500 record and an ERA climbing toward five in the National League in 2010.
Saunders is having an off season as well, but did start the All Star game in 2008, and has been a very big part of the Angels’ rotation. He had a combined record of 33-14 in 2008 and 2009. And he has pitched relatively well lately and is left-handed. Saunders is a below $4 million per season pitcher, who isn’t eligible for free agency yet.
Velocity is a key element of pitching, sure, but those scoffing at this deal from the Diamondbacks’ standpoint are strictly basing it on Haren’s power arm and strikeout-per-innings ratio being high - and Saunders’ being low.
The Tigers didn’t have a Joe Saunders to give up in the trade, nor as many prospects as the Angels. Patrick Corbin, a 21-year-old in the deal, has a high upside. He was a second-round pick in 2009, and is 13-3 this season with good strikeouts to innings pitched numbers.
And he may not be the prize in the deal. There is widespread speculation that the player to be named later in the trade is left-handed prospect Tyler Skaggs, the 40th overall pick in the 2009 draft, who can’t be dealt yet because he hasn’t been under professional contract for a full year. Combined this season, Corbin and Skaggs, a 19-year-old lefty, are 22-7 in the low minor leagues.
Rafael Rodriguez is an older (mid-20s) borderline prospect, who has limited time in the major leagues after years of knocking around the minor leagues. He might give the Diamondbacks’ bullpen depth - at best..
I’ve seen a lot of panning of the Diamondbacks on this deal, but they actually did pretty well - if Skaggs, indeed, is included.
I’m not sure if Haren, who tends to blow hot and cold, guarantees the Angels anything.

My latest column in The Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/3xkeqc7

My latest column in The Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/2bhmnw7

I haven't been to West Michigan to see Jacob Turner pitch yet, but really like his numbers. He has 51 strikeouts and just nine walks in 54 innings. That is truly impressive for a pitcher that young (barely 19) working against mostly older players.

- Scott Sizemore's career wasn't over because his first stint with the Tigers wasn't successful. Brennan Boesch's career wasn't made by his incredibly fast start. But I will say this about Boesch: He is a pretty good athlete with a good swing. It wouldn't surprise me if he bounces back and does some good things this season.

- Watching Stephen Stasburg last night, I've come to the following conclusion: He is that good. He has 75 k's in 54 innings. Wow.

- The White Sox have been a pretty a good road team this season, which is essentially why they are in first place in the American League Central. But West Coast trips tend to change that. We'll see if they hold it together this weekend in Oakland. They didn't last night in Seattle.

The Tigers' slide heading into tonight's game vs. Texas is difficult to paint with a so-called "positive" brush, but here is, hopefully, some perspective that isn't doom and gloom.
Take away, for a moment, the disppointment of the last week and see the bigger picture.
The Tigers have are tied for second place in the American League Central with Minnesota, just 3 1-2 games behind the White Sox. Who wouldn't have taken that on July 21 at the start of the season?
After tonight, the Tigers are at home for four straight games against Toronto, which was nine games over .500 on June 5, but has gone 15-22 since. That includes, like the Tigers, being swept in a four-game series at Cleveland.
Obviously it's a big game tonight. We'll see what Max Scherzer's got.

My latest column in The Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/23lqtan

No Tiger player invokes more cut-and-dried emotion from fans than third baseman Brandon Inge.
He is either loved to the point, that even when he doesn’t perform particularly well, he still gets a considerable amount of text votes for player of the game during the Tigers’ telecasts. And he is sometimes compared to all-time greats such as Brooks Robinson for his prowess with the glove by talk radio callers.
Or he is viewed as a nice guy, who does much for the community, but is vastly overrated as a player because he fits this certain mode Tiger fans tend to adore.
The reality about Inge is somewhere in the middle. He is a better-than-average third baseman, who sometimes makes spectacular plays and has good range, but makes his fair share of errors. He is a below-average hitter for percentage (a lifetime .238 hitter), but he does have good power. And he is a streak hitter. When he gets hot, Inge does have a significant offensive impact at the bottom of the order. It’s just the hot streaks tend to be too far and between for the liking of his detractors.
Regardless of where you stand on Inge, however, it is indisputable the Tigers are going to miss him for the 4-to-6 weeks he will be out with a hand injury. He suffered the injury during Monday night’s loss to the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park.
The Tigers have no obvious replacement. The Triple-A third baseman, Jeff Larish, is a converted first baseman with very limited skills defensively. Also, he has not hit nearly as well during brief stints in the major leagues as had been hoped. The Tigers tried Ryan Raburn at third base last season briefly. He played there extensively in the minor leagues, but made an incredible number of errors. Raburn initially was a third baseman, but was moved to second base after he made 61 errors in his first 169 professional games at third base.
The Tigers could move Carlos Guillen or Miguel Cabrera to third, but that seems to be the ingredients for a recipe for a disaster, doesn’t it?
A trade? Inge is going to be back in four to six weeks, so it doesn’t seem likely for anything but a journeyman player - if that.
It’s just not a good situation for the Tigers. Inge at third base every day was an important part of the way they set up. Not only will they miss him defensively, but at the bottom of the order, which was already a glaring weaknesses.

Random Thoughts

- Bottom line is Johnny Damon cost the Tigers that game Monday night because of a base running mistake. He is a veteran player, and normally a very instinctive base runner. Getting faked out like that is inexcusable for a player of that caliber.

- The bright spot the last few days has been the way Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry have pitched.

- Are the wheels coming off Brennan Boesch? He has no home runs and seven RBI in his last 68 at bats.

I understand it's only four games in a long season. I understand that just because the Tigers were swept in four straight games by the lowly Indians in Cleveland over the weekend, their season isn't over. It could just be a blip on the screen. That there is a need to be patient. Blah. Blah. Blah. Patience be damned... In truth, it's difficult not to hit the panic button after that dreadful four-game series during which the Tigers did little right against a glorfied Triple-A team. How can anybody, after witnessing that dismal performance over three days, not feel like, "Here we go again?" Maybe the Tigers will win some games this week against the Rangers and the Blue Jays at Comerica Park, where they have been dominant this season, and the aura surrounding the team will get better. But in the back of our collective minds, it's known the Tigers must go on the road again. And that they can't even win at Cleveland is profoundly revealing. I've been writing a lot this year, that just because the Tigers have suffered second-half collapses in the recent past, doesn't necessarily mean it will happen again this season. Maybe it does. Sure looked like it in Cleveland.

My Column in Monday's Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/2fxpxbd

My column in Sunday's Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/25r8fjm

When speculation began about an existing NBA franchise moving to Las Vegas, it was natural, I suppose, the Pistons' would be mentioned if, for no other reason, they are clearly being sold. But the chances of the team moving from the Detroit area - even before the organization issued a statement saying they were not being sold to the rumored Las Vegas investor - were very remote. The Palace of Auburn Hills remains a state-of-the-art facility. And it is paid for - free and clear. Other teams considering movement, especially in a larger media market like Detroit (11th nationally), usually have arena issues - like Seattle when the franchise was moved to Oklahoma City. The NBA does seem fascinated by Las Vegas and all its glitz and glitter, despite the obvious drawback of it being a gambling Mecca. And it is the 33rd largest media market in the nation, just ahead of Orlando. It is also bigger than NBA markets in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Memphis and New Orleans. It is roughly the same size as San Antonio, Salt Lake City and Cleveland. Detroit's media market is more than double the size (roughly 3.8 million people) of any of the above-mentioned markets. The combination of The Palace and market size makes it highly likely the Pistons will be moved. And while the economy is still sputtering around these parts, it's not much different than the rest of the country these days.

My latest column in The Oakland Press: Five reasons the Tigers won't fade this time - http://tinyurl.com/3yhkdhr

There was a point when I thought there might be more balance in the American League, and a team from the A.L. Central might have a legitimate shot at the wild card slot.
Not so much upon a closer look. The Tigers are five games behind Tampa Bay, and three games behind Boston, for the wild card spot. I just don’t see any club other than one from the A.L. East coming away with it.

Random Thoughts

- Typical John Daly. He comes out of the blue to shoot a 66 in the opening round of the British Open. I’d discount it as just one good round, but Daly’s won two majors in his career, both when he wasn’t even on the radar screen entering those tournaments. Such unpredictably on the brilliant side is part of his legend.

- Yes. My most recent column in The Oakland Press http://tinyurl.com/2b48dq2 is about how the White Sox, after winning 25 of their last 30 games, are the real threat to the Tigers in the A.L, Central. But I also realize the Twins do their best work when playing from behind, not out in front. It’s understood: The Twins relish the underdog role.

Lloyd Carr’s legacy should be as one of the greatest football coaches ever at the University of Michigan, and during his particular era in all of college football.
He represented this state well. His teams won a lot more than they lost. He delivered a national title, several conference titles and many victories over Ohio State. And he did it the right way.
The football program was in good hands when Lloyd Carr was the head coach. He did a terrific job of carrying on the tradition set by Bo Schembechler - and those before Bo.
What I don’t understand is why it has broken down since for Carr. He announced his retirement from his position in the athletic department Monday, and the buzz about it wasn’t necessarily his triumphs as head coach, but of bickering.
Carr was openly criticized last football season by all-time Michigan great Rick Leach for not supporting current head coach Rich Rodriguez.
Carr publicly criticized Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh - as did then-Michigan player Mike Hart and then-university employee and former Michigan player Jamie Morris - prior to Carr’s last season as head coach in 2007. Harbaugh, a former Michigan standout QB, who has had stunning success at Stanford, seems to be the logical replacement should Rodriguez not succeed.
Carr reportedly wasn’t pleased with Les Miles, the LSU coach and a former Michigan player, over recruiting practices. Miles, who won a national title at LSU, would, too, seem to be a candidate should Rodriguez, who has a 3-13 Big Ten record in his two seasons at UM thus far, not last in his position.
I hope it doesn’t stain Carr’s legacy. That time somehow heals any wounds that have been inflicted during what has been a tumultuous couple years at Michigan.
Carr did too much for Michigan football, and this state, to not be remembered fondly.

If I were the Lions, I would put their name into the hat for Harvey Unga, the running back from Brigham Young, who is available in Thursday's NFL supplemental draft. But I wouldn't put it in earlier than the sixth, probably the seventh, round. That means the Lions wouldn't probably get him.
Unga was a productive runner - a three-time 1,000-yard rusher in college - and pass catcher (102 receptions) in college. He is also a big back (240 pounds and built relatively low to the ground).
But can he run inside? That's what the Lions are looking for, and it's difficult to discern because he played in a spread offense at BYU that is the polar opposite of the pro sets he would be deployed in.
Speculation is that Unga will go in the third or fourth round Thursday. He is clearly the best player available in this year's supplemental draft.
Any team selecting him in the supplemental draft will have to give up their corresponding pick in next year's NFL Draft.
Unga is available because he left BYU after a reported honor code violation.
Right now, the Lions' best inside runners are Kevin Smith and fullback Jerome Felton.
Felton has about the same speed as Unga, is as big and also has good hands. And this is his third year in the league.

My latest column in The Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/27ho8eq

The term "playing to the crowd" has been mentioned a lot in the last few days into regard to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's biting comments about LeBron James' free agent departure from Cleveland.
The people of the Cleveland-Akron area, where James was raised, feel scorned. Gilbert is saying what they want to hear. And loudly.
I think the harshness of Gilbert's comments were inappropriate, and certainly didn't portray Gilbert in a good light. That's especially true considering he was behind the recruiting of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo to the Cavs. Gilbert is an MSU alum - and it wasn't well received by other MSU alums.
However, I find it equally "playing to the crowd" when Jesse Jackson came out and injected the race card into the issue. Would Jackson have defended a white American or European NBA player if the circumstances were exactly the same? I doubt it.
Seems like Jackson is also "playing to the crowd" - and it is to gain favor among African American NBA players, who are wealthy and influential and make up the vast majority of the league.
That makes Jackson every bit as much a phony as Gilbert, in my opinion.

My column in Monday's Oakland Press: http://tinyurl.com/26htbq7

My Column in Sunday's Oakland Press on that subject: http://tinyurl.com/28425b2

A couple things on LeBron James and his signing with the Miami Heat Thursday:

- I feel empathy for the Cleveland area. This is a native son, who turned his back on his hometown. It's not unlike the area in which we live in that it takes a lot of bashing that is, frankly, unfair and unnecessary. Good people in Cleveland and Akron and the surrounding areas. They deserve better than this.

- I think it says something about his lack of competitive character that LeBron wants to play on a team where the deck is stacked.


- Who is going to be the leader of the Heat, Dwyane Wade or James? Wade is the one with the championship ring. It's not LeBron's team. It's Wade's. How will LeBron's ego handle that? There is, after all, only one ball.

- We'll see how much depth means in the NBA. The Celtics had some decent players surrounding their Big Three. And ultimately a great one in Rajon Rondo The Heat won't have nearly as talented role players. And after James, Wade and Chris Bosh, that's all they figure to have.

My Column in Friday's Oakland Press: Time For The Tigers To Turn The Tables On The Twins: http://tinyurl.com/2alhevt

It's amazing. LeBron James' decision on where he will play basketball in the future will have much bearing on how the landscape of the NBA develops the next decade. Yet, many people are rolling their eyes at how he is handling it. It's called taking a positive and making it a negative. James is coming across as a cut below other NBA truly great stars, past and present, because he appears to be reveling in the moment too much. This, coupled with fresh memories about how he essentially quit on his team in the Boston playoff series, has tarnished James' reputation.

Random Thoughts

- I like what I have seen from Danny Worth. It does look like he will form a decent platoon at shortstop for the Tigers, along with Ramon Santiago.

- Interesting stat: From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 - roughly the span of a full season - Magglio Ordonez was Major League Baseball's leading hitter with a .331 batting average.

Getting to the 2,500-hit mark by Johnny Damon is not insignificant. He is 92nd on the all-time hits list. By the end of this season, it's likely he will be in the Top 80. He has moved into the territory of being a borderline Hall of Famer.
On the downside: He's only a .288 lifetime hitter and has never been in the Top 10 in MVP voting. Also, Damon has been selected for only two All Star games. What will help him are all those postseason appearances with the Red Sox and the Yankees. And playing on the East Coast like that, especially with the Yankees.
Damon has been equally solid during the postseason - and hit two home runs in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS when the Red Sox completed an improbable comeback from down three games to none to beat the Yankees.
Twenty-seven players have had 3,000 hits. Only three are not in the Hall of Fame. All-time hits leader Pete Rose - because he is not eligible because of his betting scandal - and Rafael Palmeiro and Craig Biggio, who haven't been retired five years.
Palmeiro's steriod suspension - after he emphatically said did use them in front of Congress - figures to hurt his chances badly. Biggio was a .281 lifetime hitter - and on the same borderline Damon may eventually be on.
Damon won't turn 37 until the fall. He does have a shot at 3,000 career hits - and subsequently the Hall of Fame.



Random Thoughts


- Mike Modano can still play. That was obvious watching him last season. He is still an extraordinary skater. The issue is whether he wants to play. Modano has no value to the Red Wings if his heart isn't into playing.


- The rumored LeBron James Hour on ESPN Thursday is remindful of "Barry On Barry," the worst production by ESPN since Tom Sizemore played Rose in the biopic, "Hustle."


- From a should-have-been perfect game to the minor leagues. How fickle is fame? Armando Galarraga to the minor leagues is stunning. He is the Tigers' fifth starter? Thought that was Andrew Oliver, technically a first-year pro, who was in Double-A ball the night Galarrga nearly became the 21st pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game.
Oliver will start Sunday against the Twins - the last game before the All-Star break. Obviously, the Tigers want a lefty to start that game, considering the Twins have such formidible left-handed bats as Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Denard Span and Jason Kubel. Left-handed hitters are batting just .222 against Oliver in his three major league starts.
Still...

Bob Probert, who died at the age of 45 Monday of an apparent heart attack while boating on Lake St. Clair, was a paradox in life. On one hand, he might have been the most popular athlete to play in this town the past 30 years, at least among those not named Steve Yzerman. More popular than Barry Sanders, and Isiah Thomas and Kirk Gibson, the latter two who led local teams to championships. While he didn’t have anywhere close to the same success as the above-mentioned players in competition, Probert’s connection with the people was greater. And it wasn’t because of interviews he did with the media, that’s for sure. It was more a matter of style. In Probert, fans, particularly those of a working-class background, saw themselves. Their strengths. Their flaws. Their dreams fulfilled by the son of a Windsor cop. There was never a fight he turned down. He lived hard off the ice, too, constantly running afoul with the law, which many admired in a "boys will boys’ sense. Probert was the classic rebel without a cause. Probert’s well-documented problems off the ice greatly frustrated Red Wings’ management, particularly then general manager Jimmy Devallano and coach Jacques Demers. But somehow it only endeared him more to Red Wing fans, who persistently, albeit inappropriately, shouted out, "Probie" while the national anthem was playing at Joe Louis Arena. He was the ultimate tough guy on the ice. The best hockey fighter I have seen, although teammate Joe Kocur had more one-punch knockout power. Probert’s career with the Red Wings was a profound disappointment, though. When it was over, he played eight nondescript seasons with the Blackhawks as one of those Detroit-bred athletes, who just looked strange wearing the other team’s colors. The Red Wings didn’t start winning championships until Probert departed - and that addition by subtraction did seem to be a major reason why. The ultimate distraction was gone. But his time with the Red Wings is looked back upon like it was a championship era. It was a time when the Red Wings weren’t the best team in hockey, but the "baddest." And in this town, I’m not sure sometimes which is more important. Some would say Probert got everything out of life because of the way he lived it. Others would say he wasted many opportunities. We can all agree on this much, though. Bob Probert’s life ended too soon. And it’s impossible not to feel sad about it.

Panic in Detroit? Why.
After the last 10 games, the Tigers and Twins remained in the exact same spot - 1 1-2 games separating the second-place Tigers from the Twins in the American League Central standings.
The Tigers are coming home, where they are 25-11 on the season at Comerica Park. They are facing Seattle, which is 13-26 on the road, and Baltimore, which is 8-29 on the road.
It would not surprise me if, by the time the Twins come to town next weekend for a huge three-game series just before the All Star break, if the Tigers are atop the A.L. Central.
The Twins are at home against Tampa Bay this weekend, then have a trip to Toronto, before coming to Detroit.
The third-place White Sox are at Texas this weekend, and host the Angels next week.