• 2000 – In the Tigers’ 11 – 0 win over Tampa Bay, Shane Halter takes over the catching duties in the eighth from Brad Ausmus. Halter has now played every position in the majors: with the Royals, he pitched on July 17, 1998. Dave Mlicki is the winner with Dean Palmer powering a pair of home runs.

• 2001 – The 50 people stranded on the Ferris wheel ride at Comerica Park for two hours during the Royal-Tiger game are rescued by firefighters and emergency crews using a cherry picker and a fire truck ladder. The fans received tickets to another game, free dinner and team autographs from the Tigers.

Hope yours was a safe and festive Fourth.

• Despite MLB’s efforts, I realized that I still hadn’t cast my All-Star ballot. Voting ends tomorrow night, so vote late and often.

• As we watch Magglio Ordonez’s swing atrophy, I’m thinking that he might personify the 2008 Tigers team. That is, we all kept thinking that this game or this series would be the one that got Detroit on the path to its rightful place in the postseason. And we waited and waited… Now it’s Maybe this at bat will get Maggs going…. Alas, it ain’t looking good.

• Speaking of Ordonez, in the recent Fungo Pulse Check poll, only one voter out of 36 would choose to release him over Dontrelle Willis (53 percent) or Nate Robertson (44 percent). Tigers fans sure love their Magglio. [Take our latest poll -->]

• My fandom for (of?) Nate Robertson is well documented here. Over the past two seasons I think I’ve been tainted by Ian’s anti-Nate sentiment and find myself — at best — Nate Neutral. But, ever the quasi-optimist, I’m wondering if this week’s elbow surgery could inject some zip into the left wing. What do you think?

• Speaking of being a fan boy, last week I was out of town and without my MLB Extra Innings package — thus, no Tigers games on TV. I have to say, the Tigers blogosphere can make a guy feel right at home. BlessYouBoys.com and MackAvenueTigers.com alone made it so I didn’t miss a beat.

Finally, on this date in 1915 right-hander Cletus Elwood “Boots” Poffenberger was born in Williamsport, Md. Ol’ Boots pitched two of his three big-league seasons, 1937 and ‘38, for the Tigers posting a 16-12 record and a 4.75 ERA. He died in 1999 in Williamsport, Va. A search of Google Maps doesn’t bring up a Williamsport, Va., but it does show Williamsport, Md., where he was born, which is across the Potomac River from West Virginia — but there’s no Williamsport, W. Va.

If you’re still reading at this point, bless you.

My stay in Houston coincided with the April 2000 opening of a new baseball stadium, then Enron Field, site of this weekend’s interleague series between the Tigers and Astros. Meanwhile, the Tigers were moving into Comerica Park.

The differences in the two ball parks spanned more than a retractable roof and high mold content. The Tigers departed hitter friendly Tiger Stadium for the vast pastures of Comerica where home runs were at a premium, thus the ESPN-concocted Comerica National Park.

Houston’s pitchers quickly saw that Enron Field would earn its contrived tag of Home Run Field, leaving them to wish for a return to the cavernous Astrodome. No Astros pitcher’s flaws were exposed more than Jose Lima.

In 1999, the final season in the Dome, Lima Time was All the Time: 21-10, 3.58 ERA in a league-leading 35 starts. He served up 30 homers and 98 earned runs that season and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting.

At Enron, he crashed back to earth: 7-16, 6.56 ERA and a league-leading 145 ER — not to mention 48 homers surrendered. The next season he was sent back to the Tigers for Dave Mlicki.

As for the stadium itself, it’s nice. In fact, I like it a lot more than my current local ball park, Chase Field. It’s a neat-looking stadium, the food is good, and you feel a lot closer to the field than you do at Comerica Park.

The worst thing about Enron/Minute Maid is that they open the roof in about the seventh inning and the groans from humidity-gob-smacked fans travels the stands like the wave. Not sure if they still do that; here’s hoping that they don’t.

On second thought, the worst thing about the place is that when you leave the park, you’re still in Houston, Texas.

…A five-game lead? The 2009 Tigers continue to confound. How this team has managed to pad its lead in the Central is nothing short of baffling. But we shall take it.

Fact is, they could pile-up the Ws over the next two series, this weekend in Houston and next week in Oakland. (Meanwhile, the Twins face the Cardinals in St. Louis this weekend and stay in Missouri to play KC starting Monday.)

Where were the Tigers after 71 games last year? If you must know, they were 33-38, 6 back. How about in…?

• 2007: 42-29, tied for 1st
• 2006: 47-24, +2
• 1984: 52-19, +9

…Lynn Henning adds more fodder for the What Were the Rays Thinking? topic as it relates to Matt Joyce for Edwin Jackson. He also talks about the free-agent choices staring at the Tigers this fall.

…On this date in 1962 the Tigers traded Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell to the White Sox for OF Bob Farley. According to Maxwell’s Baseball-Reference.com bio page:

[He] is one of the most popular players for Detroit Tigers of all-time. He excited the throngs with his consistent “Sunday” home runs. A fearsome hitter with mates aboard and the game on the line. He holds the Major League record for most home runs in extra innings in a season with 5 in 1960.

As a fellow Western Michigan alum, I’m proud to report that Maxwell has the most home runs of any of the 31 major leaguers that attended the MAC school. The three-time All Star played eight seasons in Detroit, hitting .268 with 133 homers. Farley hit .166 with one home run and four RBI in his 36 games in Detroit.

…And here’s one general baseball nugget I stumbled upon over at the fabulous Baseball-Reference.com. On this date in 1971:

Actor Kurt Russell makes his pro baseball debut for Bend (Northwest League), getting a single, double, and two stolen bases. Russell’s baseball career would be ended by injury two years later.

…Only six months until Christmas.

1. The Diamondbacks are looking at a fire sale here soon. Would the Tigers have any interest in free-agents-to-be Doug Davis or Jon Garland? Who knows what Arizona would want in return, but methinks it’s prospects galore. In that case, Detroit should pass. I wouldn’t mind seeing Conor Jackson in left for the Tigers but he’s hurt and probably not available.

2. As Ian points out, Troy Glaus could be someone the Tigers plug into the DH spot — at least according to Ken Rosenthal. I don’t know. I tend to think that this particular Glaus is more than half-empty.

• It’s a shame that I read the USA Today only when I’m traveling, as I am today. There’s usually one or two outstanding pieces in each edition and this morning proved it: a feature on the Tigers by Bob Nightengale.

• Juan Rincon, a victim of a roster numbers game last month — we’re looking at you, Nate Robertson, has been recalled by the Rockies from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Embrace the humidor, Senor. (Oh, and now that the Rox have run off a late-2007-like streak recently, do we all feel a tad better about them taking two of three from the Tigers? Didn’t think so.)

• He might not chuck it as hard as Ryan Perry, but it’s close enough and I, for one, am glad Freddy Dolsi’s back.

• Did you happen to catch this nastygram from Ken Rosenthal about the Tigers benching Magglio Ordonez? The zingers about Gary Sheffield are amusing but I don’t think anyone in the Tigers front office regrets the decision to cut him loose. And for what it’s worth, I hope that Ordonez finds his stroke soon and that he doesn’t wind up on the Red Sox, poking homers over The Green Monster at Fenway.

• Speaking of hitters, here are the results of our most recent Fungo Pulse Check poll. The question: Which of These Sluggers Should the Tigers Go After?
  • Matt Holliday: 35% (12 votes)
  • Brad Hawpe: 32% (11 votes)
  • Adam Dunn: 29% (10 votes)
  • Jeff Francouer: 3% (1 vote)
  • Carlos Lee: bupkis

  Be sure to vote in our new poll, available in the sidebar –>

• Finally, I didn’t weigh in on the Jim Leyland extension when it happened: I believe it came a few weeks too late, but I’m delighted that he re-upped. I don’t want to see the Tigers become the Verizon Wireless of Major League Baseball, with a new manager every two years or so. (If anyone should’ve been shown the door as a result of this clunky roster, it should’ve been [should be?] Dave Dombrowski.)

Have a great week.

Did they burn cars in ‘68 too, or is Bobby mixing his championship metaphors?

“Right now, Verlander and [Edwin] Jackson have been carrying us, and there will be a time where we carry them.”

• The Tigers were so bad for so long in the ’90s and early ’00s that it’s hard for me to believe they managed to sustain a winning record against any club. But, after today’s win against the Brewers, Detroit has an all-time record of 221-197 against them. The question I have — and it’s not answered in the Game Notes — is whether that record includes the one year (1969) that the Brewers were the Seattle Pilots.

• I’ll admit that I get creeped out easier than most, but am I alone in thinking that spending the night in the bowels of Comerica Park — as Jim Leyland does often — is eerie on another level?

• With today’s victory, the Tigers raised their daytime record to 18-7 record this season.

• Speaking of records, everyone knows that the Tigers were able to eek into the postseason in 2006 based on their record against division rivals and interleague opponents. So far this year, their 14-11 against the Central and an even 6-6 against NL clubs. Let’s hope they can make some hay against the Cubs and Astros this week, because the division will likely be a tough road for this team here on out. Agree?

• Poor Ken Macha. His ‘06 Athletics get swept in dramatic fashion at Comerica Park and then he returns as Milwaukee skipper and sees the resurrection of the Tigers’ offense — however temporary it might be.

Finally, Happy Birthday to a pair of former Tigers, starting with lefty reliever Sean Runyan. He pitched for Detroit from 1998-2000 posting a 1-5, 3.66 ERA in 103 games. He appeared in 88 games for the ‘98 team. He turns 35 today.

Gene Pentz made his debut for the abysmal 1975 Tigers and appeared in 13 games (0-4, 3.20) that season. That offseason the Tigers dealt him to Houston with Terry Humphrey, Mark Lemongello and Leon Roberts for Jim Crawford, Milt May and Dave Roberts. Pentz is 56 today.

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad and every Dad out there.

There. I said it.

There’s been plenty of frustration expressed about this light-hitting lineup in the blogosphere, the Twittersphere, and assuredly on Detroit sports talk radio. Why subject you to more negativity? And, I simply couldn’t think of a way to say “Tigers can’t hit” again and again.

But now I think I’m ready to come out of the dark and into the glow of a club that will assuredly cause me late-summer gastrointestinal angst, if not deliver a division title.

Not that you asked.

In his five-ish seasons in Detroit, Polanco has been merely a machine: .313 average, .357 OBP, playing in about 140 games a year, hitting .529 in the ALCS to win the MVP, consecutive errorless-games streak at second base, and so on.

As for Urbina, he pitched in 56 games for the Phillies posting a 4-3 record with a 4.13 ERA. He managed to notch a single save before turning to a life of crime — and who could blame him? He was scraping by on the more than $25 million he’d earned in his 11 seasons. He’ll be in a Venezuelan clink for another 12 years. Give or take.

Also, a bevy of notable births occurred on June 8, not the least of which is my daughter. Friends of the Fungo Doug Hill and Ian Casselberry (he of the resplendent BlessYouBoys.com) also celebrate birthdays today. Then there are the Tigers-related celebrations, Kevin Ritz and Dave Mlicki and Matt Perisho.

In this episode we’re joined by Lynn Henning of The Detroit News.

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

•••

Comments? Leave a message on the listener line: (602) 903-5174.

Theme music for the podcast produced by Paul Minshall.

• Marcus Thames is slated to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Toledo this evening when the Mud Hens battle Norfolk at Fifth Third Field. Thames has been sidelined since April 19 with a left rib cage strain.

• Jeremy Bonderman is scheduled to continue his injury rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday with a start for Triple A Toledo against Norfolk.

The roster moves that these guys will trigger upon their respective returns should be fascinating. One would think Ryan Raburn would be on the bubble from a — pardon the alliteration — position-player perspective for Thames’ return. As for Bondo, could the Tigers look to deal Nate Robertson rather than send a younger guy to the bushes?

What do you think?

This is Episode #95, a 10-minute podcast about the Detroit Tigers.

In each daily episode this season we cover:

• The previous day’s game;
• Look ahead to the next game;
• Look back on Tigers history; and,
• Check in on what the 1984 Tigers were up to.

…and much more!

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

Subscribe for free! —>

Improve our iTunes Ranking: If you like the podcast, please leave a comment on our iTunes page!

Comments? Leave a message on the listener line, (602) 903-5174, or leave a comment here!

Talk to you next time…on The Detroit Tigers Podcast.

This is Episode #94, a 16-minute podcast about the Detroit Tigers.

In each daily episode this season we cover:

• The previous day’s game;
• Look ahead to the next game;
• Look back on Tigers history; and,
• Check in on what the 1984 Tigers were up to.

…and much more!

Download the audio file or grab the RSS feed here.

Subscribe for free! —>

Improve our iTunes Ranking: If you like the podcast, please leave a comment on our iTunes page!

Comments? Leave a message on the listener line, (602) 903-5174, or leave a comment here!

Talk to you next time…on The Detroit Tigers Podcast.

The Detroit Tigers Podcast is not affiliated in any way with the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club or Major League Baseball.

Grand Haven’s Howard Bailey in ‘83.

• Happy 32nd Birthday, Brandon Inge.

• From Baseball-Reference.com: On this date in 1963, Bill Bruton of the Tigers tied a major league record by collecting four doubles in one game. Curiously, Bruton will total only 21 doubles that season.

Oops…time to board.