Five things to know about the Tigers
Miller from Tigers camp
1. Is right-hander Jeremy Bonderman ready to become the next great starter in the American League? He finished last season with an eight-start stretch in which he went 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA. In 58 innings during that span, he fanned 60 hitters and allowed only 42 hits. Just 22, Bonderman already has two major-league seasons' worth of experience and has Dmitri Young, among others, raving this spring. In Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth, the Tigers have three very good young starters. The hope is that a fourth, Wil Ledezma, wins the fifth spot in the rotation this spring.
2. Magglio Ordonez doesn't have the only knee under the microscope: Shortstop Carlos Guillen injured a knee last September that sidelined him for the season. So far so good this spring for both Ordonez and Guillen, both of whom are expected to be in Detroit's opening day lineup. "He's not that far away," manager Alan Trammell said of Guillen. "It's getting closer."
3. The biggest positional battle this spring is in left field, where Rondell White, Craig Monroe and Bobby Higginson are jockeying for position. "I'm going to let it play out," Trammell said. "I don't have any answers right now, and I'm not trying to put thoughts into my head. I'm just watching." Alex Sanchez will start in center field and Ordonez in right.
4. Troy Percival's arm feels as good as it has in years this spring, pitching coach Bob Cluck says, and the veteran closer will be the anchor of what could turn into one of the league's best bullpens. The Tigers also have Ugueth Urbina, former Cub Kyle Farnsworth, Jamie Walker, Franklyn German and, possibly, Fernando Rodney. Rodney underwent elbow surgery last April but has been extremely impressive this spring. "As far as I'm concerned, we'll be in the top three bullpens in the American League," Percival said. "That's what I wanted every year in Anaheim. If you're there in the top three, you know the team is going to be there in September. If not, you're not going to win. That's just the way the game is."
5. Attendance at Comerica Park was up by almost 600,000 last summer and, with the All-Star Game headed to Detroit in July, a very good baseball town is finally being given several reasons to pay attention once again. Now, if catcher Ivan Rodriguez is the same player even though he's 22 pounds lighter this spring -- he says he wants to be more mobile behind the plate -- that momentum should continue under GM Dave Dombrowski and Trammell.
