Fixing a Pitchers Quirk - WSJ.com
Jeremy Bonderman of the Detroit Tigers is one of the best young starting pitchers in baseball — from the second inning on. Throughout his career, Mr. Bonderman has exhibited one of the games most puzzling quirks. Last season, his earned run average in the first inning was a nightmarish 11.57. For all other innings, it was an admirable 3.75.

In 151 first innings in his career, Mr. Bonderman has given up 200 hits, 47 doubles, 27 home runs and 66 walks with an ERA of 7.09. Hitters facing him in the first have an All Star-caliber .316 batting average. In the second inning, their average drops to .216.

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Ryans elbow causing Jays problems again
Maybin bidding to stay up

All spring, the Marlins have said they wont rush center fielder Cameron Maybin to the big leagues. But with the season less than two weeks from starting, he is making a strong case to begin the year as Floridas starting center fielder.

“A lot of times decisions are made before the end even comes up,” said Maybin, 20. “In my mind, I feel like Im doing what I set out to do, and thats to make the decision hard.” Maybin had a stretch last week in which he had three home runs in two games, including two to the opposite field. His last homer was his most memorable of the spring: With two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning Thursday night, he hit a line-drive, two-run homer that lifted the Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals in Viera, Fla.

In all likelihood, Maybin will open the season in the minors, with Cody Ross or Alejandro De Aza starting in center. But manager Fredi Gonzalez said he might not decide until the final days of camp.

“Right now its going to be one of those all-night meetings and maybe even early into the next morning to make that decision,” Gonzalez said. “Hes making it that tough on us, which is good.”

Maybin was batting .250 with three homers and eight RBIs through Sunday. De Aza was batting .355 with three homers and nine RBIs. Ross still could prevail despite his numbers .226.

The Marlins are keeping in mind that Maybin had only 49 major league at-bats last year.

“You dont want him to get here and be overmatched,” said Marlins special assistant Andre Dawson, a former All-Star outfielder who has been working with Maybin. “They can lose a lot of confidence that way.

“You groom him slowly and you let him get a taste, like hes getting. Hes in big-league camp, and he gets to see major league pitching.

“If he doesnt win the job, he goes back to the minor leagues and he has that experience. He knows hes going to get back — its just a matter of how hard he works.”

ESPN - Tigers center fielder Granderson to start season on DL with broken finger - MLB
Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and will miss Opening Day.

A finger on his right hand was broken Saturday when he was hit by a fastball from Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Travis Blackley in the fourth and final inning of a rained-out game.

Neitzel, Lucas help Michigan State beat Pittsburgh - NCAA Basketball - Yahoo! Sports
Drew Neitzel scored 21 points and Kalin Lucas added 19 as the Spartans guards went on a late ballhandling and scoring spree to help Michigan State pull away from Pittsburgh for a 65-54 victory Saturday night in the South Regional.

Tigers talking trade with Cubs? - Detroit Tigers Cutoff Man - MLive.com
The Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs have made a number of trades with one another over the past few years, and they may be working on another one, with the Tigers in the market for bullpen help and the Cubs looking for a right-handed bat.

March 21, Post-Bulletin: Chicago Cubs right-hander Michael Wuertz, an Austin native, has emerged as one of the Tigers’ targets. Wuertz, 29, appeared in 73 games last year, with a 2-3 record and 3.48 ERA.

The Cubs have considered adding another right-handed hitter, and they are believed to have some interest in Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames. The San Francisco Giants have also asked about Inge.

Cheikh Samb returns to Pistons | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Center Cheikh Samb was called up from the NBA Development League’s Ft. Wayne Mad Ants. He spent the morning practicing with the Pistons.
Samb played 19 games in two stints with the Mad Ants, averaging 10.9 points, four blocks and 7.1 rebounds.

Why Lions blew it taking Calvin Johnson | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Is everybody finally ready to concede what’s now painfully obvious? The Lions blew it when they drafted Calvin Johnson last year with the second overall pick instead of offensive tackle Joe Thomas or running back Adrian Peterson. The final piece of damning evidence against the decision is the team’s preparation for next month’s draft.
Despite the need for impact on the defensive side of the ball, the Lions will opt for offense once again in the first round with the No. 15 pick — either an offensive tackle or a running back.

They’re still looking for their Joe Thomas or Adrian Peterson a year later.

Leyland’s gut says Tigers may make a trade soon | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
-Although he stressed the Tigers didn’t have any trade in place as of this morning, manager Jim Leyland said today that he has a “gut feeling” that the Tigers could make a trade for a relief pitcher in the next few days.
“I think there is a strong possibility that something could happen in the next few days,” Leyland said. “I think that’s a strong possibility. I don’t know if anything will happen. It’s kind of my gut telling me it’s going to happen, somehow, some way.”

He bases his feeling in part on how the season is now only about a week away and how big-league clubs typically increase their trade talks as their openers draw closer.

ESPN - Cabrera set to ink Tigers biggest pact: $153.3 million - MLB
Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers reached a preliminary agreement Saturday on an eight-year, $153.3 million contract extension, a source close to Cabrera told ESPNdeportes.com on condition of anonymity.

The All-Star third baseman will undergo a physical on Monday to complete the deal, the source said.

“Miguel just signed a big contract,” said the source. “The contract will be completed when Miguel takes a physical on Monday.”

Scouts: Tigers Justin Verlander has best fastball in majors | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander has the best fastball in baseball, just ahead of todays spring foe, the Yankees Joba Chamberlain, according to a polling of scouts by mlb.com.
The results:

Lions release S Kenoy Kennedy, sign CB Brian Kelly - NewsFlash - mlive.com
The Lions released safety Kenoy Kennedy on Friday and signed cornerback Brian Kelly to a three-year deal.

Kennedy, an eight-year veteran, spent the past three seasons in Detroit. He started 15 of 16 games in 2007 and had 91 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He spent his first five seasons in Denver.

Kelly spent his first 11 seasons in Tampa Bay. He started four of 11 games last season and had 25 tackles and two interceptions.

Jones, Edwards are latest high draft picks to go - Detroit Lions: News, Blogs, Photos, Audio, Schedule & Stats - MLive.com
This off-season has seen a parade of former Lions high draft picks leave town:

– Jones was a first-round pick in 2004 while Edwards was a second-rounder in 2002.

— Two second-round choices — linebackers Boss Bailey 2003 and Teddy Lehman 2004 — left the team as free agents. The Lions made no effort to try to re-sign them.

— Second-round pick Shaun Rogers 2001 was traded to the Cleveland Browns.

— First-rounders Joey Harrington 2002, Charles Rogers 2003 and Mike Williams 2005 are long gone.

— From the 2002 draft, the Lions have one player remaining fifth-rounder John Owens, who has bounced around the league. From the 2003 draft, the Lions have one player remaining Cory Redding. The Lions do not have a starter on the roster, other than Roy Williams, from the 2004 and 2005 drafts.