Tigers talk the talk

Now it's time to walk the walk.

Detroit has teased us with its potential, but done little more than hover around .500. That's not bad considering where the Tigs were a couple years ago. Now the pitching staff has come around and the Detroiters finally have their full lineup, with Maggs smacking the ball around pretty well.

All of which has led Pudge, the man probably most responsible for the Tigers turnaround by signing with them as a free agent last year, to say: "This team is going to be the biggest surprise in the second half, I'll tell you that right now. We're going to be the team to talk (about) in the second half. ... We're a good team.''

Time will tell if he's right. If the pitching remains as solid as it's been, he might be. Getting Dmitri Young's bat going would be a big help. He's been the heart and soul of the Tigers the past couple seasons. The biggest surprise has been Chris Shelton, who replaced Carlos Pena at 1B. Shelton has played 33 games and hit .336 with 6 homers, 24 RBI and 20 runs.