Chris Ray delivering heat

Greetings from Fort Lauderdale

Ol' Sparky is "working" in Florida for a few days and had just enough spare time to see the Orioles play the Cardinals. Unfortunately for the O's fans, Baltimore lost 4-0. Unfortunately for the Tigers fans, it meant watching the Cards win again.

Got to see former Detroiter Jamie Walker toss two innings for the Birds. As I've stated previously, I'm fearful the loss of Walker could damage the Tigers' bullpen. Our loss is Baltimore's gain.

The photo is Jamie doing his famous levitating ball trick.

Spring Omen?

I met a Phillies fan last night at a local watering hole who was sky high on the Phillies prospects this year because of the "6 great starting pitchers" in spring camp. He advised that he was hoping the Phillies would deal for either Curt Schilling or Randy Johnson to be the Phillies closer.

After telling him I was an Orioles fan, he told me he was sorry for me. He declared the Orioles were looking at another losing season because they had "let Sosa go".

Sammy's Back!

The Texas Rangers have signed Sammy Sosa to a minor league contract

Was that necessary?

The Yankees are sending their Big Unit to Arizona but they're keeping their Wang.

O('s)ffseason

The O's have been busy wheeling and dealing this offseason and I have become hopeful for a winning 2007 campaign.

The acquisition of SP Jaret Wright and RPs Scott Williamson, Jamie Walker, Danys Baez and Chad Bradford mildly aids the starting rotation and almost completely revamps one of the worst bullpens in the AL.

Pitcher	W	L	ERA	WHIP	Saves
Jaret Wright	68	57	5.07	1.55	0
Scott Williamson	27	28	3.32	1.29	55
Jamie Walker	15	16	3.95	1.26	5
Danys Baez	31	37	3.79	1.31	111
Chad Bradford	27	18	3.40	1.4	9

There is hope that the addition of Wright will be more valuable than his career stats indicate. In his one full season under Mazzone (O's pitching coach) while with Atlanta, Wright posted a 15-8 record with a 3.32 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.

The corp of acquired relievers is stellar when compared to recent O's bullpens. The fact that this group has 180 Saves among them, means that O's closer Chris Ray should not have to carry the entire late inning load. In 2006, Ray was a dominant closer when rested. He was hittable when pitching for the 3rd or 4th day in a row.

The offense has been bolstered with the addition of Jay Payton (OF, .284 BA, 10 HR, 42 RBI career averages) and Aubrey Huff (1B/3B/OF, .285 BA, 20 HR, 70 RBI career). Both Payton and Huff have been solid bats throughout their careers as well as versatile defenders. This should provide O's manager Sam Perlozzo with valuable flexibility in crafting a starting lineup on a day-to-day basis that keeps hot hitters in the lineup, removes cold hitters from the lineup and provides favorable matchups against the opposing starting pitcher.

Of course, as with any baseball team, starting pitching will primarily decide a winning or losing campaign. Erik Bedard, Kris Benson, Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen and Jaret Wright provide 5 talented arms. If this group can realize its' potential, it will be happy days on the Chesapeake once again.

Casey at the bat

The Tigers resigned Sean Casey to play first base, the only hole in the lineup. Detroit was going to look for more power at the spot, but after signing Sheffield decided Casey's left-handed bat was a good fit.

I like Casey, mostly because I think I can run as fast.

So much to catch up on

First, a big cheer to AL Rookie of the Year Justin Verlander and Manager of the Year Jim Leyland. I'm sure Mr. Met would like to offer a lusty "boo" to the NL Manager of the Year choice, Joe Girardi, over Willie Randolph. I think Randolph did a great job, but was hurt by the fact the Mets had the division wrapped up by the All-Star break. Even though Willie had no pitching staff, no one paid attention to the fact he still nearly won 100 games.

* * *

The Tigers are going to lose one of the key pieces to the team, lefty reliever Jamie Walker. He's heading to Baltimore, where they should love him. I saw some of the names of lefty relievers still available, and my stomach started to ache.

* * *

Philadelphia signed infielder Wes Helms yesterday. I've seen him referred to as "third baseman" even though he played many more games at first base last season. Obviously, the Phils got him to play third. He has become a better hitter the past two years by shortening his stroke, Charlie Manuel said. The Phils believe he is above average defensively, even though his range factor over the years is horrible when compared to the league average.

Helms hit .329 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs in 250 at-bats last year. Helms has had more than 275 at-bats just once in his eight-year career.

* * *

The Diamondbacks reportedly have made free agent pitcher Randy Wolf their No. 1 target.

Ramirez signs with Cubs

Bad news for the Phils, and to a lesser extent if you believe the Tigers were interested: Aramis Ramirez reportedly signed with the Cubs on Sunday.

Motown to sample Sheff's cooking

I have mixed feelings about the Tigers trading three pitching prospects to the Yankees for Gary Sheffield. I'll start with the secondary concern: Anything that could make NYY better is bad.

But the effect of the deal on the Tigers is the primary concern. The pitchers given up were apparently some highly thought of arms, but really didn't figure in Detroit's long-term future if Bonderman, Verlander, Maroth, Robertson, and Miller remain healthy.

Sheffield can be a pain in the butt, but he loves Leyland and Leyland loves him. There's something to be said for that. Furthermore, Sheffield surely makes the Tigers' lineup far better. I imagine the lineup would look like: Granderson, Polanco, Maggs, Sheff, Guillen, Pudge ... not too shabby.

The rest is up in the air. The futures of Monroe and Inge seem to be in question. From what I've read, the Tigers are going to explore the free agent market for a third baseman (Ramirez?) and also were supposed to be interested in Soriano, although I don't know if the Sheffield deal takes that off the table.

I'm surprised the Tigers are looking for help at third because I really like Inge. If nothing else, the Sheffield move shows free agents the Tigers are serious about winning now. It should be an interesting offseason.

The Empire Strikes Back

Apparently, the Yankees have figured out why they lost to the Tigers.

Right where we want 'em

My work schedule has cut into my World Series viewing and posting time. But we'll have to rely on history and hope the Tigs are right where they want to be -- down 3-1 to the Cards. Now, if we can only find Lolich, we'll be set.

Actually, I've got a very bad feeling after seeing Curtis Granderson slip and fall last night, helping the Cards to rally for a Game 4 triumph. Is it payback for Curtis Flood misjudging a fly ball in CF in Game 7 of 1968, giving Detroit the title? Perhaps.

This much is clear: The Tigs have been their own worst enemy for much of this series. I don't know if it's the layoff, or nerves, or simply bad timing. But it hasn't been pleasant to watch.

My nightmare of Jeff Weaver doing in the Tigers is coming closer to fruition. But Detroit's play has pretty much defied logic all year, so who knows what will happen next?

Jinx?

Perhaps this was bad voodoo.

Ouch

Because of my work schedule, I was unable to see much of last night's game. I guess I should be grateful now. I know the Tigers made a bunch of errors, so I'm guessing the layoff did hurt a bit. But it's only 1 game and it should be easy to quickly put this one behind them.

Is it time yet?

It seems like forever since the Tigers played a game. Hopefully, it won't be a problem for Detroit when WS Game 1 gets under way tomorrow night in Motown. I suspect that being at home should make it easier for the boys to regain their edge.

I thought for sure the Mets were winning NLCS Game 7 last night when Endy made that remarkable catch. Now I have to worry about Jeff Weaver and Juan Encarnacion teaming up to do in the Tigers. What a nightmare that would be.

Detroit swept the Cards during interleague play, although that means nothing now. The only advantage is that the hitters might have seen some of the pitchers before, rather than going into the series cold.

The photo is young Sparky -- in pre-Willie Hernandez days -- with Andy Van Slyke at spring training in 1984. Slick gave me a hard time about being a Tigers fan. How you liking those Tigs now, Slick?

Hmmm, 1984? That was a very good year.

Cardinals some runs, Mets fewer runs

I don't want to talk about it.

Mets 4, Cardinals 2(NLCS tied 3-3)

All the Mets needed from John Maine was for him to pitch the game of his life to save their season. So of course he went out and did that. Now things get a bit more interesting.

Maine did not start off well, allowing two hits and hitting a batter in the first inning as he struggled with his control. But he was able to escape a bases loaded jam. Jose Reyes then homered to lead off the bottom of the inning, giving Maine a bit of breathing room. After that, Maine settled down a bit. He pitched five and one-third scoreless innings to give the Mets a shot against Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, who pitched a bit better than he did in game two. Maine allowed just two hits and four walks, one of which was intentional. He struck out five. This was a huge performance from Maine, dragging the Mets from a desperate state to one with some room for optimism.

The Mets added just one more run against Carpenter. They strung three singles together in the fourth, with Shawn Green driving in the run. Green had two hits in the game and was also hit by a pitch. And he actually caught two fly balls that the Cardinals were kind enough to hit directly at him.

Fortunately the Mets got a chance to bat against old friend Braden Looper in the seventh. They added two runs on three singles, the last of which by Paul Lo Duca. They would need them.

Three relievers pitched well after Maine was removed in the sixth. Chad Bradford came in with one on and one out and immediately got a double play. He gave up a hit and got an out in the seventh before Guillermo Mota came in and got a twin killing of his own. Aaron Heilman emerged from seclusion to pitch a very good eighth, allowing just a meaningless single to Albert Pujols. Then the Mets turned it over to Billy Wagner.

Wagner had not been pitching well in the playoffs thus far, allowing one run in the LDS and losing game two of the LCS when he gave up three runs. Things did not go any better in this game. He gave up a single and a double before recording an out. He retired the next two batters only to have his nemesis So Taguchi smack a two-run double. He did retire the next batter, but there was nothing about this performance that inspired confidence. Right now it seems the Mets have found themselves a new Armando Benitez.

But none of that matters right now. The Mets, wearing the classic blue hats for the first time this postseason, were victorious and they will host game seven Thursday night. Jeff Suppan (1-1, 2.19 in 12.1 playoff innings) will start for St. Louis. The Mets' starting pitcher will probably be Oliver Perez (1-0, 7.94 in 5.2 playoff innings) who may be relieved by Darren Oliver (0-0, 3.68 in 7.1 playoff innings) after a few innings. Suppan shut the Mets down in game three, but I can't imagine that happening again. He is still Jeff Suppan. The Mets will probably need to score some runs to win this game, but I see no reason why they can't. Like I said yesterday, ya gotta believe!

Cardinals 4, Mets 2(Cardinals lead NLCS 3-2)

Shawn Green is terrible. If he were standing on home plate, he probably couldn't catch some of the pitches that have been called strikes in this series. Maine vs. Carpenter tomorrow. Ya gotta believe!

I'm going to sleep.

Mets 12, Cardinals 5(NLCS tied 2-2)

The dominant storyline entering this game was the uncertainty surrounding the Mets' starting pitcher, Oliver Perez. The Mets' hitters didn't waste much time beating that story into submission. Perez kept the Mets in the game just long enough for the bats to wake up and once that happened, even Steve Trachsel probably couldn't have screwed it up.

It only took the Mets until the third inning to show signs of life and after that, they didn't look back. Down 1-0 in the third, Carlos Beltran launched a solo home run and David Wright followed with one of his own. Perez gave the lead back in the bottom half, but the Mets reclaimed it in the fifth. After Paul Lo Duca reached on an error and Beltran singled, Carlos Delgado launched his third home run in two days to give the Mets a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Perez did give up another run in the bottom of the fifth, so the Mets had to come back with a more emphatic statement in the sixth. Jose Reyes led off with a single and the next six men to come to the plate also reached base. The Mets scored six runs without a home run, with Delgado's two-run ground rule double and a three-rule double by Jose Valentin being the biggest blows. Only Endy Chavez and Perez himself failed to contribute to the inning.

Perez gave up a couple more home runs in the bottom of the sixth, but by then it was too late. His final line was five and two-thirds innings with five runs on nine hits, including three home runs. He struck out three and walked just one. In the end it doesn't look pretty, but he held it together long enough for the offense to break out and that was all the Mets needed. Beltran hit another home run in the seventh, just to be safe.

Every Mets starter reached base at least once and everyone but Chavez and Perez either scored or drove in a run. But, as usual, it was the Carloses who led the way. Beltran reached base five times, drawing two walks in addition to the single and the home runs. Delgado walked once, doubled and homered, driving in five runs. There is just too much firepower in the Mets' lineup for them to be shut down for very long. I would be very surprised to see another game like Saturday's this postseason.

With the series even, we'll see a rematch of game one on Monday. Tom Glavine (2-0, 0.00 in 13 playoff innings) goes for the Mets having pitched excellently, despite what Albert Pujols may think, on Thursday. Jeff Weaver (1-1, 1.69 in 10.2 playoff innings) pitched pretty well himself. Both will be pitching on short rest, so anything can happen, but I feel pretty comfortable with this matchup. And in other news, Orlando Hernandez says he'd be ready if the Mets have some more games to play starting Saturday. I think they could find a spot for him.

What they said

Michael Rosenberg, Detroit Free Press: With Detroit waiting for a hero, Magglio Ordonez turned to Tigers clubhouse assistant Tyson Steele in the dugout. "You got the champagne on ice?" he asked Steele, before stepping onto the field in the bottom of the ninth inning. "It's over."

* * *

Dan Dickerson, WXYT-AM radio: "Swing and a fly ball, leftield, it's deep, it's way back ... the Tigers are going to the World Series. Three-run, walkoff home run! Ohhh man! Ordonez around third, he's into a mob scene at home! The Tigers have beaten the A's, 6-3, completing a four-game sweep in one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history! The Tigers, three years after losing 119 games, are going to the World Series! Magglio Ordonez with his second home run of the game. What a sight at home plate!"

* * *

Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press: And sure enough, after a shaky start and a three-run deficit and a bases-loaded blown opportunity and a bases-loaded narrow escape, sure enough, after almost every chance imaginable and the score still tied, 3-3, here came the bottom of the ninth, two outs, two on -- I mean, come on, is this perfect or what? -- and here came your something big, folks, here came Magglio Ordonez, one of those free agents who a few years back might never have signed with the Tigers, and he smoked an 1-0 pitch so high and so far into Comerica Park's leftfield seats that he had time to watch, walk, raise a fist, then raise another fist, then run the bases pointing a new direction for this new era of Detroit baseball.

* * *

Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News: It was a shot in the bottom of the ninth, from the bottom of the heart, a three-run homer by Ordonez with two out that gave the Tigers a 6-3 victory over Oakland on Saturday night and a 4-0 sweep of the American League Championship Series. What ensued on the field and in the stands should be branded unreal, except that we’d seen it just a week earlier, when the Tigers vanquished the Yankees.

What a remarkable sight, again.

What a remarkable team, again.

* * *

Jerry Green, Detroit News: Of course the Tigers would win the American League pennant with a walk-off home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

That was the way it was scripted. It could happen no other way in this storybook baseball season.

This little team that couldn’t — that shouldn’t — is going to the World Series. Next Saturday night vs. a team to be determined. At home. At Comerica Park.

Believe it or not.

* * *

A's outfielder Milton Bradley, quoted in the L.A. Times on Kenny Rogers' performance Friday: "I don't know if it would be disrespectful or something, but I almost felt like going over there and giving him a high-five. He was that good."

* * *

Blast from the past, February 2004: Scott Boras, [Ivan] Rodriguez's agent who negotiated the deal with the Tigers, said his client was excited about playing in the AL Central. "Pudge said to me, 'I know that division. That division could be mine,'" Boras said.

And from then-manager Alan Trammell, on the signing of Pudge: "This is how it starts. This is how we get better."