The Tigers have done a nice job of recovering from a wretched start to the season. Expected to be a 1,000-run juggernaut, Detroit stumbled out of the gate, losing its first seven game and going 23-32 over the first two months. Entering play Saturday, the Tigers stand at 48-48. While they aren't expected to drop back below .500 for the rest of the season, the Tigers have a long way to go to catch up with the Twins and White Sox in the AL Central.
Maybe that's why both utilityman Brandon Inge and reliever Fernando Rodney are sporting brand new buzzcuts today. Detroit needs that extra push in the second half. Sure a reliable starting pitcher would go a lot farther in helping the Tigers' chances, but a new hairstyle can't hurt can it?
Who better than manager Jim Leyland, ever the gruff kidder, to comment on the new locks sported by his players?
Sports
"There's something wrong with Inge," joked Leyland before Saturday night's game in Baltimore. "He's [expletive] rowing with one oar."
"He has a good time and he plays his ass off," added Leyland in a moment of candor about Inge, who, after losing his starting role this winter, has played all over the place this season and been extremely valuable to Leyland.
As for Rodney, who is holding onto his shorn locks so he can show his mother, Leyland had a few more wisecracks. "If he shaves that [expletive] goatee, he'll look even better," said the Tigers manager. "The [expletive] shampoo will finally get to his head."
Will all this actually help Detroit? Who knows? But for a team that faced high expectations and still has a big hole to climb out of, the Tigers appear to be an awfully loose bunch.
Other tidbits from Camden Yards:
- Carlos Guillen is still with his ailing wife in the hospital, clearing the way for rookie Jeff Larish this evening. Leyland gave no indication when Guillen would rejoin the team, but with Zach Miner set to take a spot in the rotation, Detroit could be shorthanded indefinitely. Guillen is not eligible to be placed on the bereavement list, Leyland said.
- Edgar Renteria is "not 100 percent," according to Leyland. He wouldn't say anything more than that. Renteria appeared to be getting into a groove before his most recent injury, adding to the frustration of nagging health problems.
- Adam Loewen is going the Rick Ankiel route. Facing another surgery that would keep him out for a year and a half, the Orioles southpaw has decided to become a position player. Ankiel's amazing story notwithstanding, Loewen is facing incredibly long odds to ever play in a major league game again.
