Fever Pitch

Remember the scene from "Fever Pitch" after Jimmy Fallon's character and Drew Barrymore's character break up and it looks like the Red Sox are tanking? He is found by his friends sitting in his darkened apartment, watching the Bill Buckner error over and over again, while the Carl Yastrzemski song plays hauntingly in the background. He's unshowered, unshaven and sitting next to a pile of chicken bones stacked up on a newspaper.

I think I may have reached that point. You will find me sitting in my darkened living room, watching 2009 Game 163 over and over again, muttering, "Brandon Inge's jersey was hit by that pitch," and listening to "April in the D." I haven't shaved my legs in weeks, and the side table is littered with Thai take-out boxes. Too graphic for you? Sorry.

Thankfully, pitchers and catchers report in three weeks, so I may yet be saved from utter ruin.

So I took my son to basketball practice this week, which happened to be at a local elementary school, and lo and behold, what did I find on the hallway bulletin board? It was a public service poster featuring none other than Curtis Granderson and Paws. Curtis was running out of the center of the poster clad in his Tiger uniform (sob), and Paws was featured around him engaged in various fitness exercises: leg lifts, lunges, stretches and pushups, all set on the Comerica Park grass. Repeat after me, Opening Day is only two months away. Sigh.

What washed up player do you think the Tigers will target next? I was so thankful to see the Brewers sign Jim Edmonds to a minor league contract.

Off Day Musings

I don't like these early off days.  My thirst for Tiger baseball is insatiable.  The season just got started.  Sorry to have such a selfish point of view.

A couple minor points I'd like to bring up.  Our lower part of the order and bench/utility guys are making valuable contributions thus far.  Nice--I like that.  It's a good sign, IMO.  We won't have to rely on the big boys doing it all every day.  I LOVE that we're moving runners up so much better than last year.  Laird really impresses on the base paths for someone who doesn't look that fast.  Josh Anderson practices the art of bunting like a fiend, and executes it pretty well too.

Here's an amusing little anecdote for you.  The other day, my son and I were playing catch at the park.  Just tossing the ball back and forth--nothing too serious, since I am athletically challenged and all.  Anyway, one of his throws caroms off my glove and hits me smack in the middle of the forehead.  He rushes over and apologizes like crazy.  I tell him it's all part of playing ball.  I wasn't too worried--it hurt, but it wasn't like a line drive off a bat, or a 97 mph Ryan Perry fastball, you know?  I wasn't seeing stars or anything.  I shook it off and we kept playing.  I wondered whether I'd have a nice goose egg out of it.  When we got home I checked, and sure enough, there was quite a lump, but more robin-egg sized.  I wore it like a badge of honor.  I felt just like Drew Barrymore in Fever Pitch.  This shows you how very little sports I've played in my lifetime.   Anyway, I feel really bad for someone who really gets smoked by a hard hit ball, because it's still really sore three days later.  It's easy to see how major damage is caused (Juan Encarnacion).

Catch up with you tomorrow night for the Seattle game.