Baseball Returns To Motown

Rob Sanford

Visualize if you will....it's early October.....and Miguel Cabrera is a candidate for AL MVP, Justin Verlander is a shoo-in for the Cy Young Award, and Magglio Ordonez will be Comeback Player of the Year. While all of that is going on...the Tigers are getting ready for the playoffs after winning the Central Division title. Now flash to the present...its home opening week-end at Comerica Park and to make all of the hoped for goals they must do better against teams in the Central. The Tigers beat up on Cleveland last year...but struggled with everyone else...Twins, White Sox and Royals. If they can't turn that around, then it will be tough to win in all.

The Royals are no longer the punchline to a joke. This team has to yet reach its potential and has a stable of young players that will only get better. Now add the fact the club has some of the top minor league prospects in the major leagues after years of getting to pick high in the draft. They won't win the division in 2011...but keep an eye on them for the future.

The Twins are not the same Twins we've seen in the past few years. The M and M boys are coming back from major injuries, plus their bullpen, long a strength of the club,as been decimated by free agent defections. Even with all of that in mind, you can never totallly rule out a Ron Gardenhire managed team.

The White Sox are a strong contender this season. While they too have bullpen questions and Jake Peavy having health problems, this team can flat-out hit. They will drive pitchers nuts this season.

The Indians won't be as bad as last year...but won't pull off any miracles. With Sizemore coming back from surgery and Hafner another year older, this team will need some big time help from its pitching staff. It won't happen.

Finally....I love football and hockey...but baseball is part of what Rob Sanford is. It's agonizing tension, not to mention the strategy that takes place after every pitch. It's phenomenal athletic ability to hit a ball coming at you at more than 90 mph and the "out of nowhere" catch by a speedy outfielder. All of this on grass that looks like a giant green carpet and the ambience of all the sights and sounds of a typical ballgame. In a world that keeps getting faster and faster it's comforting there still is a refuge you can go to get away from the pressures of life for just a few hours. GO TIGERS!!!