High Ho, High Ho..It's Off to First We Go

Rob Sanford

As the weather warms up....it appears some Tiger hitters are as well. It's not just Victor Martinez that is producing, but you can add several more, from Miguel Cabrera to Andy Dirks, to Ryan Raburn. Whoa....did I say Ryan Raburn???? Yes, even the much maligned Mr Raburn (by this writer) appears poised to begin his long climb back to respectibility. That doesn't mean all is well...but Sunday's Grand Slam sure didn't hurt.  With the Bengals going to Texas they face a big time challenge because the Ranger's offense appears ready to take off, especially with the return of Josh Hamilton from the disabled list. They also have one of baseball's best closers as well.

What's the deal with Jim Leyland and the media??? He's always had an uneven relationship with writers and broadcasters, but this season has taken a turn for the worse. His recent tirade against The Ticket's Jeff Riger..(who by the way I hired) for an apparently innocent question left me scratching my head. I'm proud that Jeff stood his group and didn't wilt in the verbal barrage. It's my understanding that Riger had a private closed door meeting with Leyland and a high Tiger official (not Dombrowski) at the TEAM'S request. All is well for now. I have also heard from several in the media that all that loud music you hear after a Tiger victory when players are interviewed in the clubhouse is no accident. Some players have said privately they had been given a "managerial directive" to turn up their boom boxes...which if you're a broadcaster nearly ruins interviews for radio guys. It's apparent when Mr Leyland claims he doesn't listen to sports radio, Like 97.1 "The Ticket" it's not exactly the case. Come on Jim...everyone gets criticized, even us radio types!!