Tigers Trifecta

Granderson is just clobbering the ball in 2007 replay through 12 games.

The 2007 Detroit Tigers currently hold a 8-4 record in my 2007 Tigers Replay, their actual record at this point was 7-5, so I'm one game up. I started out of the gate 5-1, but then lost three straight and got behind pace & have now won three straight.

The starting pitching & pitching staff needs work, and I can tell you already that I'm going to over my innings pitched on pretty much the entire bullpen; I want to keep it as realistic as possible, but we all know in replays trying to keep things to innings counts & at-bats usually goes over in the APBA world due to many reasons. My starting pitching (especially Justin Verlander with a 7.27 ERA after three starts) is not helping matters, the only one in the rotation that has been effective on the most part has been Jeremy Bonderman (2-0, 3.50 ERA in 18 IP / 3 starts). "The Human Rollercoaster" Todd Jones (that was the Tigers' fans nickname for him, because of his up's & downs -- of course, all before Valverde) has already blown one save, in which Fernando Rodney saved his butt, and picked up a save in the process; Rodney has already exceeded his real-life save total of 1, with 2 saves this year -- Jones has 2 Saves as well. Jones will still have the closer role for now, I'm going to try to respect the real-life choice as long as humanly possible.

I also have had two injuries in a span of three games, in which I lost Carlos Guillen for two games (he returns for the next game, series opener against K.C.) & Ivan Rodriguez for five games. Omar Infante hit a rare HR in his first start replacing Guillen, and Mike Rabelo contributed with a two-run triple (in their performance during Game #11 vs. Toronto).

The best part of the team's season is the Tigers trifecta of Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez & Placido Polanco who have all been on fire!

THROUGH 12 Games:

• GRANDERSON: 25-for-59 (.424 AVG/1.232 OPS), 4 HR, 14 RBI & 19 runs. Plus 5 2B's, 2 3B's & 6 stolen bases -- remember this was the season Granderson joined the 20-20-30-20 club (20 triples, 20 HR, 30 doubles & 20 steals), the last to do it was Wildfire Schulte in 1911.

• ORDONEZ: 18-for-51 (.353 AVG/1.097 OPS), 4 HR, 14 RBI, 9 runs, 3 2B's & drawing 9 BB's. Ordonez won the A.L. Batting Title in 2007 with a .363 Batting Average.

• POLANCO: 22-for-56 (.393 AVG/.917 OPS), 0 HR, 13 RBI, 4 2B's & triple, plus two steals. Had a career high 200 hits in 2007, plus a errorless steak of 144 consecutive games that helped him win his first of two Gold Gloves.

For the three stars, it was their best career seasons which helped make the 2007 Tigers lineup dangerous, while the pitching went down a bit from it's successful 2006 season -- It's a wonder what could have had happen in either 2006 or 2007 if the pitching & batting happened to be on the same page.

The Tigers' team ERA sits at 4.40, while the lineup is a hot .305!