Andy Dirks

Here’s the message from the best sign I’ve seen in a while today: “There’s no stop, drop and roll in hell”. Origins--- They may be in Oklahoma City and Memphis now, but time was that the Thunder was in Seattle and the...

After the Tigers pounded the Red Sox 10-0 last weekend, Prince Fielder warned reporters there would be some tough days ahead. "We're not going to go 162-0, I don't think,'' he said. Nor even 161-1, as it turns out. The Tigers, who added Fielder to...

Really? With some of the greatest marketing minds at their beacon call—the best that the BCS Commissioners could come up with for the new college football playoff—was the ‘College Football Playoff’? Are these the same guys who came...

MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH Anibal Sanchez is back -- or maybe he isn't. After initially shrugging off an atypical outing by Sanchez on Saturday night, manager Jim Leyland expressed concern over his starter's 3 2/3 inning return...

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH Right-hander Rick Porcello took a lot of criticism when he was pitching poorly, so it's only fitting he gets credit for turning things around. He had an ERA that looked more like a tire...

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH Funny how things can work out, isn't it? The Tigers had a catcher, Alex Avila, whose batting average was a week's drive south of the Mendoza Line. They couldn't send him to the...

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH There's no question the strength of this season's Tigers' team is its starting pitching. Detroit's five starters have won a combined 32 games heading into Friday night's game at...

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH The Tigers have painted their bullpen into a corner and are now searching for a way to make that 20-foot leap to the doorway. Jose Valverde's latest of three blown saves this season...

OF Andy Dirks was held out of the lineup. "Dirks is going to get three days off," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "That's a good thing; his knees are a little sore. He's done OK in the leadoff spot. He's not an ideal leadoff hitter, but he's done fine....

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH If things go the way the Tigers and Austin Jackson want them to Detroit will have its regular center fielder back Friday. Jackson has been out of action a month thanks to a strained...

The Sports Xchange 06/13/2013 MLB Note - Cincinnati Reds Chapman, Aroldis LHP Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect ninth -- including two strikeouts -- to improve to 17 for 19 in save opportunities. Chapman has not allowed a run in his last 10 appearances...

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - INSIDE PITCH Detroit fans love him, hate him -- and are stuck with Jose Valverde as the Tigers' closer. Consternation about Valverde's ability to close a game has lingered ever since the disaster...