Detroit Tigers

Imagine having Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel and star pitcher Cliff Lee make a stop in your town while motoring through the area. That kind of electricity was generated on Nov. 27, 1909, when Detroit manager Hughie Jennings, a coal region native, and his star pitcher, "Wild Bill" Donovan made a stop in Tamaqua while on their way to Scranton, which was Jennings' hometown. A month earlier, the Tigers lost the deciding seventh game to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  

The Washington Nationals have hired former Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren as bench coach, Jim Lett as bullpen coach and Dan Radison as first-base coach. The team also announced Friday that hitting coach Rick Eckstein, pitching coach Steve McCatty and third-base coach Pat Listach will keep their jobs on manager Jim Riggleman's staff in 2010. Riggleman was McLaren's bench coach with Seattle at the start of 2008, then replaced him as the team's skipper when McLaren was fired during the season.  

One of the nice things about this time of year in the Independent Baseball-writing business is we sometimes can sit back without the daily buzz of games and think about some of the factors -- and the people -- that make this business go. I have written from time to time about some of the league commissioners and certain owners when something special was happening, perhaps giving credit if someone had stepped in and saved a franchise or maybe even a full league or earned a certain honor. Joe ...

We have no control over it   -Clegg Snipes

 

Bobby Valentine's Sports Academy has begun their Fall Clinics. Clinics are being offered for ages 5 to High School age and will range in offerings from Pitching to Hitting and then also BVSA is offering "All-Purpose" Clinics. Limited enrollment available.  

Shortstop Audy Ciriaco continued his quick rise through the Detroit Tigers' farm system by being added to the club's 40-man major league roster Friday along with second baseman Scott Sizemore, right fielder Brennan Boesch and first baseman-outfielder Ryan Strieby. The Tigers filled the four openings on their roster with those prospects to protect them from being taken by other major league teams in the Dec. 10 Rule 5 draft. Players with four years of minor league service can be lost if not on the 40-man rosters submitted to the Commissioner's Office by Friday's deadline.

Audy has come up through our system and is a very good defensive shortstop   -Dave Dombrowski

 

A minor leaguer in the Detroit Tigers' organization has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine under baseball's minor league drug program. Double-A third baseman Ron Bourquin was penalized Thursday. He will serve the suspension at the start of next season.  

In his book, Potter, who had a brief minor league career with the Detroit Tigers and has coached amateur baseball for decades, talks about changes he's observed in how the game is taught and played at the grassroots level. Not enough fundamentals, and not nearly enough fun, says Potter, who runs the baseball program at Gambrills Athletic Club. Potter spent the summer traveling around promoting his book, including an appearance on New York all-sports radio station WFAN. Everywhere he went the response, according to Potter, was excellent.  

7. The Latest Speculation on Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Figgins, Damon, Beltre, and More.. 8. 9.

Nothing will happen by day's end, but we'll keep talking   -Joe Urbon

 

Baseball plans to cut down on off days during the postseason next year. Commissioner Bud Selig said Wednesday he's working on tightening up the 2010 playoff schedule so there will be fewer gaps between games. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia criticized the current format after the Yankees and Angels played only eight times in 20 days going into Game 6 of the AL championship series.