Detroit Tigers News

DETROIT (AP) _ Detroit Tigers infielder Neifi Perez was suspended 25 games Friday, the first player penalized for testing positive for a stimulant under Major League Baseball's drug program. Perez, a seldom-used utility player, is hitting .172 with one home run and six RBIs in 64 at-bats in the team's first 83 games. He is a former Gold Glove shortstop, in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies. He also has played for Kansas City, San Francisco and ...

Reliever Jose Mesa and the Detroit Tigers agreed Monday to a US$2.5-million, one-year contract. Detroit also announced its $24-million, four-year deal with third baseman Brandon Inge. He will make $4.9 million next year, $6.2 million in 2008, $6.3 million in 2009 and $6.6 million in 2010. Mesa, 40, was 1-5 with a 3.86 earned-run average with the Colorado Rockies this year. He was ninth in the National League with a ...

Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander have won their league's respective rookie of the year awards. Ramirez beat out Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman by only four points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America to win the NL award. Three of the top four NL finishers were Marlins. Second baseman Dan Uggla came in third, getting the other six first-place ...

Detroit Tigers hitting coach Don Slaught resigned Friday, and Andy Van Slyke agreed to return as first-base coach for the American League champions. ``The drain of being away from my family and other business interests proved to be too much,'' Slaught said in a statement. ``I love coaching and I enjoyed my time with the players, a special group that got us all to the World Series.'' Slaught said he ...

The Detroit Tigers generated about US$38 million in ticket sales, parking and concessions and souvenirs during this year's playoffs, economic experts say. Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group came up with that total based on the six post-season games played at Comerica Park. The team's success will pay other dividends in the future, said Larry Alexander, president of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. ``There has been a marked increase in ...

Was it dirt? A smudge from a resin bag? A magic elixir? Don't ask the St. Louis Cardinals what that stuff was on Kenny Rogers' pitching hand. They didn't get a good look at it, and even when he wiped it off, they still barely hit the baseballs he was throwing. Virtually untouchable this October, Rogers smothered the Cardinals on two hits over eight shutout innings, leading Detroit to a ...

Kenny Rogers has the whole baseball world in his hands. That, plus whatever left the curious smudge on the meaty part of his palm below the left thumb for the first inning Sunday night. Cheating in Mr. Rogers' neighbourhood? Say it ain't so _ which is what one witness after another testified to moments after the Tigers' 41-year-old left-hander bamboozled the St. Louis Cardinals for eight innings en route to ...

Albert Pujols showed up at the World Series hitting what baseball people like to call a ``quiet'' .324. That made it sound as if the St. Louis slugger walked all the way to Motown on his tippy-toes, but no. In this case, quiet meant Pujols was putting up respectable numbers in the post-season boxscores, but not enough, finally, on the scoreboard. Not enough, anyway, for a guy widely regarded as the most dangerous hitter in the game. That ...

There was the night a rookie outfielder hit a grand slam for his first major league homer, but later tore up his knee and got taken off the field on a flatbed cart. And the time they welcomed a snowout, because it meant they didn't have to play that day. How bad was it for the Detroit Tigers back in 2003? Heck, golfer Phil Mickelson showed up at their triple-A ballpark, convinced he could help out by ...

A position-by-position look at the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers going into the World Series, starting Saturday night at Comerica Park: ___ First Base Cardinals: Albert Pujols. He has a great shot to win his second straight MVP award after another monster season. Pujols is at his best in the clutch, with 19 of his 49 homers providing the go-ahead hit, and he batted .397 with runners in scoring position. Bothered by a sore hamstring, he hit .324 ...

The Detroit Tigers have relied on every player to reach the World Series for the first time in more than two decades. Yet the Tigers' turnaround, just three years removed from an AL record 119-losses, doesn't seem as if it would have been possible without Ivan Rodriguez. When Rodriguez _ arguably the best all-around catcher in baseball history _ signed a US$40 million, four-year contract in 2004, it surprised the ...

Kenny Rogers took off his cap, waved it to the crowd and twirled around for all to see. And that sent a real chill to the fans packing Comerica Park. Because of him, they can really start dreaming about seeing their Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Rogers pitched the game of his life once again and the Tigers backed him with their bats, gloves and legs, beating the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on a frosty Friday to ...

Fernando Rodney, Jason Grilli and Todd Jones showed that the Detroit Tigers' relievers can overpower the opposition even when Joel Zumaya is not pitching. With the fireballing rookie out with tightness in his forearm, it was those other three relievers who combined to tie a post-season record by striking out six straight Oakland Athletics in the Tigers' 8-5 victory in Game 2 of the AL championship series. ``We have guys ...

Alexis Gomez impressed his teammates time and again by routinely hitting long home runs. In batting practice, that is. Still, Jim Leyland trusted his gut and went with the little-used Gomez as Detroit's designated hitter for Game 2 of the American League championship series _ yet another spot-on call by the Tigers manager this post-season. The result: a 2-0 advantage heading home to Motown. Gomez hit a go-ahead, two-run single and later added a two-run homer to lead the ...

Detroit first baseman Sean Casey left the AL championship series opener against Oakland on Tuesday night with an injured left calf, and is expected to miss a couple of days. The Tigers won 5-1 in Game 1. Game 2 is Wednesday night, and Game 3 is Friday night in Detroit. Casey was in a walking boot after the game. Shortstop Carlos Guillen shifted over to first base when Casey was ...

Brandon Inge and Ivan Rodriguez homered to knock Oakland ace Barry Zito out of the game, and the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 5-0 lead over the Athletics after six innings in Game 1 of the AL championship series Tuesday night. Inge had three hits, including a run-scoring double during the rally that chased Zito, who retired Detroit's first eight batters and then fell apart in the fourth inning of ...

Kenny Rogers will have to wait until a possible Game 7 of the AL championship series to build on his success in Oakland. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland decided not to use the left-hander in Game 2 at the Coliseum, holding him back until the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 3 on Friday. Rogers has dominated in Oakland _ both for and against the Athletics. He is 25-4 ...

Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate and the Yankee Stadium fans cheered as one, imploring him to deliver that elusive clutch hit. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Another missed chance for baseball's US$25 million man. Rodriguez stood at the plate and removed his batting gloves after being frozen on Justin Verlander's curveball Thursday. There were no boos, just groans when the New York Yankees' early threat ended with a ...

A man who told police Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers grabbed him by the collar during an altercation near Comerica Park last weekend says he wants to drop the matter. James Spurlock, 37, of Adrian, told the Detroit Free Press he will settle for an apology from Rogers for the way he and his 14-year-old son were treated when the boy asked for an autograph. ``I'm not going to pursue ...

Randy Johnson threw a bullpen session Wednesday afternoon and Yankees manager Joe Torre said the left-hander is set to start Game 3 of the AL division series in Detroit on Friday night. Johnson has a herniated disc in his back that required him to get an epidural shot last Friday. He threw in the outfield grass Saturday and then had a bullpen session the next day. Torre said Johnson threw ...

Derek Jeter and the rest of the modern-day Murderers' Row overwhelmed the young Detroit Tigers, getting the New York Yankees off to a quick start in the first round of the AL playoffs. Jeter tied the post-season record for hits, going 5-for-5 with a home run to lead New York over Detroit 8-4 Tuesday night in its post-season opener. Bobby Abreu had a two-run double and Jason Giambi hit a ...

Detroit police were interviewing witnesses to find out what happened between Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers and a man who filed a complaint against him after an incident near Comerica Park. Rogers was driving out of a parking structure near the ballpark after Saturday night's loss to Kansas City when a man started beating on Rogers' car, Detroit police spokeswoman Yvette Walker said Tuesday. She said Rogers got out and exchanged ...

The Detroit Tigers wasted a big chance to win the AL Central on Sunday, blowing a six-run lead and then watching all-star starter Kenny Rogers lose in relief 10-8 to the Kansas City Royals in 12 innings. The loss left the Tigers with the AL wild card, meaning manager Jim Leyland's crew will open the playoffs Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium against New York. Minnesota wound up as the Central champion, and will start the playoffs at home ...

Playoff-bound Detroit missed a chance to clinch the AL Central when David DeJesus hit a two-run triple in Kansas City's seven-run first inning, leading the Royals to a 9-6 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night. Detroit would have clinched the division with a win after the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 earlier in the day, cutting the Tigers' magic number to one. Following a 1{-hour rain ...