Scott Miller

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Michigan's 7.5 percent unemployment rate this winter is the highest in the country. Since 2006, more than 70,000 homes have been foreclosed in Detroit alone. And property values are down nearly 20 percent.

Yet after the Detroit Tigers traded for shortstop Edgar Renteria, third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis this winter, they sold so many season tickets that they eventually halted sales to make sure last year's season ticketholders didn't get shut out.

And, incredibly, when the Tigers put 2008 individual game tickets on sale Saturday, they sold 80,000 in the first two hours, 176,000 over the first eight hours and 192,000 by noon Sunday.
 
Baseball is back in Detroit, maybe just when folks needed it most.

And the Tigers themselves absolutely have noticed.

"It's one of the best sports towns I've ever been in," slugger Gary Sheffield says. "I didn't know that much about it. But they're the most passionate fans I've ever seen."

Center fielder Curtis Granderson, beginning his third full season with the Tigers, shakes his head in awe at the number of tickets that are flying off of the shelves for '08.

He knows it's because these Tigers are loaded, and he believes there's another reason, too.

"I think it's the fact that we play hard," he says. "It's a hard-working area, and I think people are like, 'Hey, I'm working hard, and I want to enjoy watching others work hard, too.'"

Whatever, as the auto industry sags, concern over job security grows and homes sit unsold, maybe Tigers rounding the bases will at least ease the suffering for some.

"I have no idea how many runs we scored last year," Granderson says, chuckling. "I know it was a lot.

"It's a good buzz for the city of Detroit. They want to be excited, and they should be."

Likes: There are few finer people in the game than Curtis Granderson. ... The paw prints in the carpet in the Tigers' Lakeland clubhouse. ... Thunderstorms, like the one that just rolled in following the Tigers-Astros game this afternoon over in Kissimmee. ... Even without Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the Astros have as loose a clubhouse as you'll find. ... Watching election returns. ... The prospect of a couple of days at home this weekend before landing in Arizona and the Cactus League next week. ... Astros broadcaster Jim Deshaies. ... Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour on XM. And Dylan's Modern Times disc.

 Dislikes: Orlando traffic. ... Kissimmee traffic. ... Route 192.

Sunblock day? Not really. Warm, but very overcast. Dry, but thunderstorms expected later this afternoon and evening. Check that. The T-storms are here. It's dry no longer. I'm going to get absolutely soaked walking to my car.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"Have you seen the flags of freedom?
"What color are they now?
"Do you think that you believe in yours
"More than they do theirs somehow?

-- Neil Young, Flags of Freedom

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- It isn't quite as emotional or historical as the Dodgers leaving Dodgertown in Vero Beach, but Cleveland is bidding adios to Florida at the conclusion of this spring as well.

The Indians, who haven't trained in Arizona since leaving Tucson following the spring of 1992, is joining Arizona's burgeoning roster and moving to Goodyear.

They've trained in Winter Haven for the past 16 springs, beginning in 1993.

"I'm excited for the franchise," general manager Mark Shapiro says. "Geographically, this place (Winter Haven) is fine for spring training, but the facility is substandard.

"From a leadership position, the last few years when we've come in here, I feel like I'm letting our guys down. They all know what else is out there."

And next spring, the Indians no longer will have to simply watch as others take advantage of modern facilities. The Indians' new joint will feature an 8,000 seat stadium and the usual bejeweled clubhouse amenities and training facilities that will keep pace with everyone else.

Though there's been much grumbling about Winter Haven -- a city with, horrors, no Starbucks coffee! -- it's got its own kind of charm and the setting for Chain of Lakes Park, right next to Lake Lulu, is very pretty. Lake Lulu houses several large alligators and, though I've never seen one during my stops there, the place is rife with stories. Many of those center around Gator, one of the chief field guys here, who has been known to catch alligators with his bare hands.

Not only that, veterans around here tell tales of Gator hiding baby alligators -- with their mouths taped shut -- inside the lockers of some of the young players. Kenny Lofton was one those kids who nearly jumped out of his skin years ago upon finding a real, live alligator stuffed into his locker.

Most of today's Indians don't seem too sorry to be leaving.

"Not at all," says pitcher C.C. Sabathia, a native of the San Francisco/Oakland bay area. "I'm looking forward to Arizona, and bringing a lot of my family down."

Likes: The corny p.a. announcements before Grapefruit League games in which the guy with the mike broadcasts the local game-time temperature, followed by the weather update for whatever Northern city we're talking about (Detroit, if you're in Lakeland; CLeveland, if you're in Winter Haven). Predictably, it never fails to elicit great whoops and catcalls. It shouldn't, either, given what these people are paying for their Snowbird trips and sunblock tabs. ... The Hank Steinbrenner-John Henry vociferous debate about Yankees Nation or Red Sox Nation. You might be burnt out on Yankees-Red Sox, but those two are entertaining. ... The jambalaya at Harry's in Lakeland. ... Hall of Famer Al Kaline in uniform each spring at Tigers camp.
 
Dislikes: Here's a prayer for Phillies coach Davey Lopes, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will take a leave of absence.

Sunblock day? Yes, the run of sunny and 80s continues. But alas, predictions of Tuesday thunderstorms.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"Tomorrow is the price for yesterday
"A million waves won't wash the truth away
"Someday you'll be ordered to explain
"No one gets to walk between the rain"

-- Bob Seger, No More

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- While Kyle Lohse, Jeff Weaver, Freddy Garcia and a handful of other pitchers look for work, a guy you haven't heard much from in awhile is toiling in the background here and odds are he could become one of the bigger comeback stories of 2008.

Remember Kris Benson?

Sure you do.

First off, he's much quieter than his wife. Anna Benson never met a reporter she couldn't leave with a controversial quote, from the explicit interview she did with Penthouse magazine when Kris was still pitching in Pittsburgh to the sexy Santa outfit she wore to a charity appearance in New York that finally pushed the Mets to get Kris out of town.

For those more familiar with Anna than Kris, he's nothing like what you'd expect. He's quiet, intelligent and speaks in measured tones. He didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from shoulder surgery but early reports here in the Phillies camp are that he could help -- and, perhaps, sooner rather than later.

Kris estimates that he's only a week or two behind the other pitchers in camp, and Charley Kerfeld, special assistant to general manager Pat Gillick, has been impressed with what he's seen.

"I thought he looked great," Kerfeld says. "Usually after a surgery like that, the last thing to come back is command. And his command has been great.

"Now, it's a question of when his velocity comes back."

Kerfeld estimates that Benson could be ready to pitch for the Phillies by May 1.

That would be great with Benson, who can opt out of his contract March 25 if he isn't placed on the PHillies' major-league roster but says he's open to starting the season in the minors with the club if his shoulder isn't quite ready.

He's also throwing his curve again after junking it in New York at the suggestion of Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson. When he started to develop his slider, Benson says, his curve wasn't as effective anymore. Partly, it was because his then-weakening shoulder wouldn't allow him to throw the curve as hard has he needed to to get a sharp break on it.

"This spring, I'm trying to develop those two pitches together," Benson says.

Another year older at 33 and all the wiser following surgery, the right-hander is the latest in a long line of hurlers who have had to learn to pitch, rather than just throw.

Maybe one day soon, he can make more headlines than his wife.

Likes: Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, with sparkling Lake Lulu in the background. This is it, though, as Cleveland is moving to Goodyear, Ariz., next spring. Last one out of Winter Haven, turn off the lights. ... I know Chain of Lakes gets knocked, but there's so much history here -- going back to when the Red Sox trained here -- and besides, how can you not like a press box in which a snake slithered over the computer keyboard of Indians beat man Paul Hoynes (Cleveland Plain Dealer) last spring? ... Kristin Laine's book American Band: Music, Dreams and Coming of Age in the Heartland. Very moving ending. ... From the Southern Cleaners' marquee on Lakeland's Florida St., this bit of wisdom: "The bigger the menu, the smaller the portions." ... Smoked sausage with red beans and rice at Harry's in Lakeland. ... The 134-pound burger they concocted at Mallie's Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, Mich., last week. Glad to see folks are making constructive use of their time.

Dislikes: Can any driver in Florida use a turn signal? Please? ... So I'm working in the room Saturday night while watching Kansas-Kansas State, and ESPN goes out. I've got, like, 60-some channels in the hotel room, and every single one of them is working except ESPN. So that lasts about 15 minutes, and it finally comes on. Great. Then midway through the first half, it goes out again. Why couldn't, say, the Jewelry Channel have gone out? Or QVC? Or the Food Network. Lemme tell ya, life on the road is not easy. ... Aw, the end came too soon for the St. Mary Catholic Central Falcons, 69-52 losers to Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in a Class C Michigan High School boys' basketball District tournament final.

Sunblock day? Gorgeous. Warm sun, bit of a breeze, temps around 80.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"Lookin' for somebody
Young enough to take it on
Clean up the corruption
And make the country strong

-- Neil Young, Lookin' for a Leader

TAMPA, Fla. -- The New York Mets have discussed free agent starting pitcher Kyle Lohse and others internally, according to sources close to the Mets, and still may make a move to add starting pitching this spring.

Lohse remains the most attractive of a handful of starters who so far appear to have priced themselves out of business because he's only 29 and is coming off of a season in which he worked 192 innings and compiled a 4.62 ERA for Cincinnati and Philadelphia last season.

Among the other starters still unsigned: Jeff Weaver (31, 6.20 ERA for Seattle in '07), Freddy Garcia (32, coming off of shoulder surgery last August), Eric Milton (32, coming off of an injury-plagued year with Cincinnati) and David Wells (44, 157 innings pitched for San Diego and Los Angeles and a 5.12 ERA).

The Mets are said to be considering many options in the wake of acquiring ace Johan Santana, including beginning the season with Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in the bullpen. The thinking there being that they could save him from wearing out by season's end if they limit his innings early, and maybe move him back into the rotation later in the year.

Among the other reasons the Mets continue to study free agent pitchers who are available: They're still not sure whether Mike Pelfrey (3-8, 5.57 ERA in 72 innings pitched last season) is seasoned enough for the big league rotation and though Pedro Martinez looks good this spring, he's no lock to stay healthy all season.

St. Louis is another club that could be in the market for pitching if Matt Clement's comeback lags. However, the Cardinals have indicated that their player payroll is maxed out. The Chicago Cubs also could be a player for Lohse or Weaver to add depth to a rotation that includes a couple of questions: One, whether Jason Marquis sticks all season and, two, whether Ryan Dempster's conversion from closer takes.

A couple of other notes:

-- The Florida Marlins have discussed adding oUtfielder Corey Patterson, a Scott Boras client like Lohse and Weaver, who remains unsigned. Cameron Maybin, one of the high-ceilinged prospects acquired from Detroit, is projected to start in center for the Marlins but there is some organizational concern that, at 20, and with only 49 big league at-bats, if he isn't ready, he could get buried. But it's more likely that the Marlins will go with Alejandro De Anza instead of Patterson. De Anza made the Marlins out of camp last spring but suffered a broken ankle after nine games and missed much of the rest of the season.

-- The Cubs-Baltimore Brian Roberts trade talks continue to simmer and the possibility remains that Roberts could be a Cub by opening day. Chicago scouts continue to track Roberts.

Likes: Gorgeous cover on the Pittsburgh media guide this year, an evening shot of PNC Park with lights reflecting off of the Allegheny River. ... Manny Sanguillen in camp, same winning smile. ... ELO's Mr. Blue Sky on the public address system before Friday's clash-of-Pennsylvania, Phillies-Pirates Grapefruit League game. ... This line from Alan Schwarz in a New York Times story on the Pirates: "... their roster's somnolence is marked by how their most recent signee, pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim, is a virtual narcoleptic." ... Mixon Fruit Farm in Bradenton, which has become a must-stop for lunch along the trails. The orange juice, as you might suspect, is out of this world, and so was the tropical milkshake featuring fresh oranges, pineapples and cherries.
 
Dislikes: Need more hours in the day. Even if we got an extra day this month thanks to leap year. Still not enough hours.

Sunblock day? We're getting