Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 37

THE MITT SUNDAY, JULY 2007 7D DETROIT FREE PRESS WWWFREEP.COM A7hen asked to assess the first half, centerfielder Curtis Granderson said, "For the most part, OK." 1 One half done, one more to go The season was half done after Tuesday's game. How the Tigers compare after 81 games with last year's team and the 2003 team: BATTING PITCHING W-l ft 2B 3B HR RBI SO BA ERA ER SO BB 2003 20-61 258 616 92 20 63 241 549 .228 4 68 376 419 391 272 "If we were going to grade so far, we're probably around the 'B' range," he said. Then he smiled and added, "We could still get a little extra credit." That in mind, the following grades have been assigned, according to each player's expectations and relative performance (all statistics entering Friday's games); JON PAUL MOROSI INSIDE THE TIGERS 2006 55-26 422 774 154 18 109 597 .275 3.47 281 304 509 232 2007 47 34 476 830 183 25 95 460 494 .287 4 43 359 391 515 281 Jeremy Donderman HHP One week ago, Bonderman was named as a candidate for the American League All-Star team's final roster spot. Hours later, he threw eight shutout innings against Minnesota. Pretty good day, even in a first half in which Sean Casey IB Casey was batting .192 at the end of April, but he is now within range of his .302 lifetime clip.

Casey doesn't hit for much power but has two attributes the Tigers value: He plays good defense and avoids strikeouts. Plus, as a Sports Illustrated poll confirmed this year, he's the nicest guy in baseball. He's earning his salary. Chad Ourbin RHP He works with little fanfare, but where would the Tigers be without him? He was 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA over his final 11 starts In place of Kenny Rogers and has been effective since moving to the bullpen. Three quality pitches have earned Leyland's trust, Durbin is likely to remain for the season and is a good candidate to be in Lakeland next spring.

Carlos Guillen ss Though perhaps overshadowed by Gary Sheffield's presence and Magglio Ordonez's pursuit of the batting title, Guillen remains the Tigers' heartbeat. He gets big hit after big hit and is one of the AL's most consistent offensive players. He batted .320 in 2005, .320 in 2006 A- Brandon Inge 3B Inge is the same player he was one year ago, which suits the Tigers well. His average should remain near .250, and he should have 20-plus home runs and around 80 RBIs by the end of the season. That's not bad for a No.

9 hitter, even if he does strike out often. His defense at third base has been spectacular. B- -i Jose Capellan RHP The Tigers parted with prospect Chris Cody to acquire Capellan from Milwaukee and upgrade their leaky bullpen. Capellan, a hard thrower, requested a trade after the Brewers sent him to the minors at the end of spring training. He pitched well in his Detroit debut before he allowed Casey Blake's game-winning home run Tuesday.

INC Omar Infante INFOF Leyland likes Infante's defensive versatility (five positions this season) and his ability to sit for days and still hit when called upon (.302 average in 103 at-bats). He continues to be a valuable bench player. 'A- Magglio Ordonez RF Free Press readers must now check the standings and the hitting leaders each morning, as Ordonez could become the first Tiger to claim an AL batting crown since Norm Cash in 1961. With his pennant-clinching home run, and now an MVP-caliber season, Ordonez has become the $75-million player that the team signed two years ago. A Ivan Rodriguez He recently caught his game an "unbelievable" feat, to use the word of Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand.

Without Rodriguez, Detroit wouldn't have won last year's AL pennant and wouldn't be a strong contender this year. He's that important. His offense makes him an All-Star, and his defense makes him a Hall of Famer. Tim Oyrdak LHP Unfamiliar to many Tigers fans when the season began he pitched in the independent leagues as recently as 2003 -Byrdak assumed a prominent role in the bullpen upon his arrival in mid-May. He had success over his first 13 appearances, but allowed a .409 batting average over his past four games.

He's now on the DL with elbow tendinitis. Craig Monroe LF Monroe's long, majestic swing has missed many a breaking ball during the past month, which has left him with a .133 batting average since June 6 (10-for-75 through Thursday). He's a home-run hitter who's without a home run since the first day of June. The Tigers need more from their everyday leftfielder. c- Fernando Rodney RHP Had Rodney been healthy and effective throughout the first half, the Tigers would have a nice first-place lead.

Instead, they're contemplating whether to trade prospects for a pitcher who could fill Rodney's role. Rodney may return from the disabled list soon after the All-Star Game, but there's no guarantee he'll be the pitcher he was in 2006. 1 THE BIG PICTURE Some other thoughts on the season so far: What we learned from the first hall: I A 42-year-old Gambler pays out better than a Rocket of any age. I Maybe the Tigers should have overpaid to keep reliever Jamie Walker (3.16 ERA with Baltimore). I Tigers fans don't feel safe with an eight-run lead in the eighth.

I Justin Verlander was amazing, but a no-hitter still only counts for one win. I Maybe we should all cut our hair shorter like Magglio. I Andrew Miller is tall in height and talent. I Gary Sheffield must hate Aprils in Michigan; he loves every other month, though. I Rod Allen's 'Scary' Sheffield" nickname shouldn't catch on.

I Craig Monroe watched too many Rob Deer highlight films during the off-season. I The Lions are currently more optimistic and wackier-than the Tigers. What we hope to see in the second half: I Comerica Park's reaction to Joel Zumaya's first fastball when back from the DL. I The return of Gum Time. It has really fallen by the wayside.

I Justin Verlander, Johan Santana, Dan Haren and C.C. Sa-bathia have an epic battle for the AL Cy Young award. I Monroe has a .400 August-October. I One final Ozzie Guillen tirade before he gets canned. I The Tigers trade for a reliever we have heard of and trust.

I Sean Casey finish with more stolen bases than home runs. I The Yankees finish below .500 and the Royals and Devil Rays. I Tigers 4, Mets 3. A World Series MVP Ordonez walk-off homer to win it all on a chilly October evening. Looking at the second half of the schedule: I Five of the Tigers' first six series will be on the road, which is not a bad thing.

Detroit is 27-15 on the road, the majors' best in the first half, and was just 22-19 at home entering Friday. I The Tigers' toughest stretch will be Aug. 10-27, with one series vs. Oakland, two vs. Cleveland and two vs.

the Yankees. I The Tigers went 47-34 in the first half. If they go 49-32 in the second, they should be a lock to make the playoffs. No team with 96 wins has missed the playoffs since the Blue Jays in 1987. I The final 15 games are against Central Division opponents.

Detroit is 17-15 (.531) in the division this season. The Tigers went .600 last season. I If the playoffs had started after Friday's games, the Tigers would be the wild card and play Boston in the first round. Cleveland would play the Los Angeles Angels. Jim Leyland MANAGER He's still the man who makes this team move.

The Tigers continue to derive their character from a 62-year-old former minor league catcher and that's a good thing. Leyland's interpersonal skills enable him to relate to a younger generation of players, and he's a brilliant game manager. He has done his best with a short-handed bullpen. A Curtis Granderson CF In only his second full season, he is one of the best centerfield-ers in baseball. He's the ninth player in the last half-century to have 10-plus doubles, triples and home runs before the All-Star Game.

With 15 triples, Granderson is positioned to make a run at Sam Crawford's club record -and modern AL record -of 26. He's playing great defense, too. A Macay McBride LHP Although the Tigers acquired him from Atlanta in part because he has minor league options remaining, McBride has stated a strong case to remain in the big leagues. He's here to get out left-handed hitters and held them to a .143 batting average over his first three appearances. INC.

Placido Polanco 2B Now that he has been voted to start in the All-Star Game, it's difficult to argue that Polanco is underrated. He is relentless at the plate and reliable in the field. When he's hitting, as in last year's ALCS, the Tigers win. When he's not, as in the World Series, they are not the same team. His mastery of the game's subtleties is extraordinary.

A Bobby Seay LHP He has yet to spend a full season in the bigs, but this could be his best chance. He has earned the respect of his manager "I've made it perfectly well-known how much I'm pulling for a guy like that," Leyland said in May -and Seay's confidence has enabled him to hold lefties to a .140 average. That's why he and not Wil Ledezma is here. Bonderman won eight consecutive decisions. The Tigers must be pleased about the four-year, $38-million contract extension he signed in December.

A- Jason Grilli RHP Grilli received an in this space last October, for his three scoreless postseason innings, but struggled in spring training and hasn't regained the consistency he enjoyed in 2006. He throws a biting sinker but has been hit hard when he misses in the strike zone. His 10.42 ERA at Comerica Park, as compared with 1.86 on the road, defies explanation. Andrew Miller LHP He began the season at Class A Lakeland and has already asserted himself in one of the best rotations in the game. He has had much success with his moving fastball, but the breaking ball he showed Friday night against Boston could take his game to another level.

Remember: The Tigers drafted him only a little more than a year ago. A Mike Rabelo Vance Wilson's season-ending injury affected the Tigers, but Rabelo has been a capable backup to Pudge Rodriguez -especially considering he had only one big-league at-bat before this season. Rabelo still needs to work on his defense, but has acquitted himself well in the big leagues. Gary Sheffield DH You might have been worried in late April, when Sheffield's average was stuck at .119. Not anymore.

Sheffield has produced as expected. His presence has been a significant factor in Ordonez's breakthrough season, and he has adjusted to life as an everyday DH. He likes his manager, his teammates and his new city. He is what the Tigers needed. A- Todd Jones RHP Jones blew three saves in the first half last year and four in the first half this year.

His ERA was 5.82 at the break last year and is now 5.67. So, a few outings aside, he's not far off 2006. Though not dominant, Jones will do the job more often than not. The eighth inning remains a greater concern than the ninth. B- Neifi Perez INF His 25-game suspension for a positive amphetamines test, announced Friday, brought his first half to an abrupt end.

Perez's average (.172) is close to Jeremy Bonderman's but he had played well at shortstop. Though Leyland has pointed out that Perez is well liked in the clubhouse, he has nevertheless underperformed. i The call-ups Four righthanders currently at Triple-A Toledo (Yorman Ba-zardo, Eulogio De La Cruz, Aquilino Lopez and Virgil Vasquez) spent time with the Tigers. They combined for a 6.49 ERAin innings, and no one stood out as a cure for the bullpen's ills. Still, three Vasquez, 25; De La Cruz, 23, and Bazardo, 23 on Wednesday are young enough to be considered prospects.

INC. 9 ifr Ml, Kenny Rogers LHP So far, so good. Rogers is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA through three starts after recovering from surgery to repair a blood A and is at .328 thus far in 2007. A deserving All Star. A- Zach Miner RHP A starter by trade, Miner has moved to the bullpen out of necessity and pitched well.

His sinker will enable him to get big outs, as long as he commands it. Miner should become even more comfortable in his role once he grows accustomed to pitching on back-to-back days. A- Nate Robertson LHP Robertson missed three weeks in June with a tired arm a condition that explains why he hasn't thrown six innings in a start since May 2. His guts and competitiveness have never been in doubt, but his trademark slider wasn't sharp. He has been better since his return but must regain the form that beat the A's in Game 1 of last year's ALCS.

Marcus Thames OFIB Though he's on pace to finish with fewer at-bats than he had in 2006, Thames remains a power threat. He has added to his versatility by learning to play first base. He has never complained about the reduction in his at-bats after Sheffield's arrival. His game-winning homer against Minnesota on July 1 suggests he could have a big second half. uui ill mis snuuiuei.

Tl 1 --J i ne movement ana location of his pitches remain sharp. The continued ascent of Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander has lessened pressure on Rogers not that anyone ex pects Kog- erst0 rhanno Joel Zumaya RHP The cast is off, the A A KJ Justin Verlander RHP We are witnessing the start of ft what could become a truly great career. Verlander was on his way to a memorable season long before June 12, but his no-hitter that night against the Milwaukee finger has healed, and Zumaya has been cleared to throw. The questions When will he be back? How well will he throw? -will persist until his return. At the same time, it's important to remember that Zumaya was less dominant at the start of this season than in 2006.

Still, his comeback is one of the most awaited events. INC. Brewers cemented his name in franchise lore. He thus far has shown no signs of the shoulder fatigue that hindered him as last season wore on. With each individual accolade the Rookie of the Year Award, the no-hitter, his first All-Star selection the more he talks about the ultimate team goal.

He wants to win a world title as any true ace would. A A- i T-.