Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 44

I4D SUNDAY. APRIL 22. 2007 DETROIT FREE PRESS I WWWFKKKPCOM Talk of the towns Tigers left-hander Bobby Seay rates his favorite road cities in the American League: Slumping NEW YORK I TORONTO OAKLAND "I like going to San Francisco. I just like to go shopping there and walk around downtown. Good restaurants, the trolley, the wharf." BOSTON "Just because of Fenway Park." SEATTLE "The ballpark there -Safeco Field.

I like the city there, too. It's hilly." I have a lot of family in that area. Eig city, and there's a lot of nostalgia, with my favorite stadium. (Seay made his major league debut there in 2001.) I can still remember coming in. I had to pinch myself, because I was actually pitching in Yankee Stadium." "I like Toronto.

It's a major city, but it's very clean. Good places to go after the game. I like the ballpark." Sheffield: No excuses TIGERS CORNER JONES I Polanco deserves star recognition By JON PAUL MOROSI ERI PKI SS WIS WKIHK From Page 13D JON PAUL MOROSI INSIDE THE T1GEHS Star for the first time this year. We expect about 200 hits, but we also expect his smiling face every day to cheer us up. I tell him a lot, "You go, we go." Now he takes a lot of pride in doing just that making the Tigers go.

pared and wait for his opportunity to contribute. He can move the runner. He can hit the hole for a big hit late. He can stay in there when a guy twice his size is barreling down his throat to take him out as he turns the double play to help preserve the win. Now we expect things out of him.

We expect him to be an All- middle of the infield, it's hard to get ready sometimes. Polly and Carlos Guillen do it better than many of us have seen. You see Polly before the game slamming coffee and stretching his back and preparing for what's ahead of him. You have respect for a guy who just wants to be pre Contact TODD JONES at tigerSiSfreepress.com. Right time now to acquire lefty? A few days ago, I asked a veteran scout if any 2 left-handed relief pitchers were available on the trade market.

He laughed There is no good time to buy pitching, and this might be one of the worst. Many teams could use CHICAGO 7, DETROIT 5 CIO INNINGS) 1 1 i 7 I help on the left side, but those with a surplus seem inclined to keep it for now, at least. The Tigers asked about several southpaws in the ott-season, including C.J. Wilson (Rangers), Pedro Feliciano (Mets) and Will Ohman (Cubs). It's highly if'.

1 1 1 a unlikely tnat either Wilson or Feliciano will be moved. Ohman might be a different story. Chicago has three left-handed relievers Ohman, NeaJ Cotts and Scott Eyre and Ohman appears to be the most available of the group. He has dropped to third on new manager Lou Piniella's depth chart, and faced more right-handers (12) than left-handers (eight) through Friday. 1 Gary Sheffield isn't making excuses for his poor start.

He isn't deflecting responsibility, snapping at those around him, or shying away from the media. He isn't asking to play in the outfield, either. He knows he agreed to be the designated hitter, and he wants to in his words "face the challenge." So, what has he done? "I looked at tapes," he said. "I talked to (former All-Star) Harold Reynolds about it Everything is there. Certain things you just can't explain.

I'm still aggressive. I'm attacking the baseball. "For the most part, I'm (facing) good pitchers, so I give them credit. At the same time, I'm a good enough hitter to hit good pitches, and I'm not doing that right now. So, that's the result." The result, after Saturday's 0-for-3, is a .119 average.

After the 7-5 loss, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he would consider resting Sheffield today. Sheffield took some hittable pitches for called strikes Saturday, and swung at other low-and-away sliders that are difficult for any batter to reach. In each of his four plate appearances three against Jose Contreras and one against Mike MacDougal he took a first-pitch strike. He struck out swinging in his final plate appearance, with the go-ahead run on base in the eighth inning. Sheffield has struck out 15 times in 17 games, putting him on pace for approximately 143 strikeouts in a 162-game season.

Sheffield's career high is 83, set in 2004, his first season with the New York Yankees. The key to ending the slump, Sheffield said, might be to hit the ball up the middle, rather than pull every pitch. "I just have to continue remembering who lam, and what 1 That's not the type of split one would expect from a Ji i 1 I 1' situational left-hander. Ohman's numbers might not look good 0-1, 9.00 ERA but again, they are a function of how Piniella has used him. The statistic that matters is the batting average of opposing left-handed hitters, and that number is .167.

The Tigers have two left-handers (Wil Ledezma i '7 and Bobby Seay), but Ledezma, while valuable, is not a classic left-on-left pitcher. Seay has held lefthanders to a .200 average (l-for-5), including a strikeout of Chicago's Jim Thome on Friday night. Still, if Ledezma were to join the rotation, Jim Ley-land who preferred three left-hander relievers when he managed in the National League would be left with one. I don't think that would last. It's rare for teams to trade before May, but this is a case where quick action appears prudent, as the need for a left-hander will only increase as the season progresses.

The Tigers haven't faced late-game confrontations with Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, David Ortiz, J.D. Drew, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, et al. But they will. Another factor that can't be discounted in talks i sS v. Ml on Ohman: Tigers presidentgeneral manager Dave I'm all about as a player, as op posed to looking at my situa tion, bhelfield said.

Dombrowski is a good friend of Cubs CM Jim Hendry, and the two seem comfortable conducting business. Days after Placido Polanco sustained a separated shoulder in August, Hendry produced Neifi Perez as a replacement. hJi -i Sheffield is on pace to have DUANE BURLESONAssociated Press the worst April of his career. His previous April low came in 1997, when he batted .227 (17- Dombrowski has shown a tendency to trade with Catcher Pudge Rodriguez loses this fifth-inning battle with the screen on Paul Konerko's pop-up at Comerica Park. for-75) for a Florida team that went on to win the World Series eylaiid: Lo under Leyland.

SELECT COMPANY: As the sixth inning began Saturday, the Tigers announced that Pudge Rodriguez had tied Tony Pe-na for fourth place on the all-time list with 1,950 games caught. The Comerica Park crowd responded with a robust ovation. Rodriguez respectfully waved his mitt toward the stands, as the scoreboard flashed, "CONGRATULATIONS, PUDGE!" emjoairas 1 Fernando Rodnev (1-4) start Rodney ripped again; slam by A losing trend Fernando Rodney has given up runs in five of his eight relief appearances this season and led the majors in losses with four entering Saturday night's games National League clubs. Before the Gary Sheffield trade, he had not made a major deal with an American League club since acquiring Carlos Guillen from Seattle before the 2004 season. The prominent arrivals in between Perez, Sean Casey (Pirates), Roman Colon and Zach Miner (Braves), Polanco (Phillies), Kyle Farnsworth (Cubs) and Vance Wilson (Mets) had all come from the NL.

Farm news An update on three right-handers at Toledo: I Zach Miner battled control issues in his first three starts 11 walks in 10 innings but seems to have identified the problem, thanks to an assist from his wife, Jessi. She found a DVD of his 2006 outings at their Florida home and brought it with her when she flew to Toledo for a visit. Miner watched it carefully, noticed a difference in his leg kick, and has apparently corrected it. He walked one batter in six-plus innings Friday night and had a quality start before allowing two earned runs in the seventh. I Jordan Tata, 6-foot-6, was stuck in a middle seat on a red-eye flight from California on Wednesday night, but at least had some encouraging news to think about.

A visit with Dr. Lewis Yocum revealed that his shoulder inflammation will not require surgery. Tata, who felt the discomfort after his first bullpen session in Toledo, hopes to pitch again May 31. "I learned my lesson," he said. "Next year, I'll take it easier in my first workout especially if it's snowing." I Preston Larrison, removed from the 40-man roster just before spring training, has excelled in a setup role.

He had perhaps his best outing of the season Thursday, allowing one walk in two hitless innings. All 24 pitches were sinkers, and 17 were strikes. "Leyland wants pitchers who throw strikes," Larrison said. Guillen wasted Pate Opp. Result IP ER Dec.

Tor. By JON PAUL MOROSI FREE PRESS SPURTS WRITER If the Tigers continue Dlavin? as they did Saturday and the Apr. 4 Tor. 10-9 0.2 3 2 Apr. 8 gK.C.

1.0 1 0 (1-1) Apr. 11 ffBal. 2.0 0 0 Apr. 13 gTor. 2-1 0.1 3 1 1(1-2) Apr.

16 K.CVU2-5 1.0 0 0 Apr. 18 K.C. 4-3 l.Q 1 q-3) Apr. 21 CWS 1.0 2 1 1(1-4) TOT 7.88 ERA 8.0 12 7 1-4 game before that, and the game oetore tnat there will be no re prise of their magical summer. for the third straight eame.

they led by two runs or more at home. For the third straight game, their bullpen buckled when it was needed most. And for ed Saturday's 10th inning and immediately surrendered the go-ahead run on back-to-back doubles by Paul Konerko and Jer-maine Dye. Konerko hit a fastball, Dye a change-up. Those are usually Rodney's best pitches.

"I'm going to talk to him and talk to the trainers, because I'm' suspicious something's not right," Leyland said. "He swears everything's fine, but he's just not throwing the ball good." Later, Leyland elaborated: "His velocity's down, and his control's bad. That's usually in some cases a sign something isn't right. I'm not saying that it is. I'm saying that's a possibility." Before the game, Rodney said he had suffered neck pain the last "two, three weeks" of spring training, and that his back has felt "a little bit tight" this regular season.

Rodney made similar statements after his latest outing, which left his ERA at 7.88. "I don't feel pain, but I feel tight," Rodney said. Leyland said he is not sure if Rodney will be placed on the disabled list. Leyland's other top relievers Joel Zumaya (blown save in the eighth) and Todd Jones (scoreless ninth) relieved Nate Robertson on Saturday, and the Tigers need a rested corps of relievers for a four-game trip to begin Monday. Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosifa freepress.com.

Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.comsports. the third straight game, they lost. "It's very simple," manager Jim Leyland said after a 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox. "We're not managine. We're NOTEBOOK: Carlos Guillen's first-inning grand slam was the Tigers' fourth this year.

According to home run historian David Vincent, that's the second-fewest number of games (17) needed to hit a team's fourth grand slam. The 1952 Red Sox did it in 16 games, Vincent said. The Tigers said Friday's crowd (40,685) was the largest for an April home game (non-Opening Day) since at least 1963. Further research on Retrosheet.org revealed it was the largest since April 27, 1952, when 42,831 saw a 1-0 win over Cleveland at Tiger Stadium. Dallas Trahern, a 21-year-old right-hander, had another strong start at Double-A Erie on Friday night.

He allowed one earned run in seven innings, and is 3-0 with an 0.93 ERA. "His maturity has been a big factor in his progress so far," manager Matt Walbeck said earlier in the week. "He has great mound presence now." Wednesday's loss marked only the second time since June 9 that Todd Jones blew a save in which the Tigers did not commit an error behind him. Joel Zumaya reached 104 m.p.h. on the radar gun Saturday.

It's not known whether the reading was accurate. not hitting. We're not pitching. We're not catching. lhere was some stuff that Guillen on Guillen went on today that was Case in point: After Carlos Sheffield, his slumping designated hitter, in today's series finale.

Sheffield went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Saturday, his average slipping to .119. His statistics his prior April low was .227 and statements suggest Sheffield is off to the worst start of his career. "Absolutely," said Sheffield, who remained at his locker afterward to answer every question. "No doubt about it." Told Leyland had considered sitting him today, Sheffield said, "Whatever skip says, I respect. I'm going to continue to work.

I'm a battler. You want to do well for the new city and new team. At times, I try too hard. I probably beat myself up more than anything. I just have to stop beating myself up as much as I do." Sheffield is owed $41 million through 2009.

The Tigers can do little other than wait for his production; the pen is another story. 18 Guillen's first-inning grand slam. the Tigers had as many errors as nits (three). "If all of US aren't emhar- rassed, we should be," Leyland said. "I'm talking about myself, the coaches and evervbodv else.

"If Carlos stays healthy, he's a hell of a ballplayer. He's good. He's got the last name, and he's Venezuelan. That's all he needs. He's a better player than me.

Way better." OZZIE GUILLEN, White Sox manager, on Tigers shortstop and countryman Carlos Guillen. We should all be embarrassed, because that was embarrassing." Leyland initially dismissed a question aTiout changing his lineup. "This is what we got," he said, but later said he might rest Gary.