Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 46

BASEBALL WNBA DETROIT FREE PRESS WWW.FREEP.COM SUNDAY, JUNE 18. 2006 13D Rogers, family ready for 200 Refurbished Ford muscles Shock over Fever, 71-63 TIGERS CORNER By JOHN LOWE FRtE PR i SS SPORI5 WRITER Tigers tamers? Some big-name players could face the Tigers in the next few weeks. By MARK SNYDER fRLI PRESS SHORTS VVRlitR from the 15-day disabled list early this week, is optimistic that he'll return from a strained side muscle much sooner than club officials had predicted. The Cardinals and Tigers will play a three-game series at Comerica Park Mark Prior: Cubs' oft-injured star right-hander (left) is scheduled to make his season debut today. Prince Fielder: Brewers rookie starting Friday.

Roger Clemens: The Astros' star pitcher (left), after a stint in the minors, is scheduled to make his season debut Thursday in first baseman, and son of former Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder, will battle the Tigers in a three-game series beginning Monday in Milwaukee. Albert Pujols: The Cardinals' first baseman, eligible to be activated Houston against Minnesota. His next scheduled start would be June 27 at Comerica Park. ill wwi -w- 'MP II. 'Tr'T CHICAGO Kenny Rogers' wife and two children are due to be at Wrigley Field today to watch the Tigers lefthander make his first try for his 200th career win.

"They might have been here even if I wasn't going for 200," Rogers said. "It's Father's Day, and that means more. They want to be here for that." After Rogers got his 199th win in his last start, Tigers manager Jim Leyland looked ahead to what Rogers' 200th victory might be like. "It's something you share with Kenny," Leyland said, "but it's something that really is kind of special to him and his family, and he's got to think back to the memories. "Will I be thrilled? Will I celebrate? Will I find something to do for him? Yes, we will.

at the same time, it's some kind of inner peace with yourself. I think you can only share that with a few people." Rogers felt gratified to win one game in the majors. He never pitched until he turned pro. He was a high-school outfielder when the Texas Rangers made him a 39th-round draft pick. He spent seven seasons in the minors.

He spent his first four seasons in the majors as a reliever. And now here he is, at 41, on the verge of becoming the 105th pitcher in major league history to win 200 games. ANOTHER START: Marcus Thames was in the Tigers' Two weeks ago, Cheryl Ford's sprained ankle could have doomed the Shock's year. But after missing only two games, her quick healing has re-ignited Detroit, which used her 15-point, 18-rebound performance to knock off the Indiana Fever, 71-63, on Friday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The win reminded that the Shock (5-4), disappointing in the early season, can compete with the Eastern Conference elite, such as the Fever (7-4).

On a court with two WNBA All-Decade players and three other All-Stars, Ford stood out as the dominant player. That was the Shock's plan, to attack the glass. After another mediocre shooting night at 41.2, Detroit won the game with a 44-27 rebound advantage. "That's our strength, no question about it, our size," Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "Cheryl is a monster on the boards this year.

She's a phenomenal basketball player. We knew we had to hammer the glass. Our shooting is still not where we need it to be, but as long as we go get the offensive rebounds, we'll be fine." A tight first-half game broke open in the third quarter, when Detroit outscored the Fever, 24-16, and outrebounded it, 13-1. Ford simply kept her pace in the quarter, grabbing six rebounds and starting a fast-break offense. "I'm just playing hard this year, and I want to do what I can for this team to win another championship," said Ford, who produced 20 points and 15 rebounds in the Shock's previous game, at Phoenix.

"I don't know. I'm just playing well right now." They will remain the only team ever to lose to the Cubs in the World Series. The Cubs have won the World Series only in 1907 and 1908 whipping Ty Cobb's Tigers both times. There seems little if any chance the Cubs will make the World Series this season. They entered Saturday's game with the Tigers 14 games out of first place in the National League Central and lO'A games out of the league's wild-card spot.

Three key Cubs have been lost to major injuries: first baseman Derrek Lee (an MVP type) and prime starters Mark Prior (due to face the Tigers in his first start of the season today) and Kerry Wood. They have contributed little if anything this season. "That would be like us losing Pudge, Verlander and Bonderman," Leyland said. "We'd be up a creek. I expect the Cubs to roll pretty good in the second half.

When they get healthy." starting lineup for the 20th straight game Saturday. "It's exciting," Thames said. "I'm getting the chance to play ball, getting a chance to play in the major leagues. I never really had an opportunity like I'm getting now to go out there every day and get a chance to play. "I'm making the most out of it," said Thames, 29, "and trying to go out every day and keep working hard.

I'm making sure I play the game hard every day and doing something to help the ballclub every day." On Saturday, Leyland called Thames "a hot hand." In Thames' 19 straight starts entering Saturday, he was hitting above .300 with seven doubles, five homers and 11 RBIs. He was tied for the team lead in homers at 13 with Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez. SUM CHANCE: Unless the Cubs get amazingly hot for the rest of the season, a Tigers distinction will turn 99 years old. JERRY S. MENDOZAAssotutwl Press Detroit's Katie Smith, left, and Kedra Holland-Corn converge on a loose ball held by Indiana's Tamika Catchings in the second half Friday.

Her impressive 18 rebounds forward Swin Cash, who made the WNBA's highest total Catchings her primary mission, this season only told half the "I knew today the focus had story. The other half was what to be on defense," said Cash, Fever star Tamika Catchings who had 12 points and eight as- was missing points. sists. "My teammates said they The WNBA All-Decade play- had my back and it was just er, who averages 17.5 points, did about me making everything not score until there was 1:57 tough for her." left, shot just l-of-10 for the Indiana got 19 points from game and finished with three Tamika Whitmore. points.

Reprinted from Saturday's Most credit goes to Shock late editions. 1 mr vkc let- a lilt 1 4 I i I to: 1 Jt ft w-4, i I-- i I U. SPENCER GREENAssociated Press The Tigers' Magglio Ordonez, left, and Chris Shelton congratulate Carlos Guillen, center, as he scores on Omar Infante's triple against the Cubs in the eighth inning Saturday. TIGERS I Bats hot as Detroit takes care of Cubs at Wrigley '-'v I. i III Their sense of fashion may have changed, but their game hasn't.

See the legends of golf at the Ford Senior Players Championship in Dearborn. Join us Sunday for a concert by Collective Soul immediately Verlander threw his next pitch to Blanco, he got a visit from Jim Leyland the rare managerial trip to the mound after a foul ball. Blanco lined softly to short on the next pitch. Then Marmol failed to heed the old advice for pitchers who bat with one out: "Strike out and keep the rally going." He went and made contact, and he grounded into an inning-ending double play. Then the NL rules might have saved Verlander in the fourth.

Blanco, the No, 8 hitter, singled with two out to send Jacque Jones from first to third. But so what? The pitcher was up next. Marmol grounded to first. In the sixth, the Cubs put the leadoff man aboard for the fifth straight inning. Verlander left with two out and the bases loaded.

Wil Ledezma won a left-left matchup when he got Juan Pierre to foul out. For the Tigers hitters, the game had similarities to the 5-3 win over the Cubs in Friday's series opener. The Tigers hit for the cycle by the second inning; they took an emphatic early lead and then they missed opportunities to add to the lead. After they got those three in the first, the Tigers spent the next three innings going l-for-7 with runners in scoring position. That one hit came when Magglio Ordonez singled in the third to bring home Placido Po-lanco, who had doubled.

Curtis Granderson opened the game with a liner into the rightfield corner. Third-base coach Gene Lamont beckoned Granderson to third, where he slid in safely on a close play. Up came Polanco, and the Friday chants of "Let's Go Tigers" erupted again. Polanco singled home Granderson. Two outs later, Guillen planted a two-run homer in the right-center seats.

When Brandon Inge doubled with one out in the second, the Tigers had hit for the cycle. From Page ID lowed one run. Verlander might have been in big trouble early if not for a disputed call that went his way. It came after the Cubs opened the second by going single-double-single. That last single, by Ronny Cedeno, came on a 0-2 pitch.

It brought the Cubs within 3-1 and put runners at second and third with none out. On a 2-2 count, Henry Blanco hit a line drive that landed either just fair or just foul deep down the leftfield line. Third-base umpire Bill Welke ruled foul. Cubs manager Dusty Baker was so mad when he argued with Welke that he couldn't keep his body still. The replay appeared to show the ball kicking up foul-line chalk as it landed meaning it was a fair ball.

Had Blanco's hit been ruled fair, the Cubs would have tied the score and would have had the potential go-ahead run at second with none out. Before fnllnvtino the fnnrnamnnf "HS -hi The Detroit News (EIj) iiw vim kncv Senior Plavers A PIONS1I1P JULY 10-16 TPC MICHIGAN TICKETS: 866-FSPGTIX Included in price of admission..