The San Diego Padres have acquired veteran infielder Miguel Tejada in exchange for pitcher Wynn Pelzer.

Tejada has one year at $4.4 million dollars left on his contract, and both teams will pay $2.2 million.

Tejada is still considered an everyday starter, and he is expected to start at third base and shortstop for the Padres.

He is not having his best season, as he only has seven home runs and 39 RBIs, with an average of .269.

But it is definitely a nice addition to San Diego, as it adds a veteran presence around the young ball club. The Padres hope that Tejada to turn things around as he plays with a division leader and goes back to the National League.

Pelzer, who will now move to the O’s, is a Double A pitcher with a 4.20 ERA.

At the beginning of the season, baseball fans expected Adrian Gonzalez to be traded by this time. Instead, the Padres are trading for veterans as they make a playoff push.

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All right, the Pittsburgh Pirates CAN win on the road.

At least they did so against the Colorado Rockies. Two out of three, anyway. In quite good fashion I might add, especially considering the first-inning injury to Ross Ohlendorf on Wednesday that required more than eight innings of bullpen work.

The Pirates have been on a hot streak at the plate since the All-Star break, at least relative to themselves. Enough to get out of a 30-team cellar for offense, anyway. The Rockies, on the other hand, have been on a cold streak, losing eight of their previous nine.

Sometimes it is the luck of the draw, but the Pirates did take advantage of things. If only they could do so well in every road series.

The Pirates were not nearly as good earlier against the San Diego Padres, going 0-3 at PETCO Park. But the Padres, perhaps surprisingly, have the best record in the National League, meaning that they are now too high a hurdle for the Bucs to beat—at least on the road.

Last year, the Pirates actually won two out of three road games against San Diego—in April, at a time when the Bucs were actually 11-7. But San Diego has been a powerhouse team since about the middle of last year, and took back three out of four from the Pirates at PNC Park in the fall.

The Pirates’ results against the other Western division teams on the road are intermediate; 1-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants, and 1-2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Five of their 13 “Away” wins (just under 40%), have come against Western division teams. That compares to the fact that they’ll play only 16 out of 81 (less than 20%) such games.

Still, with a young team you will take any reason for optimism you can get.

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Yankees manager Joe Girardi was impressed enough to say he may have found a replacement in the starting rotation until Andy Pettitte returns from injury.

Who will be taking Pettitte’s spot? Dustin Moseley, who did just enough to earn another start after throwing six innings of one run ball in his first start since last April. The righty has battled back through an arm and hip surgery.

While he said he “felt calm from the get-go,” Moseley admitted he may have been trying too hard in the first inning.

That’s really the only time he got in a jam. In what could have developed into a disaster, the pitcher got out of a bases loaded situation and allowed just the one run.

After the first inning, Moseley calmed down and gave the Yankees all they could ask for. He would go six innings, giving up just that one run on four hits.

In all, 55 of his 83 pitches were strikes, as Moseley showed confidence and attacked the strike zone all night. His next start will come Tuesday at Yankee Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees have been linked to some starting pitchers as the trade deadline approaches, but this quality start by Moseley may make them think twice. Their focus is likely more on the bullpen.

Continue this article for more Yankees notes at Double G Sports .

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Washington Nationals closer Matt Capps has been traded to the Minnesota Twins for Wilson Ramos and Joe Testa.

Testa, a left-handed pitcher, is currently 1-4 with an ERA of 8.25 for Minnesota’s Double-A team in New Britain.

Triple-A catcher Wilson Ramos is a top prized prospect, who might one day take over Ivan Rodriguez as the Nationals catching starter.

Ramos was part of the proposal that would have sent Cliff Lee to the Twins. It was not sent through because Ramos was injured at the time.

Washington is in a spot where they have so much potential, and is building their prospects around stars such as Josh Willingham, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Zimmerman. They also have young Bryce Harper coming their way.

Matt Capps, who has 26 saves, will close for Minnesota, while Jon Rauch has 21 saves and will set-up.

It was a smart move for the Twins to make a solid bullpen even better.

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Just as one team makes an acquisition for a new star, another team makes a bold move to steal the spotlight. As one team makes a run towards the post season, another makes a questionable contract extension.

In the city of Philadelphia, the sports media culture has been in a constant tug-of-war match for the attention of their two favorite franchises: The Phillies and the Eagles.

This is no disrespect to the cities other two franchises, the Flyers and 76ers.

With the recent struggles of the Sixers and their dismal 27-55 record in 2009-10, they have remained out of the spotlight accept for on small occasions. In the case of the Flyers they must be commended for their run towards the Stanley Cup, but because of the fact that hockey is still a relative niche sport in America, they remain with a strongly secular and specific fanbase.

For decades now, the Philadelphia Eagles have been the major ticket in town. Their constant runs towards the playoffs and their high-profile moves have made for some of the largest crowds and media controls in the city.

Just as the Eagles were making their run for a permanent spot in the mindset of Philadelphians, the Phillies have quietly, since 2006-07, made a run as one of the strongest and fastest rising teams in all of baseball.

As the Phillies got better, their fanbase got bigger, and at times, began to dwarf in popularity to the big dog Eagles. The Phillies back-to-back-to-back NL East titles and their improbable run to the 2008 World Series, along with the opening of the brand new Citizens Bank Park, began to shift the focus to the Phillies in the cities popular culture.

This phenomenon has not gone unnoticed, as beyond the moves of the teams, a seasonal debate has brewed on which team will make the next move to steal the attention.

This week has become another chapter in this long going struggle.

Yesterday, the Phillies made a move for one of the highest free agent pitchers available in Roy Oswalt. A move that has been debated for weeks finally commenced, and conveniently enough, just as the Eagles began their training camp with new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Just four months ago, it was the Eagles chance to steal the spotlight. As the seasons do evidently change, so do the teams in their position of prominence in the media eye.

The Phillies began their 2010 season fresh off their second run at a World Series title in as many years. The day was April 5, and the Phillies were set to open their season in Washington to take on the Nationals, for them a huge time for media attention.

But for the Eagles, it was another chance to steal the spotlight.

The same day the Phillies began their third run at a title was coincidentally the same day the Eagles sent Donovan McNabb packing to division rival Washington. The deal to trade McNabb was not urgent and could have come at any time, but in the city of Philadelphia, where fans are constantly pulled for their attention between the two franchises, the Eagles felt it was time to steal the Phillies’ thunder.

The timing was not all that surprising, as the Phillies made their own questionable trade just four months before.

Throughout the Eagles 2009-10 season, their was heavy debate on whether Andy Reid was going to be given a contract extension to remain with the team. Reid’s extension was an issue that many thought would be addressed in the offseason, yet on December 10, the Eagles decided to announce Reid had signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the team through 2013.

At this same time, the Phillies were testing the offseason trade market in hopes to seal another piece of the puzzle for their upcoming season.

Not to be one-upped by the attention the Eagles were getting, the Phillies made their own blockbuster move to steal the spotlight, trading Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners and acquiring Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Just more signs of the ongoing battle in the city of Philadelphia to retain and capture the attention of the Philadelphia faithful.

They call Philadelphia the “City of Brotherly Love,” and just like any siblings that vie for the coveted attention of their mother, both will do anything and everything to quench that desperate need for attention.

Complete Philadelphia Sports Coverage on Eternal Mulligan or on Twitter.

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The Yankees and Rays enter this weekend’s three-game series in St. Petersburg in pretty much the same position they’ve been all season—holding the two best records in baseball.

But this set ends in August, and games become a little bit more important in August.

New York (65-36) currently holds a two-game advantage over Tampa Bay (63-38) in the American League East, but that could all change if the Rays pull off a sweep.

Let’s take a look at the pitching matchups.

Friday, July 30: Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04) vs. Wade Davis (8-9, 4.32)

Hughes has a 6.52 ERA over the five starts that he’s made since having his turn skipped in the rotation in late June. That time period also coincides with the point when the right-hander eclipsed his previous high for innings pitched in a season, which was 86.

But we all knew this was inevitable when the Yankees spent all of last year building up Joba Chamberlain’s arm strength only to hand the fifth starter’s spot to Hughes, who had far fewer innings under his belt.

The 24-year-old has managed to avoid pitching against the Rays this year but is 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA in seven career appearances (two starts) versus them. He has allowed two earned runs in 7.2 frames at Tropicana Field.

The Tampa Bay roster is 8-for-24 (.333) off Hughes. Carlos Pena has been particularly troublesome, smacking two homers and walking three times in six plate appearances.

After losing all five of his starts in June, Davis has rebounded to win three straight starts. But keep in mind, those triumphs were over Cleveland and Baltimore.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this year. He yielded four runs over six innings in a 10-0 home loss on April 10 but gave up just two runs and struck out seven through 5.2 in a 10-6 win at Yankee Stadium on May 19.

Against Davis, Derek Jeter is 4-for-9 (.444), Alex Rodriguez—still searching for that elusive 600th home run—is 4-for-8 (.500) with two homers, and Robinson Cano is 3-for-8 (.375) with a blast. Mark Teixeira, however, is 1-for-7 (.143) with three strikeouts.

Saturday, July 31: Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.54) vs. Matt Garza (11-5, 4.06)

Vazquez continued his run of good performances against the National League and bad AL teams during his last outing, when he held the Indians to two runs over seven innings.

But overall, the right-hander has a 5.05 ERA against the AL and a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. The Rays fit into both of those categories.

Vazquez surrendered eight runs and 11 baserunners over 5.2 innings in a 9-3 loss at Tampa Bay on April 9. He is 5-5 with a 4.94 ERA in 13 career starts against the Rays and 3-3 with a 5.36 at Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford is 11-for-29 (.379) with five extra-base hits off Vazquez, but that’s nothing compared to B.J. Upton’s 8-for-15 (.533). Upton is dealing with an ankle injury but could return on Saturday, just in time to face his whipping boy.

Vazquez, however, has had success against Pena, limiting the slugger to just three hits in 19 at-bats (.158) with 10 strikeouts, but two of those three hits have been homers.

Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Rays history and the fifth in baseball this season during his last outing against the Tigers. The other four pitchers to make history this year are 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in their following starts.

The right-hander has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. Despite a 1-3 record, he has a 3.26 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts).

Curtis Granderson’s run of good at-bats will be tested, as he is just 4-for-17 (.235) with four strikeouts facing Garza. The same is true for Teixeira, who is 1-for-13 (.077). A-Rod, however, is 7-for-15 (.467). 

Sunday, Aug. 1: CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15) vs. James Shields (9-9, 4.79)

In a difficult series, this will definitely be the Yankees’ best chance of picking up a win. A lack of run support and two errors behind him snapped Sabathia’s string of nine consecutive victorious decisions in a 4-1 defeat at Cleveland on Tuesday.

He’ll look to bounce back against the Rays, a team he shut out on one hit over 7.2 on April 10 and held to three earned runs in a seven-inning no-decision on July 16.

The big lefty is 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 17 starts versus Tampa Bay, but a more pedestrian 3-3 with a 4.27 in St. Petersburg.

Jason Bartlett (13-for-41, .317), Upton (7-for-20, .350, .850 slg), Ben Zobrist (7-for-20, .350), and Evan Longoria (4-for-11, .364, two HR) have all had success against Sabathia. But Pena (4-for-32, .125, 17 K) and Willy Aybar (2-for-11, .182) have not.

Shields has looked better over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA, but he continues to give up too many home runs, including the two he surrendered to the Yankees in a six-inning, three-run no-decision in the Bronx on July 16.

Overall, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.86 in three outings against the Bombers this season, but is 2-7 with a 5.45 mark in 12 lifetime starts.

Jeter is 14-for-40 (.350) off him, and Cano is 14-for-32 (.438) with an astronomical .969 slugging percentage. Teixeira, on the other hand, is just 4-for-25 (.160) with 11 strikeouts, A-Rod is 5-for-23 (.217) with a homer, and Granderson is 2-for-23 (.087).

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report’s New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

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Imagine you are responsible to select an all-time starting rotation for the Detroit Tigers.  The pitchers you pick will form the Tigers all-time team and compete against the best of their competition.

Who would you select?  To whom would you give the ball to face off against Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove, Whitey Ford, Jim Palmer, and Roger Clemens?  Who would be your backup pitchers and relievers as well?

The guidelines are simple: You may select pitchers from any era since the inception of the team in 1901.  Starting pitchers must have reached 1,000 innings for the Tigers, and relievers must have appeared in 250 games to be eligible for your team.

The Tigers were one of eight charter teams in the American League.  Detroit had baseball before the Tigers got their start.  The Detroit Wolverines were a part of the National League from 1881-1888.  They won the pennant in ’87, but were soon contracted for lack of attendance after the ’88 season.

In 1894, the Western League, a minor league with big ambitions, established a team in Detroit.  Owner George Vanderbeck built Bennett Park in 1895 for the new team.

When the league changed their name to the American League in 1900, the team wrote to and got permission to use the name of a local military light guard unit with a heroic reputation, called the Tigers.

By the time the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, the team had the Tigers as its official name.

That first decade witnessed early success for the new team.

In 1905 the Tigers acquired Ty Cobb, who joined a talented team including Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings, and pitchers Bill Donovan and George Mullin. 

By 1907, they were the team to beat in the AL, winning the first of three consecutive pennants.  Their best pitchers were George Mullin, who won 20 games five times; Bill Donovan, who went 25-4 in 1907; and Ed Killian, who won 20 games twice in his short career.

This pitching staff allowed the team to hold their American League competition at bay, while the offense took care of business.  But when it came time for the Tigers to face their National League opponents, it was a different story.

The 1907 and 1908 World Series pitted the Tigers’ prolific offense against the Cubs dominant pitching.

The Cubs came out on top both times, featuring one of the most dominant pitching trios in baseball history in Mordecai Brown, Ed Reulbach, and Orvall Overall.  The Cubs trio shut down the Tigers offense both years and took home the titles.

The Tigers again brought their game in 1909, armed with new pitching stars Ed Willett and Ed Summers, who combined for 40 wins in the regular season, joining Mullin (29 wins) and mainstays Donovan and Killian.

The Tigers handled Lefty Leifield, Deacon Phillippe, and eventual Hall of Fame pitcher Vic Willis at various points in the series.  It was Pittsburgh control artist, rookie Babe Adams, who stole the show, winning three complete games, including a shutout in Game Seven.

So, Ty Cobb remained thwarted of baseball’s biggest prize, a World Series title.  In 1907 and 1908, it was the dominant pitching of the Cubs, and in 1909, it was Honus Wagner and a sensational rookie pitcher.

The Tigers never again appeared in a World Series during Cobb’s considerable career as a player and manager through 1928.  They twice finished second in 1915 and in 1923.

The next resurgence of Tigers greatness came in the mid- and late 1930s.

Going into 1934 the team made two moves: They brought in veteran (and future Hall of Fame) catcher Mickey Cochrane and future Hall of Fame outfielder Goose Goslin.  They teamed up with Hank Greenburg, Charlie Gehringer, and third baseman Marv Owen to make one of the greatest offensive juggernauts the sport has ever seen.

Fronting the team on the mound were developing stars Tommy Bridges and Schoolboy Rowe.  Over the next three years, the duo won 128 games and pitched 25 shutouts.  They are one of the great pitching duos is baseball history.

Schoolboy Rowe was a strapping, naturally gifted athlete.  He became a fan favorite for his good looks and devotion to his high school sweetheart, Edna.

Eddie Cantor picked up on Rowe’s quotation of, “How am I doing, Edna?” The phrase caught on through radio broadcasts and was chanted at games.  Rowe featured excellent command, leading the league in K/BB ratio in both ’34 and ’35.

Tommy Bridges stood 5′10” and weighed 155 pounds, dripping wet.  Despite his slight frame, he possessed some of the best stuff in the league, leading in strikeouts in both 1935 and ’36.  It was his drop-off-the-table curve that opponents held in wonder.

In 1935, the Tigers finally won their first World Series title.  They beat the Cubs in the Series. Bridges won two games.

Despite Rowe being given the attention and lead starting roles in the World Series, it was Bridges who beat Dizzy Dean in the ’34 Series, and came away with a career record of 4-1 in the Tigers’ three World Series battles, including a win in the 1940 series against the Reds.

Bridges remained a leading pitcher in the league until he left for the war after the ’43 season.

Just two seasons later, the Tigers were in a youth movement.  They featured young star hurlers Dizzy Trout, Hal Newhouser, and Virgil Trucks. 

What a difference two years makes.

In ’43, Newhouser went 8-17.  But the following year, he flipped the switch, and became the dominant pitcher in the American League, winning 80 games over the next three years while winning two MVP awards.  He led the Tigers to a pennant and World Series title in ’45. 

The Tigers showed little patience toward former hero Tommy Bridges waiting for him to come back to form after he returned from the war.  The team basically sent him packing, telling him he was washed up.  But Bridges had some gas left in his tank, pitching a perfect game in ’47 and winning the ERA title in the Pacific Coast league.

With a bit of patience, the Tigers might have had a second Hall of Fame pitcher to go along with Hal Newhouser, as Bridges’s career total wins ended at 194, just short of the 200 opening the door for HOF consideration.  Newhouser ended with 207 wins.

Giving support to the efforts of Newhouser was Tigers workhorse Dizzy Trout.

Not being able to enlist because of a hearing impairment, Trout was one of the top AL pitchers during the war, winning 27 games in 1944.  He was instrumental in the Tigers second World Series title in ’45.

The Early Years Rotation

1. Hal Newhouser, 1939-53: 200 W, 33 SHO, ERA-plus 130

2. Tommy Bridges, 1930-46: 194 W, 33 SHO, ERA-plus 126

3. Dizzy Trou, 1939-52: 161 W, 28 SHO, ERA-plus 125

4. George Mullin, 1902-13: 209 W, 34 SHO, ERA-plus 102

T5. Bill Donovan, 1903-18—140 W, 29 SHO, ERA-plus 109

T5. Schoolboy Rowe, 1933-42: 105 W, 16 SHO, ERA-plus 114

Spot Starters: Hooks Dauss (223 W, ERA-plus 102), Virgil Trucks (114 W, ERA-plus 114), Fred Hutchinson (95 W, ERA-plus 113)

Toward the end of the ;40s, Newhouser’s arm was shot, and the Tigers drifted into mediocrity over the next decade until the 1960s.

As the ’60s began, the team was blessed with some fine position players like Al Kaline, Bill Freehan, ’61 batting champion Norm Cash, and later, Willie Horton.  The team also featured dependable starters Frank Lary and Jim Bunning.

Bunning’s career really took off after he left the Tigers and put up some great years for the Phillies.

But it was not until the next generation of pitching started to emerge that the Tigers surged to the top of the league standings, winning the pennant in ’68 after narrowly missing the year before.

It was flamboyant Denny McLain who stole the show in 1968, winning 31 games, the Cy Young Award, and the MVP Award.  Even during his peak, McLain burned the candle at both ends, playing organ in a musical group which appeared at night clubs.

If it was Denny McLain who got the Tigers to the World Series, it was blue collar, lunch pail-carrying Mickey Lolich who brought home the title in the World Series.  Lolich was fearless, shutting down a great St. Louis team with his darting fastball and poise on the mound. 

When Game Seven came around, it was Lolich against the great Bob Gibson, who had already set the single game strikeout record (17) against the Tigers in Game One.  In one of the greatest series ever played, Lolich brought home the MVP award by winning his third game.

It was the Tigers’ third World Series title.

Denny McLain soon self-destructed, getting involved in gambling and the wrong ilk. It wasn’t long before he was out of the game.  One could only wonder what could have been if McLain could have controlled his problems.

The Tigers remained a good team for several years, making the postseason in ’72 with a rag tag group of older veterans including their core, pinch-hitter Gates Brown, super sub Tony Taylor, and late-season acquisition Frank Howard.

Their playoff series against the eventual World Series champion A’s was one of the most hotly contested playoff series in history.  It took every bit of greatness available to the three-time World Champion A’s to turn back the Tigers in this playoff series.

Twice Mickey Lolich pitched nine innings of one-run ball without coming away with a win. 

In Game Four, down two games to one in a best-of-five series, the A’s scored twice in the top of the 10th inning after Lolich left the game.  The series was theirs until the Tigers clawed back to score three runs in the bottom of the inning to send it to a fifth game.

Most of these Tigers players knew this was their last chance at postseason success, and they didn’t go down without a fight.  Game Five came down to the last at bat for the Tigers, down 2-1 and facing a dominant Vida Blue sent in as a reliever.

However, this time there was no miracle come-from-behind win, and on to the World Series went Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and the rest of the legendary A’s. They went on to win three titles in a row.

Mickey Lolich won 25 and 22 games in ‘71 and ’72, but narrowly missed winning a Cy Young award.  He came as close as any pitcher has to 3,000 strikeouts (2,832) without passing the milestone.  His 41 shutouts, World Series heroics, and career resume give him a strong case for the HOF.

After the old guard retired, the Tigers needed to rebuild.

They brought in Sparky Anderson, manager of the team of the decade in the ’70s—the Big Red Machine—to lead them onward.  Beginning in 1980, the Tigers began to surge, winning two division titles in ’84 and ’87 and finishing second in ’83, ’88, and ’91.

The magical year for the Tigers proved to be 1984.  They broke out of the gate at a record pace, going 35-5 to open the season.  The team never looked back and won the World Series.

The formula again was the convergence of strong position players with strong pitching. 

Catcher Lance Parrish led an offense that included Allan Trammell, Lou Whittaker, Chet Lemon, Kirk Gibson, and Darrell Evans.  They featured plenty of power and some great infield defense.

Leading the pitching staff was workhorse and ace Jack Morris, accompanied by Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox.

However, any mention of the ’84 Tigers would be remiss if it didn’t give ample credit to “Captain Hook’s” go-to guys, Willie Hernandez and Aurelio Lopez.  They combined to pitch in 151 games and 278 innings, giving up only 205 hits while saving 46 games between them.  They were truly amazing.

Jack Morris was consistent and strong throughout the ’80s for the Tigers.  But it was after he travelled on to the Twins and Blue Jays that he won two more championship rings and dazzled a generation of fans with his 10-inning, shutout performance in Game Seven of the ’91 series.

The Tigers, after winning only 43 games in ’03, built their way back to being competitive.  In their first year with Jim Leyland as manager in ‘06, they made it to the World Series.

Poor weather hindered the play of the Series.  Several costly errors by the Tigers pitchers also spelled the team’s doom, as they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in an anti-climactic Series.

The leader of the Tigers staff today is Justin Verlander.  Verlander won Rookie of the Year award in ’06, and has generally turned in strong performances on his way to a significant career.  Other young Tiger pitchers have shown promise but not the ability to sustain success to this point.

The Modern Rotation

1. Mickey Lolich, 1963-75: 207 W, 39 SHO, ERA-plus 105

2. Jack Morris, 1977-90: 200 W, 24 SHO, ERA-plus 108

3. Frank Lary, 1954-64: 123 W, 20 SHO, ERA-plus 116

4. Jim Bunning, 1955-63: 118 W, 16 SHO, ERA-plus 116

5. Denny McLain, 1963-70: 117 W, 26 SHO, ERA-plus 110

Spot Starters: Milt Wilcox (1977-85), Justin Verlander (2005-10)

The Relievers

There are four relievers to mention when looking to name an all-time Tigers team.

Todd Jones leads the Tigers in saves with 235, but has a rather pedestrian ERA-plus of 114 for a reliever.  Mike Henneman has 154 saves and a very respectable ERA-plus of 136.

Both of these closers have inflated WHIP marks of 1.456 and 1.305.  This relates to having runners on base.

The two I am selecting for the team are John Hiller, who pitched in 545 games, had 125 saves, and an ERA-plus of 134 with a 1.268 WHIP, and Willie Hernandez, who appeared in 358 games, had 120 saves, and had an ERA-plus of 135.

There is certainly room for interpretation here in the choice, but I feel confident with the latter two, Hiller and Hernandez.

The All-time Rotation and staff

1. Hal Newhouser

2. Tommy Bridges

3. Mickey Lolich

4. Jack Morris

5. Dizzy Trout

Spot Starters: George Mullin, Bill Donovan, Schoolboy Rowe, Denny McLain

Relievers: Willie Hernandez, John Hiller

In Conclusion

If you’re a fan of Virgil Trucks, Jim Bunning, or Frank Lary, they could certainly go in the spot starter group in place of those listed.  The team is deep at this level of pitching.

Throughout the team history, success has depended on the combination of strong position players and sturdy pitching.  When the two came together, the team surged to success.

With a couple of breaks here and there, this rotation could be touting four of its pitchers as members of the Hall of Fame.  Bridges and Lolich have strong cases, and Jack Morris is still up for election.

The Tigers have a full-flavor history.  The pitchers are no exception.  Each one of these starters has a great story behind them.

It is my wish that Tiger fans understand and embrace their team history and the formula for future success that is so clearly laid down in their history.

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As the deals begin to pick up steam in the waning moments before Saturday’s MLB non-waiver trade deadline, inevitably the accompanying rumors have increased in frequency as well.

The last few days have seen a flurry of player movement with high profile players such as Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt changing teams, in addition to the numerous smaller deals that have been occurring around the league. Since adding Cliff Lee and Benjie Molina, Texas also just acquired Jorge Cantu to provide injury cover and bolster their lineup. San Diego obtained infielder Miguel Tejada to bring some veteran leadership and experience to their squad.

While most eyes focus on the blockbusters, keen observers are aware that contenders aren’t usually in need of a massive deal to solidify their standing amongst the top teams in the game. They usually are in a contending position by July 31 because they already have a deep, talented team. Many times, a shrewd move for a veteran utility player with the versatility to play several positions can bring depth and stability to a team as they fight towards October.

Of course, everyone wants to know if bigger names like Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, or Derek Lee are bound for greener pastures. As a culture infatuated with celebrities, we’re naturally enamored by the glamorous names splashed across the rumor pages.

Naturally, the big-spending teams like the Yankees draw a lot of attention at times like these. As they are often active in both free agency and in the trade market, teams and players always try to involve the Yankees in order to create leverage for themselves.

Clearly in the free agent market, an agent for a player almost always hopes to engage the Yankees in dialogue, expecting their free-spending ways to assist in driving the market up for whichever player they represent. Even when the Yankees are not even remotely involved, mysterious sources will often float purported rumors attributed to the team.

Conversely, when a team is trying to drum up interest in a player that they have made available on the trading market, they want as many teams involved as possible to attempt to secure the best potential deal they can for their franchise. Knowing that the Yankees are interested, along with their vast resources and willingness to deal, can serve to apply pressure and a sense of urgency when exploring the trade market. If a team knows that the Yankees are looming, it may force them into action, fearful that they might miss out if they hesitate.

True to form, the July 31, 2010 non-waiver trading deadline has seen the New York Yankees mentioned in connection with nearly every player who may or may not have been made available by their team.

Over the last several weeks, the Yankees have allegedly been close to deals on Cliff Lee and Dan Haren, they have been shopping for Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria. Various sources have linked them heavily to Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Ty Wiggington, and even a potential reacquisition of Hideki Matsui.

As fans, it’s fun to read the stories and follow the rumors, but honestly, most of it is merely wishful thinking or completely fabricated nonsense.

You have to separate the fantasy from reality and seriously consider the potential impact of any such deal and how it could potentially fit into the fabric of the team as currently constructed.

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