Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes
--RHP Justin Verlander said he would start as scheduled Wednesday at Baltimore although he had some kind of food poisoning late last week in New York. Verlander said he and nine friends went to dinner in New York on March 31 following his first start of the season. The pitcher said he and one of his companions had the same dish -- "a peanut-type sauce that came with some chicken" -- and both got sick the next morning. "I felt better the next day, but same sort of thing" where I felt worse at night, Verlander said. "I think my stomach's just not doing right after going through that trauma. It's weird. I feel good in the morning and then, by nighttime, my stomach's in knots. I did some research on it. I really don't think it's the illness everybody's got. It's too much of a coincidence for me." Several Detroit players, including 1B Miguel Cabrera and RHP Jose Valverde, were throwing up during Monday's game at Baltimore. Both skipped an optional Tuesday workout.
--RHP Joel Zumaya planned to rebook a visit to Dr. James Andrews after missing a scheduled appointment Monday because bad weather scrubbed his flight. He was going to see Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., in hopes of getting cleared to resume throwing. Zumaya has not pitched since Feb. 27, as he has experienced problems with his surgically repaired right elbow.
--LHP Phil Coke might have worked his final relief inning Sunday. Coke will be available for an inning Wednesday, but he joins Detroit's rotation Saturday against Kansas City. Manager Jim Leyland said the team would find out soon whether Coke, a lion in the Tigers bullpen the last two seasons, is better as a starter or reliever. "That's yet to be seen," Leyland said. "We had excellent reports when we traded for him. A lot of guys felt we might make him a starter right away. He'd done a good job for the Yankees out of the bullpen, and we thought we'll keep him up here to start with and just see how it plays out, and then kind of by necessity we felt like we needed a left-hand starter, and he was the closest thing we had to being ready, so we're going to give it a shot, see what it looks like."
--3B Brandon Inge always has a big fan base when Detroit visits Baltimore. He grew up in Lynchburg, Va., about a four-hour drive from Baltimore and attended Virginia Commonwealth. "Sometimes half of Virginia turns out for our games here," Inge said. "I'll hear somebody shouting my name during batting practice and see a familiar face."
--INF Ramon Santiago is perfect for the role he plays with the Tigers, serving as a backup at shortstop and second base. "I'm not sure people realize what a good utility player Santiago is," manager Jim Leyland said. "I feel totally confident when he plays. I don't say, 'Well, I better get Santiago in a game.' I feel good when I put him in there. If he was a burner, if he could fly, he'd be a regular. If he could run like (Baltimore's) Brian Roberts when he's healthy, he'd be a regular. But Santiago is golden for me, like Donnie Kelly is golden. When you have guys like that, who prepare themselves the way they do, it's golden for a manager. I have total confidence in those guys." Santiago is in the last year of a two-year deal he signed with Detroit.
BY THE NUMBERS
10 -- Homes runs allowed by Detroit pitchers in 33 innings played thus far. Four have come with two runners on.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Not to alibi, but we had two or three guys throwing up during the game. Sick. I don't know if it was something they ate or what." -- Manager Jim Leyland on the state of health of his team. 1B Miguel Cabrera was one of the players vomiting.
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