It's pretty safe to say that, as a Detroit Tigers fan, I never expected to see then in the World Series anytime in the near future. Nor did I ever think that if they did make it that I would be fortunate enough to go to one of the games, but then Sunday night I found myself at Comerica Park for Game 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals. I may have only had a standing room ticket, but I still got to see all of the action.

Obviously the big topic of conversation is what was on Kenny Rogers' hand. I actually saw umpire Alfonso Marquez walk out there and first thought was that they were checking the ball, but I assumed (until later) that everything was fine or Rogers would have been tossed. My personal opinion is to believe it was the dirt/resin/sweat/spit combination, and that's not just because I am a Tigers fan (also note, if the situation was reversed I would probably be pretty ticked about it like St. Louis fans are). My reasons for believing it:

1. Pitching one of the biggest games of his career, why would Rogers risk it all by using pine tar? Especially in such a big, noticeable patch on his pitching hand. If he was going to cheat, I would have to believe that for someone who has been around as he has, that he would be able to hide it much better.

2. Steve Palermo, a former umpire and now umpire supervisor, made a very good statement on the matter as part of a postgame interview when asked how he knew it was dirt: "Because it was observed as dirt. Umpires, they've been around for more than a week or so. This is not their first summer away from home, so they've got a pretty good idea as to what dirt is and what a foreign substance is. These are highly competent and highly trained umpires, and that's the reason they're here." (You can read the entire interview here.)

3. Yes there is other circumstantial evidence, including photos from other games with similar marks. However, assuming Kenny Rogers sticks to the same routine every start like other athletes do, it is somewhere in the realm of possibility that something he does during that routine (such as rubbing baseballs, etc) could produce it each time.

4. The Cardinals say they have collected 4 or 5 balls that are scuffed. This does not prove anything because there is no proof of where these balls came from. I could scuff some balls from Game 1 and say Anthony Reyes did something to them. The fact there remains that there is no proof that Rogers scuffed the balls or that they are even from the first inning of Game 2.

5. The spot was only there for the first inning, and he gave up one hit. So the 7 other "clean" innings he pitched he gave up a total of one more hit. Seems odd then that he was using anything to help his pitches.

It's that last point that drives the matter home for me. Whatever was there was not the reason Detroit won. Needless to say, if this series goes to Game 6, Rogers will be under heavy scrutiny.

The Tigers also need to come through better with runners in scoring position. I believe the number was 1-9 in Game 2. That includes no runs being scored after loading the bases with no outs, and not bringing the runner in later in the game when he was on third with one out. Pudge Rodriguez really needs to come back. Although maybe it's like the ALDS where he was hitless in the first two games before turning it around... I sure hope so.

And when will the Tigers finally give the big innings and save opportunities to Joel Zumaya? Todd Jones was in typical form again in Game 2, loading up the bases with 2 outs before finally ending it for at least the second time this postseason. His line: 1IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 E, 1 HPB. Just another day for "Heart Attack" Jones.

The biggest disappointment for me is that Comerica Park was nowhere near as loud for the World Series as it was for the ALCS. I was at Game 3 of the ALCS (also another gem from Rogers) and it blew Game 2 of the World Series away. It's time to stop letting the "big money" corporate guys get all the seats and let the actual fans go.

Well, with all that being said, I'm looking forward to Game 3 tonight. Chris Carpenter certainly is a challenge, but he wouldn't be the first Cy Young winner Nate Robertson led the Tigers past.

Good luck tonight boys, and hopefully when you come back to Detroit it will be as World Series champions!

As I sit here and watch my Detroit Tigers hold a tenuous 1-0 lead over the Yankees after 3.5 innings, my thoughts still shift ahead to tonight's premiere game: the Red Wings opener against Vancouver. There are a lot of question marks surrounding my team, but I don't know if we're as bad off as a lot of people want to believe. Remember how everyone said they would flop with a cap? Sure they got ousted by the Oilers in the first round, but that could've been prevented if Pavel Datsyuk could've found the net! (And while Manny Legace was far from spectacular, he wasn't the reason they lost. Everyone blamed Curtis Joseph when they were swept by the Mighty Ducks in 2003, but any time who only scores 6 goals in 4 games is not usually going to win a series.)

Will Detroit take the President's Trophy? I doubt it. First in the conference? Probably not. Even first in the Central? I don't know, that's a tough Nashville team. But for the first time in a while this team looks like it trade all the regular season success for a run in the playoffs.

For starters, they brought back Dominik Hasek. Now I was against this move from the beginning, but it could be worse; we could've gotten stuck with Ed Belfour. Part of me wanted to see the Wings platoon Chris Osgood with a promoted Jimmy Howard, but wisely they decided to give Howard some more professional seasoning in Grand Rapids (with a chance to improve on his All-Rookie Team season). GM Kenny Holland has instead said that Hasek will only start about 50 games in order to make sure he is healthy for the playoffs. Good call. While Ozzie struggled at times last year, after the Olympic break and down the stretch he returned to the form that made him a 3-time all-star in the mid-late '90s.

The defensive corps is just as strong as almost anyone's. Nick Lidstrom and Mathieu Schneider posted great numbers last year and there is no reason they can't do it again. Danny Markov was a very solid addition and will provide some much-needed grit to the blueline and should mesh nicely with Nicklas Kronwall. It will be great to finally get a full season from him. Chris Chelios and Andreas Lilja have a lot of experience and toughness, and smooth-skating Brett Lebda should provide some punch here and there.

Detroit also has a talented group of forwards, although losing the leadership of the great Steve "The Captain" Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan certainly hurts. But look for this to be the year that Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg really take control of this team. And with super talented Jiri Hudler finally sticking on one of the top two lines, this team still has some offensive pop to it. Although players like Tomas Holmstrom and Mikael Samuelsson need to come close to duplicating, and perhaps bettering, their output from last year.

One thing really missing from this group of players is the grit and toughness that previous teams have had (the Grind Line doesn't do as much of that as it did when it was Kris Draper centering Darren McCarty and Joey Kocur). From losing McCarty and Shanahan over the last two seasons the Wings have lost a lot of physical intimidation. And even in a league where fighting is way down, not many players on the team are ready to drop the gloves. Brad Norton's signing will help bring in some size and toughness, as will Markov on the blueline, but what would really help is to have a fully healthy Jiri Fischer back there throwing around his 6'5" frame (best of luck to your health issues, Fisch). To be perfectly honest, the one player Detroit has lost that has hurt them the most over the past 10 years was Vladimir Konstantinov. What I wouldn't give to see Vlad the Impaler punishing people again.

Also of note tonight is the naming of the Red Wings' new captain. If Lidstrom doesn't get it then there should be an investigation. As far as alternate captains, I would name Zetterberg and Draper. Draper wore an "A" a lot while Yzerman was out, and I strongly believe that Zetterberg is their future captain once Lidstrom retires. So give him the other "A" now and let him learn the role so he can take over in a few years.

Well that's all for now. Time to see if my Tigers can hold onto their 4-3 lead with an inning to go.