Wednesday night at Comerica park was a special evening for the 25,000 fans that attended the Tigers/Royals game.  Yes, it was a nice comeback win for the home team.  Yes, the Tigers are in the middle of a pennant race.  The night was special however because of one special human being.  Ernie Harwell provided the crowd with a very special heart-felt moment in the third inning.  He addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support and loyalty.  Except, we are the ones the should be thanking him for those very traits.

As a native Detroiter, I am keenly aware of what the greatest Tigers broadcaster of them all means to this city and to the game.  He is the single greatest inspiration in my professional career.  Ernie's abilities grab hold of you and never let go.  His call of Tigers baseball in the 70's and 80's drove me to pursue a career in broadcasting.  In my mind he was, and will always be, the voice of the Detroit Tigers. All of us are just keeping his seat warm.

So, on Wednesday night, for one last time, I had a chance to share a booth with Ernie.  This time, we weren't calling a game.  We just talked.  I thanked him for inspiring me to become a broadcaster and more importantly for setting the bar so high, that you can't afford but to give it your best every single night.  For being one of the truly great people in the game.  He smiled brightly and thanked us for we have done for him.  Classic Ernie, always shining the spotlight on others.

Tigers fans have been blessed with a rare talent since 1960.  On Wednesday night, weakend by his illness, Mr. Harwell showed yet again why he just may be the greatest sports figure this town has ever seen.

Thursday's game at Comerica Park illustrated how important the Tigers minor league system has been to the team's success this season.  On a day in which a struggling Curtis Granderson took a much needed day off, Jim Leyland inserted Clete Thomas in centerfield as his replacement.  No problem.  Clete was on base four times and delivered the game winning, walk-off hit with two outs in the ninth.  Thomas also delivered a walk-off home run with two outs in the ninth inning on August 3rd against Baltimore.

Ryan Raburn added two hits including a home run in the 4th inning to put the Tigers on the board.  Raburn's contributions this year have also included a pinch-hit home run against the Cubs in the ninth inning of a walk-off win.

Alex Avila continues to impress as well.  His two-run pinch hit single for a struggling Gerald Laird in the 6th inning after a 58 minute rain delay sparked the Tigers comeback.

While the young guys have had their ups and downs, and as fans we may get frustrated at the inconsistencies, their contributions in key spots cannot be discounted.  Leyland said as much after yesterday's game.  These guys are important.  There is no doubt the veterans will still have to do most of the heavy lifting in September, but the kids have done a nice job of spotting.

As a side note, a lot of folks are clamoring about Avila and increasing his playing time.  He has surely impressed and may get some more reps.  Keep two things in mind though.  Maybe his success is tied to the fact that he is allowed to get his feet wet with limited playing time at this point, and the Tigers have had some of the best pitching in the league all season in large part to the job Laird has done.  Let's not abandon Gerald.

One of the things that I like about interleague play, (there is not much, really) is that we are exposed to the top pitchers in the National League. The last two games, the Tigers have picked up wins in games started by Yovanni Gallardo and Carlos Zambrano. Clearly, they are two of the best in the National League. I loved watching both pitch. Gallardo was masterful at spotting his fastball and for the most part dominated the Tigers on Sunday. Brandon Inge however punished one of his few mistakes for the game winning home run. On Tuesday, Zambrano looked really good until Inge got him with a late homer to put the Tigers ahead. The last two wins for the Tigers displayed a trait that the 2006 team had, an ability to compete and win on nights when the other guy is dominating. Jim Leyland always talks about how this is the big leagues and you have to find a way to win on certain nights, when the other team throws a great pitcher. The Tigers have done that several times this year. There is a long way to go, but you have to love the vibe this team has right now. Speaking of Inge, many times fans don't realize the community work that some of the players are involved in and take very seriously. Inge has been a big part of this community and Tuesday was a special night. Several weeks ago Brandon visited children at the U of M children's hospital. One little guy named Tommy didn't get a chance to see his hero. So, Brandon made a return trip to the hospital to sign some autographs and visit. This time, Tommy had an autograph for Brandon. He signed Inge's arm for good luck. So, as Inge took the field on Tuesday night, there it was in black magic marker, the name "Tommy" written on his forearm. Inge responded with a home run off Zambrano. There is nothing more heartbreaking than a sick child. For one day, Brandon made a young man smile.

The last stop on the Tigers June torture trip is here in St. Louis where it is approximately fifty degrees warmer than it was the last time they were here.  The last time of course was 2006 when the Cards beat the Tigers in five games for the championship.

As you might expect, both players and staff were peppered with questions about memories of the chilly World Series three years ago.  Most who were here have tried to move on, however, that is easier said than done.  Nate Robertson pointed to the stadium as we waited for our bags to arrive at the hotel the other night and said, "I have bad memories of that place." 

Brandon Inge was sitting at his locker yesterday and his memories came pouring out faster than perspiration on a runners forehead on a July day in St. Louis.  "When you get that close you have to win it or it's a big disappointment," he said.  "We felt we probably had the better team, but the week layoff hurt us."  Inge harbors extra disappointment because he made the final out.  The man who struck him out to end the Series was on the mound last night, Adam Wainwright.  Inge vowed privately to get him, and he did.  It was on a much smaller stage in a blowout game and meant little, but it had to feel good.  Inge said he would homer against Wainwright last night, and he did. 

Not surprisingly, both managers had little to say about the World Series.  Larussa and Leyland are close friends and neither would say anything to embarrass the other.

BTW, if you don't think the humidity has any affect on the players, Justin Verlander's quote said it all.  "After the first inning, I was gassed."

My impressions of the new Busch Stadium?  I like it.  Very cool deep red brick on the exterior.  The inside is a little plain, but the downtown with the arch as the backdrop is very scenic.  There is a statue of Jack Buck on the outside and every time you walk by it, a recording of one of his famous calls plays.

The just completed sweep at the hands of the Red Sox magnified the one consistent problem the Tigers have had the entire season. For some reason, the offense, loaded with players that have hit and produced at a high level for many seasons, has gone south for the spring.

While the Red Sox did not face the Tigers top two starters, the Tigers still didn't hit enough to wiin, regardless of who was on the mound. Yes, Beckett, Matsuzaka and Wakefield are three of the Sox top starters, but in years past, the Tigers offense has been able to battle against good pitching.

Despite some late inning noise in the first two games, the Tigers never really seemed to be in any of the three games. Leyland keeps repeating the fact that his big boys have to start to hit or his team will not win. He's right. The Tigers have been able to ride their pitching for the first two months, but until Magglio, Polanco and to an extent, Granderson become more consistent, the Tigers will struggle to score and to win games.

Let's hope it happens sooner rather than later.

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Off topic, it was great meeting Matt Stafford the other night. He stopped by the booth and spent a half inning with us. Very impressive kid. He is very polished and will have no problem dealing with the media. Can he play in the NFL? I have no idea. I do know this, I'll be rooting for him to help turn the Lions around.