Kuzul

The Detroit Tigers brought outfielder Torii Hunter on board for the 2013 season for two reasons: To help stabilize the top of the batting order to set up Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder and give a veteran voice in the clubhouse. If April is any indication of what Hunter brings to the table at the plate, then the mission has been accomplished. One of three Detroit regulars to hit over .300 in April, Hunter has indeed bridged leadoff hitter Austin Jackson to the heart of the lineup by hitting a very impressive .375 in the first month of the season. Scoring 17 runs himself, he has nine extra-base hits over his first 22 games. The home run production is on the wane—hitting only one so far—but with the big boppers behind him, the Tigers need him to be reaching base, not swinging for the fences. Seeing the ball perhaps better ...

Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder have been tearing the cover off the ball so far this baseball season, and they don't look to be slowing down anytime soon.The Detroit Tigers' 2-3-4 hitters are leading the team in batting average in their same respective lineup order to help the struggling Tigers keep their heads above water.For most of the first month of the season, the Tigers' top three hitters led boasted the best batting average and on-base percentage in the American League.Detroit has struggled over the past week, losing its last four games to fall to fourth in AL team batting average, but the Tigers' stars are doing their jobs.Here is why the Tigers' three best hitters will continue their torrid pace for the rest of the season:Begin Slideshow

The San Francisco Giants’ Cinderella-like postseason run that was capped by their second World Series championship in three seasons will forever be cemented in franchise history. The Giants proved they could compete and be successful with far inferior talent than their opposition. The Giants were the best team during the 2012 playoffs for one reason; they had a solid nucleus of veteran leadership that never weakened. The 2013 season could be much different. A number of teams went all-in during free agency, looking to reload and better themselves for the season to come, while other teams leaned on the conservative side.   Teams that had an active offseason in terms of upgrading their rosters included, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers. It’s certainly premature to say which teams will make it to the Fall Classic in October. But it’s fair to ...

The Tigers upgraded their outfield defense and offense by signing Torii Hunter this offseason. However, they now have a glut of outfielders on their roster. The Tigers have to decide if they want to carry one or two extra outfielders.This decision will shape the roster over the weeks leading up to spring training. It's a safe bet that at least one if not two of last year's outfielders will not be with the big-league team when they break spring training. I want to take a preliminary look at what we can expect from the Tigers outfield in 2013 and where the battles will take place. Begin Slideshow

On October 10, 1964, the late Mickey Mantle led off in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the World Series. The score was tied at 1-1, and the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals were tied at one game each. Barney Schultz was pitching for the Redbirds. Tim McCarver was calling signals behind the plate.A knuckleball specialist pitching in his first ever World Series, Schultz had just been summoned into the game by St. Louis manager Johnny Keane.Mantle deposited Schultz's first pitch into the third tier of the old Yankee Stadium.In accepting the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting during the Second Annual Hall of Fame Awards Presentation this afternoon in Cooperstown, New York, McCarver, the longtime Fox Baseball analyst, got off the line of the day when he told the crowd at Doubleday Field what he remembered about that homerun.Watching Mantle round the bases McCarver was reflective. "As a catcher," ...

More than other team sports, baseball grants its players longevity.Being on the wrong side of 35 isn't such an awful thing. I could muster a formidable 25-man roster comprised strictly of MLB players who are of that age or older.Time eventually reduces all athletes, but elite baseball players often sustain their level of play as their hair grays.Veterans of the game adjust to adversity. They continue to contribute even when agility, bat speed and arm strength deserts them.It is a sport unintentionally engineered to preserve its athletes.Begin Slideshow

Also known as ODOs. Well, I call them ODOs and some day, you will too. Until then, see if you noticed what I noticed:   Albert Pujols goes 0-for-5 He also grounded into three double plays—cue the overreaction random radio show sports talk guy. That's right, Pujols is washed up; can't handle the contract-year pressure; forgot how to hit; only tips 10 percent. Actually, he'll be fine. What the Cardinals, their fans and anybody else interested should be worried about is that rotation. With Adam Wainwright down for the count, Chris Carpenter has to carry the load. Carrying the load puts a lot of pressure on your hamstrings. Considering he strained his in spring training, Carpenter is longing for someone to be close to him in the rotation. Reliever-turned-starter Kyle McClellan has been the most buzzworthy candidate so far, but even with Dave Duncan's guidance, C.J. Wilson he ain't. Save the Birds, Pujols! Good slogan for the ...

 The next time Kendrys Morales takes the field in a game, his teammates and coaches aren’t likely to tell him to “break a leg.” The L.A. Angels first baseman did just that late last May and hasn’t made a single appearance in a game since. Nearly a year removed from the injury that effectively killed his and the Angels’ season, Morales still isn’t quite ready for game time. In fact, it’s only in the last couple of weeks that Morales has been allowed to perform baseball activities of any kind out on the diamond, but even that has proven too strenuous. Last week, the Angels announced that Morales will start the season on the 15-day disabled list. The move didn’t come as a complete surprise to fans, but it was unwelcome all the same. On Tuesday, Morales was sidelined with soreness in his foot, which the team attributed to his recent workout efforts as ...

Oakland Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp has established himself as a top outfielder in the game of baseball. His tremendous speed and awareness makes him a perfect player to patrol the outfield.On top of his defense, Crisp has established himself as a top leadoff man in the big leagues. His quick hands help him get on base and quick feet make him a threat to steal every time he reaches base.When asked to name his top five favorite center fielders to watch, Crisp had a tough time coming up with a list."That’s kind of a loaded question," he said. "You put a guy in centerfield and he’s supposed to be the best guy in the outfield. Going through all 30 teams — they all have solid outfielders."Despite having a little difficulty coming up with a Top 5 list, Crisp did name three that stood out to him.Begin Slideshow

The AL West was one of the worst divisions in baseball in 2010.Entering the season, projections were all over. Each team was picked to both win the division or finish in the cellar, depending on which prediction you read.The shape of each club is a bit easier to tell going into 2011, but there are still several questions for each club and the players signed to them.Begin Slideshow