A thousand runs, the American League Pennant and a return trip to the World Series.

That’s not just a sentence fragment, it’s also what analysts and fans alike predicted for the Detroit Tigers before one pitch of the 2008 regular season was thrown.

A month-and-a-half of baseball later and the 16-24 Tigers sit at the bottom of the AL Central despite a hefty $137 million payroll, ranking third in the majors behind the Yankees and Mets.

The Tigers, who lost the 2005 World Series in five games to St. Louis and barely missed the playoffs last season, were one of the most prolific teams in the off-season acquiring marquee names like Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria.

They signed OF Curtis Granderson and manager Jim Leyland to contract extensions while Ivan Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez are all still under contracts.

Four of five starters from the 2005 AL Championship team, including veteran ace Kenny Rogers, are currently still on staff and the team looked primed and ready to make a legitimate run at a World Series Championship.

The Tigers pounced out of the starting gate only to be swept in three games at home by the AL Central’s resident basement dwellers, the Kansas City Royals.

They continued their losing ways dropping three more to the White Sox followed by a shutout at the hands of defending World Series champs, the Boston Red Sox. On April 9 they recorded their first win of the 2008 season.

Not quite the desired start for a team designed to go far in the post-season.

The Tigers look like a case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Guys like Sheffield, Ordonez, Cabrera and the like have all at one time or another been “the guy” for whatever team they were on.

Now they’re on the same team with a common goal, but everyone is trying so hard to be “the guy” that they are all falling short of the mark. Way short. I mean, this “1000 run” team has been shutout six times already.

Unfortunately, this is just half of the Tigers’ problems; take a look at the pitching.

Currently the Tigers ERA of 4.96 ranks last in the majors, the 214 runs allowed ranks second behind the Rangers’ 229, and starters Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson and Rogers are a combined 7-18.

Awful. Just awful.

My suggestion for the Tigers: free up some contract money by trading someone like Sheffield or Ordonez and sign Taye Diggs to a one-year contract.

I know he’s not a ballplayer, but I heard somewhere it worked for Stella and her groove.

–Aaron Whitebread, RED Editorial Staff

October 14, 1908, Bennett Park in Detroit: Cubs right-hander Orval Overall gets Tigers catcher Boss Schmidt to ground out to first, completing his Game 5 shut-out as the Cubs win consecutive World Series Championships.

One hundred years have since passed without a title, the longest World Series drought in Major League history.

The epic streak, complete with Billy Goats, black cats, curses and Steve Bartman, has become something more than just a mere stat in baseball’s record book.

It has become iconic, an expectation in the unpredictable world of sports. It has become an inheritance, passed on from one generation of fans to the next. It has inadvertently become the identity of a team affectionally known as “The Lovable Losers.”

Yet a legion of fans as loyal and devout as the Red Sox Nation has stuck with the Cubbies through thick and thin, holding on to their die-hard belief in “next year.”

And maybe 2008 is next year. The Cubs have a lot going for them this season.

For starters, “Sweet” Lou Pinella is at the helm again after leading the Cubs to the NL Central title in his first year.

First baseman Derek Lee is back at full strength after an injury plagued 2007 season, batting .324 with eight dingers.

Veteran ace Carlos Zambrano is as reliable as ever with a 5-1 record, an impressive 1.80 ERA and a team leading 38 K’s, while hitting a respectable .250. Last year’s closer, Ryan Dempster, has gone 4-0 with two no-decisions and a 2.72 ERA in his return to the starting rotation. Kerry Wood returned to the roster as the closer and has done well, striking out 16 with five saves.

Japanese free-agent import Kosuke Fukudome has lived up to the hype surrounding his acquisition over the off-season. He is hitting .320 with 13 RBIs while slugging an outstanding .456. His lone homer was a ninth inning game-tying three-run shot in the Cubs’ season opener and his MLB debut, endearing him to Cubs fans in grand fashion.

But Fukudome brings more than a quick bat; he also brings a Zen-like patience at the plate, something that has rubbed off on the rest of the team. The Cubs lead the National League in runs (195), and RBIs (185), and rank second in walks (163) and on-base percentage (.370).

But it is only May, and the 19-15 Cubs have a long way to go before October.

They are two and a half games out of first in the NL Central behind longtime rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, who took two of three from them over the weekend. They dropped two more games in Cincinnati to the struggling Reds to start the week, division opponents Milwaukee and Houston are nipping at their heels, and they face the red-hot Diamondbacks next.

Of course, none of this will ever dissuade the Cubs faithful. This year, just like the last 99, is next year.

–Aaron Whitebread, RED Editorial Staff

No one is safe from the ire of Mets fans. They boo everything and everyone except for the hot dog vendors, and to an extent, that’s just fine. Booing is a perk of attendance. But even though booing is warranted at times, Mets fans pushed it a little far with Carlos Delgado.

First of all, let’s go ahead and say what needs to be said about Carlos Delgado. He’s not having a good year. He’s making $16 million and turning in a .198 batting average to date, so I’m not surprised that Mets fans are angry with him. I am surprised at what Mets fans think they’re owed.

New York is one of the toughest places to get respect, and if things get bad enough with their athletes, those fans will do everything possible to make sure the offending party never sets foot in that zip code again.

What’s really small is when the fans become as irrational and fickle as an unmedicated bi-polar spouse that’s had one too many vodka martinis.

Despite Delgado’s tanking numbers, he received an ovation after hitting two homers in a 6-3 win over the Braves. Suddenly, Delgado is the man of the hour in Shea Stadium, and the fans wanted Delgado to come back out of the dugout and tip his hat to the crowd.

But Delgado snubbed the crowd, refusing to acknowledge the rarity of a compliment in Shea Stadium.

That was four days ago, and it’s still a huge issue in New York. Now, some Mets fans are even angrier with Delgado for not pandering to them, which means they’re going to boo him even more in the future.

Well, he might not have a lot to be proud of this year, but I tip my own hat to Delgado for refusing to tip his.

Newsday.com’s Jim Baumbach slammed Delgado in a recent article. He said of the ovation that, “It’s more a symbol of the fans saying, ‘Hey, we just want you to succeed. We realize you’re better than you’ve shown us so far. Now go out and show us more of that and we’ll stop booing you.’”

Oh, sure, that makes perfect sense. I usually show my support for athletes by routinely telling them they stink, and when they do well, I like to threaten them with continued hatred if they don’t appease me. I find most people are receptive to that sort of thing.

I know it’s cliché, but you reap what you sew. As an individual, Carlos has every right to stonewall the people who’ve done the same to him.

Carlos Delgado doesn’t owe the Mets fans anything but energy and elbow grease. All he has to do is work on his production. He doesn’t have to stand blushing in front of 50,000 fans and bask in false adoration. By electing not to suck up to a fickle crowd, Delgado was essentially booing them back.

I’m surprised Mets fans don’t understand that.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Toronto Blue Jays released Frank Thomas earlier in the week—including Frank Thomas. He was in a slump. When the Big Hurt signed with Toronto in November of 2006, he happily inked his name on a two-year $18.12 million dollar contract. When you’re making that kind of money, you don’t slump. Period.

Thomas might still be a good acquisition for someone in need of a DH, but while we’re at it, so would Barry Bonds. So let’s play the “What if?” game for just a minute. If you need a DH, who’s the better choice: The Big Hurt . . . or The Home Run King?

First of all, neither of these guys would be the feel good acquisition of the year. The Big Hurt has baggage, and that goes double for the interim Home Run King. Both of these players have an uncanny ability to disrupt a clubhouse faster than the flu, but they do it in different ways.

With Bonds, the media would turn his new team’s clubhouse into a beehive, but Barry’s one saving grace is that he prefers to be a recluse. He hates the media, but I can’t fault him for that. It’s no surprise that he wants to keep to himself. I’d go so far as to say he wouldn’t even talk to his teammates that often. Say what you want about Barry (I have), but he rarely goes on the offensive.

Frank Thomas, on the other hand, in an extrovert. If he’s not happy, everyone knows in a heartbeat. In fact, the Big Hurt can be a big pain in the neck. He’ll badmouth anyone, including his teammates, if he feels the least bit tread upon.

Second, there’s the price tag. You know Barry is going to be expensive. Towards the end of his time with the Giants his salary was so high it looked like he was holding San Francisco for ransom. Bonds made $20 million in his 2006 contract year and $15.5 million in 2007.

Thomas is another story. Toronto cut him, but the Jays still owe Thomas over $7 million in guaranteed money no matter what, so for all of Thomas’ complaining he’s still getting paid—even he spends his time on the couch watching American Idol.

That means that a team could sign Thomas for the price of ham sandwich, and that’s a big issue. Plus, Thomas is 39 years old and Barry is 43. Thomas had 95 RBI’s in 2007; Barry had 66. Thomas had 26 home runs last season; Barry had 28.

You’ve also got to consider how long these two are going to be around after you sign them. Bonds’ legal troubles are scheduled to resume in June, so you know you’ll lose him. Unlike a regular injury, there’s no way of knowing how long that headache will last, and with a high asking price a club could lose a mint on Bonds.

Thomas might not work out either, but if he gets cut again you’re only out a ham sandwich. No biggie. So, the smart choice? It has to be Frank Thomas.

As long as you give the rest of the dugout some earplugs.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff.

A week ago, baseball fans in Detroit were edgy over the Tigers’ less than desirable start this year. But deep down, I’m pretty sure Detroit knew they had nothing to worry about. They were right. The Detroit Tigers are finally showing signs of an offense worth its price tag.

Now it’s Cleveland’s turn to freak out.

Even though both Cleveland and Detroit are tied at 5-10 for last place in the AL East, the Tigers have won their last three games. Cleveland has dropped three, and last night was just plain ugly for C.C. Sabathia.

Unlike the false panic alarm in Detroit, this one is worth worrying about.

Like the Tigers, I don’t think anyone can justifiably doom the Indians 15 games into a 162 game season. Collectively, the Tribe will be fine. But C.C. Sabathia’s numbers are baffling to say the least.

Sabathia walked 37 total batters—yes, total—in 241 innings last season. That was the best in the majors, and it’s worth repeating. 37 walks in 241 innings! He also went 19-7 on his way to smoking the competition for the Cy Young award.

C.C.’s performance is so divergent from last season to this very second that I’m starting wonder if aliens haven’t snatched his body, and since his ERA is 13.50, I can’t see any other explanation.

Sabathia has four starts under his belt, and he’s already walked 14 batters and given up 32 hits in 18 innings. In his two most recent starts alone, Sabathia allowed 20 hits and 18 runs. He even allowed a grand slam for the first time in his career yesterday against Detroit.

The Tigers rolled the Indians 13-2 last night in Cleveland, and when C.C. Sabathia’s ears weren’t busy listening to batters clean his clock, they were filled with boos from the home crowd.

“I’d boo myself,” Sabathia told the press. “If you deserve it, what can you say?” Well, I’d say the fans are hastily turning on the Cy Young winner, but I can’t say the fans are wrong in doing it, either.

Just like the old saying, “A reputation takes a lifetime to build and seconds to destroy”, so goes the season of C.C. thus far.

Not only is C.C. on a skid, but he’s also managed to skid into the history books. The first Cy Young was awarded in 1956, and since then, no pitcher has ever allowed 9-plus earned runs in consecutive starts the season after winning it. Well, that’s not true any more. C.C. did it.

The argument can be made that pitching in the majors is just as much a psychological task as a physical one, and all those who believe in baseball’s marriage to superstition would most certainly agree.

We all know C.C. is no fluke, we all know he’s better than this, and I think we’d all be correct in assuming that whatever his problem is, it’s all in his head.

Maybe it’s a confidence issue. The good news is that he’ll fix it eventually, but unlike a pulled hamstring, there’s no definitive recovery period for this brand of setback. It could be next week.

Then again, it could be at the All-Star break.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff.

No team in the history of baseball that started a season 0-6 has won the World Series, and going into last night’s game against the Red Sox, Detroit was 0-7—victims of the “Cover Curse,” perhaps.

The good news is that Detroit finally picked up their first win last night, the bad news is that some fans are still in panic mode, and the funny news is how easily people forget baseball season is 162 games long.

Before Detroit picked up their first win, the question on everyone’s lips was “Is it time to panic in Detroit?” Now the Tigers are 1-7, and people are asking, “Is it O.K. to relax in Detroit?”

Well, Detroit was named America’s most dangerous city so I wouldn’t relax too much, but as far as baseball is concerned, Detroit fans have nothing to worry about. They didn’t have anything to worry about at 0-5, and they don’t have anything to worry about at 1-7.

As exciting as baseball is, there’s bound to be time or two (or three) when the season will seemingly drag on longer than a presidential campaign. Sure, the season has started, but just barely. Detroit has played eight games. Eight. Divide that by 162, and you’ll find a paltry .04938 percent of Detroit’s games are in the books.

Big deal.

Despite its occasional foibles, baseball’s greatest appeal is its massive, sweeping scale. There’s a ton of games, a ton of players, two tons of variables, and three tons of stats to keep track of everything; not to mention all the curses, voodoo, and bad juju fans tend to lean on as explanations in troubled times. Like Chicago Cubs fans.

I’m not saying Detroit isn’t off to a tepid start this year. I’m just saying the last eight games aren’t indicative of where they’ll be a month from now, or by the All-Star break for that matter.

It’s important not to put too much stock in baseball stats, and I think that’s what has Detroit’s fans so edgy. The fact that a team hasn’t ever been to a World Series after starting 0-6 isn’t cosmic law. It’s an historical footnote, but it’s hardly foreshadowing.

And if Detroit fans don’t want to take it from me, than take it from the Tigers’ manager. “It’s a 162-game season. That is a fact,” said Jim Leyland. “They give you all this other stuff—no team’s done this, no team’s done that—but you do play 162 games.”

One of the most disproportionate occurrences in baseball is how easily a team can get hot, like last year’s Colorado Rockies, or how easily a team can tank an entire season, like last year’s Mets. So take a deep breath, people of the Motor City.

If you want to flip out, wait until July.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff.

Baseball season has already technically started, but I don’t think the Boston vs. Oakland game in Japan should count. The only reason why commissioner Bud Selig booked that game in the first place is because that’s where the money trail led him.

Any baseball elitist will tell you that officially beginning America’s Game in a foreign country is fundamentally wrong, but what’s done is done. As far as I’m concerned, baseball season starts on May 31; that means it’s preview time. Everybody can pretty much bank on Boston’s dominance this year, but don’t be surprised if the Tribe makes a run for October.

In the AL Central, Cleveland is definitely a team to keep an eye on. The best thing you can say about the Indians is that they don’t rely too heavily on one guy, even though they could if they wanted to.

The Indians might lean heavily on leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore from time to time, but if you’ve got to pin your hopes on a player, he’s the guy to pin them on. Sizemore ranked second among full-time leadoff hitters in the AL last season, and that was an off year.

Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera batting second is also a solid move. After Cabrera got moved to the No. 2 spot last season, Cleveland went 23-6 and averaged slightly over five runs per game. That’s a heck of an improvement over the Indians’ average of 73-60 without him.

All in all, the Tribe has a more solid offense this year in comparison to the sometimes-squirrelly one they had last season, but even with unpredictable offense they still managed to win 96 games.

The only wildcard in that lineup is DH Travis Hafner, who was in a hitting slump for the majority of 2007. He turned in a .266 batting average last season, mainly as a result of his nasty habit of check swinging.

I haven’t heard if he managed to work through that issue during spring training or not, but the Tribe is going to need more than .266 out of him this year if they still want to be around in the fall.

Of course, you can’t spell Cleveland without C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, he’s coming off an amazing season, he’s still improving, and if he keeps down the road he’s on he might be the best pitcher in the majors this year.

But the biggest positive for the Indians is still their balance. 162 games from now, a huge part of the post season rests on how well a team sticks together, and not necessarily on big name star power. If you want proof, just look at Colorado.

They ended up in the World Series, and the Rockies have a collective payroll lower than the Kansas City Royals.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff.

Detroit isn’t anywhere near Colorado, but anybody who has anything to say about this year’s World Series will more than likely mention the eight-day break that Colorado has before game one within the first 60 seconds of discussion. They’ll say things like, “It’s unheard of” or, “It’s unnatural” before comparing it to the Tigers’ loss last year after having six days off before game one.

This is where I part ways with the labyrinth of baseball statistics. Having such an extended period of time off before the big dance isn’t going to help Colorado, but I draw the line at any implication the Rockies have anything to do with last years Tigers. It proves nothing.

Some doubt the Rockies chances based solely on last year’s Detroit team and the comparison of off-days each team had, but that logic is the first stage in the classic “post hoc” fallacy.

The Rockies have nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the ’06 Tigers. How Colorado plays against Boston this Wednesday at Fenway is going to have more to do with Josh Beckett and the first 5 innings than anything else.

Beckett lost his playoff legs for a while there, but he’s managed to find them again. If I were the Rockies I would be worrying about him, and just because I’ve had 8 days off means I’ve had 8 days to worry.

Beckett ranks first in the AL with 20 wins, and he’s second in winning percentage with .741. Here’s the point: The Rockies are an amazing team and have everything they need to beat the Red Sox. But they won’t win game one—and no amount of time off would matter when you’re facing someone as hot as Beckett is right now.

The rest of the series? Well. That’s another matter. Francona is without doubt making the right call by giving Shilling the start in game two. But, if you believe the Rockies are going to be “rusty,” like I’ve heard so many say will happen in game one, then you also have to acknowledge that by game two the rust will be gone.

Schilling might suddenly find himself pitching against a Rockies team he hasn’t had the best of luck against in the past.

Game two is going to be the lynch pin for the Rockies. If Colorado can pick that one up and head back to Coors field with the Series tied 1-1, they have a shot to sweep at home.

Boston doesn’t play defense as well as the Rockies do, especially in Coors Field–something I highly doubt will suddenly change.

If the Rockies want to pull this one off, they can’t afford to let Boston force game six. Don’t think it’s impossible, either. The Rockies might have had a lot of days off going into the World Series, but they’ve won a heck of a lot more games going in.

I just don’t think eight days off is enough to kill the momentum of 21 wins.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff

I love it when an entire nation scratches its head. Now that the Colorado Rockies are headed to their first World Series in franchise history, everyone is scrambling to figure out why and how this is even possible. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can put a finger on one thing or another to explain how the Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games, or how no team in the history of baseball has played this well going into the playoffs.

Even Peter Gammons, the Bobby Fischer of baseball analytics, has yet to help his adoring readers understand how this can happen. By all accounts, it shouldn’t. Not even the Colorado Rockies players know how the heck this is happening, and they’re the ones actually doing it. Some people even say what the Rockies have done this season is impossible. What a bunch of malarkey. It’s not impossible . . . nothing is impossible in baseball.

To describe what Colorado has done as “impossible,” if you think about it, is a pretty harsh slam on the franchise. Actually, the media’s response to this whole situation is a perfect example of everything that’s unfortunate about baseball. It’s a perfect example of notoriety overshadowing talent, of east-coast bias, of payrolls vs. good souls. What ever you want to call it, the result is the same.

The biggest reason why baseball pundits don’t know where the Rockies are coming from is because Colorado doesn’t have any big name players.

If you watch video of baseball critics being asked, “So how are the Rockies doing it?” they all pretty much say the same thing. They only insight you’ll get is that the Rockies are a great team, that they play together as a team, that everybody on the team contributes to the team, that every game someone on the team has a great game for the team, the team, the team, the team. Get it?

Personally, I’m elated the Rockies are doing this. Their success is not only supplying baseball fans everywhere with a classic come from behind Cinderella story, but their success is also causing plenty of pundits to eat their words.

Think about it. If the reason why the Rockies have done the “impossible” is thanks to dedication and being team players, what does that say about the MLB as a whole? Does it make you think maybe star power and ego are a little too prevalent in the MLB? Does it make you think that maybe, just maybe, the Rockies are playing baseball the way it was meant to be played? Maybe that’s the reason why everyone is so confused by it.

I, for one, am going to be pulling for the Rockies this World Series. They play great ball, they do it as a team, and they make me smile. It’s the stuff that makes the sport fun.

It’s the stuff that stories are made of, and if you don’t believe me, then you’ve never seen Major League.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff

“Bronx Bombers” is beginning to sound like a self-destructive term for the Yankees. It’s been seven years now since they’ve won a World Series, so it’s no shocker that Steinbrenner is going to make good on his math: (seven years) x (no ring) = no more Torre. The fans in New York had better not fear change. Steinbrenner won’t be asking for opinions.

In the coming weeks, Yankees fans should prep themselves for the Steinbrenner of lore, as he chokes the life out of whomever he thinks is to blame from the comfort of his Death Star. But if we can learn anything at all from this preseason, it’s that you don’t have to throw money at a ball club to bring home a World Series—something Steinbrenner isn’t likely to notice.

Why should he? If you’ve got the money, use the money. It’s that simple. But the other three teams in the postseason this year are living proof that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot.

The Red Sox are the current exception. They have the second highest payroll in baseball floating around $143 million. They’ve got big names, make big plays, but they still can’t guarantee a win.

ESPN baseball guru Peter Gammons warned everyone about the Tribe a month ago, and he was right. We’ll find out this weekend if the Red Socks read that article, but if Cleveland manages to knock Boston’s socks off and head to the show, they’ll be playing against either Arizona or Colorado in what could be called the “Poor Man’s” World Series.

Arizona, Colorado, and Cleveland are all in the bottom third of the MLB payroll, and they are all ranked below the Kansas City Royals in payroll dollars, who have consistently been a ho-hum club since the 80’s.

Smaller market teams practice a style of baseball that I wish more teams would adopt—they groom their players. Baseball is a lot more fun to watch when you have franchise players to work for.

Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia was drafted and raised with the Tribe, and he’s a good old-fashioned left handed powerhouse that has Cy Young written all over his arm. The Yankees have Derek Jeter. He’s their New York pinstripe pin-up. A Yankee ‘till the end. Or until Darth Steinbrenner decides otherwise.

So what does that tell you? More importantly, what should that tell Steinbrenner? Maybe instead of throwing money at another ring, he should use the depth of his pockets to dig for raw talent. Talent he can mold into exactly what it is that Steinbrenner wants. How out of control do think the Yankees would be if half their team was born and bred to understand that style of baseball? What if they had 22 Derek Jeters running around?

Before any of you accuse me of forgetting, I’m more than aware that baseball is a business just like any other, and if you can go after a proven investment that’s a little older, like A-Rod, then you should do it. But even the soundest investment won’t always come through for you in the clutch. Like A-Rod.

Nonetheless, it’s hardly argument enough for big money teams like the Yankees to reconsider their hiring practices, but you never know. Things might change.

My Grandfather never thought the Dodgers would leave Brooklyn, either.

–Joey Alfino, Red Editorial Staff