Allergies

It seems like a stupid thing to bring up, but for some players who grew up in the north, they can be brutal about midway through spring training. As I mentioned in my notes, Granderson has them worse than most, and he looked it after the game today. A lot of other players get them, too, making it a clubhouse inconvenience once players start getting into the swing of spring games. It’s also nice to mention as a consolation for people stuck in the cold up north who are tired of hearing about the Florida weather.

Other items of note:

• Granderson’s two-strike approach at the plate has been discussed many times already, but he had another solid at-bat with it today. He had a full count against John Smoltz with a runner on second and no outs in the third when he lofted a ball to right, moving the runner to third. The run didn’t come in because Smoltz somehow held onto a Carlos Guillen line drive right at his chest.
• As a side note on the Ilitch story, Leyland pointed out how Ilitch lets those whom he hires do their job, something Ilitch said he learned over the years. "He lets me manage, and I let him own," Leyland said.
• With some of the minor league coaches working with the big club, Leyland has had a chance to talk with some of them. He’s getting to know new Erie manager Matt Walbeck a little. "They tell me he’s real good," Leyland said.
• Good news if you’re watching the Tigers in Sarasota or Port St. Lucie over the next couple days: Pudge will make the trip on both of them. Most of the rest will either be on one or the other. So why Pudge? He wanted to give family a chance to see him play.