Notes from TigerFest

I can’t write a full story until after the event ends, but I wanted to drop a few quick notes while I had a minute or two …

• There’s somewhat of a sense of awe amongst some players about the team they’ve assembled here. Todd Jones said that when a lot of the players got together, it looked like some sort of All-Star squad or a barnstorming tour, not a bunch of guys on the same team.
• During Dave Dombrowski’s morning session with fans, he approached the idea of the Tigers not being able to trade Brandon Inge like it was a strong possibility and not just a scenario to worry about. "We have made a lot of efforts and a lot of phone calls," Dombrowski said.
• As for what role he would play, Dombrowski said, "He’s a very good athlete. He can play a lot of positions. My thought process would be to take advantage of that."
• That includes catching. "If I was Brandon Inge’s friend," Dombrowski said, "I would tell him, ‘You should catch.’"
• Inge was not at TigerFest, nor was he scheduled to be. However, that appeared to be a mutual decision between player and team to avoid the barrage of questions that would follow him if he showed up.
• Dombrowski said Gary Sheffield’s rehab from shoulder surgery is going "tremendous." He’s expected to be swinging a bat when spring training begins and should be ready in time for Opening Day. That includes the ability to play the outfield.
• One poignant observation from manager Jim Leyland: "We haven’t won anything. We haven’t done anything. People don’t like us right now in baseball, I can tell you that. I think we’re almost to the point of the Red Sox and Yankees right now where people say, ‘Aw, they’re spending money.’ That offends some people, and I understand that. I’ve been on both sides of it. I’m not going to get trapped into all that stuff."
• Miguel Cabrera said he’ll let his agent worry about a new contract. Asked if he thinks this could be his home for a long time, however, he said, "I hope so."
• Carlos Guillen on Cabrera: "I think he wants to stay here. He likes to win. And he knows baseball. He knows we have a good team."
• Guillen pretty much agreed with fans’ expectations for this club. Asked about the expectation to win the World Series this year, he basically agreed. "We’ve got the talent," he said. "We’ve got guys who play with passion. We’ve got guys who have been to the World Series before and know how to win. The front office has done their job. Now we have to do ours."
• Arguably the story of the day comes from closer Todd Jones, who was taking pictures with fans in the clubhouse when an older lady had an odd thank-you for his save situations. "She goes, ‘Thank you for making my heart race all the time,’" Jones said. "I didn’t really know how to take that. She said, ‘No, I use that for exercise.’ I was like, ‘All right, I’m glad I could help with your cardio.’"

I’ll be out on the winter caravan Sunday, capping the day with a stop in Toledo for the Mud Hens event. Hopefully those of you who couldn’t get tickets to TigerFest have a chance to see the team on one of the stops.