This is a helping hand that needs your help

The bats finally come alive

by | Oct 14, 2011 | Detroit Free Press

Justin Verlander had thrown everything he had, his fastball, his change-up, his curve, his arm, his heart, his lungs, maybe a couple of kidneys. His engine was sputtering, pushed to the brink.

And it was still the sixth inning.

The infield came in. The crowd inhaled. Verlander, with the score tied, had just walked the No.9 batter on four pitches to load the bases. His pitch count was far north of 100. There was only one out. Most other pitchers would be done. Out of there. You actually could hear gulping across Comerica Park. Is this it? Does the season end here?

This is a helping hand that needs your help

The bats finally come alive

by | Oct 14, 2011 | Detroit Free Press, Sports

Justin Verlander had thrown everything he had, his fastball, his change-up, his curve, his arm, his heart, his lungs, maybe a couple of kidneys. His engine was sputtering, pushed to the brink.And it was still the sixth inning. The infield came in. The crowd inhaled....
This is a helping hand that needs your help

Papa Grande takes defeat

by | Oct 13, 2011 | Detroit Free Press, Sports

Again? Really? In the 11th inning? Another Nelson Cruz home run to make it Texas 7, Detroit 3? Really? Didn’t we just see that two games ago? Come on, Mr. Destiny. Isn’t it bad enough Justin Verlander keeps getting rained on? Do we have to see every bad...
This is a helping hand that needs your help

Homeless fan still has his hand in the game

by | Oct 9, 2011 | Detroit Free Press

There’s a million stories in baseball. This one happened outside the stadium.

It was almost 1 a.m. Tuesday, and I was leaving to go home after covering the Tigers-Yankees game. The Tigers had won, and in the distance near the late-closing bars you could hear car horns and some determined partyers, but for the most part, the area was empty, a few cops, a few stadium workers.

I walked down a small street called Montcalm that feeds into Woodward Avenue. Ahead of me, I saw an older man standing by a light pole. He held a cup and a small piece of cardboard.