Notes on: Tigers tickets, Curtis, Sheffield, Bazardo, Rogers

03/01/2008 8:17 PM ET
Notes: Tigers tickets selling rapidly
High expectations help sales far surpass last season
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The tickets just keep on going.

The Tigers sold about 176,000 tickets through 6 p.m. ET on the first day of single-game ticket sales Saturday, according to vice president of ticket sales Bob Raymond, continuing the rush that has gone on since season-ticket sales began in December.

The Tigers handed out 635 priority wristbands, over about three hours, to fans who had shown up at the Comerica Park box office on Friday night, in advance of the 10 a.m. ET start of sales on Saturday morning. Lines weren't allowed to form until 8 a.m. on Saturday, but they still wrapped around to Ford Field by the time ticket windows opened a couple hours later, and they were still that long at 11 a.m.

By comparison, the Tigers sold a total of 76,000 tickets for the entire first day of sales last year, which included Opening Day tickets. Two years ago, Detroit sold 29,000 tickets on the first day, about 9,000 of which went for the home opener.

Online, traffic on the tickets.com site for sales on Saturday morning ran comparable to what they see on the Cubs site on the first day of single-game sales for games at Wrigley Field, according to vice president of communications Rob Matwick.

Good catch: On a day when most of the offense came early and Ben Francisco had the game's only home run, one of the better ovations from the crowd of just over 9,000 came on a running catch from Brent Clevlen, who entered the game in center field and began running full-tilt toward the fence to rob what would've been an extra-base hit.

"It carried a little more than I thought it would," Clevlen said. "The wind wasn't blowing out, but it still carried a little bit."

It was a sign of the defense that manager Jim Leyland said earlier this spring was as good as any outfielder in the system and could be the best. For someone who came up through the lower levels as a corner outfielder, it's a sign of the comfort level that he has developed out there.

"I've played more games there now, so I'm starting to get more comfortable with it," he said. "I feel fine out there."

Granderson sits: Curtis Granderson wasn't in Saturday's starting lineup, but it wasn't simply a matter of avoiding a lefty-on-lefty matchup with C.C. Sabathia. Leyland rested him on Saturday and will do the same on Sunday as a way to give Granderson some rest this spring.

Until Saturday, Granderson had played in every game this spring, including Tuesday's exhibition against Florida Southern.

The day off caught Granderson a little by surprise.

"I thought I had done something wrong," Granderson said.

While Ryan Raburn started in center field, Ivan Rodriguez batted in the leadoff spot as a way to get him at-bats without forcing him to catch many innings. Pudge could also be a possibility leading off, Leyland added, on days when Granderson sits against tough left-handers.

Rodriguez had a lengthy first at-bat against Sabathia before striking out swinging. He went 0-for-3 before Dane Sardinha came in to catch.

Sheff is back: Gary Sheffield returned to camp, as expected, on Saturday, after three days of depositions in his much-publicized arbitration case against his former agent, Scott Boras. Testimony in the case, he said, has ended.

"Now it's in the hands of the arbitrator and Major League Baseball," Sheffield said Saturday afternoon.

Leyland and Sheffield agreed to let him have a day to work out and get back up to speed. Leyland also wanted to ease along a sore hamstring that Sheffield had been working through before he had to go. Sheffield had been hoping to work out at a gym while he was away, but the proceedings went into the evening. He's on the travel roster for Sunday and is expected to start at designated hitter.

No matter what the decision in his case, though, his days in a courtroom should be over for now.

"That's the main thing," Sheffield said.

Bazardo back Sunday: Yorman Bazardo was scheduled to travel back from his native Venezuela on Saturday night and is expected to rejoin the Tigers on Sunday after attending the funeral of his father. Bazardo is scheduled to make his first game appearance of the spring on Sunday against the Indians.

Quotable: "It's very odd, because it's leading to many headaches. It's uncomfortable. It's hot. It's unnecessary." -- First-base coach Andy Van Slyke, on wearing a helmet in the coaching box under one of baseball's new rules for this season

Up next: The Tigers and Indians meet again Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. ET game in Winter Haven, Fla. Kenny Rogers will make his first start of the spring opposite Jake Westbrook. Bazardo, Jordan Tata, Jason Grilli and Zach Miner are also slated to pitch, while Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Edgar Renteria and Magglio Ordonez will be among those making the trip. MLB Gameday Audio, AM 1270 and FM 97.1 will have the broadcast.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Let's GOOOO GUYS!

man, lung cancer is nuts. he still thinks fudge as a lead off hitter. he will have a hard on for that guy til he dies.

and i am so sick of seeing granderson being benched because of a left hander. if he is your lead off guy, let him lead off every fucking game. let him work through any problems.

only the tigers would bench a superstar like granderson for a stupid reason.

i dont see fudge ever benched because he has to face a PITCHER. any handed pitcher, a no handed pitcher.roll the ball up there and he would swing at it. then strike out and act like a little kid. that fucker is nuts.

austin

Granderson sat because of the lefty-lefty matchup? Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Granderson more likely to improve by hitting against lefties?

Utmost sympathy to Yorman. That's gotta be tough.

ALL HAIL TIGERS NATION!

WE ROCK!

Grandy can only get better!

Grandy wanted to face more lefty pitchers in spring training so he could improve.

what a go-getter!