AL Central

During the off-season, Scott Baker signed a four year, $15.25 million deal. Other than a few Joe Mays-related rumblings, the public response to this deal was quite positive.

Why wouldn't it be? Baker was coming off of his best season as a professional, going 11-4 with a 3.45 ERA and 141 strikeouts. He held batters to a .247 BAA and posted a WHIP of just 1.17.

Welcome to Rudy Dominick & Johnny Lawrence's fourth weekly installment of Detroit Tigers information and analysis. Each Thursday, we will delve into all things Tigers. Read and digest, or skim and spit out our insightful banter.

Keep An Eye On—Scott Sizemore, Second Base—Erie Sea Wolves (AA)
(May 6—May 13)
.363 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBI

Baseball fans, pundits, beat reporters, and major league managers and general managers alike, look to the usual suspects when a team is below the .500 mark at this stage of the season.

Things such as a lack of clutch hitting, an erratic starting rotation, an ineffective bullpen, sloppy fielding, and inattentive base-running.

The Minnesota Twins have suffered breakdowns in all these departments at one time or another thus far this season.

That's why they sit at 15-17, mired in third place in the American League Central Division.

When the Minnesota Twins traded for Delmon Young prior to last season, everybody thought the team was bringing in a hitter with big power potential. The assumption was rightfully so; Young had hit .288 with 13 homeruns and 93 RBI with the Rays and was just barely 21-years old.

In his first season with the Twins, Young hit .290 with 10 homeruns and 69 RBI. The numbers weren't bad; Young upped his average from the year before and also struck out 22 fewer times. Yet the expectations that the homerun totals would rise with age caused most to be critical of Young and the trade.

The Indians' today signed veteran right-hander Luis Vizcaino to a minor league deal.

The Minnesota Twins held their own and kept themselves near the top of the American League Central with an 11-11 record in the first month of the season.

To say the least, they did a good job; they had no Joe Mauer, and in recent history, April has not been a month of strength for the team.

Last season, the Twins never once reached the .500 mark in April. In 2006, the year in which the magical run took place, the Twins faltered in April and struggled mightily until the month was over.

From Andy Castrovince's latest mailbag:

Our savior is back! Although it has not been made official, the Indians have recalled David Dellucci from his rehab assignment in Columbus.

The Columbus Clippers/Durham Bulls game is telecasted over the Internet and the announcer said that the Clippers were playing short handed because of Dellucci returning to the Tribe as he is on his way to Detroit.

I imagine Rich Rundles will be sent back to Triple A, so the pitching staff has been trimmed to a mere 13.