Seeing Old Friends Again

Given the transactions made this offseason, it was good to see some old friends this week.

From a fans perspective of course … and a thousand miles away from where the action is happening in Florida.

This week we saw Curtis Granderson – wearing the Yankees NY on his cap.

And we saw Placido Polanco wearing the fat-little Philadelphia P on his cap.

Both showed us some emotion in the reunions.

And both reminded us how much we should miss them – by their strong play.

Grandy made a game changing running grab against the fence - a great catch - to rob Cabrera from at least and RBI.

Deep sigh.

And Placido – well – he seems to be back at third after returning to Philadelphia – still the stalwart rock of consistently both defensively and at the plate.

The news broke today that had the Tigers offered Placido Polanco arbitration – he likely would have accepted it.

So this leads me to cement my belief that this Tigers organization – the powers that run the old English D we all cherish – had a different direction in mind. A direction that we still don't do see. A direction that we really are still assuming exists.

It wasn't just dollars. They already spent what they saved in acquiring Valverde and Damon.

As for Granderson's replacement – Austin Jackson – I am quite confident that he will get his footing quickly and prove himself to be an asset to the Tigers before the old Sparky Anderson "forty game" litmus test expires.

But Scott Sizemore – the AAA Toledo second baseman the Tigers have been eyeing for a couple of years as Placido's replacement is struggling. He is struggling because last season ended with a broken ankle – and ankle that he is trying to work around. An ankle that seems to be taking his attention away from stepping up in the big leagues.

I am rooting for both these guys.

And I am doing my best to not compare Jackson to Granderson – or Sizemore to Polanco. But it's so early yet. And those two positions were never a question mark.

Big cleat's to fill in deed.

Let's just hope Jackson doesn't feel a need to pull his sock straps up to his knees like Grandy did.

And for Sizemore – just keep it simple – and get the job done.

That's how Placido did it.

If nobody's talking about Scott Sizemore after forty games – then he's filling Placido's just fine.