Jim Abbott Tells His "Imperfect" Story

 If you haven't already, check out Flint Expatriate and Central High grad Jim Abbott's excellent book, Imperfect: An Improbable Life. You don't have to love baseball to enjoy this book about Flint, fatherhood, and living a meaningful life. (Although the baseball sections are really great, as well.)

"The lives of many of the breadwinners in the cul-de-sacs and verdant streets near Burroughs Park would change in the 1980s, just as they would all over Flint, when General Motors began boarding up its manufacturing plants. For decades a man in Flint could chart his course from the playground to high school to an assembly line or management job at GM, the path their fathers and grandfathers had taken to middle-class stability. When the jobs disappeared, so too did Flint's hope, and the street corners that had been edgy in my father's youth became strictly off-limits in mine."

Granderson Headed to the Yankees

Are the Tigers really going to let Curtis Granderson go to the Yankees? ESPN says they are.

Update: Yes, it's true.

Another Update: What do the Tigers get out of this deal with the Yankees and Diamondbacks? Tommy Rancel at Beyond the Box Score writes:

The Tigers are giving up the biggest piece in the deal in Granderson, and downgrade a bit in the interim, but gain four cheap and controllable pieces that should help for seasons to come. Detroit has made no secret about wanting to shed payroll, and clearing at least $25.75 million guaranteed to Granderson helps accomplish that goal. They also save on Edwin Jackson's impending ERA inflated arbitration raise. They receive Max Scherzer as the big prize in return. Not only can he fill Jackson's spot in the rotation immediately, but stands a decent chance of upgrading it for much less.

The Tigers could also immediately turn to soon-to-be 23-year-old Austin Jackson to fill Granderson's spot in the field. There will no doubt be a significant dip in production overall, but Jackson stands to be at least average in centerfield and brings speed to the lineup. As is the case with most young players, he strikes out a lot and hasn't mastered the art of walks, but for the league minimum he could provide a nice value in Granderson's absence.

The other two pieces, Schlereth and Coke, will help shore up a Tigers pen than stands to lose Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney to free agency. Both pitchers are lefties, and neither are regarded as a future relief ace, but both stand to be average at least and more importantly cheap and controllable.