ESPN Curtis Granderson Blog

I can't believe how quickly this season has flown by. Unfortunately, I won't have another month left to play this year, but hopefully that changes next year. I'll have one final blog next week, but I decided to pull some more questions out of the hat this morning before I head to the field and try to keep the Rays from clinching their division with a win. It's fine if they do it by Boston losing, but not by beating us.

I do want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading this blog and keeping it going along with sending in your great questions all season long. I've had fun with this again this year, and it wouldn't be possible without all the great people at ESPN and ESPN.com. They have made this blog really easy, and they are also helping out my charity, which I don't think can be stated enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Q: Love the blog. You do an outstanding job. I loved the photo of the rookie initiation. My question is, at what point during the off-season do you start preparing yourself physically and mentally for the next season?
--Sean, Conyers, Ga.

I'll usually take about three full weeks to a month off from baseball both mentally and physically. I will be covering the playoffs right away at the end of the season, but I consider that more fun than work. Once that time has come and gone, I start back in the gym, just building my strength back. I won't start baseball stuff until about Christmas time or right after the New Year.

Q: When players consider home away from the city you play, where do you live when you are with your team?
--Nick, Bay Area, Calif.

I think you are asking where do I live when I'm not in Chicago in the off-season. If so, the answer is a couple of places. I'm in Lakeland, Fla., for two months for spring training, then when I move here to Detroit for the season, I'll usually stay somewhere fairly close to the ballpark, but each year is different during the season. It all depends on who will give me a six-month lease, which not too many places will do.

Q: I always hear about the troubles batters or pitchers have going from the AL to NL or vice versa. There was a lot of talk about [Miguel] Cabrera coming from the Marlins to Detroit and hitting the AL pitchers. Also, CC Sabathia going from Cleveland to Milwaukee now facing NL batters. Can you explain some of the things that would trouble a player?
--Joe, Parts Unknown

The rumor is that in the National League, pitchers throw more fastballs, so if you are a good fastball hitter you tend to have more success moving from the American League to the National League. I don't know if this is true or not, but I do remember in a spring training game, Joel Zumaya was throwing against the Reds (National League team) and guys were able to catch up to his 95+ mph fastballs with ease. Now, I know it was only spring training, but usually guys tend to have slower bat speed in spring training than the regular season. I remember when Bronson Arroyo went from the Red Sox (AL) to the Reds (NL), too, and was dominating for a while down there, because he threw a lot of offspeed pitches. Miguel Cabrera got off to a slow start here in the American League but has had a great season, and it could have been the switch or a number of reasons why he started slow. CC is off to a great start in the National League as well because he has two great offspeed pitches (changeup and slider), but remember he was a Cy Young winner in the American League so he can pretty much pitch anywhere.

Q: What does Marcus Thames write in the dirt in the left field warning track before each game he starts?
--Tristan, Windsor, Ontario

Not too sure, and have never asked him. Some people do certain things that are just for them, and as a teammate you just don't ask.

Q: Have you ever asked for an autograph of another player, coach, manager, or front office executive?
--Christopher, Fullerton, Calif.

I have asked my teammates for autographs for friends and charities. From other teams, I have only asked Ken Griffey Jr. I do have a ball by his dad, Ken Sr., but someone gave that to me without me asking for it. I also asked Willie Mays for an autograph. I'm more happy about the picture I have with him, though, than the autographed ball.

Q: I am a Cardinals fan and whenever there is a pitching change in the middle of an inning, the outfielders huddle together in center field. What do you talk about? Is it more of a serious conversation talking about the game, or do you make jokes and try to have fun?
--Matt, Parts Unknown

Usually, it is never serious talk. We look around the stands, we make a lot of jokes about each other, things like that. Magglio and I always are laughing about something when we meet up in center.

Q: What road clubhouse is the best and why?
--Ryan, Atlanta, Ga.

Seattle. They have the best chef in the big leagues. He makes the best chicken with cheese and bacon sandwiches, with french fries on the side, plus his post-game meals are great. They have plenty of snacks, drinks, gum, and magazines of all types to read. They also have the batting cage in the locker room, so you don't have to worry about sharing with the other team. There is also a weight room in there.

Q: Many of us call you our Tiger, but the truth is, just as happened with Pudge, tomorrow, next year, any time you could be traded and have to be at home in a new city. Does this keep you from getting comfortable in a place that isn't "home" (i.e., Chicago)?
--Carolyn, Ann Arbor, Mich.

It does keep you from wanting to call a place home where you play during the season. You think about buying a house, because you spend so much money on rent, and then as soon as you close on it, you end up getting traded. When talking to fans around Detroit, some are shocked to hear that as soon as the last day of the season is over, guys head back to their hometowns. You have to remember we have been away from our homes for almost eight months (two months for spring training and six months for the season), and we are ready to head back to our actual homes. As much fun as Detroit is, there is still no place like home. And no, I didn't click my heels when I typed that.

Q: Do the Tigers have a team jet or do you all fly on a charter plane?
--Jake, Portland, Ore.

We actually share a plane with the Red Wings. Our plane has both logos on it, and it's our own plane. If there is a conflict with the hockey season and baseball season, then we will take a charter plane. I surprise my friends and family with how quickly we arrive in the next city. As soon as the last game before a road trip is done, we are headed straight to the airport. Once the plane is loaded up, we take right off. No checking in, no checking luggage, just park and a few hundred feet to the plane.

Q: At lower levels of baseball, players are taught to communicate verbally on cut-offs ("Cut 3," for example), let the catcher know if a base runner is stealing, etc. Is this still done at the major league level with all the crowd noise, and, if not, how is such communication done?
--Dave, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

A lot of the same communication is done up here at the major league level. In the outfield, I'll call off the infielder by saying "I got it, I got it, I got it." In the infield, if I steal a base, I hear the first baseman or even someone from the bench yell "runner." As for cut-offs in the infield, I'm not 100 percent sure, because I haven't played there since high school, but if the fielder doesn't want the ball to be cut, then they don't say anything. If they want the ball to be cut, then they yell which base to cut the ball too. Now the cutoff man also makes a decision without having to be told anything either. If the ball is offline, it's his judgment to cut the ball off. Even though it is pretty noisy with the crowds, we end up so close to each other when we are communicating that for the most part we can still hear each other.

On Friday night against the Indians, we got into a nice little brawl that made all the highlights. Gary Sheffield was hit by a pitch. He then walked over to first base and received a pickoff throw from the pitcher, Fausto Carmona. That's when some words were exchanged and the brawl started.

The benches cleared really fast, and both teams were in the middle of the field, trying to restore order. Luckily, no one was really hurt. I know a few people, including me, who have cleat marks on their toes and ankles. This now marks six bench-clearing fights in my pro baseball career (three in Oneonta; one in Erie; one in Toledo; and now this one Friday night).

After seeing or hearing about a fight, friends and family members always ask if I threw any punches. The answer has always been no, and for a couple of reasons: First, the fight usually has nothing to do with me, so there is no reason to just start hitting people; Second, as soon as you throw a punch -- and it is either caught on camera or seen by an ump -- it's an automatic suspension without pay; Third, and most important, is that I could hurt myself and end up being out for a few weeks -- or even months -- with a broken finger, hand or something like that. So unless someone comes charging at me, I'm just going to hold people back and try to break things up.

Fights are always a crazy part of all sports, and I know the fans love the chance to get to see one, but when they actually do happen, it's a crazy burst of adrenaline that could end with some players getting really hurt. From a fan's standpoint, it is great to watch (and I'm sure our fight had lots of views on the Internet over the weekend), but you never hope for one or want to be in one.

Also, a lot of you have asked in the comments section of my previous blog to see the photo from last weekend's rookie initiation. So here are the rookies, in all their glory. I hope you laugh as hard as we did.

We are on our last road series of the season, finishing up in Cleveland. There is a possibility we will have to make one game up in Chicago at the end of the season, but that won't be determined for a while still.

The last road series usually means a few things: The season is wrapping up, we get to head home to finish up the season, we get to pack up all our stuff in Detroit for the offseason and, last but not least, rookie initiation.

Rookie initiation is one of the best times of the year for us, because we get to make the rookies dress up in very small Halloween outfits and parade around a city. I was forced to wear a Pocahontas outfit in 2005 when we headed to Minneapolis to start a road trip. I had to fly on the plane wearing the outfit, then had to walk through downtown Minneapolis around 6 p.m. to the hotel. I can't even say it was embarrassing because we were too busy laughing about the whole thing.

This year we have eight new guys who will all have to go through a similar initiation. I was in charge of buying the outfits this year, and after tonight's game they will be wearing them.

Here is what each player will be wearing:

Freddy Dolsi -- French maid
Armando Galarraga -- Cha Cha girl
Chris Lambert -- Bridezilla
Clay Rapada -- Female cop
Dusty Ryan -- Caveman with a club
Dane Sardinha -- Hercules
Jeff Larrish -- She-devil
Matt Joyce -- Neverland fairy

The best part about the outfits is watching everyone try to put them on. Remember, these costumes are made to fit females, and most of the guys are over 200 pounds, so stretching and pulling to make an outfit actually fit is great to watch. Then watching them try to actually move in the outfits is always fun too.

So for the fans who happen to make it to Cleveland this weekend and are looking for something fun to watch, stick around after the game. It should be a fun day.

Dontrelle Willis made his return to our starting rotation Monday night, and he pitched really well. After walking the first batter he faced, everything settled into place and he looked really good. He went on to get a no-decision after pitching five solid innings, giving up three runs and striking out four.

One thing that people don't realize is that any player's first time back either from an injury or from being sent down to the minor leagues is almost like making his very first appearance in the big leagues. The speed of a game in the big leagues, along with the talent of the players, can't be simulated at any other level of the minor leagues. That first time back, there are jitters and a lot of nervousness. It stays that way until you make your first pitch, first out, swing at your first pitch, catch your first ball or get your first hit. You can try your knowledge when you are down in the minors to get your mind as close to the intensity of the big leagues, but when you finally step into a big league stadium, everything is different.

Willis' return adds a bit of confidence, not only for himself but also for the rest of the pitching staff and for our manager, Jim Leyland, to know that another starter is ready to help finish the season.

Freddy Garcia will make his first start since June of last year Wednesday and will go through a lot of the same feelings that Willis went through on Monday. If Garcia is able to come out and also have a strong performance, it will add to the big picture of things that we as a franchise will be able to do moving forward.

The main focus is to get Garcia through his start on Wednesday, then to get Willis at least one more start before the season ends. We can then build from that into next year's spring training and the start of the 2009 season.

The Cy Young and MVP awards are two of the biggest individual awards a player can get in baseball. And when you start to look at the stats, this argument always comes up: Which numbers are most important?

For MVP, you've got to have a high batting average; that's the first stat that gets noticed. The next important stat seems to be home runs; you can change a game with one swing of the bat, and it is the only hit for which your team is assured of scoring at least one run. Since runs are the name of the game, I think the next important stat is a toss-up between runs and RBIs. While there are other variables that go into runs and RBIs -- if runners are on base when you get hits, if guys are getting hits behind you in the order, etc. -- these two stats can show offensive production. And here's the last factor: The "without this player, the team wouldn't be where they are" argument. I don't particularly like this one. I understand that a good player helps a team, which is what Manny Ramirez is doing with the Dodgers, but shouldn't the Rangers' Josh Hamilton be considered, too?

The Cy Young award is different than the MVP award. The Cy Young goes to the best pitcher, period. There are important stats (wins, strikeouts and ERA), but if his team isn't playing well this season, he won't be overlooked, which is why I think Cliff Lee is a lock for the Cy Young in the AL (he leads all of baseball in wins and ERA). You can make a case for K-Rod, who just tied the single-season saves record Thursday night (and hopefully will break it before the season ends), but the only thing that will keep him out of it, I think, is the fact that Lee has been so good for so many more innings.

But back to my original point: Simply put, I think the Cy Young should go to the best pitcher and the MVP to the best player, regardless of a team's record. With so many other factors that can affect a team's win total, all players need to be given equal consideration for these awards.