I wouldn't call him a bench player. He's a guy who'll hit .300 and play all-star type first base. I'm sure there's a team out there that could use him.

Maggs wins batting title - first in a long while for Tigers.

THE CHAMP: Ordonez wins batting title; Venezuelan president calls to congratulate him

Tigers milestones for 2007:

Ordonez - BA .363 - AL batting champion
Polanco - 200 hits, also first ever second baseman to play entire season without committing an error
Granderson - .302 batting average in his 2nd full season
Guillen - 21hr and 102 rbi - both career high
Mike Rabelo hit his first career homer in the last game

TIGERS CORNER: Sheffield to find out if surgery is in his future; Leyland: Barry Bonds will not be a Tiger in '08

So, there we all have it.

Guillen is going to be at the 1B beginning the next season. He wants to play some winter ball at 1st to get more comfortable:
TIGERS CORNER: Sheffield to find out if surgery is in his future; Leyland: Barry Bonds will not be a Tiger in '08

I see from yesterday's box score that Leyland lead-off Palanco and batted Granderson 3rd.

Hopefully, that's a precursor of the Tiger's line-up next year.

Polanco could lead off, but he is such a great #2 hitter. He can bunt, move the runner over, hit-and-run, etc. The Tigers definitely need a leadoff hitter with speed and high obp. Grandy needs to cut down the strikeouts.

Funny, but Polanco struggled with bunting the runners over at times. But he's one of the best #2 hitters in the league. He's not the best leading off because he generally doesn't take many pitches and doesn't draw many walks. Granderson strikes out too much for a leadoff man and he has enough power to be more productive somewhere down in the lineup.

Tiger fans were not the only baseball fans to suffer through a season of hopes and failure. The Yankees were the only team from last years final eight to get back to the post season play and will probably win it all to offset the Mets major collapse. So in the end, New Yorkers still have something to cheer about and instead of Joe Torre almost losing his job in May, it might be Willie Randolph in October. As Alannis Morisette would say: "Isn't it Ironic"

To put the season in perspective with how certain teams were primed for a playoff run, lets go back to July 19th, 2007. That was when our own Detroit Tigers set atop the major leagues with the best overall record of 57-36 and had just finished off a 4 game sweep of the Twins.

They talk about how the Mets blew a 7 game lead with 17 games to go over a 2.5 week period, but the six weeks that followed the Tigers sitting on top of the world were the most painful for the loyal Tiger fans. How could the best team in baseball in 2006 and the first part of 2007 suddenly just fall apart in both the offense and the pitching?? That will be pondered all winter, but as I indicated, the Tigers and Mets were not the only city to have to have a Jeckyl and Hyde first and second season. Look at the collapse of the national league teams

Look at the teams that had the best records on 7/19 and look how many are sitting at home this post season.
ESPN - MLB Standings, Pro Baseball Standings, Major League Baseball Standings and Team Records

American League
*Tigers... 57-36... out of the playoffs
*Angels.. 56-38.... in
*Red Sox.56-39.... in
Indians... 56-39.... in
Mariners.. 53-39... out
Yankees...49-45... in

National league
*Brewers 54-41.. out
*Padres.. 53-41.. out
Dodgers.. 54-42.. out
*Mets ....53-42... out
Cubs ......50-44... in
Braves ....51-45.. out
D-backs.. 50-45... in
Phillies.... 47-48... in
Rockies... 48-47... in
*division leaders at the time.

Tigers fell hardest.
Mets are in shame.