MLB News, Notes & Anecdotes
By Jim Lachimia

o When the Detroit Tigers visited PNC Park right before the All-Star break, Jim Leyland had a consistent message for members of the local media, which was: "We're not as good as our record, and the Pirates aren't as bad as theirs." Then he would add with that familiar grin of his: "But we're pretty good." The return to managing has been everything the former Bucco skipper had hoped it would be. Six years away from the dugout haven't dulled his instincts one bit.

o Part of the Tigers' success (they carried a .675 winning percentage into late July) can be traced back to their willingness to give catcher Ivan Rodriguez and outfielder Magglio Ordonez more years and more dollars than any other team. Detroit managed to woo Pudge after a 2003 season in which they lost 119 games and he won a World Championship with Florida. Then the Tigers gave Ordonez five years and $70 million following the 2004 season even though he had a bad knee that made everyone else wary of such a long-term commitment.

o There's a lot of testosterone out on the mound when Matt Capps is in the ballgame. The Pirates' rookie righthander doesn't turn 23 until September 3, but he's definitely a man, not a boy. Capps has shown guts, determination, good velocity and absolutely remarkable control-and his future as a late-inning reliever is cause for excitement. "Matt's been exposed to the major leagues, now we're going to take the leash off, give him some more important opportunities and see how much he can chew up," manager Jim Tracy said recently.

o GM Dave Littlefield is never shocked when younger players take a step backwards. Here's something he said during spring training: "Part of the unpredictable nature of our business is that you're not sure where everything is going to go year to year early on in a player's career. You know it's commonplace for prospects to be up and down, up and down. So the month and a half that Chris Duffy had (in 2005 when he hit .341 for Pittsburgh), is that the real deal? Is Zach Duke going to build on that 8-2 record he had? Or is he going to step back? That's a possibility. That happens to young players, so you have to assume that someone is going to step back. They rarely all jump up and keep getting better and better."

o There's little doubt that the Home Run Derby now trumps the All-Star Game itself in terms of excitement. The display that Ryan Howard of the Phillies and David Wright of the Mets put on at PNC Park during the former last month was indeed memorable. Not that the latter didn't have its compelling moments. It certainly did. But the Home Run Derby has become quite a spectacle for those watching in person and on television around the world, and it's here to stay.

Jim Lachimia is the editor of the Pirates' On-Deck Magazine.