The Wandering Disciple

Lakeland Florida, the southern home of the Detroit Tigers for 83 years. Known to many Tiger fans as TigerTown, Lakeland has seen many of Detroit's greatest players pass through town. And when its not the stars of today hitting the fields in the spring, the town is filled with the stars of tomorrow as the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Gulf Coast Tigers build the skills of future greats. At the center of the action is Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The stadium which was recently upgraded in 2017, has been the heart of the action since 1966. (Photo: June 29, 2019)

Sarasota, Florida: The battle for roster spots heat up as spring training nears conclusion and Friday afternoon’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers was no different. Headlining this contest was a pair of pitchers battling for the fifth spot in the rotation as Brian Matusz battled for a spot in the Orioles rotation while Duane Below found himself in a similar situation in the Tigers rotation. As for the game itself, another exciting spring game with the Tigers edging the Orioles by two thanks to a ninth inning rally. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. With runners on first and second, Miguel Cabrera came through with an RBI double to right that scored both runners. Cabrera later scored on a ground ball by Delmon Young as the Tigers took an early 3-0 lead. The Orioles got a run back in the bottom of the second as Detroit’s starter Below worked himself into a bases loaded jam. Below walked three straight batters to load the bases a...