Manager Phil Garner, fresh off a season-high eight-game losing skid (6/24-7/1), wanted to see his team show more guts, more character. No more easy at-bats, no more easy outs. "(We're) stuck in the same old crap: Swing at a ball over your head, swing at a ball in the dirt," Garner told the Detroit Free Press. Would his inspirational message help the team? The early results are in, and they're slightly encouraging. The team is 4-2 since then going into the break.
First-half MVP: Injury-free Tony Clark. The typically slow-starting Clark is hitting .305 with 14 homers and 51 RBI. What a relief! With Juan Gonzalez out of the picture, and Dean Palmer battling a shoulder problem, the Tigers were in desperate need of Clark's powerful bat.
Biggest surprise: C Robert Fick, who's hitting .307 with 14 homers and 39 RBI, is the true surprise. For a guy who almost landed on the scrap heap this spring, Fick's been a tremendous asset as a hitter and a fielder.
Biggest disappointment: Frequent "Dan Patrick Show" guest Todd Jones. Isn't it funny how Jones and Boston's Derek Lowe, who shared the AL lead with 42 saves last season, have struggled this season. Stripped of his closer's role, Jones (4-5, 5.03) has blown six of his 17 save opportunities. Is the "Dan Patrick Show" curse finally catching up with him?
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Tigers first-half comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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38-46
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35-46
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HR leader
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Palmer, 18
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Fick, 14
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BA leader
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Encarnacion, .301
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Clark, .305
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ERA
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Moehler, 3.79
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Sparks, 3.77
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Second-half goals: Start doing the simple things right. See Garner's mission statement above. Scratching out wins on the road is a must. The Tigers, 13-26 away from Comerica, enter the break with an eight-game road losing streak and hit the road for six consecutive games to start the second half. And how about this? Detroit is only 14-30 against divisional opponents.
Minor-leaguer to watch: Right-hander Nate Cornejo made a big splash at the beginning of the season,
allowing just six runs -- two earned -- in 33 innings while winning his first five starts for Double-A Erie. The 21-year-old Cornejo was 11-3 with a 2.84 ERA in the first half.
Grade:  -- If the Tigers don't get it together, and fast, they'll soon be joining the Devil Rays at the bottom of the AL.
(Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best)
Here's what you had to say about the Tigers' first-half performance.
Marty Bernoski is an associate editor at ESPN.com
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