AL Central news and stories by mail.com

AL Central

World Series gets awfully hairy with wild beards
This is going to be a very hairy World Series. Giants outfielder Hunter Pence is looking seriously scraggly. Same goes for teammate Sergio Romo, whose ...
Sandoval, Cain, Cabrera earned home Series start
The World Series starts in San Francisco because the All-Star game was a Giant blowout. Pablo Sandoval, Matt Cain and Melky Cabrera made sure of it.
Giants' Zito to start World Series opener
From postseason bystander to starting the World Series opener. That's how far Barry Zito has come in two years to resurrect his career. The resurgent ...
Verlander is armed and dangerous for postseason
Justin Verlander's introduction to postseason baseball six years ago left him dazzled and exhausted. Worn down toward the end of his rookie season, ...
Well-rested Tigers take on well-tested Giants
Jim Leyland and the Detroit Tigers found out the hard way that rest means rust in the World Series. Six years ago, their last Series appearance, they ...
Column: Old baseball hands to match wits in Series
The longer it goes, the messier this World Series is likely to get. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Detroit skipper Jim Leyland smokes ...
World Series: Cabrera, Tigers vs Posey, Giants
Way back in spring training, Hunter Pence hit a wicked grounder that smacked Miguel Cabrera in the face. A few months later, Pablo Sandoval launched ...
Twins add Brunansky, Cuellar, Steinbach to staff
The Minnesota Twins have finalized their overhauled coaching staff, hiring two familiar former players and a well-regarded minor league teacher to ...
Bell dealt to D-backs, who trade Young to Oakland
Heath Bell became the latest player jettisoned by the Miami Marlins when he was dealt Saturday to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who also acquired ...
Tigers rout Yankees 8-1 for 4-game ALCS sweep
Phil Coke stormed into Jim Leyland's office and sprayed the veteran manager with some of Detroit's celebratory bubbly. When Leyland tried to take ...
Tigers DH Delmon Young wins ALCS MVP award
Delmon Young is finally playing up to his vast potential. Perfect timing. Young was selected MVP of the AL championship series Thursday after batting
Game 4 postponed with A-Rod again out of lineup
The Yankees were ready to bench Alex Rodriguez again when Game 4 of the AL championship series was postponed by rain. Now, New York's top pitcher also ...
Game 4 of ALCS postponed by threat of rain
One win from the World Series. Rainy or not, the Detroit Tigers will have to wait. Game 4 of the AL championship series between the Tigers and New ...
Tigers close in on pennant with 2-1 win over Yanks
Justin Verlander was done for the night, and for the first time all game, the New York Yankees looked threatening at the plate. Mark Teixeira singled, ...
Tigers top Yankees 2-1, need 1 win for pennant
Justin Verlander and Detroit's stellar starters are on quite a roll — no matter who is in the opposing lineup. Verlander took a shutout into the ninth ...
Tigers lead Yankees 2-0 after 6 innings in ALCS
Justin Verlander retired 18 of the first 19 New York Yankees he faced and Delmon Young hit a solo homer as the Detroit Tigers took a 2-0 lead through ...
Yankees RHP Hughes leaves ALCS game with injury
Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes left Game 3 of the AL championship series against Detroit in the fourth inning with a stiff back. The New York starter ...
A-Rod, Swisher benched by Yankees
Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher were benched by the Yankees for Game 3 of the AL championship series at Detroit on Tuesday night, the latest attempt ...
Verlander the next obstacle for slumping Yankees
There were times this year when Justin Verlander took the mound while his team was reeling a bit — and the right-hander's presence was Detroit's best ...
Sanchez, Tigers beat Yanks for 2-0 lead in ALCS
Anibal Sanchez gave a performance against New York that the Detroit Tigers have come to expect from Justin Verlander. The Tigers' ace is next in line ...
Minus Jeter, Yanks and Tigers scoreless in Game 2
Hiroki Kuroda retired his first 15 batters before Jhonny Peralta singled, and the New York Yankees pressed ahead without injured captain Derek Jeter ...
October not the same without Yanks' missing man
A player stood at shortstop at Yankee Stadium, yet the shortstop was missing. For 16 years and 158 consecutive games, Derek Jeter had been in the New ...
Column: Day of reckoning had to come for A-Rod
Joe Girardi should be manager of the year just for the guts it took to sit down his $275 million third baseman and help the New York Yankees advance ...
Jeter hurt, Young stars as Tigers win ALCS opener
The Detroit Tigers took the lead on Delmon Young's ringing double in the 12th inning. Then came the blow that really staggered the New York Yankees.
Tigers take 2-0 lead over Yanks opener of ALCS
Raul Ibanez hit another tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers were tied 4-4 after 10 innings on ...