I am finally proud of Fernando Rodney.

You heard me right. Fernando Rodney is awesome.

Before you begin your tirade, let me explain me explain something; I have never, ever, ever, ever , EVER been a fan of Rodney. Ever. The proof is here. I have been so overcritical of him that I cannot even claim to not have a bias.

So why I have a made a sudden turnaround in my opinion of him, especially in the midst of such a boneheaded move that he has cost the Tigers three games worth of crooked hat saves?

The reason is simple; passion.

Fernando Rodney came very, very close to blowing a three-run lead that had only occurred an inning early due to some late heroics. What did he do next? He grabbed the ball he had used to almost blow the game and fired it into the stands. Fernando was pissed, and rightfully so.

Was it a good idea to throw a 97 mph fastball into the Tropicana Field bleachers? No. Could he have seriously hurt someone? Of course. Did he act without thinking of the outcome? Yupp. Is acting on emotion and putting it all on the line with basically no time to think about the consequences exactly what a closer should do? Damn right.

For the first time in the history of me watching Fernando Rodney, I felt like he was genuinely consumed with anger. He couldn't believe he had almost cost the Tigers a game. He acted without concern - without consternation. Dare I say, I am proud of him?

Had he hurt someone, it would have been terribly unfortunate. He would have paid severely. But the ball missed everyone. It rattled around the press box and came to rest without injuring a soul. It landed exactly where it should have, which may have been the only time Fernando threw a ball  in the right spot all night. 

-s

Just a few weeks ago I would have told you that Josh Beckett was the Cy Young front-runner for the 2009 season. A few weeks before that, Roy Halladay would have been my pick. Prior to that, you couldn't have convinced me that anyone was more qualified that Zack Greinke to take home the award.

Now, with the season winding down I have finally allowed Justin Verlander to enter into the finalist category for me.

It's not that I didn't think he was having an outstanding season before this, but I tend to be tougher on Tiger's players. It's as if I hold them to a higher standard simply because they play for my favorite team. I don't ever want to be accused of holding a "fandom" bias when looking objectively at performance. But the numbers don't lie, he is as deserving as any other pitcher. 

In my mind, the race has come down to this small group of pitchers: Verlander, CC Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Zack Greinke, Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez. That's all. An argument could be made for Jeff Niemann, Scott Feldman, Edwin Jackson or Jered Weaver, but they honestly have no shot.

Currently, J.V. is first in wins, first in strikeouts, fourth in ERA, complete games and innings pitched and has been dominant of late. He shut down the Red Sox in a game that could have turned the entire season in the wrong direction had he not been. Without him, the Tigers are looking up at the Twins hoping to catch them.

I cannot stress enough how deserving of the award I believe Zack Greinke is. He leads the league in ERA and is second in strikeouts, while still managing to put up 13 wins for a last-place team. He has been the most impressive pitcher in the American League for much of the year, but he plays for the Royals. As much as this should not be a factor in the voting process, I will more than likely hurt his chances. Taking him out of equation, this leaves us with five pitchers.

Felix Hernandez suffers from lack of exposure. He will get his fair share of votes, but ultimately will be overshadowed by pitchers throwing for larger market teams. He too had been nothing less than spectacular. He will win one someday, just not this year.

Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay have been mysteries to me. At times they have been untouchable, and at times they have looked very pedestrian. Beckett seems to be tiring a bit. The lack of dependability in Boston has probably started to get to him, but his ERA has taken a huge hit, inflating all the way to 3.80. A strong September push could put him back in the conversation, but for now he has fallen to the level of "also-ran."

Halladay has JP Riccardi to thank for his struggles. How could he pitch in such a hostile and uncertain environment? Hell, how could Walter Johnson have pitched in such an environment. He was poised to make a run for his second trophy; sadly his time has passed.

This may be two-horse race down the stretch; Sabathia and Verlander. Isn't it fitting that it is between these two aces? They know a thing or two about battling down the stretch, being former rivals in the AL Central. Now they are going head to head for the most coveted trophy in pitching. CC throws tomorrow and Justin throws Friday.

I'll tell you one thing, I am sure either of them would give up their eligibility in order to guarantee a few more games in October.

-s

Just in case you hadn't heard, Rick Porcello did something special in his young career last night.

Sure, he picked up the win, pushing his record to 11-8 on the season. It is also true the he held the big guns in the Tampa Bay lineup - Jason Bartlett, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and Carlos Pena - to a combined 1-15. He even notched five strikeouts, which for him is a pretty decent number.

But the truly remarkable thing that the kid did in the Motor City last night was hit the 100 pitch count mark for the first time this season, and the first time in his career.

He did so by consistently throwing strikes and challenging a lethal Tampa Bay Rays lineup. It was an impressive win in what has been an overall outstanding rookie campaign. 

What did Porcello do to celebrate his dominance? Well, I don't know, I wasn't there. But I can tell you what he didn't do. Rick Porcello did not take part in the consumption of an alcoholic beverage, at least not in the clubhouse. And do you want to know why he did not do anything of the sort?

Because Rick Porcello is only 20 years old!

Yes, this is true. You can expect this from him for as long as he wants to put on a Tigers uniform, and as long as the front office wants to keep him around. 

Wrap your mind around the fact that Rick Porcello could potentially be pitching in Detroit for 10-15 years to come. Boom goes the mind dynamite.

Congratulations on a gutsy performance young lad.  Let's hope we see this for many years to come.

And while I am (not) on the subject; thank you for making Kevin Youkilis look like a little girl.

-s