Published: March 27, 2009 08:00 pm      

James Cook: It comes down to pitching

It's all about pitching.

Last year, Detroit had one of the more potent offenses in the league, yet the Tigers were much closer to the basement than the penthouse.

Only three A.L. teams scored more runs than the Tigers, but just two had worse records.

Detroit's pitching staff has about as many ifs on its staff as Marcus Thames had whiffs last year (95, by the way).

Will Justin Verlander bounce back from an awful season?

Will Jeremy Bonderman rebound after surgery? Will Bondo ever develop a third pitch?

Who will close?

Who is the fifth starter?

Why did the team give Dontrelle Willis a big contract?

Is Joel Zumaya still playing Guitar Hero?

The answers to all these questions and many more are available for the low, low price of just turning your TV on.