In the first half of the Major League baseball season, Dan Dickerson stumbled.
The Detroit Tigers did not.
Both, however, will be looking for a strong finish as Detroit begins the second half of the season today with a weekend stand in New York against the Yankees.
And Dickerson will be back in the broadcast booth as the team's full-time radio play-by-play announcer.
During a road trip in May in Kansas City, Dickerson took a nasty spill while on a mid-day run and injured his leg. It required surgery and braces, keeping him from driving or traveling with the team on road trips.
"It was just so innocent," Dickerson said Thursday in an interview with the Record-Eagle. "I was running, and the next thing I knew I was crumpled on the ground. I knew it was bad and I knew it was going to change my life."
It also changed his wife's life, as she would drive him to work at Comerica Park broadcasting the home games.
Dickerson expects to make a full recovery, and is taking a step towards it today as he resumes his job with the Tigers on a full-time basis.
He will join a Detroit squad that ended the first half of the season 48-39 with a 3&1/2 game lead on Chicago in the Central Division.
"They overcame a fair amount, and were able to get to the All-Star break in first place after holding it since mid-May," Dickerson said. "What impressed me was their pitching and defense. And that's a very good sign going into the second half. They showed they can stand the charge of another team and fall back on their pitching and defense."
While starters Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson earned All-Star spots with strong performances, rookie Rick Porcello also had a solid first half with an 8-6 record and a 4.14 ERA.
"I think they're doing a smart thing with Porcello watching his arm," Dickerson said. "You have to do that with a high school pitcher, and they know how to do it. Dave Dombrowski has done it before.
"I think back to Justin Verlander. (As a rookie) he hit the wall in September of 2006. They really need Porcello to be as fresh as possible, because he's become one of their top three pitchers."
The Tigers will have to decide in the next couple of weeks how confident they are in their current roster. The trade deadline is July 31.
With two rookies in the starting rotation, pitching may be one area Detroit looks at improving.
"Everyone looks to add depth, and a veteran starter would always be nice," Dickerson said. "This year, it complicates things because a lot of teams are in contention. There is a very small pool of teams willing to dump players to reload for the future."
Offensively, Detroit is hoping to add by bringing back a healthy Carlos Guillen, who has missed most of the season with shoulder inflammation.
"I know it's only been batting practice, but his power is certainly there," Dickerson said. "I've felt he's been one of their toughest outs in recent years. If he can stay healthy, he can be the big impact for the second half, just like making a trade."
If Guillen can bounce back from his injury like Dickerson has, who knows. Perhaps this second half can stretch into an October run.
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