Detroit loses out on Polanco departure

Detroit traded second baseman Scott Sizemore to Oakland for lefty reliever David Purcey Friday.

What does this have to do with Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco? The Tigers let the 2006 ALCS MVP walk after the 2009 season, figuring Sizemore would replace him at second.

It didn't quite work out. Sizemore was never able to keep the job. After losing his roster spot in spring training, he was recalled from triple-A but hit just .222.

"We just haven't been able to get Scott over the hump offensively," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said. "We didn't think we could go forward with that production from someone that we saw as an offensive second baseman."

 Meanwhile, Polanco just keeps on going, a quiet, steadily productive professional. Thanks, Detroit!

The scene: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, Calif., Thursday night. The situation: The Los Angeles Angels are on one of their regular visits to the venue (hey, it is named after them, so it makes sense they keep returning there to play instead of, say, Los Angeles). It's the bottom of the ninth, the Halos are down to their last out. But Mark Trumbo hits a three-run homer off Oakland A's reliever Grant Balfour to make it 4-3. Manager Mike Scioscia pinch-hits for Peter Bourjos with Russell Branyan, signed that very day after he was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Branyan, one of our favorite whiff-or-wham guys, takes a mighty cut at the first pitch he sees and launches one deep to center field where it's caught on the warning track for the final out. Game over.

As any true seamhead knows, there's more often a no-joy-in-Mudville ending than there is a lights-out Hollywood finish in this game we love. You'll get 'em next time, big guy.

The St. Petersburg Times reports that Tampa Bay skipper Joe Maddon has themes for the Rays' traveling attire. Coming up: A grunge look for the trip to Seattle (with sleeves cut off, courtesy of fashion maven Johnny Damon), beachwear for the Southern California leg, and pajamas for the red-eye flight to Baltimore. Our favorite part is the reaction of the online commenters on the Sporting News website posting the story: "Perhaps a focus on playing baseball might lead to better results on the field." "Maybe they could wear T-shirts and hats of all the MLB teams that are better than they are." And, of course the old perennial: "Must be a slow news day."

The point being, of course, one that the NFL has made into an ironclad law: This is sports, really serious stuff, with no room for fun and, uh, games.

And, yeah, it is kind of a slow day here in the Inky newsroom . . . yawn . . . where did we put our PJs?