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Perusing the interesting Tiger stories of the last week…

Nate Cornejo’s strike out pitch?
Cornejo wants to strike out more people this year, and is working on a splitter to help him. out. Nate’s K-rate has been well documented and it’s nice to see he recognizes the problem.

I didn’t really have a strikeout pitch, he said. I’d get to 0-2, then throw 10 more pitches to some guy who was fouling them all off. So, I’ve kind of been working on a splitter.

Today I threw three or four just to keep comfortable in case I need it.

Tom Gage from the Detroit News is writing a Tiger weblog. So far there is a lot of overlap between the blog and his column, but it may get more interesting as we get into the season.

For the second year in a row, the Tigers renewed Pena’s contract when he refused to sign. Pena’s a Boras client and will be eligible for arbitration next year. At least he’s taking it well:

“It’s a routine thing,” Pena said. “I’m over it already. It’s not like I came in throwing stuff. I’m happy I’m a big-league player. I’m very thankful I’ve got an opportunity here.”

Say what you will about the value of clubhouse chemistry, but Pudge is definitely doing his part to instill work ethic and teamwork. He stuck around on the bench during the Florida Southern game on Wednesday. Thursday he initiated a medicine ball workout following the Tigers’ win.

It seems to even be rubbing off on Inge, who has been a little bit grumpy this spring/winter. Cluck praised Inge for his willingness to help teach I-rod about the Tigers pitchers on Thursday. He also poked some fun at his own hitting prowess:

When Brandon Inge was asked if it looked funny to see himself listed as a third baseman on the lineup for this morning’s “B” game, he pointed out that he’s hitting fifth and said: “That looks funny, too.”

Finally, some national views on the Tigers:
Baseball Prospectus Tiger Preview
Phil Rogers from ESPN.com
Baseball Prospectus Triple Play