Paraphrasing some comments from Gerald Laird during his conference call today:

• Thoughts on the Tigers pitchers: looking forward to being on the same side as Verlander, Bonderman and other guys and catching them instead of hitting them.
• Doesn’t really know the guys on the team that well aside from playing against them
• Comerica is a great hitting park
• Jimmy Leyland is one of the greatest managers in the game. Excited to pick his brain and learn.
• Excited to play everyday. Was very frustrating in Texas not knowing whether or not he was the guy. He’s looking forward to relaxing and not looking over his shoulder.
• Looks forward to working with a stable rotation – there was a lot of flux in Texas
• He started getting text messages while at the Arizona Cardinal game and found out later that night
• His priority is to get the most out of the staff and throwing guys out and making plays at the plate. The bulk of his preparation is defensive game calling.