Radio-controlled airplane enthusiasts will descend on the SeaGate Convention Centre for the Weak Signals R/C Club’s annual model show, which club president Dale Rupert calls the “largest and best radio-controlled expo in the world.”

The show, which is in its 54th year, runs April 4 through 6. In addition to demonstrations, a swap shop and about 200 dealers showing off “the newest, latest, greatest stuff,” Rupert said, it will include a model display in which builders from across the country will show off their abilities and compete for prizes.

Club member Jim Skolmowski of Toledo said visitors will be shown an array of model planes, some of them with wingspans as wide as 10 or 12 feet, with technology that “I’m sure they’ll be amazed to see.”

“If they’re not familiar with the hobby, I think they’re in for a big surprise when they come to see what we’re working with, what our hobby’s all about,” Skolmowski said.

Members of the Weak Signals R/C Club say building and flying radio-controlled airplanes is a family-friendly hobby that brings the satisfaction of not just building something, but being able to put the fruits of their labor into action.

“There’s a lot of satisfaction I get in building something that works. It’s kind of the engineer in me,” said Rupert, who holds a civil engineering degree from UT and now works for the city.

Rupert said an engineer’s background isn’t needed to enjoy flying radio-controlled planes.

“It’s amazing, the whole broad spectrum of guys in the hobby,” he said.

Some fliers also get their families involved. Skolmowski taught his two sons and his daughter how to build and fly planes; now, he said, his eldest son’s wife is getting involved as well.

“It gives us something in common to be able to hang out and do together,” he said.

Skolmowski said his family jokes that in the winter they get to spend time making planes together, “and in the summertime we get to go out and crash them so we can build them again the next winter.”

Club member Dave Leach of Sylvania Township, who said he’s been interested in the hobby since he was old enough to ride his bike out to the fields where people flew, also has passed the hobby on to his children.

“It’s a good, clean hobby,” he said. “It’s technical, the technologies change, and you can learn and change with them.”

It’s also less expensive than people might think, Leach said. Rupert estimated it takes about $200 at the low end to get started flying radio-controlled planes.

“Between $200 and $400, you can have a really nice setup,” Rupert said.

“There’s no top end to it,” he added, recalling one year when an exhibitor at the Toledo show brought a scale model of the Concorde SST that cost about $80,000 to build — “a little out of my reach,” Rupert said.

Skolmowski said he recommends that anyone interested in learning the hobby start by finding a mentor. Without guidance, he said, people can get frustrated and give up if they encounter technical issues early on.

“Any of the clubs around are always willing to help new people get started,” he said.

Skolmowski, who is the club’s safety officer, said Weak Signals fliers must also join the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which provides insurance coverage for its members.

Rupert said the club’s 147 members range in age from about 12 to about 90. The club consists mainly of men, although there is one female member; Rupert said flying contests can never be scheduled on Mother’s Day.

The club has a flying field on Minx Road just north of Rauch Road in Michigan’s Monroe County. Rupert said the club welcomes spectators.

If you go

What: The Weak Signals R/C Club’s 54th annual radio-controlled airplane show.

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 4 and April 5; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 6.

Where: The SeaGate Convention Centre, 401 Jefferson Ave., Toledo.

Admission: $8 per person per day, with active-duty U.S. military personnel and children 12 and under admitted free.

The United Way of Greater Toledo is in the midst of a month-long fundraising campaign aimed at helping to reduce the emergency food needs of families in Lucas County.

The Family Food Fund, an outgrowth of a food summit hosted by the United Way and emergency food providers last November, seeks to raise $250,000 in support of area soup kitchens and food banks, said Sarah Gill, spokeswoman for the United Way of Greater Toledo. The campaign is slated to end April 15.

Monies raised will be used to provide funding to the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, Toledo Seagate Food Bank and Toledo Area Ministries so the organizations can purchase food and fill food requests, Gill said. A portion of the funds will also go toward the placement of an outreach worker at one of the organizations, “to bring services to the people who need them most,” she said.

As the cost of gas and food staples such as eggs and milk increases, it’s becoming harder for many families and individuals to make ends meet, Gill said. She said United Way 2-1-1, the organization’s health and human services information line, received 60,000 calls in 2007, 40 percent of which were from needy families and individuals.

“We have an incredibly generous community; however, because of the pace at which demand is increasing, supply is unable to keep up,” Gill said. “Part of the reason is because our current economic situation affects donors just as it does families receiving food. This means a donor who would normally donate two bags of food may only be able to donate one bag this month. Food manufacturers are also using just-in-time inventory and becoming more efficient, which means they do not have as much excess food to donate.”

Ninety cents of every dollar raised through the Family Food Fund will support the community’s emergency food needs, Gill noted, and donations will be distributed in the coming months.

To donate, visit the Web site www.unitedwaytoledo.org or mail a check to the United Way Family Food Fund, One Stranahan Square, Toledo, OH 43604.

Get your bibs and wet naps ready, Toledo. They’ll be needed Aug. 1 to 3 for the Columbia Gas of Ohio Smoke on the Water — Ribs for the Red Cross in Promenade Park Downtown.

The event, which was known the past two years as Ribs on the River, will benefit the American Red Cross Greater Toledo Area Chapter. Representatives from Columbia Gas and the American Red Cross announced plans for the three-day festival March 27 at Toledo’s Famous Dave’s restaurant, which has committed as one of the event’s rib vendors.

“Our goal is to make sure when people come to that event Downtown it’s what they’re used to,” said Columbia Gas spokesman Chris Kozak.

Kozak and Jodie Tienvieri, communications manager for the local American Red Cross chapter, said Smoke on the Water has verbal commitments from four other rib vendors, some of which are local. Last year’s Ribs on the River had 13 rib and six other food vendors, Kozak said.

Each of Smoke on the Water’s three days will follow a theme that will likely dictate entertainment that evening, Kozak said. Country day is Aug. 1; rock day is Aug. 2; and family day is Aug. 3.

The event’s planning committee is in the process of lining up national entertainment for the festival, Kozak said, noting he expects to announce the event’s lineup in April.

“We want to make sure that this is an event where people come and enjoy ribs and have entertainment,” he said.
Local vendors indicated a desire to participate in an event that had a rib focus, Tienvieri said.

Smoke on the Water originated after Ribs on the River’s parent organization, CitiFest Inc., dissolved in January due to debt totaling more than $250,000.

Columbia Gas of Ohio served as the title sponsor for both of Ribs on the River’s installments.

Approximately 30,000 people attended the three-day event last year, Kozak said.

Smoke on the Water, which is also sponsored by KeyBank, will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 1 and 2 and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 3. Admission will be $3 per day, though there will be no charge to enter the park before 5 p.m. Aug. 1. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.

Toledo Free Press plans a series of articles that follows the behind-the-scenes development and planning  of the Smoke on the Water event.

Toledo has offered a part-time position to Mayor Carty Finkbeiner’s former spokeswoman to plan summer entertainment at Promenade Park, the woman offered the job confirmed March 27.

Paulette Huber, who served as Finkbeiner’s public information officer during his first administration, said she’s in negotiations with the city to coordinate support services for summer events, specifically those that coincide with the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. She said the city has not offered her a specific dollar amount for her services and she was unsure if the position had been accounted for in the budget accepted March 25 by Toledo City Council.

“This is something important for the city of Toledo whether it’s compensated or not,” Huber said.
Much of what Huber’s role will be in organizing events Downtown will be determined April 1 after she meets with city employees who have begun initial planning, she said.

“This is not a new incarnation of CitiFest,” Huber said in reference to the organization previously responsible for summer entertainment Downtown. CitiFest Inc. dissolved in January due to its more than $250,000 of debt.

Huber works for Poggemeyer Design Group. She said she has experience planning events and fundraisers for the various organizations with which she has been affiliated.        

What took several meetings last year was accomplished in one marathon session March 25 when city council passed Toledo’s 2008 general operating fund budget.

Though council members sparred over a controversial fee the city charges property owners for refuse collection, they eventually accepted by an 8 to 4 vote a proposal that increases the charge for trash pickup from $5.50 to $7 a month but offers greater rewards individuals who recycle in the form of a $5 monthly discount. Residents who participate in the city’s curbside recycling program pay $3 a month for refuse collection under the current fee structure, which would have expired April 30 without council action.

The refuse fee will increase again May 1, 2009, to $8.50 per month with a $7.50 recycling discount and to $10 per month with no charge for recyclers from May 1, 2010, moving forward.

When Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner launched the trash fee last year, he said he hoped the percentage of city households that recycled would increase from about 17 percent to 50 percent by 2009. However, estimates put Toledo’s current recycling rate at about 26 percent.

Councilman D. Michael Collins, who along with Councilman Joe McNamara crafted the refuse fee council accepted, said a system that rewards recycling with no charge for trash pickup follows suit with Northwest Ohio’s transformation into an area at the forefront of the green and alternative-energy movements.

“Does it not seem applicable that we would at least have the same passion for recycling?” Collins said.

Councilman Frank Szollosi, who along with Collins and Councilman Michael Ashford voted against passing the amended budget, said he favored eliminating the trash fee altogether. Szollosi said he would have preferred offering a credit to recyclers on their city income tax.

“I voted no on the overall budget because I think there were additional savings that we could’ve realized,” said Szollosi, citing the city’s overtime budget and its contribution to the public employees retirement system as areas he felt needed trimming.

Council designated $75,000 to pay the salary of the city’s vacant economic development director’s position, which was previously occupied by Todd Davies, who took a position with the Regional Growth Partnership. Finkbeiner is Toledo’s acting economic development chief.

Council President Mark Sobczak said he was pleased council was able to pass a budget, but was surprised it included a significant cut to the fund that covers the city’s vehicle fleet.

“I don’t think we can afford the [$400,000 cut] out of the community garage,” Sobczak said, noting he expected Finkbeiner to issue a line-item veto on the matter.

Finkbeiner spokesman Brian Schwartz said the mayor was expected to address council’s accepted budget at a press conference.

Higher education has changed so much that today’s educational institutes are not just limited to such traditional responsibilities as teaching, learning, research and academic services. Almost all institutions are situated in a community; their students are from communities near or far, and colleges and universities are, to a certain degree, obligated to help and support community and economic development.

Liberal arts and sciences education, which is the core of any big research university, is no exception. What do we mean by liberal education? According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, liberal education is “a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of value, ethics, and civic engagement” (see the Web site www.aacu.org).

By its nature, liberal education is global and pluralistic. It embraces the diversity of ideas and experiences that characterize the social, natural and intellectual world. To acknowledge such diversity in all its forms is both an intellectual commitment and a social responsibility, for nothing less will equip us to understand our world and to pursue fruitful lives. In other words, well-rounded liberal learning requires that we help our students holistically: (1) to understand the foundations of knowledge and inquiry about nature, culture and society; (2) to master intellectual and practical skills (e.g., core skills of perception, analysis, and expression or communication skills, critical thinking skills and creativity); (3) to cultivate a respect for truth and to explore connections among formal learning, citizenship, and service to our communities, and (4) to integrate and apply knowledge, skills and values to the real world.

More specifically, characterized by challenging encounters with important issues, a liberal education prepares graduates for socially valued work and for civic leadership in their society. It usually includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing, along with more in-depth study in at least one field or area of concentration (see www.aacu.org).

Recently, Steve Weathers, President and CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership in Northwest Ohio, outlined 10 principles for economic and community development (Toledo Free Press, March 23). Almost all of these ten principles have much to the delivery of a well-rounded and holistic liberal education in our College of Arts and Sciences at UT. Our college faculty and students (especially graduate students) can participate in creating the vision for community development and in developing strategic planning for their communities in and around Toledo. Definitely our departments and programs such as (environment sciences, geography and
planning, economics, public administration) help to build a sustainable environment.

By working with public, private and academic settings, our science faculty members at the college have been developing solar energy — or photovoltaics — which is nationally recognized by Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. With the support from the university’s research office and the Regional Growth Partnership, Xunming Deng in the department of physics and astronomy founded and developed the Xunlight Corporation out of his scientific research and innovation. Recently (in March 2008) Xunming Deng, Robert Collins and Al Compaan and several other faculty members received $2.6 million for solar energy research from the U.S. Department of Energy.

With respect to other principles on economic and community development, Weathers also pointed out that we should value history, arts and culture by supporting a variety of public art, and prepare for a global environment by insisting on a world-class science, technology and communication infrastructure.

Obviously, our departments in arts and humanities deal with history, culture and arts, and the departments of our natural sciences departments (e.g., biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, physics and astronomy), social or behavioral sciences, math and statistics and language program help to prepare for a global environment by providing cutting edge research and international languages education and prepare for leadership of the next generation.

Many colleges and universities in America are embracing economic development as a central mission. Recently in the Chronicle of Higher Education (Feb. 29), Leslie Boney, associate vice president of economic development research, policy and planning at the University of North Carolina system, strongly advocated a blending of liberal education with economic development. According to him, as more and more universities in more and more nations produce really well-educated people, and the world becomes, if not flat, at least more spiky than it used to be, a blended model seems to make more sense, one that more than ever hammers away at producing nimble, critical thinkers who can make connections between and among disciplines and ideas and makes sure that those thinkers are not unaware of the realities of the world into which they are graduating.

Boney also pointed out that it is the same for scholarship. We’ve gotten really good at producing wonderful discipline-specific gurus, and we need to continue doing that. But we also need in academics more multilingual, discipline-connecting folks who can raise up the next generation of lateral thinkers — the ones who are going to invent us out of the economic box we are in.

As for the College of Arts and Sciences at UT, first of all, we must continue to strategically focus on applied scientific research, including the translation of applied scientific research into commercial reality in support of economic development, such as alternative energy or photovoltaics or energy sustainability, biotechnology and biochemistry, research on cancer or other diseases, and behavioral medicine, environmental impact on health, and environmental sustainability (e.g., Lake Erie research), astrophysics and geographic information systems.

Consistent with liberal education, we must also promote general education (i.e., the core curriculum) and interdisciplinary research, learning and program development or enhancement — e.g., programs such as in neuroscience, health/forensic psychology, environmental studies, structural biochemistry, spatially integrated social sciences, master of liberal studies, global and diversity studies, law and social thought, and we will enhance the quality and efficiency of general education (GE) or the core curriculum involving sciences/math and almost all other departments.

In brief, a well-rounded and holistic liberal education will help to promote community and economic development, and is in support of those principles of community and economic development outlined by Weathers. Our liberal arts education will only become stronger, better and more dynamic by working with private businesses, public sectors, and local and global communities.

Yue-Ting Lee is dean and professor of the UT College of Arts and Sciences. He may contacted at yt.lee@utoledo.edu.

If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you: I’m not much of a sports person.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy watching a game, but I don’t follow it with the same devotion as a lot of people. I don’t keep track of the stats or the history or even some of the rivalries. To put it in perspective, when FOX Toledo Hardcore Sports Director Brad Fanning puts together his March Madness brackets, he seeks out the most uninformed person in the newsroom to fill one out, to fill the “dumb luck” role.

He usually comes to me.

That’s why it generally takes more than just a sporting event to get my interest; I’m looking for the whole package, something that transcends a simple game and becomes an experience. That’s why I think Fifth Third Field is so unique, and so wonderful.

When I first came to Toledo, I was impressed with how well the ballpark fit in Downtown, but I never actually went to a Mud Hens game for years. I finally got that opportunity in a unique way, tagging along with a group of Japanese exchange students from Ohio Northern University. While they all enjoyed the game, they were truly taken aback by the field. After driving through parts of Downtown which were visibly suffering, it felt like an oasis in the urban desert.  

It actually reminded me of another sporting experience I had years ago in Texas.

There, high school football is almost a religion. People are rabid about it, and part of my job was to follow the Friday night lights and videotape games. I saw a lot of interesting competitions, but it was a game in the small town of Hawley that always stands out to me.

I was standing on the sidelines, doing my best to follow the action, when I noticed the people in the stands. The whole town must have been there.

Many were absorbed in the game, following their kids, while others were simply there for the community — to feel like part of something. There were people grilling turkey legs right next to the field, and before I knew what was happening, someone thrust one into my hand. That led to me trying to shoot video while taking bites of turkey and wiping grease on my jeans. Needless to say, it wasn’t the best video I ever shot.

I don’t remember which team won that game or the score, but I do remember that excitement that electrified the crowd and kept them coming back week after week.

I saw that same electricity last summer, when I took my son to his first Mud Hens game.

This would be a serious right of passage for some people, but I was trepidacious. I knew my 2-year-old would love the food, but I didn’t know if he would enjoy the game at all. Would he sit there? Would he cry?

It was then that I saw exactly how much effort goes into making Fifth Third Field an experience, and I saw how successfully they pull it off. The place was packed with more than 10,000 people — all of them excited. Screaming and shouting surrounded us, and before long my son began to realize that he could shout along with them, and no one would scold him.

Then he began to wonder why everyone was shouting, and he started watching the field, following the action.
Then there were fireworks, and he and I got the chance to run the bases. Sure, people were passing us left and right, and my son tried to double back to second base at one point, but I still look at the photos and laugh.

I’m not sure that you could have an experience like that at a major league venue. Sure, there’s still excitement, but you can’t help but feel a little more removed. Fifth Third Field feels more inviting. It attracts you back to Downtown Toledo, encourages you to have fun and ignites that community energy that we don’t see all the time.

It’s an energy that prompts even a sports-challenged guy like me to say, “Play ball, Toledo.”

Karl Rundgren is managing editor and co-anchor of FOX Toledo News.

Whoever decided that baseball season should begin as early in spring as possible was a genius. You might not think so if the first few games are chilly or overcast, but knowing the boys of summer are in uniform helps shake off the winter doldrums, especially after a long and snow-buried winter like we just experienced.

In particular, knowing that Fifth Third Field is back in business brings a smile to Downtown businesses. There is nothing as exciting to a Downtown business owner as seeing thousands of people file through Downtown streets to see a game, and maybe stop for a drink or bite to eat on the way or after a victory. A Packo’s dog or a tall cold one at The Blarney Irish Pub is a treat anytime, but on a summer day with baseball in the air and scores of fans at your side, it is especially fun and satisfying.

As we keep one eye on the new Downtown arena, expectations for another great Mud Hens season of special events and entertainment are high.

Thank you to the advertisers who, for the third year, have helped us make this Mud Hens special section truly special. We take pride in our home team, and we will continue to show that by offering the best opening day coverage we can, this season and every season.

See you at the game!

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

As the Toledo Mud Hens prepare for another campaign on the diamond, Toledo Free Press arranged a conversation with the baseball club’s venerable mascot, Muddy Mud Hen. In person, Muddy exudes much of the silent charm he exhibits in photographs. His bulk is as expected, but he moves swiftly for one of such girth. On the day we met, his yellow feathers were preened and his Mud Hens jersey was clean and pressed.

Toledo Free Press: You seem a bit nervous.

Muddy: Well, I’m not supposed to be working with you. There’s a Blockade, you know.

TFP: I know, and I appreciate your cooperation and time. Are you feeling fit and prepared for another season? You’ll be entertaining fans from now through September, hopefully deep into September.

Muddy: I’m ready. I did some Atkins in the off-season, started yoga sessions with Mudonna. I feel good.

TFP: What else do you do in the off-season?

Muddy: There’s a lot of personal appearances, charity stuff, children’s events. I stay on schedule. There are not many places a 7-foot, bright yellow Mud Hen can go and blend in. The last time I slipped across to The Blarney and tried to squeeze into a booth, all the drinkers kept taking pictures with their cell phone cameras and plucking feathers. I tried to take Mudonna to a movie at Westfield, but we had to buy four seats to squeeze into and the people behind us were mad because they couldn’t see.

TFP: Are you hungry for another title or content with two trophies in three years?

Muddy: To win back-to-back cups was amazing, but that just made me hungrier for more. Mudonna and I have been ecstatic.

TFP: Is Mudonna your wife, or sister, or what? You two have kind of a Jack and Meg White vibe.

Muddy: We’re just good friends. People shouldn’t assume.

TFP: You are the only two 7-foot bright yellow birds in Lucas County.

Muddy: You haven’t been to Woodville Mall lately, have you? [Muddy stops to dig a bug from under his wing with his beak.] Sorry.

TFP: No problem. Since you’re eating, what do you think of the new foods at Fifth Third Field this year?

Muddy: Top-shelf stuff. There’s a Stadium Salsa Dog, a Jalapeño Cheddar Bratwurst, a Fried German Bologna Sandwich, and for those who fly healthier, a gourmet spinach salad with goat cheese croutons.

TFP: There is a wall of Walleye merchandise at the Swamp Shop. Have you met the Walleye yet?

Muddy: We had dinner at The Docks the night before they unveiled the logo. Nice guy.

TFP: Is he ready?

Muddy: This is a tough town. It’s not easy to gain acceptance and become part of the culture. Even once you do, there are those who don’t respect your achievements, and that can be frustrating.

TFP: Speaking of logos, your illustration had a major overhaul a few years ago.

Muddy: Yeah, I’d been putting off the plastic surgery for a few years, and I was starting to get pressure from the front office to slim down, look edgier and be more “extreme.”

TFP: Was the work done locally?

Muddy: I got hooked up through some Beverly Hills connections. It’s been a popular update, but I’m happy that a lot of the older me stuff still says.

TFP: The pear-shaped Muddy’s a classic.

Muddy: And reflects a lot of Toledoans, too.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Toledo Mud Hens fans will have to get used to some new names in their game programs this year as the team tries to win back the Governors’ Cup.

Among those names are some of the Detroit Tigers’ top prospects, while others return to Toledo after brief cameos last year or prior stays at Fifth Third Field like Jeff Larish, Eddie Bonine and Max St. Pierre.

Even the manager, Larry Parrish, is returning after a year away from the dugout following ankle surgery. And the pitching coach, A.J. Sager, is coming back to the city where he found collegiate success in football and baseball.

Gone are Eulogio De La Cruz, Jair Jurrjens, Chris Shelton and Kevin Hooper. Jurrjens was part of the trade that brought shortstop Edgar Renteria from Atlanta to the Tigers, while De La Cruz was sent to Florida in the deal that made Tigers of third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Shelton was traded to Texas for speedy outfielder Freddy Guzman, who is likely to start in centerfield for the Hens. And fan-favorite Hooper decided to sign first with the Houston Astros, then with the new Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association. Hooper is from Kansas and was an All-American at Wichita State University. So Hens fans will have to do without the cries of “Hoooooop!” during games this year.

“It’s going to be crazy to be back in the city where I love all these fans,” Hooper told The Wichita Eagle in February.

While the Cabrera/Willis trade gave Detroit one of the strongest lineups in franchise history, it also had repercussions for the Hens roster this season. The two main Tigers sent to the Marlins, pitcher Andrew Miller and outfielder Cameron Maybin, probably would have spent some time in Toledo this season. Instead, they could both be on Florida’s opening day roster, and Cabrera and Willis being in Detroit probably pushed a player or two back to Toledo.

Good pitching

Pitching was the Hens’ strength last year, and should be again this year, as they return a veteran staff. Virgil Vasquez, 24, was 12-5 for the Hens last year, but he’s back because Detroit’s starting rotation is stacked with veterans. Macay McBride was acquired from Atlanta last year for Wil Ledezma. While McBride, 25, was used mostly in relief last year, he’ll be a starter for the Hens, a role he once had in Atlanta’s farm system.

Bonine and Chris Lambert each had impressive debuts with Toledo last year. Bonine allowed two runs over eight innings in a spot start against Columbus in August, and Lambert pitched the regular season finale, throwing six shutout innings while striking out 10 Clippers. Lambert, 25, was acquired last year from St. Louis for lefty Mike Maroth. A 2004 draftee out of Boston College, he moved up steadily through the Cardinals’ system before having a rough time in 2005 and 2006 at Double-A Springfield. Last year, he made the step up to Triple-A Memphis and got lit up for a 7.49 ERA before being traded to the Tigers and making the one end-of-season start.

Bonine, 26, was drafted by Detroit from San Diego in the minor league portion of the 2005 Rule 5 draft. He was used as a swingman mostly at High-A Lakeland in 2006, then was exclusively a starter last year with Erie and Toledo. He had his best year as a pro last year, going 14-5 with a 3.90 ERA at Erie with a pair of complete games. He’s not overpowering, but he keeps the ball in the park.

Rounding out the rotation to start the year should be Armando Galarraga, another former Texas Rangers farmhand. The Tigers got him a week before spring training started in a trade for outfielder Michael Hernandez. Galarraga, 26, made his major league debut last year after starting the year at Double-A. He made two relief appearances before starting Sept. 24 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He threw four no-hit innings then gave up five runs and had a no-decision as Texas won 8-7.

Jordan Tata, 26, probably would’ve been in the rotation, but he’ll start the season on the disabled list after breaking a finger punching a door in frustration this spring. Tata had a fine 3.05 ERA in 14 starts for Toledo last year, but his record was only 4-5, in part because he received the second-lowest run support — 4.2 runs per start — of all the Hens’ regular starters.

Based on recent results, Clay Rapada, 27, appears to be Parrish’s best option as closer. Rapada, acquired last year from the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Craig Monroe, had 17 saves last year for the Iowa Cubs. He also had 21 saves in 2006 for Double-A West Tennessee. With the Tigers he’d likely be a lefty specialist, but in the minors he’s shown he can be a late-innings guy, averaging almost a strikeout an inning.

Francis Beltran, who pitched at Norfolk last year, also has some closing experience, including one major league save in 2004 for Montreal. But the 28-year-old tends to get hit around a little, so he might be more like Todd Jones or Joe Borowski. If Parrish feels like taking a roller coaster ride, Beltran might be his guy to close.

Jeremy Johnson, 25, Preston Larrison, 27, and Anastacio Martinez, 29, return to form the middle relief corps. None is particularly dominant, but all three were effective last year.

If he ever gets his visa problems cleared, Francisco Cruceta, 26, also is considered a late-inning reliever. The Tigers won a bit of a bidding war for him, signing him to a split major/minor league contract during the off-season. Cruceta, who is stuck in the Dominican Republic, was thought to be a possibility for the Tigers’ bullpen, especially after Joel Zumaya’s shoulder injury, but he’ll probably end up being assigned to extended spring training after missing so much time because of not having a visa approved.

Cruceta was a rare minor league free agent the Tigers were able to sign, highlighting one of the problems of the parent club having a rather set 25-man roster.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland acknowledged at the Hens’ Fandemonium event in January that the club was having trouble attracting free agents to Toledo.

“When they look at our team – they want to see hope” they’ll have a shot at the majors, he said.

Batter up

The team has a good mix of speed and batting averages and should be sound defensively. The Hens could have power from first and third base, depending if 2007 International League MVP Mike Hessman makes the Tigers. If he’s back at the hot corner with Toledo, he and first baseman Larish, 25, will form a right-left punch in the middle of Parrish’s line-up.

Hessman, 30, last year pounded 31 homers for the Hens, setting a new Toledo career record with 83. Larish, meanwhile, led the Eastern League with 28 home runs. Whether the team can pound opponents into submission depends if Hessman is back and if Larish successfully adjusts to Triple-A pitching. He did fine moving up from High-A to Double-A so it would be surprising if he couldn’t handle the higher competition.

Leading off will likely be Guzman, who led the Pacific Coast League last season with 56 steals. Timo Perez, 32, returns and will likely be back in left field, where he earned all-star honors last year. He’s a good bet for the third spot in the lineup.

At second base, Parrish probably will have a choice between Michael Hollimon and Henry Mateo. Hollimon, 25, is a slick-glove man with a good, all-around bat, compiling a .278 career batting average with a .379 on-base percentage and .501 slugging percentage.

Mateo, 31, has a bit more position flexibility, being able to play all infield and outfield positions so he’s more likely to be the Hens’ main utility guy.

If Hessman isn’t back in Toledo, Mateo could be at third or he could be at shortstop with Erick Almonte, 30, at third. If Hessman is back, Almonte would probably be the shortstop. After never being much of a hitter in the minors, Almonte has been a solid hitter — not for power, but for good averages and on-base percentages — since his year at Colorado Springs in 2004.

In right field, Parrish will probably have Brent Clevlen, who will be trying to show his forgettable 2007 season was a fluke caused by a broken finger. A good season would put the 24-year-old back in line to take over left or right field for the Tigers in 2009.

Other outfield options will probably include Jason Perry, Clete Thomas and Matt Joyce. Perry, 27, can hit for power; Joyce, 24, has some pop and is excellent in the field; and Thomas, 24, is a line-drive hitter with good command of the strike zone.

Catcher remains unsettled as spring training comes to an end, again because the Tigers are unclear on who will back up Ivan Rodriguez. Last year, the Tigers called up Mike Rabelo to take the injured Vance Wilson’s spot on the 25-man roster. Wilson is still recovering from elbow surgery, and Rabelo was traded to the Marlins so the Tigers could end up taking Dane Sardinha, 28, or St. Pierre, 27. Neither are good hitters and both are decent defensive catchers. St. Pierre returns to the Tigers system this year after nearly washing out of baseball because of alcoholism, according to a story in The Detroit News.

If the Tigers do take Sardinha or St. Pierre, Nick Trzesniak, 27, could bring his solid bat with him from Erie.