Tigers catcher Laird eager to put problems in past

Feb 24, 2010 - 12:04 AM LAKELAND, Fla.(AP) -- Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird is especially eager to get going this season.

Laird hit .225 last year after the Tigers acquired him from Texas, then was arrested in late December at a Phoenix Suns home game after a brawl.

Laird said he pleaded no contest and has been attending anger management classes. He said he wanted to have the legal matter cleared up before starting spring training.

"The sooner it was over, the better," Laird said Tuesday. "I don't really want to get into it, but it's behind me and now I get to concentrate on baseball."

Laird said he spent most of last season working on learning the Tigers' pitching staff. Manager Jim Leyland said Laird called a good game last year but that he expected him to hit at least .260 in 2010. Reserve catcher Alex Avila batted .279 in 29 games over the last two months of the season.

"We need to get more production out of (Laird)," Leyland said, "He knows our pitching staff now and if he can raise his average by about 30 points, that's all we need. We know he can catch. I love the way he handles our pitching staff."

Leyland and the Tigers held their first full-squad workout under overcast skies and manager, who has been a part of spring training since 1963, was extremely upbeat. Everyone reported on time and except for some minor bursitis in setup man Bobby Seay's shoulder, there were no injuries.

New left fielder-designated hitter Johnny Damon was among the first to arrive, just a day after signing a one-year, $8 million deal to play for the Tigers.

Leyland met early in the morning to meet with his other left fielder-DH, Carlos Guillen, to sort out his role with the team. Leyland promised Guillen the starting left field job after the end of the 2009 season, never imagining the Tigers would sign Damon.

Leyland said Guillen would bat in the No. 5 slot.

"We wanted to get it out in the open before everything started," Leyland said after meeting with Guillen. "He was tremendous about it. His only comment was that Damon makes us a better team. I told him he was our left fielder last year, but this whole Damon thing came at us late. Guillen couldn't have been better about it. He'll get his at-bats and he will be important to us this year."

Guillen, who batted .242 with 11 homers in 81 games with the Tigers last season, echoed that Damon would only make the team better.

"I am happy here and I will play wherever they want me to play," Guillen said. "I didn't have a lot of experience in left field going into last year, but I have a year of experience now. Anything they want."

Leyland said that he didn't expect a hangover from the late-season collapse that cost the Tigers the AL Central.

"People want to talk about last September, but no one wants to talk about how golden this team is," Leyland said. "The main thing we learned is that a win in April is as important as a win in September. Both of those W's count the same. If we win even won more game in April, we would have been in the postseason."

NOTES: Justin Verlander was tabbed by Leyland to start his third straight opening day. He'll face the Kansas City Royals on April 5. ... RHP Casey Fien was designated for assignment to clear roster space for Damon. Fien was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in five games for the Tigers last season.