DETROIT -- Don't ask Tigers manager Jim Leyland about national attention. To him, the most significant sign about the Tigers' success is word of mouth.

So when Leyland heard Tiger talk about a sold-out series over his morning coffee, he was a quiet observer.

"I heard a guy in the diner this morning talking about it," he said. "It makes you feel good. I heard them talking at the counter. It was fun to hear it. You're sitting there, reading the paper having your coffee, and it's kind of neat. I got a kick out of it."

That kind of attention means something to Leyland, and it's the one major benefit he sees coming out of his team's fast start. The better they play now, he said on Wednesday, the more interest they'll create temporarily. If the Tigers can build off of that and keep playing well, Leyland believes, they can have that sort of interest consistently like the Pistons and Red Wings enjoy. That's what Leyland wants to do in his time here more than anything else.

"When I hear people talking about the Tigers, that's what we want to do," Leyland said. "We want to get the fans back. That's the goal I have here is to get this back to where it was, because this is a great baseball town, always has been. And it's nice to hear people talking about the Tigers in a positive way.

"But you also have to be realistic. You're only as good as your next series with a lot of people. That's just the way it is. That's the nature of people. If they're going good, let's go down and watch them. If they're going [badly], I wouldn't go down there if they gave me a ticket. That's the way stuff works."

That's the kind of attention Leyland wants, the kind where fans are talking. As far as getting the media talking, Leyland said, "I hope we stay under the radar."
You know anything that Leyland seems to touch seems to do magical things. Well cept the Pirates chokers of yesteryear with Bobby Bo and Barry. Its nice to see the Tigers playing well that city deserves the Tigers to do well.