Three for Thursday

1. Joel Zumaya returns to the Tigers in time for a return to his hometown. Results of our highly unscientific Fungo Pulse Check poll show that Daily Fungo readers overwhelmingly believe that Zumaya’s future with the Tigers is in the bullpen. Eighty percent, in fact. A few of the comments centered around Zumaya’s violent delivery and how it wouldn’t last over six or seven innings. Agreed. Based on what I’ve read about his delivery as a starter in the minors, it was much more fluid than the giddyap-and-go approach he uses in the bully.

2. On this date in 1963, Gates Brown became the eleventh player in American League history to hit a home run in his first at-bat in a 9-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

3. If you hadn’t heard, I’m no fan of Craig Monroe. But as Rob Neyer points out, Monroe’s the Twins $4 million problem now:

Monroe certainly peaked in 2006 but whoda thunk he’d be worse this year than last? As of this writing, he’s hitting .208 with five homers and 19 RBI — and a very Monroe-like .264 OBP. So much for that reputation of Mr. Clutch.