This article is part of our MLB Observations series.
Jeff Erickson and I decided to have a zero-prep, impromptu Detroit Tigers draft with our Tigers-fan SXM guest, Paul Sporer. This was a seminal event in our lives, and the importance of these results cannot be overstated, particularly Paul waiting too long -- and missing out -- on his favorite player, Curtis Granderson:
| Rd | Team | Player |
| 1 | Paul | Ty Cobb |
| 1 | Liss | Justin Verlander |
| 1 | Jeff | Al Kaline |
| 2 | Jeff | Alan Trammell |
| 2 | Liss | Hank Greenberg |
| 2 | Paul | Miguel Cabrera |
| 3 | Paul | Charlie Gehringer |
| 3 | Liss | Mickey Lolich |
| 3 | Jeff | Lou Whitaker |
| 4 | Jeff | Max Scherzer |
| 4 | Liss | Hal Newhouser |
| 4 | Paul | Willie Hernandez |
| 5 | Paul | Norm Cash |
| 5 | Liss | Denny McLain |
| 5 | Jeff | Harry Heilmann |
| 6 | Jeff | Sam Crawford |
| 6 | Liss | Jack Morris |
| 6 | Paul | Dizzy Trout |
| 7 | Paul | Mickey Tettleton |
| 7 | Liss | Kirk Gibson |
| 7 | Jeff | Tommy Bridges |
| 8 | Jeff | John Hiller |
| 8 | Liss | Rocky Colavito |
| 8 | Paul | J.D. Martinez |
| 9 | Paul | Frank Lary |
| 9 | Liss | Heinie Manush |
| 9 | Jeff | George Kell |
| 10 | Jeff | Virgil Trucks |
| 10 | Liss | Darrell Evans |
| 10 | Paul | Ray Boone |
| 11 | Paul | George Mullin |
| 11 | Liss | Curtis Granderson |
| 11 | Jeff | Chet Lemon |
| 12 | Jeff | Lance Parrish |
| 12 | Liss | Ian Kinsler |
| 12 | Paul | Carlos Guillen |
| 13 | Paul | Harry Coveleski |
| 13 | Liss | Mickey Cochrane |
| 13 | Jeff | Cecil Fielder |
| 14 | Jeff | Schoolboy Rowe |
| 14 | Liss | Jim Bunning |
| 14 | Paul | Willie Horton |
| 15 | Paul | Rick Porcello |
| 15 | Liss | Jose Iglesias |
| 15 | Jeff | Dan Petry |
As you can see, I went heavy on the pitching, as I felt it was thin, and there would be decent hitters later in the draft.
Here are the final rosters:
| Paul | Liss | Jeff | |
| C | Mickey Tettleton | Mickey Cochrane | Lance Parrish |
| 1B | Miguel Cabrera | Hank Greenberg | Sam Crawford |
| 3B | Ray Boone | Darrell Evans | George Kell |
| 2B | Charlie Gehringer | Ian Kinsler | Lou Whitaker |
| SS | Carlos Guillen | Jose Iglesias | Alan Trammell |
| OF1 | Ty Cobb | Kirk Gibson | Al Kaline |
| OF2 | J.D. Martinez | Rocky Colavito | Harry Heilmann |
| OF3 | Willie Horton | Curtis Granderson | Chet Lemon |
| DH | Norm Cash | Heinie Manush | Cecil Fielder |
| P1 | Dizzy Trout | Justin Verlander | Max Scherzer |
| P2 | Frank Lary | Mickey Lolich | Tommy Bridges |
| P3 | George Mullin | Hal Newhouser | Virgil Trucks |
| P4 | Harry Coveleski | Denny McLain | Schoolboy Rowe |
| P5 | Rick Porcello | Jack Morris | Dan Petry |
| P6 | Willie Hernandez | Jim Bunning | John Hiller |
As usual in these exercises, Erickson's team would be lucky to have a .500 season.
