Detroit Tigers, Game 35: One thing I loved, one thing I didn't

The News' Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 7-1 victory over the Rangers on Sunday: One thing I loved The first time the Tigers were on "Sunday Night Baseball" this year, Andy Dirks was one of the color analysts. This time, Dirks' Detroit SportsNet teammate Dan Petry got his turn in the national chair. And there was a cool exchange with play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Benetti brought up Petry's 1980s teammate Lou Whitaker.

Current Tiger Kevin McGonigle is off to a good start in the American League rookie-of-the-year race. Whitaker was the last Tigers position player to win the award, in 1978. Benetti to Petry: "Lou Whitaker was blank … fill in the blank.

" Petry: "Lou Whiter is a Hall-of-Famer. " You could almost hear Tigers fans from Grand Rapids to Grayling, Detroit to Dowagiac, Metamora to Marquette, yelling at their screens, "Preach! " Too often, fans feel (fairly or not) that their team draws the short straw from the booth when their team plays on national TV.

This is why NBC, in taking over "Sunday Night Baseball" from ESPN this year, decided to use a rotation of local analysts to work alongside Benetti , to infuse more local flavor on the national broadcast. Like that. The Tigers are back on "Sunday Night Baseball" in a week, for their series finale in Kansas City.