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It has been an April full of miracles. Phil Mickelson finally won the Masters, less-than-attractive women became "swans," and the Detroit Tigers are 5-1. Grrr.

Leading off the season 5-1 isn't exactly monumental, but remember, we are talking about the Tigers here. These are the Tigers that began last season 0-9, an improvement from 2002's 0-11 start. The very same kittens that clawed their way past the Twins last year to avoid losing 120. They only lost 119. Meow.

"We had a bad season," said newly acquired, all-star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. "But that's already behind us."

Funny, I don't remember Rodriguez losing with the Tigers last year. Regardless, Pudge is right. 2004 is a whole new ball game and this season, the baseball gods are all wearing orange and blue Tigers underwear.

They aren't the only ones.

When is the last time the Tigers got front-page coverage, especially when the city's beloved Red Wings are battling in the playoffs? Heck, the Tigers are scoring national headline coverage for their start. So, then when is the last time someone wore Tigers gear proudly in public? It happened. (Gasp!)

Last weekend, Pistons head coach Larry Brown donned a Rodriguez jersey and a Tigers cap to his post-game conference. And when is the last time I mentioned the Tigers in an article, let alone dedicate an entire story to them? Try never. Ever. Until now.

This season's roster is vastly different from the lineup of a year ago, which finished last or next to last in almost every major offensive and defensive category. The addition of Rodriguez and Rondell White gives manager Alan Trammell more power in the heart of the order, especially with the recent loss of Dmitri Young. It also takes a load of pressure off of Bobby Higginson, something his recent dabbling in pilates probably couldn't do.

Not only has Detroit strengthened their offense, but their defense has also been fortified. Rodriguez behind the plate is improvement enough, but the Tigers also added Fernando Vina and Carlos Guillen up the middle.

Granted, the Tigers still committed the most errors in the AL during spring training (64), but let's chalk that up to getting used to new teammates. And let's just ignore the five errors that were committed in the Tigers' final spring training game.

The Tigers also made moves to bulk up their pitching. Signing Jason Johnson, Ugueth Urbina, and Al Levine adds experience and age to a youthful staff, but is it enough? Johnson, the oldest starter at an ancient 30 years, went 10-10 last year, while the next three hurlers in the rotation were a combined 21-57. Luckily, all three off those starters already have W's under their belts this season.

The new acquisitions will definitely help pull the Tigers from the deep, dark cellar of shame, but can the Motown faithful really expect anything more than a 70-win season? Pudge seems to think so.

"Remember this," he said. "It's going to be a fun season. It'll be different."

So far, it looks that way. Despite facing a daunting opening series, the Tigers went into Toronto and swept three from the Blue Jays.

Toronto's opening day starter, Roy Halladay, was fresh off a Cy Young, 22-win season and owned the Tigers last year, going 3-0 with a minute 0.69 ERA. In fact, his last victory against Detroit was a 10-frame, one-hit shutout.

Conversely, the Tigers would send Johnson, their "ace," to the mound, who was nursing a blister on his middle finger and a mediocre 4.18 ERA. Amazingly, the Tigers shut out the Jays 7-0 to open the season. The win marked the first time since 04/08/01 that the Tigers were north of .500.

Take a moment to admire the enormity of this single win.

Game two offered demons far more harrowing than facing a 22-game winner. Try a 21-game loser. Detroit starter Mike Maroth was forced to return to the site of his modern day record-tying 20th loss. Maroth gritted his teeth, shook Brian Kingman off his back, and pitched the Tigers to a 7-3 victory. After that, completing the sweep of the Jays was a come-from-behind breeze.

The Tigers then headed home to take on the defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. The perfect 3-0 Tigers returning home was the best news to come out of Comerica since 2000, when we learned that the mosquitoes that swarmed the park were not attacking, but harmlessly doing a mating dance.

A loss was inevitable (again, the Tigers, remember?), but it would not happen at the home opener. Instead, it happened the following day, when the Tigers' skipper was serving a one-game suspension for a spring training incident. It took six homeruns from the Twins to hand the lone, undefeated team its first loss. The Twins scored all but one of their runs on the long ball and out-slugged the Tigers 10-5. The following day, the Tigers took the series from the Twins with a 10-inning, 6-5 win.

Currently, Detroit shares the top spot in the league with the World Series champion Florida Marlins. Which brings me to the million-dollar question. Will the Tigers dethrone the Twins in the AL Central and go all the way? (Go ahead, phone a friend.)

Well, as long as the Yankees have money, reality TV continues its 15-minute freebees, and the sky is (relatively) blue, probably not. An improvement from last season's 43-119 record is really all we can ask for. But, for now, these 100% cotton, Detroit Tigers underwear are quite comfy, don't you think?

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