"I think that people are still very positive about the Tigers and look on last year as a bit of an aberration," said George Cantor, a retired Detroit News sports columnist and author of "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Detroit Tigers History." (Triumph Books, 2008).

"There's this feeling that all the bad things that happened last year can't all happen again," he said.

In a Grand Rapids Public Library visit Wednesday, Cantor will tell tales from his book -- a colorful history of the Tigers franchise -- and field audience questions.

Cantor pointed out the Tigers have a track record of lifting spirits in Michigan, such as winning the World Series in 1935 during the worst of the Depression and again in 1968, which helped heal Detroit after race riots destroyed parts of the inner city.

"And we sure need some of that now," he said.

"It would be terrific to boost spirits right now."

Cantor has written numerous books about sports and made a series of "The Good, the Bad & the

Ugly" books, covering the Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent 40 years as a reporter

with the two Detroit dailies, most of them as a columnist at the Detroit News.

He has a coffee table book coming out this fall from Publications International called "Michigan Football Yesterday and Today."