DETROIT -- Justin Verlander may not have been the first player with an iPhone; knowing Junior Griffey's penchant for toys, he probably presented his son Trey with one at 7 a.m. Friday.

This is the real world for which Marshall Crenshaw's "Cynical Girl" had no use 20-something years ago. Verlander was scheduled to pitch Friday night against the Twins, coincidentally the iPhone release day, a day in which AT&T/Cingular customers -- including the mayor of Philadelphia -- stood in line for four to eight hours in anticipation of the new toy.

Not Verlander, he of the no-hitter and the electric explosion onto the baseball consciousness. He sent a text message to someone at the Apple Store. "They texted me back and said they had plenty," says Verlander. "My girlfriend went to the store and was able to get one for Justin Morneau, as well." Same agent, Mike Milchin. Nice present for the reigning MVP from a future Cy Young winner.

Verlander also knew he didn't have to go to the AT&T/Cingular store to activate his toy. No, simple. "All you have to do is download iTunes into the phone," said Verlander. Before he went to warm up Friday, he could listen to Timbaland (actually, he might want to to listen to a little Jay-Z to get ready for the All-Star Game party he and Barry Bonds are throwing), call friends, check the weather and go online. Actually, Saturday morning, Verlander's show 'n' tell site was YouTube, although he refused to check out his own YouTube videos. "Too embarrassing," he said.

Across the Tigers clubhouse, Curtis Granderson had made his iPhone preparations Friday. Despite being the ninth player in 50 years to reach double figures in doubles, triples and homers before the All-Star break, he realized there was a chance he might have to spend the break at home in Chicago because he was not on the All-Star ballot, even though he garnered more than 375,000 write-in votes. So Granderson texted his friend at the Apple Store in Chicago.

"I'll have mine on the first day of the break," said Granderson, the cerebral future face of all things good in baseball. Yes, he will try to do his ESPN.com blog on the iPhone.

Somehow, it's unlikely that Virgil (Fire) Trucks blogged on an iPhone (or even downloaded grand nephew Derek Truck's brilliant music), or that Norm Cash watched YouTube.

"Kids," says Verlander, "need toys. We're just kids."

Now, even after picking up Jose Capellan from Milwaukee, the Tigers probably need relievers in front of Todd Jones, who like Granderson is a journalist of some note. Joel Zumaya is having his finger examined Monday to determine if he can begin throwing, but his return may be in September, at best. There is no assurance Fernando Rodney's shoulder tendinitis will clear up.

So Dave Dombrowski is shopping, but there are no iArms at the Apple Store. There doesn't seem to be much interest in Detroit for Eric Gagne, and Akinori Otsuka may not be available. The Tigers would like one of the three Houston relievers, but the Astros thus far haven't given up on the season, Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls or Dan Wheeler. Washington has been dangling Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch in front of the Tigers and Indians, but neither team will give up the likes of Cameron Maybin or Jeremy Sowers. "This may go down to the last few days of the month," says one GM. "And the likelihood of anything major is extremely slight."

Soon, GMs like Dombrowski will be able to take their iPhones, download the last few appearances from a player like Gagne and watch them.

Meanwhile, the toys can be used for other purposes. The best Internet battle for the final All-Star spot?

"The [Pat] Neshek-[Hideki] Okajima balloting will be a fight to the death," says Joe Nathan. "Neshek has a Web site with some of the craziest fans in the world. We know Okajima will get all the Asian and Boston Internet votes. It'll be great."