HAPPY NEW YEAR!

There is no better way to ring in the New Year than with our readers taking the wheel! Let’s finish up this holiday season with a bang and put 2020 in the rear view mirror.

Here is another opportunity for readers to comment on the Tiger topic of your choosing.

Today, we open up the comment parameters for you, so you can really get those juices flowing. Comments on THIS DAY ONLY can be expanded to a maximum of 8 sentences.  So pick a topic and let us hear from you!  What’s on your minds?

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY?

By:  Holly Horning

The Hot Stove season is starting to get, well, hotter…….. The San Diego Padres just traded for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish.

And the Tigers just signed…. Jose Urena and Dustin Garneau.

Are you surprised? Disappointed? Resigned?

And are you pointing your finger at Al Avila?

Maybe that finger – the index one, of course – should be pointing elsewhere.

To ownership.

Because the simple truth is that any GM can only sign players with the money he is given. There is no GM in the history of the game who didn’t use the entire budget he was given by the owner.

In Al’s case, he is given a payroll ceiling by Chris Ilitch. And he has to decide how to divide it in order to get all the players he needs. In general terms, if he needs to fill multiple holes, the quality and track records of those players is going to be lower than if he only needed a single player.

The first clue about payroll was seen during the Winter Meetings when Avila said that the Tigers would like to sign a new catcher, but that this position wasn’t a priority for them.

Come again?

You have a team that ranked dead last in catching for 2020, a tandem of Jake Rogers and Grayson Greiner going forward, and it’s not a priority?

The Tigers ended up signing Dustin Garneau, age 33-and-a-half, to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training to try out for the #1 slot.

Translation: Al’s 2021 budget is very tight and won’t cover all the team’s needs. He’s got to get creative, find some of the most inexpensive options out there and hope he hits pay dirt.

So don’t blame him. At least, not yet. Let’s remember he reports to an owner who was infamous for turning down Dave Dombrowski’s reported request for an additional $7 million to sign a closer during one of the Tigers’ most competitive years. A year in which Chris took over the decision-making for his ailing dad.

The year was 2013 and Dave was forced to trade Doug Fister in order to free up payroll so he could sign Joe Nathan.

Seven plus years later, we’re again speculating on when Chris Ilitch will spend. Remember his quote that the team “will spend when the time is right” ? Yet, he never clarified or defined what that meant, leading top Washington politicians to exclaim “genius!” when they heard his comment.

So when will the time be right? Are we ready to condemn ownership or are we being too hasty in our judgement?

To be fair, we live in complicated times. It’s not so black and white anymore when it comes to assessing the Tigers’ timeline for rebuilding. A major hiccup happened last March throughout the world. A lot has changed. Changes that the team cannot control.

The world has been put on hold this year for the most part. And that includes baseball.

But let’s look at the factors that are undoubtedly influencing decisions within the Tigers’ organization. One being the decision to spend.

First, the factors that would support why the Tigers would decide to shell out some cash for free agents.

In a year of uncertainty, the majority of baseball teams are hesitant to spend money given the question marks surrounding the 2021 season and paying fans, which is still being significantly impacted by the pandemic. Many analysts expect a large number of players to sign contracts for much less and surmise that there will be some real bargains out there in a month or two.

Simply by waiting, the Tigers may be able to capitalize on a market that definitely favors the buyers. Things may look awfully good for them with scads of unemployed players just before the start of spring training.

Others are speculating that with the expiration of the Jordan Zimmermann and Prince Fielder contracts, the Tigers’ payroll is now low enough to justify spending some of the savings. (More on that in little while.) It is estimated to be around $70 million for the coming year. One-third of what it was just about 5 years ago.

Potentially, the third reason, and not the most plausible, is that the Front Office may discover that they must go out and sign a free agent because they have a big black hole that needs to be filled and they have no one even remotely close to filling it.

But that’s about it, folks, for reasons supporting the need to sign players who don’t have asterisks by their names for the 2020 season.

Now, let’s turn to the rationale for not taking that checkbook for a spin. Unfortunately, those reasons are more plentiful and dare I say it, more rational. And we’re going to approach the discussion, not as fans, but as businesspeople. As much as we’d like to dream, smart moves have to replace emotion as the driving force.

First, simply because they share the same last name, Christopher is nothing like his dad. Mr. I was ruled by his heart. Chris? By that MBA degree he earned. Besides, have you ever seen him do a news conference, put on a show and make jokes about his checkbook and the $20’s left in his wallet? Of course not. And that is telling.

Let’s also acknowledge that under Mr. I, the Tigers lost money every year (under GM Dave Dombrowski). When his son, Chris, took over, the team started making it, even with all those last-place finishes. It’s not a fluke. It was a deliberate strategy with corresponding actions.

But let’s leave the emotional argument and deal in facts.

Miggy’s contract. If the team does hold to that $70 million payroll estimate, Cabrera will be taking home 46% of it. $30 mill a pop for this year followed by $32 mill for each of the next 2 years. There’s also a risk that the 2 option years may kick in after that. Yikes, there’s a reason why most analysts believe it is MLB’s worst contract.

Covid. Very few people will have the vaccine by spring which will put the start of the season, the number of games and, of course, the fans, in jeopardy. MLB hasn’t even set the schedule in stone officially and another big fight with the Players Association is brewing over how long the season will be. Tony Clark has already fired the first warning shot that players will absolutely, positively not accept a pro-rated salary this year even is the season is shortened.

It’s hard to spend when you can’t even estimate how much revenue you may have coming in the next year.

The CBA. The latest version expires in December 2021 and both sides are already behind with no talks currently taking place. It usually takes a full year or more to negotiate the many big issues and fine points. The last CBA was considered to be a colossal failure for the players in which owners further lined their pockets and the financial gap between owners and players only grew larger.

This negotiation is expected to be particularly nasty. And owners are being realistic that they will have to give up some of their earnings. But analysts are also forecasting, depending upon what happens to the game this year, that there will be a lockout by owners and not a strike.

And finally, there’s the state of the Tigers’ rebuild or “rebuild” if you prefer. It’s been going on since the end of 2015, 2016 or 2017 depending upon whom you ask. The team has yet to have a top prospect earn a permanent position on the field. There are worrisome holes at catcher, first base and left field. Second base, SS and third base have turned into a Rubik’s Cube adventure. And the other 2 outfield positions have some fairly big question marks attached to them.

We won’t even get into the starting rotation or bullpen.

Does this seem like the Tigers are now in a position to spend? Isn’t your money better spent when your team has started to contend and you need to fill in 1 or 2 spots?

Should any team be spending on solid proven talent when they’ve been routinely finishing regularly in last place? Wouldn’t it be a waste of money? Realistically, there are few who would disagree with Chris Ilitch right now about “spending when the time is right.”

I believe most of us can agree that the Tigers shouldn’t be collecting difference-makers this year. But shouldn’t they do some spending? Shouldn’t they be fielding a legitimate team for 2021? Shouldn’t they be putting players on the field who are better than those from 2020?

Of course, they should. But will they?

Will they use the pandemic as an excuse? Will they talk about how much money they lost in 2020 to explain away their few cautious and inexpensive signings?

Next week, we’ll continue this discussion using an in-depth exploration into the Tigers’ 2020 financials by a national writer. You may be surprised by what you learn.

Or not.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

This past week, the Detroit Tigers signed a journey man pitcher in Jose Urena (as a starter) and back-up catcher Dustin Garneau. The latter signed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training to compete for the #1 catcher position.

What do you believe is the strategy for these moves? Depth? Trade chips? Fill-ins until the prospects are ready? Or something else?

Please share your thoughts. For today only, please keep them to 8 sentences or less.

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

The Saturday Survey offers readers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic.   So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our passionate readers.

Today, we center the discussion on the Tigers’ signings over the last week.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please vote and then submit your reasons  (4 sentences max!) for how you voted in the usual comment box.  Don’t forget to come back later and view the results!

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The Tigers signed a few players this week.  Jose Urena will join the team as a starting pitcher.  He’s had 2 bad years in a row but decent runs in 2017 and ’18.

Dustin Garneau was signed to a minor league contract but will compete for the starting catching job along with Jake Rogers and Grayson Greiner.  Garneau has been a backup catcher and a lifetime .202 hitter.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, READERS!

Happy Holidays (or Happy Holly Daze) to all of our dear readers!

Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or another holiday you celebrate during the month of December, we send our very best wishes to all of you during this special time of the craziest of years.

And every one of you who read our blogs are the gifts that keep on giving for us. It doesn’t matter if you comment regularly, sporadically or lurk silently in the background, we love you all and appreciate your loyalty. Next year, we hope to raise those levels of loyalty to those infamous historic Tiger Front Office standards.

Here’s hoping that your holidays are merry and bright and (with apologies to Henry Livingston, Jr.) that visions of a pandemic-free 2021 dance in your heads whilst you are “nestled all snug in (sic) your beds.”

MERRY AND BRIGHT….AND LIGHT

By:  Holly Horning

Ok, y’all, some of you have been getting a little scary. That’s what happens when you mix the holidays with a pandemic and then toss in a Tigers’ rebuild that’s been going on for 5 years now. A baseball fan can only take so much before they start to break.

So before yet another person responds to you with a sarcastic “Ok, Boomer” or you’re tempted to go yell at kids to get off your lawn, we need to do an intervention. Let’s call it TTT – Totally Tigers Therapy.

And this is the perfect time to do it. If you recently celebrated Hanukkah, this is the recovery process. If you’re getting ready for Christmas, it’s better than having a cocktail. (But not 2 cocktails.) Same with Kwanzaa.

And Festivus? You already have a head start.

Today, we’re going to laugh. We’re going to find the humor out there and share our favorite funny baseball stories. They can be a personal experience, something we witnessed while watching a game or historic lore.

I’m going to start. Three of my favorites that never fail to bring a smile to my face.

1. The first time is always the best. Many years ago, Wilbur Snapp was the organist for the Clearwater Phillies and their MLB team (during spring training). During one game, the managers were arguing a bad call and the ejections started. Snapp started playing “Three Blind Mice” on the organ. The crowd loved it, but the umpire did not. Snapp also got the thumb and was booted out of the ballpark.

2. NY Yankee, Phil Linz (who just passed away), sparked his team to victory – and an AL championship back in 1964. All due to his harmonica playing. The team, under first year manager Yogi Berra, was in a deep slump and had just been swept in a double-header as they packed onto their team bus. Phil started playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (the dirge version) from the back of the bus and Berra, not at all in a good mood, told him to knock it off. But Linz didn’t hear him and asked Mickey Mantle what their skipper said.

Mantle told him that Berra asked him to play it louder, which he did. You know what happened next. A trip to the back of the bus, a request to put the harmonica somewhere else and a challenge by Linz to his manager about who should have the honor of doing it. A toss of the harmonica to Berra resulted in him swatting the harmonica which hit Joe Pepitone, who immediately went dramatic about the harmonica hitting his knee.

Laughter ensued and it was deemed the turning point for the team who then went on to a 30-13 run.

3. On a personal note, this next story will tell you exactly how my mind works. As you know, I live in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. Our team here is the Nationals – or still the Orioles and even the Phillies. So not that long ago, my late-afternoon responsibility was to pick up our son from school every day. In the carpool line, you can’t help but notice what other cars have on their bumpers. And I was noticing something highly unusual.

Why were there 3 different cars sporting Cleveland Indians bumper stickers from a high school in VA that only had a total of 375 students? Was there something I didn’t know? Afterall, the medallions were green and gold (one of Cleveland’s now former designs) with the word “TRIBE” scrawled across them in the same lettering style. It did not cross my mind whatsoever that there could be another reason.

That is, until I found out that “Tribe” was the name for all of the sports teams of the College of William & Mary, which is located in Virginia. William & Mary, the country’s oldest college dating back to 1618, was the first college to develop The Indian School to help educate Native American tribes. Their logo, developed over 100 years ago, ended up being copied by the Cleveland Indians many years later.

So I wasn’t that far off….

Ok, friends, your turn. Your challenge? One funny story and a maximum of 8 sentences in which to share. Let’s laugh for a change.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

By:  Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

Baseball’s historical footprint can be measured by the big moves it makes – as well as the small ones. Game-changing moments and policy – or a small move made by one team that is adopted by the rest.

So how do we measure what’s happening to our game? One way is to recognize the significant moments that appear from week to week. The season may be over but that doesn’t mean the game has stopped evolving until April.

What caught our eye this past week? Glad you asked. We’re going to sum it up, Clint Eastwood style. The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

As always, Kurt and Holly never share their answers in advance. Let’s see how similar or how different they are in what they both see for the past week.

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THE GOOD

KURT

In every corner of the country, 2020 has been a year where racism has come to the forefront as something that needs to be addressed once again. And now we can count Major League Baseball as an organization that has made a truly worthy acknowledgement by including the Negro Leagues in the game’s official statistics, giving deserved recognition to so many more great players.

HOLLY

Decades overdue, MLB finally officially recognized the Negro Leagues as having major league status. Soon, we will be able to compare the stats and records of all the great players with each other, no matter which league they played in.

THE BAD

KURT

Yes, you can never have enough pitching, especially when one after another, at any time, can succumb to the perils of Tommy John surgery. One of the Tigers’ top pitching prospects, Alex Faedo, now becomes the 3rd hurler from the farm to have to undergo TJS in 2020.

HOLLY

Having a pitcher on the team who has arm surgery is no longer uncommon but when, in less than a year, you’ve got FIVE of them – Franklin Perez (no surgery yet, although he’s been evaluated re having it), Michael Fulmer, Wilkel Hernandez, Joey Wentz, Alex Faedo – it will seriously derail the rebuilding process and render the tanking for top prospects strategy ineffective, wasteful and self-destructive. It also points to a very serious problem with Detroit’s training, strength and conditioning personnel, who hopefully will do what the Mets did several years ago in a similar situation – firing them all.

THE UGLY

KURT

AJ Hinch has seen it, heard about it and now understands that the approach to hitting that the Tigers have had over the last few years has been abysmal. The Tigers have plenty of hitters flailing away at the plate with no rhyme or reason and Hinch has made it pretty clear that any position players the team brings in will already be familiar with being competitive at the dish.

HOLLY

After his former wife came forward, accompanied by official police injury photos and witness statements, and on the heels of being fired by the White Sox for an alleged altercation with another employee, former coach Omar Vizquel is being investigated by MLB for domestic and workplace physical abuse. Nothing is more sad in baseball than seeing such great talent being buried by what appears to be substantial evidence of ugly behavior of such great magnitude.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

It’s time again to hear from our readers!   Today is the day to let us know what you’re thinking on a selected topic.

Sunday is the one day of the week where we open up the comment parameters for you so you can get those juices flowing.

Comments on THIS DAY ONLY can be expanded to a maximum of 8 sentences.

We can’t wait to get your thoughts on the following topic.

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In what single area  do you see AJ Hinch having the biggest positive impact on the Tigers?

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

The Saturday Survey offers readers the opportunity to weigh in on a relevant topic.   So here is a poll to gauge the pulse of our passionate readers.

Today, we center the discussion on Miguel Cabrera and his potential to move back to first base in 2021.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please vote and then submit your reasons  (4 sentences max!) for how you voted in the usual comment box.  Don’t forget to come back later and view the results!

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This week, A. J. Hinch stated in an interview that he’s interested in exploring a return to the field by Miguel Cabrera.  A decision would be made during spring training and would involve Miggy returning to first base and potentially playing part-time.  He seemed to indicate that Cabrera could see action in as many as 4 games per week.

Hinch’s rationale is that competitive teams need to have flexibility in what they do.  But the most important part of his rationale is that Miggy plays better when he is fully engaged in a game. Cabrera has stated how unhappy he is as a DH and how hard it is to focus only on one aspect of the game.

Do you think this a good idea?  Should Miggy return to first base?  We’re making your decision a tough one.  You can only pick one option that best describes how you feel.  No straddling multiple answers!

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.

RAPID FIRE

By:  Kurt Snyder & Holly Horning

It’s the Virtual Winter Meetings! Instead of cold conference rooms, we got the chance to see how A. J. Hinch and his family decorate their home for the holidays as he did multiple interviews with both local and national media.

So what did he say? Or, are you more interested in reading between the lines?

Today, Kurt and Holly are tackling the Hinch interviews. Five questions, 10 answers and only 2 sentences each allowed for each question. As always, their answers aren’t shared until publication.

Let’s see what they have to say….

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What is your overall impression of Hinch’s interview with the media?

KURT

The Tigers have a manager unlike any we have had in Detroit in a long time. This is a man with a high baseball IQ, but what stands out the most is that he has great love and passion for the game, even when he is just talking about his team.

HOLLY

Hinch is excellent in both describing his goals and very precise in sharing his expectations. There are no generalities or the typical PR spouted by many other managers but you get the sense that he’s got a very clear vision, a specific set of goals and will be an inspiring leader.

What do you believe was the most important piece he communicated?

KURT

He’s got expectations and it starts with a new mindset, a new creed if you will; and those expectations begin with believing you can win and starting every day with one common goal and that is to win today’s game. Hinch has a plan when it comes to the kind of player he likes on the mound and at the plate and it sounds like he will have a say in those decisions.

HOLLY

We’ve been waiting for what seems like decades for someone wearing the Old English D to say it. Hinch did – he wants to change the culture of the team, esp. regarding limitations players put on themselves because it “is a garbage mentality and it’s not how we’re going to operate here.”

What are your thoughts about Hinch wanting to stretch out Daniel Norris and Tyler Alexander to see if they fit the starting rotation?

KURT

I see it as a worthy exercise to challenge every one of his pitchers to expand their roles or change them if it means they can add depth to the starting rotation. Norris and Alexander both have starting experience but not a ton of success – Hinch may explore why that is and see what can be done to help them improve.

HOLLY

Hinch focused on Norris, stating that he has all the tools and it’s puzzling how it’s just never come together for him. Reading between the lines, he’s throwing diplomatic shade on the previous manager/coaches and wants to get in there with Chris Fetter to tap unrealized potential.

How do you feel about his statements about Miggy playing first base?

KURT

I have to say, it’s a pretty smart idea to begin your time in Detroit by getting the franchise player behind you as the new manager. Everyone knows that Miggy is happiest and most productive when he’s playing first base and just considering it, even a couple games a week, serves the team well.

HOLLY

I don’t think Hinch will take unnecessary risks but overall a very smart move to inspire Miggy in the off-season to become his physical best and have him arrive in Lakeland ready to roll. It’s always good to have the face of your franchise, your most expensive player, start off liking you and buying into your program while also having your manager understand what motivates you, which Miggy has stated is his need to play in the field which also makes him a better hitter at the plate.

What was the most important overall theme you heard from the press conference?

KURT

Over and over, AJ talked about ‘winning today’s game,’ and never selling yourself short. He said you can’t lose a game without playing it and that limiting your own expectations would not be tolerated – it’s a mindset that should get us excited.

HOLLY

Unlike Ron Gardenhire, we heard repeatedly that A. J. is an active participant in sharing and formulating policy and decisions with not only Al Avila, but also with Scott Bream, David Chadd, Sam Menzin and others on a daily basis. Hinch comes across as a partner in this rebuild, unlike Gardy, and there’s evidence that he is also involved in roster decisions.

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Totally Tigers loves your comments!  But please be aware that there are specific rules for posting and that comments may be edited in order to meet our specific requirements.  Responses are only published if they address today’s topic, are respectful and do not exceed the maximum 3-4 sentence response length.  Please become familiar with all of the rules at:  https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/commentsrules/.