Let’s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you still going into offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom calls – as you talk to your co-workers.
Here is today’s hot topic.
The Detroit Tigers are mired in a significant offense slump that has spanned the entire season so far. Through Monday’s game, they are scoring less than 2 runs per game on average. The MLB average is just over 4 runs per game.
Save for 1 hitter, the rest of the lineup simply isn’t hitting. If you didn’t read yesterday’s blog that outlines the issues, here it is:
While it’s usually a combination of factors, if you had to identify which group was most responsible for this lack of scoring ability, which would you select?
The players for their lack of talent and/or hitting ability?
The hitting coaches, Scott Coolbaugh and Mike Hessman, for their lack of results?
Or the architect of the rebuild, GM Al Avila, for being too focused on drafting and developing pitchers and not giving enough attention to developing/acquiring hitters?
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GM/Front Office for me. Either of the other choices are decent ones, but in my view subsets of the GM. The players just might be performing at their potential right now (some exceeded it last year, I think), and while the effectiveness of the hitting coaches seems suspect right now it’s still up to the GM/Front Office/AJ to assess and make changes if appropriate.
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Hitting coaches for me. Their job is to spot flaws, recommend and communicate adjustments, and encourage players to adapt and improve. When nearly all the hitters have regressed and fallen into bad habits they constantly repeat, I’ve got to ask, “Where are the coaches?”
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I was reluctant to pin this on one cause, but after reading your comment this occurred to me: If Lloyd was the hitting coach many would be figuratively heading to Comerica with torches and pitchforks. So, yes, it is time to blame the coaches for a team failure like this.
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My one caveat with blaming the coaching is: Lloyd had years of ineptness to earn the pitchforks. Coolbaugh has had just over one year, with most of last off-season lost to the lockout. I’m still willing to give him a little more time to try to straighten them out.
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That’s true, but given roster turnover MLB no coaches get “years” with many players.
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The broadcasting team mentioned that all the players are being told to “ hit the other way”. In some situations maybe that’s okay but what’s wrong with trying to pull the ball? Are the coaches taking the hitters too much out of their known normal?
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Wasn’t long ago that several players sought their own hitting instructors because Tiger coaching was so poor. During the lock-out players may have done the same, or tried changes on their own (like Mize with his splitter). If they’re now getting conflicting instruction with poor results it’s no surprise they’re tied in knots at the plate and lack the confidence to know who to believe.
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I wonder if the players are being told to hit the other way because of the Shift? Without the games getting broadcast over my satellite provider, I don’t know how much the Shift is played this year.
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It’s not the short spring training or the cold weather or the coaching. It’s a lack of talent. The current Detroit batters may not be very good; J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos are doing fine.
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If the goal is to have a lineup of hitters who all hit like Miggy then there’s the culprit. If you want that as your offensive identity (Tiger’s Way) that has to start in the lower rungs of your Minor League system and carried thru Toledo. If they are trying to implement this at the MLB level with established hitters there’s gonna be a learning curve at the very least. This could be what’s behind the terribly slow starts this and last year.
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You can put players in a position in which to succeed but the players swing the bats and take hittable pitches down the pipe. Craig Monroe made a comment about being too focused on staying in the strikezone that they miss hittable pitches in the shadow zone. Consider the Astros, they have a lower team batting average then the Tigers, do play in a band box but even though they hit less they score more.
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Very interesting point, but the puzzling thing is that these are guys with a track record of hitting extra base hits (Schoop, Grossman, Candy, etc.) who are playing their way out of a payday or the league itself (Hasse). Forget, AJ’s psych B.A., let’s get a team of shrinks in here pronto!
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I picked the GM/Front office because I couldn’t pick the owners. I think we’re seeing the result of almost no spring training. I didn’t like the lockout or the commissioners’ flippant attitude. As a result, the players received no coaching at all during the off season. Now though we get this version of big-league ball. Maybe it’ll turn around soon until then…..
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All teams lacked spring training so that lack of preparation is not unique to Tigers. The present team is a collection of players of limited talent that was assembled to complete the season. Most disturbing is that the supposed talent promoted from the minors does not show much skill development and is not ready for the majors.
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The entire team is not hitting the ball. When they do they are not driving the ball at all and making soft contact in most cases. Many groundballs or weak flyballs as one analyst noted. Why is that? Many players on this team overperformed last year. Water seeks it’s own level.
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I wonder if this is because of what jimdme262 posted.
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After watching Javier Baez’s at bat versus Adrian Martinez yesterday, it’s easy to just point the blame at the players. However, Avila and crew had to know what they were getting with him. Talented guy that will drive you bonkers at times by swinging at anything within 4 feet of the plate. I am sticking with the guy who ultimately builds the roster and is well on his way to a 6th straight losing season under his watch.
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I read an article once that Al Kaline said that hitting coaches are basically cheerleaders. If a player is in the majors he should know how to hit. Hitting coaches: stop messing with our hitters.
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It’s the players. If you want to blame the coaching, you have to include AJ
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In order to hit, one needs MLB players. Until they get some they will not hit.
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You have 2 hitting coaches – one never could hit and the other was AAA for about 20 years because he couldn’t adjust. That said, the reality is that hitting in MLB is like the rest of society – it is always some else’s fault, never the individual. They are paid and selected for how they look, not based on how they do their job. JMO
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The GM hasn’t brought in top talent, but they did bring in players who are expected to play the way they have always played. The Coaches try to coach the best of their ability, but depend on the hitters to follow their recommendations. Maybe the Coaches are over-coaching these guys by asking them to do what is unnatural to them. If so that is on the Coaching. Still, I voted for the Players. Ultimately, it is up to them to perform.
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I voted for the GM & front office because ultimately they are responsible for bringing in the right talent and seeing to the fact that they are developed, maintained and coached properly. However, Hinch and Fetter were prevented from following up on their individual player plans and when combined with a shortened spring training we could be seeing the effect of the lockout on the Tigers rebuild development.
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One of sparky’s coaches got tabbed, along with all coaches going back to billy Martin,mayo smith et all, for being basically managers drinking buddies. He said that by the time players make the majors they’ve heard it all before, too many times. If they haven’t figured it out by then, well , it’s up to them now!. So I think he agrees with al and j.262.
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As hyped as I was for Tigers to finally be relevant again, the team-wide funk indicates a losing culture which starts at the top. The young pitching is very encouraging but something needs to give with the front office. Avila and remnants of the Leyland era need to be broomed even mid-season.
This season could be more painful than 2003 because that team wasn’t expected to do anything.
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Historically, in MLB when a team underperforms, the team does not get fired- the manager and/or the general manager does get fired. Following the 2021 season, the Tigers significantly added to their payroll. However, the Tigers’ record in 2022 has not improved. Unless the Tigers trade some of their surplus of young pitchers for established hitters, the Tigers will continue to flounder.
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