Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.
Let’s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you back in actual offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom – as you talk to your co-workers.
Here is today’s topic……..
MLB has announced that they will be doubling down on checking pitchers for sticky stuff this season. Last year, pitchers were checked once per game.
In 2022, stats show that across the board, their spin rates were lower pre-check and then increased noticeably afterwards. The belief is that pitchers resorted to using stuff like Spider Tack after being checked.
Increased spin rates make a pitch harder to hit, thus reducing offense. Baseball has moved into an era where pitchers are increasingly more dominant due to analytics, technology and products.
Starting this year, MLB has announced that umpires will be checking pitchers randomly throughout the game. There is no limit as to how many times they may check a single pitcher. But they are not expected to continually check a single pitcher during 1 game.
How do you feel about this move? Is it important to even out the odds between pitchers and hitters? Will this make the game more fair? Will it unfairly distract those on the mound? Or will it make games even longer?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
The Savannah Bananas are pulling in more fans than MLB teams in spring training.
Baseball is a sport in peril. For well over a decade now, its fan base has declined every year. It also has professional sports oldest fan base. And today’s hurry-up habits are contradictory to the game’s lengthy and plodding pace.
And now, regional tv networks can no longer afford to televise the games because of decreasing interest. MLB has created a special committee to try to solve the problem.
Several years ago, Theo Epstein was appointed by the Commissioner to try to come up with some ideas to help save the game. We have to assume that some of his work involved the rule changes of ghost runners, changes in the shift, pitch clocks and bigger bases.
But if Rob Manfred was smart, he would have hired Jesse Cole instead.
Jesse is the only one in baseball who has brought the interest back to the game. And in a very big way.
Cole is the owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, formerly part of the Coast Plain League and now an exhibition/barnstorming team.
The Bananas have sold out every single game they have played since 2016 – a full 7 years of complete sell-outs.
I was reminded of the Bananas on my recent trip to Savannah. Unfortunately, they were down in Florida at spring training and I couldn’t get my fix.
I have tweeted about them whenever I find stellar video to share. Mr. Cole has also dutifully tweeted back. He is a fully-immersed owner.
So what is Banana Ball?
It is quality baseball albeit with some different rules. The players are competitive and serious athletes – most being young, solid talent. And most of those rules are in response what fans want to see.
They include:
A strict 2-hour time limit on games.
Avoiding blow out games. Teams that score the most runs in an inning get 1 point except for the 9th where every run scored earns a point. The team posting the highest point total in an inning wins that inning and gets a point. The first team to earn 5 points wins the game, even if the game doesn’t go 9 innings.
Bunting is not allowed. Anyone who bunts is ejected from the game.
Batters cannot step outside of the batter’s box. Violating that rule is an automatic strike.
Batter can also try to steal 1st base if there is a wild pitch or passed ball.
Walks are called sprints. On the 4th ball, the hitter can run the bases as fast as he can. While doing that, the players must throw the ball sequentially to each other. The runner then stops at a “safe” base once that drill has been completed or a fielder may try to throw him out. And it creates a scenario where in-the-park home runs may be possible.
Managers and coaches are forbidden to visit the mound. Any changes they want to make has to be yelled from the dugout.
Foul balls caught by fans are counted as outs. (How great is that?)
Cole said these changes were dictated by fans. And those fans, a much younger fan base, are growing by the thousands. No one leaves a game early. He said that baseball has to “enliven itself, aggressively.”
He added that the no-stepping-out-of-the-batter’s-box rule is essential to speed up play in any game. That rule came out of his experience watching an MLB player take a 30-second break after every pitch.
The game has been described as “all gas, no breaks.” And appropriately, their manager is Eric Byrnes. He finally found his calling.
And fans can’t get enough.
But the insanity doesn’t stop with the game rules.
Their mascot is called Split. (Think about it.) They have 2 sets of cheerleaders: senior citizen grandmothers called the Banana Nanas and the men who are called Mananas.
Coaches and players dance on occasion, gymnastics are performed on the bases and in the outfield.
One of my personal fave moments is their interpretation of players’ walk up songs. It involves an entire band following the hitter up to the plate.
The team uniform is, naturally, bright yellow. Even Cole wears a head to toe yellow tux (including top hat) and works the crowd at games.
And the players have been known to wear kilts on occasion.
But don’t think this is a stunt. There is quality baseball being played even though Jesse does stipulate that he puts “entertainment” above “baseball.”
It’s not just their fan base that is growing. There is a movement here where interest and attendance is growing throughout this league. And part of this is the determined effort to break down the barriers between the players and fans.
What is startling is that the Savannah Bananas have 2 million more followers than the top MLB team.
What does that say?
There have been more than a few national baseball writers who have indicated that MLB has much to learn about how to build their market – and that by taking a cue from the Savannah Bananas would be wise.
So why all the fuss over this team?
Watch it for yourself:
I’ve now found another valid reason to return to Savannah – during the baseball season, that is. I wonder if tickets for next year are on sale yet…
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Victor Martinez is back! But why did he pick this team?
Throughout the week, there are so many smaller stories hitting the media. They may be bite-size, but often they are just as important as the headline-grabbing news. Sometimes, even more.
And that’s what brings me to today. A way to bring them out in the open and invite conversation about some of these subjects.
And that’s the plan for Mondays. Keeping track of these mighty little bits that hit my radar throughout the week and sharing them with you today because I know one or more will also resonate with you. So, let’s kick off this week’s musings…
Let’s dig deeper into Scott Harris’ insistence that any new players acquired must be capable of controlling the strike zone. The good news is that it should bring some comfort to fans who haven’t been happy with the new players signed over the winter.
Take Jonathan Schoop. In 2022, his chase rate last year was almost 37% and he struck out 28% of the time. His walk rate was less than 4% which was almost dead last in MLB.
Schoop missed out on getting 40 walks just by chasing pitches outside the zone on three-ball counts. What this means is that he could have been on base 40 times for the next hitter to advance and hopefully score him.
It also means that the Tigers were so bad at controlling the strike zone that almost everyone in the lineup was doing the same thing. No one getting on base in order for the next hitter to drive him home. No one was setting the table.
And this is why the Tigers set a record for MLB’s worst offensive stats in 2022. They had a roster full of players who couldn’t control the strike zone, couldn’t work counts and couldn’t get on base. It also brings into question why these factors weren’t considered in building the roster and why the analytics department didn’t pick up on this.
Many believe that so many Tigers under-performed last year. In actuality, it was a critical mass of players who couldn’t control the strike zone and created what was essentially a domino effect of ineffectiveness that ran through the entire lineup, creating disadvantages for every hitter.
We still don’t know who will make the roster this spring but this team will score more runs because the new players do cut down on strikeouts, know how to walk and how to work counts.
Remember the blog I wrote the other day that mentioned how Alex Faedo, Eric Haase and Spencer Torkelson didn’t get the coaching they deserved under the old regime?
Well, they were listening. And reading.
Eric Haase forwarded that blog to Faedo and Torkelson. He also tagged it with “#culture.”
Alex responded: “Absolutely. 100 (sic %).”
One could surmise that they see a huge difference in this organization now that Scott Harris has taken over.
He’s baaack!
There are some pictures showing that Jim Leyland has been in Lakeland, but don’t get concerned just yet. Things look to be different.
First of all, the articles list him as a “visitor” and he is wearing an official visitor lanyard around his neck. (He’s also wearing a powder blue leather belt which my retinas will never un-see.) Those are only handed out to people who are there for a day or two. In the past, JL never had to wear one.
For the record, both Alan Trammell and Willie Horton come down to Lakeland every year. This year, Tram has been on the field working with players on how to handle the new bigger bases. And yes, he had a glove and was doing all the drills with the players.
It’s also interesting to note that in a picture, Leyland had his visitor’s pass on while Tram was not wearing one.
Keep in mind that the Tigers are not going to slam the door on Leyland. And they aren’t going to boot him from being a special assistant. Everyone learned from the Marlins what happens when you release them.
Respect is still due but there are other ways in which you can honor someone while still keeping a desired distance. There are things you can do to show them politely that the old relationships no longer exist. You never want to be the one who sends someone out the door. You want them to leave voluntarily.
Some of you may know that I am trained and teach body language professionally, as well as consult on it. So I have been perusing the pics looking for clues as to how relationships within the organization may have changed.
There is a picture of Leyland talking to Scott Harris. But while JL is looking at Harris, the new PoBO is not returning his gaze. There is also a good amount of personal space between them. Scott is also tight-lipped, unsmiling and has his arms crossed. All signal discomfort and a desire to put distance between him and the former manager. Crossed arms also convey suspicion and being critical of what is being said.
Then there is a picture of Leyland trying to engage in conversation with A. J. Hinch. JL is turned towards Hinch and giving him eye contact. A. J. is looking straight ahead with his upper arms pinned to his torso. Again, this is a protective mechanism meant to create distance between 2 people. It also indicates that you’re not excited to be with that person.
But the last pic was very telling about Leyland’s current relationship with the team. He is with pitching coaches Chris Fetter and Michael Brdar.
Leyland was standing in the middle with a hand in his pocket. That signifies a loss or lack of power.
But Brdar and Fetter were both facing him and each had both hands on their hips with their thumbs behind their backs. This signifies that they feel confident and in control.
It also signifies that they are not aligned with the other person. It is a territorial display and it can also mean that they dislike/disagree with what the other person is saying.
The hands on hips with thumbs behind the back is body language meant to intimidate the other person.
It is not a picture that shows any kind of rapport between Fetter and Brdar with Leyland. In fact, quite the opposite. The two coaches appear united in their stance.
From personal experience, Leyland used to be a huge presence in Lakeland when Al Avila was in charge. He had the run of the complex from the dugout to the field to the stands, never once having to wear a lanyard. And he always sat for every game behind home plate, attached to Al’s side. It has often been reported that Avila leaned heavily on his advisors – much more so than most GMs.
For the record, JL did not attend Saturday’s game. He was playing golf.
Even though he has been presence in Lakeland, what we’re seeing now doesn’t resemble the days of old.
It appears that the Tigers are gradually breaking from the past as they embrace all that is new and current within MLB.
But out of curiosity, let’s watch to see who is sitting next to Scott Harris at the games.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
You can already see the results from controlling the strike zone.
Another change MLB will be making this year is the introduction of bigger bases. Here is their official statement:
One of the rule changes covers the size of the bases, which traditionally have been 15 inches square, but will now be 18 inches square. Home plate remains unchanged.
Though the base-size change may have a modest impact on stolen-base success rate, the modification’s primary goal is to give players more room to operate and to avoid collisions. This is especially key at first base, where fielders will have an extra 3-inch advantage to stay out of harm’s way from the baserunner while receiving throws.
The change will create a 4 1/2-inch reduction in the distance between first and second base and between second base and third, which will likely encourage more stolen-base attempts. The bigger bases could also have the effect of reducing over-sliding, whereby a player loses contact with the bag after sliding through it.
So how will this change impact the Tigers? Will it help or hurt them?
Today’s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!
For this one blog only, you’ve got 6 sentences maxto share your thoughts. Of course, you can respond to as many other readers as you want.
TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.
Ready?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Austin Meadows’ special resource to help him regain his form this year.
Starting this year, MLB is making 3 important changes to the game. They were created to increase the pace of play and inject excitement into the game.
One of those changes involves the use of a pitch clock. Here are the rules as written by MLB:
In an effort to create a quicker pace of play, a 30-second timer between batters will be implemented in 2023. Between pitches, a 15-second timer will be in place with the bases empty and a 20-second timer with runners on base.
The rule change stipulates the following: The pitcher must begin his motion to deliver the pitch before the expiration of the pitch timer. Pitchers who violate the timer are charged with an automatic ball. Batters who violate the timer are charged with an automatic strike.
Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or else be charged with an automatic strike.
With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher attempts a pickoff or steps off the rubber.
Pitchers are limited to two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance. However, this limit is reset if a runner or runners advance during the plate appearance.
If a third pickoff attempt is made, the runner automatically advances one base if the pickoff attempt is not successful.
Mound visits, injury timeouts and offensive team timeouts do not count as a disengagement.
If a team has used up all five of its allotted mound visits prior to the ninth inning, that team will receive an additional mound visit in the ninth inning. This effectively serves as an additional disengagement.
Umpires may provide extra time if warranted by special circumstances. (So if, as an example, a catcher were to be thrown out on the bases to end the previous half-inning and needed additional time to put on his catching gear, the umpire could allow it.)
The Detroit Tigers have been using the pitch clock in spring training. Player reviews of it are all over the board.
But what do you think? Is a pitch clock a good idea or does it mess with the game too much? Will it negatively or positively impact how a pitcher performs?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
What a difference a new set of training and conditioning coaches makes.
The first dress rehearsal for this year’s roster officially starts on Saturday with the first spring training game. There are 62 players vying for almost every position on the field with some slots having 5-9 candidates.
For the first time in years, Scott Harris and A. J. Hinch have made it known that positions will not be simply handed out. They will have to be earned. Harris ensured that there is enough depth for each roster opening by signing and inviting multiple candidates to compete with those players left on the roster.
Every player will have a different motivation in their effort to be named to the Opening Day roster. Some are professional, while others may be more personal in nature. But all are valid.
There will of course, be prospects who are looking to crack the roster. Veterans who are older and playing for their next contract. Others who wish to erase a bad 2023 season. Some who still need to prove their worth.
Which brings us to what they all share.
The pressure to succeed.
But out of all the players, which ones (not on the IL) will have the most pressure placed upon them?
I’ve got my top 5:
1.JAVIER BAEZ – There are reports about how much pressure Javy was under last year to perform and his feeling that it was his duty to carry the team all year. The Tigers have been spending more time with him this off-season, esp. with A. J. Hinch. Currently, he is the star player on the team with the most expensive contract but a solid year could ignite his opt-out clause with a bigger payout going forward.
2. AUSTIN MEADOWS – Multiple physical and mental health issues impacted his 2022 season so there’s a lot to prove this year and a lot of hope that everything that prevented him from playing last year doesn’t reoccur. Austin has only 2 more years to cement his worth before he becomes a free agent. It’s not a whole lot of time to create a solid pattern of performance.
3. EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ – He also had an unusual year with an extended departure from the team including a questionable lack of communication. He’s got to worry about his professional and personal lives as well as the opportunity to take advantage of the recent trend in pitchers receiving higher offers than what he currently has. He’s got this year to prove he’s worth more than he’s currently being paid.
4. SPENCER TORKELSON – He was supposed to be the face of the rebuild and stumbled badly in his first year. There’s always a lot of pressure on the #1 draft pick and he understands the whispers going around. Currently, he’s at the top of the list of #1 draft picks having the worst rookie season and he certainly needs to silence the concerns of the Front Office as well as the critics.
5. SPENCER TURNBULL – After throwing a no-hitter, he’s been gone from the game for 1.5 years and has only played 1 full season. He’s got only 2 years to prove his worth before becoming a free agent which is especially important considering that he’s already 30 years old.
Is there someone else you feel is under more pressure to perform this year than these 5? If there is, who would you remove and who would you add instead? Make your case!
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If you’re a Tiger fan, then you’re familiar with all the stories about players who did not do well in Detroit and then performed much better when they moved to other teams.
Now there’s proof that there was substance to those tales.
Several young players have discussed their early development with Detroit as a factor in their struggles to progress in the system.
There is Spencer Torkelson who was rushed up to Detroit last year out of desperation to validate the rebuild. He did not do well, even after returning from a refresher in Toledo.
You may remember that Tork was drafted by the Tigers as a third baseman, despite never having played that position. That move raised eyebrows within most MLB Front Offices.
The Tigers then actually put him at 3B so he could learn the position. It did not go well and he was moved back to first base.
But when you make significant changes, it sacrifices some of the focus needed in a player’s development and progress.
Spencer had to make positional changes and work on his offense at the same time. And the Tigers gave him only 1 year in which to master it all.
That’s a rather tall order.
But then they also tried to change his swing. This was all before the Player Development department was overhauled and before Ryan Garko was hired.
We know how well that worked out.
Since last year, Torkelson has been adamant about returning to the swing he used in college. Many of us thought he was just being young and stubborn.
It is now appearing that maybe he was right.
After working with the new hitting coaches over the winter, we’re hearing that his swing potentially may be returning to what got him to the majors. Albeit with potentially a few minor tweaks after Dr. Lund does a full analysis of how his body moves most efficiently.
Earlier this week, I blogged about the changes to Eric Haase’s set-up behind the plate that is also being tweaked in order to allow him to become a better defensive player. He’s been with the Tigers for 3 years but no one, until now, has been able to diagnose the issues because the team didn’t have the right equipment or specialists who could figure it out.
And now there’s Alex Faedo.
Faedo recently gave an interview where he talked about how the Tigers, when he was signed, changed his pitching mechanics.
Then he revealed that the change is what created his hip injury that required surgery last year. He has now gone back to his former delivery style on the advice of the new specialists.
Alex credits all the new people for getting him back on track. He gave a shout out to Director of Pitching, Gabe Ribas, pitching rehab coordinator, John DeRouin, rehab specialists Corey Tremble and Duncan Evans and strength coaches Francisco Rivas and Ryan Maedel.
What do these 3 players have in common?
They were getting old, outdated advice from an organization that lacked the tools and skills to guide and develop the best performance from its talent.
Until this year.
The Tigers now have added to their technology which allows them to break down a player’s movement into milli-seconds and then feed the info into super computers. They also have new coaches like Dr. Robin Lund who can then take this info and apply their expertise in kinesiology to ensure that any movement performed will not create injury.
Not having these resources could also be a factor in the number of other pitchers who have ended up on the IL going back quite a few years. How many of them had (now) former coaches change how they pitched?
It’s the same process that they are undoubtedly using to assess Spencer Torkelson’s swing mechanics and also Eric Haase’s positioning behind the plate that will improve his pitch framing and lessen the number of balls in the dirt.
It would appear that the Tigers have finally moved into the 21st Century and successfully embraced technology while hiring specialists.
It also looks like they finally have people who are capable of accurately interpreting the data and advice.
It’s being reported that while Al Avila brought analytics to the Tigers, he did not create a system in which data was correctly interpreted, nor did he create a system in which the information was communicated efficiently throughout the organization. Their analytics department, along with their infrastructure and technology, was considered to be outdated within MLB even when it was new.
The rest of MLB savaged the Tigers for their antiquated approach. Ken Rosenthal reported that a number of other GMs questioned “whether Avila (was) creative and savvy enough to build a consistent winner” and stated about Detroit “Not like they had a lot of cutting-edge ideas.”
Enter Avila’s polar opposite, Scott Harris, who is considered to be creative and forward-thinking. He has now brought the Tigers into modern times.
You won’t read much about it. It’s not sexy or exciting. And the eyes of readers will roll into the backs of their heads if they have to read in-depth descriptions of how the technology works. But much has been done to overhaul and modernize the team’s infrastructure, personnel and technology.
Harris has gotten Chris Ilitch to invest tens of millions in the newest systems, video and computers. Not to mention the hiring of a significant number of specialists and coaches to advise talent especially in the areas of biomechanics and kinesiology.
All of this is contained in 1 of Harris’ 3 tenets: the culture of development. That top priority was singled out by Scott because he didn’t see it existing in the Tigers’ organization.
He said: “An area of focus for us is helping players get better. We’re introducing a lot of new things to the players that they’ve never seen before. And with that comes huge opportunity to help them get better, to find those small gains up and down the roster that can net huge returns for the team. That’s going to be our path back to contention and I feel we are off to a good start.”
So why are we just reading about the poor advice given to players in the past like Faedo, Haase and Torkelson?
Because the previous regime didn’t know what they didn’t know.
There’s now a new coaching staff, brand new training, conditioning and medical groups and a new technology system that is creating new and better data. Updated development concepts are being taught and new training tools are being used. And this blogger is overjoyed to finally read that players are taking yoga and pilates classes to address the repeated core injuries that were ignored under the former regime.
It’s about time.
Bu all of this won’t create an immediate fix. We won’t see instant results. It will be a gradual process. Like all things in life, players need to buy in, adjust and get comfortable with all the new information being thrown at them now.
So far, it’s promising. Harris stated: “They’ve responded to it very well. But there is an adjustment period and it takes time for these new concepts to gain traction and produce results.”
Fans as well will need an adjustment period.
This was an outdated organization for decades that previous owners ignored. One covered up the problem by throwing vast amounts of money at the roster by buying talent from other teams. But that only masked the problems. It was a superficial fix.
What’s going on now within the office walls of Comerica isn’t as exciting. But it’s much more promising. And it’s finally digging down to the root of the problem.
And hopefully, we’ll start to see positive results trickling up to the surface. Soon. Hopefully very soon.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
The stats of one Tiger will astound you. How many times did he miss out getting on base simply because he couldn’t control the strike zone?
Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.
Let’s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you back in actual offices, here’s a question to take with you – or use via Zoom – as you talk to your co-workers.
Here is today’s topic……..
This week, Scott Harris talked to reporters about the Tigers’ off-season moves – most notably the lack of signing recognizable free agents. Here’s how he explained the organization’s rationale:
“Coming off 96 losses, there are no shortcuts back to contention. It starts with putting together a team and an environment that can play competitive baseball every day.
“When we entered the off-season, we were looking for controllable young players who embody the offensive identity we’re working towards. Players who control the strike zone and could help us control the strike zone better as an organization.
“And on the position-player side, it’s really tough to find controllable players at manageable acquisition costs. I didn’t think it made sense for us to invest significant at-bats in veteran players who will not be a part of the team beyond 2023.
“Those at-bats are too valuable for us. We have to invest those current and future at-bats with some of our young players; players like Kerry Carpenter, Ryan Kreidler, Andre Lipcius, Wenceel Perez, Parker Meadows and a lot of the young players already in camp fighting for jobs.
“An area of focus for us is helping players get better. We’re introducing a lot of new things to the players that they’ve never seen before. And with that comes huge opportunity to help them get better, to find those small gains up and down the roster that can net huge returns for the team. That’s going to be our path back to contention and I feel we are off to a good start.”
In summary, Harris is saying that this team has so many needs in order to become respectable that adding a free agent or two will have little to no impact. And that it could actually be detrimental to rebuilding the team. This team is essentially starting from scratch but it is now being assembled with a certain identity and goal.
He hints that this roster will continue to change significantly after this year but the goal is to re-assess younger players who did not get a solid chance to show their potential in previous seasons. That the hope is that many of them will perform better now that the team has better tools and coaches.
And Harris summarized that by adding free agent veterans would only be a temporary band-aid and not a solution. That by actually adding them would set the team back from properly evaluating and developing the young talent currently in the system.
Do you agree with Harris’ statements? Is this the best way for the Tigers to move forward? Is re-assessing, developing and testing younger players a better solution than bringing in veterans who may offer a temporary but not lasting fix?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
No surprise that this Tiger fave was hard at work helping the team on his birthday.
Chris Ilitch was just appointed to a new MLB committee.
Throughout the week, there are so many smaller stories hitting the media. They may be bite-size, but often they are just as important as the headline-grabbing news. Sometimes, even more.
And that’s what brings me to today. A way to bring them out in the open and invite conversation about some of these subjects.
And that’s usually the plan for Mondays. But given that yesterday was a holiday, we’re keeping the tradition of tracking these mighty little bits that hit my radar throughout the week and sharing them with you today because I know one or more will also resonate with you. So, let’s kick off this week’s musings…
It’s not enough to simply create an analytics department. You have to know how to use it, too. And have the people who run it be capable of interpreting data correctly and translating it for the players.
Case in point is the recent retooling of Eric Haase’s defensive skills behind the plate. While he’s great with the bat, he ranks 51st out of 59 catchers who qualify in pitch framing with a -5 score to rank in the bottom 18% of MLB.
The new regime this off-season acquired some new technology and employees who could analyze this.
Their goal? To find out where Haase needs to set up behind the plate.
They discovered that he was setting up too far back – 12” deep – which lessened his ability to control the arriving pitch. He’s now moved closer which should allow him to steal more strikes and improve his framing stats.
The Tigers have had Haase for 3 years and during that time there was no one in the analytics department capable of resolving the issue. Not until the new crew arrived.
Imagine if this change actually pans out. The Tigers may finally have a #1 catcher who can be a defensive asset and hit.
As the Tigers move forward with new personnel, there is always the need to compare what the new crew is doing against the actions and strategies of the former one. This is how you tell if improvements are being made.
This is the time when numerous baseball publications review each organization’s strengths, weaknesses and anticipated performance. And none of them have been kind when it came to addressing the moves of the Avila regime.
Of course, it all centers around the goal of the stated rebuild and whether or not it was successful. Of course, we all know the answer to that one.
What has been revealed is the industry-wide criticism of the Tigers’ draft strategy for years. For over 3 years now, all of these publications which analyze teams have pointed out that the Tigers had a dangerous strategy of drafting pitchers and ignoring positional players.
Their observations were twofold. First, drafting pitchers, especially young ones, is a high reward/high risk action. But as we’ve also seen, the Tigers have very few adequate positional players and certainly no depth within the organization. Which is why Scott Harris has been adding so many players to the system.
But what’s interesting is that the majority of MLB teams was aware of the Tigers’ drafting strategy and highly critical of it. Their Front Offices were speaking to these publications anonymously. But it wasn’t a secret within MLB.
Certainly the Tigers knew the drawbacks of their methods and strategies but ignored it all year after year. They changed nothing. That is until Scott Harris was hired and broomed much of that department.
Successful teams are always looking to see how they can get better and where they are most vulnerable. The Tigers did none of that under Al Avila. Even when they knew that certain people were failing in their jobs, they remained employed and policies remained the same.
It is this stubbornness and blind loyalty that have prevented this team from moving forward in any real measurable fashion for years now.
Two future Hall of Famers and 2 different decisions re them playing in the WBC. Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw. One is going, the other is not.
Keshaw was scheduled to go but could not get insurance so he had to withdraw. Like him, Cabrera also could not get coverage. Not surprising given his injuries and medical record. But this is where the similarities end.
The Detroit Tigers waived the insurance requirement for Miggy. He will still play in the WBC. Should he get injured, the Tigers will take the hit. If there really is one.
Unusual? Yes, in several different ways.
First, any insurance for him would be exorbitantly expensive given his history. And what are the chances that Miggy makes it through an entire year without having to go in the IL anyway?
Sadly, it’s not like he’s still a crucial cog in the Tigers’ roster and lineup. He’s likely to only DH in 2-3 games per week.
Will his production be missed?
Not any more, truth be told.
Also consider the unfortunate and sad fact that Cabrera will be taking up a full roster spot as a part-time player once again this year. Would an injury in the WBC ironically make it easier for the Tigers to assemble a better roster? Would it allow for another player to shine? Would it give Kerry Carpenter more playing time?
On a secondary note, it is surprising that given Miggy’s injuries due to wear and tear, he is taking this extra time to play in an event not related to the MLB season. One would think that the team would have wanted him to stay as fresh and healthy for as long as possible during the grind of a full season.
When you think about it, the WBC event just may have the potential to change the Tigers’ strategy this year.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
The real reason why the Tigers didn’t sign any veterans this off-season.
On this long holiday weekend, readers have the chance to post their thoughts about the Tigers or baseball in general. Your observations, comments and questions. Extra credit to those who create topics or questions that generate long and thoughtful dialog threads.
For today only, a maximum of 6 sentences please.
Don’t see your comment? Comments are limited to a maximum of 6 sentences. Please make sure to check out the other rules for posting under the link at the top of the pagein order for your comments to be published.
What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Further proof that the Tigers’ roster will be churning all season.
Totally Tigers 