by Holly Horning
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.
It’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…
Baseball is an ever-changing sport. There is always something new, something changing. And this year? It’s pitches.
It’s called the “sweeper.” A type of breaking ball that’s been around awhile but this one moves side-to-side and doesn’t drop downward like a slider or curveball.
The sweeper makes breaking balls harder to detect for hitters and has a tighter spin, making for soft contact. It came about from pitchers using high-speed cameras to measure spin and the axis of rotation.
And Statcast now lists it as an official pitch and records its stats for all pitchers.
Shohei Ohtani is the poster child for this pitch.
In terms of the Tigers, there are 4 pitchers who use it. In descending order of usage, they are Tyler Alexander, Jason Foley, Chasen Shreve and Michael Lorenzen.
Scott Harris has made a lot of changes since coming on board and many of them are quite the opposite of what the Tigers were doing in earlier years.
A case in point is how players now rehab. Back in 2018, former Head Trainer Kevin Rand, was promoted by Al Avila to direct the new Dept. of Medical Services in Lakeland. That was where all players on the IL were sent to rehab and all of the work was centralized down there.
It’s quite a separation from Michigan to Florida which also required someone who wasn’t in Detroit nor familiar with the injured player to oversee the rehab. Not a logical move, was it?
Shortly after Harris was hired, Rand lost his job and the purpose of that department was changed. Doug Teter lost his job as head trainer in Detroit and was re-assigned to Lakeland for a position-to-yet-be-determined. Eventually he was put in charge of this department but the Tigers are mum on what he is doing. Rumors have it that once his contract runs out, he will be gone as well.
Under Scott Harris, players on the IL now rehab with the team, even traveling with them while they are in the process.
Both Harris and Hinch have stated how important it is that injured players be monitored by personnel who know them best and can oversee their recovery. It also helps them better anticipate a window of return.
But most importantly, they said that this new process motivates players more and keeps them in a positive frame of mind as they recover. Players have often said that they felt upset when they were separated from their teammates and couldn’t continue bonding with them while they were away.
Despite continued injuries, you will see Casey Mize with the team. Matt Manning is in his boot in the clubhouse and Austin Meadows sits in the dugout with his teammates. Chris Fetter is there to observe all of his pitchers start and complete their throwing programs.
With all of these additional injuries, that dugout and plane must be getting awfully crowded. It’s a good thing the Tiger just renovated that clubhouse!
Financial hiccups could be in the cards for the Tigers at some point in 2023. The latest chapter of Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy has taken its next step. Diamond is the parent company of Bally Sports which broadcasts the Tigers’ games.
Several days ago, Diamond did not make its payment to the Padres per their contract. And as expected, San Diego stopped the broadcasts of their team. MLB had to step in and take over the responsibilities.
There are rumors that after bumping up their payroll to over $250 mill, the Padres may start to have some problems meeting payroll. They were depending upon that $52 mill/year from Diamond for the broadcast rights to subsidize their newest contracts.
The Tigers are believed to have a contract similar to the Padres. And in a double whammy, Diamond Sports also has the broadcast rights to the Red Wings. Ilitch Holdings may be hit twice.
There are several other teams expected to lose their broadcast income this year. It is unknown when and if this will happen to the Tigers but the focus for Diamond has been dropping the smaller markets.
This could be crucial for the Tigers as they have been pouring millions into updating the entire franchise behind the scenes in an attempt to modernize the organization and make them competitive. The Tigers lost money in 2022.
It certainly doesn’t help that Al Avila gave out new contracts worth over $240 mill in total last year that resulted in another 96 loss season.
Could the fact that Scott Harris barely supplemented the roster this year have been a result of Avila’s mess and the looming possibility that the Tigers may be missing a big chunk of their revenue if Diamond went belly up?
It is believed that MLB will have to take over the broadcast rights for all but the biggest of Diamond’s sports teams. For that to happen, owners will have to shell out for other owners in order to keep the broadcasts going.
No one knows if all the franchises are on board with this or whether MLB can afford to assist all of the teams who get dropped. Currently, MLB is promising organizations that should this happen to them, MLB will cover 80% of each team’s broadcast contract.
But it is expected to turn the rules of broadcasting upside down as fans continue to cut the cord. Distribution rights are expected to change as well as how fans will watch games in the future. Potentially, everyone may have to buy a subscription to MLB TV.
On the positive side, removing blackouts from games is said to be on the table and MLB’s media honchos are talking about improving the current telecasts that fans watch now.
Yes, that would also include on-air talent.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
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Concerning the sweeper; recently it is known in broadcasts as pitch unknown. Bat to ball skills are one of the most difficult to master in sports an now my opponent is using high-speed cameras to get an advantage. Recognition is the life-blood of a batters success and now its even murkier with spin-masters crafting their deliveries with obscene spin rates.
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True, Naldo, but somebody should bring back the non-spin knuckle ball to save their arm. A good knuckle ball is nearly impossible to hit.
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Rich Hillbis giving the Pirates lots of quality starts with the slow stuff. But where have you gone Wilbur Wood?
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Considering that Mike Illitch left his family two pro sports franchises, they might have missed an opportunity years ago to follow through on the heavy lifting of creating their own broadcast operation with private equity billionaire Tom Gores of the Pistons. Illitch Holdings seems more adept at operating casinos, real estate and pizza joints than sports franchises. They seem to react to trends rather than innovate.
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If there is additional cost to watch baseball, the declining viewership numbers will accelerate. Kids will have no interest in a sport they don’t have access to watch. Baseball player pipeline will dwindle to nothing.
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There is nothing evident that Harris is trying to make this better with some compensatory measures. Perhaps it is all about the money. I don’t think that most Tiger fans have a clue how much Mr. I lost for how many years even when the team was winning… and now this Bally mess when they are already down.
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My Internet is from a satellite network because I live in a rural area that doesn’t have any feed available to me, not even cable TV. My internet is limited to only 10 GB per month which prevents me from getting Netflix or any other streaming device such as MLB TV. My interest in baseball is waning now that I haven’t been able to watch it since July 27, 2019.
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The revenue hits keep coming and not just in MLB. Small market teams are going to have major problems going forward, and the Tigers are in that group. Most fans are fed up with paying the increasing costs of cable and even the streaming avenues.
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Holly, I appreciate the way in which you explain things without talking down to us. For example, I was perplexed when I thought I saw Mize in the dugout in Chicago on Sunday but then came your comments today on the Tigers’ revised protocols for rehab. These observations help me understand what’s going on with the club and with baseball in general so keep focusing on what we need to know to be better fans.
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The best move that MLB TV made this year was to include MiLB games. Now I am reading from Holly that MLB TV is considering removing the blackouts of local games. This additional move would be huge.
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Holly I completely agree that at some point the only way to watch games is going to be via MLB TV. MI & CI blew it when they didn’t start their own network
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Hi, cs – At one point, a couple years ago, Chris was exploring starting his own network and at a level that was more than superficial. He even trademarked a number of names. It’s unknown why but one factor could be the very long contract they had signed with Bally which would have to be fully honored before starting their own network. (This was well before there was any hint of financial problems.) The other is the expense passed along to consumers which would be much higher than what fans are currently paying. Currently, not many teams have their own networks. Thanks for continuing the dialog! – Holly
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In my humble opinion the emphasis on spin rates (along with the ban on the use of sticky substances to help achieve them) it’s a huge contributing factor to the increase in arm injuries
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