Despite the first game of this year’s World Series being a very exciting one, viewership for the contest between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers broke a record for the least watched WS.
Both teams advanced to the finale through wild card berths. Both experienced long playoff droughts. And both are mid-market teams.
Some would say that there are fewer viewers because each franchise record was not among the best. Others may say that viewership is impacted because the teams are not large market or high-profile.
Which factor influences you the most in whether to watch the World Series?
Make sure to come back and check the final results!
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FINAL RESULTS FROM AN OCTOBER TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:
Isn’t it amazing what happens when you sign quality talent?
I’m not talking about the players.
I am talking about the personnel. Specifically Scott Harris, Ryan Garko, Rob Metzler, Kenny Graham, Gabe Ribas, Ryan Sienko, Mark Connor, A. J. Hinch and his coaches and the dozens of others who have been brought in to craft the entire process of acquiring, developing and promoting the talent we see on the field. (Jeff Greenberg remains off this list simply because he was just hired.)
It is the difference between night and day.
Few teams have been as clueless as the Tigers when it came to hiring those to run the organization. After Sparky Anderson’s retirement, there was a parade of first-time managers and former players who became skippers.
And it really was sad that the Tigers couldn’t go beyond their boundaries and explore managerial talent outside the organization. Instead, they took the easy way out by hiring Dave Dombrowski’s former Marlins manager, Jim Leyland, who had been retired for 6 years since walking away from both of his contracts with the Marlins (after 2 years) and Rockies (after 1 year).
Seriously, how many other organizations decided that going after long-retired managers was the perfect solution to their needs? It really does smack of either being unimaginative, lazy, desperate and/or believing that the personnel you bring in isn’t really important to winning.
All of these people who managed in Detroit had 1 thing in common. They hired their friends as coaches. Or in the case of Brad Ausmus, they were chosen for him with almost everyone inherited from his predecessor. There were zero outside hires of individuals with no connection to the Tigers. Like Leyland, most of them were retired, unemployed or fixtures within the organization for decades.
A significant number of them – esp. those in charge of departments – were holdovers from the Montreal-Miami-Pittsburgh clique.
That’s not how you get better. It is what holds you back.
Today, the Tigers’ Front Office is filled with in-demand hires. New employees poached from top teams. All of them gainfully employed before being enticed away. And none of them with Tiger ties. A great mix from at least half a dozen different organizations.
Men who have worked with the top minds in the industry and with teams that perform at a consistently high level. Guys who are here to make a difference and not just collect a paycheck.
And it is really showing.
The list of players both at the MLB and MiLB levels who are raving about the coaching and support they are getting is growing substantially. And they are voluntarily going on the record about it. (On Thursday, we’ll dig into the minor leagues so please save your comments about them until then.)
When did we ever read about what Dave Littlefield, David Chadd, Rick Anderson, Lloyd McClendon or any of the former coaches did to help their players?
Today, it’s a weekly occurrence. And I’m not kidding.
Jake Rogers last week describing the changes to both his catching and hitting skills suggested by those respective coaches.
Spencer Torkelson raving about Michael Brdar, Keith Beauregard and James Rowson, his hitting coaches. Talking about his close bond with Brdar who unlocked his hitting skills and giving him full credit for his offensive improvement. Mapping out an off-season plan, tweaking his mechanics and changing the type of bat he used last winter.
Kerry Carpenter gave a shout out to the hitting coaches as well when he started to slump at the plate. And George Lombard who worked extensively with him in the outfield who noticeably improved his defensive skills.
The list of hitters goes on.
And so does the pitching roster.
Tyler Holton credits Chris Fetter, Robin Lund and Juan Nieves with helping him develop a top-notch slider. Holton is regularly mentioned as a worthy candidate for Rookie of the year.
Sawyer Gipson-Long credits Director of Pitching, Gabe Ribas and Pitching Coordinator, Stephanos Stroop with improving his changeup and developing a sinker. There are others in the minors who are singing their praises, too.
Starting pitchers Micheal Lorenzen, Matt Manning, Reese Olson and Tarik Skubal are also on the record about how their pitching coaches helped them improve significantly.
And now that the year is over, this new crop of personnel is still engaged. No one is taking time off.
Gone are the days when former managers and their coaches notoriously left the players alone to their own devices for months – until spring training.
Remember when every year players would show up to spring training overweight and out of shape? And the manager and coaches were surprised?
Remember when there were so many concerns about Miguel Cabrera’s weight year after year that the Tigers did nothing about it until the damage had already been done? And even then, they simply told him to hire a chef.
Or when pitchers fiddled with their delivery over the winter with no guidance, risking injury?
Or even when players admitted that they didn’t return their manager’s phone calls or texts? That is, when they were actually called which wasn’t very often if at all.
No longer.
It’s all part of Scott Harris’ 3 mantras about introducing a “culture of learning” and creating a desire for players to come to Detroit because they want to get better.
Every player on the major or minor league rosters is now followed all winter long and in regular contact with their manager, coaches and specialists.
In Detroit, there is now a formal year-end exit interview. A sit down with A. J. Hinch, Scott Harris and the appropriate coaches to review the year. What went right, what went wrong and how to fix and improve everything. Goals are set.
A strategy is mapped out, a plan is printed out and the resources are put into place to help make things happen. This would include specific exercises, specialized gym equipment, independent coaches to keep them engaged and practice video that is sent back to the coaches for review. Even nutritional strategies and menus are developed and printed out by the newly-hired nutritionists who meet with every player and design a custom-made plan.
Since A. J. Hinch was hired, he and most of his coaches have traveled to all of their players’ locations to bond and work with them. That will continue over this winter, too.
How this off-season is being handled is a 180 degree turn from the past. And it’s already paying off.
Under new leadership, the organization is finally understanding that the people you hire directly impact the results seen.
It’s about the top people who come on board. They are the best because they pay attention to the details. They are committed to their work and insist upon reaching goals and achieving positive results.
They are not looking to do the minimum amount of work involved. They go above and beyond.
When you hire quality people, you get quality results.
And hiring them is undoubtedly the best money the Tigers have ever spent.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
How to get your baseball fix until the hot stove season takes over? We’ve got a great idea!
The best Halloween costume for baseball fans ever!
Today, it’s about quick hits – bits of news that catch my radar as the week goes on as well as connecting the dots re ongoing stories. Even the quirky.
There will be something here for everyone.
So let’s get to it! Here are the most interesting topics that got my attention over the past week………..
Ironically, today’s blog is all about catchers.
A recent article on player development addressed the hardest position to fill on a roster.
Catcher.
It explained that there is so much to address with a player from how to work behind the plate, to learning how to call a game and finally, in how to hit. And that is why teams hoard their catchers, almost never trading them.
And it explains why struggling catchers continue to keep their jobs on rosters. They are very hard to replace even when they have their issues.
It’s also a damning indictment of the Tigers’ former player development system. How many decades has it been since the Tigers developed a decent one?
And no, signing Pudge Rodriguez and Victor Martinez as free agents don’t count.
There was James McCann who Al Avila actually non-tendered and then failed to find a decent replacement for him during his last 4 years as GM. There was Alex Avila, who was fine behind the plate but couldn’t hit.
Do we have to go all the way back to Lance Parrish for the last home-grown catcher of note?
Currently, Dillon Dingler is the most likely candidate to fill the #2 backup role to Jake Rogers. The Tigers signed him over 3 years ago and he rose quickly until 2023. His defensive skills are solid but it’s his hitting that is holding him back.
The Tigers don’t expect he will join the roster until much later next year. If all goes well, that is.
Speaking of Jake Rogers, it’s official. The Tigers believe that their #1 catcher has finally arrived. Only 6 years after being acquired in the Justin Verlander trade.
Of course, his elbow surgery set him back a full year but many believe the reason it took him so long to finally reach expectations is because he was rushed up to the majors by Al Avila.
It’s not the first time the former GM has done that to players. That is what happens when you don’t have good evaluators or you are desperate to fill holes and make it appear that the rebuild is going better than it really it.
Then again, it was deemed the worst trade of the last decade by most and maybe Avila wanted to bury the controversy as quickly as possible. Rogers was promoted to Detroit with less than 3 years of minor league experience.
On the positive side, Jake’s defense is now labeled as “elite.”
With the help of new catching coordinator, Ryan Sienko, he overhauled his receiving form before the 2023 season that allowed him to help his pitchers steal more strikes.
And now, the hitting has improved, too. The slugging percentage has gone up significantly. But the coaches say he will continue to trend upwards at the plate if he continues to do what he did in 2023.
Why on God’s green earth is Brad Ausmus still being talked about as a managerial candidate?
Not only was he a complete disaster with both the Tigers and Angels but he lost both clubhouses in his first year as manager. In Anaheim, he was in charge of a clubhouse that saw the death of Tyler Skaggs and the discovery that an employee was a drug dealer to the players.
Oh, and then there was the clubhouse attendant who was running a sticky stuff business and selling to pitchers all over the league.
Once again, it’s being written that Ausmus is a potential candidate for the Astros open managerial job. He did play for the team but one of the Astros special assistants, Jeff Bagwell, is a good friend of his. It is believed that he will get his foot in the door for an interview because of it.
But what I find really puzzling is that he interviewed for the managerial job several years ago and obviously didn’t get it. Then last year, he decided to apply for the GM position despite having zero experience in working for a Front Office. (Being a “special assistant” doesn’t count.)
He wasn’t qualified to be a manager so why now does he believe he has the experience to be a GM?
If that isn’t weird enough, he’s now returned to applying for the manager’s job once again. And if his buddy can sway the meddling owner, Jim Crane, who knows what may happen. Crane has a reputation of making impulsive and unpredictable decisions.
But baseball is a small world. Guess who is also a member of the Astros?
Justin Verlander. You can bet he will fill Crane’s ear with stories. JV is close to Crane and they golf together regularly.
If you remember, there were some choice scenes between Verlander and Ausmus when they were together in Detroit. Several mound visits when JV screamed profanity-laced tirades at him. Then the infamous trashing of equipment in the dugout that was all caught on tv.
There are 2 years left (and almost $80 mill) on Verlander’s contract so putting these 2 back together and creating friction in the clubhouse doesn’t seem as likely.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
On a side note, our own beloved Alex is from AZ so you know who he’s rooting for in the World Series. Yes, the Tigers are near and dear to his heart, but we’ve allowed him to pledge allegiance to another team – just this once.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Why is it a very bad idea for MLB players to be in the Olympics?
Oh, those special assistants who work for GMs. They have become quite the controversy for many MLB teams.
Initially, their main purpose was to be mascots for their organizations. Figureheads trotted out at special events and spring training to impart words of wisdom to players and glad-hand fans who would be inspired to buy more tickets.
But then, things changed. Some “special assistants” actually got involved in how their teams were being run. Offering advice and putting GMs in a quandary. And because of their status, they were never held accountable for offering bad advice.
Some of these teams found themselves in this uncomfortable position because of their owners who pushed these special assistants upon them. Many of them who had direct access to an owner’s ear.
Recently, stories about some special assistants who are weighing in heavily with thoughts about who should interview for manager and GM positions.
The casual fans don’t understand how the influence of much older, retired players and managers can disrupt a team and muddle the message. Especially when they haven’t been active in the game for decades and still hang onto now outdated strategies.
Several years ago, the Marlins released all of their special assistants and it was a disastrous event for the organization. Fans were very unhappy and unleashed a significant amount of bad press on the team. They were forced to bring them back.
The Detroit Tigers have had special assistants for years. All of them have had different jobs.
Al Kaline, of course, was one. He was an advisor, evaluator/coach of outfielders and mentor to players. Willie Horton is a mentor as well and remains with the team although age and health have decreased his involvement.
Al Avila brought Kirk Gibson on board with responsibilities that included infield instruction, personnel decisions and scouting. And then adding the Front Office voice to tv broadcasts. It is unclear how much of this he is doing today due to health reasons.
The former GM also brought in Lance Parrish and gave him the responsibilities of traveling throughout the minor leagues, offering instruction and writing reports based upon his observations. Given the new player development department and new layers of instructors and regional directors, it is unclear whether he is still doing this.
And then there is Alan Trammell. Tram remains very active on the field watching and coaching infielders and helping some transition from 1 position to another. He is mentioned often by current minor leaguers and their coaches who appreciate his experience and instruction.
There is Jim Leyland who was hired by Dave Dombrowski a year before he departed Detroit. At the time, Leyland said he was going to be “very active” in his role as scout and talent evaluator.
Under Al Avila, he did much more. He told Avila who to sign (Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison, etc.) and helped run the war room at draft time. He sat with Al at every spring training game and was often seen in the GM suite at Comerica during games, taking notes.
It is believed that he no longer does any of this and has been relegated by Scott Harris to special events and meet-and-greet events.
Finally, there is the newest special assistant, Miguel Cabrera. He has stated that he does not want to coach and his duties will be further defined going forward.
The last assistant, Mike Russell (a scout appointed by Al Avila), was removed from his position by Scott Harris.
Don’t look for the Tigers to banish any of the remaining special assistants. A very bad PR move and would be seen as a diss against some of Detroit’s most beloved members.
So what do you think about these special assistants? Is it helpful to have them from a PR standpoint? Do they bring value?
Or do they complicate how an organization is run given that they played 50 years ago? Or managed since the 1980’s?
What should be the role of special assistants to the PoBO/GM?
How should the Tigers manage their 6 special assistants going forward?
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 also respond to other readers.
TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.
Ready?
Make sure to come back and check the final results!
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FINAL RESULTS FROM AN OCTOBER TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:
Should MLB change the current playoff rules once again?
Friday night was the start of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Rangers were tied for the 3rd best team in the American League with 90 wins. The D’backs were the National League’s 6th best team with 84 wins. They finished the year 16 games back of the Dodgers.
Their winning percentages combined for the lowest seen since the 1973 World Series.
Both teams made it by earning wild card slots and not winning their divisions outriight.
It is the second year in which an extra wild card slot was added. There are now 3 of them that involve a best-of-3 series.
Overall, MLB has moved from a 10-team playoff format to 12.
Part of MLB’s rationale is that any team can compete for a championship regardless of their market and payroll. The new system has also shown us that often it is the hottest, not the best, teams that get into the World Series.
What do you think of this year’s contenders? Is the new system a legitimate one? Is it good to potentially have a larger element of surprise in who advances?
Make sure to come back and check the final results!
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FINAL RESULTS FROM AN OCTOBER TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:
Which area of the game should be the priority for the Tigers to address this off-season?
If you’ve read anything about Theo Epstein, you’ll remember that he said rebuilding an organization’s culture and foundation take a minimum of 3 years. Once you take over a franchise, there are many layers that require culling in order to get the right mix of talent, personalities and professional skills.
So no one shouldn’t be surprised that on an off day from the October games, the Tigers started making their second round of employee cuts. Eight more employees announced with additional ones that were not included in the reporting. Expect more once the World Series is over.
Most of those terminated are not among the top tier of decision-makers. However, releasing them makes a big statement about the cultural changes being made within the Tigers organization.
So what are the most important takeaways?
I’ve got 5:
1. Alfredo Amezaga, the Tigers 1Ber coach is gone. He was hired under the Avila regime and got his first job in AAA through the old boys network, specifically Lloyd McClendon and his good friend and former teammate, Miguel Cabrera, who pushed for him to come to Detroit. But now that Miggy is retired, the Tigers also got rid of his friend.
The old boys network continues to be dissolved.
2. Rumor has it that Scott Harris will promote Erie manager, Gabe Alvarez, on the recommendation of Ryan Garko, who has known him for years to become the new first base coach. Garko praises him for his hard work, ability to adapt to the new Tigers organization and his working relationships with Justice Bigbie, Kerry Carpenter, Dillon Dingler, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Jace Jung, Colt Keith, Ty Madden, Parker Meadows, Reese Olson, Wenceel Pérez, Brendan White and others. It helps that Alvarez has also won a number of minor league managerial awards.
It’s not hard to see that Harris is putting the pieces in place for the top prospects to have their coach be with them in Detroit.
The Tigers are emphasizing the building of that talent pipeline and now hiring people who can directly contribute to players’ success.
3. The rest of the training staff not fired last year are being released. Now, it’s Matt Rankin who was with the Tigers for 18 years. Ryne Eubanks, hired as the head trainer last year, will be bringing in someone new. After Kevin Rand left the organization, Doug Teter was moved to Lakeland where it was never revealed what his new job would be. Expect the Tigers to bid adieu to Teter soon.
Corey Tremble, the minor league medical/rehab coordinator is also gone as is Francisco Rivas, the minor league strength/conditioning coach.
The Tigers continue to overhaul all aspects of their training/conditioning and rehab departments by releasing all the long-term/former regime employees of these departments.
4. And in the ever-important scouting department, Avila favorite James Orr was released. He and the former GM go back over 25 years. Other scouts were released as well now that Scott Harris hired new scouting heads last winter.
The problematic scouting department of the past continues to be culled as the Tigers seek to turn this department around.
5. Former Tiger Ramon Santiago, who credits Jim Leyland for getting him his first coaching job is gone. Santiago got his MLB position despite having zero experience coaching in the minor leagues. When Scott Harris was hired, Santiago was demoted to the minor leagues to learn how to be an infield instructor last year but he failed to make the cut after 1 year on the job.
The old boys network continues to be dismantledesp. when it comes to employees who got their jobs because of who they knewinstead of what they know.
And there are others who are also gone. But don’t be surprised when another round of departures happens after the last ball in the World Series is caught.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Like a bad penny, this former manager’s name is cropping up again to take over in Houston.
During this time of year when October baseball is being played, we can’t help but reminisce about some of the unresolved issues we had with the Tigers during those 2006 – 2016 years. For some of us, trying to wrap our minds around how it all turned out the way it did.
Especially when we’re constantly reading stories about a disproportionate number of former Tigers who are once again in the thick of it. And winning those rings.
For me recently, it’s been the multiple stories all praising Max Scherzer during the playoffs and how he’s stepped up. It appears that those reporters are not familiar with what happened during the 2013 playoffs.
Once I stopped retching over the stories, I had to revisit some memories and wonder “what if?”
It started with a major national story about how brave Max was in deciding to start a game this week considering that he was still physically compromised. It painted him as a warrior who was going to go above and beyond what was expected in order to give his team a shot at winning.
Then I thought back to 2013. Specifically the 2nd game against the Red Sox in the playoffs.
Scherzer had a no-hitter going into the 6th inning. He left after 7 innings, having given up just 2 hits, 1 run and striking out 13. His pitch count was still manageable. He was in complete command.
Afterwards, the initial stories – until the ensuing controversy hit – was that Max pulled himself from the game. He said “I was done. You can write that. I was done.”
But fans were furious at Max, esp. after the notoriously poor bullpen imploded, losing the 5-1 lead and the game (and eventually contributing to Detroit losing the series). That’s when Jim Leyland stepped in and said he pulled Scherzer in order to take the heat off his player. That’s what managers do.
But the question to ask is where was this “warrior” when he was most needed back in October 2013?
Max would go on to win the Cy Young Award that year. He was the most dominant pitcher in MLB.
And given such, if you know that your team has one of MLB’s worst bullpens – and you’re one of the best starting pitchers – isn’t it a no-brainer that you stay in the game for as long as you can? Especially when you are dominating your opponents?
When it’s the playoffs, don’t you step up your game to ensure your team wins?
Did Max really think that there was another pitcher who could perform anywhere near his level to close out the game?
Or did Scherzer prioritize himself over the team?
Which now brings me to his comment from Monday night when his team made it into the World Series. He yelled “This is what I wanted! I came here to get to the World Series. I came here to win it.”
I don’t remember him ever being that passionate or vocal about the playoffs when he was with the Tigers. Nor can I find any quotes from him that indicate any level of ferocity.
We’ve talked a lot about why the Tigers failed to come close to a World Series title during those years despite the immense and ridiculous amount of talent they had.
And Scherzer has been part of that discussion.
It’s puzzling to see him so passionate about winning when we didn’t witness that in Detroit.
Maybe some of that can be attributed to youth. But I also think his pending free agency was a significant factor, too.
Max couldn’t help but see that his main rival, Justin Verlander, was the team’s favorite child. And JV received a contract extension a full 2 years before his contract expired. Now with 1 year left to go, the Tigers hadn’t yet broached contract talks with Max.
Was Scherzer putting energy into thinking about a new contract strategy during the playoffs? Was he trying to put himself in the best position by avoiding undue risks that would potentially impact the dollars he wanted?
Could he have been thinking that in order to stay with the Tigers, it would mean he’d continue to play in JV’s shadow?
Within days of being eliminated, he, his agent Scott Boras and the Tigers were talking contracts. A process that did not go well and earned the wrath of Mr. I and Dave Dombrowski who both spoke out publicly.
It was reported that Dombrowski asked what would it take to re-sign Max and Boras told him. The Tigers agreed and believed they had a verbal agreement but then Boras moved the goalposts. He used that offer to solicit higher bids from other teams when Max became a free agent.
Ironically, the Tigers’ offer was just literally pennies shy of reaching Justin Verlander’s contract.
And months later, on Opening Day, the new Cy Young Award winner did not get the honor of that day’s start. Verlander did – on a much less impressive record. And when Max moved to the Nationals, he made sure to take a veiled swipe at the Tigers at his initial press conference.
He said he chose to sign with the Nats, not because of the money, but because he wanted to win. My husband had to restrain me from kicking in the tv set.
So now what’s left to ponder is whether the Tigers were at a disadvantage during their decade of contention simply because of where each of their star players were in their careers.
Were the younger stars more focused on monetizing their own careers over that of winning a ring?
Were they simply too young to understand that playoff seasons like these didn’t happen frequently? Did they believe that other October opportunities would present themselves?
Is it better for a team to have somewhat older players who have longer contracts paying premium dollars? Financially secure players who could now focus on being team players and battle in earnest for that ring?
All I know is that every single significant Tiger from those years who was traded, went on to win at least 1 ring with other teams. (All except Nick Castellanos.)
Over a dozen of them.
They were all older, wiser and financially set.
We have to wonder whether players, as they age, change their priorities. Does seeing that you are closer to the end of your career than to the beginning change your priorities?
Can setting yourself up for financial security co-exist with wanting to win it all?
Or do you have to pick your priority?
In Max’s case, he’s already earned over $308 mill. His current contract will pay him almost $87 mill for just 2 years. Once again, he is MLB’s highest paid pitcher (and tied with JV).
I guess it’s now easy to perform a “warrior” act when you have all that.
It’s just too bad Scherzer couldn’t demonstrate an ounce of passion about winning a World Series when he was a Tiger.
This week’s stories are a reminder that it is exactly 10 years too late for us.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
What do teams do on the days when there are no playoff games? It’s part of MLB’s expected etiquette.
Last week, we graded all of the Tigers who saw action during the 2023 season. It was followed up by asking fans to evaluate A. J. Hinch and his coaching staff.
Today, we’ll conclude the grading process by asking fans to offer their feedback on the Tigers’ PoBO, Scott Harris.
Scott has just concluded his first year at the helm of the Tigers. It was expected that he would spend this year evaluating roster talent before making any really big changes to it.
Harris did broom a number of departments including player personnel, scouting and drafting. He also expanded a number of departments and added significant personnel. At the end of the year, he hired a new GM, Jeff Greenberg.
Scott added 9 new players to the MLB roster and multiple others to the minor leagues via trades, free agent signings, Rule 5 and waiver wire finds.
In all, 9 players were added to the Tigers’ MLB roster with 6 of them earning accolades and 3 of them faltering. One of those earned a place in the Rookie of the Year discussion and another became a Gold Glove finalist.
A third was named to the All-Star roster and ended up being flipped for another team’s #5 prospect. Two others had some of the team’s best slash lines and put up positive defensive numbers.
The 2023 season also saw the emergence of several young pitchers who have the potential to be solid starting pitchers in the near future.
On the other side of the coin, Harris did not sign any top free agents which could have been due to the need to evaluate the roster more before committing so much money and multiple years to a new contract.
Filling third base remained a problem throughout the year and the issues at 2B are only partially resolved.
In all, the Tigers saw a jump in performance, winning 12 more games than last year (and losing 12 less) and finishing in 2nd place. Yet, they finished 6 games under .500. In the previous year under former GM Al Avila, the Tigers finished in 4th place, 30 games under .500.
So how would you grade Scott Harris after his first year with the team?
Don’t forget to come back and check the final results!
FINAL RESULTS FROM AN OCTOBER TOTALLY TIGERS POLL:
What final grade would you give the Detroit Tigers for the 2023 season?
Respectable marks 52%
Solid C grade 29%
High marks 13%
Below average 6%
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It’s an interesting time of year in baseball. The news is filled with playoffs and when there is an off-day, there’s an insider story about a team’s inner troubles that sneaks out. And since the end of the season, there’s been multiple reports of dysfunction within franchises.
For the second year in a row, a GM has been punished by the owner despite getting their team to the playoffs. That, of course, was Marlins GM Kim Ng who did not receive the expected contract extension after taking her team to the playoffs for the first time in over 20 years. To top it off, she was told that going into next year, she would no longer be the top person in charge of the organization.
Ng declined her contract option and followed Jerek Jeter out the door (less than 2 years later), along with multiple other Front Office execs over the past couple years.
But the Boston Red Sox take the cake and crown this year after firing Chaim Bloom, their Chief Baseball Officer. Both he and his predecessor, Dave Dombrowski, were fired 3 years into their jobs. Dave just months after winning the World Series.
Now the Red Sox are looking to replace Bloom. The problem?
Over 10 people, including Ng, have turned down an invitation to interview for the job. Ten!
Can you imagine? The Sox are unable to find any qualified people who are interested in the job. A position so exclusive that there are only 30 of them in the world.
Last month, I wrote a blog about how some owners are obstacles to their teams’ success. How they have the ability to thwart the best efforts of their Front Offices.
Which, given the latest news about the Marlins and Red Sox, begs the question about just how many teams are dysfunctional. And how many are just rudderless.
Then again, which MLB franchises are run well?
All of this got me thinking about how the 30 organizations would be grouped. And how?
So I came up with 4 categories based upon their actions – or lack thereof – and defined them as such:
Stable and Steady – Teams that are run consistently well and generally competitive from year to year. Little to no controversy and a standard strategy for how they operate that shows proven results.
Trying Harder – These are organizations that have struggled for a number of years with little to no progress. But now, they are making significant and serious changes in an effort to become competitive for more than a year or two.
Stuck in Place – Teams that are generally disappointing from year to year and show no signs of wanting to make real changes in order to improve how they are run.
Dysfunctional – They are organizations fueled by drama and endless bad decisions. They are their own worst enemy and don’t operate on a rational level when making decisions. They tend to favor emotional decisions rather than adhering to proven business strategy.
So does this mean that the better teams are all constant winners? No, not always.
Does it mean that the most dysfunctional teams are the cheapest ones? Not at all. Currently the team with a payroll double the size of the next runner up is one of the most dysfunctional in MLB.
How a team ranks is really based upon the soundness of their decision-making and consistency in turning out a quality product. There will be some better-run teams that have a bad or disappointing year but have the capability to correct things and right the ship more efficiently.
The biggest factor in whether a franchise is well-run or a train wreck is often associated with the owner. In most cases, the corporate culture of a team flows from him/her. They set the tone and expectations – except when they are hands-off.
The other important factor is the leader of the Front Office whether that be the President of Baseball Operations, Chief Baseball Officer or GM. They are the day-to-day leaders and enforcers.
So now you’re all wondering where the Tigers fit.
It is still really too early to comfortably call it. Definitely a “stuck in place” team since 2016 and holding MLB’s longest playoff drought. But now they are making major changes to the entire organization.
We know Chris Ilitch – but we really don’t know him. He took over an organization that was consistently in the red for over a decade. His father made a lot of bad business decisions that had to be mitigated.
And while many fans don’t want to hear it, firing Al Avila before 2022 would have been an illogical move. Sometimes the move you don’t make is the best one.
Before you can fire anyone, you need to know you can find a suitable replacement. And no one – no one – with any real skills would take a position in which their primary job was to tear down an roster. Let’s remember that both Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland quit the Marlins when it was announced the team was being torn down.
And if you do hire a new person to tear down a roster, they won’t have the right skills to build one up again. Which then means that you will have to hire yet another new person to run things.
Ilitch had a ready-made person named Al Avila who would do all the dirty work.
We also have to be cognizant that Covid upended the sport for 2 full years – from 2020 through 2021 – and teams were in a holding pattern as a result. Major decisions weren’t being made back then.
Which now brings us to the 2022 – 2023 years. An increasing glimmer of signs that the Tigers were moving beyond their old status and trying to create something better. The hiring of A. J. Hinch and then followed a year later by Scott Harris. Now, Jeff Greenberg. A brooming of multiple departments, proof that new people were creating positive results and a year of better performance.
There is hope. There are good signs so far. But there is still a ways to go.
Which is why the Tigers have moved from “stuck in place” to “trying harder.” For now.
So where do they rank overall in the pecking order? Where do all the other teams sit?
I’ve ranked each according to their records, records of how each team is run and the stories associated with each.
STABLE AND STEADY
Braves
Cardinals
Cubs
Dodgers
Giants
Rays
Yankees
TRYING HARDER
Blue Jays
Diamondbacks
Mariners
Orioles
Padres
Phillies
Rangers
Reds
Tigers
Twins
STUCK IN PLACE
Brewers
Guardians
Nationals
Royals
DYSFUNCTIONAL
A’s
Angels
Marlins
Mets
Pirates
Red Sox
Rockies
White Sox
You will notice that there is 1 team missing. The Astros.
And that’s because they sit squarely between “dysfunctional” and “unknown.” Yes, a team that has seen huge success these past couple of years can also have some serious organization issues.
It started with the cheating scandal that was green-lighted by a GM, numerous front office personnel and implemented by several coaches and players.
But despite the firings of both Jeff Luhnow (GM) and A. J. Hinch, those most involved in the cheating remained with the team or lost their new managerial positions when they left. Owner Jim Crane took over the GM role during the most important time during the off-season despite not having worked in baseball. He made trades and signed contracts.
He then hired James Click but fired him 2 years later. The Astros had just won 106 games and the World Series.
It’s not a sign of a stable organization. It’s a team that has been going through major drama for the past 7 years.
It’s the talent currently that was developed by a former Front Office that is seeing them through all this turmoil. Once that talent ages or is gone, don’t expect the Astros to be one of those “stable and steady” teams. They are more likely to become officially “dysfunctional”.
In the meantime, once this World Series is over, expect the curtain over some organizations to be raised once again. Let’s just hope it’s only good news when it comes to the Tigers.
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
He’s being called “brave” now, but this former Tiger is known by fans for letting the team down.
Today, it’s about quick hits – thoughts that come to me as the week goes on as well as connecting the dots re ongoing stories. Even the quirky.
There will be something here for everyone.
So let’s get to it! Here are the most interesting topics that hit my radar over the past week………..
On the heels of learning that the San Francisco Giants interviewed one of their female coaches for their managerial opening, we learn that baseball continues to set a much higher bar for women.
Case in point is the Marlins GM, Kim Ng, who walked away from her contract’s option year. What the Marlins did to her was something they never would have done to a man.
Ng was MLB’s Sr. VP of Baseball Operations for 10 years after stints with both the Dodgers and Yankees as their Assistant GM. Obviously, she had the chops.
In less than 3 years, she took the Marlins to the playoffs for the first time in over 2 decades. But that wasn’t good enough for owner Bruce Sherman who picked up her option year but refused to give her the standard 3-year extension that all GMs receive when they reach the playoffs.
If she had accepted the option year, she would have become a lame duck GM.
But if that wasn’t bad enough, Sherman told her that he wanted to “reshape the baseball operations department” and hire a President of Baseball Operations. In other words, he felt that Ng should now drop down to the #2 slot in the chain of command when she was already #1.
Now we hear that the entrenched men in the Marlins organization felt she had too many opinions and were upset when they were held accountable for the quality of their work.
Imagine that! Being a leader, wanting your team to excel and holding people accountable. It’s considered standard in the work world if it’s a man in charge. But if it’s a woman…. then all bets are off.
In the words of the late Governor, Anne Richards “GingerRogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backward and in high heels.” Ng was being held to much higher standard than any man who worked the Marlins.
On the heels of driving Jerek Jeter out of the organization, Sherman has now made his franchise appear dysfunctional by allowing his 2 top Front Office execs to flee. Good luck trying to get anyone with real skills and accomplishments to come work for you now.
Just desserts.
Speaking of owners who get in their own way, I find it hilarious that the American League Championship Series is being called “The Cohen Classic.” A nod to Mets owner Steven Cohen who held a fire sale and traded Justin Verlander (Astros) and Max Scherzer (Rangers). He is financing both teams to the tune of $70 mill.
Cohen committed over $215 mill to both pitchers, making them MLB’s most expensive signings. JV is 40 and Max is 39. Both got injured. Both underperformed.
Is anyone other than Cohen shocked that he and his team were being set up for failure?
The Mets essentially gave their pitchers to the Astros and Rangers as gifts, paying much of their salaries – not just for this year but for next year and potentially 2025 as well.
Just another example that paying vast sums of money for talent often doesn’t work. Especially when an owner has more cash than brains.
Twitter this week was filled to the brim posting remembrances of years past when the Tigers were in the playoffs and World Series. Some of the posts going back a decade, 4 decades and even over half a century.
All of these tweets from established Tiger fans reminiscing about Kirk Gibson’s home run, Mickey Lolich jumping into Bill Freehan’s arms and Magglio Ordonez’s infamous home run.
Pardon me if these posts don’t make me happy.
It’s the broken record syndrome. The same stuff being printed over and over and never fulfilling anyone in the present.
An emphasis on living in the past and trying to use these memories to soothe emotions in response to 2 failed World Series runs. And as therapy for the dark years following 2016.
It really is a sad focus on the past. Instead, fans should be putting their energy and attention on what is going on now. And being vocal about their expectations to the franchise.
Living in the past is never a good idea nor will it will make fans truly happy. Only unfulfilled.
I honestly don’t see other teams’ fans as dependent upon living in the past. Can you imagine Yankee fans doing this?
What is a much better option is holding the organization’s feet to the fire and demanding action and speed in righting the ship. Often, asking the right questions and pointing out reality will get you what you want much sooner.
Which one of these stories resonated the most with you?
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What did you miss on our Twitter feed yesterday?
Why haven’t the Tigers developed a solid catching prospect in years?
Totally Tigers 