NEW WAYS AND SECRET WEAPONS

by Holly Horning

One of the most important decision-makers for the Tigers is not known to fans.  You wouldn’t recognize him.  You wouldn’t even know his name.

Heck, I don’t even think he has a regular office at Comerica.

But you’ve seen his work.

I wrote about him the other week and promised a more detailed blog.

All signs point to him being the one who helped craft Miguel Cabrera’s celebratory weekend.  You know, the event that blew everyone away with its unique send-off and imaginative presentation.

His name is Ryan Gustafson.  Here’s where I first mentioned him:

A CELEBRATION – BUT SO MUCH MORE

He is the Executive VP and COO of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment.  It is a subsidiary of Ilitch Holdings and the group includes overseeing and coordinating projects and events with both of Ilitch’s sports teams (and multiple other entertainment arms).

So why is he important?

It’s because he’s becoming more and more involved in how the Tigers are run.

He came to Detroit back in 2022 and was promoted less than a year later.  He has a background in strategic planning and revenue generating with professional and other sports-related organizations including the MLB Commissioner’s Office.  He also has an MBA from Harvard.

He worked for the Padres and potentially crossed paths with both A. J. Hinch and Scott Bream. Both probably went to their connections within San Diego to help with the intell.

Gustafson wears a lot of hats which we won’t discuss here but one of them is overseeing the changes and improvements earmarked for Comerica.  He’s also involved in all the Meijer advertising with both the Red Wings and Tigers.

But he is proof positive that Chris Ilitch is modernizing and syncing many of the Ilitch brands.  Getting them all on the same page and coordinating moves and strategies.

The Tigers are no longer being run like a mom-and-pop store.

Let me explain.

In the past – and for far too long – coaching, managerial and executive positions with the Tigers usually favored friends.  It was rarely about what you knew, it was more about who you knew.

The Tigers never went outside their organization or circle of friends for decades.  You have to go back to Sparky Anderson to get a manager who did not have Tiger ties.

There was never much effort made in looking for skippers.  Case in point?  Dave Dombrowski asked Jim Leyland to find his replacement.  Leyland’s best friend, Gene Lamont, pushed for Brad Ausmus, whom he knew in Houston.  It was because Lamont knew he would continue to be employed by the Tigers as Ausmus’ bench coach.

The important job openings were an insular and quick process.  There were no exploratory committees to find the right candidates.  Instead, friends followed friends from Montreal to Florida to Pittsburgh to Detroit.  Many of them working together for 3 decades or more.

Until now.

It all really became noticeable back in late 2022 when Chris Ilitch fired Al Avila.  He was the first owner to put together an executive committee to help him find the right replacement.  At least 8 of them from different parts of the Ilitch organization as well as specialized head hunters.

One of his advisors was Steve Yzerman from the Red Wings.  Another was Ryan Gustafson.

And as the process moved along and candidates were narrowed down, Ilitch also called upon Scott Bream, Ryan Garko and A. J. Hinch to weigh in.

Not surprisingly – and maybe a foreshadowing of what is to come – Avila holdovers Jay Sartori and Sam Menzin were not asked to weigh in until the very end.

It got us Scott Harris.  A decision that approximately a dozen people signed off on.  Not just one.

We saw something similar with the hiring of new GM Jeff Greenberg.

This time, Harris was part of the decision-making process.  But so was Ilitch, Gustafson, Garko and Hinch.

The Tigers have officially gone from hiring friends to hiring the best candidate for the job.

All you have to do now is to look at the resumes of all the new people who have joined the Tigers.  It’s a hugely diverse group and none of them have any significant Tiger ties.

But what else can we take from all of this?

Two things.

The first is that it appears Chris is tightening and coordinating the family brand.  Gustafson is doing a lot of cross-related work between the Tigers and Wings.  Yzerman is consulting on Tiger issues.  It’s unclear whether Harris is doing the same for him or has even had the opportunity.

And we’re seeing crossover interviews between the 2 teams on tv and at special events.  It’s all part of the branding process.  Making sure that the message and product quality are synced.  It eventually leads to fans seeing the whole organization and spending more within the entire subsidiary (there are multiple sports, entertainment and food services involved) instead of just focusing on 1 product.

In other words, if you are a Tigers fan, they are also hoping that you will become a Red Wings fan, too. And vice versa.

It’s a very smart move. And quite frankly, long overdue.

But the most important takeaway for Tiger fans is how ownership and management view A. J. Hinch.

They like him.  They really, really like him.

Hinch has been included in the decision-making process for every important hire. He’s even been the catalyst for hiring certain people like Chris Fetter and Ryan Garko. 

Especially notable that he was given the power to be involved in the interviewing process and sign off on his 2 immediate bosses.  Most new Front Office heads want to bring in their own people when they take over so it’s unusual for managers to be involved in their potential new boss’ hiring.

A managerial change in Detroit is not in the future.

This means that Chris wants to build a stable organization – a core of executives – who are all on the same page.  People who can work together successfully.

People who can create a consistent product year after year.

And you do that by creating a nucleus of people vetted by a larger group.

It’s a smart way to go.

So don’t expect that A. J. is going to leave the team when his contract expires in 2 years.  Some have speculated that he took the Tigers job out of desperation and is just waiting for his chance to leave.

That rumor is untrue as there were a number of teams interested in him while he was serving his suspension and anxious to interview him when he became available. There is a reason why Ilitch jumped at the chance and had A. J. fly up to Detroit – and then kept him there for days until a contract was hammered out.

If Hinch had wanted to leave, he would have negotiated the standard 3-year contract.  But he accepted 5 years.

That means he is working towards his long-term future goals and invest the time in reaching them.

Sure, things can change but the Tigers really did dot their i’s and crossed their t’s on this one.

Finally.

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