Leyland's Morning Interview

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Yep, isn't that what fans do? I went to the ballpark and paid my money. Its my right to cheer AND nitpick.

The point is we accomplished our main goal, which was winning the Central.

No team can expect to win the WS from day 1, it's just not feasible. Leyland is right, you work your ass off to win your division and get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, but beyond that the playoffs are a unpredictable, just when you think you;re rolling, some so-so wild card team comes along and wins the World Series. (see St. Louis)

And the payroll excuse is irrelevant, if anything with the horrible years put up by some of our players we should be thankful we ended up over .500 on the season, let alone division champs.

So yeah, keep nit picking, it's just white noise to anyone who knows anything anyhow. Or better yet, keep telling us how awesome Francona is...we all need a good laugh.

 

[Mitchrapp]

The point is we accomplished our main goal, which was winning the Central.

No team can expect to win the WS from day 1, it's just not feasible. Leyland is right, you work your ass off to win your division and get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, but beyond that the playoffs are a unpredictable, just when you think you;re rolling, some so-so wild card team comes along and wins the World Series. (see St. Louis)

And the payroll excuse is irrelevant, if anything with the horrible years put up by some of our players we should be thankful we ended up over .500 on the season, let alone division champs.

So yeah, keep nit picking, it's just white noise to anyone who knows anything anyhow. Or better yet, keep telling us how awesome Francona is...we all need a good laugh.

I don't buy that. 2 games from the WS in 2011, the next goal should be to get to the WS the next year - not just winning the division.

 

[Thumb]

I don't buy that. 2 games from the WS in 2011, the next goal should be to get to the WS the next year - not just winning the division.

You have have it as a goal, just not a realistic one.

The playoffs are a strange animal, the Tigers have twice beaten better Yankee teams in the playoffs, that alone proves you cant count on anything once the playoffs start. and no baseball expert in the world would have picked the Cards to win in either 2006, or 2011...but they did.

The best you can realistically say is we're going to win our division get into the playoffs and let the chips fall.

 

[Mitchrapp]

You have have it as a goal, just not a realistic one.

The playoffs are a strange animal, the Tigers have twice beaten better Yankee teams in the playoffs, that alone proves you cant count on anything once the playoffs start. and no baseball expert in the world would have picked the Cards to win in either 2006, or 2011...but they did.

The best you can realistically say is we're going to win our division get into the playoffs and let the chips fall.

I guess , i mean if Detroit loses to Oakland will it be considered a good year? What does Detroit have to do to be considered a good year. We all all have different opinions, but losing to Oakland but winning the ALC is not a good year. And I know I steered this conversation a different way ..

 

[Thumb]

I guess , i mean if Detroit loses to Oakland will it be considered a good year? What does Detroit have to do to be considered a good year. We all all have different opinions, but losing to Oakland but winning the ALC is not a good year. And I know I steered this conversation a different way ..

Personally, unless we win the WS, I don't think we had a good year, simply because we played bad baseball a lot of the time, and players had bad seasons, we were very lucky to have Ajax, Miggy, Prince, JV pick us up and carry us. But in the playoffs anyone can get hot at the right time, so we'll have to wait and see.

And what I meant before, is from day 1 of a baseballs season the WS is an unrealistic goal, I think once you get a spot in the playoffs it's a realistic goal though.

 

[hungry]

The point is we accomplished our main goal, which was winning the Central.

No team can expect to win the WS from day 1, it's just not feasible. Leyland is right, you work your ass off to win your division and get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, but beyond that the playoffs are a unpredictable, just when you think you;re rolling, some so-so wild card team comes along and wins the World Series. (see St. Louis)

And the payroll excuse is irrelevant, if anything with the horrible years put up by some of our players we should be thankful we ended up over .500 on the season, let alone division champs.

So yeah, keep nit picking, it's just white noise to anyone who knows anything anyhow. Or better yet, keep telling us how awesome Francona is...we all need a good laugh.

That wasn't Leyland's goal. Leyland's goal was only to play meaningful games in September. He stated this over and over during the season when his team was having trouble staying above water. Now that his team won the central, he says that his goal was to win 90-95 games and win the Central. If he would've been saying that all along, I wouldn't be irritated with him, but he only changed recently. Why?

Now that he's in the playoffs, I want him to say that his goal is to win the world series. I don't want him to say things like, "Well, the playoffs are a crapshoot." It sounds like he's setting us up to expect to get knocked out early and be OK with it. I would be OK with it, but I'm not OK with a manager that says things like this. I want a manager that wants more.

I never expected Leyland to come out in May and say his goal is to win the world series. No, I wanted him to say his goal was to win the central and he couldn't even bring himself to say that. He was too scared that his team would fail.

I never mentioned Francona or any other replacement.

 

[hungry]

You have have it as a goal, just not a realistic one.

The playoffs are a strange animal, the Tigers have twice beaten better Yankee teams in the playoffs, that alone proves you cant count on anything once the playoffs start. and no baseball expert in the world would have picked the Cards to win in either 2006, or 2011...but they did.

The best you can realistically say is we're going to win our division get into the playoffs and let the chips fall.

No one's saying that he should just expect it to happen. Having something as a goal and expecting something to happen are two totally different things.

 

[spockmaster]

But he's not now, and that's what he was getting at.

The fact we won the Central is somewhat of a small miracle when you consider we have 1 OF'er who deserves to be a full time player.

And I get that some people don't like Leyland (though I can't see the appeal of a guy like Francona over him) if we make it to the ALCS, Leyland is going to get extended. 3 ALCS in 7 years would be pretty hard to argue with.

i honestly think dirks will never be a full time player. he is fundamentally a streaky, impatient hitter in the vein of boesch and young (though admittedly better than both of them are). he never walks, he swings at everything, and he's below average in the field. he's a 4th outfielder at best.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Similar to what Bo used to say when he'd stay his goal was to win the B1G championship. He never mentioned National Championship.

It might be okay when you miss the playoffs the previous year, like 2010. But this years goal should have started with WS.

 

[tomdalton22]

i honestly think dirks will never be a full time player. he is fundamentally a streaky, impatient hitter in the vein of boesch and young (though admittedly better than both of them are). he never walks, he swings at everything, and he's below average in the field. he's a 4th outfielder at best.

I agree with you. I really think that Garcia may have the potential to be an every day OF. Nick C. should be able as well. I think for 2013 the Tigers get a vet. and hopefully in 2014 Nick C and Garcia can become the every day corner OFs

 

[Mitchrapp]

Garcia gets a playoff roster spot so if he can do well, I assume not many at bats but I expect him to have a chance in 2013. Leyland seems to like him.

 

[tonyballs]

The point is we accomplished our main goal, which was winning the Central.

No team can expect to win the WS from day 1, it's just not feasible. Leyland is right, you work your ass off to win your division and get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, but beyond that the playoffs are a unpredictable, just when you think you;re rolling, some so-so wild card team comes along and wins the World Series. (see St. Louis)

And the payroll excuse is irrelevant, if anything with the horrible years put up by some of our players we should be thankful we ended up over .500 on the season, let alone division champs.

So yeah, keep nit picking, it's just white noise to anyone who knows anything anyhow. Or better yet, keep telling us how awesome Francona is...we all need a good laugh.

Payroll is irrelevant? I don't think so. Illitch has been dumping money on players TO WIN. We were lucky this year to get into the playoffs. We started playing some decent ball at the end and the White Sox imploded. Doesn't matter though because we're in...i understand that. We underachieved this year according to payroll, talent and hype. You don't see it.....oh well.

 

[spockmaster]

Garcia gets a playoff roster spot so if he can do well, I assume not many at bats but I expect him to have a chance in 2013. Leyland seems to like him.

we just have to hope he fixes some of his (somewhat familiar) problems...low walk rate, high strikeout rate, swings at everything. the main difference between him and all our other ridiculously free-swinging OFs is that he can actually play defense.

 

[Thumb]

Payroll is irrelevant? I don't think so. Illitch has been dumping money on players TO WIN. We were lucky this year to get into the playoffs. We started playing some decent ball at the end and the White Sox imploded. Doesn't matter though because we're in...i understand that. We underachieved this year according to payroll, talent and hype. You don't see it.....oh well.

If payroll mattered that much Tell me why the Cubs have not made the playoffs in ages?

Or why the Yankees don;t win the WS every year, looks st some of the high payroll teams that missed the playoffs this year.

Payroll is irrelevant, just because you pay players that amount, does not mean that's the value you get on the field. A high payroll is not a gaurantee of success.

You don't see it, nothing new.

 

[Mitchrapp]

If payroll mattered that much Tell me why the Cubs have not made the playoffs in ages?

Or why the Yankees don;t win the WS every year, looks st some of the high payroll teams that missed the playoffs this year.

Payroll is irrelevant, just because you pay players that amount, does not mean that's the value you get on the field. A high payroll is not a gaurantee of success.

You don't see it, nothing new.

I don't think that's what he meant. But If I'm rooting for a team I expect results if I'm spending 150m and better results than say my team spent 60m. I doubt the people in TB or Pittsburgh get nearly upset as a team lets say in NY if they do poorly. Don't pretend money doesn't matter because it does.

 

[Thumb]

I don't think that's what he meant. But If I'm rooting for a team I expect results if I'm spending 150m and better results than say my team spent 60m. I doubt the people in TB or Pittsburgh get nearly upset as a team lets say in NY if they do poorly. Don't pretend money doesn't matter because it does.

I didn't say it doesn't matter.

I said payroll is irrelevant to expectations.

Our payroll is made up largely of 3 players: Cabrera, Verlander and Fielder. You can't win with 3 guys, also some higher payroll guys have performed somewhat poorly, like Valverde, Peralta, and Young.

So again, you can pay someone whatever, but it does not mean you get that value on the field.

Also, the Tigers payroll is currently $119MM not $150MM

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/salaries/_/name/det/detroit-tigers

 

[Mitchrapp]

I didn't say it doesn't matter.

I said payroll is irrelevant to expectations.

Our payroll is made up largely of 3 players: Cabrera, Verlander and Fielder. You can't win with 3 guys, also some higher payroll guys have performed somewhat poorly, like Valverde, Peralta, and Young.

So again, you can pay someone whatever, but it does not mean you get that value on the field.

Also, the Tigers payroll is currently $119MM not $150MM

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/salaries/_/name/det/detroit-tigers

I still think you're wrong. Sure if you have 9 Mike Trouts costing very little you can compete. But regardless what happens, the NYY and their big payroll will compete much more often then say the Pittsburgh Pirates and their small payroll.

 

[Thumb]

I still think you're wrong. Sure if you have 9 Mike Trouts costing very little you can compete. But regardless what happens, the NYY and their big payroll will compete much more often then say the Pittsburgh Pirates and their small payroll.

In general yes.

But as far as saying, like Tony did that Ilitch spent to win now, that's not realistic. You spend money to give yourself a better chance, but you cannot buy championships.

You cant just say, we have X payroll now we should win Y amount of games.

Payroll and talent do not scale equally.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Of course not but when we spent big and got Prince, most thought it'd be a cake walk and it wasn't. Under-preformed? Depends on your definition.

 

[Thumb]

Of course not but when we spent big and got Prince, most thought it'd be a cake walk and it wasn't. Under-preformed? Depends on your definition.

I think most thought would we be the best team in the ALC and win the division.

We were, and did.