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Mike Ilitch gone now Chris Ilitch possibly selling the Tigers?

kalinecountry said:
1901-1911 - 3 seasons under 500
1912-1921- 5
1922-31- 4
1932-1941-2
1942-1951- 2
1952-1961- 5
1962-1971- 2
1972-1981-4
1982-1991- 2
1992-2001- 9????
2002-2011- 5
2012-2021- 6????
2022-2031 so far 1
The ilitches percentage of under .500 is worse than the whole previous owners.
Click to expand...

For all intents and purposes, the Tigers have had 8 ownership transitions, if you consider that Two Briggses, Fetzer bought out Knorr (they co-owned the team), and Two Ilitchs.
 
Unless the Tigers finish 19-6, this will be 7 straight years of losing seasons. They went 12 straight from 93-05. In 31 complete seasons of ownership under Ilitch family they have 21 losing seasons. 9 winning seasons and one .500. 5 playoff appearances.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/09/09/deeper-discussions-87/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

The Detroit Tigers just recently finished a series with the Yankees in NY. In the last game, NY fans let their feelings be known about how badly their team was playing.

Much of the entire stadium started to loudly and clearly boo the hometown team. There was definitely no question about their unhappiness.

Which brings us to the question about whether or not it is appropriate to boo your team during a game.

Yankee fans are not a quiet nor patient bunch. They let their feelings be known. Even when ticket prices jumped one year, they boycotted games until prices came down to a more reasonable level.

Gauging fan reaction is one way teams craft their product. And it?s used to explain why the Yankees move much more quickly than other teams when their product needs improving.

On the other hand, there are the Tigers who get little to no blow back from fans when they put a poor product on the field.

Which they have been doing for 7 years now.

Should Tiger fans be more vocal in expressing their happiness or dissatisfaction with the team?

Should fans become more vocal with the organization?

Is it appropriate to boo the team during a poorly-played game?

Or is it disrespectful? Are there better ways to show your unhappiness with the team?

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 max to 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?

Is booing an acceptable way of showing unhappiness with a team's performance?

1. Yes, booing can be an acceptable tool.

2. No, there are better ways to express dissatisfaction.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/09/13/owners-as-obstacles/
OWNERS AS OBSTACLES.
Totally Tigers

The other week, I blogged about the crazy, unpredictable owners in MLB. Men who can widely be blamed for their teams? inability to play October baseball even when they break payroll records.

These are the same guys who routinely embarrass their Front Offices, players and fan base. And owners are actually ranked according to their inconsistent behavior. In that blog, I identified the top 5 most considered to be the worst:
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/well-run-wanna-be-or-train-wreck/
WELL-RUN, WANNA BE OR TRAIN WRECK?
Totally Tigers

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 Derek 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:
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/10/28/deeper-discussions-93/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

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 max to 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?

How should the Tigers manage their 6 special assistants going forward?

1. Make them all figureheads only.

2. Mix of figureheads and advisors.

3. Gradually phase out the position entirely.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/10/30/the-best-money-ever-spent/
THE BEST MONEY EVER SPENT.
Totally Tigers

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.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/11/01/let-the-river-run/
LET THE RIVER RUN.
Totally Tigers

On Tuesday, I blogged about the best investment the Tigers have ever made. Hiring top end talent to run every aspect of the organization. Talent that is already shown to have paid off in the scouting, development and promotion of players.

A number of Tigers have given testimonials now about how they have been helped perform better.
And now, we?re hearing from the minor leaguers, too.
 
Last edited:
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2024/01/15/mizerly/
Mizerly.
Totally Tigers

Let the speculation begin.

Last week was the deadline for MLB teams to exchange arbitration numbers with their eligible players. And the Detroit Tigers finalized contracts with 3 out of 4 players.

All except for Casey Mize.

Remember him? The #1 draft pick back in 2018 who has only pitched 1 full season and a handful of games over an additional 2 years.

Mize last pitched almost 2 years ago. A lifetime in baseball.

They are going to arbitration over a difference in salary. The Tigers offered $815,000. Mize wants $840,000.

A difference of $25,000.

But don?t think that this is an instance of the Tigers being cheap. Don?t make that automatic assumption.

The Tigers are anything but cheap under the post-Covid, post-tear down and new leadership.

Fans don?t see it but Chris Ilitch has poured millions into the franchise?s infrastructure.The first owner to do such dating back to before we were born. Expanding departments, buying tons of new expensive technology and hiring the best executives, managers, coaches and specialists.

He?s even green-lighted huge expansions of personnel in multiple departments like player development, analytics, scouting and drafting.He is also funding the increase from 5 coaches to 11.

Ilitch hired both a President of Baseball Operations and a GM. He didn?t have to. An extra person and an extra multi-million dollar salary.

So it doesn?t make sense that the team would balk at a measly extra $25,000.

There is something else going on. And it?s why the Tigers are making a statement by staying put in their salary offer.

Let?s explore what possibly could be going on.
 
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