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Mike Ilitch gone now Chris Ilitch possibly selling the Tigers?

https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/11/five-for-friday-38/
FIVE FOR FRIDAY.
Totally Tigers

Do you find it curious that the most interesting moments of this Tiger season had nothing to do with the actual games played? Miggy?s milestones?..Lou Whitaker?s number retirement??. and?.

?the firing of Al Avila.

Today, we?re moving on from the firing and we?ll take the first steps in discussing who should replace him.

And because we love our team, we?re going to compile what is called a ?white paper? and help Chris Ilitch out.

We?re starting with baby steps. We?re not naming names yet. We?re also not getting into specific things the new GM has to do.

You can?t get specific until you draft the parameters first.

Since this is Friday, I?ll start things off by listing my top 5 job qualities any new Tiger GM must possess. Then I?ll ask you to add to that list. Offer ONE general concept using 3 sentences or less.

And please, no specific issues yet. I know that 5,482 of you are dying to list ?broom the entire medical/training/conditioning staff.? You?ll need to hold off on that until next week when we dig deeper into the issues that must be addressed.

Today, we?re looking at the GM?s personal and professional qualities that should be required.

Without further adieu, let?s get started. We need to get this list to Chris asap.

Here are my TOP 5 personal/professional qualities of any new GM:

1.FRESH BLOOD.

2.CORPORATE CULTURE.

3.TICK, TICK, TICK.

4.EXPERIENCE, NOT AGE.

5.A MODERN MANAGER.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/12/saturday-survey-40/
SATURDAY SURVEY.
Totally Tigers

Earlier this week, Chris Ilitch fired his GM, Al Avila.

Avila was hired by his father, Mike Ilitch, in 2015. Chris took over the team in 2017 upon his father?s passing. At that time, the roster was one of MLB?s oldest and the payroll was ranked as the 3rd highest and just $1 mill away from being #2. The Tigers had MLB?s highest operational expenses ? almost double that of the next team.

The Tigers also had been losing money almost every year for the last decade of Mr. I?s tenure. It was clear that some sort of rebuild was in order.

While often referred to as the owner, Chris is actually the Chair and CEO of the Tigers, which is held in a trust. That trust contains a number of family members who all have a say in how the organization is run.

It is worth considering that it would have taken Ilitch 1-2 years to become thoroughly familiar with how the Tigers were run under his father, especially the financial aspects and specific departments within the organization. That would have put the timeline for realistically starting to consider changes, including the GM position, at the 2018-2019 years. It was in this last year (July 2019) that he extended Avila to a contract of unknown length. Reports now peg that contract as running through the 2023 season.

The 2020 season complicated the baseball world due to Covid and resulted in a shortened season of only 60 games.

Logically, this timeline leaves the last 2 years (2021 and 2022) for Ilitch to fairly evaluate the work of his GM. Consider that Avila was given the task of tearing the team down that ran from 2017 through 2020 while also updating and improving analytics, the minor league system, player development and drafting, among the many issues. He had started to rebuild the roster in 2021 and 2022.

Now that Ilitch has fired Al Avila and indicated that changes are coming to the Tigers, what do you think about Chris now as it pertains to his leadership of this team?

What do you think of Chris Ilitch's leadership now?

1. Impressed

2. Cautiously optimistic

3. Pessimistic

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/watercooler-wednesday-50/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you still going into offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s topic:

Chris Ilitch has announced that he will be assisted in the search for a new GM by a number of Tiger executives, including A. J. Hinch, whom he specifically identified. It is also believed that Ryan Garko will be part of this group.

Ilitch emphasized that the Tigers are looking for a fresh and modern approach that will fit in with the beliefs and practices of Hinch and Garko.
A. J. has a 5-year contract that will take him through the 2025 season.

Not all teams ? in fact very few ? include their manager in the search for high-level executives.

But Hinch has front office experience in both Arizona and San Diego. He was included in the search and hiring of Ryan Garko.

He also has extensive connections from those he knew at Stanford (there are quite a few of them in baseball) and with the Padres and Diamondbacks. But most importantly, he knows everyone with the Astros. Many of those with his former team have been poached by other organizations to lead their rebuilds, most notably Baltimore which did a quick 4-year rebuild.

How do you feel about Ilitch including A. J. in the hunt for a new GM?

Are his resources and connections highly valuable?

Should a manager be involved in the hiring of his new boss?

If not Hinch, then who?

Please vote. Extra points if you explain your rationale in the comments box!

How do you feel about A. J. Hinch being included in the search for a new GM?

1. Great idea!

2. Not sure.

3. Horrible idea.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/18/five-for-friday-39/
FIVE FOR FRIDAY.
Totally Tigers

One week after the firing of Tigers? GM, Al Avila, I?m hoping that Chris Ilitch and his senior Front Office executives have been sitting down and compiling a list of qualities, characteristics and skills that their new GM must have.

There?s going to be a lot on their list, some items more important than others.

But do they have a list of priorities? Experience that is a must-have?

I hope so. I certainly have mine.

And it?s a long list.

But what are my top 5 qualifications that absolutely, positively must be met before anything else is considered? The initial 5 that will either qualify or disqualify potential candidates for further evaluation?

You may be surprised that my list of first hurdles is short on the tangible skills. That list comes after candidates have cleared this initial one. And it?s because it doesn?t matter how great your business skills or work experience are, if you can?t prepare the organization to succeed as a whole, then this candidate will ultimately fail. at the task.

Should this person be creative? Yes. A great trader and an expert in understanding how to scout and draft effectively? Absolutely.

But those skills come after they?ve passed the following criteria?..
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/19/saturday-survey-41/
SATURDAY SURVEY.
Totally Tigers

Last week, Chris Ilitch fired GM Al Avila because he saw ?no progress at the MLB level.? Ilitch had invested $243 mill this year on free agent signings alone because his Front Office had convinced him that the Tigers were within reach of being competitive.

But now the Tigers are once again in last place and the third worst team in MLB. Through Thursday?s games, they are 25 losses away from hitting another 100-loss season. There are 42 games left in the year.

The team added 2 new starting pitchers (free agents) and 5 new positional players. Two rookies were added (positional players) but 1 ended up being sent down. A number of young pitchers saw their debuts in Detroit this year.

While their bullpen has ranked near the top for most of this year, their offensive numbers sit at the bottom of MLB and they are about to set records in fewest number of runs plated. The majority of the positional roster is showing significant performance regression.

Yet the Tigers have been besieged by an astronomical number of injuries, mostly to their pitchers. Three relievers and 3 starting pitchers have now been lost this season to surgery with some of them not expected to pitch at all next year.

The new GM will undoubtedly be taking a deep dive into the status of the Tigers and where they sit in the rebuilding process. Will he continue the rebuilding process or will he be forced to do a reset/reboot? Or, will it be determined that the Tigers have to return to square 1 and rethink the entire process?

What do you think?
What does the new Tigers' GM need to do about the rebuild?

1. Pick up where the organization left off.

2. Reboot/reset some aspects.

3. Develop an entirely new plan.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/23/watercooler-wednesday-51/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you still going into offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s topic:

The Detroit Tigers are starting their search for a new GM. Owner Chris Ilitch indicated that the team made no progress at the MLB level this year, suggesting that the team needs someone who is experienced in the rebuilding process.

However, over the weekend, national stories came out that suggested the Tigers lack an organizational cohesiveness and process in which to effectively solve problems and improve the team. This was exemplified by the story of Robbie Grossman improving almost immediately by moving to another team.

An organization that easily fixed his issues that the Tigers had been unable to solve. Several experts in baseball have suggested that the departments within the Tigers Front Office don?t communicate or work together effectively.

If you were included in the GM search, which one of these 2 job qualifications is the most important one? Would you prioritize the need for rebuilding experience or do you believe that solving the work and communications problems within the organization is the most important?

Which one would you choose?
Which skill is the priority in choosing a new GM?

1. Experience in rebuilding.

2. Enhance flow of information and work between all departments.

VOTE
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/24/wide-open/
WIDE OPEN.
Totally Tigers

From now until he officially assumes his new position, we?re going to keep discussing the issues, concerns and priorities that a new GM must address. Today, let?s look at how he may handle the roster. Such as it is.

For simplicity?s sake, we?re going to focus on the positional players only, not the pitchers.

In a number of ways, this team has regressed in its roster. Injuries have certainly played a part but so have several prospects, highly touted, who couldn?t manage to stick in Detroit. And then there?s the constant shuffling of the same players back and forth to Toledo.

More than half of the current members have significantly under-performed. Some so much that we shouldn?t expect to see them in Detroit next year.

Chris Ilitch is expecting this team to improve at the MLB level which means that the new GM is going to have to be creative in trying to fix what is wrong.

Obviously, some of the repairs need to happen off the field, in the offices. But if we?re addressing the actual players, there?s only so much the GM will be able to do.

Before we get into the options he has, let?s take a rough look at the roster ahead of next year.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/09/13/watercooler-wednesday-54/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

Today, another opportunity for readers to discuss the hottest topics in a forum where thoughtful dialog and a variety of opinions are welcomed.

Let?s create some running conversational threads. And for those of you back in actual offices, here?s a question to take with you ? or use via Zoom ? as you talk to your co-workers.

Here is today?s topic:

Yesterday, I wrote about each of the positional spots and how they may be filled for the 2023 season. If you need a refresher, here it is:
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/09/12/positional-puzzles/

Chris Ilitch is currently searching for a new GM. It is expected that the rebuild ? and the pace of it ? will be a primary topic of discussion with all candidates.

We know that Ilitch was very unhappy this year and pointed to ?no progress at the MLB level? as the main reason for firing Al Avila.

Statistics also show that the fan base starts disappearing permanently at year #5 of a rebuild and it takes seasons to get them back ? if ever. The Tigers are currently in year #7.

But Chris also shelled out over $243 mill on free agents alone this past year and got nothing in return. How likely is it that he will open his wallet that much again for a new GM?

The Tigers are strongest in their pitching, despite a large number of injured pitchers. Some of them will miss next year. But their bullpen remains strong.

The biggest concern is with their lineup ? the 8 defensive positions and their offense. Only 1 player currently is guaranteed to remain in his same position next year.

The new GM is going to have to make a decision about the team?s goals for 2023.

There is a possibility that he will have to backtrack on the current rebuild plan and commit to some strategic, but limited, tearing down of the roster.

He could also focus on ?rebooting? the team in which a number of players and contracts are moved while moderately upgrading any new trades or signings.

The last option involves a significant upgrade to the roster that includes more owner investment in the lineup and potentially some important trades (possibly involving some top young talent) that would visibly boost competitiveness.

Which option do you believe is most likely to happen?
Which plan do you believe the new GM is most likely to pursue?

1. A step back into a limited rebuild.

2. "Rebooting" in which there is further roster editing and moderate additions.

3. Significant roster upgrades with intent to be competitive.

VOTE
 
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