https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/11/16/getting-warmer/
GETTING WARMER.
Totally Tigers
It may be the start of the Hot Stove season, but in Detroit, they are in the middle of Hot Coach season.
I have lost count as to how many new managers and coaches have been added to the organization.
It all really started with the hiring of A. J. Hinch in advance of the 2021 season along with his coaches. We know that some of them, maybe not all, were his selections.
And toward the end of 2021, the Player Development department started to be made over with the addition of Ryan Garko and his lieutenants.
Before the start of the 2022 season, the minors started to see a facelift with the brooming of many managers and coaches. Directors who oversaw and coordinated hitting, pitching and defense were also added.
What did they all have in common? They came from top teams. Winning teams. And nary an employee came in with ties to the Tigers, Expos, Marlins or Pirates.
None of them friends or part of a tight clique. And it was a good mix of a variety of organizations, not just a couple.
But now that Scott Harris has taken over, the pedal has been put to the metal in the hiring department. In addition to Player Development, he fired David Chadd and his top Director of Scouting and replaced him with Robt Metzler.
A. J. Hinch kept only 3 of his coaches ? Bench Coach George Lombard, pitching coach Chris Fetter and his assistant, Juan Nieves. Both hitting coaches were given their walking papers and 1 of them, along with Ramon Santiago, were moved down to Lakeland. Gary Jones is staying with Hinch but in another capacity as either third base coach or defensive coordinator.
Additionally, their quality control coach was also fired. It is unclear whether or not the Tigers will continue that position or replace it with something else.
Alfredo Amezaga, who came from the Braves system and coached for Toledo last year moves up to first base coach.
And for the first time ever, Hinch confirmed that these were all his hires.
Unlike past managers, no coaches were forced upon him.
But now, for the first time, the Tigers are expanding the number of their MLB-level coaches. Instead of 2 pairs of hitting and pitching coaches, there will be 3 addressing pitching and at least 3 with hitting.
Michael Brdar is the hitting coach and comes from the Padres where both Hinch and Scott Bream would have known about him. He undoubtedly knew Mark Connor while there who is now the Tigers new Director of Scouting. He also was with the Giants where he worked for Scott Harris (and received a promotion) and played/coached for U-M where he knew Chris Fetter. It was reported that Brdar signed a multi-year contract.
Brdar will share the same title with Keith Beauregard, who came from the Dodgers. He was most probably recommended by George Lombard and some of the other Dodgers like Garko who now work for the Tigers.
James Rowson comes in as the Asst. Hitting coach, having worked for the Marlins, Twins, Yankees and Cubs. He is credited with helping the Twins set records in most major offensive categories records several years ago. When with the Cubs, he worked for Scott Harris.
There are rumors that a second assistant hitting coach will be hired. Potentially Adam Melhuse who is working with Spencer Torkelson this winter. I think they will wait to gauge the results before making a decision.
The Giants, Harris? former team, had a 13-man coaching staff. It is expected that more will added in specialized positions that the Tigers have never had.
This is clearly an indication that the Tigers are modernizing and will actually be part of a smaller elite group of teams who have re-imagined their coaching staffs.
And it?s also an indication that Chris Ilitch is serious about improving this team. He?s making a very sizable investment in coaches alone when at least half of MLB is not green lighting as many new employees as he has.
He?s not skimping. And that?s a good sign. It?s a sign of commitment and intent.
But this gets better. The Tigers are finally ? finally! ? revamping their training and conditioning department.
Kevin Rand was given his walking papers after 20+ years with the Tigers and 25- 30 years with Al Avila and Dave Dombrowski respectively. He was certified in certain training areas but did not study the concentration in college, having majored in Classics at college. Besides, that major didn?t exist when he was a student.
Doug Teter had a more solid background, having majored in sports medicine in college. But now he?s been moved down to Lakeland in an obvious demotion in a position yet to be determined. Not fired as many would have thought because he still has 2 years left on his contract.
Contrast these two with the new Head Athletic trainer, Ryne Eubanks, who comes from the Diamondbacks. He has a BA in kinesiology-exercise science and a Master?s in Athletic Training.
And I have to say, he looks every bit the part of someone who deals in keeping players at the top of their physical game.
But it?s interesting that Eubanks also shares a kinesiology link with new assistant pitching coach Robin Lund. He is a professor kinesiology with an emphasis in biomechanics. His extensive research has been focused on improving athletic performance. He?s also credited with sending 7 of his pitchers to the majors. He served as his college?s pitching coach.
The Tigers are also renovating their minor league strength and conditioning programs. (And if you read Tuesday?s blog about renovation, this is classified as a complete gut job.) They have placed ads for multiple coaches who have college degrees in the subjects and are also asking for Master?s Degrees as well. It?s interesting to note that they want some of them to be able to speak Spanish in order to effectively communicate information to players who do not have English as their primary language.
When A. J. Hinch and then Ryan Garko were hired, the Tigers had started to strengthen their minor league training and conditioning programs with the hiring of coordinators. These new people will now sync their work with their bosses in Detroit so that the same process is implemented from each farm team all the way through Detroit.
Detroit has certainly jumped light years ahead in improving their organization. They are expanding the types of positions, increasing the number and quality of people they hire and raising the bar on the experience and education required. It is no longer about who you know but about what you know.
And this is a very good thing.
I don?t think we?ve ever been able to say that the Tigers were among the trendsetters in baseball. Sadly, it?s been quite the opposite for decades.
But now we see this commitment to people and to the payroll. Let?s also remember that when you hire people with impeccable resumes and advanced degrees, they also come with much bigger salary requirements. There?s no more hiring of baseball lifers who, for the most part, were often unemployed for extended periods of time. There?s no more shopping in the bargain bins.
And that is one of the biggest differences.
They always say to put your money where your mouth is. And the Tigers have done exactly that.
