https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/too-much-a-good-thing/
TOO MUCH A GOOD THING?
Totally Tigers
Ken Rosenthal continues to write excellent pieces. He was the first to nationally blow up Al Avila and how he killed the Tigers? rebuild. Last year, he earned the wrath of Commissioner Rob Manfred simply by reporting on Manfred?s moves.
This week, a thoughtful piece on Justin Verlander. One showing how he?s matured since leaving the Tigers and joining the Astros. In part, brought on by marriage, having a child and experiencing the grueling journey from injury to recovery.
JV said he?s learned to become a better teammate. To be engaged, ?more accessible,? and more one of the guys.?
Rosenthal reports that Verlander is more involved in the clubhouse and mixing more with teammates. That he?s ?a totally different guy.?
?He?s more open to helping young guys, helping the team, having team dinners, constant communication.?
Ken goes on to explain how certain players, especially top players, are self-absorbed. How they have a single-minded focus on themselves which allows them to become elite players.
Which now, after reading this, brings me back to a thought I had back in the mid 2010?s when the Tigers had MLB?s best collection of stars and were regularly playing October baseball.
Did the Tigers have too many stars? Too many egos? Too many self-centered players?
Is this the biggest reason why they could never come close to winning more than a single game in the World Series?
This team, for a number of years, contained 3 first ballot Hall of Famers. Add in a couple more who will eventually make it to Cooperstown.
They also had 5, count ?em, 5 pitchers who would win Cy Young Awards. Some of them more than once. They also had a rotation that many experts said was baseball?s best one in history.
All ended up getting rings, just not with Detroit....
