Baseball is back, so let's see what the Tigers got done this past off-season. This winter was a weird one for baseball. The collective bargaining agreement between the players' union had expired at the end of the 2021 season, December 2nd to be precise. The owners decided to execute a preemptive lockout on that day to force a swift agreement. This was slightly undercut…
This post is part of a series. Click here for the introduction. Click here for part 1. Click here for part 2. Click here for part 3. Click here for part 4. "Play the game the 'right way'" So, having looked at the the ownership, management, coaching, and players in depth, what does the present (2021)and future (2023) look like for the Detroit Tigers? Well, so far the present is fairly abysmal (check…
This post is part of a series. Click here for the introduction. Click here for part 1. Click here for part 2. Click here for part 3. Ditto Let's talk Tigers' roster! Baseball is a very structured game with constant individual match-ups (pitcher vs. hitter, fielder vs ball, etc., fielder vs. baserunner), so, for a team game, each player's ability to execute each play is incredibly important. Great coaching, other…
This post is part of a series. Click here for the introduction. Click here for part 1. Click here for part 2. Mayo Smith, seen here out of uniform. We didn't really cover coaching last week, so let's dig in! The Tigers have had a few notable managers before my time (Hughie Jennings won 1,131 games before 1920, Ty Cobb as a player-coach, and the gloriously named Edward…
This post is part of a series. Click here for the introduction. Click here for part 1. Randy Smith rocking the Uncle Joey look. The first GM hire I remember taking note of for the Tigers was Randy Smith in 1996, so we'll begin our front office review there. Randy Smith came from the San Diego Padres, where he became the youngest GM in baseball history…
This post is part of a series. Click here for the introduction. Tigers right now. Tigers soon? The Tigers have won 11 AL pennants (1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, and 2012) and 4 World Series titles (1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984). So that's 4 wins in 11 tries in the championship round since 1901, or a trip to the World series…
Here in the mitten, we have a long and proud history of being kind of bad at our professional sporting endeavors. Yes, I'll admit, although it is hard to remember at the moment, there have been good versions of the four big professional teams in Detroit. Since I have been alive, the Pistons won in 1989, 1990, and 2004. The Red Wings won 4…
