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Things I believe: -Avila was not nearly as bad as he is often made out to be. -Harris has not yet demonstrated that he is the wunderkind that some claim. -Both contributed to the last two seasons postseason success. -Ilitch is not cheap, and if we’re not spending to some people’s expectations on the MLB roster, that is Harris making those decisions. -Jim Campbell never should have traded Jason Thompson for Al Cowens.

I will agree with this. I am not trying to be diplomatic here - but it is Avila's group mostly that we are working with. With said, I do not think he did a real good job with most areas of the franchise. Some here may think he really took us back and/or buried the franchise. I am not totally on board with that but to me he did NOT surround himself with the right people - and he needed to do just that. Scott Harris, all IMHO, is putting together a solid franchise from the ground up. I will say again he has really helped in several areas: scouting, player development, exercise and nutrition science gains on many fronts (rehab, recovery, etc.), facility upgrades, international look see, waiver wire 'potential' player pick-ups and more. However, I have said repeatedly, he has to show he can acquire MLB talent (not fringe MLB types). It has been apx three years now. We were not in the position 2-3 years ago to add. However, this team has now been to the post-season two straight years. Both times advancing. Most baseball pundits feel it is a talented team. Harris cannot give the previous statement we want to develop a core first (BTW, he has not done that lately). The Tigers can contend 'now'. It does not mean they will win a WS, but they can contend for it. With said they need to add some talented MLB players. Maybe another bat, a top RP or two and 'maybe' a solid starter. I have been questioning all along 'Can Harris add MLB talent, via trade or FA?' I would like to see it. The last trade deadline was nothing to write home about, it may have effected the team (cannot say for sure) but on the positive I feel it gave him some experience in dealing with several clubs GMs and hopefully he is better at evaluating real talent (our MLB scouts as well). So much of sports is a crap-shot. Injuries are one of the biggest factors (this is why depth is sooo important). The Tigers are close. They have Skubal for another year. The have a core. They have another wave coming of young players (and there will/should be less swing-and-miss). IMHO, Harris needs to add THIS off season MLB talent. It will be interesting to see what happens. If it shows up, that he does not have this knack, this skill set - then hopefully he can find someone to help him who can. That is also why I ask/question the ability of GM Greenberg just as much in THIS particular area.

Avila was terrible practically all the way around. I think the main problem was that Avila basically Peter-Principled his way into the big chair, which he clearly showed he was not competent to occupy. He was by acclamation a very good scout, and he was probably a decent lieutenant to Dave Dombrowski. But he was exactly the kind of guy we could have expected to see once Ilitch tabbed him without even talking to another soul about the job. Compared to that, Harris has already established himself as a relative wunderkind. (Note that I do mean "relative" and not "absolute".) He inherited an absolute mess from Avila and set about figuring out who we had who could still help us, at least in the short term, and getting rid of the others. He is still dumping Avila pickups left and right. It takes time to remake an entire organization up and down, and I get that people are impatient because they always want a winner NOW GODDAMMIT! And for his efforts, Harris has taken us to two LDSes in his first three years, and we are still nowhere close to his vision of peak Tigers yet. To be fair, Harris has whiffed on several of his pickups, but a 100% hit rate is not a reasonable goal. A much higher hit rate than the the previous guy is a reasonable goal, and Harris has exceeded that quite handily. And it's true, Harris has not made The Big Free Agent Signing and the Big Trade we all crave yet, but I believe that's in large part because Big Free Agents are still leery of signing here over coastal contenders, a perception that takes time to overcome; and we had not yet gotten to the position where one Big Trade in exchange for top prospects would be the thing that makes us favorites to go to the World Series. I believe we are better positioned for each right now, although I do think the Big Free Agent is still going to be a lot harder to pull off than the Big Trade. Either way, I agree with you and just about everyone else here that this is the winter Scott Harris has to made a very substantial improvement to the big league roster. I think the difference between me and just about everyone else here is that I've been willing to give Scott Harris the time he's needed to fix the aircraft carrier and get it turned all the way around toward perennial contention. If that makes me a Scott sniffer in your eyes, well, can't be helped, I guess. But I really do have trouble understanding the idea that Harris is a failure because he hasn't completed the job he has set out to do yet. But, hey, it takes all kinds to make up a fan base, amirite? 😃

Yes

LOL, There is no nostalgia for Avila. I think you need to get over Avila. Are you still agonizing over Randy Smith too?

I really do think that the Al Avila tenure has done lasting damage to the psyche of this fan base. I believe the cynicism that so many have about Scott Harris—that he must be dishonest or stupid or conniving or a scaredy-cat or whatever other bad quality fans can ascribe to him—can really only have been borne from the disappointment of watching the franchise flop around like a fish on a boat for ten years due to the sheer incompetence and recalcitrance of the Avila regime, especially coming as it did on the heels of the successful tenure that preceded it. I can only conclude that many fans have simply come to expect that our favorite team’s front office will be ultimately terrible, regarding any intermittent success as a mask on the face of the arc of terribleness we must be fated to experience. And so some assume that Scott Harris will simply carry on that tradition in his own soul-crushing manner and turn us into the losers we're fated to become. We might as well hammer him now, because nobody wants to be that jerk who looks stupid for believing that what Harris is doing is the right approach, only to be disappointed by his inevitable failure. Plus, not for nothing, I find it just simply gobsmacking that there is so much disdain and derision for a PBO who gave us two LDS appearances in his first three years after we’d gone a decade wandering in the desert under you know who. The rueful nostalgia I see people have for Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland is sad enough, but the misplaced nostalgia for Al freaking Avila, for god's sake, is downright pathetic. I get how sad it is to feel abandoned, but it’s time for everyone to face facts: daddy ain’t never coming home after going out for cigarettes. The Kid is The Man now, he’s in charge, and he’s gonna be here well into his middle-age years. And we might as well get used to the idea, so why not give him at least one chance to implement the plan he says he’s working on? And if he fails at it and starts spinning his wheels a la Avila, that’s when I’ll jump on board the hatewagon along with everyone else.

One might believe that the level of morality in society bears a clear correlation to the level of religiousity, but I don't.

A month into the season and the east is right where we thought it would be. With Detroit and Toronto as the top 2 seeds. Right?

Jim Campbell and Billy Lajoie. 🤣🤣

Sabermathmetrics? Check. Old guy injuries? Check. What's next on the list, chili recipes or cat pictures?

Nov 19, 1969. Pete Conrad and Alan Bean land Apollo 12 on the moon, only a few hundred feet from Surveyor 3, a probe sent a few years earlier. This was a very critical step to prove that they could make precision landings and a tremendous achievement by the trajectory teams and the astronauts. They could trust their software and systems, and pilots. Apollo 11 over shot its targets so after proving they could land, the next step is proving they could land in specific spots, critical for the geological work. They did their first EVA the next day. listen to the excitement in their voices. This was my favorite crew because the 3 of them were best friends.

Add to this the number of men that are ammosexuals.

I don’t think Avila was as bad as some do. I even think he wanted to get us on the right track as far as analytics, development, etc, but he clearly was over his head. Harris has completely revamped the development system which has allowed some of Al’s picks to make their impact. Meadows was stuck. At this time last year most wanted Tork gone. Same with Mize. And if you want to use Harris’ FA signings against him, who did Al get in FA? Zimmerman? Upton? Pelfrey?

It's pretty simple, too many young American men are idiots. We've made them that way. Raised on video games, hovered over by parents who never taught them how to be responsible for themselves by being responsible anything else, and thus never learned how to be fully formed adults, socialized sexually by pervasive porn. What sane woman wants any part of that?

And Tork, and Dillon Dingler, and Mize and Jobe, and Kerry Carpenter and...

He hired AJ Hinch.

lane hutson at aaa. come on. plus, buch, danielson, and lombardi dont get a b? i'm not a button fan either.

Sounds about Reich…

Drafting Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal.

I don't think Avila greenlights the platoon and pitching chaos that led to the 2024 success. I doubt Avila signs Flaherty. Avila rarely claimed guys off waivers if there wasn't already an open 40 man spot, so somebody like Tyler Holton probably isn't on the roster. Player dev/soft skills stuff/pitching labs etc. really have taken off under Harris. Also, much of the GM/POBO's job is making sure all the different parts of baseball operations work well together. So many are focused on who acquired the player, but who opened things up to make sure the team got the best out of that player? Does anybody remember the first thing Harris did? He cleaned house on the training side. The team has been one of the healthiest in baseball the last three years. I HIGHLY doubt the Chadd/Pleis crew draft McGonigle. Doesn't affect 2024-5.

Zach Lowe taking about the Markkenan price on his latest podcast. He said Harris, Ivey, Holland, four first round picks and four first round pick swaps.

He told Harris to acquire Cobb, Morton and Paddack.

Israeli Intelligence can be helpful to its friends.

A million armed radicalized red hats are just itching for the call ...

Everything I have been reading about this case has been making me wonder about the degree to which there was value Epstein was providing these people beyond being supplied underage girls for purposes. People referring to Epstein and a good, valued, trusted, etc., friend, a guy with connections that could make things happen outside of the trafficking part. Was he some kind of brilliant genius mind who could see things others couldn't making his advice indispensable in some way? Was it possible a powerful person could have a relationship with Epstein on some sort of advisory or professional level, that wouldn't have involved the trafficking of girls at any level? It at least seems possible that kind of praise could transcend the trafficking, and maybe even lead to a relationship with him that doesn't include the trafficking. If that's true, how effective could such a claim be in the court of public opinion, the court of professional standing, and just plain court? I don't know either way—I'm just spitballing here.

Stable genius is having a normal one.

I don't blame anyone for expecting a collapse but I'm just trying to enjoy the wins while I can! Hopefully something is different with a full season of Toddfather.

Avila was terrible. When you collect first round draft picks for so long, they are bound get in the playofs eventually. I expect Harris to keep them contending and making the playoffs consistently. As far as the last two years though, Harris did not contribute in any extraordinary way. I think any new GM could have done that. In 2024, They Tigers had given up on the season and Hinch (who was hired by Avila) was more responsible for the miracle than anyone else. In 2025, they almost blew it down the wire. I think Harris will prove to be a really good GM (I hate the term POBO) though

without the skillful business judo we might have paid Alex Cobb 25 million

Harris gives us a lot more hope of sustained success for years to come and that is really really imporant. I am glad he is leading the organization.. As far as what they have done performance wise in the Majors the last two years, I give Avila as much credit as Harris.

Visualization of what Screwball just said about Nvidia being the leader.

Semi-related but amusing (to me). I was watching this the other night. You can see the ginormous computers and test sensors back in use then. Funny to me was the comment about the nuclear effects of concern to air crew: "Don't worry about fallout, that is a ground problem."

Looking around, Avila's "mess" has us in the playoffs the last 2 seasons in spite of the Harris mistakes. Alex Cobb? 15 million dollars wasted on a team with limited resources. Maeda? Trading for a 41 year old Morton? Or acquiring Paddack? A reject from a bottom feeder team? The Twins garbage. Harris has done a very good job rebuilding our empty farm system but I would never say he's done a good job with the major league team. His lack of bringing in talent thru trades or signing quality free agents is his biggest weakness. Say what you want about Avila but the foundation of the ML team is players he brought in.

If they can't find a replacement for Ibanez among their assortment of infielders, then that would be a big fail. I don't think there is reason to hold onto Ibanez at this point given his age and recent performance.

You can’t go wrong with Carroll Shelby straight up, right from the package. My dad became a chili connoisseur during his trip on the back nine, and would make it to the printed recipe. When my wife and I were driving Route 66, we were at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, TX and I had a cup of their chili, and it was almost a carbon copy of my dad’s Carroll Shelby’s. I told the cafe people this, and they seemed borderline offended by the idea! Whoops! There! Are there enough old man markers in that post for you? 😁

I am very worried it is going to be rehashing the offers to Correa and Bregman to determine if they were serious offers or not

Bill Laimbeer dragged his unathletic ass up and down the court every damn regular season game. Over 80 games played per season for 12 straight years. So I don't want to hear load management.

By the way, I had an mri that showed a slap tear. I took the mri to former Lions surgeon Dr Anderson, and he recommended shoulder replacement surgery, since I had arthritis in the shoulder. It turned out I had arthritis in both shoulders, and I had both replaced this year. My right side is tingling, and I'm getting that checked soon. I took off work from January, and I started a new job recently. I'm glad I got both shoulders done.

From what I've seen the agreement still stands. I think the agreement runs thru 2028. I guess we'll see

Giannis is hurt and they said he will be evaluate in 2-3 weeks. The Pistons play Milwaukee 3 times between now and December 6th.

Their Lt. Gov. candidate is named Void.

So they shopped him and found out they couldn't get **** for him.

Today was NVDA day. NVDA is the market, and this current blimp size bubble big money has blown. NVDA is the the head of steamship of the MAGS as they are known. As NVDA goes, the market goes. Their market cap is equivalent to around 17% of our GDP. They reported earning after the market closed today. As it turns out it wasn't really too eventful. A little chart porn. First is a 9 month showing NVDA price action. What I thought would be fun is to see how it reacted after hours when they reported and the conference call. It didn't do too much all day, but after hours it got a little goofy. The big jump was when earning numbers hit. Then it drifted a little higher. The crazy part is the 4 huge moves after hours shown by the long lower candle tails. What's going on one wonders?

I've also wondered on more than one occasion if the drive toward minimalist mechanics is hurting guys. How much did those big windups maybe help collect, store, and transfer energy for the pitch?

Robinson vs last year Beasley Last year, Beasley took 9.3 3PTA's per game and made 3.9 for a 41.6% shooting% Robinson this year is taking 7.3 and making 3.1 for a 41.8% shooting%

These four losses could be gifts. They provide the Lions’ coaching staff with insight into the team’s vulnerabilities and how opponents have been able to exploit that. And instead of being forced into halftime adjustments, they have 7 games in the next 2 months to crack the case before the playoffs start. Now, with that being said, no more gifts please! Especially not until the Rams game at the earliest

November 19 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-19