Useful Idiot

And hey!! We'll be getting some spiffy new lights, maybe they can start a new promotion, encourage the fans to wear sequined clothes to a game and engage them in a dynamic light show. They could even call it "Spark in the Park" . Who cares about run differential when you have glitter? "Wins" are really such an antiquated statistic.

But I find the "vent" therapeutic. Besides, one never knows. Being new to Detroit, Harris might have minions scanning local sports media for pointers. If that turned out 2B the case, I want to give him all the help he might need. I'm sure he'll find all the people willing to blow smoke, on his payroll (that "new culture" schtick). I on the other hand - offer true value

No one is stopping you from authoring any thread you see fit. But trying to edit mine, even if just figuratively, is NOT very John Wick like

So, we're gonna master the strike zone, reshape our offensive identity, and build a new culture? Amazing no one has uncovered this before. Pretty cutting edge stuff.....where do you think he got this, the Esalen Institute perhaps?

Perhaps they are just pumping sunshine at Jason Beck, but he identified the acquisition of Malloy as a component in the imperative to reshape our offense. Which is desperately needed, I just don't see this acquisition of Malloy as in any way being marquee worthy. Which, since you know everything, why do you suppose Harris' first winter meetings were not more productive? Clearly the eyes and aspirations were upon him, do you think he just didn't believe that any of the talent available was worthwhile? Alternatively perhaps he was on a short Leash? Other? Pretty dismal result. I would have thought the pocketbooks would have cut him enough slack to make at least one trophy acquisition? No one could deny that he had payroll flexibility on his side. All he's really accomplished so far is to hack away at underperforming players remaining from a failed team built on a budget, and from all appearances is about to embark upon replacing them with (**Cough-cough**) "high potential upside" replacements of his own choosing. How realistic is it to keep repeating the same mistakes but expecting different results? 5 years from now when we are going through this same process, remember where you heard it from,.... first

You gotta admit, when they start setting their priorities based upon the emergence of a "new culture", that usually is an indication for "don't expect to find your enjoyment in the box score".

The "lucky ones" are the ones he cuts lose, IMO

Don't get me wrong...I'm delighted to see Jiminez gone, used to make me sick hearing the game announcers "talk up" his supposed recent progress. But I just don't see the return we got as at all worthwhile, and billing it as reshaping our offensive identity is frankly...offensive... aka double speak

That's what I love about this place, no matter however immature I might feel, there is always someone here willing to out do me. Seriously, his only deal was flubber. Is this "New Culture gonna play out like "the king and his clothes" fairy tale? Where you are either on-board, or you are out? AJ has gotta be weighing his options.

So, the winter meetings have come and gone, and the one thing our wonderkind managed to pull off was to dump a floundering major league pitcher, claimed by some to at last be sorting himself out, for two nobodies. BUT UNDER THE COVER STORY that we were "reshaping our offensive identity". What is that supposed to mean? Is that Harrisspeak for "one of the players was not a pitcher"? What are Malloy's accomplishments that might make him worthy of the role of defining an offensive identity? Career .285 average with 22 HR over 2 seasons, only one of which was above AA level (shudder) Is there some super secret advanced metric that only the propellerheads are capable of fully appreciating? 😇 Or is it more likely a priority of being young and dumb, with a full compliment of options? (winner winner) Perhaps most depressing to have come out of the non-progress attained at the meetings, is the new mantra that "a new culture" is in the making (woo hoo). I think we all can appreciate what that means. Budget is king and anybody not fine with that is out. Painful to contemplate that the Avila era might one day be looked back upon as "the good old days"...lmao!

I'm happy with the way Harris has pwned all the Boyd critics who celebrated his departure last year, so perhaps I'm just feeling charitable?

Neifi, Neifi, Neifi Baez most amazin' man, there's ever been. He's the general, the president, the king of the scene, Neifi, Neifi, Neifi Baez A modern leader gotta twist and shout, Got tell the people let it all hang out. If you don't want to vanish with a boot up the bum, You gotta give the population something to hum. Neifi, Neifi, Neifi Baez most amazin' man, there's ever been.

Yeah, lol, Baez lead ALL TIGERS in key offensive stats last year, as well. Perez never did. 😱

I'm confident that once Miggy is off the payroll, Harris' Tigers will be a cinch to win the "Lowest Team Payroll by a Team winning at least 40% of their games" sweepstakes. Season tickies already reserved.

Neifi Baez!!

Well, see there? I was wrong, and have no problem admitting it. Boyd comes back at a considerable bump over what we previously were paying him

According to a recent Harris interview, lots of other teams are showing interest in our current roster. At least he looks like he's having fun

It's your inability to communicate without personal insults that forces me to see your posts as non-consequential. I'll try to cut down on the multi syllable words so you can participate more easily

I think he cut the guys he did because they were accumulating service time that the organization just didn't want to deal with.. Sorta like we did with Nick. aka "I'm not ready to start paying guys"...etc. Hey, if Harris fills the vacancies he's created with bona fide talent, then I'm wrong, and I'll openly and freely admit it. But, if next season comes around and he's got these slugs he's been picking up on the waiver wire, in uniform as their replacements...I'm going to consider that a regression to the "Ronny Rodriguez" era

Well, the thing of it is, if our new president's proclamations are to have meaning, he needs to follow through. Javy Baez is a sucker for that ball low and away, and it's not just a one year anomaly. You can talk to Cubbie fans who think it's hilarious (now that they are not beneficiary)...He's always been that way. And Soto, how often comes in with a one run lead, and proceeds to load the bases with combinations of walks and hit batsmen? As a Closer? Really? The fact that he sometimes manages to pitch his way through those situations...."using all available bases" as they try to excuse it...is a joke Neither of these players belong on a team where mastery of the strike zone is a stated objective. Of course the reality of it is, Harris' comments are just "fluff". Sound Bytes to make him sound engaged. You could tell by the almost comical tone in AJ's voice when he parroted Harris' comment, that he was just being obedient to his new master. Ah yes, the new king is wearing beautiful clothes, doesn't everyone agree? That's what it's starting to sound like to me.

Two years from now when he starts non-tendering Tork, and Greene, and Skubal... at least no one can say it was without precedent. Tell me, these guys who are missing entire seasons due to TJ, do they still build service time while laid-off? This could be huge and go a long way towards explaining Jason Beck's claim that we have a vacuum at catcher. (gee, I hope I'm not tipping Harris' hand)

I see,...so then you are saying that Harris has a gift for double speak. What do you think is his true meaning behind "we must master the strike zone"? Is that his way of saying "Good bye Javy"?.....Soto too for that matter since he said "from both sides of the plate". Perhaps I've been too harsh and there are things to like about this guy afterall?

I'm confident we'll have the best team $125 million will buy.

Wouldn't you consider cutting the arb eligible players loose to be economics driven? To me it screams "cheap" If they can bring in a 4A guys with "no whiskers" to replace Reyes, Candy, and the Castros ....cheaply, then I believe that is exactly their motive

Let's take a slightly skewed look at it for a second. Many were expecting the roster Avila assembled for 2022 to reach .500 He failed, But if Harris is the talent some here seem to believe him to be, it shouldn't be that hard for him to make a few tweaks and increase our winning percentage a few bumps to .500 BUT, he'll have to acquire some talent to get there. He's made a few holes in the roster that should allow him to do just that. IF HE GOES FOR TALENT. But, if he fills the blanks with zeros...just like the old song goes "Here's the new boss, he's the same as the old boss" And the one thing I can promise you, is that no amount of personal insults branding me as "ridiculous" is going to change my perspective that business priorities are trumping any will to win in this organization