mtutiger

Yeah, that feels like ballgame there

Urquidy is starting to lose it some, feels like you had to get to him there

It actually was... he was more aggressive

Man, Tork just missed that one...

Well, Skubal has been fun to watch... the rest has been terrible lol

Miggy ties Al Kaline!

Astros commentators expressing shock at all the groundballs Urquidy is inducing (Hint: probably not Urquidy guys)

It'd be better for everyone's health if we went a few weeks without seeing Doug Teter lol

Jesus, get back in the dugout Teter...

Wow, they didn't mess that up... heads up by Skubal!

And that's why Maldonado still has a job folks lol

Astro commentators noting all the lefties in the lineup for the Tigers given Urquidy's changeup.

Yep... another one of these guys whose scuffling who could look like CY after today

They're in Houston, so forced to watch their TV crew. As usual, much better than our guys lol

Just totally in between.

His profile is different than the guy who was let go from the DBacks all those years ago, and even with the scandal he is probably held in somewhat higher esteem baseball wise than he was at that time as well. My thing is that, for as much as we complain (justifiably) about the job the FO has had, he's really not in a bad spot with this team. The reporting has been that he is more involved with front office decisions than most managers, which is not insignificant in an era where the going assumption is that managers are more irrelevant than ever. Not to mention that the front office just did a major overhaul of the minor leagues to be more data driven, which fits his profile as well. That was the point being made in the first post: this may not that be a bad gig for him. Particularly in a sport where Belichick-types don't really exist. And he's not likely to get it elsewhere.

I should find that to look at... Relative to the league, they probably are better than the 2003 team. I do know injuries have hurt them bad, Luis Castillo has been out etc.

I still don't get how the "almost as good as" things matters... either the talent on the 2022 Tigers is better or worse than 2021. That's it. And with the signings, the talent was by any objective measure better than what it was going into 2021. Not to mention the fact that they traded for Meadows as well. I never said it would fall entirely on Hinch. He's great. But if they manage to do worse than they did in 2021 while having a more talented roster, that generally does not lend itself to getting cake gigs in MLB. If something changes that makes it look like a possibility, I'll let you know, but at this point it seems like baseless speculation from a relentlessly negative fanbase 23 games into the season.

That's irrelevant.... Baez, ERod and Chafin are all talented players have been "resources" to winning ballclubs. ERod was pitching in the ALCS as recently as last October. So, again, if this team underperforms expectations after having gone out and brought in these players (regardless of whatever "column" they fit in for you), I'm not sure the rest of the league is gonna understand that.

The way this org works, AJ leaving would probably mean George Lombard managing.

If they manage to finish with a worse record than the 2021 club after having signed Javy Baez, ERod and Chafin, among others, I'm not sure the league is gonna understand that.

By doing what? Managing a team to back-to-back losing seasons? Including a second season where the team (and manager) set expectations higher than it managed to achieve? I don't see teams rushing out to make that hire.... baseball is a "what have you done for me lately" business.

A couple of things: If the Tigers are as bad as many seem to expect them to finish, why would one assume that another team would rush to hire him? Do guys who have multiple losing seasons in a row land cake gigs often? This organization appears to have given him a lot of say / leeway in personnel decisions since he has arrived, more than most organizations give their manager, particularly in this day and age.. why would he give that up to go into a situation where he may not have that same role? Along with the second point, that additional say allows Hinch the opportunity to help build something, which is the kind of thing that could further his legacy, particularly given that he sort of inherited an ascending team in Houston and had his reputation tarnished by the sign stealing scandal while manager there. I think AJ knew what he was getting into when he signed up for this role and just haven't seen any evidence that he's not invested in the success of this ballclub.

There's a real "2003 Tigers" vibe to that club right now... and it's kinda sad to watch.