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Amazon is getting there fast. They have really gotten into pushing what they want you to buy and from whom, instead of presenting all the options and letting the customer choosing the best deal.

I am so wary of a long-term contract. Miggy hurt the team for years and it was only during the last season that they started to take him down from his pedestal. It really seemed like we would not be able to win as long as Miggy was on the roster. I am also wary of a seasoned vet coming in and showing everyone how to "win". This team is figuring it out from their perspective and they are creating it together. Worried that some experienced winner might put a damper on that. A Bregman might influence them with the Houston way or something like that. That said, Harris did talk about one of the values of Vierling's flexibility is that he would have a position if they brought in someone at 3b. That indicated to me that he was thinking of upgrading the position. I'd rather see them get someone who could upgrade the team but be vulnerable to someone pushing their way up. With a great farm system you can trade productive ML players for good prospects because another prospect is coming up, reloading the system. You can also obtain a star player for giving up prospects but I suspect that Harris would be looking for someone with more future than past. DD was in the habit of emptying the system to pull in top players to keep the team in contention and he has produced results everywhere doing that but he also had huge downsides. Harris seems to be more organic, grow the system, control the players coming into the game. It is notable that we had no FAs on the playoff rosters. Not sure when the last time that occurred.

I use ChatGPT instead of Google for most searches. Answers my questions directly, doesn't give me a bunch of ads to filter through or links that are out of context, provides the sources for its answers, and I can ask followup questions. And it seems to be reliable.

This is what the internet has given us. Hammer was involved with the USSR during the cold war principally in oil exploration. He brought much of the technology that the Soviets would need to develop their industry. He also had a pencil factory there, oddly enough one of the few businesses owned privately at the time. He was a huge diplomatic force at the time. He also owned Hammer Galleries in NYC and was involved in the discovery of a huge cache of Cezanne paintings. His collection is now in the Hammer Museum in LA. He really was one of the most colorful CEOs of the century.

This is what the internet has given us. Hammer was involved with the USSR during the cold war principally in oil exploration. He brought much of the technology that the Soviets would need to develop their industry. He also had a pencil factory there, oddly enough one of the few businesses owned privately at the time. He was a huge diplomatic force at the time. He also owned Hammer Galleries in NYC and was involved in the discovery of a huge cache of Cezanne paintings. His collection is now in the Hammer Museum in LA. He really was one of the most colorful CEOs of the century.

Scott Harris inviting Tram to be a part of this is a class act. Proud to be a Tiger fan.

I bet there never has been a playoff win without a single pitcher going 2 innings. Probably not a loss either. This has to be the first. What a brilliant strategy. This is going to revolutionize the game. Also, considering the Tigers had a 0.2 chance of making the playoffs. That is the equivalent of a once-in-a-500 year event. Winning the wildcard round, sweeping the wildcard round, makes that what, an once-in-an-800 year event? I think Fangraphs had their odds a little understated, but jeez, wow.

The League should give catchers an extra year or two of service for the pension.

If they could extend spring training until August, Tigers would be a playoff team. Those 1st four months have killed.

Repeat last year's offseason. I think it turned out great.

I'm sure that if you pushed guys like they did in the '70s some Ryans will rise to the top, but man, the pitching arms the Tigers blew out in the '70s could make one cry. Fydrich is the most famous, and Les Cain the most infamous (he made it an issue). Even ironman Lolich might have had more than a couple of dominate years had he been managed better.

MLB is considering requiring starters go a certain number of innings to stop the one-inning starter Hinch has been using. I hope they don't. Adds an interesting level of strategy to the game and its brilliant. I don't know the stats, but making sure the other teams top hitters don't get a third at bat against a pitcher must have a lot of value.

Agree too early for Jobe but do expect him earlier. And I hope they do sign at least one starter. As we've seen this year, starters can disappear quickly. Flaherty was such a winning situation. We got great pitching out of him and two respectable prospects. Had we been in the playoff hunt, he would have been instrumental and afterwards he signs an extension / Tigers get a high compensation pick. Hard to repeat that, but the tigers are showing some skill in developing pitchers. Just amazed at the pitching we have been getting as of late from "projects".

Jung might be a better fit on another team, perhaps one that would have a better fit for us.

An intact starting OF of Riley, Parker and Carpenter should be pretty good and pretty rare

I don't question Tork's dedication. I don't think he has the reflexes to be a major leaguer for long or at all. Not sure bio-physically what we are looking at. Maybe he lacks the needed fast-twitch muscle fibers. I have no idea. But I think the slow reactions make it look like he lacks enthusiasm. He's trying. I do like his homers. They make the park seem small, just like Fielder Sr. did. Maybe we should try him at third. (ha-just kidding) We do need his projected type in the line-up. Hope he can get there.

So statistically, Avila did good on the Verlander trade. 🙃

Looking at the MLB 30 ranking with Smith, Campos, Santana, Graham and Mattison taking the last five spots. All but Mattison were top 15 a year or two ago with expectations they could take that leap. Now it's looking possible but unlikely for the 5 and a few will drop off when the drafts picks are added. Anyway, I tried to remember who got dropped when the trade deadline prospects were added. Can't recall.

I always wonder how much influence Avila had in getting rid of DD.

It was a sad day when they released DD and gave the job to Avila. DD just started the rebuild and got a decent haul in July 2015. I would have like to have seen what he could have done going forward. I suspect that Mr. I was losing control of the team and was pressured to make the change. The switch to Avila was just weird and lazy, and we now know, bad.

What improved the farm system more this year - the draft or the prospects brought in by the FA signings and flipped?

Thank god, no Johnny Damon, Jacob Turner or Stephen Drew.

DD was genius in the 2000s at trading prospects. The Tigers' drafts were miserable, but the WAR DD picked up was huge, even setting aside the lopsided Cabrera deal. If you add up the WAR post-trade for the players going and coming in the numbers are stupefying. Adding to DD's brilliance was his ability to regularly upgrade the team's worse position to an All-Star level. Harris seems to have an entirely different approach emphasizing development, he's more the farmer while DD was the trader. I haven't looked into the numbers but I bet he has drafted many more prep over college players than Tigers have in the past. He's signing FAs and picking up fringe players with an eye for development and then flipping them. The FAs signed and flipped this year contributed more to the MLB top 30 than the draft this year. I think he should continue in this line until we are competitive and when so, become a buyer at the deadline with the surplus talent accumulated, upgrade This approach has time pressures as control over the core will disappear in a few seasons and it's not a fan favorite because it accepts development over winning sometimes. But if all works, we will have a core of strong home grown players, popular with the fans, and a competitive team that hopefully will win a title or two.

Is it time for some multi-season contracts or do we keep grabbing short-term help that have potential to flip if we tank? I hate long-term ones unless they are extensions like Keith's. Aside from 2b the whole infield needs help. Two years ago who would have thought the Tigers would rank last or near the bottom at SS and 1b. Jung hopefully will be this year's Keith.

Yea, it's a bit like a 26th man argument. Most important news is Dingler