papalawrence

That kinda looks like Chris Illitch on the left

Medwick beat the Tigers in '34. He sucks

Astros broke the ice with Bregman with an opening offer of 6/156. I have a hunch that's about what Harris would offer, if the Tigers planned to try to land him. I think he'll get 6 or 7 @ 180-200

Wow the A's signed Severino to a 3/67 deal with 10 up front as signing bonus. Didn't see that coming https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/athletics-to-sign-luis-severino.html

The Guillen throw was the first to come to my mind. So many of them - they come up in my youtube feed often. First one that came to my mind for the Tigers was a Jacoby Jones catch - I believe it was off Joe Mauer. Too bad Jones couldn't hit. Edit - this is the catch I recalled. Great leap, and he never broke stride

I know that business is business, but Chris Illitch is Mike Illitch's son, and I'm sure he was well aware of Mike's desire to win a WS. Again, it's a business, but I'm guessing part of Chris wants to fulfill his father's wish. I am naive and have been hit in the head with a shovel a few times, but still understand the father son thing. I think we'll find out with Skubal, if they pony up 3-400 mil to keep him. I think they'll still be willing to sign a top shelf FA at some point. Maybe not this year.

And a marathon bar lasts a good long time

Admiring Musial's 1948 season. Lead the league in most everything, except came up 1 home run short of Mize and Kiner. Hits, runs, rbi, avg, obp, ops, ops+, 2b, 3b, tb, slg. He just hit. I have his 1953 Bowman color card and it's one of my favorites. I am a stat nerd. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/musiast01.shtml

Good for him. Wish him all the best

Liranzo hit go ahead bomb in the 9th in the AFL all-star game to nab the MVP https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2024/11/10/detroit-tigers-prospect-thayron-liranzo-blasts-epic-hr-in-afl-game/76171038007/

A wrinkle on Soto - how certain is it that he is 25? Recently a minor league player from Dominican Republic made agreement at 14. Turns out he was 19. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/dominican-baseball-player-with-verbal-agreement-with-padres-was-19-not-14-per-report/ Soto is a great player. But maybe he didn't start at 19? Signing him to a 15 yr deal carries so much risk. I'll bet Boras is starting at 15/700

Now that's funny

Got really shelled twice in the playoffs. Plus the back issues. Pitched well in LA, but sorry of came back to earth a bit. What do you think he gets? I'm going to guess 3/60

Read an article on the notion of taking away the "opener" starting pitcher, and I found this interesting. Rather than forcing a starter to stay in the game, the manager forfeits the DH when the starter comes out. Incentivises keeping the starter in longer. I could see this happening. https://www.thebiglead.com/john-smoltz-guarantees-mlb-will-change-one-rule

Box from today - Briceno hit his league leading 7th home run. Liranzo had a triple https://www.mlb.com/gameday/scorpions-vs-saguaros/2024/10/26/787548/final/box

Salvador Perez may be the last of the old school catchers who plays most every day. Of all non-Tigers, he's probably my favorite MLB player

I think I'm kinda ready to say in Harris I trust, and that these issues are likely to work themselves out. I haven't thought that about Tigers leadership since Leyland and DD exited. Still fun to speculate on the changes needed.

I think I saw you on a clear September night, from my back porch in Minneapolis, shooting up amidst the Northern Lights. Or perhaps someone laced my cigar with a psychedelic

This was Mize's first full season post TJ, correct? Not sure if this still holds true, but I used to always hear you get a much better picture of post TJ in year 2. He'll get his chance. Under team control 2 more years

Other than 84 for obvious reasons, I don't think I can recall a better overall playoff season in my lifetime. Great baseball for fans. If only Vin Scully had been here to call Freddie's shot

But he typically says negative things about Det. This is uniquely very positive

Just a few years ago Mize and Manning were at the top of the rebuild. I'm still not completely off the Mize train, but 2025 has to be a productive year for both, and Tork, or it's time to move on. And I won't be surprised if Harris is already at that point

Skubal probably also sees several players leaving Boras. He has an injury history. He might be open to a long-term deal. Harris should at least kick those tires, which I'm sure he is doing

si.com quoting Keith Law of the Athletic: Liranzo, by the way, can really, really throw, and has gone 8 for 16 with a homer and four doubles in limited playing time. I saw one game from him, and it is such a smooth, easy, powerful swing that if he keeps the strikeout rate in check, he's going to be a star," Law wrote.

I have a hunch Lee will impress and end up at 2nd and Keith could be 3rd or 1B. Just a gut feeling. But that could be the curry I just ate