2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[NorthWoods]

13 hours ago, Tigger said:

I like the second one best, partly because the third one has the ugly away uniforms. 

I like the 2nd one best because of the magic ball.

[lordstanley]

RIP Mickey Lolich 

 

[Tiger337]

5 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

RIP Mickey Lolich 

 

I became a fan at age 5 in 68.  Lolich jumping into Freehan's arms is one of my earliest baseball memories.  

[IdahoBert]

At age 16 and having spent half my life rooting for the Tigers when they won in 68 baseball did as much for me as it ever could, and I moved on for many years. Losing Mickey is painful and when Willie Horton goes, damn I’ll be a puddle.

[Stormin]

[lordstanley]

This song always puts a smile on my face.

 

[lordstanley]

I wonder if any other pitcher has picked off two runners in the same inning of a World Series Game 7?

 

[Sports_Freak]

55 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

At age 16 and having spent half my life rooting for the Tigers when they won in 68 baseball did as much for me as it ever could, and I moved on for many years. Losing Mickey is painful and when Willie Horton goes, damn I’ll be a puddle.

Mickey passed away on my birthday! Waking up to that ruins my entire day...

[MotownWebGuy]

I had few run-ins with Mickey Lolich over the years...  I grew up in the Rochester/Lake Orion area, so I remember his donut shops in both downtown Rochester and later in Lake Orion, which was right by my childhood church. 

One time when I was little, I was having dinner with my parents in Lake Orion at a restaurant called The Orion House and Mickey was there with his family.  He got up and left his table, so my younger self followed after him hoping for an autograph. Not knowing any better, I followed him into the bathroom but quickly retreated back to my table once I realized what I had done.  Mickey on his way back to his table, stopped by and signed an autograph for me (I still have it), and thanked me for allowing him some privacy.  I was young, but still felt embarrassed...  My parents still razz me about that to this day.

When my older sister was in High School, she did a project for school about Mickey and was able to interview him at his donut shop.  He didn't have to do that, but was happy to help her out.  I remember listening to the tape she had with his interview over and over.

Most recently, Mickey shared a common wall with my mother-in-law at an assisted living facility...  My MIL moved from there in early 2025 and passed away a few months later at another facilty, but for about a year (2024) she lived just on the other side of the wall from someone she cheered on during the 68 World Series and for years after.  Unfortunately for her (and probably fortunate for him 🙂), she wasn't with it enough to probably realize he was there.  My wife ran into him on an occasion or two, and often saw his wife there visiting him.

Lots of fun memories of him.  I wish his family well in these times...

[IdahoBert]

47 minutes ago, MotownWebGuy said:

I had few run-ins with Mickey Lolich over the years...  I grew up in the Rochester/Lake Orion area, so I remember his donut shops in both downtown Rochester and later in Lake Orion, which was right by my childhood church. 

One time when I was little, I was having dinner with my parents in Lake Orion at a restaurant called The Orion House and Mickey was there with his family.  He got and left his table, so my younger self followed after him hoping for an autograph. Not knowing any better, I followed him into the bathroom but quickly retreated back to my table once I realized what I had done.  Mickey on his way back to his table, stopped by and signed an autograph for me (I still have it), and thanked me for allowing him some privacy.  I was young, but still felt embarrassed...  My parents still razz me about that to this day.

When my older sister was in High School, she did a project for school about Mickey and was able to interview him at his donut shop.  He didn't have to do that, but was happy to help her out.  I remember listening to the tape she had with his interview over and over.

Most recently, Mickey shared a common wall with my mother-in-law at an assisted living facility...  My MIL moved from there in early 2025 and passed away a few months later at another facilty, but for about a year (2024) she lived just on the other side of the wall from someone she cheered on during the 68 World Series and for years after.  Unfortunately for her (and probably fortunate for him 🙂), she wasn't with it enough to probably realize he was there.  My wife ran into him on an occasion or two, and often saw his wife there visiting him.

Lots of fun memories of him.  I wish his family well in these times...

Thanks for sharing this. 

[IdahoBert]

1 hour ago, Stormin said:

That’s a vantage point I’ve never seen before so thanks. 

[Shinzaki]

Framber!!!  3yearsx...115 million

[Edman85]

12 hours ago, romad1 said:

Please do.  Thanks in advance!

He mentioned it very briefly, but that's the first time I've heard him or anybody with the team reference the Debt Service Rule as a reason for cutting back on payroll. It's a relatively obscure section in the CBA that gives the commissioner's office latitude to restrict a team's spending if they are operating at a loss and have too much debt. Combine that with him saying Verlander needed to be traded for salary reasons, it's kinda the first confirmation (even though I long suspected it) that was playing a role in the salary scaledown.

He cited Daz Cameron's signing bonus and Franklin Perez's prospect ranking in why they were good pickups. Just comes off like he was pulling up BA. Speaks to a lacking pro scouting operation, but it is something I noticed in a lot of his pickups over the years. A lot of former top prospects/first round picks/etc. Like that public information was playing a big role in his decisions.

[slothfacekilla]

I was told we weren't signing anyone!

[kdog]

 

[romad1]

Skubal and Valdez!

[Tigermojo]

Can they wait until they put Jobe on the 60 day IL or will they lose someone? 

[Edman85]

Just now, Tigermojo said:

Can they wait until they put Jobe on the 60 day IL or will they lose someone? 

He hasn't signed. Pending physical. Just take your time on the physical...

[papalawrence]

Didn't see that coming! Like it a lot!

[Tenacious D]

Adding a SP might push a starter candidate to the pen, potentially strengthening that, too.

[buddha]

Illitch doesnt want to win!  he only wants to make money.

[GalagaGuy]

We seem to have 6 legit starters now, who gets moved to the bullpen?  

 

[Tigermojo]

Mr. Anderson unless Olson is not healthy. 

[Tenacious D]

1 minute ago, GalagaGuy said:

We seem to have 6 legit starters now, who gets moved to the bullpen?  

 

Will be interesting to see if they want Melton to start in Toledo, assuming he’d be the odd man out. Also wonder if Reese is healthy.

[Longgone]

2 minutes ago, GalagaGuy said:

We seem to have 6 legit starters now, who gets moved to the bullpen?  

 

Don't worry, pitching is not stable.