2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[Sports_Freak]

32 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Sop making sense, you're ruining the piling on. 😁

I don't believe many position players were convinced the Tigers are a franchise on a serious comeback earlier this offseason, not would they believe we would spend the money when it comes time to. (Heck, most posters here didn't believe Chris Ilitch/Scott Harris would ever spend any money.) Players are probably more open to the idea of coming here now after our having signed Valdez and Verlander. I think it's going to take at least another year of proving it, and moving on to at least the ALCS, before the best of them seriously consider agreeing to commit their remaining prime production years here.

As for the city itself, anyone without interest in winning an argument would agree that it's clear that as a destination place to live, Detroit is nowhere on a par with New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, or Boston. We can probably add to that Miami (especially for Latin players), Anaheim (proximity to LA, mainstream cultural center), Seattle (team history, coolness factor), or Phoenix or Atlanta (close to home). Vegas will be up there, too, once they have their team. Other things like years and money being equal, a young player with lots of money, especially if he's single, would simply not choose Detroit as a place to live over any of these other cities. I have no evidence to present the court on this. I'm just leaning on my experience having lived a life in the United States.

Yeah, players are lining up to live on the south side of Chicago....OK.

[SeattleMike]

17 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

Or maybe a weak offense played over their heads in the first half.  I think it's somewhere in between.  I don't believe they have the 7th best offense in baseball, nor do I believe they have a terrible offense. 

I think they ended up 11th in runs scored. If they repeat that and bring the runs allowed into the top 10 they will contend for a playoff spot. The offseason moves suggest that this is what the Tigers were thinking. 

Edited yesterday at 07:15 PM by SeattleMike

[SeattleMike]

15 hours ago, Stormin said:

Media sources seem to be constantly mentioning Javy having a bad second half.  What seldom seems to be mentioned is how well Javy played in the playoffs.  Played all 8 games at SS. led everyday Tigers in hits and average, second in OPS, only 3 strikeouts across 8 games.

I know performance under pressure really isn't a thing, but it certainly feels as though Baez needs the stakes to be a bit higher to perform at his best. 

[Tiger337]

16 hours ago, Stormin said:

Media sources seem to be constantly mentioning Javy having a bad second half.  What seldom seems to be mentioned is how well Javy played in the playoffs.  Played all 8 games at SS. led everyday Tigers in hits and average, second in OPS, only 3 strikeouts across 8 games.

He was good in the playoffs, but his second half performance was one of the reasons they almost did not make the playoffs.  He was horrible in 2023-2024.  Maybe that was because of his injury.  I don't know, but I don't consider him a reliable offensive player.    

[Biff Mayhem]

8 hours ago, NorthWoods said:

I've always enjoyed reading Lynn to see what flowery phrase he can turn today.   That and the fact that he's always been the most accessible baseball writer (at least for me).   We've carried on a sporadic conversation  for nearly a decade now. 

I’ve only communicated with Lynn once. It was quite a few years ago and he responded pleasantly and was very engaging. As stated, he seems to genuinely enjoy the game and interacting with readers. 

[IdahoBert]

5 hours ago, oblong said:

I'm not sure how much the city itself matters.  I've shared this thought before.  During the off season they'll live where they want to live regardless of who they play for.  During the season they're gone half the time and the other half they're at the stadium or sleeping.  They won't pick one team because of a bar or nightclub they like.   I believe there's very few actual "all things being equal" choices faced by these guys.  There's always going to be some factor between organizations outside of their geography.  The manager, the coaches, the contracts, who else is on the team to compete for time with, the org as a whole....

I'd be curious to know how many established MLB players live in the same city/area in the off season that they play in.

 

Absolutely. I don’t think these guys have a whole heck of a lot of “free time“ on their hands during the playing season. I think liking an organization and a home ballpark where you play half your games would be a big deal. A really big deal.

I think a hitter like Bregman would rather spend a big chunk of his life hitting at Wrigley instead of Comerica. I don’t blame him one bit. I can see how something like that would tip the balance, even if he would enjoy being in an organization where AJ is the manager.

A pitcher, on the other hand, might like Comerica more than Wrigley depending upon the nature of his stuff. 

[IdahoBert]

50 minutes ago, Biff Mayhem said:

I’ve only communicated with Lynn once. It was quite a few years ago and he responded pleasantly and was very engaging. As stated, he seems to genuinely enjoy the game and interacting with readers. 

I communicated by email with Lynn several times and he was a great guy to talk to. 

[buddha]

18 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

Yeah, players are lining up to live on the south side of Chicago....OK.

(they dont live in bridgeport...they live in winnetka...)

[chasfh]

13 hours ago, Biff Mayhem said:

I’ve only communicated with Lynn once. It was quite a few years ago and he responded pleasantly and was very engaging. As stated, he seems to genuinely enjoy the game and interacting with readers. 

It’s funny whenever you hear that someone everybody dislikes or disdains or whatever turns out to be the nicest guy. I interviewed John Sterling, erstwhile radio PxP for the Yankees, for a blog once and even though people would say how they despised him and the way he said “thuhhhh … Yankeeeeeeees … win!”, he could not have been a nicer fella to me during the interview. Very engaged in the whole thing, even though it was a crap blog. I was very impressed by what a mensch he was with me.

[chasfh]

37 minutes ago, buddha said:

(they dont live in bridgeport...they live in winnetka...)

Or Burr Ridge.

[NorthWoods]

14 hours ago, Biff Mayhem said:

I’ve only communicated with Lynn once. It was quite a few years ago and he responded pleasantly and was very engaging. As stated, he seems to genuinely enjoy the game and interacting with readers. 

I think like most writers he gets satisfaction knowing people are reading and enjoying what he's written.

[CMRivdogs]

Back in the day (late 90s) I knew of a couple that bought somewhere near Lake Forest. The apartments/condos at State and Superior seemed like a popular first temporary spot for recently traded players or guys brought up from the minors.

We lived there a couple of years when we were transitioning out of the suburbs. Just happened by the mail room one day and saw an envelope from the Players Association addressed to Paul Konerko. Chatting with the concierge he said a few Cubs and Sox players stayed there until they found something. The guy was excited because Michael Jordon had just left after visiting someone.

[casimir]

17 hours ago, Biff Mayhem said:

I’ve only communicated with Lynn once. It was quite a few years ago and he responded pleasantly and was very engaging. As stated, he seems to genuinely enjoy the game and interacting with readers. 

I communicated with him twice.

Once e about his fence depth crusade.  I disagreed with him and gave him my reasoning.  He responded in kind, point by point.  He kind of agreed with what I had said, or maybe he simply understood my perspective, I cannot recall which.  But he simply agreed to disagree in conclusion.

The other time was after Brian Bluhm’s death.  He had mentioned estrepe and his connection with the Tigers via MTS.  I sent him a thank you and replied his full regrets and felt he just wanted to pay some sort of respect to Brian.

[casimir]

I am watching UToledo at UMemphis college baseball right now.  I did not realize that the NCAA had adopted the safety first base.

[IdahoBert]

Why isn’t anyone talking about the big curling controversy at the Olympics involving Canada and Sweden? This has become a sort of catch all thread.

[Tiger337]

13 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Why isn’t anyone talking about the big curling controversy at the Olympics involving Canada and Sweden? This has become a sort of catch all thread.

Is Stefania Constantini involved in that in any way?  

[romad1]

20 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

Why isn’t anyone talking about the big curling controversy at the Olympics involving Canada and Sweden? This has become a sort of catch all thread.

I was just thinking the same thing except it was a gender-based critique of General Sherman's march to the sea.  

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, casimir said:

I am watching UToledo at UMemphis college baseball right now.  I did not realize that the NCAA had adopted the safety first base.

I played in a softball league maybe 20 years ago that had a safety home plate, set off a couple feet from the plate itself. That's the plate you had to cross to score. Once you got halfway to home, you were committed to go all the way, and then it became a force play. If you accidentally went to actual home plate instead, you were declared out. I thought it was a great idea, and I'm surprised no softball league I've been in since has used it.

[chasfh]

59 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Is Stefania Constantini involved in that in any way?  

Mama mia, that's a cutti petutti!

[casimir]

2 hours ago, casimir said:

I am watching UToledo at UMemphis college baseball right now.  I did not realize that the NCAA had adopted the safety first base.

Update.  Game is in extra innings, 3-3.  No runner at 2nd to start the extras, at least the 10th.  The game was moved up a few hours due to weather concerns, so of course, extra innings.

The aluminum bat “PING!” isn’t too annoying today.  I guess I’m just glad to see any kind of baseball.

[casimir]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

I played in a softball league maybe 20 years ago that had a safety home plate, set off a couple feet from the plate itself. That's the plate you had to cross to score. Once you got halfway to home, you were committed to go all the way, and then it became a force play. If you accidentally went to actual home plate instead, you were declared out. I thought it was a great idea, and I'm surprised no softball league I've been in since has used it.

I think I’ve heard of that concept before.

There’s a 48+ years old softball league around town here.  I’m thinking about joining.  There are some modified rules, like 11 gloves on the field, ground balls hit through the infielders are automatic base hits.

[casimir]

2 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

Why isn’t anyone talking about the big curling controversy at the Olympics involving Canada and Sweden? This has become a sort of catch all thread.

I watched curling earlier this week.  I think I may have hit my capacity.  Same with skeleton.

[casimir]

UToledo takes a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the 10th.  The Rockets’ pitcher graduated a year ahead of my eldest.  He’s not having a good day.  Gave up the tying run in the bottom of the 9th.  Just allowed a leadoff hit and stolen base.  Productive ground out to the right side moves the tying runner to 3rd with one out.

You know, now that I think of it, there hasn’t been a gambling ad this whole game.  Not a single one.  It just kond of dawned on me.

Intentional walk to set up a game ending double play.  Runner steals 2nd on a 1-2 ball.  Now it’s a full count.  Ugh.

[casimir]

Aight, here we go, bases juiced after a walk.

This field is all turf, but the batters instinctively dig into the box anyway.  It’s kind of funny,

Oh no, loud single to the left field wall ends it.  UMemphis 5, UToledo 4.

What do you mean I have to do a ****ing game recap.  Do we really need to do a ****ing game recap?  Uh oh, is this on?  Are we live?  Oh no, sorry folks.

[chasfh]

11 minutes ago, casimir said:

I think I’ve heard of that concept before.

There’s a 48+ years old softball league around town here.  I’m thinking about joining.  There are some modified rules, like 11 gloves on the field, ground balls hit through the infielders are automatic base hits.

Do it! You're alive right now and you'll be a long time dead later. Do it!