A year after Tom Monaghan bought the Detroit Tigers, they won the 1984 World Series. They have gone back to the World Series twice since but have lost both times, to St. Louis in five games in 2006 and to San Francisco in four games in 2012.
Mike Ilitch bought the Tigers from Monaghan, his long-time pizza rival, in 1992 and has suffered excruciating frustration during his 23-year ownership. Facing his 87th birthday around mid-season, Ilitch desperately wants to win a World Series before he dies.
That’s why he took the surprising step last August of firing Dave Dombrowski, one of the best and most highly respected general managers in the business, and that’s why he authorized uncharacteristic spending this winter to recruit players who could deliver that coveted championship.
Ilitch, one of the longest-running owners in Major League Baseball, is rarely quoted in public, and this column will not be an exception. I received no response from the Tigers’ communications department to my request for a telephone interview with Ilitch.
I reached Al Avila, long-time assistant to Dombrowski and his successor, last Friday, but after hearing my first question he said he couldn’t talk because he was on his way to the Florida governor’s dinner in Fort Myers. But he said I should contact Ron Colangelo, the team’s vice president of communications, to set up an interview for Saturday.
I did as instructed, leaving a telephone message for Colangelo and sending him an e-mail, but I heard nothing from Avila, which matched the response to my request for a telephone interview with Ilitch.
I spell all of this out because I think Detroit’s developments are intriguing and worthy of exploring. However, without input from Ilitch or Avila, I will simply conclude the explanation is obvious, citing recent history.
After winning the American League Central title the previous four seasons, the Tigers plummeted to last place last season with the league’s second worst won-lost record, which they compiled with a $164 million payroll, sixth highest in the majors.
Ilitch has not been cheap. In the last four years, the Tigers have been fourth, fifth or sixth in payroll, ranging from $141 million to $173 million. But when he saw the team struggle last season, he found it so unacceptable that he fired Dombrowski, who not only was his general manager but before that had also been the club’s president, holding that position for 14 years.
As surprising as his dismissal of Dombrowski, Ilitch created another surprise by replacing him as general manager with Avila, whom Dombrowski hired as assistant general manager five months after he became the club president. They had worked together with the Florida Marlins.
Ilitch would have surprised no one had he gone outside the organization for a general manager rather than continue on the same track. Avila, though, obviously had his marching orders and embarked on a hectic winter of activity. Avila signed free agents – expensive and cheap – and made trades.
He beefed up the starting rotation, signing Jordan Zimmerman (5 years, $110 million) and Mike Pelfrey (2 years, $16 million).
He bolstered the bullpen, loading it with Francisco Rodriguez ($7.5 million for the last year of his contract plus $2 million for buyout of $6 million option) in a trade with Milwaukee); Mark Lowe (2 years, $11 million) and Justin Wilson (via trade with New York Yankees) and Bobby Parnell as a free agent.
He loaded the outfield, signing Justin Upton (6 years, $132.75 million) and trading with Atlanta for Cameron Maybin ($8 million for last year of contract, of which Braves pay $2.5 million, plus 2017 option for $9 million or $1 million buyout).
He signed assorted free agents for backup and roster depth, including catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, third baseman-outfielder Mike Aviles and outfielder John Mayberry Jr.
One player of note whom Avila let leave the Tigers was his son, Alex, who had lost his job as the Tigers’ catcher. The 29-year-old Avila, who played for the Tigers for seven years, signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox for $2.5 million.
Last season the Tigers won 21 fewer games than the Kansas City Royals, who succeeded them as division champions and went on to win the World Series. That development didn’t help Ilitch’s frame of mind. He had to watch his division rival David Glass win it all while spending $35 million less.
Glass is 6 years younger than Ilitch and now he has a World Series championship and Ilitch still doesn’t have one. They do have one thing in common, though. Glass doesn’t return telephone calls or talk to reporters either.
STOP PAMPERING PITCHERS, HALL OF FAMER SAYS
Occasionally a player or an executive says or does something I like so much I declare him my hero. John Smoltz is my latest hero.
I have always found the Hall of Fame pitcher to be intelligent, perceptive and articulate, but last week in an MLB radio interview he outdid himself. Maybe I thought that because he said something I have been saying for years.
The headline on the article about the interview said it all:
“John Smoltz thinks coddling players could cripple baseball”
Smoltz, the article said, “believes young pitchers are being coddled by pitch counts, inning limits and a variety of other elements in the environment of the modern pro athlete. He also thinks it doesn’t bode well for the future of the game.”
Both in private conversations and in these columns, I have criticized baseball people for pampering pitchers. These baseball people and their like-minded supporters say they employ pitch counts and innings limits to protect pitchers’ arms and prevent injuries.
Pitchers, however, continue to suffer sore arms. Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery isn’t going away. Pitch and innings limits obviously aren’t the answer, but front-office and field personnel continue to insist on using them.
Pitchers from earlier eras have different views on the issue. They believe, as I do, that pitchers, beginning at the start of their careers, would benefit from throwing more, not less. That’s throwing, not pitching.
By throwing more, pitchers would build up their arms, and stronger arms would take pressure off their elbows. By pitching less, pitchers are jeopardizing their elbows.
In today’s pitching world, Smoltz said in the interview, the approach is a disservice to pitchers.
“We’re creating little CEOs to go out and get those mega-contracts,” he said. “I don’t blame the players per se for what they’re making. I just blame the philosophy that the injury rate is so great, the dynamic arms are so good, but we’re not extending them long enough and we’re not utilizing them right.”
“It really, in an essence, down the road is going to cripple this game I’m afraid,” Smoltz added.
It’s good of Smoltz to speak out on the subject, but unfortunately, few, if any, baseball people will listen. Everybody fears being blamed for causing pitchers to be hurt. Meanwhile, they continue to get hurt.
AND THE SIGH YOUNG AWARD GOES TO….
With pitchers and catchers in spring training, the time is probably past due for my naming the 2015 Sigh Young award winner. This eagerly awaited announcement has been delayed by the heavy load of contenders. Or I just haven’t gotten around to selecting the winner – or the loser, depending on your point of view.
The award, which I created in 2010, goes to the pitcher I decide was the worst of the season. I’ve thought about forming a panel to select the winner, but if I do that, I might be inviting proponents of WAR and other initials into the process.
So this is strictly my selection, and you can blame me if you disagree. Having said that, I declare the 2015 winner of the Sigh Young award to be Matt Garza of the Milwaukee Brewers. He follows proudly in the spiked steps of A.J. Burnett (twice), John Lackey, Ricky Romero and CC Sabathia.
Garza, a 32-year-old right-hander, wins the award on the strength of his 6-14 won-lost record and 5.63 earned run average in 25 starts and 1 relief appearance. Other pitchers had more losses – Shelby Miller 17, Andrew Cashner 16, Aaron Harang, Rick Porcello and John Danks 15 each, for example – and Kyle Lohse had a higher e.r.a., 5.85.
But Garza put it altogether, adding a .293 opponents’ batting average as the clincher.