Dann Knobler (mlive.com): Smith, Garner pay price for Ilitch’s lack of spending
Monthly Archives: April 2002
The Firing-Special Section
It’s awfully hard to argue that either Phil Garner or Randy Smith deserved to keep his job…Replacing Smith wasn’t at all difficult — Dombrowski chose himself, to no one’s surprise — but it’s a lot easier to find a manager in the winter than the spring. But ESPN’s loss could be Dave Dombrowski’s gain; yes, Buck Showalter is both available and eager, and the Tigers could do a lot worse.
Felipe Alou, fired last year as Montreal’s manager, was considered a top candidate to wind up with the Tigers’ job.
“I’m interested in managing,” Alou said from his home. He would not say whether he had been contacted by Detroit officials.
“I’m interested in managing,” Alou said from his home. He would not say whether he had been contacted by Detroit officials.
So now we get a few days into the season, when the foundation of the Tigers’ 2002 season already has been laid, and now the Tigers pull the trigger? The timing of these moves is purely public relations damage control, a premature strike to placate already-disgusted fans before the disgust deepens even more. ..The problem is that, since Ilitch purchased the team in 1992, there hasn’t been a plan. The owner has treated the Tigers like an afterthought to his far more important stewardship of the NHL’s Red Wings.
Billfer (me):
Unless Luis Pujols does a phenomenal job with this team, he won’t remain the coach. The names already being mentioned are Buck Showalter, Felipe Alou, Jim Leyland …While some of those may be decent managerial candidates (except for Leyland, please no Leyland), this whole thing is as much a PR move as it is anything else. If the Tigers can get permission from San Diego, they will pursue Alan Trammell.
Cleveland 5, Detroit 1
Well, at least they didn’t get no hit today by Sabathia. However at this rate it is inevitable. When the top of your order is batting .208, .042, .200, and .182 you aren’t going to scare a lot of people. Andres Torres made his major league debut and tripled in a run for the Tigers only RBI. In the field he misplayed a ball into a double.
From the “I better win now, the future be damned” department, Phil Garner let a young pitcher throw 120 pitches for the second game in a row. What makes this even dumber, is that the Tigers weren’t hanging on to a close lead. Both games they were trailing. So how many games do the Tigers have to lose in April to get this guy fired?
Roster Moves:
-Palmer comes of the DL
-Damian Jackson goes on the 15 day disabled list (finger)
-Easley pulled something, and it looks like Macias may move to 2nd and Andres Torres may be called up to roam centerfield.
-UPDATE: Andres Torres was called up to replace Danny Patterson (15 day DL) on the roster
Lynn Henning traces Detroit’s problems back to a series of bad drafts
Cleveland 10, Tigers 1
What a simply miserable display for a home opener. Shane Halter cannot continue to be the number 2 hitter, plus he just doesn’t have the range at shortstop.
The Phil Garner firing countdown has to officially be underway. My guess is that he and Randy Smith will be dismissed simultaneously. Pujols will be named interim manager, and then the Tigers will pursue Alan Trammell in the offseason.
I’m just too upset to write anything else now. Especially when I find out that Matt Lawton wanted to come to Detroit, and we couldn’t work it out.
Here’s a little trivia, when was the last time the Tigers brought a winning record into the home opener? 1984
Tigers lose in 12 innings
The Good:
-Fick had two extra base hits, a double and the Tigers first homer of the season
The Bad:
-Those were the only two extra base hits for the Tigers last night
The Good:
-The Tigers reached base 14 times last night (10 hits, 4 walks)
The Bad:
-The Tigers hit in to 4 double plays
The Good:
-Jose Paniagua retiring 8 straight batters in relief
The Bad:
-Danny Patterson left the game with back problems