1984Echoes

Huh? What? Please show me where I am blaming Hinch for the stalled progress of minor leaguers. Because I have no idea what you're talking about. And where exactly am I blaming Hinch for the terrible performance of a substandard roster of players? You're making things up here... I've said nothing of the sort. Twice. Is it this? Because I complained about not bringing up Kerry in a timely manner? Because this has nothing to do with the other two points you've made. Not calling up Kerry has no relationship to how the minor leaguers develop, nor is it blaming Hinch for the crappy year last year, with Avila's crappy roster. Here's what it DOES say, and let me explain myself clearly: (A) I believe Hinch and Avila spoke almost daily, if not at least weekly. About the team. Problems/ issues/ injuries/ where the team was going/ how to fix things/ etc. That's what Managers and executive vice president and general manager of the entire organization do. They talk, and discuss potential moves, and fixes, etc. What, are you telling me because Avila was the executive vice president and general manager of the entire organization that Hinch had absolutely no say in who was being called up or sent down, whatsoever? I believe you are overstating Avila and underselling Hinch's status/ pull on the roster in a significant way. (B) If I am correct and Hinch had some input into roster callups... Then he didn't prioritize calling up Thompson or Kerry. Or maybe Avila overruled him and wouldn't allow Hinch to call him up. Or maybe Avila said "We gotta prioritize wins right now so look to the Veterans getting better (Meadows/ Schoop/ etc.) instead of giving shots to these other guys." Or maybe HINCH said "I'd rather push for getting some wins so lets stick with the vets." No one knows who said what or who made what decisions with regards to (B). I am placing no blame on Hinch for last year. But I AM saying he may be slow to move on from veterans. Like Miggy, who should have been benched a lot earlier and a shot given to Trace Thompson (IMO). Again, like I said, maybe this is all in my head... but the fear is going to stick in there, hoping that Hinch is not reluctant to "take calculated risks" and play some of these kids. Until I see that he is perfectly on board with that. I'm certain Harris will give him a push and say "Hey, let's try to do better than Schoop and call up Wenceel for a shot to see how he handles it." Let's see what happens when that happens... when Wenceel or Dingler or someone else is called up to see what they've got... And how Hinch plays them. This is my opinion but... I think Hinch is pushing for wins (understandable), not for playing kids. But we're under a new M.O., so I'm interested in seeing how Hinch handles that...

PS: Oh, and based on what I've seen the past couple of years... I believe that I DO have a legitimate concern. I hope it's much ado about nothing. But I just want to see it.

I'm not interested in tossing out blame or anything like that... I just don't want Hinch to feel pressured to prioritize winning over developing the kids or giving those kids chances. Maybe you're right and Avila left him with little to no options so there's no blame to be placed at Hinch's feet there... But... There were a couple bats that were hot in Toledo last year: one we gave away to the Dodgers; and the other was Kerry Carpenter, who was called up - a bit late - to Detroit. When we OBVIOUSLY needed bats last year. Who made those calls? Avila? Or Hinch? I hope it was Avila impeding the progress/ potential call-ups and not Hinch; and that Harris breaks any tendency to just sit on veterans instead of swiftly moving on and giving kids chances... because I'm on the side of out with the old and in with the new... at least until there's a core that sticks. I don't know the answers to the questions I just raised. Again, I hope it was Avila as the problem. I don't want it to be Hinch that blocks kids' chances or playing time. I just... don't know that for certain.

And everyone seems to jump on whatever the latest bandwagon is... But, the flipside is that there does seem to be some changing of the guard at play right now... Rodgers & Brady are pretty much on the outs and the young kids are definitely in...

Jamel Dean. Nothing but money...

The other fear is Hinch falling in love with a vet and playing him because... well, he's a veteran (any vet that fits this description, including Schoop and Miggy, Cesar, or any other subpar player that simply fills in a position/ PA's) and going against the grain of Harris's sentiment that the kids HAVE to get PA's because they gotta be developed/ given chances... Like the Castrei of the past few years...

Russian mouthpieces apoplectic over western tanks going to Ukraine: https://www.yahoo.com/news/putin-lackeys-lose-minds-over-143837232.html

So true...

I think this team is better off making a play for a guy like Horvat when it is more mature... When it is already in the playoffs, has a good core, and needs to add an additional key missing element. Sort of like adding Brendan Shanahan when we did. Maybe we're ready for a Horvat trade... I'm just not certain about that. Oh... and yes Hongbit, he's good at face-offs, would probably be the best on the Red Wings... I did forget about that part...

Pass.

I read a scouting report that said he's not a dedicated defender and just not much of a playmaker. Goal-scorer, yes... but maybe that's why the low assists/ high goals... Uncertain on the report's accuracy but the numbers sorta bear it out... I'm not certain he's the right guy to chase...

I would hold them in Kiev and then rush them north if Russia makes a play for Kiev (swooping in from Byelorussia).

And Germany then approves sending its OWN Leopards? (Not just approving other countries' pledges...):

Thank you: https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-closer-approving-significant-number-171842255.html 30 Abrams?! Holy crap!!!

Ewsieg.

PS: I have this Sports Illustrated and several other Detroit related issues...

Excellent insight...

Exactly...

So he is Vietnamese... Maybe he has an axe to grind with the Chinese? Or suffered some Covid losses...? It's definitely plausible...

PS: This just came through Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/01/22/germany-okays-a-dozen-polish-tanks-for-ukraine-hundreds-more-could-follow/?sh=2d4775cc7893

I was trying to add up some of the proposed from each country to guesstimate a total... but countries are not exactly willing to be forthcoming with this info yet... UK: 14 Challenger 2's from the United Kingdom. All others would be German Leopards. Poland: 14 to start. They could conceivably offer around 100 themselves if they wanted to... but this is the starting point. Once other countries commit, Poland may up their number. They are the MOST willing. Norway and Finland: I thought I saw an actual number pledged from Finland & Norway but now I can't find it. I believe 6 or 8 total countries aside from Germany have pledged to Ukraine to send... someone please break the ice. Germany could also send from active tank batteries or companies... I believe they have one older tank training company of 14-19 tanks they could de-commission and send to Ukraine and backfill with their own newest tanks off of the assembly...

No the refurb tanks are older de-commissioned models. Any backfills are going to be the newest model coming off the line. Ukraine gets the old from each country (and potentially, the refurbs at Rheinmetall); countries supplying Ukraine get the latest Leopards coming off the line from Rheinmetall as backfill... No way foreign countries would give theirs to Ukraine in order to receive refurbed older models... Rheinmetall won't start on the refurbs until receiving an actual contract... Ukraine could supply the contract/ payment (estim. at around 500 mill Euro) but then I would guess the contract has to be approved by the German government. I'm not certain if German government's "non-oppose" to foreign countries supplying to Ukraine would also apply a "non-oppose" to Rheinmetall supplying per a contract...?

Oh wait... 110 of those are at Rheinmetall for refurbishment (older models) and are not spoken for by any army but... the refurbishment won't be completed until 2024... doesn't help Ukraine right now.

Damn! Finally! The big offers are Poland, Norway and Finland I believe. But I've lost track... I believe the sum total is several hundred total Leopards from multiple nations,,,

But Red Wings still letting the game slip away down 2-0 at 3:50 left in the 3rd...