CaliforniaDreaming Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Showing off a bit in front of the owner of the team who will be approving your future very large contract is not a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLiveMaroth Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 The Chris Illitch lovefest is interesting. I don't think I have seen this with other teams but I don't really follow other teams either. I think he gets a bad rap from people who think he is a cheap owner. Is he his dad when it comes to going out and signing high profile free agents every winter? No, but he has put considerable money to bring facilities and other things into the present and the Dominican Academy is no small expense either. He has spent money (see E-Rod and Baez) now you could say he didn't spend his money wisely but he probably left that up to the people who told him these are players that would make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edman85 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 minute ago, CaliforniaDreaming said: Showing off a bit in front of the owner of the team who will be approving your future very large contract is not a bad idea. I encourage you to read recent studies by Glenn Fleisig on this topic. He'd be better suited NOT to max out and risk the weak link of his kinetic chain snapping and putting future contracts on the line. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 6 minutes ago, LongLiveMaroth said: The Chris Illitch lovefest is interesting. I don't think I have seen this with other teams but I don't really follow other teams either. I think he gets a bad rap from people who think he is a cheap owner. Is he his dad when it comes to going out and signing high profile free agents every winter? No, but he has put considerable money to bring facilities and other things into the present and the Dominican Academy is no small expense either. He has spent money (see E-Rod and Baez) now you could say he didn't spend his money wisely but he probably left that up to the people who told him these are players that would make a difference. The people that rip Chris for "not spending" think there's a GM store where you just go in and pick out your groceries. My complaints with him relate more to his overall business sense and the constant requests by his empire for public money. They've spent decades getting public money and empty promises. They are shady people. As an aside.... do other MLB ballparks have every door labled with a sponsor? I notice it starting with LCA where you can't take a piss without talking thru the Blue Cross Blue Shield restroom and you flush the UWM handle and get a paper towel to dry your hands from the Google dispenser box. Maybe it's like that everywhere. It doesn't hurt me or cause harm... just looks tacky. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edman85 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 3 minutes ago, oblong said: The people that rip Chris for "not spending" think there's a GM store where you just go in and pick out your groceries. My complaints with him relate more to his overall business sense and the constant requests by his empire for public money. They've spent decades getting public money and empty promises. They are shady people. As an aside.... do other MLB ballparks have every door labled with a sponsor? I notice it starting with LCA where you can't take a piss without talking thru the Blue Cross Blue Shield restroom and you flush the UWM handle and get a paper towel to dry your hands from the Google dispenser box. Maybe it's like that everywhere. It doesn't hurt me or cause harm... just looks tacky. THIS THIS THIS. My biggest gripe with him is when he was one of the owner holdouts that extended the lockout. You take baseball away from me, and it's personal. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 48 minutes ago, Edman85 said: THIS THIS THIS. My biggest gripe with him is when he was one of the owner holdouts that extended the lockout. You take baseball away from me, and it's personal. Yes, that too. Last year, for the most part, I limited myself on spending at the ballpark for food and beer for this reason. They're not getting my money automatically like before. I still have my tickets but rather than getting a beer as soon as I walk in, I wait until the 3rd or 4th. I take in a bottle of water and fill it back up from their fountains. I'm surprised they still have those, even the water bottle filling stations. One thing going cashless has done is showed me how much I was spending once I was there. Before I would just take whatever cash I had and didn't really pay attention. But the next day when I see the itemized figures.... and a tip, pun intended, for those who do buy concessions at Comerica. When it asks you if you want to tip... don't. I was told by many of the staff there that they don't directly get that. It's split up among all the workers later on. So the nice lady that helped you isn't getting that $2 directly. It says something when multiple staff members advise you not to tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casimir Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 The showers are in the best shape of their life. Why new spring training showers say everything about the Detroit Tigers' regime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I’ve run down Baby Doc on this site as much and for as long as anyone else here, but I’ve been really impressed with his commitment to fix the team’s infrastructure (and beyond just the pipes in the bathroom), instead of just throwing up a Potemkin village like Papa Doc allowed Dombrowski to do. It’s obvious that should have been the plan from the very beginning, and it’s gratifying to see them actually following through on it. It may not lead us to the playoffs this year, or maybe even next year, because the rot was just so deep. But I think it will soon, and for a few years after. I have never felt so optimistic about the near future of this franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 "yeah the money is nice obviously but what really sold me to come to Detroit was the shower heads.... have you seen those?" I'm sorry... that's ****ing hilarious. Did Evan get a lifetime supply of free pizza or sponsorships for his podcast to write this? It reads like someting you'd find on an corporation's intranet for employees. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 First-class amenities matter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toddwert Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 12 minutes ago, oblong said: "yeah the money is nice obviously but what really sold me to come to Detroit was the shower heads.... have you seen those?" I'm sorry... that's ****ing hilarious. Did Evan get a lifetime supply of free pizza or sponsorships for his podcast to write this? It reads like someting you'd find on an corporation's intranet for employees. ah the Fifth estate is in its dying days.... Woodard and Bernstein eat your hearts out we got the Tigers beat writers uncovering all the stories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger337 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 26 minutes ago, oblong said: "yeah the money is nice obviously but what really sold me to come to Detroit was the shower heads.... have you seen those?" I'm sorry... that's ****ing hilarious. Did Evan get a lifetime supply of free pizza or sponsorships for his podcast to write this? It reads like someting you'd find on an corporation's intranet for employees. It will draw free agents to Detroit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I mean.... I could see ****ty ameneties mattering in terms of being a deal breaker in an all things being equal situation but I think "all things being equal" rarely occurs. To me this is bare minimum for what they should be doing. It's nice they are doing upgrades at Comerica but for the prices we pay to get in it is expected to have monitors that work and a sound system that's standard in the industry. You don't get extra credit for doing the baseline. In my seats very often I can't hear the PA. But I am also cynical that the upgrades to the scoreboard and PA system isn't about fan experience but about flexibility in advertising. The board itself is indeed larger but the extra space is taking solid ad space so you can bet that it is all about being able to make them digital so instead of National Coney Island being the only one up there in a certain spot now they can change it up and get more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I'll give them a chance to win me over with the new scoreboard. I'm semi-optimistic it'll be better on information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigeraholic1 Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 1 hour ago, chasfh said: First-class amenities matter! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutiger Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 (edited) 1 hour ago, chasfh said: I’ve run down Baby Doc on this site as much and for as long as anyone else here, but I’ve been really impressed with his commitment to fix the team’s infrastructure (and beyond just the pipes in the bathroom), instead of just throwing up a Potemkin village like Papa Doc allowed Dombrowski to do. It’s obvious that should have been the plan from the very beginning, and it’s gratifying to see them actually following through on it. It may not lead us to the playoffs this year, or maybe even next year, because the rot was just so deep. But I think it will soon, and for a few years after. I have never felt so optimistic about the near future of this franchise. I think the comments by the players are 100% legitimate. Let's not overthink things here, it may simply come down to Chris being a good boss to work for. Like, they actually like showing up to the ballpark and playing in this organization under this ownership and management as it is currently constituted. Changes around the ballpark that impact the players, while subtle on the outside, maybe aren't huge gamechangers in terms of attracting free agents, but make the experience of playing for the organization better than it would be if said changes weren't being made. Fans, because their roles are different than the players (ie. it's not their job to play for the Detroit Tigers), evaluate the Detroit Tigers differently than the players do (ie. mostly on how much $$$ the team spends on free agents). And because of that, fans are dumbfounded by players making positive comments and just assume that players are making these comments to kiss ownership's ***. It's the same as it ever was.... Chris has plenty of flaws as a businessman, not the least of which the shadiness of his business practices with regard to public funding. And he's not a perfect owner either. But whenever I hear Tiger fans fire off things like "he's the worst owner in baseball!!!", it makes me think that they aren't taking a good look at the rest of the league when making those comments... hell, considering the division they play in, there's a decent case to be made that he's the *best* owner in the AL Central lol Edited February 22 by mtutiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I think the players are just happy to talk about something else besides the day to day monotony and cliches that come with early spring training. So they expound a bit and talk up the boss. It's easy to say the right things. It costs nothing. The plane situation is probably something they really like if it is indeed an upgrade. But as a fan it means nothing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutiger Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 3 minutes ago, oblong said: I think the players are just happy to talk about something else besides the day to day monotony and cliches that come with early spring training. So they expound a bit and talk up the boss. It's easy to say the right things. It costs nothing. This is a fair sentiment, but now living in Jerk Sox country, it's not a guarantee that you'll always get players who open up and lavish praise on an owner. I guess that's the point I'm trying to make... I understand that the fans are skeptical whenever these articles hit, but I think there's a bias in that fans' relationship with the owner is much different than a players relationship, especially when the owner is the one who signs their paycheck and is the one who makes capital investments in the place that they come to work every single day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblong Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 It's also worth noting that Chris was one of the holdouts in the labor negotiations last year. I'm not trying to be argumentative about it but the players would get their checks signed by any of the other owners too. It's not like he's giving them the privilege of playing for the Tigers. There's no need to rock the boat in ST so just tout the company line. I'm making fun of the media more than anything. Chris is doing what he's supposed to be doing and the players are doing what they are supposed to be doing and the writer gives the impression it's the greatest thing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.TaterSalad Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 (edited) On 2/21/2024 at 9:10 AM, oblong said: The people that rip Chris for "not spending" think there's a GM store where you just go in and pick out your groceries. My complaints with him relate more to his overall business sense and the constant requests by his empire for public money. They've spent decades getting public money and empty promises. They are shady people. As an aside.... do other MLB ballparks have every door labled with a sponsor? I notice it starting with LCA where you can't take a piss without talking thru the Blue Cross Blue Shield restroom and you flush the UWM handle and get a paper towel to dry your hands from the Google dispenser box. Maybe it's like that everywhere. It doesn't hurt me or cause harm... just looks tacky. The Ilitches are corporate welfare queens, crooks, and gangsters, who have ripped off taxpayers in the poorest big city in America time and again. They have suckled off the tit of the public dole for years. No one in Detroit or Southeast Michigan collects welfare quite like the Ilitch Family. They are Tony Jack Giacalone with a legit pizza business and entertainment company as their front. Edited February 22 by Mr.TaterSalad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutiger Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 (edited) 35 minutes ago, oblong said: It's also worth noting that Chris was one of the holdouts in the labor negotiations last year. I'm not trying to be argumentative about it but the players would get their checks signed by any of the other owners too. It's not like he's giving them the privilege of playing for the Tigers. There's no need to rock the boat in ST so just tout the company line. I'm making fun of the media more than anything. Chris is doing what he's supposed to be doing and the players are doing what they are supposed to be doing and the writer gives the impression it's the greatest thing ever. This much I agree with insofar that the changes being made seem more about bringing the Tigers up to modern standards versus doing anything particularly exceptional versus the elite organizations within the league. It's the right thing to do and is helpful in the long run, but with respect to reporting on these changes, it's easy to overstate the importance or impact as well. Edited February 22 by mtutiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 1 hour ago, mtutiger said: I think the comments by the players are 100% legitimate. Let's not overthink things here, OK, I'll bite ... how am I overthinking things here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 35 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said: The Ilitches are corporate welfare queens, crooks, and gangsters, who have ripped off taxpayers in the poorest big city in America time and again. They have suckled off the tit of the public dole for years. No one in Detroit or Southeast Michigan collects welfare quite like the Ilitch Family. They are Tony Jack Giacalone with a legit pizza business and entertainment company as their front. But at least we're going to get to watch a good and interesting baseball team out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasfh Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 1 hour ago, oblong said: It's also worth noting that Chris was one of the holdouts in the labor negotiations last year. I'm not trying to be argumentative about it but the players would get their checks signed by any of the other owners too. It's not like he's giving them the privilege of playing for the Tigers. There's no need to rock the boat in ST so just tout the company line. I'm making fun of the media more than anything. Chris is doing what he's supposed to be doing and the players are doing what they are supposed to be doing and the writer gives the impression it's the greatest thing ever. I agree that a team owner is supposed to give the players the things they need to perform to maximum output, and that includes not only proper, state-of-the-art coaching, equipment, and analytics support, but also the day-to-day amenities that leads players to really like playing and appreciate for them. I would also say that a lot of owners don't do this, including this very same owner until just recently, so I'll still give credit where I think it's due. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutiger Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 (edited) 14 minutes ago, chasfh said: OK, I'll bite ... how am I overthinking things here? You aren't - but others are. Edited February 22 by mtutiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.