The Tigers have fired Al Avila

[djhutch]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:44 PM, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Mike Valenti speculating that Sam Menzin will get the job. Is there any chance we get a real GM search and it lands us someone outside the organization? Maybe Theo?

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I don't think it's always the BIG name that is the best fit, but in this case I think Theo is the perfect GM to work with AJ Hinch. I kinda feel like they think the same way.

[sabretooth]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:44 PM, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Mike Valenti speculating that Sam Menzin will get the job. Is there any chance we get a real GM search and it lands us someone outside the organization? Maybe Theo?

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If its Menzin then we are doomed.

If its Theo then we have a very good chance.

If its some Rays or Astros or Dodgers or Cardinals protege, then it feels like a coin flip or worse odds to succeed.

[Sports_Freak]

Is DD looking for a job? <ducks>

[Tenacious D]

I hear Joel Zumaya is in the running.

[mtutiger]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:47 PM, MichiganCardinal said:

I suppose - but if you’re confident he won’t be returning, why let him execute maneuvers at the deadline?

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The deadline for the Tigers this time was pretty minimalist - it didn't get great grades, but they weren't necessarily franchise-breakers either. 

And particularly with trades involving higher profile players (ie. had someone like Skubal been on the table), it's likely Chris I would have to sign off on them regardless. It's possible he may not have if this had been in the works.

Edited August 10, 2022 by mtutiger

[pyrotigers]

Ladies and gentlemen.... We got him 

[MichiganCardinal]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:47 PM, sabretooth said:

Let's hope that Chris is ready and able to make a big splash here with a proven GM and avoid Boston's mistake.

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In a phrase seldom uttered around these parts, he would probably be wise to take a page from the Lions (very recent) book here. Admit that he doesn’t have a clue about how to find/hire an external GM, and outsource the search process.

[RatkoVarda]

randomly

might be easier for new guy to let Miggy know he is done, rather than the guy who signed him as a teenager

Al actually was better in recent years, but he had a horrible start to his GM career

they simply did not have to be this bad, for this long

wonder if there was one thing that triggered this? or maybe just the sea of sh\t got to be too much

lots of interesting recent hires from other clubs; would we count one of them as from "outside" organization?

 

[John_Brian_K]

I feel like we got a decent core of pitchers, just start dumping the badoos & Clemons etc.  Build the hitting back up...we are historically dreadful...heard a stat about RPG today...worst since the early 1900's....

[Sports_Freak]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:52 PM, MichiganCardinal said:

In a phrase seldom uttered around these parts, he would probably be wise to take a page from the Lions (very recent) book here. Admit that he doesn’t have a clue about how to find/hire an external GM, and outsource the search process.

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Yeah, that 3-13-1 record last season is something the Tigers should strive for. 

[John_Brian_K]

Also Miggy will play out his last year here 100%.  I have no doubt about that.

[pyrotigers]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:55 PM, Sports_Freak said:

Yeah, that 3-13-1 record last season is something the Tigers should strive for. 

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It took Al Avila a lifetime to build a team as bad as the Lions under a first year GM and coach. 

Truly impressive 

[chasfh]

Chris Ilitch couldn't ignore the steady drumbeat calling for Al's head. Once it migrated from the unaffiliated national media to the access-dependent local media, he was a goner. It was only a matter of when.

I think the reason Al got the gate now instead of October was because the longer he stayed on the job, the worse he made Ilitch look, and if there is anything a tycoon cannot brook, it's being made to look bad.

[Sports_Freak]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:55 PM, John_Brian_K said:

I feel like we got a decent core of pitchers, just start dumping the badoos & Clemons etc.  Build the hitting back up...we are historically dreadful...heard a stat about RPG today...worst since the early 1900's....

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Often times, a new GM would want to bring in his hand picked managers, coaches and players. I would say Hinch is safe but some of Avila's draft choices may be gone. It's never good to have an unstable front office. What if Chris finds someone worse than Avila? We may have 5 to 7 years of misery.

[mtutiger]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:58 PM, chasfh said:

I think the reason Al got the gate now instead of October was because the longer he stayed on the job, the worse he made Ilitch look, and if there is anything a tycoon cannot brook, it's being made to look bad.

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Speaking to what Ed suggested earlier, isn't now kind of an ideal time to do it as opposed to waiting to October? Gives you a head start on a search, particularly if they are planning on going outside the org, might make it easier to get someone on board before free agency begins, etc.

Edited August 10, 2022 by mtutiger

[chasfh]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:59 PM, mtutiger said:

Speaking to what Ed suggested earlier, isn't now kind of an ideal time to do it as opposed to waiting to October? Gives you a head start on a search, particularly if they are planning on going outside the org.

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Yes, I would agree that now is better. After all, how much damage can Sam Menzin do in the next two months? 😏

[Sports_Freak]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:57 PM, pyrotigers said:

It took Al Avila a lifetime to build a team as bad as the Lions under a first year GM and coach. 

Truly impressive 

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I don't want to copy a single thing from the worse franchise in all of sports. Copy the Lions? If that's the best Chris can do, sell the team now.

[chasfh]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:59 PM, Sports_Freak said:

Often times, a new GM would want to bring in his hand picked managers, coaches and players. I would say Hinch is safe but some of Avila's draft choices may be gone. It's never good to have an unstable front office. What if Chris finds someone worse than Avila? We may have 5 to 7 years of misery.

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This is true, although it is likely we will get a read on what kind of new man we get in the job shortly after he is hired, based on whatever his pedigree and experience may be.

[Sports_Freak]

  On 8/10/2022 at 9:03 PM, chasfh said:

This is true, although it is likely we will get a read on what kind of new man we get in the job shortly after he is hired, based on whatever his pedigree and experience may be.

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Very true. I just really don't want to hear anything about a 3 to 5 year rebuild. I'm getting too old for this crap. 😁

[Edman85]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:47 PM, MichiganCardinal said:

I suppose - but if you’re confident he won’t be returning, why let him execute maneuvers at the deadline?

His track record doesn’t exactly instill confidence that he would be any better at making moves than having a lame duck interim front office without any real authority to make deals.

Without being behind the scenes, I suppose it’s possible that Chris wasn’t going to authorize any significant trades anyway and effectively had already eliminated his authority, without making it public.

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This ties into the thought I came in here to convey. I'll highlight the line from the release I wanted to emphasize.

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by Edman85

[chasfh]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:58 PM, chasfh said:

I think the reason Al got the gate now instead of October was because the longer he stayed on the job, the worse he made Ilitch look, and if there is anything a tycoon cannot brook, it's being made to look bad.

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Also, apparently, the gate is exactly what Al got. No kicking upstairs to President or anything like that, as I and other here have speculated might happen.

[SoCalTiger]

I didn't think Chris had it in him but I am glad that he did. I think he will go outside the organization and "go big". 

I suppose when Miggy said about his possible retirement he had to "talk to the GM" and not "talk to Al" that the cast had been struck. 

Pray he hires the right person.

[SoCalTiger]

BTW is the News and Free Press sports page off line ? Did Al crash it ?

[Motown Bombers]

Hire Jeff Luhnow. If you were ok with Hinch, you should be ok with Luhnow.

[RatkoVarda]

not just coaches but players too.

no need to hold onto Daz to try to make JV trade less horrible; no need to hold on Victor to show how great Al is at stealing crap from other team's toilets; hopefully significant value in that freedom