Master of the obvious...

**cruzer1** · 12-19-2004, 03:06 AM

Lynn Henning's column...

Thoughts, notes, items as the shopping-spurned Tigers ponder a potentially rugged 2005 season:

Why a Tigers club aching to write whopping free-agent checks can't get a bite: A year ago, baseball's marketplace looked like any other retailer during a recession. Inventory was piled high, prices were marked down, or at least negotiable. Thus, the sad-sack Tigers had a shot at getting better by adding players who otherwise would not have been available.

Heading into 2005, big-league payrolls have turned marginally saner and competitive clubs are on a spending spree. Don't think the Tigers have been the only team shut out here. Take a team such as Baltimore, which had ideas of adding a couple of expensive names and so far hasn't matched Detroit's addition of Troy Percival.

Detroit's hopes of adding a top-drawer hitter or pitcher are stymied by two facts of life specific to the Tigers:

A bad record: Even last year's revival left Detroit with a 72-90 mark, which doesn't suggest to Troy Glaus, Adrian Beltre, Carl Pavano, or even Corey Koskie, that playoff dates are coming soon to Comerica Park. If the money's the same, you want other enticements, beginning with chances at a postseason experience.

A perceived bad town: This is hardly news. Never mind that crime tends to be a neighborhood, rather than a downtown, problem more associated with drug pockets and conditions that beget human strife. Until downtown Detroit fully revives and becomes more attractive in the vein of other, more glamorous big-league cities, Detroit will lose to other teams and towns when players consider environment.

The Tigers know they have a problem here. They cringe at the thought of opposing teams staying always at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, which creates for players an impression Detroit is little more than what they see on that bus journey from the Southfield Freeway to the ballpark.

The Tigers investigated the idea of moving hotels, suggesting that visiting clubs bunk in the swank Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, where a lot of NBA teams stay, and where Ryder Cup players stayed in September.

One problem: During spring and summer, you can't get the same kind of discounted rate at the Townsend that visiting teams require. Clubs are accustomed to paying about half the regular room charge ($100 or a bit more for a room that might run $200 or more for other guests) and won't spend $6,000 a night when they can house a team at a posh hotel like the Ritz-Carlton for half that amount.

If big-league teams were camped in Birmingham, several hundred players would discover another side to Detroit. They would have lunch at Streetside Seafood, enjoy a splash after the game at 220 Merrill, or the Blue Martini, or The Corner Bar. They would find downtown Birmingham hopping at 1 a.m. on a weekend night, which is also about the hour a team bus arrives home.

Most of those same players likewise have no clue there is a body of water -- with plenty of shoreline charms -- called Lake St. Clair 10 minutes from Comerica Park. Instead, they see Metro Airport, the Southfield Freeway, and the Jeffries Freeway en route to a game against the Tigers.

That's a tough sell when the bidding ballclub hasn't had a winning season in almost 12 years.

How the Tigers can avoid free-agent dependency: It's a little like America trying to wean itself from the world's oil producers. Until you create an alternative supply, you're a hostage to the marketplace.

The Tigers have one solution -- draft better players. Build a club the way all quality teams are built, by drafting and developing your own talent. Free agency is nothing more than an expensive Band-Aid. It hardly guarantees that a club will contend, or even break even, as the Tigers discovered last year.

Just to put into perspective how bad the Tigers' talent selection has been, consider this thought: No professional team in any of the four major sports has drafted as disastrously as the Tigers these past 25 years.

Think about that for a moment. Not the L.A. Clippers of the NBA, not the New York Rangers or Islanders of the NHL, not the NFL Arizona Cardinals -- no team in any league has matched the Tigers for draft-day futility.

It defies logic, reason, percentages, that the Tigers could have drafted so many failed ballplayers for so many years in a draft that spans so many rounds. There have been a few keepers -- Bobby Higginson. Jeff Weaver. Tony Clark. Travis Fryman. Glenn Wilson. Brandon Inge. There have been a few others, but not many. What an absurdity, what a disgrace, that talent selection was such an utter and ongoing disaster.

It figures to change with the new man at the helm, David Chadd, but why it took so long to have certified expertise on the draft-day advisory board is hard to fathom.

But it all explains why the Tigers are in such a fix today. And why getting out of it will be so difficult, and likely, why it stands to be such a long and painful process.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/tigers/0.../c04-36961.htm

**tigermojo** · 12-19-2004, 04:17 AM

I haven't lost all hope yet. I'd like to see the Tigers go after Odalis Perez and Placido Polanco. Perez is a good young lefty. Polanco puts the ball in play and is versitile defensively. Perez would become our staff "ace" for now until Bonderman steps up to that role. Polanco has been a very consistent hitter (career .295 AVG) and fielder (3 errors in '04, 6 in '03) during his career. Neither player is likely to make the all-star game but both are experienced and would improve the team.

**Farraday** · 12-19-2004, 09:35 AM

I like the comparison with Baltimore. They thought too (and were thought of), that they would be able to sign big names - maybe both teams had better be quiet not to raise hopes, but both teams had to learn that other teams are more attractiv or more willing to overspend.

**Brent** · 12-19-2004, 09:53 AM

Lynn Henning
Free agency is nothing more than an expensive Band-Aid.

It may be obvious, but it's amazing how many people don't believe it.

**rhino** · 12-19-2004, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by cruzer1
Lynn Henning's column
The Tigers know they have a problem here. They cringe at the thought of opposing teams staying always at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, which creates for players an impression Detroit is little more than what they see on that bus journey from the Southfield Freeway to the ballpark.

One problem: During spring and summer, you can't get the same kind of discounted rate at the Townsend that visiting teams require. Clubs are accustomed to paying about half the regular room charge ($100 or a bit more for a room that might run $200 or more for other guests) and won't spend $6,000 a night when they can house a team at a posh hotel like the Ritz-Carlton for half that amount.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/tigers/0.../c04-36961.htm

Sounds like more excuses to me. If this is such a problem, If this is hindering their efforts in signing free agents a little quick math says it would cost Illitch less than $250,000 per season to supplement the Townsend Hotel to make up for the diffence the opposing teams aren't willing to pay for rooms. I also find it hard to believe that the Townsend and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce wouldn't be willing to work out some kind of deal to have bus loads of millionaires brought into their city on a weekly basis.

**Just Some Dude** · 12-19-2004, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by rhino
Sounds like more excuses to me. If this is such a problem, If this is hindering their efforts in signing free agents a little quick math says it would cost Illitch less than $250,000 per season to supplement the Townsend Hotel to make up for the diffence the opposing teams aren't willing to pay for rooms. I also find it hard to believe that the Townsend and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce wouldn't be willing to work out some kind of deal to have bus loads of millionaires brought into their city on a weekly basis.

Exactly I am sure they wouldn't mind, someone just needs to work to make it happen.

**Oblong** · 12-19-2004, 10:56 AM

The other organizations aren't going to go along with a plan that will then help the Tigers potentially become better suitors for free agent players.

The hotel thing is overblown anyway. A lot of the players like to stay in Dearborn because they can then go play the Michigan TPC.

**DTHFC** · 12-19-2004, 03:32 PM

I haven't lost all hope yet. I'd like to see the Tigers go after Odalis Perez and Placido Polanco. Perez is a good young lefty. Polanco puts the ball in play and is versitile defensively. Perez would become our staff "ace" for now until Bonderman steps up to that role. Polanco has been a very consistent hitter (career .295 AVG) and fielder (3 errors in '04, 6 in '03) during his career. Neither player is likely to make the all-star game but both are experienced and would improve the team.

I think both these ideas are very good. Especially Polanco. He can play more than one position, which might be necessary if Guillen doesn't have range recovering from his injury, or if Guillen goes down again. He'll make Inge the super sub that he is best at too. And most of all he is going to be cheap.

Perez is yet another lefty, but good and probably affordable. I would be very happy with those two, assuming we land a middle of the lineup OF.

**TigersMeow79** · 12-19-2004, 05:56 PM

Most of what Henning said I agree with except this.

A bad record: Even last year's revival left Detroit with a 72-90 mark, which doesn't suggest to Troy Glaus, Adrian Beltre, Carl Pavano, or even Corey Koskie, that playoff dates are coming soon to Comerica Park. If the money's the same, you want other enticements, beginning with chances at a postseason experience.

Hmmmm Koskie to Toronto, Glaus to Arizona, Beltre to Seattle. Well those teams have no chances to win a thing. The enticement certainly isn't postseason. Glaus is a west coast guy I can understand but it's time the Tigers find ways to entice free agents.

**RobB7** · 12-19-2004, 05:56 PM

Pretty lame to blame hotels for the reason why Detroit cannot get a free agent. That columnist must have been really desperate for a story.

**DTHFC** · 12-19-2004, 06:40 PM

I think Henning engages in over-analysis. As a writer, its useful to find underlying themes in newsevents that tie everything together. But I don't think there is any ONE reason guys aren't coming here. As Jim Carey would say - Its just the way the cookie crumbles.

Take a look at their reason:

Glaus: Went to Arizona for ___________ fill in the blank. Didn't give DD a chance to make a counteroffer, so it wasn't money. Zona isn't a winner, so its not winning. What is it? Probably the fact that he like Arizona and the left coast. Or that he didn't like Detroit.

Pavano: Went to the Yankees because of ___________ fill in the blank. Wasn't money. Detroit was right in the mix. Winning? Could be. That is a big draw. But speculation seemed to be Pavano already knew he wanted to be a Yankee or a Red Sox, he was an east coast guy.

Finley: Went to Anahiem because of ____________ fill in the blank. Wasn't money. Reports were that Detroit offered equal money. Word was that Finley was a West Coast guy. Might have been about winning. Probably a mix of both. He wanted to stay a dodger. The bidders were Detroit, SF, Anaheim.

Kent: Went to the Dodgers because of ______________ fill in the blank. Clearly, in this case it was a hometown thing. He nearly cried, held back tears, at his press conference explaining how he surprised his parents when he signed in his hometown.

Beltre: Went to Seattle because of ____________. This one is the interesting one. We don't really know. It seems as though, from DD's comments, this was a money issue. The Tigers didn't think he was worth what he was paid, or in the alternative, his demands were out of their league.

There is just no one catch-all easy answer to all this. Different strokes for different folks. Clearly, we have tried to be competitive. All things being equal, weather, winning, money...its going to be tough right now.

**richardrose** · 12-19-2004, 09:14 PM

The Tigers have one solution -- draft better players. Build a club the way all quality teams are built, by drafting and developing your own talent. Free agency is nothing more than an expensive Band-Aid. It hardly guarantees that a club will contend, or even break even, as the Tigers discovered last year.

This has been my opinion as long as I've been aware of the difference between the winners and losers. No one I've seen has been able to buy a World Series. All you can do with a team full of free agents is play somewhere around .500 ball and wait till you develop a minor league system to produce winning teams. Or you try to fill some holes with FA's that might put you over the top. The Tigers are in a bad position where we have very little talent so we had to buy some time to build a minor league system. If you think their going to buy some FA's and we take our division, its a real longshot.

**richardrose** · 12-19-2004, 09:19 PM

Originally posted by RobB7
Pretty lame to blame hotels for the reason why Detroit cannot get a free agent. That columnist must have been really desperate for a story.

I would agree with you on this but when I took my family back to visit we stayed in Dearborn. They'll never go back if thats where we had to stay again. We made that trip to the ballpark, what a dump. When I was younger thats where I played and hungout. Hard to believe. No way I would put my family through that again.

**Oblong** · 12-19-2004, 09:23 PM

Dearborn's not a dump, it's the pothole filled ride on the freeway to Comerica that's a dump.

Unless you stayed in East Dearborn. It's really two cities. ;)

**PantheraTigris** · 12-19-2004, 09:29 PM

Pavano: Went to the Yankees because of ___________ fill in the blank. Wasn't money. Detroit was right in the mix. Winning? Could be. That is a big draw. But speculation seemed to be Pavano already knew he wanted to be a Yankee or a Red Sox, he was an east coast guy.

He's said that the defining factor, above money (because both the Red Sox and Tigers were in the mix on that), was the hometown feel and- get this- Joe Torre. And because the Yankees were 'winners'. I wonder if he got the memo about what happened this year?

Also, I agree that the hotel thing is probably not anywhere near the whole problem, but it certainly can't be helping. That is a really depressing drive, and it really does make all of Detroit and its surrounding areas look like an abandoned warzone. Not the best view to get if you've never been to any other part of Detroit and that's what you're going to base your opinion of the city on.

**Oblong** · 12-19-2004, 09:38 PM

I don't underrate the hotel thing either. Once you get up to Ford road it's Detroit. When I was in Mexico City and riding along a freeway it made me think of riding on that very stretch of Southfield and Jeffries into downtown because you are riding very close to the neighborhoods and you see the burned out buildings and grafitti.

**JonBenke** · 12-19-2004, 09:42 PM

This is clearly the fault of Joey Harrington, who as the 3rd pick, in his 3rd year...should be able to help sign free agents.

**tigersrok** · 12-19-2004, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by TigersMeow79
Most of what Henning said I agree with except this.

A bad record: Even last year's revival left Detroit with a 72-90 mark, which doesn't suggest to Troy Glaus, Adrian Beltre, Carl Pavano, or even Corey Koskie, that playoff dates are coming soon to Comerica Park. If the money's the same, you want other enticements, beginning with chances at a postseason experience.

Hmmmm Koskie to Toronto, Glaus to Arizona, Beltre to Seattle. Well those teams have no chances to win a thing. The enticement certainly isn't postseason. Glaus is a west coast guy I can understand but it's time the Tigers find ways to entice free agents.

$$$$$$$$

**richardrose** · 12-19-2004, 11:01 PM

Originally posted by Oblong
Dearborn's not a dump, it's the pothole filled ride on the freeway to Comerica that's a dump.

Unless you stayed in East Dearborn. It's really two cities. ;)

You got it. Also, I meant the ride into town was a dump. Sorry about the lack of specifics.

**IdahoBert** · 12-19-2004, 11:48 PM

Originally posted by richardrose
The Tigers have one solution -- draft better players. Build a club the way all quality teams are built, by drafting and developing your own talent. Free agency is nothing more than an expensive Band-Aid. It hardly guarantees that a club will contend, or even break even, as the Tigers discovered last year.

This has been my opinion as long as I've been aware of the difference between the winners and losers. No one I've seen has been able to buy a World Series. All you can do with a team full of free agents is play somewhere around .500 ball and wait till you develop a minor league system to produce winning teams. Or you try to fill some holes with FA's that might put you over the top. The Tigers are in a bad position where we have very little talent so we had to buy some time to build a minor league system. If you think their going to buy some FA's and we take our division, its a real longshot.

I agree in principle, but we were on the edge of being at least decent at times last year, and with a little more hitting and some better pitching we could have gone much further.

Consider this: if everything that was good last year stays good, if you add a couple hitters, if you get another starting pitcher, if you strengthen the bullpen....Gee, that's a lot of "ifs" isn't it?...OK, I give up you're right, Richard. Almost every team in baseball is good enough to contend if you add some hitting and some pitching.

The bottom line, though, is that while free agency is a short term fix and you have to draft and develop your own players, you also have to be in the free agent market to contend with regularity. Our division is the only one in baseball where this is not as true as in other divisions, but we still can't decide to be idle on the FA front.

I think that's why so many people invested so much in the FA concept; they saw that we only had to win 15 to 20 more games than we did to contend. We won 29 more than the previous year with a few strategic aquisiitions. Another year of that and we would be Central division champs--we thought.

You're right though. And the difficulty we've had in signing free agents underlines the point that it's not something we can rely on.

**RobSk** · 12-20-2004, 09:36 AM

Originally posted by richardrose
You got it. Also, I meant the ride into town was a dump. Sorry about the lack of specifics.

I work in Dearborn, and go into the city a fair amount. The drive is horrendous. The pavement is bad, the buildings and other scenery beside I-94 and M-10 are awful. They are in the midst of a huge rebuild of that section of I-94 and M-10, but that isn't going to solve the burned out, boarded up building problem. I also agree with Henning that this is the worst possible approach to Detroit.

Rob

**ronniereb** · 12-20-2004, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by JonBenke
This is clearly the fault of Joey Harrington, who as the 3rd pick, in his 3rd year...should be able to help sign free agents.

Now that's funny

**RobB7** · 12-20-2004, 01:39 PM

Originally posted by richardrose
I would agree with you on this but when I took my family back to visit we stayed in Dearborn. They'll never go back if thats where we had to stay again. We made that trip to the ballpark, what a dump. When I was younger thats where I played and hungout. Hard to believe. No way I would put my family through that again.

Yeah I can see your point. I guess I just find it hard to believe that is one of the main reasons people will not sign here.