Lol bobby fucking wilson. Hate to say it, but Ausmus may be getting canned today. Guy actually hasn't been that bad this year, but somebody has to be the scapegoat.
I don't really care if they fire Ausmus, but I'm not sure I'm interested in the guys who would immediately step in. No thanks on Gene Lamont or Lloyd McClendon, I'm not sure on Vizquel or Trammell. Lance Parrish is managing the SeaWolves. I'd take Leyland back in a blink, but I doubt he's interested in this mess. Of course, a 2-5 rpad trip through DC and Baltimore means he's certainly getting fired.
Firing Ausmus does nothing but bring in a worse manager (McLendon). The team isn't hitting right now, and the rotation has been far worse than the FO (and myself, in fairness) expected. You can't blame Ausmus for Pelfrey sucking. You also can't blame Ausmus for Verlander and Sanchez not being what they were 3 years ago (and, unfortunately, getting rocked so far) any more than you would credit him for how well the Zimmermann signing has gone so far. Ilitch and the FO created this. Firing Ausmus is the easiest change to make, but change for the sake of change is pointless.
Me not wanting Lloyd McLendon to be our manager? I don't know. I guess I don't know for sure that he's worse. What I do know is that the current state of the team isn't Ausmus' fault, and McLendon isn't going to change a damn thing in terms of whether this team suddenly became good again. Thus, firing Ausmus for McLendon would lead to one of two scenarios: 1. The vets suddenly start playing well, the credit goes to McLendon, and he keeps the job long term 2. The pitchers still suck, the hitters show their age, and firing Ausmus did nothing Neither of those are terribly appealing to me, because I don't see how McLendon would actually have anything to do with #1.
I get the idea of change shocking the system but even a great manager in baseball can't get results if his roster sucks.
I mean, I wouldn't fire Ausmus for McClendon, and I'm hoping Avila/Ilitch wouldn't either, since we know McClendon is shitty, but how long do we need to know whether Aumus is shitty, too? My issues with Ausmus are: (1) that people keep making the same mistakes on the basepaths and in the field and there doesn't seem to be accountability, and (2) he doesn't really seem all that new wave in terms of statistical analysis. I think that means he isn't helping in the lockerroom, and he isn't making a difference on the field.
That's a strawman, though. Nobody wants McClendon to manager. If the only choices are McClendon and Ausmus, sure, keep Brad.
The Tigers are a streaky team. They will probably finish around .500. That is realistically what they are with this roster imo.
I think those are the only choices, unless there's something that happens where the Tigers and Gibson both believe he can handle the job with his health situation (which seems really unlikely, but he did interview for the LAD job so maybe he could do it). I don't think Ausmus is very good as a manager, but I just find it kind of stupid to fire him for the team's flaws showing through. Justin Upton is streaky as hell. Miggy isn't the same guy. VMart can only DH. This team has a bunch of terrible base runners. Ausmus didn't sign any of these guys to those deals. Verlander and Sanchez haven't been right for more than a year now. Pelfrey has always sucked. KRod couldn't throw 90 mph last year. Lowe has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. Again, Ausmus didn't make the decisions to pay those guys that money. If I thought Ausmus' lack of managerial talent was the thing holding this team back, I would be all for it (especially if I didn't think there was a 95% chance McLendon was coming to replace him). Firing Ausmus solves none of the issues that matter, though, and my computer-ness just doesn't allow me to buy into the "change for the sake of change" stuff.
Like I said, I don't really care if they fire him or not, and I lean toward not if the alternatives are McClendon and LaMont (and I generally lean toward not before Maybin and Norris are ready to contribute). But I'm also beginning to wonder if he's better than other alternatives when it doesn't seem like he's maximizing anything by being player-friendly and generally making moves that a managerial book written in the 1980s could make. At some point hiring a screamer who yanks Iglesias off the field in the middle of an inning might light a fire under some folks. The window here isn't very large as it is and it is narrowing by the minute.
I have no reason to believe Ausmus is either good or bad at what he does. He's managed for 2.2 seasons and the record is mediocre. I think firing will probably make no difference with this particular team, but a shakeup could potentially help, even if it's not likely. The downside of firing is Brad Ausmus is actually a great manager that the Tigers should keep forever and ever. I think this is also unlikely, so if Illitch wants to lop off his head, fair enough.
Lynn wrote a column. He's obviously not interested in firing Ausmus, although he says the replacement would be more likely to be Vizquel or Lamont than McClendon. He blames the roster, which is fine, although I don't remember Lynn thinking the starting pitching could be a backbreaker heading out of camp when Anibal had a new delivery, Verlander was the Ace again, Pelfrey was ready to resume his steady career and Shane Greene had talent that couldn't be bottled up at triple A, yet here we are: Yes, it’s early. Things can happen. Just as true is that this team’s troubles were transparent when it broke spring camp, when it looked even then as if starting pitching could be a backbreaker unless surprise help, in the form of kid pitchers at Triple A, somehow emerged to save the day. He goes on to say that they should plan on trading JD, Kinsler, Victor, Upton, Anibal and Jordan Zimmer at the deadline and earnestly rebuilt, and seems to think they lost their first rounder in this summer's draft. Who the fuck would trade us anything for Victor or Upton, when our bids toppped the market for those guys? Kinsler and JD would probably bring back decent hauls.
I spend all this time defending Ausmus, and he leaves Sanchez in to load the bases in the 7th, and then brings in his #6 or 7 reliever to attempt to get out of the jam. I'm out.
I don't know that it will be "big" but I can't imagine he escapes that without something, even though he is the current golden boy.
The streak is over. Castellanos has been insanely good. Really need Upton to go nuts once the inevitable crash to earth happens for Nick.
Law's MLB Draft Top 100 is out. We're picking 9th, then not again to 115 due to Zimmerman and Upton. I've cut and pasted the whole thing:
He's not even bothering with a waste pitch in 0-2. 5 Ks in 2 ip, and being very efficient. Upton is a fucking mess right now.
Will he get a chance to break MLB single game record? Looks like he went back In clubhouse, maybe to take a piss?
That game made me sad for way too many reasons. I love me some Max. I don't know that I would want that deal on our books for the next 12.5 years, but hard to watch the shit we've thrown out there the last year+ and then watch that without it feeling like a kick to the balls.
This team will get on a bit of a run at some point but I just don't see how we are contenders. If we have another year like last year will we finally bite the bullet on a rebuild? I would assume not as long as Mike is around, and that is terrifying.
Moya recalled and is starting in LF tonight. Upton starting in CF for the first time since the minor leagues.
I think they would try to re-arrange some stuff for next year and try one more time with this band of shitheads, then blow it up.
I just realized Christian Stewart is actually Christin Stewart. Like Kristen? Weird. But either way, he's already hit 12 dingers at Lakeland, and that's a lot of dingers in the Florida State League for this time of the year. The next closest in the league has 6.
The only contracts that we are stuck with are JV, Miggy, Pelfrey and Upton. All the other contracts are movable. Only guys I wouldn't trade would be Norris, Fulmer, J Wilson, Iglesias, McCann and Castellanos. they are all cheap and under team control. -Kinsler and JD would probably get us two or three good young players - Victor may get us a teams top 2 or 3 prospect, but restricted to AL only. maybe boston with big papi retiring? Could be potential trade partner in off Season -Sanchez- not greatest contact, and won't get much of a return if we were to move him -K rod closers always have value at trade deadline. This team is about two years away from being the Phillies of the past 5 years