It was fun while it lasted.
The Tigers are back to being awful.
They have now last seven games in a row.
The offense has returned to its regularly scheduled historical awfulness.
I regret that and look like an idiot in hindsight, but my argument was sound.
This team’s biggest issue has been that they severely lack talent.
I can’t blame the new president of baseball ops Scott Harris for that.
He’s been here for less than a year, and he’s trying to assess what he has.
It will be a minute before you hear me criticize this guy.
This year’s trade deadline will be very telling, though.
I believe he inherited a mess, but until proven otherwise, I believe in a long-term plan here.
Yesterday was one of those Tiger games that legitimately depressed me.
It was my birthday, for god sakes.
And I could take a night off, but not really.
This team is like the venom symbiote.
They just latched on to me permanently.
If I miss a game, that means I’m not working.
“Patience” is a word that the current Tigers regime has preached.
But you might be remarkably patient and still feel immense frustration.
One of my favorite players in baseball right now is Diamondbacks youngster Corbin Carroll.
The kid put on a show at Comerica.
Why does this concern me at all?
He’s played 27 games at that park and has had 113 at-bats.
One home run at Comerica.
Corbin Carroll has two.
I’m sorry, but do you have any idea how fucking annoying that is?
And I’m aware that Spencer Torkelson had a nice game last night.
Who knows, maybe in the long run Spencer Torkelson will become 10 times the player Corbin Carroll is.
That won’t happen, but I can at least hold out some hope.
But the Detroit Tigers player development system is the major league baseball equivalent of pulling teeth.
This is what is going to define the Scott Harris era.
It won’t be the free-agent market or whether or not they can keep the pitchers healthy.
The Tigers' track record of developing position players at the major league level is the worst in baseball.
I know they’ve had a few pitchers, but do they deserve credit for Verlander?
He’s Justin Verlander.
He’d have been a Hall of Famer regardless of whether or not he pitched in Detroit.
But if we’re talking position players, they last had a star in the 80s.
No, Miguel Cabrera doesn’t count.
Miggy is obviously a Tiger great, but his development had nothing to do with the Tigers.
He was elite when he got here.
And even if they were, that was a long time ago.
Nick Castellanos was a nice player who came up through Detroit’s system.
And while he was solid offensively, it took him a long time to get going.
He also had his best years elsewhere.
Like I said, it’s like pulling teeth.
There’s no Corbin Caroll in Detroit.
There’s no Mike Trout or Julio Rodriguez.
Could Riley Greene be that guy if he comes back healthy?
That’s not going to happen again.
Those were all guys the Tigers spent big money on.
You have done something horribly wrong if that’s the crown jewel of free agency.
I don’t care if they draft nothing but hitters in this upcoming draft.
That wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.
I cannot take the offensive ineptitude anymore.
Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, and Mike Trout are incredible because those guys lived up to the hype.
I’m tired of watching the grainy footage of minor league highlight reels.
Just get it right.
That’s all I want.
Give me one outstanding major-league player that comes up through Detroit’s system and hits immediately.
Those guys can be culture changers.
You only do that if you have good hitters.
just, just find some.
