{"id":88653,"date":"2022-10-06T09:20:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T09:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/final-curtain-on-another-dismal-season-signals-new-beginning-for-tigers-baseball\/"},"modified":"2022-10-06T09:20:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T09:20:14","slug":"final-curtain-on-another-dismal-season-signals-new-beginning-for-tigers-baseball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/final-curtain-on-another-dismal-season-signals-new-beginning-for-tigers-baseball\/","title":{"rendered":"Final curtain on another dismal season signals new beginning for Tigers baseball"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Seattle<\/em> \u2014 Maybe more than just a season of abject misfortune and calamity came to an inglorious end Wednesday when the Tigers closed out 2022 with a 5-4 loss the Seattle Mariners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt definitely feels a little bit like an end of an era,\u201d said catcher Eric Haase.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It certainly does.  Since 2002, the Tigers have been led by traditional baseball executives \u2014 Dave Dombrowski and Al Avila \u2014 men who came from a deep scouting background.  There&#8217;s a new sheriff in charge now, 35-year-old Scott Harris, a front office academic who comes from a background steeped in data, algorithms and technology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI&#8217;ve been a Tigers fan for a very long time and there&#8217;s always been those peaks and valleys and everything in between,\u201d Haase said.  \u201cGrowing up, this was not a good baseball team at all and then to see what they built in the early 2000s and then after a lull they went right back up.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThere&#8217;s never a foolproof way or process to it.  But I&#8217;m glad it&#8217;s trending in the right direction, at least that&#8217;s what it looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Changes are coming.  There will be changes in AJ Hinch&#8217;s coaching staff.  There is likely to be a significant roster flush and retooling.  But even though Wednesday literally marked the end of the 2022 season, Hinch saw it as a starting point.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt&#8217;s more of a new beginning,\u201d he said.  \u201cI think everybody is curious about what change means.  But I also think this last month has recaptured the joy in a lot of guys.  Winning does that.  Being competitive does that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cAnd I think the curiosity of what comes next is very front and center.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Tigers, as they have for more than a month, went down fighting.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;You can&#8217;t define the character of the team by its record,&#8221; Hinch said.  &#8220;The results speak for themselves and it&#8217;s not good enough yet. But the moral fiber and character of this team is really strong. Our guys care. They put in the effort. We haven&#8217;t been productive, but that&#8217;s not a knock on them as men. We stuck together, which I take great pride in.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lefty starter Tyler Alexander gave up three home runs \u2014 solo shots by Julio Rodriguez and Mitch Haniger in the first inning and a two-run homer by Luis Torrens that put the Mariners up 4-3 in the sixth.  But Alexander put up zeros in between and kept the Tigers in striking distance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:440px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/10\/05\/PDTN\/1a59b236-b874-4641-8c31-702ffcb22053-AP22278740062214.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/10\/05\/PDTN\/1a59b236-b874-4641-8c31-702ffcb22053-AP22278740062214.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tigers starting pitcher Tyler Alexander waits near the mound as Mariners' Mitch Haniger rounds the bases, behind, after hitting a solo home run during the first inning.\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Javier B\u00e1ez, in his last swing of the season, produced a two-out, RBI single in the fifth that put the Tigers up briefly 3-2.  In the top of the seventh, Riley Greene delivered a two-out, RBI knock to tie the game.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But, almost fittingly, the season ended with the opponents celebrating in walk-off fashion.  After closer Gregory Soto gave up a walk, made a throwing error to second base, threw a wild pitch and then loaded the bases with another walk, Ty France singled in the winning run.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It was Soto&#8217;s 11th loss.  He is the second pitcher in the last 40 years to save 30 games and lose 11.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;It didn&#8217;t end the way we&#8217;d like but guys played right to the end,&#8221; said Hinch.  &#8220;I applaud their effort and as I said as I walked through the clubhouse after the game, there&#8217;s better days ahead.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">BOX SCORE: Mariners 5, Tigers 4<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It might be healthier to look ahead and not back after the season the Tigers just endured.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">From an incomprehensible run of injuries, specifically to starting pitchers, to prolonged stretches of underperformance by veteran players with respected track records, to mystifying bouts of misfortune (Austin Meadow&#8217;s season-long health issues, Eduardo Rodriguez&#8217;s three-month stint on the restricted list) \u2014 it was every bit as miserable as the 66-96 record would indicate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cTo me there&#8217;s no excuse,\u201d Hinch said.  \u201cIt&#8217;s part of the game and everybody goes through it.  We were hit pretty hard (with injuries) but we also underperformed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Early in the season, four-fifths of the Tigers&#8217; starting rotation went down.  Casey Mize ended up needing Tommy John surgery.  Tarik Skubal, who stayed healthy long enough to make 21 starts, had season-ending flexor tendon surgery.  Matt Manning missed three months with shoulder inflammation.  Alexander missed a month with a forearm issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Michael Pineda only made 11 starts.  Rookie Beau Brieske made 15 starts before he was shelved with a forearm strain.  Alex Faedo lasted 12 starts before having hip surgery.  Rony Garcia lasted just eight starts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">When the dust settled, the Tigers used 17 different starting pitchers, one shy of the major league record.  Fifty-three different players wore the Old English D this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cStarting pitching is a premium position for a reason,\u201d Haase said.  \u201cWe just didn&#8217;t have any starting pitching and it wasn&#8217;t any of those guys&#8217; fault.  Those guys had legal, season-ending injuries.  It wasn&#8217;t like a blister or a tweaked hamstring.  We had a lot of legal injuries and it had us scrambling and moving guys around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But as Hinch pointed out, injuries had nothing to do with the Tigers being the worst offensive team in baseball.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe&#8217;ve got to find a way to get inside the strike zone and do better,\u201d he said.  \u201cWe have to be able to retain a game plan and create more momentum with games and more run-scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think we should look at it, take it personal and get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">To put the Tigers&#8217; offensive impotence in perspective, they were shut out 22 times, equaling the major league record since 1973 (designated hitter era).  They had three scoreless streaks of 21 or more innings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">On Tuesday night they were beaten by a catcher (Torrens) who pitched the 10<sup>th<\/sup> inning and allowed only an infield single.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Tigers scored the fewest runs (557) and hit the fewest home runs (110) in baseball this season.  They have the highest strikeout rate in American League and the fourth highest in baseball (24.1%), coupled with the second lowest walk rate in baseball (6.5%).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">They also had the lowest extra-base hit percentage (6.4%) and home run percentage in baseball (1.9%) in baseball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWhen you go into the All-Star break and you are 15-20 games back already, that&#8217;s a lot of ground to make up,\u201d Haase said.  \u201cYou start to put more pressure on yourself and then you are asking three or four guys who are rookies to step in here and be game-changing players and they are still trying to find their way in the big leagues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cIt just wasn&#8217;t a good situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Eventually, younger players like Haase (in just his second full season in Detroit), Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, Ryan Kreidler and Akil Baddoo began to provide a spark.  And that, along with a late-season resurgence by B\u00e1ez, led to the Tigers finishing 16-16 in September-October.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI can&#8217;t really put my finger on why we struggled the way we did to score runs,\u201d catcher Tucker Barnhart said.  \u201cIt seemed to me we struggled to get the big hit in situations at times.  But as a team we finished strong.  We won a lot of games in September and I think that is a positive moving forward for this organization going into next season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">There is a good chance Barnhart, a pending free agent, won&#8217;t be back next season.  Arbitration-eligible veteran Tigers like Jeimer Candelario, Harold Castro, Victor Reyes and Jose Cisnero might be playing elsewhere next season, as well.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As Hinch said, the curiosity about what&#8217;s next is real.  But change is coming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI don&#8217;t love losing,\u201d said Hinch.  \u201cI don&#8217;t respond all that well to it.  But I am the leader and I have to stand up and defend what we&#8217;ve done right and challenge some of the things we&#8217;ve done wrong.  We&#8217;re all looking forward to the weekend and the start of the postseason.  But in my stomach, I hate it that we&#8217;re not one of those teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe had aspirations to make the playoffs and be more of a factor this year.  Bottom line is we haven&#8217;t done it because we didn&#8217;t play well and I take that personally.  I don&#8217;t take it lightly.  We did a lot of things right and we did a lot of things wrong.  I&#8217;m strong enough to stand up for both and do my part to make it better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>cmccosky@detroitnews.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Twitter: @cmccosky<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seattle \u2014 Maybe more than just a season of abject misfortune and calamity came to an inglorious end Wednesday when the Tigers closed out 2022 with a 5-4 loss the Seattle Mariners. \u201cIt definitely feels a little bit like an end of an era,\u201d said catcher Eric Haase. It certainly does. Since 2002, the Tigers &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/final-curtain-on-another-dismal-season-signals-new-beginning-for-tigers-baseball\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Final curtain on another dismal season signals new beginning for Tigers baseball<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63723,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/mariners-sweep-tigers-with-all-around-play\/","url_meta":{"origin":88653,"position":0},"title":"Mariners sweep Tigers with all-around play","date":"September 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"DETROIT -- The Mariners came into Comerica Park this week riding momentum. They saw an opportunity to capitalize against a last-place team. And they conquered their way to a three-game sweep with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Tigers on Thursday afternoon. No team in baseball will diminish their opposition,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41611,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/detroit-tigers-fire-gm-al-avila-after-7-seasons\/","url_meta":{"origin":88653,"position":1},"title":"Detroit Tigers fire GM Al Avila after 7 seasons","date":"August 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Detroit Tigers have fired general manager Al Avila.The team announced the decision Wednesday. Before the 2022 season, Avila proclaimed the prolonged rebuild had ended and set his sights on snapping the franchise's seven-year postseason drought. But through 111 games, the Tigers own a 43-68 record, have the worst offense\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/08\/10\/PDTF\/534c4460-5c07-4bfa-93f6-d567309d0441-GTY_1242411985.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":30067,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/alek-manoah-exits-blue-jays-game-against-tigers\/","url_meta":{"origin":88653,"position":2},"title":"Alek Manoah exits Blue Jays game against Tigers","date":"July 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"TORONTO -- It should come as no surprise that \ufeffAlek Manoah\ufeff lobbied to stay in the game even after getting hit in the throwing elbow by a 93 mph comebacker. The Blue Jays' All-Star right-hander came close to a nightmare scenario on Friday, when he was forced to leave his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/10\/05\/PDTN\/b360e76a-7166-494a-885e-33f2995d572b-AP22278773258261.jpg?crop=5330,2999,x0,y0&width=660&height=372&format=pjpg&auto=webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88653"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88653\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}