Mike Illitch did buy the team in 1992 and Randy Smith was brought in during 1995. Smith was an assistant GM with the Rockies before they even played a game and the GM with the Padres from 1993-1994. San Diego had a tightwad owner in Tom Werner. Smith was forced to dismantle an exciting team in 1993 and traded Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield away for almost nothing. But the Padres did turn it around a bit with a cheaper team by 1995.

In 1995, the Tigers were just an old team. A few of the 1984 Tigers were even still hanging on. It was basically just an organization with no direction and a barren farm system. When Randy Smith came to Detroit, it looked like a great decision based on what he did with the Padres. He also got everyone excited when he discussed the now infamous “five-year” plan to build up the farm team. Randy Smith even won an award in 1997 (?1998) from Baseball America stating that the Tigers were the organization of the year for what they were doing down in the minors. My opinion: this award reinforced to Illitch that Smith was doing the right things and bought Smith extra time to continue destroying the team.

I’ve read varying reports on who exactly was at fault for the Tigers fall from grace during the late 1990s-early 2000s. I’ve heard that Illitch would change organizational philosophies from year to year and this would screw with what was trying to be accomplished. But, Randy Smith did nothing as you seen by the umpteen trades though at this time that accomplished nothing with the Padres and Astros that all involved Brad Ausmus and CJ Nitkowski either coming or going. The drafting continued to be horrible.

Dave Dombrowski was brought in during 2002 as the team president. Randy Smith was gone shortly after. I think you can pinpoint the trade for Dmitri Young as the first Dombrowski trade. Since then the farm team has been built back up with excellent scouting and shrewed trades, and well the rest is history.

how about we all cut you checks and we can place an ad in the Free Press thanking Dumbro for giving us our Tigers back?

I like the idea, Joey, but there’s no need to pay for an ad. Let’s just send him a letter with as many signatures as possible. Of course, the website would be mentioned prominently on the letter and may help Billfer get another interview.

Certainly the management from the late 80s–Bill LaJoi and Jim Campbell–let the farm system fall off a bit. Things like the now legendary Doyle Alexander trade depleted our farm system in order to keep the big league club competitive in the short term. They also had some pretty bad drafts late in their tenure.

However, the most serious damage done to the organization occurred in the 90s under Illitch’s watch. The focus was on getting that stadium built–I think to a certain degree he neglected the team in order to make the situation appear more dire than it really was. At any rate, once it was clear the team would be moving to a new park, Smith was brought in to rework the system. As we all know he did an awful, awful job at both the major and minor league levels. But Illitch signed off all those bad moves, and Illitch cut the payroll, and Illitch left Smith in charge for seven long years.

I give him credit for belatedly recognizing the dire situation and bringing in the right guy, but I can’t help but feel a little bitter about the way the organization was handled and the way fans were treated all those years.

At the moment, however, Dombrowski is my hero! I would love to be able to thank the guy for turning things around. It really is amazing how swiftly he has righted the ship.

Hey Billfer how about we all cut you checks and we can place an ad in the Free Press thanking Dumbro for giving us our Tigers back?

Certainly the management from the late 80s–Bill LaJoi and Jim Campbell–let the farm system fall off a bit. Things like the now legendary Doyle Alexander trade depleted our farm system in order to keep the big league club competitive in the short term. They also had some pretty bad drafts late in their tenure.

However, the most serious damage done to the organization occurred in the 90s under Illitch’s watch. The focus was on getting that stadium built–I think to a certain degree he neglected the team in order to make the situation appear more dire than it really was. At any rate, once it was clear the team would be moving to a new park, Smith was brought in to rework the system. As we all know he did an awful, awful job at both the major and minor league levels. But Illitch signed off all those bad moves, and Illitch cut the payroll, and Illitch left Smith in charge for seven long years.

I give him credit for belatedly recognizing the dire situation and bringing in the right guy, but I can’t help but feel a little bitter about the way the organization was handled and the way fans were treated all those years.

At the moment, however, Dombrowski is my hero! I would love to be able to thank the guy for turning things around. It really is amazing how swiftly he has righted the ship.

Hey Billfer how about we all cut you a checks and we can place in add in the Free Press thanking Dumbro for giving us our Tigers back?

On another note does anyone miss George Kell? I do, he was a great announcer.

Scott–as much as I admire Ilitch and everything his family has done for Detroit, I don’t think you can give him a free pass on the Tigs’ decline. I can’t remember the exact year he bought the team, but it was around 1990. Yes Monaghan and Smith started the fall, you’re 100% right on that, but Ilitch did nothing to reverse it. It took the embarassment of 2003 (the year we don’t talk about) to turn things around. Ilitch has always been committed to making the Red Wing into winners, so props to him for that, but untill recently the Tigers have seemed like the red-headed stepchild in the Ilitch organization.

The ump initially called the runner safe because Inge had tagged him late. Once the Ump realized that it was a force play so that the Tag didn’t matter, he corrected himself and called the guy out.

Rod Allen’s Call-
Go to MLB.com and you can hear the whole call. Rod’s voice got really high.

-Sam

I missed a couple things.

What was the deal on the Third base call around the 2nd or 3rd inning. The The thirdbase ump callled the play safe. I was standing up telling the ump at third base telling him he was out of his mind and then Inge and Leyland start out after the umpires, I thought Inge got bounced for a quick second, Then everyone ran off the field.

So what happened? (or did the ump change his mind because I was yelling at him)

What did Rod have to say on Craigs home run?

The last thing I wanted to mention is that catch in the stands by Inge. He may need to pick up his average a bit, but his play at third base has been excellent this year. The kid is all heart and I like his can do attitude.

Well the trip is over and I must drive home from Troy today.

Steve
(PS I love NEMO’s, but not I75… is that thing ever just open for traffic,,, thumbs up to the stadium guys for telling us it was closed))