Embed from Getty Images 47-114, with a .292 winning percentage. Yet no one in the Detroit Tigers coaching department lost a job. That alone is baffling and somewhat disappointing. Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said on Sunday when you lose 114 games in a season, there’s going to be changes made. No changes, only a shift in existing coach’s.
In what the Detroit Tigers organization and fans hope is the bottoming out phase of a much needed rebuild, the team had a nightmare season. 114 losses is significantly more than Tiger management had envisioned back in spring training.
“We lost one hundred and, I can’t even say the number, and that’s not been fun. And we all take a little of it on ourselves.” Gardenhire told Detroit media after the teams last game of the season.
Of the so-called changes, there will only be one new face on the staff. Steve Liddle, who served as Gardenhire’s bench coach for 10 years in Minnesota with the Twins, will retire after two years in the same role in Detroit.
The Detroit Tigers finished the 2019 season on Sunday with a record of 47-114, second-most losses in franchise history behind only the 2003 team that lost 119 games. Yet all coach’s are coming back.
Even in a rebuild, lines must be drawn. Hard line stances on what is acceptable and what is not need to be outlined. The fact is the Tigers were never a threat to be good, nor should they have been 114 losses bad.
Detroit is set to continue to get younger in the next two seasons. One can hope there will be sweeping changes made. It is not right to hope a person loses their job. In sports there is a need for more than reshuffling needed to get players, young players up to major league standards of play.
By bringing the same coach’s back after a demoralizing season does not make fans want to spend hard earned money on the current product. Better days are coming again to Comerica Park and the city of Detroit. Right now if feels as if that is light years away.
