Having great memories of going to Tiger Stadium to watch Alan Trammel with Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon, Jack Morris, etc., I'm saddened by this move. I will say this, he shouldn't have been fired because he should have never been hired.

It has been a long time since I have watched the Tigers. I refuse to root for the Red Wings simply because they share an owner with the Tigers and since I am a baseball fan first and foremost, I see the Red Wings as one of the major reasons we never seem to have competitive Major League Baseball in the area. I am still reeling from the unofficial "Jeff Weaver for Curtis Joseph" trade that happened a few years ago. Now that hockey has a salary cap, I guess we will see what happens.

It pains me to watch this franchise. I have long since given up on them. I no longer get excited by the signings that they come up with. Comerica Park is built for a speed team with a high on base percentage. Not an Ivan Rodriguez with a sub .300 OBP or a Dmitri Young. Guys like Curtis Granderson, Nook Logan, etc. are the future of this team.

They are badly missing a pitching rotation. They have the makings of a solid #1 for years to come in Bonderman, but there isn't much else there (maybe Nate Robertson). That is another thing that a team that plays in a large ball park needs. I guess the promise of a strong bullpen was too much for the Tigers and Farnsworth, Urbina and Percival were all gone by the trading deadline, although the Urbina for Polanco move seems to be a positive.

With a better manager, this team was no better than a .500 team and many people probably say "So what?". I think that a .500 finish for this club was crucial. It has been 12 years since the Tigers have finished above .500 and you have to crawl before you can run or even walk.

I have long since lost interest in this organization until a change of ownership (which will never happen) takes place.

Sorry to rant, but this is something that strikes hard with me. I have a lot of goood memeories of watching these guys as a youngster. Guys that busted their tail all season long and you were proud that they played for your team. Now they are full of guys that are all abut their numbers and seem to lose interest in playing baseball around mid-August, no matter what their record is.

Near the end of the season I watched a Detroit game on the boob tube and spent most of the time looking at Alan. He was rocking back and forth, pacing and generally looking uncomfortable. He hates losing.

I remember Sweet Lou and he, it seems they played together for 700 years, and played well.

Alan, land on your feet, that's an order!

The big question, of course, is which former major-league infielder will get the job next? The Tigers' last five managers, since Sparky Anderson, have been:

Alan Trammell
Luis Pujols
Phil Garner
Larry Parrish
Buddy Bell

My money's on Dean Palmer.

Haha, great point Jordan. They need a a guy that is really going to kick some tail, and has previous managerial experience, but knowing this organization, they are going to try and "Restore the pride in the old english D" again. Who that would be? I shudder to think. There are guys that I think should be here, but there is no way a Lou Pinela or Jim Leyland or someone on those levels will be here.

I guess they offered Trammell a job within the organization. Maybe it is the AAA managerial job since they had former Tiger manager Larry Parrish in Toledo this season. I just don't know and it is getting harder for me to care to be quite honest......

Why do I have a healthy respect for Dave Dombrowski? His record in acquiring and developing talent is pretty good over the years.

The Tigers have Verlander, Zumaya and now Maybin in the pipeline. Once you take into account the park, the team's batting and fielding this year was above average, but the pitching was abysmal, but help is on its way (that's for you, Mick) from the farm. I doubt that they can compete with the Indians and Twins for the next couple of years, but they should be above .500 shortly. Actually, the Central is likely to be a good division for a few years.

Parrish just won an IL/AAA title in Toledo, where I used to live, which should qualify him for some sort of messianic position, if not re-consideration for the job in DET again.

What was the last team to rehire a previously fired manager? The Yankees with Billy Martin?

Atlanta with Bobby Cox ?

I read on Yahoo that Leyland is being interviewed for the position. I can't see Parrish coming back to Detroit. I know he won the International League with Toledo, but I just don't think that would work.

I don't see why not. There are no players left on the Tigers from that 1999 team (since I assume Bobby Higginson has already left the team). Not considering Parrish just because he went 69-92 seven years before with a bunch of mostly useless youngsters is no reason not to give him a fair shot. Almost all of the key Tigers he knows already in one way or another.

I'm looking at it from a fan's perspective I guess and may not be too impartial. I don't really care who they put in, as long as the team plays with heart and pride. Like I said earlier, this is an organization that I followed religiously until I was 20 and then I lost interest. I had a good friend that I played ball with for a long time play for the Cubs and my allegiances kind of changed at that point and I have not really gotten back into the Tigers. I would really like the Tigers to do well, I really would.

Looking at their minor league system, they are on the right track. Toledo won a championship, Lakeland did quite well and West Michigan made it to the second round. I think they have some talent coming up (Verlander, Zumaya as the young arms and I really like Chris Shelton as the first baseman). Who knows? I think Dombrowski has done some good things here, but I think Mr. Illitch may have his hands in some areas where maybe he shouldn't.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AiZzPZo6yR9wqksYO5Eg7PU5nYcB?slug=ap-tigers-trammellfired&prov=ap&type=lgns

This story says that they will be interviewing Leyland I guess. I would have put Leyland either back in Pittsburgh or back in Florida. I didn't (and still don't), see him coming to the D.

Well, Leyland is from -- and I think still lives in -- Perrysburg, Ohio, about 10 minutes from where I grew up and about 45 minutes from Tiger Stadium, so I could definitely see him interested.

Hmmmm, I didn't know that Mick. Maybe there is something to it. I definitely think it would be a good move.

I know this isn't the right thread but I can't find what is. On the mlb.tv page, right now, they have the following gem:

- American League Division Series - 
Gm1: 03/08 7:05 pm Kansas City Royals @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays  
Gm2: 10/04 8:00 pm New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels 
Gm3: 10/05 10:00 pm New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels 
Gm4: 10/07 8:00 pm Los Angeles Angels @ New York Yankees 
Gm5: 10/08 TBD Los Angeles Angels @ New York Yankees  
Gm6: 10/09 TBD New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels 

Two teams less likely to be involved in the ALDS I can't imagine.

Heh. Sure! I'll ask him.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2180682

Looks like Leyland is the guy.

I for one am going to enjoy seeing Leyland's work close up when the Jays play the Tigers.

By the way, I wish we had a place to discuss the Griffin column today on the possible Koskie for Morneau trade. Think it's possible? I see upside for both teams, but I'd feel bad if that's all we ever got to see from Koskie, who seemed solid in so many areas, at least away from the plate.

Minnesota has a future great hitter who in a slump year when he had every disease except the Ebola Virus was a legitimate, inexpensive home run threat. Didn't they learn their lesson with Ortiz?

Isn't it an unritten rule anyways, that you don't trade a big contract after only a year?

It is, but this has to be considered a special case - Koskie would have returned to Minnesota had they offered him the same money the Jays did. Not sure if Minny is so down on Morneau that they'd do this, but it sure is an interesting thought. I'd definitely take it, but I'd want some legitimate backup in place in case Morneau has really lost it.

"Lost it," of course, being relative, since he still hit seven more home runs than Hinske, though with a lower average.

I think this may be a case where we've got two contracts we'd like to drop -- Hinske and Koskie -- and we'd take clearing 80% of either one of them and figure we're ahead. (BTW, funny how JPR talks about having fewer trade partners now because there aren't many of those weighty contracts out there that people want to move, and yet he's responsible for two... but I digress)

So what did Morneau do in Minny to get himself so on the outs with Gardenhire?

Thanks Magpie, for answering my question, even as I was typing it!