As most of you already know, Chris Ilitch was one of the four owners who voted against the MLB’s proposal last week that included a competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold of 220 million dollars. The proposal was never going to be accepted by the players due to the threshold being too low, but Ilitch felt…
LAKELAND, Fla. — Two weeks ago, Detroit Tigers prospect Wilmer Flores sprinted to first base during pitchers fielding practice. He felt discomfort in his left hamstring. The right-handed pitcher sustained his hamstring injury Feb. 19 and spent the next day, his 21st birthday, in the trainer’s room. It marked his first injury as a professional. GET TO KNOW
Lakeland, Fla. — By the end of this week, there will be some 165 players crammed into the minor league clubhouse at Tiger Town, filling up the five fields behind Joker Marchant Stadium. The 62-player minicamp will bloat into the Tigers’ full minor league spring training. Already on Monday the invasion of gray-shirted young hopefuls had
Tigers fans, at least the loud ones, seem united in wanting a new owner for Detroit’s MLB franchise. This chorus reached something of a crescendo last week when The Athletic reported that Chris Ilitch was one of four MLB owners who opposed any significant raise in the Competitive Balance Tax, which might as well be
LAKELAND, Fla. — Riley Greene was the Tigers’ first-round pick in 2019, taken No. 5 overall. Spencer Torkelson was the No. 1 overall pick, taken a year later. The two hitters have formed a close bond rising up through Detroit’s system together and both are knocking on the big league door. Jonathan Mayo: I know
LAKELAND, Fla. — It’s the Tork and Riley show. OK, maybe we’ll let the Tigers marketing folks come up with something catchier, and yes, there’s much more to this restocked farm system than Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. But there’s no question the dynamic duo is at the front of everyone’s minds as they get
The Detroit Tigers rather long history of failure in developing hitters, as well as their lack of success with international free agents, has been discussed often here at Bless You Boys over the last half decade or more. One must look all the way back to 2014, when Eugenio Suarez provided a solid rookie campaign
The Major League Baseball Players’ Association (MLBPA) made some new proposals to owners as the two sides met in New York on Sunday, in an effort to break the stalemate in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Among the new proposals that the players made are: Allowing MLB to make three specific rule
Over the last few years, the Detroit Tigers have had a strong penchant for SEC right-handers in the draft. Of course, the SEC produces an awful lot of good pitchers, so they’re not hardly alone in this. Two of the Tigers’ last five first round picks have fit the description. In 2017 they selected Alex
I love baseball. Since I was a little kid, I have always loved baseball. I loved playing baseball since Little League, if not sooner. I loved going to the games, the sight of the green, green grass, the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the smell of hot dogs. I love
LAKELAND, Fla. — Full count. Two on. Detroit Tigers prospect Dillon Dingler was guessing fastball. And he guessed right. Facing right-hander Blake Holub, the Tigers’ 2021 15th-round pick, Dingler crushed a fastball over the left-field fence on Saturday in a minicamp scrimmage at Joker Marchant Stadium. The ball landed on the berm and bounced to the
LAKELAND, Fla. — Casey Mize is on the fast track to a leadership role. The 24-year-old right-hander paced the Detroit Tigers in starts and innings as a rookie last season. The former No. 1 overall pick has set the foundation to develop into an ace-caliber arm, but his MLB career is just getting started. “I think I’ve
Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch comes across as cheap when compared to his late big spender father, Mike Ilitch. Detroit Tigers owner Chris Ilitch was one of four MLB owners who voted against raising the competitive balance tax during the recent round of negotiations, a far cry from his late father Mike…
LAKELAND, Fla. — Dillon Dingler’s three-run homer hit Joker Marchant Stadium’s left-field berm, just in front of the Welcome to Tigertown sign, with a plop that could be heard from behind home plate, like a golf shot. The Dingler drive that powered it was louder. Even with a few more fans and families in attendance
The navy blue jersey hangs in Ron Reiss’ closet, waiting for the day when baseball returns and he can wear his Tigers fandom again. It’s a little worn and looks like something from a video game or an alternate universe. The Olde English D on the left chest has a Tiger walking through it, an
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler wasn’t expected to emerge the way he did last season. The 24-year-old shortstop has relied on his defense for his baseball career, then he produced above-average results in the batter’s box for Triple-A Toledo in 2021. The numbers, especially his 20-plus home runs between two levels, put Kreidler in
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers are at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium for an intrasquad scrimmage at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The game features the organization’s best prospects. The two groups were Team Trammell, wearing white uniforms, and Team Horton, wearing grays. Two umpires were active for the game, one behind home plate and
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers are at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium for an intrasquad scrimmage at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The game features the organization’s best prospects. The two groups were Team Trammell, wearing white uniforms, and Team Horton, wearing grays. Two umpires were active for the game, one behind home plate and
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers prospect Parker Meadows yanked a ball foul during live batting practice on a back field at TigerTown. And he was overjoyed. Strange, right? But let him explain his excitement. “I’m early on everything,” he told me about a week ago. He was seeing the ball and turning on pitches, getting out
Lakeland, Fla. — Tarik Skubal hadn’t booked his flight yet, but he was ready. After negotiations between the players and owners lasted throughout the day Sunday, the Tigers’ 25-year-old left-hander did what he always does on the last day of the offseason, he spent one last night with his family – which has been expanded