Detroit Tigers: 4 Things a New Manager Must Bring

Aug 16, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Hold Veterans Accountable

One of my biggest complaints with Brad Ausmus, especially in his first year, was that he never seemed to be able to hold veterans accountable.

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Starters were able to talk him into leaving them in for one pitch too many and he was not really wanting to bench veterans who are slumping. Ausmus has been described as a “players manager,” but his hands-off approach was one step too far.

It is almost like Ausmus, who was just a few years older than some of the players and played with and against many in the clubhouse, was a little gun-shy at having to be the authoritative figure in the clubhouse.

For really the first time in his tenure, a message has been finally sent to a player. It was not a veteran, but the dismissal of Bruce Rondon is a step in the right direction, if indeed Ausmus was involved in the process to have him sent home rather than Al Avila making the call.

These are the things that have to happen with the next manager. If you don’t produce, you’re gone. If you are a veteran and you don’t produce, you get cut. If you are a superstar and don’t produce, you get benched.

Everything should be on the table if you are chasing a World Series title, which is something the Detroit Tigers have convinced us they will be doing in 2016. No one should be immune from repercussions of poor play and a bad attitude.

Next: Just Win, Baby