Detroit Tigers: 3 things Chris Ilitch should do now

What a difference 3 months can make. On May 7th, the Detroit Tigers were 9-24 and taking a beating everywhere.

The traditional local media, social media, fan sites, tar, and pitchforks were everywhere and the organization deserved it. Fast forward 3 months later and the Detroit Tigers are now 51-57 overall after going 42-33 over the last 75 games.

There is a buzz in the stadium again and people want to believe not only is the worst over, but the good times and playoff contention are right around the corner. There is Akil Baddoo and Eric Haase, players with low expectations that have become household names in Detroit, who you just have to root for because they are incredibly fun to watch.

Casey Mize and for the issues Tarik Skubal has had, he is still pitching well and so have the role players. Manager AJ Hinch is getting the most out of his talent.

It’s important to capitalize when momentum is on your side and not let the opportunity pass by like the house standing on the side of the road as Ernie Harwell would say from time to time on his radio broadcasts.

This is a golden opportunity for Chris Ilitch to start rebuilding the fan base and bring back more than just the biggest diehards into the fold. If I were Chris Ilitch there are 3 things that I would do right now in 1 big swoop with a Big Press Conference to announce to the world that Detroit Tigers Baseball is back!

1- Lock Up AJ Hinch for the next 5 seasons.

AJ Hinch and his staff have changed the culture of the franchise. You can see it with the play on the field. You can see it with the roster changes during the season with poor performers shipped to Toledo or out of the organization in favor of at least taking a look at other borderline players rather than just riding out entire seasons of poor play as has been done in the past. You can hear in his and Al Avila’s words the influence he is having on player personnel decisions.

Chris Ilitch should buy out the reported opt-outs in his multi-year deal and let everyone know the rebuild is done, the team is moving towards its competitive stage, and AJ Hinch will be at the helm for the road leading back to the playoffs. Making that financial commitment would help demonstrate that he is serious about fielding a winning ball club and help start changing the narrative amongst some of the skeptics that believe he is just cheap and not interested in anything but turning a profit.

I think hiring AJ in the first place was a big enough bat signal, but the lack of other off-season spending gave the Chris-is-cheap crowd some gasoline for their fire. Most importantly, make this extension move now and not let AJ Hinch even have the opportunity to be enticed away. AJ Hinch is absolutely critical to keep moving the franchise forward. Could you imagine having to start over with a new manager just as the young talent is acclimating to the big leagues and the next wave will be incorporated soon? That could derail this whole process.

3- Make Comerica Park Attendance Great Again For Detroit Tigers Fans

Between the poor product on the field and Covid-19, the season-ticket base has been decimated. We don’t have exact figures but it is safe to say it is below 8,200 which was the Covid limit Capacity during April and May. There were still plenty of tickets available for purchase for any of those games. Fans are starting to return with the improved play and weather.

After securing AJ Hinch and announcing a facelift of the park, end the press conference with the sales pitch. Give away tickets for the rest of 2021 to anyone who purchases a season ticket plan for next year. If they buy the whole season, give them the rest of this season. If they buy a weekend package, give them the day they buy plus a few weekday games that mirror the packages as they are usually comprised.

Throw in a Tuesday night Red Wings game against the Arizona Coyotes that would be difficult to sell anyways. Sell the Family Packs for 2022 now and do it in the model of the old “Pizza Pizza” campaign. Two games for one low price for committing now.

Getting more people in the park and invested in the rise of the club now will pay off tenfold down the line as the team continues to grow, as opposed to just sitting and waiting for the playoff team to drive the box office.

Every seat unsold and t-shirt that has to be moved to the clearance rack is missed revenue that cannot be recaptured. The buzz in the park with more fans in the stands really makes a difference in the game-day experience. Give it a jumpstart as well as giving a reward to the fans for everything the last 5 years have encompassed.

Have your own thoughts or ideas? Drop a comment here or on the article posts on Twitter @MCB_Tigers or me @Tigermike1975. We all want what is best for our franchise and I would love to hear your comments and additions. You never know, Just maybe Chris Ilitch’s secret Twitter account might read our ideas and even incorporate a couple of them.