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.

2- Spruce Up Comerica Park.

For many of us, it’s hard to believe that 2100 Woodward Avenue has been the home of the Detroit Tigers for 22 seasons. I can still see Mark Fidrych running to the Tiger Stadium mound collecting dirt and can hear Ernie Harwell saying “So long, Old Friend” with his voice cracking as I had to wipe the tears away witnessing the end of an era.

When you take a good look at the Stadium, the outside architecture still looks great upon arrival, but there are some warts in the stadium that need to be addressed. The concrete ring inside the ballpark facing the playing field looks worn and dirty. There is some rust in the seating areas and even weeds growing in some unusual places. The center-field fountain, which isn’t much of a fountain, to begin with, has spotty ivy that looks worse than the plants I have to die and then try to revive at home.

The scoreboard has had some pixels out for quite some time. It doesn’t have to be an extensive renovation, but announcing even a minor facelift would create buzz and excitement. I would take that opportunity to also expand upon the weekend after parties they have begun holding again on the Pepsi Picnic porch, which I think is a great idea to help engage the growing 20 something demographic I have seen both at the ballpark and on social media.

Bring in some local DJs and musicians. Have those parties last long into the night. Make going to the game a full night experience for them. I know when I was young the night was just starting when the ballgame ended. The other addition I would make would be a true Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame.

Take the decade displays off the concourse and centralize them in one of the vacant areas of the ballpark. Solicit fans to loan cool items on a rotating basis to be displayed for a certain length of time. The retired names on the wall are automatically placed in the Hall of Fame and yearly elections by the fans could help celebrate the many great Tigers players who aren’t Cooperstown or number retirement worthy but have played a large part in the franchise history.

Beyond being another attraction at the ballpark, it would also bring in another opportunity for merchandising dollars with some fresh new items for fans to purchase and excitement generated on Induction Days. The Miguel Cabrera Milestone Counter is a nice addition but let’s kick it up a notch.