Brad Ausmus (File photo)
So far, the Tigers' season is looking pretty grim. It's not DOA (Dead on Arrival) yet, but it could be if things don't drastically change -- and quickly.
No one is holding their breath, and as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press puts it, some blame should go to Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus and General Al Avila.
He gives each one a C-minus grade.
Fenech thinks Ausmus can only do so much with a team that has so many limits. But he adds:
Ausmus is a player’s manager to the core. Leadership is an important aspect of managing and perhaps, he doesn’t lead the way that resonates with this group...Overall, he has proven he can manage in the big leagues, but he hasn’t proven he can manage this team to wins.
On Avila, he writes, it's too early to draw conclusions:
Avila is absolved of inheriting the price tag of the Dave Dombrowski era, but he himself added to the problem with bad spending in his first off-season, which has in part put the team in its perilous position...
The “retooling” process Avila detailed last off-season has yet to take place. It’s not fair to pass judgment on his success – not only re-constructing a team, but de-constructing it first – until it gets underway.
