Tigers owner fed up with losing

[faba]

AP Interview: Ilitch says he's running out of time to turn Tigers around

AP Interview: Ilitch says he's running out of time to turn Tigers around

By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer

December 13, 2005

DETROIT (AP) -- Tigers owner Mike Ilitch knows success takes time: It took 15 years after he bought the Detroit Red Wings before the team won its first Stanley Cup in four decades

But after owning the Tigers for 13 years and enduring 12 straight losing seasons, Ilitch concedes even his patience is running low.

"I'm running out of time with the Tigers -- we're in our 13th year," Ilitch said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. "If we hit the 15-year mark, I'll be very concerned."

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Ilitch, whose business empire began with the Little Caesars pizza chain, said he got off to a bad start with the Tigers when he failed to hire the right general manager.

After buying the team in 1992 from fellow pizza mogul Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's, in Ilitch tried but failed to lure back Bill Lajoie, who built the Tigers' championship team of 1984. So Ilitch retained Jerry Walker, a former scout, for more than a year before replacing him in 1994 with another scout, Joe Klein. Randy Smith was GM from 1996-2002.

Ilitch said Lajoie's refusal combined with his own lack of contacts in the sport at the time led to a bad hiring decision.

"I went through some people, and I think I've got the right person now," he said of Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski. Hired away from the Florida Marlins to replace Ilitch as team president in November 2001, Dombrowski has two years left on his contract.

In 2002, Dombrowski's first season with the Tigers, the team went 55-106. That same year, the Red Wings clinched their 10th Stanley Cup and third in six years.

"I got a good start with the Red Wings," Ilitch said. "With the Tigers, I didn't make a good judgment call."

Another reason success has been so elusive is the lack of an adequate farm system when he took over, Ilitch said.

Ilitch, who in October hired his seventh manager, Jim Leyland, suggested he was holding out hope that next season will be a turning point. The Tigers finished the year at 71-91, one fewer victory than they had the previous season.

"If we can make a significant improvement this year, then I can treat it like I treated the Red Wings, and that would be, `OK, you've shown me something now, we are legitimate contenders, so whatever you need you're going to get.' But you've got to work yourself up to that," he said. "We've got a lot of tradition and we've got a lot of baseball fans out there just waiting for something good for the city and baseball."

[Smizzy]

Why did he buy the Tigers then???

[stormshadow19]

Why did he buy the Tigers then???

Mr I was a former Tigers farm hand, I do believe. He's loved the Tigers since forever. And he wants them to be winners. But, it hasn't worked out quite the way he planned.

[mbn007]

Truth be told, he never really threw out the payroll for the Tigers, until recently. But the Wings always had a high payroll in Hockey.

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

MIKE ILLITCH CAN KISS MY ASS when it comes to the Tigers.

When he bought the team 13 years ago I thought he was the savior of the Tigers, someone who was going to step in for Tom "I own a baseball team???" Monahan and turn stuff around. Instead, he put the Tigers on the back burner while all his time and cash went to the Red Wings.

Now I'd be a hypocrite to say I haven't enjoyed the Red Wings success in the past 10 years and I appreciate what Mike Illitch did for that franchise, but when it comes to the Tigers, Illitch has failed and failed miserably.

7 managers in 13 years???? Sickening? He not only hired Randy Smith, possibly the worst GM EVER, repeat EVER, in the history of baseball and when Smith screwed up time after time again he left him in there.

He has pulled the wool over the eyes of Tigers fans his entire time here with convienent excuses or distractions. First it was the sense of 'at least Monahan" doesn't own them anymore". Then it was we need to get a new stadium. Then it was bringing in Trammel, Gibby and other 84 Tigers greats as a HUMAN SHIELD.

Now all of a sudden, after 11 years (going back 2 here) he wants to start dropping cash like water and get back into winning, except it's not working. Percival - failure. Maggs - who knows? Pudge - sputtering. I could on with failed/miserable transactions or poor, cash rich FA signings to get the "big names' into Detroit.

Under his tenure the Tigers farm system has been a DISASTER. An absolute train wreck and embarrasment that has JUST RECENTLY gotten back on track.

Last year was not even a remote success, it was a DISASTER. The inmates were running the asylum, the big FA signings (with big FA Cash) were nowhere to be found, unless you were in a hospital. Pudge and his mysterious 22 lbs were a clubhouse leetch.

The whole organization can kiss my ass and it starts with Illitch. Dombrowski is doing good but regardless of what Illitch says in the press, I think DD has some handcuffs on. If not, it's no one will come here because they know exactly what this club has become.

Detroit is one of the most tradition rich and historically significant teams in baseball history and now it's a complete and utter disgrace.

Detroit is a baseball town and doesn't deserve this.

[mbn007]

Well said. There is nothing more to add.

Personally, when he signed Pudge to a 4 year deal, I thought that would signal to other FAs that the Tigers was a place to go, and consider. Didn't work out that way.