Former Tigers Skipper Decompressing

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

During our time covering Spring Training in the Cactus League, we had an extremely busy agenda and there were certain games along with people that were on the must do list.

On Monday, March 19, 2018, this was a date that was at the top of the list.

The Los Angeles Angels hosted the Seattle Mariners at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

My top priority was seeing a very good friend that I've known for over 20 years.

His name is Tim Mead, the Vice President of Communications.

I'm thankful that throughout the years we've remained in touch through Linkedin and told him that when I returned to Arizona he should have a seat ready for me in the Press Box.

Tim kept his word and I had my seat in the Press Box.

When it comes to the Gold Standard of Public Relations individuals, Tim is one of the nicest and most genuine people on the planet!!

When I go to Arizona to cover Spring Training, this is a stop which is mandatory to make!

Also, Tempe Diablo Stadium has been the Angels home for 26 years and the mountainous scenery is breath taking.

What made this visit even more enjoyable was seeing another familiar face.

His name is Brad Ausmus and he's a Special Assistant to General Manager Billy Eppler.

Ausmus managed the Detroit Tigers from 2014-2017 and led the team to an A.L. Central Division Championship with a 90-72 record.

Overall, Ausmus compiled a 314-332 mark including a 64-98 record during his final campaign that saw Detroit's rebuilding process begin.

During Spring Training, Ausmus was real neat to work with. There were times that I didn't have clubhouse access because every team handles their operation differently.

With Ausmus, he used to hold his pre-game interviews in the dugout and was a pleasure to talk to.

That's what made this day even more enjoyable because it seemed like old times.

What is Ausmus missing right now with the Detroit Tigers?

A squad that currently has a 54-81 mark and the stress of trying to figure out the core of what this team is going to look like in the future.

He's also missing out on Victor Martinez' last season as well as Miguel Cabrera's absence in the line-up because of injuries.

But as we have in the past, we still had time to talk to each other but this time, we had an exclusive one-on-one conversation about the past and the present.

Q: Brad, I have to tell you, it looks a bit different to see you in these new red and white colors uniform than in the past. How is the adjustment for you?

A: It took a few days to get comfortable with after the last four years in Detroit. You get used to the Olde English "D", but like many people in the game of baseball, you wear many uniforms during the course of your career.

Q: I know you have a new challenge here with the LA Angels. What's it been like and tell me what your role is?

A: I'm here on the field in Spring Training quite a bit. I will be on the field some in the minor leagues during the course of the summer. Most of the time will be spent upstairs at "The Big A" during major league Angel games all summer long.

Q: Do you find that taking a year off from managing will give you the opportunity to regroup about what you're going to do? I know that you're relatively young (49) and I've talked to a lot of good friends in the business that are happy to take a breather and welcome the break.

A: I think it gives you a chance to decompress and have you do some things during the course of the summer where you can't do as a manager or as a player. It's a full-time gig, seven months from the middle of February until you hope until the end of October. You don't get to do things like summer vacations when you're involved in baseball. This job allows me to stay involved in the game closely and allows me to do some things at home.

Q: Let's talk about your tenure in Detroit. Can you reflect on that?

A: Overall, I enjoyed my time in Detroit tremendously. I loved the area, the heartbeat of the city, the fans are great fans and they love the Tigers in Detroit and all of Michigan. I wish we could have won a World Series without question. I felt bad that Mr. I (Illitch) didn't get to win a World Series.  That's possibly the biggest regret.

Last year was a tough year especially once we traded off pieces and the Tigers entered rebuilding mode. But quite frankly, I really loved the City of Detroit. As up and down as we had over the course of four seasons, the fans always showed up and they always wanted a winner, quite frankly.

Q: You had great players to work with especially Miguel Cabrera. How did you like managing him?

A: Miggy is easy to manage. He was the smartest player on that team. His baseball IQ is extremely high. He understands not only what he's supposed to be doing on the field, but he knows what everyone else is suppose to be doing.  He's easy. Miggy is the type of guy you wind up and let him go because he's going to do the right thing the vast majority of the time. The back issues hampered him last year. When Miggy's numbers fall back, it's more likely an injury issue.  He has played with injuries and didn't tell you about them. Miggy is a Hall of Fame Player and that I think has some years left in him.

Q: What were your thoughts about Justin Verlander being traded to the Houston Astros?

A: I wasn't happy and I didn't want to lose Justin Verlander, but I understood why the move was being made. Having played in Houston for 10 years, I sat down and talked to Justin after the trade for about 15 minutes about the area and about places he might want to live.

Just the fact understanding that Astros fans and the City of Houston would embrace him. I was there in 1998 when the Astros traded for Randy Johnson, I saw how the city embraced him that I knew Justin would get a similar welcoming.

Q: You talked about the Tigers starting rebuilding last season. How tough of a challenge will it be for them?

A: I think Al (Avila) committed to the rebuilding process and Gardy (Ron Gardenhire) has done this before so he's an excellent man for the job.  It may take some time. There will be some growing pains, but I think it's a smart thing to do and in the long haul hopefully it puts Detroit in a position to win on a consistent basis.

Q: Finally, it's neat to see you every year in Spring Training and in Florida I liked watching you running around the field to get a workout.  How do you like being in the Cactus League compared to the Grapefruit League?

A: I can say this, the Cactus League travel is much easier.  Everything is within 45 minutes. So that's a bonus. I will say this though.  The Tigers have one of the nicest Spring Training Complex's and Stadiums in all of baseball. That's a big plus in Lakeland.

It's inevitable that there will be managerial openings at the end of the year.

Angels Manager Mike Sciosia is signed through the end of the 2018 season and Baltimore Orioles Pilot Buck Showalter could be at the end of his tenure in Maryland.

Ausmus is a bright baseball mind and you can rest assure that he will be quite selective about what type of challenge he'd undertake, and when he's ready to return to the pressure cooker.

Unlike former Arizona Diamondbacks Managers Bob Brenly, Kirk Gibson and former Tigers Skipper Alan Trammell who didn't get second opportunities to run a team, I don't see that happening to Ausmus.  It's not a matter of if he'll get another job, but a matter of when.

As for my return to seeing the Angels, I felt like I hit a grand slam home run spending time with Mead and Ausmus!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbullm@aol.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

Former Tiger Darnell Coles Embraces Brewers Challenges

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

Although the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians is almost over, it's never too late to reflect on the 2016 regular season.

When we were in Milwaukee to see the Brewers in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates during late August, I caught up with another baseball friend Darnell Coles.

I've known Coles, 54, since Spring Training of 1986, when he was acquired by the Tigers from the Seattle Mariners.

If there is an individual that's seen baseball from many different perspectives, Coles is that person.

He played in the Major Leagues for 14 seasons with eight different teams: 1) Seattle, 2) Detroit, 3) Pittsburgh, 4)San Francisco, 5) Cincinnati, 6) Toronto, 7) St. Louis, and 8) Colorado.  Coles managed to hang around in the Major Leagues by playing in both the infield and outfield.

Darnell's Career batting totals include .245 average, 75 HR, 368 RBI, and 957 Career games.  For the Tigers in 1986, he hit 20 HR, 86 RBI with a .273 average along with 521 AB, in 142 games.  The 1986 campaign was his best MLB season.

During his travels, Coles was a member of the 1993 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

He is one of only 14 players ever, including Babe Ruth, to hit three homers in a game in both the National League (1987 Pirates) and the American League (1994 Blue Jays).

Coles has managed in the Minor Leagues four seasons compiling a 223-268 mark with a .454 percentage.

Darnell spent the 2014 season as an Assistant Hitting Coach with Detroit, his first career coaching position at the Major League Level, serving under former Tiger Wally Joyner.

During Coles tenure, the Tigers led the Major Leagues in batting average (.277) and ranked second in runs (.757), OBP (.331), slugging (.426) and OBS (.757).  Coles served as a Baseball Analyst for ESPN from 2001-2006.

In 2016, Coles Brewers ranked 25th in MLB as his club had a .244 batting average.

Milwaukee finish fourth in the NL Central with a 73-89 mark, 30.5 games back behind the Chicago Cubs (103-58).

If there is a baseball lifer, Darnell is it. 

We had the chance to have a great conversation on many interesting topics.

Q:  Doesn't it seem unfortunate that the Tigers and Brewers don't meet as often?


A:  It's unfortunate but, the fortunate part is I can watch from afar knowing that you were part of something special there in multi facets as a player.  The teams I played on there were outstanding from Tram (Alan Trammell) Lou (Whitaker) Gibby (Kirk Gibson) Chet Lemon and the whole crew.  Coming back as a coach, Brad Ausmus hired me for my first Major League Coaching job working with Wally Joyner and Mr (Dave) Dombrowski so I couldn't be more grateful to them for the opportunity.

Q:  What was it like working with the Tigers hitters?

A:  When you have a Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Torii Hunter, a special group like that, I don't know how much work is being done at getting them more consistent or being better.  I think all those guys are great hitters Obviously Miggy is on a different stratosphere when it comes to hitting.  But I think working with that group, you have a distinct understanding how guys should go about their business.  They understand what it takes each and everyday to be successful and the consistency of that showing every night is a beautiful thing when you work with those kind of hitters

Q. How much did the Tigers experience prepare you for your position with the Milwaukee Brewers?

A:  I think it did everything in preparing me for it because being an assistant in Detroit, I learned from Wally Joyner.  I paid attention to detail, worked on a couple different projects that he wanted me to work on.  I wanted to make sure he was satisfied with all the work being put into it.  Ultimately, it allowed us to have a great working relationship.  We're great friends.  We call each other up every now and then to kind of bounce things off each other. Again, I couldn't be more grateful in what he's meant for me in my career.

Q:  What's it like to be coaching a younger team which is far less experienced and talented then what you had in Detroit?

A:  I think payroll has a little bit to do with it.  In Detroit each and every other guy was making an enormous amount of money.  At the end of the day, the work they put in, consistency of that work showing up during the game is fantastic with the way they carried themselves.  The group as a whole understanding what it took to play for the guy next to him, keep the line moving next to him to do their job and allowing everybody to do theirs is a huge part as to why Detroit was successful when I was there and is successful today.


Q:  In your current Brewers situation, you have a much younger group and obviously they don't have the experience.  How much of a challenge has it been for you dealing with a different type of situation, than in Detroit?

A:  I think with a younger group, there is a lot of teachable moments to understand what teams are trying to do to you, what teams are trying to set you up later in the game, pitch to you with runners on base, will they not, will they give you a good pitch to hit.  You have to understand and pay attention to the scoreboard.  The scoreboard generally tells you everything you need to know.

Q:  Let's talk about Ryan Braun and former Tiger Herman Perez.  Did you work with him in Detroit and how is he to coach?

A:I did work with him in Detroit and got a chance to see him there.  He didn't get a chance to play a lot based on the fact you had Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias.  You have guys that played everyday in the positions he played in then it was going to be tough to get at bats.  He had an opportunity to come over here was a fresh new deal for him to play a little third base, a little shortstop, a little second base, and now he has put himself in a position to play the outfield.  So this allows him to getting to playing a number of positions.  But it also allows him to consistently get at bats.  He went to winter ball this year, lost weight, got himself in great shape, came back this year after having a great winter ball.  He started the season in AAA (Colorado Springs).  Consistently he did well there and he's been phenomenal.  Getting him here, we've gotten him to make adjustments that have worked out.  He's put himself in a position to possibly vie for a regular position at some point in time down the road. He's special to watch because he's someone who you have worked with over time that has consistently gotten better and now it's showing up in the same.  That's a beautiful thing.

As for Ryan Braun is Ryan Braun.  He's one of the best payers in the game.  To me, he's one of the top five hitters in MLB.  He has a routine he does everyday understands hitting, how he's being pitched, understands situations, pays attention to detail, has a plan and the list goes on and on.  There is very few guys that go about their business the way he does and the consistency of that showing up every night and you see that in the results  He's a great player that's a great teammate and he's special to watch.  I'm happy I get a chance to work with him everyday.

Q:  What's it like working with a small market club compared to the bigger market teams around MLB?  Do you embrace this challenge?

A:  I think the market place is what it is.  We have a great fan base, as good of a ballpark (Miller Park) as there is in Major League Baseball.  So that portion of it is taken care of.  I think the reality of it is that we're a team that has to develop our farm system.  We're doing a great job of doing that with David Sterns (General Manager) coming in and Matt Arnold his Assistant GM have put in place for us to give these guys a better opportunity in order to build a long term future.  Our guys understand that they will get opportunities to play there will be a lot of teachable moments.  We have to understand as coaches, the more we teach them and the better they get, that will increase our chance of being successful.  I embrace any challenge of getting guys better!

Q:  Let's describe Milwaukee as a baseball town, Wouldn't it be scary when they do win considering they can get 35,000 fans for a sub .500 team?  It makes me wonder does Milwaukee have the potential to be a Sleeping Giant once the Brewers play contending baseball.

A:  I think it shows that the fan base shows up every night  They understand what the transitional period is.  We're a team that's young and motivate that talent to be good Major League players.  That takes time but our fan base is always sticking by their teams and they understand the gravity of the situation.  With that said, they want to win and want to win now as much as we do.  So we're trying to do it in a systematic way that allows us to win long term but financially puts us in the best possible position to be stable for a long time.

Q:  You worked with Brad Ausmus and now Craig Counsell.  Both are young managers.  Compare and contrast both skippers?

A:  They're both young, have played baseball for a long time, they understand how the game is played.  They're both old school and came up at a time when players had to go out and play, perform and do well to continue to play in the Big Leagues.  I think they both have a distinct understanding to how they want their teams to play.  They're very good at making sure that the talent they have plays a brand of baseball, but each can be proud of.  Like I said, I enjoy and it's been a pleasure to work with both of them.

Q:  Finally, Do you  have a managerial aspirations one day in the big leagues?  Do you understand how important patience is to get that opportunity?

A:  I do.  I managed in the minor leagues.  Getting to the Big Leagues as a Hitting Coach has been special.  At the end of the day, I do want to eventually get an opportunity to be a bench coach then to manage.  I've learned a lot of things from the different managers, such as Sparky Anderson, Jim Leyland to name a few that have allowed you to earn and gain a distinct understanding of how the game is supposed to be taught, played, and how to run a franchise from the foundation up has been beautiful to watch.  I'd love to get an opportunity to be a part of that and show everybody all the things that you've learned along the way will allow you to be a manager that will allow your players to play, hold them accountable but most importantly, be a manager that puts the city on his backing and is capable of winning championships and getting out in the community.  It's a big part of what I want to do.  If I set the opportunity, I will put my best foot forward and hope that chance comes one day.  I've always been patient, being a hitting coordinator, then a hitting coach you have to be patient

because the development of players sometimes comes later than others.  You have to be patient enough to stick with the program, understand what the program is all about, but to methodically add and subtract things that don't prevent that player from being successful so that you can get the best out of them daily.

I feel like I'm really good at that.  I learned this as a player and it took me sometime to catch on and experience to learn it.  Patience has carried me now that I'm coaching and I'll have a lot as a manager.



There is no doubt in my mind that Coles has many good years left in baseball. At age 54, his student of the game mentality means the sky is the limits as time progresses. There are never enough good minds in baseball. I will be looking forward where/when our paths cross in the future.





Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of The Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Is Bill Laimbeer NBA Coaching Material?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH



When I see Charles Barkley endorse Bill Laimbeer as a potential head coach, "My Wheels Start Turning" as to why a man with two NBA Championships as a player and three more as head coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock isn't receiving much consideration getting NBA interviews.

There is no doubt that Laimbeer has done an outstanding job making enemies in the league. He's been in altercations with current and former executives & coaches named Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Kurt Rambis when the Pistons/Bad Boys were winning titles during the "Bad Boys" dynasty.

The "Bad Boys" dynasty saw Bird fire Isiah Thomas when the pair were on the Indiana Pacers payroll. It was inevitable that Celtics and Pistons couldn't work together.

What amazes me about Laimbeer is I do believe he could have done a much better job than the Pistons recently deposed Coach Michael Curry.

Laimbeer is a fierce competitor and along with Thomas, they took it upon themselves with their strong personalities to lay down the law when Detroit acquired Mark Aguirre and made sure he wouldn't be disruptive in the locker room. The rest is history as Detroit defeated the LA Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers and won their championship rings.

The one thing I'll never forget about Laimbeer was when I made my lone appearance at the Boston Garden in January of 1990, I was in the Pistons locker room talking with Dennis Rodman.

On December 25, 1989, the same day former Tigers Manager Billy Martin was killed in an automobile accident, I was injured in a skiing accident on Magic Mountain in Vermont tearing the ligiments on my last run of the day.

A concerned Rodman was asking me why I was wearing a fiber glass cast on my left ankle. At that time, Dennis and I had a great rapport and he was always cooperative when I wanted to speak with him. Rodman treated me like a friend.

As I was speaking with Rodman, Laimbeer made some stupid wisecrack and I went ahead and told him, "Just because you can afford to make your car payment doesn't mean I can afford to make mine." Rodman quickly jumped in and told Laimbeer to get off my back and to leave me alone. Dennis and I then proceeded with my interview and I went on to talk to another player.

Right then and there, I knew like many people, why Laimbeer was hated. It's easy to tolerate a guy when a team is winning. But he made reporters jobs more difficult and as aforementioned, didn't get along with other players. Little did Laimbeer realize that dealing with the media is free advertising for the team. I certainly never questioned his basketball intelligence, but his public relations skills were horrible.

Laimbeer did a masterful job with the Detroit Shock by saving a franchise that was destined to fold to winning championships. Since I never covered the Shock, I'm unaware of his dealings with the media. I would think that they should have improved.

Laimbeer reminds me of former Tiger Kirk Gibson, who as a player was lousy with the media. But as Gibson retired and when he became a part of the media, he appreciated the other side and now as a coach is much better to deal with. I do believe that it's a matter of time before Gibson becomes a manager because the difference between him and Lambeer is he didn't burn bridges with other baseball people like Laimbeer did with basketball people.

Gibson's dramatic World Series homers with the Tigers in 1984 and LA Dodgers in 1988 will always be great memories on ESPN Classic. Laimbeer's elbows and fights on ESPN Classic won't capture the imagination of fans but will only infuriate them.

I'm still amazed that Joe Dumars hasn't hired him as an assistant coach unless the two discussed it but Laimbeer frowned on the idea. Again, I don't know so I don't want to be questioned for making false statements. But Dumars has been around all five of Laimbeer's championships so there is more to this than meets the eye.

When Thomas was running the New York Knicks, he did interview Laimbeer but hired Larry Brown. I'm surprised that Thomas didn't talk Brown into hiring Laimbeer as an assistant coach. He's always made sure that Brendan Suhr and Brendan Malone had jobs with him during his stops in Toronto and New York.

Dumars' former top front-office aide and now Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond had a chance to offer Laimbeer a coaching job of some sort when he hired Scott Skiles as his head coach. There was familiarity but nothing transpired.

Laimbeer did interview for the Minnesota Timberwolves head coaching job which did go to Rambis. I wouldn't have expected there to be a friendly reunion between these one time rivals unless Rambis won't hold a grudge against Laimbeer and utilize his basketball knowledge that he obtained from the late Chuck Daly. Even before Daly passed away, I'm surprised that Daly wasn't able to get Laimbeer more consideration for other jobs unless he thought his former center was happy working in the WNBA.

Nevertheless, the question remains, is there a future on an NBA bench for Laimbeer? I'd like to think there is since he does know how to win.

It's no secret that he plays mind games with his players but even the best coaches in sports like Bill Parcells, Pat Riley and many others do to keep their players off balance and focused.

But the NBA coaching ranks are very weird. I'm amazed that New York Knicks legendary Center Patrick Ewing hasn't been given the opportunity to be the head coach for this team since he has paid his dues as an assistant under Jeff and Stan Van Gundy and played under Riley. This is an injustice.

Until we find out how Ewing and Laimbeer would do as coaches, for the time being, we'll never know. Ewing is more media friendly but Laimbeer still has what Ewing was unable to accomplish in his career and that's win an NBA title.

The only thing I can say to Laimbeer at the moment is if there are no NBA jobs in the future, Bill you should rejoin Thomas at Florida International University (FIU) and learn how to teach because if there is a job that opens up with a bad team, you'll be forced to educate the younger players and develop patience.

It would be scary to think that FIU would be the amateur version of the "Bad Boys" with the boosters paying the fines because of rough play. Then again, they won't care if the team is winning, gets to the NCAA Tournament and becomes a Cinderella Story that bolsters recruiting and puts the university on the map.

It's time to start paying dues Bill like the rest of us who take entry level positions and work our way up. At least you know now through ESPN's "Outside The Lines" that while Barkley still might not like you, he does respect you and does believe you'll be a winning coach, thus you do have an unexpected ally.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com