October 17, 200620 yr http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...stoda_0929.html Tigers' architect a master builder By Greg Stoda Palm Beach Post Columnist Friday, September 29, 2006 The Florida Marlins aren't going to the playoffs. But the Detroit Marlins are. OK, the connection isn't quite that significant. They aren't National League-American League twins. But anyone who cares about what the real Marlins did this season ought to commit post-season allegiance to the Detroit Tigers, and Dave Dombrowski might appreciate it. Dombrowski is Detroit's president, CEO and general manager who once upon a time was Florida's president and general manager. Dombrowski was with the Marlins when they won the 1997 World Series, and his fingerprints were on the trophy the team won six years later, too, even though he had by that time gone to Detroit where baseball life was downright miserable. That first World Series crown in Florida was earned with Jim Leyland directing things as manager from the Marlins' dugout, and - cue the Motown music - it's Leyland who's working the Detroit dugout as manager these days. "Jim is the key ingredient," Dombrowski said during a telephone call last week. "He runs the game as well as anybody. He had the players' respect and attention from the moment he showed up." The Tigers also happen to be using a catcher named Pudge Rodriguez, who was a linchpin of Florida's second World Series championship. But neither Leyland nor Rodriguez - bless their Florida championship ties - went through the misery in Detroit that Dombrowski has endured (try a 43-119 record three seasons ago when the Marlins subsequently became second-time champions). So, this is about Dombrowski getting credit for Detroit's stunning run after not getting enough of it for what Florida accomplished with that second World Series triumph. The Tigers, after all, were 72-90 and 71-91 in what passed for recovery from the aforementioned 119-loss debacle until they shocked baseball this season. "I don't think you can put a time frame on a rebuilding process in baseball," Dombrowski said. "I didn't know much about the Tigers' organization when I got here, and I think that was a problem when it came to learning about the farm system, scouting and getting to know player-development people." There was, however, a worthwhile benefit. "I did have a fresh perspective," Dombrowski said. Albeit with good reason, he made difficult decisions (legendary Detroit shortstop Alan Trammel was fired as manager in favor of Leyland) and was succinct in summation as the Tigers dissolved into a joke: "Nothing is going to put a positive spin on the season we've had," Dombrowski told me on the final day of 2003 schedule. "I think everybody understood it would be difficult, but nobody expected this." Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season. Leyland has been a forceful personality. He delivered a stern lecture to the team early in the season when he felt it slipping, but was a calming influence late when the Tigers went through their only prolonged slump. "He has a great sense of timing," Dombrowski said of Leyland. "He knew just what to do when people were asking, 'Are they really this good?' And he knew just what to do when people were asking, 'Are they going to hold on?' " It has been a season of "revitalization" - Dombrowski's word - in Detroit where more than 2.5 million fans will attend games in Comerica Park as the Tigers return to the playoffs for the first time since late in Ronald Reagan's second term in the White House. Three years ago, a detached Dombrowski watched with a sense of pride when the Marlins won the World Series. Now, he's smack in the middle of the Tigers' glory. A "revitalization" doesn't quite cover it. Dombrowski, Leyland and Pudge will always have a special place in the hearts of Marlins fan
October 17, 200620 yr I'd much rather see the FLORIDA MARLINS in the WS than the Detroit Marlins anyday
October 17, 200620 yr I'm happy for Leyland, but i'm still kinda pissed at Pudge for leaving and i really could care less about Dombrowski now that we have Beinfest. I don't care who wins the world series as long as it's not the Mets.
October 17, 200620 yr Former Marlins on the Tigers this year (there are several): -Pudge -Kevin Hooper -Nate Robertson -Todd Jones -Jason Grilli plus Dombrowski and Leyland.
October 17, 200620 yr Author I'm happy for Leyland, but i'm still kinda pissed at Pudge for leaving and i really could care less about Dombrowski now that we have Beinfest. I don't care who wins the world series as long as it's not the Mets. I'm kinda pissed at Dombrowski as well for marrying Karie Ross man was she a hottie!
October 17, 200620 yr I'd much rather see the FLORIDA MARLINS in the WS than the Detroit Marlins anyday really? :banghead
October 17, 200620 yr Former Marlins on the Tigers this year (there are several): -Pudge -Kevin Hooper -Nate Robertson -Todd Jones -Jason Grilli plus Dombrowski and Leyland. Aswell as Assistant GM Al Avila and many others front office executives.
October 17, 200620 yr Author "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit?
October 17, 200620 yr Author Here's another column about the Marlins-Detroit connection by Berardino on Sunday http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basebal...-sports-marlins Transplanted Marlins turn Tigers around Mike Berardino Sports columnist October 15, 2006 DETROIT -- The trophy wasn't going anywhere. Dave Dombrowski stood on the outfield grass, surrounded by media, a celebration swirling around him, answering question after question on an electric Saturday night. Music filled Comerica Park with an intensity nearly matching the joy after this stunning sweep of the Oakland A's. The wind whipped through Dombrowski's hair, now gone mostly gray with the passage of 50 years, more than half of them spent in baseball front offices. But all along, the architect of this incredible Tigers turnaround hugged the William Harridge Trophy as tightly as a loved one. Its black granite and silver baseball pressed the left side of his sports coat. The golden eagle on top nestled close to his heart. Dombrowski's Tigers were champions of the American League, just as nine years ago Dombrowski's Marlins were champions of the National League. How did the trophies compare? "They both feel good," he yelled over a din that hadn't stopped since Magglio Ordonez's three-run homer in the ninth. "I can't even answer that question." The biggest difference? Back in '97 Dombrowski was simply general manager of the Marlins, a huge undertaking but not nearly as taxing as his current role. President. Chief Executive Officer. GM. Those are the titles Tigers owner Mike Ilitch gave Dombrowski, a triple crown worn by no one else in the game. Ilitch stuck with his man through a 119-loss embarrassment in 2003, through a couple of failed managerial switches, through rampant public doubt. Did Dombrowski ever wonder if he'd make it back to a moment like this? "There's a lot that's involved with winning, but it starts with good people," he said. "And we've always had good people." It's not just the Wizard of Woodward, Jim Leyland, that's back working with Dombrowski. It's front-office men like Al Avila, John Westhoff, Dan Lunetta and Mike Smith. It's top scouts like Scott Reid, Mike Russell, David Chadd, Dick Egan, Miguel Garcia and James Orr. It's player-development people like Cheryl Evans and Manny Crespo. It's head trainer Kevin Rand. All are transplanted Marlins. All are Dombrowski loyalists, and the loyalty flows both ways. "All of our people contributed," Dombrowski said. "Every single one of them. They don't get the credit they deserve but they just did a phenomenal job for us." And then from a distance, here came Pudge Rodriguez, trotting toward the impromptu gathering. Hat backward, T-shirt soaked with champagne, the Tigers' catcher moved his hands in breaststroke fashion, demanding a path be cleared. Now the future Hall of Famer was putting a bear hug of his own on the man who brought him to Detroit, who helped ease the sting of his own Marlins divorce after the 2003 World Series. Dombrowski thrust the trophy into the catcher's hands, but Pudge pushed it back. "This is yours," he said, racing off to another part of the infield. A few minutes later, Pudge was back and this time he wanted the trophy. He took it a few yards away to the infield dirt, where two young children waited. Darbi Dombrowski, 8, threw her arms around her favorite player. She couldn't stop smiling. Her little brother Landon, 6, was awestruck in his white Tigers jersey with "Dombrowski 6" on the back. Pudge leaned over and together the trio posed for picture-snapping family members. Memories to last a lifetime. Memories neither child has from '97, unless you count the celebrations Darbi attended in the pregnant belly of her mother, Karie Ross. How dangerously close she came to being named Edgarina or Livana. The girl has heard the story many times. But until just a few weeks ago, she never had any visuals to go with it. She had never watched the video of the Marlins' Game 7 victory over the Indians. Neither had her father until somebody suggested they pop in the DVD and relive that magical night. "We tried to explain to them how this works and what was going on," Ross said. "South Florida brings back so many happy memories for us." And what did they kids think? "They thought it was pretty fun and they like to go to the `champagne room,' as they call it," Ross said. "But I don't think they understand the enormity. I don't think they get the big picture of how special it is or how hard it is to get there." Watching their father hug that trophy should help.
October 17, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one.
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one. um... Redman was a pretty big piece to 2003
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? yeah we did, but he went in the MArk Redman trade I think, not sure though. "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one. um... Redman was a pretty big piece to 2003 I tend to agree there. Him and Dontrelle were assured wins at one point, I just felt so comfortable seeing them on the mound.
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one. um... Redman was a pretty big piece to 2003 He pitched many clutch games that year. And kept us in the games he pitched in the postseason.
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one. Robertson would have never done what Redman did for us that year. World Championship > Robertson It's one of those trades that no one should "cry" (I'm not saying your crying) over.
October 18, 200620 yr "Just as nobody expected the Tigers to be 95-64 this season". Doh - 95-67 Dude the article was written on 10/29/06 the season wasn't over yet I didn't know we had Nate Robertson!... very nice pitcher! How did he end up in Detroit? Mark Redman We really won on that one. um... Redman was a pretty big piece to 2003 He pitched many clutch games that year. And kept us in the games he pitched in the postseason. Redman had a fine start in the NLDS, but his starts against the Cubs and Yankees were terrible
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