Fredi Gonzalez (Photo by Eric Enfermero)
Fredi Gonzalez (Photo by Eric Enfermero)
Veteran baseball writer Lynn Henning of The Detroit News has been around for quite a while.
So when he speculates on who the next manager of the Tigers might be, it's worth paying attention.
In this case, he thinks Fredi Gonzalez just might be the right guy "all because he fits, categorically, the criteria Al Avila insists on bringing to Detroit as the victim next in line to absorb flak previously reserved for Jim Leyland and Brad Ausmus." Henning adds:
Fredi Gonzalez makes too much sense.
Let’s scan the various boxes and see how many check-marks apply:
Experience: Avila, the Tigers general manager who gets his first crack at a personally stamped skipper, wants a man who previously managed at some level of professional baseball. Gonzalez was Marlins manager from 2007 into 2010, and ran the Braves from 2011 into 2016. He has 1,402 games as a big-league commander, not to mention a bunch of years in the minors. Big, bold checkmark there.
Age and energy: Gonzalez is 53. He now spends his baseball days and nights as the Marlins’ third-base coach. Those who know him understand, implicitly, he is aching to manage again and would love a shot at the Tigers job. Check-mark there, in indelible ink.
