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A new era was ushered in on Friday when the Detroit Tigers announced that former Houston Astros head coach and 2017 World Series champion A.J. Hinch was signed on as the next manager of the team. He is the 39th person to hold the position after Ron Gardenhire abruptly retired before the end of the 2020 season due to health concerns. No specific details on the contract were immediately released, though it was specified that the agreement was for multiple years.
The Detroit Tigers today named A.J. Hinch as the 39th manager in franchise history, agreeing to terms on a multi-year contract. pic.twitter.com/AHALJU1wGw
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) October 30, 2020
The hiring does not come without controversy, given the accomplished coach’s recent suspension for his role in the Astros’ cheating scandal. We have already covered much of this at length in our previous articles on how the Tigers may have a better shot at A.J. Hinch than it seems as well as well as our update on his interview with the franchise.
The Tigers appear to have done their due diligence before the end of the World Series, having interviewed the likes of Los Angeles Dodgers coach George Lombard, New York Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames and fan-favorite Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Don Kelly, though none of the previous interviewees brought quite the pedigree that Hinch does to the table. It is unlikely a coincidence that the team browsed the bargain bin before jumping on their top pick as soon as the World Series ended.
Now that Hinch is officially at the helm of the Tigers as they navigate the latest leg of the rebuild, what are your thoughts?
Poll
Do you approve of the Detroit Tigers’ hiring of A.J. Hinch?
This poll is closed
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56%
Yes absolutely, the Tigers got the best man for the job
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20%
Yes, but with some reservations about his previous infractions
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7%
No, but I’m willing to give Hinch a second chance
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12%
No absolutely not, we don’t want no stinkin’ cheaters
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2%
Meh, could be better, could be worse