Tanking in sports is an incredibly fascinating subject. It’s gone on for well quite a while. Why?
Well (and that is a deep subject) there are various reasons this takes place:
1. The team has an aging roster and see top picks as a quick fix.
2. A teams payroll is out of control and it’s a way to get it under wraps.
3. The team is really that bad with no chance of winning so they implement tanking with eyes on the future.
Agents hate it. With a passion. They claim it slows down the free agent market and teams would rather gather draft picks and young prospects for their farm teams.
As a fan of the rebuilding Detroit Tigers I have no problem with the team if the MLB draft is stacked with good talent.
The fact that the Tigers owner Chris Ilitch has poured money into analytics and upgrading all the minor league facilities shows the switching of a mind set. Instead of winning now as his late father Mike Ilitch aimed for. The younger Ilitch has an eye on the future and prolonged winning.
So to the Tigers I say “as long as the scouting is spot on. Tank away. Lose now, win later and for a prolonged period of time.”
