This might not be the best title for the thread, but no one can help but wonder what the difference has been between this year's club and the last several years.
So place your vote for who deserves the credit or blame.

By the way, I set it up to allow for you to vote for more than one.

While the change from Trammell to Leyland is/was a big improvement, I don't think you can blame Tram for last season's debacle. There were too many issues (locker-room politics, injuries among them) that played a role in what happened.

Its just insane improvement in pitching.

While all the blame can't be on Tram, he wasn't good in the locker room. We already know he has a good baseball mind, but the difference this year has been Leyland. After a tiny losing streak, he went off and got this team to get re-focused. You would have never seen that from Tram. He's got his guys playing with a combination of confidence in themselves and fear of the bad-ass manager.

Rogers has brought stability to the pitching staff, and is teaching the young guys everything he knows. Zoom is explosive and exciting while bringing a spark to the team, and Verlander is just plain incredible. That guy will be a force for years to come. Even if the Tigers don't continue this pace and miss out on the post-season, this team is set for the future.

Haven't seen anyone mention this yet.

Bobby Higginson's finally gone...

Haven't seen anyone mention this yet.

Bobby Higginson's finally gone...

Thank goodness.

Dave Dombroski(sp?)?

- Stock-piled our farm system with great talent. Before he arrived, our farm system was absolute crap.

- Signed great free agents. I don't care what anyone says: every signing was worth every penny, except Percy.......and maybe Ugueth.

- Great trades. Getting Polanco, Colon, Minor and Guillen were awesome moves. They help our present and future.

- Signing Jim Leyland.

Higginson being gone helps a lot he was a cancer. He was also the reason why Tram wasn't good in the clubhouse, he compromised his credibility for loyalty to Gibson and Higgy.

I will go as far to say things will get better chemistry wise if DY is sent packing. Aside from injuries he doesn't seem committed.

As far as Leyland goes he is without question a huge factor but i all honesty any veteran ball buster manager would be getting similar results.

Arch, nice shout out to Dombrowski. I give him all the credit in the world. Basically my question is which of his moves has been the biggest difference. Bottom line is he's responsible for the whole package. Anyone who has followed his career knows he's a freaking genius that doesn't get nearly as much credit as he deserves, and the Tigers were lucky to get him. I would love it if he sticks with this organization a lot longer, unlike the Expos and Marlins where he put the talent in place but then moved on. Hopefully Ilitch has the pockets to keep him, and a great team, around for quite some time.

Haven't seen anyone mention this yet.

Bobby Higginson's finally gone...


Brilliant. I agree. Clubhouse chemistry is a big deal. That's why the Farnsworth thing was such a big deal last year. Bobby was an overpriced cancer. That's like paying millions of dollars to have someone kick you in the junk everyday.