Lakeland, Fla. – Most of his lieutenants have already bugged out. The scouts are home. The analytics staff is home. The media relations people are checking out soon. The minor league side is mostly vacated. Manager Ron Gardenhire is back with his wife and grandkids in Fort Myers.
And yet, like all good leaders, Al Avila will be the last man standing.
“It has been kind of weird,” said Avila, the Tigers general manager. “Nobody has ever gone through anything like this.”