Ron Gardenhire’s words have been heard.
The Tigers will be putting teeth into their development process. There won’t be a woodshed built at the Tigertown complex. Nor will solitary-confinement cells be installed at their Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A ballparks.
But rules and enforcement are about to be ramped up within the Tigers’ teaching system.
“I think it’s a valid point,” said Dave Littlefield, the Tigers vice president of development, whose job is to head coaches, managers, and instructors charged with getting kid prospects ready for the big leagues.
“It’s imperative that we have to improve.