The Tigers yesterday made a series of front office contract extensions and promotions, most notably a new four-year deal for President, CEO & GM Dave Dombrowski that keeps him with the club through '15. Duane McLean was promoted to Exec VP/Business Operations, and the team extended manager Jim Leyland through next year. The Tigers also gave new contracts to four other members of the baseball operations staff, including VP & Assistant GM Al Avila. The moves reflect a vote of confidence by Owner Mike Ilitch in the current executive leadership, particularly as the club now sits in first place in the AL Central and Comerica Park attendance has shown strong improvement in recent weeks after an early-season lull. The unresolved contract status of Dombrowski and Leyland beyond this year had been something of an issue early in the season and during Spring Training. Negotiations toward the Dombrowski extension began to escalate around last month's All-Star Game. "I always felt things would work out, and I always hoped I would stay here," Dombrowski said yesterday afternoon. "And continuity in an organization is extremely important if you have good people, which we obviously believe we do." Dombrowski has been with the Tigers since '01, McLean since '03 (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).
LEADING BY EXAMPLE: In Detroit, Lynn Henning writes Ilitch is a "common-sense owner of professional sports teams," and that is "all you need to know as to why he has extended the contracts" of Dombrowski and Leyland. From a business perspective, Ilitch "has a success story playing out each and every summer at Comerica Park." The Tigers twice in the past four years have "drawn 3 million fans, the first time any such number was even remotely approached in Detroit." Henning: "Ilitch is smart enough to know he could oust the current cast ... and end up with a new regime that could as easily turn the Tigers into a lesser product rather than the dynasty fans believe should be achievable. It doesn't work that way" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/9).
