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Detroit Tigers turned up aggressiveness after Joey Cora's meeting, then started winning
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- Detroit Tigers turned up aggressiveness after Joey Cora's meeting, then started winning
Coaches and players from the Detroit Tigers meet every day about a variety of topics in preparation for the game, but one meeting that occurred nearly two months ago stands out to the players and could be the reason for their winning ways.
It was a baserunning meeting led by third base coach Joey Cora , just hours before the Aug. 6 opener of a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
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Since then, the Tigers have the best record in baseball, at 32-14.
"We had a team meeting about wanting to be more aggressive on the bases," said Parker Meadows , whose sprint speed of 29.2 feet per second ranks 27th among 337 players with at least 75 competitive runs. "It was an intense meeting, to say the least. Ever since then, we've trusted him and been able to do a really good job at being aggressive on the bases."
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Parker Meadows of the Detroit Tigers celebrates his triple with third base coach Joey Cora against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
The Tigers responded to Cora's meeting by turning up their aggressiveness while running the bases.
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It was like a light switch flipped on.
Their first-to-third attempts increased from 42.9% before Aug. 6 to 44.7% since Aug. 6, while their second-to-home attempts increased from 65.8% to 88.6%.
The Tigers rank first in MLB in both categories across the past 51 days — by a decent margin. The 44.7% first-to-third attempts is ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates (43.8%) and San Diego Padres (40.8%), and the 88.6% second-to-home attempts is ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (82.6%) and the Tampa Bay Rays (76.3%).
"You have to risk something in order to do it," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That's why we push these guys to try first-and-third. You have to risk something in order to do it. The consistent message goes to the players, the players start to see it in the game, and then we get a benefit from it. It all pays off."
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The Tigers haven't necessarily been more successful on the bases, but they've certainly been more aggressive, thus creating more run-scoring opportunities for a mid-tier offense.
This team needs all the runs it can get.
In 2024, the Tigers have been worth 4.4 baserunning runs above average, ranking 12th in MLB. Here's what stands out: The Tigers accrued 2.6 of those runs in their 113 games before Aug. 6, then 1.8 runs in their last 46 games since Aug. 6.
"I think our style of play, as we've gotten more athletic and a little bit younger," Hinch said, "being able to do a few more things, then those little advantages at the margins of the competition are noteworthy. We still have a lot of areas to get better, but some of those areas where we're talking about pressure on the other side, we're getting more and more confident to be able to take our risks."
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Detroit Tigers third base coach Joey Cora (56) signals players during the first inning against Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Everything goes back to Cora's meeting.
Aggression was the message, but unlocking the aggressive style on the bases wasn't as simple as uttering one word. Rather, Cora showed multiple videos of past successes and failures to teach what he wanted the players to do.
"It was Joey," said Zach McKinstry , who leads the Tigers with 16 steals in 16 attempts. "He was getting a little amped up about it. I think he got his message across."
Aside from the meeting, Cora deserves credit for his aggressive sends at third base. He isn't afraid to make a mistake, whether testing the arm of an outfielder on a sacrifice fly or testing an outfielder and an infielder on a relay throw.
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There's a reason why Francisco Lindor , who had Cora as a third-base coach from 2022-23, warned the Tigers in spring training to "get your hamstrings ready" because of Cora's tendency to send runners in situations where other third-base coaches wouldn't even think about running.
It's why Hinch hired Cora to join the Tigers' coaching staff in 2024.
"I know (Jose) Siri has a good arm (in center field)," said Justyn-Henry Malloy , whose sacrifice fly drove in the game-winning run in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, "but we have Joey Cora, so he's sending ( Matt Vierling ), and V's got good speed. He was safe, and it was like a party in the dugout."
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Detroit Tigers third base coach Joey Cora (56) looks on during the fifth inning against Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Cora — the older brother of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora — has been criticized for his aggressive sends, typically only when a player gets thrown out on the bases, but the method to the madness has proven to create runs, especially as the Tigers shuffled their roster to feature a bevy of athletic players.
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The elder Cora loves putting pressure on opposing defenses.
So do the young Tigers.
"When Joey got here in the spring, we knew that was going to multiply because of his aggressive mindset," Hinch said, also crediting assistant coaches George Lombard, Anthony Iapoce and Gary Jones. "That mix has really resonated with this group of players as our athleticism has gotten better and our understanding of baseball is growing. These are young kids learning when to take a risk, when not to, but to always be alert and be ready for it."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' baserunning aggressiveness flips the switch on streak
