The Detroit Tigers announced on Friday that they have hired A.J. Hinch to be their next manager, and the move has obviously come with some criticism. Both Hinch and the team tried to address that.
Tigers general manager Al Avila said the team spoke with Hinch about his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, and Hinch was “remorseful.”
#Tigers GM Al Avila on A.J. Hinch: "There were some important conversations to have about A.J.’s time in Houston. Throughout that dialogue he was clearly remorseful and used that time to reflect on the situation, and we believe he will emerge as a better leader because of it.''
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 30, 2020
Hinch also spoke about the sign-stealing scheme and being suspended for the entire 2020 season. He said his focus going forward is on “integrity and honesty.”
A.J. Hinch thanks the #Tigers for having trust in him: “The last year was the most difficult of my life. It gave me time to reflect, which was such a big part of this process (more)
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 30, 2020
More A.J. Hinch: "Everything that has transpired over the past year, personally and professionally, has put so much in perspective for me, and re-enforced how important it is to do things with integrity and honesty.” #Tigers
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 30, 2020
Former Astros bench coach and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was painted as one of the masterminds behind the Astros’ cheating scandal. Hinch knew about the cheating and reportedly made it clear that he disapproved of it, though he did nothing to stop it. The Tigers obviously felt that the year-long suspension was punishment enough and trust that Hinch’s winning track record is not a result of the cheating.
Hinch has a record of 481-329 as a manager. He went to two World Series with the Astros and won one.
