The Detroit Tigers made it official this afternoon, hiring A.J. Hinch to be their new manager following the retirement of Ron Gardenhire last month.
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During his introductory press conference along with GM Al Avila and team owner Chris Ilitch, Hinch described his excitement of joining the Tigers, and talked about the process of how it all came to be.
“I’m so happy to be here, this is such a great day,” he said. “To be back in a position of leadership and manage the Detroit Tigers is truly a blessing.”
“I have great respect for the precess – it was a long couple of days and a lot of questions about baseball of where the Tigers have been, where they are now, and where we’re going to go,” he explained. “It’s a great opportunity for me, I”m excited to get to know the players and get started as soon as possible. I’m proud to wear the Old English D, and I’m looking forward to the times ahead.”
Hinch also addressed the controversy that caused his suspension in the wake of the Astros sign stealing scandal, saying it’s part of his history, not Detroit’s:
