Will Prince Fielder Kill the Detroit Red Wings?

It is almost a day and half old, which in today’s world means it is old news.  However, for those of you who haven’t heard, the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a 9 year $214 million contract.  By most accounts this was a huge get for the Tigers.  Fielder is 27 years old and in the prime of his career.  In 7 major league seasons Fielder has averaged 37 homers and 106 RBI. Those numbers are likely to improve during the course of the next few years.  The only downsides to Fielder appear to be his lack of a defensive ability and the fact his middle name is Semien (pronounced “See-Man”).  Hey, no one ever accused Big Daddy Cecil of always making solid decisions.  You cannot blame Prince on the middle name thing.  

There are a number of opinions on what Fielder will mean for the Tigers.  Most pundits, even if critical of the length of the contract, agree the addition of Fielder give the Tigers one of the most formidable middle of the lineups in the majors.  This, coupled with the Tigers solid rotation, put the Tigers in the driver seat to win the American League pennant for several years, at least in the short term.  Those looking to find fault in the deal, point to the fact the Tigers now have two All Star first basemen and will be lacking defensively, especially if they move Miguel Cabera to 3rd base, as is rumored.  Time will only tell what Fielder will mean to the Tigers.  However, before Fielder writes his chapter as a member of the Tigers, Detroit sports fans will learn what  his addition means to other aspects of life. 

First, Tigers fans can expect to see price increases at Comerica Park.   Maybe Mike Illitch’s company, Little Caesar’s, will have to raise the price of the $5 Hot N Ready pizza.  Personally, I could handle either of those things, especially if they are subtle increases.  However, the law of unintended consequences may have an impact Mike Illitch’s other professional sports venture, the Detroit Red Wings.  The Red Wings are currently sitting atop the NHL.  In an unique twist, despite leading the league in points, the Red Wings have the salary cap space necessary to make a splash at the trade deadline.  In fact, the Red Wings have $5.6 million to make a move.  The question is whether Mr. Illitch will throw more money at the Red Wings when he has made such a significant investment in the Tigers.  It is well documented Illitch badly wants to win the World Series and, although multiple Stanley Cups have been great, they would all take a back seat to one World Series title.  Is he willing to sacrifice, or at least temporarily forget about the surging Red Wings, to go all in with the Tigers?  The other question is whether the formally constant talk of the Red Wings moving out of the Joe Louis Arena and into a new venue will slow down.   The era of 100% taxpayer backed sports facilities, especially in Detroit, is over.  Therefore, there is little doubt the Illitch family would have to front a decent amount of cash to get a new arena built.  Does the Fielder contract tap into the stadium fund?  Only Illitch knows.  

I by no means believe it’s a forgone conclusion that Mike Illitch will back down from his financial commitment to the Red Wings because of the investment in Fielder.  In the past, Illitch has shown a willingness to spend on both teams.  However, he is getting older (85) and appears to be making an all out run at the World Series.  Whether this impacts his financial commitment to the Red Wings  is at least something worth watching.  Illitch has invested a significant amount of long term money in three Tigers, Verlander, Cabrera and Fielder. There has to be a point where the spending stops, but only Illitch knows if he is close or not.  Either way, the Tigers are set.  However, if you are a Red Wings fan, I highly suggest making room in the household budget for some extra weekly crazy bread.  The more money flowing to the Illitch family, the better chance Detroit fans see a World Series banner and Stanley Cup in the near future.  

Written by: Allen Francis