‘GETTING BEYOND DISTURBING’; EX-TIGERS RELIEVER JOEL ZUMAYA BASHES TEAM OVER POOR START TO 2022 SEASON.
Joel Zumaya was a pivotal reliever for the Tigers during their 2006 World Series run.
Former Detroit Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya is unhappy with how the team has been playing.
Entering Thursday, the Tigers were 24-38 and 11 ½ games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.
Detroit had been shut out four times in June and has only scored 30 runs in its last 13 games.
Zumaya, who played for the Tigers from 2006 to 2010 and had a 1.94 ERA in 62 appearances in 2006 when the Tigers reached the World Series, first started to speak out on Instagram last month. He directed much of his criticism at general manager Al Avila.
“Is there any other true Detroit Tiger Fan as disappointed as I am on how this season is going for the team!!!!” he wrote. “WELL I JOEL ZUMAYA # 54 FORMER DETROIT TIGER, truly am disgusted, disappointed, just flat out upset on how this organization has let itself fall into a category which I thought this organization would never see again!!! I’m gonna say this straight out of my mouth, I can’t believe they gave Al Avila a undisclosed extension, blows my mind.”
Zumaya added they need to “clean house.”
“They need to go through the main office and start removing some of these nerds that have no clue about the good ole game of baseball!” he said.
His criticism continued Wednesday following a 13-0 defeat to the Chicago White Sox.
“No Major League Baseball team should be getting shut out like this!!! If the mercy rule was in effect what would y’all really think!!! This is getting beyond disturbing and they are still leaving the faith in this man’s hands!!! ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOW!!!” he wrote on Instagram.
Detroit has not been anywhere close to the team it was in 2006. The last time the Tigers made the playoffs was in 2014 under manager Brad Ausmus.
The Tigers finished 77-85 last season but could be on pace for an even worse season.
