http://0rz.net/f91xF

Jim Bowden, The Examiner
Jun 28, 2006 7:00 AM


WASHINGTON - Rome was not built in a day.


Neither is a championship-caliber team. Just look at the excellent work of
Detroit Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski, the architect behind several
successful organizations.

Dombrowski’s World Series championship came in 1997 with the Florida
Marlins. He used a large payroll to put together the fastest expansion team
at the time to win a World Series. Afterwards, ownership forced him to
rebuild on a dramatically reduced budget. This rebuilding process was
accelerated because he used World Championship players as trade bait. Kevin
Brown, Al Leiter, and Gary Sheffield became Derek Lee, A.J. Burnett, and
Preston Wilson. Lee, Burnett and Juan Pierre (acquired in a trade for Wilson)
would become the core of a team which would win the World Series in 2001.

The most recent Marlins championship team helped lay the groundwork for a
team with young, high-ceiling players, which should allow them the
opportunity to repeat history. Traded away were Josh Beckett, Carlos Delgado,
Paul LoDuca, Luis Castillo, and Juan Pierre. In return the Marlins have built
up a good young core of players.

After the 2001 season, Dombrowski left South Florida for Detroit, where he
did not have the luxury of rebuilding through trading proven
championship-caliber stars. Consequently, success did not come as fast,
highlighted by the fact the Tigers lost 119 games in 2003. It took four years
of losing before they fielded a winning team.

Look at Detroit now. Dombrowski has put together a stable of quality young
arms. Two 23-year old pitchers, Jeremy Bonderman (trade, 2002) and Justin
Verlander (first round, 2004) have already combined for 16 wins this season
and look to be a strong one-two punch for years. Joel Zumaya (11th round,
2002) has been a force out of the pen. In addition, Dombrowski has focused on
being strong up the middle, offensively and defensively, with the
acquisitions of catcher Ivan Rodriguez (free agent, 2005), shortstop Carlos
Guillen (trade, 2004), and center fielder Curtis Granderson (third round,
2002).

The final key to Dombrowski’s success was hiring Jim Leyland as manager this
past winter. Leyland has taught their young core group how to be winners both
on and off the field. The free-agent signings of Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers, and
Todd Jones have helped develop the young, talented pitching staff.

At times Dombrowski has been lambasted by the media and fans alike for both
immediate failures on the field and high-priced free agent signings. There
were outcries when he signed Magglio Ordonez for $105 million and Rodriguez
for $40 million. Many called for his head when he signed the 41-year-old
Rogers to a two-year deal worth $16 million. Sometimes you need to overpay
free agents in order to get them to sign with a losing franchise.

Dombrowski’s five-year plan has worked successfully, thought not as quickly
as it did in Florida. However after four year of losing, he has the Tigers in
position to contend for the next several years.