2023 MLB (non-Tigers) catch all thread

[CMRivdogs]

11 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I don’t know how old you are so maybe you remember, but it is hard to overstate just how much of a god Bo Schembechler was around the Detroit area, particularly during the 70s. I mean, the guy was basically Woody Hayes Jr, but since the authentic Woody Hayes was still around, Bo looked reasonable and like a good guy in comparison, especially since he was defied week after week by the Detroit sports media and Bob Ufer. Bo could do no wrong, and this was even after losing five straight Rose Bowls. It was downright cultish. Thank god Ernie dragged him down, although he himself got a little bloodied along the way.

 

I wasn't in Detroit during the whole Ernie kerfuffle. Just curious, based on what I've read and a little "inside knowledge" of the media. Who was actually behind the decision to replace Harwell? Did Tom Monaghan hold a grudge? Did the decision/suggestion come from the flagship radio station? Or was Bo being Bo. 
 

Would it be correct to assume there might be a couple of issues over Ernie's contract or an upcoming one?

[Motor City Sonics]

40 minutes ago, buddha said:

the guy compared himself to jackie robinson fer godssake.  and then cried racism when someone made fun of him for it.

like you said, there's no wink and a nod in his act.  it's all bluster.  a sound and fury signifying "i'm actually an ass hole."

The equivalent would be every time I do a break on the radio without messing up if I ran over to the other station and got in their face about how great I was.     I mean, every base hit he's flapping his gums.   Can't stand him.    

[1776]

With the death of Dave Wills of the Rays radio team before the season started, they were short a guy on the broadcast team. They just recently brought their AA (Montgomery Biscuits) radio guy up to the big league team. 
 

I like Gania in Erie and Hasty in West Michigan. I think either of those guys would work well on the radio in Detroit. 

[Biff Mayhem]

11 minutes ago, oblong said:

I always had a soft spot for AJ Pierzynski.  He'd carry a smirk like he knew he was being a **** but it worked.

 

I despised him and Ozzie during the mid-2000's but in hindsight I get it. Baseball needs characters like them.

[Motor City Sonics]

1 minute ago, CMRivdogs said:

I wasn't in Detroit during the whole Ernie kerfuffle. Just curious, based on what I've read and a little "inside knowledge" of the media. Who was actually behind the decision to replace Harwell? Did Tom Monaghan hold a grudge? Did the decision/suggestion come from the flagship radio station? Or was Bo being Bo. 
 

Would it be correct to assume there might be a couple of issues over Ernie's contract or an upcoming one?

It had more to do with the radio station than Bo.   And it wasn't over the contract.  Someone at the radio station wanted that gig, but then when  they saw the anger, they decided to let someone else step into that hornet's nest and wait a couple of years.     The Tigers really didn't employ Harwell, but had the final say and Bo did what the radio station wanted because he was friends with the guy who wanted to take over.   It was all pretty dirty (I am intentionally not using names).  

I don't like defending Bo.   He was rotten to the core.   Most college football coaches are.  We treat them like Gods when all they are really users and abusers.      What he allowed Dr. Anderson to do is unforgivable and the Blue Wall should be ashamed for shutting out the victims,  one of which wouldn't submit to a prostate exam his entire life and wound up getting prostate cancer and almost found out too late.   One of Bo's star players in his time.   They smeared his own step son for coming forward too (but he was on drugs..........gee, I wonder why he'd turn to drugs after what happened to him).   Then they embraced his real son who seemed to think slavery was a good thing.   It's gross.  

 

[oblong]

6 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

I wasn't in Detroit during the whole Ernie kerfuffle. Just curious, based on what I've read and a little "inside knowledge" of the media. Who was actually behind the decision to replace Harwell? Did Tom Monaghan hold a grudge? Did the decision/suggestion come from the flagship radio station? Or was Bo being Bo. 
 

Would it be correct to assume there might be a couple of issues over Ernie's contract or an upcoming one?

From what I have read it was WJR's decision.  Jim Long (no relation) ran it and he wanted the change.  Bo didn't push hard to fight it and felt as the boss of the Tigers it was his job to take the heat, so I guess give him credit for that.  I think he was ambivalent over it and didn't appreciate the love people had for Ernie.  Maybe being in his UM Football bubble he just didn't get it and didn't realize it would be such a big deal.

This was before twitter and all of that so all we had to go by was what people like Joe Falls and Mitch Albom would talk about.  I trust Joe more than Mitch, looking back.  Joe wrote in his book that he was pretty sick when it happened so he wasn't writing any columns.  But that gave him time to not react.  He started to think about it some more and it didn't make sense to him. He sort or criticized Ernie a little bit.  You sign a one year contract then go into their building and have a press conference and it starts to become a blood bath against your employer?  In fact WJR wanted to get rid of Ernie immediately and Bo fought for one more year with a huge raise.  Joe arranged a meeting with Bo and when he pulled up to his house he saw Mitch leaving... Bo double crossed him by meeting with Mitch first.  

This was also on the heels of the Save Tiger Stadium issue so public sentiment towards the Tigers and Bo was pretty negative.

 

[CMRivdogs]

4 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

It had more to do with the radio station than Bo.   And it wasn't over the contract.  Someone at the radio station wanted that gig, but then when  they saw the anger, they decided to let someone else step into that hornet's nest and wait a couple of years.     The Tigers really didn't employ Harwell, but had the final say and Bo did what the radio station wanted because he was friends with the guy who wanted to take over.   It was all pretty dirty (I am intentionally not using names).  

 

 

That's basically what I thought. Thanks 

[Biff Mayhem]

Was it this guy?

 

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, CMRivdogs said:

I wasn't in Detroit during the whole Ernie kerfuffle. Just curious, based on what I've read and a little "inside knowledge" of the media. Who was actually behind the decision to replace Harwell? Did Tom Monaghan hold a grudge? Did the decision/suggestion come from the flagship radio station? Or was Bo being Bo. 
 

Would it be correct to assume there might be a couple of issues over Ernie's contract or an upcoming one?

My recollection is that WJR wanted a younger, cheaper option than Ernie, and Bo basically volunteered to run interference for them, perhaps since they were instrumental in constructing Bo's hagiography in the first place and he felt somewhat beholden to them.

EDIT: I see everybody posting after me spooled out the details and they match up with how I remember it, including that it was 100% Jim Long. Based on my one encounter with him, I totally feel him as the guy would be behind it.

Edited August 8, 2023 by chasfh

[oblong]

it's funny to look back and realize for sports talk in the 1988-1993 time frame all we had was the weekly Mitch Albom/Mike Stone sports show on WLLZ and later WJR, then the nightly WJR Sport Wrap that came on, I think it was 6:30 to 8, if there were no Red Wing or Tiger games.  The names I recall were Frank, Larry Henry, Paul Chapman, Jimmy Barret (later the PA guy at Tiger Stadium).   Oddly enough, I recall one night when Rizzs and Rathbun hosted the show like a day before they were fired.  Maybe WJR called them in for a "meeting" and said "Ok, before our meeting tomorrow why don't you guys go on the air and fill in this show".  I remember them kind of laughing their way through it as they had no idea what to  do or talk about.  Then they got dumped and Frank the hero Beckman came in to "save the day", which as someone suggested, may have been the Machiavellan play all along.

[gehringer_2]

7 minutes ago, oblong said:

Beckman came in to "save the day", which as someone suggested, may have been the Machiavellan play all along.

Beckman's act when he started with UM really put me off. Then as he started revealing himself as a right winger, it all added up. 🤔

Edited August 8, 2023 by gehringer_2

[Tiger337]

I thought Beckman was a pretty good broadcaster and he seemed friendly when I met him in Lakeland once.  I saw the rumor here a long time ago that he might have been the the reason for Harwell getting fired.  If it's true, then it's very disappointing.  

[buddha]

2 hours ago, oblong said:

I always had a soft spot for AJ Pierzynski.  He'd carry a smirk like he knew he was being a **** but it worked.

I never understood the heat he got in 2005 in the playoffs for pretending the ball was foul tipped on strike 3.  It was a genius play.

Tigers should go after the O's guy now.

he cheated.

he's also a massive ass who intentionally tried to hurt people.  ask justin morneau.

[buddha]

i love bo schembechler.  always will.  he used to go to church with my grandparents.  

[Biff Mayhem]

30 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

Beckman's act when he started with UM really put me off. Then as he started revealing himself as a right winger, it all added up. 🤔

We can leave politics in the garbage dump. 

[gehringer_2]

11 minutes ago, Biff Mayhem said:

We can leave politics in the garbage dump. 

Character assassination transcends politics!

Edited August 8, 2023 by gehringer_2

[oblong]

34 minutes ago, buddha said:

he cheated.

he's also a massive ass who intentionally tried to hurt people.  ask justin morneau.

Crime against Twins are acceptable.

 

[Toddwert]

Fans at the Baltimore Houston Game tonight are chanting Free Kevin Brown!! And Broadcasters on TBS are ripping the Orioles

[bobrob2004]

There were a few obvious ones here, but I don't try to get a low rarity score, I just want to get it correct.  

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 129 9/9:
Rarity: 222
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[bobrob2004]

Mike Lorezen pitched a no-hitter in his 2nd start with the Phillies. Nick Castellanos hit 2 home runs and now has 200 for his career.  

[Sports_Freak]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:04 PM, Toddwert said:

Fans at the Baltimore Houston Game tonight are chanting Free Kevin Brown!! And Broadcasters on TBS are ripping the Orioles

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/orioles-say-broadcaster-kevin-brown-will-return-soon-as-fans-call-out-team-over-reported-suspension/ar-AA1f1bki

[casimir]

7 hours ago, bobrob2004 said:

Mike Lorezen pitched a no-hitter in his 2nd start with the Phillies. Nick Castellanos hit 2 home runs and now has 200 for his career.  

Pfffft....  Candelario is dropping a .485/.541/.727 line as a Cub.

Not sure what the Castro boys are doing.

Edit:  But seriously, congrats to Lorenzen.  He's had a very good season.  By all accounts he has put in the work that was asked of him and was quite complimentary of how the Tigers worked with him this season and gracious for his trade to a contender.  It's a good story from all sides involved.

Edited August 10, 2023 by casimir

[Jim Cowan]

Yes, good news for Lorenzen, good for him.  Really don't care about Castellanos.

[oblong]

50 minutes ago, Jim Cowan said:

Yes, good news for Lorenzen, good for him.  Really don't care about Castellanos.

He's on his third team since DET traded him..... once that happens I sort of forget them as former Tigers, HOF players excluded of course.

 

[chasfh]

https://6abc.com/michael-lorenzen-no-hitter-philadelphia-phillies-pitcher/13625546/

"It was incredible. Walking out for the seventh, eighth and ninth, man, these fans. I've never been part of an organization where fans are a part of the team," Lorenzen said. "And they gave me that boost that I needed. ... If you are feeling fatigued, you don't feel it at all in front of these fans."

Ouch.