4/21/25 6:40PM Padres @ Tigers

[monkeytargets39]

Good win.  It’d be huge to win this series

[Tigermojo]

[Sports_Freak]

[Sports_Freak]

Hinch is a genius. Using our #6 SP against a tired SD team. Now we have Flaherty and Olson on an extra day rest. We need Flaherty to give us 7 innings tomorrow.

[Motor City Sonics]

We don't need no stinking Kerry Carpenter !

[papalawrence]

I enjoy this team over the 2012-14 teams. A more enjoyable brand of baseball.

[IdahoBert]

20 minutes ago, papalawrence said:

I enjoy this team over the 2012-14 teams. A more enjoyable brand of baseball.

Yes. Entirely. 

[oblong]

This game was on a 4 hour pace at one point.  We left after the 6th.  Early wake up call. I knew we would have to go before 9 but I was hoping it would be in the 8th or 9th by then.  God I hate Montero. Guy still is able to be slow AF even with a pitch clock. Just ****ing pitch man.  Every time he took it down to 0:02.  

[IdahoBert]

This team feels different because its achievements have been earned instead of bought — compared to other versions of this team.

And disparaging the previous versions of this team when it was playing at a high level as being “bought“ isn’t truly fair but still that’s what it feels like.

We expected those previous teams to win. Until August last year, no one expected this team to win and when it’s still winning now, it feels really special. 

[RatkoVarda]

seems like a very Harris-like win - 7 BBs and 5 Ks, only singles for non-Zach McMvp batters

[Tenacious D]

9 minutes ago, IdahoBert said:

This team feels different because its achievements have been earned instead of bought — compared to other versions of this team.

And disparaging the previous versions of this team when it was playing at a high level as being “bought“ isn’t truly fair but still that’s what it feels like.

We expected those previous teams to win. Until August last year, no one expected this team to win and when it’s still winning now, it feels really special. 

Well stated.  Pedigree talent and a roster with some 1st and 2nd rounders.  We were impatient and probably cynical about anything Avila touched.

Now we have a young and talented group who are very likable and fun to watch.

[romad1]

Benetti helps too.  He makes it seem like a special watch each night.  Something crazy might happen.  He's not just going to say the same dumb stuff.  Not that I didn't like Mario Impemba and Rod Allen I actually liked them as a pair. 

[Tenacious D]

38 minutes ago, romad1 said:

Benetti helps too.  He makes it seem like a special watch each night.  Something crazy might happen.  He's not just going to say the same dumb stuff.  Not that I didn't like Mario Impemba and Rod Allen I actually liked them as a pair. 

I have to respectfully disagree.  I think he’s tolerable because they are winning.  On a losing team, I suspect his act would get old quick.  Give me Mario any day.

[romad1]

23 minutes ago, Tenacious D said:

I have to respectfully disagree.  I think he’s tolerable because they are winning.  On a losing team, I suspect his act would get old quick.  Give me Mario any day.

On a losing team his act would go away quickly because he's in demand. 

[chasfh]

While I like Benetti as a PxP guy over any number of past alternatives, I agree that Benetti’s act gets tiresome. I don’t want to make a comment about generations or anything like that, but he does bring a millennial energy that feels fresh and funny when it works, and eye-rolly when it doesn’t. I tend to like slightly arch commentary over schtick like mascots in the booth, and Benetti does both, for better or worse. I think of Benetti in the same vein as Josh Lewin, who I think I liked slightly better because he could still be as arch while less schticky, and seemed somewhat less impressed with himself. Lewin and Gibby had a feel similar to Ted Nugent and Mitch Albom together on WLLZ. (You other white guys of a very specific age and place might remember that pairing.)

Mario Impembia was a cipher. He’s left no lasting impact on me in terms of what he has brought to the canon of Detroit Tigers broadcasters, either in personality or performance. Rod Allen was annoying, and still is with the Marlins, but at least he brought some personality to the booth.

[oblong]

Mario was a pro.  You could put him in any sport in any team and never know he was there.  That's a compliment.  He did a fine job.  If he didn't have Rod as a partner he might still be doing the games... or someone's games.

 

[Tigeraholic1]

Guys, would could still have Craig Monroe.....

[CMRivdogs]

I dug up an article in the DETNEWS with Impemba shortly after Shepherd's firing. Mario still lives in Metro Detroit and has bounced around in recent years, most recently with the Red Sox.

That said he considers himself retired, he made some good real estate investments and at 62 (?) now has no desire to get back into the business.

He's a good broadcaster, a bit vanilla for my tastes. He did mention that there mentions of "baggage" from some areas in his persuit of a new job. I did get a bit of that vibe when I watched. I just thought it was a bit of bad chemistry with Allen toward the end.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/10/04/what-does-mario-impemba-think-about-tigers-fans-calling-for-return-to-tv-booth/71054740007/

 

[Sports_Freak]

3 hours ago, romad1 said:

Benetti helps too.  He makes it seem like a special watch each night.  Something crazy might happen.  He's not just going to say the same dumb stuff.  Not that I didn't like Mario Impemba and Rod Allen I actually liked them as a pair. 

Agreed. And I really appreciate him knowing fans were recording the Pistons and not constantly telling the basketball score. I watched the Pistons win after watching the Tigers win. A very enjoyable evening...

[romad1]

The art

17 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

I dug up an article in the DETNEWS with Impemba shortly after Shepherd's firing. Mario still lives in Metro Detroit and has bounced around in recent years, most recently with the Red Sox.

That said he considers himself retired, he made some good real estate investments and at 62 (?) now has no desire to get back into the business.

He's a good broadcaster, a bit vanilla for my tastes. He did mention that there mentions of "baggage" from some areas in his persuit of a new job. I did get a bit of that vibe when I watched. I just thought it was a bit of bad chemistry with Allen toward the end.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/10/04/what-does-mario-impemba-think-about-tigers-fans-calling-for-return-to-tv-booth/71054740007/

 

reminder of the failure of Rick Rizz and Bob Rathbun in that article.  Yikes.   You can't be saccharine with the Detroit audience.   This is a fan base that has a chip on its shoulder and expects some salt with the experience of watching sports.   

Dan Dickerson and Jim Price were actually very good at doing that salty self-appraisal.   I don't know that any of the TV groups have been able to do that.  I wonder if Benetti will or if he knows he's an employee of the team and needs to earn that capability. 

Edited Tuesday at 01:52 PM by romad1

[oblong]

Rick Rizz could have succeeded here but the Tigers and WJR botched the whole thing.  He's very well liked in Seattle.  I was watching one of their games years ago during a free preview and thought "I like this guy...." then I realized it was him.  So that means something for me.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

While I like Benetti as a PxP guy over any number of past alternatives, I agree that Benetti’s act gets tiresome. I don’t want to make a comment about generations or anything like that, but he does bring a millennial energy that feels fresh and funny when it works, and eye-rolly when it doesn’t.

This is a good summary. I like his play by play, but his sllly commentary gets annoying at times.   He can be funny, but he tries way to hard.  

[romad1]

Just now, Tiger337 said:

This is a good summary. I like his play by play, but his sllly commentary gets annoying at times.   He can be funny, but he tries way to hard.  

Its a social event with long pauses and breaks.  Expect conversational style.  Humor doesn't hurt. 

For my part I am enjoying Andy Dirks and Carlos Pena as the analyst.  Dan Petry is fine but the younger guys are doing a good job.  

 

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, oblong said:

Mario was a pro.  You could put him in any sport in any team and never know he was there.  That's a compliment.  He did a fine job.  If he didn't have Rod as a partner he might still be doing the games... or someone's games.

 

Impemba had no style, but I don't watch games to hear an announcer promote himself or try to be funny.  Like you said, I didn't know he was there and that was fine.  The radio guy needs some style.  The TV guy needs to stay out of the way of the action.  

[chasfh]

4 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

This is a good summary. I like his play by play, but his sllly commentary gets annoying at times.   He can be funny, but he tries way to hard.  

Benetti got a lot of social media viral with his pairing with Bill Walton a few years ago, but if you can find it, dig up the game he did with Mike Schur, aka Ken Tremendous, during the same White Sox road trip to Anaheim. It is an absolute gem of a broadcast.