Where are we at in society today? Come after me. I'm a man,
I'm forty. Go ahead, make my day every single week. I
put my freaking heart and soul into this. I don't go out there and
laugh. It's not funny. Nothing's funny to me. I don't wanna go
out there and get embarrassed on Monday night football fun of everybody. I think
this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. So I ain't nothing changed from
yesterday. Still the same person I was yesterday, and I got the same
thing for you that I had yesterday. You know why I'm here. You
play to win the game. You don't play to just play it. That's
a great thing about sports. You play to win, and I don't care
if you don't have any wins. You go play to win. When you
start telling me it doesn't matter if you retire, get out for the matters.
Never has it mattered as much as last night's game at Rick woid Field
in Major League Baseball, maybe they're starting to get it a little bit.
Major League Baseball has done a really good job of creating these types of memorable
events and helping people understand the legacy of the game. In this case the
Negro Leagues. It was pretty special. Fox of course does a really good
job with it. And you had all these patriarchs, if you will,
who representing the Negro League's Cardinals beat the Giant six' five. Not that
that's the most important part of the story, but this is the event that
Willie Mays they were hoping would be before he recognized he would not be able
to make it, and eventually obviously he passed a couple of days ago.
But Major League Baseball has done a really nice job. Remember they've done the
game in Iowa for the Field of Dreams. That's been really cool. This
taking their game internationally has been important, whether it be in London or whether
it be in Japan or Korea or Mexico. And they've been doing that for
a while now. But all those things are really important for Major League Baseball.
Other sports have done it. I think it's brilliant. I think it's
well done. The only thing I would ask is, you know, especially
like the Field of Dreams, you wish you would have more true fans out
there rather than representives of Major League Baseball. But in the end, a
job well done, pretty cool event. I don't know if you had a
chance to watch it, hopefully you did, but it was special. Tigers
host the White Sox in the first of a three game weekend series starting tonight.
Detroit has dropped four in a row ten of thirteen. They sit twelve
games back in the division. Chicago is arguably the worst team in baseball.
They've lost seven of ten. They have a league worst seven road wins and
just twenty wins overall, fewest in baseball. Jack Flaherty throws against Eric Fetti
in the series opener tonight. Then it'll be Kent to Maida in the middle
game, and then Rhee Olsen in the series wrap up. I don't want
to be too dramatic here, but you lose this series to the worst team
in baseball, a team that has, I hate to phrase, nothing to
play for, but I mean they're just going through the motions, and they've
been going through the motions for a while. It is a really, really
tough spot for Pedro Graffall and Chicago. I do like the White Sox manager.
He's a good man. I've had a chance to talk with him at
length about a lot of different things in the past, and I do I've
always enjoyed those conversations. I don't know what kind of manager he is,
to be honest with you, Usually you want to talk to people who are
close enough to them and see them on a regular basis, are at their
games, you get an idea from them friends of mine who broadcast their games
on radio and TV. Then you can kind of look for tendencies. But
as far as a person, he's a really good person. I can't figure
out. Well, I can, but I I choose to tread very carefully
why that team is so flipping bad? And I'm not going to sit here
and talk Chicago White Sox baseball with you. It's just it's surprising considering some
of the talent quote unquote that they have on their team, like Andrew Bennan.
Tendee has been horrible, like the worst of his career, but beyond
one of the worst players the game has seen in a long time in everything
he's trying to do. And when he was in Kansas City, when he
was in Boston, I thought he was really good. Like I would have
taken that dude. That dude helped his team win a national championship at South
Carolina. He's an amazing player. At the collegiate level. He was really,
really good in Boston, Kansas City. He gave him a shot in
the arm. He goes to Chicago false apart, it's awful. Eloymenez not
good, Yoon Mancata not good. Luisa Robert a guy who's has as much
talent probably as any player in the American League. They're just horrible, horrible.
So I don't want to be too dramatic like I said, but you
lose that series, your season is over. You lose this series at home
against that team, especially when you have this pitching two of your three starters,
I would consider who are having very good seasons to that team, and
I can't imagine how you come back from it. I can't imagine how you
return. So that's the thing I'm looking for this weekend. I know it's
kind of a weak way for you to look at things and what you're looking
forward to this weekend, but I pick out little things when it comes to
a series. Sometimes it's how well a certain player may be playing on your
team. Sometimes it might be how bad a certain player is playing on your
team, to see if they can correct themselves. And quite honestly, sometimes
I really look forward to watching another player on the opposite team. Seriously,
I mean I like going in and watching Bobby Wit Junior play for Kansas City.
If Kansas City were in town right now and Detroit was playing them,
the highlight for me would be Bobby Witch Junior. Because there's really not many
people on the Tigers now. You want the Tigers to do well, don't
get it twisted. It's just that it's not the highlight of your game right
there. Jared Duran of Boston is a fun player to watch. Rafael Devers
unbelievable player for Boston right New York's in town. Are you looking more forward
to watching a certain Tigers player or are you looking forward to watching Aaron Judge
if he's healthy. So that's what I'm looking for this weekend. Game six
of the Stanley Cup Finals faces off tonight at Edmonton. Oilers have won the
last two games by scoring thirteen goals overall. They are trying to become the
second team of twenty eight to ever win it all after trailing three games to
none. Who's the other other team. It's the Toronto Maple Leafs in nineteen
forty two, who were down three games to none. To none other than
the Detroit Red Wings, and they came back and won. Florida will try
and avoid that tonight. If you believe in momentum, which I mean I
use the word quite a bit in sports and writing and all these I can't
say that I always believe in it. If you do, I mean Florida
had the momentum, right, They're up three games to none. There's momentum.
Something stops it. Now do you believe Edmonton has the momentum? So
they're playing better. It's pretty obvious they've done something to solve Sergei Bobrovski and
they did so probably at the end of what game three, and now it
is clicked for them. So I'm excited for that. The Stanley Cup Finals
has to do with one of our two pool questions. So does another story
that's big in sports. We'll get to that when we come back on Exus
and Bros. On a Friday morning. Hope it's a good one for you.
Stay with us. Lock's best plays that sorry, Ego Casino and Resorts
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Top all part of the Soaring Eagles Summer Outdoor Concert Series. Tickets for all
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lineup at Soaring Eagle Casino dot com. Thanks for coming with me to Meyer.
Absolutely, I'll take one of the ease during the Meyer seven for seven
dollars sale, mix or match hundreds of items and pay just one dollar each
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dollar each when you mix or match any seven or more. Exclusions apply See
all deals in the Meyer app. By the way, if you watched the
Negro League's Tribute at rickwood Field last night on Fox, if you watched the
coverage in general, stealing the show was Reggie Jackson's pregame storytelling. It's amazing
what he went through. Who was there to help him? What would have
happened if they weren't Reggie Jackson when they I think what they thought they were
going to get is these are these beautifully spunned yarns of storytelling from Reggie Jackson
about Rick wood Field, And instead what they got was a deep down,
true truth of raw emotion on what happened to him and the experiences that he
had to have where he was staying in Joe Rudy's house, sleeping on his
couch three to four nights a week, and people threatened to burn the building
down if he didn't get out. Where his team would go to, and
this was with the Oakland A's early on, where his teams would go to
various places to eat, and they were turned away because of Reggie Jackson's skin
color. And how McNamara the manager, and Roley Fingers and Joe Rudy and
Dave Duncan and others said, well them, we're not even here either.
How Charlie Finley, the owner of the A's, brought him his team to
his country club and they would not allow him to eat. They pointed him
out specifically, and Charlie Finley said, then we're going to go down and
have burgers instead, And eventually they did allow them to eat, But who
would want to eat there anyway? If that's either either policy or be their
beliefs, or see both. And Reggie Jackson kept saying, I wouldn't wish
it on anybody. And had it not been for certain teammates who believed in
him, didn't buy into that racist mindset, he would never have been the
player he was because he would have been thrown out. He would have been
he would have gotten in so many fights that something else, his path would
have gone much differently. That was as good a storytelling as any you've heard
all season long. I've had the good fortune of meeting Bridgie Jackson on a
couple of different occasions in New York, once in Houston, another had the
chance to chat with him on the field of play. Would never have been
able to get that out of him by any stretch, nor would my teammates
at the time in the broadcast booth. But he is Oftentimes people talk about
his ego. Okay, we all have egos, by the way, I
think we all do. Some are just bigger than others. But for them
to kind of open that door. And Alex Rodriguez is the one who asked
the question and I still think surprised at the answer, as everybody was.
They just let him talk. It was phenomenal and it was emotional afterwards.
If you get a chance, I'm sure it's on YouTube somewhere. If you
get the chance, try to find that and it'll open your eyes a little
bit. No matter how you feel, it'll open your eyes. It's it's
impressive and like I said, very emotional. Okay, maybe an emotional hire
in Los Angeles, JJ Reddick to no one's surprised. James Edwards told us
this. Yesterday we had James Edwards from the Atlantic on or from the Athletic
excuse me, and he said, look, the reason the Pistons on his
list of possible candidates, The reason for no Jj Reddick is because he's going
to be the Lakers head coach. And what happens later in the day yesterday
he signs a four your contract to replace Darvin ham. Reddick, a fifteen
year vet, does a podcast with Lebron James, so that shouldn't be a
problem. The question is how long could he last? Young guy? But
how long could he last? Because the Lakers haven't had a coach stayed more
than three years since Phil Jackson in twenty eleven, which leads us to these
poll questions. We have two of them, but they're very simple, and
they're really easy. Is the Lakers head coaching job a desirable one? Seventeen
World championships. Some of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball
have played in LA, whether be Kareem abdul Jabbar or Magic Johnson, Elgin,
Baylor, Jerry West, James Worthy, you can go on and on
and on. There's a ton of them, all right, But with Lebron
James there and I think this has come out to be more accepted than before,
and that is that he's a handful. He wants to do everything.
I mean, he's had nine coaches in his career. That's a lot,
it is. That's a lot for a guy who is considered one of the
greatest of all time. Remember in Miami. I mean, let me ask
you this, Do you think Eric Spolstra is a good head coach? I
think is a dynamite head coach. Would you love him as your head coach?
Absolutely? I'm not sure there's many coaches in the NBA who you'd rather
have than Eric Spolstra. He gets a ton out of his teams. They
seem to be always in that mix. There's something about him, and I
know because right hand man is Chris Quinn. My hope is that the Pistons
get a chance to talk to him and see if it's a good fit.
But he wanted Eric Spolster fired early on. Think about that. How short
sighted is that Lebron James in his infinite wisdom, and most people would say,
hey, listen, can't do anything wrong, right He's got the league
in the basketball world by you know what, he wanted him gone. That's
heavy. So it's a as one website I forget which one yesterday said,
it's a daunting task because he has butted heads with just about every single coach
he has ever had. In fact, only two Spolster and lou weren't let
go while Lebron James was there. Five coaches were fired. Luke Walton mutually
parted ways before taking the King's job, and as I mentioned, James wanted
Spolster fired. In twenty ten he started nine to eight. All kinds of
problems Lebron James had eyre toward his coach. They stuck it out and look
at what Spolster was able to do. They went on to win an NBA
championship. So that's one of the pole questions. Is a Lakers head coaching
job a desirable one? And we're going to replay our interview with James Edwards
from yesterday. We're going to play that here at six thirty five. The
other pole question has to do with Game six or the Stanley Cup Finals in
general. Should Connor McDavid win the con smythe which is given to the best
player in the postseason Stanley Cup Finals. Even if Edmonton loses the series.
They can lose tonight, but Connor McDavid has forty two points. That's the
fourth most in a playoff season of any player in history, Wayne Gretzky,
Mario Lemieux, two others. That's the question, and we'll tell you about
others who have won it despite playing on a losing team. There's not many.
We'll give you that in the seven o'clock hour when we come back.
James Edwards of the Athletic joined us yesterday to talk about the firing of Monty
Williams and where the Pistons go next. Will replay that when we return on
Exis and Bros. Right after this What's up, Michigan. I want to
give some love to Ben Glaze producing another great SHEP broadcast, Superfly. Producing
my show later today at three, The Huge Show on the Michigan Sports Network.
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rules and details. Second hour of the program. Glad you're with us on
a Friday. This is X's and Bros. Across the great state of Michigan.
Honored to be with you on such great stations like WMEX ninety six point
one FM, The Game in Grand Rapids on WKAD, The Ticket ninety three
point seven FM in Cadillac, WTRX Sports Extra thirteen thirty AM in Flint,
WGR Y one O one point one FM, up North Sports Radio and Grayling
and Gaylord in Midland, Saganaw Bay City w l u N one hundred point
nine FM, the MIT in Pototski and Charlavoi w MBN one oh four point
seven FM, That's the Ticket Northern Michigan, and in Traverse City WKAD ninety
three point seven FM the Ticket as well. One of my best buddies was
in town from Atlanta not too long ago, and he was driving around in
Gaylord and picked us up on wgr Y one oh one point one FM,
up North Sports Radio. Pretty excited about that and was thrilled to have its
entertainment on the drive back down to Metro Detroit on that great radio station.
So glad you're with us. Wherever it is we may be listening. I
mean, you know by now, I hope that the Meyer hotline is always
open for you eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty three. Feel
free to join us and talk about whatever you want. It does not have
to be the topic that we're discussing. Or you can text the program sports
Radio to twenty one thousand. Couple of things here. As we get rolling
here in the second hour, I had mentioned just before we replayed the interview
with James Edwards from the Athletic Hope you enjoyed that. I thought it was
very revealing and we'll get into the Pistons here in a moment. But I
said, just before then, I said, we're going to talk a little
bit about one of our poll questions and one of the pole questions. We
have two of them on there, and one of them is should Connor McDavid
win the Consmike even if Edmonton loses the series. This trophy has been awarded
fifty eight times. It's given to a player from a team that lost in
the Stanley Cup Finals just five times. One was a Red Wing. Roger
Krozier of the Red Wings, even though they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals,
was named the Conn Smyth Trophy winner in nineteen sixty six Glenn Hall of
the Saint Louis Blues. Two years later nineteen sixty eight, the Blues lost
the Stanley Cup Finals, but he was named the Con Smyth Award winner.
Ron Hextall for the Philadelphia Flyers in nineteen eighty seven, they lost, but
he was named the Con Smyth winner, and Jean Sebastian Gaguere of the Mighty
Ducks Savannaheim in two thousand and three. They lost, but he was named
the Con Smyth winner. What do all those men have in common? Exactly?
They're all goaltenders. Connor McDavid, one would guess, even if they
lose, would be named the Con Smythe Award winner. He's been the best
player in the series. He's been the best player in the playoffs. Based
on what well points are important, you know, I mean, who else
you're going to choose? So my son and I were talking about this the
other day. Who else you thinking you're gonna do it? Because McDavid has
led the playoffs and scoring by a wide margin eight points better than his teammate,
by the way, Leon Dreisidle and his line might it's Pathwayen Gretzky for
most assists in his Standy Cup playoffs. That's impressive. So I think he's
been correct me. If you think I'm wrong here, feel free to join
us. I think he's been the best player in the playoffs. I don't
think there's much doubt about that. I suppose some people may try to make
a case, and I think it would be fair for Leon Dreisid at least
got ten goals, but he's got twenty eight points. Matthew Chuck, He's
been really good for Florida. He's probably been their most consistent player. Alexander
Barkoff, but he went through a little bit of a stretch of the last
couple of games where it hasn't been all that great. Gustav Foresling, but
he's a defenseman. You're not going to you know, that's I know Nick
Lidstrom has won it before for the Red Wings, but that's just a that's
a tough one when you're giving up as many even though you don't always look
at one defenseman, you know, thirteen goals the last couple. Sam Reinhardt
was their best offensive player all season long. He's a free agent, by
the way, but that's you know, you want to throw his name in
there. I think you're reaching if that's the case. Anyway, that's one
of the pole questions. You can vote Zophania like, follow us on x
x'es and bros what used to be Twitter, and voters off and you'll like
and we'll give you the results on Monday. Okay, we're going to do
it on Monday. Here's the other thing somebody had. I don't know if
they're associated with the Golf Channel. Earlier in the week, we were talking
about the US Open Rory McElroy. One of our pole questions then was did
Michaelroy lose it or did you shamble win it? Your overwhelming response was McElroy
lost it. John Rahm came out and said, you don't realize how difficult
to put that was on eighteen, how it was curling left to right,
and so on and so forth. Somebody said, look, due to bogeying
three of the last four holes and what some would call a meltdown. Remember
Bryson Deshamba bulgeyed a relatively easy putt quote unquote on fifteen, but we don't
bring that up. My immediate thought was, well, that's because I mean,
first of all, Macelroy again, bulgi three of the last four and
two of those three sixteen and eighteen were three foot putts, and I'm not
saying they're easy. I've missed my fair share with a hell of a lot
less on the line, but I don't get paid for a living to do
it either. He missed two putts that he had gone four hundred and ninety
six for four hundred and ninety six prior to then that's really impressive, right,
you make four hundred and ninety six putts in a row from three feet
or closer. Those are you know gimmes, by the way, they not
all of those could be just you know, straight potts. So when you
make that many in a row and then you miss two of the last three
in similar fashion, people are bound to see, to feel and say,
what of course they are. They're gonna go, you know what I mean,
choke, That's what they're gonna think. That's the first thing that comes
to mind. So I guess I'm a little confused why people are trying to
So Deshambo missed a pot okay, you felt it was uphill and you thought
it was straight. It was a little bit longer than mclaroy's, but that
shouldn't matter. He missed it okay, also redeemed himself also the shot of
the tournament. One of the best shots in the history of the sport,
at least from a major standpoint, was his chipping out of the sand.
And what's interesting about that is that Deshambo, prior to that tournament, when
people asked him he was doing a press conference, I believe, what's the
most difficult shot for you? And he said the fifty yard or maybe it's
maybe said fifty five sandshot. That's the one he struggles with. Nobody in
that tournament all weekend who is in that bunker were able to get up and
down for par until he did it as the member of the last group and
the second to last shot of the entire tournament, because Matthew Povlon had to
tap in for parr. Something to be said for that, don't you think
when we come back JJ Reddick, now the Lakers head coach, there's a
report that there are four men coming in to talk about the Pistons head coaching
gig. All four James Edwards just mentioned as part of our interview yesterday.
We'll talk about that when we return on X's and Bros. Ten after the
hour on a Friday morning. Glad you're with us, Hue, Cheer for
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I the Pizza Man dot com. Together we can make a difference. Coming
up later today at three on The Huge Show in the Michigan Sports Network,
I'll deliver huge opinions on everything you're talking about. Eighteen after the hour,
Welcome back, Exus and bros Meyer. Hotlines open for eighty sixty six,
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Radio twenty one thousand. Ben as our producer, I'm Matt Shepard. Glad
you're with us throughout the great state of Michigan on these sane, great affiliates.
The Huge Show later on today. Three until six Free Press yesterday indicating
that they have confirmed that four men will come in as candidates to interview for
the Pistons job. One is Dallas Maverick's assistant John Sweeney, one is Minnesota
Timberwolves assistant Michael Nori. Another is New Orleans Pelican's assistant James Barrego and former
Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB. Bickerstaff. Barrego was a guy who's familiar with trade
and Langdon known for he had a four year run as head coach in Charlotte
from twenty eighteen through twenty twenty two. They wanted him to rebuild that team.
If you will remember, LaMelo Ball was part of that. As James
Edwards pointed out in the Athletic to us yesterday and we replayed this earlier.
He said, look this guy, I say, he's considered one of the
best better offensive mines in the league. So could he be the right fit
now? I wonder how many people think about this. Coaches who take over
teams like the Pistons oftentimes don't get a chance to see that through. People
feel like there are steps you got to get us to this, and then
we get the next guy to get us to hear. I can't say that
I always believe in that. But for this situation, when you're going to
go from seventeen to fourteen to what number of wins can you build upon?
That the belief is always, Like you and I both know this, the
belief is always one year you are reaching a certain amount of victories a certain
level, and that because of those wins and that experience, you're going to
what take the next step? Whatever that step may be. Okay, maybe
it maybe from horrid to average, and it might be then from average to
solid, and from solid to very good, and from very good to excellent,
from excellent to championship material. I don't know how you want to use
that ladder, but people automatically think, especially with young teams, next year
is going to be better. Pretty good example of it right now is the
Tigers, and I fell into the trap. Okay I did. I thought,
this is a team that's going to be better than last year because guys
are going to grow. The front off is going to do something in the
off season to help them advance. You know, the victories and the statistics
and the experiences, and they haven't offense is much worse than anyone expected.
And you have to ask yourself, knowing the date that it is right now,
it's June twenty first, knowing that is this going to be another long
summer of losing baseball? It's fair to ask that question. People feel like
it can't get any worse. For the Pistons winning fourteen games, right,
isn't that the mindset? It's a franchise worst. They lost twenty eight games
in a row. No one had ever done that before in the history of
the NBA. Right, how can I get any worse than that? I
agree with you, And then I stop myself and I think, wait a
minute. In twenty twenty three, they won seventeen games. You know what
I said at the end of that season. Can't get any worse. It
did, And I'm not saying it's going to be worse. I'm just the
expected process doesn't always go the way we expect or want it to. Unfortunately,
so is James Barrigo that guy? Is it the next few years?
We need to take this step and then the new guy comes in with more
experience. Folks. You remember the Tigers in the mid teens, right,
and we felt like, okay, they were a manager away, and what
did they do. They brought in Brad Osmas. One of the worst decisions
the organization has ever made. Right, would you agree with that? You
can talk about first overall picks, Matt Anderson, You can talk about draft
picks in general or trades right Verlander, J D. Martinez. You can
talk about free agent signings, hobby bias, disgruntled players, one Gonzalez,
ridiculous contract offers, one Gonzales. You can talk about all that stuff.
Right, stupid decisions right now. I went off on a tangent the other
day about this. It's ridiculous to think that this is what people want.
Better seats. No, people want winning product. I'm not going to go
into that again, but you know we saw that, right, one of
the worst decisions ever made. Brad Ausmis, as a first year manager,
takes over a team that is on the cusp of not just winning the division,
winning games and winning the division, but a World Series favorite, and
it blows up in their face. They needed a more seasoned manager, right.
That was when everyone was like bringing Ron Garden higher agreed one hundred percent.
They got it wrong. They went vice versa. They went Awesmis with
the veteran laden team that was on the cusp of winning. Then when they
decided to blow it up bringing new guys, what do they do? They
go with the old school guy in Ron Garden Higher, who, let's face
it, took the job because he was out of baseball. Want on one
last kick at the can. Why don't owners get it? Why are you
hiring people for a money Monte Williams. The only reason he came back was
money. I told you that I did not like the hire. I don't
know. The man seems like a good enough person. Obviously has credentials to
be a head coach, five winning seasons out of ten NBA Coach of the
Year, led a team to a Western Conference finals, but openly admitted I
need a break. I want to get away from this for a while.
I don't want to coach. And the only way you bring him back is
I can't say no to that. It's money except for the rest of my
life. Not that he wasn't already. He's got sixty five million dollars over
the next five years. It doesn't matter where he goes. He's got a
lounger somewhere. He's not breaking down tape. He's not getting ready for his
next job. This is what he wanted anyway, or a reason he came
back because of the money. It's a wrong reason. Why would you bring
him? Same thing with Ron Garden Higher, The reasoning is off. So
now with the pistons, where are you going? Are you going a guy
who can rebuild them? Or are you going with a guy who can mold
them? Is this the next step? Is this the guy who's gonna get
you to thirty five wins and eventually forty wins and then you're gonna go Sorry,
we need that next guy to get us to the playoffs and then be
a championship contender. I don't know the answer to that. I just know
he's one of the four guys according to the Detroit Free Press who is going
to be interviewing in person with Trajan Lane. We'll give you the other names
and some of their background when we come back on Exus and Bros. It's
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the hour. Welcome back, Exits and Bros. Monday through Friday from six
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phone calls on the Meyer hotline eight sixty six eighty three, eight forty eight
forty three and the text line Sports Radio. To twenty one thousand, we
were talking about the Free Press article that indicates four men planned to interview,
at least so far for the vacant Pistons head coaching gig I told you about
James Barrego. Sean Sweeney is a Minnesota Timberwolve's assistant lead assistant head of the
defense for the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. He was also part of Dwayne
Casey's staff for three years in Detroit, worked with Jason Kidd in Brooklyn,
and as James Edwards told you in our interview yesterday, he was critical.
He was really important in the development of Giannis Antete Campo, who swears by
Seawan Sweeney. That's a pretty damn good endorsement. Now, with that said,
we've heard of other athletes and other men who've accomplished things before give rave
reviews about certain individuals, and that kind of convinced us that it was the
right hire at the time before we found out it wasn't case in point Earnie,
of course, he who accomplished a great deal as various teams general manager
in the NFL strongly recommended Bob Quinn and the Lions hired him. And we
all know what happened there, right. Not that this falls under the same
example, but Peyton Manning went to bat for Jim Caldwell. I liked Jim
Caldwell. I thought he was a really good coach, especially Monday through Saturday
Sunday. You could understand some head scratching moments right that you and I may
have had. I think every fan base has that with their with their coaches
in the NFL. So just because janisante Tekempo says oh on Sweeney's the real
deal, doesn't mean you hire him. But it sure doesn't hurt, right.
You know what it is. It's basically a reference. You apply for
jobs, you hand in a resume, they ask for references, You give
them the references. This one just happened to be a little bit more public
and a little bit larger name than most. So besides Brego, besides Sweeney,
the Free Press is also reporting that Michah Norri, the New Orleans Pelican's
assistant, is also in that mix. He should be a familiar name because
he's the lead assistant in Minnesota. Chris Finch the head coach there, Remember
when he had a problem when he injured his his left knee was it his
left knie whatever in a collision in the first round playoff series against Phoenix and
he had to sit in behind the bench. It was Mike H Norri who
was kind of directing things. He too, worked on Dwayne Casey's staff in
Detroit for three years, and he's ted stops in Toronto and Sacramento and Denver
as well, so he's got a nice resume that he's put together. And
then the last is JB. Bickerstaff, who you're familiar with as well as
a head coach in Cleveland. Personally, I would like to see Chris Quinn
added to that list. James and I talked about that yesterday. Guys worked
under Eric Spolster since twenty fourteen. I actually filled in for him as head
coach a couple of years ago, so I'd like to see that name added
too. But the four, even though they might not be huge names,
So what at some point. It's so interesting in coaching if you look back
and you wonder if a guy is like I always bring up Joe Tory in
this Joe Torre, would you consider I mean, when you look at the
all time great managers in baseball, would you say that Joe Tory was one
of them? Absolutely? Okay. He's a Hall of Fame manager, all
right. And the way he handles his staff, the way he handled his
players amazing, right, helps to have talent, It's no doubt about that.
But true time manager of the Year, won six penance, one four
World Series. It's amazing, right. Look at his record before the Yankees,
Like, he goes to New York and he wins ninety two and ninety
six, one hundred and fourteen and ninety eight. I mean, he's thrown
up numbers and you're like, wow, it's incredible. Prior to New York,
though, back to back losing seasons in Saint Louis nineteen ninety he finished
ten games under five hundred. Under five hundred is last year in Atlanta,
and with the Mets he didn't have one, not one winning season. He's
a player manager in seventy seven and then became full time manager seventy eight through
eighty one, not one winning season, not a Hall of Fame manager.
Sometimes you just you need a second chance or you need the right situation if
you will, Okay, but sometimes those big ames. I mean, let's
let's be honest. When Chuck Daily came to this a long time ago,
I get it. But when Chuck Daily came to Detroit, and if you
can recall, do you remember when Chuck Daily came to Detroit? Did you
know who he was? Like? I think people people remember Dick Vitell.
They knew Dick Vitell because he was the head coach at the University of Detroit,
not the not the guy who's on TV recently, but I'm talking about
the coach. They remembered him with Terry Tyler and Terry dou Rod and John
Long at U a D. But did they Chuck Daily? You didn't.
You didn't remember Chuck Daily. You didn't know about Chuck Daily as a as
a head coach. Hell no, you didn't know he was the coach with
the Philadelphia seventy six ers and that it was a mighty struggle there. Did
anybody anticipate him becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win back to back
championships. Did anyone think that he would lead the Dream Team, the original
Dream Team, as the head coach. I don't think anybody did. You
couldn't have predicted that when he first came to Detroit. Many people consider him
a top ten coach, top fifteen coach at least in NBA history, But
as a head coach, Well, what I say, did I say?
Did I say Philadelphia? I I'm in Cleveland, right. He came from
Cleveland, he was nine and thirty two and got fired. Then he comes
to Detroit and it maybe took a little bit to get his feet under him,
but he had a winning record and everything every single year he was in
Detroit until when I think, I think every year he had a winning record.
Then he goes to New Jersey and then Orlando and then he retires.
But the point was when he came here from Cleveland, people didn't know who
he was. So keep an open mind, and I think people have.
I think Pistons fans have kept a very open mind when it comes to who
the next head coach of the Detroit Pistons going to be. I think people
recognize, they realize that the talent is really not there. It's not as
much the coaching. Sure, there was some huge mistakes made by Monty Williams,
it made no mistake. It made no sense whatsoever to start anybody other
than Jade and Ivy, And yet he goes with a guy who eventually he
cuts and is out of basketball. Right makes no sense. But I think
you should be okay with an assistant right now who's cut his teeth and is
now willing and earned an opportunity to be a first time head coach. I
think it makes sense to do that with this team. I really do.
I don't think many people knew who new Zy the loane was okay and then
he takes over the Red Wings. Now, you may not be happy with
it, but there are plenty of There are plenty of examples of guys who
have bided their time and going on to be really good coaches or gotten second
chance. Kevin Cash is a good example of it. Anybody know who Kevin
Cash was before he took over in Tampa? No, see, you do
the research after. That's what I liked about James's article yesterday is the fact
that he brought up names right away. You know people could talk about why
Monty Williams was fired and all this other stuff. But what James did was
bring up, now, where do they go from here? Phone number on
the Meyer hotline eighty six six eight three eight forty eight forty three. The
text line is sports radio to twenty one thousand. I was looking at Kevin
Cash real quick because he was a player, you know. I mean,
he was a a player with Boston for a little bit. But he's better
known, obviously as a manager than he was as a player. And he's
been one of the better managers I think in baseball. I mean, considering
what he's had to deal with, considering the payrule that he's been, you
know, challenged with, pretty damn good. But you never heard of him.
You'd take him now, though, wouldn't you? Absolutely? You would
really like the way. I know you're going to bring up a Blake Snell
thing. I get all that, But I think he's I think he's been
really good, and considering before he was the manager in Tampa. He he's
a guy who was a coach under Terry Francona with the Cleveland Indians. Played
for Francona a little bit and got his shot and has it really looked back.
Then you get a guy like aj Hinch, for example, who started
in Arizona, was fired there gets that second chance in Houston, wins a
championship and parlays that into more success. So there are a lot of different
ways to go about it, and I think right now is the perfect time
to have a lesser known guy as long as he knows what the hell he's
doing, you know, as somebody tweeted to us the other day. As
long as you get a coach who players listen to and he can develop players.
These men on this list, anyway, have proven track records of being
in organizations. I don't know if they've transformed a Giannis Ante Tecumpo, for
example, even though Ante Tecumpo gives Sean Sweeney a lot of credit for that.
But these men have been part of organizationations that have seen a development of
specific players and younger players and key players to organizations. So whoever it is
it comes in, they that has to be part of the criteria. Right
Let's face it. The Pistons, at least according to fans, and it
sure seems like many many members of the NBA fraternity, they're not going to
draw the big name free agents unless you're overspending and you don't want to do
that. But you're not going to draw that for some reason or another.
I don't know what it is. Because it's a phenomenal facility, it's a
great sports town, it's good people who live here. I mean, if
you just give it a chance, you would understand all that. But maybe
it's because you know you're playing in front of you know, empty arenas because
you're losing and so on and so forth. Who knows, but I digress.
Let's face it, you're going to have to draft and develop players,
and you're going to have to take over an organization that has a lot of
young players, second youngest team in the NBA, and you're going to have
to make sure they get to a stage where you're getting the most out of
their potential. So that has to be part of the interview process, right,
I mean, that's what Tradjan Langdon is going to interview these men on.
He's going to ask them, how are you going to make Jalen Derham
better? What do you see in Jaden Ivy's game that makes you think he
could possibly be an All Star? I don't know, how do you take
Cad Cunningham and get him to the next level. What do you think of
all these different players. You can talk about offense, you can talk about
defense all you want. That's great. I think most of that is you
know. I mean, if you look at a lot of the videos of
the great basketball mind Steve Kerr, for example, why they run a certain
type of action and how it really creates mismatches and how it gets his best
players set up. It's fascinating stuff. All these guys have these types of
great plays in mind and these philosophies. I want to know how you're going
to make a young team better. I think that has to be one of
the number one in one of your top five questions to these candidates. How
are you going to make how are you going to get the most out of
our young core? And then you can talk about, obviously, who do
you see as a member of this young core? What could we get?
Where's your vision of this guy playing where and so on and so forth.
But overall, you've got to find a way to make some of the young
guys better on this team, because unless you pull off some type of massive
trade, who knows what you would get in return, but you're going to
have to settle and understand that you're going to develop a team if you want
to build this for the long haul, like the Lions have done, like
Steve Eisman is trying to do, and like the Tigers are attempting to do
as well, even though it's not going real well. You're going to have
to develop young players. You got to understand that you're coming into a situation
where these guys do not have a lot of experience, and they have a
lot of losing experience. You changing the culture might be a little drastic,
but when you've won seventeen games one year, fourteen games the next, you've
been on that type of in that type of situation, you are saddled with
constant losing. You're saddled with you've won thirty one games in the last two
years. That is not something that any coach, any front office expects his
team, you know, to deal with and handle. Think about that for
a second. Boston Celtics this year. Have they won more home games this
season then the Pistons won total in the last two years combined. Sometimes those
types of stark realities need to be emphasized and need to understand this is why
the young guys, they've gone through a lot of growing pains. How are
you going to help them use that to their advantage and turn it around?
Meyer hotline eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty three. The text
line sports radio to twenty one thousand. A lot of even on a day
off, a lot of angst for the Tigers. We'll get to that on
the other side of ex's and pros after this. There's a new player in
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What's up, Michigan. I want to give some love to Ben Glaze producing
another great shep broadcast, Superflies producer my show later today at three, the
Huge show on the Michigan Sports Network. Get some facts and come back and
Seebee. Get some facts and come back and Seebee. Don't fill out salaries
or other things. Get some facts and come back and seebee you can't handle
the true now told our players you need a bit more like a dog.
We don't need a bunch of cats in here. Looking in the mirror,
I look good. I got my extra bands on, I got my other
shoes. Be a doll. We don't need no meals. We don't need
no cats. We need more dolls. The time, ah yo done.
At the time we weren't good. There's no sense asking me things about the
game. I'm telling you we laid an egg. So I'm not going to
break it down for you. He sucks. He sucked. He laid an
egg. That's all I have to say. Guys, I'm sorry. I'm
not going to break it down for you. Nothing went well for us.
It's on us. We have to figure it out, and we went.
Yo. Dad, such a great song man. It really is. Iron
Maiden. Jump on that before we get into the gym. Eight o'clock here
on a Friday, Glad you're with us, Exus and Bros. The month
of June flying by Tigers with showtime tonight against the Chicago White Sox. It's
the first of a weekends. It doesn't generate a ton of interest, at
least to me. I love baseball. You know, there are certain matchups
I think one of the beauties of baseball. You don't need to be at
thirteen to twelve game to be entertaining. But these two teams are just not
in good places right now. Maybe just maybe something like this. You win
a series if you're Detroit, and it sparks something. I've said this for
a while now, though, I've said, look, this team, even
if you beat Chicago at a series, it's not going to matter to your
fan base. Beating a team that's got twenty wins seven road wins is among
the worst in baseball in every category, does not matter. It may have
mattered to you at the beginning of the year when you swept them. Remember
you're in Chicago. You open the season there, you win one nothing Trek
Schouble, fantastic. Then you win a ten inning affair, and then you
win a tight game three, two, and then you shut them out or
no, that was it just the three games, right, Yeah, it
was just the three games. Maybe that that generated something for you because you
felt really good about it. You know, hey, man, it's a
new season. Look at the way we start. You don't know what Chicago
is all about yet, and it doesn't really matter. It didn't matter if
I'd have told you, hey, Chicago had twenty wins, you know,
at the close to the midway point, but you beat them, would you
hang your hat on that, You wouldn't care. You wouldn't care because at
the beginning of the year and spring is about to start and you're all fired
up for a season that you think is going to be really good. And
now in June, that same team you're facing, even if you sweep them,
you don't care at all because it doesn't prove anything because you're supposed to
do it. Now. The team that comes in afterwards, that's a different
story. That's Philadelphia. You beat that team in a series, then you
feel like you got some hope because then you go to Los Angeles and the
Angels aren't very good, and then you've got some You know, you've got
a lot of teams in the division. If you want to look for a
if you look at a glass half full, if you're a very optimistic person,
and I hope you are, the good news is that you play teams
within your division a lot coming up because you got Minnesota, then you're at
Cincinnati, but then you're home to Cleveland, all right, So there's there's
some reason for optimism if you can get something generated. But that's the question,
can you get something generated? So we're going to dive into that here.
Because the Twitter went nuts even on a day off. It doesn't take
much. It does not take much. You get comments like, how are
things gonna change? This person's phrase, pizza boy Chris Ilog dipping into his
pocket to spend money on the field instead of bling. See what I mean?
Communications is really important. I mean you've got to have a pulse on
things. We always use this in politics, gauge the temperature of the room.
It's no different in sports man. You're gonna sit here and promote things
that people don't care about. And how are you that separated? I've always
asked this, Ask a politician. How much is a loaf of bread?
How much is a half gallon of milk? How much is gonna cost you
to buy butter? That's the supermarket. The know because they don't do it
right. You and I do it. We're there, we're experiencing it.
Talk to the people who run these organizations or at least their communications or whatever,
and say to them, what do you think the most important thing you
want to get across to your fan base right now is new seats bringing in
a wall. M No, it's not. It's what players are we going
to get to make us better? Period. They don't wear jerseys in a
ballpark that says we move the fences in. They wear jerseys of players.
They want rings, they want excitement, they want captivation not being provided.
Another guy writes, who among us could not have known that Mark Cannon and
Geo Orchella wouldn't turn this thing around? Exactly? I'm not saying I'm the
only one here, but when those signings were announced, I'm like, okay,
whatever, what are you doing to make this team considerably better? Whatever?
Go ahead? Just I mean, feel good about it. You're gonna
be the smartest guy in the room. And says, see, you didn't
know, but I knew Geo Orchilla and Mark Cannon we're going to lead this
team to a division championship. Oops. Somebody tweeted, should your hitting coach
be a psychologist? Team hitting is terrible? Starting pitching is gonna make up
for some nice pickups for other teams. In other words, why get excited
about certain guys knowing that they're going to be traded because it's going to be
a long summer? Somebody else on X Scott Harris should be a director of
something, but he's not a GM. He's trade Some free agent signings have
been no better than a vila somebody else, joke of an organization sadly haven't
been serious about winning in a decade. And then you've get the typical why
do you extend Hinch? How about firing Scott Harris? I mean, Scott
Harris hasn't been at that long. You fire him? Come on, give
me a break. Some of my favorites, though, are kind of like
the overreactions, the people who want to take drastic action, like this guy.
Time for Harris to blow it up. Blow it up? Got a
lot of young guys. Are you going to blow up? He says?
Keep Green, Olsen, Carpenter, Keith Brisky, trade everyone else. That's
really drastic. That's a that's emotional, isn't it? Another guy says,
build around Riley Green. Managing is terrible. This is where you're losing people.
How about this one? Call up Meadows, send down Bado call up
Leonard, send down Kreidler, activate fay Ato, send down Angler. Yeah,
Mason Engler's not a he's not a guy long term for you and a
kill bad. Have you not seen enough of him? You know what he's
supposed to do. He's supposed to provide you with speed on the base paths.
He wants to be hitting homers. And it's a that's not your skill
set, man. And what's even worse, is it he just hasn't gotten
better. You're all fired up. There's a rule five and you got him
and it's a former second round pig Minnesota and all this other stuff. Guess
what. There's a reason they let him go. Not a major league every
day player. He's just not this guy, says Look. Meeting moves call
up young, Tor Comeados, Jettison, McKinstry. But do and Justin Henry
Malloy. Move Keith the third base, play young at second base, play
Torkosen every day. See what you got. I don't know why you're going
to give up on Justin Henry malloy. He's only twenty four years old.
That's ridiculous. Ten after the hour, we're back with more on the other
side. This is EXAs and bros In Then with Dan Dickerson, Hey Tiger's
fans. A new baseball season means a new season on Michigan's favorite island destination,
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of Mays in his essay. He finishes to watch him play, to read
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right. Welcome back. It's nineteen after the hour here on Axes and Bros.
We're with you Monday through Friday, six until nine. Before we get
to the phone calls and some tech. Just real quick, somebody regarding we
were talking about the various the overriding thoughts from people about the Tigers. Right
now, here's what they're here. Here's the biggest problem that this organization has
right now. They are viewed as cheap. Whether you think they are or
not, this is how they're viewed. They're viewed as cheap, and they're
viewed like they are they don't care. I know that's not the case,
but that's what people view it as. Bad team, little talent, don't
care about winning. Okay, this offense stinks. Do something. Why don't
you do anything? You're limited during the season. But before the season,
everybody knew what this team needed and it wasn't addressed. That's where they fall
into trouble. Phone number on the Meyer hotline eight sixty six eight three eight
forty eight forty three. You can text US Sports ready to twenty one thousand.
Ben. Who's on the line for us? Yeah, we got Maury
and Grand Rapids. Maury, thanks for listening on ninety six point one FM
the game. How you doing. I'm doing great, man, Thanks for
taking the call. Ye appreciate placing it. Hey just a little baseball perspective.
I just caught the tail end of your last segment. I haven't,
that's it. But you got me thinking about the perspective on some of our
guys, like cold Keith for example, Like from here, from a longtime
fans perspective, this is how I see it, and I make a comparison.
And you could say this about col Keith or whoever, insert any name
that you choose. Sure, but go back with me and remember when when
JD Martinez the Tigers tried to acquire JD Martinez. And if I'm wrong,
Chef, correct me, because I'm just going by trying to remember the whole
deal. Yeah, it's okay. Didn't they try to acquire him and failed
and then got him for nothing when he was released? Is that how it
went? I don't. I didn't think they tried to acquire him, but
maybe part of a deal or something and it and it fell apart. It
wasn't just exactly him, Hey give us a JDA and it didn't work out.
But from Houston, you're you're saying from Houston. You're saying from Houston,
right, You're saying, originally they tried to acquire him from Houston.
I don't recall that okay, okay, Well, well here's what I'm getting
to. The Tigers saw something in JD. Martinez to acquire the guy,
or when he was released, they got him for nothing. So they saw
something in this dude, and they bring him in and and and look what
he became and and and when you see something in a guy, uh,
and he was picked up from somebody else who said, I don't see it
right, and you are willing to take some time and it you know,
it pans out once in a while. But and this isn't lost on me
either, chef that he also came to a team within his prime, Miguel
Cabrera, Victor Martinez, who else was a part of line? I mean,
it was an awesome team. My point is the guy had pros around
him, he learned and became great. And who are these guys going to
learn from? And the current roster nobody you know in house right now.
So but it's just all food for thought. On man, I'd hate to
see somebody leave Detroit and go become you know, even Isaac Peadez and you
know, not that he's great, but he was a whole lot better away
from Detroit than he was here. Yeah, there's no doubt about that.
He's still you know, swings and missus quite a bit, but yeah,
he's you'd take him on your team right now. It's a great point about
J. D. Martinez, and I'm glad you prefaced it by saying,
look, he did join a team that had a lot of veterans who helped
him. He was put in a position. I mean, hell, the
year after they acquired him, he was an All Star. He's an All
Star in twenty fifteen. So it's an excellent point. I guess if I
were to defend the Tigers, and it's hard to do that, but using
your logic, and it's great logic because I'm lockstep with you, Mark Kenni's
at ten year veteran. How come they're not learning from him? Why is
it that we were only using Like I would use Miguel Cabrera as an example
for JAD Martinez and he said I learned a lot from him. Go Orchella
has been around for nine years. I mean, how many years is enough?
Not that they're the same quality of player as Miguel Cabrera, because you
and I both know they're not, but they are veterans who you would think
could help nurture some of the younger players along. Javier Baiez is another guy.
Carson Kelly's another guy. We're not full of. As you know,
we're not full of second your players here. How come those guys aren't aiding
in the progression of some of the younger players. Why do you think that
is? I'll tell you exactly why I think it is because, especially in
baseball, man, the human dynamic, the relationships that exist. I mean,
they're more of a family throughout a year than they are with their own
families. I'll at least submit that perspective. And when you have guys like
Miguel who everybody loved, who he grant, you know, the dude was
who he was. I mean, I felt like I knew the guy personally.
I never met him, you know what I mean. In the dynamic
of the clubhouse and inner, you know, connections with other guys, man,
it's huge. It doesn't just happen because the components there. There Hey
potential, you know in this rookie and here's a ten year vet man.
I mean, come on and pour into him, dude. If it worn't
that way, we'd all be a whole lot better in life, you know
what I mean. So it's not as simple as that. And I don't
think I don't think Detroit has it on a lot of levels right now.
I think you got a lot of young guys trying to figure it out and
a lot of guys scratching their head, going where am I going to play
next year? Yeah, I'm not sure I could say it much better.
I think it's an excellent point. And I appreciate the phone call. Have
a great weekend. It's a great jumping off point for or continuing this discussion.
You know, the Kaberra thing. I don't know how you felt like
you knew him. We showed a lot of pictures of him. He didn't
talk much. He smiled a lot when he was on the field to play,
and that's great. He seemed like he loved the game. That was
fantastic, and he was you know, he's a Hall of Fame player.
So all those things help. But to your point, and it's it's an
excellent point, JD. Martinez. Not that we expect any of these players
to be JD Martinez, but JD Martinez comes to Detroit, this situation is
very beneficial to him. When you're playing with Cabrera, and you're playing with
Victor Martinez, and you're playing with you know, Ian Kinsler. He was
part of that team, right. James McCann was relatively young, third base,
Nick Castianos relatively young. Alex Savila was part of the Raj Davis.
Raj Davis was part of that team. I don't think he started all the
time, but he was part of that team. My point is, those
guys help the transition of a young player into a young major league player.
I don't think it's just young player veteran. I think you're a young player.
I think you're a young major league player. Then I think you become
a veteran. There's a difference. Okay, cole keis a young player right
now. He's not a young major league player. Young major league player is
Riley Green? Okay, So I think all that helps. Detroit doesn't have
that guy to transition them. Like you said, Mark Canner, Geo Orchella,
they're both one year guys. See ya. Those guys in that clubhouse,
they know they're gone. The dynamic is a good point too. But
I think the dynamic is good. I do believe it or not. I
mean, being around those guys how much they like one another. We'll get
more into that on the other side. And plus we got some text coming
exes and bros. Monday through Friday, six till nine across the great state
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I want to give some love to Ben Glade producing another great shep broadcast super
Flies, producing my show later today at three, the Huge Show on the
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than Tullymore tullymoregolf dot com. Welcome back, Exus and bros. The Meyer
Hotlines open for you. Eight sixty six eight three, eight forty eight forty
three. The text line is there Sports Radio twenty one thousand, Ben,
I know we got some techs fire away, buddy, Yeah, we got
one. It says uh, this says one is about the Tigers. That
said would core players be re signed by the time free agents are added?
And would the core players want to stay? Two pretty good questions. I'm
not sure what you mean by the first part. When free agents sign,
are the core players going to be there? Do you think there is a
time for an organization where they're going to start bringing in free agents based on
how ready the youth is to win? If you believe that, you have
to ask yourself when is this core ready to win? It's that chicken or
the egg type situation. It really is because you need the veterans, you
need some of those free agents to help the core along. I know free
agent classes are different. Don't tell me you couldn't have done more than what
you did this year. You didn't do enough. It's as simple as that,
you've had one guy work out pretty well for you. Actually, Urschelle
has been okay, Canna or at the beginning of the year. I mean,
when guys have been around. Here's the thing about free agency. When
guys have been around, they're nine, ten years deep into their career,
you kind of know who they are. I think it's really we don't know
who Cole Keith is yet right his first year. We're not even sure who
Carry Carpenter is just yet. We don't have a full book on Wensil Perez
and certain guys Mark Canna, Geo Rochella. You got a pretty good idea
of who they are. Do you think, Carson Kelly, are they going
to really exceed your expectations? Is water going to find its level? I
would think so, Okay, I don't. That's why I was less than
I sure wasn't overwhelmed. I was less than impressed with what they did in
the offseason. And it's nothing against certain guys, but Mark Kenna is exactly
who I thought he was going to be. He's giving you pretty much what
you thought you were going to get. Right as a career, He's a
two point fifty hitter. As a career, he averages about nineteen bombs a
season, and that's with two really good years. Twenty six home runs one
year and seventeen another in Oakland. Those aren't really good years, and one
is a really good year. What's he hitting, folks? He's in two
forty six and he's got six home runs. I mean, did you bring
him aboard to be a home run hitter? No, he's not a home
run hitter. He's only done that once in his career and it was in
twenty nineteen, So why are you expecting anything different? His season best in
batting average was twenty nineteen when he hit two seventy three. So let me
just this is what I mean about expectations. What did you think was going
to happen? Did you think he was going to suddenly turn into the JD.
Martinez of twenty sixteen, seventeen, eighteen years like that? No,
he wasn't. Who's g You or Schella. Folks, you lacked power.
I really didn't want to get into this. I mean because I feel like
sometimes people are listening to the show and it's like Shell, all you do
is complain about, you know, the Tigers and what's going on, and
I don't. I don't want people's Friday. I don't want their their start
to the weekend be like this. I'm sorry, but I can't help it
when somebody brings it up. This team lacked power from a year ago.
You and I both know that. This is what we said. They ranked
twenty fourth in home run a year ago. They had one hundred and sixty
five homers. Okay, they're ops. This is what the front office is
married to. Oh we're all about ops. Okay, you were third last
in OPS on base plus slugging. Only the White Sox and Athletics were worse
a year ago. And what did you do? You went out and signed
a guy who who's not a home run hitter in Markkanna. And you signed
a guy in Gio Orchella, who has what sixty six homers in his career,
He's only hit fifteen or more once. What did you think was going
to happen. You needed Carpenter, you needed Green, you needed Torkolsen to
provide power. Carpenter has been hurt, Green's done it. Torkolsen's down in
the miners. There. It isn't a nutshell. So when when we say
in the offseason, this team's got to go get this type of player,
there's no perfect player out there. They're not getting Bryce Harper, right,
they're not getting show Heyo, Tony. But they need this type of player.
What do they do they get anything but that type of player. Now,
what are you staring at the same bag of crap that you had a
year ago? No, power can't be surprised, you cannot be stunned by
this. Let's go to the phone lines, the Meyer hotline eight six six
eight three eight forty forty three. Ben, who's up? Yeah, we
got truck or B listening on ninety six point one. Hey, truck or
B? How are you, buddy? Goohod? How are you all right?
What if all make I'm gonna go back a little bit here. Good,
Well, make another jump start like we did with Punch. Make a
signing like that, because that's when it all began last time, and all
of a sudden you're starting to develop more and Pudge is a leader, and
then all of a sudden you're making these signings in these trades and give mcgallan
and would that help out? I mean, something's gotta be done. That's
the only thing I can think of. And that's how have worked the lifest
time. If you can make a signing like you did with pud Rodrigez,
Uh, really good point. I would just remind people. I think pudg
Rodriguez. I don't think it changed until Jim Leland got there with pud Rodriguez,
Like we look at players who are all stars in Hall of Famers,
and he is, and we view them as leaders. He was a terrible
leader when he first got here. He sucked quite honestly. Alan Trammell was
the manager and pud Rodriguez did things to I don't want to say undermine him,
but he sure didn't show him the respect that he deserved as his man.
So I don't think he was a very good leader when he started.
When Jim Leland came in and shut the door after pud Rodriguez showed up a
third base coach, Jim Leland came in, shut the damn door to the
clubhouse and said, you're not going to do that here. That's not how
this works. Get on board. There's a famous video of Leland and Barry
Bonds down in Pittsburgh. Jim Leland, this is my team. You don't
like it, get the hell out. You're not go look it up on
YouTube. It's famous. It's phenomenal. Jim Leland did something less public but
more just as effective with Pud Rodriguez. But I think your point is a
good one, Trucker be it's you need somebody. Remember when he came here.
He's thirty two years old or so, and he wasn't getting a lot
of feelers out there when he left Florida, which is a little surprising because
you know, two ninety seven, sixteen bombs and stuff like that. Yeah,
but that changed a lot for the Tigers, There's no doubt about that.
What you have to ask yourself is who the player is now? Who
could fill that role? What's that void? The guy who has been there,
done that? Right? Who is it? I don't know about it?
Who's been never done that? I should love that with on this team?
Well, who wouldn't. But he just signed a massive deal in Kansas
City, and you know, I mean he's the he's the core of their
team. Look, I'm with you one hundred percent there. This goes back
to drafting and developing. You mentioned Wit. You know what, I immediately
think of Jordan Lawler? Okay, and you're probably like, who the hell
is Jordan Lawler. Jordan Lawler was taken behind Jackson Job as a shortstop.
And if you're looking at shortstops to build around, Bobby Witt is number one,
Jordan Lawler's in the top five. Marcelo Mayer good young player. Tiger's
had a chance to draft him. They drafted Jackson Job. This is what
I mean about having a plan and drafting and developing. Everybody has different philosophies.
I'm not saying my philosophy is always right. Who's the last All Star
you drafted and developed? Alex Savila before that, Curtis Granderson. Who's the
last infielder you drafted and developed? Think about it for a moment. Give
me the last Tigers All Star you drafted and developed? Go that Trammel,
Travis Fryman, That Travis Fryman. I want you to think about that for
a minute. Night's good player. You'd take. You take Travis Freyman,
and you're your on your team today for sure. But think about that.
That's how bad it has been for this for this franchise. I know,
like we we rip on track, we rip on the Lions, and and
for good reason, for all the things that they've done wrong and so on
and so forth. What if the Tiger's done? I mean, think about
that. Nineteen ninety six, Travis Fryman was an all star, drafted developed.
Tigers used a draft pick to get him right first round, thirtieth overall,
draft him out of high school back in nineteen eighty seven. He becomes
an All Star for Detroit four times over. But he's the last guy from
an infield standpoint, that you drafted and developed. Don't don't give me Jose
Iglesias and some of these other guys he didn't draft him. I'm talking about
from an infield, shortstops the most important outside of catcher, most important position
on the field. Oh, you got the middle right, got your shortstop,
center field? Yeah you have to have that. Yeah, but your
shortstops the guy. Think about that now. My question is, then,
is you have someone I always was wondering, like Igor Larriana or not even
Cabrera. Why why can't we get someone get them? And I know Cabrera
is still in the organization, but with his knowledge and the way people look
up to him, why can't you make him like the assistant hitting coach or
something like that? First of all, was probably had boats too. Yeah,
well, well, first of all, you know that not and thanks
for the phone call. Have a great weekend. You know this. Not
all great players make great coaches. You know, Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas,
Wayne Gretzky. We can go on and on and on. Okay,
guys can be coaches. But there are great players, and those are iconic
players I just mentioned. They were not very good coaches, were they?
No? Whatever reason? For whatever reason, Why is it so many players
or ex players or guys who didn't make it are the best coaches and or
managers? Why is Jim Leland such a great manager? He's gonna he's a
Hall of Fame manager. Do you remember him playing in Major League Baseball?
You do not. Dave Roberts was a decent player, and he's probably the
Kevin Cash. Eh. You know the guys they bring up, where were
they? Were they great players? Absolutely? Not who's the greatest hockey coach
in the history of the sports Scottie Bowen not an NHL player. But to
your point, Migul Carbret, first of all, is still with the organization.
And I mean that's that's primarily a name. Okay, let's be real.
It's not like he's doing due diligence every single day, right. He's
not Alan Trammel. Alan Trample is down in Erie. He's down in Lakeland.
He's in West Michigan. He's a Toledo. He's gauging how guys are
developing for minor league infielders and whether or not they're gonna be good enough and
what they need to do. He's vested. He's in spring training, fielding
ground balls, hitting ground balls, watching film with guys. I mean he
is knee deep in it. There's nobody like it with like Alan Trammil.
That's not Miguel Cabrera. That's number one. Number two. You're gonna make
an assistant hitting coach answer me to this. Truckerby he was here for years,
right, and he was with this group for the last couple of years.
This group struggled. They had a chance to watch him. It was
better watching him as a player getting ready for game after game than it would
be as a coach. Did it matter? It did not, So that's
I think it's talent. Man, it sounds too simplistic, but I think
it's talent. Now, who are the free agents? It's so sad that,
you know, we've got to look at it in this sense. You
know, it's it's really not fair to you as a fan because the season
is not even halfway over, and I don't necessarily want to do that,
But at some point you and I are going to have a conversation and we're
going to say, all right, who's the free agent you want? Who's
the guy not pitching wise? Okay, who's the guy who's going to add
some pop? Who's the guy who's going to bring you something? Is it
Pete Alonzo? For example? Somebody has said Alex Bregman, Right, A
lot depends on the amount of money you're willing to give. A lot depends
on how they're going to fit into your room. Both you would think would
fit into your room and do it nicely. That's a discussion for a different
day. But those are the types of numbers, like if Pete A.
Lonso is a guy those types of that type of offense, that type of
scary bat in the middle of the linement is exactly what you need. Then
the question is are you going to spend the money? Great calls today,
Really appreciate it and really appreciate the text as well. And thanks to Ben
our producer. We're back with you on Monday morning. Have a great weekend,
everybody. Don't forget the Huge Show later on today three to six,
the rest of your Friday and the entire weekend. I hope it goes well
with sunny skies. Thanks for watching and listening to ex'es and bros. On
the Michigan Sports Network. What's up, Michigan. I want to give some
love to Ben Glaze producing another great SHEP broadcast, Superflies, producing my show
later today at three, the Huge Show on the Michigan's Sports Network. Hey
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