WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:01.879
<v Speaker 1>It's an honor to bring in a friend of mine

2
00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:04.360
<v Speaker 1>and one of the best players the Tigers have ever had,

3
00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:08.480
<v Speaker 1>Lance Parrish. He has written a thrilling book. It's really

4
00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:12.720
<v Speaker 1>an easy read. It's called The Enchanted Season, The Historic

5
00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:16.399
<v Speaker 1>nineteen eighty four Run, and My Life as the Big Wheel.

6
00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:19.760
<v Speaker 1>Pick it up because it's worth the read. And he

7
00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:22.320
<v Speaker 1>joins us here on exes and Bros. Lance, my friend,

8
00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:24.000
<v Speaker 1>how are you today?

9
00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:25.280
<v Speaker 2>I'm doing great, Chep.

10
00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:28.079
<v Speaker 1>How are you doing, Tom, I'm doing fantastic. Thanks for

11
00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:30.160
<v Speaker 1>the time. I appreciate what inspired the book.

12
00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:36.880
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, this is the forty year anniversary of

13
00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:41.719
<v Speaker 2>our eighty four World championship. So we were approached Tom

14
00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:47.399
<v Speaker 2>Gage and I I are approached by Triumph Books if

15
00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:50.119
<v Speaker 2>we were interested in this project. It was like, yeah,

16
00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:52.880
<v Speaker 2>I was very excited to do it.

17
00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:57.200
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I don't blame you. How are you different? What's

18
00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.399
<v Speaker 1>the difference between Lance Parish and the Big Wheel.

19
00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:08.519
<v Speaker 2>Well, I guess the Big Wheel is kind of an

20
00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:15.519
<v Speaker 2>on field persona a association with the Detroit Tigers and

21
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:22.599
<v Speaker 2>my teammates, which was all great at the time. I

22
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:26.079
<v Speaker 2>to be honest with you, don't really look at myself

23
00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:29.400
<v Speaker 2>as the Big Wheel. But when it comes up, I

24
00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:32.799
<v Speaker 2>obviously identify, Yeah.

25
00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:36.480
<v Speaker 1>A special season. Obviously my favorite team of all time

26
00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:39.239
<v Speaker 1>for a lot of different reasons, so influential to so

27
00:01:39.319 --> 00:01:43.280
<v Speaker 1>many people. One hundred and four wins starting out thirty

28
00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:47.200
<v Speaker 1>five and five, which gets all the recognition, but I

29
00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.480
<v Speaker 1>think just as impressive, and perhaps even more impressive, was

30
00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:54.719
<v Speaker 1>the fact that you guys started seventeen to oh on

31
00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:59.359
<v Speaker 1>the road. At what point were you feeling like this

32
00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:02.599
<v Speaker 1>team is in incredibly special and we cannot be beaten.

33
00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:07.319
<v Speaker 2>Well, honestly, I don't know if I ever felt that way,

34
00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.439
<v Speaker 2>and I don't know if anybody in our team during

35
00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:13.840
<v Speaker 2>that time felt that way. I mean, we're obviously off

36
00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:18.400
<v Speaker 2>to an amazing start, which I don't think we could

37
00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:24.159
<v Speaker 2>even comprehend at the time, but the beginning of that

38
00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:29.080
<v Speaker 2>season was obviously very special. Thirty five and five, starting

39
00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.080
<v Speaker 2>out seventeen and oero on the road. I don't see

40
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.879
<v Speaker 2>anybody else doing that ever again. So you know, to

41
00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:38.960
<v Speaker 2>be a part of that, even to this day and

42
00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:45.120
<v Speaker 2>reflection is pretty special. A great group of guys. Obviously

43
00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:49.520
<v Speaker 2>we've finished the job, got it done, one world championship,

44
00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:54.000
<v Speaker 2>so that all plays into it. So it was you know,

45
00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:55.840
<v Speaker 2>obviously a very very special year.

46
00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:59.360
<v Speaker 1>Lance Paris joined us here on Exes and Bros. On

47
00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:02.680
<v Speaker 1>this Wednsday morning. His book is called The Enchanted Season,

48
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:06.520
<v Speaker 1>The Historic nineteen eighty four Run, and My Life as

49
00:03:06.599 --> 00:03:08.280
<v Speaker 1>the Big Wheel. I think he should be a Hall

50
00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:10.800
<v Speaker 1>of Famer. He's an eight time All Star, he's a

51
00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:14.479
<v Speaker 1>three time Gold Glover, he's a six times Silver Slugger.

52
00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:18.000
<v Speaker 1>You were a first round pick of the Tigers, but

53
00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.919
<v Speaker 1>it was kind of unexpected. Can you take us through

54
00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:24.199
<v Speaker 1>that journey early on in life and how it came

55
00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:24.520
<v Speaker 1>to be.

56
00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:28.159
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, I try to touch on that a

57
00:03:28.199 --> 00:03:32.919
<v Speaker 2>little bit in the book, and obviously what I've tried

58
00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:38.960
<v Speaker 2>to portray is is, you know how I was not

59
00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.080
<v Speaker 2>really wrapped up in professional sports when I was a kid.

60
00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:45.439
<v Speaker 2>I was more of an outborsy kind of guy and

61
00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.960
<v Speaker 2>roaming around catching lizards, snake and you know, things that

62
00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:56.560
<v Speaker 2>young kids do. And I just I played sport as

63
00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:00.199
<v Speaker 2>you know, I guess, something to occupy my time. And

64
00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.639
<v Speaker 2>as I got a little better with it and got

65
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.360
<v Speaker 2>into high school, and you know, schools started taking notice,

66
00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:14.000
<v Speaker 2>professional teams started taking notice. This thing just kind of evolved.

67
00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.879
<v Speaker 2>So when I was drafted, I had no idea that

68
00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.360
<v Speaker 2>I was good enough to be drafted the professional baseball

69
00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:26.560
<v Speaker 2>It wasn't like I had any scouts coming around talking

70
00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.600
<v Speaker 2>to me. I mean I talked to plenty of college

71
00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:33.480
<v Speaker 2>people because I was being recruited to play football and

72
00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.920
<v Speaker 2>baseball at that level. But I don't think I ever

73
00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:41.560
<v Speaker 2>had a conversation with a professional baseball scout. Even though

74
00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:43.560
<v Speaker 2>I heard that there was guys sitting in the stands,

75
00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.759
<v Speaker 2>I didn't do they were. So when right before the draft,

76
00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.439
<v Speaker 2>there was a high school baseball coach at our league

77
00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:54.399
<v Speaker 2>that came up to me and said, you know what,

78
00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:57.120
<v Speaker 2>You're going to be a number one drafter And I

79
00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:02.000
<v Speaker 2>was like, yeah, right. So anyway that you know, the

80
00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:04.439
<v Speaker 2>Tigers drafted me in the first round, and I was

81
00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:06.199
<v Speaker 2>pretty excited about that.

82
00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:09.759
<v Speaker 1>You were a quarterback in high school. I mean in

83
00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:12.120
<v Speaker 1>the book, you've got some great pictures of you in

84
00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:15.279
<v Speaker 1>your early days. You've got your senior picture in high school.

85
00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.040
<v Speaker 1>You got you thrown a pass at the quarterback position,

86
00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:22.160
<v Speaker 1>you got you signing the contract. Who was looking at

87
00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:25.000
<v Speaker 1>you for football? And what swayed you to go to

88
00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:26.920
<v Speaker 1>baseball route?

89
00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:30.240
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, I actually went on five recruiting trips

90
00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:34.639
<v Speaker 2>to different schools during that time period. My senior year,

91
00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:44.720
<v Speaker 2>I went to UCLA, USC, Nebraska, Arizona State, and cal Berkeley,

92
00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:51.600
<v Speaker 2>which you know, I throw out there that I honestly

93
00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:55.240
<v Speaker 2>wasn't really interested in going to cal bert But the

94
00:05:55.319 --> 00:05:59.319
<v Speaker 2>guy that was recruiting me was the most amazing guy,

95
00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.079
<v Speaker 2>and I enjoyed being around him so much so it

96
00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.920
<v Speaker 2>was almost like I couldn't refuse him when he offered

97
00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.439
<v Speaker 2>me the opportunity to go up and visit their campus

98
00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:12.240
<v Speaker 2>and all that. But the irony and looking back on that,

99
00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:15.199
<v Speaker 2>even though you know you mentioned that I was a

100
00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:19.959
<v Speaker 2>quarterback and I wanted to play quarterback in college, the

101
00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:23.879
<v Speaker 2>two quarterbacks they had at the time at cal Berkeley

102
00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:33.040
<v Speaker 2>were Steve Barkowski and Vince Farragamo, so I'm not so

103
00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.759
<v Speaker 2>sure I would have cracked that lineup or not. In fact,

104
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:39.959
<v Speaker 2>Vince Farragamo couldn't beat out Barkowski, so he transferred to

105
00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:40.959
<v Speaker 2>the brass.

106
00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:45.800
<v Speaker 1>Isn't that something that's a great story? Man, Lance peis

107
00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:49.759
<v Speaker 1>joining us here on Exus and Bros. While writing the book,

108
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.759
<v Speaker 1>there's so many memories that flooed back right, it's tough

109
00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:57.519
<v Speaker 1>to pick out just one from your career and especially

110
00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:00.480
<v Speaker 1>from the nineteen eighty four season. But look, the nineteen

111
00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:03.600
<v Speaker 1>eighty four season is a big reason why you wrote

112
00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:07.720
<v Speaker 1>the book. Is there anything that you recollect first and

113
00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:11.720
<v Speaker 1>foremost when you think of nineteen eighty four besides winning

114
00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:17.959
<v Speaker 1>it all, handling Kansas City and the obvious fantastic starts.

115
00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:20.560
<v Speaker 2>Well, I mean, it was so many special moments during

116
00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:24.879
<v Speaker 2>the course of that year. You know, as we've talked

117
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:28.160
<v Speaker 2>about the thirty five and five to seventeen and no

118
00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:34.639
<v Speaker 2>Jack Morris throwing is no hitter, the great thirteen pits

119
00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.399
<v Speaker 2>at that by Dave Bergman, which I was standing on

120
00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.600
<v Speaker 2>second base when that was going on, So that was

121
00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:45.720
<v Speaker 2>pretty exciting. Just you know, various games throughout course the

122
00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:49.240
<v Speaker 2>season where we came back at the end of the

123
00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.560
<v Speaker 2>game to win, And I think that was kind of

124
00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:55.040
<v Speaker 2>the mindset of our ball club at the time, that

125
00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:58.480
<v Speaker 2>didn't really matter what the score was at any point

126
00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:01.639
<v Speaker 2>in the game. We always felt like capable of coming back,

127
00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.000
<v Speaker 2>and we always felt like we would come there. So

128
00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:08.360
<v Speaker 2>it was you know, it was one of those seasons

129
00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:13.000
<v Speaker 2>where we felt very confident in ourselves. So you know,

130
00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:15.600
<v Speaker 2>there was just a number of things that happened throughout

131
00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:16.600
<v Speaker 2>close of the season.

132
00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.079
<v Speaker 1>I thought, what was amazing too when you look at

133
00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.720
<v Speaker 1>that team, nobody drove in one hundred runs. You drove

134
00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:23.839
<v Speaker 1>in ninety eight to lead the team, but nobody drove

135
00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:26.439
<v Speaker 1>in one hundred runs, and you were the only player

136
00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:29.399
<v Speaker 1>to hit thirty or more homers that year. You hit

137
00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:32.799
<v Speaker 1>thirty three. I think Gibbe had twenty seven. So it

138
00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:37.080
<v Speaker 1>really was the ultimate team win night in and night out,

139
00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.200
<v Speaker 1>with not just one person carrying this team it hits

140
00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:45.240
<v Speaker 1>or average, and not just one person necessarily carrying it

141
00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:49.320
<v Speaker 1>in power either. It was really displayed throughout the entire lineup,

142
00:08:49.399 --> 00:08:50.879
<v Speaker 1>wasn't it well.

143
00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:53.200
<v Speaker 2>I think that was the beauty of our team, And

144
00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.840
<v Speaker 2>the strength of our team is not only was our

145
00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:03.159
<v Speaker 2>starting lineup, hitching staff, you know, starters and bull play,

146
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:08.440
<v Speaker 2>included guys on the bench. Everybody contributed. Everybody played a

147
00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:14.320
<v Speaker 2>part at some point the season for our success. So

148
00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.840
<v Speaker 2>it was it was a great team effort, and I

149
00:09:17.879 --> 00:09:21.039
<v Speaker 2>think that's what was That's what made it so satisfying

150
00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:24.360
<v Speaker 2>for all of us that we all contributed. I mean,

151
00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.960
<v Speaker 2>obviously Willie Hernand has had a great year, Willing the MVP,

152
00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.799
<v Speaker 2>and Cy Young Award. But you know the guy that

153
00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:35.840
<v Speaker 2>was they came in the games before him, Rileo Lopez,

154
00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:39.600
<v Speaker 2>who was kind of Wally's set up guy, had pret

155
00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:43.000
<v Speaker 2>dang good year himself. I think he was ten and

156
00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:46.759
<v Speaker 2>one with fourteen saves and a two something. He all right,

157
00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:50.519
<v Speaker 2>that's a pretty special year in its own right. But

158
00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.759
<v Speaker 2>as I mentioned the other night, you know, I thought

159
00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.159
<v Speaker 2>Kurk Gibson could have been the MVP in the American

160
00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:00.039
<v Speaker 2>League that year because he was not only had I

161
00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:04.320
<v Speaker 2>had a great year statistically, but he was kind of

162
00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.639
<v Speaker 2>a catalyst, an emotional catalyst on our ball club. So

163
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.720
<v Speaker 2>we had a lot of contributors in different areas, but

164
00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:14.919
<v Speaker 2>it all obviously culminated as a whole success of our season.

165
00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.720
<v Speaker 1>Lance Paris Joiner is here on Exus and Bros. Check

166
00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:21.799
<v Speaker 1>out his book. It's a wonderful read. The Enchanted Season,

167
00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.879
<v Speaker 1>the historic nineteen eighty four run, and My Life is

168
00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:29.440
<v Speaker 1>the Big Wheel. I remember wanting as a kid, wanting

169
00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.279
<v Speaker 1>everybody on that team to stay together. I mean that's

170
00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:34.200
<v Speaker 1>just the way you feel, right, especially when you win

171
00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:38.600
<v Speaker 1>a championship, you have a connection. It gets emotional. I

172
00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:41.279
<v Speaker 1>get emotional. I get emotional to this day. I remember

173
00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:44.320
<v Speaker 1>when when Travel and Morris were elected to the Hall

174
00:10:44.360 --> 00:10:47.039
<v Speaker 1>of Fame. I was on Fox Sports Detroit at the time.

175
00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:50.919
<v Speaker 1>I was crying because that took place. But I also

176
00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:54.759
<v Speaker 1>remember in nineteen eighty seven when you left and my

177
00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:59.000
<v Speaker 1>friends and I also cried. We got together and we

178
00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:03.799
<v Speaker 1>were visible shaken, upset because you were still I would

179
00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:05.960
<v Speaker 1>consider the prime of your career. I think you were

180
00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:07.879
<v Speaker 1>thirty years old, you were coming off an All Star,

181
00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:11.399
<v Speaker 1>you were coming off a Silver Slugger season, and you

182
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.639
<v Speaker 1>ended up going to Philadelphia and I was living It

183
00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.720
<v Speaker 1>pissed me off to no end because we all want

184
00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:23.799
<v Speaker 1>our heroes. Yeah, we want our heroes. What was that

185
00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.879
<v Speaker 1>transition like for you to leave some of the not

186
00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:31.639
<v Speaker 1>just friends, but guys you've grown up with through the

187
00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.120
<v Speaker 1>major leagues and winning a championship and to go someplace else.

188
00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:40.759
<v Speaker 2>Well, if I had to put a finger on the

189
00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:45.879
<v Speaker 2>most disappointing e them of my entire career, that that

190
00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:52.120
<v Speaker 2>would be it, no question. I mean, I viewed myself

191
00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:55.840
<v Speaker 2>and hoped to be a Detroit Tiger for my entire career.

192
00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:01.600
<v Speaker 2>I had no desire to go anywhere else. I loved

193
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:05.759
<v Speaker 2>very much the team that I was on people that

194
00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:10.600
<v Speaker 2>I played alongside coaching staff. But you know, things happened

195
00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:17.360
<v Speaker 2>obviously in life that being in the I guess the

196
00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.919
<v Speaker 2>center of the Collision era, I fell victims to that.

197
00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:23.320
<v Speaker 2>Even though I've always felt like Jim Campbell would do

198
00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.600
<v Speaker 2>the right thing, he pretty much forced my hand and

199
00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.039
<v Speaker 2>kind of forced me out the door. So I was

200
00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.399
<v Speaker 2>very disappointed by that. And you know, I envy Alan

201
00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.159
<v Speaker 2>Tram and Lou Whitaker who were able to play their

202
00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.720
<v Speaker 2>entire career in a Detroit Tiger uniform and achieved the

203
00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:47.279
<v Speaker 2>success that they did. And I always wanted to be

204
00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:52.480
<v Speaker 2>identified as a Detroit Tiger when my playing career was over.

205
00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:55.679
<v Speaker 2>And you know, even though I played for a few

206
00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:00.600
<v Speaker 2>teams after I left Detroit, I still first and foremost

207
00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.879
<v Speaker 2>considered myself a Detroit Tiger. So you know, it was

208
00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:07.960
<v Speaker 2>a tough deal, I mean, but you know, life goes on.

209
00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:11.200
<v Speaker 2>I always wonder what would have happened if I had

210
00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:11.960
<v Speaker 2>stayed there.

211
00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:16.519
<v Speaker 1>Though, yeah, me too. Nineteen years as a major leader

212
00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:21.039
<v Speaker 1>that's incredible, especially as a catcher, and three hundred and

213
00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:26.080
<v Speaker 1>twenty four career home runs, that too is incredible. And

214
00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:29.120
<v Speaker 1>like I've said before, I think you and Bill free

215
00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.240
<v Speaker 1>I don't say this because you're on my show. I

216
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.000
<v Speaker 1>say it because I've felt it, and I've said it

217
00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.759
<v Speaker 1>for a long time. I think you, Bill Freehan, and

218
00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:37.000
<v Speaker 1>Mickey Lolvich, as well as Lou Whitaker, should be in

219
00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:40.600
<v Speaker 1>the Hall of Fame. I don't think Detroit gets enough

220
00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:42.679
<v Speaker 1>respect in that regard, and quite honestly, and I don't

221
00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:44.960
<v Speaker 1>expect you to comment, I don't think the Tiger's organization

222
00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:48.200
<v Speaker 1>do a good enough job of promoting their greats to

223
00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:50.440
<v Speaker 1>Hall of Fame status. But I would ask you this

224
00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:54.360
<v Speaker 1>you the other night, I thought it was one of

225
00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:57.639
<v Speaker 1>the more enjoyable nights I've had all year, listening to

226
00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.279
<v Speaker 1>you and Tom Gage talk with our friend Elis there

227
00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.840
<v Speaker 1>at your book signing the other day. The story you

228
00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:08.720
<v Speaker 1>told you told a couple of really zingers, and I

229
00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:14.120
<v Speaker 1>loved it. But the story you told about Jack Morris

230
00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.240
<v Speaker 1>and a guy stealing home against him, can you reiterate

231
00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.399
<v Speaker 1>that for our listening audience who didn't have a chance

232
00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.799
<v Speaker 1>to hear that fantastic?

233
00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.480
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, it's just one of those those moments

234
00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:31.200
<v Speaker 2>in the career that stand out and you have to

235
00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.320
<v Speaker 2>look back and laugh at it. Really, you know, I'm

236
00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:39.840
<v Speaker 2>sure Jack Morris will be the first guy to admit that,

237
00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:43.919
<v Speaker 2>you know, he might have been a little stubborn, looked

238
00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:51.120
<v Speaker 2>at things a little differently back in those days. So

239
00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.279
<v Speaker 2>so the story goes, we were playing a game in

240
00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:57.799
<v Speaker 2>the early eighties out in Oakland, and I always ask

241
00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:03.120
<v Speaker 2>everybody to just keep in mind that Billy Martin was

242
00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:06.480
<v Speaker 2>the manager of that team. So the events that took place,

243
00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:10.440
<v Speaker 2>I'm sure had something to do with, you know, Billy

244
00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:18.639
<v Speaker 2>Martin and how his line works. So there was beginning

245
00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:23.080
<v Speaker 2>of the game Jack's pitching. It's getaway Day on Sunday

246
00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:26.639
<v Speaker 2>afternoon in Oakland. Wayne Gross is on third base. He

247
00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:31.799
<v Speaker 2>was a third baseman, and Jack is pitching from a

248
00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.759
<v Speaker 2>lind up. So I'm assuming that they were all watching

249
00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:40.720
<v Speaker 2>Jack and how slow and deliberate his wind up was,

250
00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:46.679
<v Speaker 2>and they probably all thought, you know, if we might

251
00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:50.440
<v Speaker 2>be able to take advantage of this, so you know,

252
00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.200
<v Speaker 2>lo and behold. I think Wayne Gross might have took

253
00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:57.039
<v Speaker 2>a couple of trial runs walking down the third base

254
00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:01.120
<v Speaker 2>line when Jack was going through his wind up and

255
00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.399
<v Speaker 2>probably peeking the dugout, and Billy gave him the thumbs

256
00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:06.960
<v Speaker 2>up like, go ahead and do it. So on the

257
00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.279
<v Speaker 2>next pitch, Wayne Gross takes off when Jack starts his

258
00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.519
<v Speaker 2>wind up, and Jack kind of tries to speed up

259
00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:16.840
<v Speaker 2>his delivery because he sees him steal at home and

260
00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.519
<v Speaker 2>he you know, he rushed himself through the ball in

261
00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.799
<v Speaker 2>the dirt, I couldn't hang on to it. So he's

262
00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:27.600
<v Speaker 2>ends up being safe at home and consequently stole home,

263
00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:32.480
<v Speaker 2>which was kind of embarrassing in itself. So a few

264
00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.399
<v Speaker 2>innings later, you know, we have a similar situation. This

265
00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:40.840
<v Speaker 2>time their center field at Dwayne Murphy's on third days.

266
00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:47.320
<v Speaker 2>So Roger Craig, our pitching coach at that time, takes

267
00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:51.000
<v Speaker 2>the initiative, I guess, to call time out and come

268
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:55.279
<v Speaker 2>out to the mount. You know, Jack scuffling a little

269
00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.480
<v Speaker 2>bit out there, and you know, things were getting a

270
00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:00.600
<v Speaker 2>little out of hand, so I think Roger decided to

271
00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:04.200
<v Speaker 2>come out and try and calm him down. So in

272
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:09.000
<v Speaker 2>the midst of his conversation with Jack, trying to calming

273
00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:12.440
<v Speaker 2>down a loute that he looks at Jack and says, hey,

274
00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:16.480
<v Speaker 2>he goes, uh, why don't you pitch from a stretch

275
00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:21.680
<v Speaker 2>right here? Well, you know, Jack knew exactly where he

276
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:25.000
<v Speaker 2>was going. That was like, you know, and rather than

277
00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:28.839
<v Speaker 2>do the right thing. Jack was like, you know, I'm

278
00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:31.599
<v Speaker 2>not going to pitch from a stretch. I'm going to

279
00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:33.359
<v Speaker 2>pitch from a wind up, but I'm going to prove

280
00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.119
<v Speaker 2>to you that this guy is not going to steal

281
00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:40.640
<v Speaker 2>home off, you know. And and Roger looks at him,

282
00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.799
<v Speaker 2>like but it says, it's the right thing to do.

283
00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.240
<v Speaker 2>I mean, you should pitch from a stretch with a

284
00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.599
<v Speaker 2>guy on there, anyone, you know. And now I'm looking

285
00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:51.960
<v Speaker 2>at tram and and whoever else was on the mound

286
00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.079
<v Speaker 2>at the time, and we're, you know, looking at each

287
00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:57.319
<v Speaker 2>other kind of CROSSI like, I can't believe Jack's even

288
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:00.519
<v Speaker 2>arguing with him about it, right, But anyway, Jack was

289
00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:02.920
<v Speaker 2>blizing about him said I'm not doing it. I'm bitching

290
00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:07.759
<v Speaker 2>from the stretch. So Roger turns around, he goes, okay,

291
00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.240
<v Speaker 2>good luck, walks back to the dugout. So we go

292
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.240
<v Speaker 2>back to our positions. And I mean, on the first pitch,

293
00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:18.720
<v Speaker 2>Jack starts his wind up. Here comes Dwayne Murphy and

294
00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:23.119
<v Speaker 2>he's tree he's stealing home and Jack same thing. Deja

295
00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.160
<v Speaker 2>vu speeds up his delivery, drows the ball in the dirt,

296
00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:30.319
<v Speaker 2>gets by me. Dwayne Murphy safe at home. So now

297
00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.160
<v Speaker 2>I'm scrambling around by the backtop trying to get the ball,

298
00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:39.599
<v Speaker 2>and I look over in the dugout, the opening A's dugout,

299
00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:42.480
<v Speaker 2>and they're all over there, laughing and carrying on, like,

300
00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:47.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, look at these clowns out here. So when

301
00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:53.160
<v Speaker 2>the inning was over, the caper doll is, I walked

302
00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.920
<v Speaker 2>in the dugout and I wanted to show my frustration,

303
00:18:56.920 --> 00:18:59.599
<v Speaker 2>you know, because we had just embarrassed ourselves, you know,

304
00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.799
<v Speaker 2>a couple sure, sir. So I took my glove off

305
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:05.319
<v Speaker 2>and I was going to throw it against the back

306
00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:11.119
<v Speaker 2>wall the dugout, just to get everybody's attention, show my frustration. Well,

307
00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:13.519
<v Speaker 2>when I let my glove go, I realized it was

308
00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:16.759
<v Speaker 2>going right at a sticket that was at the end

309
00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:18.640
<v Speaker 2>of a pipe that was running down the back of

310
00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:22.720
<v Speaker 2>the dugout, and I snapped the stiket off and it

311
00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:26.400
<v Speaker 2>was like a fire hydrant exploding in that dugout, and

312
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:30.000
<v Speaker 2>our dougout was filling up with water, and everybody was sprambling,

313
00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:34.519
<v Speaker 2>grabbing their stuff, jumping up on the bench. And Sparky

314
00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.000
<v Speaker 2>was not too happy, I can tell you.

315
00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:36.559
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

316
00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:39.400
<v Speaker 2>It wasn't like they could just turn the water off.

317
00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:39.759
<v Speaker 2>We had to.

318
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.240
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, he ends up calling you out. Well, listen, it's

319
00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:46.599
<v Speaker 1>great stories. There's a ton of those types of stories

320
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:49.960
<v Speaker 1>in the book. It's a fantastic read. It's an easy read,

321
00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:52.640
<v Speaker 1>and it's easy to get anywhere you get your books,

322
00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:56.200
<v Speaker 1>Amazon and your local bookstore. Lance Parrish, you're the best man.

323
00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.599
<v Speaker 1>Thanks a lot, appreciate all the storytelling and appreciate your friendship.

324
00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:01.640
<v Speaker 1>Luck with the book and we'll see you soon, my friend.

325
00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:02.119
<v Speaker 1>Take care.

326
00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:03.839
<v Speaker 2>Thank you, Chip, thanks for having me. Pale