The fine folks in the offices at Major League Baseball don't have a darn clue how to grow their sport. Nate, Rammer and listeners go down a rabbit hole discussing some of the great cathedrals of sports.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:07):
Bars Frits over time now for highNoon, So good with Nate Lucas and
Bob Ramsey, man ought to dowhat he thinks is best on five and
five ninety the fan dot Com.Good afternoon, sports fans, thrill seekers
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everyone, We are an incluer andall inclusive group. We are here on
high Noon. Yes, vegans anew thing. Okay, yeah, exactly,
we're testing that. We're testing thewaters a month or a year and
seven months into the program, formergovernors, the New Jersey. Yes,
we even allow Chris Christie into theprogram today. We like all listeners.
(00:56):
We just prefer that fifty percent love, fifty percent hate, hundred per cent
listen. That is the idea,that is the goal. That is what
we strive to achieve on high Noon. Bob Ramsey, colbar teams, how
are you fellas on this rainy dayin Saint Louis. We don't have to
be perfectly on the spot with everybody. We just have to provoke thought.
That's all we gotta do. Wegotta come up with something. We gotta
(01:19):
be smart, we gotta provoke thought. Well that's that's that's my problem,
because, as I quoted Jethro Tull, actually Ian Anderson what a week or
so ago. I can make youfeel, but I can't make you think.
Oh that's a problem. That's right. I can lead you to the
water, but I can't make makeyou drinking. That could have been the
(01:40):
next one. Are we writing acountry song? No, we're just coming
up with bopper sticker so we canmake some revenue for high Noon here.
So we were chefs yesterday and nowwe're we gotta get Jed Stugard in the
studios of it. Here we go. We are n name. No,
not that, not the little banja. You like Deliverance. You've seen a
(02:01):
movie, great film. Yeah,it's a great film, but it is
that is a creepy scene right whenthey're in the woods and some weird things
happening, ding ding ding ding ding. Well you're talking about the male rapes.
Yeah, I mean male rapes.It's a fifty year old movie.
I don't think we have to workabout it. We're about spoil boiler alert,
gosh gone. And I was watchingit tomorrow. It's half a century,
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is it? You know, asa parent of three, is it
weird? Like when you're watching itbecause you're a movie is it weird?
When you're watching a movie and yourkids are there and there's like a sex
scene or something that's just distasteful oryeah, what do you do? I
mean, like do you fashion?Or just sit there like, please God,
get this through, just get throughthe scene. Yeah, that is
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so awkward. I mean I've watchedyou know, a handful of movies I
suppose over the years with my parentsand it's like, oh gosh, that
lady's breasts are out. This isweird. And I'm sitting right next to
my mother. This is not right. You know what's interesting too, My
oldest boy is a budding filmmaker andwritten some scripts with some pretty some intense
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scenes and really uh uh mature conversation. He's twenty five years old, but
you just don't think of some andit's really well written. And it's like,
like I said, mature. Letme run this via Halff. Well
not so much not so much that, not so much that, but just
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the mature themes and relationships stuff,and you go, how do you know
about it? I guess he did, okay, life experience, Yeah,
it's absolutely you can only use whatyou know, right, right, So
I would rather I watched the moviein one room. My parents watched the
movie in another room, and thenafterwards we get together and huddle up and
talk about it, and we talkabout the scenes that we want to talk
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about, not the ones that wedon't want to talk about. Separate rooms
for sure. What what do youhave a mansion over there? Yeah?
No, multiple movie theaters? Areyou in one? A and they're in
to be and Aaron three c overhere's in the balcony. Yeah, yeah,
like Waldorph and Staller, Madrid,traveling young Man, Bougie mf oh,
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gosh, gosh, gosh, gosh. Well let's see here. Where
to start? Where to start?I will give a review today of episode
one of Hard Knocks, which Ienjoyed. I liked that series that they
put on training camp this year,showcasing the New York Jets Jets Jets Jets
and as we wondered yesterday, ifthey would be able to squeeze in the
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storyline that caught everyone buzzing when SeanPayton came out and just took Nathaniel Hackett
to the wood chipper, and itdid. It made its way in so
fascinating first episode there. I willalso have some thoughts last night there were
some chants at Camden Yards f orthe Young broadcast Kevin Brown, which was
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a crazy game. You know,Major League Baseball, man, let me
just get this off my chest.How about you know, can we let's
pause Major League Baseball promoting their starsfor a second? Can major League Baseball?
Can they do anything to promote whenthey have a game on a television
station that is available for everyone toview, Just just throwing that out there.
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Does anybody even know that on Tuesdaynights all year long, Major League
Baseball has had ignited the game ofthe night on TBS. Anybody even know
that well on TBS? Yes,I did not know that. I mean,
I'm telling you right now. Andso I go last night because I'm
bartending, and you know, wegot four TVs there at the bar at
Pasta House, which haven't ben youneed to go check, you go,
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you're missing out. But so I'mtrying to put out one game on the
MLB network, one TV on theMLB network, I got two games on
ballets to watch Cardinals raise and I'mlike, you know what, I know
there's a game on TBS because Ijust knew that. And I'm like,
so I go to TBS's social mediapage, they haven't tweeted in like a
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week, so they're not even promotingthe fact. And it was a good
game. They had Astros and Orioleson last night, which if you're a
baseball fan and you're in this gameof NA watch that. Then Kyle Tucker
had a grand Slam in the ninthinning, crazy comeback win for the Astros.
Crazy comeback win they were the Orioleswere leading six to two in the
game, Like, how does me, how do you expect to grow a
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brand if you're not going to evenannounce anywhere publicly that the game is going
to be on national television at thevery least. At the very least when
I go to my MLB at badapp, which is a great app,
and I use it frequently, andI'm a subscriber, so I get the
radio broadcast, I can tune intoany game wherever I want. How in
the world, when I'm scrolling throughthe scoreboard and a game is available on
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a network that is available for anyonein any city, how does it not
just have a little blip like thisgame's on TBS, or this games on
ESBN, or MLB Showcase Game ofthe night. Who who is running this
thing? You You cannot if you'rein charge or you expect to grow the
game. If you're not going toput the astros in, or if you're
not gonna full blast that thing runningpromos on your network, putting it on
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your app, you're never gonna beable to get viewership. That's disgraceful to
me. And I'm I'm a problemTV flipper, but I flipped through TBS
all the time. Do they promoteit well on their channel? I don't
know, to be honest, Idon't. Maybe somebody can help you in
their programming, so maybe they are. But I don't watch regularly scheduled events
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on TBS unless there's fewer and fewerpeople do. That's why the app stuff
you're talking about, it's got tobe critical. Sure does how many You
know how many people use their littlephone every day and go onto the app?
I'll tell you this. I don'tknow the number, but I know
it's more and more every day everyday it's in are seen by a large
amount. And so they've got toget that figured out, because if you're
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gonna have a game at this stageof the year in August and it's been
going on all season where you're showcasingtwo good teams the best. You gotta
get it out there, period,or else you're just looking like a clown
show. So we you know,I hear all of these different ways that
Major League Baseball is like shaming themselveson not growing the game. That's the
easiest thing you should be able todo is market your best games that are
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readily available for people to take in. It's just crazy. Well, let
me ask you this. I'm gettingright, I'm getting back int MLB network.
I didn't have it for a while, and I'm back into it.
It's great, nice, great programming. Let me ask you this as a
guy who is an extremely loyal MLBTV viewer. Do they promote other games
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that aren't on their channel? Notnecessarily? And should here's the question.
Should they? Yes? I wonderif they think that if it's owned by
MLB and it's MLB TV, obviouslythe TV people that work directly for the
channel want everybody to watch their channel. But if it's a national game,
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should that be promoted there as well? I'll even go a step farther.
I think that all regional networks balliesshould be required from Major League Baseball to
put up a big sheet at theevery broadcast of where you can find nationally
broadcast games throughout the course of theweek, every single night on valleys or
comcasts or whatever, their local broadcastis featured on a nightly basis. I
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saw it first happen with the NBAand they cross promoted different networks. They
do it. They were the firstone to do it, and I gotta
tell you, at first, Ithought it was weird, like, Wow,
ESPN is running a promo for TNTon Thursday nights. It's just kind
of bizarre. But then when youthink about it, they're just they're growing
the product, they're growing a game, and I just think that they're missing
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out on a huge opportunity. Andthe NFL has now adopted it, where
if you're watching a game on onThursday night, the NFL network or wherever
they broadcast those games, they alwaysshow, you know, the featured games
on Sunday, and then the SundayNight game and then the Monday night football
game, which are on three differentnetworks. Either CBS or Fox has the
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Game of the week on Sunday afternoon. NBC has Sunday Night football, of
course ESPN with Monday Night Football.Major League Baseball and ownership have always been
behind when it comes to using themedia, using it to its full ex
extent, and even understanding it.It took so radio radio broadcasting came around
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in the twenties. There were someteams, including the Cardinals, that didn't
broadcast every game live from the siteuntil after World War two. Wow,
they'd recreate some games. Now,sometimes there were seasons where they'd have multiple
stations doing games, and then otheryears where we'll know, you know,
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early on in particular, well we'renot doing home games and we're recreating road
games. And the owners of MajorLeague Baseball have been behind it and not
understood forever. Same thing with television. When I was a kid, you'd
lucky if you got twenty Cardinal gameson TV the whole year, the whole
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year. If we put it onTV, nobody will come to the game.
And time has shown us that that'sjust not the truth. So you
still have some of that archaic thinkingabout the you know. And then there's
then there is also the territoriality ofownership. Well, no, we can't
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watch have anybody leave balleys to gowatch the astro Oh no, we gotta
have balls here rather than look atthe big picture of growing the game.
And I have never really thought aboutit till you brought it up. But
it's typical of the way Major LeagueBaseball and their owners have looked at broadcasting
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and broadcast technology since its inception ahundred years ago. It's not changed.
That's wild because you would think thatin this day and age, you would
at least see the light. Andmaybe, you know, Baseball is starting
to figure it out with all theregional networks that caved under the Valley's umbrella,
that they really want to, likemaybe start the process in terms of
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looking at what's next. And Ithink they're so late to the game that
it's embarrassing for them. And Iget that you've got people of a certain
age that are in top positions thatprobably didn't foresee this avalanche coming immediately.
And I don't fault them for that. It's all changed rapidly on them,
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But to still behind the behind thetimes, and then to not check boxes
in the easiest columns, it's justshowcases that they're still not quite understanding where
this thing needs to move in avery fast pace to get it there,
you know, to make sure thatpeople can see the games. That's just
not good. Here's another thing.MLB TV people pay i think at the
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start of the year close to twohundred dollars for the rights to watch MLB
TV, and it's marketed so youcan watch all out of market games in
your local market, which is cool. I mean, you know, I
think that that's a nice perk.It's also great for like my brother,
for example, who lives in Colorado. It enables him because he's outside of
a two hundred mile threshold or whateverthe geographalge limits are, so he can
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watch Cardinals games in Colorado by subscribingto MLB TV. Stop right there.
Okay, I want to because Idon't understand this. I'm you're my teacher
here. Would if he lived inDenver proper not be able to do that?
Yeah he could? Oh he stillcould. Yeah, it's only like
it's just so you can't. IfI so in Saint Louis and I'm MLB
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TV subscriber, I can't watch theCardinals. But that's a mistake too.
Yeah, well, that's what I'msaying. If he lived in Denver,
he couldn't watch the Cardinals, Yeshe can. He couldn't watch the Rockies.
Oh, the home team. Youcan't watch. So you pay two
hundred dollars a year, but thenyou're blacked out from watching the team that
you want to watch, and thatthey're trying to protect ballotical rights holder.
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But is it good for the game? No? And is it that big
of a percentage of people that aregoing to be using MLB TV as opposed
to going to Ballet Sports Midwest tosee their advertise. No, I just
don't think it's that big of anumber. And if you you get again,
have to keep this big picture tounderstand that you want the most amount
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of eyeballs on the most amount ofgames that you can possibly feature in a
given night, and they're not doingit. They're not doing it. And
you know, that situation that Ididn't know the specifics of goes back to
what I'm saying that owners have dealtwith technology out of fear rather than embracing
it and figuring it out. It'sjust they gotta get on they gotta get
up to date on this or theylook archaic. Really they do, and
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that's that's not a good brand tohave. If you're trying to run an
organization one of them. Yeah.One thing to add it seems like with
the app they do not promote thenetworks that the games are broadcasted on,
unless it's the playoffs. But theydo promote Peacock and Apple TV. Okay,
wow, so the game. Yeah, because there is a Sunday afternoon
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game on Peacock every Sunday, andthen Apple TV of course has select Friday
night games. I can tell youright now Tigers and White Sock. I'm
sorry, Tigers and Red Sox areplaying on Peacock on Sunday. Yeah,
so I have seen that, ActuallyI have seen that. But TBS,
I would be like what am Ipaying for if they were not in any
exposure here. And of course youknow TBS comes into the picture more so
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in the playoffs because they typically geteither the American League or National League Division
and Championship series before it all shiftsback to Fox for the World Series.
So that would be that would bemy selling point Major League Baseball and give
at the times. And the otherthing is as you market it, how
do the numbers breakdown? So Ithink in most MLB markets, you know
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that a huge percentage is it inthe ninetieth percentile of baseball fans are going
to watch the hometown team regardless ofwhat the avenue is to get those games.
So what about how much does MLBvalue and evaluate out of market baseball
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fans and how they get their baseballcoverage. That's an I have no idea,
So I don't know to critical,not critical, embrace it because I
don't know what they think about it. You know, what do they worry
about? Who's watching Major League Baseballin Salt Lake City or Omaha or where
they don't have a franchise, wherethey don't have What are those fans embracing
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this newer technology or not? Isit enough of a number to have a
value to MLB? Or is inan area they can cultivate? Those are
questions I have and I don't knowthe answer. I don't know if they
know the answer. I would betthey don't just based on history something else.
That's pretty cool. I have abuddy, Scott Morris, who he
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ran an establishment in Springfield where wedid a little postgame show called Live at
Fall Staffs and would bring Springfield Cardinalsplayers over after a Saturday nightball game and
kind of mock a little live atShannon's postgame show. He's doing something so
cool with his kids. He's gotthree, two young boys and a young
daughter, and they are on anunbelievable trek across America to seeing different ballparks.
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They have made stops in Minnesota tosee a Twins game, Milwaukee to
see a Brewers game, Detroit tosee a Tiger's game, Cleveland where they
saw a Guardians game, and alsomade a pit stop at the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. And thentoday they are taking in a Cincinnati Reds
game and he just sent me apicture of the little pregame show where they're
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doing the Reds broadcast from with histhree kids. And then tomorrow they'll be
in Pittsburgh to see a Pirates game. How cool is that? Yeah,
finally a good one if you ifyou love the game, those kind of
trips, whether it's you and yourwife or girlfriend with buddies, with your
kids, the memories are just fantastic. The first one I did was a
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Cubs White Sox Brewers one, alittle small one, and then I've talked
about this before many times. Thendid a Shay Stadium, Cooper's Town Park
Veteran Stadium in Philadelphia, Camden Yardsin Baltimore, back to New York for
a Yankees game, and the DavidLetterman Show. That was one trip.
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Wow, you you can do somuch, you know, the up and
down the West coast kind of trip. I'm telling you, if you're if
you love the game, those tripswill be something that you'll always remember again,
whether it's with a spouse, aboyfriend, girlfriend, kids, buddies,
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it's their unbelievable things to do.And baseball is really the only sport
that I mean, maybe soccer,but baseball is kind of the only sport
in which you have venues that areunique enough for a totally different experience at
yes one, Whereas if you wereto go to a bunch of hockey arenas,
I mean, it's like walking intoa bubble and there's the same sheet
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ice and it's the exact almost verysimilar feel, and most buildings everybody has
their own spin on it. Footballeverything's on a Sunday predominantly. Stadiums are
different, but again, experience kindof the same. You know, it's
funny you mentioned hockey. The modernstadium the modern arenas are way better,
awesome, but in the old theCheckerdome. No, I was insane the
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old days when you could go tothe old Arena, but more importantly Chicago
Stadium, Maple Leaf Gardens and thosereally historic places that then I would say,
in those days it was different anda great experience. I will agree
with you because on the little fillin duties that I've had over the years
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with the Blues as the engineer,like going with the team and seeing the
old Edmonton building and you look intothe rafters and you see Gretzky and Messier
and Fear and you just see thosebanners hanging up there, and you think
about all the history that has happened. And even though it's a slightly newer
building I suppose, or it's beenupdated quite a bit, but like Los
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Angeles still to go into the StaplesCenter and just see all of the Lakers
banners in there, very cool.You. I mean, if you're a
sports fan, that sort of thingjust gets the hair on the back of
your neck to stand up. Andeven you know, walking by and you
come across the entrance to the Lakerslocker room and you're like, oh my
gosh, the amount of greatness thathas walked right here this door. It's
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just sort of like, man,this is cool. You know, it's
funny when you talk about that kindof legacy stuff. And I saw an
MLB today that former Tigers catcher andbroadcaster Jim Price, I guess passed away.
Wonderful guy, really cool guy.And when they tore down Old Tiger
Stadium, what he grabbed was aurinal from the visitors clubhouse and he goes,
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think of all the guys that arePete in the all the greats.
Really funny. But then you startto think about going back to Babe Ruth
and Garrigan all those guys, andI go, weird but cool idea.
Yeah, I mean, definitely aunique piece of memorabilia that you can take
out of there. Not many peoplecan say that they've got a urinal from
Old Tiger Stadium somewhere in their house. Well yeah, and if he set
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it up, yeah, you canbe there. That's where Babe Ruth.
That's great. I love that.That's pretty cool. Yeah. They probably
the most historic ballpark that I've beento. And it wasn't a game,
but it was just a tour.And the tours are cool too. If
you're in a city where there's aunique ballpark and you want to, you
know, look at they take intothe clubhouse and all the different features of
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the park. But Old Yankee Stadiumwas a just place that obviously held a
tremendous amount of history. And youwalk out to Monument Park and you see
that and walk into the Yankees clubhouse, which was stuffy and little and just
kind of tight quarters. But justagain you think, men, the people
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who occupy these stalls are just it'salmost crazy. I was there one time
Old Yankee Stadium one time for afootball game. Interestingly enough, wow,
But I took the time before thegame to go stand at home plate,
and because I love Mickey Mantle,I stood on I took turn both sides
of the plate. It was werenern't we really? But being there and
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the monuments out in center fie,it's it was an unbelievable experience. The
one thing you notice when you goto an old park is the how the
walkways are so small. You know, the ramps of going up to different
levels of the ballpark, they're sosmall. Now you get these huge grandios
pathways that you feel like you don'teven have to say, look at somebody
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you're so far away. I've beento over thirty Big league ballparks. Wow,
but I have to count it up. I bet at least half,
maybe two thirds of them are goneof the ones eyes into Yeah. So
what was your last year doing gamesfor arts? Phil in A little bit
in O four Okay, So yeah, it is amazing. I mean the
thing, it was almost twenty yearsago. So you think about it.
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Just how many parks have been rechaginbuilt since then or even have had drastic
rehab projects. Go on, that'swild. Did you have a favorite place
to call game? I mean,let's take Bush Stadium out of it.
Tiger Stadium, Oh yeah, soclose, right on top of it,
right on top of the screen.In fact, Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell
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put chicken wire up in front ofhis broadcast booth because it was foul balls.
I mean, you're right over thetop of the screen. I almost
got drilled in the head. Wow. And I just at the last,
just at the last second, Iwas able just to move my head and
it was off Ray Langford foul backand a shot. And I at the
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last I was heading my eyes downwriting something on the scorebook, and Shannon
had warned me, Earli, andit came flying back and at the last
I mean micro second, like whena player, you know, you got
a micro second to get out ofthe way when you're hitting micro second.
And I just tilted my head enoughI could feel it go by my right
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felt it whiz by right by,And Shannon didn't comment, He just went
He just laughed at me because hehad just warned me. Yeah. Wow,
that is right behind home play.It was unbelieve it was the best.
That's cool. Probably could call ballsand strikes from there. Oh and
they could hear you complain. That'sgreat. That's the Tiger Stadium was cool,
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good memories. That's awesome. Thepolls out there in the outfield and
the and the right field deck overhangingright field made it very cool. That's
cool. Great, I guess knew, like I guess saw. How should
I say this? But like inbuilding code, they just won't allow for
that steepness to build anymore. That'slike with the seating in the old arena.
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You're too younger. You never wentto a game. There's like Sesame
Street Live. It was I mean, if if somebody text in, if
you're at the top of the stairsand you fell. You're going all the
way down, brother, You're you'renot stopping. And it made everybody feel
like they're right on they were righton top of the action. But codes
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change and they can't have that bigof an angle and it pushes fans further
away from the action, which istoo bad. Well, and one of
the you know now, they tryto sell it like, well, we
made more field box seats available sothat you're you're on that level of the
field. The problem is for alot like there are good seats at Bush
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Stadium that you pay good money for, but you sit so low because you're
not teered enough to where you're kindof like a it's a great angle,
but you can't see the field becauseyou're kind of like sit you feel like
you're a submarine. Yeah, yes, man, Old vintage stadiums pretty cool,
really fun, you know. Now, another one I went to because
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I love the old ones Chmiskey Park, but it was the last year and
they were going to tear it downand he could tell they just kind of
we're tearing it down, we don'tcare. And it had become really literally
a rat trap. It was gross. It was it was brutal, but
walk and their field boxes once yougot past all the dugouts or the first
and third base area. The lowerdeck was terrible. Upper deck kind of
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on top of the action. Prettycool, but I didn't really get to
see it in its glory, ifthere ever was a glory. It was
pretty filthy by then. How aboutFenway? Love Fenway, Now what I
didn't get to do because it hadn'tbeen made then I didn't get to go.
I'd love to go back and siton top of the green monster up
top that's only been there for maybefifteen years or so. Pretty cool.
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That is pretty cool. I stilllike going to Wrigley, even though they
loved it a lot. You knowthat you can't flip flopping on Chicago,
whether or not you ever plan ongoing back. I have no reason to
go back to Chicago. I likeRadley Field. Uh well, let me
let me preface this. I loveChicago. It is one of the great
American cities. But Chicago has becomeso dysfunctional and quite frankly dangerous that it
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is really sad to see. Infact, the last time I was there,
you know the magnificent mile Michigan Avenue, which is just a hallmark of
American corporations that have really grown.I mean, it's just amazing. It's
capitalism and its most beautiful form atonce was. It's all boarded up.
I mean, it's just disgusting nowand thieves and criminals have just destroyed that
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city. So I believe me,I don't feel it doesn't make me feel
good to sit here and say thatChicago has become an absolute third world country.
That's a shame. I want ourcities to thrive. I want them
to be beautiful. Are San Franciscoshould be a hallmark of what America looks
like, saying with New York andChicago. But unfortunately, you know,
leadership and forget political parties. They'vejust let it go to hell and they're
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letting the inmates run the asylum,and that is not good. So I
believe me, I would love togo back to Chicago, but right now
not very interested. Let me geta few techs in here, because this
sort of nostalgia always kicks it up. Hockey bog season tickets at the Arena
slash Checkerdome. We're at the verytop row and Rammer is correct if I
(29:21):
was drunk or high it really gotinteresting. Tom I did take a tour
of Fenway. As much as Ihate the Red Sox, it was a
cool tour. The guy had areal Boston accent and was very sarcastic towards
other fans, but he gave lotsof interesting facts. Then we had a
banquet at the four h six Club, fun time with the night before opening
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day Zeebo's wrestling buddy. Best stadiumtour is lambeau Field. I hate the
Packers, but that place is amazing. Best team Hall of Fame as well,
and some of the different things thatthey've added the Lambeau look pretty cool
too. They've I think they've triedto keep its charm while while getting it
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more modern. Yeah. My businesspartner, a lot of you know him
from years on the radio, JefferNettie, generational, like so many Packers
fans are. He and his dadand now his son. They'd do a
pilgrimage every year to Lambeau. Thatis odd. That's definitely a bucket list
item for me as well. TheProdigal I started covering sports in nineteen eighty
and the one thing that stood outto me about the arena was the putrid
(30:26):
smell in the bowels of the place. It was almost gagging futred. Now,
I don't recall that the locker roomswere pretty funky. I do remember
I gotta, I gotta laugh andMike drop and walked out. In the
media lounge, it was it wasdicey to eat there. And uh,
(30:49):
for those of you don't remember,there was a big carcinogen issue with Times
Beach. Do you remember Times Beachthing forty years ago whatever, thirty years
ago? And I go, lookthe catch of the day from Times Beach
and I got a nice laugh andwalked out. But it was indicative of
the food there as opposed to BushStadium, where the food and in the
(31:11):
press box was off the charts,flat iron grill up there. My man,
my man frank Man treated the medialike kings. He was so cool
and uh, fresh burgers and dogsand brots and a whole big roast beef
there he would carve off for youto order with all jo and just oh
(31:33):
it was what it was a funtime. Surprise Chris Christie never popped in
for a little adventure. He mighthave taken the whole ros speak with the
whole roast, Sir would you likeone or two slices? No, I
went the whole roast. Actually,Frank would make you a chili dog if
you wanted. He made the chilievery day. OK, let me ask
you the chili dog. I see. This is where I sort of veer
(31:55):
in a different direction. Now thismight sound weak because I brought it up
one time on the morning show andI've never lived it down. They called
me the Little Dipper for it.But if you put chili on the dog,
the bun gets soggy, Well,you don't have to smother it,
or if you really want to loadit up, you probably want to go
knife and fork. Anyway, definitelygo knife and fork with the chili dog,
(32:16):
like I think the best. AndI know menus change and get updated
all the time. So I've beentraveling to ballparks for quite a while,
but I think the bacon wrap dogwith the onion straws at our ballpark is
the best ballpark food I've ever had. Again, I know there are other
great things. I haven't been toevery yard, and everybody looks to compete
(32:37):
for those kind of things. Butif you really load it up, you
may start eating it like a regularhot dog. But eventually you're gonna need
a knife and fork just to getup all the spillings off the plate.
Anyway, I still just a goodold classic Chicago dog with the poppy seed
bon and the relation of sports peppers, mustard and the the celery sault.
(33:00):
It's great. Whereas the most overratedis the Dodger talk, which is it's
just a foot long steamed weenie.It's gross, no toppings, just long.
Well I'm just saying that. Imean, I guess you can put
anything on it you want, butbut it doesn't compare to what we have
here. It doesn't compare to thedogs in Chicago, even the Bronson Milwaukee
(33:22):
with the brown mustard. It's youcan find good ones all over it,
not in Dodger Stadium. Let's see, I went to Lambeau and watched the
Packers throttle Boulger in the Rams.The whole stadium was wearing orange to honor
the hunters that were killed by thatVietnamese guy. I don't remember that,
but I do I remember the packPackers throttling Boulger in the Rams. I
(33:45):
have vivid memories of Rams losses.I probably need to see a therapist for
multiple reasons, but me clinging ontothe horrible Rams final decade in Saint Louis
is really a scar on my life. Coaches will tell you the losses stay
with you much longer than the victoriesdo much longer. That's why one of
(34:06):
the great things and about miracle onIce, they don't really do it.
I don't think they. I don'tthink Kurt Russell does it in the theatrical
film, but they talk about itin the ESPN documentary. I could be
wrong, somebody could correct me onthat. But remember they beat the Russians
and they still had to win thegold medal game, right. Nobody remembers
(34:27):
the gold medal game. Herb Brooks. He walks in and he goes.
He goes, if you don't winthis, you're going to take it to
your bleeping grave. He turns towalk out, turns back and looks at
the rest of the room and says, you're bleeping grave. Oh man.
I can't remember if it's in thetheatrical film, but it's in the They
(34:50):
talk about it for sure in thedocumentary. Somebody will remind us on text.
But the point of that is he'sright. If they would have beat
the Russians and then lost the goldmedal game. It would have made it
all for not it would just youjust would remember the loss. Did people?
I mean did herb Brooks? Like, what was his legacy after that?
(35:10):
Did he? Well? He wasalways I mean you mean what did
he do after? Yeah? Whatdid he do after? He's coaching assignments?
But nothing ever could ever eclipse that. I love the fact that,
and it's so hockey, it's sucha hockey culture. But as soon as
they win, you know, hesort of just shakes his assistant's hands and
gets off the bench and lets theguys celebrate. Such a unique part of
(35:32):
the hockey culture. Uh. Threeon four says I went to the White
Sox Stadium the last year it wasopen. Also, I was amazed at
how crowned the field was outside ofthe foul lines. Yes, what does
that mean? You know for drainage? Oh yeah, it was very noticeable.
That's a great call. One ofmy fondest memories of the arena was
(35:54):
Barkley plague Er tapping my seat withhis stick as he went to the locker
room. How about that? Isthat fun? Amazing? Uh? Let's
see here as big and drafty asthe arena was the cheap skate owner of
the Blues at the time, HarryErnest refused to turn on the heat in
the place. Why you wouldn't wantheat on during a hockey game, But
(36:16):
I guess other events took place inthe arena. Is it bad to call
at the checker dumb? Somebody wasgiving me trouble. That was such a
brief period, I think, Imean, I just call it, well,
I just remember Dan Kelly and thoughthe Oakland Avenue Arena, that's that's
to me, that's what it is, Oakland Avenue Arena. I'm partial.
I guess I'm biased because my dadwas an executive with arena for thirty years.
(36:38):
So it's given me a life.So we have to support the bridget.
Did you ever ask him about whywhy they just go we got to
get out of this and didn't evengo to the draft that one year.
I don't know if he worked,because yeah, yeah, he was a
kid still probably yeah. And hestarted his marketing career with Dark Sea,
(37:00):
which was downtown, and then hemoved. That's well, I don't know.
He certainly seems to live a nicelife, you know, so that's
good. That's good, but thatyou know, the whole thing, the
Solomon's get out and Ralston's in andthey didn't want to do it, and
we I mean it was It madethings for hockey fans really ugly for a
(37:22):
number of years. And then ourNest came in and he was charismatic,
but he was cheap and it wasit was bad. There were bad times.
Sharon says. The quote was featuredin the Miracle movie Goosem's just thinking
about it. Yeah, thank you. I just couldn't recall, Bob,
how far do you think Reggie's homerun went and Tiger Stadium during the All
(37:42):
Star Game in nineteen seventy one,Well, you know, it hit the
Transformer or whatever it was up onthe roof, and it would have it
would have been out of the stadiumover the tip of the time. It
would have been out day. Thatis so how many feet is that?
Five hundred fifty six? I don'tknow. That is an absolute blast,
(38:02):
unbelievable. How far wood Pooh Holesis shot in Houston would have gone?
If it, it would have brokenwindows across the street, no question,
good lord, all right, Uh, the I think it's true that Babe
Ruth hit one out of Sportsman's Parkhere and broke the play class window of
(38:23):
auto dealership across the Grand Avenue.I've also heard that that was a myth,
so I don't know the facts onthat, but that was stated as
fact for a long long time.Some people are chiming into on our discussion
about games on television and appreciating itbecause like everyone, I mean, look,
(38:44):
if we we come on the airevery day and we talk about the
game, and if if I don'tknow the specifics of where national games are
going to be broadcast, how isyour average fan who works a job,
cares for their family, has lifeoutside of sports supposed to follow where they
can catch a ballgame at night.They've got to get that. Don't make
(39:06):
your fans work. Make it easyfor him. You want, you want
access to be easy. I thinkour listener out in Salt Lake City,
I think three eight five a SaltLake City says Rob Manford hates hates hates
baseball fans some of his actions.It's hard to hard to say that that's
not the truth. One last onehere, speaking of baseball broadcast on TV,
(39:29):
why is the camera focused solely onthe pitcher and the batter and not
more of the whole field, especiallywith runners on base. Same with hockey.
I would like to see more ofthe ice and certainly would like to
see the line change it. Soit's maybe a higher widen a lens or
I don't think you want to doit all the time, but cutting to
different angles one thing. I especiallywhen there was for those number of years.
(39:51):
What was it when when shifting wasbig five years, eight years,
whatever. They need to show wherethe defense is a lind more, but
it's not as big a deal now. Yeah, like in football they call
it the old twenty two shot,and then in baseball I know for a
fact they have a camera set upthat is available for both broadcast teams.
(40:15):
That is the high home camera thatyou can see the entire field for.
But again, without the shift,it's not as big a deal as it
was in the past, I think, you know. And I've been friends
with Tommy the director for Baalis forever. Gosh, he's thirty years.
Talk about a guy with a lotof stories, oh man, and he
(40:36):
was a ballplayer and he understands thegame. And that's why I think what
we get visually is as good asI've seen anywhere. I don't. I
don't grind on other broadcasts. Youlook at other broadcasts more than me,
But I think I think visually ourstuff and what Tom does is as good
as it gets, if not thebest. Yeah. Sometimes, like I
(40:57):
know in Milwaukee, they're a bithamstrung just because of the way that the
side seating sort of juts into thefoul line and it's so tight that they
can't actually get a shot right downthe line because they don't have a camera
set up. But in some stadiumsthey had been more proactive about putting up
like I said, for like thathigh home where both teams have access to
that one feed as opposed to havingdifferent cameras everywhere for separate u TV feeds.
(41:24):
Uh. Cecil Fielder hit one outof Tiger stage. Cecil, Yeah,
he's still living, I think so, Yeah, I assume. So.
All right, Well, there yougo a little nostalgia for you here
on high Noon. As we getto about twelve forty seven best that ever
(41:45):
Cecil Fielder and Prince Fielder same amountof career home runs. That he's a
heck of a statin a piece,and Prince would have hit a lot more
had he not had the neck.Horrible issues with his back and neck in
the later stage of his career.All right, let's take it back shoes.
Huh. We'll get to the Cardinalgame eventually, right, No,
no, no, our guys,Yeah, we'll get the Holy One.
(42:12):
He's back, he's injured, he'shurt. You can't go imagine that.
We will talk about that. Andalso, I was very there were two
plays, in my opinion, thatchanged the game last night, and they
both happened in center field. I'lltell you about my opinion when we return.
It's tinnoon on five ninety Fan
Bars Frits over time now for highNoon, So good with Nate Lucas and
Bob Ramsey, man ought to dowhat he thinks is best on five and
five ninety the fan dot Com.Good afternoon, sports fans, thrill seekers
(00:34):
everyone, We are an incluer andall inclusive group. We are here on
high Noon. Yes, vegans anew thing. Okay, yeah, exactly,
we're testing that. We're testing thewaters a month or a year and
seven months into the program, formergovernors, the New Jersey. Yes,
we even allow Chris Christie into theprogram today. We like all listeners.
(00:56):
We just prefer that fifty percent love, fifty percent hate, hundred per cent
listen. That is the idea,that is the goal. That is what
we strive to achieve on high Noon. Bob Ramsey, colbar teams, how
are you fellas on this rainy dayin Saint Louis. We don't have to
be perfectly on the spot with everybody. We just have to provoke thought.
That's all we gotta do. Wegotta come up with something. We gotta
(01:19):
be smart, we gotta provoke thought. Well that's that's that's my problem,
because, as I quoted Jethro Tull, actually Ian Anderson what a week or
so ago. I can make youfeel, but I can't make you think.
Oh that's a problem. That's right. I can lead you to the
water, but I can't make makeyou drinking. That could have been the
(01:40):
next one. Are we writing acountry song? No, we're just coming
up with bopper sticker so we canmake some revenue for high Noon here.
So we were chefs yesterday and nowwe're we gotta get Jed Stugard in the
studios of it. Here we go. We are n name. No,
not that, not the little banja. You like Deliverance. You've seen a
(02:01):
movie, great film. Yeah,it's a great film, but it is
that is a creepy scene right whenthey're in the woods and some weird things
happening, ding ding ding ding ding. Well you're talking about the male rapes.
Yeah, I mean male rapes.It's a fifty year old movie.
I don't think we have to workabout it. We're about spoil boiler alert,
gosh gone. And I was watchingit tomorrow. It's half a century,
(02:23):
is it? You know, asa parent of three, is it
weird? Like when you're watching itbecause you're a movie is it weird?
When you're watching a movie and yourkids are there and there's like a sex
scene or something that's just distasteful oryeah, what do you do? I
mean, like do you fashion?Or just sit there like, please God,
get this through, just get throughthe scene. Yeah, that is
(02:46):
so awkward. I mean I've watchedyou know, a handful of movies I
suppose over the years with my parentsand it's like, oh gosh, that
lady's breasts are out. This isweird. And I'm sitting right next to
my mother. This is not right. You know what's interesting too, My
oldest boy is a budding filmmaker andwritten some scripts with some pretty some intense
(03:07):
scenes and really uh uh mature conversation. He's twenty five years old, but
you just don't think of some andit's really well written. And it's like,
like I said, mature. Letme run this via Halff. Well
not so much not so much that, not so much that, but just
(03:28):
the mature themes and relationships stuff,and you go, how do you know
about it? I guess he did, okay, life experience, Yeah,
it's absolutely you can only use whatyou know, right, right, So
I would rather I watched the moviein one room. My parents watched the
movie in another room, and thenafterwards we get together and huddle up and
talk about it, and we talkabout the scenes that we want to talk
(03:50):
about, not the ones that wedon't want to talk about. Separate rooms
for sure. What what do youhave a mansion over there? Yeah?
No, multiple movie theaters? Areyou in one? A and they're in
to be and Aaron three c overhere's in the balcony. Yeah, yeah,
like Waldorph and Staller, Madrid,traveling young Man, Bougie mf oh,
(04:12):
gosh, gosh, gosh, gosh. Well let's see here. Where
to start? Where to start?I will give a review today of episode
one of Hard Knocks, which Ienjoyed. I liked that series that they
put on training camp this year,showcasing the New York Jets Jets Jets Jets
and as we wondered yesterday, ifthey would be able to squeeze in the
(04:39):
storyline that caught everyone buzzing when SeanPayton came out and just took Nathaniel Hackett
to the wood chipper, and itdid. It made its way in so
fascinating first episode there. I willalso have some thoughts last night there were
some chants at Camden Yards f orthe Young broadcast Kevin Brown, which was
(05:03):
a crazy game. You know,Major League Baseball, man, let me
just get this off my chest.How about you know, can we let's
pause Major League Baseball promoting their starsfor a second? Can major League Baseball?
Can they do anything to promote whenthey have a game on a television
station that is available for everyone toview, Just just throwing that out there.
(05:27):
Does anybody even know that on Tuesdaynights all year long, Major League
Baseball has had ignited the game ofthe night on TBS. Anybody even know
that well on TBS? Yes,I did not know that. I mean,
I'm telling you right now. Andso I go last night because I'm
bartending, and you know, wegot four TVs there at the bar at
Pasta House, which haven't ben youneed to go check, you go,
(05:47):
you're missing out. But so I'mtrying to put out one game on the
MLB network, one TV on theMLB network, I got two games on
ballets to watch Cardinals raise and I'mlike, you know what, I know
there's a game on TBS because Ijust knew that. And I'm like,
so I go to TBS's social mediapage, they haven't tweeted in like a
(06:08):
week, so they're not even promotingthe fact. And it was a good
game. They had Astros and Orioleson last night, which if you're a
baseball fan and you're in this gameof NA watch that. Then Kyle Tucker
had a grand Slam in the ninthinning, crazy comeback win for the Astros.
Crazy comeback win they were the Orioleswere leading six to two in the
game, Like, how does me, how do you expect to grow a
(06:30):
brand if you're not going to evenannounce anywhere publicly that the game is going
to be on national television at thevery least. At the very least when
I go to my MLB at badapp, which is a great app,
and I use it frequently, andI'm a subscriber, so I get the
radio broadcast, I can tune intoany game wherever I want. How in
the world, when I'm scrolling throughthe scoreboard and a game is available on
(06:55):
a network that is available for anyonein any city, how does it not
just have a little blip like thisgame's on TBS, or this games on
ESBN, or MLB Showcase Game ofthe night. Who who is running this
thing? You You cannot if you'rein charge or you expect to grow the
game. If you're not going toput the astros in, or if you're
not gonna full blast that thing runningpromos on your network, putting it on
(07:19):
your app, you're never gonna beable to get viewership. That's disgraceful to
me. And I'm I'm a problemTV flipper, but I flipped through TBS
all the time. Do they promoteit well on their channel? I don't
know, to be honest, Idon't. Maybe somebody can help you in
their programming, so maybe they are. But I don't watch regularly scheduled events
(07:44):
on TBS unless there's fewer and fewerpeople do. That's why the app stuff
you're talking about, it's got tobe critical. Sure does how many You
know how many people use their littlephone every day and go onto the app?
I'll tell you this. I don'tknow the number, but I know
it's more and more every day everyday it's in are seen by a large
amount. And so they've got toget that figured out, because if you're
(08:05):
gonna have a game at this stageof the year in August and it's been
going on all season where you're showcasingtwo good teams the best. You gotta
get it out there, period,or else you're just looking like a clown
show. So we you know,I hear all of these different ways that
Major League Baseball is like shaming themselveson not growing the game. That's the
easiest thing you should be able todo is market your best games that are
(08:28):
readily available for people to take in. It's just crazy. Well, let
me ask you this. I'm gettingright, I'm getting back int MLB network.
I didn't have it for a while, and I'm back into it.
It's great, nice, great programming. Let me ask you this as a
guy who is an extremely loyal MLBTV viewer. Do they promote other games
(08:52):
that aren't on their channel? Notnecessarily? And should here's the question.
Should they? Yes? I wonderif they think that if it's owned by
MLB and it's MLB TV, obviouslythe TV people that work directly for the
channel want everybody to watch their channel. But if it's a national game,
(09:16):
should that be promoted there as well? I'll even go a step farther.
I think that all regional networks balliesshould be required from Major League Baseball to
put up a big sheet at theevery broadcast of where you can find nationally
broadcast games throughout the course of theweek, every single night on valleys or
comcasts or whatever, their local broadcastis featured on a nightly basis. I
(09:41):
saw it first happen with the NBAand they cross promoted different networks. They
do it. They were the firstone to do it, and I gotta
tell you, at first, Ithought it was weird, like, Wow,
ESPN is running a promo for TNTon Thursday nights. It's just kind
of bizarre. But then when youthink about it, they're just they're growing
the product, they're growing a game, and I just think that they're missing
(10:03):
out on a huge opportunity. Andthe NFL has now adopted it, where
if you're watching a game on onThursday night, the NFL network or wherever
they broadcast those games, they alwaysshow, you know, the featured games
on Sunday, and then the SundayNight game and then the Monday night football
game, which are on three differentnetworks. Either CBS or Fox has the
(10:24):
Game of the week on Sunday afternoon. NBC has Sunday Night football, of
course ESPN with Monday Night Football.Major League Baseball and ownership have always been
behind when it comes to using themedia, using it to its full ex
extent, and even understanding it.It took so radio radio broadcasting came around
(10:48):
in the twenties. There were someteams, including the Cardinals, that didn't
broadcast every game live from the siteuntil after World War two. Wow,
they'd recreate some games. Now,sometimes there were seasons where they'd have multiple
stations doing games, and then otheryears where we'll know, you know,
(11:11):
early on in particular, well we'renot doing home games and we're recreating road
games. And the owners of MajorLeague Baseball have been behind it and not
understood forever. Same thing with television. When I was a kid, you'd
lucky if you got twenty Cardinal gameson TV the whole year, the whole
(11:33):
year. If we put it onTV, nobody will come to the game.
And time has shown us that that'sjust not the truth. So you
still have some of that archaic thinkingabout the you know. And then there's
then there is also the territoriality ofownership. Well, no, we can't
(11:54):
watch have anybody leave balleys to gowatch the astro Oh no, we gotta
have balls here rather than look atthe big picture of growing the game.
And I have never really thought aboutit till you brought it up. But
it's typical of the way Major LeagueBaseball and their owners have looked at broadcasting
(12:15):
and broadcast technology since its inception ahundred years ago. It's not changed.
That's wild because you would think thatin this day and age, you would
at least see the light. Andmaybe, you know, Baseball is starting
to figure it out with all theregional networks that caved under the Valley's umbrella,
that they really want to, likemaybe start the process in terms of
(12:37):
looking at what's next. And Ithink they're so late to the game that
it's embarrassing for them. And Iget that you've got people of a certain
age that are in top positions thatprobably didn't foresee this avalanche coming immediately.
And I don't fault them for that. It's all changed rapidly on them,
(12:58):
But to still behind the behind thetimes, and then to not check boxes
in the easiest columns, it's justshowcases that they're still not quite understanding where
this thing needs to move in avery fast pace to get it there,
you know, to make sure thatpeople can see the games. That's just
not good. Here's another thing.MLB TV people pay i think at the
(13:20):
start of the year close to twohundred dollars for the rights to watch MLB
TV, and it's marketed so youcan watch all out of market games in
your local market, which is cool. I mean, you know, I
think that that's a nice perk.It's also great for like my brother,
for example, who lives in Colorado. It enables him because he's outside of
a two hundred mile threshold or whateverthe geographalge limits are, so he can
(13:46):
watch Cardinals games in Colorado by subscribingto MLB TV. Stop right there.
Okay, I want to because Idon't understand this. I'm you're my teacher
here. Would if he lived inDenver proper not be able to do that?
Yeah he could? Oh he stillcould. Yeah, it's only like
it's just so you can't. IfI so in Saint Louis and I'm MLB
(14:07):
TV subscriber, I can't watch theCardinals. But that's a mistake too.
Yeah, well, that's what I'msaying. If he lived in Denver,
he couldn't watch the Cardinals, Yeshe can. He couldn't watch the Rockies.
Oh, the home team. Youcan't watch. So you pay two
hundred dollars a year, but thenyou're blacked out from watching the team that
you want to watch, and thatthey're trying to protect ballotical rights holder.
(14:33):
But is it good for the game? No? And is it that big
of a percentage of people that aregoing to be using MLB TV as opposed
to going to Ballet Sports Midwest tosee their advertise. No, I just
don't think it's that big of anumber. And if you you get again,
have to keep this big picture tounderstand that you want the most amount
(14:54):
of eyeballs on the most amount ofgames that you can possibly feature in a
given night, and they're not doingit. They're not doing it. And
you know, that situation that Ididn't know the specifics of goes back to
what I'm saying that owners have dealtwith technology out of fear rather than embracing
it and figuring it out. It'sjust they gotta get on they gotta get
up to date on this or theylook archaic. Really they do, and
(15:18):
that's that's not a good brand tohave. If you're trying to run an
organization one of them. Yeah.One thing to add it seems like with
the app they do not promote thenetworks that the games are broadcasted on,
unless it's the playoffs. But theydo promote Peacock and Apple TV. Okay,
wow, so the game. Yeah, because there is a Sunday afternoon
(15:41):
game on Peacock every Sunday, andthen Apple TV of course has select Friday
night games. I can tell youright now Tigers and White Sock. I'm
sorry, Tigers and Red Sox areplaying on Peacock on Sunday. Yeah,
so I have seen that, ActuallyI have seen that. But TBS,
I would be like what am Ipaying for if they were not in any
exposure here. And of course youknow TBS comes into the picture more so
(16:06):
in the playoffs because they typically geteither the American League or National League Division
and Championship series before it all shiftsback to Fox for the World Series.
So that would be that would bemy selling point Major League Baseball and give
at the times. And the otherthing is as you market it, how
do the numbers breakdown? So Ithink in most MLB markets, you know
(16:30):
that a huge percentage is it inthe ninetieth percentile of baseball fans are going
to watch the hometown team regardless ofwhat the avenue is to get those games.
So what about how much does MLBvalue and evaluate out of market baseball
(16:52):
fans and how they get their baseballcoverage. That's an I have no idea,
So I don't know to critical,not critical, embrace it because I
don't know what they think about it. You know, what do they worry
about? Who's watching Major League Baseballin Salt Lake City or Omaha or where
they don't have a franchise, wherethey don't have What are those fans embracing
(17:17):
this newer technology or not? Isit enough of a number to have a
value to MLB? Or is inan area they can cultivate? Those are
questions I have and I don't knowthe answer. I don't know if they
know the answer. I would betthey don't just based on history something else.
That's pretty cool. I have abuddy, Scott Morris, who he
(17:37):
ran an establishment in Springfield where wedid a little postgame show called Live at
Fall Staffs and would bring Springfield Cardinalsplayers over after a Saturday nightball game and
kind of mock a little live atShannon's postgame show. He's doing something so
cool with his kids. He's gotthree, two young boys and a young
daughter, and they are on anunbelievable trek across America to seeing different ballparks.
(18:02):
They have made stops in Minnesota tosee a Twins game, Milwaukee to
see a Brewers game, Detroit tosee a Tiger's game, Cleveland where they
saw a Guardians game, and alsomade a pit stop at the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. And thentoday they are taking in a Cincinnati Reds
game and he just sent me apicture of the little pregame show where they're
(18:23):
doing the Reds broadcast from with histhree kids. And then tomorrow they'll be
in Pittsburgh to see a Pirates game. How cool is that? Yeah,
finally a good one if you ifyou love the game, those kind of
trips, whether it's you and yourwife or girlfriend with buddies, with your
kids, the memories are just fantastic. The first one I did was a
(18:48):
Cubs White Sox Brewers one, alittle small one, and then I've talked
about this before many times. Thendid a Shay Stadium, Cooper's Town Park
Veteran Stadium in Philadelphia, Camden Yardsin Baltimore, back to New York for
a Yankees game, and the DavidLetterman Show. That was one trip.
(19:12):
Wow, you you can do somuch, you know, the up and
down the West coast kind of trip. I'm telling you, if you're if
you love the game, those tripswill be something that you'll always remember again,
whether it's with a spouse, aboyfriend, girlfriend, kids, buddies,
(19:33):
it's their unbelievable things to do.And baseball is really the only sport
that I mean, maybe soccer,but baseball is kind of the only sport
in which you have venues that areunique enough for a totally different experience at
yes one, Whereas if you wereto go to a bunch of hockey arenas,
I mean, it's like walking intoa bubble and there's the same sheet
(19:56):
ice and it's the exact almost verysimilar feel, and most buildings everybody has
their own spin on it. Footballeverything's on a Sunday predominantly. Stadiums are
different, but again, experience kindof the same. You know, it's
funny you mentioned hockey. The modernstadium the modern arenas are way better,
awesome, but in the old theCheckerdome. No, I was insane the
(20:19):
old days when you could go tothe old Arena, but more importantly Chicago
Stadium, Maple Leaf Gardens and thosereally historic places that then I would say,
in those days it was different anda great experience. I will agree
with you because on the little fillin duties that I've had over the years
(20:41):
with the Blues as the engineer,like going with the team and seeing the
old Edmonton building and you look intothe rafters and you see Gretzky and Messier
and Fear and you just see thosebanners hanging up there, and you think
about all the history that has happened. And even though it's a slightly newer
building I suppose, or it's beenupdated quite a bit, but like Los
(21:03):
Angeles still to go into the StaplesCenter and just see all of the Lakers
banners in there, very cool.You. I mean, if you're a
sports fan, that sort of thingjust gets the hair on the back of
your neck to stand up. Andeven you know, walking by and you
come across the entrance to the Lakerslocker room and you're like, oh my
gosh, the amount of greatness thathas walked right here this door. It's
(21:26):
just sort of like, man,this is cool. You know, it's
funny when you talk about that kindof legacy stuff. And I saw an
MLB today that former Tigers catcher andbroadcaster Jim Price, I guess passed away.
Wonderful guy, really cool guy.And when they tore down Old Tiger
Stadium, what he grabbed was aurinal from the visitors clubhouse and he goes,
(21:52):
think of all the guys that arePete in the all the greats.
Really funny. But then you startto think about going back to Babe Ruth
and Garrigan all those guys, andI go, weird but cool idea.
Yeah, I mean, definitely aunique piece of memorabilia that you can take
out of there. Not many peoplecan say that they've got a urinal from
Old Tiger Stadium somewhere in their house. Well yeah, and if he set
(22:17):
it up, yeah, you canbe there. That's where Babe Ruth.
That's great. I love that.That's pretty cool. Yeah. They probably
the most historic ballpark that I've beento. And it wasn't a game,
but it was just a tour.And the tours are cool too. If
you're in a city where there's aunique ballpark and you want to, you
know, look at they take intothe clubhouse and all the different features of
(22:38):
the park. But Old Yankee Stadiumwas a just place that obviously held a
tremendous amount of history. And youwalk out to Monument Park and you see
that and walk into the Yankees clubhouse, which was stuffy and little and just
kind of tight quarters. But justagain you think, men, the people
(22:59):
who occupy these stalls are just it'salmost crazy. I was there one time
Old Yankee Stadium one time for afootball game. Interestingly enough, wow,
But I took the time before thegame to go stand at home plate,
and because I love Mickey Mantle,I stood on I took turn both sides
of the plate. It was werenern't we really? But being there and
(23:22):
the monuments out in center fie,it's it was an unbelievable experience. The
one thing you notice when you goto an old park is the how the
walkways are so small. You know, the ramps of going up to different
levels of the ballpark, they're sosmall. Now you get these huge grandios
pathways that you feel like you don'teven have to say, look at somebody
(23:45):
you're so far away. I've beento over thirty Big league ballparks. Wow,
but I have to count it up. I bet at least half,
maybe two thirds of them are goneof the ones eyes into Yeah. So
what was your last year doing gamesfor arts? Phil in A little bit
in O four Okay, So yeah, it is amazing. I mean the
thing, it was almost twenty yearsago. So you think about it.
(24:07):
Just how many parks have been rechaginbuilt since then or even have had drastic
rehab projects. Go on, that'swild. Did you have a favorite place
to call game? I mean,let's take Bush Stadium out of it.
Tiger Stadium, Oh yeah, soclose, right on top of it,
right on top of the screen.In fact, Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell
(24:32):
put chicken wire up in front ofhis broadcast booth because it was foul balls.
I mean, you're right over thetop of the screen. I almost
got drilled in the head. Wow. And I just at the last,
just at the last second, Iwas able just to move my head and
it was off Ray Langford foul backand a shot. And I at the
(24:52):
last I was heading my eyes downwriting something on the scorebook, and Shannon
had warned me, Earli, andit came flying back and at the last
I mean micro second, like whena player, you know, you got
a micro second to get out ofthe way when you're hitting micro second.
And I just tilted my head enoughI could feel it go by my right
(25:14):
felt it whiz by right by,And Shannon didn't comment, He just went
He just laughed at me because hehad just warned me. Yeah. Wow,
that is right behind home play.It was unbelieve it was the best.
That's cool. Probably could call ballsand strikes from there. Oh and
they could hear you complain. That'sgreat. That's the Tiger Stadium was cool,
(25:37):
good memories. That's awesome. Thepolls out there in the outfield and
the and the right field deck overhangingright field made it very cool. That's
cool. Great, I guess knew, like I guess saw. How should
I say this? But like inbuilding code, they just won't allow for
that steepness to build anymore. That'slike with the seating in the old arena.
(26:03):
You're too younger. You never wentto a game. There's like Sesame
Street Live. It was I mean, if if somebody text in, if
you're at the top of the stairsand you fell. You're going all the
way down, brother, You're you'renot stopping. And it made everybody feel
like they're right on they were righton top of the action. But codes
(26:23):
change and they can't have that bigof an angle and it pushes fans further
away from the action, which istoo bad. Well, and one of
the you know now, they tryto sell it like, well, we
made more field box seats available sothat you're you're on that level of the
field. The problem is for alot like there are good seats at Bush
(26:44):
Stadium that you pay good money for, but you sit so low because you're
not teered enough to where you're kindof like a it's a great angle,
but you can't see the field becauseyou're kind of like sit you feel like
you're a submarine. Yeah, yes, man, Old vintage stadiums pretty cool,
really fun, you know. Now, another one I went to because
(27:06):
I love the old ones Chmiskey Park, but it was the last year and
they were going to tear it downand he could tell they just kind of
we're tearing it down, we don'tcare. And it had become really literally
a rat trap. It was gross. It was it was brutal, but
walk and their field boxes once yougot past all the dugouts or the first
and third base area. The lowerdeck was terrible. Upper deck kind of
(27:30):
on top of the action. Prettycool, but I didn't really get to
see it in its glory, ifthere ever was a glory. It was
pretty filthy by then. How aboutFenway? Love Fenway, Now what I
didn't get to do because it hadn'tbeen made then I didn't get to go.
I'd love to go back and siton top of the green monster up
top that's only been there for maybefifteen years or so. Pretty cool.
(27:53):
That is pretty cool. I stilllike going to Wrigley, even though they
loved it a lot. You knowthat you can't flip flopping on Chicago,
whether or not you ever plan ongoing back. I have no reason to
go back to Chicago. I likeRadley Field. Uh well, let me
let me preface this. I loveChicago. It is one of the great
American cities. But Chicago has becomeso dysfunctional and quite frankly dangerous that it
(28:15):
is really sad to see. Infact, the last time I was there,
you know the magnificent mile Michigan Avenue, which is just a hallmark of
American corporations that have really grown.I mean, it's just amazing. It's
capitalism and its most beautiful form atonce was. It's all boarded up.
I mean, it's just disgusting nowand thieves and criminals have just destroyed that
(28:37):
city. So I believe me,I don't feel it doesn't make me feel
good to sit here and say thatChicago has become an absolute third world country.
That's a shame. I want ourcities to thrive. I want them
to be beautiful. Are San Franciscoshould be a hallmark of what America looks
like, saying with New York andChicago. But unfortunately, you know,
leadership and forget political parties. They'vejust let it go to hell and they're
(29:00):
letting the inmates run the asylum,and that is not good. So I
believe me, I would love togo back to Chicago, but right now
not very interested. Let me geta few techs in here, because this
sort of nostalgia always kicks it up. Hockey bog season tickets at the Arena
slash Checkerdome. We're at the verytop row and Rammer is correct if I
(29:21):
was drunk or high it really gotinteresting. Tom I did take a tour
of Fenway. As much as Ihate the Red Sox, it was a
cool tour. The guy had areal Boston accent and was very sarcastic towards
other fans, but he gave lotsof interesting facts. Then we had a
banquet at the four h six Club, fun time with the night before opening
(29:42):
day Zeebo's wrestling buddy. Best stadiumtour is lambeau Field. I hate the
Packers, but that place is amazing. Best team Hall of Fame as well,
and some of the different things thatthey've added the Lambeau look pretty cool
too. They've I think they've triedto keep its charm while while getting it
(30:03):
more modern. Yeah. My businesspartner, a lot of you know him
from years on the radio, JefferNettie, generational, like so many Packers
fans are. He and his dadand now his son. They'd do a
pilgrimage every year to Lambeau. Thatis odd. That's definitely a bucket list
item for me as well. TheProdigal I started covering sports in nineteen eighty
and the one thing that stood outto me about the arena was the putrid
(30:26):
smell in the bowels of the place. It was almost gagging futred. Now,
I don't recall that the locker roomswere pretty funky. I do remember
I gotta, I gotta laugh andMike drop and walked out. In the
media lounge, it was it wasdicey to eat there. And uh,
(30:49):
for those of you don't remember,there was a big carcinogen issue with Times
Beach. Do you remember Times Beachthing forty years ago whatever, thirty years
ago? And I go, lookthe catch of the day from Times Beach
and I got a nice laugh andwalked out. But it was indicative of
the food there as opposed to BushStadium, where the food and in the
(31:11):
press box was off the charts,flat iron grill up there. My man,
my man frank Man treated the medialike kings. He was so cool
and uh, fresh burgers and dogsand brots and a whole big roast beef
there he would carve off for youto order with all jo and just oh
(31:33):
it was what it was a funtime. Surprise Chris Christie never popped in
for a little adventure. He mighthave taken the whole ros speak with the
whole roast, Sir would you likeone or two slices? No, I
went the whole roast. Actually,Frank would make you a chili dog if
you wanted. He made the chilievery day. OK, let me ask
you the chili dog. I see. This is where I sort of veer
(31:55):
in a different direction. Now thismight sound weak because I brought it up
one time on the morning show andI've never lived it down. They called
me the Little Dipper for it.But if you put chili on the dog,
the bun gets soggy, Well,you don't have to smother it,
or if you really want to loadit up, you probably want to go
knife and fork. Anyway, definitelygo knife and fork with the chili dog,
(32:16):
like I think the best. AndI know menus change and get updated
all the time. So I've beentraveling to ballparks for quite a while,
but I think the bacon wrap dogwith the onion straws at our ballpark is
the best ballpark food I've ever had. Again, I know there are other
great things. I haven't been toevery yard, and everybody looks to compete
(32:37):
for those kind of things. Butif you really load it up, you
may start eating it like a regularhot dog. But eventually you're gonna need
a knife and fork just to getup all the spillings off the plate.
Anyway, I still just a goodold classic Chicago dog with the poppy seed
bon and the relation of sports peppers, mustard and the the celery sault.
(33:00):
It's great. Whereas the most overratedis the Dodger talk, which is it's
just a foot long steamed weenie.It's gross, no toppings, just long.
Well I'm just saying that. Imean, I guess you can put
anything on it you want, butbut it doesn't compare to what we have
here. It doesn't compare to thedogs in Chicago, even the Bronson Milwaukee
(33:22):
with the brown mustard. It's youcan find good ones all over it,
not in Dodger Stadium. Let's see, I went to Lambeau and watched the
Packers throttle Boulger in the Rams.The whole stadium was wearing orange to honor
the hunters that were killed by thatVietnamese guy. I don't remember that,
but I do I remember the packPackers throttling Boulger in the Rams. I
(33:45):
have vivid memories of Rams losses.I probably need to see a therapist for
multiple reasons, but me clinging ontothe horrible Rams final decade in Saint Louis
is really a scar on my life. Coaches will tell you the losses stay
with you much longer than the victoriesdo much longer. That's why one of
(34:06):
the great things and about miracle onIce, they don't really do it.
I don't think they. I don'tthink Kurt Russell does it in the theatrical
film, but they talk about itin the ESPN documentary. I could be
wrong, somebody could correct me onthat. But remember they beat the Russians
and they still had to win thegold medal game, right. Nobody remembers
(34:27):
the gold medal game. Herb Brooks. He walks in and he goes.
He goes, if you don't winthis, you're going to take it to
your bleeping grave. He turns towalk out, turns back and looks at
the rest of the room and says, you're bleeping grave. Oh man.
I can't remember if it's in thetheatrical film, but it's in the They
(34:50):
talk about it for sure in thedocumentary. Somebody will remind us on text.
But the point of that is he'sright. If they would have beat
the Russians and then lost the goldmedal game. It would have made it
all for not it would just youjust would remember the loss. Did people?
I mean did herb Brooks? Like, what was his legacy after that?
(35:10):
Did he? Well? He wasalways I mean you mean what did
he do after? Yeah? Whatdid he do after? He's coaching assignments?
But nothing ever could ever eclipse that. I love the fact that,
and it's so hockey, it's sucha hockey culture. But as soon as
they win, you know, hesort of just shakes his assistant's hands and
gets off the bench and lets theguys celebrate. Such a unique part of
(35:32):
the hockey culture. Uh. Threeon four says I went to the White
Sox Stadium the last year it wasopen. Also, I was amazed at
how crowned the field was outside ofthe foul lines. Yes, what does
that mean? You know for drainage? Oh yeah, it was very noticeable.
That's a great call. One ofmy fondest memories of the arena was
(35:54):
Barkley plague Er tapping my seat withhis stick as he went to the locker
room. How about that? Isthat fun? Amazing? Uh? Let's
see here as big and drafty asthe arena was the cheap skate owner of
the Blues at the time, HarryErnest refused to turn on the heat in
the place. Why you wouldn't wantheat on during a hockey game, But
(36:16):
I guess other events took place inthe arena. Is it bad to call
at the checker dumb? Somebody wasgiving me trouble. That was such a
brief period, I think, Imean, I just call it, well,
I just remember Dan Kelly and thoughthe Oakland Avenue Arena, that's that's
to me, that's what it is, Oakland Avenue Arena. I'm partial.
I guess I'm biased because my dadwas an executive with arena for thirty years.
(36:38):
So it's given me a life.So we have to support the bridget.
Did you ever ask him about whywhy they just go we got to
get out of this and didn't evengo to the draft that one year.
I don't know if he worked,because yeah, yeah, he was a
kid still probably yeah. And hestarted his marketing career with Dark Sea,
(37:00):
which was downtown, and then hemoved. That's well, I don't know.
He certainly seems to live a nicelife, you know, so that's
good. That's good, but thatyou know, the whole thing, the
Solomon's get out and Ralston's in andthey didn't want to do it, and
we I mean it was It madethings for hockey fans really ugly for a
(37:22):
number of years. And then ourNest came in and he was charismatic,
but he was cheap and it wasit was bad. There were bad times.
Sharon says. The quote was featuredin the Miracle movie Goosem's just thinking
about it. Yeah, thank you. I just couldn't recall, Bob,
how far do you think Reggie's homerun went and Tiger Stadium during the All
(37:42):
Star Game in nineteen seventy one,Well, you know, it hit the
Transformer or whatever it was up onthe roof, and it would have it
would have been out of the stadiumover the tip of the time. It
would have been out day. Thatis so how many feet is that?
Five hundred fifty six? I don'tknow. That is an absolute blast,
(38:02):
unbelievable. How far wood Pooh Holesis shot in Houston would have gone?
If it, it would have brokenwindows across the street, no question,
good lord, all right, Uh, the I think it's true that Babe
Ruth hit one out of Sportsman's Parkhere and broke the play class window of
(38:23):
auto dealership across the Grand Avenue.I've also heard that that was a myth,
so I don't know the facts onthat, but that was stated as
fact for a long long time.Some people are chiming into on our discussion
about games on television and appreciating itbecause like everyone, I mean, look,
(38:44):
if we we come on the airevery day and we talk about the
game, and if if I don'tknow the specifics of where national games are
going to be broadcast, how isyour average fan who works a job,
cares for their family, has lifeoutside of sports supposed to follow where they
can catch a ballgame at night.They've got to get that. Don't make
(39:06):
your fans work. Make it easyfor him. You want, you want
access to be easy. I thinkour listener out in Salt Lake City,
I think three eight five a SaltLake City says Rob Manford hates hates hates
baseball fans some of his actions.It's hard to hard to say that that's
not the truth. One last onehere, speaking of baseball broadcast on TV,
(39:29):
why is the camera focused solely onthe pitcher and the batter and not
more of the whole field, especiallywith runners on base. Same with hockey.
I would like to see more ofthe ice and certainly would like to
see the line change it. Soit's maybe a higher widen a lens or
I don't think you want to doit all the time, but cutting to
different angles one thing. I especiallywhen there was for those number of years.
(39:51):
What was it when when shifting wasbig five years, eight years,
whatever. They need to show wherethe defense is a lind more, but
it's not as big a deal now. Yeah, like in football they call
it the old twenty two shot,and then in baseball I know for a
fact they have a camera set upthat is available for both broadcast teams.
(40:15):
That is the high home camera thatyou can see the entire field for.
But again, without the shift,it's not as big a deal as it
was in the past, I think, you know. And I've been friends
with Tommy the director for Baalis forever. Gosh, he's thirty years.
Talk about a guy with a lotof stories, oh man, and he
(40:36):
was a ballplayer and he understands thegame. And that's why I think what
we get visually is as good asI've seen anywhere. I don't. I
don't grind on other broadcasts. Youlook at other broadcasts more than me,
But I think I think visually ourstuff and what Tom does is as good
as it gets, if not thebest. Yeah. Sometimes, like I
(40:57):
know in Milwaukee, they're a bithamstrung just because of the way that the
side seating sort of juts into thefoul line and it's so tight that they
can't actually get a shot right downthe line because they don't have a camera
set up. But in some stadiumsthey had been more proactive about putting up
like I said, for like thathigh home where both teams have access to
that one feed as opposed to havingdifferent cameras everywhere for separate u TV feeds.
(41:24):
Uh. Cecil Fielder hit one outof Tiger stage. Cecil, Yeah,
he's still living, I think so, Yeah, I assume. So.
All right, Well, there yougo a little nostalgia for you here
on high Noon. As we getto about twelve forty seven best that ever
(41:45):
Cecil Fielder and Prince Fielder same amountof career home runs. That he's a
heck of a statin a piece,and Prince would have hit a lot more
had he not had the neck.Horrible issues with his back and neck in
the later stage of his career.All right, let's take it back shoes.
Huh. We'll get to the Cardinalgame eventually, right, No,
no, no, our guys,Yeah, we'll get the Holy One.
(42:12):
He's back, he's injured, he'shurt. You can't go imagine that.
We will talk about that. Andalso, I was very there were two
plays, in my opinion, thatchanged the game last night, and they
both happened in center field. I'lltell you about my opinion when we return.
It's tinnoon on five ninety Fan
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