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Friday, March 02, 2007

Denny McLain: Tigers resented Kaline; Price had no talent

Denny McLain at the organ...with a delightful vengencrusted shank!

“As respectfully as I can say about a Hall of Fame player, Kaline wasn’t the most loved SOB in the clubhouse, and we did win the pennant without him,” McLain writes. “Our guys resented Kaline for turning down a $100,000 salary when Jim Campbell offered to put him on par with the top players in the game. While the media played him up as a hero for being so modest, we all knew that it cost us serious dough.”

McLain calls Jim Price, the Tiger broadcaster, a butt-kisser, “back-stabbing (expletive)” and “one of the laziest, most untalented guys I’d ever seen in the major leagues.”

The late Smith, the Tigers 1968 manager: “Mayo drank so much that it usually took him three or four innings to sober up and get his head into the game.”

Repoz Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:00 AM | 39 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: books, tigers

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1. The George Sherrill Selection Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:27 AM (#2305690)

"And that Mother Theresa, she was a #####!" said McLean. "What the **** did she ever do for me?"

2. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:31 AM (#2305692)

Some of the players, and even manager Mayor Smith, McLain says, didn’t think Kaline should have started the World Series.

In hindsight, they were absolutely correct. Kaline hit a putrid .379/.400/.655 in that series.

3. Urban Faber Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:41 AM (#2305694)

And don't get him started on Ernie Harwell.

4. Boots Day Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:12 AM (#2305699)

Having Denny McLain malign your character is like being called a drunk by Foster Brooks.

5. Walt Davis Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:13 AM (#2305700)

Class act.

6. Can't settle on a screen name Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:23 AM (#2305706)

You stay classy, Denny McLain.

"You know who really pissed me off? Gandhi. India India India...Think about somebody else, for once, Gandhi...Jerk."

7. Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: March 02, 2007 at 10:42 AM (#2305729)

You haven't lived until you've heard Denny McLain's rendition of 'The Girl From Ipanema'.

8. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: March 02, 2007 at 01:58 PM (#2305735)

And that Mother Theresa, she was a #####!

Not as far from the truth as you think.

The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice

9. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: March 02, 2007 at 02:16 PM (#2305738)

The comments posted at the bottom of the article are interesting.

10. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: March 02, 2007 at 02:23 PM (#2305741)

Dear Denny,

You're a crook and a major butt-head. Please STFU and go away.

Not your pal,

RMc

11. fra paolo Posted: March 02, 2007 at 03:04 PM (#2305754)

I'd say Price was a butt-kisser, and not particularly talented, just based on what he says during his game broadcasts. Frankly, I think the Tigers have got a truly disappointing broadcast pairing.

12. zonk Posted: March 02, 2007 at 03:19 PM (#2305762)

Is Denny McClain the great uniter of Primates?

The one player that the statheads and the traditionalists, the left and the right, the Cubs fans and Sox fans, the Bonds defenders and Bonds bashers, the PED jihadists and PED apologists can all agree is a jackass?

13. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: March 02, 2007 at 03:29 PM (#2305768)

McLain knocks Al Kaline for slamming his bat into the rack and injuring himself in the middle of the ’68 pennant race. Some of the players, and even manager Mayor Smith, McLain says, didn’t think Kaline should have started the World Series.

wow, wow and wow--hasn't anyone noticed?

wrong year pal

the Kaline/broken finger/batrack-after-striking-out-against-sudden sam happened in 1967
(this game)

Kaline missed time in 68 after being HBP by Lew Krauss in this game

14. GGC don't think it can get longer than a novella Posted: March 02, 2007 at 03:38 PM (#2305772)

I noticed that that said Mayor Smith instead of Mayo Smith. Was Mayo his given name or his nickname?

15. Famous Original Joe C Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:05 PM (#2305783)

The one player that the statheads and the traditionalists, the left and the right, the Cubs fans and Sox fans, the Bonds defenders and Bonds bashers, the PED jihadists and PED apologists can all agree is a jackass?

Garvey?

16. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:07 PM (#2305785)

I don't even know what I would do if a reporter called me up and said Denny McLain had said nasty things about me. (I mean, assuming I was Al Kaline or something, rather than Denny not liking what I write on the Hardball Times.) Is there any graceful way to respond to comments made by an absolute ####?

17. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:15 PM (#2305793)

Garvey?

Nah. He has his problems, but he isn't close to being McLain.

18. JPWF13

Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:16 PM (#2305794)

The one player that the statheads and the traditionalists, the left and the right, the Cubs fans and Sox fans, the Bonds defenders and Bonds bashers, the PED jihadists and PED apologists can all agree is a jackass?

I don't know, someone awhile back tried to defend McLain, pointing out that he was allegedly once to Mickey Mantle once and SOME of his conviction were overturned on appeal- and that he was regarded as friendly and gregarious by some during his playing days...

You know, even if only 75% of what's been reported about McLain is true- combined with his own statements, he's at least a borderline sociopath

19. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:17 PM (#2305796)

20. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: March 02, 2007 at 04:33 PM (#2305812)

I look forward to August 15th when Cole Hamels takes over the title of "last pitcher to win 30 games".

Also, McLain can't be completely bad if he thinks Erma Bombeck is boring. Not enough people share that belief.

21. Repoz

Posted: March 02, 2007 at 05:06 PM (#2305830)

It's a little known fact that Erma Bombeck had an extra piece of meat hanging out of her ass...this alone would have made her interesting. But I doubt McLain touched upon this...and rightfully so!

22. chemdoc Posted: March 02, 2007 at 05:37 PM (#2305854)

And don't get him started on Ernie Harwell.

From a related Free Press article:

Tigers fans will notice something else unusual on the back cover: The very much alive Ernie Harwell is described as "the late" Tigers broadcaster.

23. RobertMachemer Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:04 PM (#2305865)

Is it just me, or have you all gotten hooked by an April Fools article?

24. RobertMachemer Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:05 PM (#2305866)

I mean sure, it's a month early, but see, that's the brilliance of it -- you're not expecting an April Fools article a month early, are ya?

25. BDC

Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:10 PM (#2305868)

Before he knew it, he was dealing with people who called $100 bills “Benjis” — for Benjamin Franklin — and talking about cutting off people’s ears

Sounds like the Thursday night book group at my public library.

26. Los Angeles El Hombre of Anaheim

Posted: March 02, 2007 at 06:38 PM (#2305879)

My favorite part of the article:

A decade later ... he was back in federal court. A jury convicted him of raiding the pension fund at Peet Packing Co. in Chesaning. “It’s obvious that buying this company was insane. But this was my fatal flaw — twisting the truth to mean whatever served my mood at the moment,” he writes.

He also blames his conviction partly on a lying witness, plus his lawyer’s wooziness from taking pain medication.

Sure, I stole people's pensions, but that's just my fatal flaw, but it was the lying witness and my bad representation that landed me in jail! I'm a bad person, but I admit it, so you should forgive me. Now, stop victimizing me!

27. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:15 PM (#2305899)

Don't 25 and 26 belong in the "sizzler" thread?

28. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:22 PM (#2305903)

I look forward to August 15th when Cole Hamels takes over the title of "last pitcher to win 30 games".

In his 25th start?

29. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:38 PM (#2305916)

I look forward to August 15th when Cole Hamels takes over the title of "last pitcher to win 30 games".

In his 25th start?

He's going to close between starts, so by August 15 he'll be 25-0 as a starter, and 5-0 with 30 saves as a reliever.

30. zonk Posted: March 02, 2007 at 07:52 PM (#2305924)

He's going to close between starts, so by August 15 he'll be 25-0 as a starter, and 5-0 with 30 saves as a reliever.

Oh - I figured you were going to be giving him credit for the 4 or 5 rehab starts he'll undoubtedly be making between his various DL trips

31. DCA Posted: March 02, 2007 at 08:22 PM (#2305942)

Oh - I figured you were going to be giving him credit for the 4 or 5 rehab starts he'll undoubtedly be making between his various DL trips

Well, since the rehab starts will be against the Nationals, they'll still count.

32. Sean McNally Posted: March 02, 2007 at 08:41 PM (#2305956)

I mean sure, it's a month early, but see, that's the brilliance of it -- you're not expecting an April Fools article a month early, are ya?

Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition! [/end classic Primer]

33. zonk Posted: March 02, 2007 at 08:54 PM (#2305961)

I mean sure, it's a month early, but see, that's the brilliance of it -- you're not expecting an April Fools article a month early, are ya?

Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition! [/end classic Primer]

So really, what you're saying is:

Behold,
It's a trap!

34. Ron Johnson Posted: March 02, 2007 at 08:55 PM (#2305964)

Is there any graceful way to respond to comments made by an absolute ####?

I've always liked, "Consider the source"

35. RobertMachemer Posted: March 02, 2007 at 09:50 PM (#2305997)

Don't 25 and 26 belong in the "sizzler" thread?
Possibly. What's the "sizzler" thread? (And/or where is it?)

36. J. Michael Neal Posted: March 03, 2007 at 09:44 AM (#2306149)

Christ, Eli Zaret was his ghost writer? Boy, does that bring back memories.

Granted, I'm trying to dredge up memories that are more than 20 years old, but wasn't the rumor that Zaret lost his job at Channel 4 because of his own drug problem? Is that how he got to know McLain?

37. Dr. Vaux Posted: March 03, 2007 at 09:53 AM (#2306150)

I loved it when he called Tonya Harding an "evil, black dwarf."

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Denny McLain: Tigers resented Kaline; Price had no talent

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