Back To The Future

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
DAYTONA BEACH, FL

The first time I saw the movie "Back To The Future" was back in the 1980's when my long-time colleague George Eichorn and I watched it in a cinema in Southfield, MI.

When I made the decision to cover the Detroit Lions vs Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday August 28th, I was curious about who was playing the following night in Florida State League (FSL) action, Advanced Class A Professional Baseball in Daytona Beach.

As it turned out, the Daytona Tortugas were hosting the Tampa Yankees at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

This game brought back some fond memories from my past.

The Tortugas are the Advanced Class A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Yankees are the Advanced Class A Affiliate of the New York Yankees.

What made this real special for me is I was a beat writer for both organizations from 1982-86. There were a lot of great memories at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and Al Lopez Field. I worked with the Yankees from 1982-84, then with the Reds from 1985-1986.

It was a pleasure working with future major league players, coaches, managers and trainers.

Fort Lauderdale Manager Stump Merrill was fantastic.

My best memory of Merrill, though it didn't feel that way at the time, was when my tape recorder stopped working during a 40 minute interview.

Thanks to My Photographer Ken Rotberg, who used his tape recorder to track players, I used his recorder, and Merrill was nice enough to do the interview all over again.

He said to me, "I'm here to develop young players. I'm glad that I can help a young reporter." He patted me on the back and said, "Hang in there Scott, you're doing fine and I appreciate you promoting the team. I enjoy working with you and please keep it up."

I got to know the Fort Lauderdale Yankees really well and the most notable prank they played on me was letting me wear one of their hats, only for it to be filled with shaving cream. I was stunned to say the least.

During the season, I had an unforgettable interview with late Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner. He was very cooperative, but if you asked a certain question about his managerial revolving door, he'd abruptly end the interview. Early in the conversation, we talked about some interesting topics, then I saved the managers question for last, which saw the interview come to an end.

I don't feel bad about this because weeks later, Ted Koppel of ABC News Nightline, did the same thing and Steinbrenner ended the interview quickly on National TV.

All in all, I learned a lot from the Steinbrenner experience.

The players that stood out in my tenure with the Yankees included, DH Pete Dalena, Infielder Todd Demeter, Pitcher Tim Birtsas (Pontiac, MI), Catcher Scott Bradley, Pitcher Bob Tewksbury, Infielder Rex Hudler, Pitchers Jose Rijo, Jim Deshaies, Rey Fontenot, Eric Plunk and Infielder Orestes Destrade.

Rijo, ironically played for both the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. He won a World Series in 1990 for the Reds and was a key contributor on that squad.

During the 1982 season, Hudler went on to rip Steinbrenner in the Fort Lauderdale News/Sun Sentinel about his ways of handling the Yankees farm system while The Boss was in town. Hudler went on to have a solid carer in the major leagues. There were many players in this group that made it to the majors.

I'll never forget Pete Dalena, who played for the 1983 team.

My Hallandale Digest Editor Dan Bluesten didn't think Dalena could make the majors by being a DH. I asked Merrill about this and he said that Dalena would go as far as his bat would take him.

Two days after I wrote the Dalena article, he was promoted to Class AA Nashville, then eventually played for the Cleveland Indians in 1989.

There were many instances Bluesten questioned my gut feelings on story ideas and he was proven wrong several times.

It didn't hurt that My Mentor Tony DeMarco always taught me to trust my instincts. Whether DeMarco ever gets into the writers wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame remains to be seen, but he's in My Hall of Fame as a Mentor and a Friend.

Merrill would eventually manage the Yankees in the Major Leagues and Steinbrenner always found a role for him in the organization.

Players such as Brian Butterfield and Chuck Hernandez have been coaches in the major leagues. Hernandez, a former Yankees left-hander had one of the best moves to first base that I've ever seen.

Hernandez, who was a pitching coach under former Tigers Manager Jim Leyland, told me during an interview in Lakeland, FL., that he had to have a good move because he had troubles getting hitters out, and had no difficulty joking about it.

Merrill went on to win two titles with the Fort Lauderdale Yankees in three years while I was covering the team. One of these titles was against the Tampa Reds.

It was an incredible three-year run covering the New York Yankees in Spring Training as well as the FSL Yankees.

Two of the nicest people I worked with in the Press Box were Doug and his wife Dee Pett. Doug was the PA Announcer and Official Scorekeeper while Dee assisted him. They are both former Metro Detroiters.

When the Miami Marlins came up I-95 to Fort Lauderale, two incredible people that became friends were executives and media personalities, Larry Bluestein and the late Sonny Hirsch.

In 1985-86, I covered the Tampa Tarpons for the Tampa Tribune.

The Manager of the Tarpons was Marc Bombard. He's worked with the Reds when I was in Tampa and has moved to other organizations.

During my tenure with the Tarpons, his two teams were real competitive.

In 1986, he guided the Tarpons to the FSL Playoffs. I joked with Bombard that we were rivals and now we're teammates.

He laughed when I told him you need to win a championship while I'm here. He said, "We'll try Scotty," smiling.

We had a good two-year run and the two players who stood out were left-hander Chris Hammond and Catcher Joe Oliver.

In my only year with Hammond in 1986, he posted a 3-2 record with a 2.81 ERA.

The thing that Hammond will best be remembered for was when I wanted to interview him, he turned me down. He said that he doesn't talk to the media. I told him "OK and I hope you're as good as Phillies legend Steve Carlton. You're Just a Minor Leaguer that is Just a Prospect with no guarantees to make it to the Major Leagues, who could use the publicity to promote yourself."

Hammond was a member of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds Championship team, but wasn't on the post-season roster because Manager Lou Piniella lacked confidence in him.

His ride to the majors was attributed to the fact that he was a left-handed pitcher. Left-handers are always in demand and Ray Fontenot took the Southpaw route to get to the majors.

As for Hammond, he was a mediocre pitcher, who had a 66-62 record with a 4.14 ERA. He was a journeyman pitcher that played for seven teams.

One of the nicest players I ever worked with was Tarpons 1985 Catcher Joe Oliver. He had a .269 average in 112 games, with seven home runs and 62 RBI.

Oliver would play for the Reds from 1989-1994 and was also a member of the 1990 World Series Championship Team. He would play two stints with the Reds.

Joe's other baseball stops were with the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

In case you were wondering, I never fell for any shaving cream pranks with the Tarpons. I got just a little smarter to let it happen again.

To this day, Joe and I remain good friends. He lives in Orlando, FL.

My employer the Tampa Tribune gave me lots of flexibility with the Tarpons.

My Executive Sports Editor Joe DiSalvo was great to work with. Joe allowed me to also free-lance write for RedsVue Magazine in Cincinnati. He allowed me to use their computer system to send stories, plus allow his Editor Rick Nelson to proof read them before I sent them.

One of my fondest memories of Nelson is when I covered the FSL All-Star Game in Osceola, FL in 1986. This was a new stadium for the Houston Astros.

The Tribune allowed me to use a company computer. I typed my story into it but the phone lines wouldn't allow me to send it after four attempts.

Nelson would get me a 25 minute extension, and I dictated two stories to Rick and made it with two minutes to spare. Rick did an excellent job typing the story which was approximately 25-30 inches under extreme pressure. We would joke around about this the following week, but it wasn't fun at the time.

The stories look real good when I saw them in the paper. This pressure situation was good for me.

RedsVue Editor Mark Schmetzer was also a great guy to work with. In addition to the Tarpons, he utilized me during Spring Training as well as Fantasy Camps.

Schmetzer got me credentialed for a three-game series at Riverfront Stadium against the LA Dodgers.

Schmetzer and I also remain good friends.

Former Tarpons Official Scorekeeper Bill Campbell and his wife Cathy were tremendous folks to work with.

So now "We're Back To The Future" in 2015 at a very Historical Ballpark.

I saw one familiar face for Daytona Beach. He was a USF Alumnus and also worked for a year as a pitching coach for FAU when I worked with the Owls. His name is Tony Fassas. I will be writing on him at a later date.

But Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a must see if you're a baseball junkie. It has a Museum throughout the park with a lot of commemorative photos, plaques and a Statue Outside.

This is a real neat place.

I was impressed by the way the Daytona Beach Community has embraced this team.

The fans were also great to us. It was just as fun before the game as it was during the contest just taking pictures with Jackie Robinson's historical breakthroughs which changed MLB forever.

As for the game, it was 0-0 and Rained Out after four innings.

But that didn't matter to me. The score meant absolutely nothing!

Seeing the history about Jackie Robinson was fantastic.

More importantly, the two organizations that were facing each other meant everything.

I met so many great people during my five years covering both that I can proudly say I was covering these people at the beginning of their careers.

The Hallandale Digest and Tampa Tribune were my employers throughout college.

Not only did I enjoy working in baseball, but I was getting paid to do it.

It doesn't get any better than that.

This night was a collection of a memorable past that brought me "Back To The Future" even though I'm not Michael J Fox.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

My Media Family

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Over the years, I've been very fortunate & proud to have worked with some Excellent Media Organizations.

The Detroit Monitor, Tampa Tribune, Hallandale Digest (South Florida), KCTK Radio (Phoenix, AZ), WXYZ Radio (Detroit), the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA), WKMT (Kings Mountain, NC) and RedsVue Magazine (Cincinnati, Ohio) standout.

I began My Association with the Deerfield Beach Observer in South Florida in 2007.

Former Editor Ric Green hired me to cover Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Sports focusing on Owls Football. This gave me the opportunity to reunite with My Good Friend Howard Schnellenberger.

Green and I were able to turn this seasonal relationship into a permanent one. When Green took a position to run the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce, FAU alumnus David Volz kept the beat going.

I am currently working with Diane Emeott-Korzen. (Pictured Right)

While the economy has cut back on the FAU stories due to reduced advertising, I'm very thankful Diane has continued her commitment  to covering the Owls. My stories are also seen on the Observer Online Website.

On December 21, 2012, the Deerfield Beach Observer had a Christmas Party Celebrating 50-years of Publication. It began in 1962.

What's amazing about the Observer's age is I will be celebrating My 50th Birthday on December 29, 2012. This is real neat that both of us turned 50 the same year.

Diane and Vice President Jim Lusk let everyone at the Christmas Party know of My Birthday Announcing it during the Gift Ceremony. They gave me a signed card by the office staff.

What made this more meaningful was The Party was the first one where My New Girlfriend Candy Ebling was in attendance. After hearing my name over the microphone, Candy's beautiful smile and brown eyes were indescribable.

It was neat to have a 50th Birthday Party with Candy alongside of me. You could say it was her coming out party.

Candy and I have proven that the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers can Co-Exist.

In this economy, the Deerfield Beach Observer has done an outstanding job working through their financial challenges to stay in business. Many daily and weekly newspapers have closed down.

Due to the leadership of Publisher David Eller, Lusk and Emeott-Korzen, along with the rest of the staff, they've done an incredible job!

These are the same people that sent me cards and made phone calls when I had major back surgery in June of 2009. Green was always in communication with me then and we remain close friends now.

Nowadays, Deerfield Beach sports are known for the accomplishments of Denard Robinson, the electrifying QB of the Michigan Wolverines. There is no question that Deerfield Beach High School can be proud of his collegiate and accomplishments.

Just like I can say that thanks to the Observer, I've been proud to have covered The New Orleans Bowl, Motor City Bowl, went to Gator Nation and watch FAU face Florida in Gainesville, had one more game at the Orange Bowl, covered an FAU Basketball Game against the University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington, in addition to the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. Also, the opening of the New On-Campus FAU Football Stadium was memorable.

As time and circumstances change, I will continue writing for the Observer as long as I can and they want me.

Diane and I are both from Michigan therefore, we both have that Special Connection and Bond.

Every year she wants her Super Bowl Story in February and I'm glad to give it to her even if she has to extend the deadline by 24 hours.

But on this night as I sat at a table with Candy, Assistant Editor Rachel Galvin, who is an MVP Behind The Scenes, and Movie Writer Dave Montalbano, who is a great friend, this night was indeed a celebration.

What's made my relationship so special with the Observer is not only do they care about me as a person, but do an excellent job editing my copy. Even thought Rachel said there isn't much editing, it's still nice to have that spare set of eyes, even though I read it several times before submitting it.

In general, the editing is fantastic for this newspaper and the entire production staff does an outstanding job every week.

While I hope I can write additional stories again in the future if advertising increases, I'm quite satisfied with the role that I have and being a part of the Deerfield Beach Observer.

Even though the faces change at the Christmas Party every year, this event is a great way to positively wrap up the calender.

Although the Observer is a weekly that is available to 30,000 readers in homes and businesses throughout Northeast Broward and Southern Palm Beach Counties, they could easily be viewed as a daily with their tremendous effort and professionalism.

I'm extremely proud to be the same age "50" and am pleased to be working with a Class Organization "My Media Family."

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Potential World Series Match-Ups

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

With MLB's non-waiver trading deadline of July 31 approaching, teams are bolstering their rosters for a shot at winning the World Series.

During the off-season, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig got his wish by adding another wild-card team that will play a play one game play-in contest for the right to continue in the post-season. There can never be too much excitement in October.

Currently, eight teams are in the hunt for the final two wild-card spots ensuring more fans will be glued to their TV's into September. This will only enhance our opportunity to see an unlikely champion.

Lets not forget, the NFL had a 9-7 New York Giants squad win the Super Bowl early this year.

If this format was in place a year ago, the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox wouldn't be agonizing over their late-season collapses. More importantly, former Red Sox Manager Terry Francona could still be the pilot in Beantown.

The expanded playoff format has accomplished one major development thus far. Teams are holding out longer to see if they can indeed reach the post-season as excitement and intrigue expands to more towns.

With that said, I've decided to compile 20 of the most intriguing match-ups that we could see in "The Fall Classic."

The New York Yankees are always a popular choice in October because of their storied tradition.

My list is going to take many interesting things into consideration and I welcome your feedback.

1) Washington Nationals vs Texas Rangers. The Washington Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers in 1972. Who knows whether Stephen Strasburg will be pitching in this series because he could be shut down for the season, but there is a lot of bad blood between these two metro areas with the Washington Redskins--Dallas Cowboys rivalry.

2) Oakland A's vs Pittsburgh Pirates. Both franchises are small market teams with low payrolls and this season are feel good stories. They've won their fair share of World Series titles in the past with a lot of Hall of Fame players. Oakland has won nine titles while the Pirates have amassed five. Oakland has had Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers while Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Dave Parker have championship rings. There are a lot of no-name players on both teams now. They'll be known if they reach the World Series, The Raiders and Steelers represent what these teams stand for on the gridiron. The Pirates are trying to snap a 19-year losing season streak. Their last World Series title was in 1979 while the A's won in 1989.

3) St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Angels. The Albert Pujols Bowl. Need I say more?

4) New York Yankees vs San Francisco Giants. I wasn't alive when these teams played their version of the Subway Series in the 1950's. Based on large attendance during inter-league play, the former New York Giants, once the home for Hall of Fame Outfielder Willie Mays, would be a great coast to coast draw for the nation and the baseball traditionalists would be thrilled to see this match-up. We'll call this the "Back To The Future Match-Up." No Yankee Stadium I or the Polo Grounds, but no one will care. The Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in the 1962 World Series. It was Yankee Stadium I vs Candlestick Park.

5) Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees. These two teams met in 1960 and the Pirates defeated the Yankees 4-3. The Hall of Fame players included Pittsburgh's Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente. For New York, Manager Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle. The major story line for this potential series is that New York traded pitcher AJ Burnett to the Pirates on February 18th for two minor leaguers. The Yankees are paying $20 million of the $33 million owed on Burnett's contract. He his 12-3 with a 3.52 ERA. If Burnett were to get revenge against New York, it would be one expensive Yankees backfired trade.

6) Chicago White Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals. These two teams have a unique connection. The Chicago Cardinals of the NFL shared the same stadium as the White Sox from 1922-1925 and 1929-1958 playing in Comiskey Park I. The Chicago Cardinals then moved to St. Louis and shared Busch Stadium with the Baseball Cardinals then made their final move to Arizona,.

7) Oakland A's vs San Francisco Giants. Oakland swept their Bay Area rival 4-0 in the Earthquake Series in 1989. The A's appear to be headed to San Jose in the next few years so it would be neat to see a rematch of the Battle of The Bay without the drama of another earthquake.

8) Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers. Both NHL teams have won Stanley Cups speaking of the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Now it's time to get their baseball teams on the same field in the World Series in The Freeway Series. Former Dodgers Catcher Mike Scioscia won two World Series Championships as the team's catcher in 1981 and 1988. In 2002, he won the Angels lone title defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-3 and prevented Barry Bonds from winning a ring. These local match-ups are fun to watch and this would involve the No.2 TV Market in the USA.

9) New York Yankees vs St. Louis Cardinals. These two teams have met in the World Series five times with St. Louis winning three. The Yankees have the most World Series appearances with 40 while St. Louis is tied with three other teams at 18. The Yankees have won the most World Series Titles with 27 and the Cardinals are second with 11. The great players in this rivalry include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Bill Dickey, Phil Rizzuto, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. For St. Louis, there is Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Tim McCarver and Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bob Uecker was the back-up catcher for the Cardinals.

10)  New York Yankees vs Washington Nationals. These two teams met from June 15-17 and New York swept the series 3-0 in Washington D.C. But the Nationals were winners at the Box Office drawing crowds of 41,406, 41,287 and 41,442. These two squads could double the attendance if the stadium was larger. Washington ace Stephen Strasburg was 8-1 at the time and didn't even pitch in this series. Bryce Harper has become an All-Star while the Yankees are simply the best team in baseball. If they meet in the World Series, look for a much closer outcome. Washington Manager Davey Johnson is an excellent skipper and whether Strasburg is available or not, it will still be a great series. The future looks bright for Washington. When people look at these two cities, they'll realize the story-lines will go beyond the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

11) New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have new ownership and they're willing to spend money. The Dodgers also have former Yankees great Don Mattingly as their manager. Not that this series needs anymore hype. There were great match-ups with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Yankees in their Subway Series. The rivalry continued when the Dodgers moved to Southern California. When the top two TV Markets meet, it's always a ratings bonanza especially between these two storied franchises. Too many names to mention. But Dodgers Manager Tom Lasorda gave me my first major interview when his team defeated the Yankees 4-2 in the 1981 World Series when we were at the Baseball Winter Meetings at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. To date, that's one of the high points of my Journalism Career.

12) Texas Rangers vs St. Louis Cardinals. Anyone want a rematch of last year's classic match-up that went seven games? Rematches are always fun to watch. But Albert Pujols is gone, Tony LaRussa retired on top and the Rangers know they were just one strike away twice from their first championship after letting Game 6 slip away 10-9 in 11 innings. The Rangers have lost two straight World Series titles, falling to the San Francisco Giants in 2010.

13) Chicago White Sox vs Cincinnati Reds. My late Grandmother Sophie Morganroth wasn't alive for this match-up in 1919. The Reds defeated the White Sox 5-3 in an eight game series.

14) Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago White Sox. These teams share the same Spring Training Complex in Glendale, Arizona. In 1959, the Dodgers defeated the White Sox 4-2 in the World Series.

15) Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Yankees. I was living in Arizona at the time when the Diamondbacks gave "The Valley Of The Sun" their first major sports championship defeating New York 4-3 in a classic series. I proudly wear My Diamondback Championship Golf Shirts as New Yorkers in South Florida cringe. The only people rooting for the Diamondbacks were us locals in Arizona and Boston Red Sox fans. Despite the sentimental feelings for New York City during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, us Arizonians relished the underdog role. During a celebration at the Stadium Club Sports Bar in Chandler, Arizona that caused me to break three small toes, it was still worth it. If they meet again, former Tigers Outfielder/ Arizona Manager Kirk Gibson and Shortstop/ Bench Coach Alan Trammell are on the Diamondbacks bench. I'll be pulling for them as well.

16) Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Dodgers. Not much history between these two teams. But Kirk Gibson hit a clutch World Series Home Run enabling the Tigers to defeat the San Diego Padres in 1984. Then in 1988 when he left the Tigers for the Dodgers, in his only at bat in Game 1, against the Oakland A's, he hit the game winning home run with legendary Hall of Fame Announcers Vin Scully and Jack Buck making memorable calls. Now former Michigan State and Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is part owner. We know that Magic Johnson and the Detroit Pistons had a strong rivalry.

17) New York Yankees vs Cincinnati Reds. They are miles apart in payrolls but the Reds swept the Yankees 4-0 in 1976. Sparky Anderson won his second straight World Series defeating former Tigers Manager Billy Martin with the "Big Red Machine." The Reds have five World Series titles with the last one being in 1990.

18) Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers. These two teams are located four hours away on I-75. They met in the World Series once in 1940 with the Reds winning 4-3. From June 8-10, they met at the Cincinnati Riverfront and the Tigers won two of three games in a series where all three contests were decided by one run. Fox may not like this ratings match-up, but what better way to stir up tensions between two states where Michigan--Ohio State Football Rivalry is huge. The Tigers and the Reds have great traditions. I used to cover the Reds Class A Florida State League team the Tampa Tarpons for the Tampa Tribune in 1985 and 1986, plus worked for RedsVue Magazine in Cincinnati.

19) Chicago White Sox vs Atlanta Braves. I have to give future Hall of Fame Player Chipper Jones some love in his final season. The White Sox have been known to get hot at the right time and have low-keyed Skipper Robin Ventura leading the way. Could be a good match-up of two large media markets covering the South and the Midwest. I always like seeing a new match-up of teams that have never met in the World Series.

20) Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves. In 1987, the Tigers traded a young prospect at the trading deadline named John Smoltz for veteran hurler Doyle Alexander. The trade produced a division title for the Tigers and a World Series Crown for the Braves in 1995. Smoltz is headed to the Hall of Fame. Detroit would trade Jair Jurrgens to the Braves and he's had a solid career. Former Tigers Executive the late Bill Lajoie also worked in the Braves front office. A Detroit vs Atlanta meeting is also another battle of I-75.

Fox Sports will have plenty of time to wish for a ratings winner. It will be interesting to see how this plays out the next couple of months.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.