Oakland A's Broadcaster Ray Fosse Talks Tigers

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

There is one position on the baseball diamond that I can relate to back during my days playing youth baseball.

It's being a catcher.

This is a position where many managers are hired.

This position, which is involved in every play, has much intrigued and is also my favorite position player to interview.

During my first two years playing, my father who managed my teams tried me at every position and I struggled.

But one day, our two starting catchers didn't show up and he asked who wanted to play the position?

I raised my hand as high as I could and I was quite loud during the 1973 season playing for the Southfield Wildcats.

He gave me a chance to play the position and I played so well that these other catchers never sat behind the dish

again. One of those catchers quit the team in the middle of the season.

Back then, I was about 4-5 and weighed around 60 pounds.

Unfortunately during that season, I lost my Grandfather Sidney Morganroth due to Cancer but our team went on to finish 21-0 and won the City Championship.

This was bitter sweet.

But I enjoyed warming up the pitchers during innings, talking to the umpires and batter, all while  getting in their head to distract them, and framing balls and turning them into strikes.

I also took a beating behind the dish getting drilled with foul balls and was in my fair share of collisions. But that was the nature of the position and I liked being involved in every play.

Over the years, some of the catchers I've interviewed were Lance Parrish, James McCann, Brad Ausmus, Jake Rogers and now Ray Fosse.

I've enjoyed everyone of these and we definitely speak the same language.

Fosse, 71 is an interesting story.

He played MLB from 1967-1979.

He appeared in two All-Star Games in 1970 and 1979.

He won a pair of World Series Championships in 1973 and 1974 with the Oakland A's.

He also won two Gold Glove Awards and had a career fielding percentage of .986.

Fosse played in 924 games and had a career average of .256 with 61 HR and 324 RBI.

His 12-year career was marked by injuries.

But Fosse was best known on the diamond for what happened during the 1970 All-Star Game at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a member of the Cleveland Indians at this time.

On the last play of the game, he was involved in an incident with Pete Rose as he was barreled into in what was an extreme collision.

These are definitely uncommon in an exhibition game and this situation is prominently seen in MLB All-Star highlights.

Fosse has been a color commentator for the Oakland A's on NBC Sports California since 1986.

As I spoke to him in Mesa, AZ., I was amazed at how much he knew about baseball and he was very knowledgeable and candid when we spoke.

This was long before we knew that the small market Oakland A's, who are 90-60 as of this post, and barring an unlikely collapse appear to be headed to the playoffs.

We had a great conversation and I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed talking to Ray.

Q: There is no way that I can have an interview with you without asking what it was like to be bowled over by Pete Rose in the All Star Game?

A: I was very happy to be on the All-Star Team and Earl Weaver picked me to be on the team. Bill Freehan started and I got in the game. It was very unfortunate one of those things happened. It's a changed game and that wouldn't happen today just because of a lot of situations. First of all, you can't do it. I wasn't trying to block the plate. I was going where Amos Otis had thrown the ball. As it turned out, it was up the line and the rest was history.

Q: Would you say that Miguel Cabrera's one of the best pure hitters you've ever seen?

A: I think in today's world, to see how smart of a player he is, I caught behind and tried to pitch to some of the great's

like Rod Carew, for example, one of the best hitters I've ever seen.

But you know if you think about what Cabrera does today and how he makes adjustments, I think that puts him in a category by himself.

Q: To preface what you're saying, how impressed were you when Cabrera won a triple crown and that's awfully hard to do?

A: Well especially, a triple crown you're going to have power or you're going to hit for average, but to do all of those things that's to me as great of a hitter as he is. I can't remember the pitcher of the A's had but Miguel came back from the birth of a child, he hadn't been with the club for three to four days, he came back and took early batting practice. The first at bat he hit a home run to right field and the second home run to left field. I said you've got to be kidding me! Here's a guy that hadn't of picked up a bat in three or four days.

Again, to be one of the best hitters he is, it's fun to watch him. He's a fun loving guy and I think he plays the game the right way. To have fun with the fans when he goes to the sidelines and gives them a baseball and does things. This is a game where you want fan experience. I think between being a great hitter, a great person, he exudes that when he's on the field especially with the fans.

Q: Of all the hitters you've seen over your lifetime, would you easily put Miguel Cabrera in your top five or 10?

A: Absolutely! I'd say so because again, I was behind the plate for many hitters that Harmon Killebrew for example was a big power hitter. Like I said, Rod Carew, it's hard to pitch him any particular way. But I think Cabrera, his intelligence of the game, he knows his swing, the hitters, the pitchers and he knows what he needs to do. I haven't seen a hitter as good as him.

With the new schedule the way it is with the A's facing the Tigers seven times a year, I think it's better. He's such a good hitter no matter the times they play.

Just a footnote here: The Oakland A's won the season series 7-0 this year as Cabrera missed all the contests due to injury.

Q: What are your thoughts about Jack Morris and Alan Trammell finally getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Was this long overdue?

A: I think these guys were long overdue. What's interesting about Alan Trammell and the Tigers starting 35-5 in 1984, with him and Lou Whitaker at the top of the batting order, they'd get on and it would be runners at first and third. Then somebody would drive them in. It seemed like they were on all the time.

But to have a double play combination like that as long as Trammell and Whitaker were, I'm happy for Alan. He's very unassuming. He doesn't tout himself so I'm sure he's ecstatic.

For Jack Morris to pitch as well as he did against the Atlanta Braves winning Game Seven for Minnesota in 1991, 1-0 in 10 innings, no body is going to do that today.

You're going to go six or seven innings max. But Morris kept going out and he was the best pitcher for that. He said, I'm going to go and he kept going. I don't think there is any doubt that both deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. But like you said, it's too bad it took so long, but eventually they did get in.

Q: Why do you think Whitaker hasn't even sniffed the Hall of Fame?

A: I think a lot of that has to do with offensive numbers unfortunately. The fact that they (Alan & Lou) played so long together, you'll never see that again as long as they did as a double play combination. But Lou was Lou. It is unfortunate but defense isn't as recognized that much anymore. It's more what you do offensively.

Even though in that particular year (1984 World Series Champions) both Lou and Alan had have tremendous seasons leading off for the Tigers. I'm sure the late Sparky Anderson is already there with both of them in. But at least Trammel is in now.

Q: Do you feel the Detroit Tigers are going about things the right way by rebuilding?

A: I think you eventually have to do that because under the late Mike Ilitch, it was different. I know for Al Avila, it's different for him because maybe the resources aren't there anymore. That's why the late Gene Autry unfortunately didn't get a World Championship and he spent a lot of money. Michael Ilitch spent a lot of money. You spend the money and it doesn't guarantee anything.

So to do it the right way, the problem speaking of Miguel Cabrera, he makes a lot of money, and nobody is going to pick up that contract even though he is the best player in the game. He makes a lot of money. I'd say he's still young enough (age 35) and you can still build around him.

When you have to eventually make that commitment to do the things you have to do to get back to respectability, and even if it means tearing it down and going to young players, so be it. The heck with the people that say you're tanking and trying to get draft choices. No you're not! You're trying to develop a good ballclub for the future.

I look at the A's right now. Everybody says low payroll. Well yes, they're young players. Those players eventually get paid. After three years arbitration and free agency after six years. You're going to get your money if you're good. But still, I can't knock the organization for doing it the right way.

In the Tigers case, you have to do it and more power to them. When you look at the past three World Series Champions, the Astros, the Cubs and the Royals, all of those clubs were bad not that long ago. And then they're World Series Champions. You have to do it the right way.

You have to think about the future and the thing is to be honest with the fans. Let them know this is the core group of guys that will be good and we're going to build. The Astros did it the right way. They lost 100, used their young guys and brought in veterans and they supplement what you have.

Q: What are your thoughts about Ron Gardenhire?

A: He loves cheeseburgers. I'm sure he still does. I think the game would be wrong to say that managers like Ron Gardenhire, Bob Melvin and even Joe Girardi, which that firing was unjustified. He was one guy that managed 10 years and one of the most successful managers in baseball.

I'm happy for Ron Gardenhire and I'm happy the Tigers realize he's a good baseball man just like Bob Melvin. I've been around baseball a long time and I've seen a lot of managers. Personally, I think Bob Melvin is one of the best in the game if not the best. The players love him, he demands things from the players even though he can be considered a players manager.

But there are a lot of analytics going on in baseball that you have to make changes and managers have to do that. But I'm happy for Gardy. He's a good man and considering what he's been through health wise, to be able to come back, I think it's great for the Tigers.

Q: What is Ron Gardenhire's biggest strength that he offers the Tigers?

A: He's been there and knows what it's like under Tom Kelly. If you look at the Minnesota Twins, they won in 1987. They disbanded than won in 1991. When you're around that type of organization, the important thing is to do that. If you win, you have to pay, and in today's world, it's a lot of money.

If you win and you have that core group of guys, you may keep those guys but you supplement. As guys retire, other guys come in and take over. But you keep a core group of guys around. In todays world, it's very expensive. But I think Gardy can communicate and understand the young players. He's also a veteran manager and knows how to manage the game.

Q: We've talked about Mike Ilitch, what are your overall thoughts about him?

A: When they wore the Mr. I on their sleeves last year, here is a man that knew Victor Martinez was injured, they realized they needed a player and they signed Prince Fielder and paid him $200 Million just because Mike Ilitch said let's do it. You don't see a lot of owners doing that. That's how great Mr. I was.

I heard some stories about the Auto Industry and how he let the cars in center field not have to pay. He was a good man. But still unfortunately he passes away and the transition for the Tigers is what it is right now. The resources maybe aren't there.

When you have those resources, you're not afraid to spend money that means you can sign somebody like Prince Fielder and give him a contract that's unheard of. But also, remember Juan Gonzalez turned down $160 Million which is the best non-sign the Tigers have ever had. We talk about that all the time because the fences supposedly were too deep in left-field. That's a $160 Million they would have been able to do a lot of things they did since then.

It's a good organization, good group of people like Al Kaline, the late Ernie Harwell, and I have so many great memories of the old Tiger Stadium, good ball clubs and you have to transition. You'd like to be a perennial winner and spend lots of money. But in today's world, it's hard to do.

During my Spring Training coverage in 2018, I really enjoyed searching for lots of fresh content with Southeastern Michigan/ Tigers connections.

Covering the Cactus League was a blast and I was amazed that I was arriving at these ballparks at 7:30 AM. You talk about a full day, those are plentiful in Arizona.

As for 2019, there are two ballparks left on the victory tour. There is Scottsdale Stadium, the home of the San Francisco Giants, and the headquarters of the Arizona Fall League which its season begins on October 9th.

There is Sloan Park in Mesa, the home of the Chicago Cubs which is one of the newer facilities.

Any trip to Arizona consists of the LA Angels to visit my friend Tim Mead.

I'll be looking forward to going back to Maryvale, where the Milwaukee Brewers will have a newly renovated stadium.

I do enjoy being on the road looking for fresh local content.

That's the objective with any sport and I'll reiterate on this story, it was great having the privilege spending time with Ray Fosse, a guy that I enjoyed following as a youngster.

I've met a lot of smart baseball people over the years and Fosse ranks up there with the best.

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

This Summer's Main Event

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I can't remember the last time I took a trip over seven days which didn't have a Sporting Event connected to it to cover.

But there is no better place to take such a trip than to Hawaii.

From August 23-September 5, I had the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

I went on My Honeymoon and saw My Niece Brooke Morganroth exchange vows with her new Husband Jake Schifko.

Brooke and Jake's Wedding occurred on Saturday, August 26, 2017 in Kauai in a breath taking beach ceremony in front of over 60 family and friends.

It was the same night of the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor Fight in Las Vegas, NV.

I will talk about this fight later in the story.

Hawaii is an interesting place.

It was impossible for me to not look for Sports Updates of the Detroit Teams despite the six hour time difference. After all, we're in the Smart Phone age and with these little computers in our hand, My I-Phone 6-Plus gets a good workout.

For a Detroit Tigers game to start at 7:10 am local time is mind boggling.

During this time of the year, Hawaii doesn't switch because of Daylight Savings Time.

There is no doubt that it was easy to have jet lag and our travel time amounted to 12 hours covering four airports.

It's a different world in Hawaii.

I didn't rent a car for the first two days to get acclimated to the area.

But this Caged Lion managed to space out the rental to create a sensible schedule built around my tourist events and not get caught up in paying the outrageous food prices to the restaurants at the Grand Hyatt Resort.

I replaced Sporting Events with Ocean Rafting, A Trip To Pearl Harbor, Two Helicopter Rides, Ziplining and A Catamaran Ride, in addition to driving on Kauai and The Big Island of Hawaii seeing the Volcanoes and Black Sand.

But for those Subway fans, in Kauai, a six inch sub is $4, which is a treat for the area, but later on the trip on the Big Island of Hawaii, no such special existed.

As I mentioned before, a crowd of over 60 family and friends made the trek to this Destination Wedding and to the credit of both families, each invested to make this an incredible event as Brooke and Jake turned their six-year courtship into marriage.

Once again, it was an unforgettable beach ceremony with the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and the reception was outstanding afterwards.

Brooke and Jake gave My Wife and I a priceless gift by posting a photo of themselves at our wedding on January 1, 2017 at Milwaukee's Miller Park at the table to pick up the seat assignments.

I was very proud in this photo to hold this picture up and my wife and I couldn't thank them enough by showing our appreciation to these great youngsters!

Jake was an usher at our event while Brooke overcame her nervousness of speaking in front of people to do an outstanding job reading a poem!

I joked with Brooke that this was good practice leading up to her memorable day.

I've always kidded around with Jake that at 6-8, if he ever moves on from his restaurant career, the NBA could use his services.

Take note Stan Van Gundy, Jake has the appearance of a small power forward.

But it was hard to not look for Mayweather vs McGregor updates which did generate over $55 Million in Pay-Per-View Revenues.

I did manage to get two dances in because that was all my 54-year old body would allow.

The Mayweather Fight began at 5:45 pm local time.

But two days before the event, Jake's Brother Robert Schifko and I got into an animated debate in the pool at the Grand Hyatt Resort in Kauai as to who would win the fight.

Robert picked McGregor while I remained consistent with Mayweather, a prediction I made two months ago.

Robert deserved an "A" for his passion but I told him in the pool that I've been covering sports for 38 years and Boxing has always been one of My Favorites.

Mayweather won the fight by technical knockout in 10 rounds of this scheduled 12 round bout.

After the fight, Robert, who is pictured with me, came up to me with a serious look and said, "Scott, You Were Right. You definitely described this fight as it happened. You got me this time and You know what you're talking about."

That was worth a hug to Robert but more importantly, he earned my respect because he possessed no ego and by coming up to me and owned this one.

After the fight we spent some time together and I told him that I've interviewed Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, James Toney, Chuck Wepner, Angelo Dundee, the trainer for Ali and Leonard, who was a dear friend of mine, plus Boxing Historian Hank Kaplan along with many others in Boxing, thus, I'd like to think I have enough knowledge and insights as to what's going on.

I've learned plenty from these Fighters and I enjoyed sharing these experiences with Robert.

But beyond the interviews, I've watched lots of fights and truly understand why Boxing is called "The Sweet Science" because the smartest guy who takes the least amount of punishment does win.

It sounds so simple, but it's not.

As the wedding continued, I spent time with Jake's father Jack.

During the couple days leading up to the wedding, I had the great pleasure of getting to know the rest of the Schifko family.

But during the wedding, I saw Jack wearing a pin on his shirt that Symbolizes Fighting Cancer.

We talked and Jack, who is pictured with me, told me his second daughter Kari Schifko, 31, was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.

He wanted to stay in Michigan and miss this event to support his daughter while she is going through treatment, but Kari convinced him to attend.

Throughout the years, I've lost some close people to this dreaded disease.

The Cancer victim that hurts the most is My Grandfather Sidney Morganroth, who passed away at age 55 in 1973 while I was 10.

He died of Lung Cancer, but in his memory, I vowed to be a nonsmoker and have kept his legacy alive by staying away from that expensive deadly habit.

Other deceased colleagues in Sports Media include Ernie Harwell, Bryan Burwell, Stuart Scott, Corky Meinecke, Shelby Strother, and former Detroit Pistons Coach Chuck Daly.

A very close friend and former colleague, who owned a restaurant in Michigan Gregory Nicholas was a victim of too much secondary smoke. Now Michigan has the Clean Air Act and doesn't allow smoking in restaurants, just outside of them.

In the past, I've bought autographed merchandise from My Friend Dick Vitale to support Cancer Research through "The V Foundation" and will always do anything in my power to support this dreaded killer.

I'm thankful that My Grandma Sophie Morganroth-Jacobs defeated Breast Cancer many years ago.

Recently, my own mother has beaten Lung Cancer because of her foresight to get a second opinion and took a proactive approach to go to New York University utilizing advanced medicine to her benefit. Although she's still dealing with breathing issues, she's been a trooper! I'm thankful she continues to plug away.

My message to Jack is I will continue to pray for his daughters recovery and I'm happy that he shared his information to me so that I can send prayers and hope my followers do the same.

But on August 26, 2017, the Real Stars of the night were Newlyweds Brooke and Jake Schifko.

In My Mind, Brooke and Jake were This Summer's Main Event!

I always knew Brooke would be a Beautiful Bride and anybody that has a different opinion needs to have their eyes checked!

It was nice to Not take a Reporters Notebook and Tape Recorder to be a fan of a personal piece of history.

Aloha to Brooke and Jake, and I Love These Classy Kids Very Much and it was a Privilege To Be At This Wedding!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of The Detroit Sports Media.

Get It Accurate!

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It's hard to believe that a week has passed since the death of legendary Penn State Coach Joe Paterno.

During that entire weekend, I felt extremely connected to this story because of the significant people that I saw throughout.

It began on Saturday January 21, at FAU Stadium during a College Football All-Star Game "The Battle Of Florida" which was an opportunity for players to showcase their skills for Pro Scouts. The contest featured legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and FAU's recently retired Howard Schnellenberger, who was making his final appearance on the Owls Sidelines.

During the post-game joint press conference with the two coaches Bowden and Schnellenberger, they  wondered if Paterno had passed away earlier as earlier reports pre-maturely indicated.

Throughout the evening, writers kept checking with the media outlets on their computers, cell phones, Twitter as CBS Sports and the Penn State Newspaper had to retract their stories. An editor and writer lost their jobs.

Schnellenberger was 2-1 versus Paterno when he was at the University of Miami. Meanwhile, Bowden and Paterno battled for the all-time Division I FBS wins total.

Paterno owns the record with 409 while Bowden finished second with 377. Bowden's total would have been 389, but FSU had to vacate 12 victories due to a March 6, 2009 NCAA ruling requiring Florida State to forfeit the wins "for any games in which an ineligible player participated."

Nevertheless, "The Battle Of Florida" was overshadowed by Paterno's pre-mature death.

Both Schnellenberger and Bowden weren't concerned about Paterno's handling of the Jerry Sandusky Sex Scandal. In the end, they knew college football was far better with Paterno than it would be without him. On this night, positive comments were all you were going to hear from these two legendary coaches.

To this day, I still believe Paterno should have coached Penn State the entire season. There were mistakes made with the university's administrators because he informed them of what transpired and the incident was pushed aside. Seemed like a cover-up that nobody thought would ever explode like it has. Paterno was being punished for something that happened years ago.

Hours later, I drove up I-75 North and saw My former colleague at WXYZ Radio in Detroit, Dick Vitale at The Broken Egg Restaurant in Sarasota (Lakewood Ranch) Florida. The Hall Of Fame ESPN Announcer arrived home during the early morning hours after covering a college game in Pittsburgh and sat in his usual spot at 10:30 am.

Vitale felt Paterno received a "Raw Deal" and his longstanding relationship with Penn State ended poorly. Dick Vitale's facial expressions and body language said it all.

Vitale is currently working diligently to raise $1 Million for the seventh straight year on behalf of the Jimmy V Foundation For Cancer Research in honor of his late close friend Jim Valvano.

When I told Dick about My Grandfather Sidney Morganroth, who passed away at 55 because of Lung Cancer in 1973, we shared a somber moment. I told Dick that I've kept my promise 40-years later to honor My grandfather's memory to not smoke and he smiled. I also told Dick that from this point on that I will promote the Jimmy V Foundation anytime I can.

Like my grandfather, Paterno died of Lung Cancer but at the age of 85. Vitale and I were just hoping that this Sandusky situation doesn't overshadow Paterno's legacy.

But I came away from that weekend proud to be with Bowden, Schnellenberger and Vitale. Yet, I wish the subject matter would have been more pleasant.

The Battle Of Florida saw Bowden's North team crush Schnellenberger's South squad 51-3. During the course of the weeks events, there were 140 scouts, 29 NFL teams, four Canadian Football League representatives and one from the Arena Football League.

Yet, in the end, once again it was overshadowed by Joe Paterno's declining health that resulted in his death Sunday Morning.

Former ABC News Anchor, the late Frank Reynolds was a guy that I idolized growing up. Just because my specialty is sports doesn't mean that you don't learn from those doing the news.

Reynolds would have had a field day with this pre-mature death of Paterno's fiasco.

On March 31, 1981, during the coverage of the Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt, White House Press Secretary James Brady was erroneously reported by all three networks as having died from a head wound. Another report arrived that Reagan had died.

Reynolds looked at his staffers and angrily told them to get the information straight and accurate.

I know that if Reynolds was on the air, if he lost his composure again that Paterno had pre-maturely been announced as dead, I'd hide for cover if I were his staffers. Frank defines professionalism in every sense of the word.

I've learned a lot of lessons from Frank in 33-years of Journalism and when I visited his grave site at the Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, I made sure Reynolds heard my words loud and clear.

All I can say is God Bless to Howard Schnellenberger, Bobby Bowden and Dick Vitale!

Rest in Peace to Joe Paterno, Frank Reynolds, Sidney Morganroth and Jim Valvano!


Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Introverted Twins

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When former Detroit Pistons Vice President of Public Relations Matt Dobek died on Saturday August 21 at the age of 51, I got sick to my stomach!

Yet, his cause of death is something that I mentally deal with on a daily basis.

Dobek apparently committed suicide just months after losing his job with the Detroit Pistons.

In the past year, not only did Dobek lose his job of 29 years, but the loss of his father, former Pistons Owner William Davidson and Coach Chuck Daly also died and that obviously was too much for him to overcome.

I have known Matt Dobek since 1988. He was the first local Detroit Sports Public Relations Director to grant me credentials when I returned home from college in Florida, and one year in Sports Management in North Carolina.

My first assignment was the 1988 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pontiac Silverdome.

I never missed a big event at the Palace of Auburn Hills when I lived in Detroit.

Those crucial playoff games, finals appearances, ring and retired jersey ceremonies are long long lasting memories.

Dobek made sure I always had my season passes. When I went on road trips, there was never a problem.

There was a time when I took a cross country trip that lasted over 35 days, spanned over 10,000 miles where I drove a rented car which included NBA stops in Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, Utah and Indiana.

When these Public Relations Directors needed verification, Matt took care of the situation! There were times when I called him from the road and he told me to relax and drive safely after I told him the project I was working on.

There were other trips to Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami and Orlando where we would talk, hangout at lunch or dinner.

In my eyes, Dobek was the Most Misunderstood person I've ever known!

While he maintained a low-keyed demeanor and wasn't the most outgoing person, Matt was cordial, cooperative, had a calmness about himself but more importantly was always there when you needed him!

The last time I saw Matt was in Miami in April of 2009 just shortly before Daly died of Cancer. Chuck lived in Jupiter, FL and Matt was not only his friend but his publicist. Matt was working the Pistons and Heat game and must have known that Daly's health was near its terminal stages thus it was a great opportunity for them to spend time together.

After Detroit won its second championship in 1989-90, Matt presented me with a plaque with a piece of the Pistons floor at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

It proudly hangs in my hallway in Deerfield Beach, Florida!

He told me that you deserve it!

Matt and his staff treated me with respect! They were like another family to me, My Basketball Family.

If you were loyal to them, acted professional, did an honest job but covered them not only when they were winning but also losing, they showed their appreciation. They used to send Christmas Cards every year to myself and Sports Editor George Eichorn.

They were a class act and that's attributed from the man in charge which was undoubtedly, Matt. It was easy to continue to write about this team, from Matt, to Tom Wilson, Mr. Davidson, etc... That's why I loved covering this team.

But as sadness about Matt's untimely death continues, plus lingering questions on why he committed suicide by hanging himself, I found that after this happened, we are more alike than I thought we were.

Matt and I like to keep things bottled up inside.

We don't like to burden our friends & family with personal and financial hardships.

Matt and I are proud individuals!

Therefore, I'm not surprised he committed suicide!

Everybody has their own set of problems and I won't add to them!

Although I'm 47, since I've relocated to South Florida in 2002, I've watched myself age by 53 years!

While I've enjoyed many great sports memories connected with my passion in the media, the inability to find a constant career in South Florida has been a tremendously huge lingering battle.

What I've discovered in this transient Sun-Belt Melting Pot during this process is that I'm over qualified for the majority of the positions I've applied for.

While there are dishonest people everywhere, there are more scams and cons in South Florida than any other place that I've ever been connected with.

I've seen human resource people that are late to interviews, fail to show up and don't hire you because they're concerned you'll eventually replace them.

I even had a youngster in his early 20's interview me and one of his first questions during the interview was, "What is your favorite toy?" He was looking at his list of questions in the back of his desk and just pulled it out of his drawer.

To me, this would be enough to drive anyone nuts!

My intensity to land a good career and competitiveness to be the best when I landed the position has led to numerous sleepless nights.

Have to admit many of these interviews could be book material down the road and I have been real calm the majority of the time. Sponging these experiences is priceless but it does nothing to help ones checkbook.

I even had a friend say to me one time that we can't even get a job we don't want. Go figure.

But like any athlete or person, I hate to lose and despise failure!

To complicate matters, I suffered a major lower back injury in 2007 and physically haven't been the same.

In June of 2009, I had back surgery to remove a disk and had two cages inserted to provide me with support. For the past 14 months, there have been major travel restrictions and I haven't been able to lift more the 10 pounds. Thus, a bad job market became worse.

I'm still on the mend and while there has been progress in the recovery, there seems to be no end in sight to a lawsuit that could take years to resolve but won't solve the hardships I've experienced financially, physically and mentally.

Besides the injury and poor South Florida job market, dealing with criticism by family members at meals, over the phone that make accusations that I'm lazy because they don't understand the complexity of how difficult it is to deal with liars and snakes on a daily basis is enough to drive anyone over the edge!

It would even frustrate Albert Einstein!

This entire situation makes it difficult to create a personal life with a potential significant other.

As I define Matt Dobek's legacy, there are certain ways to view things.

1) I've always had the belief that you "Live Everyday As If It Were Your Last."

2) It isn't Quantity, but Quality!

Todays job market has no loyalty. When I entered the work force 31 years ago, two weeks notice was a common courtesy. Now it's two seconds.

To work 29 years at one job and not be given severance pay as was the case with Matt, was idiotic. I've worked in industry's where politics prevented me from landing in other positions.

That's why Matt rejoined his other support system.

I don't know what God has in store for me.

But I do know that when my time is over, there is an All-Star Team waiting for me when I pass away.

In addition to Dobek, who was one of the greatest public relations people that I've ever worked with, there is Ernie Harwell, Mr. Davidson, whom I became very friendly with at Pistons games and is ironically buried in the same cemetery that all of my family is in back in Michigan, Daly, whom I enjoyed the time working with during the Bad Boys Era.

Add family members Terry Kroll, Morris & Celia Kroll, Sidney & Dorothy Caplan, Sidney Jacobs, Sidney & Sophie Jacobs-Morganroth along with other close people such as Fred Cullen, Ronald Grant & Peter Bluesten; this is a group that I miss dearly!

As most of these recent blogs turn into death related stories, it's hard to believe that Dobek has joined the likes of Harwell, John Wooden, George M Steinbrenner and Ralph Houk as painful deaths of 2010 that I've been associated with.

We haven't even reached Labor Day.

While watching a Pistons game will never be the same again without Matt, once again, he's taught me that it's not how many years you live, but how good they are!

The one signal that I'll know when My Life Is Over is I will not Live and Sell My Heart, Soul, Ethics, Integrity and Wallet Short "To Exist."

When the time comes that "I Live To Exist" then I'll Flip the Switch and "Non-Exist!"

For those who know me, while I'm glad I've accomplished a lot, enjoyed the memories we've shared together, I have no fear when my life comes to a halt as I'll one day reunite with My other All-Star Team.

I will never be trapped into a situation just to hang around a few extra years!

Meanwhile, Matt, you'll always be viewed as not only a colleague, but a great friend, and I hope you rest in peace.

I imagine one day we'll be at court-side one at the old Richfield Coliseum in suburban Cleveland watching Daly lead his Pistons to a victory in a nationally televised game talking about the "Bad Boys."

Thanks again for the piece of the championship floor and being a championship person!

I'll miss you greatly!

Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com

Ernie Harwell Final Tribute

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It was 36 years and 51 weeks ago on May 11, 1973., that my Grandfather Sidney Morganroth passed away due to a valiant battle with lung cancer at age 55.

Now another close person has fallen to this devastating disease.

On May 4, 2010, former legendary Detroit Tigers Play-By-Play Radio Announcer Ernie Harwell, 92, lost a courageous battle with incurable bile duct cancer.

When Ernie announced that he had this disease on September 3, 2009, I knew this day would eventually come. As many prayers as I would say, I knew the day of mourning would cause me a gut wrenching feeling internally.

This was a man that I had so many memories with.

Ernie was a "Father Figure" to me.

When the Detroit Tigers visited Bank One Ballpark for a weekend series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, we spent Fathers Day together eating lunch while I drove him back to his Phoenix hotel the entire trip. We talked about life and baseball.

At 9:15 PM on May 4, my ex-girlfriend Michelle Milgrom Lebowitz Cinelli was the first to notify me of Ernie's death leaving a very touching voice mail message offering her condolences. Michelle, a native from Detroit, knew that Ernie was a mentor in my life and her class making this call, showed what respect and deep fondness that I still have for her!

The next call came from my closest friend and adopted older brother George Eichorn at 9:34 PM. For years, George, Ernie and I enjoyed many awesome times together with Ernie at Tigers games, at Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) meetings, plus we met at various places together for lunch.

That doesn't count the numerous times I spent with Ernie alone.

When I wrote my first tribute on Ernie Harwell on December 29, 2009, I had the opportunity to express my feelings hoping he would see the story and know how I felt about him. Eichorn made sure Ernie did see it by posting it on the DSBA website.

The best birthday present that I received was an e-mail that Ernie wrote me at 8:16 PM that night. It read, "dear scott--that for that beautiful tribute. you were much too good to me. love you--ernie harwell="

It took me two days to digest this e-mail. Ernie was always the most even keeled person that I've ever been associated with. He always taught me to do my best to stay as calm as possible despite the tons of adversity that we get hit with in life.

I've worked hard to get better with this and I'm still trying real hard to improve in this area.

Here is the e-mail that I wrote back to Ernie on December 31, 2009 at 7:44 AM.

"You're very welcome Ernie!

I wish I could have written more but I wanted to use the best memories I had, realizing that it wasn't quantity but quality!

You mean more to me than you'll ever know! And we did have a lot of fun together! You're in my thoughts and prayers every day! I don't think about you passing away, just that you continue to live life the way I've always believed it should and that's "I Live Everyday As If It Were My Last" but you've done a Much Better Job than the Majority of us out here. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH & Happy New Year to You and Your Family. Your e-mail on this date was the best birthday present I could have received on No. 47.

Thanks again and I'll continue to stay in touch and hope to hear from you when you get a chance.

Love,

Scott Morganroth"

I did proceed to write Ernie a couple more times but I knew with the tremendous amount of letters he was getting that there was a strong possibility he wouldn't write back. That proved to be the case but I was fine by that. At least he knew that I cared.

When I wrote my tribute to him on December 29, 2009, there wouldn't have been enough space on my hard drive to explain the volumes of memories I had with Ernie. So I had to limit it to the best memories.

You can find that original story in the archives on my blog.

As I was sitting at Denny's Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale eating breakfast with my housekeeper Doris Burks, I received a phone call from my adopted younger brother & college buddy Stuart Bloom at 7:55 AM.

Stuart also offered his condolences to me but what made Bloom's call more emotional was on April 29, 2010, his older brother Howard Bloom passed away at the age of 58. For Stuart to call me at undoubtedly one of the most difficult times of his life, is one of the classiest gestures I've ever experienced in my life! Here is a guy who was unselfish and put his pain aside to make sure I was OK!

I told Stuart when he came to Delray Beach for his brothers memorial that weekend that I would be there to offer him support under the following condition. It was that we'd give each other the "Biggest Hugs" we could and aside from telling each other that we loved one another, not many words would be exchanged since our "Actions Would Speak Louder Than Words." He easily accepted this condition! To this day, I'm grateful for the honor that he bestowed upon me for allowing me to stand-up at his wedding to his lovely wife Marilyn!

As she was for my back surgery, Burks was here for me during this tough time. She held my hand across the table as I was talking to Stuart and when the conversation with Bloom was over, Doris asked me if I was OK? My answer was, "No I'm not OK! I don't care how old Ernie was, his death kills me inside. A part of me died when he passed away, but I know one day, we'll be reunited one day hanging out for lunch or attending Regular Season or Spring Training games again."

When I got back to my house before the carpet cleaning guy was set to arrive, I showed her the autographs in my Sports Showcase. Doris gave me the sweetest smile and gave me timely hugs and kisses to show her support. When I asked this 75-year old woman who her favorite announcer was, the Chicago native said Harry Caray. I told her that Harwell and Caray are iconic Hall of Fame Broadcasters whose legacies will be unmatched in the eyes of baseball fans.

Although I didn't shed a tear and had the perfect shoulders to do so, at least I had Burks shoulder to lean on when I needed her.

At 1:29 PM, my Aunt Judy Strohl called me and she was always as supportive as she's always been. Judy told me that the Detroit area is obviously taking this passing as expected, extremely hard!

Finally, at 5:20 PM, another college friend of mine Bob Schultz, a Chicago native, expressed his condolences. He was quick to point out that I shouldn't take this loss too hard because of Ernie's age.

Schultz, an auto mechanics teacher in the Dallas suburb of Hurst, Texas., told me that he was mourning the loss of his 17-year old student that died four days prior to Harwell's death in a drowning accident. He talked about how nice the kid was, but being a sports fan, Schultz always enjoyed listening to Harwell's broadcasts on CBS Radio during the post-season as well as on WJR when the signal was strong enough. What a difference between the ages of 17 and 92.

I've always known that Detroit has been one of the best sports towns in the country. To see over 10,000 fans go to Comerica Park and pay their final respects to Harwell is just another major reason to feel how a city connects with it's heroes. I know that Tigers Owner Mike Illitch and President and General Manager were classy enough to interact with the fans.

Comerica Park was a great venue to say a Final Good-Bye to Harwell and as I found out, that's where he wanted to be seen in public last. However, I still wish there would have been a way to have that pubic viewing at the "Old Tiger Stadium Site." It's a place where Harwell worked so diligently to preserve and called the Final Game at Tiger Stadium. I know the City of Detroit is financially strapped but I'm sure Illitch would have found a way to pull this off. What better way to celebrate Ernie's life than at the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull?

Since his death can be viewed as a celebration, I'm glad that he lived to see his 92 birthday on January 25 and the New York Yankees won their 27 championship. It's only fitting that one of the greatest people and announcers see the most storied franchise win his last title while he was alive.

I always thought that if there was a man that would 100, Ernie was it.

But God was kind to Ernie and ESPN's story on December 29, 2009 written by Elizabeth Merrill that was titled, "For Harwell, there is still much to do" remains in my favorites on my computer. I've read it tons of times for various reasons! Now I've saved his other stories from the day he died.

I know that somewhere in heaven, Ernie has to be proud of all the people that he's touched with all of the tributes that he's received from fans, media outlets, etc. At least that he knew that when he was going to die, he tied up all of his loose ends planning a gallant exit. But listening, reading and watching these tributes of my idol, mentor, best friend, uncle and extended part of my family, just made me that much more proud of our association together that began in 1982.

While I know I'll never forget Uncle Ernie for obvious reasons, seeing him die in May near my Grandfather Sidney Morganroth will enable me to think of these heroes even more.

Although I know that Uncle Ernie will never see this story physically, I'm grateful that he was alive to see the last one. I'm glad that he was able to enjoy his family even more since learning of his declining health.

Even though I have travel restrictions due to my back surgery and would have loved to have been at Comerica Park to pay my final respects, my heart and mind were there as it has been so many times over the years.

When I completed this story at Hooters in Boca Raton, on May 5, 2010, my waitress Samantha, who was born in 1989, wanted to read this after I occupied her booth for 2 1/2 hours on a quiet day. Although Samantha hates sports, it didn't take her long for her to become a fan of Harwell's after reading this latest tribute. She told me she is spiritual and believes Ernie will read it one day in heaven. Just knowing what Harwell meant to me was all it took for her to realize what a tremendous person he was.

If Harwell is reading this, Good Bye, I LOVE YOU UNCLE ERNIE! I HOPE YOU REST IN PEACE!

Please send my best to all the baseball greats you'll be reunited with like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and many others. While Al Kaline may have accepted the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award for You on May 5, 2010, your legacy was etched in stone long before this honor. This was just icing on the cake.

The reason why I waited 11 days to post this is I wanted to make sure that all of my thoughts were in order so that I could express myself properly.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.