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Pat McAfee: Baseball Would Be Awesome If It Let Players Be Themselves

“Great coaches and managers adjust to their talent to get the most out of them. He joked that maybe La Russa thinks burying his own guys is the best way to do that and the average person just can’t see the strategy involved.”

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The Pat McAfee Show, like so many other sports radio shows across the country, touched on Tony La Russa throwing one of his own Chicago White Sox players under the bus on Thursday. While the debate seems to be about old school vs. new school mentality in the sport, McAfee says it is about La Russa’s legacy within the game.

La Russa has come under fire for first apologizing for a home run Yermin Mercedes hit on a 3-0 pitch, while the White Sox were up by 11 on the Minnesota Twins. The manager doubled down on his assertion that Mercedes needed to face consequences for breaking one of baseball’s unwritten rules on Wednesday night, when he said that he had no problem with the Twins’ Tyler Duffey throwing a ball behind Mercedes in his first at bat of the night. That was a very different reaction than Major League Baseball had. The league office suspended Duffy the following day for three games.

“Listen Tony, you’re a great coach. You’ll just always be remembered as one who can’t adapt and evolve with his players,” Pat McAfee said. “You know who could do it? Bill Belichick. You know who could do it? Andy Reid. You know who could do it? Pete Carroll. You know who could do it? Nick Saban.”

Co-host AJ Hawk recounted a story about a friend, now in his fifties, that used to pitch in Major League Baseball. Hawk says the friend is very adamant that everything about the locker room is different in 2021 from what it was in the 1980s.

McAfee reiterated that the sport doesn’t matter. Great coaches and managers adjust to their talent to get the most out of them. He joked that maybe La Russa thinks burying his own guys is the best way to do that and the average person just can’t see the strategy involved.

The deference paid to rules that are not even real isn’t just a generational problem within the sport. McAfee says it is a problem for viewers too, because so few fans are actually offended by the sort of flamboyance that La Russa has such a problem with. He thinks letting players show some personality can only be good for baseball in the long run.

“That would be awesome if it was real competition,” McAfee said, alluding to the visual effect the unwritten rules have on baseball. “Real competitive people allowing themselves to be themselves.”

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Charley Steiner Injured; Tim Neverett to Handle Dodgers Radio Play-by-Play

“This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”

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photo of Charley Steiner
Courtesy: Los Angeles Dodgers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in their first home game on Thursday, team play-by-play voice Charley Steiner has revealed he will not be doing games at the beginning of the season due to a severe back injury.

Through the Dodgers, Steiner posted a statement which said, “Over the winter, I landed on the Injured List with three compound fractures in my back. (I don’t recommend it.) With the start of the baseball season upon us, the Dodgers are ready to go – but I’m not. This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. I look forward to returning to the mic later this season. In the meantime, go Dodgers!”

TrueBlueLA.com reports Tim Neverett will handle play-by-play duties while Steiner recovers. Neverett called the first two regular season games with Rick Monday as the Dodgers started the season in South Korea. Neverett and Monday did not travel with the team, however, they called those games in a studio back home.

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Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi Put a Bow on The Ronnie & TKras Show After Nearly 10 Years

“Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

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Photo of Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi
Courtesy: iHeartMedia

After nearly 10 years, The Ronnie & TKras Show with Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi came to an end today as the duo broadcast their final show on remote with many listeners, friends and co-workers on hand. Earlier this month, WDAE announced changes to its programming lineup which will take place starting tomorrow. Ronnie Lane will take on a new role as host of the Tampa Bay Rays pre-game show The Inside Pitch. Tom Krasniqi will continue on in afternoon drive with producer Chris Mathis for The Drive.

Their final show kicked off with station voice Jim Cutler saying, “…Finally, Tampa Bay can sleep easy knowing this hideous show is finally over.”

And with that went three very fast hours of looking back on a nearly decade-long run for Lane and Krasniqi. “It seems kind of surreal, doesn’t it?” said Lane.

Mathis had several special guests lined up for the final show and many others left voice messages which were played coming out of breaks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht and Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford took part in the final show. Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks also called in and, at first, identified himself as “Pete from St. Louis” before asking what the hosts thought of the Rays bullpen.

“I’m telling you man, when I hear all of these tributes it really brings a tear to my eye, Ronnie,” said Krasniqi. “It’s a surreal moment…It makes me feel so fortunate and blessed to be in this position sitting next to you all these years. This is one of those moments where I am almost speechless and just so incredibly overwhelmed by the support and the love that everyone has shown here today.”

Lane responded, “…Our time together is really coming to an end. I might get a little emotional before this show is over, but we have had a great time and been through many ups and downs…This business is crazy and for us to be able to do what we are doing and doing it on our terms…And for a company that believes in both of us to give us this opportunity to go in different directions with the same company is truly amazing…It doesn’t happen like this always in this business, usually it’s an ugly goodbye.”

As the show came to an end, Lane reminded everyone, “It has been a blast, but we’re not freakin’ leaving!”

“We’re not leaving folks,” ‘TKras’ said. “Thanks very much for being a part of our lives and thanks for having us as part of yours. Onward and upward. You are dismissed.”

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Tyler Murray Added to WEEI Red Sox Radio Bench

“Coming up on 13 seasons in [minor league baseball], it’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have this opportunity.”

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Photo of Tyler Murray and logos for WEEI and the Boston Red Sox
Photo Credit: Ashley Green

The voice of the Worcester Red Sox, Tyler Murray, has been added to the Red Sox Radio play-by-play bench. WEEI made the announcement on their X account, saying, “On the heels of calling the Hockey East Tourney this weekend [and] adding to his excellent work [with the Worcester Red Sox], happy to announce that Tyler Murray will be helping to build our [Red Sox Network] bench this year! Tyler’s 1st series in the big leagues will be April 5-7 [with Will Flemming].

Murray, who has also called college hockey games on NESN plus college football and basketball games, said on X, “Coming up on 13 seasons in [minor league baseball], it’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. Thank you to [WEEI brand manager Ken Laird] and [Audacy Boston Senior Vice President/Market Manager Mike Thomas], and to everyone who has reached out. Your support has honestly been overwhelming, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Murray’s first series will be the Red Sox taking on the Los Angeles Angels on the road, April 5-7.

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