Nobody has access to the clubhouse, not even the reporters.
Teams have a do not enter period for whatever the amount of time 15/30 minutes after a game.
Nobody knows who is yelling at whom for a shitty game, or just in frustration, or just taking it all in stride, showering saying few short words to media and then getting out.
Several years ago early on with the Tigers and maybe with the Marlins,
Miggy was a walking and ticking time bomb. Nobody fucked with him, opposing players especially. I remember when Kinsler was with the Rangers, and there had been some shit brewing with the two teams. Kinsler gets to first and says something to Miggy. Miggy says fuck you to Kinsler, read his lips, and gave Kinsler a hip check and knocked him a couple of feet right off the first base bag.
I think Miggy has matured and with his success, along with his earlier transgressions, keeps a lid on his temper, and past few years has gone out of his way to be a much better teammate, friendlier to opposing teams players and gone out of his way to endear himself to all fans, not just Tigers fans and the children, but also opposing teams fans.
Miggy is one of those players who leads by example. We all hear that expression, but it means always with the right play, throw to the right base, hitting behind the runner, all of that and more to be a professional.
Miggy came out earlier this season about how he has not been 100% since the WBC. So at different times he has had back problems, hip problems, oblique problems, hamstring problems, knee and ankle problems which leads to a down year by his standards. I read he is trying different approaches in his swing, flat footed, and recently, no load, just the foot lifts with toes still on the ground in the batters box. God knows he is trying and playing in pain most if not all of this year.
Kaline was that kind of player, the ultimate team player, knowing what to do in every, that is every game situation for the entire game.
Norm Cash was the funny man who could also swing a good bat. At times he would go grab the microphone for the singing of the national anthem and start singing a cowboy song with his Texas drawl.
The players who lead on the field with that rah rah, and yelling at players, was Bill Freehan, and Dick McAuliffe. Willie and Gates were demonstrative but also laid back just enough to get the other teams attention in case some pitcher was going to do something stupid, which they did, like throwing at a Tigers player. Different game from today.
Even the Trammell, Whitaker, Morris and Gibson Tigers. Tram and Lou wanted to beat the opposing team right there on the diamond, Morris was a loud demonstrative pitcher on the mound, and we all know how Gibby played, with the football mentality and rah rah on the field.
What goes on with the current Tigers, like many teams is that there isn't as much of the leading on the field with that earlier era emotions.
Same with the managers. Gone are Sparky, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Bobby Cox, and Leyland (one of the, if not the last) type of managers, extremely confrontational with umpires.
Millions of dollars for utility players and 1 inning relievers. Times have changed. Billions of dollars in major league baseball. If the players don't get the huge salaries, then it all goes to the owners like the old days.
When Mantle won the triple crown in 1956, then he had a great year in 1957 but not the same as '56 and the Yankees wanted to give him a pay cut!!!
I would like to find out how many players are making 10 million or more per year, 15 million or more per year, or 20 million or more per year.
It's prevalent in baseball and basketball more than football and hockey I would guess.
and in all sports, the contracts and large salaries are given for what has been accomplished, without regard to how they will perform in the future, Will the player continue to perform with great seasons, slump, get serious injuries (which to a degree are insured), age into their 30's and production drops some, or become complacent with 50 to 100 million still coming to them.
Some players become complacent when they get multi year contract. Not all but enough of them for fans to wonder wtf happened to ...........
