Mr. Dickerson and Mr. Price,
I am a White Sox fan. I say that only in the interests of full disclosure. I actually come to you as a baseball fan to comment on one aspect of your commentary during the top of the 6th inning of the Tigers-White Sox game on Thursday, July 11, 2013. To refresh your memory: Josh Phegley cleared the bases with a grand slam, putting Chicago up 5-3. Alejandro DeAza was retired in ordinary fashion -- especially considering that earlier in the game, Chris Sale buzzed Prince Fielder's chin after Miguel Cabrera took him deep -- but then Luke Putkonen put one behind Alexei Ramirez. The latter took exception, benches emptied, tempers flared, but no punches were thrown. There was brief confusion over when/if Leyland had been ejected. Mario and Rod assumed his last protest came because he didn't realize he'd been tossed; you two guessed he was upset because Ramirez hadn't been.
After play resumed, Ramirez swung and missed twice to the delight of the crowd, but then dropped one in fair territory down the RF line. He might have made second, but he injured himself rounding 1st and stayed there, eventually being replaced by a pinch-runner, at which point the crowd applauded his injury.
It is what I heard next that I would like to comment on.
I heard the two of you join in the behavior of the crowd -- behavior that Rod Allen on Tigers TV rightly called "unprofessional", by the way. Mr. Price called it "karma". Mr. Dickerson referred to "the man who started it all", meaning Alexei Ramirez.
It actually pains me to have to say what comes next because I think you two are one of the best baseball PBP teams in MLB, far better than what we have for White Sox broadcasts in my humble opinion. Many a time when the Sox have played the Tigers, I have willingly listened to your broadcast because I'm tired of the Sox broadcast teams. Until Thursday, my respect for you was unblemished.
When you labeled Alexei Ramirez as the instigator, I found that extremely insulting. To be clear: if Prince Fielder had taken the same kind of umbrage when Chris Sale just barely missed his head and Ed Farmer had berated him for pointing at Sale and then reveled in his injury after beating out a base hit, this same letter would be going to him instead. I am not writing to you as a Sox fan, but as a baseball fan. To suggest that Alexei Ramirez started it because he took umbrage at being used for target practice is insane.
Let me be more pointed: if I'm in the batter's box and you throw at me, I'm ALLOWED to be upset about it. Period. To suggest otherwise is tantamount to blaming the victim. You should know better, both of you. On the list of players who "started it", Alexei Ramirez is absent. If you want to blame a Sox player, blame Chris Sale for starting it. Runner up goes to Luke Putkonen for perpetuating the violence. It's great that he missed, but there is no guarantee of that. It's great that he stayed away from his head. Really, I appreciate that.
But Alexei Ramirez is absolutely allowed to take umbrage. And shame on you for joining the fans' classless behavior. Please take a cue from your TV counterpart.
If you want to know what I would have done if I was czar of discipline for MLB, I would have ejected Chris Sale immediately after that pitch to Prince, and decreed that it ends right there. I don't expect you to agree with that. Mr. Price played; I didn't. I defer to your experience. But I say this only to assure you that my complaint is not a partisan one.
Please keep up your fine work. Your broadcasts are generally interesting to listen to, as well as informative. I also appreciate Mr. Dickerson's occasional Detroit Titans' basketball play-by-play when I get to hear it. I am a Valpo basketball fan and our two teams have had some real classics in recent years.
I just wanted you to know how disappointed I was in this one broadcast. Thank you for your time.
Jim Squire
St. Louis, MO
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